PHILADELPHIA — After taking a sudden medical leave of absence, President Constantine N. Papadakis died last night from pulmonary complications of lung cancer.

This is an enormous loss for Drexel University. For Drexel students, he was like a patriarch. For the faculty, a visionary whose leadership paved the way for Drexel to make some of the greatest strides. Some of these accomplishments includes the opening of a medical school and law school and also a boost in national rankings to #89 among all universities in the United States.

Dr. Papadakis was born in Athens to a Greek physician. After graduating from the National Technical University of Athens with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, Papadakis went on to get his master and doctorate from the University of Cincinnati and University of Michigan, respectively. Papadakis went on to work for the Bechtel Corporation and headed up engineering departments in other colleges before he was appointed President of Drexel University in 1995. From there, he doubled undergraduate enrollment and raised university endowment from $90 million to over $600 million.

“Papadakis was Drexel’s change agent. What can I say? We lost our leader. Whoever is stepping up to the plate has some enormous shoes to fill,” said Greg Wood, a Drexel sophomore majoring in electrical engineering.

Another Drexel student remarked, “Some people criticized Papadakis for running Drexel like a business, but I think that’s the kind of leadership that Drexel.”

Dr. Papadakis is survived by his wife, Eliana and his daughter, Maria, who is a Drexel University graduate.

A church service will be held April 14 at noon in St. Luke Greek Orthodox Church in Broomall, PA.