It is with great pleasure that I announce the addition of Steve Belkowitz and Zoey Sless-Kitain, to our adjunct faculty roster. I am committed to providing our students with the best education and industry experience; these two professionals will add to the already outstanding faculty roster in the photography program.

I am pleased to introduce Steve Belkowitz, a commercial photographer with over 15 years of experience who is teaching our Advanced Studio Photography course. With a client roster of Urban Outfitters, MTV, Reebok, Samsung and Comcast, along with many others, Steve brings a critical eye for lighting and professionalism to our juniors. I encourage you to review Steve's website, http://www.belkowitz.com/, to see what he has been shooting.

Zoey Sless-Kitain is teaching our Portfolio Development, Photography & Business and Photography Production courses. Zoey is a photographer and the current Photography Director at Philadelphia Magazine where she has been for the past ten years. Using her experience as both a photographer and photo director, Zoey is guiding our seniors in building their portfolios for both commercial and fine art applications.

Beginning this coming fall, the photography program is introducing some exciting new courses to the curriculum. These courses include Assignment Photography, Digital Photography III, Landscape Photography, Fashion Photography, Palladium Printing and Marketing for Photographers. These courses have been added to the junior and senior years to widen the choices that our students have within the major to explore a variety of directions in the field ranging from the newest technology and commercial applications to a fine-art hand coating printing process. These courses will be taught by current faculty as well as professionals like Walter Smith (http://waltersmithphoto.com/).

In other exciting news, I am pleased to announce the addition of a Photography Minor!  The photography minor will allow all students who attend Drexel University access to gain and apply expertise in the medium of photography.  The 26 credit minor includes courses ranging from Digital Photography I, Color Photography, Studio Photography, Photojournalism and many more.

Charles Cerrone, sophomore, recently completed a project focusing on the homeless in Philadelphia's Suburban Station for winter term's Photojournalism course and was featured on March's DNews.

I would also like to cordially invite you to the opening reception of our 2012 Photography Senior Exhibition on Friday, June 15th from 6-9pm. Every June we hold a public exhibition off campus of our graduating senior's thesis projects; thesis is a nine-month, self-directed project of the students choosing. The opening reception is well attended by industry professionals and is a wonderful evening celebrating our student's photography. This year the event will be held at the Skybox Studios, 2424 East York Street, Philadelphia, PA.

"The photography program at Drexel University seeks to produce photographers who possess high degrees of both visual literacy and technical expertise.  The program embraces pluralism and does not recognize traditional boundaries between applied and fine arts. We seek to further our students' understanding that quality in the medium is not defined by semantic boundaries, and to ensure the excellence of all student work regardless of its application.  The quality of visual literacy is not a fad nor is it dependent on any specific technology; rather it emerges from a rigorous intellectual foundation.  The work of the thirteen young artists included in this show demonstrates a breadth of approach that is both refreshing and rewarding." - Paul R. Runyon, Program Director

Event Facts:

What:  2012 Senior Photography Exhibition

Where: Skybox 2424 Studios (2424 East York Street)

When:  June 15^th through June 21^st 2012
Opening Reception, June 15, 2012, 6 - 9 PM

Cost: FREE and open to the public

More Information:  215-895-1029 or visit  www.drexel.edu/westphal 

Jeffrey Stockbridge, alumni, has work featured on Time Magazine's Photo Blog Lightbox.  See here.  He also had his first print publication in the London Telegraph this past Sunday.

Andrea Modica, Professor, has a show opening at Gallery 339 in Philadelphia on Friday, May 11th.  The opening reception is from 6 to 8 pm.  Her recent series, Best Friends, Modica took her 8x10 camera into high schools in the US and Italy for a compelling group of photographs of young men and women.