Britt Faulstick

Supported by a landmark gift from The Howley Foundation, a nonprofit philanthropic organization led by alumnus and trustee W. Nicholas “Nick” Howley ’75, his wife Lorie and their daughter Meg Howley ’10, Drexel University will establish the Nick Howley College of Engineering and Computing.

As any athlete will tell you: perfect practice makes perfect. But for individuals who do not have regular access to coaches or trainers, maintaining good form can be tricky. In fact, during the Covid-19 pandemic when many people were exercising at home, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reported a 48% rise in injuries related to at-home exercise. In hopes of preventing some of these injuries and extending the expert guidance of coaches, researchers from Drexel University and Michigan State University have developed a prototype of a program that uses artificial intelligence and computer vision to analyze video and provide form coaching in real time.

As more people turn to artificial intelligence chatbots for emotional and mental health support, a new study from Drexel University suggests that most users see these tools as supplements to — not substitutes for — human therapy. Drawing on millions of Reddit posts, the study highlights both the growing appeal of AI support tools for emotional reassurance, coping and practical guidance, as well as the concerns users express about emotional dependence, misinformation and overreliance on the technology.

In the last two decades coastal urban areas have taken steps to better minimize flooding and runoff by creating more permeable surfaces and encouraging residents to participate in water retention and use-reduction programs. These efforts, ranging from adding rain barrels and cisterns, to installing water-efficient fixtures, are making a difference, according to new research from Drexel University. And they may play an even more important role as sea level rise and the extreme weather effects of climate change increase the threat of flooding in these communities.