Honor Bound Fall/Winter 2018 by Erica Levi Zelinger

HONOR BOUND FROM DREXEL UNIVERSITY’S PENNONI HONORS COLLEGE • FALL/WINTER 2018

SOFTWARE FOR SOCIAL GOOD PLUS: Interpreting pop culture The power of Pennoni Ta les from returning Fulbrighters

From the Dean

Dear Friends of Pennoni Honors College, We are embarking on another great year in the Honors College. We are happy to announce that we hit our target number of Honors Program students — 10 percent of the incoming freshman class. We are also pleased to be able to welcome a talented cohort of STAR Scholar students who will be doing undergraduate research with professors during the summer after their freshman year, most at Drexel but an increase in labs at partner universities abroad. We are also pleased to continue to serve the entire Drexel community through our Center for Scholar Development which administers our Fellowship applications and provides advising and workshops relating to these competitive awards. For our Symposium courses this year, the theme is Fashion, and we are so lucky to have a faculty fellow from the Parsons School of Design, Jennifer Ayres, on board to help with coursework and programming around this theme. Jennifer will be on staff for two years and will also be helping with next year’s theme, Waste. We continue to host our Pennoni Panels, including one scheduled for the Rosenbach during Black History Month in February. Please keep an eye out for notices about this event. Yours,

Paula Marantz Cohen Dean, Pennoni Honors College Distinguished Professor of English 215.895.1266 • cohenpm@drexel.edu

Dean Cohen in her office

CONTENTS Fall/Winter 2018

In Brief

BY DR. DANIEL DOUGHERTY

BY CAMILLE DIBENEDETTO

Wrestling with Change

History Remixed

The Power of Pennoni

The Fulbright Phenomenon

BY MARGEAUX CATTELONA, JUI HANAMSHET, AND VIDA MANALANG

BY ERICA LEVI ZELINGER

Dean: Dr. Paula Marantz Cohen Editorial Staff Honor Bound is published biannually by the Marketing & Media team of Drexel Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pennoni Honors College.

Editor: Erica Levi Zelinger Copy Editor: Dr. Melinda Lewis Designer: Diane Pizzuto Illustrators: Emily Anderson, Isabella Akhtarshenas

Comments? Contact us at pennoni@drexel.edu

Administration Director, Administration & Finance: Ann Alexander Executive Assistant to the Dean: Karen Sams

Honors Program Associate Dean, Director: Dr. Daniel Dougherty Associate Director: Dr. Katie Barak Assistant Director: Eric Kennedy

Program Coordinator: Julia Wisniewski

Can Ambition Wait?

Software for Social Good

BY DR. KATIE BARAK

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ON THE COVER

31 Office of Undergraduate Research Associate Dean, Director: Dr. Suzanne Rocheleau Associate Director: Jaya Mohan Program Manager: Emily Kashka Program Coordinator: Roxane Lovell

Center for Scholar Development Acting Director: Kelly Weissberger Program Coordinator: Martha Meiers Fellowships Coordinator: Emily Coyle

Alumni News

Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry Director: Dr. Kevin Egan Assistant Director: Ana Castillo-Nye Pennoni Faculty Fellow: Dr. Joseph Hancock Visiting Fellow: Dr. Jennifer Ayres

Marketing & Media Director: Erica Levi Zelinger Associate Director of Marketing & Media, Managing Editor, The Smart Set: Dr. Melinda Lewis Assistant Director: Brian Kantorek

SUPPORT THE PENNONI HONORS COLLEGE You can make a difference! When you make a gift to the Pennoni Honors College, you support the tradition of an interdisciplinary education. Every gift counts. To learn more about how you can support the Honors College, contact: Susan Baren-Pearson 215.571.4907 sb3488@drexel.edu 3

In Brief A LABYRINTH OF OPPORTUNITY

Custom-designed major Sarah Robinson chosen as 2018 Drexel Commencement speaker BY ERICA LEVI ZELINGER

or Sarah Robinson whose main professional

president of recruitment for the Panhellenic Council

goal is to facilitate meaningful experiences in

Executive Board; a student ambassador; and a member of

the workplace, being chosen to speak at the

the Undergraduate Student Government Association.

2018 Drexel Commencement empowered the

custom-designed major. Sarah studied organizational development, combining courses in business and the social sciences, with the goal of contributing to the empowerment of people and the organizations that employ them. “Drexel is a labyrinth of opportunity,” Sarah said to a sea

Philadelphia, told the crowd of 12,000 graduating students, friends, and family, “Life will not hand you opportunities – you must hold the resolve to find them yourself.” She credits the custom-designed major (CSDN) for empowering her to ask for what she wants. “Learning to navigate the twists and turns of custom-

of graduates, families, faculty, and friends. “Drexel has

izing your own academic path is a skill that has shaped

offered you so many possibilities and you had to seek them

how I approach not just my career but my life,” Sarah also

out yourself to gain their benefit.”

said when she spoke at her CSDN graduation ceremony.

And she herself had done just that.

“We know that we don’t get things just because we follow

Over the course of her five years at Drexel, Sarah served

the path: we get them because we are resilient, persistent,

as the president of her sorority, Delta Phi Epsilon; vice

The now-HR Coordinator at Publicis Health Media in

and fearless.”

D. WALTER COHEN (1927-2018)

hiladelphia, Drexel, and the Pennoni Honors College lost a giant on June 29th when D. Walter Cohen, former Drexel College of Medicine chancellor and member of the Pennoni Honors College Advisory Board, died at the age of 91.

Dr. Cohen (no relation) was a pioneer in dental medicine, an institutional

leader, an advocate for women’s rights, and a generous philanthropist. He was an early supporter for the Judaic Studies and the Center for Jewish Life at Drexel, and was involved with many civic engagement initiatives on this campus. He was a peacemaker in the Middle East, helping to initiate a partnership between Hebrew University’s School of Dental Medicine and the Palestinian University, Al-Quds. He was a Renaissance man, well versed in literature, music, and the arts. I will never forget the story he told me during an episode of The Drexel InterView about discovering two priceless Manet paintings in the University of Pennsylvania warehouse when he was Dean of the Penn Dental School. He was a great believer in the mission of the Pennoni Honors College, because he understood the value of a well-rounded education. Only two weeks before his death, Dr. Cohen attended the Pennoni Honors Program Medallion ceremony, and we had a lively conversation about the future of the College. D. Walter Cohen chats with Dean Cohen in a 2014 episode of

Until the end, he was full of energy, sagacity, and kindness. I feel honored to have known Dr. Cohen and to have had the gift of his advice and friendship.

The Drexel InterView. Watch the episode at: youtu.be/skfdzze86co

— Dean Paula Marantz Cohen

DIALOGUING ABOUT COMMUNITY To culminate this year’s community-themed Symposium, the Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry hosted a one-day conference on June 9 aimed at bringing together Drexel staff, students, and faculty with members of the West Philadelphia community. “Dialogues: A Conference for Community and Conversation” utilized panels, interactive workshops, and lightning talk presentations to focus on the critical, collaborative work taking place every day in University City. Participants tackled difficult discussions surrounding police and resident relations, prison reform, and neighborhood gentrification, to name a few. Presentations of podcasts, blogs, and poetry showcased the wildly talented individuals confronting both the challenges and triumphs of community based learning projects. In collaboration with the Lindy Center for Civic Engagement, the Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships, and the ExCITe Center, this widely attended conference underscored the need for continued conversation between the university community and the city of Philadelphia at large.

