HONOR BOUND FROM DREXEL UNIVERSITY’S PENNONI HONORS COLLEGE • SPRING/SUMMER 2021
LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD
PLUS: Climate, COVID-19 and Drexel Dining From Sequins to Sweatpants Pandemic Pivots
Student Spotlight Folding 1,000 origami cranes, as the Japanese legend goes, grants you one wish. Or perhaps it’s eternal luck or lifelong happiness. But for Emily Mah, animation & visual effects ’23, she embarked on the leisurely endeavor to combat boredom and anxiousness before heading to college. The Honors student, former Aspire Scholar and STAR Scholar shared her paper journey at January’s Nerd Night. She showcased how the project became a way to deal with change and uncertainty and while she started prior to the pandemic, it became a fitting quarantine hobby. In October 2020, after three years, Emily folded her thousandth crane. Made from the pulp of wood and crafted into a Japanese art, the project represents Emily’s ambition and perseverance. “What was most memorable was the journey,” Emily says. “The cranes gave me both incentive and inspiration to keep going and to keep moving forward. Even now, I’ll occasionally take out my box of cranes as a reminder to myself that I can accomplish huge undertakings.”
From the Dean
As I review the final copy for this issue, I can announce that I am now fully vaccinated and have begun, tentatively, to live again
in the world. I hope that readers are in a similar position — or will soon be. It’s been a long and grueling year, but not without positive experiences and lessons learned.
Helped by the generosity of you, we were able to offer more in the way of PHC programming this academic year. We still continue to seek
support from alumi, parents, and friends of Pennon to build particular initiatives or general programming, the latter by supporting the naming of the Annette Pennoni Living Room in Bentley Hall. Annette’s husband, Chuck Pennoni, was a two-time-interim president of Drexel and the benefactor of the Pennoni Honors College. Annette was the poised, observant presence by his side at so many College events. I will always cherish the times I spent talking with Annette when she shared her thoughts about the College and issues at large. We will be naming the large space in front of the fireplace in Bentley Hall in honor of Annette.
I am especially enthusiastic about our College as we move into the summer term. Pennoni has maintained a strong connection to
its students throughout this pandemic. We have some of our first-year students living in Bentley Hall and some staff members going into their offices on a regular basis.
Meanwhile, we are thriving online. Our Honors Program students continue to be engaged by our courses — both 3-credit colloquia
and 1-credit Great Works classes. We have also been creative with other kinds of offerings: our STAR Scholars were able to choose a virtual summer 2020 option or postpone and complete their research during fall/winter 2020 — some were able to do lab work in person. We had double the number of applicants to STAR this year than last. We also had increased interest in our Aspire Scholars program, which is underwritten by one of our advisory board members and which we plan to expand with programming available to all students next year. Our fellowships applications have also been robust, with record numbers of recipients, finalists, and honorable mentions for awards, some of which will admittedly be delayed or withheld, owing to travel restrictions. The custom-designed major continues to draw student interest; some sign on to an interdisciplinary major of their own making, some decide to add a minor or dual major. The advising in this program has been crucial to students across the University
Finally, our co-curricular programming for Drexel students as well as staff, faculty, and community has been rich and varied. Some highlights:
1) A panel discussion on the subject of When Great Artists Behave Badly, in partnership with the Barnes Foundation, featuring
among its panelists Tony Award winner Bill T. Jones, was underwritten by another advisory board member and generated buzz. The panel discussion is being edited as part of The Civil Discourse, our television interview series, and distributed to PBS stations across the country. You can watch in the Philadelphia market on WHYY as well as WNYE-TV in NYC. Visit our YouTube channel at bit.ly/the-civil-discourse or check your local listings.
2) Our monthly “Wednesdays at the Kline” series included a popular event on the COVID-19 vaccine distribution in Philadelphia. It
featured a variety of perspectives, all civilly expressed in keeping with its place within our Center for Civil Discourse. For more information on the Center, contact pennoni@drexel.edu.
3) In honor of Women’s History Month, we hosted a full Pennoni Womxn’s Week series of activities in partnership with several women’s
student organizations on campus. The roster included: watching and reflecting on Kimberle Crenshaw’s TED Talk about the urgency of the study of intersectionality; womxn in STEM lightning talks, a Pennoni Panel about COVID-19 and the “She”cession; a screening of Picture a Scientist followed by a moderated discussion; and a talk with Women’s Campaign International, a Philadelphia non-profit.
4) Our weekly Shakespeare Read-Aloud continues with a vibrant and welcoming intellectual community. This winter we read our
way through Merchant of Venice and are now reading Macbeth. We encourage you to join if you have an interest in or curiosity about Shakespeare. To be added to our Shakespeare reading group, email pennoni@drexel.edu.
5) We look forward to our annual Week of Undergraduate Excellence, being held the week of May 17, with its myriad of activities and
presentations. For information on the many events during this week, please contact Jaya Mohan at jm3393@drexel.edu.
6) Please check out the latest on our online journal, TheSmartSet.com, and our podcast, Pop the Question at popqpodcast.com.
Paula Marantz Cohen Dean, Pennoni Honors College Distinguished Professor of English 215.895.1266 • cohenpm@drexel.edu 1
CONTENTS Spring/Summer 2021
4
In Brief
10
12
16
BY DR. KATIE SULLIVAN BARAK
BY HANNAH OH
Climate, COVID-19 and Drexel Dining
From Sequins to Sweatpants
Course of Nature BY CHELSEA AMANATIDES
14
Hearing Oneself Talk BY ERICA LEVI ZELINGER
PHC Magazine is published biannually by the
Dean: Dr. Paula Marantz Cohen
Marketing & Media team of Drexel University’s Pennoni Honors College.
Editorial Staff Editor: Erica Levi Zelinger
Comments? Contact us at pennoni@drexel.edu
Copy Editor: Dr. Melinda Lewis Designer: Isabella Akhtarshenas
Administration Director, Administration & Finance: Ann Alexander Executive Assistant to the Dean: Karen Sams
2
20
Leveling the Playing Field
26
30
Pandemic Pivots
Giving Birth to Benjamin
BY BRIAN KANTOREK
BY ERICA LEVI ZELINGER
BY ERICA LEVI ZELINGER
32
ON THE COVER
Academic Programs Director: Dr. Kevin D. Egan
Undergraduate Research & Enrichment Programs
Associate Director: Dr. Katie Barak
Director: Jaya Mohan
Assistant Director, Honors Program:
Senior Associate Director: Leah Gates
Julia Wisniewski
Associate Director: Kelly Weissberger
Senior Academic Advisor: Joseph M. Santangelo
Assistant Director: Emily Kashka-Ginsburg
Program Manager: Lauren Davis
Program Manager: Martha Meiers Program Manager: Roxane Lovell
Marketing & Media Director: Erica Levi Zelinger Associate Director: Dr. Melinda Lewis
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: Susan Baren-Pearson 215.571.4907 sb3488@drexel.edu
Assistant Director: Brian Kantorek
3
In Brief
Written by staff members Katie Sullivan Barak, Leah Gates, Cara Fantini, Roxane Lovell, Martha Meiers, Jaya Mohan and Erica Levi Zelinger
PENNONI PRESTIGE Leonardo Focil, finance,
submitting a strong application for the India Constituency,
economics, and legal studies ’17, was
Maanasa was long-listed as a semifinalist in September and
selected for the sixth class of
interviewed by a panel of academics, scholars, and diplomats.
Schwarzman Scholars, one of the world’s most prestigious graduate
More recently, Maanasa received the 2021 Drexel Alumni
fellowships, to pursue graduate
Award for Outstanding Student, demonstrating both
study at Schwarzman College at Tsinghua University in
active involvement and leadership in University activities
Beijing. 154 Scholars were selected from more than 3,600
and community organizations.
applicants from around the world. This new class includes students from 39 different countries and 99 universities.
