Faculty Support

Drexel University Endowed Professorships & Chairs

Dr. Alisa Morss Clyne is currently the Pei Chi Chou Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, with a joint appointment in the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health Systems at Drexel. Dr. Clyne received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University. After graduation, she worked for four years as a jet aircraft engineer in the Technical Leadership Program at GE Aircraft Engines, concurrently earning a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Clyne completed her doctorate in medical and mechanical engineering through the Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology. She teaches fluid mechanics and biomechanics at Drexel, and her research investigates the biomechanics and biochemistry of cardiovascular disease. Recently, Dr. Clyne was awarded the prestigious NSF-CAREER Award as well as the Pennsylvania Department of Public Health GRID Award.

The Marshall M. Austin Endowed Professorship
Dr. Thomas Chiang Show details

A member of Drexel University’s faculty since 1981, Dr. Thomas C. Chiang has helped to make LeBow one of the most highly ranked programs in the nation. Dr. Chiang’s innovative research has been recognized by his peers across the globe. Among his numerous honors, Dr. Chiang was awarded the Highest Quality Rating Research Paper by the ANBAR Electronic Citation of Excellence for his article, "Empirical Analysis of Short-term Eurocurrency Rates: Evidence from A Transfer Function Error-Correction Model," which was published in the Journal of Economics and Business in 1999. He was also honored with the Best Research Paper Award for his paper entitled, "On the Predictors of the Future Spot Rates - A Multi-Currency Analysis," which was presented at the Eastern Finance Association Meetings in 1985. Dr. Chiang served as visiting examiner of academic programs for the Chinese University of Hong Kong from 1999 to 2002. Dr. Chiang received his doctorate in international finance, financial economics and time-series forecasting from Penn State University.

The KPMG Professorship in the College of Business and Administration
Dr. Hsihui Chang Show details

Dr. Hsihui Chang has made a number of notable contributions in business through his influential work in accounting. His areas of expertise include performance measurement, cost management, financial disclosures, information technology, public policy, and data envelopment analysis. Dr. Chang is a prolific scholar. Most recently, Dr. Chang presented a paper entitled, “First Financial Restructuring and Operating Efficiency: Evidence from Taiwan Commercial Banks” at the Imperial College Business School in London. He also served on the Conference Scientific Committee of the Tenth Annual International Conference on Accounting and Business. Dr. Chang received his Ph.D. in accounting from the University of Minnesota.

The Albert and Harriet Soffa Endowed Professorship in Mechanical Engineering
Dr. Wei Sun Show details

Dr. Wei Sun is currently the Albert Soffa Chair Professor of Mechanical Engineering, with an affiliated appointment at the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health Systems at Drexel. His areas of research include computer-aided tissue engineering, biomanufacturing and bioprinting, CAD/CAM and solid freeform fabrication. He has published over 200 technical articles, 10 patents issued and pending, and has conducted over 100 invited national and international presentations. He is currently serving as chair of the Biomanufacturing Technical Committee in Manufacturing Engineering Division, American Society of Mechanical Engineering (ASME). He also currently serves as editor-in-chief for the International Journal of Biofabrication and as section editor for tissue engineering for the Journal of American Society for Artificial Internal Organs (ASAIO). Dr. Sun is also a member of the following editorial boards: Rapid Prototyping Journal, Journal of Virtual and Physical Prototyping, Recent Patent in Engineering, Journal of Computer-Aided Design & Application (CAD&A), and International Journal of Service Operations & Informatics (IJSOI). Dr. Sun received his Ph.D. from Drexel.

The J. Donald Rauth Distinguished Chair in Business Management
Dr. Bert Rosenbloom Show details

Dr. Bert Rosenbloom earned his Ph.D. at Temple University. He currently is a professor of marketing and editor of the Journal of Marketing Channels. He has served on the editorial boards of several publications including the Journal of Consumer Marketing, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, and Journal of International Consumer Marketing. Dr. Rosenbloom also serves on the ad hoc review boards of the Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Marketing, and Journal of Retailing. He is former president of the International Management Development Association and former vice president of the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Marketing Association. Dr. Rosenbloom is a past member of the Board of Governors of the Academy of Marketing Science. Dr. Rosenbloom is a leading expert on the management of marketing channels and distribution systems and the author of 10 books and more than 100 articles. His book, Marketing Channels: A Management View, now in its sixth edition, has been the leading college textbook on marketing channels for over two decades. His book, Marketing Functions and the Wholesale Distributor, has been acclaimed in the wholesaling sector for providing the industry with new concepts and analytical methods to increase productivity in wholesale marketing channels. Dr. Rosenbloom has consulted for a broad range of industries in manufacturing, wholesaling, retailing, communications, services, and real estate in the United States and abroad. He has won two teaching awards. Dr. Rosenbloom also serves as co-chair of the LeBow Strategic Planning Committee.

