July

A group of seniors from the College of Computing & Informatics developed an AI that can craft medical manuscripts for late-stage clinical trials.

Students earned fellowships and scholarships, presented and published research and more over the past quarter.

Last term, Drexel University faculty members were recognized for their scholarly research and prolific academic and professional contributions.

Learn more about future opportunities at Drexel, including donating or picking up from its Buy Nothing Depot as well as how to benefit from virtual and on-campus financial guidance from TIAA.

Recent climate-related crises — from severe storms and flooding to extreme heat — have raised new questions about how local governments communicate the risk of these crises and what they are doing to keep their citizens safe. To better understand what this communication looks like at local level, and the factors that may be shaping it, researchers from Drexel University analyzed climate resilience planning information available on the public-facing websites of 24 coastal communities in New Jersey that are contending with the effects of sea level rise. Their report, recently published in the Journal of Extreme Events, found wide variation in the number and extent of mitigation actions taken and how the websites describe causes of coastal hazards — for example, only half of the communities are acknowledging sea level rise as a contributing factor to these hazards.

Public Safety & U – July 2025

In an ongoing effort to support Philadelphia’s K-12 schools by growing the number of certified teachers, Drexel University is expanding its teacher residency program, which helps current and prospective teachers obtain Pennsylvania teaching certifications. Supported by a $600,000 multi-year grant from the William Penn Foundation, Drexel’s School of Education will train and certify 25 teachers over the next three years using a teacher residency model similar to the one it launched with Boys’ Latin of Philadelphia Charter School in 2020.

Drexel University is embarking on a three-year, $5-million multinational collaboration to produce MXene nanomaterials. The project, which is a collaboration with Kalifa University in the United Arab Emirates, the University of Padua in Italy and the Kyiv, Ukraine-based MXene manufacturing company Carbon-Ukraine, seeks to use the promising nanomaterial, first discovered at Drexel, to provide clean drinking water for arid areas of the world threatened by climate change and improve cell labeling and tracking technology for biomedical analysis.

Some autistic teens often adopt behaviors to mask their diagnosis in social settings helping them be perceived — or “pass” — as non-autistic. For the first time, researchers from Drexel University's A.J. Drexel Autism Institute are able to observe brain functions that differ in those who “pass as non-autistic,” which could lead to a better understanding of the cognitive toll of this kind of masking, and of how these individuals could be more effectively supported.

Josephine O. Ibironke, OD, has been appointed dean of the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (PCO), following a national search, effective September 15, 2025.

Researchers from Drexel University’s A.J. Drexel Autism Institute examined hospitalizations for mental health conditions in autistic adults to understand what features are associated with an increased risk for readmission to the hospital within a month of the initial discharge.

Drawing inspiration from the veinous ears of jackrabbits and elephants, Drexel University researchers have come up with a new approach to passive heating and cooling that could one day make buildings more energy efficient. Their concept, recently published in the Journal of Building Engineering, embeds a vascular network within cement-based building materials that, when filled with paraffin-based material, can help passively regulate the surface temperature of walls, floors and ceilings.

In a new study, published in PLOS One, autistic adults describe the intense mental effort it takes to navigate nonverbal communication. Researchers from the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom, Drexel University’s A.J. Drexel Autism Institute and Rowan University, reviewed 362 firsthand accounts on the online forum WrongPlanet.net, where autistic adults openly talk about communication challenges.

With a looming nursing workforce shortage across the United States, Drexel University is working to make nursing education more accessible in order to support the nursing workforce pipeline. Drexel’s College of Nursing and Health Professions has received generous support from the Bedford Falls Foundation – DAF to create the Joanne and William Conway Nursing Scholarship for nursing students.

Laura Turner, an accomplished fundraiser with a proven track record of success and a dynamic leader committed to fostering community, strengthening team collaboration and empowering individual growth, will serve as Drexel's next senior vice president for Institutional Advancement.

The University wasn’t founded with degree programs or the Drexel Co-op. In fact, it wasn’t even founded as “Drexel University.”

As of July 3, 2025, Drexel University’s merger with Salus University is complete. The institutions received final approval of the merger from the U.S. Department of Education, marking the final step in a two-year integration process and a historic moment for two of Philadelphia’s leading institutions of higher education.

Read through these frequently asked questions to learn more about the recently completed merger.