September

Drexel's 2020 Convocation was held virtually and filmed in a socially distant way. During a Historic Time, Drexel’s Virtual Convocation Looks Ahead
Looking and sounding different than past years, the 2020 ceremony outlined how Drexel will be working to improve educational, working and living environments on and off campus.
Masked dragon statue and text Campus Update: Sept. 29 COVID-19 Testing Information Update

Over the past two weeks, Drexel conducted baseline COVID-19 testing intended to get a picture of COVID-19 infection among students, faculty and professional staff at the start of the fall quarter.

For a course that was supposed to be taught in the Netherlands over the spring, LeBow College of Business clinical professor Dana D’Angelo arranged for a “goodie box” of Dutch food to be sent to students during a virtual group meal. Photo courtesy Dana D’Angelo. Share Your Story of Remote Teaching at Drexel
Drexel’s Remote Teaching Task Force is publishing faculty-written accounts and tips for remote teaching — and you can share your own with your peers.
The “Mario the Magnificent” statue on Drexel’s University City Campus was recently outfitted with a face mask. Graduate Student Town Hall Reinforces Campus Community Resources and Responsibilities
On Sept. 18, graduate students conducting on-campus classes or research this fall were invited to learn more about the University’s health and safety measures and student resources in the continued wake of COVID-19 as well as have their pre-submitted questions answered by campus leadership.
Drexel student activist Tianna Williams posing outside of the Rush Building, which will soon be the home of the University's Center for Black Culture. Face of Change: Tianna Williams and the Undergraduate Student Push for an Anti-Racist Drexel

As the sole undergraduate student co-chair of Drexel University’s Anti-Racism Task Force established in June, fourth-year engineering student Tianna Williams is making her voice heard and creating the change she wants to see on campus.

Beating the Heat — Safely and Sustainably — During the Pandemic
When public pools and many cooling centers closed this summer due to COVID-19, Drexel University researchers teamed up with the William Penn foundation and members of the Hunting Park community to come up with strategies to safely and sustainably beat the heat.
Heard Around Campus Heard Around Campus — September
Learn about upcoming events and healthcare updates related to free flu shots (on all of Drexel’s plans) and the upcoming Benefits Open Enrollment period.
Drexel’s Office of University and Community Partnerships. Fall 2020 Volunteer Opportunities for Drexel Dragons
Drexel’s Office of University and Community Partnerships shared ways for students, faculty and professional staff to get involved with the community through its programs and centers.
A photograph from 1918 or 1919 showing newborns being cared for in the Barton Dispensary, which WMCP temporarily closed during the 1918 pandemic. Photo courtesy Legacy Center Archives, Drexel College of Medicine. In Their Own Words: The Front Lines of the 1918 Influenza Pandemic
Faculty, staff and students of the Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, which later grew into Drexel’s College of Medicine, worked heroically in the fall of 1918 to treat influenza patients, including themselves — as documented in the few reports remaining from that time.
Chronic Kidney Disease by neighborhood in Philadelphia Your Neighborhood May Raise Your Risk of Chronic Kidney Disease

A neighborhood’s overall socioeconomic status, including income and education-level, may influence its residents’ risk of chronic kidney disease, according to a study recently published in SSM Population Health by researchers from Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health.

Jazmean Williams, a 2020 graduate with a BS in biomedical engineering, in the lab during her six-month co-op in Wellington, New Zealand funded partially by Drexel-LSAMP. Changing STEM Representation Trends Through the Philadelphia AMP Alliance
The Greater Philadelphia Region Alliance for Minority Participation (Philadelphia AMP) was started in 1994 through National Science Foundation funding and a Drexel alum's efforts. As host institution for the alliance for over 20 years, Drexel continues to support Dragons and spearhead regional STEM representation change through programming, funding, opportunities and mentorship.
Sept. 22 is National Voter Registration Day, and Drexel University would like to take this opportunity to encourage all eligible students, faculty and professional staff to register to vote and verify their registration status. Drexel Celebrates National Voter Registration Day
Sept. 22 is National Voter Registration Day, and Drexel University would like to take this opportunity to encourage all eligible students, faculty and professional staff to register to vote and verify their registration status.
Socially distant seating in the Hahnemann Library on Drexel's Center City Campus. How Drexel Campus Amenities Will Operate This Fall

Though fall term classes and programming will be held mostly online, these student-oriented campus amenities will be up and running to assist you whether you’re living on or near campus or would like to access them remotely.

