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February 2009
In this issue of Dragonfire:
- The Center for Graduate Studies Opens with Fanfare
- Graduate Center's Inaugural Class: Experienced and Diverse
- Drexel Schedules Biweekly and Monthly Information Sessions
- Engineering Management Adds New Concentrations
- Engineering Finds Keys to Green Energy Future
- Carnegie Foundation Applauds Drexel for Civic Engagement
- American Academy of Nursing Calls Drexel "National Model" in Providing Innovative Health Care
- Get to Know the Drexel University Libraries
- Drexel Professor Selected to Lead Science Council
The Center for Graduate Studies Opens with Fanfare
On January 5 Drexel's Center for Graduate Studies officially opened to the public. Classes began for students enrolled in four of the nine master's degree programs offered at the Center. Drexel's newest Dragons were joined by Sacramento's newly elected Mayor, Kevin Johnson, noted philanthropist and developer Angelo Tsakopoulos, Drexel administrators, and faculty at the historic campus opening ceremony.
Below are a few comments from students about the Center for Graduate Studies:
• "It is quite clear that Drexel University is on the leading edge of technological innovation in the field of postgraduate education."
• "I think the new facility looks great. It's well designed and very roomy. The technology looks fantastic; Drexel is way ahead of the competition. As a native of the Sacramento area, I want to thank Drexel for all the resources and hard work that have been put into the graduate center. All of the Drexel staff should be very proud of the new campus and all that it has to offer the region."
• "What a delight to see a university step boldly into the 21st century. ...as a very busy self-employed consultant, the use of technology provides flexibility if I absolutely need to miss a class session."
Demonstrating its commitment to quality and success, the University has appointed Carl "Tobey" Oxholm III as the inaugural dean and chief executive officer of the Center for Graduate Studies. Since joining the Drexel community in 2001, Oxholm has been a key force in helping to initiate some of the University's greatest innovations, including Drexel's sustainability plan and the Earle Mack College of Law. Until accepting this appointment, Oxholm was the University's executive vice president and chief of staff. Under Oxholm's leadership, the center will increase partnerships with the Sacramento business community and fully commit to regional engagement.
Learn more about Oxholm's exciting new appointment.
Graduate Center's Inaugural Class: Experienced and Diverse
With classes well under way, Drexel has its inaugural class for the Center for Graduate Studies. This class represents a cross-section of students, with unique backgrounds and academic interests. Here's the demographic breakdown of the 53 students who comprise the Sacramento Center's first class:
- Average Age: 37
- Average Number of Years of Professional Experience: 13
- Undergraduate Grade Point Average: 3.3
- Number of Students Who Have Already Obtained a Master's Degree: 4
The students join us from undergraduate institutions from around the nation, including one graduate from Drexel's University City Main Campus! Half of the inaugural class is pursuing an MBA, with the other half equally distributed between the Higher Education and Information Sciences programs. Twenty-three students in the inaugural class are female, and minority students comprise 24 percent of this class.
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Drexel Schedules Biweekly and Monthly Information Sessions
Beginning next month, you can learn about Drexel and several of the 11 graduate programs the University will be offering next September. We hope you'll join Drexel faculty and staff for conversation and dinner on one of the following dates:
MBA- March 11, March 24, April 7, April 21
Engineering Management- March
11, April 7
Higher Education- March 24, April 21
Human Resource Development- March 11, March 24, April 21
Information Systems- April 7
Library and Information Science- March 11, April 7
Nursing Education and Faculty Role- March 24, April 21
Nursing Leadership- March 24, April 21
Science of Instruction- March 24, April 21
Doctor of Education- April 7
Sessions begin at 6:00 p.m. Parking is complimentary. For more information or to reserve your place, visit the Center's website.
