For a better experience, click the Compatibility Mode icon above to turn off Compatibility Mode, which is only for viewing older websites.

Dana and David Dornsife

Dana ’83, HD ’14, and David Dornsife, HD ’14

Transformative gift establishes Center on Racism and Health

A $9 million gift from Drexel University alumna Dana Dornsife and her husband, David, to the Dornsife School of Public Health will help launch a new Center on Racism and Health, recruit and retain faculty experts on racial inequities in health and endow the deanship for public health. The longtime philanthropists, widely known for their humanitarian efforts, are the largest single benefactors in the University’s history, having donated more than $70 million. The School of Public Health was named in their honor after a $45 million gift in 2015.

“I’m deeply grateful to Dana and David for their incredible generosity, which has transformed both the University and the Dornsife School of Public Health over the past five years,” said President John Fry. “Now with this gift, we will advance solutions to society’s most pressing public health problems as they impact communities of color and lead the way in eliminating health disparities for all.”

In addition to their naming gift to the Dornsife School of Public Health, gifts from the Dornsifes have established the Dana and David Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships, the Dana and David Dornsife Office of Experiential Learning at the LeBow College of Business, and the Dornsife Global Development Scholars program, which partners with World Vision International on development projects related to water, sanitation and hygiene in Sub-Saharan African countries.

“David and I are thrilled to continue our journey with Drexel as we grow the capacity of the Dornsife School of Public Health to improve population health for all and, especially, to be a force for good in the struggle for racial justice,” said Dana Dornsife. “The new Center on Racism and Health is another step on the School’s exciting trajectory to becoming a global leader in public health research, education, training, practice and policy.”

The new gift will allow the Dornsife School of Public Health to elevate research on racial inequality and health disparities. The proposed Center on Racism and Health will leverage strengths across the Dornsife School’s departments, the Urban Health Collaborative and many partners across the University synergizing and elevating existing work on racial health inequities and promoting new work.

All over the world there are renewed calls to address racism as the public health crisis that it is. We are thrilled that this gift will allow us to elevate and expand critically needed research, training and policy work in this area at Dornsife and at Drexel more generally.

Founded in 1996 on the principles of health as a human right and the importance of social justice to health, the Dornsife School is committed to improving population health and promoting health equity by generating rigorous evidence and transforming that evidence into actions. The Dornsife School has a special emphasis on improving health in cities, eliminating health disparities and promoting health in all policies.

“All over the world there are renewed calls to address racism as the public health crisis that it is,” said Ana Diez Roux, dean of the Dornsife School and Distinguished University Professor of Epidemiology. “The Dornsife School has a responsibility to respond to this crisis. We are thrilled that this gift will allow us to elevate and expand critically needed research, training and policy work in this area at Dornsife and at Drexel more generally.”

The major goals of the Center will be to:

  • Advance multidisciplinary, anti-racist public health research and scholarship rooted in historical context, contemporary theoretical frameworks and rigorous, innovative methods.
  • Provide anti-racist public health educational and training opportunities for students and public health professionals.
  • Foster engagement in anti-racist practice and advocacy to advance health equity and racial justice through alignment with social justice movements and equitable local, national and global partnerships.

To achieve these goals, the proposed Center will focus on structural racism and racial inequities in urban contexts and how these intersect with pressing population health challenges like police brutality and climate change. The Center will also adopt a global perspective linking local work in Philadelphia to similar challenges facing cities worldwide. The Center will be complimentary and synergistic with Drexel’s recently established Center for Black Culture and will aim to forge partnerships across the University.

“Grounded in the lived experiences of those most directly impacted by racism, this Center will provide an opportunity for innovation and impact in addressing the root causes of racial health inequities in Philadelphia and beyond,” said Sharrelle Barber, assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics and in the Urban Health Collaborative. Barber has been chairing the planning group to launch the new Center.

“The year 2020 has brought into sharp focus the deadly consequences of racism and the critical need for academic initiatives that provide dedicated spaces to engage in rigorous, multidisciplinary scholarship and training and collective action with communities to understand these processes and spearhead evidence-driven policy and advocacy that combats the health consequences and inequities of racism,” says Barber.

The gift will allow the Dornsife School to hire two new faculty members whose work focuses on racial inequities and health. Resulting from the 2015 gift, three additional professorships were named in recognition of the Dornsifes and are currently held by Alex Ezeh, Dornsife Professor of Global Health, Gina Lovasi, Dornsife Associate Professor of Urban Health, and Brisa Sánchez, Dornsife Endowed Professor of Biostatistics.

Additionally, endowing the deanship for public health will support strategic initiatives for the Dornsife School, enabling the named dean to strengthen departments and programs, and support faculty and professional staff across the Dornsife School with the aim of advancing its reputation throughout the United States and the world.