The Isaac L. Auerbach Professorship in the College of Information Science and Technology
Dr. David E. Fenske (Dean, The iSchool at Drexel) Show details

Under Dean David Fenske’s outstanding leadership, the iSchool at Drexel continues to provide one of the highest-ranking education programs in the country. In 2008, the iSchool was recognized and awarded for its innovative research by the Laura Bush 21st Century Library Program of the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services. Dean Fenske's major teaching and research interests are digital libraries, informatics, knowledge management tools and agents and information technology systems. He was involved with the design and the deployment of a major digital library service while at Indiana University. He presented digital library concepts to national and international audiences as part of his previous work with IBM. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

The John A. Nyheim Endowed University Chair
Dr. Alexander A. Fridman (Director, The A.J. Drexel Plasma Institute in the College of Engineering) Show details

Dr. Alexander Fridman is the Nyheim Chair Professor of Drexel University and director of Drexel Plasma Institute. His research focuses on plasma approaches to material treatment, fuel conversion and environmental control. Professor Fridman has over 30 years of plasma research in national laboratories and universities of Russia, France, and the United States. He has published five books and 350 papers, and received numerous honors for his work, including Stanley Kaplan Distinguished Professorship in Chemical Kinetics and Energy Systems, George Soros Distinguished Professorship in Physics, and the State Prize of the USSR for discovery of selective stimulation of chemical processes in non-thermal plasma. Among his recent accomplishments, Professor Fridman, together with his colleague, Dr. Gary Friedman, developed innovative medicine technologies that were licensed to Plasma Technologies, Inc., a Texas-based company that intends to design, patent and market medical devices related to wound healing, care and prevention of hospital-borne infections and other medical applications. Dr. Fridman received his Ph.D. from the Moscow Institute of Physics.

The Carl R. Pacifico Professorship in Neuropsychology
Dr. Eric Zillmer Show details

Dr. Eric A. Zillmer, a licensed clinical psychologist, received his doctorate in clinical psychology from the Florida Institute of Technology where he was subsequently awarded the Outstanding Alumnus Award. Dr. Zillmer completed internship training at Eastern Virginia Medical School and a postdoctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at the University of Virginia School of Medicine.
A member of Drexel University’s faculty since 1988, Dr. Zillmer is a fellow of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, the American Psychological Association, the Society for Personality Assessment, and the National Academy of Neuropsychology for which he has also served as president. He has written extensively in the area of sports psychology, neuropsychology, and psychological assessment, having published more than 100 journal articles, book chapters, and books. Dr. Zillmer is also a frequent contributor to the local and national media on topics ranging from sports psychology, forensic psychology to the psychology of terrorism.
Dr. Zillmer also serves as director of the Drexel Athletics Department.

The H. H. Sun Endowed Professorship
Dr. Banu Onaral (Director, School of Biomedical Science, Engineering, and Health Systems) Show details

Dr. Banu Onaral is the H. H. Sun Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Electrical Engineering at Drexel University. Dr. Onaral joined the faculty of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department and the Biomedical Engineering and Science Institute in 1981. She has served as the founding director of the School of Biomedical Engineering Science and Health Systems since 1997. Dr. Onaral's academic focus both in research and teaching is centered on signals and systems engineering with special emphasis on complex systems and biomedical signal processing in ultrasound and optics. She has led major research and development projects sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Office of Naval Research (ONR), DARPA and Department of Homeland Security (DHS). She is the recipient of a number of faculty excellence awards including the 1990 Lindback Distinguished Teaching Award of Drexel University, the EDUCOM Best educational Software award and the NSF Faculty Achievement Award. Her translational research efforts for rapid commercialization of biomedical technologies developed at Drexel have resulted in the creation of the Biomedical Device Development Initiative (BioMedDev), a 'start-up of start-ups,' which brings together academic technology developers with entrepreneurs, economic development agencies, local legal, business and investment communities. Dr. Onaral holds a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.

The Joseph F. Ford Professorship in Accounting
Dr. Anthony P. Curatola Show details

Dr. Anthony P. Curatola holds the Joseph F. Ford Professorship in Accounting in the Bennett S. LeBow College of Business. Dr. Curatola has a B.S. degree in accounting and an M.B.A degree in finance from Drexel University, an M.A. degree in accounting from the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. degree in accounting from Texas A&M University. Dr. Curatola’s area of research interest is the taxation of employee benefits. He has authored over 90 articles in his field that have appeared in journals such as The Tax Adviser, TAXES, Oil, Gas, and Energy Quarterly, Benefits Quarterly, Canadian Accounting Perspectives, Journal of Pension Planning and Compliance, Advances in Accounting Behavioral Research, and Tax Notes. Dr. Curatola’s findings have also appeared in media such as Forbes, Washington Post, Money Magazine, Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. He is currently the editor of the tax column in Strategic Finance and is an author of several MicroMash Interactive education courses in the area of retirement taxation, including his latest ones on the Energy Tax Incentive Act of 2005 and the Enrolled Agents Review course for ExamMatrix Publishing Company.

