The Hartwell Foundation has awarded $100,000 per year for three years to a biomedical engineering associate professor researching artificial heart components for infants and children at Drexel University.

The professor, Amy Throckmorton, is one of 12 individuals to receive the 2016 Hartwell Biomedical Individual Research Award. The 2016 recipients hail from ten institutions, including Duke University, Johns Hopkins University and Northwestern University.

Throckmorton received the award specifically for the development of her ventricular assist device. Ventricles are components of the heart responsible for pumping blood through the body. VADs are essentially artificial pumps that allow underperforming ventricles to maintain sufficient blood flow, and they are often implemented in patients with heart failure.

However, current VAD technology falls short when it comes to child patients. Due to the urgency of adult heart disease (according to the CDC, it has been the leading cause of death in the United States for over 80 years) and the challenges involved with building a child VAD, such as varying heart size and growth requirements, much attention has been focused on improving VADs for the older populace.

This is where Throckmorton’s research comes in. As the director of Drexel’s BioCirc Research Laboratory, she is working to develop VADs that would function in both children and adults. The design for Throckmorton’s device is unique in that the pump’s rotor is suspended using motor-magnetic technology. This design should allow the device to be efficient in terms of power and also reasonable in size.

“It has been an ongoing struggle to develop a VAD technology that can support growth from infancy to adolescence and the dysfunctional states of childhood heart failure. The design versatility of this blood pump satisfies those two challenging goals,” Throckmorton told DrexelNOW.

The ultimate goal of the BioCirc lab is to develop a total artificial heart that can be successfully implemented in smaller patients such as children, as well as many women and Asians.

Collaborators with the BioCirc lab include St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Georgia Institute of Technology, Hebrew University, Penn State University, Virginia Commonwealth University and the University of Virginia.

For more information about Throckmorton’s research, visit the BioCirc Research Laboratory’s website at http://biomed.drexel.edu/labs/biocirc-lab/research/overview/.

The parents of a former Drexel University student who suffered brain damage after a 2015 altercation have filed a lawsuit against Drexel’s Pi Kappa Phi fraternity chapter and others, according to a press release from the parents’ law firm published Thursday.

According to the press release, Pi Kappa Phi member Ian McGibbon was punched in the face by a member of Drexel’s Delta Sigma Phi fraternity chapter and rendered unconscious Sept. 11, 2015. On Jan. 6, 2017, a court declared him incapacitated due to the brain damage he incurred from that injury.

The press release states that the incident occurred while McGibbon was returning to the Pi Kappa Phi house with two of his fraternity brothers and 911 was not called for more than 10 hours.

“Can you imagine what it was like when he didn’t come home that night and we drove to the fraternity only to find him bloodied, covered in vomit and unconscious?” McGibbon’s parents, Liz and Roderick McGibbon, commented in the press release.

Both the Drexel chapter and national affiliates of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity have been named in the complaint, as well as Delta Sigma Phi, individuals from Pi Kappa Phi and Delta Sigma Phi, and Cavanaugh’s River Deck, according to the press release.

It has been asserted in the complaint that Cavanaugh’s River Deck was in violation of state liquor-liability laws when it allegedly hosted an all-you-can-drink event, which McGibbon attended prior to the altercation that resulted in his injuries.

The press release states that McGibbon was pursuing a business degree during his time at Drexel, and has had four brain surgeries since the incident subject of the suit.

This comes less than six months after 19-year-old Penn State University student Tim Piazza died as a result of a fraternity hazing incident that led to severe brain damage. Piazza had consumed excessive amounts of alcohol, and nearly 12 hours passed after his first fall before his fellow fraternity brothers called 911.

Drexel University issued the following statement July 20.

“The Drexel University community continues to convey its steadfast sympathy and support to Ian McGibbon and his family throughout his recovery.

Student safety is of paramount concern to the University, and the campus community works diligently to provide a safe environment for all of its students, faculty and staff. In addition to campus security, Drexel’s police department, the Drexel Guardian mobile safety monitoring system, the DrexelAlert system, and the “See-Something-Say-Something” awareness campaign, the University provides training to its students, faculty and staff in bystander intervention.

Promoting healthy behaviors and student safety are primary goals for the University, and they can only be achieved through a concerted community effort. The “Responsible Dragon Protocol” provides complete amnestyfrom disciplinary action for students who report to the proper authorities for the intention of seeking medical or safety assistance for anyone in need of emergency care.