In Brief

GRADUATING THE FIRST LUMINARY

rban philosophy and playwrighting don’t often appear on a plan of study for a health services administration

major, but for Julie Knerr, the first graduate of the Honors Luminary Program, the topics played center stage in broadening her perspectives and honing her critical-thinking skills. The 2018 graduate was in the first cohort of the Luminary Program, an application-based 24-credit specialized and unique set of courses that challenges students to an even higher degree through a balance of structured curriculum and self-designed cocurricular experiences. Julie encourages others to take advantage of unique opportunities like Luminary — “an Honors Program within the Honors Program,” and a chance to work closely with talented faculty and peers. “This program was more challenging and more intensive, but also more rewarding,” she said. “The skills and experiences that I gained as a result of reading, writing, and critical thinking encouraged through the program have been extremely beneficial as I move on to a full-time career.” Julie is now working as a Marketing and Engagement Specialist at GlaxoSmithKline.

Jennifer Shin holds up the ad in The New York Times that announced her fellowship.

CELEBRATING DREXEL’S FIRST PAUL & DAISY SOROS FELLOW

rexel alumna Jennifer Shin, BA architecture ’13, Honors has been named a 2018 Paul & Daisy Soros Fellow in recognition of her potential to make significant contributions to American society, culture, and her academic field. Jennifer is one of just 30 fellows

selected from across the country and the first person from Drexel to receive the award. Only 2% of applicants receive the highly prestigious award that supports immigrants, children of immigrants, and DACA recipients pursuing graduate school in the United States with up to $90,000 in funding. Jennifer was originally drawn to Drexel’s architecture program because it allowed her to “pursue a longer professional degree that equipped [her] with practical, real-world tools.” Jennifer participated in the STAR Scholars Program the summer after her freshman year in Drexel’s architecture program, and she was an active member in the Honors Program, where she relished taking honors seminar courses that “provided diverse outlets for creative thinking and academic exploration.” Following graduation from Drexel in 2013, Shin co-founded the Raymond Farm Center for Living Arts & Design, a nonprofit arts organization in Bucks County, Pa., that serves as a cultural arts center and artist residency. Along with preserving the farm and legacy of Noémi and Antonin Raymond, the center provides opportunities for students and artists while cultivating a connection to nature. Now at Yale University, Shin is pursuing joint degrees in architecture and environmental management. Her future career goals are still taking shape, but she knows she wants to marry her dual interests: “I do know that I want to leverage my rigorous architecture background with my environmental studies,” Jennifer says. “This may take the form of ecological urbanism, ecological regional planning, or environmental land use management.” – Emily Coyle

2017-18 HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE CENTER FOR SCHOLAR DEVELOPMENT So far this year, at least 80 students and recent alumni have been recognized by nationally-competitive fellowships and awards with an estimated value of more than $2.5 million. The Center for Scholar Development, housed within Pennoni Honors College, offers expertise and programming to help motivated students make the most of their Drexel experience and prepare for future career opportunities and competitive awards. This includes providing students with the resources and support in putting together competitive applications for scholarships and fellowships.

GATES-CAMBRIDGE SCHOLARSHIP NICK BARBER (BS GEOSCIENCE ’18, HONORS) • 2nd in Drexel history

• ~90 scholars selected worldwide

STUDENTS

• Supports graduate degree at

INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT:

Cambridge University

GILMAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS

COUNTRIES

In 2017-18, Drexel students received 32 awards to support study, research, or co-op abroad in 17 different countries, including Belgium, Cameroon, Germany, Hong Kong,

12 Drexel students received Gilman

Ireland, Mozambique, South Korea, Switzerland, and

International Scholarships – a new

Taiwan.

Drexel record

PAUL & DAISY SOROS FELLOWSHIP FOR NEW AMERICANS JENNIFER SHIN (BS ARCHITECTURE ’13, HONORS)

2017-18 DIVERSITY:

17.8%

of Drexel fellowships honorees

from under-represented minority

• Drexel’s 1st ever

(URM) populations

BRONZE-WINNING BOT

College of Engineering team of undergraduates,

Senior mechanical engineering majors

including eight Honors students, placed third out

Sergio Machaca, Frederick Wachter,

of 54 teams at the American Society of Mechanical

and Matthew Wiese, served as

Engineers (ASME) E-fest East 2018 Student Design

THOR’s principal designers;

Competition, held at Penn State.

the trio also graduated Honors

In a nod to this summer’s FIFA World Cup games, the

with Distinction at the Honors

competition criteria dictated that the device should be a

Program Medallion Ceremony

robot that that plays soccer, be controlled by remote, and be

in June. They were assisted by

sourced by rechargeable batteries.

the following Honors students:

The Drexel students designed a stackable, omni-wheeled robot — named THOR — with a lightweight acrylic

Sanjog Karki, Harrison Katz, Kristopher Lopez, and Cassie Pezza.

platform, lasers, an Arduino-based Teensy board, and firing mechanisms that deploy tennis balls at 20 mph.

– Erica Levi Zelinger 7

In Brief 24 of the 177 students who participated in the STAR Scholars Program gained valuable research experience in an international setting. Among this year’s iSTAR students was Megha Sangam, biological sciences ’22, who spent three weeks in Senegambia researching maternal and child health in The Gambia. She explored how the implementation of a neonatal resuscitation program could be implemented in order to reduce neonatal mortality there and in other resource-limited countries. Her favorite aspect of her time abroad was volunteering at a medical clinic and weighing babies and recording their growth and even delivering vaccinations to small children. “I was able to get a hands-on experience in practicing health care both from a medical and public health aspect because of the generosity and willingness of The Gambian people to participate in our research,” Megha says. “I was able to see the direct impact that my work has on the lives of other people.” 8

THE RIGHT TOOLE

idan Toole is especially excited for his interdisciplinary Sixth Century Course at the ancient Scottish University of Aberdeen on the natural world in respect to film, attitude, spirituality, and well-being.

As a recipient of the $25,000 St. Andrews Society McNeil Scholarship, Aidan, a custom-designed major in humancentered design, will be studying psychology and computer science while exploring Scotland and its rich history. The Custom-Designed Major, Aidan says, has prepared him well for the experience. “CSDN has helped me leave my comfort zone and embrace what makes me unique,” he says. “I think my educational originality will help me grow accustomed to being an outlier in a foreign country.” This past summer, Aidan worked at Facebook as a product design intern on the core app navigation team. He’s worked at a research lab helping create digital solutions for people living with certain social needs and he’s also served as a graphic designer on the Campus Activities Board. His passion and exploration of interdisciplinary settings made him a fantastic candidate for this scholarship, says Kelly Weissberger, associate director of the Center for Scholar Development. “Study in Scotland will offer him a valuable chance to explore design culture in the UK and expand his global network,” Weissberger says.

It’s been quite a term for Adit Gupta, software engineering and math ’19. Adit was sponsored by University of Pennsylvania and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to San Francisco’s Tech Crunch Disrupt, the world’s most exclusive startup competition and conference related to emerging technologies. He was selected for the Forbes Under 30 Scholars Program, which gave him an all-access pass to the Under 30 Summit, network with other scholars and pitch his startup company myvyb.io to venture capitalists. And earlier this year, he was chosen as one of 50 students from around the world to attend the Microsoft Build Conference in Seattle, where he had the chance to speak with CEO Satya Nadela and was one of three students chosen to receive the Microsoft Student Partner of the Year award.

