Drexel University
Encyclopedia
Drexel University is a private
Private university
Private universities are universities not operated by governments, although many receive public subsidies, especially in the form of tax breaks and public student loans and grants. Depending on their location, private universities may be subject to government regulation. Private universities are...

 research university with the main campus located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. It was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a noted financier
Financier
Financier is a term for a person who handles typically large sums of money, usually involving money lending, financing projects, large-scale investing, or large-scale money management. The term is French, and derives from finance or payment...

 and philanthropist
Philanthropist
A philanthropist is someone who engages in philanthropy; that is, someone who donates his or her time, money, and/or reputation to charitable causes...

. Drexel offers 70 full-time undergraduate programs and accelerated degrees. At the graduate level, the university offers 100 masters, doctoral, and professional programs, many available part-time.

Drexel is best known for the cooperative education program
Cooperative education
Cooperative education is a structured method of combining classroom-based education with practical work experience. A cooperative education experience, commonly known as a "co-op", provides academic credit for structured job experience...

 (Co-op). Drexel's Co-op is the only mandatory one in Pennsylvania and regularly ranked as the best co-op programs in the United States. Participating students have a variety of opportunities to gain up to 18-month paid full-time working experience before graduation. The university has a large network of more than 1,600 corporate, governmental, and non-profit partners in 28 states and 25 international locations. The employers consists of top ranked multinational law firms, banks, corporations, and many Fortune 500
Fortune 500
The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...

 companies, such as Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs
The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. is an American multinational bulge bracket investment banking and securities firm that engages in global investment banking, securities, investment management, and other financial services primarily with institutional clients...

, Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...

, and Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble is a Fortune 500 American multinational corporation headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio and manufactures a wide range of consumer goods....

.

Times Higher Education World University Rankings
Times Higher Education World University Rankings
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings is an international ranking of universities published by the British magazine Times Higher Education in partnership with Thomson Reuters, which provided citation database information...

 placed Drexel among the top 200 universities in the World. In U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...

's annual "America's Best Colleges List", the university has been ranked consistently among the "Best National Universities – Top Schools"." The 2011 rankings place Drexel second in their list of “Up and Coming National Universities” for “promising and innovative changes in the areas of academics, faculty, and student life.” In addition, the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...

 and the 2009 Lombardi
John V. Lombardi
John Vincent Paul Maher Lombardi is an American university professor and administrator. Lombardi currently serves as the president of the Louisiana State University System, a position he has held since 2007. He is a native of California, and earned his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees...

 Report also ranked Drexel among the top 50 private comprehensive research universities.

History

Drexel University was founded in 1891 as the Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry by Philadelphia financier and philanthropist Anthony J. Drexel to provide educational opportunities in the “practical arts and sciences” for women and men of all backgrounds. Drexel became the Drexel Institute of Technology in 1936, and in 1970 Drexel Institute of Technology gained university status, becoming Drexel University. Although there were many changes during its first century, the university's identity has been held constant as privately controlled, non-sectarian, coeducational center of higher learning, distinguished by a commitment to preparing both men and women for future success. Drexel's cornerstone of the career preparation, the cooperative education program, was introduced in 1919.The program became integral to the university's unique educational experience. Participating students alternate periods of classroom based study with periods of full-time practical work experience related to their academic and career interests.

From 1995 to 2009, the president of Drexel University, Dr. Constantine Papadakis
Constantine Papadakis
Constantine Papadakis was a Greek-American businessman and the president of Drexel University.-Academic career:...

, led the institution towards significant change. President Papadakis oversaw Drexel's largest expansion ever, the endowment increased +471% to $540M, and total enrollment increased +102% to 18,466. The institution continued to climb in the rankings, became more selective, and obtained a more academically talented student body. During the expansion, Drexel was officially united with the former MCP Hahnemann University, creating the Drexel University College of Medicine
Drexel University College of Medicine
Drexel University College of Medicine is the medical school of Drexel University. The medical school has the nation's largest enrollment for a private medical school, and represents the consolidation of two medical schools: the nation's first medical school for women and the first U.S. college of...

 in 2002; and in the fall of 2006, Drexel established its School of Law, which was accredited by American Bar Association
American Bar Association
The American Bar Association , founded August 21, 1878, is a voluntary bar association of lawyers and law students, which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. The ABA's most important stated activities are the setting of academic standards for law schools, and the formulation...

 (ABA) two years later.

In April 2009, Dr. Constantine Papadakis
Constantine Papadakis
Constantine Papadakis was a Greek-American businessman and the president of Drexel University.-Academic career:...

, died of pneumonia. His successor is Mr. John Anderson Fry
John Anderson Fry
John Anderson Fry is the former President of Franklin & Marshall College and the current President of Drexel University.-Early life:John Anderson Fry was born in Brooklyn, New York City and received an undergraduate degree in American Civilization from Lafayette College. He worked in management...

, formerly the president of Franklin & Marshall College
Franklin & Marshall College
Franklin & Marshall College is a four-year private co-educational residential national liberal arts college in the Northwest Corridor neighborhood of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, United States....

 and the Executive Vice President of University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...

.

In July 2011, Drexel acquired The Academy of Natural Sciences. The agreement created an international powerhouse for discovery in the natural and environmental sciences.

Colleges and schools

Drexel today is composed of nine colleges and four schools
Colleges Schools
Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design
Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design
The Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design formerly the College of Media Arts and Design is one of the colleges of Drexel University...

 
Earle Mack School of Law
Bennett S. LeBow College of Business
Bennett S. LeBow College of Business
The Bennett S. LeBow College of Business, also known as the LeBow College of Business or simply LeBow, is one of the primary and oldest colleges of Drexel University. The school is included in several lists of best U.S. graduate business schools and offers a wide range of programs.The LeBow...

 
School of Biomedical Engineering, Science & Health Systems
College of Arts and Sciences
Drexel University College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences is one of the colleges at Drexel University. It was formed in 1990 when Drexel merged the two existing College of Sciences and College of Humanities together.-History:...

 
School of Education
College of Engineering
Drexel University College of Engineering
The Drexel University College of Engineering is one of the oldest parts of the university. Engineering was the primary focus of Drexel when it was first started, and Drexel continues to be best known for its engineering curriculum...

 
School of Public Health
College of Information Science and Technology
Drexel University College of Information Science and Technology
The Drexel University College of Information Science and Technology, also called the iSchool, is one of the primary colleges of Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...

College of Medicine
Drexel University College of Medicine
Drexel University College of Medicine is the medical school of Drexel University. The medical school has the nation's largest enrollment for a private medical school, and represents the consolidation of two medical schools: the nation's first medical school for women and the first U.S. college of...

College of Nursing and Health Professions
Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions
The College of Nursing and Health Professions , is a college of Drexel University. The college offers six undergraduate degree programs and seven graduate degree programs....

Goodwin College of Professional Studies
Goodwin College of Professional Studies
The Richard C. Goodwin College of Professional Studies is a higher education college at Drexel University.By offering a variety of delivery modes including; traditional day, part-time evening, accelerated Saturday classes, online, off-campus, and at corporate sites, Goodwin’s programs aim to...

