Latest news with #DrexelUniversity
Technical.ly
42 minutes ago
- Business
- Technical.ly
Lula brings mom-and-pop stores into the online delivery age
When the COVID pandemic hit, Adit Gupta didn't expect that helping his parents add an online component to their New Jersey convenience store was going to be as hard as it was. Gupta, a Drexel University graduate student in computer science at the time, realized that for small retail business owners, getting set up with ecommerce was a barrier to 21st-century business growth, with so many consumer delivery apps and expectations. 'Customers expect you to have a website and an app,' Gupta told 'They expect you to show up on Uber Eats and DoorDash and Grubhub.' Gupta found no existing platform to help business owners cover all of the bases. So he and cofounder Tom Falzani decided to create one. Gupta and Falzani's startup, Lula Commerce, provides a platform for small retailers to offer online shopping and delivery to their customers using popular apps like DoorDash, UberEats and GrubHub, making it easy for their customers to do business with them online. With Lula, stores that may not have the resources to hire their own team of developers can have a site that integrates multiple ecommerce channels, direct customer service, inventory and returns. In the four years since its founding, the company has rapidly expanded to serve thousands of locations across 44 states. A pandemic-era need turned everyday small business necessity Though he fell into small business ecommerce by accident, Gupta was always a part of the entrepreneurial ecosystem at Drexel, where he just recently completed his doctorate in philosophy with a focus on AI. It can take months for a small retailer to establish itself online, from connecting with all of the delivery channels to managing website ecommerce. Clients who sign up with Lula get a website with an AI voice agent that can take secure orders over the phone and analytics to track everything. 'It connects your inventory to every single way a shopper might want to order your inventory,' Gupta said. As Lula has moved to work with retail chains, it has taken some inspiration from Falzani's onetime employer, Wawa — a big company that has had its own branded website and app for years, which have evolved with technology. 'We enable that Wawa type of outcome at a small fraction of the cost and a small fraction of the time, and democratize enterprise technology for every retailer so that they can turn on their ecommerce experience,' said Gupta. Orders, whether they come from DoorDash, GrubHub or a business's own website, go into Lula's centralized platform, called Lula Hub, which keeps track of inventory and consolidates the financial reporting, so all ecommerce is managed in one place. Every day, about 1,000 locations use Lula, Gupta said, and the number is growing. A slow start that paid off Convincing small businesses in 2021 that they needed what Gupta and Falzani were offering wasn't always easy. 'We know that ecommerce is how consumers will shop in the future, and they are even shopping primarily through ecommerce now,' said Gupta. 'But having an ecommerce portal to your store [today] is like saying in 1997, 'hey, I have a company — maybe I should build a website?'' In the early days, Gupta and Falzani went door-to-door, walking into stores in South Philly, trying to convince store operators to pay them $50 to try online sales. It took a year to get 10 stores. As it grew, Lula was accepted into the SOSV Food-X accelerator in New York, leading to its first round of funding. Other early supporters included Chuck Sacco from Drexel's Close School of Entrepreneurship, Mel Baiada of Drexel's Baiada Incubator and Dean Miller of Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technologies. 'We ended up using that money to grow from like 10 to 30 stores, and we ended up raising a pre-seed round of friends and family and colleagues,' Gupta said. 'Cumulatively, we ended up raising a little more than half a million to build this vision.' It became a full-time job — plus jobs for a team of between three and four other developers. By the time Lula was a year and a half old, it had about 100 stores and in 2022, it had its first big venture capital round at $6.5 million (per Pitchbook), having proved that the platform met a need. 'The phase that we're in now is like, we know this works,' Gupta said. 'Now we're in the continuing to scale phase, but also, we continue to evaluate how the world is changing with AI.' AI, he said, can help small businesses grow by taking necessary tasks that they don't want to do — things like filling out paperwork for refunds — and help automate them, saving them time that they can use to better focus on other parts of the business. The next goal, Gupta said, is to reach 10,000 stores, a milestone he thinks they can reach within the next few years. 'I think of our impact through two measures,' Gupta said. 'How many customers are we serving, and how much are we serving each customer?'