– Erica Levi Zelinger

Reilly Palevich, nursing ’23, feeds a giraffe during an Honors Program Ticket Tuesday experience at the Philadelphia Zoo. PHOTO BY DANIEL SCHWARTZ, COMPUTER SCIENCE ’23

Consider This

WRESTLING WITH CHANGE An interview with Drexel President John Fry BY DR. DANIEL DOUGHERTY, DIRECTOR, HONORS PROGRAM

Two years ago Drexel University President John Fry and I co-taught an Honors Program Great Books course on Jane Jacobs’ seminal work The Death and Life of Great American Cities. That book was Jacobs’ greatest contribution to urban studies. However, as Jacobs was developing those arguments in the late ’50s and early ’60s, she was viewed as a heretic to urbanism, most notably by legendary urban planner Robert Moses, whose view of the city relied on new highways and high-rises. But President Fry and I realized that Moses’ perspective was needed to fully understand the philosophy Jacobs was so set against. Still curious about how Jacobs fought — and won out — against her rival, we chose to teach Anthony Flint’s Wrestling with Moses in our second Great Works course together this past spring. The following conversation is an edited version of a much longer discussion we had about his experience teaching, urban innovation, and evolving neighborhoods.

Dr. Daniel Dougherty: This is the second Honors course

DD: And certainly Jacobs has some fair criticism laid

you had the chance to teach. How did the courses compare?

against her vision as well. One thing that was brought up

Obviously different books, so different discussions, but I’m

was the issue of gentrification in the West Village neigh-

sure there are some similarities as well.

borhood. Her model of urban redevelopment did not deal with gentrification. And for all the ways that we look back

John Fry: It’s interesting because I don’t think of myself

and hold up Jacobs’ model of modern development as one

necessarily as teaching them in the classic way. The students

that we want to recreate, in other places they don’t deal

are smart and curious and well prepared and therefore

with some of the hard issues.

motivated to take on the material and teach themselves. So, I viewed the experience as more of a conversation with

JF: I think it is interesting that somewhere between the two

colleagues. Also, the Honors students found a lot of different

there is a meeting ground. How do you make progress but at

perspectives on this and frankly a lot of passion around what

the same time not reduce the very character of the city that

they saw regarding Moses and Jacobs.

you love and want to preserve? There’s a tension inherent in that and I think it is the tension that characterized the

DD: Throughout the discussion, what really surprised me

struggles of Moses and Jacobs and in the evolution in places

is how students struggled with their opinions about Moses

like New York. I think that tension is something we have to

and Jacobs. We are 70 years from a lot of Moses’ major

embrace and realize that it is a struggle and the more we think

accomplishments, and looking back, we can see all the

about it and talk about it and write about it and teach about it,

mistakes that he made and everybody takes Jacobs as the

the better off we are. And I think that was the premise of the

hero. But I was really struck by students trying to figure it

book. It’s hard to wrestle with change.

out in terms of which side they took. JF: There was definitely some discernment going on and I think especially around the use of power. Someone who knows how to exercise power for the benefit of all, that is not necessarily a bad skill to have. Obviously, it has to be done in a certain way, but without that, I can’t imagine solving the big issues.

ILLUSTRATION BY ISABELLA AKHTARSHENAS

HISTORY, REMIXED Using Hamilton to teach historical adaptation BY CAMILLE DIBENEDETTO, ENGLISH ’22

Today, it’s impossible not to know who Alexander Hamilton is — Alexander Hamilton, my name is Alexander Hamilton — or who killed him — Pardon me, are you Aaron Burr, sir? Hamilton’s history has spread to the stages of Broadway and the shelves of Barnes & Noble and has found a home with everyone from middle schoolers to moms in minivans. In their summer 2018 honors course, Adapting and Repurposing History, Drs. Melinda Lewis and Kevin Egan used the life of Alexander Hamilton to examine the relationships between historical adaptation, biography, and popular culture. After hearing Dr. Lewis was creating a Hamilton course, Byshera Williams, a senior English major, was, in her words, “sold.” Byshera had previously taken Pop Gender, an honors course about presentations of gender in the media,

Students were not only participating, but engaged in meaningful conversation about an 800-page book and topic they only had five weeks to read and learn about.

with Lewis, and wanted to further explore the academics of popular culture. “The fact that it was about a musical that I felt a lot of attachment to only made it better,” Byshera adds. Adapting and Repurposing History was not your typical lecture. Students were doing more than just sitting in a classroom. They explored what it meant to work in an

Although neither Lewis nor Egan has taught together before, their teaching styles complemented one another. They each encouraged discussion and conversation, but had different ways of doing so. Lewis says that where she “threw out ideas… to see what happened,” Egan had a great “ability to step back and rephrase information [to] anchor discussion.” “I loved Dr. Egan and Dr. Lewis’ teaching dynamic,” says

archive, how to interpret and synthesize primary sources,

Elizabeth Coniglio, a senior engineering student. “They

created their own critical analysis of an adaptation, and

both worked really well together.”

even attended a Hamilton exhibit at the Museum of the American Revolution. To begin the course, students read Ron Chernow’s

Byshera Williams says, two different professors give you “two different perspectives in class which … made it easier to voice [an] opinion because there was not just one person

biography Alexander Hamilton, a compilation of years

standing in front of the room whose word is law.” Instead,

of research and archival work, that served as the basis

there was collaboration. There was conversation.

for the Broadway play. After practicing archival work

For Lewis and Egan, their favorite seminar discus-

of their own, Lewis hoped students better understood

sions were about the Chernow book. The students, Egan

the research, time, and consideration it takes to create a

says, achieved “self-propelling” conversation, a rare, but

biography or adaptation.

treasured moment in the classroom.

This all culminated in a final project where students

Students really “thought about the production and process

created their own “mixtape” of carefully curated songs that

[of the book],” Lewis says. “There was never that moment

express and reflect the life of a notable figure in history.

where someone would say something and you would look

Some of the figures students considered for their mixtape

to the professor [for affirmation].” Students stopped raising

included Leonardo DaVinci, Amelia Earhart, and Oprah.

their hands and just started talking. They were truly inter-

In fact, the mixtape is where the idea for the course began.

ested in the material and what they had to say to each other.

After listening to the Hamilton soundtrack, a compilation of

They were not only participating, but engaged in meaningful

pop and hip-hop songs from the musical, Dr. Egan became

conversation about an 800-page book and topic they only

fascinated with the convergence of history and popular music

had five weeks to read and learn about.

— “this idea of using hip-hop and pop culture to tell [a] story”. Egan, whose background is in political science, decided to enlist the help of Lewis, whose cultural studies expertise was the perfect balance in teaching the course.

Lewis adds, “I’m just waiting for the challenge that Honors students don’t accept.” So far, she hasn’t been able to find it. Camille DiBenedetto served as a staff writer for Pennoni Honors College during summer 2018.

CAN AMBITION WAIT?

Teaching high-achieving students in Gen Z BY DR. KATIE BARAK, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, HONORS PROGRAM

to interact with educators at the high school level. While we were hoping local AP teachers felt the same urgency to discuss ways to support high-achieving Gen Z students, we were not sure if they would. Within a day of sending out the invitation, the session was full and the waitlist at capacity. In April, 30 AP teachers from Pennsylvania and New Jersey made their way to University City to meet Honors Program faculty and dig into this complicated conversation. We

High-achieving students are getting more media attention than they have in the past. The veneer of academic perfection, easy success, and bright futures have given way to a different reality: overwhelming pressure, anxiety, and a lack of resilience. Generation Z’s high-achievers are particularly susceptible to this sharp duality. In an effort to better understand the challenges facing this population, the Honors Program decided to reach out to another group of educators familiar with Gen Z high-achievers: high school Advanced Placement (AP) teachers. Despite working with the same students at different points in their education, administrators at the college and university level do not often get the opportunity

called it “Teaching High Achieving Students: A Workshop for High School AP Teachers and University Honors Faculty.” The goal was to create a space to discuss the triumphs and challenges inherent to teaching our shared population of students. Topics included: qualities that typify high-achieving Gen Z students and how these compare from the high school to the university experience; effective paths for connecting students’ experiences in the AP classroom to their engagement in an Honors seminar; pedagogical and communication styles that work best for these students and where challenges arise in terms of their achievement. The conversations were incredibly animated with bursts of laughter as well as troubled sighs. The shared issues may have brought these educators together, but it was evident that other factors (like region, budget, access to technology, school policies, parent expectations, school culture, etc.) dramatically separated some of them as well. The solutions will not be one-size-fits-all. Based on feedback, the Honors Program is already looking to set up another event this fall, bringing in students to offer their perspectives. Other suggestions included bringing in high school administrators to gain another vantage point on the issues.