As a former Marayanoff Scholar, former STAR Scholar,
While at Drexel, Leonardo triple majored in finance,
sa, is drawing upon neuroscience, physics, mathematics,
economics, and legal studies, graduating magna cum laude. He was an Ecuadorian recipient of the first class of Drexel Global Scholars, a full tuition scholarship for international students who Drexel believes will be global leaders in the future. After graduating from Drexel, as an international student Leonardo was allowed to work in the United States for one year under his optional practice training (OPT), which he did at BlackRock. After his OPT ended, BlackRock paid to sponsor his work visa; however,
Aspire Scholar, and dedicated student researcher, Maanacomputation and chemistry, to understand how the brain processes information and represents the world around it, how thoughts are created, influenced by various factors and put into action. She is also leader in the Drexel community, mentoring students across the campus as a STEM Retention Peer Mentor and as an Honors Program Mentor and a Global Engagement Scholar. She has earned a 4.0 GPA every term at Drexel. Maanasa wants to pursue a career in research and is applying for graduate programs.
he was not selected in the H1-B visa lottery process. Upon his return to Ecuador he worked at Produbanco. Then, he was hired to work as an Ecuadorian diplomat for the Commercial office of ProEcuador in New York, where he is currently employed.
engineering ’21, also received the 2021 Drexel Alumni Award for Outstanding Student. He has also
Leonardo is looking forward to the next step in his life path as a Schwarzman Scholar at Tsinghua University in Beijing, where he will pursue a master’s degree in global affairs. He is eager to be part of this amazing program as a Drexel alum, where he will learn and exchange ideas with leaders and students from around the world.
Maanasa Natrajan, BS custom-designed major ’21, Honors, was selected as a finalist for the 2021 Rhodes Scholarship, providing full financial support to complete a graduat degree at Oxford University. After
4
Mark Petrovic, materials science &
contributed to Pennoni Honors College as a 2017 STAR Scholar, SuperNova Undergraduate Research Fellow and presenter during the Week of Undergraduate Excellence. Mark was also the recipient of a UREP Research Mini-grant for both Winter and Spring terms (see page 7).
#INSTANATURE When Jakub Zegar, environmental science ’20, told a Fulbright priority review committee about the newt he wanted to study in Australia, Pennoni’s Dr. Melinda Lewis instructed him with her wry humor and pop culture knowledge: treat your project like an action movie trailer. These days Zegar is working as a scientist for the United States Geological Survey’s Northeastern Amphibian Research & Monitoring Initiative conducting amphibian surveys, but he’s taken to using Instagram to incorporate TikTok, clips from Adele, Bill Withers and Natasha Bedingfield, wildlife wisecracks, preachy PSAs and fun tidbits of STEM education to showcase his fieldwork. @jakub.zegar
AN EASIER WAY TO FIND RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES Undergraduate Research & Enrichment Programs recently launched ForagerOne at Drexel, a new online platform to connect Drexel undergraduate students and faculty in research, scholarship and creative work. This platform was designed by Johns Hopkins alumni who had difficulty identifying potential mentors and research opportunities when they themselves were undergraduates; like many of their Gen Z peers, they decided not to just get frustrated with the problem but to find a way to solve it. ForagerOne helps increase access to research opportunities to interested undergraduate students and helps faculty recruit the best and most motivated students for their projects.
and Pax discuss @GenderfunkPhilly, an Instagram handle
“WE MUST ACCEPT THE REALITY THAT THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ARE NOT SPREAD EVENLY, DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTING PEOPLE OF COLOR, WOMEN, LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES, IMMIGRANTS, AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.”
they co-founded, showcasing trans and non-binary theater
From “Texas Republican Leadership Failed Disabled People
SETTING THE SCENE Margaux Cattelona, entertainment and arts management ’21, Honors, created a podcast for her senior project to incorporating the voices of marginalized artists in the industry. Each episode of “Pull Back the Curtain: A Philly Theatre Podcast,” features a different Philadelphia theater artist chatting about their work. The first episode introduces listeners to Pax Ressler, a local creator, composer, performer, designer, educator and music director. Margaux
talent in Philly; misconceptions about non-binary artists; and the intersection of arts and advocacy. Stay tuned for 12 additional episodes. anchor.fm/pullbackthecurtainpod
During Winter Storm Disaster,” an op-ed in Teen Vogue by Katie Reilly, music industry ’11, and campaign director at UltraViolet, an organization mobilized to fight sexism and expand women’s rights. See the full text at bit.ly/climate-change-impacts 5
In Brief
FREE OUR MAMAS Lara Bros has always had an interest in how art communi-
“I hope there is an increased understanding that people
cates a shared humanity and peoples’ lived experiences. But
are larger than the labels we place on them,” Lara says.
when she chose to do her senior thesis project on People’s
With a relative currently incarcerated, she has always been
Paper Co-op (PPC), a local arts group comprised of formerly
aware of the inner workings of the criminal justice system.
incarcerated women that annually sells their posters to fund-
“It’s really easy to pigeonhole someone as a “criminal,” but
raise bail money for Black mothers and caregivers, the senior
it doesn’t explain the person, the layers of oppression, the
Honors Program student became fervently enthusiastic by
generational trauma. Art without action isn’t enough. And
the intersections of art, art history and social justice.
I love the concept of art physically freeing people.”
Part of what the art history major loved about her time in
The poster — a large printed image often used for
the Honors College was exploring topics in interdisciplinary
decoration or advertisement — gets left out of the larger
ways and seeing matters from other peoples’ perspectives.
narrative of art history, Lara says, but by creating a virtual
This is why Lara plans to share the details of her project with
exhibition of PPC’s posters, Lara hopes to help the organi-
a group of students during this May’s Nerd Night, part of
zation preserve their work, highlighting the ambitions of
Pennoni’s annual Week of Undergraduate Excellence, May 19
Black women who overcome the trauma of incarceration,
from 5-7 pm (drexel.edu/week-of-undergraduate-excellence).
and the future of a medium that often goes unrecognized in the art world.
Lara, who has minors in criminal justice and business administration, will discuss the issues faced by women in
When she graduates in June, Lara hopes to continue her
America’s carceral system, seen through PPC’s posters. The
work with assisting incarcerated people at the Pennsylvania
organization partners with the Philadelphia Community Bail
Prison Society.
Fund to sell their posters to free Black mothers and caregivers in time for Mother’s Day. PPC shreds criminal record paperwork and transforms it into individually screen-printed posters with messages about liberating mothers, amplifying
For more information about the posters, go to: FreeOurMamas.com
personhood over dehumanizing criminals, and celebrating Black femininity and freedom.
M O E W N E ! BUY E R A RT ! F
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UREP INTRODUCES UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH MINI-GRANTS During Winter Term 2021, student and faculty pairs were invited to apply to Pennoni’s Undergraduate Research & Enrichment Programs (UREP) for mini-grants to support research, scholarly, or creative projects. UREP anticipated awarding $1,500 to 15 student-faculty pairs, and then the department received 70 applications from students studying economics, biology, engineering, nursing and more. UREP, with the help of donor gifts made to Pennoni Honors College, was able to fund 21 projects, including one to Matt Bauman, virtual reality and immersive media ’23, and Dr. Arun Ramakrishnan of Drexel’s College of Nursing and Health Professions who are working on developing immersive educational modules for nursing students. Emily Hostetter, psychology ’21, is working with Dr. Nancy Raitano Lee (College of Arts and Sciences, Psychology) exploring the relationship between parenting behavior and reading skills of children with Down Syndrome. Laura Klouda, biological sciences ’24, and her mentor Dr. Michael J. Bouchard (Drexel University College of Medicine, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), are using bioinformatics to investigate ways to detect a form of liver cancer earlier. With the overwhelming response to this grant program, UREP is offering minigrants again this Spring Term. All students who have been awarded funding will present their work at the annual Week of Undergraduate Excellence held virtually the week of May 17.
PENNONI CELEBRATES BLACK EXCELLENCE Pennoni’s Undergraduate Research & Enrichment Programs hosted a Black Excellence in Research Panel in February in honor of Black History Month. This event featured four Black Drexel faculty and staff members and spotlighted their achievements in research, as well as the challenges they’ve faced while navigating the realm of academic research as Black scholars. The goal of this event was to create space for an honest conversation about the benefits and barriers to completing academic research. Attendees had the opportunity to submit questions and chat informally with panelists. The highlight of the night was when the panelists gave words of wisdom to aspiring Black researchers; their main message emphasized the importance of building a support network of peers and mentors to get you through the tough times, to recognize that failure is a natural part of the research process, and above all else, be true to yourself and your research.
