News Releases

Is Virtual Reality the Next Big Thing in Art Therapy?

Researchers from Drexel University's College of Nursing and Health Professions in the Creative Arts Therapies Department conducted a study to see if creative arts therapies is the next frontier for virtual reality in health care.

Major LGBT History Discovery Brings Veteran's Life Story to Light
October 10, 2014
Researchers have discovered a previously unknown 149-page manuscript from 1940 defending homosexuality, and documented the remarkable life of its author, a gay Jewish World War II veteran.
Drexel and Philadelphia Artists’ Collective Team Up to Present Classic Spanish Tragedy “Blood Wedding”
October 9, 2014
A lover awaits. A bride runs away. A celebration becomes a nightmare. Federico García Lorca’s “Blood Wedding” will have a rare staging in Philadelphia as the Philadelphia Artists' Collective (The PAC) teams up with students from Drexel University’s Co-Op Theatre Company in the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design to present the classic tragedy of revenge and deception. The show will run from Nov. 6 – 23 at Drexel’s Mandell Theater (3201 Chestnut St.).
Employers Line up at Drexel’s Fall Career Fair
October 9, 2014
More than 220 employers lined up to recruit from more than 1,700 students at Drexel University’s Fall Career Fair on Oct. 9.
11th Street Health Center Hosts Reading and Resource Day for Children and Parents
October 9, 2014
Book readings, activities for children, a book giveaway, educational resources, insurance enrollment and health and wellness resources for parents and guardians were among the activities at the Stephen and Sandra Sheller 11th Street Family Health Services Center of Drexel University's “11th Street Loves to Read Day.”
‘War of the Worlds’ Opens at Drexel on Halloween Night, Free Admission for those in Costume
October 6, 2014
This Halloween night, the Drexel Co-op Theatre Company in Drexel University’s Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design will open its version of “War of the Worlds” at the URBN Center Annex’s Black Box Theater (3401 Filbert St.). The show will run from Oct. 30 – Nov. 2. On opening night – Halloween, Oct. 31 – attendees who come dressed in costume will receive free admission.
Meet the Man Behind the Bluths
October 3, 2014

Mitchell Hurwitz, creator of the award-winning sitcom “Arrested Development” will be at Drexel University on Tuesday, Oct. 21 for a far-ranging conversation about the iconic show, his career as a successful writer/producer and a look ahead to the future of television.
Drexel Engineers Use 3-D Gaming Gear to Give Biologists an Eye-Opening Look at Cells in Action
October 3, 2014
For hundreds of years biologists have studied cells through the lens of a microscope. With a little help from a team of engineers at Drexel University, these scientists could soon be donning 3-D glasses in a home-theater-like lab to take their own fantastic voyage into the petri dish.
Philadelphia Orchestra to Premiere Drexel-Designed Interactive Concert App for Mobile Devices
October 2, 2014
The Philadelphia Orchestra, in collaboration with engineers from Drexel University’s Expressive and Creative Interaction Technologies (ExCITe) Center, is launching a mobile app that will change the way audiences experience musical performances.
Drexel Opens Perelman Plaza:A Transformed Hub in the Heart of Campus
October 1, 2014

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.
Drexel Biomedical Engineers to Help Upgrade Brain Injury Detection Device Used by Navy and Marines
October 1, 2014
A team of researchers from Drexel University’s School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems has been called on to help upgrade a handheld brain scanning device used by the military to assess injuries in the field. InfraScan, Inc., a Philadelphia-based medical technology firm specializing in brain injury diagnostics, will be working with the group of biomedical engineers for the next three years to improve Infrascanner™ -a tool that saves lives by detecting severe head injuries.
Drexel and Lockheed Martin Partner to Develop Engineering Leadership Program
September 29, 2014
Drexel University and Lockheed Martin are working together to nurture the engineering students who show an acuity for leadership. The corporation is partnering with the University’s College of Engineering to create the Lockheed Martin Engineering Leadership Program, a track of courses, activities, mentoring and experiences designed to help students identify and develop their leadership abilities.
NIH Policies Influence Scientists’ Data-Sharing Behavior, According to Drexel-Led Study
September 26, 2014
Policies intended to increase the sharing of scientific resources among life science investigators appear to be working, according to a study led by a researcher in Drexel University’s School of Public Health. But the survey also identified some unexpected problems.
Italy Comes to Philly with “Men of the Cloth” Film Screening and Italian Footwear Event at Drexel
September 26, 2014
Italian fashion and culture descend on Philadelphia this October, with two events hosted by Drexel University’s Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design – a screening of a new documentary on Italian master tailors on Oct. 2 and a seminar on the rich history of Italian footwear on Oct. 15. The events are part of Ciao Philadelphia, a month-long celebration of Italian arts, culture and industry, organized by the Consulate General of Italy in Philadelphia.
Drexel Becomes First University to Host a Permanent Therapy Dog in a Recreation Center
September 25, 2014

