Last term, Drexel University undergraduate and graduate students were recognized for their academic and professional contributions and accomplishments. This update offers a snapshot of activity courtesy of the Office of the Provost.
Want to learn more about opportunities for scholarships and fellowships? There’s Drexel’s Undergraduate Research & Enrichment Programs (UREP), which also serves graduate students applying for fellowships.
Scholarships and Publications
Jon Merwin, a PhD candidate in biodiversity, earth and environmental science (BEES) ’26 from the College of Arts and Sciences, received the $1,000 BEES Travel Award in August, while Emily Griffith, a PhD student in ecology, evolution and earth systems ’26 from the College of Arts and Sciences, also received the BEES Travel Award, as well as the $1,000 Kilham Grant.
Hailee Mayer, a PhD candidate from the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, was published as first author in the November 2024 edition of the peer reviewed journal Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology for her paper titled, “Investigation Into the Subharmonic Response of Three Contrast Agents in Static and Dynamic Flow Environments Using a Commercially Available Diagnostic Ultrasound Scanner.”
Masters in complementary and integrative health students Colette Bruce, Elizabeth Cortis and Tammy Richards, from the College of Nursing and Health Professions, published “Modality Spotlight: Journeys of Transformation” in Energy Magazine.
Nisha Patel, BS biological sciences ’25 from the College of Arts and Sciences, was a co-author on three neuroscience articles published in summer and fall 2024: “Effect of dimethyl fumarate on mitochondrial metabolism in a pediatric porcine model of asphyxia-induced in-hospital cardiac arrest” in Nature Scientific Reports, “Dissociable hindbrain GLP1R circuits for satiety and aversion” in Nature and “PET Imaging with [18F]ROStrace Detects Oxidative Stress and Predicts Parkinson’s Disease Progression in Mice” in Antioxidants.
Alyssa Kemp, BS/MS environmental engineering ’25 from the College of Engineering and a co-op student with The Environmental Collaboratory, was awarded funding through Second Nature’s Catalyst Grant, which will be used to create a centralized curriculum hub that will be dedicated to incorporating environmental and social justice themes into College of Engineering curriculum. The project aims to equip students with the skills to design innovative and equitable solutions to the complex challenges facing today’s world.
Vivian Tian, MA digital media ’25 from the Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, was awarded the prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.
Maeve Fitzgerald, BA sociology ’25 from the College of Arts and Sciences, presented a research poster at the Update on Cancer Care in Latinos, Hispanics, and Latinx Communities Annual Meeting of the Society of Ibero Latin American Medical Professionals and the National Hispanic Medical Association at Thomas Jefferson University.
Sanya Ailani, a third-year medical student in the College of Medicine, won the award for best paper for her presentation at the American Academy of Ophthalmology's annual meeting in the highly competitive original cataract papers session, which explored the correlation between diabetic A1c levels and endophthalmitis.
Fourth-year MD students Alexis Arza and Erin Stitzlein, second-year medical student Medha Gupta and Erum Ilyas, MD ’01, associate professor and interim academic chair of dermatology, from the College of Medicine, authored “Incidence of Rosacea Associated With Hormonal Intrauterine Devices: A Comparative Study With Nonhormonal Intrauterine Devices,” which appeared in the Oct. 22 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Carissa Colligan, a PhD candidate in marketing from the Bennett S. LeBow College of Business, presented a working paper titled “Virtual Volunteering: Conceptualizing New Ways Consumers Are Using Technology to Support Social Causes” at the Summer American Marketing Association Conference in August.
Chloe Mshana, BS economics ’28 from the LeBow College of Business, presented the poster “Navigating the Nonprofit Landscape,” at the Fifth Annual Exploring Career Pathways in Economics and Related Fields Conference, hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and The Sadie Collective in October. Mshana first began this research as a Students Tackling Advanced Research (STAR) Scholar during summer 2024.
Saffron Buscemi, BS in textile engineering and technology ’27 (Custom-Designed Major) from the Pennoni Honors College, won a $5,000 Portz Interdisciplinary Fellowship from the National Collegiate Honors Council for her project “Developing Biomaterial and Bioinspired Textiles for the Fashion Industry.”