Throughout the University’s history, Fraternity and Sorority Life has been an important part of the campus community. Along with the many other student organizations on campus, fraternities and sororities are part of the fabric of the student-experience. In partnership with the Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Council and Multicultural Greek Council, the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life provides training around safety and healthy behaviors as it relates to events and activities. The University also provides opportunities for training and communication about these topics in regular meetings with student leadership.”

The Triangle will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney is one of 187 mayors who have said they will honor the Paris Climate Agreement despite the Trump administration’s decision to withdraw, according to a statement by the Climate Mayors group.

The Climate Mayors is an association of American mayors working together to help reduce climate change. On June 1 — the day Trump withdrew from the agreement — 61 mayors including Kenney had signed the  statement adopting the Paris Agreement. As of June 3, that number had increased to 187.

“Philly is committed to upholding at local level the same commitment made by the U.S. in the Paris climate agreement,” Mayor Kenney tweeted June 1.

Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf also wrote in response to Trump’s decision regarding the Paris agreement.

“Yesterday, @POTUS withdrew the U.S. from the #ParisAgreement. I will fight to ensure that PA’s energy economy doesn’t get stuck in the past,” Wolf tweeted June 3.

The Paris Agreement is a voluntary, international pact with the aim of preventing global temperatures from rising to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Nearly 150 governments have ratified this agreement. It requires them to set their own goals for carbon emissions reductions and determine methods to reach these targets. President Obama, when he was still in office, signed an executive order declaring the U.S. intention to adopt the agreement. However, it was never submitted to the Senate for approval, and President Donald Trump announced an intention to withdraw June 1.

“The Paris Agreement handicaps the United States economy in order to win praise from the very foreign capitals and global activists that have long sought to gain wealth at our country’s expense. They don’t put America first. I do, and I always will,” Trump said in his official statement at the White House.

Other Pennsylvania lawmakers also took to social media to comment on Trump’s decision.

“If @realDonaldTrump really wanted to help the people of Pittsburgh, he would protect their clean air & opportunity for jobs. #ParisAgreement,” tweeted Democratic U.S. Sen. Bob Casey.

The other Senator from Pennsylvania, Republican Pat Toomey, supported the decision to withdraw.

“Sen. Toomey supports the withdrawal from the Paris Accord as it would not have protected our environment and would have been particularly harmful to our economy and job creation,” spokesman Steve Kelly told The Morning Call.

More information about the Paris Agreement can be found at http://unfccc.int/paris_agreement/items/9485.php.

Photograph courtesy of Drexel University

Drexel University’s Undergraduate Student Government Association announced the elected members of its 2017-18 council May 30.

According to the USGA’s constitution, the student organization was created to be a panel of Drexel students who assemble to represent Drexel’s student body, foster relations between the students and the university community and act as a catalyst for seamless communication between students and administration, which consists of two assemblies: an executive board and a student senate.

Elected members of the 2017-18 Executive Board include Lenni Paolini for student body president, Tamara Callanan for student body vice president, Apoorva Selvaraj for secretary, Jasper MacNaughton for treasurer and Samantha Hubner for director of programming.

The executive board is elected by Drexel University’s student population. According to USGA 2016-17 Student Body President Brittany Tucciarone, an average of 500 students — equivalent to 3.2% of Drexel University’s undergraduate population — vote in USGA elections.

Two elective representatives from each of Drexel’s three upper-classes — senior, junior and pre-junior, and sophomore — were also elected to Student Senate.

Senate representatives are as follows: Thanh Lam for senior class president, Nora Taktajian for senior class vice president, Joseph Starner for junior class president, Nicole Warder for junior class vice president, Matthew Rynczak for sophomore class president and Cat Gotsiridze for sophomore class vice president.

Elected Student Senate representatives will choose other students from their class to represent their senate bracket. The final student senate tallies five sophomores, three pre-juniors, three juniors and five seniors.

Freshman class representatives for the 2017-18 year will be elected at the end of fall term.

According to the Drexel University Crime Log, a sex offense was reported May 13 at Pi Kappa Alpha, commonly referred to as Pike.

The alleged incident, listed as “Sex Offense-Rape – Forcible Rape,” occurred May 4. Its disposition is listed as “Pending Investigation OED/Title IX.”

Lambda Zeta, Drexel’s chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha, has been a member of Drexel’s Interfraternity Council since 2001, according to a web page for the chapter.