Thanks to its newest employee, Drexel University has become the first university in the country whose recreation center hosts an on-site therapy dog year-round. Drexel is also the first college in the Greater Philadelphia area to retain a therapy dog on campus.
Drexel and West Catholic Prep Officially Open Athletics Field
September 24, 2014
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.
A World-Class Fossil Dig, a One-of-a-Kind Community Event
September 24, 2014

More than a thousand residents and visitors to southern New Jersey will dig their own fossils and learn from the Drexel University paleontologist and students who conduct globally significant scientific research at Mantua Township's third annual Community Fossil Dig Day.
TV Chef Carla Hall Teams up with Drexel to Develop New Southern-Style Restaurant
September 24, 2014

Chef and TV personality Carla Hall plans to open a number of casual, Nashville-inspired restaurants called Carla Hall’s Southern Kitchen, with the help of students from Drexel University’s Center for Hospitality and Sport Management. In a unique partnership, culinary and hospitality students at Drexel will work alongside Hall and her team to learn every aspect of opening a new restaurant and help develop the first location in New York City.
Psychological Services Based on the Best Research
September 24, 2014

The new Psychological Services Center on Drexel's campus now offers high-quality, scientifically informed, affordable psychological services for the community and clinical training opportunities for doctoral students.
US Open Squash Championships Return to Drexel This Fall
September 22, 2014
The most prestigious squash tournament in the United States returns to Drexel University this fall. The top players in the world will take the court at the Daskalakis Athletic Center from Oct. 9-18 to compete in the 2014 Delaware Investments U.S. Open Squash Championships.
Drexel Law School Launches Free Legal Clinic for Residents of West Philadelphia
September 22, 2014
This fall, Drexel University’s Thomas R. Kline School of Law launched a new Community Lawyering Clinic at Drexel’s Dana and David Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships, located at 35th and Spring Garden Streets. The clinic provides law students with the opportunity to gain firsthand experience working with real clients, while empowering and serving the neighboring Mantua and Powelton Village communities of West Philadelphia.
Drexel University’s School of Law Receives Unprecedented $50 Million Gift from Thomas R. Kline
September 17, 2014
Drexel University’s School of Law will be named the Thomas R. Kline School of Law in honor of a landmark $50 million gift that will transform legal education at Drexel for generations to come, Drexel President John A. Fry announced today. The commitment by Kline, one of the nation’s most respected and influential trial lawyers and a champion of the elevation of trial advocacy training for law students, marks the largest single gift in the University’s history.
Drexel Dedicates Casino Training Lab to the Late Gaming Visionary Dennis Gomes
September 16, 2014
The new casino training lab in Drexel University’s Center for Hospitality and Sport Management will be named the Dennis Gomes Memorial Casino Training Lab after the late gaming visionary, with the support of the Gomes family. A dedication ceremony will take place in the lab, which is located in Drexel’s Paul Peck Problem-Solving Building (101 N. 33rd St.), on Monday, Oct. 6 at 5:30 p.m.
GG+A’s David L. Unruh to Lead Drexel’s Institutional Advancement Efforts
September 16, 2014

Drexel University has appointed David L. Unruh, currently a senior vice president with Grenzebach Glier and Associates (GG+A), as senior vice president for Institutional Advancement at Drexel. He will begin his new position at the University on Nov. 1.
Drexel’s New Beer Course is Open to the Public
September 15, 2014
A new fall in a new class, “Fundamentals of Beer,” in Drexel University’s Center for Hospitality and Sport Management, will be open to the public, including industry professionals and serious laypeople.
Drexel Exhibits Works by Beloved Late Philadelphia Artist Bill Walton, Shared by Fellow Artists
September 15, 2014

“Bill Walton, artist to artist” will be on display in the URBN Center Annex’s Leonard Pearlstein Gallery (3401 Filbert St.) of the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design from Tuesday, Oct. 7 to Friday, Dec. 5. The gallery is free and open to the public Tuesday – Sunday, 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. An opening reception will take place on Thursday, Oct. 9, from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Autism Institute to Launch Life Course Outcomes Research Initiatives
September 10, 2014
The A.J. Drexel Autism Institute has received a grant of $3.6 million to launch four major initiatives of its Life Course Outcomes research program, focused on understanding and improving quality of life issues for people on the autism spectrum at all ages.
Research on the Runway: Drexel Fashion Designers Team Up with Scientists for Descience Competition
September 9, 2014

