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Study: Parks Not Only Safe, but Essential During the Pandemic

Parks played an important role for people seeking respite from the toll of social isolation during the pandemic, and according to new research from Drexel University, they did so without increasing the spread of COVID-19. The study looked at how people used 22 parks in Philadelphia and New York during the height of the pandemic and it found no strong correlation between park use and the number of confirmed cases in surrounding neighborhoods.

Beating the Heat — Safely and Sustainably — During the Pandemic

When public pools and many cooling centers closed this summer due to COVID-19, Drexel University researchers teamed up with the William Penn foundation and members of the Hunting Park community to come up with strategies to safely and sustainably beat the heat.

Andrea Eleazar's work station for her remote STAR Scholars experience this summer. Drexel's STAR Scholars program was one of the deciding factors for Eleazar in choosing to attend Drexel.

How Drexel’s STAR Scholars Program Still Went According to Plan Despite Pandemic

The program, which gives highly motivated first-year students the opportunity to conduct faculty-mentored undergraduate research, supported 101 students this summer with stipends and remote positions, plus more in-person opportunities planned for the upcoming academic year.

Drexel Rallies Around Co-op Students Affected by the Pandemic

When spring/summer co-op students started to lose positions due to the hardships brought on by COVID-19, several University colleges, schools and departments heeded the call to create new positions and provide funding to support this Drexel rite of passage.

Suffocating Ozone — Policies That Stem Emission of Precursor Chemicals Save Lives and Crops

An international team of environmental and atmospheric scientists have pinpointed the chemical emissions that contribute the most to the harmful air quality conditions that are choking more and more cities and causing health problems and reducing agricultural production across the United States. The findings suggest that targeted policies could be more effective in limiting the formation of ground-level ozone, like smog, which contributes to tens of thousands of respiratory related deaths and nearly a billion dollars of crop loss each year.

Study: Actually, Potted Plants Don't Improve Air Quality

A closer look at decades of research suggesting that potted plants can improve the air in homes and offices reveals the findings don’t hold up outside of the lab.

Ashes to Concrete

Drexel University researchers have developed a process for turning the solid waste products of coal power plants into a useful ingredient that could improve properties of concrete.

As Rocky Mountain Region Plans Its Energy Future, Study Suggests Reigning in Greenhouse Gas Emissions Will Save Hundreds of Lives and Billions of Dollars

Research by Drexel University and the University of Colorado at Boulder suggests that imposing fees on energy producers that emit greenhouse gas could improve the health and financial well-being of the Rocky Mountain region.

Using Bacteria to Prevent Potholes Caused by Road Salt

Special bacteria that help form limestone and marble could soon have a new job on a road crew. Recent research from Drexel University’s College of Engineering shows how the bacteria, called Sporosarcina pasteurii, can be used to prevent the road degradation caused by ice-melting salt.

Drexel and Arizona State Researchers Look at Risk of Infection From Water in the Air at Home

Researchers from Arizona State University and Drexel University have developed a more detailed framework for understanding and managing the risk of transmitting a bacterial disease via water spray from sinks, showers and toilets. As continuous testing of indoor water is not always feasible, the guidelines can help to identify water use situations that could increase the risk of exposure.

'Non-Smoking' Doesn't Mean Smoke-Free — Drexel Study Finds Third-Hand Smoke Spreads Inside

Despite decades of indoor smoking bans and restrictions, new research from Drexel University suggests the toxins we’ve been trying to keep out are still finding their way into the air inside. Findings by a group of environmental engineers show that third-hand smoke, the chemical residue from cigarette smoke that attaches to anything and anyone in the vicinity of a smoke cloud, can make its way into the air and circulate through buildings where no one is smoking.

Back row, left to right: Dean Cohen, Amy Gottsegen, Kelly Weissberger (Associate Director, CSD), Ashleigh Jugan, Nicholas Barber, Vincent O’Leary, Provost Blake, Riki McDaniel, Ian Nichols, Caitlin Walczyk, Sam Buczek, Meredith Wooten (Director, CSD), Dean Van Bockstaele, Martha Meiers (Program Coordinator, CSD). Front row, left to right: Caitlin Cooper, Ana Monastero, Jacob Baron, Dylan O’Donoghue, Marina D’souza, Gabrielle Salib, Emily Coyle (Fellowships Advisor, CSD). Photo credit Jordan Stein.

Meet the Drexel Dragons up for the Biggest Awards This Year

Drexel University’s Center for Scholar Development recently hosted an event to recognize the hard work and initiative taken by those students who applied for major fellowships this year.