ILLUSTRATION BY EMILY ANDERSON

S0FTWARE F0R S0C1AL G00D

How Honors Program student, former STAR Program participant and SuperNova fellow Amy Gottsegen is helping to get to the root of Philadelphiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s problematic housing issues BY ERICA LEVI ZELINGER

“ I TOOK THINGS LIKE POVERTY OR EDUCATIONAL DISPARITIES FOR GRANTED AS UNCHANGEABLE, ALMOST FORCES OF NATURE. AND NOW I’VE GOTTEN TO LEARN A LOT MORE ABOUT THE SOCIAL ROOTS OF THOSE PROBLEMS. I THINK THEY ARE CHANGEABLE.”

Thanks to a grant from the Steinbright Partners Program, Amy co-oped last year for PTU, developing a predictive algorithm to track the city’s changing demographics. Different from other apps or programs that tell tenants their rights or help you budget to make rent, Amy’s

thinking very much about the issues my volunteering was supposed to be helping with; I took things like poverty

or educational disparities for granted as unchangeable, hen Amy Gottsegen was a little girl growing up in Kennett Square, she and her mother would always head to Manhattan for a day or two over her spring break from school.

The mother-daughter duo would see a Broadway show, visit their favorite smoothie shop, and wander the streets of Brooklyn. But on one trip, they came across an elderly woman struggling to get up onto a curb. Amy’s mother stopped to help her and ended up walking the woman to her destination — a chocolate store many blocks away. At the time, 10-year-old Amy was fuming that they’d wasted the day away so some lady could get a chocolate bar. But as the opinionated teen grew until adulthood, she started to realize this story epitomized what she so admires about her mom. Raised by a mother who believes that caring for the people around you is the most important thing you can do with your life, the senior computer science major harnessed technology to enact change at the Philadelphia Tenant Union (PTU), a grassroots organization arguing for renters’ rights. But she is no novice to philanthropy. In high school,

lot more about the social roots of those problems. I think they are changeable.” Her cynicism bubbled over in a conversation with a coffee shop co-worker, and one of the PTU organizers, David Thompson. David described his work at PTU, helping to create a city with safe, decent, and affordable housing for everyone by organizing tenants who face some of the worst abuses by landlords. To Amy, the PTU seemed like one of very few groups doing more than doling out individualized solutions to somehow patch up a system where it is the norm for an entire building of low-income renters to be kicked out on the street and have their homes replaced with luxury condos that then sit unoccupied for months. “I realized that type of work was fundamentally about treating people who are struggling to survive in a very unfair system like they’re the ones that are broken,” Amy says. It clicked for Amy when she realized she could combine her newfound interest in tenant organizing with her computer science background.

that are more likely to deal with these eviction issues — is specifically designed to be used by a collective rather than individual renters. Some people believe that working any job is doing “social good” because it contributes to the economy, says the Honors Program student, former STAR Program participant and SuperNova fellow, but Amy harnessed the technology to enact change with the tenant-led organization. As one of Drexel’s 2017-18 nominees for a Truman scholarship, which supports undergraduates committed to public service leadership, Amy included a unique policy proposal for the creation of a new liaison position in the Philadelphia government to bridge the city’s offices of Community Empowerment and Innovation and Technology. “Amy thought critically about larger-scale solutions to these challenges,” says Kelly Weissberger, Interim Director of the Center for Scholar Development. “Her thoughtfulness and passion for civic technology was evident in her application.” “Most people seem to agree on ‘tech for social good’ as a vague notion of technology that addresses social problems like hunger, homelessness, disease, etc.,” Amy says. “But so few people within the field are really interrogating what is social good — people go into it with magnanimous

Amy became a serial volunteer: peer mentoring for

intentions but they’re not stepping back and asking, ‘how

students with developmental disabilities; organizing youth

do these problems actually get solved? Will an app that

programming at her public library; forming a team for a

tells unhoused people where to get certain social services

cancer research fundraising event; teaching programming

address the problem of homelessness, or is there something

to children whose schools didn’t offer it.

we need to address at the root of the problem?”

Three years ago, however, Amy found herself disillusioned with the service work she’d done growing up.

almost forces of nature. And now I’ve gotten to learn a

algorithm — which predicts the Philadelphia buildings

She became involved with Drexel Socialists, working to make Drexel a sanctuary campus for immigrants and refugees, and launching a Student Tenants Union. She then joined Philly Socialists and was recently elected to the position of project liaison to strengthen the ties among the organization’s many projects serving the community. But there’s little interest in electoral campaigns, she says. “They don’t build sustainable, resilient people power the way that community organizing does.” Until recently, Amy’s post-graduation plans had been to pursue doctoral research on how technology can serve social movements like the PTU. Eventually, she’d like to develop a research center devoted to providing technology resources for these movements, and promoting a critical understanding of ‘social good’ amongst technologists. However, as graduation draws closer, Amy realized how deep her roots in this city have grown through community. For now, the important role that activism plays in her life will keep her here in Philadelphia.

The answer to this question, Amy says, is working-class empowerment and organization.

“It always feels good to feel like you’re contributing

She was fairly apolitical before getting involved in the

to your community,” Amy says. “But I don’t think I was

PTU, but now she’s firmly planted in the political realm.

LEADING QUESTIONS Pop culture intersects with academia in a podcast from Pennoni Honors Collegeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s marketing and media team BY DR. MELINDA LEWIS, PODCAST HOST

IT’S NOT ALWAYS GOING TO BE SERIOUS CUT-AND-DRY THEORY, SUPER WELL-THOUGHT-OUT. SOMETIMES IT’S JUST GOING TO BE AN ’80s MOVIE WITH SOMEONE VACUUMING IN THEIR UNDERWEAR. MAREN LARSEN IN “GLITZ, GLAMOUR, AND SHOULDER PADS” (SEASON 2, EPSIODE 10), DISCUSSING FEMINISM AND THE FILM WORKING GIRL WITH DR. MELINDA LEWIS

“W

hat’s your major?” “What do you do?”

we are in an academic environment, these conversations

“What are you going to do with that?”

tend to get intellectual, diving into industrial contexts,

These are questions consistently

practices, or representation. It seemed like the right time to

creeping up on us as we meet potential

try our hand at podcasting.

new friends, introduce ourselves to colleagues, and talk

While brainstorming, we considered what would make us

awkwardly with our aunts at the holidays. These questions

unique, the ways we could tap into the Drexel community,

make it seem as if we are little more than automatons

and also have fun. Erica Zelinger, the Director of Marketing

pushing papers and beakers across desks and labs until we

& Media suggested popular culture. With a PhD in cultural

shut down at the end of the workday. So rarely do we start

and critical studies, I have tapped into different disciplines

with, “What do you like?” a question that encourages us to

and have been trained to tackle cultural products from

get into the crevices of who we are — what we like is defined

multiple angles and perspectives. But cultural studies also

in part by where and when we grew up, our access, and the

has the unique position of being a field of study that started

synapses that bing with pleasure as we come across those

with an earnest love of popular culture. The keyword being

things that bring us joy. Pop, The Question, Pennoni Honors

POPULAR. None of us are immune to the thrills of popular

College’s podcast, has for the past year, attempted to sneak

culture, though not everything is made for us. The podcast

some enjoyment — and humor — across the airwaves by

operates on the premise that we are complex people who

exploring what faculty, staff, students, and the surrounding

seek pleasure in a variety of texts, be it music, literature,

community like and digging deep into the crevices of why.

sports, or science.