The Anne Stevens Professorship for Young Women Faculty in the Department of Materials Science
Dr. Ulrike Wegst Show details

Dr. Ulrike Wegst studied physics and materials science at the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen in Germany and at the University of Cambridge in the U.K. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge for her analysis of the mechanical performance of natural materials. The goal of Dr. Wegst’s research on biological materials is to understand in detail the relationship between their structure, mechanical properties and function. To achieve this, she combines mechanical property measurements at a number of length scales of the material’s hierarchical structure, ranging from macroscopical to in situ testing in SEM and FIB, with microstructural examination by electron microscopy and X-ray tomography, and modeling. The lessons learned from her research and similar studies in the literature are captured in her software-based Biomimetic Design Guide tool to enable the systematic transfer of biological principles of function and efficiency to technology.

The Stratakis Chair in Corporate Governance
Dr. Ralph A. Walkling (Executive Director, Center of Corporate Excellence and Accountability) Show details

Dr. Ralph A. Walkling holds the Stratakis Chair in Corporate Governance and is executive director of the Center for Corporate Governance in the Bennett S. LeBow College of Business. He is also president-elect of the Financial Management Association. He received his B.S. from Towson State University and his M.B.A and doctorate from the University of Maryland. Published in the leading academic journals of his field and quoted in periodicals ranging from USA Today to CFO Magazine, Professor Walkling is internationally known for both his research and for his ability to communicate financial concepts in an exciting, effective fashion. He is a leading contributor to the top journals in his field including The Journal of Financial Economics, The Journal of Finance, The Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis and The Rand Journal of Economics. Dr. Walkling is listed in the top one percent of finance authors in terms of academic citations of their work. He also serves as associate editor of The Journal of Financial and Quantitative Analysis, The Journal of Corporate Finance, Financial Review and as a member of the editorial board for The International Journal of Finance and Accounting. He is a past associate editor of Financial Management.

The Royal H. Gibson, Sr. Professorship
Rolph E. Anderson, Ph.D. Show details

A member of the Drexel University faculty since 1975, Dr. Rolph Anderson continues to make meaningful contributions in business administration and marketing through superior teaching and widely recognized research. Dr. Anderson’s areas of expertise include selling and sales management, customer relationship management, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty, sales force empowerment as well as multivariate data analysis. Among his numerous accomplishments, Dr. Anderson most recently co-authored the textbook, Sales Management: Building Customer Relationships and Partnerships. In collaboration with his Drexel colleagues, Dr. Anderson also published a researched paper entitled "Performance Appraisals of Sales Managers: An Empirical Investigation" in the 2008 Proceedings of the World Marketing Conference at the Korean Academy of Marketing Science, Shanghai, China. Dr. Anderson received his Ph.D. in economics and business administration from the University of Florida.

The William A. Mackie Professorship in Commerce and Engineering
Jeffrey H. Greenhaus, Ph.D. Show details

Dr. Jeffrey H. Greenhaus is the William A. Mackie Professor of Management and director of the Ph.D. Program in Business at the LeBow College of Business. He received his Ph.D. in industrial-organizational psychology from New York University and teaches courses in organizational behavior and human resource management. His research focuses on career dynamics and work-family relationships. Dr. Greenhaus is the lead author of Career Management, now in its third edition, co-author of Work and Family: Allies or Enemies?, co-editor of Integrating Work and Family: Challenges and Choices for a Changing World, and co-editor of the Encyclopedia of Career Development, to be published by SAGE. His research has appeared in such journals as the Academy of Management Journal, Academy of Management Review, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Vocational Behavior, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Journal of Management, Journal of Organizational Behavior, and Personnel Psychology. Dr. Greenhaus has served on the editorial review boards of the Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Managerial Issues, Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Journal of Vocational Behavior, and Career Development International, and was the associate editor of the Journal of Vocational Behavior from 1993 to 1995. In 1995, he received the Drexel University Research Achievement Award and in 2004 received the Sage Scholarship Award from the Gender and Diversity in Organizations Division of the Academy of Management.

