Honor Bound Fall Winter 2021

HONOR BOUND

C PLUS:

After a particularly challenging year, Pennoni’s 2020-21 Aspire Scholars build deeper personal and professional relationships

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FROM DREXEL UNIVERSITY’S PENNONI HONORS COLLEGE • FALL/WINTER 2021

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• It’s All Material • Don’t Forget to Write • Where Are They Now? 1

Nikhil Parakh, software engineering ’23, has always been fascinated by capturing moments and telling stories. The visual creativity of photography allows him to think outside of the box and apply his experiences to the front end of software development and UI/UX design processes. With a minor in film and television production, Nikhil hopes to further his photography skills when he travels or makes short films and documentaries. “I slowly started seeing the world in frames and stories,” Nikhil says. “I want to tell stories that people would miss out on if someone didn’t document it.”

Seen here is the Honors Program student’s image, A Speck of Cosmos. Shot on a Sony a7iii camera mounted on a iOptron SkyGuider Pro Star Tracker with a G Master 16-35 mm f2.8 lens in Pennsylvania’s Cherry Spring State Park, Nikhil had only ever dreamt of taking an Astro shot.

“It was like a dream come true for me. I was shocked when they told me I would be able to see the Milky Way with the naked eye. It was a surreal experience … I’ve never seen so many stars and a sky so dark.

I also saw a shooting star for the first time. It was a very spontaneous trip for me and that’s the thing about spontaneous plans — you don’t know what to expect and there is no schedule to stick to, which makes it ten times more fun.”

Find him on Instagram @parakh_nikhil.

From the Dean

Student Spotlight

We are excited and proud to finally be inhabiting the whole of our new space at Bentley Hall for the first time this fall.

Honors College students lived in the Bentley residence (formerly Calhoun Hall) in 2019, but the addition to that building was still under construction when the pandemic hit.

It is now open, a landmark event that we hope to formally celebrate at some point during the academic year.

The addition, which houses seminar rooms and a living room with a working gas fireplace on the first floor, and offices and a collaboratory area on the second, is a transformative space for the Pennoni Honors College and for Drexel University. It brings all our units together that were previously scattered across the campus: Academic Programs, Undergraduate Research and Enrichment Programs, The Center for Civil Discourse and Marketing and Media.

Each of these units offers a wide array of programming. Pennoni offers something for anyone on campus interested in pursuing excellence and becoming engaged with issues and ideas.

We invite our alumni to visit. You are welcome to speak with students, mentor an individual student, support our programming, or simply take a tour. Come during Drexel Alumni Weekend, May 19-21, 2022, or make an appointment with me for a personalized visit or a Zoom conversation on how we are making the Pennoni Honors College into a meeting place for learning, conversation and fun for students, faculty, staff and community.

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

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CONTENTS Fall/Winter 2021

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In Brief

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Colliding Crises

BY EMILY SIMKOVICH

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Pennoni Programming Through the Pandemic

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Redefining Community

Don't Forget to Write

BY KIARA SANTOS

BY KATHLEEN VOLK MILLER

BY SOPHIE GEAGAN AND IRWIN FLACK

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Taking the Stage to Promote Humanistic Health

BY BRIAN KANTOREK

It's All Material

BY MIGUEL FERRER PUJALS

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In His Own Defense

Where Are They Now?

BY ERICA LEVI ZELINGER

BY SKY HARPER

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ON THE COVER

Honor Bound Magazine is published biannually by the

Dean: Dr. Paula Marantz Cohen

Marketing & Media team of Drexel University’s Pennoni Honors College.

Comments? Contact us at pennoni@drexel.edu

Academic Programs Director: Dr. Kevin D. Egan

Editorial Staff

Associate Director: Dr. Katie Barak

Editor: Erica Levi Zelinger

Assistant Director, Honors Program:

Copy Editor: Dr. Melinda Lewis Designer: Isabella Akhtarshenas

Julia Wisniewski Senior Academic Advisor: Joseph M. Santangelo Program Manager: Lauren Davis

Administration Director, Administration & Finance: Ann Alexander

Marketing & Media

Executive Assistant to the Dean: Karen Sams

Director: Erica Levi Zelinger Associate Director: Dr. Melinda Lewis

Undergraduate Research & Enrichment Programs Director: Jaya Mohan Senior Associate Director: Leah Gates Associate Director: Kelly Weissberger Assistant Director: Emily Kashka-Ginsburg Program Manager: Roxane Lovell Program Coordinator: Cara Fantini

Alumni News

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: David Unruh 215-895-2436 dlu23@drexel.edu

Assistant Director: Brian Kantorek

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In Brief

Getting to the Heart of It For the culmination of his Honors Great Works course, “Heart of the Andes,” Dr. Lloyd Ackert and five students visited New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art to see Frederic Church’s painting by the same name. The oil-on-canvas image — a compilation of sights from the artist’s trip to South America — represented a shift in the center of landscape painting from Europe to the United States.

The group was also accompanied

by Dr. Tiago Saraiva from Drexel’s Department of History, who informed the class that some art-goers fainted when the painting was first unveiled.

Luckily, the Honors Program group did not succumb to such reactions.

Making a Mark Pennoni Honors College’s very own Dr. Melinda Lewis is the recipient of this year’s 2021 Outstanding Mentor of the Year, an award given by Undergraduate Research & Enrichment Programs for a faculty mentor who demonstrates a strong desire to help students grow and realize their potential.

Talking Shop co-op at a startup in Chicago,” she says. Since completing

wrote: “Dr. Melinda Lewis went above and beyond the requirements of a mentor

Newell, business analytics and marketing ’24, spent summer

STAR, Kirstin has worked as a brand strategist at Local

before she even had that title. With nothing but enthusiasm, she introduced me

2020 investigating and identifying innovations that might

Edition, a retail pop-up marketplace that supports small

to an academic world I had no idea existed, and I consider it a privilege and an

offer solutions to industry-wide issues as the impact of the

and local businesses; as marketing director of LeBow’s

honor to have worked with her this summer. Her dedication to her work and

pandemic grew across the country and around the world.

Drexel Consulting Group; and treasurer of the Drexel

determination that I leave STAR with a knowledge base I can build upon is more

chapter of the American Marketing Association. She

than admirable, it’s downright inspiring. That noted, it is because of Melinda

impacting consumer behavior, I wanted to take a holistic

also touted her STAR Scholar experience on the summer

that I will continue my own fan studies work after STAR concludes.”

approach to understanding what marketing strategies will

opportunities panel for the Drexel Women in Business

keep fashion retailers afloat,” says Kirstin, who was mentored

organization, speaking to undergraduates considering the

by Westphal’s Joe Hancock. “I conducted more than 300

program and discussing her deep dive into research early

hours of research throughout the summer and transitioned

on in her collegiate journey.

“As the year went on, and far more than COVID-19 was

my study from investigating the pandemic’s impact on fash-

When she returned to campus this fall, Kirstin along

ion retail to more broadly investigating how COVID-19, civil

with Drexel student, Naomi Barrales, design and mer-

unrest and quarantine would impact fashion consumption.”

chandising ’23, started a fashion publication to cultivate a

Kirstin believes her time as a STAR (Students Tackling Advanced Research) Scholar was an empowering experience that taught her how enthralling research can be,

community for fashion discussion that enables innovation, creativity and critical examination of the industry.

“We want to show that fashion is not exclusive to those

by the numbers

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especially because the circumstances around her study were

studying fashion but is open to anybody who is interested

Ten Drexel students have been

Sixteen Drexel students received

Ten Drexel students received the NSF

unfolding as she was conducting it.

in the industry,” Kirstin says.

awarded Freeman-ASIA scholarships

Gilman Scholarships to support study

Graduate Research Fellowships

to study abroad in the fall of 2021.

or co-op abroad in 2021, a new

Program (GRFP) and 10 more

recipient record for Drexel.

received honorable mentions.

“The STAR Scholars program was the impetus to my fashion retail minor and it led me to an internship and

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Melinda was nominated by her STAR Scholar, Kat Springer Heller, who

In a STAR Scholars project titled “Next in Retail,” Kirstin

Reprinted from Drexel’s Office of Institutional Advancement’s Stories of Impact.

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In Brief

penning from the pennoni honors college In her latest book, Of Human Kindness: What Shakespeare Teaches Us About Empathy, Dr. Paula Marantz Cohen argues that only through close reading of Shakespeare can we fully appreciate his empathetic response to race, class, gender, and age. Wise, eloquent and thoughtful, this book is a forceful argument for literature’s power to champion what is best in us.

It was while exploring Shakespeare’s plays with Honors students, Cohen discovered that teaching and discussing his plays unlocked a surprising sense of compassion in the classroom. She also hypothesizes that reading the playwright can help revive the values and ideas taught in humanities classes.