7
In Brief
BRINGING WOMXN TOGETHER To kick off Women’s History Month, Pennoni Honors College hosted a week of collaborative events that featured staff, students and guest speakers discussing issues that impact those who identify as womxn. This series was created by the College because this past year has been especially challenging for womxn whose issues range from racial disparities to economic hardship, and the impact of these issues can be devastating. In addition to addressing some of the challenges womxn face, Pennoni aimed to uplift womxn making strides in their fields and differences in their communities. On Monday, March 1, the Honors Program kicked off the week with a TED Talk by Kimberle Crenshaw on The Urgency of Intersectionality. Following a viewing of the TED Talk, Drexel’s Womxn’s Empowerment Group led a group discussion on intersectional identities and how to communicate the significance of recognizing the intersectionality within others. The following day Undergraduate Research & Enrichment Programs hosted “Womxn in STEM Lightning Talks.” This student-centered event featured Drexel womxn in STEM; students gave short presentations on topics that covered personal experiences, advice for other womxn in STEM, and highlighting womxn who’ve inspired them. Following these presentations there was a Q&A with the audience. Our Wednesday evening Pennoni Panel was themed “COVID-19 & the ‘She’cession”; during this discussion panelists and attendees unpacked the economic impact of COVID-19 on the womxn’s job market, with deliberate focus on healthcare, policy and racial issues. On Thursday evening Pennoni hosted a movie night featuring Picture a Scientist, a documentary that follows a biologist, chemist, and geologist and both the subtle slights and brutal harassment experienced in their STEM fields. Following the screening, Jui Hanamshet, computer engineering ’21, moderated a discussion with respondent Dean Sharon Walker of the College of Engineering. Closing out Pennoni Womxn’s Week, the Honors Program hosted Feel Good Friday featuring Women’s Campaign International. Leaders from this non-profit organization spoke with Drexel students about ways that they could get involved. The weeklong event provided an opportunity to facilitate conversation among students, staff, faculty and members of the community around issues that are impacting womxn today.
8
ACTION-ORIENTED YOUNG LEADERS The Harry S. Truman Scholarship recognizes exceptional rising leaders committed to careers in public service. Each year, Drexel nominates a small number of juniors are considered for this national award. Because the number of campus nominations is very limited, students are selected as nominees by an internal committee of faculty and staff, before working with an advisor at Undergraduate Research and Enrichment Programs to develop their full application. The Truman application requires students to reflect deeply about their goals and significant experiences in a series of brief essays. Though each statement is shorter than 2,000 characters, Drexel’s four nominees spent more than three months carefully crafting their insightful responses. The resulting essays were too good not to share; featured here are our favorite excerpts: Illustration from Jasper Goes to the Ballet
Melissa Hoxha, biological sciences ’22
Alisia Lipsey, dance ’22
Nishka Seth, psychology ’22
Reflecting on the issues she wants to
Reflecting on a satisfying service
Reflecting on a significant leadership
address through her career:
experience:
experience:
“Few forms of healthcare have as
“Many participants [in a workshop I
immediate an impact on quality of
facilitated for the Intergalactic Pride
life as addressing a vision impair-
Center] shared an experience I rec-
ment. However, the current health
ognized from my own life: the books
system is not structured to treat
we could access as a child, both at
vision care as an essential need. In
home and at school, only depicted
insurance plans, vision care is often
heterosexual relationships and char-
excluded from basic policy coverage and treated as a luxury service. As an ophthalmic surgeon committed to healthcare reform, I want to use my career to advocate for policy that makes vision care, as well as other forms of essential and preventative care, accessible to more people.”
Image courtesy of Alisia Lipsey
“Some other Drexel students and I collaborated to lead a program for children with disabilities, most of whom were nonverbal and all of whom used wheelchairs; the goal was to create a supportive environment for participants to express themselves, increase their capacity for movement, and interact with others. Each week, we collaborated and danced with one another as a form of therapy and means of building a community. After volunteering at the HMS School for Children with Cerebral Palsy, I was able to value the human body in its entirety. I was able to see how every aspect of the mind,
Image courtesy of Melissa Hoxha
acters, and the vast majority of characters were white. As queer youth, particularly of color, we couldn’t use books as a way to process and identify our own experiences with gender and attraction. I decided to collaborate with our participants to produce a children’s book that would include characters of color sharing what it meant to them to identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other identities. Based on their input, I published Jasper Goes to the Ballet last year. My role at the Center allowed me to work with public school teachers across Pennsylvania to educate them on LGBTQ identities and offer my book for free.”
body and spirit of each student influenced their dance experience.”
9
CO
Consider This
RE
F NAT O E S U R U
I couldn’t find a general class on sustainability as an undergraduate, so I came back to the Honors Program to teach it BY CHELSEA AMANATIDES (NEÉ KNITTEL), SUSTAINABLE MATERIALS AND DESIGN ’14, TEXTILE FABRICATION ENGINEER, PENNSYLVANIA FABRIC DISCOVERY 10
CENTER AND THE CENTER FOR FUNCTIONAL FABRICS
A
class on sustainability
In the fall of 2020, I returned to
Ten years ago, it already felt like we
was an idea that had
Pennoni Honors College, this time
were moving too slowly on addressing
been floating around
as a professor, to teach “Survey
the problems of climate change and
in my head for a while.
of Sustainability” for the Honors
related sustainable design challenges.
It was exactly the kind of course
Program. I had reached out to
Now, more and more scientists are
that I was searching for as a Drexel
Dr. Kevin Egan, director of Academic
noting how little time we may have
sophomore back in 2011. Driven by a
Programs and my former advisor
left to make an impact. My biggest
passion for minimizing my footprint
with the course idea. From there,
hope from teaching the course is that
on the natural environment, I had
I began writing lectures, planning
students found themselves excited to
just switched out of fashion design
discussions, and inviting guest
be part of the solution as well, incor-
into the newly created custom-de-
speakers. My goal with this course
porating sustainability into their work
signed major (CSDN) program. After
was to engage in conversations about
going forward and inspiring others to
pouring through and parsing out the
all the areas of our lives that could
do so as well.
entire catalogue of courses offered
use sustainable changes, including
at Drexel, I created my own major,
our eating and purchasing habits,
sustainable materials and design.
travel, work, health, living and more.
It focused on understanding how
I wanted to encourage students to
design decisions and material choices
identify the impacts in their own
affected the natural environment
fields of study and consider changes
and, therefore, the people living in
that can minimize waste and
it. This major merged knowledge
pollution. Sitting on the other side of
primarily from product design,
the “desk” as a teacher now, I thought
fashion design and environmental
about how as a student one often
sciences. My plan of study also
assumes their teacher knows every-
included every course I could fit
thing about a subject. With the topic
from the sustainability in the built
of sustainability — an ever-changing
environment minor. While all of
field, that certainly is not the
these classes enriched my knowledge
case; I know I don’t have all of the
and built a cohesive degree, there
answers. Climate change, sustainable
was one type of class that I always
practices, social sustainability
wanted and never found. I sought
… these are all big, open-ended
a class that introduced all students,
questions and there is still so much
regardless of their major, to sustain-
work to do to figure out practical and
ability concepts and problem areas
effective solutions.
that are becoming more and more
“SITTING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ‘DESK’ AS A TEACHER NOW, I THOUGHT ABOUT HOW AS A STUDENT ONE OFTEN ASSUMES THEIR TEACHER KNOWS EVERYTHING ABOUT A SUBJECT.”
critical for addressing the prevention of further large-scale climate change.
Using the interdisciplinary skills I learned in the CSDN program, as well during my PhD research, I was
“WHILE ALL OF THESE CLASSES
energized by engaging in meaningful
ENRICHED MY KNOWLEDGE
about sustainability. I’m excited to
AND BUILT A COHESIVE DEGREE,
the University towards solutions,
THERE WAS ONE TYPE OF CLASS
Academy of Natural Sciences’ efforts
THAT I ALWAYS WANTED BUT
catalog ongoing climate work through
NEVER FOUND.”
research and civic engagement.
conversations with Honors students continue to find ways to work with through Climate Year, Drexel and the in 2021 to celebrate, support, and institutional practices, curriculum,
11
CLIMATE, COVID-19 AND DREXEL DINING 2021 kicked off with an interdisciplinary problem-solving bang as Drexel students competed to answer the following prompt: As the climate emergency accelerates, we now find ourselves
BY DR. KATIE SULLIVAN BARAK, ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR INTERDISCIPLINARY INQUIRY, ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
competition provided an avenue for students living apart to connect meaningfully. Custom-designed major, Honors Program student, and 2018 STAR Scholar, Aditi Bawa
grappling with Covid-19 safety measures that have suddenly
originally pitched the idea of a case competition as the first
increased our reliance on single-use plastics — a major driver
big event for “Climate Year,” a joint 2021 initiative between
of fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
Drexel and the Academy of Natural Sciences. For her, some
In Drexel’s dining services, how can we support the need for
of the best personal and professional relationships are built
student safety while minimizing the use of plastics?
