Drew has helped bring two new general education courses to university classrooms: a natural disasters movie class at West Chester University and How Weather Altered History at Penn State.
Between West Chester University, Penn State and Drexel University, Drew has taught more than 60 courses, including:
- Meteorology (METEO 3; ESS 170)
- Severe Weather (METEO 5)
- How Weather Altered History (HIST 6N)
- Risk Management (METEO 4)
- Natural Disasters (GEO 111)
- Geology (GEOG 10)
- World Geography (GEOG 128)
- Sustainability (GEOG 30N; ESS 102)
- Earth Science in Film (EARTH 101; ESS 127)
- Communications (HDFS 287Y; FYE 100)
Drew’s classroom innovation earned him Penn State’s Teaching Excellence Award, and his research has received more than $15,000 in grant awards.
Drew teaching a university class.
Research
Drew focuses on two areas: sustainability and science communication.
For his sustainability research, he travels internationally to record on-location videos showing where communities are making progress and where challenges remain. These videos bring a global perspective into the classroom and help students connect course topics to the wider world.
Learning by doing
Alongside video-based learning, Drew builds hands-on experiences into his courses. In one activity, students complete a campus sustainability scavenger hunt. At each location, augmented reality content unlocks on their phones, highlighting sustainability features around them.
In online classes, Drew encourages students to step away from their computers and try experiments with household items. Experiencing a scientific concept firsthand helps make it easier to understand and remember.
Presentations and talks
Drew shares his research and teaching approaches at academic seminars and conferences. Topics include:
Teaching recognition
In 2024, Drew received his second teaching excellence award from Penn State.
Penn State Excellence in Teaching Award.