“We are aware of the allegation and it’s currently being reviewed by the Office of Equality and Diversity,” University communications said in a statement to The Triangle May 17.

This alleged incident follows two alleged incidents of sexual assault at Tau Kappa Epsilon, more details of which can be found at http://thetriangle.org/news/sexual-assault-allegations-suspension-tke/.

The Triangle will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.

The Drexel Writing Festival, hosted by Drexel University’s Department of English and Philosophy, took place from May 9 to 11 and featured a series of writing-related events.

The festival kicked off May 9 with an open event hosted by the Pennoni Honors College titled “Writing on the Wall: How to Evaluate Good Writing.” Later that evening, the Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships hosted a reading and reception featuring poet Major Jackson. Jackson was the winner of the 2000 Cave Canem Poetry Prize and finalist for both the NAACP Image Award and a National Book Critics Circle Award.

“I have not disappeared. The boulevard is full of my steps. The sky is full of my thinking,” Jackson read from his poem “On Disappearing.”

Also on the night of May 9, Joe Genaro of the Philadelphia-born punk band The Dead Milkmen held a lyric workshop in the Westphal College of Media Arts and Design. That event was sponsored by MAD Dragon Media and also featured MAD Dragon’s Johnny Popcorn.

The next day saw a smattering of events in quick succession, including a culinary writing workshop and a talk on henna rituals and Jewish heritage followed by free henna tattoos. Co-founder and executive director of the American Islamic Congress then gave a talk on religion and understanding, and poet Ahmad Almallah gave a poetry reading in several languages.

Later in the afternoon, WHYY/NewsWorks columnist Dick Polman spoke about the state of journalism as it pertains to the current Donald Trump administration. This was followed by the Painted Bride Quarterly’s Slam Bam Thank You Ma’am improvisational writing competition, in which participants created pieces of writing on the spot.

Maya Literary Magazine, Drexel’s undergraduate literary magazine, then hosted readings from their 50th anniversary issue. The day concluded with a screening of “Almost Famous” and a discussion with former Rolling Stone music journalist Richard Abowitz.

The last day of the festival kicked off with a workshop by Drexel professor Kirsten Kaschock titled “Moving Target” concerning movement and writing. Professor Fred Siegel followed with another workshop about improvisation as it pertains to writing. Ivan Velez Jr., creator of comic book series “Tales of the Closet,” gave a talk about comic books featuring LGBTQ youth, followed by a question-and-answer session.

In the evening, the Drexel English Department Award winners read from their recognized works, and an award ceremony took place in their honor. The day wrapped up with a screening of “Buffalo 66,” which was accompanied by a discussion with the screenwriter of the film, Alison Bagnall.

The Writing Festival took the place of Drexel’s annual Week of Writing, which ran for 10 years prior.

Disclaimer: The author of this article is a member of Maya Literary Magazine.

The Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity has been placed on interim suspension amid two allegations of sexual assault occurring at their fraternity between April 28 and May 4, according to a statement from Drexel University Communications released to The Triangle May 9.

According to a public safety advisory sent to the university community May 5, the two alleged assaults were reported to have taken place at the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity located at 3421 Powelton Ave. The assaults were reported to Drexel University police and the Office of Equality and Diversity, who are investigating the incidents in conjunction with university officials, the advisory indicated.

“Drexel does not tolerate sexual harassment or misconduct, in any form, and adheres to all federal, state and local requirements for intervention, crime reporting and privacy provisions related to sexual misconduct,” the statement from Drexel Communications read.

The chapter was suspended in February 2013 for rules violations and in May 2014 for undisclosed reasons.

“Tau Kappa Epsilon aspires to become the leading 21st century college fraternity with a focused mission on building better men who, in turn, will build a better world,” reads the website for TKE Alpha-Tau, http://tkealphatau.org/.

TKE did not respond to The Triangle’s request for a comment.

The Alpha-Tau chapter of TKE is the oldest extant fraternity on Drexel’s campus and was established in 1939. According to the Alpha-Tau chapter page on www.tke.org, the chapter is one of 247 active chapters in North America, and has received 82 Lifetime Chapter Awards. According to the page, it has 2,016 lifetime members, 93 current members, and 13 new initiates.