upon a shared goal. “During this time when we’re all staring
This is the issue Drexel Business Services and Aramark found themselves facing when planning for students to return to campus. The campus café Urban Eatery, with its food
into a never-ending void of ‘what-ifs,’ what if we were brought together by something more like ‘how can we?’” Winning team members were overwhelmingly affiliated
court-style stations, provided the perfect setting to reimagine
with the Pennoni Honors College. Tommy Bui Nguyen, an
a dining experience that maximized student and staff safety
Honors Program student majoring in computer science,
while minimizing food waste and single-use plastics.
shared how his team created such a comprehensive model:
After one week of collaborating, four interdisciplinary
“After coming up with the core idea of ‘let’s just try and
teams of Drexel undergraduates (made up of students
remove single-use cutlery from the equation,’ we all tried
from at least three different disciplines) pitched their
to think of ways to leverage our individual skillsets.”
practical solutions to a panel of judges. Teams could tackle
Interdisciplinary thinking is something that custom-designed
sustainability at any point in the dining process — from
major Katy Redmond is very familiar with but working
procurement to composting waste. Regardless of the angle,
on an interdisciplinary team was something new. For
solutions needed to demonstrate an interdisciplinary
her, seeing how each team member worked through the
approach. Proposals also had to operate within budget,
problem was illuminating. “A lot of people in my group are
work within the preexisting space, include cost-benefit
numbers-oriented but I’m driven by art and design, so I was
analyses, and build out a campus engagement plan to
worried about how we’d work together. But we needed all
encourage student buy-in.
those different ideas at the table.”
The winning team pitched a multi-tiered solution they
Judge Anthony Klaumenzer, associate director of Drexel
called Drexel Grab & Go. In their plan, Urban Eatery would
Business Services and sustainability liaison, said he was
shift to a takeaway dining experience where students could
impressed by the range of solutions teams created. What
order ahead with a mobile-ordering app and simply pick up
ultimately set Drexel Grab & Go apart was the way it
their food. This would streamline the experience and cut
addressed the immediate needs regarding COVID-19, while
down on contact and time in the dining space. Additionally,
also offering a long-term solution to lowering Drexel’s carbon
students enrolled in Drexel’s meal plan would be given
footprint. It also built onto current sustainability initiatives
reusable cutlery and tote bags, eliminating the need for
already taken at the University, while modernizing with the
single-use plastic cutlery or plastic bags.
mobile-ordering app. The Drexel Grab & Go team is already
In addition to real-world problem-solving, the case
12
An interdisciplinary case competition prompts student teams to solve real-world problems
working with leadership to roll out the plan for Fall 2021.
CASE COMPETITION FAST FACTS ‣ Students from all years participated ‣ Some students were in classes while others participated while on co-op ‣ The $2,000 prize pool was split among the top 3 proposals ‣ 11 out of 20 students competing were members of the Honors Program ‣ 8 out of 20 students competing were STAR Scholars ‣ 2 out of 20 students competing applied for fellowships ‣ Disciplines represented: › biology › business analytics and finance › chemical engineering › computer engineering › computer science* › data science* › economics
*~900 students on meal plan now (Bulk) 1000 sets of Bamboo cutlery - $3160 (Bulk) 1000 reusable Tote bags - $2030 Total - $5190 *~3000 transactions per day, min 70 days per term Cost per single-use utensil - $0.02 Containers - $0.02 Assuming 3 utensils, 1 container each transaction: 3000*70*(0.02*3)*(0.02) = $168000
› environmental science › environmental studies & sustainability › global studies › health sciences › management information systems
*Prices found online, meal plan and transaction data provided during case competitors office hours
› mathematics
(16800 - 5190)/16800 * 100 =
› mechanical engineering › nutrition* › sustainable design management (CSDN)* * majors represented on winning team
WINNING TEAM
JUDGES
SPONSORS
‣ Allen Cai, data science ’24, Honors
‣ Anthony Klaumenzer, associate
‣ Aramark at Drexel
‣ Christina Gian, nutrition and foods ’22,
Honors Program, STAR Scholar
‣ Natasha Karnoto, computer science ’24,
Honors Program
director of Drexel Business Services
and sustainability liaison
‣ Nicholas Mendez, Resident District
Manager with Aramark for Drexel
Campus Dining
‣ Tommy Bui Nguyen, computer
‣ Center for Interdisciplinary
Inquiry/Pennoni Honors College
‣ Drexel Business Services ‣
Drexel Climate & Sustainability
and Climate Year The Office of Research and
science ’23, Honors Program, STAR,
‣ Professor Dee Nicholas, coordinator
‣
2019-20 Aspire Scholar
sustainability in the built enviroment
Innovation
minor and director of the MS design
research program, Westphal College of
Media Arts & Design
‣ Katy Redmond, custom-designed
major: sustainable design
management ’22
‣ Undergraduate Student
Government Association
13
HEARING ONESELF TALK BY ERICA LEVI ZELINGER
A current STAR Scholar analyzes the psychological elements of public speaking using an app created by two former STAR Scholars
I
t wasn’t so much his in-depth explanation of a promising new class of protein-based therapeutics that Anthony Lisi was particularly hung up on when listening to an audio playback of his practice presen-
tation for the Fall/Winter 2021 STAR Scholars Showcase. It was about eliminating filler words, improving his pace, and sounding confident. Using the app Orai, an artificial intelligence speech coach, the second-year chemistry major is working to bring his public speaking skills to the next level. And he’s doing so using a comprehensive coaching app created by three Drexel graduates: Danish Dhamani, mechanical engineering, ’17, Honors, Paritosh Gupta, computer science ’18, and Aasim Sani, entrepreneurship & innovation ’20, the first a consummate Honors Program student and two are 2014 STAR Scholars. (See right for more about the Orai creators.)
14
I
“
t’s weird to hear yourself talk,” Anthony says, “but hearing yourself in playback is fundamental to learning. You are your harshest critic. During presentations, when the nerves take over and you get caught up in the
Speaking from Experience When Danish Dhamani, mechanical engineering, ’17, Honors, Paritosh Gupta, computer science ’18, and Aasim
moment, you are not present. When you take the time to
Sani, entrepreneurship & innovation ’20, were undergrad-
review your speech after the nerves have subsided, that’s
uates, the burgeoning businessmen created Orai to ease the
when you pick up on the mistakes you’ve made and can
process of public speaking and offer personalized feedback.
make the proper corrections. Having Orai as a resource to
“When we started Orai, it was a side-hustle; something
gain confidence during practice runs can make your final
to make our resumes shine and get our dream jobs,”
presentation that much better.”
Danish jokes. “I didn’t imagine Orai would actually end up
Already involved in a variety of public speaking roles including STAR, open houses for prospective students,
becoming that dream job!” When users tell the Orai developers they’ve improved
undergraduate research conferences and Pennoni’s 2020-21
their presentation skills or overcome their fear of public
Aspire Scholars cohort, Anthony took quickly to Orai’s
speaking, or even managed to get a job because of what
speech analysis algorithm, legendary motivational speech
they’ve built, Danish says, “that is the most rewarding
videos, and tips from experienced professionals. He used
experience of the start-up journey.”
the daily lessons to track his progress and raise the bar for
In 2019, Orai raised $2.3 million in seed funding and has
himself. The app, he says, is not only useful to prepare to
grown to more than 5,000 active users. Corporate clients
present research, but for reaching out to his Aspire mentors
include Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Comcast and IBM. This
and removing filler words when he speaks, allowing him to
year, the trio were among those featured on the competitive
have more structured, professional conversations.
Forbes 30 Under 30 2021 top young entrepreneurs list.
“I compare it to the Rosetta Stone of public speaking,” Anthony says. “It is the difference between having a good presentation and being a great public speaker.” Having a video playback feature that analyzes eye contact and hand motions, Anthony suggests, would be an interesting feature to add to the app.
Receiving this honor is like going on a roller coaster ride, admits Danish. “You feel the thrill of it for a moment and then life goes back to normal — you put your head down and start building again.” Seven years after Paritosh completed his STAR research on functional near-infrared spectroscopy and Danish on textilebased energy systems, Danish acknowledges that being “nudged” to take classes beyond his mechanical engineering course work played a huge role in the development of his multidisciplinary skills and created a desire to look beyond a traditional engineering career after college. “Research is about creating new knowledge and applying that knowledge to solve problems,” says Jaya Mohan, director of undergraduate research and enrichment programs. “Danish and Paritosh, having participated in the STAR Scholars Program and other venues in which public speaking has been of paramount importance, have been able to develop a tool to help others succeed in the same experiences.” Any Drexel student can double their chances of getting a co-op or finding a job by using Orai, Danish says. “How? By simply practicing their elevator pitch, and the top 10 questions asked by interviewers. You might do this once in a mock interview with your co-op advisor, but if you do this five or more times on Orai, you’re guaranteed to shine and stand out in the interview.”