Also, Dean Cohen’s Alfred Hitchcock: The Legacy of Victorianism, was just released in paperback, offering an insightful look at the paradox of a Victorian-style gentleman who evolved into one of the leading masters of the

New kid on the bloc

modern medium of film.

As part of her custom-designed major capstone project, Krystyna Salyuk, who developed her own major in social design, last year created Bloc Magazine, an arts-science activism magazine that explores our relationship with

School of thought In his journal article, “Curricular Change and the Ship of

the paradox is useful in helping advisers and mentors think

Theseus,” Dr. Kevin Egan, director of Pennoni’s academic pro-

about the student’s curriculum as it evolves and changes

grams, posed a thought experiment. Using the ship of Theseus

over time. This concept, Egan says, derives from his work

paradox — a mythological tale of removing old and decayed

with Pennoni’s custom-designed major students but is

planks from a ship and replacing new and stronger timber

applicable to students in all majors and programs.

in its place — Dr. Egan discusses the parallel to curricular change. Does the ship remain the same if all of its parts are

ful internship, a prolonged cooperative education, work

replaced over time — and similarly — what remains and what

experience, an immersive study abroad opportunity, an

is different if a student makes changes to their curriculum.

eye-opening service-learning project — all of these may be

Dr. Egan argues in Penn State’s The Mentor: Innovative

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“A rigorous research experience, a particularly impact-

nature from a design and philosophy of science perspective. Questioning the current ways in which we label, investigate and categorize nature, the magazine sought to imagine a future where “many worlds fit”. A collection of articles and artwork helped to weave an interdependent theory or proposition on how we may go about dealing with the damage done in the Anthropocene.

experiences in which students have an epiphany about who

Scholarship on Academic Advising that curricular change

they are and what they want to learn and achieve. The role

should be the rule and not the exception, and that such chang-

of the adviser is to help the student figure out how they are

es are positive steps in a student’s learning development;

going to act on that epiphany.”

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In Brief

Supporting Local High Schoolers Pennoni Honors College lent its support to the exhibition But We Keep Going, a collaboration between Drexel’s Writers Room, the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design’s Pearlstein Gallery, and the Philadelphia Photo Arts Center.

The exhibition included portraits of 31 seniors from West Philadelphia’s Paul Robeson High School and was supplemented with students’ reflections about life during the pandemic. These sentiments were shared online, on social media and projected on the side of Nesbitt Hall at 33rd and Market in June.

forcing fast fashion to go out of style Pennoni Honors College co-hosted “Climate Change and

were part of the draw. Teammate J’Anna Lue, environmen-

Health,” a case competition in which interdisciplinary

tal engineering ’22, STAR, explains, “Fast fashion shows

teams of Drexel undergraduate students were challenged

the inequitable burden the Global South and marginalized

to develop a public information campaign to disseminate

communities in the Global North bears in relation to cli-

key information about climate change and health relevant

mate change and environmental harm.”

to the Drexel community Campaigns consisted of a short video, poster, op-ed and social media graphic.

The winning team was comprised of all women, several

Custom-designed major Vaidehi Andhare, nature-integrated technology ’24, shares: “We really wanted to choose a topic that had global implications from our home countries

women of color from the Global South and representatives

and yet we would still be able to find simple solutions that

from Pennoni Honors College. They focused their cam-

we could implement on Drexel’s campus.”

paign on fast fashion production and consumption.

The winning team included Lue, Andhare, and Kate

Alongside environmental issues like pollution, water

Coyne, product design ’25, Honors; Lulu Obinwa, archi-

consumption and chemical dyes, fast fashion also produces

tectural and civil engineering ’22, Honors; and Jerusalem

social harm via poor factory conditions and the treatment

Tamire, economics ’22.

of workers. The complicated, transnational implications

win-win-win

Bringing out the best

Congratulations to Dr. Benjamin Binder-Markey in the

2020 was a year of stagnation. People stopped. But Eric

College of Nursing and Health Professions and Dr. Gina

Trump (no relation to the former president or his son)

Lovasi in Dornsife School of Public Health for being

found space to move. In his essay, “Anchored,” featured in

selected as raffle winners of $500 grants each from Un-

Pennoni Honors College’s online arts and culture journal,

dergraduate Research & Enrichment Program’s (UREP)

The Smart Set, Trump writes about becoming a voyageur

department competition to incentivize faculty to join

de mes chambres — an explorer of rooms. His story about

UREP’s new online platform, ForagerOne. The search

alienation and exploration was included as a notable essay

tool aims to connect students and faculty in research.

for Best American Essays.

You can check out the essay at thesmartset.com/anchored/!

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Consider This

IT’S ALL MATERIAL re

y to SuperNova, one stud thwa a their academ ent P his is mentor on ic fie n h O ith ld sw t c fle

Materials science began receiving recognition in the early

called Philly Materials Day where we

over the summer. A general challenge

culturally diverse group of students

have demonstrations for all ages of

with research is that it takes a while

impact the research environment

the general public, typically having

for a student to get trained on the

in terms of problem-solving/

800+ attendees. We also do a number

necessary techniques, learn how to do

communication/networking?

of events aimed at persuading current

the data analysis and read through the

Drexel students who are undecided

literature and discuss the ideas to have

Dr. Steven May: In my opinion,

to major in MSE. For example, we

a good understanding of the project.

groups that are trying to solve difficult

run a two-day MATE 100 course for

So having long periods of time like a

problems or explore new scientific

incoming first-year students before the

summer where a student can focus 100

directions benefit from having a

start of the fall quarter to provide them

percent on research is really valuable for

diverse set of viewpoints. Bringing

with more information on materials.

ensuring students have rewarding and

together students with different

By Mig u el F ma errer P teri ujals, a ls sci (M i ng ence an SE) eer n i d g e n ’22

underrepresented minority students by creating a space

engaging research experiences.

personal interests or ways of thinking

MFP: Could increasing engineering

about scientific challenges helps to

outreach be an opportunity to focus

MFP: How does working in a

generate more ideas and initiate new

on increasing underrepresented

laboratory as an undergraduate

experiments to try. Having a diverse

student bodies?

assist in expanding students’

group also makes for a more exciting

networking opportunities? Could

and dynamic lab on a social level. I’ve

SM: Yes, absolutely. Many of our

always loved learning about different

outreach events are aimed at students

cultures through one-on-one relation-

who are under-represented in STEM

SM: Working in a laboratory enables

ships that are formed in research

fields, such as presentations to classes

undergraduate students to meet and

groups or through collaborations.

and clubs in Philadelphia schools

work with graduate students, building

that have large student bodies from

a very useful network. For collabo-

MFP: National statistics demon-

under-represented groups. I think

rative groups, the student is likely to

strate a decrease in incoming student

we can be doing more, especially in

meet students or even professors from

interest towards engineering,

thinking about how to develop virtual

other universities. Beyond networking,

especially in materials science and

events that reach students outside of

having a productive research experience

engineering; as department head and

the Philadelphia area. For instance,

opens up a lot of other opportunities for

professor, how would you increase

I would love to think about ways to

students. The obvious one that comes

outreach to spark interest?

partner with high schools in Puerto

to mind is graduate school. Students are

Rico where we leverage the experiences

much more likely to be accepted into a

SM: At the national level, overall

of some of our current students (like

funded doctoral program if they have

you, Miguel!) to build connections.

meaningful (1+ years) undergraduate

you give some examples?

1940s as a distinct engineering field of study and has

for networking and more, I found out about Pennoni’s

interest in engineering has been flat

resulted in a better understanding of the materials that

lead-in program to the world of research. Started by

over the last five years or so after

surround us. Many day-to-day interactions revolve around

Pennoni’s Undergraduate Research & Enrichment Program

significant growth in the prior decade.