Pennoni Honors College
Pennoni Honors College
The Pennoni Honors College, also called the C.R. and Annette Pennoni Honors College, is a college of Drexel University tasked with recognizing and promoting excellence among Drexel students. Unlike the other colleges, the Pennoni Honors College encompasses students who are also in one of the other...


The College of Information Science and Technology
Drexel University College of Information Science and Technology
The Drexel University College of Information Science and Technology, also called the iSchool, is one of the primary colleges of Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania...

 and the College of Arts and Sciences
Drexel University College of Arts and Sciences
The College of Arts and Sciences is one of the colleges at Drexel University. It was formed in 1990 when Drexel merged the two existing College of Sciences and College of Humanities together.-History:...

 are two of the oldest colleges within Drexel; and the Drexel University College of Engineering
Drexel University College of Engineering
The Drexel University College of Engineering is one of the oldest parts of the university. Engineering was the primary focus of Drexel when it was first started, and Drexel continues to be best known for its engineering curriculum...

, for which Drexel is perhaps best known. The Goodwin College of Professional Studies
Goodwin College of Professional Studies
The Richard C. Goodwin College of Professional Studies is a higher education college at Drexel University.By offering a variety of delivery modes including; traditional day, part-time evening, accelerated Saturday classes, online, off-campus, and at corporate sites, Goodwin’s programs aim to...

 offers working professionals and recent high school and college graduates practical educational programs with flexible scheduling, hands-on experiences, and career preparation. Full-time programs include (but are not limited to) Sport Management, Culinary Arts, and Applied Engineering Technology, while part-time programs include Communications & Applied Technology and Computing & Security Technology.
The Bennett S. LeBow College of Business
Bennett S. LeBow College of Business
The Bennett S. LeBow College of Business, also known as the LeBow College of Business or simply LeBow, is one of the primary and oldest colleges of Drexel University. The school is included in several lists of best U.S. graduate business schools and offers a wide range of programs.The LeBow...

 has been ranked as the 38th best private institution in the nation. The Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design
Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design
The Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design formerly the College of Media Arts and Design is one of the colleges of Drexel University...

 houses Design and Merchandising, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Digital Media, Architecture, Fashion Design, Photography, Visual Studies, Performing Arts, Music Industry, Entertainment & Arts Management, Film & Video, Screenwriting & Playwriting, and Dance. The Drexel University College of Medicine
Drexel University College of Medicine
Drexel University College of Medicine is the medical school of Drexel University. The medical school has the nation's largest enrollment for a private medical school, and represents the consolidation of two medical schools: the nation's first medical school for women and the first U.S. college of...

 is a recent addition to the university. Formerly MCP Hahnemann University, it contributes two additional campuses and a teaching medical hospital, along with the College of Nursing and Health Professions
Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions
The College of Nursing and Health Professions , is a college of Drexel University. The college offers six undergraduate degree programs and seven graduate degree programs....

 and the School of Public Health
Drexel University School of Public Health
The Drexel University School of Public Health is a part of the Drexel University Health Sciences network of schools. The School of Public Health is located in downtown Philadelphia....

. The Pennoni Honors College
Pennoni Honors College
The Pennoni Honors College, also called the C.R. and Annette Pennoni Honors College, is a college of Drexel University tasked with recognizing and promoting excellence among Drexel students. Unlike the other colleges, the Pennoni Honors College encompasses students who are also in one of the other...

, named for Drexel alumnus and trustee Dr. C.R. "Chuck" Pennoni '63, '66, Hon. '92, and his wife Annette, recognizes and promotes excellence among Drexel students.

The Drexel University College of Law was originally added to Drexel University as the newest school in 2006. The Earle Mack School of Law was renamed on May 1, 2008 in honor of Drexel alumnus Earle I. Mack
Earle I. Mack
Earle Irving Mack is an American businessman and former United States Ambassador to Finland.-Education:Mack graduated from Drexel University with a B.S. in 1959. He then went on to attend Fordham School of Law. In 1992 Mack was one of first 100 alumni inducted into the newly formed Drexel 100...

. Serving only graduate students, the law school offers Juris Doctor degrees and provides the opportunity for all students to take part in a cooperative education program
Cooperative education
Cooperative education is a structured method of combining classroom-based education with practical work experience. A cooperative education experience, commonly known as a "co-op", provides academic credit for structured job experience...

.

Most popular undergraduate majors

  • Business Administration: 2,188 enrolled
  • Biology: 800
  • Mechanical Engineering: 651
  • Information Technology: 499
  • Nursing: 469


Drexel University is also known for creating the world's first Engineering Degree in Appropriate Technology
Appropriate technology
Appropriate technology is an ideological movement originally articulated as "intermediate technology" by the economist Dr...

. Drexel is also one of only 17 U.S. universities to offer a Bachelors in Architectural Engineering, and only one of five private institutions to do so.

The Drexel Engineering Curriculum (tDEC)

The 2006 edition of U.S. News ranks the undergraduate engineering program #57 in the country and the 2007 edition of graduate schools ranks the graduate program #61. The 2008 edition ranks the University Engineering Program at #55 and in the 2009 US News Ranking, the university has moved up to the #52 position.

The engineering curriculum used by the school was originally called E4 (Enhanced Educational Experience for Engineers) which was established in 1986 and funded in part by the Engineering Directorate of the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...

. In 1988 the program evolved into tDEC (the Drexel Engineering Curriculum) which is composed of two full years of rigorous core engineering courses which encompass the freshman and sophomore years of the engineering student.

Co-op program

Branded as "the Ultimate Internship", Drexel's longstanding cooperative-education or "co-op" program is one of the largest and oldest in the United States. Drexel has a fully internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...

-based job database, where students can submit résumés and request interviews with any of the thousands of companies that offer positions. Students also have the option of obtaining an internship via independent search. A student graduating from Drexel's 5-year degree program typically has a total of 18 months of internship with up to three different companies. The majority of Co-ops are paid, averaging $15,912 per 6-month period, however this figure changes with major. The working experience highly pays off as one third Drexel graduates are offered full-time positions by their Co-op employers right after graduation.

Research

Drexel's knowledge community of researchers and scholars are socially, professionally and intellectually diverse. Many of Drexel's faculty and staff are seasoned practitioners with strong academic and private sector experiences. Drexel's intellectual climate is creative, flexible and responsive to change, thereby facilitating the emergence of innovative new lines of inquiry and exploration and seeding new avenues of creative expression. Research Centers and Institutes at Drexel include:
  • Arts and Sciences
    • Center for Interdisciplinary Programs
    • Center for Public Policy
    • Mobilities and Research Policy


  • Education
    • The Center for Labor Markets and Policy
    • The Center for the Prevention of School-Aged Violence
    • The Math Forum


  • Information Science
    • Data Mining & Bioinformatics Lab
    • Geographic Information Systems & Spatial Analysis Lab
    • Institute for Healthcare Informatics


  • Media Arts & Design
    • Kal and Lucille Rudman Institute for Entertainment Industry Studies
    • The RePlay Lab


  • Business and Leadership
    • Baiada Center for Entrepreneurship
    • Center for Corporate Governance
    • Sovereign Institute for Strategic Leadership
    • Center for Corporate Reputation Management

  • Engineering
    • A.J. Drexel Plasma Institute
    • A.J. Drexel Applied Communications and Information Networking (ACIN) Institute
    • A. J. Drexel Institute of Basic and Applied Protein Science
    • A.J. Drexel Nanotechnology Institute (DNI)
    • Ben Franklin Technology Partners' Nanotechnology Institute
    • Center for Electric Power Engineering
    • Center for Telecommunications and Information Networking
    • Centralized Research Facilities (CRF)

  • Public Health
    • Autism Public Health Research Institute
    • Center for Health Equality (CHE)
    • Center for Public Health Readiness and Communication (CPHRC)
    • Center for Nonviolence and Social Justice
    • National Resource Center on Advancing Emergency Preparedness
    • Center for Public Health Practice

Online education

Drexel has offered online degrees since 1996 and in 2002 created its online education program, Drexel Online, to further meet the need of working adults. Drexel University Online, although a separate corporate entity from Drexel University, maintains the same level of accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit association dedicated to educational excellence and improvement through peer evaluation and accreditation...

