HONOR BOUND FROM DREXEL UNIVERSITY’S PENNONI HONORS COLLEGE • SPRING/SUMMER 2018
MILES TO GO BEFORE SHE SLEEPS PLUS: STREET ART AS STREETWEAR, SERIOUS GAMES, AND COMMUNITY ACTIVISM
Alumna Spotlight Christie Ruggieri (elementary education ‘13, higher education ‘17), is currently living in Beijing, China. After working for Drexel’s admissions office over the past four years, she is completing a fellowship with the organization InitialView. InitialView advocates for transparency on college applications by allowing international students the opportunity to conduct live interviews for admissions officers. Christie both serves as an interviewer and assists with growing the company’s presence around the world. In this photo, she is on a work trip to India.
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From the Dean
Dear friends, We are pleased to bring you a new issue of the publication, formerly known as PHC Magazine, renamed Honor Bound, a title that we think captures the spirit of aspiration and integrity of our students. This issue contains another snapshot of the activities, programming, and personalities that make up the Pennoni Honors College. All of our units are thriving. We have a record number of Fellowship applicants, STAR scholars, Custom-Designed Majors, and Honors Program students — 520 freshmen this year — almost twice the anticipated enrollment! We continue to offer additional programming: Pennoni Panels, Lunch ‘N’ Learns, Aspire workshops, Luminary coursework, and Dean’s Teas. We recently hosted our fourth Honors Program Dinner with guest speaker, Marla Gold, MD, Dean Emerita of Drexel’s Dornsife School of Public Health and former Philadelphia Assistant Health Commissioner. We also will be holding our second annual Week of Undergraduate Excellence May 14-18. Some new initiatives currently underway: a travel option for students and alumni to Prague; a weekly Shakespeare Read Aloud; important guests like novelist Salmon Rushdie and cartoonist Roz Chast on the The Drexel InterView; and a new podcast out of the College called Pop, the Question, in which the PHC’s Dr. Melinda Lewis interviews Drexel staff, students, and faculty about topics in popular culture. Please check out the most recent of these at popqpodcast.com to hear good chatter on topics from superheroes to eco-scientists to celebrity crushes. We want to model for our students the ways in which pop culture can be dissected from an intellectual standpoint. Our major goal for the coming year remains the Honors House and freshmen residence hall. We now have the support of the University to renovate Calhoun Hall, a semi-circular structure well-situated on campus. But we are dependent on you for additional support to turn the building into a state-of-the-art site for Honors education. Our hope is to inhabit Calhoun by the fall of 2019, which means getting all the dorm rooms prepped and raising funds to renovate the first two floors for offices and seminar rooms, a lounge, a library, and a gallery. Each of these singular spaces can be a naming opportunity for a friend of Honors. We see the Honors House and residence hall as a center for engagement not only for Honors Program students but for all students seeking to excel under the Honors College rubric. It will be a place to engage with passion and conviviality. Please help us realize this vision of intellectual exploration and community. Sincerely,
Paula Marantz Cohen Dean, Pennoni Honors College Distinguished Professor of English 215.895.1266 • cohenpm@drexel.edu
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Dean Cohen in her office
CONTENTS Spring/Summer 2018
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In Brief
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Ripped from the Headlines: Teaching Current Events
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The In-Between of Design BY ERICA LEVI ZELINGER
BY DRS. JONATHAN AWERBUCH AND DANIEL DOUGHERTY
The Citizen Lobbyist BY ANA CASTILLO-NYE
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On Native Soil BY JONATHAN FINK, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE ’18
Dean: Paula Marantz Cohen PHC Magazine is published biannually by the Marketing & Media team of Drexel University’s Pennoni Honors College.
Editorial Staff Editor: Erica Levi Zelinger Copy Editor: Melinda Lewis Designer: Diane Pizzuto
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: Daniel Dougherty Associate Director: Katie Barak Assistant Director: Eric Kennedy
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Program Coordinator: Julia Wisniewski
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Miles To Go Before She Sleeps BY ERICA LEVI ZELINGER
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Game Plan
The Quintessential Honors College Student
BY ERICA LEVI ZELINGER
BY ERICA LEVI ZELINGER
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Art’s Desire BY ERICA LEVI ZELINGER
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ON THE COVER
Office of Undergraduate Research Associate Dean, Director: Suzanne Rocheleau Associate Director: Jaya Mohan Program Manager: Emily Kashka Program Coordinator: Roxane Lovell
Center for Scholar Development Director: Meredith Wooten Associate Director: Kelly Weissberger Program Coordinator: Martha Meiers Fellowships Coordinator: Emily Coyle
Alumni News
Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry Director: Kevin Egan
SUPPORT THE PENNONI HONORS COLLEGE
Assistant Director: Ana Castillo-Nye
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:
Pennoni Faculty Fellows: Chapin Cimino, Kristine Mulhorn Visiting Fellow: Julia Novak Colwell
Marketing & Media Director: Erica Levi Zelinger Associate Director of Marketing & Media, Managing Editor, The Smart Set: Melinda Lewis Assistant Director: Brian Kantorek
Susan Baren-Pearson 215.571.4907 sb3488@drexel.edu 3
In Brief
ILLUSTRATION: EMILY ANDERSON, GRAPHIC DESIGN ‘19
FRANCOPHONE FRATERNITY U.S. French Embassy says “bonjour” to Drexel’s French Club BY ALISSA FALCONE
S
ince it was started a little more than two years
and promoting the club in newsletters. Executive Assistant
ago, the Drexel French Club has gone from a
to the Dean Karen Sams also helped with logistics and event
pipe dream to a fledgling student organization at
planning, serving as a mentor to Malik throughout the
Drexel to being recognized by the United States
process.
French Embassy. Having won a grant awarding funding
Pennoni, we were able to roll out more programming,”
organization now has enough money and resources to
said Malik.
start a mentorship group and host events (complete with delicious French food, bien sûr).
Membership increased as the club held more and more varied events, including conversation hours and cultural
When Sarah Malik started her freshman year at Drexel
events like French movie nights and holiday parties. Over
in 2015, the business and engineering major in the LeBow
the summer, the organization even received its first grant
College of Business and member of the Pennoni Honors
from the Student Activity Fee Allocation Committee.
College had no room in her schedule for language electives,
Things were looking up.
but she wanted to continue learning and practicing the romance language she’d honed in high school.
Then, last summer, the organization applied for and ultimately received the French Embassy's France on Campus
So, Malik founded the Drexel French Club. She sought
award, which provides funding, guidance and outreach oppor-
support from the French Department and found students
tunities for student organizations introducing French culture
to take leadership positions in the club, but the group
to their college campuses. The French Club’s now award-
lacked resources, a space to hold meetings, and funding for
winning idea morphed into the “Frenchy Friends” mentorship
food (which is, of course, the most effective way of getting
group in which fluent or advanced French speakers are paired
college students to show up).
with students who are new to learning the language.