MFP: Would you consider integrating

group, I’ve had four students who did

exchanges between the human senses and materials,

(UREP), the Pathway to SuperNova brings a diverse group

But national enrollment in materials

more research involvement programs

research in my lab who then went on to

deeming the study of materials and their atoms indis-

of multidisciplinary students together for two terms with a

science and engineering has declined

for undergraduate students like

PhD programs at Harvard, Yale, MIT

pensable But before applying to Drexel, the subject — and

common ambition towards igniting curiosity. The first term

slightly over the last few years, which

“Wonders of Why: Pathway to

and Ohio State. Being able to describe

the major — were unknown to me.

consisted of broad research enrichment, while the second

presents challenges because the field

Supernova”? Any other approach?

their research experience, and in two of

It all clicked, however, on Welcome Day, when an upper-

aimed at pairing each student with a mentor to experience

already struggles with making itself

classman shared his MSE experience, choosing a field which

research and further explore inner curiosity. This program

known to the general public. Most

SM: Among the MSE faculty, there

tions in top scientific journals, was very

enabled him to understand the scientific phenomena that

showed me that when it comes to research, if I am

high school students have never heard

is tremendous support for involving

helpful in getting offers from excellent

occurs at a microscopic scale of a material … and joking that

invested, have an open mind and surround myself with

of materials engineering, and so as a

undergraduates in research. The

PhD programs. Beyond graduate school,

he had no free time. Since then, I’ve been pondering the what

others that have a passion to explore, the possibilities for

department we do a lot of outreach to

department would be thrilled to find

having hands-on experience with

and how questions related to the constantly evolving world of

problem-solving are limitless.

try to raise awareness that this field

ways to work with programs like

specialized techniques in research labs is

materials science, and luckily, co-op isn’t the only opportunity

research experience. For example, in my

the cases, having co-authored publica-

Thanks to the MSE department’s faculty-student

of engineering exists and is incredibly

Pathway to Supernova to provide

also very useful for finding industrial jobs.

to narrow your interest in the vast field: Pennoni Honors

relationship program allowing professors to meet with

important for society in areas ranging

support and funding for undergrad-

My group works on thin film materials.

College encourages students to participate in academic

students in an out-of-classroom environment, I’ve been

from energy to medicine to sustain-

uates doing research. One opportunity

A BS/MS student who did his thesis in

research. So, after focusing on my grades for my first two years

fortunate to work with faculty mentor, Dr. Steven May and

ability. Outreach events range from

might be to expand the STAR program

my group a few years ago immediately

at Drexel, I considered pursuing research endeavors.

participate in his research. To the right are some questions

individual presentations to engineering

at Drexel to enable more students

got a job at Evaporated Coatings, Inc.,

I posed to him about diversity in research, increasing

clubs or science classes at regional high

completing their first year of studies to

upon graduation, in part because of his

student interest in engineering and networking.

schools to a day-long event in February

have a dedicated research experience

experience in working with thin films.

As a member of the Louis Strokes Alliance for Minority Participation, a community that focuses on helping

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Miguel Ferrer Pujals: How does a

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n August of 2019, Pennsylvania Governor Wolf

number of gun violence incidents of the respective day in

signed an executive order that declared gun violence

2020. Dates where the 2020 number was greater have a

a public health crisis. In 2020, the COVID-19

95 percent confidence interval that they are outside the

pandemic struck, communities were placed under

normal range of gun violence. There were 74 such days.

lockdown, and Philadelphia saw a major spike in gun

My hypothesis for what caused these spikes was that they

violence. Working with my mentor, Dr. Joseph Hughes, I

were influenced by the economic challenges caused by

spent summer 2021 conducting STAR (Students Tackling

COVID-19 and political and social unrest.

Advanced Research) research to not only understand why a major spike in gun violence had occurred, but to help

For some dates, this hypothesis checks out. On May 26,

policymakers implement solutions to stop the needless loss

2020, George Floyd was killed by police, and incidents

of life. I chose to work with Dr. Hughes to get a taste of the

of gun violence on May 27, May 29, and May 31 are all

projects that the peace engineering department works on.

outside the normal range. As the figure below indicates, incidents of gun violence spike up noticeably after May

This is a unique situation where we have data on two

26, indicating a strong correlation. But for other days

emergencies that happened at the same time. And I was one

like August 9, which had the third highest increase when

of the first people to get to study and analyze this situation.

subtracted from the third standard deviation of the previous four years, I have not been able to find events

Using a database maintained by the Philadelphia Police

that correlate with this dramatic increase. Having dates

Department of all incidents of gun violence in the city, I

with no direct correlations with COVID-19 or social

plotted the number of incidents of gun violence per day on

unrest made our conclusions not as neat or tidy, but that

the y-axis versus calendar date on the x-axis (as shown in

made the findings kind of expected, and rather interesting

Figure 1). The purple line represents the average number

given the complicated nature of the problem. I have

of incidents in 2015 through 2019 and the orange line

enjoyed putting together hypotheses and gathering and

represents the incidents in 2020.

manipulating the data to confirm or disprove them.

By comparing the rates of change for cumulative sum

COVID-19 and the political and social unrest of 2020 have

graphs for 2020 and the average of 2015 through 2019, I

exacerbated the rise in gun violence, but they were not the

confirmed that gun violence rose 41 percent in 2020.

direct cause of the spike. This is supported by the fact that gun violence continues to rise to this day even with the

I also analyzed the data by day to determine if there were

lessening of many COVID-19 restrictions and shrinking

specific days in 2020 that were outside of the normal range,

unemployment. Gun violence is a pervasive problem with

by first taking the average of each day in 2015 through

multiple contributing factors. I plan to use these findings to

2019, adding its standard deviation to it three times, and

continue my research to investigate the correlation between

then seeing if this number was greater or less than the

gun violence and unemployment rates.

COLLIDING CRISES

BY EMILY SIMKOVICH, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING '25

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hen Nicholas Cole started at Drexel as an electrical engineering major, he had his heart set on working with robotic prosthetics. But when he began attending classes and becoming involved in co-curricular activities, he was exposed to additional fields at Drexel and soon discovered his interest in a different concentration. At a Lockheed Martin seminar focused on global security, Nick realized there was more to defense than designing weapons and missiles. That one info session changed his career trajectory.

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Nick, electrical engineering ’24, has already built quite the

Pennoni has been a huge asset in his academic success.

As his future continues to unfold, Nick has said he plans to

resume by being proactive and taking advantage of the

In his first year at Drexel, Nick was accepted to the STAR

continue to work with the Department of Defense for

opportunities offered by Pennoni Honors College. The former

Scholars Program and worked with Dr. Mira Olson. The

at least four years.

STAR Scholar returned to the Undergraduate Research

project focused on a model that predicted and tracked

& Enrichment Programs website, poring over scholarship

water allocation in the Middle East. His experience

As a message to other undergraduates, Nick

options in the fellowships database. His thought process,

was anything but usual. He’d hoped to be in the lab

recommends exploring all the opportunities

he says jokingly: “I’m not a millionaire — I can’t afford

conducting hands-on research, but the labs were closed

that you come across.

this.” While searching, he stumbled on one particularly

duration of college. The scholarship also offers a $25,000

due to COVID-19, so his research was limited to making

appealing possibility: The Department of Defense

stipend for the year, a guaranteed co-op, and a secured

new connections in the STELLA visual programming

“Don’t limit yourself because

SMART Scholarship.

post-grad position for each year that DoD funds.

software used for system dynamics modeling. The skill-

opportunity could come knocking on

But ask Nick what he does for his DoD co-op, and he

building, however, was definitely beneficial to his future

your door at any moment,” he says.

DoD SMART allows students pursuing STEM careers

won’t share. That is, he can’t share. Much of the work

as a researcher. When talking about his STAR project,

to focus their research on electronic warfare systems

he does is classified, but he will admit to working with

Nick said he felt like he “jumped headfirst into a project

and radar technologies for the U.S. and its allies. The

“intelligence” to make sure the right intel is uploaded to

that was already on its way.” He had to quickly learn what

scholarship is an 8- to 12-week paid internship at a

the appropriate aircrafts. Now that he has guaranteed co-

had been done and decipher work that those before him had

U.S. Department of Defense laboratory of his choosing

ops for the rest of his undergraduate experience, a lot of

performed. After 10 weeks of research, he reflected on his

helping to protect national security. Benefits include

pressure and stress has been alleviated, and he can focus

summer and concluded that it had been a great opportunity to

full tuition and related fees and room and board for the

fully on his classes and work.

dip his feet into the water.

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COVID-19 accentuated the agony of isolation, but amid

caricature of the vindictive Jewish moneylender became the

format, our analysis was enhanced by the perspectives of

the social distancing and disconnection of the pandemic,

deeply human Shylock, whose declaration of his humanity is

a law student and a professor with a law degree. When

Pennoni Honors College programming helped facil-

immortalized in one of the best monologues I’ve read. The

we read The Taming of the Shrew, we connected it to

PROGRAMMING

itate meaningful connections and reduce barriers across

historical conqueror King Henry V turned into a strategist

20th-century musical Kiss Me Kate with the knowledge

difference for students, staff, faculty and members of the

hidden among many layers as he evolves across three plays

of a professor who has taught classes on musicals and

community. Among its weekly and monthly offerings, the

from a youth who hangs out with drunken highwaymen

adaptations in literature. As I’m writing this, we have been

THROUGH THE

College invited attendees to assist in creating a social and

to a strategic ruler balancing the perils of international

reading Henry V the past few weeks, and talking about

intellectual atmosphere in which they could find solace,

politics. Macbeth, who was once nothing more than a

Shakespeare’s possible anti-war stance in this play with

engagement and insight. Hear from one Pennoni Honors

footnote in the origin story of Banquo’s line of kings, was

people who remember the division caused by the Vietnam

College student about her Shakespearean Read-Aloud

reimagined by Shakespeare to possess at once the apathy to

War; it has been very enlightening. And even those who

respite and one community member about finding a forum

kill and the guilt to be haunted by the ghosts of his victims.

aren’t students anymore have found opportunities to learn

for the exchange of ideas in the spirit of civil discourse.