, other colleges accredited by this body include Cornell, Penn, and NYU.

In September 2010, Drexel University received the Sloan-C award for institution-wide excellence in online education indicating that the program had exceptional programs of "demonstrably high quality" at the regional and national levels and across disciplines. Drexel Online has won the 2008 United States Distance Learning Association
United States Distance Learning Association
The United States Distance Learning Association is a non-profit association that promotes the development and application of distance education. It was formed in 1987 and is based in Boston, Massachusetts....

's Best Practices Awards for Distance Learning Programming. In 2007 the online education program had a revenue of $40 million, and in 2010 had 8,000 students and offered almost 90 total certificates, undergraduate, and graduate degrees.

Rankings

In 2010, Times Higher Education World University Rankings
Times Higher Education World University Rankings
The Times Higher Education World University Rankings is an international ranking of universities published by the British magazine Times Higher Education in partnership with Thomson Reuters, which provided citation database information...

 placed Drexel 190th in the World and 76th in North America. The university also was placed among 96-98th best universities in the world according to the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

n based Global University Ranking.

Drexel is currently in a period of the fastest rise in term of rankings. In 2011, U.S. News & World Report has ranked Drexel 86th among all universities of the United States, and 2nd on the U.S. News & World Report "Best Colleges: Up-and-coming National Universities" ranking. The 2009 and 2010 rankings placed Drexel 88th among all universities of the United States,
48th among the best 50 private universities in the country, and 4th on the U.S. News & World Report "Up-and-coming National Universities" ranking.
The 2008 rankings placed Drexel 108th, whereas 2006 rankings had the school at 109th. Drexel and the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...

 are the only Philadelphia colleges in this category.

In 2007, Business Week ranked the undergraduate business program among the top 30 private institutions in the country. The 2009 rankings rate the LeBow business program as the 38th best in the nation. The Princeton Review also named Drexel 6th on their list of "2010 Top Entrepreneurial Programs: Undergraduate."

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering was ranked 10th in the US in faculty scholarly productivity in 2006, and was ranked 11th out of 88 programs in the 2011 National Research Council survey rankings. Additionally, Sierra magazine, the publication of the Sierra Club, selected Drexel as one of America's "Cool Schools." Drexel was 82nd out of 135 institutions on the publication's third annual poll of "eco-enlightened" colleges and universities. To compile the list, Sierra sent questionnaires to sustainability experts at schools across the country. The survey featured categories such as efficiency, energy, food, academics, purchasing, transportation, waste management and administration.

The iSchool at Drexel, College of Information Science and Technology has been ranked among the top 10 information schools in the nation by US News & World Report. Its specialties in Library and Information Science (MS), Information systems (MSIS), Medical Librarianship, and Digital Librarianship are ranked 9th, 5th, 5th and 9th respectively.

Drexel frequently ranks among the top 25 schools in the nation for technology use according to The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review is an American-based standardized test preparation and admissions consulting company. The Princeton Review operates in 41 states and 22 countries across the globe. It offers test preparation for standardized aptitude tests such as the SAT and advice regarding college...

 and The Intel Corporation, and was ranked first in 2001 for wireless access by Yahoo!
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...

. The Math Forum@Drexel has been selected as one of the most useful websites by PC Magazine
PC Magazine
PC Magazine is a computer magazine published by Ziff Davis Publishing Holdings Inc. A print edition was published from 1982 to January 2009...

 and Scientific American
Scientific American
Scientific American is a popular science magazine. It is notable for its long history of presenting science monthly to an educated but not necessarily scientific public, through its careful attention to the clarity of its text as well as the quality of its specially commissioned color graphics...

.Drexel is the third largest private engineering college in the nation.

The Drexel College of Medicine and College of Nursing & Health Professions also share accolades. The Physician Assistant program is in the nation's top 50 and the Nurse Anesthesia (CRNA) program is in the top 25.

Campuses

Drexel University's campus is divided into three parts: the University City Campus
Drexel University Main Campus
The University City Main Campus of Drexel University is located just west of the Schuylkill River and is Drexel's largest and oldest campus. It stretches from Chestnut St. in the South to Powelton Ave in the North, and from the Amtrak rail yard in the East to 34th St in the West. The campus...

, the Center City Hahnemann Campus including Hahnemann University Hospital
Hahnemann University Hospital
Hahnemann University Hospital, established in 1885 and named after Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy, is a hospital in Center City, Philadelphia. It is affiliated with Drexel University College of Medicine and serves as its Center City Hahnemann campus.-History:In 1993 Hahnemann...

, and the Queen Lane College of Medicine Campus.

University City Main Campus

The 77 acres (31.2 ha) University City Main Campus of Drexel University is located just west of the Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...

 in the University City
University City
University City is the name of the following locations in the United States:*University City, Missouri*University City, Charlotte, North Carolina*University City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania*University City, San Diego, California...

 district of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...

. It is Drexel's largest and oldest campus and contains its administrative offices and the main academic center for students. The northern residential portion of the main campus is located in the Powelton Village section of West Philadelphia. The two prominent performing stages at Drexel University are the Mandell Theater and the Main Auditorium. The Main Auditorium dates back to the founding of Drexel and construction of its main hall. It features over 1000 seats, and a pipe organ
Pipe organ
The pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...

 installed in 1928. The organ was purchased by Saturday Evening Post publisher Cyrus H. K. Curtis after he had donated a similar organ, the Curtis Organ
Curtis Organ
The Curtis Organ, named for publisher Cyrus H. K. Curtis, is one of the largest pipe organs in the world with 162 ranks and 10,731 pipes. It was manufactured by the Austin Organ Company as its Opus 1416 in 1926 for the Philadelphia Sesquicentennial Exposition. It was known as the "Organists'...

, to nearby University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...

 and it was suggested that he do the same for Drexel. The 424-seat Mandell Theater was built in 1973 and features a more performance-oriented stage, including a full fly system
Fly system
A fly system, flying system or theatrical rigging system, is a system of lines , blocks , counterweights and related devices within a theatre that enable a stage crew to quickly, quietly and safely fly components such as curtains, lights, scenery, stage effects and, sometimes, people...

, modern stage lighting facilities, stadium seating, and accommodations for wheelchairs. It is used for the semiannual spring musical, as well as various plays and many events.

