Science fellows, NYC semesters, conflict resolution and a path for international students.
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July 2018 – Drew University’s Research Institute for Scientists Emeriti and New York City semesters are nationally recognized as innovations in higher education.
Also nationally known: Drew’s pathway program for international students and graduate program in conflict resolution and leadership. Here’s a closer look at the four innovations.
- The Charles A. Dana Research Institute for Scientists Emeriti leverages professional resources in New Jersey. The state is a center for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, and many top scientists in those industries stay there after retiring. At RISE, they become fellows who mentor undergraduates in the labs of the Hall of Sciences. One such fellow, Dr. William Campbell, won the 2015 Nobel Prize in Medicine for developing a drug that treats parasitic diseases.
- Drew utilizes its proximity to New York City and its educational and cultural opportunities via its nycTREC program. The program offers semesters on Wall Street, the United Nations, theatre, communications and media, social entrepreneurship and contemporary art.
- The pathway program enables international students to hone their English and academic skills, while they work toward bachelor’s degrees. This helps expand and diversify the student population.
- The Conflict Resolution and Leadership program, part of Drew’s Caspersen School of Graduate Studies, exemplifies efforts to build new areas of study. The program combines traditional classroom studies with professional mentorships and experiences in fields ranging from law to service organizations.
The programs are featured in a national report on innovation in higher education from the Council of Independent Colleges. Highlighted programs “prepare college graduates for successful entry into the labor market and promote the effectiveness of the liberal arts and liberal arts colleges for their graduates’ lifelong success in the labor force,” the CIC said.
