A Welcome Message From President Antonio Merlo

Dear Members of the Drexel Community,

There is a palpable sense of energy at the start of the fall term. To our returning students, faculty and professional staff, welcome back. And to those coming to Drexel for the first time, I am delighted to welcome you to our community.

A Year of Momentum

This fall, we embrace an incoming class that represents encouraging momentum for Drexel, not only in its size but also in background and experience. Our first-year students come from 39 states and 63 countries, and more than 30% are the first in their families to attend college. I had the pleasure of meeting many of our newest Dragons and their families during Welcome Week, and their enthusiasm and excitement reminded me of what makes the start of the new academic year so special. Their decision to choose Drexel is an important vote of confidence in the education and experience we provide as well as in the future we are building together.

That confidence was also demonstrated this summer through the largest philanthropic commitment in Drexel’s history: a $112.6 million gift from The Howley Foundation. This extraordinary investment established the Nick Howley College of Engineering and Computing and will provide more than $76 million in support for our students through scholarships and programs, while transforming more than 55,000 square feet into new classrooms, laboratories and collaborative learning spaces.

The new college itself signifies an important milestone in Drexel’s transformation. By bringing together engineering, computing and biomedical engineering, we are creating and enhancing opportunities for interdisciplinary education and research in increasingly interconnected disciplines. This fall, the Howley College of Engineering and Computing is also welcoming students into Drexel’s new undergraduate program in artificial intelligence and machine learning.

A Transformed University

Across the University, faculty and professional staff are doing tremendous work redesigning programs and curricula as we prepare for the transition to semesters and the launch of our redesigned academic experience in fall 2027. I am deeply grateful for the time, expertise and thoughtful collaboration they continue to bring to this important work. Their efforts are helping us bring greater flexibility for students, strengthen experiential learning and ensure that a Drexel education continues to evolve along with the world our graduates will enter.

In fact, preparing our students for current and future challenges has long been a hallmark of the excellent experiential education that Drexel delivers. Historically, 96% of our graduates are employed or pursuing further education within a year of graduation, and Drexel graduates rank among the top 3% nationally in lifetime earnings. Those outcomes speak to something that has distinguished this University for generations: our ability to connect rigorous academics with meaningful opportunities outside of the classroom, preparing students not simply for their first job, but for a lifetime of possibilities and impact.

Innovation at Drexel

There is much more happening across Drexel in our classrooms and laboratories, through our partnerships in Philadelphia, and in the research and creative work of our faculty and students. Take, for instance, our colleagues in the College of Medicine who are part of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center Research Consortium. This year, they published novel findings that could pave the way for new cancer therapies. And Drexel joined six other leading Pennsylvania research universities in an initiative designed to accelerate innovation in artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

More recently Drexel was announced as a key partner in FutureTEX, a U.S. Manufacturing Innovation Institute program. Through this 10-year, $480 million initiative, Drexel will help shape the development of advanced textiles, with our Center for Functional Fabrics serving as a hub for Pennsylvania. It is an exciting recognition of our University’s leadership in innovation and the strength of our collaborative, solutions-driven research.

The Year Ahead

These accomplishments represent a small sample of the meaningful work taking place across the University. The connecting element is our commitment to ensuring that Drexel remains an institution that is willing to evolve, innovate, collaborate and lead. As we begin this academic year, I encourage each of you to seize the opportunities available to you as a member of our remarkable community. From cheering on our Dragons at an athletics event to engaging in the arts and culture on our campus to joining a student organization, I hope you will find ways to discover and take part in all that Drexel has to offer.

This University will always be a place where ideas flow freely, innovation thrives and every perspective matters. We continue to count on all of you to engage thoughtfully in the conversations happening across our University, to approach differing viewpoints with respect and to uphold our University values and guidelines for activism.

I also encourage you to explore new ways of thinking and collaborating. And I promise to do the same, to recommit to listening and learning from you. Throughout the year, I will continue to engage with our students and their families, faculty, professional staff, alumni and friends. Your perspectives matter, and they will continue to inform the decisions we make as we strengthen Drexel today and shape its future.

Sincerely,
Antonio Merlo, PhD
President