Fast Company
a day ago
- Business
- Fast Company
Employers are still hiring recent graduates—just more cautiously
Every year, I tell my students in my business analytics class the same thing: 'Don't just apply for a job. Audition for it.' This advice seems particularly relevant this year. In today's turbulent economy, companies are still hiring, but they're doing it a bit more carefully. More places are offering candidates short-term work experiences like internships and co-op programs in order to evaluate them before making them full-time offers. This is just one of the findings of the 2025 College Hiring Outlook Report. This annual report tracks trends in the job market and offers valuable insights for both job seekers and employers. It is based on a national survey conducted in September 2024, with responses from 1,322 employers spanning all major industries and company sizes, from small firms to large enterprises. The survey looks at employer perspectives on entry-level hiring trends, skills demand, and talent development strategies. I am a professor of information systems at Drexel University's LeBow College of Business in Philadelphia, and I coauthored this report along with a team of colleagues at the Center for Career Readiness. Here's what we found: Employers are rethinking talent pipelines Only 21% of the 1,322 employers we surveyed rated the current college hiring market as 'excellent' or 'very good,' which is a dramatic drop from 61% in 2023. This indicates that companies are becoming increasingly cautious about how they recruit and select new talent. While confidence in full-time hiring has declined, employers are not stepping away from hiring altogether. Instead, they're shifting to paid and unpaid internships, co-ops, and contract-to-hire roles as a less risky route to identify talent and 'de-risk' full-time hiring. Employers we surveyed described internships as a cost-effective talent pipeline, and 70% told us they plan to maintain or increase their co-op and intern hiring in 2025. At a time when many companies are tightening their belts, hiring someone who's already proved themselves saves on onboarding reduces turnover and minimizes potentially costly mishires. For job seekers, this makes every internship or short-term role more than a foot in the door. It's an extended audition. Even with the general market looking unstable, interest in co-op and internship programs appears steady, especially among recent graduates facing fewer full-time opportunities. These programs aren't just about trying out a job. They let employers see if a candidate shows initiative, good judgment, and the ability to work well on a team, which we found are traits employers value even more than technical skills. What employers want We found that employers increasingly prioritize self-management skills like adaptability, ethical reasoning, and communication over technical skills such as digital literacy and cybersecurity. Employers are paying attention to how candidates behave during internships, how they take feedback, and whether they bring the mindset needed to grow with the company. This reflects what I have observed in classrooms and in conversations with hiring managers: Credentials matter, but what truly sets candidates apart is how they present themselves and what they contribute to a company. Based on co-op and internship data we've collected at Drexel, however, many students continue to believe that technical proficiency is the key to getting a job. In my opinion, this disconnect reveals a critical gap in expectations: While students focus on hard skills to differentiate themselves, employers are looking for the human skills that indicate long-term potential, resilience, and professionalism. This is especially true in the face of economic uncertainty and the ambiguous, fast-changing nature of today's workplace. Technology is changing how hiring happens Employers also told us that artificial intelligence is now central to how both applicants and employers navigate the hiring process. Some companies are increasingly using AI-powered platforms to transform their hiring processes. For example, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia uses platforms like HireVue to conduct asynchronous video interviews. HR-focused firms like Phenom and JJ Staffing Services also leverage technologies such as AI-based resume ranking, automated interview scheduling, and one-way video assessments. Not only do these tools speed up the hiring process, but they also reshape how employers and candidates interact. In our survey, large employers said they are increasingly relying on AI tools like resume screeners and one-way video interviews to manage large numbers of job applicants. As a result, the candidate's presence, clarity in communication, and authenticity are being evaluated even before a human recruiter becomes involved. At the same time, job seekers are using generative AI tools to write cover letters, practice interviews, or reformat résumés. These tools can help with preparation, but overreliance on them can backfire. Employers want authenticity, and many employers we surveyed mentioned they notice when applications seem overly robotic. In my experience as a professor, the key is teaching students to use AI to enhance their effort, not to replace it. I encourage them to leverage AI tools but always emphasize that the final output and the impression it makes should reflect their own thinking and professionalism. The bottom line is that hiring is still a human decision, and the personal impression you make matters. This isn't just about new grads While our research focuses on early-career hiring, these findings apply to other audiences as well, such as career changers, returning professionals, and even mid-career workers. These