The R. John Chapel, Jr., Dean’s Chair in Leadership
George P. Tsetsekos, Ph.D Show details

Dr. George P. Tsetsekos has served as dean of Drexel University’s LeBow College of Business since August 2001. With an active Advisory Board of corporate leaders and more than 120 faculty and 80 staff members, the College offers innovative accredited business programs focused on leadership, corporate governance, and management of technology. Under his leadership, LeBow College has grown to bR. John Chapel, Jr. ’67 honored the accomplishments and growth of the College by establishing a Dean’s Chair in 2008. Dr. Tsetsekos now holds the distinguished title of R. John Chapel, Jr., Dean’s Chair in Leadership.
on Review (top 3 programs), Financial Times (top 50 EMBA programs world-wide), and U.S. News & World Report (top 30 undergraduate business programs).
Dr. Tsetsekos joined LeBow College’s finance faculty in 1988 and directed its Risk Management Center. Dr. Tsetsekos’ extensive research covers the broad areas of corporate finance, investments, banking, and international finance. Prior to his appointment as dean, he served as Drexel’s vice president for Academic Administration and served as a member of the leadership team that achieved the strategic merger between Drexel and MCP Hahnemann Universities.
R. John Chapel, Jr. ’67 honored the accomplishments and growth of the College by establishing a Dean’s Chair in 2008. Dr. Tsetsekos now holds the distinguished title of R. John Chapel, Jr., Dean’s Chair in Leadership.
An active leader in business, Dean Tsetsekos serves on the boards of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia (Economic Advisory Board), The PENJERDEL Council, Pennsylvania Economic League, The Conference Board, World Trade Center of Greater Philadelphia, and Global Interdependence Center. He serves on editorial boards of academic finance journals including the Journal of Investing. He holds a Ph.D. in finance (1986) from the University of Tennessee, an M.B.A in finance and a B.S. in electrical and mechanical engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece.

The Deloitte Touche Jones Stubbs Professorship of Strategy and Entrepreneurship
V.K. Narayanan, Ph.D. Show details

V.K. Narayanan is currently the Stubbs Professor of Strategy and Entrepreneurship in the LeBow College of Business, associate dean for research and co-chair of the LeBow Strategic Planning Committee. Dr. Narayanan holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, a post graduate degree in business administration from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and a Ph.D. in business from the Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He has authored (or co-authored) over 60 papers and four books.

The Trustee Professorship in International Economics
Constantinos Syropoulos, Ph.D. Show details

Dr. Constantinos Syropoulos is a renowned thought leader in international economics. His research and writings in the areas of preferential trade arrangements, political economy, conflict and appropriation, and economic growth have appeared in influential publications across the world. Most recently, Dr. Syropoulos’ article, “Globalization and Domestic Conflict,” was published in the Journal of International Economics. His far-reaching analysis on key economic issues has also appeared in the Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, Economia as well as Globalization and Emerging Issues in Trade Theory and Policy among other leading publications. Dr. Syropoulos also recently presented his paper, “Trade Costs and Multimarket Collusion,” at a conference on research in economic theory and econometrics, in Naxos, Greece. Dr. Syropoulos also serves as an associate editor for the Journal of International Economics and the Journal of Evolutionary Economics. He is a member of the EuroMed Journal of Business Editorial Board and the Midwest International Economics Group Scientific Board. Dr. Syropoulos also holds an external research fellowship at the Leverhulme Centre for Research on Globalization and Economic Policy at the University of Nottingham in the UK. Dr. Syropoulos received his doctorate in economics from Yale University.

The Hoeganaes Assistant Professorship in Metallurgy
Mitra L. Taheri, Ph.D. Show details

Dr. Mitra L. Taheri is the Hoeganaes Assistant Professor of Metallurgy in the College of Engineering. Before coming to Drexel, Dr. Taheri completed a postdoctoral fellowship with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the Chemistry, Materials, and Life Sciences Division. She also worked as a guest scientist in the National Center for Electron Microscopy at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Prior to joining Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, she worked at the Naval Research Laboratory, where she was chosen as a National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow.
Dr. Taheri’s research interests range from the development of the ultrafast Dynamic Transmission Electron Microscope (DTEM) for the study of laser-induced microstructural evolution/phase transformations in nanostructured materials such as Al Alloys, GaN nanowires and Silicon nanowires, to the use of various in-situ Transmission Electron Microscopy techniques. Her groundbreaking research has been published in Science, Journal of Applied Physics, and several other reputable peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Taheri earned her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA, in 2005.

The Frederic O. Hess Chair Professor in Combustion
Nicholas P. Cernansky, Ph.D. Show details

Dr. Cernansky holds the Hess Chair in Combustion and his interim department head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics in the College of Engineering. Dr. Cernansky has been on the Drexel faculty since 1975 and has held the Hess Chair since 1988. His research interests include low and intermediate temperature combustion of hydrocarbons, auto-ignition and knock in spark ignition engines, homogeneous change compression ignition (HCCI) combustion process and formation and control of combustion generated emissions. Dr. Cernansky received his Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley.