Two STAR Scholars were recently awarded the Teagle Civic Impact Award for their Summer 2024 STAR research projects, and each received a $1,000 scholarship. They were recognized during the STAR Scholars Quick Pitch Finals. The students are Caitlin Betson, BS psychology ’28 from the College of Arts and Sciences, a STAR Scholar who studied the effectiveness of interventions for justice-involved individuals, and Chan Chung, BS biological sciences ’27 from the College of Arts and Sciences, a STAR Scholar who researched the systematic neurochemical changes that occur in the brain due to alcohol addiction.
Lena DeYoung, a PhD candidate in psychology from the College of Arts and Sciences, was awarded a National Institution of Justice (NIJ) Graduate Research Fellowship grant to support her dissertation.
Prastuti Upadhyay, BS material science engineering ’27 from the College of Engineering, was the first author on a paper on the 2D materials known as MXenes that shows that MXene-coated polyester textiles efficiently filter nanoparticles. Upadhyay won the C-Journal of Carbon Research Best Poster Award at Drexel’s third International MXene Conference at Drexel in August and received an invitation to submit a paper.
Academic Accolades and Other Achievements
Bob Conrow, a PhD candidate in biodiversity, earth and environmental science ’24 from the College of Arts and Sciences, accepted a role as a full-time teaching faculty in the biology department at Kutztown University and will defend his PhD later this fall. His research has explored the evolutionary transitions between freshwater and terrestrial habitat use, using the first comprehensive phylogeny of crane flies based on next gen molecular data.
Shatakshi Tyagi, BS computer science ’27 from the College of Computing and Informatics, received the Best Presenter award at the Spring/Summer 2024 PECO Co-op Day. Tyagi, who was on co-op at Exelon, showcased two projects involving large language models, generative AI and machine learning to develop an AI-powered tool, along with data analysis and visualization using Microsoft Power Automate, Power Query and Power BI to build an interactive dashboard.
Twelve College of Nursing and Health Professions students in the Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program ran a Self-Care Health Fair for the Stephen and Sandra Sheller 11th Street Family Services’ community. DPT students were involved in helping plan and implement intergenerational and individualized health initiatives at this health fair, including assistive device use, cleaning, recalibration, balance and gait assessments, as well as children’s activities.
Ariella Atencio, a PhD candidate in physics from the College of Arts and Sciences, was selected for the Department of Energy’s Office of Science Graduate Student Research program, which allows students to conduct research at national laboratories.
Dilawer Siddiqi, MPH ’25, and Divya Chanda, MPH ’25, both from the Dana and David Dornsife School of Public Health, have been selected as 2024–25 “This is Public Health” ambassadors for the Association of Schools & Programs of Public Health, which represents more than 150 accredited schools and programs of public health, including more than 103,000 deans, faculty, staff and students.
Alexander Beglan, BArch ’25 from the Westphal College of Media Arts & Design, was nationally recognized by the Building Technology Educators Society (BTES) with the 2024 Edward Allen Student Award. This is the BTES’s highest honor recognizing students who have demonstrated commitment, passion, curiosity and excellence in the integration of building technology and architectural design.
The School of Education partnered with AmeriCorps to provide funding to cover three paid co-op positions at Science Leadership Academy Middle School. The co-op students are doing their pre-student teaching field experience at the school and developed their own mini courses that are held once a week.
SEPTA Safety, Cleaning, Ownership, Partnership and Engagement (SCOPE) program welcomed 21 College of Medicine students in October, the largest cohort yet. The students, some with EMT and paramedic training, will be stationed at key SEPTA locations, and focus on providing people with basic medical supplies and supporting SCOPE outreach workers.
Melanie Machuca, real estate management and development ’25; Ethan Swanker, real estate management and development ’26; Nyla Paige, real estate management and development ’26; and Will Wonjah, finance and real estate management and development ’25, all from the LeBow College of Business, competed in the CoreNet Global Academic Challenge, organized by CoreNet Global, a nonprofit association supporting the corporate real estate industry and was one of three teams to make it to the final round.