Luis Grande was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and has worked in the field of communication for more than a decade—as a journalist, videographer, film critic, media producer and video editor. Luis chose Drexel's Communication, Culture and Media PhD program to become a college professor and expand his research on the symbolic impact of AI and digital influencers.

Abdifatah Ahmed Mohamed is founder and executive director of the Somali Deaf Development Association, based in Jigjiga, Ethiopia. Mohamed represented Drexel at the 2023 Mandela Washington Fellowship Summit Ignite Talks where his moving speech about the inclusionof disabled African children earned the only standing ovation.

"Triple Dragon" LeeAnn Haaf, who earned her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in environmental science at Drexel, works to ensure a better future for our wetlands as the Assistant Director of Estuary Science at the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary. Here, Haaf expands on the coastal wetland research she first began exploring as a student, with the goal of translating science into positive change.

In 2023, chemistry PhD candidate John-Paul R. Marrazzo captured first-place at the annual American Association for the Advancement of Science conference in the Student E-Poster competition for “Dearomatization of Benzonitriles with Lithiated Nucleophiles.” 

Matt Cowan, who is pursuing a PhD in biology, and his team members won first place at the National Science Policy Network's 2023 Science Policy Writing Competition for their brief which explored how to improve indoor air quality to alleviate childhood asthma in Chicago.

At Drexel, Ive-Anwuli Ralph-Uyalor explores potential therapeutic approaches that can promote wound healing. She is pursuing a PhD in biology and is a member of Dr. Ryan Petrie's lab.