Eight students and alumni from Drexel University’s Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design are among 61 fashion designers who were chosen to participate in the first-ever Descience Fashion Competition. The national competition matches designers with scientists to create garments that reflect scientific advances. The competition will culminate with a fashion show featuring the collaborative creations at Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Monday, Sept. 29.
Drexel Seeks Master Developer for Innovation Neighborhood
September 5, 2014
Drexel has retained JLL to advise in the selection of a master developer for its ambitious Innovation Neighborhood plan for Philadelphia’s University City. The master developer will have exclusive rights to plan and develop approximately 10 acres of urban, transit-oriented real estate. Anchoring University City’s Innovation District, the project has a capacity to exceed more than five million square feet of mixed-use development.
Introducing Dreadnoughtus: A Gigantic, Exceptionally Complete Sauropod Dinosaur
September 4, 2014

A Drexel-led team has described a new dinosaur species with the most complete skeleton ever found of one of the largest animals to ever walk the Earth. At 85 feet (26 m) long and weighing about 65 tons (59,300 kg) in life, Dreadnoughtus schrani is the largest land animal for which a body mass can be accurately calculated.
Raymond G. Perelman to Name Center for Jewish Life at Drexel
September 3, 2014
Renowned Philadelphia area philanthropist Raymond G. Perelman has pledged $6 million for the construction of a Center for Jewish Life at Drexel. The new facility, which is expected to open in the fall of 2016, will be named the Raymond G. Perelman Center for Jewish Life and will be located on N. 34th Street.
Jump Inside Virtual Paintings at the Barnes and Explore with a New App Created by Drexel
August 27, 2014
Drexel University’s School of Education created a new, interactive mobile application for young visitors of the Barnes Foundation. Using 3-D immersive graphics, the touch-screen app, entitled “Keys to the Collection,” launches a game environment of the Barnes’ beloved, world-renowned art collection. The app turns a visit to the Barnes into a game or can be used to explore the Barnes virtually from anywhere.
Drexel Food Lab Concocts Recipes to Prevent Waste at Local Homeless Shelter, Supermarkets and More
August 27, 2014
The Drexel Food Lab is a student-run group, created in January 2014 in Drexel University’s Center for Hospitality and Sport Management, that aims to solve real-world problems through developing recipes and food products.
Why Aren’t Artists Transforming Mantua and Powelton the Way They Did Fishtown or Northern Liberties?
August 21, 2014
A surprisingly high concentration of established artists live in the Mantua, Powelton Village and West Powelton neighborhoods of West Philadelphia, according to a new study by a team of faculty and students from Drexel University. So why aren’t artists transforming those neighborhoods the way they did Fishtown or Northern Liberties? A number of reasons, according to the report, which outlines the challenges faced by artists and organizations in the area, including low public investment, the lack of a support network, a need for stronger connections between artists and the community and a lack of centralized communications efforts. The report also outlines proposed action steps to address these challenges.
Drexel Professor Creates Start Talking Science Event
August 12, 2014
Philadelphians will soon get their newest opportunity to meet local scientists and learn about exciting advances in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in the region, through an event created by a Drexel professor, called “Start Talking Science.”
Roadside Research from the New Jersey Pinelands and Coast to Coast
August 12, 2014
Three doctoral students from Drexel's Laboratory of Pinelands Research are presenting their work with northern pine snakes and the Pine Barrens gentian at the Ecological Society of America meeting, after doing some new roadside research during their cross-country drive to Sacramento.
Local Middle Schoolers Build a Bridge, Blow up a Watermelon and More at PECO-Drexel STEM Camp
August 8, 2014
Nearly 25 local rising fifth graders interested in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) built a bridge, blew up a watermelon and made ice cream, as part of a Summer STEM Camp from July 28 – August 1, the third and final week of the camp this summer. The camp is hosted by Drexel University's School of Education and funded by a grant from PECO.
Drexel Students and Neighborhood Residents Work Side-by-Side to Keep Local Culinary Traditions Alive
July 30, 2014
A new class, called “Local Culinary Traditions,” in Drexel University’s Center for Hospitality and Sport Management aims to keep family food traditions – and the stories behind them – alive. Funded by a $50,000 grant from GlaxoSmithKline, the class is intended to document culinary traditions in the West Philadelphia community and to teach people how to make those homemade dishes healthier.
Installation Artist Jeremy Holmes Makes Philadelphia Debut with his Largest Abstract Wood Sculpture Yet
July 21, 2014
A massive ribbon-like wood sculpture by installation artist Jeremy Holmes will be on display from Wednesday, Aug. 6 – Sunday, Sept. 28 as part of an exhibition designed by the artist specifically for Drexel University’s Leonard Pearlstein Gallery. While Holmes’ site-specific bent wood installations generally vary in length from 12 feet to a quarter-mile long, this will be his largest installation yet. The exhibition, entitled ‘Convergence,’ marks Holmes’ Philadelphia debut.
Faculty on Thomson Reuters Highly Cited Researchers List
July 7, 2014
Three Drexel University faculty members earned the distinction of being ranked among the most cited researchers in their respective fields according to Thomson Reuters’ “Highly Cited Researchers 2014” list. Gordon Richards, PhD, a professor in theCollege of Arts and Sciences, Yury Gogotsi, PhD, Distinguished University and Trustee Chair professor in the College of Engineering, and Peter DeCarlo, PhD, an assistant professor in the College of Engineering and College of Arts and Sciences, were included on the list of 3,215 distinguished researchers compiled by the international media and information company.
Drexel Faculty, Students Among 2014 Philly Geek Awards Nominees
July 7, 2014

