Class Of 2016 Seed Projects

Project Title: Food for Thought: Decision-Making and Promotion of Healthy Eating Choices

Project Statement: The proposed project will explore the underlying cognitive processes related to differences in food choice between athletes and non-athletes by combining cognitive science, clinical psychology and nutrition sciences.

Project Team:
  • Samantha Winter, M.S. / Drexel University
    Graduate Student in Applied Cognitive & Brain Sciences, Department of Psychology
  • Jon-Frederick Landrigan / Drexel University
    Graduate Student in Applied Cognitive & Brain Sciences, Department of Psychology
  • Chris Diaz / Drexel University
    Graduate Student in Clinical Psychology, Department of Psychology
  • Stella Volpe, Ph.D. / Drexel University
    Professor and Chair, Department of Nutrition Sciences
  • Nyree Dardarian, Ph.D. / Drexel University
    Assistant Professor and Director, Department of Nutrition Sciences’ Center for Nutrition & Performance
  • Eric Zillmer Psy.D., / Drexel University
    Director of Athletics, Professor of Neuropsychology

Project Title: Development of an interactive tour app of the Lower Schuylkill River by foot, bike, and boat

Project Statement: We seek to develop a collaborative audio based smartphone tour of the Lower Schuylkill River integrating the history, ecology, community, and measured environmental parameters for tour participants to use while walking, biking, or boating.

Project Team:
  • Peter DeCarlo / Drexel University
    Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering and Department of Chemistry
  • Vincent O’Leary / Drexel University
    Department of Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Science
  • Bethany Wiggin / University of Pennsylvania
    Director of the Penn Program in Environmental Humanities
  • Laurie Allen / University of Pennsylvania
    Assistant Director for Digital Scholarship at the University of Pennsylvania Libraries
  • Danielle Redden / Bartram’s Gardens
    Director of River Programs

Project Title: ‘Fitbit’ing the Built Environment: Evaluating the Pace of Urban Conditions with Health Performance Metrics

Project Statement: Health analytic and geospatial tracking technologies provide new opportunities for measuring and evaluating our built environment that go beyond traditional means and methods - how might these tools and subsequent findings challenge current planning and urban design principles to better respond to varying activity patterns embedded within our urban environment?

Project Team:
  • Jason Austin / Drexel University,
    Assistant Teaching Professor; Department of Architecture + Interiors, Westphal College
  • Ryan Debold / Drexel University
    Project Manager; Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation
  • Yvonne Michael, ScD, SM / Drexel University
    Associate Professor, Associate Dean for Academic and Faculty Affairs; Dornsife School of Public Health

Special Track: Drexel Smart Initiatives


Project Title: Playful Interfaces to SmartSpaces

Project Statement: Enable and support significantly enhanced interactive audio and visual displays in student workshop projects for Rankin Scholar-in-Residence program planned and approved for AY 2016-17, hosted by Drexel’s SmartHouse.

Project Team:
  • Rob Lloyd / Drexel University
    DIGM Faculty, Game Design & Production
  • Jeremy Fernsler/ Drexel University
    Program Director, Game Design & Production
  • Robin Baumgarten / Cool Cherry Trees Ltd,
    Westphal Rankin Scholar-in-Residence
Supporting Members:
  • Michael Glaser / Drexel University
    Program Director, Product Design
  • Lewis Colburn / Drexel University
    Visual Arts Faculty, Sculpture Area Coordinator
  • Erik Sundquist / Drexel University
    Director, Hybrid Making Lab