Queen Lane Campus

The Queen Lane Medical Campus was purchased in 2003 by Drexel University as part of its acquisition of MCP Hahnemann University. It is located in East Falls in the Northwest part of Philadelphia and is primarily utilized by first- and second-year medical students. A free shuttle is available connecting it to the Center City Hahnemann and University City Main campuses.

Center City Hahnemann Campus

The Center City Hahnemann Campus is in the middle of Philadelphia, straddling the Vine Street Expressway and centered on Hahnemann University Hospital
Hahnemann University Hospital
Hahnemann University Hospital, established in 1885 and named after Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy, is a hospital in Center City, Philadelphia. It is affiliated with Drexel University College of Medicine and serves as its Center City Hahnemann campus.-History:In 1993 Hahnemann...

.

The Academy of Natural Sciences

In 2011, The Academy of Natural Sciences entered into an agreement to become a subsidiary of Drexel University. Founded in 1812, the Academy of Natural Sciences is America's oldest natural history museum and is a world leader in biodiversity and environmental research.

Sacramento Center for Graduate Studies

On January 5, 2009, Drexel University opened the Center for Graduate Studies in Sacramento. , the Sacramento Center offers a Ed.D. program in Educational Leadership and Management, and master degree programs in: Business Administration, Higher Education, Human Resource Development, Information Systems, Public Health, Interdepartmental Medical Science, and Library and Information Science Drexel awards students at its Sacremento Center fellowships from a $10 million annual budget allocation.

As of January 2011, the Sacramento Center for Graduate Studies has an enrollment of 360 students. In December 2010, it graduated the first cohort of 30 students with Master's Degrees in Business and Higher Education. In June 2011, more than 100 students will be eligible to graduate at the commencement in Philadelphia, on Drexel's Main Campus.

Student life

Activities

The university has a large variety of student organizations, including charity
Charity (practice)
The practice of charity means the voluntary giving of help to those in need who are not related to the giver.- Etymology :The word "charity" entered the English language through the Old French word "charité" which was derived from the Latin "caritas".Originally in Latin the word caritas meant...

, fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities
Fraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...

, political, and academic groups.

Student Government

The Undergraduate Student Government Association of Drexel University works with administrators to solve student problems and tries to promote communication between the students and the administration.

Graduate Students Association

As stated on their website - "Graduate Student Association advocates the interests and addresses concerns of graduate students at Drexel; strives to enhance graduate student life at the University in all aspects, from academic to campus security; and provides a formal means of communication between graduate students and the University community."

Campus Activities Board

The Campus Activities Board (CAB) is in charge of organizing activities such as movies, trips to special events, and other on-campus entertainment such as the fall comedy show. CAB is funded through a student activities fee collected from each student.

Radio

WKDU is Drexel's student-run FM radio station, with membership open to all undergraduate students. Its status as an 800-watt
Watt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...

 non-commercial station in a major market city has given it a wider audience and a higher profile than many other college radio stations.

Television

DUTV is Drexel's Philadelphia cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...

 station. The student operated station is part of the Paul F. Harron Studios at Drexel University. The purpose of DUTV is to provide "the people of Philadelphia with quality educational television, and providing Drexel students the opportunity to gain experience in television management and production." The Programing includes an eclectic variety of shows from a bi-monthly news show, DNews, to old films, talk shows dealing with important current issues and music appreciation shows.

Publications

Drexel has a number of publications to its name by both the student body and the university. The Triangle
The Triangle (newspaper)
The Triangle is the independent student newspaper of Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Editions of the paper are printed early every Friday morning; they are distributed in buildings on Drexel's campus as well as in select locations in University City, Philadelphia.The Triangle was...

has been the university's newspaper since 1926. The yearbook was first published in 1911 and named the Lexerd in 1913. Prior to the publishing of a campus wide yearbook in 1911 The Hanseatic and The Eccentric were both published in 1896 as class books. Other publications include MAYA, the undergraduate student literary and artistic magazine; D&M Magazine, Design & Merchandising students crafted magazine; The Smart Set from Drexel University, an online magazine founded in 2005; and The Drexelist a blog-style news source founded in 2010.

The Drexel Publishing Group serves as a medium for literary publishing on campus. The Drexel Publishing Group oversees ASK (The Journal of the College of Arts and Sciences at Drexel University), Painted Bride Quarterly, a 36-year-old national literary magazine housed at Drexel; The 33rd, an annual anthology of student and faculty writing at Drexel; DPG Online Magazine, and Maya, the undergraduate literary and artistic magazine. The Drexel Publishing Group also serves as a pedagogical organization by allowing students to intern and work on its publications.

Housing

Drexel requires all non-commuting first and second year students to live in one of its ten residence halls. Kelly Hall, Myers Hall, Towers Hall, and Calhoun Hall are traditional residence halls (shared bedroom, community bathrooms), while North Hall, Caneris Hall, Race Street Residence Hall, and Van Rensselaer Hall are suite style residence halls (shared bedrooms, private bathrooms, kitchens, and common area within the suite). Millennium Hall, Drexel's newest residence hall, is a modified suite (shared bedrooms, and segmented, private bathrooms in the hallway). Drexel also leases several floors of the University Crossings apartment complex for upper class students.

The Residential Living Office (RLO) at Drexel has developed a Residential Experience Engagement Model which is designed to support residents of all class levels.
  • The First Year Experience: Calhoun, Kelly, Towers Halls
  • Living Learning Communities: Myers Hall
  • Pennoni Honors College: Millennium Hall
  • The Sophomore Year Experience: Race Street Residence Halls
  • For Students By Students (FSBS): North Hall
  • The Upper Class Experience: Caneris Hall & University Crossings
  • The Graduate Student Experience: Drexel Apartments (formerly Van Rensselaer Hall) and Stiles Memorial Hall


Portions of the Race Street Residence Hall formerly was reserved for students of the Pennoni Honors College
Pennoni Honors College
The Pennoni Honors College, also called the C.R. and Annette Pennoni Honors College, is a college of Drexel University tasked with recognizing and promoting excellence among Drexel students. Unlike the other colleges, the Pennoni Honors College encompasses students who are also in one of the other...

. However, during the 2007 spring term, the Race Street Dormitory housed Kelly Hall residents, while Kelly Hall underwent renovation. It was recently announced that for 2010-2011 the Honors Living Learning Community will be moved to Millennium Hall and the Sophomore Year Experience moved into the Race Street Residence Hall. Van Rensselaer Hall will also be utilized by the Graduate Student Experience.

All residence halls except Caneris Hall, University Crossings, and Stiles Memorial Hall and are located north of Arch Street between 34th Street and 32nd Street in the Powelton Village
Powelton Village, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Powelton Village is a neighborhood of mostly Victorian, mostly twin homes in the West Philadelphia section of the United States city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is a national historic district which is part of University City...

 area.

Greek life

Ten percent of Drexel's undergraduate population is a member of a social Greek organization. There are currently 11 Interfraternity Council
North-American Interfraternity Conference
The North-American Interfraternity Conference , is an association of collegiate men's fraternities that was formally organized in 1910, although it began on November 27, 1909. The power of the organization rests in a House of Delegates where each member fraternity is represented by a single delegate...