Things changed, however, in 2016 when she happened
“It’s very rewarding when people like me want to stay
to explain all of this to Paula Marantz Cohen, PhD, dean of
engaged with the French culture and language and they
the Pennoni Honors College and Distinguished Professor of
have opportunities to dive into their interests at Drexel,”
English in the College of Arts and Sciences (who, coinci-
said Malik. “With every event, our goal is to have everyone
dentally, received a BA in English and French from Yale
learn at least one new word in French, whether they’re a
University). After that, the Honors College stepped in to
fluent French speaker or a beginner!”
help, offering a room for meetings, supplying food for events
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“Once we had that partnership and infrastructure with
and guidance from a U.S. French Ambassador, the student
—edited and reprinted with permission from Drexel Now
HONORS AT HOME
You don’t have to be on campus to get the Honors experience. Here are three ways to stay engaged with us at home: Read, look, and listen
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n November, Roz Chast, acclaimed cartoonist for The New Yorker visited Drexel to shoot two episodes of Pennoni Honors College’s 30-minute talk show, The Drexel InterView. Four Film & Video students (including sophomore Honors Program student Laurel Murr) from Westphal’s Dragon
Productions guided the shoot for Season 15 with Chast and host Paula Marantz Cohen, Dean of the Pennoni Honors College. Chast is also author/illustrator of a handful of books, including two recent graphic memoirs: 2014’s award-winning bestseller Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant?; and 2017’s Going Into Town: A Love Letter to New York. Both memoirs use illustrative humor to reflect on and poke fun at Chast’s upbringing in New York; her affinity for her native Brooklyn; her family culture and heritage; and her own personal quirks. In the first episode, Dean Cohen talks with Chast about the artist’s formative years, her cartoon career with The New Yorker magazine, and her unique take
The first of The Drexel InterView season 15 episodes are
on the world. In the second episode, Dean Cohen explores the cultural depth
now available on the show’s YouTube channel. Stay tuned
and comedy of Chast’s two latest graphic memoirs.
for the Roz Chast interview.
The Drexel InterView’s 2017-2018 season also features controversial author Salman Rushdie, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Gordon S. Wood, and
Watch epsiodes at bit.ly/2xuDrM7
novelist/screenwriter Tom Perrotta.
’Twas the Season
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Pennoni’s New Podcast
t’s no longer the time of year for stocking stuffers and gift giving, but the Philadelphia Inquirer
headline last November seems pretty timeless nonetheless: “coffee-table books cry out to be gifted.” You can still get your hands on the beautiful catalog mentioned in the article from Pennoni Honors College’s exhibition, Howard Pyle, His Students & the Golden Age of American Illustration. “Take a look at Why Don’t You End It? on Page 35,” the write-up suggests, “and you’ll see what Pennoni’s Dean
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t’s like sitting in on a conversation among friends, one listener described the new Pop, the Question podcast produced by Pennoni Honors College. Hosted by Dr. Melinda Lewis, PopQ is a spirited dialogue about the
ways in which popular culture intersects with the interests,
Paula Marantz Cohen means when she notes that “there
research, and fields of study of the guests. Tune in to hear
is a direct line of descent from [Pyle’s] illustrations to
Lewis’s humorous take on superheroes, Die Hard, and
Johnny Depp … in Pirates of the Caribbean.”
celebrity crushes.
Read the article at bit.ly/2CJaaMZ
Listen at popqpodcast.com 5
In Brief
ILLUSTRATION: EMILY ANDERSON, GRAPHIC DESIGN ‘19
AMBITION CAN’T WAIT Introducing the new cohort of Aspire Scholars
F
rom women in STEM to future health professionals, the new cohort of 14 sophomore Aspire Scholars is made up of talented artists, researchers, and active volunteers, many of whom serve as peer leaders and
tutors at Drexel and in the broader community. The Center for Scholar Development’s Aspire Scholars program is designed to provide promising, curious, and
motivated Drexel undergraduates an opportunity to
This year’s cohort includes: • Blessing Adogame was born in Nigeria and raised in Germany and Scotland, co-founded the FreshWomen Cohort Program, an initiative in the College of Computing and Informatics (CCI) to actively engage incoming students. • Computer Engineering student Jacob Baron, a former
further develop and clarify their goals, within a small
STAR Scholar (one of 6 in the cohort) is currently serving
community of peers and with guidance from alumni in
as an Undergraduate Research Leader, mentoring other
their field(s) of interest.
students about research benefits.
The idea for Aspire Scholars grew out of the mentor/
• All the world’s a stage for psychology student Vida
mentee relationship held by Leslee Voss Geltzer, an Honors
Manalang, who performed as Anne Frank in Drexel
College advisory board member, and environmental
Co-Op Theatre Company’s recent production of The Diary
science major Vincent O’Leary. Geltzer assisted O’Leary during his fellowship application process, serving as an
of Anne Frank. • Information Systems student Antigone Bellanich
objective voice, and helping Vincent articulate his experi-
plays bassoon in Drexel’s concert band and clarinet in
ences in an informed and succinct way.
the pep band.
SUPER SCHOLAR: AYUSH PARIKH
The junior biological sciences student with minors in art history and business administration is mastering the art of undergraduate research • 1st place for poster presentation in the undergraduate session at the Drexel University College of Medicine Discovery Day Fall 2017 • 2nd place for undergraduate poster presentation at the American Society for Cell Biology and European Molecular Biology Organization 2017 Annual Research Meeting • Publication of the Virapocalypse bacteriophage genome in Genbank publications. This project was performed through the SEA-PHAGES program in the Biology department over the 2015-2016 academic year with the goal of isolating, characterizing, and annotating new bacteriophages. 6
FULBRIGHT FINALISTS 10 Drexel students have been selected as semi-finalists for 2018-19 Fulbright U.S. Student Program grants. After being chosen as semi-finalists by the U.S. National Screening Committees their applications have now been passed to country-specific committees for final selection in the spring. Congrats to the following students: Nicholas Barber (BS geoscience ’18, Honors);
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO HONORS
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ast September, Drexel welcomed the largest freshmen class in its history, and the Honors Program held orientation activities for a cohort of 525 incoming students. The Honors New Student Orientation (NSO) was our chance to set the tone for students and
challenge them to be their best selves from the moment they stepped onto campus. NSO activities began with a community building dinner on Friday, September 15 for Honors students and their families. This
gave students a chance to meet and interact with other Honors students and start the all-important process of acclimating to campus life. NSO activities continued with two sessions on Sunday, September 17, to review the opportunities and expectations of being an Honors student. On Wednesday, September 20, we concluded NSO with 20 faculty- and staff-led "urban immersion tours" for groups ranging from 25-40 Honors students to public sites around Philadelphia. The students walked or took public transportation to unique locations including the Reading Terminal Market, Washington Square park, City Hall, and the "hidden" side of the city in the Septa concourses, among others. “Taken together, the Honors NSO experiences were designed to prepare students as a community with enhanced opportunities at a top-tier university within an exciting urban environment,” says Honors Program Director Daniel Dougherty.
Study/Research Grant, Indonesia Dalia Kirzner (BS/MS secondary education/ special education ’18, Honors); English Teaching Assistant (ETA) grant, South Korea Sergio Machaca (BS mechanical engineering ’18, Honors), Study/Research Grant, Germany Anna Monastero (BS environmental studies & sustainability ’18); English Teaching Assistant (ETA) Grant, Spain Ian Nichols (PhD student, biology); Study/ Research Grant, Cameroon Valerie Niemann (BS chemical engineering ’18, Honors); Study/Research Grant, Switzerland Dylan O'Donoghue (MLS legal studies ’18); Study/Research Grant, Taiwan Emily Ostrow (BS/MS environmental science ’18, Honors); Study/Research Grant, Colombia Marie Ruisard (BArch ’18, Honors); Study/ Research Grant, Norway Caitlin Walczyk (BA global studies ’18, Honors); Study/Research Grant, Ukraine
“We are so proud of these students who spent lots of time developing research proposals, crafting application essays, and incorporating feedback from supportive committee members and readers,” says Dr. Meredith Wooten, director of the Center for Scholar Development.
Fifteen students crowded into Dean Paula Marantz Cohen’s office for her January Dean’s Tea on the psychology of music. Dean Cohen invited Dr. Eric Zillmer (far right), the Director of Drexel Athletics and professor of neuropsychology, to discuss the topic and listen to John Penn (far left), a professional guitar performer specializing in classical and flamenco guitar. Also featured are Dean Paula Marantz Cohen, students Pavel Stan and Vida Manalang, and College benefactors Chuck and Annette Pennoni.
