Research and Scholarship – DEMO

Integrating knowledge across disciplines

Drexel psychology students curate local landmarks as members of the Happiness Lab – a think tank that investigates what contributes to people’s sense of safety, social connection and beauty.

The Philadelphia Challenge: A happiness trip

Professor Eric Zillmer's psychology students curate local landmarks as members of the Happiness Lab – a think tank that investigates what contributes to people’s sense of safety, social connection and beauty.

Cancer Science Without Silos

Drexel is moving new cancer treatments into action by integrating expertise from disciplines in the College of Arts and Sciences not typically associated with cancer studies like sociology and psychology.

Drexel Professor Hilde Van den Bulck and colleagues make the case that Americans trust PBS because it’s publicly funded, not despite it

An Island of Trust:
Public Broadcasting in the United States

Communication Professor Hilde Van den Bulck and colleagues make the case that Americans trust PBS because it’s publicly funded, not in spite of it.

he Philadelphia Water Department is transforming the city’s waterways using a first-of-its-kind mussel hatchery developed in partnership with the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University. Photo: Roger Thomas

Can Mussels Save Philadelphia’s Waterways?

The Philadelphia Water Department is transforming the city’s waterways using a first-of-its-kind mussel hatchery developed in partnership with the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University.

Drexel Assistant Professor Ali Afify’s lab is pioneering safe repellents to prevent malaria mosquito biting and egg-laying where humans live using chemicals commonly found in cosmetics and foods.

Decoding Smells that Attract and Repel Malaria Mosquitos

Biology Professor Ali Afify’s lab is pioneering safe chemical repellents that help to prevent malaria mosquitos from biting and egg-laying where humans live.

Drexel Professor Naoko Kurahashi Neilson led an international research team to assemble a portrait of the galaxy informed by neutrinos detected at the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in Antarctica.

Painting A Portrait of the Milky Way

An international research team spearheaded by Professor Naoko Kurahashi Neilson created a portrait of the Milky Way galaxy using neutrinos detected at the IceCube Observatory in Antarctica.

Drexel Professor Sean O'Donnell's study of army ants uncovered surprising insights into how the ants survive extreme temperatures, opening the door to new understandings of how climate change impacts animal behavior.

Ants in the Heat of Evolution

Evolutionary biologist Sean O'Donnell uncovered surprising insights into how army ants in Costa Rica survive extreme temperatures, revealing how climate change impacts animal behavior.

Drexel Assistant Professor Aaron Kuyci questions what that indicates about our state of mind, spontaneous thought, and its impact on mental health.

Gone Mental

Our minds wander between 30% and 50% of the time that we’re awake. Neuroscientists like Aaron Kuyci explore how the brain’s wandering mind may lead to improved mental health treatments.

Drexel University is a vibrant hub of collaborative research, creative fusion and experiential learning across disciplines. Drexel’s reputation as a knowledge-intensive institution is affirmed by its R1 status for ‘very high research activity’ in the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education and has assured the University a place in the top 100 research universities in the country.

In the College of Arts and Sciences (CoAS), our students —many as early as their first year— work alongside our world-class faculty to conduct research and engage in creative scholarship that draws on expertise in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. We believe that teams take many forms, and building a strong one requires transparency and mutual respect for each individual's unique gifts and expertise. Our tight-knit community of undergraduate and graduate students, dedicated faculty and professional staff strive to promote access, opportunity and justice through a shared pursuit of discovery.

Meet Our Students Faculty Experts Literary Community Latest News

Quicklinks

Undergraduate Students

Graduate Students

Research at Drexel

Undergraduate Students

Your College of Arts and Sciences experience is one of discovery: Who you are, who you want to become and what motivates you. It's about investigating the world around you and learning how to create new ideas, new solutions and methods that make a difference. Opportunities abound for undergraduate students to engage in mentored research, creative scholarship and hands-on experiences. Our dedicated faculty mentors challenge students across majors to integrate a wide range of topics while gaining problem-solving, communication and teamwork skills. Participating in research or creative projects allows students to work one-on-one with faculty who can help them to clarify their academic and professional goals.

