Exel: Drexel University's Research Magazine

_John A. Fry

A message from the President.

_Body of Research: Beauty in the Box

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University houses one of the oldest entomological collections in North America—and its method of preservation is as unique as the butterflies it protects. _by Jon Gelhaus, curator, Department of Entomology / Photography by Robert Clark /

_Community: Snakes on the Base

Drexel researchers have discovered that an old Air Force base in the New Jersey Pinelands has become prime testing ground to study local species of snakes.; New Jersey Zoo

Welcome to the New Jersey Zoo, and the Distant Past. Palentologists have discovered an abundance of marine fossils at a dig site in Gloucester County, N.J., and Drexel scientists are creating detailed digital reconstructions of their Cretaceous findings.; Measuring ‘Master Teachers’

Sheila Vaidya, an associate professor in Drexel’s School of Education, believes a good teacher can have a huge impact on a student, a school, and ultimately, an entire region.; 'Gateway' to Abuse

Could routine prescriptions for teens—such as painkillers for post-surgery aches and pains—affect the way they misuse drugs later in life?; Interdisciplinary. Inspiring. And Finally Moving Ahead.

Nearly five years after first being proposed, the Drexel Smart House project is finally moving forward. Students and faculty say its impact could be enormous. _by Maria Zankey; Beyond the Mock Trial

Karl Okamoto, an Earle Mack School of Law expert in corporate, venture capital, private equity and securities law, and corporate finance, has developed a groundbreaking approach to teaching transactional lawyering—and it’s gaining national and regional traction.; Unanswered Questions

Large raptors like the osprey— active hunters and long-distance migrants—have complicated molt cycles because they can’t afford to be grounded for any significant amount of time.; Healing Power of Light

Nursing home residents with dementia who experience “sundowners syndrome”—agitated behavior toward the end of the day—may benefit from research in Drexel’s Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design and College of Engineering.

_Eco: Green Infrastructure

Drexel's Franco Montalto is searching for better ways to deal with problematic urban storm water.; In Focus: The Center for Systematic Biology and Evolution

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University holds one of the world’s top natural history collections. The collections are of international significance, comprised of more than 17 million plant and animal specimens from around the world, and serve as a library of the history of life on earth. Currently, a team of Academy researchers from the Center for Systematic Biology and Evolution are using a slice of that collection—the massive Botany collection—for a variety of research projects.; Shell Game

Mollusks such as snails and slugs may appear to be simple in composition at first glance—an issue that has caused an ongoing debate about just how many species this phylum can claim.; Impact of Algal Blooms

‘Phytoplankton’ and ‘algal blooms’ aren’t exactly household words—but too much of either can have a serious impact on the food chain and, more importantly, human life.; The Clock is Ticking

Drexel professor of biology James Spotila, a leading sea turtle expert, recently helped lead a study that could reduce deaths among endangered leatherback turtles.; Climate Change Trends

Your belief–or disbelief–in the legitimacy of climate change may be determined by whether you vote red or blue on Election Day, a recent Drexel study suggests.

_Examine: The Intersection of Science and Art

A selection of images created using electron microscopic magnification.

_Feature: HUBO

With the help of colleagues from around the world and a troupe of musical robots, Drexel’s Youngmoo Kim is pushing the boundaries of modern robotics. _by Maria Zankey / photographs by Melissa Marie Hernandez; A Pinpoint-Sized Catalyst

Drexel’s Yury Gogotsi has transformed the A.J. Drexel Nanotechnology Institute into a world-class hub for studying science’s smallest frontier. _by Brian Schleter / illustration by 500gls; The Underdogs

Freshwater mussels get little respect and even less attention. But two Drexel researchers believe these ‘underdog’ species might hold the key to the long-term revitalization of the Delaware River and its tributaries. _by Tim Hyland / photographs by Roger Thomas, Sylvan Klein and Danielle Kreeger; The Fantasy and the Hypocrisy

Ellen Staurowsky says it’s time for the nation’s universities to rethink the way college athletics are managed—and the way the money it generates is distributed. _by Mike Unger; The Allure of Punishment

The evidence is clear: Humans are driven to punish one another. Adam Benforado wants to know why. _by Mike Unger / illustrations by Brad Holland; Digging Deep

Some say the Marcellus Shale formation could be an economic and environmental panacea for Pennsylvania. Others are convinced shale drilling poses environmental risks. At Drexel, researchers are working across all disciplines to find the truth about the shale, and the natural gas locked beneath it. _by Maria Zankey / photographs by Tommy Leonardi