The L.D. Betz Professor of Environmental Engineering
Charles N. Haas, Ph.D. Show details

Charles N. Haas is the L.D. Betz Professor of Environmental Engineering and head of the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering at Drexel University, where he has been on the faculty since 1991. He also has an adjunct appointment in the Department of Emergency Medicine of the Drexel University College of Medicine. Dr. Haas received his B.S. in biology and his M.S. in environmental engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology, and his Ph.D. in environmental engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He served on the faculties of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the Illinois Institute of Technology prior to joining Drexel. He is a fellow of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science, the Society for Risk Analysis, and the American Academy of Microbiology. For nearly 25 years, Dr. Haas has specialized in the assessment of risk from and control of human exposure to pathogenic microorganisms, and in particular the treatment of water and wastewater to minimize microbial risk to human health. He also has conducted research in hazardous and industrial waste treatment.
Dr. Haas has received a number of honors, including the Ellet and Chanute awards from the Western Society of Engineers. He has served on three committees of the National Research Council, on potable water reuse, on the New York City water supply, and on priority setting for drinking water contaminants. He is the founding editor in chief of Quantitative Microbiology and is a former member of the editorial board of Applied and Environmental Microbiology. He is a current member of the Water Science and Technology Board of the National Academies. Dr. Haas is the author of 20 books and more than 150 papers.

The Calhoun Chair Professorship of Cellular Tissue Engineering
Peter I. Lelkes, Ph.D. Show details

Dr. Peter I. Lelkes holds the Calhoun Chair Professorship of Cellular Tissue Engineering in the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science, and Health Systems. Prior to joining the Drexel faculty in 2001, Dr. Lelkes served on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Medical School for twelve years. An expert in generating cells and growing cultured cells into tissue, Dr. Lelkes and his co-workers and students have conducted essential research in generating tissue in bioreactors under conditions that simulate microgravity. Their experiments also flew aboard MIR space station missions.
Dr. Lelkes recently discovered that the effects of microgravity are felt even at the level of individual cells. It was originally believed that cells could only grow or react when acted upon by gravity. His findings have been published in prominent peer-reviewed journals, including Nature Medicine and American Journal of Physiology.
A new set of Dr. Lelkes' experiments were among the first scientific studies to be conducted on the International Space Station. He has found that there are attractive advantages to growing tissue in microgravity. The tissue cells are exposed to less stress and they aggregate together more readily. Microgravity conditions will not produce tissue faster than under normal conditions, but they will produce optimal results. Dr. Lelkes' studies will help eventually to cure patients who suffer from chronic pain, Parkinson's disease, and other neurodegenerative disorders.

The L.D. Betz Chair of Environmental Science
James R. Spotila, Ph.D. Show details

James R. Spotila holds the Betz Chair of Environmental Science in the College of Arts and Sciences, where he is also director of the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation. Dr. Spotila is a leading ecologist and physiologist who has written more than 100 articles published in leading scientific journals and helped create the field of biophysical ecology. One of the world's leading authorities on sea turtles, he is the founding president of the International Sea Turtle Society and president of the Leatherback Trust, based in Costa Rica. His current research involves the physiological and population ecology of sea turtles, the use of molecular markers to assess stress in animals and plants, the molecular basis for temperature dependent sex determination in reptiles, the molecular population genetics of sea turtles and other reptiles, and the effect of military training on endangered plants, animals and their ecosystems. Dr. Spotila received his Ph.D. in vertebrate zoology and physiological ecology from the University of Arkansas.

College of Medicine Endowed Professorships & Chairs

The Stanley K. Brockman, M.D. Endowed Chair in Cardiothoracic Surgery
Dr. Andrew S. Wechsler Show details

Dr. Andrew Wechsler, the Stanley K. Brockman Professor and chair of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Drexel University College of Medicine, has led several National Institutes of Health grants supporting a career-long interest in myocardial ischemia and reperfusion injury, ventricular performance and valve surgery. Recognized as a medical scholar, educator and widely published author, Dr. Wechsler was recently named editor emeritus of the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and has served on the editorial board of ten major journals. He is the author of 330 peer-reviewed manuscripts, 59 book chapters, 29 books and monographs.
In 2008, Dr. Wechsler was awarded the prestigious 2008 Scientific Achievement Award by the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS). The award honors those who have made extraordinary contributions to the specialty of cardiothoracic surgery. Dr. Wechsler earned his medical degree from the State University of New York where he graduated Summa Cum Laude.