 (IFC) chapters, five Panhellenic Council
National Panhellenic Conference
The National Panhellenic Conference , founded in 1902, is an umbrella organization for 26 national women's sororities.Each member group is autonomous as a social, Greek-letter society of college women and alumnae...

 (PHC) chapters and nine Multi-cultural Greek Council (MGC) chapters.

Three IFC Chapters have been awarded Top Chapters in 2008 by their respective national organizations; Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Kappa Epsilon
Tau Kappa Epsilon is a college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University with chapters in the United States, and Canada, and affiliation with a German fraternity system known as the Corps of the Weinheimer Senioren Convent...

, Pi Kappa Alpha
Pi Kappa Alpha
Pi Kappa Alpha is a Greek social fraternity with over 230 chapters and colonies and over 250,000 lifetime initiates in the United States and Canada.-History:...

, and Alpha Chi Rho
Alpha Chi Rho
Alpha Chi Rho is a men's collegiate fraternity founded on June 4, 1895 at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut by the Reverend Paul Ziegler, his son Carl Ziegler, and Carl's friends William Rouse, Herbert T. Sherriff and William A.D. Eardeley. It is a charter member of the North-American...

.

Each year, all social Greek organizations at Drexel compete in Greek Week, a week long competition with events such as a talent show with the culminating event being the tug of war
Tug of war
Tug of war, also known as tug o' war, tug war, rope war or rope pulling, is a sport that directly pits two teams against each other in a test of strength. The term may also be used as a metaphor to describe a demonstration of brute strength by two opposing groups, such as a rivalry between two...

.

The week after Greek Week the Dean's Cup is presented for the previous year. The Dean's Cup is the highest award for Drexel Greeks. The winners of the Dean's Cup are determined by the highest score on the Chapter Achievement Plan (CAP) which is the annual recognition process for Drexel Greeks. The Dean's Cup is reviewed by a selected committee of Student Life faculty. The Dean of Students awards the Dean's Cup, which is awarded to the top chapter in each council in the areas of academics, leadership, brother/sisterhood and service to the community.

IFC Fraternities

  • Alpha Chi Rho
    Alpha Chi Rho
    Alpha Chi Rho is a men's collegiate fraternity founded on June 4, 1895 at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut by the Reverend Paul Ziegler, his son Carl Ziegler, and Carl's friends William Rouse, Herbert T. Sherriff and William A.D. Eardeley. It is a charter member of the North-American...

    , Lambda Chi Phi (est. 1992)
  • Alpha Epsilon Pi
    Alpha Epsilon Pi
    Alpha Epsilon Pi , the Global Jewish college fraternity, has 155 active chapters in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Israel with a membership of over 9,000 undergraduates...

    , Delta Rho Chapter (est. 1995)
  • Alpha Pi Lambda, Local Fraternity (est. 1935)
  • Lambda Chi Alpha
    Lambda Chi Alpha
    Lambda Chi Alpha is one of the largest men's secret general fraternities in North America, having initiated more than 280,000 members and held chapters at more than 300 universities. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference and was founded by Warren A. Cole, while he was a...

    , Epsilon Kappa Zeta Chapter, (Recolonized Fall 2009)
  • Phi Kappa Psi
    Phi Kappa Psi
    Phi Kappa Psi is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania on February 19, 1852. There are over a hundred chapters and colonies at accredited four year colleges and universities throughout the United States. More than 112,000 men have been...

    , PA Upsilon Chapter (est. 2002)
  • Pi Kappa Alpha
    Pi Kappa Alpha
    Pi Kappa Alpha is a Greek social fraternity with over 230 chapters and colonies and over 250,000 lifetime initiates in the United States and Canada.-History:...

    , Lambda Zeta Chapter (est. 2001)
  • Pi Kappa Phi
    Pi Kappa Phi
    Pi Kappa Phi is an American social fraternity. It was founded by Andrew Alexander Kroeg, Jr., Lawrence Harry Mixson, and Simon Fogarty, Jr. on December 10, 1904 at the College of Charleston in Charleston, South Carolina...

    , Alpha Upsilon Chapter (est. 1919, Recolonized 2007)
  • Sigma Alpha Mu
    Sigma Alpha Mu
    Sigma Alpha Mu , also known as "Sammy", is a college fraternity founded at the City College of New York in 1909. Originally only for Jewish men, Sigma Alpha Mu remained so until 1953, when members from all backgrounds were accepted. Originally headquartered in New York, Sigma Alpha Mu has...

    , Mu Eta Chapter, (est. 1947, Recolonized 2009)
  • Sigma Phi Epsilon
    Sigma Phi Epsilon
    Sigma Phi Epsilon , commonly nicknamed SigEp or SPE, is a social college fraternity for male college students in the United States. It was founded on November 1, 1901, at Richmond College , and its national headquarters remains in Richmond, Virginia. It was founded on three principles: Virtue,...

    , Pennsylvania Beta Beta Chapter (est. 1999)
  • Tau Kappa Epsilon
    Tau Kappa Epsilon
    Tau Kappa Epsilon is a college fraternity founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University with chapters in the United States, and Canada, and affiliation with a German fraternity system known as the Corps of the Weinheimer Senioren Convent...

    , Alpha Tau Chapter (est. 1919)
  • Theta Chi
    Theta Chi
    Theta Chi Fraternity is an international college fraternity. It was founded on April 10, 1856 as the Theta Chi Society, at Norwich University, Norwich, Vermont, U.S., and was the 21st of the 71 North-American Interfraternity Conference men's fraternities.-Founding and early years at Norwich:Theta...

    , Beta Theta Chapter (est. 1927)

MGC Organizations

  • Alpha Kappa Alpha
    Alpha Kappa Alpha
    Alpha Kappa Alpha is the first Greek-lettered sorority established and incorporated by African American college women. The sorority was founded on January 15, 1908, at Howard University in Washington, D.C., by a group of nine students, led by Ethel Hedgeman Lyle...

     Sorority, Gamma Epsilon Chapter (est. 1945)
  • Chi Upsilon Sigma
    Chi Upsilon Sigma
    Chi Upsilon Sigma — official name is Corazones Unidos Siempre — is a Latina oriented Greek letter intercollegiate sorority. Chi Upsilon Sigma was founded on April 29, 1980, at the New Brunswick Campus of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey...

     Latin Sorority, Omicron Chapter (est. 1997)
  • Delta Epsilon Psi
    Delta Epsilon Psi
    Delta Epsilon Psi is a South Asian interest service fraternity. Delta Epsilon Psi was founded at the University of Texas, Austin in 1998 by 18 men that came together sensing the urgency of a unified South Asian voice at their university...

     Fraternity, Xi Chapter
  • Delta Phi Omega
    Delta Phi Omega
    Delta Phi Omega , is the largest and fastest-growing, nationally based South Asian-interest sorority in the United States, with over 1300 sisters in thirteen chapters and twenty-seven colonies....

     Sorority, Gamma Chapter (est. 2000)
  • Delta Sigma Theta
    Delta Sigma Theta
    Delta Sigma Theta is a non-profit Greek-lettered sorority of college-educated women who perform public service and place emphasis on the African American community. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority was founded on January 13, 1913 by twenty-two collegiate women at Howard University...