Graphics courtesy of Orai
As for Anthony’s suggestions, Danish adds, eye contact and hand gestures are on Orai’s future road map!
15
Fr om to S we S at
s n i u s q t e n a p
BY HANNAH OH, CUSTOM-DESIGNED MAJOR: DIGITAL FASHION MEDIA AND MARKETING ’22
16
ONE STUDENT’S TAKE ON HOW FASHION EVOLVED TO FIT PANDEMIC-WEARY WAISTS
T
here’s a good chance you’re tired of hearing about how COVID-19 has rocked the world. It seems like every day there’s another article preaching to the choir about a pandemic
that you’re experiencing firsthand. But I want to show you a brief glimpse into what COVID-19 has done to the fashion industry which no longer exists in the way that we knew it, and what my “pandemic pivot” has looked like. March 2020. The whole country went into lockdown. Social calendars dissolved into nothing, everyone fought over toilet paper and online purchases for fuzzy slippers, pajamas, candles and sweatpants shot up like never before. Previously unstable retailers that had been inching towards a slow death started filing for bankruptcy (JCPenney,
"WHAT I WITNESSED UNFOLD ONLINE WAS A BLOSSOMING OF PEOPLE TRULY STARTING TO DRESS THE WAY THAT THEY WANTED TO."
J.Crew, True Religion and Neiman Marcus, to name a few.) Fashion shows were cancelled as seasons became irrelevant and past seasons’ clothing remained unpurchased at brick-and-mortar off-price stores as customers flocked to the much safer alternative of online shopping, and yet we all continued to shop online as reports of Amazon workers in unsafe conditions continued to emerge. On top of all
B
ut I wouldn’t say that fashion died during lockdown even though we had nowhere to go, no one to see and nobody to impress. What I witnessed unfold online was a blossoming
that, the financial instability of the COVID-19 recession led
trend of people truly starting to dress the way that they
companies to try to force their already-underpaid overseas
wanted to. Unencumbered by weather, utility, function-
laborers to absorb the costs by paying lower rates and not
ality or the prying eyes of strangers on the street, my
fulfilling payments for shipments that went unsold due to
social media feeds were filled with photos of whimsical
pandemic closures. Needless to say, COVID-19 magnified
strawberry sequin dresses, corseted gowns based on the
the fashion industry’s pre-existing issues tenfold. The
deeply nostalgic hit Barbie animated movies from my
pandemic has also reiterated what industry professionals
childhood, and cardigans with novelty scenes (thank
have preached for years — ecommerce is the future, social
you, Harry Styles). What I saw was people who no longer
media is the next marketing frontier and if you don’t know
had set occasions to wear their best clothing deciding to
how to adapt, you’ll sink (or go naked!).
declare every day as an occasion for themselves. I found myself experiencing several personal pandemic pivots as well, including the realization that I wanted to work in editorial fashion. As this is Honor Bound magazine, I can’t not mention that the Pennoni Honors College and my advisor Dr. Kevin Egan stepped in and allowed me to create a fall term independent study on fashion journalism as a result of my editorially-inclined realization. I worked with the venerable Dean Paula Marantz Cohen to explore personal and fashion-based writing, and that experience was timed perfectly to match the 2020 cultural zeitgeist of clinging to the arts, media and the internet to keep us entertained, connected and sane. The fashion industry has always had deep flaws, but my hope is that this year will be a pivotal moment to strip down the excess and fall back onto why we all loved fashion to begin with — because it’s wearable, wordless, deeply complex, statement-making, everyday art. That’s why we stick around.
Photography courtesy of Hannah Oh
17
FASHIONING MY OWN MAJOR
“H
i, my name is Hannah Oh and I’m a junior at Drexel University studying a major I designed myself called digital fashion media and marketing.”
Typing up this particular sentence is practically muscle memory for me at this point. Every LinkedIn introduction, cold email and icebreaker activity begins with this sentence. The fashion major I’ve designed is one of my greatest accomplishments, but I never really planned on pursuing anything remotely fashion-related. I didn’t always know how to dress; I didn’t always know where to shop, but I did always (secretly, and then not-so secretly) love fashion. I told myself that I was academically-inclined, and not cool enough for fashion anyways. I read books during recess, after all. However, I have spent my entire life flirting with and reckoning with what other people have defined personal style to be, and it’s shaped me into the person that I dress every morning. My earliest, most distinctive style memory involved Disney princesses and scratchy costumes, sized for a wide-eyed little girl to wear. The songs were catchy, the eyes were sparkly, the princes were color-coordinated with their respective princesses, and I loved it all. Even two decades later those things don’t sound unappealing to me. I still sometimes indulge that little girl when it comes to my dressing habits as I’m undeniably drawn to pretty dresses and skirts that flow out when I spin. My parents dressed me up as an anesthesiologist for Halloween when I was two years old, though, so although I’m currently studying to obtain a fashion degree, I like to think that they encouraged me to become whomever I wanted to be.
E
ventually I developed a keen awareness of the “cool kid” dress code in everything from the swimsuits my classmates wore at pool parties to the Abercrombie & Fitch logo tees I saw my
friends show off, and style became both a place of joy and conflict in my life. I experimented with everything from a wannabe punk-rock style to emulating the outfits worn by the distinctly mid-2010s YouTube beauty gurus, all while convincing myself that I needed to let go of my love of fashion and eventually choose a path that was more orthodox and academically-focused. I dabbled with fashion-adjacent work when I discovered that I could make money in high school by selling clothing on Poshmark, the social marketplace for secondhand style, but still found myself applying to business, marketing and communications programs during my senior year of high school. After playing college-major roulette each time, I submitted another college application, I discovered that Drexel had a design-your-own major program and began to let myself dream a little. I poured time into mapping out what it would look like to theoretically pursue a major that combined design & merchandising, marketing and communications, while also exploring my love for performing arts, and upon acceptance, committed to Pennoni’s custom-designed major program (much to the confusion of my high school friends who had never heard of interdisciplinary studies.) There were few things more identity-shaping during my freshman year than being the only person studying what I’m studying at Drexel, but I found commonality and community within the Honors Program which I will always be grateful for. I’ll admit that I played a little bit of style chameleon in trying to figure out how my newly emerged collegiate self would dress but came to
"FASHION IS
the conclusion that I’d wear whatever I wanted to wear,
WEARABLE, WORDLESS,
ultimately it would be distinctly me. Our identities are
DEEPLY COMPLEX, STATEMENT-MAKING, EVERYDAY ART."
inspired by whomever I wanted to be inspired by and formed from our interactions with others, sure, but it is up to us to pinpoint them and decide how much control they are allowed to have over our lives. My major has allowed me to pursue an academic study of a creative medium that the world clings to as a common language of expression. It’s not a traditional path, that’s for sure, but it brings me great joy to know that the clothing I love is, and will continue to be, deeply imbued with meaning.
Photography courtesy of Hannah Oh
18
19
LEVELING THE PLAYING FIELD BY ERICA LEVI ZELINGER
Two Goldwater nominees describe overcoming adversity and encouraging diversity in their STEM disciplines
A
kilah Chatman is confident with a voice that is
While their career goals and professional aspirations center
even-keeled but assertive. The Black non-binary
around environmental science and ecology, Akilah’s research
student is among only a handful of people of
now pursues the field with an eye toward facilitating environ-
color in their courses. They (Akilah uses the
mental justice for disenfranchised groups.
pronouns they, their, and them) speak passionately about
Akilah, environmental science ’22, parlayed their frustration
the field of environmental science and the home they have
of underrepresentation of Black and Brown students in STEM
found in Drexel’s Department of Biodiversity, Earth &
into an application for a Goldwater Scholarship, the preeminent
Environmental Science (BEES). But, they acknowledge
undergraduate award for students pursuing research careers
disappointedly, the general field of study is still “very rich
in the natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics. Akilah
and very white.”
is one of five Drexel Goldwater nominees, including: Sumaiya
“I’m one of the few people in class that can look past the
Begum, BS biological sciences ’22, Honors; Julia Dengler, BS/
lesson and ask questions like, ‘How does this affect Black
MS biomedical engineering ’23, Honors; Cyra Gallano, BS/
people? Poor people?’ It’s not a lack on the other students,
MS materials science and engineering ’23, Honors; and Emma
but a lack on the education system.”
