A New Era of Engineering

The College’s new home, Drosdick Hall, anticipates the technological needs of tomorrow

Open the doors to Drosdick Hall, and you’re met with an energy that emanates from every corner of Villanova’s newest academic building. Morning and night, between classes and during lunch, students are huddled in team rooms for study sessions or to practice for their next presentation. They’re deep in thought, or in conversation, in the Jones Family Learning Commons. They’re abuzz with activity in the research labs—fueled as much by excitement over their latest discovery as by their daily coffee from the Holy Grounds café.

After more than a decade of planning and two years of construction, it’s taken no time for the Villanova Engineering community to fully embrace its new home.

The opening this past academic year of Drosdick Hall ushered in a new era for the College of Engineering—one that unites all disciplines in one location, creating a catalyst for cross-disciplinary discovery. The ambitious $125 million, 150,000-square-foot expansion project more than doubled the size of the College’s primary building, allowing for enhancements to all aspects of the academic and student experience.

“Drosdick Hall was designed to create a crossroads of innovation,” says Michele Marcolongo, PhD, PE, the Drosdick Endowed Dean of the College of Engineering. “This new building is empowering our students and faculty to push boundaries and make groundbreaking contributions to benefit society, furthering our commitment to engineering for the common good.”

Developed through a collaborative process with input from Engineering faculty and students, Drosdick Hall includes improved and expanded research facilities, as well as state-of-the-art instruction spaces for hands-on, problem-oriented and team-based learning. In addition to serving as a learning and innovation hub for engineers, the expanded building benefits the entire Villanova community with common spaces open to all.

With backing from Villanova’s Strategic Plan, Rooted. Restless., Drosdick Hall was created for the next generation of engineering—addressing the space requirements of today while anticipating the technological needs of tomorrow.

“The expansion and renovation of Drosdick Hall provides Villanova Engineering with a first-rate research and teaching facility that is reflective of the College’s national stature,” says University Provost Patrick G. Maggitti, PhD. “It will inspire and support the academic pursuits of our outstanding faculty and students, now and well into the future.”

Building Highlights

• More than 20 new laboratory spaces designed for multidisciplinary teams to work together on topical areas of research

• The two-story Drosdick Innovation Lab, which includes workspaces, tools and equipment for building, and space to accommodate large-scale project work

• The Jones Family Learning Commons, a community space at the heart of the building for all Villanovans to gather, study and learn

• Green roofs—instrumented with smart systems to collect and monitor climate and soil moisture data—which will serve as cutting-edge teaching and research resources

• Contemporary instruction spaces that can adapt to small discussion and larger lecture formats

• Dedicated, centrally located office spaces and lounges for the College of Engineering’s master’s and doctoral students

Facts and Figures

• Villanova broke ground on Drosdick Hall in spring 2022.

• Construction was completed by Wohlsen Construction Co., which excavated 25,000 cubic yards of earth.

• A total of 6,742 steel pieces were installed during framing, totaling 971 tons of steel. The steel was fabricated roughly a half-hour away from campus, in Spring City, Chester County.

• Drosdick Hall’s exterior panels were constructed off-site and later delivered to campus. A total of 488 pieces of concrete, cast and faced with stone veneer, were installed on the building’s exterior. The stone veneer of the façade was supplied by Delaware Quarries Inc. of New Hope, Pa., whose main quarry has been in operation since 1758.

• A total of 367 windows were installed as part of the construction project—263 in the expansion and 104 in the existing portion of the building.

• The project was brought to life by architectural firms BLTa–A Perkins Eastman Studio and Robert A.M. Stern Architects LLP. The building was designed in the Collegiate Gothic Revival style, inspired by the science and engineering buildings developed by noted Philadelphia architect Charles Klauder, who was active in the early 20th century.

John G. Drosdick ’65 ChE

Drosdick Hall is named after John G. Drosdick ’65 ChE (pictured with his wife, Gloria), retired chairman and CEO of Sunoco Inc., in recognition of his gifts totaling $20 million in support of the expansion project since its inception. A former chair of Villanova’s Board of Trustees, Drosdick’s philanthropic commitment to the College also includes investment in the Drosdick Innovation Lab and two endowments—the Drosdick Endowed Dean of the College of Engineering and the John G. Drosdick Endowed University Scholarship, which supports Engineering students with demonstrated financial need.

Advocacy and Imagination

Construction of Drosdick Hall took a little more than two years to complete, but early discussions on expanding Villanova’s primary Engineering facility date back more than a decade.

At that time, the College of Engineering’s four departments were separated across six buildings on campus. Though only about 15 years old, the College’s main building, the Center for Engineering Education and Research (CEER), was bursting at the seams as student interest in engineering reached an all-time high.

Gary Gabriele, PhD, then the Drosdick Endowed Dean of the College of Engineering, recognized the need for more space and began advocating for an expanded facility. An expansion, he said in 2013, “is vital to our ability to remain a leading, innovative college of engineering.”

After an architectural study was completed, plans were developed to increase the size by 14,000 square feet. The initial project included three new additions—an Engineering Innovation Lab, a Student Learning Commons and an Engineering Hub with office space— with a total cost of $10 million.

The expansion project continued to grow over time, as the College began to envision a building developed for the next generation of engineers—backed by Villanova’s Strategic Plan, Rooted. Restless. Under the leadership of Interim Dean Randy Weinstein, PhD, who assumed the role after Dean Gabriele’s passing in 2018, the expansion project grew tenfold, to 150,000 square feet with a cost of $125 million.

That decision and investment led to the College’s impressive new home, Drosdick Hall, but it wouldn’t have been possible without Dean Gabriele’s advocacy and imagination.

“Dean Gabriele had a vision to create an engineering facility that matched the achievements and stature of our faculty, students and alumni,” says Michele Marcolongo, PhD, PE, the Drosdick Endowed Dean of the College of Engineering. “His goal was to provide one of the most innovative engineering education experiences in the country—which we’ve certainly delivered through Drosdick Hall.”