     Sorority, (Recolonized 2008)
  • Iota Nu Delta Fraternity, Gamma Chapter (est. 1997)
  • Kappa Alpha Psi
    Kappa Alpha Psi
    Kappa Alpha Psi is a collegiate Greek-letter fraternity with a predominantly African American membership. Since the fraternity's founding on January 5, 1911 at Indiana University Bloomington, the fraternity has never limited membership based on color, creed or national origin...

     Fraternity,
  • Sigma Beta Rho Fraternity, Drexel Colony, (est. 2002)
  • Sigma Psi Zeta
    Sigma Psi Zeta
    Sigma Psi Zeta , a Multicultural, Asian-Interest sorority, was founded on March 23, 1994 at the University at Albany and incorporated in New York on March 15, 1996 by the 10 Founding Mothers. The sorority's colors are red and gold and its flower is a yellow rose with baby's breath.Sigma Psi Zeta is...

     Sorority, Nu Charter (est. 2002)


Sororities

  • Alpha Sigma Alpha
    Alpha Sigma Alpha
    Alpha Sigma Alpha is a US national sorority founded on November 15, 1901 at the Virginia State Female Normal School in Farmville, Virginia...

    , Nu Nu Chapter (est. 1925)
  • Delta Phi Epsilon
    Delta Phi Epsilon (social)
    Delta Phi Epsilon is an international sorority founded on March 17, 1917 at New York University Law School in New York City...

    , Delta Epsilon Chapter (est. 1942, recolonized 2003)
  • Delta Zeta
    Delta Zeta
    Delta Zeta is an international college sorority founded on October 24, 1902, at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Today, Delta Zeta has 158 collegiate chapters in the United States and over 200 alumnae chapters in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada...

    , Epsilon Zeta Chapter (est. 1928)
  • Phi Mu
    Phi Mu
    Phi Mu is the second oldest female fraternal organization established in the United States. It was founded at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia. The organization was founded as the Philomathean Society on January 4, 1852, and was announced publicly on March 4 of the same year...

    , Beta Tau Chapter (est. 1954)
  • Phi Sigma Sigma
    Phi Sigma Sigma
    Phi Sigma Sigma , colloquially known as "Phi Sig," was the first collegiate nonsectarian fraternity, welcoming women of all faiths and backgrounds...

    , Beta Rho Chapter (est. 1959)
  • Kappa Phi Gamma
    Kappa Phi Gamma
    Kappa Phi Gamma Sorority, Inc. , is a South Asian interest sorority geared towards women of all descents...

    , Nu colony
  • Sigma Sigma Sigma
    Sigma Sigma Sigma
    Sigma Sigma Sigma , also known as Tri Sigma, is a national American women’s sorority with membership of more than 100,000 members. Sigma Sigma Sigma is a member of the National Panhellenic Conference and hosts chapters on more than 110 college campuses and 89 alumnae chapters in communities all...

    , Colony

Other Honorary/Professional Organizations

  • Alpha Delta
    Alpha Delta National Fraternity
    Alpha Delta National Fraternity is a nationally incorporated, fraternity that was founded out of a need to help keep young men out of trouble by holding before them a standard of manhood that would withstand the test of the ages. Initially formulated by 14 men representing four universities in...

    , Zeta Theta Chapter - "Service Fraternity"
  • Alpha Kappa Psi
    Alpha Kappa Psi
    ΑΚΨ is the oldest and largest professional business fraternity. The Alpha Kappa Psi Fraternity was founded on October 5, 1904 at New York University, and was incorporated on May 20, 1905...

     - Eta Psi Chapter (est. 2008) - Professional Business Fraternity
  • Alpha Phi Omega
    Alpha Phi Omega
    Alpha Phi Omega is the largest collegiate fraternity in the United States, with chapters at over 350 campuses, an active membership of approximately 17,000 students, and over 350,000 alumni members...

    , Zeta Theta Chapter (est. 1948) - National Service Fraternity
  • Alpha Phi Sigma
    Alpha Phi Sigma
    Alpha Phi Sigma is the only Criminal Justice Honor Society accredited by the Association of College Honor Societies. Traditionally a national organization serving United States universities, recent expansion into Canadian universities has distinguished Alpha Phi Sigma as an international honor...

     - National Criminal Justice Honor Society
  • Beta Alpha Psi
    Beta Alpha Psi
    ΒΑΨ is a national honors business organization for highly successful accounting, finance and information systems students and professionals. It was founded on February 12, 1919 at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is currently headquartered in Durham, North Carolina...

    , Delta Tau Chapter - Honors Fraternity for Accounting, Finance and MIS
  • Beta Gamma Sigma
    Beta Gamma Sigma
    Beta Gamma Sigma or ΒΓΣ is an honor society for business students and scholars. Founded in 1913 at the University of Wisconsin, it has over 650,000 members, selected from over 500 chapters in AACSB-accredited business schools...

    , - International Business Honor Society
  • Chi Epsilon
    Chi Epsilon
    Chi Epsilon is the national civil engineering honor society in the United States. It honors engineering students who have exemplified the "principles of scholarship, character, practicality, and sociability...in the civil engineering profession." There are currently 136 chapters, of which 130...

     - National Civil Engineering Honors Society
  • Eta Kappa Nu
    Eta Kappa Nu
    Eta Kappa Nu is the electrical and computer engineering honor society of the IEEE, founded in October 1904 by Maurice L. Carr at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The organization currently has around 200 student chapters and about 3,000,000 members and is headquartered in Chicago,...

    , Beta Alpha Chapter (est. 1935) - Service Fraternity
  • Gamma Sigma Sigma
    Gamma Sigma Sigma
    Gamma Sigma Sigma is a national service sorority founded in October 1952 at Beekman Tower in New York City by representatives of Boston University, Brooklyn College, Drexel Institute of Technology, Los Angeles City College, New York University, Queens College, and the University of Houston. ...

     - National Service Sorority
  • Phi Beta Lambda - Community Service Fraternity
  • Phi Eta Sigma
    Phi Eta Sigma
    Phi Eta Sigma is an American freshman honor society. Founded at the University of Illinois on March 22, 1923, is the oldest and largest freshman honor society and now has more than three hundred chapters throughout the United States and more than 1 million members.-Eligibility:Any first-year...

     - National Honors Society
  • Phi Sigma Pi
    Phi Sigma Pi
    Phi Sigma Pi is a national coeducational honor fraternity based in the United States. The fraternity is a 501 not-for-profit organization incorporated in the state of Pennsylvania, with the purpose of fostering the ideals of scholarship, leadership and fellowship...

    , Gamma Xi Chapter - Honors Fraternity
  • Pi Nu Epsilon
    Pi Nu Epsilon
    Pi Nu Epsilon is an honor society for university students in musical performing arts organizations.- Purpose :The purpose of Pi Nu Epsilon is threefold:...

     - Music and Performing Arts Fraternity
  • Pi Tau Sigma
    Pi Tau Sigma
    Pi Tau Sigma is an International Mechanical Engineering Honor Society. Pi Tau Sigma's core values are:*Integrity ,*Service , and...

