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Dragonfire Newsletter from Drexel University Center for Graduate Studies in Sacramento
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March 2009

In this issue of Dragonfire:

  1. Lady Dragons Make March Madness Debut this Saturday on ESPN2
  2. LEAD MBA Program Starts Strong
  3. LeBow College of Business to Offer GMAT Prep Courses
  4. Sacramento Dean Featured by Business Journal
  5. How Do You LIVE IT?
  6. Career Coaching from the SCDC
  7. Are the Information Sciences Right for You?
  8. Find Drexel's iSchool on Facebook
  9. Higher Education - A "Best Career for 2009"
  10. Drexel to Offer Executive Master of Public Health Degree in Sacramento
  11. New Offering: Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Management
  12. Drexel Faculty Leader Appointed to Sacramento Engineering Management Program
  13. News from the iSchool

Lady Dragons Make March Madness Debut this Saturday on ESPN2

The Drexel women’s basketball team will face Kansas State University in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, March 21, 2009 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2 live at 7:20 p.m (Pacific Standard Time). The Dragons (24-8), the 12th seed in the Raleigh region, will matchup against the fifth-seeded Wildcats (24-7).

The Dragons will make their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament after a historic run through the CAA conference this season, earning its first-ever CAA Championship with a 64-58 victory over James Madison in the tournament final on March 15. Led by Conference Player of the Year Gabriela Marginean, the top-seeded Dragons dethroned 17-time defending champion Old Dominion, snapping the Lady Monarchs’ 51-game tournament win streak. CAA Coach of the Year Denise Dillon is in her sixth season at Drexel and she is the program’s second all-time winningest coach. Drexel won a school-record 16 games in a row and the 24 wins are the most in the program’s history.  

The Dragon's impressive play has earned the squad some new fans — including ESPN contributor Graham Hays. Read his thoughts on Drexel's Saturday night match-up here. For complete access to news about the Lady Dragons' postseason run, visit the official Drexel Athletics page.

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LEAD MBA Program Starts Strong

Classes for Drexel University's LeBow College of Business' new LeBow Evening Accelerated Drexel (LEAD) MBA program at the Center for Graduate Studies are well under way. A cohort of 28 working professionals began twice-weekly study on January 6. The accomplished new class has an average of 12 years of work experience, a median GMAT score of 590, and an average undergraduate GPA of 3.1.

"It's humbling to be a part of this cohort," says LEAD MBA student Paul Green, a manager for Morning Star Co. "We have a very diverse group of students with a broad variety of backgrounds — CPAs and home-builders, medical doctors , consultants, students who work in government, some who work in small, entrepreneurial organizations, and some who work in nationwide, Fortune-listed companies."

Green says the class has drawn on its collective experience from day one of the program. "A significant portion of the offline work associated with the program has been a facilitated group discussion — almost an unraveling case study — that bridges gaps between the concurrent classes. There's not a single student in the program who hasn't already been given a broader, deeper comprehension of business and leadership."

Of the new Sacramento LEAD program, LeBow College Dean George Tsetsekos says, "Our LEAD MBA program in Sacramento has gotten off to a tremendous start, and we are impressed with the quality of students who have joined the cohort. The college is committed to ensuring that our newest students receive the same high-quality, hands-on educational experience that our students on Main Campus in Philadelphia do."

Learn more about Drexel's LEAD MBA program.

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LeBow College of Business to Offer GMAT Prep Courses

On May 16 and 17, Drexel's LeBow College of Business will offer an intensive two-day prep course taught by nationally acclaimed educator Frank Allegra. The program is designed for students who have applied for admission to the MBA program starting in September, for whom the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT) is the final step in making their applications complete. Ideal for those who have been out of school or have not taken standardized exams in a while, this intensive course will cover:

  • Arithmetic and algebra problems
  • Word problems and math shortcuts
  • Geometry problems and graphs/charts questions
  • Data sufficiency problems
  • Sentence correction questions
  • Reading comprehension/critical reasoning questions
  • Test-taking skills and strategies
  • Hints and shortcuts on how to answer the questions

Because the number of seats in this course is limited, admission will be selective. To learn more about this event or to seek admission, please visit the LeBow College of Business Sacramento GMAT Prep Session page.

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Sacramento Dean Featured by Business Journal

Now that Drexel is officially on the West Coast, Californians are beginning to take notice. The Sacramento Business Journal named Center for Graduate Studies dean and chief executive officer Carl "Tobey" Oxholm as a Newsmaker for the week of February 27, 2009.

Each week the Sacramento Business Journal highlights one individual who is making a difference in the region.

The full profile of Dean Oxholm is available here.

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How Do You LIVE IT?

At Drexel, LIVE IT is more than a tag line — it's a way of life. Since our founding in 1891 by Wall Street financier and philanthropist Anthony J. Drexel, our mission has been to provide a practical education that isn't limited to the classroom. Today his philosophy means Drexel and its students will always be fully engaged in our respective communities. Our students live it every day — taking lessons learned at night in the classroom and applying them the next day, giving them an immediate and direct benefit in their work.

We believe in extensive engagement with our community — on our Main Campus in Philadelphia and here in Sacramento. The Main Campus Center for Civic Engagement facilitates the volunteer work of thousands of students each year as they perform public service. We hope to incorporate our mission of community involvement at the Sacramento Center. Here are some of the events at which Drexel University has been represented by our graduate students in the first term:

  • Sacramento Asian Pacific Chamber of Commerce Annual Installation and Awards Dinner
  • Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Annual Business Awards & Recognition Gala
  • Sacramento Metro Chamber State of the City Address by the Mayor of Sacramento
  • Rocklin Area Chamber of Commerce 2009 State of the City Address
  • SACTO's Salute to New Industry (where Drexel was honored)
  • SARTA's Annual Tech Index Celebration

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Career Coaching from the SCDC

Through Drexel's hands-on approach to practical education, the Steinbright Career Development Center (SCDC) assists current students and recent alumni find jobs. The Career Development Center is committed to helping students succeed after Drexel through one-on-one counseling sessions, career advancement workshops and presentations, and use of decision assessment tools.