Engineering Management Adds New Concentrations
Drexel's new Engineering Management master's degree at the Center for Graduate Studies has been designed to more precisely fit the region's current and future needs. When the program commences in September, concentrations will be offered in:
- Infrastructure and Commercial Development
- Project Management
- Power Management (generation and transmission)
- Water Resource Management
In reformatting this master's degree to fit the needs of the region, we have been assisted by leaders of many organizations including Caltrans, SMUD, California-ISO, the Placer County Water Authority, URS, Wood Rogers, and Leonakis, among others. Reviewing our plans, the supervisor of SMUD's Engineering Design Resource Center, Harlan Coomes, wrote: "These look very interesting and meet one of my prime objectives...to see courses where practical skills are delivered in a timely manner with the theoretical, so the student can have immediate application to their work, and reasonable achievement waypoints to a master's degree that builds on cumulative coursework."
The final curricula will be posted by the end of March. For more information about these exciting new developments, contact Morton Rabinowitz, PhD, director of the Engineering Management program.
Engineering Finds Keys to Green Energy Future
The creation of a supercapacitor by College of Engineering faculty and students was ranked by National Science Foundation (NSF) readers as the second most interesting topic of 2008. The supercapacitor was featured in a January 26, 2009 NSF newsletter, which was distributed to a broad audience, including members of Congress. The supercapacitor team was comprised of Dr. Yury Gogotsi, professor of material science and engineering and director of the Drexel Nanotechnology Institute; John Chmiola, doctoral candidate (at left); and Dr. Cristelle Portet, former postdoctoral researcher.
The research was featured in a June 2008 article entitled "Supercapacitors: Key to a Green Energy Future?"
The creation of the supercapacitor is a significant development by the college in addressing the global energy crisis. Supercapacitors are generally found in backup power applications, and, more recently, in cell phones and hybrid vehicles for their improved power in relation to battery usage.
Carnegie Foundation Applauds Drexel for Civic Engagement
Drexel University recently received another top recognition. In December the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching selected 76 colleges and universities for its new Community Engagement Classification. The Community Engagement Classification acknowledges institutions that are committed to outreach and curricular engagement. Nearly 90 colleges and universities applied for recognition. Drexel's selection reflects the University's commitment to civic outreach and faculty and student collaboration. This accolade capped a year in which U.S.News & World Report ranked Drexel sixth in the nation for its entrepreneurial approach to education; and The Princeton Review awarded Drexel a "green rating" of 98 (out of 99), tying it for 11th out of almost 400 universities in the country.
Learn more about the Carnegie Foundation's new classification.
American Academy of Nursing Calls Drexel "National Model" in Providing Innovative Health Care
Drexel's nurse-run 11th Street Health Services Center, located on the
premises of a North Philadelphia public housing project, has been recognized
by the American Academy of Nursing (AAN) as being one "of the most powerful
examples of nurse-led solutions that tackle serious health care challenges
and address the priorities put forth by the NPP (National Priorities Partnership)."
The College of Nursing and Health Professions was also featured in a video that the AAN released in which Donna Shalala, former secretary of Health and Human Services, and Risa Larizzo-Mourey of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation discuss nurses who have pioneered innovative healthcare solutions.
Watch the AAN's Raise the Voice video here.
Learn more about Drexel's master's program in Nursing Leadership.
Get to Know the Drexel University Libraries
Drexel University libraries host an extensive variety of resources and services designed to help you with research endeavors. Our electronic resources — which include
a collection of more than 140,000 books, journals, and articles — can be easily accessed using DrexelOne. Print materials may be requested, scanned to PDFs, and shipped or emailed to you depending upon length.
Librarians are available via instant message, telephone, and email. Drexel librarians for business, education, the information sciences, and library science are well versed in the graduate curricula and courses of study. Drexel students are also eligible for library privileges at the Sacramento Public Library.
Visit the Drexel University Libraries page to see the full range of library services available to students at the Center for Graduate Studies.
Drexel Professor Selected to Lead Science Council
Dr. Dov Jaron, Calhoun Distinguished Professor of Engineering in Medicine in the School of Biomedical Engineering, has become the first Drexel faculty member elected to the Executive Board of the International Council of Science (ICSU). The ICSU Board is a select group of 14 elected officers. Founded in 1931, the ICSU is a non-governmental organization representing a global membership which includes both national scientific bodies and international scientific unions.
Read more about Dr. Jaron' s achievement.
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