Podcasts are widely popular. People listen to them while

And regardless of how we feel about popular culture,

commuting, meal planning, or cleaning. Fans include those

we cannot deny the impact it has had on our lives. Law

of us in the Honors College. We’ve spent several lunches

& Order has shifted perceptions of the legal system and

going over our favorite episodes or using an excerpt to

due process, #MeToo has forced us to reckon with the

supplement an idea or instance shared in conversation.

Hollywood Industrial Complex (and has extended the

“That reminds me” gets thrown around quite a bit. Our

conversation about harassment in other industries), and

college also tends to get wrapped up in conversations about

has been instrumental in promoting and destroying politi-

what we’re watching, listening to, or reading. And because

cians and their agendas. None of us are immune.

I’M ALWAYS INTERESTED IN HOW WE CAN MARRY POPULAR CULTURE TO OTHER FIELDS OF STUDY, AND THINKING OF IT AS A USEFUL TOOL FOR TEACHING, AND SAYING, ‘YES, THIS IS IMPERFECT. HOWEVER, LET’S TALK ABOUT THOSE IMPERFECTIONS. LET’S USE THIS AS A TOOL FOR LEARNING MORE ABOUT VOLCANOES.’ DR. MELINDA LEWIS, DISCUSSING THE FILM DANTE’S PEAK IN “THIS THING IS GONNA BLOW” (SEASON 1, EPISODE 6), WITH THENSENIOR GEOSCIENCES MAJOR NICK BARBER, RECIPIENT OF THE GOLDWATER, NOAA HOLLINGS AND GATES CAMBRIDGE SCHOLARSHIPS

These conversations hopefully accomplish two things: First, accentuating we are multidimensional people. Having people know a little bit more about what we like as opposed to what we do can help build bridges toward better

LISTEN TO POPQ

understanding each other and move us closer to empathy. Second, it’s a fun way to explore how popular culture, whether we like it or not, shapes us and our understanding of the world. While we investigate people’s interests, we’re not attempting to ruin the fun with academic jargon. We’re celebrating pop culture. Don’t get me wrong. We still learn a lot. I — and hopefully our listeners — come away with a richer understanding of both the person and the topic, whether it’s apples, superheroes, or celebrity crushes. And that for me, has always been, the more fun aspect of college life. Learning more about the world, engaging in topics that seem both foreign and familiar, and finding people who love things just as passionately as you love your things. Did you know, for example, that our Dean, Paula Marantz Cohen, has a crush

dissect T-shirts, the film Working Girl,

Inquiry is a die-hard fan of … Die Hard? How legit is Dante’s Peak at repre-

and apples.To listen to the podcast,

senting volcanos? These are the types of questions you can expect from the

go to popqpodcast.com. Pop, the

podcast. And they are important. These conversations highlight who we are,

Question is also available on iTunes

permit us to indulge in our pleasures, and speak to the circumstances that define

and SoundCloud.

us as individuals, community members, and consumers.

Tune in each month as we discuss and

on actor Idris Elba? Or that the director of the Center of Interdisciplinary

THE POWER OF PENNONI Margaux Cattelona, an entertainment and arts management major, wanted to write more. Jui Hanamshet had never been challenged by the hard â&#x20AC;&#x153;Why?â&#x20AC;? questions. Vida Manalang was struggling with competing interests in medicine and theater. But each found a class, a mentor, or a performance through the Pennoni Honors College this year that inspired them. Read more in their own words.

“ I always knew I wanted to write, and now I have the resources and the confidence to do so.”

MARGAUX CATTELONA ENTERTAINMENT AND ARTS MANAGEMENT ’21

hile working on an article about the Writers

which allowed us to exercise our own voices on issues and

Room for Drexel’s independent student

share our own experiences. Between writing articles, guest

newspaper, The Triangle, I expressed

speakers taught us about literary editing. We even had the

to director Rachel Wenrick my passion

chance to pitch stories to Melinda Lewis, PhD, editor of

for writing. Rachel, my English 102

The Smart Set.

professor at the time, knew I was an Honors student, and

Although I love to write, I have to admit the workshop

recommended I take Alissa Falcone’s “Writing for Drexel

sessions intimidated me at first. I found I had more anxiety

Publication” class offered through Pennoni Honors College.

watching my classmates read my work in real time rather

She also introduced me to Alissa at the Writers Room

than having them read an edited version of my work on

Studio Warming Party last year, and I was encouraged

Google Docs hours later. I learned it was a necessary part of

to register for her class. In the end, this seminar not only

the editing and publication process. As the only first-year

taught me about the workshop process and how an insti-

student in the room, I became less worried about what

tution delivers its news, but it also instilled within me a

my upperclassmen peers thought of my writing and more

newfound confidence.

focused on their varied perspectives so I could incorporate

Alissa, editor and staff writer with Drexel University

them into my future writing. I learned that if I did not

Communications and a 2014 Honors Program graduate,

agree with a suggestion, I had to acknowledge it, but I had

instructed us how to pitch, research, interview, write, edit,

no obligation to use it. This was my writing, after all, and I

and publish. During the course, we wrote three articles

discovered my voice shining through my work.

and workshopped each with our peers. We began with

Focusing on my writing in this way paid off; my first

Drexel Magazine and explored what information alumni

article, which was about a fellow entertainment and arts

want and need when reading about the university. Then,

management student’s innovative senior project, was

we moved onto DrexelNow, the university’s e-publication

published in DrexelNow, and faculty in my major shared

with news, announcements, and events; which offers

it. As more students and professors read my work and

more creative freedom because of the wider audience it

provided positive feedback, I felt more accomplished.

reaches. We ended the quarter with a story for The Smart

I always knew I wanted to write, and now I have the

Set, the Honors College’s online arts and culture journal,

resources and the confidence to do so because of this class.

JUI HANAMSHET COMPUTER ENGINEERING ’21

n September 2016, my freshman year, I attended an Aspire Scholars series workshop called “Getting Started with Undergraduate Research” with the Center for Scholar Development; a friend asked me to go as a favor so I could forward what I learned to him.

“ I have found mentors and friends who inspire me to be better.”

What started as a courtesy led me to attend every Aspire Scholars series workshop I could. This was the beginning of

have won including the Philadelphia SWE Scholarship,

my relationship with Scholar Development and Fellowships

Drexel Nicholas Pipino Scholarship, and the College of

which led to multiple one-on-one sessions with Meredith

Engineering John Vollmar Scholarship.

Wooten, the then-director of the Center for Scholar Development asking me the tough “Why” questions. I applied to the Honors Program later in my freshman

My favorite part of being an involved Honors College student is the Aspire Scholars Program which selects 10-14 sophomore students to help us identify goals, seek

year, but it was this chance workshop that deeper

mentorship, and build resource plans to achieve these

embedded the role of the Honors College in my college life.

goals. I met students equally if not more motivated than

During one such workshop on public speaking, I was the

me, students with high aspirations, and most importantly,

only one who showed up. The hour turned into Meredith,

students who wanted to do more at Drexel. I have found

program coordinator Martha Meiers, and professor

mentors and friends who inspire me to be better.

