Previous Projects

Full title: The Age of Artificial Intelligence: Bridging the Gap Between Faculty and Student Understanding and Implementation of AI on Drexel’s Campus 
Project supervisors: Joe Hawk, executive director of assessment and accreditation, and Manny Sanchez, manager of operations for assessment and accreditation
Scholars: Nadia Jeon and Hailee Mayer

This NHPS project aims to evaluate the student and faculty experience with artificial intelligence on Drexel’s campus, and ultimately recommend strategies to enhance understanding, accessibility, and utility of AI resources. The NHP scholars will collaborate with IRAA (Institutional Research, Accreditation and Assessment) as well as Dr. Steven Weber, who is the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Curriculum and Education and organizer of faculty AI discussion day. The scholars will analyze survey data from both faculty and students that qualitatively assesses interactions with AI and implementation of AI in courses at Drexel. With guidance from their project supervisor, NHP scholars will use their analyses to build a presentation to help familiarize university stakeholders with the uses of AI in different disciplines at the university, areas for improvement, and potential resources for students on campus. Future endeavors include creating and facilitating workshops for new and current students focused on appropriate uses of AI, when and how to disclose that AI has been used, and opportunities to interact with AI platforms. 

Project supervisors: Mathy Stanislaus, vice provost and executive director of The Environmental Collaboratory; Hugh Johnson, senior director of research strategy and development; Sammy Shuster, program manager
Scholar: Alyssa Kemp

This project aims to develop a centralized curriculum hub within Drexel University's College of Engineering dedicated to incorporating environmental and social justice themes into Drexel University's engineering curriculum. The hub will serve as a voluntary, collaborative platform where students, faculty members who choose to opt-in, and community partners can co-develop courses and learning modules that address key societal challenges, such as climate change, systemic inequality, and environmental degradation. Acting as a pilot program, the hub will serve as the foundation for a larger initiative aimed at integrating climate change and environmental justice education across all degree programs at Drexel. By addressing the intersection of climate change and social equity, the project aims to equip students with the skills to design innovative and equitable solutions to the complex challenges facing today's world. 

Project supervisors: Mathy Stanislaus, vice provost and executive director of The Environmental Collaboratory; Hugh Johnson, senior director of research strategy and development; Sammy Shuster, program manager
Scholar: Jessica McAtamney

The Environmental Collaboratory (TEC) seeks to better understand the connection surrounding community engagement as it applies to environmental change/advocacy within Drexel. The project is working to link the parallels between community with the Philadelphia Climate Justice Collective along with student engagement at TEC. Outcomes include recommendations to the Office of the Provost for furthering engagement as it applies to student learning.

Project supervisors: Mathy Stanislaus, Hugh Johnson, Sammy Shuster 
Scholar: Anh Nyugen

This project focuses on tracking and gathering data on the progress of student-led, community-facing projects funded by Drexel's Climate Hub Student Project Fund, a grant launched in February 2024 to support immersive learning experiences in the climate sphere. The NHP Scholar will collect data from the teams that received funding, monitor their activities over the funding period, and compile insights on how these projects engage with the Drexel community. Under the guidance of the project supervisor, the scholar will provide an overview of the progress and outcomes of these initiatives, highlighting key developments and areas of growth. This research aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the scope and influence of these student-driven sustainability efforts. 

Project supervisor: Dan Kampsen, director of global safety and operations
Scholars: Sarmad Khan

Working with the Director of Global Safety and Operations, the Fellow will be involved in data analysis to support the Drexel University Global Safety and Security Plan, with a specific focus on the newly developed Global Site Vetting Program. The Fellow will play an integral role in analyzing the data that will inform the function of this program. 