In short, Shakespeare could bring the humanity out of

in this group. Reflecting on their experience, others who

anyone. As Cohen writes, reading Shakespeare is “imagining

attend the read-alouds have found ways to relate to the

what someone else feels who is not me — someone with a

characters in the plays, made connections between the

background, situation, and body different than my own …

language used then and now, developed new insights on

The depth and range with which he was able to imagine

how people interact and cultivated discussions with open

Otherness in his characters, and the degree to which that

and respectful exchanges of ideas.

PENNONI

PANDEMIC

IN MY SUBURBAN BEDROOM, ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE

BY SOPHIE GEAGAN, BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES '22, HONORS

A

midst the fast-paced, STEM-powered, career-

fiction reimagining the legendary playwright’s poetry, drama

driven atmosphere of Drexel University, it’s

and romance through today’s lens and nonfiction delving

easy to forget that science and creativity

into Shakespeare’s ability to elicit empathy in readers and

often go hand in hand. While we’re racing

audiences of all times and backgrounds. For someone with

through 10-week terms and hoping to get enough co-op

such expertise in her field, Dean Cohen was incredibly

interviews in A-round, many of us have forgotten about

down-to-earth in orchestrating the scene readings and inter-

the instrument we used to play or the craft we used to do

mittent discussions. She encouraged everyone to participate

over our once-empty weekends, but add a global pandemic

in whatever capacity they felt comfortable, whether that was

into the mix, and all of that can change. Within a couple

reading, listening, discussing the scenes, or any combination

of weeks of COVID-19 shutting the world down, my life

of the three. She answered our questions with patience and

slowed from a breathless race through more commitments

ease when we got lost in the archaic language and, as the

than I could count to a lethargic crawl. Quarantine hit me

weeks went on, she welcomed interpretations through all

hard, shooting trip wires through my academic life and

different perspectives, from literary and dramatic to legal,

exacerbating my declining mental health, so when I got an

political and even medical — later in the year, when reading

e-mail inviting Pennoni Honors College students to a read

A Merchant of Venice, we ended up discussing at length

aloud from Shakespeare’s As You Like It, my theatre-kid

whether Antonio could really survive if Shylock were to get

heart jumped for joy — and relief.

“a pound of flesh” from him.

I fell in love with Shakespeare plays early on,

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Throughout the weekly read-alouds, I’ve had the great

imagining remains valid, are … unparalleled.”

What has really made this experience special, though,

Thanks to the power of Shakespeare, I’ve had the great fortune this past year and a half to travel to medieval

is the amazing people I have gotten to know. With ages

Italy, prepare for momentous battles, make potions with

spanning 57 years and many different areas of expertise

witches, experience ancient Egyptian history, live through

including literature, law, history, politics, science and

epic romances, and so much more, all from a little blue desk

healthcare, the diversity within our little group brings our

chair in my suburban bedroom in the middle of a global

discussions to the next level. When we read A Merchant of

pandemic. I hope the magic continues when the masks

Venice, which has a very long scene with a court trial

come off, and I hope to see some of you in future readings!

WEDNESDAYS AT THE KLINE (BUT ONLINE)

BY JULIE AND IRWIN FLACK, COMMUNITY MEMBERS

W

e became aware of Wednesdays at the

tangents and conversational lulls are minimized. Participants as

Kline through a friend. We didn’t know

a group are community members of greatly varied backgrounds

what to expect at our first forum at

and ages, who wish to understand current issues in greater

Drexel’s Kline Institute of Trial Advocacy

depth. This variety of backgrounds is a large part of what makes

but were assured that there would be a civilized discussion of a

discussion lively and interesting. Sessions continued seamlessly

current topic. We were pleasantly surprised by both the subject

via Zoom throughout the COVID-19 lockdown. By meeting on

of the day and the serious, respectful tenor of the conversation

the video conference website, a kind of continuity of community

that took place. We have been participants ever since.

persisted; the disjointedness that might have occurred by

performing in an abridged version of Twelfth Night with my

opportunity to experience Shakespeare’s canon in all its

sixth grade class. Throughout my teenage years, I soaked up

immense variety, from comedies to tragedies to historical

every bit of it I could from English classes and summer camp

plays. And more importantly, I’ve learned why Shakespeare

important, sometimes controversial, issues are discussed

scene snippets, but as my attention turned to my career goals

plays have persisted throughout the centuries. Many of

dispassionately by participants who themselves hold varying

in medicine, the English playwright’s illustrious comedies

his plots, as Dean Cohen notes in her book Of Human

viewpoints. In a time when close-minded advocacy is so

remarkable ordinary citizens are when discussing

and tragedies faded into the background. As I nervously

Kindness: What Shakespeare Teaches Us About Empathy,

common that it splits families, neighbors and co-workers, it is

important matters absent the heat of bullying their beliefs

logged onto Zoom for the first Pennoni Honors College

are far from original — Romeo and Juliet was modeled from

wonderful to join people that are respectful of one another.

and projecting harsh judgments.

Shakespeare read-aloud, I wondered if I was out of my

older tragedies, A Merchant of Venice was once Florentino’s

depth. What if all the other students were English, film, or

Il Pecorone, and histories like the King Henry plays were

Lewis, begins every discussion with a review of the “rules of the

the Kline has given us Philadelphians a special community

theatre majors and I got laughed out of the (virtual) room?

inspired by real events — but Shakespeare differentiated his

road,” which in essence amount to practicing civility and respect

forum. We hope that it continues to do so. We will partic-

It turned out that I was the only undergraduate in

renditions from those before him with the way he “brought

for attendees and their opinions. Pushing people to agree with

ipate as long as it does.

attendance — at least that first week. The group was a mix

complexity of thought and feeling to those borrowed plots

your viewpoint is not the goal. Our moderator provides subject

of faculty, alumni, Pennoni staff, and graduate students. The

and characters,” writes Dean Cohen. Shakespeare took the

matter readings holding differing views of the evening’s subject,

For more information on Pennoni Shakespeare Read-Alouds

event was led by Dean Paula Marantz Cohen, a longtime

familiar, one-dimensional characters and “infuse[d them]

offering participants the time to reflect in the days leading up

or Wednesdays at the Kline, email pennoni@drexel.edu.

admirer and teacher of Shakespeare who has written

with new and, ultimately, empathetic meaning.” Florentino’s

to the discussion. She also steers discussion so that discursive

Wednesdays at the Kline offers to us a venue where

To orient new participants our moderator, Dr. Melinda

regular attendees just disappearing was avoided. We do hope that we can resume in-person meetings again soon.

Wednesdays at the Kline reminds us of how

In sum, the Pennoni Honors College’s Wednesday at

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D

I F N E

BY KIARA SANTOS, COMMUNICATIONS '23 20

Y

IT

RE

CO

M

G IN

Another year has come and gone, and while the world is still adapting to a universal call of safety, love and commitment to others and yourself, 15 Pennoni Honors College students have showcased the ethics of planting seeds for change. The 2020-2021 cohort of Aspire Scholars not only provided insight and inspiration from their sheer determination and emotional strength, but they also disclosed a level of vulnerability with their peers and mentors, allowing the built-up isolation we all faced to become a beacon, a call, for empathy and understanding.

Undergraduate Research & Enrichment’s Aspire Scholars program supports sophomores in developing and clarifying their career goals and fostering mentor relationships. Yet, despite the conditions of their new “normal” routines, this year’s Aspire Scholars were still able to declare their goals and set out to see each one transform into something unexpected. The ambition and determination of these goals, remained. The cohort developed networking skills — put to the test by online communicating and learning — and were forced to engage with off-campus, real-world problems that were solved with a blaze of confidence, commitment to completion and built deeper relationships when the world remained socially isolated.

Although each student faced their own trials and tribulations this last academic year, they came together to form something beautiful — a community.

It is through their work as a group and belief in community that they could knock down barriers, and grow something layered, intentional and action-oriented.

Although dispersed across states, countries and even continents, Aspire Scholars brought these blooming lessons of life to the rest of their Aspire Scholar friends, family, staff, faculty and alumni.

To savor and highlight these budding goals, the Aspire Scholars were each asked to present a final project, in a medium of their preference.

