Drexel marked its 117th Commencement with ceremonies at the Daskalakis Athletic Center on June 12. In the 2003-04 academic year, the University awarded 3,617 doctoral, master’s and bachelor’s degrees to 3,483 graduates in all of our programs. This is the largest number of degrees awarded in Drexel’s 113-year history.

Individuals recognized during the ceremonies with honorary degrees were Joseph Jacovini, Esq., chairman of Dilworth Paxson LLP and chairman of the Drexel University Board of Trustees; Victoria Principal, actress, entrepreneur, businessperson, author, film and television producer; Lynn Fritz, founder, director general of the Fritz Institute, which enhances the operations capabilities of humanitarian relief organizations by mobilizing resources and expertise from the corporate and academic communities; Richard C. Goodwin, Drexel alumnus (’48), chairman of Goodwin Enterprises and a philanthropist who takes a personal interest in the quest for peace in the Middle East; Peter Nero, two-time Grammy Award-winner and founder of the world-renowned Philly Pops, one of the largest independent pops orchestras in the country; Suzanne Roberts, Emmy Award-winning television creator and host of cable TV’s Seeking Solutions with Suzanne; and Eugene Garfield, founder of The Scientist, an international news magazine dedicated to covering the issues and events that impact the world of life scientists.

President Papadakis also awarded the University’s President’s Medal to Travis Mohr, a civil engineering graduate and 2000 Paralympic swimming champion. Mohr will compete in the 2004 Paralympics in Athens in August.

The Class of 2004 included 16 students with 4.0 GPAs. Eleven of those students are pictured above.