March 31, 2025

Faculty & Staff

As part of associate professor Glen Muschio's Digital Cultural Heritage course, Black Bottom elder and former resident Walter Palmer is interviewing five elder former Black Bottom residents about life in the historic neighborhood prior to its demolition. The interviews, recorded by Dragon Productions, will be used in the mobile self-guided tour of the Black Bottom, a collaborative project with the Black Bottom Tribe Association, The Science Center, and Drexel University. Students in the course will work with interview transcripts to suggest segments for inclusion in the mobile tour. The course is made possible with support from the Drexel Office of University Community Partnerships, the Digital Media Department, and a Westphal IDEA-DEC micro grant.

Music Industry professor Toby Seay and Drexel's Audio Archives are featured in The Telegraph (UK) news article "The extraordinary untold story of Bowie’s lost tapes."

Neville Vakharia, PhD, dean of Pennoni Honors College, and associate professor in the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, was interviewed during a March 22 College Matters. Alma Matters. podcast about his background and vision for the Pennoni Honors College. Link to story.

MAD (Media, Arts and Design) Anthology III, University of Krems Press, a companion book to the MAD Conference 2024, has been published, includes peer reviewed contributions by the following Digital Media PhD students and faculty: Anuraj Bhatnagar, Arefeh Ahmadi, Darren Woodland, Darya Ramezani, Golshid Jaferian, Nicolas Eduardo Losada Martinez, Sasan Bahrami, Emil Polyak, Tony A. Rowe, and Michael G. Wagner. The book also includes position papers by Dorsa Charkhian, and Rghad Balkhyoor. Learn more.

“Petrykivka Garden” an exhibition of Ukrainian folk art at the Pearlstein Gallery, was featured in a March 7 WHYY story. Link to story.

Antonio Martinez-Molina, PhD, a professor in the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design and College of Engineering, was quoted in a March 3 Facilities Dive story about his recent research on passive climate control methods employed in historic homes. The piece was also published by Yahoo! News. Link to story.

Joseph Hancock, PhD, a professor in the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, was featured on a March 3 KCBS-Radio (San Francisco) segment about fashion moments at the Oscars. Link to story.

Alison Bagnall, a visiting professor in the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, was a guest on the Feb. 28 episode of WHYY-Radio’s “Studio 2” to discuss the Academy Awards. Link to story.

Mandell Theater was mentioned in a Feb. 18 Broadway World story as the host of Eight Eight Time, a piano, poetry and film performance exploring the milestones that shape women's lives. Link to story.

Kaisha Blackstone, an assistant teaching professor, and Toby Seay a professor, both in the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, were featured in a Feb. 14 WCAU-TV (NBC-10) story about Philadelphia historic Sigma Sound Studio, and Drexel’s ongoing efforts to preserve its archives. Link to story.

Art & Art History professor Jen Blazina and Photography adjunct instructor Ashley Smith are presenting a join exhibition, Object Memory, through April 13 at 20*20 House, 20 Lansdowne Court, Lansdowne, PA.

The Leonard Pearlstein Gallery’s spring exhibition, "A Certain Slant of Light,"  was featured in a Feb. 4 Broad Street Review article. Link to story.

Congratulations to Daniel Brown (B.Arch ’15), adjunct instructor, on receiving the 2024 Young Architect Award. The Young Architect Award, presented by AIA Philadelphia's Steering Committee of Fellows, seeks to recognize registered architect(s) between the ages of 25 and 39 for their contribution to the categories of leadership, practice, and service.

Students & Alumni

Students from adjunct instructor David Wilson's Painting I class held a reception at Plaza Art Store on Chestnut Street for the work they are displaying on the main wall. Various students from across the College exhibited the paintings they created during the fall and winter quarter 2024-25.

James Crispino, RA, AIA, NCARB (B.Arch ’94) a member of the AIA (American Institute of Architects), was elevated to the College of Fellows for his exceptional work and contributions to architecture and society. Less than 3% of AIA members hold the prestigious FAIA designation. Link to Article.

Brittany E. Nugent (BS Design &  ‘07 was appointed vice president of creative operations and project management at DNY, according to a LinkedIn update. Ms. Nugent previously served as director of creative operations and project management at DNY. Link to LinkedIn.

Drexel’s student performance of “Urinetown: The Musical” at the Mandell Theater in May was mentioned in a March 26 Billy Penn roundup story of college theater performances this spring. Link to story.

Michelle Ehlers (BS Design & Merchandising ‘94) was interviewed by Authority Magazine in which he discussed the top five tips for a successful performance management process. Ms. Ehlers serves as an human resources (HR) consultant and specializes in HR strategy and operational efficiency. Link to Article.

Gregory Lobanov (BS Digital Media ‘14) was featured in Philly Voice for the release of his new video game, Beastieball. Mr. Lobanov found inspiration in Philadelphia’s sports culture for the design of the characters, and the game features a 'goofy' character based on Gritty, the NHL Flyers’ mascot. Link to Article.

Etienne G. Maurice (BS Film & Video ‘15) was featured in the Philadelphia Tribune for his leading role debut in Mistletoe & Matrimony, a new holiday film from OWN. In the article, Mr. Maurice shared insights on how he was able to blend his passion for activism with his character in the film. Link to Article.

Brandon Shirk, RA (B.Arch ‘08) was promoted to practice leader of the transit architecture practice at KCI, an engineering, consulting and construction firm. In this role, he will continue serving clients such as Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, and various transit agencies. A registered architect, Mr. Shirk serves as a member of the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. Link to Article.

Rhea Khattoi (BS Design & Merchandising ‘19) was appointed account manager at Google, according to a LinkedIn update. Previously, Ms. Khattoi was the CEO and founder of Khattoi. Link to LinkedIn.

Jared F. Krieger, AIA LEED AP (B.Arch ‘06), co-managing director of Gensler in Boston , was interviewed by the Boston Business Journal on the potential to convert Boston’s empty office buildings into housing. Link to Article.

Jonathan L. Low (BS Music  ‘08) was nominated for a Grammy award in the Album of the Year category. Mr. Low engineered Taylor Swift’s album, The Tortured Poets Department.

Anina L. Major (BS Graphic Design ‘03) was named the inaugural winner of the 2024 Future Perfect Gallery’s the Future Perfect Prize for her sculptural art. The prize is one of just a few in the United States dedicated to design and offers the recipient an unrestricted grant of $20,000 along with an ongoing relationship with the gallery. In addition, Ms. Major will debut a new body of work at the Future Perfect, prominent design gallery with outlets in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco, in 2025. Link to Article.