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In Brief CAMBRIDGE CALLING
Meet the recipient of Drexel’s second-ever Gates Cambridge scholarship
N
ick Barber, geoscience ’18, has been selected
He credits his research path to Jaya Mohan and Emily Kashka
from among 35 of the most academically
in the Office of Undergraduate Research, as well as mentors
outstanding and socially committed students
like Dr. Loÿc Vanderkluysen of Drexel, Dr. Anne Jay of The
in the nation for a 2017 Gates Cambridge
Open University, and Dr. William Chadwick of NOAA/Oregon
Scholarship. He is the second student in Drexel history
State University. The critical and keen insights of Dr. Meredith
to receive this award.
Wooten of the Center for Scholar Development not only helped
The postgraduate program at Cambridge University, funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, aims
shape his application but the trajectory of his career. “Nick’s approach to research and outreach embodies how
to build a global network of future leaders committed to
we think of ourselves as a University: innovative, experi-
improving the lives of others.
ential, interdisciplinary, engaged,” says Wooten. “Nick has
Nick was recognized for his talent and commitment
creatively used his co-op opportunities to pursue his interests
to improving the world through his forecast of volcanic
in learning more about geology, exploring (and excelling) in
eruptions and undergraduate research mentorship.
a range of areas and institutional settings. His achievements
Nick, who spent his childhood lifting up every rock, will head to the U.K. this fall to seek to explain the systematic
are a powerful testimony to his independence, energy, and passion for his work.”
behavior of trace metals in active volcanic systems. “I want to wake up tomorrow to find it's October and I have already begun my PhD at Cambridge,” Nick says. “The anticipation building to work on a novel, transformative project with world-class researchers and equipment is almost too much for me to bear!”
Photo: Nick Barber celebrates his Gates-Cambridge scholarship with Pennoni Honors College staff (from left to right: Dr. Meredith Wooten, director of the Center for Scholar Development; Dean Paula Marantz Cohen; Nick Barber; Emily Kashka, program manager for Office of Undergraduate Research (Skyping in Jaya Mohan, associate director of Office of Undergraduate Research); Kelly Weissberger, associate director for the Center for Scholar Development; and Martha Meiers, program coordinator for the Center for Scholar Development.
Week of Undergraduate Excellence : May 14-18, 2018 Listen, watch, and appreciate Drexel’s undergraduate students as they hone their public speaking, demonstration, and research skills at the second annual Week of Undergraduate Excellence (WUE). Sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Research, WUE brings together undergrads, faculty, the greater Drexel community, and visitors to take part in a weeklong exhibition of accomplish8
ments, including poster sessions, oral presentations, and performances.
A COMEDY OF HORRORS
“J
okin’, writin’, and ’rithmetic” might seem like a butchering of the educational staples. There is, of course, something else that ties these concepts together: fear. At November’s Taste of
At the Stranger Things Honors Lunch ’n‘
Honors, alumni gathered for seminars about comedy and
Learn, the buffet was a little strange,
horror, mathematical fears, and writing terror from a few
too. Food served included Eggo waffles
of the Honors Program’s affiliated faculty. The day wasn’t
and Three Musketeers – favorites of the
immersion therapy, a means to self-help our way through
characters in the acclaimed nostalgic
anxieties, but rather a means to explore the whys and whats
horror show on Netflix.
that make math, writing, and humor so fear-inducing to some. The daylong affair also aimed to highlight the best of what the Honors Program has to offer students: insightful, interdisciplinary, and fun courses that engage and challenge them as scholars.
Honors students Alison Kane (left) and Nicole Tavormina (right) hold on tight during an Honors Program Mentor event, where about 75 freshmen had the opportunity to skate with their upperclassmen mentors at UPenn’s 1923 rink.
9 PHOTO: KEVIN LY, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING ’22
Consider This THE CITIZEN LOBBYIST A new citizen’s tips on civic engagement and political activism BY ANA CASTILLO-NYE
I
n May of 2015, I had the privilege of naturalizing as
to take active part in their democracy after years of feeling
a U.S. citizen. In the months following, I was on a
disconnected from the political process.
constant search for a way to celebrate my citizenship; something I had to work very hard to earn. I found that
for Interdisciplinary Inquiry — chose “Community” as
way by getting involved in an anti-poverty movement led
The Symposium theme for the 2017-2018 academic year,
by a bipartisan advocacy group called RESULTS.
I suddenly had the opportunity to bring the skills of my
RESULTS trains its volunteers to write and speak power-
volunteer life and my work life together. Working closely
fully about poverty in order to gain support from members of
with instructors for the fall term course and our partners
Congress for legislation aimed at tackling the toughest global
at the Dornsife Center for Community Engagement, I put
health and education issues. At no cost to me, I gained the
together an advocacy training for Drexel students and
skills to become an effective citizen lobbyist. After only a few
members of the Philadelphia community.
months I received the necessary training to pass those skills along to other willing individuals, those searching for a way
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When we — the staff at Pennoni Honors College’s Center
In November, we gathered with students from the community course alongside members of the Mantua and
process. Instant gratification is virtually non-existent and rejection is an everyday occurrence. As the cliché goes, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint.” Unfortunately, civic engagement is a marathon that you sometimes run without supporters on the sidelines. On top of it all, the stakes are astronomically high in terms of resources toward initiatives that end poverty; life and death in very literal terms. But this work is also balanced by many wonderful experiences — the excitement of face-to-face meetings with elected officials, the satisfaction of gaining support for an issue that is near and dear to you, the relief of getting a bill passed that you know will change the lives of millions for the better — those moments make the long hours worthwhile. With all of these ideas in mind, I decided that my ultimate goal should be to simply ignite in others the feelings that I’ve had myself about critical civic engagement. Since the workshop attendees already possessed a strong sense of political will and democratic spirit, my task was to offer them better tools for the work they were already doing. I first spoke to the group about the importance of building relationships with congressional offices through consistent positive outreach from constituents. We also discussed the difficult but important task of taking the time to relearn basic American civics. Together we practiced writing effective letters and traded tips on ways to keep our communities encouraged Powelton Village Civic Associations. While I had
and leaders accountable. Time flew by and I was
hosted a number of these trainings before, I was
so impressed with the level of engagement that
extremely nervous on that day. The students in
occurred that evening — it was a reminder of why
the room most likely had more experience as
this work is so valuable.
activists than I did, and the West Philadelphians
Volunteering my time for RESULTS brings me
understood the socio-political landscape of their
hope that if we work together we may actually
city in a way that I never could. Battling a bout
make the difficult life of a fellow human being
of self-doubt I wondered why anyone would take
a little more bearable — and perhaps a little
me seriously in this line of work — me, a newly-
more just. I recommend advocacy work like I
minted American citizen with only a couple years
would meditation: it’s something that energizes
of experience as an advocate. But I came armed
and brings about a renewed sense of agency. In
with my training, my passion for the issues, and,
this political landscape so often bogged down
at the very least, the story of my own journey
by negativity, partisanship, and fear, feeling like
toward defining citizenship.
you play a role in moving the needle — even the
To be truly civically engaged — to go beyond
smallest fraction — toward a more educated and
angry social media posts, one-time voting, and
compassionate world will invigorate you like
one-off participation in a protest — is a never-
nothing else can.
ending endeavor and such an intimidating idea to strive toward that there is a high risk of feeling
Ana Castillo-Nye is the Assistant Director
paralyzed instead. The truth is that legislative
for Pennoni Honors College’s Center for
advocacy is a particularly slow, drawn-out
Interdisciplinary Inquiry
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RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES: TEACHING CURRENT EVENTS BY DRS. JONATHAN AWERBUCH AND DANIEL DOUGHERTY
While teaching a junior-level engineering course a few years ago, I mentioned a debate I saw on C-SPAN about U.S. foreign policy and it fell upon blank looks. I questioned the students about politics and societal issues. I asked them about senators and judges and Supreme Court cases, and I realized there was a disconnect. I was dismayed by their lack of knowledge in the political system and wanted them all to take a class in civic discourse. So, I approached Dr. Daniel Dougherty, director of the Honors Program, about designing a course to bridge students’ fields of study with the outside world.