Recently, the SCDC staff held three workshops for students in Sacramento, with six more already scheduled! The Drexel experience is not just cutting-edge courses in state-of-the-art classrooms — it's personal service focused on you and your future.

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Are the Information Sciences Right for You?

Today's job market requires more than a specialized skill set. In our increasingly information-driven world, you will be most successful if you understand technology and information sciences. Drexel's two nationally ranked master's degrees in Library and Information Science and Information Systems are ideal for candidates with bachelor's degrees in the liberal arts. Students with degrees in the humanities and social sciences can apply critical thinking skills to the practical applications offered in the information science programs. Visit our Library and Information Science and Information Systems pages to learn more about these programs. All coursework can be taken full or part-time, as best fits your schedule.

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Find Drexel's iSchool on Facebook

The iSchool at Drexel is on Facebook. This is a great opportunity for you to keep in touch with fellow classmates and check out new photos and the latest iSchool publications. We've also launched a Twitter feed so you can find out about iSchool events and more. Join the iSchool at Drexel on Facebook.

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Higher Education – A "Best Career for 2009"

U.S.News & World Report recently listed Higher Education Administration as one of the best careers in 2009. With projected growth and stability, the outlook for education professionals is encouraging. U.S.News highlighted two of our concentrations, student affairs and community college leadership, as "smart specialties."

If you are interested in learning more about Drexel's MS in Higher Education, join us for an Information Session on Tuesday, April 7. Register Online.

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Drexel to Offer Executive Master of Public Health Degree in Sacramento

Beginning this September, a Master of Public Health (MPH) will be offered in an executive format, in which courses are taught in a blended format using substantial online work combined with a once-a-month onsite classroom session in Sacramento on a Friday and Saturday. This allows students to attend from a distance while providing the opportunity to work with instructors and fellow students in a dynamic interactive format.

We will host Information Sessions for prospective students on the following dates:

  • Tuesday, April 21
  • Wednesday, May 13
  • Wednesday, May 27

All Information Sessions are held at 6pm in the Graduate Center in Sacramento. To reserve your place at one of these events, register online or call us at 916-325-4600.

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New Offering: Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Management

The new Doctor of Educational Leadership and Management (EdD) is designed to provide graduates with knowledge in finance, leadership, management, administration, and strategic thinking. This program is a collaborative effort with the LeBow College of Business and the School of Education.

This exciting new offering is a cohort program. An inaugural class of 20 students will begin the program, taking two classes per quarter and beginning research in the third year. The class schedule follows the executive format, with courses being offered on Friday evenings and Saturdays.

This spring, program director Dr. Edward Bureau will come to Sacramento to meet with prospective doctoral candidates.
In the meantime, we will host an Information Session on April 7 for interested students. To attend this event, register online.

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Drexel Faculty Leader Appointed to Sacramento Engineering Management Program

Drexel University's College of Engineering is pleased to announce that Dr. Joseph Martin has been named associate director for the Engineering Management program. Dr. Martin's expertise and dedication have been instrumental in creating new certificate programs that meet the Sacramento region's current and future needs. Dr. Martin received his doctorate from Colorado State University before coming to Drexel. With a career spanning 27 years at Drexel, Dr. Martin held the position of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering department head for eight years before accepting other leadership positions within the University.

As a licensed professional engineer, a member of the Drexel Faculty Senate, and advisor to the American Society of Civil Engineers, Dr. Martin's commitment to providing innovative interdisciplinary education has shaped the structure of Sacramento's newest offering. Scheduled to launch in September of 2009, the certificates will include Leadership in Engineering Management, Infrastructure Engineering Management, and Power Engineering Management.

Details about this new certificate program will be announced in upcoming issues of Dragonfire and on the Drexel website in April. The Engineering Management program will be discussed at Information Sessions at the center on Tuesday, March 24 and on Tuesday, April 21.

To reserve your place at one of our Engineering Management Information Sessions, register online.

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News from the iSchool

Here's the latest news and events from our iSchool, College of Information Science and Technology:

Faculty News

Dr. David E. Fenske, dean of the iSchool at Drexel, was featured in the March 2009 edition of Technology Times."The iSchool at Drexel: A pioneer in the iField" defines the iField and examines the role of the College of Information Science and Technology in preparing students to be leaders in the information field.

Dr. Delia Neuman, associate professor and director of the School Library Media Program, has been elected chair of the Research, Education, Information, and School Libraries SIG of the American Educational Research Association.

The iSchool at Drexel will host upcoming exhibitions at:

SLA 2009 Annual Conference & INFO-EXPO
June 14-17, 2009
Walter E. Washington Convention Center
Washington, DC
iSchool Alumni Networking Reception at SLA
June 16, 2009, 7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Renaissance Washington, DC Hotel

American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference
July 11-14, 2009
Chicago, IL
iSchool Alumni Networking Reception at ALA
July 13, 2009, 7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Gioco Restaurant

 

New Publication

The winter 2009 edition of Infosphere, the college's semiannual newsletter, includes information about our Sacramento campus, grants received, as well as faculty, student, and alumni news. Our 2008/09 undergraduate and graduate mentors are highlighted, and our donor profile features David and Joanne Witiak. Visit the iSchool webpage for the most recent issue of Infosphere.

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