The Academy of Natural Sciences was founded in 1812 "for the encouragement and cultivation of the sciences, and the advancement of useful learning." Drexel University was founded in 1891 to offer students of all races, religions, genders, and social classes an education that would "not only be good, but good for something."

In 2011, they formed an affiliation, The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, that draws on the strengths of both institutions.

This affiliation enhances the exhibits and programming that the Academy is able to offer the public through Drexel's faculty and extensive resources, while providing the Drexel community with unprecedented access to the Academy's vast collections and researchers.

It is also the occasion for the establishment of a groundbreaking academic department — Biodiversity, Earth, and Environmental Sciences (BEES), which draws on the traditional strengths of both Drexel and the Academy in the fields of environmental science, earth sciences, ecology and conservation, and biodiversity and evolution.