Our idea behind this course was fairly simple: encourage and support students to discuss issues and events that were being debated regularly through respected news sources. Our goal was to address weaknesses in our post-secondary education and its focus on disciplinary knowledge. We wanted to place citizenship and leadership at the forefront of this course. Deliberation, discussion, and debate are essential to any healthy political community. As a university, our role is to educate
—DR. JONATHAN AWERBUCH, PROFESSOR, MECHANICAL ENGINEERING AND MECHANICS
students to be active members of this
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prescription opiod crisis expands
THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT AN HONORS SHOULD BE LIKE! process. Otherwise, students often exhibit deep-rooted lack of knowledge, alarming disinterest in societal and civic matters, and a limited understanding of the world around them. In the long-term this endangers the future
article from a list of recommended national/international
democratic and societal cohesion of United States society.
newspapers, representing the spectrum of political views.
Within Drexel’s Honors Program, we are addressing
Each week, students are expected to submit a 500-word
this challenge in a constructive and pro-active manner, by
concise, well-written, well-argued summary on their
offering a course entitled Discourse in Current Events. Our
selected article. This includes an overall summary of the
twofold goal in designing the course is for Drexel students
article, with arguments supporting the expressed viewpoint
to gain demonstrable understanding and increasing
in the op-ed piece, a critique of the stated viewpoint, and
interest in national and global civic issues. Moreover, we
brief summary conclusion of the student’s opinion about
wanted students to skillfully express their views in writing,
the article and the subject matter.
and convincingly defend their positions in public debates. We based our strategy on two concepts: first, a
Topics of the Week discussed span the spectrum of issues from North Korean/American Relations, Prescription
high-quality learning experience can be accomplished
Opioid Use in the U.S., NAFTA and TPP Trade Deals,
through learning by reading with a written analysis of
Interpreting the Second Amendment, Reforms of the
relevant, thoughtful, and well-argued positions on national
Electoral College, Secessionist Movements in Scotland and
and international issues. Secondly, we believe that a
Catalonia; and the Open Internet Act.
full appreciation of the subject matter is accomplished
Students report that they have reviewed an average of 5
through thoughtful and critical debate, with well-informed
titles and read, fully, an average of 3 articles for each review
counterparts.
submitted, so that over a term, they review more than 130
Over the last three years, we designed, taught, and refined
different titles and read over 80 different articles. During
this course — a hybrid between face-to-face and on-line
our weekly in-class discussions, students have structured
formats. Our approach in the course is for students —
debate on selected topics and exchange views on the issues.
who come from a variety of majors — choose any op-ed
The debates provide the students with an opportunity to think critically through the crafting of their argument, “think on their feet” during the follow up Q&A session, and present their position in a clear and concise manner. In addition, the students learn within a debate culture where
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COURSE AT DREXEL
all views, conventional, confrontational, and contrarian, are respectfully and properly considered. Comments shared at the end of each course indicate that students gained a much better understanding and appreciation of the topics discussed. “I have been taking more of an interest in current events,” one student wrote. “I wanted to learn how to dissect this information and be able to examine it critically.” Another expressed an appreciation for the format of the class. “I could practice debate in front of my peers and defend my stand,” he wrote. A third stated, “This is EXACTLY what an honors course at Drexel should be like!” Our shared vision for this course was to have a model to improve student knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of national and global issues irrespective of their own disciplinary studies and interests. Indeed, this is the goal of a university education. The course has been enlightening for the two of us, as well. Having open and honest debate can be messy and unpredictable. But as we offered a revised version of the course each time, we learned how to be more impactful for student learning so that they are challenged and informed about the world they are inheriting.
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PHOTO: SETH MOHS VIA FLICKR (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
ON NATIVE SOIL A travel-integrated course trip to Michigan opened my eyes to the struggles for water rights among Native American tribes BY JONATHAN FINK, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE ’18
“I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.” These words were spoken most famously
culmination to our course about tribal water rights in
by Dorothy in Wizard of Oz as she was
the Great Lakes Region. The stereotypical thoughts of
being swept away to a new land, but
shattered within mere minutes of the first day of our trip.
also by soldiers about to enter the land of Pandora in the movie Avatar, as they
headdresses, teepees, and sports mascots were immediately We first met with Odawa Tribe member Wenona Singel, a Harvard-educated lawyer and associate professor of law at Michigan State University. Singel gave us a great overview of
were about to come face to face with
Native Americans and the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution
aliens. Both instances sprang to my mind
established in the mid-1800s because Tribes were their own
as we spent some time with the Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians
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Four other students and I traveled to Michigan with Dr. Julia Novak Colwell, Pennoni visiting fellow, as a
contains protections for Natives in the form of treaties sovereign nations, way before the Constitution was written. The Tribes informed us that there is not a single treaty — in the 400-plus negotiated — that hasn’t been broken at least
(LTBBO) in Harbor Springs, Michigan in
once by either the federal or state government.
September 2017.
philosophy and community sustainability at MSU, and
We then talked to Kyle Whyte, associate professor of
member of the Potawatomi Tribe. Whyte taught us
fish populations. Wasson also stressed the importance of
about native tribes, environmental justice, water, and the
balance in the world and the interconnectedness of nature.
Potawatomi, one of the three main native tribes active
According to her, the four cardinal directions (N, E, S, W),
in Michigan. He helped us to understand more about
four stages of life (baby, child, adult, elderly), and four
the social aspects of tribes, such as the language being
elements (fire, earth, wind, and water) are all intercon-
completely oral (not written down), how tribes’ history
nected, and the goal of native peoples is to maintain the
allowed gender and identity fluidity, and acceptance
balance in the world. This ecology-based worldview was
towards LGTBQ members. We spoke next to Frank Ettawageshik, a former tribal
refreshing to us students and runs very counter to the capitalistic worldview most of us have grown up in.
chairman of the LTBBO, who brought us into the 18-foot-tall,
We spent a significant amount of time on the LTBBO
30-foot-wide lodge he and other tribal members built behind
reservation, talking to other speakers about issues such
his house. Frank shared some of his knowledge and stories.
as Enbridge Line 5, an oil pipeline that runs under
He explained his and others’ efforts to help LTBBO regain
the water at the intersection of three Great Lakes. A
federal status as a Tribe in 1994, despite their extensive history
spill there would threaten three Great Lakes and be
in the local area. He also told us about his trip to Paris for the
catastrophic. We also heard about Native hunting and
COP21 Paris Accords, along with the environmental goals the
fishing rights and learned more about the history of
Tribes wanted to be included in the agreements. As the Director of Archives for the Tribe, Eric Hemenway talked extensively about the Tribe’s history with water as we stood with him at the edge of Traverse Bay, a body of water that feeds directly into Lake Michigan. Without water, he explained, the Tribe’s whole way of life – fishing, transportation, burials – would be gone. Eric talked about how historical relocations of other Tribes to Kansas systematically destroyed these aspects of tribal culture, and how fortunate the Michigan tribes and LTBBO were that they managed to stay in their homeland. He also discussed the U.S. government-led boarding schools for Natives, and how they were used as a way of integrating and assimilating Native children into white society, taking them away from their families in the process. The result is a whole generation of Natives not knowing their language, culture, or even how to raise children
Above: Kelly Archer, Matthew McConomy, Frank Ettawageshik of the LTBBO tribe, Jonathan Fink, Annie Haftl, and Vincent O’Leary in Harbor Springs, Michigan Facing page: Little Traverse Bay at sunset
because they grew up exclusively in these boarding schools, where sexual, emotional, and physical abuse was rampant.
