Writer Archives

Niki Gianakaris

Executive Director of Media Relations, University Communications

Niki is the executive director of media relations at Drexel University’s Office of University Communications. Together with a team of four news officers, she oversees media relations at the university and the College of Medicine, with the exception of the Academy of Natural Sciences and Athletics. Niki joined Drexel in 2002 as a staff writer and later became an assistant director of media relations before becoming director in 2010. Prior to Drexel she worked in Rowan University’s Office of University Relations while earning a master’s degree in writing with a specialization in journalism. She also received her bachelor’s degree in communications from Rowan University. Niki blogs for the Drexel News Blog and tweets at @drexelniki.

Contact:

ngianakaris@drexel.edu

215.895.6741

Innovation Neighborhood Gets $5 Million Grant From Commonwealth

Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania Jim Cawley visited Drexel University’s campus on Oct. 10 and announced a $5 million Economic Growth Initiative Grant to assist in the development of the University’s Innovation Neighborhood development project.

Drexel Opens Perelman Plaza: A Transformed Hub in the Heart of Campus

Thanks to a $5 million gift from the Raymond and Ruth Perelman Education Foundation, Drexel University transformed the center of its campus along 32nd Street, between Chestnut and Market Streets. The resulting hub, known as the Raymond G. Perelman Plaza, opened to the campus community on Sept. 30. The University marked the occasion with a celebration and dedication ceremony.

West Catholic Prep cheerleaders at Maguire Field

Drexel and West Catholic Preparatory High School Open Athletics Field

West Catholic Preparatory High School and Drexel University celebrated the official opening of an open-grass area located within Drexel’s Vidas Athletic Complex that was converted into a synthetic field for both institutions to use. A $1.5 million gift from the Maguire Foundation made the transformation possible.

William Penn Foundation and Drexel Join Forces to Transform Early Childhood Education in West Philadelphia

The William Penn Foundation and Drexel University today announced a new initiative in which they are working together with community child care centers and other local agencies to help tackle some of the issues facing early childhood education in West Philadelphia and help young children get a strong start in life. This partnership will support the West Philadelphia Early Childhood Education Initiative (WPECE) to increase the supply of high-quality child care in the Mantua, West Powelton, and Belmont neighborhoods, an area that has historically been plagued with low-quality child care options.

Drexel Study:Enhanced Communication Key to Successful Teamwork in Dynamic Environments

From management consulting projects to research and development laboratories to hospital trauma centers, organizations of all types are increasingly creating teams whose members have diverse professional backgrounds. While the allure of these cross-functional teams is their ability to use their diverse knowledge to solve complex problems, not all such teams are able to reach their full potential.

Image of the Drexel Department of Public Safety Communications Center

Accreditation Assessors to Visit Drexel’s Public Safety Communications Center

A team of assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA), will visit Drexel from July 13 to July 16, to evaluate all aspects of the Drexel University Public Safety Communications Center’s policies and procedures, management, operations and support services.

Photo of Stanley Silverman and Donna De Carolis

Silverman Family Endows Professorship Honoring Close School of Entrepreneurship Dean

Two-time Drexel alumnus Stanley W. Silverman '69, '74 and his wife, Jackie, have donated $2 million to endow The Silverman Family Professor of Entrepreneurial Leadership. The professorship will be held by Donna De Carolis, founding dean of Drexel University’s Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship.

Image of the exterior of the University City High School

Drexel Buys University City High School Site With Partner Firm

Drexel University City Development, LLC, the joint venture between Drexel and Wexford Science & Technology, LLC, officially closed June 16 on the purchase of a 14-acre site from the School District of Philadelphia that formerly housed the University City High School, the Charles Drew Elementary School and The Walnut Center.

Dana and David Dornsife together with Drexel representatives and the Lindy family cut the ribbon.

Drexel Celebrates Grand Opening of Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships

Drexel University celebrated the grand opening of the Dana and David Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships on Thursday, June 12, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, the dedication of the Lindy House and tours of the site for the community.

Team Selected to Develop Joint Master Plan For Philadelphia 30th Street Station Precinct

Amtrak, Drexel University and Brandywine Realty Trust have selected Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP, in association with Parsons Brinckerhoff, OLIN and HR&A Advisors, to develop a comprehensive joint master plan for the area around Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station.

Drexel Announces 2014 Honorary Degree Recipients for June Commencement

More than 5,000 students will graduate from Drexel University at its 127th Commencement on June 13 and 14 in five separate ceremonies. Drexel will award 20 honorary degrees to prominent individuals, including NBC News’ chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell, legendary architect Robert A.M. Stern and MIT professor Robert Langer — the most cited engineer in history.

Daniel Korschun, assistant professor at Drexel's LeBow College of Business

New Study Reveals Corporate Social Responsibility Can Lead to Better Customer Service

Currently accepted wisdom in the corporate world is that in order to motivate frontline employees who serve customers, corporations need to increase their salary, make them feel more positive about the company or give them more explicit instructions on how to interact with customers. But a new Drexel study examines how frontline employees respond to corporate social responsibility activities such as charitable giving, environmental programs and ethical practices.