This allowed the cohort the opportunity to reap all the lessons learned but also step back from the blurry Monet-like year and realize how much of it was filled with beauty. Through their projects, we become more intimate with their struggles and achievements. These projects are shared here to showcase valiance and further deepen the legacy of Aspire Scholars before them and pass the torch to the scholars who follow.

MUN

After a particularly challenging year, Pennoni’s 2020-21 Aspire Scholars build deeper personal and professional relationships

Inara Pirani, finance and math '24

Elizabeth Le, environmental engineering ’24 “I kept telling myself a mantra like that “it gets better. It gets better, so never stop reaching for the goals that you set for yourself. I am grateful to my past self for wanting so much out of my sophomore year. Nothing went the way that I wanted or expected it to, but I did gain perspective and I learned to be honest with myself about my mental health. I think a part of me was ashamed to admit that all of what happened really got to me. Every incident felt insignificant compared to what others go through, and I was upset that it brought me to a low point. I had to look back at the past year from this point to be able to validate myself and realized that I would like to get help myself."

Sam Toseafa, computer engineering ’23 “Looking back now, I recognize that whenever we go through any hardship, we tend to become discouraged and forget to zoom out to look at the bigger picture.

We overlook our wins, forget to take delight in our achievements and do not use the positive energy to spur us onto larger exploits. Wistfully, I wish that I had taken a positive outlook and leveraged my successes to boost my morale — even in those dark hours — to achieve loftier ambitions. The message I have for anyone reading this is simple: Stay positive and keep in the direction of your goals — you will eventually make it.”

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Andrea Eleazar, public health ’23

Kejsi Ruka, global studies ’24

“Perhaps one of the biggest realiza-

“As a global studies major, I have a variety of career options, but at that point, I

tions I’ve made about myself through

wasn't sure what exactly I wanted to pursue. I just knew I wanted to help people,

Aspire Scholars is that I’ve always

and co-op allowed me to do that! During our January Aspire meeting, we

focused too much on the past and

learned about the importance of mentorship, and I started thinking about how

the future, but never the present.

to find existing people in my life that could fulfill the role of mentor and how to

Of course, it’s good to reflect and

reach out to new contacts through networking.”

anticipate, but it’s important to reset back to the present when you’re done.

This was the last step that I had always missed; all periods of time are

Mathilda Nguyen, computer science and mathematics ’24

inextricably linked, and without a

“Isn’t this what one strives to achieve always? Being able to do something that, to you, is larger than life.”

focus on the present, there was always a disconnect that prevented me from seeing my way out of negative mindsets and endless thought cycles.”

Sophomore Year Crisis

→

The background lists some of the many topics and disciplines that I tossed around throughout the year as possible areas of academic and professional interests, ranging from different areas of public health to science. … But such broadness has

Jade Umstead, criminology and justice studies ’23

proven to be both a blessing and a

“Aspire was a safe space, a beacon of

curse for my overthinker tendencies.

hope, and a reminder that I’m not

biomedical engineering and data

alone. This program and its members showed me a degree of empathy and compassion that I had not experienced for a very long time, and I

Elizabeth Clarkson, environmental engineering ’24 “Ultimately, it feels as though my ambitious nature has solidified as I now

am forever grateful for that bit of humanity that I was gifted.”

have confidence in the fruits of my labor. My advice to anyone who has faced a similar rejection to a scholarship, program, or award they devoted extensive time and emotion toward, is you can learn more from failures as you do successes.

Ambition is defined by how one continues to preserve through rejection.”

Subhi Karthikeyan, public health ’23 “I recall at the beginning of the program, I was unsure of my own capabilities and unsure of the direction I was heading in. As the program comes to an end,

Feben Wolde-Semayat, chemical engineering ’24 “I was shown the tools to pave the way, I was shown things that I did not leave behind. I learned from scratch, I learned from nothing. It was a challenge. But it was all for the better. A year ago, let alone four years ago, my goal seemed so big, so impossible to reach … achieving them was out of the question. But I was shown how to achieve them, shown how to reach them, shown how to get close to them. I was shown how to pave the way in this brand new ambitious American culture. I did it.”

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I see that I have grown to become a young woman who, with the help of those around her, has become confident in her abilities and has a clear vision. My aspirations of becoming a physician and an active member of the community able to advocate for her patients have become clearer. The various exercises done throughout the year were, admittedly at times challenging, as they forced me to reflect on areas that I need to work on. However, it is with these exercises that I have acquired the skills I need to build a solid foundation to be able to see success in the upcoming years."

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Samantha Seiden, environmental engineering ’24 “The Aspire Scholars program has helped me tremen-

the program the importance of not only making professional

dously to identify goals for myself and understand the steps

goals, but personal goals as well. This vision board will act as

required to achieve those goals. I have realized throughout

a reminder to focus on my key values as I continue to grow.”

Amirah Brew-Syders, criminology and justice studies ’23

“My goal is to advocate for the needs of others through my academic, professional and lived experiences. I hope to serve individuals from often marginalized communities through my support for social justice.

I wish to act as a liaison for people who feel their voices are often silenced.”

Courtesy of: Amirah Brew-Syders, criminology and justice studies ’23 Elizabeth Clarkson, environmental engineering ’24 Andrea Eleazar, public health ’23 Majo Garcia, biomedical engineering ’24 Subhi Karthikeyan, biological science ’23 Smrithi Pyari Lal, computer science ’24 Elizabeth Le, environmental engineering ’24 Anthony Lisi, chemistry ’24 Mathilda Nguyen, computer science and mathematics ’24 Inara Pirani, finance and math’ 24 Kejsi Ruka, global studies ’24 Samantha Seiden, environmental engineering ’24 Sam Toseafa, computer engineering ’23 Jade Umstead, criminology and justice studies ’23 Feben Wolde-Semayat, chemical engineering ’24

Anthony Lisi, chemistry ’24 “As a first-generation college student, I find myself struggling for information

I’m having difficulty with. Rather than facing these challenges on my own,

Mentor Mentality

participating in the Aspire Scholars program will connect me with mentors and

One alumnus helps Aspire Scholars foster a professional community

and searching online to navigate different career paths. I have a great interest in chemistry and a passion for helping and working with others. Deciding whether my skill set will be best suited for working in a lab or direct patient care is what

peers to help me make informed decisions about my future.”

By David Kaganovsky, information systems ’95, Pennoni Honors College advisory board member A long time ago, a mentor said to me that there are three

Majo Garcia, biomedical engineering ’24 “When I received my acceptance to the Aspire Scholars program, it felt like the silver lining I did not know I needed. Aspire allowed me to dedicate time to myself, and to my goals. It taught me to embrace my journey even if it was vastly different from what I had planned. It helped me refocus on why I was studying biomedical engineering and helped me realize that even though I was attending class in the privacy of my bedroom, there were still a few things I could do to help."

phases of life: learn, earn and return. Like all such frame-

Scholars: A Conversation About Career Progression,

works, it’s not meant to be literal but I have found this way

Relationship Building, and Professional Pathfinding” for

of thinking as a good way to consider my relationship with

the 2020-21 Aspire Scholars cohort. It was a great way to

Drexel University. I am committed to always learning and,

connect with students, to share my experience and even

for now, earning is important but I am also committed to

to pass on a few lessons learned along the way. I have

returning. To give back both to the institutions that I value

always enjoyed these panels and have even built some great

but also to the broader community. I was taught by my

relationships with intelligent and interesting students. One

parents the importance of giving whether it is your time to

of those students even reached out to me before a co-op in

volunteer, to help someone in need or to give via donations.

Singapore and I was able to introduce her to my friends

It is because of my appreciation of the foundation that Drexel University gave me that I love giving back. That

24

is why I participated on the “Alumni Panel for Aspire

and former colleagues in that country. A truly valuable experience for all of us.

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Don’t Forget to Write

I had designed a new Honors course, “Writing and the Brain,” well before the pandemic, and one of its components is a daily gratitude journal. So when I taught the class in Winter 2021, I was braced for some eye rolls; I was afraid they’d think a gratitude journal — a 10-minute daily writing practice where one writes what they’re grateful for — too hippy-dippy, too pseudoscientific. But in lockdown and remote learning, I was prepared for a mutiny.

Study abroad plans getting canceled and co-op jobs morphing competed with parental job loss, rules changing every hour, the world feeling like a rocking boat, plus masks, masks and masks. Students chiseled out some “normalcy” by taking their classes virtually, making toilet paper jokes and holding on. Our only choice: to participate in a combination of communal hysteria and denial.

During Week 3, I grew the courage to ask them how the gratitude journaling was going. I heard things like, “I thought that life is so crappy right now I would have nothing to write about, but I’ve been able to see how much I still have to be grateful for.” I heard, “I’m not fighting with my brothers/sisters/parents as much and gratitude jour-

By Kathleen Volk Miller, Teaching Professor of English

naling is definitely the reason why.” I heard, “I’m going to keep this up when class is over.”