Betty A. Cohen Endowed Chair in Women's Health
Lynn H. Yeakel, MSM Director of Drexel University College of Medicine’s Institute for Women’s Health and Leadership Show details

Ms. Lynn Yeakel holds the Betty A. Cohen Chair in Women’s Health and is the director of Drexel University College of Medicine’s Institute for Women’s Health and Leadership (IWHL). Under Yeakel’s leadership, the IWHL has grown in size and stature. Since coming to IWHL in 2002, Yeakel has launched the Woman One Award and Scholarship Fund, raising medical tuition scholarships for minority women. She is also the creator, convener, and moderator of “Conversations about Women’s Health,” a popular community education program, and is launching the Gender and Ethnic Medicine (GEM) Continuing Medical Education Seminars in 2008.
A founder and former chief executive of the first and largest women’s funding federation in the nation, Women’s Way, Yeakel was a candidate for the U.S. Senate in the “Year of the Woman,” 1992. Yeakel served as the Mid-Atlantic Regional Director for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from 1994 to 2000. She also chaired the region’s Welfare Reform Team, the Child Health Initiative and the Combined Federal Campaign.
A member of the Pennsylvania Women’s Forum, the Forum of Executive Women and the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, Yeakel has received numerous honors and awards, including the Pennsylvania Citizen Action Award and the Lucretia Mott Award. She was named a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania in 1989, received the MCP/Gimbel Award for humanitarian contributions in 1987, and was named a “Woman of Distinction” by the Philadelphia Business Journal in 2004. In 2006, she was identified as a Top Connector by LEADERSHIP Philadelphia.

The Hamot Medical Center Endowed Chair in Family Medicine
Dr. Eugene S. Hong Chairman of the Department of Family, Community, and Preventive Medicine, and Chief of the Division of Sports Medicine Show details

Dr. Hong is chairman of the Department of Family, Community & Preventive Medicine and chief of the Division of Sports Medicine. He is an authority on concussions, cardiac issues in athletes, and overuse injuries.
A graduate of Tufts University School of Medicine, Hong completed a general surgery internship at the University of Connecticut; a residency in family medicine and a fellowship in sports medicine both at Thomas Jefferson University; and a community medicine fellowship at the University of Massachusetts. His research on proper helmet fitting techniques in preventing concussions among high school football players was a published abstract in the American College of Sports Medicine’s journal, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. Recently, he served on an ACSM national task force that issued a position paper on psychological issues in the injured athlete.
Hong is the team physician for Drexel University’s varsity student athletes, a team physician for Saint Joseph’s University varsity student athletes, and the team physician for Plymouth Whitemarsh High School in suburban Philadelphia.

The Thomas J. Vischer, M.D. Endowed Chair in Medicine
Dr. Howard J. Eisen Chief of Cardiology Division Show details

Dr. Howard Eisen is Thomas J. Vischer professor of medicine and chief of the Division of Cardiology at Drexel University College of Medicine. One of the world's most experienced heart failure and transplant cardiologists, Dr. Eisen specializes in heart failure and heart transplant care. In 2005, he helped established the Center for Advanced Heart Failure Care at Hahnemann University Hospital, where he is implementing non-invasive approaches to diagnose transplant rejection and novel therapies for the treatment of patients with heart failure or after heart transplantation. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Dr. Eisen is past president of the American Heart Association Southeastern Pennsylvania Affiliate, where he currently serves as a governor, as well as a member of the Pennsylvania Delaware Affiliate Board of Directors. He is also a member of a number of grant review study sections for the National Institute of Health.

The William Measey Professorship Fund
Dr. Barbara Schindler Vice Dean for Educational and Academic Affairs Show details

Dr. Barbara Schindler is the William Maul Measey Chair in Medical Education, vice dean for educational and academic affairs, and professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at Drexel University College of Medicine. She also founded and serves as the medical director of the Caring Together Program, an outpatient treatment program for women with addictive disorders in the Department of Psychiatry.
She has over 150 publications, abstracts and presentations in consultation-liaison psychiatry, psychosomatic medicine, substance abuse in women and medical education. She collaborated on a multi-centered study of the effects of financial stress on the physical and mental health of academic health center faculty.
Dr. Schindler is co-principal investigator on a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) grant to develop innovative online communication skills and educational programs for medical students and physicians which has resulted in Drexel being designated by NIDA as a Center of Excellence for Physician Information. Dr. Schindler has earned Fellowship status in the American Psychiatric Association and the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine and is a past-president of the Philadelphia Psychiatric Society. She served on the Council of the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine and the Philadelphia Psychiatric Society. She is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha and is the recipient of the Commonwealth Board Award and the WMC/MCP Alumnae/I Association Service Award. She has been honored with the Association of American Medical Colleges Women in Medicine Silver Achievement Award, the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Society’s Presidential Award and the Lindback Teaching Award. Dr. Schindler is a graduate of Boston University and the Women’s Medical College.