the Tribes around Lake Michigan. These Tribes are so
The local boarding school in Harbor Springs closed in the
in tune with nature and understand what it needs to
1980s; now stands a church that has a “Heritage Room”
maintain the balance.
consisting of pieces of the boarding school such as the
This worldview stretches into every facet of their lives;
bricks, flooring, and chalkboard – to stand as a reminder of
even when they took us fishing, they made sure to sprinkle
history and “sense of place.”
a small pinch of tobacco as an offering to the Creator for
At this halfway point in our trip, many of us were feeling shocked, and even confused. How did we not know any of this history? Why was this not taught in schools? Is the U.S.
the lives of the fish we were about to take. This trip meant so much more to us students than just this 1,000-word essay; it was a chance for us five students
trying to erase this history because it’s too “ugly” for us?
to educate ourselves on a subject we had little first-hand
We pondered these questions as we moved on to our
experience with. When we put down the trip deposit, we
next speaker, Renee Dillard — or Wasson in her native
couldn’t comprehend not only what we’d learn, but what
language. She took us to the edge of a creek, and spoke
we’d feel. All of us walked away with a new sense of spirit
to us about how the state of Michigan is completely
and world outlook. We weren’t in Kansas anymore, but at
mismanaging the fish in the area, introducing species
least we could return to Philadelphia to teach others about
that don’t belong — for profit and decimating the native
the power of this experience.
17
PHOTO: ASHLEY GELLMAN
IN-BETWEEN A custom-designed major turns street art into streetwear 18
BY ERICA LEVI ZELINGER
PHOTO: ASHLEY GELLMAN PHOTO: MATT CARROLL
W
hile his freshmanyear friends in fashion design were all constructing
garments and creating patterns, Jack O’Connor was fabricating a major. He laid out a course of study, piecemealing classes from Westphal’s entertainment and arts management program with entrepreneurship, merchandising, and social sciences to seek a niche in what he was already studying and cultivate his clothing company, Strictly Featured. As a teenager, Jack would gather clothes from his family members and style them together – an interesting shirt from his mother, something oversized from his father, and an athletic hand-me-down from one of his older twin brothers. He’d go thrifting on his own and cobble together a whole new outfit. But Jack wasn’t interested in designing as much as “the inbetween of designing” – using the medium of clothing to tell a story. During his friends’ long hours in the studio, Jack would doodle and take photos of them, eventually posting on a “Strictly Featured” Instagram page to document and feature the work of the emerging artists he was meeting all around him. “It was the world around the fashion that really drew my attention,” Jack says.
Jack applied and was accepted into
selling band merchandise at PNC
Pennoni Honors College’s Custom-
Bank Arts Center in central Jersey.
Designed Major. His Drexel career, he
“I was seeing people come up to
says, has been the complete opposite
the booths at concerts and I saw how
of what he was expecting – or what he
relevant the merchandise was to
thought possible. But he’s managed to
them,” Jack says. “It was the second
build a brand – and a major to support
most important part of them being
it – that melds his passions for fashion,
there that night. For the artist, it’s
music, and art. The goal: use clothing
a source of revenue, but it’s also a
and merchandise as a marketing
chance for them to show their persona
channel to promote the work of local
beyond the stage. It’s a medium for
musicians and visual artists.
interaction with their fans.”
“The custom-designed major was an
In addition to his love for music,
opportunity to seek a niche, but still
Jack found himself enthralled with
gain an in-depth education in a few
Philadelphia’s street art scene, so when
different disciplines and bring them
he received the entrepreneurship co-op
together in a way that wasn’t done
at the Baiada Institute in summer 2017,
before,” he says proudly. “It’s a broad
it was the first time he had funding
concept of how I can use clothes not
and resources to approach a real street
just as fashion but as a full campaign.”
artist and offer him a clothing line.
The 22-year-old from South Amboy,
And he had one particular guy in
N.J., spent summers in high school
mind: Ephemeroh.
19
PHOTO: MATT CARROLL
that weren’t practical,” Jack chews on. “Also, reflect. I wanted to take
Ephemeroh’s abstract-style street
a second to step back and see how
art lines several abandoned lots and walls in Philadelphia’s Kensington
component of being an artist,”
neighborhood.
Ephemeroh says. “If it was up to
“Street art is really incredible,” Jack
me I’d only practice but that’s not
says. “It’s public so it’s for everyone.
sustainable. It’s given me exposure
It’s not commissioned so it’s a very
and confidence.”
a practical source of free speech.
The Strictly Featured brand
It incorporates true and honest
seems like a win-win then for both
reflective thoughts.”
Ephemeroh and Jack.
Ephemeroh, the wheatpaste artist,
He has started to get requests
was initially skeptical about the
from some local musicians making
collaboration, but the pair met in
waves in their own careers. He’s
May 2017 to talk about marketing
consulted with one band about the
strategy. By June, Jack had gathered
merchandise manufacturing process
a team of graphic designers, photog-
and worked with another to create
raphers and videographers to work
marketing materials – poring over
with him on a collection of five
Instagram images and lyrics, getting
pieces – two long-sleeved shirts, one
to know band members, figuring out
T-shirt, and two 5-panel hats. In July,
what the market looks for in their
they processed orders and created
genre, and helping them identify
packaging. In August, they did photo
their brand.
and videos shoots that detailed the
When he graduates in June, Jack
artist’s story and process. And in
hopes to keep Strictly Featured going
September, Jack and his Strictly
while he gets some more real-world
Featured team hosted a launch party
experience with a music label, fashion
at Tattooed Mom on South Street
brand, or manufacturer.
where they sold his merchandise at a pop-up shop. “[Strictly Featured] helped me consider the business
Lessons he’s learned from his business thus far? “Take your time. Not everything has to be so exact. I set deadlines
20
I could do better in order to keep moving.” Jack also has an incredible ability to take inventory of where he’s at. “Jack O’Connor is really selfreflective,” says Dr. Kevin Egan, Jack’s CSDN advisor and director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry. “He is very good at honestly assessing himself and his company, and rather than impulsively acting on those insights, he is methodical in his plans moving forward.” Strictly Featured isn’t strictly it for Jack O’Connor. If there’s another thing he’s learned about himself, it’s that he’s a serial entrepreneur. One business idea will never be enough. “Once you get started with one,” he says … and his voice trails off. There’s no reason to finish the sentence. Some of Jack’s ideas are just that: ideas. But if his clothing brand and his make-your-own curriculum of entertainment and arts merchandising are any indication of his future, when Jack graduates this summer, there will no doubt be more.
In Brief
MILES TO GO BEFORE SHE SLEEPS Courtney Boyd’s college career has already taken her to 30 countries. Where will she go next? BY ERICA LEVI ZELINGER
C
ourtney Boyd keeps two lists in the notes section of her iPhone. The first is a “to-go” list. Right now, there are only three places on it. The second is a “been there” list. The custom-designed major in international economics and global health has to
pull the phone out of her pocket and scroll down for several seconds to confirm: 30 countries. And she hadn’t left the country before she turned 16.
21
“I learn better In Brief
“I think that Drexel offers something amazing
for students who aren’t traditional and don’t do well in a traditional setting.
