Welcome to the Winter 2013 issue of Market Street!

December 20, 2013

At the end of almost every interview I conduct for Market Street, I feel as though I just had a lovely conversation with a new friend. Okay, I like to talk. But in these instances, I enjoy listening to stories about families, education and career paths.

Take Bob Hall, the subject of our cover story and the CEO and publisher of The Philadelphia Inquirer. After graduating with a business degree from Drexel in 1967, Bob worked as a CPA for years before being bitten by the newspaper bug. He thought he’d give it a try and has stayed for 30 years and counting. Read all about him and his newspaper-less plan on page 20.

Becoming the Chicago Bears’ owner was not on the radar for Virginia McCaskey ’43 when she attended Drexel, but now she is a sports icon presiding at the helm of a $1 billion franchise. Read how her faith and family have influenced her life on page 24.

SEI Founder and CEO Al West first worked as an engineer — the only time he ever worked for someone else — before deciding finance was more his thing. Learn why he’s Drexel’s Business Leader of the Year on page 28.

“Can music make you more or less trusting?” An intriguing topic and one MIS Professor David Gefen is pursuing with Drexel’s biomed department. Stateside for the last 15 years, David started his career in Israel working as an IT project manager before deciding an academic career was more his tune. See page 32.

These are just a few of the stories we have in store for you. As always, please let me know how we’re doing, or if you have a story you’d like to share. I’m listening.

Leda Kopach Editor