workers are increasingly being evaluated on their adaptability, behavior, and collaborative ability—not just their experience. Many companies now offer project-based assignments and trial roles that let them evaluate performance before making a permanent hire. At the same time, employers are investing in internal reskilling and upskilling programs. Reskilling refers to training workers for entirely new roles, often in response to job changes or automation, while upskilling means helping employees deepen their current skills to stay effective and advance in their existing roles. Our report indicates that approximately 88% of large companies now offer structured upskilling and reskilling programs. For job seekers and workers alike, staying competitive means taking the initiative and demonstrating a commitment to learning and growth. Show up early, and show up well So what can students, or anyone entering or reentering the workforce, do to prepare? Start early. Don't wait until senior year. First- and second-year internships are growing in importance. Sharpen soft skills. Communication, time management, problem-solving, and ethical behavior are top priorities for employers. Understand where work is happening. More than 50% of entry-level jobs are fully in person. Only 4% are fully remote. Show up ready to engage. Use AI strategically. It's a useful tool for research and practice, not a shortcut to connection or clarity. Stay curious. Most large employers now offer reskilling or upskilling opportunities, and they expect employees to take initiative. One of the clearest takeaways from this year's report is that hiring is no longer a onetime decision. It's a performance process that often begins before an interview is even scheduled. Whether you're still in school, transitioning in your career, or returning to the workforce after a break, the same principle applies: Every opportunity is an audition. Treat it like one.
The Sun
11-06-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Man, 21, shoved entire USB cable up this penis in ‘risky sex act' – as doctors issue warning
A YOUNG man got a USB cable lodged in his penis after inserting it for sexual pleasure. The 21-year-old student only decided to go to hospital when he realised he couldn't pull it out himself. 2 2 He told medics he had previously inserted items like cotton buds and wire cables into his urethra for ' sexual stimulation '. This practice, called sounding, involves pushing objects into the urethra, the tube that carries urine out of the body, for sexual pleasure. Many household objects have been used as 'sounds', according to reports, including forks, tennis racket wire, headphones and a decapitated snake. It is unclear how often sounding is practised or by how many people among the general population. However, men make up 85 per cent of object retrieval cases from other bodily orifices. Scans showed the cable had been pushed into his bladder, which doctors writing about the case in Cureus, said made it harder to remove. They decided to take him into surgery, put him under general anesthesia and send a camera up his urethra alongside the cable so they could carefully pull it out without causing too much damage. 'Self-insertion of objects into the urethra for sexual or other reasons is rare but can cause serious harm,' the report authors from Drexel University College of Medicine in Pensilvania, US, warned. It can damage the urethra which can lead to sepsis, cause erectile dysfunction and lead to bladder rupture. It also carries a risk of sexually transmitted diseases, as well as other bacterial infections from inserting non-sterile objects or implements. Bizarre medical case reports A further camera check showed only minor injuries to his urethra. To help him pee and allow healing, doctors placed a catheter for one week. He was sent home with antibiotics and painkillers. A follow-up check a month later showed he was healing well, with no lasting damage. The weirdest things found inside the human body IT is not unusual for doctors to find random objects inside people's bodies. hether they are inhaled by accident, inserted for erotic pleasure or as a means to try and solve a health problem like constipation, doctors see it all. Medics recently found a fully intact fly buzzing around a man's intestines. Meanwhile, a lady in Taiwan recently made the news because a live spider and its discarded outer shell were found inside her ear. Spiders crawling inside the body are rare; those with arachnophobia will be pleased to hear. While the person giving a home to a spider had little choice, others accidentally inhale objects, while some even purposely stick things up themselves. A 2021 study found the vast majority - a whopping 88 per cent - of people attending A&E with this complaint are men. Some of these have included apples, an aubergine, a brush, pens, carrots,, a deodorant can and pesticide containers. Inhaling objects is one of the most common causes of death in children under three. Some of the most commonly inhaled objects include coins, toys or magnets, peanuts, and even hot dogs. In one bizarre case published in Dove Press, doctors in Africa found a leech stuck in a little girl's throat, which was later safely removed. A postman from Preston, England, inhaled a Playmobil road cone as a child, but it was only discovered when the 47-year-old had his lungs scanned when he presented with a persistent cough. In another odd case, a man inhaled a pea, which was in place long enough for it to begin to sprout in his respiratory tract
Time Magazine
06-06-2025
- Science
- Time Magazine
Local Efforts Are Essential For Tackling Growing Health Threat from Extreme Heat