Project supervisors: Joe Hawk, executive director of assessment and accreditation, and Manny Sanchez, manager of operations for assessment and accreditation
Scholars: Nadia Jeon and Hailee Mayer

Scholars will work with the team in the Office of Institutional Research, Assessment and Accreditation specifically within Assessment and Accreditation. The major projects of the 2023-24 academic year will be to develop a university assessment plan, institutional effectiveness plan as well as collect and analyze data about course evaluations. All three of these areas will involve the research and collection of data and data analysis in order to inform decision making around these areas. The student will assist with all aspects of these projects including the creation of university reports and plans that will guide decision making and support services. IRAA will also be hosting their annual Drexel Assessment Conference which will include building the program of speakers and presenters as well as hosting the event on campus.

Major responsibilities:

• Student focus group set up and facilitation.
• Qualitative data coding within learning assessment and student evaluation of teaching
• Quantitative data analysis with collected learning assessment data
• Support with the creation of white papers from university committees
• Participate in committee to facilitate the Drexel Assessment Conference 

Project supervisor: Johanna Inman, EdD, MFA, inaugural director of the Teaching and Learning Center
Scholars: Majo Garcia, Charlotte Klass and Jini Mahalanobish

This project examines innovative uses of teaching with technology at Drexel University. The NHP Scholar will engage in research regarding educational technology tools (beyond Blackboard) that are used by instructors at Drexel. The scholar will speak to professional staff, faculty, and peers to gain a better understanding of teaching and learning experiences at Drexel that leverage digital technologies. With guidance from the project supervisor, the scholar will provide general analysis of this research, such as identifying common themes around successes, challenges, and ongoing needs. They will also review instructional technologies used at Drexel’s peer and aspirant institutions (e.g. audience response systems, digital annotation tools, concept mapping tools, etc.) and make recommendations about educational technologies that would make the largest impact on student engagement and success at Drexel University.

Project supervisor: Steve Weber, vice provost for undergraduate curriculum and education
Scholars: Sarah Malik and Satvik Tripathi

Curricular Analytics and Complexity: the Curricular Analytics community represents a recent and rapidly growing national trend across universities to focus on the visualization of curricula and degree requirements by representing curricula in a structured way and calculating the complexity of curricula using a graph-theoretic framework.  The project involves implementing this framework on Drexel University curricula and producing a report and presentation in which Drexel's curricula are visualized and analyzed through this framework.

Curricular Applications of Generative AI: Generative AI (GAI) is causing rapid transformation and upheaval of many aspects of work and life, including teaching and learning.  Drexel University aims to take a leadership role in establishing proactive approaches to integration of GAI into its curricula and pedagogy.  The project involves developing a university symposium on campus in Spring of 2024 at which these topics are discussed by both external invited speakers and Drexel campus leaders. 

Project supervisor: Amy Weaver, vice provost for strategic communications and marketing
Scholars: Joe McBride and Ali Youssef

This project is focused on supporting and developing communications around Provost’s Office Strategic initiatives, including its Areas of Excellence and Opportunity initiative. Projects will involve both communications strategy and execution in gathering, organizing and digitally communicating information related to University activities from across its colleges, schools and administrative units. The Nina Henderson Provost Scholar will gain a deeper understanding of some University-wide initiatives and the strategies that drive them while honing their communications, project management, research and organizational skills.

This project will explore reimagining higher education in the next 10 years, with and without partners, as well as market sensing of emerging trends for lifelong learners, including both young and older adults.

Project Supervisor: 

• Rajneesh Suri, PhD, Senior Vice Provost for Academic Industry Partnerships

Nina Henderson Provost Scholars: 

• Ranjini Mahalanobish, BSBA in Business Administration
• Sarah Malik, PhD in Mechanical Engineering & Computational Engineering
• Michael Rocchi, Dual MPH and MBA

Co-designing an On-the-Ground Experiential Climate Learning Model

This project will inventory, organize and synthesize climate, sustainability and environmental research across the University. Scholars will develop recommendations on how these activities, as well as new additions, would support the creation of environmental cohorts across academic disciplines. Concurrently, Scholars will inform — both from a student perspective and as members of the diverse communities to which they belong — the development of The Environmental Collaboratory’s co-designed, community-based, experiential climate learning model.