Courtney pored over Drexel’s list
of majors and a course catalog until she found what fit her. Which wasn’t really anything. “Custom-Designed major was the
last one I came across,” she says. “I thought it was a design major. But lo and behold, it’s the one I chose.” Had it not been for Drexel’s research
offerings, Boyd may have never stayed put. Had it not been for CSDN, she would have dropped out of college. But Boyd graduated in March with
a degree that will propel her toward writing policy — not just from a political science point-of-view — but from economic, global studies, public health, and anthropological lenses as well. “I think that Drexel offers
something amazing for students who aren’t traditional and don’t do well in a traditional setting,” she says. “I learn better on the run.” And her experience “at Drexel” was
anything but traditional. Here is where the story gets hard to
follow. Where time zones and travel documents and proper immunizations converge. Courtney returned to Germany
in Spring 2015 for her first co-op and first term as a custom-designed major student. She worked with the German non-governmental organization Society for Threatened Peoples, researching human trafficking in Egypt’s North Sanai
Courtney’s friends – and her passport – imply that she is spontaneous, but
as a Dornsife Global Development
path. Of her 14 terms enrolled at the University, she spent only four of them in
Scholar and traded Europe for Africa
University City.
where she co-oped for World Vision
Boyd informed her parents when she was 13 that she was going to study
Malawi Mzuzu, co-leading a team in
abroad. Despite the financial hardship, they promised that if she were accepted
qualitative and quantitative research
into a program, they’d find a way.
efforts about the willingness to pay
And when she was 16, she flew for the first time to Hamburg, Germany to study abroad for high school. Her host father, a chemical engineer at Philips Medical Systems DMC GmbH,
for improved water infrastructure and the implications on water management. Then off to Cairo for
brought her to several of his seminars, and that, Courtney says, was her inspi-
study abroad, exploring migration
ration for wanting to pursue chemical engineering.
studies, Arabic, and economics.
Courtney studied chemical engineering at Harrisburg Area Community
22
region. A year later, she was selected
the 22-year-old from Lewisberry, Pa., is also very much an architect of her own
Not a week passed after returning to
College for two years and then transferred to Drexel to try chemistry. But math
the U.S. when Courtney saw a poster
was not her strong suit, and non-governmental organizations and government
in Main Building advertising a study
were beginning to catch her eye.
abroad progam in Equatorial Guinea.
In Brief
on the run. � Courtney, on the go during her Bioko Island co-op in Equatorial Guinea, 20 miles off the coast of Cameroon
23
In Brief “I thought, ‘They have a study abroad, so I’m gonna see if I can do a co-op.’” And by the next week, she had a meeting set up. “Having the ability to create my own plan of study has allowed me to be flexible in my international pursuits,”
reached out for. Now, I faced rejection in the face.” Luckily, the disappointment from
she says. “I wouldn’t have been able to get Dornsife or
not receiving the Gilman didn’t
Equatorial Guinea.”
last long. In January, Courtney was
“Courtney is highly ambitious but also fiercely
accepted into Master’s programs at
independent,” says Ana Castillo-Nye, assistant director of
the London School of Economics
the Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry, which houses the
and University of London’s School
Custom-Designed Major.
of Oriental and African Studies. It
“From the get-go Courtney wanted to do impactful work on the international scale and I have always been impressed by her nuanced perspective on global issues,” Castillo-Nye says. All her co-ops and study abroad programs up until this
was a difficult decision, but she chose University of London’s program.
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY INQUIRY
“I never really worried about she is more than capable of executing
Africa, Courtney began working with the Drexel Fellowships
her big dreams.” Short term-plans? A PhD somewhere
for the Gilman Scholarship, which assists undergrads with
in Europe. Her dream job? A foreign
financial constraints in their international travels.
service officer.
But Courtney was already in Equatorial Guinea when
-ANA CASTILLO-NYE,
Courtney,” Castillo-Nye says, “because
point had been funded, but in an effort to pay for her return to Office to apply for awards that fit her criteria. She applied
“Traveling allows you to grow as a
she found out she hadn’t received the Gilman. She had
person,” she says. “When you’re home,
to stay put because she managed to combine the study
problems in the U.S. seem so big,
abroad with her senior project for CSDN, assessing bush
but I’m a lot more aware of what is
Clockwise from above left: A view of the
meat consumption of expats in Malabo and their attitudes
happening in the world. You meet tons
waterfalls on a hike in Moka, Bioko Island; the Bioko
toward biodiversity. So, she took out loans — and she took
of different people and learn the way
Biodiversity Protection Program education center in
the time to reflect on her application process.
other people live.”
Moka; the director of the Finca Sampaka "Sampaka
“Going through the process helped me a lot with my grad
24
to that, I had gotten everything I had
“I never really worried about Courtney because she is more than capable of executing her big dreams.”
And that “to-go” list Courtney kept?
Farm," cutting a cocoa tree; Courtney and Drexel’s
school applications,” she says. “I reassessed where I was
It read: Georgia, Peru, and Costa Rica.
study abroad students on a visit to an all-girls
going. I realized I wanted to focus on continuing education
But she crossed Costa Rica off in March
school on Bioko Island where they focus on culture
versus continuing research. It made me grow. And prior
to celebrate her undergraduate degree.
and agriculture.
THE QUINTESSENTIAL HONORS COLLEGE STUDENT From Honors Program superstar to custom-designed major and Aspire Scholar, Vriti Khurana is the poster child for Pennoni BY ERICA LEVI ZELINGER
25
V
riti Khurana positioned herself on a couch with her laptop, water bottle, and headphones for eight-plus hours on the 15th floor of Millennium Hall. She painstakingly pored over each word and phrase of her mission statement and plan of study proposal for a custom-designed major
in Pennoni Honors College. Like the scene from a movie where the writer furiously jots something down in a Moleskine notebook or hunts and pecks on a standard typewriter, only to pull the paper from the back and crumble it into a ball, Vriti is stuck. She remembers this day so vividly: tired and frustrated, striking the delete button, continuously hitting roadblocks in her reasoning. So she turned to her community. “When I ran out of ideas, I could easily go chat with someone and talk through the vision I had for my major.” Even when she wasn’t sure what she wanted out of her education, discussing it with people majoring in engineering, public health, biology, health sciences, philosophy, and English, allowed her to gain a new perspective on what she could do with it. “This day is one that I will always remember because of the collaborative effort for something so personal to me. That is the epitome of the Honors Program.” What emerged from that day was a well-developed proposal for a customdesigned major (CDSN) in global health technologies. And in the following
“Vriti has been a bright light in our program because of her positivity, willingness to try new things, and dedication to serving others.” summer term, she was admitted to the major. By drawing from public health, biology, and health administration, the sophomore from Delaware County, Pa., is now studying how to integrate
Vriti, learning to operate a circular saw on an Alternative Spring Break trip to Bridgeport, CT.
healthcare technologies into global health sectors and developing countries. Vriti is a poster child for Pennoni; she’s deservedly earned her label of “quintessential Honors College student” by staff. Her CV is teeming with involvement and rife with achievement: participation in the Honors Program, Custom-Designed Major, the Center for Scholar Development’s Aspire Scholar Program, the College’s Design Your Drexel program, and even non-academic ventures with Honors College students, like the Kanya project she founded in 2015, aiming to decrease the dropout rate of adolescent school girls due to menstruation in India. What also came to light from that experience was her passion and devotion for the Honors Program
26
PERIOD POVERTY On a visit to a school in Burgula, India when she was 16 years old, Vriti Khurana spoke to a group of 30 fourth graders about the importance of sanitary health practices. She talked to 20 fifth grade girls about why the stigma around menstruation exists and how to better educate their community. But when she went into the seventh and eighth grade classes, she noticed that the number of girls decreased dramatically. In Hindi, Vriti asked the girls about her observation. They revealed to her girls in their grade had begun their periods and had to drop out of school. In a rural village like Burgula, they do not have the resources to properly dispose of sanitary napkins in a school setting. But menstruation is nothing to be ashamed of. And dropping out of school at such an early age just didn’t seem fair. So, two years Vriti, in white, with girls associated with the Kanya Project, her initiative to
before Vriti would become a custom-designed major in the Honors
increase menstrual hygiene access for schoolgirls in India.
