Nina Henderson Provost Scholars
The Nina Henderson Provost Scholars Program, launched in the fall of 2021, is an annual scholarship program that provides 12 motivated Drexel students with the opportunity to enhance their leadership skills and play a hands-on role in shaping the Drexel experience. Drawing on their diverse backgrounds, disciplines and perspectives, Nina Henderson Provost Scholars work alongside the Provost and senior Provost’s Office leadership to advance key priorities of the Drexel 2030 Strategic Plan and collaborate on strategic projects. The program is made possible by support from Nina Henderson, Chair of the Academic Affair Committee of the Board of Trustees, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees and Drexel alumna.
Scholar Projects
Led by members of the Provost’s Office leadership team, the Scholars have been assigned to the following research projects:
- Institutional Effectiveness Support Program
- Teaching with Technology
- Establishing Climate and Sustainability Community-Based Experiential Learning
- Curricular Analytics & Complexity and Curricular Applications of Generative AI
- Support for Strategic Provost's Office Initiatives
Learn More About the Projects
Meet the Scholars
The 2023-2024 cohort of Nina Henderson Provost Scholars includes both graduate students and undergraduates spanning many interests and diverse Drexel experiences:
María José Garcia Rivas '24
BS/MS in Biomedical Engineering
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Project: Teaching with Technology: Creating Student-Centered Learning Experiences
María José (Majo) is President of Drexel’s Undergraduate Student Government
Association and a Drexel Global Scholar. She has traveled to Ghana as a Dornsife Global Development Scholar, where she learned about health and environmental infrastructures, and conducted bilingual research with the aim of improving pediatric care while on co-op at the University of Pennsylvania.
"My ultimate goal not only as a Nina Henderson Scholar, but also as a Drexel student, is to make positive changes that last long after I graduate. As an international student who has grown, adapted and learned from many spaces and experiences at Drexel, I’m passionate about the Graduate College Diversity Exploration project and a firm believer that we can create an equitable environment and remove the obstacles that are preventing students from achieving their full potential."
Nadia Jeon ’27
BA Law
New York, New York
Project: Institutional Effectiveness Support Project
Nadia has taught English to students in both New York City and South Korea and volunteered as a Korean translator at a nonprofit, which awarded her its Gold President’s Volunteer Award. The executive secretary for the Drexel Biddle Law Society, she has also collaborated with students from a Scottish university as part of a Drexel Global Classroom.
“The lack of resources and adequate education in America is a persistent problem I see with my students. I see the Nina Henderson Provost Scholars program as an opportunity to tackle this problem on a larger scale, as the best and most a University has to offer to its students is quality education.”
Alyssa Kemp '25
BS/MS in Environmental Engineering
Cavalier, ND
Project: Community-Based Climate Transition Workforce Opportunities
Alyssa has enacted her passion for community-centered sustainability research as a volunteer with Solidarity Engineering and as a STAR Scholar and Velay Fellow, having completed a project on heat disparities within Philadelphia. An Aspire Scholar and Community-Based Project Assistant at the Lindy Center for Civic Engagement, she also attended the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference via the Office of Global Engagement.
“I was drawn to the Nina Henderson Provost Scholars Program as an
opportunity to allow both current and future students to gain more hands-on
experiences in relation to climate change and sustainability. I aspire to make
collaborating across curriculums more accessible for Drexel students, faculty and the greater Philadelphia community to forge greater progress towards climate change.”
Charlotte Klass ’25
EdD Educational Leadership and Management
Diamond Point, NY
Project: Teaching with Technology at Drexel University: Creating Student-Centered Learning Experiences
Charlotte is a special education case manager with a passion for fostering inclusive environments who has led projects promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and social-emotional learning in educational spaces over the past five years. A part-time graduate student at Drexel, she previously obtained an M.S. in Early Childhood Special Education from Syracuse University and a certificate in Social Emotional Learning from Rutgers University.
“As a Nina Henderson Provost Scholar, I hope to draw on my unique perspective as an educator, disability rights enthusiast, and equity advocate to advance the Drexel 2030 initiative and improve the Dragon experience. Additionally, I hope to bring the part-time graduate student perspective into the conversation and help drive initiatives encouraging more Drexel community engagement from graduate students.”
Ranjini Mahalanobish '24
BSBA in Business Administration
Kolkata, India
Project: Teaching with Technology: Creating Student-Centered Learning Experiences
Ranjini spent most of her childhood learning about nonprofit work to support the underprivileged societies of India; since then, she has learned about her passion for leadership and influencing people on a larger scale. In addition to planning culturally themed events as a Culture and Discovery Committee member of the Campus Activities Board, she has researched cognitive behavior in eSports since her first year at Drexel and plans to continue expand her knowledge in that field.
"I came to Drexel with a one-track mindset in terms of my career, but have since come to understand the value of a multidisciplinary and global approach to my education. As an international student, I love to explore new world views and experiences, which is what led me to the Nina Henderson Provost Scholars program."
