Voices of the Provost Solutions Fellows

Ann Gerondelis, AIA, IDSA

Professor of Design 
Westphal College of Media Arts & Design

Ann was part of the inaugural cohort of Provost Solutions Fellows, a joint initiative of the Provost’s Office and the Drexel Solutions Institute. Ann’s work explores the value of design in fueling interdisciplinary innovations. An architect with 12 years of practical experience, she leads the Drexel design department’s broad range of disciplines including fashion, graphic, product and retail design. Ann’s funded research projects have included the development of a high school bio-inspired, design-learning community, design-integrated middle school STEM courses, and bio-inspired design learning tools. Her work in design inquiry and representation fueled curricular innovations in industrial design, architecture and building construction. She is a recipient of the National Science Foundation’s ADVANCE Woman of Excellence Faculty Award. 

What did you enjoy the most about being a Solutions Fellow and why?

I liked being connected to larger university conversations. As head of a very large department, it was a pleasure to get out of my bubble and hear about and engage in discussions about our collective future.

How likely are you to recommend becoming a Solutions Fellow to a colleague and what is the main reason?

I’m likely to recommend it for those who are interested in aligning with emerging University initiatives. I think the DSI Provost Fellows are well-positioned to lend support for these directions and appreciate the wide invitation that can position designers in unlikely places.

What do you believe are the benefits of working with industry partners?

Working with industry partners helps us to authentically build interdisciplinary skills in students so that they can solve increasingly complex problems facing society – ones that cannot be addressed by single disciplines alone. 

How does your department or college benefit from engaging with partners?

In our department, we are just beginning to align faculty projects with industry partners through DSI. We had been working with industry partners for years on our own.

Why would you encourage faculty to work with external partners?

In my department, we are working to increase our industry engagement for a variety of reasons. We want to support students in their skill-building and problem-solving capabilities. We want to support faculty in generating relevant learning for project assignments. We also want to message to prospective students the value of the Drexel eco-system, which includes a network of alumni and industry partners.