The Walter H. & Leonore Annenberg Deanship in the Drexel University College of Medicine
Richard V. Homan, M.D. Show details

Dr. Homan joined Drexel University College of Medicine in 2005 from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, where he was dean of the School of Medicine and vice president for clinical affairs.
At Texas Tech, Dr. Homan served on the faculty for 16 years in numerous positions. As dean and vice president for clinical affairs, he oversaw comprehensive management of all activities of the School of Medicine, Office of Managed Care, and the faculty practice plan, and served as chief executive officer of a $300 million operating budget. He was also responsible for improving the school’s capital infrastructure and completed the school’s first curriculum redesign since its founding in 1969.
A licensed medical physician and surgeon, Dr. Homan is a diplomate of the National Board of Medical Examiners and the American Board of Family Practice. He holds certificates of added qualifications in geriatric medicine and sports medicine.
He has received more than $9.5 million in extramural funding for scholarly activities related to the development of community-based medical education programs, healthy aging, cardiovascular disease and stroke.

The William P. Snyder III Endowed Chair in Anatomy and Neurobiology
Itzhak Fischer, Ph.D. Show details

Dr. Itzhak Fischer is professor and chair of the Department of Neurobiology & Anatomy and co-director of the Spinal Cord Research Center. His research program focuses on the development of cellular and molecular strategies to promote regeneration and recovery of function following spinal cord injury. The work emphasizes the use of gene therapy and stem cell transplants in collaborative research that includes a National Institutes of Health Program Project Grant.
Fischer received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in chemistry and biology, respectively, from the Technion- Israel Institute of Technology, and his doctorate in molecular biology and biochemistry from the University of California, Irvine. He completed his postdoctoral training at the Kennedy Shriver Research Center in Boston and served on the faculty of Harvard Medical School before joining Drexel University College of Medicine.
Fischer has served as principal investigator on numerous studies funded by federal and private grants. He is a member of national and international committees that review grants and has authored more than 140 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. He regularly reviews articles for journals in the field of neuroscience and stem cell biology and is frequently invited to speak at scientific meetings.

The June F. Klinghoffer, M.D. Chair in Medicine
James C. Reynolds, M.D. Show details

Dr. James Reynolds is the June F. Klinghoffer Distinguished Professor and chair of the Department of Medicine and chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. He is also president of the medical staff at Hahnemann University Hospital. His primary clinical interests are in the early detection and prevention of cancer, and complications of esophageal motility disorders.
Reynolds is a member of the editorial board of Digestive Diseases and Sciences and is a reviewer for multiple journals including Annals of Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology. He has published over 100 manuscripts, co-edited five books, and continues to receive research funding.
Reynolds has been recognized as a “Top Doc” by both Philadelphia Magazine and Pittsburgh Magazine and has been listed in “Best Doctors in America.” He is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Alpha Omega Alpha, and the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. He received his medical degree from the University of Florida, followed by a residency at New York Hospital/Cornell University.

The Leon C. Sunstein, Jr. Professorship in Medical and Health Sciences Education
Robert J. Schwartzman, M.D. Show details

Dr. Robert Schwartzman is professor and chairman of the Department of Neurology at Drexel University College of Medicine. Schwartzman came to the College of Medicine in 1995 from Thomas Jefferson University, where he chaired the Department of Neurology.
Schwartzman is nationally and internationally known for his work in chronic regional pain syndrome/reflex sympathetic dystrophy (CRPS/RSD) and has published extensively on the topic. Schwartzman was honored with a Humanitarian Award from the Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Coalition of New England and the National RSD Society. He is a founding member of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Association of America. He established the first RSDS clinic in the United States and has won major teaching awards from all of the universities he has served. He has received a grant from the Tilly Family Foundation working to better understand RSD, its cause, progression and mechanisms. He currently has several clinical trials underway working with doctors here and abroad in developing revolutionary treatment options for this disease.
Schwartzman has trained over 240 residents during his career. Thirty have become professors of neurology and six have gone on to become chairmen of neurology departments. Schwartzman received his doctor of medicine degree from the University of Pennsylvania.

The Isadore Brodsky, M.D. Endowed Chair in Hematology/Oncology
Pamela A. Crilley, D.O. Show details

Dr. Pam Crilley continues to distinguish Drexel University College of Medicine as a leader in patient-centered care, rigorous education and research through her influential studies and commitment to quality healthcare. Among her many accomplishments in 2008, Dr. Crilley was invited to present “Incidence of Late Failure Following Myeloablative Conditioning with BuCy2 and Matched Sibling Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation for Acute Myeloid Leukemia” with her co-authors at the 50th Annual American Society of Hematology. Together with her Drexel colleagues, Dr. Crilley also published “High-Dose Cyclophosphamide in the Treatment of Multiple Sclerosis” in CNS Neuroscience and Therapeutics. Dr. Crilley was also selected for inclusion in the Best Doctors in America® database in 2008.

