Largest Gift in Drexel History Establishes Nick Howley College of Engineering and Computing

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Campus & Community Experiential Learning Science & Technology

Largest Gift in Drexel History Establishes Nick Howley College of Engineering and Computing

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Supported by a landmark gift from The Howley Foundation, a nonprofit philanthropic organization led by alumnus and trustee W. Nicholas "Nick" Howley '75, his wife Lorie and their daughter Meg Howley '10, Drexel University will establish the Nick Howley College of Engineering and Computing.

The Foundation's $112.6 million commitment, which is the largest pledge in the University's history, will dedicate in excess of $36 million to create more than 55,000 square feet of classroom, laboratory and collaborative learning spaces in Drexel facilities along Market Street and JFK Boulevard. The gift will also allocate more than $76 million to support generations of Drexel students through scholarships and programming that will enable the College to recruit talented students with limited financial means.

A Transformative Gift

"We are profoundly grateful to Nick, Lorie and Meg for their extraordinary generosity, their enduring belief in Drexel and their commitment to ensuring that future generations of Dragons have the opportunity to learn and lead," said Drexel President Antonio Merlo, PhD. "This investment is a powerful affirmation of Drexel's strength and leadership in fields where innovation and impact are deeply intertwined. It will not only bring excitement and a new look to our campus, but it will also provide generations of students with access to state-of-the-art facilities, as well as set them on course for a transformational educational experience at Drexel."

The gift will enable the University to transform more than 45,000 square feet in Drexel's 3101 Market Street facility into undergraduate engineering and computing teaching labs and collaborative workspaces. The reimagined space, which will be called the Howley Family Immersive Learning Center, will include a robotics facility, a flight simulator, a jet engine lab and a soil and concrete analysis lab, as well as wet labs for chemical engineering, materials science and cell and gene therapy education. The Center will create opportunities for students to connect theory with hands-on practice while fostering interdisciplinary collaboration in aerospace, robotics and advanced manufacturing.

A Space to Experience and Learn

"This contribution ensures that Drexel students will have access to top-notch facilities and faculty who are leaders in their fields - it's the formula for an unmatched educational experience," said Eunice Santos, PhD, Thomas E. and Christine D. Berk Endowed Professor and incoming dean of Howley College. "Thanks to the vision and support of The Howley Foundation and Nick Howley, Drexel's College of Engineering and Computing will be able to expand its mission of educating the next generation of students who will lead the way in solving the most pressing challenges of our time."

In addition, an existing 10,000 square-foot space at 32nd and Market Street will be transformed into the Walter N. Howley Jr. Innovation Garage, a collaborative space that will showcase the work of Drexel's engineering and computing student organizations in dedicated bays. The facility, named in honor of Nick's father, also a Drexel alumnus, will provide all students with maker and project spaces where they can learn by doing - from building race cars, electric vehicles and airplanes, to constructing rockets, steel bridges and concrete canoes as part of national engineering competitions. The facility will also have gathering areas to encourage creativity and teamwork across disciplines.

Drexel will begin work on the new Howley College facilities in the spring of 2027.

A Bright Future

"I am proud to support Drexel's mission as a global leader in experiential education. The University's model provides a true return on investment for all students who earn a Drexel degree and I believe it is the best way to encourage upward social and economic mobility," said Nick Howley. "The combination of its academic rigor and co-op program make Drexel's a unique educational experience that goes farther than any other university in propelling its graduates toward their career objectives."

Howley College will be the largest of the R1 University's academic units, comprising the School of Engineering, School of Computer and Information Sciences and School of Biomedical Engineering and Science. The units merged earlier this year as part of Drexel's multi-year academic transformation initiative. More than 5,000 students will pursue their academic career in one or more of the College's 60 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, including its newly launched undergraduate degree in artificial intelligence and machine learning, which is enrolling students for the fall. Part of the gift will establish an endowment that will support the College's efforts to strengthen its national reputation and continue to attract exceptionally talented students and faculty.

The gift will also support, through the Howley College Scholars program, scholarships for future generations of talented students from designated schools primarily in Philadelphia and Cleveland to access a Drexel education, regardless of their financial circumstances. The University and the Foundation anticipate that at least half of the scholars selected each year will pursue their studies at the College of Engineering and Computing. While the program was established in 2022, the Foundation's latest support will sustain the program in perpetuity.

A Visionary Legacy

Nick Howley is the co-founder and board chairman of TransDigm Group Inc., a New York Stock Exchange-listed company, for which he has served as executive chairman or CEO for more than 20 years. It is a leading global designer, producer and supplier of highly engineered aircraft components. The company employs approximately 16,500 people across approximately 120 locations worldwide.

Howley is also a founder and co-chair of Perimeter Solutions, a New York Stock Exchange-listed company that is a leading provider of industrial products and services that support critical and complex customer missions across a range of niche applications, including firefighting products, lubricant additives, electronic components and machinery for the medical device industry. Howley has also served on a range of other public and private for-profit boards.

In addition to co-founding and serving as trustee of The Howley Foundation, Howley's extensive nonprofit experience includes service on the boards of Case Western Reserve University, Washington and Jefferson College, Cleveland Clinic, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Saint Martin de Porres High School (Cleveland), St. Joseph's Preparatory High School (Philadelphia) and as past chair of Cristo Rey National Network Board - a collection of 41 Catholic, college preparatory high schools that serve more than 13,000 economically disadvantaged students across 24 states.

After graduating from Drexel with a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, Howley earned an MBA from Harvard Business School.

Howley previously facilitated scholarship support for Drexel students through the Doug Peacock Scholarship, a fund supported by TransDigm and named in tribute to Howley's late TransDigm co-founder. Launched in the 2020-21 academic year, close to 100 Doug Peacock Scholarship awards have already been presented to College of Engineering and Bennett S. LeBow College of Business students.

Lorie Howley holds a bachelor's degree in ornamental horticulture and a master's degree in communication arts, both from Cornell University. She applied this experience during a 15-year tenure as an educator at Longwood Gardens, where she developed and taught post-secondary and continuing education programs. Lorie also has significant non-profit governance experience in both educational and horticultural institutions. She is co-founder of The Howley Foundation, served as the Foundation's executive director from 2003 to 2013 and is currently an active member of the Foundation's board of directors.

Meg Howley serves as executive director of The Howley Foundation's Philadelphia operations. She earned a master's degree in psychology from Drexel, an undergraduate degree in psychology from Hobart and William Smith Colleges, and a master's in school psychology and educational specialist certification from Rowan University. She provided early intervention services to cognitively impaired students in preschools in the Philadelphia area prior to her current role with the Foundation.

Nick Howley's father, Walter N. Howley, Jr., attended Drexel Institute of Technology directly after World War II and graduated in 1951 with a BS in commerce and engineering.

Founded by Nick and Lorie Howley in 2003, The Howley Foundation's mission is to create social and economic mobility and improve lives by giving students access to a range of high-quality educational opportunities that they would not otherwise be able to afford. The Foundation supports programming and scholarships at the elementary school through the collegiate level, emphasizing serving students in the Mid-Atlantic and Midwest regions.

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