Hailee Mayer ’26
PhD in Biomedical Engineering
Swarthmore, PA
Project: Institutional Effectiveness Support Project
Hailee started as an undergraduate biomedical engineering student at Drexel and now is working towards her Ph.D. at the University. Through her time volunteering with Next Play Basketball, Philadelphia Youth Basketball, and Girls on the Run, she has developed a passion for service and a commitment to motivating others to get involved.
“I believe we all have a purpose to help others, regardless of who they are, and want nothing more than to share my insights with a group of people at Drexel who care enough to make changes with me. This program offers me an opportunity to give back and learn more about my community.”
Jessica McAtamney ’24
EdD Educational Leadership and Management
Philadelphia, PA
Project: Establishing Climate and Sustainability Community-Based Experiential Learning
Jessica is an educator who serves as the Vice President of the Philadelphia Society for Promoting Agriculture and the Communications Chair for the Philadelphia Area Peace Corps Association. She has worked for more than 20 years at the School District of Philadelphia, where she currently serves as a principal and social work supervisor.
“The Nina Henderson Provost Scholars program will enable me to gain new leadership skills along with coaching exposure and mentorship at a premier university that is paving the way in innovation and design in an urban setting. I am honored to be a part of this team by both working within it and learning from it.”
Joe McBride ’24
BSBA Marketing
Montclair, NJ
Project: Support for Strategic Provost’s Office Initiatives
Joe is the vice president of the Biddle Law Society and a LeBow BRIDGE scholar. His experiences in marketing and attorney recruiting across three co-ops have given him the opportunity to conduct real-world market research, coordinate brand partnership opportunities and apply SEO best practices.
“I am interested in the opportunity to advocate on behalf of the undergraduate student body here at Drexel University to improve upon and develop new and existing initiatives with the Provost’s Office. I look forward to developing my leadership, teamwork and organizational skills while having the opportunity to facilitate positive change within the university.”
Sarah Malik '24
PhD in Mechanical Engineering
Philadelphia, PA
Project: Curricular Analytics & Complexity and Curricular Applications of Generative AI
An NSF Graduate Research Fellow, Sarah was Drexel’s first attendee of the Rising Stars in Mechanical Engineering workshop, hosted by Stanford University, and is the first graduate student on the IEEE Computer Society’s Publication Board. A member of the College of Engineering Dean’s Student Leadership Council, she has led initiatives around investigating perceptions of Drexel and is an active advocate of academic support for graduate students.
"I have become an advocate for enhancing students’ academic experience and improving systematic gaps to ensure students have a fair opportunity to learn. I strongly believe the future of education is in interdisciplinary dialogue, which will accelerate the learning process to produce higher-level research — not only at the student level, but also for faculty as they continue to cross-pollinate research domains to discover new insights. As a Nina Henderson Provost Scholar, I am excited to work with the team to continue to make Drexel a leader in education and research."
Anh Nguyen ’26
BS Computer Science
Hanoi, Vietnam
Project: Establishing Climate and Sustainability Community-Based Experiential Learning
Anh is the founder of Eco Peace Wildlife, a wildlife conservation organization, and a project manager for Solar for Change, a start-up company that empowers farmers in Vietnam, to switch to solar energy. As a Drexel Global Scholar, Anh contributes to global leadership efforts and helps foster international community ties at Drexel. Furthermore, Anh has completed an internship at CurveBeam AI, where he engineered crucial software enhancements for medical devices deployed in major clinics in the United States.
“I wish to cultivate an environment that promotes creativity, collaboration and transformative thinking at Drexel University. I believe that by integrating diverse perspectives, we can collaboratively utilize technology to tackle environmental challenges while driving economic growth.”
Satvik Tripathi '26
BS in Computer Science
Lucknow, India
Project: Curricular Analytics & Complexity and Curricular Applications of Generative AI
An AI practitioner with research focused on building machine learning techniques, Satvik draws on his computer science curriculum and psychology minor to take an interdisciplinary, humanistic approach to data analysis. He has been a leader in communities like Philly Codefest, Drexel’s Society of Artificial Intelligence and Biomedical Undergraduate Association while maintaining research roles at Harvard Medical School and UPenn’s Perelman School of Medicine.
"As a Nina Henderson Provost Scholar, I hope to utilize my experiences and learn from others to make Drexel a stronger and more enriching community for current and incoming students. As taught in CIVIC 101, I hope to forge a sustainable alliance to serve not only the Drexel community, but also the Philadelphia community we are part of.”
Ali Youssef '24
BS/MS in Biomedical Engineering
Long Island, NY
Project: Support for Strategic Provost's Office Initiatives
Ali enriched his data analysis and research experience in co-ops at Merck, where he developed dataflows to optimize manufacturing processes, and Johnson & Johnson, where he derived mathematical models using Python and visualized experimental data in Tableau. He has also honed his leadership and communications skills as a teaching assistant for UNIV 101 and a former peer mentor in his school.
“An integral part of being a Drexel Dragon is becoming a civically engaged citizen who fosters collaboration, inclusiveness, integration and interdisciplinary work within the community. I envision that my contributions as a Nina Henderson Provost Scholar will directly improve the quality of students’ experiences and contribute to a more sustainable community at Drexel University.”
Support for Strategic Provost's Office Initiatives
Support for Strategic Provost's Office Initiatives