The annual Philadelphia Geek Awards have once again recognized the work of Drexel University’s faculty and students as some of the best examples of the city’s vibrant geek community over the past year.
Drexel Professor James W. Buehler Appointed City of Philadelphia Health Commissioner
June 27, 2014
In an announcement of multiple changes in his senior administration today, Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter has appointed James Buehler, MD, a professor in the Department of Health Management and Policy in the Drexel University School of Public Health, as the city’s new Health Commissioner.
Accreditation Assessors to Visit Drexel
June 27, 2014
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.
Awareness Month Spurs Web Searches for Autism
June 26, 2014
Autism Awareness Month each April brings blue lights and blue ribbons out to shine in many communities – but does it actually lead to increased autism awareness? According to a new analysis of web search trends by researchers at Drexel University, it does appear to drive an increase in Google searches for autism – by a third over searches in March in recent years.
First Study Asks Autistic Adults about Driving Experiences
June 26, 2014

In the first pilot study asking adults on the autism spectrum about their experiences with driving, researchers at Drexel University found significant differences in self-reported driving behaviors and perceptions of driving ability in comparison to non-autistic adults. As the population of adults with autism continues growing rapidly, the survey provides a first step toward identifying whether this population has unmet needs for educational supports to empower safe driving – a key element of independent functioning in many people’s lives.
New Company Joins Innovation Center @3401
June 25, 2014
What happens when you mix a mid-size tech company, high-tech startup companies and an accelerator program like DreamIt Ventures? Organizers of the new Innovation Center @3401 (ic@3401) are betting that assembling the key elements of the entrepreneurial ecosystem on a small scale in one location will help boost innovation, collaboration and business creation in Philadelphia.
Silverman Donates $2 Million for Close School Dean Professorship
June 25, 2014
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.
Cira Tetris Game Sets Guinness World Record
June 24, 2014
Drexel University’s Frank Lee, PhD, has officially outdone himself. The man behind this spring’s giant game of Tetris® --played on the north and south sides of Brandywine Realty Trust’s Cira Centre skyscraper-- replaced his own name in the Guinness World Records ledger as the creator of the world’s “largest architectural videogame display.”
Drexel Sociologist’s New Book Explores the Double-Edged Sword of “The Age of Aluminum”
June 20, 2014
From Coca-Cola cans to Apollo 11 to the Empire State Building, aluminum can be found almost anywhere you look. But are there unseen costs associated with this ubiquitous metal? In a new book, Drexel University’s Mimi Sheller, PhD, explores how aluminum enabled a high-speed, gravity-defying American modernity even as other parts of the world paid the price in environmental damage and political turmoil.
Majority of Minors Engage in Sexting, Unaware of Harsh Legal Consequences
June 18, 2014
Sexting among youth is more prevalent than previously thought, according to a new study from Drexel University that was based on a survey of undergraduate students at a large northeastern university. More than 50 percent of those surveyed reported that they had exchanged sexually explicit text messages, with or without photographic images, as minors. The study also found that the majority of young people are not aware of the legal ramifications of underage sexting.
Drexel and Wexford Purchase University City High School Site
June 16, 2014

Drexel University City Development, LLC, the joint venture between Drexel and Wexford Science & Technology, LLC, officially closed today 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.