McGonigal ARC expands services, builds community

The ribbon is officially cut at the ARC.

Drexel University’s Academic Resource Center is now officially the McGonigal Academic Resource Center (ARC), thanks to the support of Trustee and alumnus Patrick McGonigal ’86. He pledged a total of $3.5 million that will enable further renovations to create a state-of-the-art learning space and renovated areas within the Korman Center on the University City Campus.

“We know that our success or failure as an institution should be measured on the success of our students ... and the quality experience that they have at Drexel,” McGonigal said during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Sept. 30. “I’m very proud to have my name associated with the ARC ... Drexel helped me find my way, my purpose, and helps other students succeed.”

Though the ribbon was only officially cut Sept. 30, the McGonigal ARC has been working and expanding its reach since it became the McGonigal ARC in March 2025, and even further back when it was established as simply the ARC in January 2023, thanks to McGonigal’s initial $1 million gift. It’s a centralized hub of on-campus academic support services, bringing together tutoring, academic coaching, writing support, workshops and more, created with the goal of streamlining student access to support.

“He’s given us a lot of flexibility, knowing that this is a new initiative,” said Rebecca Weidensaul, PhD, assistant vice president for Enrollment Management & Student Success, who oversees the Academic Resource Center. “It’s important for us to be agile and meet students where they are, so with this flexibility, we can make adjustments that we didn’t anticipate to better assist students. I just can’t thank him enough.”

In 2024, one of the pivots Weidensaul made was creating the ARC ambassador program. The ambassadors act as a concierge service and are friendly faces at the front desk, there to help their fellow students find their way around or recommend a service they can use. In the 2024–2025 academic year, Weidensaul said there were more than a thousand meaningful interactions that ambassadors had with others. During the first year, she hired 10 students, who received a work study stipend. This year, she has a dozen committed ambassadors.

“All the original ambassadors came back, and a couple of them invited a friend,” Weidensaul said. “The way we built this, they can study while they work, and they all became friends. You want to have student ownership over spaces and places, and that’s been very organic with the ambassadors. They’d all used the service before, and in the interview process, they all said they wanted to help other students, and that they felt like they fit in here. I think that's important in an Academic Resource Center where students might be feeling anxious about asking for help.”

Along the way, through the ambassadors and the other students who populate its halls, study spaces and tutoring centers, the McGonigal ARC has become more than a place to go for academic aid. It’s a welcoming student center on campus, where students stop between classes and find community — a “home away from home,” for ambassador Brenda Krishnawongso, computer engineering ’26. Adding the friendly faces of the ambassadors to the McGonigal ARC has been a win-win for Weidensaul and the student community, she said.

But where to go once you’re inside the ARC? From the students who know it best, here are their recommendations.

Brenda Krishnawongso shakes hands with Patrick McGonigal. 

Why did you seek out the ambassador job, and what’s the vibe like at the McGonigal ARC?

Brenda Krishnawongso: I sought out the ARC Ambassador position as a means to financially support my tuition. The culture of the ARC is a warm community, like a pumpkin spice latte as soon as the fall breeze hits.

During remarks at the ribbon cutting, Krishnawongso said: Rebecca started a program series called Sparc at the ARC. Now, it stands for “Sparking Action, Passion, Resilience, and Creativity.” These pop-up events in the lobby have included bracelet making or DIY clay making. It's a collaboration with creative arts therapy students to help other students unwind, relax, get creative, but feel connected. The ARC has turned into a wonderful community where connections are so easy.

Isha Gadgil, MD ’28: As someone who utilized my undergraduate university's academic resource center a lot, I understand how valuable the ARC is, and I felt like it would be great to be a part of it. And as a busy medical student, I also wanted a work-study position that would allow me the flexibility to study during any downtime. All of the staff at the ARC — ambassadors, peer tutors, academic coaches — are so personable and welcoming. I think we all work really hard to cultivate a supportive and nonjudgmental atmosphere that encourages students to ask questions and seek help whenever they need it.

Alexis Robinson, BS/DPT ’28: I sought it out because I’m a grad student, so I needed some extra change, but I also like the environment of the ARC, and I thought it would be a perfect opportunity for work study. I came here a lot to study, and it’s just such a nice, open space where you can come for literally anything, whether it’s tutoring or writing an essay. It has a big community feel.

Kanya Srithong, user experience and interactive design ’28: I actually knew a previous ARC ambassador, and I would come in to hang out with him and do work, and then I met a lot of other ambassadors and became friends with them. I really like the environment that’s fostered here, and it felt like an easy transition to become an ambassador.

What’s one service found at the ARC that’s been helpful to you?

BK: The Math Resource Center has been amazing, considering that I am an engineering student and there are some very difficult mathematics courses.

Gabriel Guodace, mechanical engineering ’28: I used a tutor in thermodynamics last winter that was pretty important in my overall study plan. Last week, I got in contact with Marisol [Rodriguez Mergenthal, director of STEM Success Services at the McGonigal ARC] who helped connect me with undergrad research opportunities. The ARC has also served as a good place to meet with my classmates on group projects and study sessions.

AR: CLASS (Center for Learning and Student Services) helped me a lot. I’m a grad student in the physical therapy program, and I use those services often to help me figure out how I want to study in grad school versus undergrad, because it’s very different. I have a good relationship with Allie [Humphries, assistant director of CLASS] because of how often I come here, and she helped me go from almost failing to passing all my classes.

KS: Once upon a time, I took a math class, and the Math Resource Center helped me a lot. I’m not in a major that requires a lot of math, but at the time I was undecided and just trying to find credits to fulfill a wide swath of things. Not having done much math, going there for help and tutoring helped me a lot.

What’s one underrated service more students should know is available to them?

BK: The most underrated student service is the STEM success services run by Marisol [Rodriguez Mergenthal]. It really does help to know there's always someone in your corner.

IG: The ARC turns into a really exciting place during finals week. On select days, we offer various snacks,goodies,coffee; cuddles with a therapy dog; massage therapy and so much more to help students de-stress as they prepare for their exams. It's a great way to get a study break, and more students should take advantage of it!

GG: Probably all the specialists with offices in the right hallway on the first floor. They have a lot of one-on-one appointments with students regarding academic success. This is where Marisol's [Rodriguez Mergenthal] office is and I wouldn't have known about her or how to schedule an appointment with her if [Weidensaul] hadn't put me in contact with her.

AR: I’d have to say CLASS again, because the fact that we have coaches who are here to help you figure out how to study and what you need is amazing.