College and study the tenets of design thinking, she was already taking a solutions-based approach to solving real-world problems.
community and her attraction to exploring the additional programming offered by the Honors College. “Its students like Vriti who make our jobs so rewarding,” says Honors Program Coordinator Julia Wisniewski. “Vriti has been a bright light in our program because of her positivity, willingness to try new things, and dedication to serving others.” Vriti followed in a family friend’s footsteps when she applied to the Honors Program in high school, already believing it would shape her Drexel experience. She met academically-driven and like-minded students from all different majors, attended all sorts of Honors programming, spent an alternative spring break in Bridgeport, Connecticut building a house with Habitat for Humanity, and joined the Honors Action League to pursue volunteer opportunities. As a strong believer in the Honors community, Vriti became a resident advisor in Millennium and an Honors Mentor because she knew she wanted to offer a similar comfort for her students as the one she’d had her freshman year. The Honors College staff considers Vriti as the quintessential Pennoni student; she is an optimist through and through, which makes her drive and creativity contagious. “Vriti embodies the spirit of the ideal Pennoni Honors College student because of her seemingly endless stream of energy as well as her earnest approach to learning,” says Ana Castillo-Nye, assistant director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry and advisor to the CDSN student. “She doesn’t shy from new challenges outside of her comfort zone, personal or academic, and actively seeks out ways to enhance her Drexel experience for herself and others.
Vriti started the Kanya Project – a term meaning girl in multiple languages – and partnered with a company that makes biodegradable sanitary napkins. She later pitched the project to the WHEELS Global Foundation to get the project off the ground. And when she got to Drexel, she sought out other high-achieving students in the Honors Program who were passionate about women empowerment and had the drive to help others. Within a week, she had more than 20 students on board. “I used the idea of improving people’s lives by combining technology and health as a basis for my custom designed major,” Vriti says. “Both the Honors Program and CSDN have given me the guidance and the flexibility to make my major come to life.” With help from Honors students Vida Manalang, psychology ’21, and Alyssa Harden, screenwriting and playwriting ’20, and assistant clinical professor Nyree Dardarian from the College of Nursing and Health Professions, the organization has more than 120 supporters within the Drexel community. On February 8 of this year, the project opened its first sanitary napkin production factory and has been met with so much support from the local people. “As we roll into the first round of distribution, it is very clear that the machine is boosting the economy of the village by employing local women and our hope is to help raise awareness that menstruation is nothing to be ashamed of,” Vriti says. “Possibly even more important, we have facilitated discussions among local families about menstruation in their own homes. These talks will hopefully lead to a de-stigmatization of menstruation itself and eventually result in a lower dropout rate for school girls.”
To donate to the Kanya Project, go to wheelsglobalfoundationorg.nationbuilder.com/donate 27
GAME PLAN How one Honors College student forges her own path — and fosters empathy BY ERICA LEVI ZELINGER
28
W
hen a shipment of ore expected from Bald Rock
perspectives; the unapologetically nerdy (her words)
Mine in Bellowhill was never received, Lily
student likes to do things in her own way, a possible reason
Lauben volunteered to investigate. She came
that CSDN appeals to her.
armed and prepared.
Equipped with a pen and paper, and ready with a laptop,
Lily sketched the aggressive-looking spirits that haunt the
Having to justify and defend her major makes her feel more attached to her goals. CSDN, says the quirky and colorful Lily, is truly a Choose-
mountain country — creating the next move in her “Gates
Your-Own-Adventure. The Honors College has opened
of Adventure” card game.
several (dungeon) doors in her pursuit of being a successful
As a Pennoni custom-designed major (CDSN) who titled her course of study “serious game design,” Lily maneuvers
game designer. “Ana Castillo-Nye and Dr. Kevin Egan do a phenomenal
a choose-your-own-adventure of heroes, monsters,
job of making you feel like a hero in your own story,”
coursework, and creative projects centered on designing
Lily says about the assistant director and director of her
games that inspire, educate, or advocate.
program. She joked with friends recently that custom-
The pre-junior Honors student and her business partner Trenton Hauptman got their big break after attending a few meetings of The Philadelphia Game Maker’s Guild this
designed majors have their own superpower: being able to ignore major restrictions on classes. “Technically, that’s not my superpower, but that of
past summer, run by Drexel alumna and award-winning
my advisors, Ana and Kevin, who may or may not be
game developer Nicole Amato. Game developers invited
actual superheroes.”
Lily and Trenton to share a booth at Philadelphia’s PAX Unplugged last November. Despite the tabletop gaming convention falling in the
She adds, “You are given incredible amounts of freedom to make your own decisions and forge your own path, but at the same time, you are given a lot of responsibility.
middle of the term, the duo scrambled to rework the
You have to constantly prove to Kevin and Ana, to your
heroes in their “Dungeons & Dragons”-inspired card-based
professors, your peers, your employers, and to yourself, that
role-playing game, “Gates of Adventure,” polish and test
what you’re doing is worth doing.”
it, and come up with a demo. But, like the protagonists in their quest, they pulled it off. After demo-ing the game at PAX, one overwhelmed
“We’re at a time where video games, and ‘gamification’ in general, play a huge role in our lives,” says Egan. “Games themselves seems to be enjoying a sort of Renaissance era,
convention attendee excitedly proclaimed that he ‘under-
and not just as a form of entertainment. I think what is so
stood how people can get attached to their characters,’
amazing about what Lily is doing, is that she wants to design
Lily says. That made the exhausting and nerve-wracking
games with meaning, that foster empathy and educate.”
three-day experience all the more while. In addition to Amato, Lily has also found an advocate
When she first applied for the program in high school, Egan says, Lily’s application contained sophisticated
in Westphal’s Frank Lee, whose research on gaming for
insights about the need to invert the narrative from a focus
under-served children to learn programming was the
on fighting to a focus on victims caught in the crossfire.
perfect match for her STAR summer research two years
Lily’s determination to create socially conscientious gaming
ago because she says, she was one of those girls who didn’t
shows a deep-rooted appreciation for the human condition.
identify with the games she’d played growing up — and
Lily is constantly forging ahead – not at all held back by
is intrigued by the process of using games to try to break
any sort of gate, and always looking for the next adventure.
down those barriers.
She’d love to have her own indie team to make thought-pro-
Lee has since introduced her to Drexel’s Entrepreneurial
voking games but, she sarcastically jokes, as that isn’t terrifi-
Game Studio (EGS), an incubator program that helps
cally likely, she’ll supplement game creation with her skills in
students develop and launch games. EGS is now helping
design, illustration, and programming. And her creativity.
her build up to the Kickstarter for her card game. Because she makes her own decisions about her curriculum, Lily says, she is excited about the courses she takes. She’s more engaged in the course material
GO PLAY!
and examines it more critically. As the only artist in a
“Gates of Adventure” is available as a
programming class or the only gamer among sociology
free, print-and-play demo at
minors, she is constantly exposed to a variety of
trillygames.com/playtest
29
ART’S DESIRE Pennoni Honors College advisory board member puts the A in STEAM education BY ERICA LEVI ZELINGER
B
efore she was a Drexel trustee, and before
professor Joseph Gregory on several art initiatives.
from Drexel, and before she had a successful
She co-directed the INK NOT INK contemporary
advertising and communications career in
Chinese art exhibition at Drexel in conjunction with
Manhattan, Abbie Dean spent a summer
the Shenzhen Art Museum. She spearheaded Drexel’s
working in an art gallery in Los Angeles. Back in 1970s Philadelphia, the term “co-op” was very
HALF THE SKY: Women in the New Art of China, an exhibition co-curated with the National Art Museum of
much ingrained in the Drexel vernacular, but back then the
China. She was instrumental in bringing the Pennoni
art history and theater major at Tufts just wanted to get
Honors College initiative Howard Pyle, His Students &
some real-world experience and venture out on her own.