Project Supervisors: 

• Mathy Vathanaraj Stanislaus, Esq, Vice Provost and Executive Director of The Environmental Collaboratory
• Hugh Johnson, Senior Director, Research Strategy and Development

Nina Henderson Provost Scholars: 

• Atharva Bhagwat, BS in Computing Technology for Sustainability and Society (Custom-Designed Major)
• Alyssa Kemp, BS/MS in Environmental Engineering

This project will examine campus climate within the various graduate units across Drexel University, exploring graduate students’ knowledge around diversity, their college experiences and how DEI efforts could impact their future career trajectory. It will bring graduate students into a meaningful dialogue that could be used to further develop strategic priorities, programming and recommendations for diversity and inclusion spearheaded by the Graduate College.

Project Supervisors: 

• Elisabeth van Bockstaele, PhD, Senior Vice President for Graduate and Online Education
• Anne Converse Willkomm, MFA, Associate Dean, Graduate College and Associate Teaching Professor, College of Arts and Sciences
• Michael Ryan, PhD, Director of Academic Support, Graduate Pipeline Programs, Graduate College

Nina Henderson Provost Scholars: 

• Majo Garcia, BS/MS Biomedical Engineering
• Sasha C. Méndez, MS in Urban Strategy

This project will seek to understand and report on the nonprofit endeavors across the University, with the goal of fostering inclusiveness, collaboration and interdisciplinary work between schools, colleges, service units and centers to prepare students for mission-driven careers in the nonprofit sector. It will also provide a “front door” for Philadelphia nonprofits (and beyond) to seek assistance in addressing their needs.

Project Supervisors: 

• Rosalind Remer, PhD, Senior Vice Provost for University Collections and Exhibitions; Executive Director of the Lenfest Center for Cultural Partnerships
• Anne Converse Willkomm, MFA, Assistant Dean of the Graduate College and Associate Teaching Professor, College of Arts and Sciences

Nina Henderson Provost Scholars: 

• Monique Boskett, MBA, Concentration: Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• August Modiga, BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics
• Jana Lenart, BS in Biological Sciences

This project aims to explore qualitative feedback gathered on centralized student surveys conducted by the Office of Institutional Research, Assessment and Accreditation to understand ways to enhance the Drexel student experience and outcomes, while laying a sustainable path for analyzing future survey qualitative data. Nina Henderson Provost Scholars will analyze the open-ended comments, organize the data into themes, and suggest possible action items, bringing their perspectives on interpreting the findings and partnering with relevant units that may benefit from the recommendations.

Project Supervisor: 

• Sujoy Das, PhD, Vice Provost for Institutional Research, Assessment and Accreditation

Nina Henderson Provost Scholars: 

• Disha Patel, BS in Chemistry
• Satvik Tripathi, BS in Computer Science
• Ali Youssef, BS/MS in Biomedical Engineering

This project will provide feedback on the Enrolled Student Survey instrument from students’ perspectives in the areas of identifying question relevance for each relevant subgroup and exploring strategies to increase student participation. This effort will benefit the Office of Institutional Research’s efforts to reorganize the survey questionnaire and administration process to provide more meaningful insights and action items in a timely manner.

Project Supervisor: 

• Sujoy Das, PhD, Vice Provost for Institutional Research

Nina Henderson Provost Scholars: 

• Atharva Bhagwat, BS in Computing Technology for Sustainability and Society (Custom-Designed Major)
• Ryan Light, BS in Chemical Engineering

This project will explore processes for how dual undergraduate degrees are established, reviewed and approved at Drexel University. Scholars will bring the students’ perspective to the initial research and exploration of this topic, and experience how policy making and revision is conducted in an academic setting.

Project Supervisor: 

• Shivanthi Anandan, PhD, Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education

Nina Henderson Provost Scholars: 

• Jonathan Parker, BSBA in Finance and Real Estate Management 
• Disha Patel, BS in Chemistry