Drexel LeBow to Award Four Honorary Degrees at Commencement
LeBow College of Business will award four honorary degrees at its commencement ceremony beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, June 14, in Drexel’s John A. Daskalakis Athletic Center.
Dana Dornsife (’83): is the president and founder of the Lazarex Cancer Foundation, which provides logistical and financial assistance to end-stage cancer patients seeking hope in clinical trials. She and her husband David, have also been active at the Brain and Creativity Institute at the University of Southern California (USC). They support a literacy project in Mauritania, West Africa, and through World Vision, an international humanitarian agency, underwrite water-well drilling in Ghana, Mali, Niger, Ethiopia and Zambia. They also support groundbreaking research in imaging and Cerebral Spinal Fluid Analysis for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease. At Drexel, The Dana and David Dornsife Center for Neighborhood Partnerships and The Dana and David Dornsife Office for Experiential Learning in the LeBow College of Business are named in their honor. Dana Dornsife graduated with a bachelor’s degree from Drexel’s LeBow College.
David Dornsife: is the chairman of the Herrick Corporation, the largest steel fabricator on the West Coast, whose products have gone into the skylines of San Francisco, Los Angeles and other cities. He has also been the chairman of Gillig Corporation, a major supplier of metropolitan transit buses to U.S. cities. Dornsife and his wife Dana are well-known as one of the most philanthropic couples in America.
George Krall (’58): was president and CEO of Mebane Packaging Group, Inc., a supplier of paperboard packaging to the healthcare industry, until its acquisition by Westvaco Corporation. Since that time, Krall has worked as a venture capitalist, private investor and executive consultant. At Drexel, he serves on the University’s Board of Visitors and the Dean’s Advisory Board at the LeBow College of Business. Krall was recognized by Drexel with the Golden Dragon Award, A.J. Drexel Paul Award and was inducted in the Drexel 100. He is also a charter member of the College of Engineering Alumni Circle of Distinction. The George & Lois Krall Executive Education Center, located in the LeBow College of Business, is named in his and his wife’s honor. Krall earned a bachelor’s degree from the Drexel University College of Engineering and is an emeritus trustee of the Drexel University Board of Trustees.
James Nevels: is the founder and chairman of The Swarthmore Group, one of the largest minority-owned investment advisors in the country. Nevels will be the commencement speaker. He has more than 34 years of experience in the securities and investment industry and is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee. He serves as the chairman of The Hershey Company, a member of the board of the Hershey Trust Company and board member of the Milton Hershey School. He is also chairman of The Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia Board of Directors, a member of the board of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a member of the board of the Harrisburg University of Science and Technology and president of the Pennsylvania Society.