The “Mario the Magnificent” statue on Drexel’s University City Campus was recently outfitted with a face mask. Faculty and Staff Town Hall Recap: Updates on Caregiver Support, Testing and What Comes Next
On Sept. 16, Drexel University leaders went over some Drexel’s new and ongoing procedures related to returning to campus and working remotely.
Revival! an audio-visual meditation Drexel Hosts Revival! a Virtual Celebration for Collective Joy and Resilience 
Part dance party, part live video art performance, Revival! an audio-visual meditation event will be= streamed on the Twitch channel of Drexel University's Pearlstein Gallery on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 3 p.m. The event will stream for free and is presented in tandem with the gallery's partners, the Westphal College Diversity Equity & Inclusion Council, Art & Art History Department, Urban Strategy Graduate Program, Retail & Merchandising Graduate Program and BlackStar Film Festival.
After launching late last month, the Drexel University Family Portal already boasts over 2,500 active members and helps families access streamlined information, alerts and events to bolster their Dragon’s success at Drexel. Drexel University Family Portal: Everything For Dragon Families, Now in One Place
After launching late last month, this new University resource already boasts over 2,500 active members and helps families access streamlined information, alerts and events to bolster their Dragon’s success at Drexel.
Welcome Week, taking place Sept. 12–20, may look a little different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But with more than 250 virtual events, incoming students will still find ample ways to connect with campus resources, their individual colleges and schools, and each other. A Guide to Drexel’s First Virtual Welcome Week
Welcome Week, taking place Sept. 12–20, may look a little different this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. But with more than 250 virtual events, incoming students will still find ample ways to connect with campus resources, their individual colleges and schools, and each other.
Andrea Eleazar's work station for her remote STAR Scholars experience this summer. Drexel's STAR Scholars program was one of the deciding factors for Eleazar in choosing to attend Drexel. How Drexel's STAR Scholars Program Still Went According to Plan Despite Pandemic
The program, which gives highly motivated first-year students the opportunity to conduct faculty-mentored undergraduate research, supported 101 students this summer with stipends and remote positions, plus more in-person opportunities planned for the upcoming academic year.
Lisa Santore Daughen, chairperson of the Drexel Family Association, shares advice and her own experiences on remaining a resource for students while still allowing them to “drive the bus,” even considering the changes and challenges of our time. Navigating the New Normal as a Drexel Family
Lisa Santore Daughen, chairperson of the Drexel Family Association, shares advice and her own experiences on remaining a resource for students while still allowing them to “drive the bus,” even considering the changes and challenges of our time.
Members of Campus Activities Board (CAB) posing in Drexel University's Main Building. “What’s Next?”: Finding Community During Drexel’s Remote Fall Term

Christian Maxey, a fourth-year honors student and president of the Campus Activities Board (CAB), outlines how virtual campus involvement will still be possible this fall term and why it’s most important for Dragons to take part.

New Drexel University Public Safety & U image. Public Safety & U — September
Whether you’re on campus or not, there are precautions to take and best practices to be aware of to create a safe, secure and healthy environment for you, your fellow Dragons and your neighbors.
DNA break Drexel Medicine Researchers Develop New Technology to Target DNA Damage Repair in Cancer Patients

A team of Drexel University College of Medicine researchers is advancing a way to destroy cancer cells exploiting "synthetic lethality," which is caused by deficiency in the DNA damage response (DDR) pathway. Synthetic lethality occurs when deficiencies in each of any two genes can be tolerated by the cell but the combination of these two deficiencies is lethal.

Cancer awareness ribbons Is Philadelphia Advancing in the War Against Cancer?
As recent racial justice protests and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic illuminate the role that structural racism and socioeconomic factors play in the health of Americans, significant disparities may be found in cancer rates and outcomes, according to “State of Cancer in Philadelphia,” a report issued this week from Drexel University’s Urban Health Collaborative, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, and Fox Chase Cancer Center, sponsored by Lazarex Cancer Foundation. 
B PHL Drexel Joins Virtual B. PHL Citywide Innovation Festival
With a new virtual format and a focus on supporting COVID-19 recovery efforts in the Philadelphia region, the 2020 B. PHL festival — a celebration of the city’s creative spirit — will bring together innovators for three days of talks, workshops, meet-ups and curated experiences from the city and around the world. Admission to this year’s festival is free, with the option to make a donation to the PHL COVID-19 fund. Drexel University leadership, faculty and professional staff members, including President John Fry, will participate in several events during the festival, which will be held from Sept. 15-17.
Three plates of food showing the three courses served during Terrain's special menu Less Waste, More Nutrition: Drexel’s Food Lab and Terrain Cafe Partner for Weekly Sustainable Menus
As demand for more sustainable food practices increases, Drexel Food Lab, the culinary innovation lab within Drexel University's College of Nursing and Health Professions, and Terrain Cafe have partnered to meet the challenge. Together, the Drexel Food Lab and Terrain Cafe will focus on up-cycling foods and creating sustainable menus through Terrain Cafe’s “Chef’s Fresh Picks,” a weekly specials menu that runs Friday through Saturday evenings.