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Message from the Dean

Congratulations on reaching this extraordinary milestone! As your dean — and as someone who recently joined the Drexel community — it brings me great pride and joy to celebrate you and all that you’ve accomplished.

While I may be new to the College of Nursing and Health Professions, I’ve quickly come to understand the strength, compassion, and resilience that define our students. You’ve pursued your education with determination, navigated challenges with courage, and grown into professionals who are prepared to lead, heal, and serve.

Know that you will always have a home here at CNHP. As you move into the next chapter, remember that you carry with you the support, pride, and belief of all of us who had the privilege of walking alongside you.

Congratulations, Class of 2025!

With admiration and best wishes,
Emily Roper, PhD

About the Keynote Speaker

James Ballinghoff is the vice president and chief nurse executive for the University of Pennsylvania Health System. He also serves as the assistant dean for Clinical Practice at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.

Mr. Ballinghoff is a maxima cum laude graduate of La Salle University’s BSN program and received an MSA and MBA from La Salle. He earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Ballinghoff has served in several leadership positions within the University of Pennsylvania Health System, including chief nursing officer and director of Critical Care and Cardiology at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center, director of Quality, Program Development and Regulatory Affairs at Penn Home Care and Hospice Services, and director of Penn’s Home Care Agency. Prior to that, he served as manager of the Cardio-Thoracic Surgical Intensive Unit and as manager of a transplant unit, both at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

In 2012, he was honored with the Philadelphia Tri-State Nursing Excellence Award for Advancing and Leading the Profession, given by Nursing Spectrum magazine, and has been recognized for his caring and compassionate leadership style and his work as a mentor. Mr. Ballinghoff has presented both nationally and internationally on topics, including leadership, reducing hospital readmissions, patient flow and implementing a shared governance model.