Undergraduate Research

Graduate Students

The College of Arts and Sciences at Drexel University builds on the idea that human progress and fulfillment lie at the intersection of art, science and industry. Our college is at the core of Drexel's growing reputation as an academically rigorous research institution; the work of our faculty and students is often at the center of many of the University's interdisciplinary innovations. Integrating knowledge and catalyzing discovery across the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences with intention –coupled with Drexel's trademark emphasis on experiential learning and civic engagement– distinguishes our college from other liberal arts programs.

The Graduate College

Faculty Experts

Ours is a community where the pursuit of knowledge meets the impact of action. It requires a fearlessness to break out of predefined roles or disciplinary bounds, to forge new partnerships and to work collaboratively in ways that challenge conventional norms. Faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences are widely recognized as experts who readily integrate knowledge across disciplines to drive life-changing solutions that benefit society and foster understanding. We invite you to learn more about our faculty members and to visit our departments and centers.

Faculty Directory

Recent Faculty Books

Faculty in the College of Arts and Sciences author published works covering diverse topics and genres, including anthologies, biographies, in-depth research, collaborative efforts, fiction, poetry, non-fiction, humor, opinion/editorial, pedagogy and textbooks. Below is a brief selection of recently published books from 2022-2023.

Recent Journal Articles

We encourage you to visit the Drexel Research Discovery database, maintained by the Drexel Library, to learn more about research at Drexel that draws on the expertise of faculty and scholars from multiple disciplines across the university. The link below leads to a curated list of peer-reviewed articles in top-tier journals published from 2020 to 2023 by faculty members in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Curated List

Featured: Department of Physics

Literary Community

Drexel Publishing Group

The Department of English and Philosophy offers undergraduates firsthand experience and faculty mentorship in the fields of writing, editing and publishing via the Drexel Publishing Group and its publications which include: The 33rd, Write Now Philly, Paper Dragon and Maya. The department also hosts the annual Drexel Writing Festival to immerse our campus community in various genres related to a central theme – such as empowerment.

Learn more

Writers Room

Established in 2014, Writers Room is a university-community literary arts program engaged in creative placemaking and art for social justice. This diverse, intergenerational collective of students, alumni, faculty, staff and neighborhood residents co-create places that foster connection and a sense of belonging. Writers Room provides its members the time, space and expertise needed to share their stories and exchange ideas.

Learn More

Latest News

All Research News

College of Arts and Sciences Celebrates Student Achievement on Honors Day 2026

The College of Arts and Sciences' annual Honors Day event gives our faculty, staff and alumni an opportunity to honor our students’ achievements in the classroom, lab and community.

Research Day 2026 Recognizes Student and Faculty Achievement in the Humanities, Natural Sciences and Social Sciences

Each year, the College of Arts and Sciences community comes together for Research Day to celebrate our faculty and student researchers who explore a wide range of topics spanning the humanities, natural sciences and social sciences.

Drexel alum Sky Harper, BS chemistry '24, is a doctoral student at the Medical University of South Carolina where he studies Biomedical Sciences, Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

Where Experience Leads: Catching up With Sky Harper, BS chemistry ’24

Chemistry alum Sky Harper has gone from a first-gen student who became Drexel’s first “Triple Crown” scholar, to Mayo Clinic biomedical researcher, to a molecular pharmacology doctoral student and advocate working to amplify indigenous youth’s access to education. In this Q&A, Harper describes how his Drexel experience helped him transition into a PhD program, exercise his voice, and shift the healthcare paradigm across tribal communities.

Bridging Classroom Learning with Global Impact

Environmental studies and sustainability major Niya Manning spent three months in Zambia as a Dornsife Global Development Scholar.

Physics PhD Student Riya Shah’s Hunt for Neutrinos

A groundbreaking new study led by Drexel physics PhD student Riya Shah provides insight into the origins of neutrinos, the nearly massless subatomic particles that may help explain how galaxies are formed and evolve.