They were surprised the gratitude journal was working; I was surprised they were allowing it to do so.

“

They were surprised the gratitude journal was working; I was surprised they were allowing it to do so.

"

I show the Honors students studies that illustrate gratitude journaling lessens negative emotions like envy, frustration, resentment and regret. They teach me their different approaches to journaling, like writing an entry about every family member, then moving on to their friends. One student said, “I thought I’d run out of stuff to write about in three days. But I’ve realized I never will.”

They make lists of their favorite foods, favorite music, favorite books. Despite being psychically bruised, they are grateful for their dogs, their families and Netflix. It’s something.

We’re talking about writing and neuroplasticity and the brain, but we’re also bearing witness to how our spirits stay resilient: drive-by birthdays and Zoom cat faces and socially-distanced bonfires. I wonder now, when we get back to whatever our new normal will be, if we’ll still take time for any introspection. I visualize journal pages blowing down streets, against fences, like the tumbleweed masks already taking over the curbs. I hope we still make time for self-analysis, reflection and that gratitude for what matters will still matter.

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T E H R EY N A E OW ER H Working for a fashion label. Pursuing an advanced

degree in a foreign country. Monetizing a community

?

W

BY ERICA LEVI ZELINGER

the different ways of communicating with those teams and I was able to shine.”

Four years later and with little debt, Kevin began planning his next move. “I wanted to plan something that

am working in fashion. That’s insane. CSDN teaches you to be open to things that come up down the pipeline.”

Even when he dropped out of Drexel, says Pennoni Honors College Dean Paula Marantz Cohen, she knew he had potential that he would one day realize.

“To think that Kevin Matthews failed Honors English with

was validating and had clear objectives and I could take

me all those years ago, and then came back and to become

focused music journalism platform. Here, alumni from

care of myself financially.”

one of our most illustrious graduates ... I hope his story will

2014, 2019 and 2021 update us on where they are and

hard, work at a big firm for two to five years, and then move

how Pennoni Honors College helped get them there.

Kevin Matthews spent countless hours translating his resumé into French and submitting it to fashion houses and design firms in Paris, emailing executives, buyers and

Then he fashioned the idea of law school. He’d study

inspire others to see initial failure as a route to findng new meaning and eventual success.”

in-house to a fashion company, leaning toward an interest

CSDN, Kevin acknowledges, taught him

in intellectual property. After all his ups and downs, Kevin

how to navigate law school, speaking

wanted to prove to himself he could get into a good law school.

was going to start my own fashion line. I worked at Buffalo

He ended up at Penn. But even with the really high standards

ulars that drove his passions, and

Exchange. I had cheap rent. So I withdrew.”

he’d been held to at Drexel, 10-week terms, the Honors

now he says, CSDN has made him a

Program and CSDN were no match for the speed and compet-

His idea had no legs so he re-enrolled. Only this time at

up and getting involved in co-curric-

better boss.

administrators — and when he couldn’t glean contact infor-

Kent State in Ohio with a double major in chemistry and

itiveness of the Penn Law environment. He sought out as

mation from a website, he settled on sending to “info@”,

fashion. Perhaps, he thought, the city life was too distracting.

many social outlets as he could outside of studying — starting

attached his cover letter and hit send.

So he started over. And 40 days in, he left.

a pro bono needle exchange program, joining the law school

what you are bad at and stay

musical and getting elected to student government.

away from it; find other people who are good at it

And then one “info@” responded. We’ll translate: We

“It was not the space or environment that would allow

don’t actually have any job openings, but your bizarre and

me to flourish,” admits Kevin, who has been openly gay

convoluted path is so intriguing. Let’s talk.

since he was 13.

That is how Kevin, custom-designed major in global

Even after he’d earned an F in Honors English from

fashion industry ’14, became brand manager at Comme des

now-Dean Paula Marantz Cohen, Kevin came back to

Garçons, a Japanese label based in Paris.

Drexel and the Honors College — for rescuing. The

A job interview with Kevin must be like sitting back with

“I’m a big believer that being well-rounded is overrated. Find out

“Maybe it’s not my destiny to go to the Supreme Court

or most prestigious law firm,” he says. “People were quite

and let them lead the

impressed that I wasn’t this ball of stress and I can still be at

way. CSDN helped me

the bottom of my class and be general counsel of Louis Vuitton.”

get there.”

He leaned into the social aspect of school, stopped

custom-designed major was just getting off the ground, and

worrying so much, maintained a B+ average, took on a

a great big bowl of popcorn and watching a jaw-dropping,

Kevin says, “I needed to rectify my prior transcript with

clerkship at Cozen O’Connor, followed by an offer the

giggle-inducing rom-com with plot pivots galore: follow

a bit of everything and CSDN allowed me to have a path

next summer at a New York law firm working in fashion

his six-year path on a four-year major, and his career since

where I could delve into advanced concepts.”

and retail. Then COVID-19 happened. The firm delayed

climbed the cramped, winding medieval stone staircase of

his start by six weeks, cut his pay and his long hours were

the Gothic cathedral Stephansdom — not as a tourist — but

COSMIC KICKOFF On a warm spring day in Vienna, Austria, Keziah Sheldon

graduating taking him from the open-concept, über-cool

He met with Westphal’s Joe Hancock and developed a

setting of UrbanOutfitters in South Philly to a Japanese/

new plan of study. Unlike the other original CSDN student,

spent working over Zoom. So he threw himself a curve ball.

as a practicing alto choir singer for a concert performance

Parisian fashion house, with pit-stops at Kent State in

Kathryn Gardner, who had a more defined vision for what she

Apply and get accepted to Penn Law’s exchange program

of Viennese composer Gustav Mahler’s 2nd “Resurrection”

Ohio, a used clothing store, a Penn Law lecture hall,

wanted to study, Kevin knew this much: “I like fashion from

at Sciences Po to do third year in Paris. To pay for travel, he

Symphony. It was perfectly fitting that this concert, planned

cosplaying in well-cut suits while clerking at a law firm and

the perspectives of social science, economics and anthro-

delivered cookies for Philadephia-based Insomnia.

almost completely by word of mouth, gathered music students

delivering Insomnia cookies.

pology. All of a sudden I was doing really well.”

His story includes a lot of “failing forward”.

Boston-born and raised, the self-proclaimed “big nerd

Kevin went on to do a research co-op, traveling to American menswear stores and evaluating masculinity and

He arrived abroad between two quarantines, which gave

and orchestral musicians — none of whom knew each other

him just enough time to reflect on his last few years and

at first — to come together as a community and resurrect

think — maybe I don’t want to be an American lawyer!

Vienna’s arts and culture scene after COVID restrictions had

with a smart kid line-up”, started sewing his own clothes

cultural notions of masculinity — using queer theory and

when he was 15 and dreamed of a career in fashion design.

gender studies as a backbone for his hypotheses. For a while

this past July with his fellow classmates. He’s got five years

He possessed a keen awareness of clothing and strong

he toyed with the idea of staying in academia. But the alone

to decide if this is the right call, but meanwhile, he’s gainfully

incredible, immersive Austrian experience of performing with

analytical skills, but when he started taking art classes at

time did not suit his gregarious personality, out-of-the-way

employed at CDG’s incubator, Dover Street Market, helping

a full orchestra and choir in the oldest cathedral in Vienna,

Westphal in fashion design, he realized he was famously

locations where he figured he’d have to pursue his PhD had

launch brands and making them more globally viable from an

and letting her voice ring out and be heard nearly two years

bad at it. “I probably should have taken a gap year,” he says.

not been kind to him in the past, and academia felt far too

operation perspective.

after she’d arrived there on a Fulbright research grant to work

“It’s something I now know in hindsight.”

removed from industry. So, now what?

“I talk to buyers from the most prestigious stores in the world,”

with Dr. Philip Walther in his quantum photonics lab at the

he says proudly. “It’s kind of a big deal. I know what they need

University of Vienna.

At the end of his first year, Kevin switched to design &

Give industry a go. Kevin landed a job at Urban Outfitters

With a JD under his belt, Kevin opted not to take the bar

been lifted in June 2021.

For Keziah, physics ’19, there are no words to describe the

merchandising, and spent the summer working in textiles

in 2013, circled back as a Drexel student to finish general

to hear. I don’t need to sell them a fantasy. Clients really appre-

with Genevieve Dion in the STAR Scholars Program. Still

education requirements credits that were somehow lacking

ciate it. I’m good at relationship building.” Kevin Matthews is

her research group to construct a single-photon detector by

an ill-fitted major for him, Kevin left Drexel.

on his transcript, and worked his way up to menswear buyer,

genuinely happy. He treated law school like CSDN.

using an entangled multi-photon system via an interferometric

“Bless everyone in the Honors College for having patience with me. I decided, ‘I don’t need school anymore. I

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“I credit CSDN for that,” Kevin says. “I learned the language of economics and anthropology and fashion and

managing three people, traveling the world, and speaking the lingo of all the various teams he interacted with.

