April

It’s more important than ever to keep up with University news, updates, changes and (virtual) events — like new Human Resources initiatives and tips for working from home.

May 18 is the last day to register to vote for the June primary and May 26 is the deadline to apply for a mail-in or civilian absentee ballot.

Athletic Director and Psychology Professor Eric Zillmer, PsyD, was set to teach a course this term on happiness. Then the COVID-19 pandemic happened, and the importance of finding joy became all the more real.

Now that we have a course set for the summer term, during which the University will continue to operate remotely, we are moving ahead with an intensive planning effort for the beginning of the new academic year. I’m pleased to announce the members of the task force assembled to explore our approach to teaching, research and service for the fall, and I want to briefly outline their charge.

Things have changed since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, including how students connect with potential employers and the outlook for college labor market the Class of 2020 will soon enter into. Fortunately, Steinbright professionals are still here with the tips and resources Dragons need to succeed.

It was six weeks ago today that everything changed for the Drexel community, and for the nation. The devastating and sweeping impact of the coronavirus pandemic has left no one untouched. At the same time, I am confident that the Drexel community is navigating the challenges and opportunities presented by the pandemic with increasing success. In that spirit, I want to encourage you to focus as much as possible on all that is positive about our response to this extraordinary period in our history.  And you need look no further than what is happening on our virtual campus to feel proud and hopeful.

Researchers at Drexel University’s C. & J. Nyheim Plasma Institute are modifying an air sterilization system they created to combat the threat of anthrax attacks post-9-11 in hopes it can now help to ward off COVID-19.

Sure, you’re working from home — but are you working from home correctly? Make sure your new desk or work area is ergonomically friendly by following these guidelines from Drexel’s Department of Environmental Health and Safety.

All undergraduate and graduate courses will be conducted online during the summer term, largely following the same procedures in use now during the spring quarter and semester. 

Sitting a baby in front of a tablet or television, as well as less parent-child play time, are associated with developing greater autism spectrum disorder (ASD)-like symptoms later in childhood. These findings, from the first prospective study on the subject, are published today in JAMA Pediatrics from researchers at Drexel University’s College of Medicine and Dornsife School of Public Health.

When life hands you a pandemic, launch a virtual Minecraft music festival — at least, this was the approach taken by Michael Silverglade when COVID-19 sabotaged his band’s spring tour and, subsequently, his senior project.

In a recent paper published in the Journal of Marketing Analytics, an assistant professor of Decision Sciences and Management Information Systems at Drexel University, Matthew Schneider, PhD, and Dawn Iacobucci, PhD, of Vanderbilt University, proposed a new methodology that permanently alters survey datasets to protect consumers' privacy — when data is shared — while still preserving a level of reasonable accuracy for these datasets.

Annette Molyneux, PhD, assistant vice president for Student Life and director of Counseling and Health Services, discusses the drastic daily changes that have popped up due to the coronavirus pandemic, and how to cope with them.

Drexel University researchers have reported a method to quickly identify and label mutated versions of the virus that causes COVID-19. Their preliminary analysis, using information from a global database of genetic information gleaned from coronavirus testing, suggests that there are at least six to 10 slightly different versions of the virus infecting people in America, some of which are either the same as, or have subsequently evolved from, strains directly from Asia, while others are the same as those found in Europe.

You’re off campus right now, and you might even be out of the city. Here’s what some of your favorite spaces near Drexel look like while you’re gone.

In this newly created position, the Dornsife School of Public Health professor and dean emerita will optimize community health care services, promote population health, and coordinate health care and health science research and education within Drexel’s urban setting.

If you’re safely able to take a stroll outside, try race walking to add some extra exercise to your time outdoors.

DrexelNow spoke with Karen Verderame, animal programs developer for the Academy of Natural Sciences at Drexel University, about the process of caring for hundreds of live animals and insects during a pandemic — including a few she decided to take home as unconventional quarantine house guests.

This week, Drexel took its first steps on the path toward becoming a virtual university — an experience that we will learn much from and, ultimately, will strengthen our institution. We’re pleased that those steps have been steady and, for the most part, successful, and we want to reflect on this new chapter in the proud history of our University.

A new neuroimaging study out of Drexel University's Creativity Research Lab points to an answer of what may have driven the evolutionary development of creativity.

While the COVID-19 pandemic runs its course, Drexel continues to innovate and promote research, scholarship and well-being.

We recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought much uncertainty and disruption to the lives of our students. After serious consideration and conversation with deans, faculty and our students, it became clear that following our standard grading policy during this unprecedented time was not the best path forward. For that reason, we will offer the option for students to take spring term courses on a Pass/No Pass basis.

With campus closed, the Recreation Center is now hosting group exercise classes and training sessions on Instagram and Zoom, and will do the same for eSports tournaments and virtual town halls.

When most of the activity in Philadelphia came to a halt due in an effort to curtail the spread of the novel coronavirus, Drexel University alum Evan Ehlers and his food recovery nonprofit saw more action than ever — and rose to the challenge to benefit the city’s less fortunate.

Annette Molyneux, PhD, assistant vice president for Student Life and director of Counseling and Health Services at Drexel University, discusses the drastic daily changes students face due to the coronavirus pandemic, and how to cope.

Though the spring term is conducted remotely, Drexel Public Safety is still working to safely ensure the protection of essential personnel and monitor Drexel’s buildings, businesses and streets on campus.

As spring break draws to a close, I want to welcome you to an unprecedented spring quarter and semester — and tell you how excited we are to begin. While all around us the nation faces a time of uncertainty, we can be sure that, on our virtual campus, the next two-and-a-half months will prove to be productive in so many ways. We may be apart from one another as we shelter from the COVID-19 coronavirus, but we can still share this moment as a community. And I’m confident that we will emerge with our personal connections strengthened, our studies and research fruitful, and our service to the community as impactful as ever.