MacNeil, BS/MS biomedical engineering ‘22, Honors.
20
R
eceiving this award would help Akilah fund a research project to match Philadelphia schools with public green space to increase accessibility for low-income Black, Brown, and Indigenous children in Philadelphia, and assess how green space utilization impacts formation
of STEM identity. On a basic level, the financial stipend would also afford Akilah the opportunity to actually graduate. Raised by a single, Jamaican mother between the Caribbean island nation and Miami, Akilah has come full circle from their days in elementary school, being intrigued by the 3 R’s — the principles of reducing waste, reusing and recycling resources. They were initially lured to Wellesley College in Massachusetts to study Applied Mathematical Physics and eventually Environmental Engineering. During their upbringing in Jamaica, Akilah was very in tune to the differences in standard of living: they often found themselves in situations without running water or plumbing and became motivated to do research that improves the standards of living for the most disadvantaged. Prior to transferring to Drexel, winning a sustainability challenge competition at Wellesley led Akilah to help design and build a multifaceted, continuously submersible water sensor that graphs data to the web in real time. This experience showed them that they could create solutions to address real-world problems. When Akilah transferred to Drexel in 2018 to pursue a more diverse student body, they didn’t immediately find what they were looking for in the College of Engineering, but discovered a sense of community conducting research in the College of Arts & Science’s BEES department. Finding their own dedicated community in a department, a lab and engagement with the neighborhoods around Drexel yielded a list of credentials for Akilah that — especially as a junior transfer student — is exceptionally impressive: studying abroad at Reykjavik University’s Iceland School of Energy, working as a teaching assistant for Drexel’s Environmental Science Leadership Academy, completing a scientific computing certificate from Brookhaven National Lab, participating in the Department of Environmental Protection’s Local Climate Action Program (LCAP), andrunning social media for Dr. Dane Ward’s conservation biology lab. Their function in the Ward Lab, helped vary the lab’s science communication and social media to celebrate racially diverse and LGBT+ scientists, and highlight social justice issues in science. “This role,” Akilah says, “opened my eyes to the challenges of transforming
“Everything that I study is about environmental science and racial justice and how those two intersect.”
science and academia into more equitable, accessible spaces, from the jargon or paywalls that may make scientific findings inaccessible, to the systematic underrepresentation of minorities in science.” Akilah also took on the role of teaching assistant for Drexel’s Environmental Science Leadership Academy, helping high school students design capstone projects on environmental issues. “Everything that I study is about environmental science and racial justice and how those two intersect,” Akilah says. “The goal of my research is to make STEM more accessible to minorities and allow them to develop a STEM identity.” Because of COVID Akilah could not pursue their Freeman-ASIA Award and a planned co-op in Cambodia doing community-based environmental consulting, but before pursuing a master’s and eventually a PhD, they plan to take some time off and go abroad. “I just want to be somewhere in the wilderness — a hands-in-the-dirt kind-of-thing!” 21
FIRST IN THE FAMILY
A
s the daughter of an immigrant
into Pennoni Honors College offerings,
high school investigating geometric
family from Bangladesh,
and learn about the world around her.
frustration in colloids. She expanded
Sumaiya Begum, BS biological
She credits the Honors College in
sciences ’22, Honors, is acutely
helping her shape her plan of study
and Magnetics Laboratory at Drexel,
aware of the sacrifices her family made
and even discovering a bit of who
designing magnetically-actuated
for her to go to college.
she is, but her maturity and enthu-
ribbons for minimally invasive surgery.
“My success is my family’s success,”
siasm for her fields of research are
She also conducted bio research in
Sumaiya says humbly. So, receiving the
so pure and contagious, it’s hard to
her SEA-PHAGES course, analyzing
Goldwater to support her commitment
believe anybody but Sumaiya deserves
microbial drug interactions and
to a research career in science would
acknowledgement.
genome sequencing techniques.
provide not just Sumaiya, but all her
“I’m a bio major with a chem minor
relatives, a small financial and a large
and research experience in physics. At
realized, allowed her to see the full
emotional reparation for leaving a
first,” Sumaiya jests, “it might look like
extent of her research and give herself
country crippled by poverty, socioeco-
I’m confused. But the answer is there
the credit she rightly deserved for the
nomic corruption and chaos.
is a bridge between all of them.”
work she has done.
At only 20, the down-to-earth
22
her research interests at the Plasma
Sumaiya’s research started with
Applying for the Goldwater, Sumaiya
“My grandfather shared a piece of
and motivated student had to grow
soft condensed matter, looking at
advice with me: It doesn’t matter
up at a young age: Moments of her
antiferromagnetic nanoparticles
where you come from — it just matters
childhood were spent scheduling
and how they align in space. Her
what you do with your experience.”
doctors’ appointments and doling
interest in the multidisciplinary
Sumaiya’s experience includes
out medicines to her grandmother.
field was born at the University
fostering a diverse and inclusive
But when she arrived at Drexel in
of Pennsylvania’s Laboratory for
science and engineering learning
2018, she was eager to study biology,
Research on the Structure of Matter,
environment for other young women
chemistry and physics, propel herself
where she spent a few summers in
and first-generation college students.
“My success is my family’s “success” “I
n science departments across
the pandemic, living back at home
the United States, there remain
in the Philadelphia suburbs, and
significant discrepancies in
balancing a whole load of biology and
retention, performance and
chemistry courses, but trying to write
satisfaction among students of
her essays was overwhelming. “I was
underrepresented groups,” she says.
trying to convey my story but I was
“I never realized how much diversity
passive. UREP helped me find my
means to research until I started
active voice. “
doing it. But now that I’ve worked
Even if she doesn’t receive the
with many different groups of people,
Goldwater, the process has solidified
I realize more diversity in STEM will
her academic program, and taught
only help me grow as a researcher.”
her how to explain her plan of study
Sumaiya is a member of the Tri-Beta
better. “I’ve learned how to present
Biological Honors society, and
myself to the academic community
works to increase diversity in the
and find more lab and scholarship
STEM fields, and is an advocate for
opportunities.”
Pennoni’s Undergraduate Research
Sumaiya plans to pursue a PhD in
& Enrichment Programs, helping
molecular cellular engineering and
other women in STEM find labs and
apply her experiences to conduct
fellowships for research.
multidisciplinary collaborative
The Goldwater application process
oncolytic virotherapy research to
was undoubtedly a huge undertaking.
improve treatment in combatting
Not only was Sumaiya dealing with
cancerous tissue.
“In science departments across the United States, there remain significant discrepancies in retention, performance and satisfaction among students of underrepresented groups”
23
UP AGAINST A BRICK WALL One Honors Program graduate advises other women in STEM how to knock down barriers BY SALLY EHLERS, BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES, ’25
24
T
hroughout her life, and especially as a woman of color in STEM, Sarah Malik, business and engineering ’20, has faced obstacles because of her gender. These obstacles, or “brick walls” as Sarah described them, range from being talked to differently to feeling
outnumbered in her technical classes. The Honor Program graduate mentioned that she is glad that Drexel is trying to uproot these issues through various diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. However, she recognizes that gender and racial equality in the field of STEM continues to be a work in progress. To anyone facing obstacles due to who they are, Sarah advises: be persistent. “Break those brick walls,” Sarah says. “Well, actually I’d say first, as an engineer, build your own demolition hammer. Then, break those brick walls. And then go back and teach other women in STEM how to build a demolition hammer and break any other brick walls in their way.” Last spring, Sarah was named a recipient of the National Science Foundation Graduate Fellow Program. As part of the fellowship, she is pursuing a doctoral degree in mechanical and computational engineering and working with Dr. Antonios Kontsos, a mechanical engineering and mechanics faculty member, to develop a system that monitors structural health in real time. The goal is to monitor the wear and tear of structures, such as bridges and aircraft parts, to predict when they will fail. Her research is two-part: hardware and software. Within hardware, Sarah is designing a device that she can place on the structures closer to where the sensing is happening. Then, the data is sent through the cloud, which leads to the software aspect. Sarah is determining which machine learning algorithms can be used to detect damage before the structure puts people in danger. She is ultimately building an intelligent system that can detect damage in a structure before it occurs. As part of her Honors Program experience, Sarah completed the Honors with Distinction track, and in 2020 she earned the highly selective Honors College Dean’s Award. Sarah believes that her honors education promoted an interdisciplinary mindset. Through the Honors College, where she took classes ranging from literature to fashion to brand identity, Sarah discovered that she loves combining her interests instead of staying in one lane. “Now when I do research, I like that I’m doing a lot of interdisciplinary work,” Malik said. “Yes, I am doing a PhD in mechanical engineering, but the majority of my work is not just mechanical engineering. It’s hitting computer science, data analytics, business intelligence, computer engineering ... there are so many facets of my research.” Outside of her studies, Sarah is the president of the Drexel French Club. As an undergraduate, Sarah started the club with five members and the help of Pennoni Honors College. Now, it has more than 100 members, has been recognized by the French Embassy, and has strengthened the French community at Drexel.
