Faculty honor
Matt Bruinekool has been elected by the National Council on Rehabilitation Education (NCRE) members to serve a four-year term, starting in the first year as 2nd vice president and transitioning through vice president, president, and past-president over the course of the following three years. His term officially begins at the conclusion of the NCRE Fall 2016 Conference in Washington, D.C.

Alumni honors
Alumna Mary Brooks has brought to life a program called “TaleTrail,” sponsored by the West Des Moines Public Library, where people can read a children’s book, page by page, while walking in Ashawa Park. The unveiling ceremony is Tuesday, August 23 at 5 p.m. and all are invited to attend. Mary earned three degrees from Drake: a BFA in1974 (speech communications), an MSE in 1979 (secondary school administration), and another MSE in 1985 (curriculum and instruction).

On July 16, Drake alumna Arlene DeVries, GR’85, was honored with a Champion Award at the Supporting Emotional Needs of Gifted Students conference.

Wanda Everage Academic Success Symposium
Fifty Des Moines-area teenagers will participate in a week-long symposium to discuss the unique challenges that students of color face when preparing for college. They’ll hear from experts uniquely qualified to speak on the topic—including their classmates.
The Wanda Everage Academic Success Symposium, sponsored by Nationwide Insurance Company and the School of Education, includes daily activities on Drake’s campus from Sunday, Aug. 7, to Friday, Aug. 12. Read more about the Symposium in the Drake Newsroom.