Last term, Drexel University’s colleges, schools and departments received funding, created partnerships and otherwise contributed to the success of Drexel’s academic enterprise. This update offers a snapshot of activity, courtesy of the Office of the Provost.
Sponsored Opportunities
The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University’s Patrick Center for Environmental Research received funding from the Exxon Mobil Foundation to support their work in Guyana. Patrick Center staff began the 2026 Scope of Work for the conservation and management of the Mahaica River in collaboration with partners at Environmental Management Consultants. The new scope of work includes the use of remote sensing and other tools to produce higher resolution maps of the Mahaica watershed, the introduction of environmental DNA studies to assess the biota of the river and continuing refinement of the geochemical monitoring process.
The Drexel Food Lab in the College of Nursing and Health Professions has been awarded $35,000 from the International Glutamate Technical Committee for research titled “Sweet and Savory: Unpacking Sweet and Umami Interactions in Application for Potential Culinary Impact, Public Health and Sustainability Outcomes.” This project will investigate how umami, specifically monosodium glutamate (MSG), interacts with sweetness in food applications. By better understanding these sensory interactions, the research aims to explore innovative strategies for reducing added sugar and lowering reliance on high-cost or resource-limited ingredients such as cocoa and vanilla, while maintaining flavor quality. This project will be a continuation of a pilot study that was conducted in early 2025.
Awards, Honors and Recognitions
The A.J. Drexel Autism Institute at the Dana and David Dornsife School of Public Health received the Visionary Leadership Award by Bancroft at their annual Butterfly Ball at Ballroom at the Ben in Philadelphia. The A.J. Drexel Autism Institute has been a longtime collaborator of Bancroft whose mission is to support adults and children with severe autism and intellectual and developmental disabilities with compassion and clinical expertise.
In addition to its current work on endangered and invasive species, the Academy’s fisheries section has been selected by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection to develop an index of biotic integrity for non-wadable streams. This work will start in Q1 of FY27.
New Key Partnerships
In March 2026, the Dornsife School of Public Health partnered with Accelerate Health Equity to run the city’s first Philadelphia Public Health Futures: A Writing & Art Challenge, which aimed to inspire kids from grade school to high school who are interested in the field of public health.
The Dornsife Office for Experiential Learning in the Bennett S. LeBow College of Business partnered with WSFS Bank and Live Work Philadelphia on business consulting courses, offering project-based opportunities to more than 40 undergraduate students who will address business challenges in financial services and economic development and present their work to industry leaders.
The College of Nursing and Health Professions and Cooper University Health Care have launched a strategic workforce partnership to expand access to nursing education and create clear pathways from learning to professional practice. Addressing the national nursing shortage, the collaboration opens Drexel’s nursing certificate and degree programs to Cooper team members while offering Drexel students enhanced co‑op and clinical experiences that can lead directly to employment. The partnership also introduces the Bridge to Practice initiative, giving Accelerated BSN students early, immersive exposure to specialty clinical environments at Cooper. Expanded clinical placements in women’s health, pediatrics and other high‑demand areas further strengthen hands‑on learning and future career opportunities.
New Key Civic Engagements
The College of Arts and Sciences hosted more than 600 local high school students for the Department of Physics’ Kaczmarczik Lecture and Science Fair in March. Hosted by members of the Drexel University chapter of the Society of Physics Students, as well as physics faculty and staff, the science fair featured physics demonstrations, exhibits and presentations designed to inspire future STEM leaders.
The College of Arts and Sciences hosted more than 300 local high school students for three days of workshops during the Drexel Writing Festival in April. Students will work closely with Drexel facilitators to begin crafting writing in fiction, creative non-fiction and poetry, all while gaining valuable feedback and guidance.
The School of Computer and Information Sciences (SCIS) in the Nick Howley College of Engineering and Computing hosted its annual hackathon, Philly Codefest 2026, which was attended by 375 participants and sponsors on April 11–12, resulting in 78 project submissions addressing the hackathon’s theme of “Building AI for Philly’s Future.” SCIS and event sponsors, including CSL, AppliedAI, Comcast and Penn Mutual, awarded 14 winning teams $12,250 in prizes. The event drew participants from across the region, including students from 16 other colleges and universities.
Members of the Howley College of Engineering and Computing are actively promoting Drexel University at Mid-Atlantic FIRST Robotics competitions. High school students design, program and build industrial-sized robots to compete in challenges at these events. The Drexel team attended events at Hatboro-Horsham High School, Seneca High School and Bensalem High School in March. The team continued to represent the university at additional events in April.
The College of Medicine’s Legacy Center Archives & Special Collections partnered with the South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA) to premiere five new musical compositions inspired by Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania alumna Anandibai Joshee, MD 1886, one of the first two Indian women to earn a Western medicine degree; SAADA interspersed live musical performances with historical readings and projections from the Legacy Center and other collections, for a powerful tribute.
The College of Medicine’s Legacy Center Archives & Special Collections partnered with People’s Light to premiere a play in April, “The Woman Question,” based on research in the collections on 19th century life at Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, including a preview with medical humanities students, illuminating historical and contemporary student experiences.
The Environmental Collaboratory has recently received funds from the William Penn Foundation, to develop The South Philadelphia Climate Resilience and Preparedness Initiative, a collaborative effort to address the disproportionate climate risks faced by communities in South and Southwest Philadelphia. This project aims to bridge critical gaps in existing emergency response systems, which often fail to provide culturally and linguistically accessible information to immigrant, refugee and other vulnerable populations.