“Break those brick walls. Well, actually I’d say first, as an engineer, build your own demolition hammer. Then, break those brick walls. And then go back and teach other women in STEM how to build a demolition hammer and break any other brick walls in their way.” 25
PANDEMIC PIVOTS PROMPTED BY COVID-19, TWO PENNONI HONORS COLLEGE STUDENTS REFLECT ON THEIR ADAPTABILITY EDITED FROM INTERVIEWS CONDUCTED BY BRIAN KANTOREK
Ad i t
i Bawa
From left to right: Aditi Bawa lobbying Congress; Marissa Olson in Lagroño Photos courtesy of Aditi Bawa and Marissa Olson
26
Ma
r i s s a Olson
Aditi Bawa, custom-designed major: science and technology policy ’22 currently lives in Philadelphia during the COVID-19 pandemic.
S
oon after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a lot of change for me. I was just beginning my second co-op. COVID tested my adaptability. I was supposed to work for the
Philadelphia Water Department doing policy and planning, but that fell through and I had to seek out another opportunity with the Lindy Center Partnerships Office, working
Aditi at her co-op in Zambia
on sustainability initiatives. Meanwhile, so much social and cultural unrest shifted how I wanted to approach my study and work. It wasn’t just the pandemic, but also George Floyd’s
ended up choosing the focus on science and technology
murder, Lebanon climate change, and all of these things that
policy because I was stuck on this idea that ‘I'm a STEM
were going on in the world. The pandemic certainly helped
student’ (to make myself feel better, but not admitting that
bring these concerns to the forefront since so many of us were
what I really love is just pure public policy). I still took
at home and, in many cases, without as much to do.
materials engineering classes along with citizen advocacy
After some incredible experiences out on my own and interacting with so many people, the pandemic has altered my sense of independence. I did my first co-op in Zambia
classes, but I was slowly inching my way closer to what I really want to do. I found there are a lot of organizations doing so much
in sub-Saharan Africa through the Dornsife Global
to tackle these issues, either focusing on advocacy or on
Development Scholars program in spring and summer
mutual aid. However, I started to notice a disconnect among
2019. I worked with an international non-governmental
a lot of organizations (with CSDN, we're trained to think
organization (NGO), World Vision International, and its
interdisciplinarily, so that’s the first thing I noticed). There
subsidiary program, Citizen Voice and Action. I wanted
are think tanks doing the research, there are NGOs doing
to see what Zambians do to get their policy needs met,
the field work, and then there are advocacy groups doing the
because I fundamentally think that policy change can be so
lobbying. Then, there's Congress, and other elected officials,
impactful. I held training workshops and talked to village
who are enacting the policy. There are all of these different
chiefs, nurses, local doctors, and elders in the communities
institutions doing different things, but there's not one
about how to advocate for change.
centralized community addressing everything at once.
It was around this time that I also shifted my major
27
CSDN helped me strike an interdisciplinary balance. I
Following George Floyd’s death and the nation’s civil
from biomedical engineering to a custom-designed major
unrest, a friend of mine and I were able to organize a group
(CSDN) at the intersections of science, technology policy and
of young advocates and young professionals, especially
international development. I took more classes on research
with the help of social media. We connected them with
data, qualitative analysis and quantitative analysis to learn
BIPOC-led organizations. I saw a lot of people my age who
how to best make policy change. I had pursued the STAR
were scrambling and really wanted to help in some way,
Scholars program as a biomed major, but I kept thinking,
but didn't know how. And we didn’t want to build our own
‘What if we could use this scientific method to actually create
organization, but instead wanted to amplify what other
policy change?’ The way that science is done is so logical
organizations are already doing. In the future, I see myself
and so analytical; it could also be used to lobby Congress to
working in advocacy and direct action. I imagine starting
make lasting impacts. So, with my new major, I satisfied the
my own consulting firm to bring together all of these
logical, analytical part of my brain, but then I also scratched
institutions and to take nonprofits beyond protest and into
the itch of the humanities and, eventually, the policy field.
policy change as partners with the U.S. government.
27
Marissa Olson, global studies ’20, is a native Philadelphian ~ currently living in Logroño, Spain, and working as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA). Below is her account of living and working abroad during the pandemic.
L
iving through a pandemic — a time of such
in English as a Second Language (ESL) classes with
uncertainty — isn’t easy. The skills I’ve developed
Haitian students. My time with these students drew my
as a global studies major and as a globally engaged
attention to social inequalities I hadn’t considered before,
student (such as adaptability and critical thinking)
so I changed my major course of study from biological
have helped me cope during this time. Sometimes, we’re
sciences to global studies. I specifically wanted to learn
not sure why things happen the way they do, but there are
more about the world and how I could improve living
always aspects of our life to be grateful for. I've reminded
conditions and quality of life for others.
myself of this throughout the pandemic, and the fact that I
In 2017, I went to Eswatini, Africa as a Dornsife Global
have even been able to come to Spain at all. As of late winter
Development Scholar, where I worked with World Vision
2021, I’m the only Drexel Fulbright recipient currently
for three months. My main project focused on how limited
abroad. I was originally supposed to depart in fall 2020, but
access to water, sanitation and hygiene affects girls’ education.
Spain decided to defer the start of the program until January
While in Eswatini, I learned about adaptability, intercultural
2021. They determined that it would be safe enough and
communication, the challenges of development work, and
that they had the capacity to host.
the importance of partnering with communities to create
I grew up in Northeast Philadelphia with a single mother
sustainable change. I gained a deeper appreciation for cultural
and twin sister. Seeing the struggles that our mom faced
diversity and differences. Two years later, I studied abroad in
pushed me to work diligently in school and to eventually
Costa Rica, where I lived with a host family and sharpened my
become a Liberty Scholar at Drexel University. I never
Spanish language skills (a precursor to my Fulbright appli-
would have imagined how impactful my time at Drexel
cation). These sorts of international experiences and Drexel
would be. It has shaped my life in personal, academic, and
programs changed the trajectory of my life and eventually
professional ways. During my freshman year, I went on
led me to Pennoni’s Undergraduate Research & Enrichment
an alternative spring break trip to Haiti. This was the first
Programs for advice on fellowships and pursuing a Fulbright.
time that I had traveled outside the U.S. and I participated 28
Marissa Olson at Monte Cantabria
The Fulbright application process is a lengthy one; it includes working with an advisor, asking for recommendations, doing research about Fulbright programs in different countries and continuously editing drafts of the application. While I found out in April 2020 that I was selected as a Fulbright finalist for the 2020-2021 academic year, my application process was not really affected by the pandemic. (Drexel’s other two 2020-21 Fulbright grantees to Brazil and Indonesia have been deferred to this fall.) However, I do think that I felt very different from a typical Fulbright recipient. I was thrilled and honored, but I also couldn’t help but feel uncertain because of COVID-19. So many questions came to mind: How will the pandemic affect my program? Will I still have the opportunity to go to Spain? Will I teach in person or virtually? Will they change the dates of my program? Now that I’m finally here, it feels like a dream come true. Being a Fulbright Teaching Assistant in La Rioja’s capital city of Logroño, Spain has been a lot of fun so far. Every
"I never would have imagined how impactful my time at Drexel would be. It has shaped my life in personal, academic, and professional ways."