“I did what I wanted to do as opposed to what I should have done. I literally just finished law school in Paris and stayed and

In early 2020, Keziah was just becoming acclimated with

setup combined with superconducting nanowires — in other words — Keziah was using lasers to look at how quantum

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and with help from undergraduate research travel grants,

Dominick’s character. It was the poetic platitude he listened

company when he wanted to focus on the growing platform

set of keys to the lab. And then COVID hit. Torn by the tough

mechanics works in real life. She’d just received her own

Keziah presented research at conferences around the country.

to for encouragement before meeting with Dr. Kevin Egan,

he had before him. So after an entrepreneurship in the music

decision handed down from Fulbright Austria to either leave

But it was at a physics seminar at the University of Toronto

Pennoni’s director of academic programs, when he was

industry class where Charles Sacco of Drexel’s Baiada Institute

the country or sign a waiver acknowledging that the program

where she heard Dr. Walther speak passionately about his

applying to the custom-designed major (CSDN).

mentioned the entrepreneurship co-op, Dominick applied and

was not responsible should Keziah contract COVID-19, she

research — and making particular effort in crediting the

opted to stay put through her visa expiration: June 30, 2020.

students who worked for him — that she knew she wanted a

down, but one of the ultimate forms of protest is fighting

job in his Vienna lab. After his talk, Keziah approached Dr.

through that which is difficult,” says Dominick, CSDN, music

incredibly thoughtful about the implications of his project,”

“I love science research but I realized I love talking to people

Walther to network. Impressed by her knowledge, he told her

journalism ’21.

says Dr. Melinda Lewis. “We spent a lot of time talking about

who aren’t into science about science. The lockdown made me

to contact his assistant. She filed that away until it came time

value collaborating and working with other people. I want to

to apply for Fulbright.

In the middle of quarantine, she had a moment of clarity:

implement new ideas of how to teach science or do science or

“The Fulbright application isn’t a research abstract,” Keziah

Frustrated by not knowing what he wanted to do with

provided context for future decision making. I'm excited about the future Dominick will help build.”

to help people. Then he switched to health sciences — also,

my experiences and aspirations and outlining why they were

to help people. But he realized that wasn’t what he wanted

so important to me.”

to do ... at all. It was music journalism. The helping people part would come later.

concentrate on public science outreach, something she’d

not only by the nature of research, but by research collabo-

done in Philadelphia volunteering for the Philadelphia

ration as an international endeavor, UREP assisted her in

majors and journalism was too news-focused for his liking. He

Science Festival, Drexel’s physics department, as president

crafting her narrative.

switched to entertainment and arts management, but in a stage

of the Drexel chapter of Women in Physics Society, and her

“My advisor Gordon has all these collaborators from across

involvement with Robo Wunderkind, an Austrian — based

North America and Europe. All these minds are working

startup teaching coding and robotics to children.

together trying to solve problems in astrophysics. Each scien-

She reapplied for a student visa and began her master’s in October.

It’s admittedly cliché, Keziah acknowledges, but Pennoni Keziah says, the physics department encouraged her to apply

knew he still hadn’t found his place. His field. His people.

A chance run-in with the music industry major’s program

diversity plays a key role in that. I come from a multi-racial

major program. Nervous that he wanted to pursue a pre-es-

background myself, and I realized by piecing together different

tablished field, though not at Drexel, he wasn’t sure what

cultures and interests, I too, could write my story.”

reaction he’d receive. A conversation with Dr. Egan calmed his nerves when talking about music journalism morphed into a

"There are a lot of systems in place designed to keep people down, but one of the ultimate forms of protest is fighting through that which is difficult."

It’s a team effort for the 13 people working on the

disparate, but both require a lot of discipline. So does

chat about The Clash and Public Enemy. Then came the work

platform–from Ireland to Portland, Oregon to Philadelphia,

seeking out opportunities. And if you come across a

of creating a plan of study to fit all of his requirements into his

but with the help of the business plan he put together

Viennese physicist who enjoys working with students, ask

remaining three years.

last summer, BLIGATORY — once just an Instagram

“Interdisciplinarity took me a while to get accustomed to

platform — is now on Twitter, Reddit, YouTube, and will soon

even though music journalism is interdisciplinary in nature,”

birth a new website with revised content, playlists, music

Dominick says. “You can know all about music but if you don’t

reviews, graphics, a podcast, and hopefully a Patreon-like

know how to communicate it, or vice versa, if you listen to the

tiered subscription service that will transform the platform

same five artists, you have a narrow view. Now I had the flexi-

from a volunteer opportunity to a monetized site where

“Joy”. Inked in the font used on the cover of the second studio

bility to create my own curriculum and do away with some of

subscribers can attend listening parties for new album drops,

album for punk rock band IDLES, and short for Joy as an Act

the frustration of the term master schedule not always aligning

have more input into what the site covers, and more exclusive

of Resistance, the word is a reminder to persevere.

with my goals.”

community-oriented features.

SETTING HIS LIFE TO MUSIC

Honors College changed her life. As a first-year student,

production class discussing pullies and lever systems, Dominick

director at the time led to a referral to the custom-designed

him for a job. He may just say yes.

Keziah Sheldon performing Mahler’s 2nd “Resurrection” Symphony with a group of musicians at Stephansdom Cathedral in Vienna, Austria. Keziah is in the choir, top row, third from left.

Westphal had already filled its class of music industry

tific problem can be tackled from a different angle — cultural

The crossover between physics and music may seem

issues of taste, equity, and representation. And while we didn't solve these larger, intricate complexities, those conversations

says. “I was floundering a bit. I needed help putting together

UREP helped guide her through the process. Intrigued

“Dominick was exciting to work with because he was

major, with the goal of becoming a lawyer and a politician

here another year.”

So she applied to an interdisciplinary master’s program

was one of two students selected for the summer 2020 co-op.

his life at 17, Dominick started Drexel as a political science

research science,” Keziah says, “and I realized, I wanted to stay

at University of Vienna in “Science-Technology-Society” to

The tattoo on Dominick Baglivo’s left forearm simply reads

When he was nine years old, right before transitioning to

With help from Dr. Egan, as well as Dr. Katie Barak, the

All of these plans will more closely intertwine the coterie

to Pennoni’s STAR Scholars Program. She was paired with

middle school, the custom-designed major 2021 graduate

associate director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry,

of collaborators Dominick and others have worked so hard to

Dr. Gordon Richards to look at and identify different types of

was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Listening

and his new advisor, Dr. Melinda Lewis, a scholar in cultural

build — a similar brain trust to the ones he found in CSDN

quasars or really young, distant galaxies and see the structure

to music was already a longtime staple, but it soon became a

studies, Dominick switched tracks. He trained to become a

and WKDU, where he’s moved up from assistant music

of the early universe. Her research with Dr. Richards lasted

passion — and a necessity.

DJ at radio station WKDU, finishing the instruction in record

director to new member coordinator and now music director

time and moving up to assistant music director. Just after his

since summer 2020; he plans to continue for another year.

throughout her Drexel tenure. She credits him and the global

At this crucial juncture of his life, music provided Dominick

nature of the scientific community as a conduit for the rich

exposure to new perspectives and ideas. Undergoing such

initiation to CSDN, he also found himself volunteering for

cultural and career opportunities that have allowed her to work

an isolating and life-altering experience over the course of

BLIGATORY, a platform centered around community-focused

paving the way for interdisciplinarity and why I wanted

and live internationally.

three and a half years, he was able to find comfort in not only

music journalism that takes a unique, sometimes-contrarian,

to pursue music journalism and not a traditional major,”

music itself, but the communities that exist and can be created

grassroots approach — Dominick very quickly became one of

Dominick says. “It’s a way to discover new perspectives that

around music.

the people in charge.

I wouldn’ be exposed to. That’s what I’m trying to do with

First came a quasar luminosity function cosmology project at the University of Toronto. Then came a research group at the National Astrophysics Institute of Italy in Florence — complete with a backstage tour of Galileo’s house. In between,

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“There are a lot of systems in place designed to keep people

Songs like IDLES’ “Great” embody this spirit of community and non-judgement that are central to

Dominick spent the next year working BLIGATORY to the next decibel. He wasn’t sure he wanted to co-op for another

“The biggest thing I got from CSDN ties back to

BLIGATORY. That’s why I’m involved with WKDU. Those places reinforce the same values in community.”