Dana and David Dornsife are well-known for their steadfast philanthropic focus on improving the quality of life for all people. Both received honorary degrees from Drexel in 2014. Dana Dornsife received her bachelor’s degree in business from Drexel in 1983. She is the founder of the Lazarex Cancer Foundation and serves as its president and CEO. David Dornsife, a University of Southern California trustee and 1965 alumnus, is chairman of the Herrick Corp., the largest steel fabricator and contractor on the West Coast.

The gift marks a major advance in Drexel’s $750 million campaign, The Future Is a Place We Make. 

This story is adapted from an article that originally appeared in DrexelNow.

Support the Dornsife School of Public Health Dean’s Initiative Fund
Bentley Hall

Building an intellectual oasis for living and learning

Endowed

Dornsife Endowed Professorship applies statistics to advance environmental health

Campaign Conclusion

The Future Is a Place We Make Concludes With Record-Breaking Alumni and Donor Engagement

Schauer

Endowed chair advances diversity, equity and inclusion

Center for Law

Understanding the nexus of law and technology

Counseling_Center

Support for achieving academic and personal success

BAILEY Don Linda

Supporting co-op opportunities that strengthen communities

TransDigm

Inspired by alumnus, TransDigm supports women in business and engineering

emergency funding

In an extraordinary time, helping Drexel students stay the course

Fox Collection Gift

New artist-in-residence program and support for costume collection

Girija Kaimal

Investigating the healing power of art

Howley

Creating Pathways Toward a Debt-Free Graduation

Jeff and Sue Walker

Transforming ideas into discovery in engineering and public health

Engineer

Supporting engineering PhDs in a “personal” program

Kathleen Disney

Advancing Underrepresented Students and Civic Partnerships

Kristin Newell

In her first year, already researching what’s next (in retail)

Lindy Family Charitable Foundation

Gift advances Lindy Institute for Urban Innovation

Lisa and John McNichol

Accelerating “cradle to career” opportunities for children

Marios Market

A lifeline for students in need

Raj Suri photo

Neuro-business solutions use data with a difference

Fox Collection Gift

Helping Students Launch Creative Careers

Rob Ross photo

A new path to make the world better

Sara Ali

From community college to medical school, fueled by scholarships

Schleyer Foundation

Alumni family supports future leaders in medicine

Sheller

Advancing Diversity and Inclusion in the Legal Profession

Fox Collection Gift

Establishing a Hub for Collaborative Study

St. Christopher’s Hospital

Donors and a new fund support COVID-19 care at Drexel for vulnerable patients and families

St. Christopher's Carnival

11th Annual Back to School Carnival supports kids and families

Center for Black Culture

New Center for Black Culture advances diversity and inclusion at Drexel

COVID-19

Accelerating COVID-19 solutions

David Han

Endowed professorship advances artificial intelligence

Dana and David Dornsife

Transformative gift establishes Center on Racism and Health

Genevieve

Collaborations that spark new industries and change lives

iBreast

From lab to village, a revolution in breast cancer detection

Patty Giordano

Alumni leader has deep Drexel roots

Jeffrey Stockbridge, ’05

Art is a tool for social awareness and change

ribbon cutting

Leveraging a strategic opportunity leads to increased community engagement

Amish Desai, LeBow College of Business

An entrepreneurial approach to doing well and doing good

Benjamin Kay

Basketball creates opportunities, social change for underserved youth

Students

Catalyst for Innovation and Immersive Experiences

Morris

Endowed professorship advances research on first responder safety

Entrepreneurs launch games with a social purpose

Entrepreneurs launch games with a social purpose

Hunger Free

Combating food insecurity through financial coaching and peer support

Danielle Fernandez, MPH ’15

She combats disease with data

Daniel Navin ’17

Engineers of life-saving protection for innocent bystanders

Keith and Carly

Co-ops at the cutting edge of technology and design

Jim Bean

Trustee’s challenge gift amplifies athletics and donor impact

Jeechieu Ta

Scholarship funds activate student success

Evan Ehlers

In a time of crisis, co-op shaped venture makes a difference

Paving the way for lifesaving plasma research

Paving the way for lifesaving plasma research

Five Five

Crafting stories that matter

Collapsible bike helmet

Saving bikers’ lives, with style

Wilson A. Foust

Two sons preserve a father's legacy with a scholarship

Rachel E. López, Director, Community Lawyering Clinic

Legal scholar mentors law students

Samuella Takyi-Buachie, LeBow ’17

Aiming to make a huge impact on global health

Nicole Kalitsi

Philanthropic support enables career-defining nonprofit co-op

Project SEARCH unleashes the potential of young adults with autism

Project SEARCH unleashes the potential of young adults with autism

Print

Contact Us

215.895.2612

Mail your gift to:

Drexel University
P.O. Box 8215
Philadelphia, PA 19101-9684

Give Now