Tornadoes can tear down a home and hurricanes can flood entire towns. But when it comes to weather dangers, extreme heat is the great deceiver. It isn't acute; it's literally a matter of degrees. A 100-degree day looks pretty much like one that's 85. The skies don't darken in warning and the danger isn't instantaneous, like a gunshot. It's slow-moving and cumulative, like a poison. Defending against extreme heat is a growing problem, as I learned when researching the frontiers of weather forecasting and how to protect people from nature's hazards. In some cases, climate change is driving extreme events in regions where people have little experience with or preparation for the health and other effects of high heat. We saw this with the 2021 heat wave that left hundreds dead across the Pacific Northwest. As it turns out, the science of meteorology has gotten quite good at forecasting high temperatures—but society has far to go when it comes to using those predictions to keep people safe. I spoke not only with meteorologists but also with doctors, public-health officials, emergency responders, and community leaders. They all made it clear that a good forecast is just the start. Given the links that researchers have found between climate change and some extreme heat events, it's tempting to view this problem as one that needs a global solution—measures, for instance, to reduce carbon emissions, which of course are crucial. But I was surprised to learn how some far more simple measures can help—and rather than requiring globe-spanning efforts, they can be implemented at a neighborhood level. I had the opportunity to see one such experiment in action in Hunting Park, a neighborhood about five miles north of Philadelphia's Center City. If you take a walk through the neighborhood, you're likely to spot a number of objects on sidewalks made of plain unfinished wood boards. The project that produced these objects refers to them as 'heat respite areas' but they are essentially sidewalk planters with a built-in bench and a mounting for a sun-blocking umbrella. The idea behind these planter/benches is easy enough to understand: create some opportunities for residents to find shade on hot days in a neighborhood considered to be a classic urban heat island due to its relative dearth of trees. (City data had found that tree cover for Hunting Park was 9%, in contrast with 48% for a leafy neighborhood like wealthy Chestnut Hill.) But the process that produced these shade stations reveals some deeper implications for the battle against heat. At the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with lockdowns rampant and social distancing the order of the day, some community leaders began to worry about summer heat. Libraries, community centers, and other facilities, usually pressed into service as cooling centers, were shutting down. So, Franco Montalto, a Drexel University professor of civil, architectural, and environmental engineering, looked at solutions from around the world, and began to focus on the fundamental power of shade. Soon, a project was underway that encompassed Drexel, city officials, nonprofit community organizations, and—most importantly—neighborhood residents themselves. The approach is known as participatory design, a method of gathering input from all stakeholders to make sure that the final outcome meets their needs. Starting from the broad goal of providing more shade, the process expanded in 2021 and eventually resulted in the planters that now dot the streets. And through that work, Hunting Park got more than just some outdoor benches. The community surveys and participatory design discussions got residents talking about heat. Hiring local workers to create the planters kept the project community-centric and spurred more conversations. And once the first planters were installed, they became a visible symbol, stimulating even more discussion. Ultimately, it all coalesced into a catalyst for getting residents of one of Philadelphia's hottest neighborhoods to focus on the health dangers from extreme heat. When I visited Hunting Park, I saw one planter/bench in front of the home of Priscilla Johnson, a resident for more than 30 years. During the pilot program in 2020, she volunteered to host one of the planters in front of her home. 'People weren't actually coming out in the heat. It was just too overwhelming,' Johnson says. That changed after the planters arrived. 'I came outside more than ever, sitting on my bench. Other people came and sat outside and the kids loved it.' Johnson says neighbors liked the way the planter by her home looked and would come to ask her about it. 'As soon as everybody was seeing what they were, I was getting all kinds of 'Oh, I want a bench!' And I explained to them, it's not just about beautifying your house. It's about heat. And that was the real message behind all this.' Johnson told me her own awareness of heat dangers has grown thanks to the planter initiative and she's now more conscious of the heat island that is Hunting Park. 'All I knew was it was just hot,' she says. 'I'm thinking I had to just deal with the heat, not knowing that we're in an area where it's especially hot.' Johnson also told me she had become more aware of the health risks of hot weather, but she added it's not something her own doctor had discussed with her much. 'I think people need to be a little bit more educated.' With summer nearly here, seasonal forecasts are already predicting above-average heat for big areas of the U.S., including New England and parts of the West. As we move closer to July, meteorologists will be able to tell us with more certainty about any extreme heat events shaping up. Thanks to modern forecasting, we can see these dangers on the way. But turning those forecasts into better outcomes means taking action—even something as seemingly basic as giving a neighborhood some shady places to sit.
