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 Leonard Pearlstein Gallery in the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design received a 2025 Pew Center for Arts & Heritage grant for a future exhibition, Escape->Control->Play. Transforming the gallery space to feel more like an arcade, Escape->Control->Play will invite audiences to play games created by independent producers and view gaming from a range of historic and present-day perspectives.
Drexel Lenfest Center for Cultural Partnerships received $60,000 from Poor Richard’s Charitable Trust toward a collaborative exhibition on William Penn’s founding of Pennsylvania and Philadelphia, with the Atwater Kent Collection at Drexel, at the National Constitution Center this fall. Drexel students are completing related capstone projects with the exhibition.
The Academy of Natural Sciences’ Fisheries Section was awarded $238,000 from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation through the Delaware River Conservation Fund to study fish populations in the Cooper River. The Fisheries Section also received $48,000 from the PA Wildlife Resources Conservation Program for continued work on the endangered ironcolor shiner.
Drexel Legacy Center Archives & Special Collections received a $10,000 grant from the Foundation for Homeopathic Education to process the records of the American Institute of Homeopathy.
Through a $3.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health on Nursing Research, A.J. Drexel Autism Institute researchers will examine how financial support from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development impacts access and use of medical treatments, particularly for adults managing chronic health issues.
Awards, Honors and Recognitions
Cindy Ngo, student engagement and events coordinator in the Dana and David Dornsife School of Public Health, was selected in December 2025 for the Asian American Women’s Political Initiative National Civic Impact Fellowship & Incubator Program. Ngo is committed to continuing to uplift the voices of Asian American and Pacific Islander communities in Philadelphia and beyond through this program.
The College of Medicine was chosen by Historic Philadelphia to participate in “52 Weeks of Firsts,” a yearlong, citywide celebration honoring Philadelphia’s legacy of innovation. One of the firsts that was recognized is the founding of Woman’s Medical College of Pennsylvania, a predecessor institution to the College of Medicine and the first degree-granting medical school for women in the world. A statue depicting two doctor figures, created by local artist Alana Sxmone, was installed outside the Health Sciences Building on Jan. 30 and will remain there for the duration of the 52 Weeks of Firsts celebration year. A festival held March 14 celebrated the “first” with storytelling, exhibit tours, and a health fair involving Drexel health sciences students.
Partnerships and Projects
The Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship established a partnership with Empactful Capital; representatives from this company will serve as the school’s inaugural Investor-in-Residence. Through mentorship, office hours and classroom participation, students will gain exposure to investment strategy, deal sourcing and portfolio management in the healthcare sector.
The Close School partnered with the Urban Poverty and Business Initiative at the University of Notre Dame’s Keough School of Global Affairs to establish Dragon Launch Philly. The year-long program provides boot camp training, mentoring and community engagement to support Philadelphia community members experiencing poverty who want to start or expand businesses.
The Academy of Natural Sciences’ Geochemistry Section is working on projects for the Delaware River Basin Commission and New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection that will use historic sediment samples and current sampling to assess changes in emerging contaminants like PFAS and microplastics in the Delaware basin. The project includes development of new analytical methods for detecting microplastics in sediment.
The Bennett S. LeBow College of Business’ Dornsife Office for Experiential Learning partnered with the PGA of America’s Philadelphia section to present the annual Marketing Crisis Challenge. The Office also partnered with Zenith Wealth Partners, Kiewit Corporation, Glitter and Quantome to offer project-based business consulting courses at the undergraduate and graduate level during winter term.
The LeBow College of Business’ Center for Applied AI and Business Analytics partnered with Deloitte to deliver LeBow’s annual Datathon for undergraduate and graduate students.
The School of Education created a new partnership with the Pennsylvania Association of Intermediate Units, a nonprofit representing 29 regional educational service agencies. Through the partnership, the School of Education will provide education and professional development opportunities with intermediate units across Pennsylvania. Additionally, the partnership will grant tuition savings to staff and teachers at all intermediate units across the Commonwealth.
New Key Civic Engagements
Drexel Lenfest Center for Cultural Partnerships is providing advisory services for the National Museum of Industrial History in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, including exhibit planning for a significant museum expansion and opportunities for Drexel arts administration students’ capstone projects.
Staff at The Ubuntu Center on Racism, Global Movements, and Population Health Equity at the Dornsife School of Public Health held a donation drive for Project HOME, an organization serving adults, children and families experiencing poverty and homelessness in Philadelphia. They collected and donated personal hygiene essentials like hand sanitizers, first aid kits, soap and more.
The Community Health and Prevention Department at the Dornsife School of Public Health organized a drive-in partnership with The People’s Fridge in West Philadelphia. They collected nonperishable food items and monetary donations.
The Department of Physics in the College of Arts and Sciences and College of Engineering partnered with Springside Chestnut Hill Academy students on high-altitude balloon research supported by NASA.