The Claude R. Joyner, M.D. Endowed Chair in Medicine
Ellie Kelepouris, M.D. Show details

Dr. Ellie Kelepouris continues to distinguish Drexel University College of Medicine as a leader in patient-centered care, rigorous education and research through her influential studies and commitment to quality healthcare as chief of the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension. Among her many accomplishments in 2008, Kelepouris was recognized for clinical excellence by Philadelphia Magazine. The magazine selected Dr. Kelepouris as one of the “Top Docs” in the region. Dr. Kelepouris was also selected to serve as a physician director of the new Magee Rehabilitation Hospital dialysis center at Jefferson Hospital.

The Charles P. Bailey, M.D. and Lillian D. Bailey Professorship
Shelley Hankins, M.D. Show details

Dr. Shelley Hankins specializes in heart failure and heart transplant care. An assistant professor in the Department of Medicine at Drexel University College of Medicine, Dr. Hankins helped establish the Center for Advanced Heart Failure Care at Hahnemann University Hospital in 2005. In addition, she serves as director of the Mechanical Assistance Destination Program, where she is developing a protocol using ventricular assist devices in patients who are not candidates for transplant surgery.
A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Dr. Hankins is a member of the board of directors of the American Heart Association Southeastern Pennsylvania Affiliate.

The Alma Dea Morani, M.D. WMC ’31 Endowed Chair in Surgery
William Meyers, M.D. Show details

Dr. William Meyers is chairman of the Department of Surgery and a senior associate dean. An internationally celebrated liver surgeon, Meyers developed some of the first minimally invasive and laparoscopic surgery procedures. He also distinguished himself as a leader in the field of sports medicine, performing thousands of minimally invasive repairs of groin and abdominal injuries (“sports hernias”) in professional and other athletes.
Prior to his arrival at Drexel University College of Medicine, Meyers was chief of general and GI surgery at Duke University, where he still maintains an appointment. As professor at Duke, he started the third liver transplant program in the country, was director of the Duke/United States Surgical Endosurgery Center, and had an active research laboratory with continuous funding in liver physiology. He previously served as professor and chairman of the Department of Surgery at the University of Massachusetts and surgeon-in-chief of the UMass-Memorial Health Care System. In 1999, he received the Massachusetts Medical Device Industry Leadership Award for his work in forming new alliances between academia and industry.
Meyers received his bachelor’s degree from Harvard University, his medical degree from Columbia University, and an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

The Myron Yanoff, M.D. Endowed Professorship
Myron Yanoff, M.D. Show details

Dr. Yanoff is professor and chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at Drexel University College of Medicine. Formerly, Yanoff was chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology of the University of Pennsylvania and director of the Scheie Eye Institute. He has published over 160 scientific articles and authored or co-authored over 30 textbooks in the field of ophthalmology and ocular pathology, including six editions of Ocular Pathology and three editions of the standard medical textbook, Ophthalmology. Yanoff is internationally known as a scholar, teacher, clinical innovator, and academic leader. In 1988, Yanoff received one of the highest honors in American science -- the Senior Distinguished U.S. Scientist Award (Humboldt-Award). In 1998, Ophthalmology Times named Yanoff one of the “100 Best Ophthalmologists in America”. Dr. Yanoff earned both his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Pennsylvania.

The Edgar J. Deissler Professorship in Surgery
The Edgar J. Deissler Professorship in Surgery Show details

Dr. Ari Brooks holds the Edgar J. Deissler Professorship in Surgery at Drexel University College of Medicine and is also an adjunct professor in the School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems at Drexel University. Dr. Brooks heads the Surgical Oncology Engineering Laboratory in the College of Medicine, where the goal of the lab is to explore the multiple interfaces between surgery, oncology, and engineering. Projects in the lab range from clinical and epidemiologic databases and trials to exploring new chemotherapeutic drugs and drug delivery mechanisms.
Dr. Brooks received his B.A. in medical science from Boston University in 1992 and his M.D. from the Hahnemann University School of Medicine in 1992 after completing a combined six-year medical program between the two universities, beginning in 1986.

The Henrietta Ottinger Huston MacFarlane Professorship in Obstetrics and Gynecology
Karen M. Berkowitz, M.D. Show details

Dr. Karen Berkowitz is an assistant professor in the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Drexel University College of Medicine. She is a graduate of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, where she was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha National Honor Society. She completed her OB/GYN residency at Yale School of Medicine, followed by subspecialty training in reproductive endocrinology and infertility at University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Her areas of clinical interest include infertility, in vitro fertilization, and polycystic ovary syndrome. Her research interests include mammalian germ cell development.