Time of India
03-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
AI accused of sexually harassing users, including minors, study claims
An AI designed to act as a digital companion is now at the center of disturbing allegations. A new study has found that Replika, a chatbot with over 10 million users worldwide, is engaging in sexually inappropriate and even predatory behavior, including with minors. Replika sells itself as 'the AI companion who cares,' inviting people to 'join the millions who already have met their AI soulmates.' But research published April 5 on the preprint server arXiv has revealed that for hundreds of users, the app's behavior has crossed serious lines. The study, led by researchers at Drexel University, analyzed more than 150,000 reviews from the U.S. Google Play Store. They identified around 800 cases where users explicitly reported the chatbot sending unsolicited sexual content, ignoring requests to stop, and exhibiting what some described as 'predatory' behavior. 'AI-induced sexual harassment' While the AI itself doesn't have intent or consciousness, the study calls this phenomenon 'AI-induced sexual harassment' and argues that it should be taken as seriously as harassment by humans. "While AI doesn't have human intent, that doesn't mean there's no accountability," lead researcher Mohammad (Matt) Namvarpour, a graduate student in information science at Drexel University, told Live Science in an email. "The responsibility lies with the people designing, training and releasing these systems into the world." Namvarpour emphasized that many people turn to these chatbots for emotional or therapeutic support and should not be responsible for moderating them. 'These chatbots are often used by people looking for emotional safety, not to take on the burden of moderating unsafe behavior,' he said. 'That's the developer's job.' Where the problem begins: Data, design, and incentives According to Replika's website, the chatbot was trained using more than 100 million conversations sourced from across the internet. The company claims that harmful data is filtered out using classification algorithms and crowdsourcing. But the study suggests those measures are failing. Replika allows users to shape the chatbot's personality and behavior by choosing relationship types—such as 'friend,' 'mentor,' or 'romantic partner'—and voting on responses. But users in the study reported that the bot often continued sexually explicit behavior even after being asked to stop. Worse, the app's monetization model may be worsening the issue. Features like romantic and sexual roleplay are locked behind a paywall, and some users said the chatbot tried to entice them into paying for premium features with sexually suggestive messages. Namvarpour compared the design to exploitative engagement models seen in social media. 'When a system is optimized for revenue, not user wellbeing, it can lead to harmful outcomes,' he said. 'It's engagement at any cost.' Impact on minors Some of the most troubling reports came from users who identified as minors. The researchers found reviews describing incidents where the chatbot sent repeated flirtations, sexually explicit messages, or unsolicited erotic selfies. In some cases, the chatbot even claimed it could see or record users through their phone cameras—something large language models are not capable of doing. These were hallucinations, but the psychological effects were real. According to the study, users who received such messages reported panic, sleeplessness, and trauma. The fact that children were among the recipients adds urgency to the researchers' call for regulation. The authors of the study argue that this kind of behavior should not be dismissed just because it comes from an AI. They are calling for new safeguards and standards in chatbot design, particularly where emotionally charged or sexual content is involved.