Gabriela Marcu asking me (read as: intimidating me)

At Drexel, it’s easy to get lost in the rut of classes, co-ops,

about my goals and advising me to take action steps. This

interviews, and organizations. Being an Honors student

conversation initiated my change of major from biomedical

has allowed me to broaden my professional and academic

engineering to computer engineering.

development through research and conferences with the

Every step of the way, I have found myself in the Scholar

Office of Undergraduate Research, Aspire Scholars, taking

Development office reflecting over my past term and

Honors classes with Dean Cohen, and having reflective

finding out what to do next. The office offered me the

conversations at the Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry.

challenge that classes lacked; the staff was tough on me but

Essentially, I have been able to build personal and profes-

that was my favorite part. At Drexel, it is easy to get swayed

sional relationships with everyone at the Honors College.

by the constant compliments faculty and friends give out.

They have each mentored me in one way or the other. To

Here, I got the push I needed.

those who want to do more but don’t know how to, join the

They helped me write an essay for a national Society of

Honors College and find the workshops that will help you,

Women Engineers scholarship. I wrote about my passion

build the relationships that will benefit you, and find the

for engineering, my research, my role as an advocate for

people who will mentor you.

women in STEM, and my career goals of being an engineer

As Ana Castillo-Nye, assistant director of the Center for

and wanting to contribute to the healthcare industry. While

Interdisciplinary Inquiry once said to me, “If you approach

I did not win the national SWE scholarship, I have since

anyone from the Honors College with humility, they will

used variations of the essay for other scholarships that I

bend over backward for you.” I couldn’t agree more.

VIDA MANALANG PSYCHOLOGY ’21

rt and science feel as though they innately exist

accomplishment and perfection do

on opposite sides of the spectrum. Their juxtapo-

not always dictate happiness and

sition, however, has only fueled my curiosity and

fulfillment. It was not until the fright-

clarified my purpose in life. I am interested in

ening circumstance of a stroke physi-

studying how these two fields intersect, overlap,

cally took Diane Barnes out of herself

and balance each other. I am drawn to building bridges

and her norms that she was able to

where there are none.

feel truly content in each moment she

As I enter my third year as a psychology major, I grapple with an ongoing conundrum: Am I on the road to a happy

lived in. Barnes’s story sparked such personal

life? As someone who looks to practice clinically but also

and professional introspection. Placing

incorporate my passion for theater, I cannot help but

her life in a theatrical setting and

wonder if the satisfaction one receives from healing the body can be the same as the satisfaction of touching the soul through performing arts. Is one way more valuable than the other? Does each carry a value of its own? Doctorturned-performer Diane Barnes showed me – an active member of Drexel’s theater program – that perfection does not always equal contentment, and that it is possible to live a life where art and science co-exist and constantly interact. On an evening last May, I attended Barnes’s one-woman show, My Stroke of Luck. Intertwining my own personal interests of theater and health professions, this event drew my attention immediately — telling the story of Dr. Barnes,

“ My intentions and goals are not the same as the next student’s; therefore, I am learning to let go of comparison and self-doubt. I am trusting that I am exactly where I must be.”

a radiologist, whose sudden stroke forced her to view life through a completely new perspective. She tells the story of how the world around her — her career, her children, her

adding her own commentary created

self-worth — changed and challenged her. More impor-

a platform that could touch the lives

tantly, she was able to shed light on how this sudden shift

of so many people. It was a medium

in her life transformed her for the better.

of reflection for Barnes herself as well

I am at a point in my career at Drexel where I am at

as for each and every individual in

peace with not knowing exactly what my next step will be.

attendance. My Stroke of Luck was

There is no direct path to success as its definition is open

also an incredibly beautiful piece that

to interpretation. My intentions and goals are not the

echoes the multidisciplinary nature of

same as the next student’s; therefore, I am learning to let

the Pennoni Honors College. I hope

go of comparison and self-doubt. I am trusting that I am

my fellow Honors students and friends

exactly where I must be. My Stroke of Luck only affirmed

continue to find opportunities such as

these feelings. Prior to her stroke, Barnes had reached a

this one and attend with open minds

certain point of success — her life was “perfect.” However,

and hearts.

Three Drexel Fulbrighters found more than they expected on their fellowships â&#x20AC;&#x201D; new perspectives, surprising cultural disparities, and even aerial skills BY ERICA LEVI ZELINGER

SHAWN JOSHI

MD/PhD in biomedical engineerin g ’22 Fulbright U.S. Student Grant Oxford Brooke University, United Kingdom

From left to right: Shawn, working on a “smart” wheelchair project; attending Harry Potter and the Cursed Child; a formal dining hall at Gonville and Caius College at University of Cambridge.

here were no cloaks or magic spells, but Shawn

Fulbright recipients are long-past personal statements

Joshi felt like he was in a scene in Harry Potter.

and committee evaluations by the time they touch down

Shawn was treated to aperitifs and then ceremoniously called into a formal dining hall with the

help improve intercultural relations. Some have enrolled

most senior members of Gonville and Caius College at

in language prep courses. Others have sought out new

University of Cambridge. He paraded in with the others

pastimes. They’ve all begun the research they set out to

behind the surrogate Dumbledore, sat at the High Table,

do. But then there are the personal experiences, profes-

and listened attentively — but didn’t understand — the

sional aha moments, and maybe even a little magic that

man’s speech in Latin. He engaged in casual and friendly

have returning Fulbrighters telling their tales back on the

conversation about the history of the college, and learned

University City campus of unexpected extracurriculars or

that Stephen Hawking enlivened these very dinners

side projects carried out while abroad.

in years prior. As the most junior guest, the 3 year rd

So how did Shawn end up leaving his lab on a Friday

MD/PhD student at Drexel made polite conversation,

where he was studying adolescents with motor learning

informing others that he was on Fulbright researching

disabilities — and a side project helping develop a “smart”

portable neuroimaging in children with developmental

wheelchair — to take several trains for almost 3.5 hours to

coordination disorder at Oxford Brookes University.

Cambridge? It only took an email to a former mentor from

But Shawn’s presence that night at the High Table was purely happenstance. A Fulbright phenomenon.

in their host countries. They’ve committed themselves to

his undergrad days at Virginia Commonwealth University who was now at Cambridge and she invited him.

Matthew exploring the ITER construction site; the Fulbright recipient, near the mountain SainteVictoire, France.

MATTHEW PARSONS

BS, physics ’15, Honors Fulbright U.S. Student Grant ITER, Aix-en-Provence, France

I’m not sure that I can say very much of my adventure was how I had anticipated it. he chore of cleaning out his landlady’s garage in

often uncomfortable, and then trying to gain some new

Aix-en-Provence led Matthew Parsons down a

perspective is a crude but reasonable summary of my time

similarly serendipitous road.

abroad.”

At the end of his first week in France on a Fulbright

That’s not to say these Fulbrighters aren’t thankful for the

U.S. Student grant to do research at the International

experiences. They’ve grown exponentially as researchers

Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), one of the

and they’ve challenged their fears.

most ambitious energy projects in the world, Matthew

Emily Lurier, a fourth-year PhD candidate at Drexel,

helped move an electric piano to the apartment of a

didn’t factor in how difficult it would be to be the only

neighbor with children eager to learn to play. An inter-

American in her international group of biomedical

mediate French speaker, the 2015 physics major at Drexel

researchers in Eindhoven, The Netherlands. She was

unintentionally volunteered to give piano lessons — never

constantly questioned about the decisions that the U.S.

having taught lessons before and not realizing France uses

government was making as if she represented all of the

a different convention for naming notes.

opinions of the American people.