Anyone who wishes to report suspicious activity may call Drexel police at 215-895-2222 or Philadelphia police via 911. More information regarding sexual misconduct can be accessed via the Title IX Resource Page for the Office of Equality and Diversity at http://drexel.edu/oed/reporting/Title-IX/. Advice for remaining safe as a student can be found at http://drexel.edu/publicsafety/crimeprevention/safetytips/.

UPDATE 5/12:

The Drexel Public Safety Crime Log shows that the first alleged incident was reported April 28. The alleged incident is listed as “Sex Offense-Rape – Forcible Rape,” and its disposition is listed as “Pending Investigation OED/Title IX.”  The Crime Log shows that the second alleged incident was reported on May 4, and is listed as “Sex Offense-Rape – Known Acquaintance.” This alleged incident’s disposition is listed as “Pending Investigation PPD.”

The Triangle will continue to update this article as more information becomes available.

Photograph by Gina Vitale for The Triangle

More than 10,000 people crowded the streets to participate in the Philadelphia March for Science April 22, NBC10 estimates.

According to Newsworks, the Philadelphia march was just one of more than 400 that took place in 35 countries around the world.

“The March for Science champions robustly funded and publicly communicated science as a pillar of human freedom and prosperity,” the March for Science website writes in its mission statement. “We unite as a diverse, nonpartisan group to call for science that upholds the common good and for political leaders and policymakers to enact evidence based policies in the public interest.”

In Philadelphia, what started off as an overcast Earth Day soon become a soaking wet one, as marchers shrugged off the steady downpour and trudged through puddles all the way from City Hall to Penn’s Landing. Along the route, individuals clad in lab coats and science-themed t-shirts carried signs highlighting the importance of scientific research. Signs reading “science, not silence,” and “science is not an alternative fact” were among the most common.

Organizer Janice Rael took the stage at Penn’s Landing around noon, encouraging the demonstrators to stay vigilant in their desire to protect the future of scientific research.

“Today, we find ourselves in the previously unfathomable position of defending science,” Rael said. “The Philadelphia March for Science is a big way to show our elected officials and others that we value science, and have no intention of beginning a new Dark Ages,” she continued.

Margaret Downey, founder and president of the Freethought Society, also addressed the audience. Near the end of her remarks, her entreaty to the audience to “make America smart again,” was met with a round of applause.

Other speakers included Drexel University professor Ted Daeschler, Princeton University professor Denise Mauzerall, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Vaccine Education Center director Paul Offit, and the Chief Astronomer and Director of the Fels Planetarium at the Franklin Institute, Derrick Pitts.

Drexel students Beverly and Angela Tomita also served as the event’s “science cheerleaders,” part of a SciStarter program for cheerleaders pursuing science, technology, engineering or mathematics careers. Arizona State University professor and former Philadelphia 76ers cheerleader Darlene Cavalier, who founded SciStarter, also spoke at the event to encourage support for science.

Part of the urgency for the march stemmed from President Donald Trump’s proposed budget plan, announced March 16, which would decrease the budget of the Environmental Protection Agency by nearly a third. This reduction could negatively impact progress on the monitoring of tap water for the presence of lead as well as climate change initiatives, the New York Times reported.

The March for Science website encourages demonstrators to remain active by writing to their legislators and getting involved with local scientific advocacy groups. More information about the Philadelphia satellite of the March for Science can be found at https://satellites.marchforscience.com/satellite/philadelphia-pennsylvania-us.

Gina Vitale The Triangle

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and Drexel University’s Office of Equality and Diversity wants everyone to know about it.

Through a series of planned events and programs, the OED’s aim is to make people aware of how often sexual assault occurs, how often it isn’t reported and what individuals can do to help.

“We want people to know the contours of the problem,” Jesse Krohn, assistant director of education and prevention and deputy Title IX coordinator in the OED, said via an email correspondence.

“We also want them to know what steps they can take to address it, such as spreading knowledge of on- and off-campus resources and being active bystanders and supportive friends, classmates, and colleagues,” Krohn continued.

One of the ways Krohn hopes to raise awareness is through Teal Tuesdays, which have taken place every Tuesday of April. On those days, individuals are encouraged to wear teal shirts that say “NOT A BYSTANDER.” to show support and solidarity for those who have been sexually assaulted. The shirts were handed out for free April 4 and April 18 at the Dragon statue.