    , Xi Chapter - International Mechanical Engineering Fraternity
  • Psi Chi
    Psi Chi
    Psi Chi is the International Honor Society in Psychology, founded in 1929 for the purposes of encouraging, stimulating, and maintaining excellence in scholarship, and advancing the science of psychology. With over 1,050 chapters, Psi Chi is one of the largest honor societies in the United States...

     - International Honors Society - Psychology Fraternity
  • Tau Beta Pi
    Tau Beta Pi
    The Tau Beta Pi Association is the oldest engineering honor society in the United States and the second oldest collegiate honor society in America. It honors engineering students who have shown a history of academic achievement as well as a commitment to personal and professional integrity...

    , Pennsylvania Zeta Chapter - Engineering Honor Society
  • Upsilon Pi Epsilon
    Upsilon Pi Epsilon
    Upsilon Pi Epsilon : International Honor Society for the Computing and Information Disciplines, is the first and only existing one of its kind....

     - Computer Science Fraternity

Athletics


Drexel's school mascot is a dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...

 known as "Mario the Magnificent," named so in honor of Mario V. Mascioli, an alumnus and former member of the Board of Trustees. The Dragon has been the mascot of the school since around the mid 1920's; the first written reference to the Dragons occurred in 1928 when the football team was called The Dragons in The Triangle
The Triangle (newspaper)
The Triangle is the independent student newspaper of Drexel University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Editions of the paper are printed early every Friday morning; they are distributed in buildings on Drexel's campus as well as in select locations in University City, Philadelphia.The Triangle was...

. Before becoming known as the Dragons the athletic teams had been known by such names as Blue & Gold, the Engineers, and the Drexelites. The school's sports teams, now known as the Drexel Dragons
Drexel Dragons
The Drexel Dragons are the athletic teams of Drexel University.The school's athletic program includes eighteen NCAA Division I sports including nine men's and nine women's teams, with most sports teams competing in the Colonial Athletic Association . Drexel's athletic department was ranked first in...

, participate in the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...

's Division I, the Colonial Athletic Association
Colonial Athletic Association
The Colonial Athletic Association is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose full-time members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Most of its members are public universities, with five in Virginia alone, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond,...

, and the Middle Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association
Middle Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association
Middle Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association organizes and regulates intercollegiate sailing in Ontario, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, the eastern part of West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Hundreds of sailors participate from 43 colleges and...

. They do not currently field a varsity football team.

Drexel is home to 33 active club teams including water polo, squash, triathlon, and cycling. Other club teams include soccer, baseball, rugby, field hockey, and roller hockey. The club teams operate under the direction of the Club Sports Council and the Recreational Sports Office.

Fight song

The fight song for Drexel is the Drexel Fight Song. The lyrics are:

Fight on for Drexel,

We’ve got the stuff we need to win this game.

We’re gonna fight on for Drexel,

Take the Dragon on to fame.

Fight on for Drexel,

The gold and blue is on another spree.

We’re gonna fight, fight, fight, fight for Drexel U.

On to victory!
Chant:

D-D-D-D

R-R-R-R

E-E-E-E

X-EL-X-EL

DREX-EL-DREX-EL

FIGHT-TEAM-FIGHT

(Repeat Song)

Student lore and traditions

Tradition suggests that rubbing the toe of the bronze
Bronze sculpture
Bronze is the most popular metal for cast metal sculptures; a cast bronze sculpture is often called simply a "bronze".Common bronze alloys have the unusual and desirable property of expanding slightly just before they set, thus filling the finest details of a mold. Then, as the bronze cools, it...

 "Waterboy" statue
Statue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...

 located in the Main Building atrium can result in receiving good grades in exams. Although the rest of the bronze statue has developed a dark brown patina
Patina
Patina is a tarnish that forms on the surface of bronze and similar metals ; a sheen on wooden furniture produced by age, wear, and polishing; or any such acquired change of a surface through age and exposure...

 over the years, the toe has remained highly polished and shines like new.

The Flame of Knowledge, a fountain once located in the main quad (now relocated to the area in front of North Hall), used to be known as the "Drexel Shaft" in the late 70s and early 80s, however the name outgrew the landmark. The "Drexel Shaft" now refers to the Penn Coach Yard chimney, the large smoke stack structure which was located east of 32nd street. Unresponsive treatment by the administration has been termed the "Drexel Shaft" by students. The smoke stack was demolished on November 15, 2009, a long-anticipated event which the students hope will improve the overall aesthetics of the university.

In popular culture

  • Drexel has appeared in news and television media several times. In D3: The Mighty Ducks
    D3: The Mighty Ducks
    D3: The Mighty Ducks is the third film in The Mighty Ducks trilogy. It was produced by Avnet–Kerner Productions and Walt Disney Pictures, distributed by Buena Vista Distribution, and originally released to movie theaters on October 4, 1996.-Plot:The film opens with team captain Charlie Conway and...

    , Goldberg wears a Drexel T-Shirt. In the 1998 film Enemy of the State Brill (played by Gene Hackman
    Gene Hackman
    Eugene Allen "Gene" Hackman is an American actor and novelist.Nominated for five Academy Awards, winning two, Hackman has also won three Golden Globes and two BAFTAs in a career that spanned five decades. He first came to fame in 1967 with his performance as Buck Barrow in Bonnie and Clyde...

    ) is a Drexel alumnus. In 2006 Drexel served as the location for ABC Family's reality show "Back on Campus." Also in that year the Epsilon Zeta chapter of Delta Zeta
    Delta Zeta
    Delta Zeta is an international college sorority founded on October 24, 1902, at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Today, Delta Zeta has 158 collegiate chapters in the United States and over 200 alumnae chapters in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada...

     won ABC Daytime's Summer of Fun contest. As a result the sorority was featured in national television spots for a week and also hosted an ABC party on campus which was attended by cast members from General Hospital
    General Hospital
    General Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....

     and All My Children
    All My Children
    All My Children is an American television soap opera that aired on ABC from January 5, 1970 to September 23, 2011. Created by Agnes Nixon, All My Children is set in Pine Valley, Pennsylvania, a fictitious suburb of Philadelphia. The show features Susan Lucci as Erica Kane, one of daytime's most...

    .

  • In 2004 CBS's "Cold Case" filmed scenes outside the Creese Student Center, among other exterior shots to be used during the season.

  • In 2007 Drexel was the host of the 2008 Democratic Presidential candidate debate in Philadelphia, televised by MSNBC
    MSNBC
    MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...

    .

  • In 2008 from January 10 to the 13th Drexel hosted the US Table Tennis Olympic Trials.

  • Also in 2008, Hillary Clinton made a personal appearance along with Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter in Drexel's Main Building.

  • Michael Bay
    Michael Bay
    Michael Benjamin Bay is an American film director and producer. He is known for directing high-budget action films characterized by their fast edits, stylistic visuals and substantial practical special effects...

    's 2009 film Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
    Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
    Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is a 2009 American science fiction-action film directed by Michael Bay and produced by Steven Spielberg. It is the sequel to the 2007 film Transformers and the second installment in the live-action Transformers series...

     featured several scenes shot in front of the main building.

  • In the CW TV series, 90210
    90210
    90210 may refer to* Beverly Hills, California, ZIP code 90210* Beverly Hills Post Office* Peltola, Oulu, Finland, postal code 90210* Beverly Hills, 90210, an American teen drama television series that ran between 1990 and 2000...

