Message from the Dean
Congratulations to the Class of 2025!
It is my great honor, on behalf of the College of Engineering, to celebrate this remarkable milestone with you. As you complete your Drexel journey and prepare to enter the next phase of your life, we recognize the hard work, resilience, and creativity that have brought you to this point.
As engineers, you are entering the world with the skills and mindset to address some of today’s most pressing issues — from advancing clean energy to improving healthcare technologies, infrastructure, and cybersecurity. You’ve learned not only how to think critically and work collaboratively, but how to solve problems that make a difference.
We are incredibly proud of what you’ve accomplished and even more excited for what lies ahead. Wherever your path takes you, know that you carry the values, expertise, and spirit of the Drexel Engineering community with you.
Commencement is not a farewell — it’s a warm welcome into a global network of alumni who continue to build and shape the world. We wish you the best of luck and will be cheering you on every step of the way.
With admiration,
Kapil R. Dandekar, PhD
Interim Dean
About the Keynote Speaker
Jonathan Ojany, BS architectural and civil engineering ’97, honors, is a distinguished business leader with more than 20 years of global experience spanning industries and functions. He currently serves as CFO and Head of Strategy and Transformation for KFC-USA. A proud Drexel alumnus, he also holds a 2007 MBA in Finance and Management from The Wharton School.
Mr. Ojany has built his career around leadership, problem solving and positive change — unconstrained by geography or industry. He’s held senior roles at companies including The Coca-Cola Company, where he served as chief of staff to the global president, led strategy and operations for the company’s global center and led Coca-Cola’s Sub-Saharan Africa strategy and insights team. Previously, he was global director of strategy at InterContinental Hotels Group and a consultant at McKinsey & Company, where he advised public, private, nonprofit and government clients.
His career began at Sunoco as a co-op student. After graduation, he joined full time and rose to senior engineer and business development manager in just five years.
A dual U.S.-Kenyan citizen, Mr. Ojany is deeply committed to global leadership and social impact. In 2023, he was named a Presidential Leadership Scholar, a distinction jointly awarded by four U.S. presidential centers. He is active on academic, arts and environmental boards worldwide and recently served on the College of Engineering’s Executive Advisory Council.
Mr. Ojany is a passionate traveler who has explored more than 50 countries across six continents, always seeking new cultures, ideas and innovations.
You're a Forever Dragon Now!
Don't Miss the University-Wide Commencement on June 12!
We hope you'll join us for this special event at Citizens Bank Park on Thursday, June 12 at 5 p.m. ET. We look forward to celebrating our graduates at the University-wide Commencement ceremony, where our newest Forever Dragons will get the chance to participate in a procession around the baseball field and have their degrees conferred before being officially welcomed into the ranks of Drexel alumni.