Villanova University Recognizes John G. Drosdick’s Ongoing Commitment to the College of Engineering’s Building Expansion Project by Naming the Building in his Honor
Drosdick has donated $20 million toward the expansion project since its inception.
VILLANOVA, Pa. (March 11, 2024)—Villanova University President, the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD, today announced that in recognition of $20 million in support of the College of Engineering building expansion project by John G. Drosdick ’65, retired chief executive officer and president of Sunoco, Inc., the College’s soon-to-be-completed new building will be named Drosdick Hall.
“I cannot thank John enough for his unwavering support of Villanova and the College of Engineering,” said University President the Rev. Peter M. Donohue, OSA, PhD. “This is a momentous time for the College of Engineering and the entire Villanova University community. Drosdick Hall will enhance the Villanova Engineering experience for generations.”
This most recent commitment by Drosdick continues his longstanding support of Villanova Engineering and will go toward the Engineering building capital project and to creating an endowment to support Drosdick Hall and the College of Engineering. Drosdick was an early supporter of the Engineering building expansion, including an investment in the Drosdick Innovation Lab, which will provide students with increased opportunities for hands-on, experiential and collaborative learning in a space that supports scalable real-world engineering projects. Previously, he also endowed the College of Engineering deanship through the Drosdick Endowed Dean’s Fund, which supports the ongoing strategic priorities of the College, as well as the John G. Drosdick Endowed University Scholarship, which supports Engineering students with demonstrated financial need.
“I have seen how a Villanova education can have a profound impact on the path a person chooses to take. It is for that reason that I wanted to give back,” said John G. Drosdick ’65. “I am extremely grateful to Villanova for the Engineering education it provided me and how it helped me to grow both personally and professionally. I want to make sure that tomorrow’s engineering students have the same transformative experience I had at Villanova. This new building will create these opportunities for our future engineers.”
Villanova began construction on the 150,000-square-foot addition to the primary academic building of the College of Engineering in 2022. More than doubling the size of the existing building, the expansion will provide a new home for the College of Engineering and elevate the College’s academic and student experience by offering improved and expanded research facilities that focus on interdisciplinary connections, as well as state-of-the-art instruction spaces for hands-on, problem-oriented and team-based learning.
“Drosdick Hall will serve as a crossroads for innovation for Villanova Engineering students, faculty and staff, and transform the educational experience for the mid-century and beyond,” said Michele Marcolongo, PhD, Drosdick Endowed Dean of the College of Engineering. “We are so thankful for the generous support of John Drosdick to the College of Engineering.”
When the building opens its doors to students in Fall 2024, Drosdick Hall will unite the Villanova Engineering community under one roof. Every aspect of the expansion has been designed to foster connections and facilitate collaborative discovery and cross-disciplinary advances. The new facility will increase the space available for innovative teaching and learning, and will also provide 20+ new engineering labs, furthering the College’s commitment to interdisciplinary research. For more on the Engineering expansion project, click here.
John G. Drosdick ’65 (College of Engineering), retired as the chief executive officer and president of Sunoco, Inc., in 2008. A former chair of the Villanova University Board of Trustees, Drosdick earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering at Villanova and a Master’s in Chemical Engineering from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He began his career with Exxon in 1968, where he held a wide variety of management positions. In 1987, he was named president of Tosco Corporation and, in 1992, president of Ultramar Corporation. Four years later, Drosdick became president and chief operating officer of Sunoco and was elected chairman and chief executive officer in May 2000.
About Villanova University College of Engineering: Founded in 1905, Villanova University College of Engineering is committed to an educational program that emphasizes technical excellence and a liberal arts education within the framework of the University’s Augustinian Catholic tradition. The result is rigorously educated, socially grounded, conscientious thinkers and doers who are professionally prepared to make meaningful change in the world.
About Villanova University: Since 1842, Villanova University’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six colleges—the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nation’s top universities, Villanova supports its students’ intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit www.villanova.edu.