    , a male character by the name of Liam Court portrayed by Matt Lanter
    Matt Lanter
    Matthew Mackendree "Matt" Lanter is an American actor, former reality TV personality and model, perhaps best known for his roles in Commander in Chief, 90210, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Disaster Movie, Sorority Row and Vampires Suck.-Early life and career:Lanter was born in Massillon, Stark...

     debates on whether or not to attend Drexel University.

  • From July through September 2009, the movie, How Do You Know
    How Do You Know (film)
    How Do You Know is a 2010 romantic comedy drama film directed, written and produced by James L. Brooks. It stars Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, Owen Wilson and Jack Nicholson....

    , starring Jack Nicholson
    Jack Nicholson
    John Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the...

    , Reese Witherspoon
    Reese Witherspoon
    Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon , better known as Reese Witherspoon, is an American actress and film producer. Witherspoon landed her first feature role as the female lead in the film The Man in the Moon in 1991; later that year she made her television acting debut, in the cable movie Wildflower...

    , Owen Wilson
    Owen Wilson
    Owen Cunningham Wilson is an American actor and writer, known for his roles in the films The Haunting, The Royal Tenenbaums, Zoolander, Meet the Parents, Wedding Crashers, You, Me and Dupree, Bottle Rocket, the Cars series, The Darjeeling Limited, Marley & Me, Midnight in Paris, Shanghai Noon,...

    , and Paul Rudd
    Paul Rudd
    Paul Stephen Rudd is an American actor and screenwriter. He has primarily appeared in comedies, and is known for his roles in the films Clueless, Wet Hot American Summer, Anchorman, Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, Knocked Up, Dinner for Schmucks, The Object of My...

     was filmed on the Drexel University main campus inside of the Armory
    Armory (military)
    An armory or armoury is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, issued to authorized users, or any combination of those...

    .

  • Drexel University hosted the 2011 U.S. Open Squash Championships, the most prestigious squash tournament in the country. The United States Open (squash)
    United States Open (squash)
    The United States Open squash championships is an annual squash tournament sponsored by U.S. Squash. The championship was inaugurated in 1954 as an opportunity for professionals and amateurs to compete against each other...

     was held at Drexel's Daskalakis Athletic Center
    Daskalakis Athletic Center
    Daskalakis Athletic Center is a 2,300-seat multi-purpose arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is home to the Drexel University Dragons basketball team. It hosted all or part of the 1993-1996 America East Conference men's basketball tournament, the 2005 NIT Season Tip-Off, and the 2007 National...

     from October 1-6,2011.

Alumni

Since its founding the university has graduated over 100,000 alumni. Certificate-earning alumni such as artist Violet Oakley
Violet Oakley
Violet Oakley was an American artist known for her murals and her work in stained glass. She was a student and later a faculty member at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.-Life:...

 and illustrator Frank Schoonover
Frank Schoonover
Frank Earle Schoonover was an American illustrator. Born in Oxford, New Jersey, he studied under Howard Pyle at the Drexel Institute in Philadelphia and became part of what would be known as the Brandywine School...

 reflect the early emphasis on art as part of the university's curriculum. With World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, the university's technical programs swelled, and as a result Drexel graduated alumni such as Paul Baran
Paul Baran
Paul Baran was a Polish American engineer who was a pioneer in the development of computer networks.He invented packet switching techniques, and went on to start several companies and develop other technologies that are an essential part of the Internet and other modern digital...

, one of the founding fathers of the Internet and one of the inventors of the packet switching
Packet switching
Packet switching is a digital networking communications method that groups all transmitted data – regardless of content, type, or structure – into suitably sized blocks, called packets. Packet switching features delivery of variable-bit-rate data streams over a shared network...

 network, and Norman Joseph Woodland
Norman Joseph Woodland
Norman Joseph Woodland is best known as one of the inventors of the barcode, for which he received US Patent 2,612,994 in October 1952. He is also known as N. Joseph Woodland and N.J. Woodland.-Personal life:...

 the inventor of barcode
Barcode
A barcode is an optical machine-readable representation of data, which shows data about the object to which it attaches. Originally barcodes represented data by varying the widths and spacings of parallel lines, and may be referred to as linear or 1 dimensional . Later they evolved into rectangles,...

 technology. In addition to its emphasis on technology Drexel has graduated several notable athletes such as National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...

 (NBA) basketball players Michael Anderson
Michael Anderson (basketball)
Michael Levin Anderson is a former basketball player for Drexel University, the NBA, Spain's professional Liga ACB, the Continental Basketball Association, the Greek A1 League and the Turkish Basketball League.Anderson was a high school star at George Washington Carver High School of Engineering &...

 and Malik Rose
Malik Rose
Malik Jabari Rose is an American former professional basketball player, and current broadcaster, serving as a studio analyst for the New York Knicks, and the lead color analyst for the NBA D-League team, the Austin Toros.-High school and college:Rose graduated from Overbrook High School in...

, and several notable business people such as Raj Gupta
Raj Gupta
Raj Gupta is the former Chief executive officer and president of the Fortune 500 company Rohm and Haas. Rohm and Haas was acquired by Dow Chemical on April 1, 2009....

, former President and Chief executive officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...

 (CEO) of Rohm and Haas
Rohm and Haas
Rohm and Haas Company, a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania based company, manufactures miscellaneous materials. Formerly a Fortune 500 Company, Rohm and Haas employs more than 17,000 people in 27 countries, with its last sales revenue reported as an independent company at USD 8.9 billion. On July 10,...

, and Kenneth C. Dahlberg
Kenneth C. Dahlberg
Kenneth C. Dahlberg is an American engineer and corporate executive. Dahlberg was CEO, chairman of the board, and president of Science Applications International Corporation...

, former CEO of Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC).

In 1991, the university's centennial anniversary, Drexel created an association called the Drexel 100, for alumni who have demonstrated excellence work, philanthropy, or public service. After the creation of the association 100 alumni were inducted in 1992 and since then the induction process has been on a biennial basis. In 2006 164 total alumni had been inducted into the association.

Awards

Drexel University created the annual $100,000 Anthony J. Drexel Exceptional Achievement Award to recognize a faculty member from a U.S. institution whose work transforms both research and the society it serves. The first recipient was bioengineer James J. Collins
James Collins (Boston University)
James J. Collins is an American bioengineer, Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Boston University, and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator...

 of Boston University and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.

See also

  • Constantine Papadakis
    Constantine Papadakis
    Constantine Papadakis was a Greek-American businessman and the president of Drexel University.-Academic career:...

  • John Anderson Fry
    John Anderson Fry
    John Anderson Fry is the former President of Franklin & Marshall College and the current President of Drexel University.-Early life:John Anderson Fry was born in Brooklyn, New York City and received an undergraduate degree in American Civilization from Lafayette College. He worked in management...

  • Association of Independent Technological Universities
    Association of Independent Technological Universities
    The Association of Independent Technological Universities is a group of private American engineering colleges established in 1957. The purpose of the association is to share ideas and practices that promote innovation and entrepreneurship, promote technology-oriented careers and advance...



External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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