“I’m not sure that I can say very much of my adventure

Emily worked on a project at Eindhoven University of

was how I had anticipated it,” Matthew says. “However,

Technology focusing on understanding and controlling the

I think this may be universally true of anyone who

inflammatory response to heart valve replacement failure.

picks up their life to move to a new country. Going to

She was well aware of the European balance between work

new places, accepting that things are unfamiliar and

and home life, but was surprised that it applied to PhD

EMILY L

PhD in URIER b Fulbrig iomedical eng ineerin ht U.S. g ’19 Studen Eindho t ve Grant Eindho n University of ven, Ne therlan Technology ds

Emily navigating Amsterdam’s canals

students as well. Not only did she find the time for a few

specific opinions or ideas and are willing to listen and act on

side projects, but she jokes, her social life was more active

them. Also, England is far superior with its slang than we are.”

abroad because she was forced to step outside her comfort

One of Emily’s more pleasant moments of cultural

zone. She joined a book club, exercise club, weekly billiards

exchange arrived on her birthday — well, accidentally, the

club, gaming groups — Emily even tried aerial skills.

day before. The tradition in The Netherlands is for the

“I grew personally on Fulbright by becoming more

birthday girl to bring her own cake to work — so Emily

open-minded and aware of what is going on in the world

was prepared to bring cake enough for 50 people. But her

outside of my own little bubble,” Emily says. “And profes-

co-workers had previously conversed about how in America,

sionally, my independence and confidence as a researcher

someone else besides the birthday girl brings the cake.

has certainly increased.”

So, Emily’s co-workers decided to surprise her with the American tradition and showed up to work on March 19th

aving grown up in Virginia and lived in

with homemade cake. Only Emily’s birthday is March 20th.

Southern Africa’s Lesotho for two years during

So everyone got a good laugh — and cake two days in a row!

his service in the Peace Corps, Shawn expected the U.K. to “essentially be the United States.” Two developed countries with English as the main

under Dr. Hasan Ayaz; he’ll continue to work on disability

language. (Lesotho was vastly different, so how could the

technology research. Matthew returned to the U.S. last

UK be that much more?)

year and started grad school in the Department of Nuclear,

“But for all its similarities,” he says, “the differences always

Shawn returned from the U.K. in August, and has started the second year of his PhD in Biomedical Engineering

Plasma, and Radiological Engineering at the University

threw me for a loop in exciting ways. I thought the United

of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Emily now works in the

Kingdom as a bit more ‘posh’ but what is so cool is that even

Biomaterials and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory at

professors way higher than me on the ladder always want to

Drexel’s School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and

be called by their first name. And they respect me for having

Health Systems.

OP EN FO R

SC US BY BRIAN KANTOREK

SIO

Pennoni Panels address the status quo with civil discourse

ivil discourse is groundwork for a functional democratic society, and the Honors College’s Pennoni Panels series harbors safe space for this sort of conversation. Addressing topics often fraught with discomfort

and conflict, the panels aim to unite people across difference of opinion. Pennoni Honors College Dean Paula Marantz Cohen affirms, “Pennoni Panels foster a spirit of excellence that permeates the College as a whole, and

in civil discourse,

they touch on important subject matter open to the entire

trying to have a conver-

Drexel community.”

sation with a range of insights

The inception of Pennoni Panels traces back to 2016 when

into an issue,” Lewis continues.

Pennoni Honors College hosted The Smart Set Forum:

“We like some sort of discord — to

“Free Speech on the College Campus,” featuring contro-

have some disagreement — but not

versial academic cultural critics Camille Paglia and George

necessarily fighting, where people feel bullied.

Ciccariello-Maher. The event examined free speech as a

There’s an element of punditry, but people can

tentpole of inalienable American rights through free speech.

actually engage with a variety of topics — and then

In turn, the Forum became the catalyst to fill a campus

continue the discussion.” As an architect of the Pennoni

need amid the 2016 Presidential election, widespread racial

Panels series, Ann Alexander adds, “We’re okay not fixing

profiling, and a resurgence of mainstream activism. Dean

the thing, but we like talking about it. Our discussion may

Cohen — alongside Director of Marketing & Media Erica

lead to someone else fixing the thing.”

Levi Zelinger, Director of Administration & Finance Ann

Pennoni Panels share a goal similar to other Marketing

Alexander, and allies across Drexel — sought a space to

& Media programs, (including The Drexel InterView

publicly dissect current issues and events.

television series, The Smart Set online arts and culture

The Panels soon gained momentum, and the Drexel

journal, and Pop, the Question podcast), which focus on

community enthusiastically welcomed the series with

purposeful conversation about timely issues and ideas to

suggestions for hot-button issues coming from some 50

make sense of a complex society. Several discussions in

to 60 attendees per event. Dr. Melinda Lewis, Associate

the Panels series — including the inaugural Forum — have

Director of Marketing & Media and a Pennoni Panels

involved collaboration with The Drexel InterView, recorded

co-organizer asserts, “We want to drill down; we want to

for broadcast distribution through national PBS affiliates,

avoid the obvious. We try to have subjects that are fairly

community access stations, and YouTube. “Like The Drexel

open, not binary. And, particularly now, academia gets a

InterView, Pennoni Panels try to be wide-ranging and

bad rap of being smug or know-it-all. So let’s look at the

non-ideological in our focus,” says Dean Cohen. “I’m really

possibilities, and try not to hold everyone to the coals.”

proud of what they both represent. At a time of so much

Pennoni organizers strive for discussion to ultimately make participants better members of society. “It’s a practice

acrimony and polarization across political and cultural lines, we think that the University should be a place where people are exposed to many points of view.” Pennoni Panels range in both topic and participant roster, where organizers make a conscious effort to recruit informed panelists willing to speak to the openness that the Drexel community craves. This past spring, “A Matter of Facts: Do You Trust the News?,” explored the much-contested issue

generation,” Alexander adds, “and maybe they just want to talk about it.”

CIVIL DISCOURSE @ PENNONI ATTEND A PENNONI PANEL:

of fake news with an eclectic group of journalists. An earlier

Pennoni Panels are generally held two a term. They are open to all students, staff, faculty, alumni and members of the Drexel community. To RSVP to the next Pennoni Panel, go to

installment titled “Won’t You

drexel.edu/pennoni. And if you can’t make it to the University

Be My Neighbor?: A Roundtable

City campus, Pennoni Honors College offers additional ways

Discussion About Gentrification”

to foster civil discourse.

similarly aligned varied guests from Drexel and beyond. More recently, “What Is the Future of America’s Prison System?” assembled three experts on prison reform — a former incarcerated man- turned-

WATCH THE DREXEL INTERVIEW: The Drexel InterView features a half-hour conversation with a nationally known or emerging talent in the arts, culture,

reform advocate, a policy-consulting professor, and a correc-

science, or business. Watch the prison reform episode

tions officer-turned-prison director — to represent a spectrum

mentioned here at youtu.be/CP2ZHkXXX1U

of experience and advocacy. Despite common ground, perceptions on prison reform

READ THE SMART SET:

spanned the range of experience represented on the panel.