_Global: HIV Advances

Drexel researchers are pioneering advances in the treatment and understanding of HIV and AIDS.; Autism Findings

A Sweden-based study led by Drexel researchers shows smoking during pregnancy does not cause autism.; Q & A With Mimi Sheller

Throughout her career, Drexel sociology professor Mimi Sheller has examined the many different forms of “mobility” in public life. _by Kelly Andrews; Traumatic Brain Injuries

Could progesterone help cure symptoms of traumatic brain injury?; Diabetes Crisis

Diabetes is now one of the most common non-communicable diseases - but according to a recent Drexel study, the disease is taking an extra toll in the developing world.

_News: Brain Power

Drexel’s Human Cognition Enhancement Program is breaking down departmental barriers to generate groundbreaking, comprehensive brain and behavioral research.; Music Therapy

Further research could help increase certainty in the findings and improve understanding of music’s impact on distress, body image and other aspects, for which research is currently too scarce to draw conclusions.; It's Who You Know

For success on Wall Street, who you know could trump what you know.; Protecting Whistleblowers

A set of new software programs developed by computer scientists at Drexel could soon help protect the speech of the disenfranchised and defend the voice of the whistleblower—all by confirming or contorting one’s writing style.; Imaging, Reimagined

At the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel university, researchers are using X-ray technology to better analyze their fish collections - and better preserve valuable specimens, too.; Coming Soon: Robofish

Drexel researchers are working with colleagues at Harvard and the University of Chicago to develop robotic fish that could serve the U.S. Navy.; Big Data Visualized

In academia, comprehensive research can sometimes mean expansive, seemingly endless spreadsheets of data.; Smart Garments

Form follows function: The promise of 'wearable technology'; Material Recognition

Materials engineers receive young investigator recognition from Army Research office; Tweeting Teachers

"Many people are using these media in really important everyday ways. Like sharing information that helps them do their jobs better."; Meet the Beetles

Drexel scientists are learning lessons about the aerodynamics of aircraft flight through one of nature’s most powerful flying insects: the rhinoceros beetle.; Plasma for Poultry

Food safety researchers at Drexel may have found a way to stop the spread of foodborne bacteria.; Better Healing

Researchers at the College of Medicine have developed a non-invasive device to measure the oxygenation of wounds, a technique that could improve patient outcomes–and save money, too.; Cancer Discovery

A Drexel Medicine researchers says a naturally occuring sugar appears to play a key role in the growth of prostate cancer. Suppressing this sugar, he says, could help fight the cancer in years to come.; Corporate Responsibility

Nearly every large company runs corporate responsibility programs, but the larger public—and the companies themselves—may not fully understand what corporate responsibility actually is.

_John A. Fry

Beauty in the Box

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University houses one of the oldest entomological collections in North America—and its method of preservation is as unique as the butterflies it protects. _by Jon Gelhaus, curator, Department of Entomology / Photography by Robert Clark /

Snakes on the Base

Drexel researchers have discovered that an old Air Force base in the New Jersey Pinelands has become prime testing ground to study local species of snakes.

New Jersey Zoo

Welcome to the New Jersey Zoo, and the Distant Past. Palentologists have discovered an abundance of marine fossils at a dig site in Gloucester County, N.J., and Drexel scientists are creating detailed digital reconstructions of their Cretaceous findings.

Measuring ‘Master Teachers’

Sheila Vaidya, an associate professor in Drexel’s School of Education, believes a good teacher can have a huge impact on a student, a school, and ultimately, an entire region.

'Gateway' to Abuse

Could routine prescriptions for teens—such as painkillers for post-surgery aches and pains—affect the way they misuse drugs later in life?

Interdisciplinary. Inspiring. And Finally Moving Ahead.

Nearly five years after first being proposed, the Drexel Smart House project is finally moving forward. Students and faculty say its impact could be enormous. _by Maria Zankey

Beyond the Mock Trial

Karl Okamoto, an Earle Mack School of Law expert in corporate, venture capital, private equity and securities law, and corporate finance, has developed a groundbreaking approach to teaching transactional lawyering—and it’s gaining national and regional traction.

Unanswered Questions

Large raptors like the osprey— active hunters and long-distance migrants—have complicated molt cycles because they can’t afford to be grounded for any significant amount of time.