“The point of Teal Tuesdays is to be visible. When we don’t confront sexual violence directly, survivors think they’re alone. Bystanders fail to comprehend the power they have to make a difference, and people who intend to harm others believe they can do so with impunity,” Krohn explained.

Krohn said that the response to Teal Tuesdays so far has been positive, and that it has even inspired some survivors of sexual assault to share their stories with Krohn.

“Every Tuesday, when you see that flood of teal across campus, what you see is solidarity,” she said.

The OED is also promoting a citywide event called Hands Around City Hall. The event, which will take place April 28 at noon, is intended as a show of support for sexual assault survivors. Those who attend will join hands to form a circle of individuals all the way around City Hall.

Also on April 28, from 6 to 9 p.m., the sorority Sigma Psi Zeta is hosting their 13th annual Take Back the Night at the Rose Terrace in Gerri C. Lebow Hall. At the event, speakers will discuss domestic violence and sexual assault. It is free to attend, but all proceeds from donations will be given to Women Against Abuse.

Though these events are planned to highlight Sexaul Assault Awareness Month, Krohn said there are resources available year-round both to teach about sexual assault and to provide support for survivors. As part of Governor Tom Wolf’s “It’s On Us PA” program for sexual assault prevention, Drexel was recently awarded a $30,000 grant.

“The It’s On Us grant is incredible. It’s enabling us to purchase supplies, such as the ‘NOT A BYSTANDER’ T-shirts, brochures and other items that raise awareness of available resources,” Krohn said.

Funds from the grant will also be used to produce a video featuring Dean of Students Subir Sahu and several Drexel students discussing bystander intervention, according to Krohn. She said it will also go towards training for OED staff and Public Safety, as well as purchasing supplies such as helmets, shields and safety suits for Public Safety’s Rape Aggression Defense Program.

“It can never be said enough: Consent is an active, conscious, verbal YES, not the absence of a no,” Krohn said.

More information about the OED and resources available to sexual assault survivors can be found at http://drexel.edu/oed/.

A second student-run Saxbys location will open inside the Papadakis Integrated Science Building, Drexel University announced via Instagram April 12.

According to Justin Pizzi, vice president of sales and marketing for Saxbys, the new location on 33rd and Chestnut streets will open in June.

“Two @saxbys on #drexel’s campus is better than one!!” @drexeluniv said in the original Instagram post.

The first Saxbys on campus opened just over two years ago on April 13, 2015 on 65 N. 34th Street. Pizzi said the the menu for the new location will be very similar to that of the first cafe.

“Saxbys is very excited to be opening a second Experiential Learning Cafe at Drexel, after opening our first-ever ELP cafe on campus in 2015 to allow students to earn full credit and get paid while developing their own team, forming relationships with the community to make a social impact and managing all the finances of running the cafe,” Pizzi said via a digital correspondence.

According to Saxbys CEO Nick Bayer, The Workshop School, a public high school in West Philadelphia, will be providing the furniture for the new location.

“I’d always really admired the [Workshop] school…and when I learned that their founder was actually a Drexel graduate, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity, because we want every single location to be completely unique from one another, including when they’re on the exact same campus,” Bayer said.

As a result, all of the furniture will be designed and assembled by students at the Workshop School.

“We’re all about entrepreneurship, we’re all about giving young people the opportunity to learn by doing,” Bayer continued.

Bayer explained that while the new location won’t be as large as the one on 34th Street, it will strive to be a convenient stop for the busy student.

“This space in Papadakis is so much more centralized around the classroom experience, I think it’s going to become sort of a great place for students to be able to grab and go, or to be able to sit down for an hour in between classes,” he explained.

Bayer also said that part of the uniqueness of the new location will include several new products and a variety of outdoor seating both on the quad and on Chestnut Street.

“We’re excited for a lot of reasons,” Bayer said. “Drexel, and specifically President Fry, gave us the first opportunity to debut our experiential learning program where students get to run their own business…so we’re always really grateful to the university and to John for allowing us to do that.”

Rita LaRue, vice president of Drexel Campus Services, also issued the following statement in regards to the new location.

“Drexel Campus Services is thrilled that Saxbys will be opening its second student-run cafe in the Papadakis Integrated Sciences Building. The real-world experience Drexel students gain through Saxbys’ unique experiential learning program is the future of campus retail management and academic partnership,” LaRue said via a digital correspondence.

The hiring process for new student employees is already underway. Interested students may go to SaxbysCoffee.com and click “Careers” for application information.