The Smart Set is Drexel University’s online journal covering

Dr. Jordan Hyatt, Drexel Professor of Criminology and

culture and ideas, arts and science, global and national affairs

Justice Studies, pointed to the overarching value of data

— everything from literature to shopping, medicine to sports,

research: “We have so many prisons; we have so many

philosophy to food. The Smart Set strives to present big ideas

prisoners. There’s a lot we can learn with regard to being

on the small, the not-so-small, and the everyday. Read at

evidenced-based.” In contrast, Tyrone Werts, a coordinator

thesmartset.com

from the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program at Temple University, contended, “When you look at a person as

LISTEN TO POP, THE QUESTION:

less than human…of course [we’ll] have high recidivism

Pop, the Question is a spirited dialogue about popular culture.

rates and high crime — as opposed to treating people with

Hosted by Dr. Melinda Lewis, the series engages in conver-

dignity, with respect, and with humanity….”

sations with guests about the ways in which popular culture

The Pennoni Panels series embodies the spirit of Pennoni

intersects with their interests, research, and fields of study.

Honors College as a space to engage its broader community

Read more on page 18 and listen in at popqpodcast.com

in a healthy, inviting, and respectful forum. “The student population at Drexel is changing,” says Lewis. “This generation is interested in science and getting jobs, but they’re also civically minded and want to get involved.” In turn, proposed topics for the year ahead include body positivity, police intervention, the opioid epidemic, and social media addiction. “There are a lot of changes and debates for this

Alumni News







From left: Sarah Solomon; Gina Czyewski (née LaManna), her alumnus husband, Edward, and their children, Luke and Mackenzie; Shefali Karani; Alyssa Stein; and Valerie Price’s (née Giuffre) sons, Joshua and Aaron.

Michele Aquino, food science ’08, along with two partners from graduate school, recently founded the boutique consulting firm Earth Forward Group (earthforwardgroup.com), focusing on environmentally and socially responsible business solutions. Earth Forward Group serves the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. The company is also a WBENC-certified woman-owned business. Michele is married to Pennoni alumna Tiffany Aquino (née Richardson), psychology '06, who currently works on improving health systems at Medtronic. Alexis China, product design ’17, graduated with a Masters in human-computer interaction from Carnegie Mellon University in August 2018. She accepted an offer as a UX Researcher and Strategist at American Eagle Outfitters Headquarters in Pittsburgh. Gina Czyzewski (née LaManna), graphic design ’07, married Drexel alumnus Edward Czyzewski and has two children, Luke, 4 and Mackenzie, 1. Gina is a Group Art Supervisor at Create NYC, a pharmaceutical advertising agency in Manhattan. She’s been working in the pharma advertising industry for 10-plus years. “Drexel,” she says, “was the best foundation I could have asked for!”  Nathan Fried, biological sciences ’08, received his PhD in neuroscience at Jefferson studying migraines.





He was accepted into an NIH-funded postdoctoral fellowship at Penn where he studied pain and its relation to the opioid epidemic. He just started a faculty position at Rutgers University Camden where he will be developing undergraduate-driven research projects that explore a range of topics, including pain and sleep. His ultimate goal in this position is to find ways to help Rutgers undergraduates become scientists who are competitive for PhD programs. He has a particular focus on first-generation, low-income students because he grew up in a similar background.

Phosphates Limited, Rainbow Denim Limited, & Rama Petrochemicals Limited. She completed Columbia Business School’s CIBE program in July, where she was a part of the Women in Leadership group. She also mentored Drexel University’s Honor Program students this year. She resides in Dubai. 

Damie Juat, biological sciences ’17, works in the Hughes Lab at the University of California, Irvine. Damie’s lab primarily focuses on the processes of blood vessel development and angiogenesis. In addition, the lab has been working on a vascular micro organ (VMO) device that creates vascularized tissues for drug screening and various other uses. Damie started classes this fall to obtain a Clinical Research Certificate and eventually a Master's in Biomedical and Translational Science. Shefali Karani (née Ramsinghani), BSBA ’10, MBA ’13, recently became a Board Director for Rama Industries Limited (Gelatin) & Rainbow Agri Industries Limited in Mumbai, India. She’s an Executive Business Director for the Bombay Stock Exchange-listed companies Rama

Pelin Lemons (née Kansu), materials science and engineering ’14, works as a New Product Development Biomaterials Engineer at DSM Biomedical. Pelin received the ASM Liberty Bell Chapter Young Member Award in 2017 for making significant contributions to the chapter. Valerie Price (née Giuffre), nutrition & food science ’06, and husband, Aaron Price, digital media ’06, welcomed their second son, Joshua, in September.  Cameryn Richards, graphic design ’17, celebrated her one-year anniversary of employment as a graphic designer at Penn Medicine. She also got engaged in May and is planning a June 2019 wedding. Aaron Sakulich, materials science and engineering BS ’05, PhD ’10, was promoted to Associate Professor and awarded tenure in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. He found out about the promotion while in Windhoek, Namibia, for eight weeks with a group of 24 study-abroad students. Sarah Solomon, graphic design ’11, is publishing her first book in April 2019, Guac is Extra but So am I: The Reluctant Adult’s Handbook from powerHouse Books. It is available for pre-order on Amazon. 

n July 21, the Pennoni Honors College held a reunion for 12 Honors Program alumni, classes of 1995-1998. This was before Honors was endowed by Chuck and Annette Pennoni and became a College. Alumni gathered to share memories, update each other on their lives, and hear about what the College now offers students. A contingent from the celebrated chess club of the 1990s was present, as were several couples who had met while in the Honors Program and subsequently married. Dean Paula Marantz Cohen provided an overview of the College today, and Dr. Daniel Dougherty, director of the Honors Program, gave a talk over lunch on Manhattan urban history, drawing on the course he team-taught this year with President John Fry. This was followed by a campus tour. Overall, it was a wonderful day of recollection, communion, and appreciation of how far Drexel has come.

Thank you to the following attendees: Leslie A. Barr ’98, Lee C. Fisher, Jr. ’97, Ernest A. Freund, USA ’96, Monica A.

Alyssa Stein, architecture ’14, recently accepted a position as a Project Architect at ZGF Architects in Seattle. She first visited Seattle through her involvement in Bike & Build, an affordable housing non-profit in Philadelphia. Three years ago, she joined a group of 34 cyclists from Portland, Oregon to Seattle, Washington and volunteered building houses along the way. The trip gave her a deep appreciation of the landscape and culture of the Pacific Northwest. 

Spread the News! Please send your alumni announcements to pennoni@drexel.edu and let us know what you’ve been up to. Include your name, major,

Giacomucci ’98, John C. Grantz ’96, Herbert Lau ’98, Renee Ricon-Hoeffer ‘97 ’01, Daniel A. Shockley ’98, Barbara

graduation year, and share with us your career

Holda Spaventa ’98, David P. Spiese ’96, Nicole Rosenthal Spiese ’97, Raymond M. Viglione ’96

stories, promotions, marriages, births, etc.

Alumna Spotlight Wedge Wegman, cinema and television â&#x20AC;&#x2122;15, is doing wildlife filmmaking in the Okavango Delta of Botswana. As a media manager/assistant editor/ IT for the Natural History Film Unit, sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worked on Savage Kingdom 3 and The Great Flood, both for NatGeo Wild, as well as Hippos for BBC. The Great Flood will premiere on NatGeo Wild in November.

Alumna Spotlight Newly minted Honors alumna Sarah Robinson, custom-designed major '18, was in a different kind of spotlight when she was selected as a speaker for the Class of 2018's commencement at Citizen's Bank Park in June â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the first CDSN to have that honor. Check out an excerpt from her speech on page 4.

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SUPPORT THE PENNONI HONORS COLLEGE You can make a difference! When you make a gift to the Pennoni Honors College, you support the tradition of an interdisciplinary education. Every gift counts. To learn more about how you can support the Pennoni Honors College, contact: Susan Baren-Pearson 215.571.4907 sb3488@drexel.edu

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Honor Bound Fall/Winter 2018

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