The Pennoni Honors College

About the College

The mission of Drexel University’s Pennoni Honors College is to enrich the University experience for talented and ambitious students from all majors. The College has the following units: Academic Programs (which includes The Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry, Custom-Designed Major, The Symposium, Interdisciplinary Problem Solving Minor and the Honors Program), Undergraduate Research & Enrichment Programs (which includes the STAR Scholars program, SuperNova Research Fellows, fellowships and Aspire Scholars), the Center for Civil Discourse (which includes Pennoni Panels, Wednesdays at the Kline, The Civil Discourse, and Dean’s Teas); and the Marketing & Media department (which includes The Smart Set online arts and culture journal, Pop, the Question podcast, and Honor Bound magazine.) Students have the opportunity to apply to the Pennoni Honors Program as late as the spring term of their second year. The other programs and initiatives in the College are open to all students at the University with the appropriate interests and record of achievement.

The Pennoni Honors College was endowed by Annette and C.R. “Chuck” Pennoni, CEO of Pennoni Associates. Mr. Pennoni, a Drexel graduate, was a two-time interim president of the University. He embodies the qualities of leadership, integrity, intellectual curiosity, and commitment to Drexel and the larger world that the College seeks to imbue in its students. With the help of a gift from Greg Bentley, CEO of Bentley Systems, and his wife Caroline, Drexel University opened Bentley Hall in 2020, a combined residence, programming, seminar, and office space.