School Honors Past President Responsible for Establishing Sacramento's Graduate Studies Center

SACRAMENTO (OBSNews.com) – Drexel University's recently deceased president, Constantine Papadakis is being honored by the creation of a fellowship in his name to help non-profit and public sector employees pursue advanced educational degrees.

The Philadelphia-based University announced today the establishment of the Constantine Papadakis Public Service Fellowships, an academic tuition award available for any public service worker who enrolls in any of the 11 programs being offered at the university’s Center for Graduate Studies in Sacramento.

The Fellowships will reduce tuition by 15 percent for any individual working at least 20 hours per week in a qualified public service job, including a not-for-profit organization, any governmental or quasi-governmental agency or any other public service employer.

Dr. Papadakis, who led Drexel for 14 years, passed away last month. During his years as Drexel’s leader, he made Drexel into a comprehensive, nationally ranked, research-intensive university. After being approached in 2007 with an idea to create a presence for Philadelphia-based Drexel in the Greater Sacramento area, Dr. Papadakis championed an effort to open a Graduate Studies Center and an undergraduate campus in Placer County. The Graduate Center opened in January.

“Dr. Papadakis’ passion for education was matched by his passion for public service – he attributed both to the Greek heritage of which he was so proud – and it is for that reason that Drexel requires public service by all of its undergraduates, and why so many of its graduate programs include public service initiatives,” said Carl “Tobey” Oxholm III, Dean and Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Graduate Studies in Sacramento.

“The Papadakis Public Service Fellowships recognize a visionary who brought Drexel to California, who understood the value of graduate education and who personally believed in the core value of giving back to one’s community,” Oxholm said. “The Papadakis Fellows will be one of the many living reminders of this remarkable man and his commitment to civic engagement.”

Maria Papadakis on Father's Public Service Legacy

"My father was passionate about the importance of public service,” said Maria Papadakis. “We are thrilled that he is being honored with this fellowship in his name and it is particularly fitting that this would be done in California, where he was very excited to bring the Drexel style of learning."

Papadakis Scholarships will be applied as long as the student is taking at least 6 credits per term in the master’s or doctoral program and maintaining a 3.0 or better grade point average. The scholarship is not applicable to fees, books, or other educational expenses, and is not transferable to any entirely online program or any Drexel location other than the Sacramento Center for Graduate Studies.

“It’s imperative that the Greater Sacramento region has well-prepared public servants to lead public and not-for-profit agencies in the years ahead,” Oxholm said. “Now is the time to make investments in the future and to ensure we have people with the knowledge and practical skills they will need to serve the region.”

Students currently enrolled in programs at the Center for Graduate Studies who are working in public service jobs will have the new fellowship applied to their tuitions starting with the Fall 2009 term.

Drexel’s 10 master’s and one doctoral program in careers are at the heart of Greater Sacramento’s growth and economic development initiatives – entrepreneurial business, knowledge management and information science, engineering, health care, and education.

For more information on the fellowships and Drexel’s programs in Sacramento, please visit www.drexel.edu/sacramento or call (888) 389-3781 or (916) 325-4600. The next Information Sessions will be held at the Center on Saturday May 30 at 10 a.m. and Tuesday, June 9 at 6 p.m.: http://sacramento.drexel.edu/admission/visit/index.aspx.

Comments About the Papadakis Fellowships

"Public service demands the best of us every day. Our mission of service to the community requires our best during times of cut-backs as well as times of growth, and education is key to fulfilling that mission. I thank Drexel University for its wonderful contribution to Sacramento's infrastructure, and for making its excellent graduate programs so accessible to the current and future leadership of our non-profits and government agencies. I strongly encourage the future leadership of the public sector to investigate the programs that Drexel is offering that start this September, and I will do whatever I can to help them make this important investment in themselves and in the future of this city."

Rob Fong, Councilmember, City of Sacramento and Vice Chair, Personnel and Public Employees Committee

“I had the pleasure of speaking several times with President Papadakis, and I know personally of his commitment to public service. This new fellowship for government employees is a perfect expression of how practical Drexel is, because they recognize the critical roles that County employees will have in shaping the future and economic vitality of this region.”