day, I walk about 20 minutes from my apartment to the school where I work. I have a different schedule each day, which allows me to see 12 classes each week and interact with kids ranging from four to 10 years old. My role as an ETA and cultural ambassador includes creating lessons with lead teachers for each class level. COVID-19 restrictions have definitely made my experience in La Rioja and Logroño a little more challenging, but they’ve pushed me to get outside and find the beauty in my time in Spain. In the beginning, La Rioja had strict regulations in place and I was only able to leave my apartment for work and food. Despite the limitations (which have decreased), I have still been able to explore. On weekends, I try to visit new parks and outside areas with my roommates. For example, some friends and I recently went on a walk to Logroño’s Monte Cantabria. From the top of the mountain, we were able to see breathtaking views of the city. Unlike in the U.S., schools here have fortunately been completely open through the pandemic. From what I’ve seen, with proper precautions in place, it is possible to go to school and remain safe. Throughout the pandemic, I’ve been grateful for this since my most memorable moment has been meeting all of my students. Becoming acquainted with so many different students of different age groups has made each day unique and invigorating. I feel a huge sense of excitement introducing myself to each class and having them introduce themselves to me. The students have really played a significant role in my own appreciation of life in Spain and as a Fulbright ETA. They challenge themselves every day, are excited to learn new words and phrases, and continuously demonstrate a positive attitude during the pandemic. Looking toward Monte Cantabria
29
GIVING BIRTH TO BENJAMIN An Honors Program graduate shares intimate details about undergoing a pioneering medical procedure BY ERICA LEVI ZELINGER
E
ven as a freshman Honors student settling into her dorm room in East Hall and learning her way around campus, Jennifer Miller was fairly open about the condition she'd only recently
been diagnosed with: Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser
T
hirteen years later Jennifer underwent a 10-hour uterus transplant procedure and a year after that she gave birth to her son, Benjamin Gobrecht, the second baby born in the U.S. via a uterus trans-
plant from a deceased donor.
(MRKH) syndrome.
At a 2004 MRI appointment when she was 17,
road of infertility ahead of you,” says Jennifer, “makes you
Jennifer, a high school athlete who'd never gotten a
able to assess who you are as a person.”
period, received shocking news. The Delaware County
native had been born without a uterus.
was active on campus, working in LeBow’s advising office,
living in Honor housing, attending Honors’ workshops
It's a lot to process for any teenager just embarking
"Being so young and knowing you have this lifelong
Jennifer looks back at her time at Drexel fondly. She
on her academic journey at Drexel's LeBow College
and ad hoc lectures and loving her HNRS 200 course on
of Business and in the Pennoni Honors Program, but
Tupac, tattoos and storytelling.
Jennifer Gobrecht (neé Miller), business '10, did not let
"Being able to live in the Honors dorm with everyone
MRKH define her.
around you on the same wavelength and same idea of what
they wanted to get out of college was a great experience,”
It motivated her.
Jennifer says. “And anyone close to me knew my story.” 30
T
he Gobrechts had been told they had up to two births on her transplanted uterus, but stress on the kidneys and pre-eclampsia during her pregnancy with Benjamin led the couple to opt
for a C-section and a hysterectomy at the same time.
Considered immuno-compromised throughout
her pregnancy, Jennifer was eager to return to her pre-transplant self.
"I'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN
J
ust because she was 1 in 4,500 women to be
A FULL-TIME JOB AND GO
diagnosed with the congenital condition — or perhaps in spite of — the skillsets she learned in
THROUGH THE EXPERIENCE OF
college — multitasking, prioritizing — helped her
BECOMING A MOTHER — THIS
take on her health issues.
REALLY HELPS PUT WORK-LIFE
Her Type 1 MRKH diagnosis — the less severe of the
two types — luckily meant Jennifer had relatively few side
BALANCE IN PERSPECTIVE FOR ME.”
effects to her condition. Other than frequent trips to the Drexel Student Health Center for urinary tract infections, Jennifer moved through the university as a typical college
student. She co-oped at Thomas Jefferson University, and
in vogue,” she says. “We were already isolating.”
after graduating, got a position in the same department
where she is now the director of special events for
leave, the global pandemic hit. COVID-19 merely
Jefferson’s Office of Institutional Advancement.
elongated the careful lifestyle the couple had been living.
“I was wearing a mask on SEPTA long before it was Three weeks after she returned to work from maternity
“But I've been able to maintain a full-time job and
THE FIRST-YEAR DREXEL STUDENT HAD ONLY JUST
go through the experience of becoming a mother — this really helps put work-life balance in perspective for me.”
LEARNED SHE'D BEEN BORN WITHOUT A UTERUS.
In 2016, Jennifer and her husband Drew started
researching the medical options they had to start a family: in vitro fertilization treatments, gestational carriers and surrogacy.
The Ridley Park couple opted for IVF, but continued
to learn about the uterus transplant field, which had really just begun two years earlier in Sweden, where surrogacy was then illegal. Coincidentally, just months after her IVF treatments began, Penn Medicine began a trial to expand transplant options for female infertility.
Jennifer applied in December 2017 and heard back just
three days later. She fit all the criteria. Less than a year later, and through the Gift of Life program, Jennifer got a call that she was a match for the uterus of a deceased donor. Six months after that, her OBGYN did an embryo transfer from the eggs extracted during IVF. It took on the first try.
Benjamin Thomas Gobrecht was born on
November 13, 2019. Right: Jennifer and her son Benjamin. Above: The Gobrecht family. Photos courtesy of Jennifer Gobrecht.
31
Alumni News
Sonali Biligiri, MD, biological sciences, ’12, an endocrinologist, joined the medical team at Beebe Medical Group in Delaware. Danish Dhamani, mechanical engineering, ’17, Honors and Paritosh Gupta, computer science ’18, both 2014 STAR Scholars, were listed in Forbes 30 Under 30 for 2021. Read more on page 14. Kimberly DiGiovanni, PhD, environmental engineering, ’08, assistant teaching professor of civil engineering at Quinnipiac University, has been named chair of an Urban Waters Initiative for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Dr. DiGiovanni joined Quinnipiac University six years ago.
Sarah Marron (neé Connelly), business administration ’14, has published her debut novel, Rough Edges, in April. The book is a slow burn romance with a twist and set in Philadelphia. Purchase Rough Edges on Amazon. x Cassandra Milani, fashion design ’12, just launched a new business called Fine Flavour Tastings. Based in Glasgow, UK, Cassandra offers virtual chocolate tastings to groups in both the U.S. and the UK. Each tasting delves into the finer side of chocolate: sustainably sourced, single origin, and uniquely flavored chocolates that help foster more sustainable food systems and taste amazing, too. Find out more about Fine Flavour Tastings on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @fftastings, book tickets to public tastings on Eventbrite, and book private group tastings on Calendly. w
Francesca Galarus, communications, ’09, and business partner, Nicholas Ducos, opened an urban winery, Mural City Cellars, in the Kensington section of Philadelphia in January. They are working with local growers to source grapes and Philadelphiabased artists for the labels. Austin Groves, management information systems, ’14, became chief executive officer of Vision IoT, Inc., an "internet of things" company that specializes in cloud platform temperature management for freezers, fridges, and coolers. Mr. Groves is also founder of Gao Shan Enterprises, a financial and investment advisory firm. He is also the author of The Race for 5G Supremacy: Why China is Winning, Where Millennials Struggle & How America Can Prevail.
v
Raj Nangunoori, MD, biological sciences, ’10, a neurosurgeon, joined the medical team at Mercy Clinic Neurosurgery in Rogers, AR. Danielle Schroeder, BS/MS civil engineering ’17, was recently selected as one of American Society of Civil Engineers' 2021 New Faces of Civil Engineering. Danielle (pictured bottom row, second from right) works as an associated bridge engineer for Pennoni Associates in Philadelphia. v Wedge Wegman, film and video ’15 just started filming a limited-run season for the Showtime series Dexter and has been hired as the dailies operator.
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.
32
w
x
David Kagonovsky, information systems ’95, among Pennoni Honors College’s newest advisory board members, recently received the Drexel Alumni Silver Dragon Society Award conferred to individuals for their distinguished service to the University, profession and/or community.
“Drexel gave me everything I value in my current place in life,” David says. “I have my friendships, career and (most importantly) my wife and family because of Drexel and because of the opportunities I got through Drexel.”
Drexel’s Office of Alumni Relations selected David, a global chief technology officer for the media agency Wavemaker, for building community among dragons, as well as his fundraising efforts, volunteer contributions, and chairing the University’s Alumni Board of Governors.
The ethos and spirit of the University represents to David, the best of the United States. He came here from the former USSR when he was 7.
David has, in fact, presented this honor at the Drexel Alumni Awards event over the past few years. “So, I am a bit humbled by getting it myself.”
“As an immigrant, I truly love this country and see Drexel as the embodiment of hard work, intelligence and a classic work ethic.”
33
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