31

Taking the Stage to Promote Humanistic Health

BY BRIAN KANTOREK

A

t Belmont Behavioral Hospital, a psychiatric treatment facility on the outskirts of West Philadelphia, Maddy has been working as a patient care technician for those attending art,

music or group therapy sessions. “I'm a float, which means I go to all the different units, so I'm learning so much about the mental health field.” For instance, Maddy has observed how extended stays in this environment have an adverse effect on patients, particularly adolescents who comprise Maddy’s favorite population: “I feel like they have the most opportunity to grow from their experience in the hospital and not return.”

Because the work of serving others is not without its challenges, Maddy finds herself turning to a different type of outlet back at Drexel: theater. She loves acting and singing and, as a first-year student, she joined the student-run Drexel Players. But the actor-turned-healthcare-humanist isn’t starry-eyed for Broadway — at least not at this point in her career. “I still love Broadway, but it's just a different world. I don't really want that as my reality, but I want it as

Maddy in the Drexel Co-op

. .

Theatre Company production of Be More Chill during her freshman year.

Photo by Melissa Nesta.

. . . . .

my hobby … for fun.” Maddy points to the power and energy of live theater, something she and her fellow Drexel Players have sorely missed through the pandemic. “Just feeding off the energy from other actors on stage and the audience … you're all sharing this experience together.”

This year, Maddy is the newest President of the Drexel Players in the face of a lingering pandemic. In addition to carrying on the traditions of a Halloween show and a night of song for the Winter Cabaret, she has other aspirations for the group. Maddy wants to put an emphasis on studentwritten work and to earnestly foster a community for Maddy Larkin (in the middle) from the last in-person Drexel Players’ Winter Cabaret.

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Drexel Players and their audiences.

This Pennoni Honors College star also hopes to study and

rexel University senior Maddy Larkin checks off all the boxes within

volunteer abroad before pursuing medical school, but she

Pennoni Honors College. Over the past four years, she has been a

has every intention of integrating her experience from

member of the Honors Program, a Symposium student, a STAR

the performing arts into her work in humanistic health.

Scholar in criminology and public health, and a custom-designed

“In treating patients, so much of what I've learned with

major. Maddy wanted her undergraduate years to focus more on patient care than

theater about embodying a character and working with a

she found with any single major. She fashioned her own plan of study, humanistic

team has come through. I've developed empathy through

health, which is a combination of biology, psychology, criminology and public

theater that ties perfectly with healthcare. But I would

health. “I wanted to do all the things, so I went to the custom-designed

also love to look at theater through the healthcare lens,

major to fully understand the healthcare system.” Now, Maddy’s sole co-op

seeing how much it can help people with their mental

opportunity has led her back to a population she most wants to serve.

health. It’s just good for the soul.”

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Alumni News

Chantee Butler (neé Steele), accounting and finance ’13, is a health and wellness advocate who started her own natural skincare line, Naykon Naturals. After searching for years for a skin moisturizer with non-toxic ingredients, Chantee decided to make her own. “I live by the motto, ‘If you can’t find it, create it.’” So she did just that. She spent four years testing, obtaining feedback and iterating her proprietary formulas while getting her MBA at Wharton. Find her products at naykonaturals.com and on Instagram at @naykonaturals.

The company will also be launching a Crowdfunding campaign this fall through iFundWomen, offering some amazing rewards from Naykon Naturals and other Black-owned businesses.  

LeeAnn Ellison, custom-designed major, media production ’17, is directing the play Effigy under the name L.A. Mars. Effigy provides an unflinching look through the lenses of race, revolution and queerness at three eras of unrest in the United States: the American Revolution, the Civil War and the Black Lives Matter movement. Playwright Laura Anthony’s natural, overlapping dialogue shifts seamlessly through the stories of a forgotten revolutionary, a wounded Union soldier, and a university classroom overshadowed by the American legacy of racism, offering audiences an intimate window into these three indelibly linked moments in time.

Mark Gaudiosi, business administration, ’97; MBA, ’99, recently joined Medical Guardian as chief financial officer. He previously served as CFO of GoPuff.

Alexander Grimaldi, materials science and engineering, '19, is a chemical analyst for Jacobs Engineering based in Utah, where he enjoys hiking and the outdoors.

Jennifer Hair (neé Dick), biological sciences ’07, was recently named as the Chair of the Cedar Ridge Community Church Board in Spencerville, Maryland.

She has served as a Member of the Board since 2019. Earlier this year, she was also promoted as the Lead Genetic Counselor for the Cancer, Cardio and Proactive Group at Invitae Corp, a genetic testing firm out of San Francisco, California.

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Erica Henn, biology and dance ’14, was first author on the publication, “Low Back Pain and Injury in Ballet, Modern, and Hip-Hop Dancers: A Systematic Review,” published in the International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy. Erica is a working on completing her doctorate at the University of Wolverhampton, UK. Alvia Howard interior design ’04, was appointed director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access at OTJ Architects. Previously, she served as the firm's design director and worked on distinguished government projects including workplaces for the National Institute of Health, the Department of Justice, the Department of Interiors, Department of Treasury, and Department of State.

Ashleigh Jugan, environmental science ’18, married Nick Barber, geoscience ’18 — again — on September 12, 2021. The couple had a backyard COVID wedding in 2020, but this year celebrated with friends and family at the Boylston Rooms in Easthampton, MA. Ashleigh is a programme administrator for the Africa Team at the wildlife conservation nonprofit Fauna and Flora International and is also studying for a master’s in biodiversity, wildlife, and ecosystem health at the University of Edinburgh. Nick is a final-year PhD student at the University of Cambridge in earth sciences, with a focus on volcanology. They live in Bar Hill, England, outside Cambridge, and recently adopted a dog named Eric (not seen here!). v

v

Ankur Patel, business administration ’06, founded the playing card company Evernia to promote equality. The company creates decks of playing cards featuring multiple races and gender identities.

Playing cards have been around, but despite our evolving culture, their design has stayed the same.

It’s time for a new deal. Proceeds from the sales of these cards go toward organizations that promote equality. everniacards.com w

w

Student Spotlight Ariana Scheuer, custom-designed major, environmental

The custom-designed major believes photography is crucial

conservation and outreach through storytelling ’24, uses

in the battle to raise awareness and action for the climate crisis,

photography to reach people. “It transcends language barriers; it

environmental education and racism issues, and in saving the

can reach people worldwide and inspire an emotional reaction to a

diverse wildlife and plethora of species that humans are exploiting.

cause like little else can,” she says.

She hopes to work with an organization in community outreach

Ariana took this portrait of a Venezuelan immigrant statue

for environmental and wildlife conservation and incorporate street

maker on a trip to Cartagena, Colombia in 2019. He sat on the

photography to connect people of all communities and bring

same corner each night for the week she was there. Every time she

awareness to the disparity in environmental burdens placed on

walked by, the man greeted her with a radiant smile and a warm

people of color.

voice. And then one night — the man’s 50th birthday — Ariana

Photography, she adds, is also an incredible artistic outlet

stopped and took this photo and purchased one of his statues.

for mental health, and a way to memorialize moments that are

“People like this, and the stories I have gathered from people in

special to her.

many countries, as well as the connection photography gives me to animals, without being able to communicate with them, is the reason I love this art form so much.”

Find her on Instagram @photobyarianas.

Maya Showell, BS/MS psychology ’21, recently joined a research team at the Veteran Affairs Medical Center in San Diego as a psychology technician examining risk factors of Alzheimer’s/ dementia in veterans with diabetes.

Jared Simons, chemical engineering, ’02, joined AavantiBio, a gene therapy company, as vice president of Manufacturing. Mr. Simons joins AavantiBio with nearly 20 years of leadership experience in the biotechnology industry, most recently serving as senior director at Amicus Therapeutics.

Kristine Loh, chemical engineering, ’20, received an Outstanding Collegiate Member Award from Society of Women Engineers for her contributions to SWE, the engineering community and the Drexel campus. This award is only bestowed on 10 members each year. Congrats to Kristine! She is now a second-year chemical engineering PhD student at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.

Chris McCarthy, commerce & engineering, ’98, was appointed chief content officer of Unscripted Entertainment and Adult Animation at ViacomCBS' new streaming service, Paramount+. He will continue to serve in his role as president of MTV Entertainment Group, overseeing MTV, Comedy Central, VH1, Pop, CMT, Paramount Network, Smithsonian Channel, Logo, TV Land, the Oscar nominated MTV Documentary Films, and the Emmy Award-winning MTV Entertainment Studios.

Jamie Zacharias, MD, biological sciences,’10, joined the medical team of Penn Medicine Becker ENT and Allergy as an allergist. She will see patients at the Sewell and Voorhees office locations.

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, graduation year, and share with us your career stories, promotions, marriages, births, etc.

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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: David Unruh 215-895-2436 dlu23@drexel.edu

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