Roger Dickinson, Supervisor, Sacramento County

"We're pleased that Drexel University has made this commitment to emerging leaders in the nonprofit and government public service sector. This fellowship program demonstrates Drexel's commitment to the health and well-being of our region, as well as a desire to be an influential, innovative partner in the community."

Chet Hewitt, President and CEO, Sierra Health Foundation

“Many of us at SMUD have been working with Drexel since they first came to Sacramento and we know that the graduate programs they are offering at their Graduate Center are well-designed to help this region reach its development and economic goals. Offering a Fellowship like this, helping those in the public sector get the degrees that they need to provide the very best service they can to the people of this region, is both enormously practical and visionary. I thank Drexel for making such a great contribution to the future of our region.”

John DiStasio, General Manager and CEO, Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD)

"When Drexel's leadership visited PRIDE shortly after deciding to build a campus in our region, I was very impressed with Drexel's vision for our community. I quickly learned of Drexel's long-standing commitment to civic engagement. This new Fellowship, named in honor of a President who was remarkable for his entrepreneurial spirit, highlights the importance that Drexel places on public service and personal responsibility. It’s a lesson I know that they are instilling in all of their students, now on both coasts of this country, and I applaud them for their commitment.”

Michael Ziegler, President/CEO, PRIDE Industries

"Drexel University has invested a substantial amount of time working with the County's leadership and learning about our region's economic development plans. Everyone knows that we can only achieve our strategic goals if our public agencies are staffed with people with the knowledge and skills they need to facilitate and guide that development. It is with enthusiasm that I encourage the future leaders of our County to take this opportunity to explore the programs that Drexel is offering, because the Papadakis Fellowships make them accessible to all of us in public service."

Rob Leonard, Economic Development Director, Sacramento County

"There are going to be plenty of opportunities for advancement within city government in the next few years because so many of our leaders are Baby Boomers within sight of retirement. Drexel has put together a number of graduate degree programs that, along with the other educational institutions in our community, will be very important for the strategic growth of this region. We are grateful that Drexel is offering a fellowship program specifically for public sector employees."

Ray Kerridge, City Manager, City of Sacramento

“Sacramento’s nonprofit community is energetic and engaged and makes an enormous contribution to our region. Nonprofit leaders of today and tomorrow need cutting-edge education in business, information technology, human resources and leadership skills every bit as much as workers in the private sector. By offering these new fellowships, Drexel not only honors President Papadakis, but is making a practical investment in the future of this region. We at the Foundation are grateful for the opportunity Drexel is providing to workers in the nonprofit field and applaud their vision and leadership.”

Ruth Blank, CEO, Sacramento Region Community Foundation

"I am proud to have helped Drexel University, one of the top 50 private universities in the country, open its Center for Graduate Studies in the First District at One Capitol Mall. I want to thank Drexel for recognizing so quickly that our public employees are critical to our region's future and for having the acumen and foresight to invest in them. I encourage our City's future leadership to look closely at the excellent graduate programs that Drexel is offering this September, and encourage our current leadership to do what they can to support our employees as they seek to improve their knowledge and skills. The Papadakis Public Service Fellowships are an important way to position our public employees and our city agencies for success."

Ray Tretheway, Sacramento City Councilmember and Chair, Sacramento City Council's Personnel and Public Employee Committee

“In these challenging times, education for nonprofit and government leaders is more important than ever. Drexel’s programs create an opportunity for busy professionals to work and still have time to learn skills and strategies that can immediately be applied to their current positions. The scholarships also represent Drexel’s significant commitment to making our community a better place to live, work and do business.”

Ann Lucas, Executive Director Nonprofit Resource Center

“This is a very fitting way to honor an outstanding educational leader. I am sure that Dr. Papadakis would applaud a program designed to help more people achieve their educational goals, and my experience with Drexel makes me confident that it will be a quality program that meets the needs of our region.”

Brice Harris, Chancellor, Los Rios Community College District

"For years we have all agreed that Sacramento would be well served by having another top-ranked university in this region and we are proud and excited that Drexel University has chosen Sacramento for its first campus outside of Philadelphia. The new Papadakis Public Service Fellowships will make it possible for our best public servants to get the first-tier education they need to help grow a first-tier economy."

David Spaur, Economic Development Director,City of Sacramento

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