Healing Power of Light

Nursing home residents with dementia who experience “sundowners syndrome”—agitated behavior toward the end of the day—may benefit from research in Drexel’s Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts & Design and College of Engineering.

Green Infrastructure

Drexel's Franco Montalto is searching for better ways to deal with problematic urban storm water.

In Focus: The Center for Systematic Biology and Evolution

Shell Game

Mollusks such as snails and slugs may appear to be simple in composition at first glance—an issue that has caused an ongoing debate about just how many species this phylum can claim.

Impact of Algal Blooms

‘Phytoplankton’ and ‘algal blooms’ aren’t exactly household words—but too much of either can have a serious impact on the food chain and, more importantly, human life.

The Clock is Ticking

Drexel professor of biology James Spotila, a leading sea turtle expert, recently helped lead a study that could reduce deaths among endangered leatherback turtles.

Climate Change Trends

Your belief–or disbelief–in the legitimacy of climate change may be determined by whether you vote red or blue on Election Day, a recent Drexel study suggests.

The Intersection of Science and Art

A selection of images created using electron microscopic magnification.

HUBO

With the help of colleagues from around the world and a troupe of musical robots, Drexel’s Youngmoo Kim is pushing the boundaries of modern robotics. _by Maria Zankey / photographs by Melissa Marie Hernandez

A Pinpoint-Sized Catalyst

Drexel’s Yury Gogotsi has transformed the A.J. Drexel Nanotechnology Institute into a world-class hub for studying science’s smallest frontier. _by Brian Schleter / illustration by 500gls

The Underdogs

The Fantasy and the Hypocrisy

Ellen Staurowsky says it’s time for the nation’s universities to rethink the way college athletics are managed—and the way the money it generates is distributed. _by Mike Unger

The Allure of Punishment

The evidence is clear: Humans are driven to punish one another. Adam Benforado wants to know why. _by Mike Unger / illustrations by Brad Holland

Digging Deep

HIV Advances

Drexel researchers are pioneering advances in the treatment and understanding of HIV and AIDS.

Autism Findings

A Sweden-based study led by Drexel researchers shows smoking during pregnancy does not cause autism.

Q & A With Mimi Sheller

Throughout her career, Drexel sociology professor Mimi Sheller has examined the many different forms of “mobility” in public life. _by Kelly Andrews

Traumatic Brain Injuries

Could progesterone help cure symptoms of traumatic brain injury?

Diabetes Crisis

Diabetes is now one of the most common non-communicable diseases - but according to a recent Drexel study, the disease is taking an extra toll in the developing world.

Brain Power

Drexel’s Human Cognition Enhancement Program is breaking down departmental barriers to generate groundbreaking, comprehensive brain and behavioral research.

Music Therapy

Further research could help increase certainty in the findings and improve understanding of music’s impact on distress, body image and other aspects, for which research is currently too scarce to draw conclusions.

It's Who You Know

For success on Wall Street, who you know could trump what you know.

Protecting Whistleblowers

A set of new software programs developed by computer scientists at Drexel could soon help protect the speech of the disenfranchised and defend the voice of the whistleblower—all by confirming or contorting one’s writing style.

Imaging, Reimagined

At the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel university, researchers are using X-ray technology to better analyze their fish collections - and better preserve valuable specimens, too.

Coming Soon: Robofish

Drexel researchers are working with colleagues at Harvard and the University of Chicago to develop robotic fish that could serve the U.S. Navy.

Big Data Visualized

In academia, comprehensive research can sometimes mean expansive, seemingly endless spreadsheets of data.

Smart Garments

Form follows function: The promise of 'wearable technology'

Material Recognition

Materials engineers receive young investigator recognition from Army Research office

Tweeting Teachers

"Many people are using these media in really important everyday ways. Like sharing information that helps them do their jobs better."

Meet the Beetles

Drexel scientists are learning lessons about the aerodynamics of aircraft flight through one of nature’s most powerful flying insects: the rhinoceros beetle.

Plasma for Poultry

Food safety researchers at Drexel may have found a way to stop the spread of foodborne bacteria.

Better Healing

Researchers at the College of Medicine have developed a non-invasive device to measure the oxygenation of wounds, a technique that could improve patient outcomes–and save money, too.

Cancer Discovery

A Drexel Medicine researchers says a naturally occuring sugar appears to play a key role in the growth of prostate cancer. Suppressing this sugar, he says, could help fight the cancer in years to come.