All posts by Aaron Jaco

News & Achievements Archive

SJMC news: Week of Dec. 7

Drake grad places third in national writing contest
Kayli Kunkel, JO’15, received third place in the 56th annual William Randolph Hearst Foundation’s Journalism Awards Program. A record 159 feature writing entries were received in the competition from 83 schools across the nation. Kayli’s competition in the contest included entries from Penn State, University of Missouri, and Arizona State University. Drake was the only private school among the top 20 finishers.

Kayli’s article was an essay about her father’s death and handling grief in college that was published in Paste Magazine. The article previously won a first-place award at the AEJMC national contest this summer. She is currently a graphic designer at Lexicon Content Marketing in Des Moines.


Advertising senior advances in national media fellowship contest
Advertising senior Megan Leverenz has advanced to the semi-final round of the competitive IRTS Summer Media Fellowship program.

Thirty students will eventually be selected from the national applicant pool to intern in New York City for nine weeks this summer. Winners receive a salary, round-trip airfare, free housing, and a living stipend. The original application included seven pages of essay questions and challenges.

—Submitted by Kathleen Richardson, Dean, SJMC

News & Achievements Archive

University Communications welcomes Justice Simpson

Join us in welcoming our newest member of the University Communications team, Justice Simpson! Justice comes to us from the Kansas City area where she has been engaged in video production and presentation work in the private sector. She will be our digital content specialist, managing video and photography production, overseeing the Drake Student Photo Bureau, and working with our website and email marketing communications systems. We are all excited to expand our video production capabilities and bring that expertise to enhancing the image and reputation of Drake.

—Submitted by Jeremy Sievers, Director, Web Communications

News & Achievements Archive

Let it Snow Holiday Lunch

Students, staff, and faculty are invited to the Let it Snow Holiday Lunch on Tuesday, Dec. 8, 11 a.m.–1 p.m., at Hubbell Dining. Cost is $7.40 (regular meal cost).

The menu includes:

  • New England clam chowder
  • Mac & cheese bar
  • Cranberry harvest chicken breast
  • Apple raisin stuffing, peas, and carrots
  • Meatball sandwich and onion tanglers
  • Snowshoe cheese, snowshoe pepperoni, and white snowshoe pizza
  • Gingerbread cookies, holiday eggnog cake, and lemon coconut snowball cupcakes

Sodexo will also put on its monthly Faculty/Staff $5 Lunch next Thursday, Dec. 10, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Hubbell Dining.

—Submitted by Jennifer Bowersox, Unit Marketing Coordinator, Drake University Dining

Featured Events Archive

Drake Faculty/Staff Days

All Drake faculty and staff are eligible to receive up to four complimentary tickets to the men’s basketball home game against DePaul this Wednesday, Dec. 9, at 7 p.m. Tickets may be picked up at the Drake Athletics Ticket Office Monday-Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. or at the ticket window on game day. Must show valid Drake Card (ID) at time of pick up.

Drake Faculty/Staff Days will be also be held later in the season:

Men’s Basketball
Drake vs. Bradley
Jan. 30 at 2 p.m.
Knapp Center

Women’s Basketball
Drake vs. Wichita State
Feb. 5 at 7 p.m.
Knapp Center

More information is available at www.DrakeTix.com/promotions

Questions? Call 515-271-3647 or email tickets@drake.edu.

Featured Events Archive

Music performances this week

The duo Van and Sean (as in Sean Buhr, guest voice professor and Drake alumnus), will perform Friday, Dec. 11, at 7:30 p.m. in Sheslow Auditorium. The performance comes after the duo’s extensive tour promoting their new album, Simply Love, at such venues as the iconic RAINBOW ROOM at the top of Rockefeller Center in New York City; The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.; and many other incredible venues throughout the United States and Canada.

Other free, open to the public fine arts events this week:

Saxophone Ensemble Concert
Tuesday, Dec. 8, 7:30 p.m.
Sheslow Auditorium

Drake Orchestra Concert
Wednesday, Dec. 9, 7:30 p.m.
Sheslow Auditorium

For Students Archive

Student travel scholarship available

Iowa Sister States is excited to announce the Jeff Zimpleman Iowa Sister States Scholarship. The scholarship, exclusive to Iowa students, is offered to further student interest in the world of international relations via one of Iowa’s nine Sister State relationships. The Sister States are:

  • Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan (established in 1960)
  • Yucatán, Mexico (1965)
  • Hebei Province, China (1983)
  • Terengganu, Malaysia (1987)
  • Stavropol Krai, Russia (1988)
  • Taiwan (1989)
  • Cherkasy Oblast, Ukraine (1996)
  • Veneto Region, Italy (1997)
  • Kosovo (2013)

The scholarship is available for Iowa students enrolled in colleges and universities in the state of Iowa who are seeking a degree in international business or agriculture, international relations, language, or culture (including music, art, and film). Students participating in travel seminars, internships, conferences, or symposia reflecting these majors are also eligible to apply.

Iowa Sister States is proud to partner with the family of Jeff Zimpleman in the creation of this scholarship. Jeff’s love of exploring new places and his understanding of the importance of nurturing international relationships resonates with the very essence of Iowa Sister States’ organizational vision to “be a leader in integrating Iowans with the world community.” Iowan Jeff Zimpleman, a citizen diplomat, did just that. With this scholarship we offer you the same opportunity.

Complete details of the scholarship and the application are located on the Iowa Sister States website. The application deadline is Feb. 1, 2016. Scholarship money will be disbursed in time for use during the 2016–2017 academic year.

—Submitted by Drake International

For Students Archive

Harkin Institute DC Experience Scholarship

Are you interning in Washington D.C. this summer? Would you like to have your travel and housing accommodations covered? The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement provides housing and transportation to a Drake undergraduate student with financial need who has secured a summer internship in a congressional office, government agency, or nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C.

This scholarship is designed to expose students to policymakers and the policymaking process, much as Sen. Tom Harkin experienced as an intern for Rep. Neal Smith in the summer of 1969, an experience that inspired Sen. Harkin to pursue a career in public service. For more information or to obtain an application form, please contact Amy Beller at amy.beller@drake.edu or 515-271-2875. Deadline to apply is April 1, 2016.

—Submitted by Amy Beller, Project Manager

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

From the Associate Provost

J-Term 2017 on-campus schedule
It will soon be time to construct the J-Term 2017 on-campus schedule. Each school/college assembles the schedule of their classes, and they will have deadlines sometime very early in the spring semester. If you have questions about J-Term classes (such as how to develop an intensive three-week learning experience, which faculty or staff have successfully organized on-campus J-Term classes and are willing to discuss with others, or what compensation rules are), feel free to contact Associate Provost Art Sanders (arthur.sanders@drake.edu).

Interested in teaching an FYS next fall?
It is time to start considering teaching a First Year Seminar in Fall 2016. If you are interested, visit the FYS Resource page, where you will find sample syllabi and other information about the program. And at the bottom of the page you will find the FYS Course Proposal form. (Please note: If you are a full-time faculty member and you are planning on building FYS into your schedule, you still need to fill out this form.) If you have questions, or want additional information about the FYS program, contact arthur.sanders@drake.edu .

—Submitted by Art Sanders