the Golden Age of American Illustration to campus from
In lieu of a paycheck, the gallery owner let her select a print to keep. That etching of a landscape by a French artist and student
the National Museum of American Illustration. One of her proudest achievements, Dean says, was co-curating the exhibition NI UNA MAS, which included an original
of Paul Cezanne’s is hung proudly in her 1850s Bucks County
artwork by Yoko Ono and a 1,000-person performance
farmhouse. It is starkly different from Dean’s extensive
art and demonstration to protest continuing murders of
collection of eclectic contemporary art in her TriBeCa
women in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
apartment and elsewhere in her farmhouse — a reminder that it merely has to have meaning to be art. And creative expression is something the former copywriter
30
Dean has tirelessly worked with Drexel art history
she got her master’s in interior architecture
“Those are things that become the memorable times,” the vice-chair of Pennoni Honors College’s advisory board says of helping students get involved with matters beyond
at McCann Erickson and her mother have long advocated
the Drexel campus and their own world. “When you look
for here at Drexel — finding meaning in art and culture on a
up and look around and engage in something outside of
campus historically known for engineering and business.
yourself … It’s energizing and inspiring.”
and advising of Honors College staff carry it to the next level. Pennoni, Dean believes, is the next place for Drexel to Shortly after she became a Drexel Trustee herself, Dean elected to see the university in a new light: as a student.
excel. She hopes to help raise the profile of the College both internally and externally. “Drexel is not only a job- and skill-builder, but it is a
This endeavor offered her a fresh perspective. And later
real place for academic achievement and successes in the
attracted her to the mission of Pennoni Honors College.
outside world,” says Dean, also the vice chair of the board
Pennoni, Dean says, provides a 3-part benefit: an
of the Academy of Natural Sciences. “Drexel is a magnet for
incentive for attracting the brightest students to Drexel,
true, quality students [but more people] need to know that
exposure for current students to subjects outside their
Pennoni Honors College is here.”
major, and a résumé-builder for the future. “What interested me most about Pennoni is the breadth and
The range of programming, advising, and small seminarstyle classes enticed Dean to vice-chair the College’s
depth it affords its students,” Dean says, “but a well-regarded
advisory board, but it is the students who’ve sold her on the
Honors College is also a powerful calling card for attracting
success of the College.
the best students and getting their graduates the best place-
“That is what makes leaders—the ability to think
ments. It is my conviction that graduating with honors is a
through analytically and articulate their views,” she says.
true benefit to students in the workplace or academia.”
“Pennoni students are so expressive, they’re energetic and
The passion and advocacy of Dean Paula Marantz Cohen sparked Dean’s interest in the College; the programming
they provide thoughtful, provocative analysis of readings, projects and experiences.”
Photos, clockwise from left: A newspaper featuring Ni Una Mas, co curated by Abbie Dean; the ARTMARCH associated with the Ni Una Mas exhibition (Dean is fourth from left); Dean’s contemporary art collection in her TriBeCa apartment; 6-story artwork that served as the backdrop for the Ink Not Ink exhibit at Drexel, co-directed by Dean; Dean (left, in gray) with a group of Honors Luminary students on her roof deck; the entrance to the Ink Not Ink exhibition in the Bossone lobby.
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Alumni News
Lucy Briggs, music industry ‘13 and MBA ‘14, is a marketing manager at AVL Digital Group, the leader in self-publishing for content creators. She has recently co-written The Marketing Plan Blueprint, a step-by-step workbook on how to create a marketing plan that will support turning a great idea into a winning business. Check out her business related blogs at brandmarketingtips.com. As time passes, she appreciates ever so much what she gained from being a member of the Pennoni Honors College. She looks forward to connecting via Linkedin and wishes everyone all the best in 2018.
From left: Maggie DePetola in her LinkedIn ad; Brian Patrick Reilly and his wife, Miriam; Megan Sparaco and Brandon Hinman; Sheba Vine; Soha St. Juste
Maggie Deptola, international area studies ’13, was recently featured in LinkedIn’s national #InItTogether campaign for her work as COO of Coded by Kids. The commercial is playing in Philly & Atlanta markets, and ads are up on public transportation in those cities. Tina DiSciullo, international area studies ’11, got engaged to Kyle Acker, architecture ’13. The two met their freshmen year living in the then-Honors dorm Race Hall. Tina is the special events assistant at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Kyle is a project architect at BBLM Architects in Center City. The couple is planning a Spring 2019 wedding. Shefali Karani (nee Ramsinghani), entrepreneurship ’10 MBA ’13, recently became a Board Director in her family’s businesses for Rama Industries Limited (Gelatin) & Rainbow Agri Industries Limited. She is also an Executive Business Director for her family’s businesses in Mumbai, India. These include the Bombay Stock Exchange-listed Rama Phosphates Limited, Rainbow Denim Limited, and Rama Petrochemicals Limited. She is currently enrolled part-time at the Columbia Business School for the CIBE program, where she was a part of the Women in Leadership program. Jesse B. Mark, business administration ’12, relocated to Atlanta and is an account manager at Equinoxe Alternative Advisors. Dr. Lauren D. Pitts, Educational Leadership & Management (EdD) ’13; Couple, Marriage, & Family Therapy ’17, launched a new business: say YES!
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Motivation at Work (sayYES-Motivation-at-Work.com), and hosted a women’s conference in April. Brian Patrick Reilly, chemical engineering ’13, was promoted from Process Technology Engineer to Production Leader with Arkema Inc. He was married in July 2017 to Miriam Elise McGill of Evansville, IN. He was accepted to University of Texas at Austin’s MBA program starting in fall 2018. Megan Sparaco, BS/MS chemical engineering ’12 is engaged to Brandon Hinman, BS Civil/Architectural Engineering ’12. The two met their sophomore year at Drexel and have been dating since. Sparaco and Hinman are planning a June 2019 wedding. Soha St.Juste (nee Shah), BSArchitecture ’09, was promoted to Architecture Design Principal at Jacobs Philadelphia Office in 2016. She chaired eight local sub-committees and coordinated with AIA National’s
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.
2016 Convention Committee and Visitor’s Bureau of Philadelphia to host the largest Architectural Convention in the country. She sits on the American Institute of Architects Board of Directors. She was also the 2015 recipient of American Institute of Architects Pennsylvania Chapter Emerging Professional Award and the 2016 American Institute of Architects Philadelphia Chapter Volunteer of the Year Award. In 2012, she married her high school sweetheart and gave birth to a baby girl in January 2017. Sheba Vine (nee Thomas), biomedical engineering ’04, has been named the Vice President and General Counsel for First Healthcare Compliance, a privately-owned business enterprise which helps physicians and other healthcare providers comply with federal rules and regulations. Prior to joining FHC, Vine was an attorney in private practice, concentrating in litigation and employment law. She is licensed to practice law in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Vine holds a Juris Doctorate from Widener University School of Law and is a Certified Professional Compliance Officer. Lauren (Wedge) M. Wegman, Film/TV Production ’12, lent her production assistance to the 2016 film Vessel, now on a festival tour around the world. She just finished working as an AE on Discovery Velocity’s Unique Rides and is now in Botswana with the Natural History Film Unit, working on shows/ films such as Savage Kingdom, The Return of the Giant Killers, and Africa’s Fishing Leopards.
Alumna Spotlight Mary Kate Williams (nee Dahlberg), economics ’10, published her third book, Enemies of Peace, in November 2017. Enemies of Peace is a cautionary tale that touches on a range of topics from home-grown terrorism and the fear of the “other,” as well as the pitfalls of aiming for the American Dream.
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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