All posts by Ashton Hockman

Gamma Iota Sigma fraternity brings home awards

The Chi Chapter of Gamma Iota Sigma (GIS) at Drake received the following outstanding and notable awards at the 46th Annual GIS International Conference in Dallas on Sept. 28–30. Gamma Iota Sigma is an international risk management, insurance, and actuarial science collegiate fraternity.

 

The Edison L. Bowers Award
The highest honor a chapter can receive. The award recognizes the GIS chapter that demonstrated an exceptional, well-rounded, and organized program throughout the past academic year.

Superior Chapter Award
Recognizes chapters that have excelled in all areas of chapter management.

Black and Gold Award
Presented to any chapter for single achievements or events considered exceptional and possible only through extensive planning, organization, and participation by a significant number of the chapter’s members. This award was received for the Paint Your Future service event and Mock Career Fair event.

Individual member awards:

Kate McCoy – Alan C. Williams Award
Recognizes the individual member of GIS that sets the best example for all other members and is the best “ambassador” to the insurance, risk management, and/or actuarial science industries at the international level as well as at the local and regional levels. This is the highest honor that can be bestowed on any member of GIS, and it is only presented when there is a worthy recipient.

Trevor Carlson – Thomas J. Miles Actuarial Award
Recognizes an individual member of GIS that best represents the qualities of scholarship, leadership, character, and service exemplified by Dr. Miles.

—Dianna Gray, College of Business and Public Administration

Drake students selected for World Food Prize Foundation internships

The World Food Prize Foundation announced in September that Lauren Blum, a third-year pharmacy student from Groveland, Ill.; Madeline Cheek, a senior writing and anthropology major from Barrington, Ill; Caroline Hogan, a junior public relations major from Edina, Minn.; Sarah Schroeder, a senior strategic political communications major from Waukee, Iowa; and Gustav Swanson, a junior international business and marketing major from Chicago, Ill.; are among the 15 students to be selected as The World Food Prize’s George Washington Carver Interns for the fall 2017.

The students will work alongside an individual staff mentor at the Foundation to plan and execute many of the Foundation’s events and programs. They will help to plan the Borlaug Dialogue International Symposium, guide the Global Youth Institute, stage the Iowa Hunger Summit, and welcome Laureates, government officials, business leaders, and research scientists from more than 40 countries.

Read the news release for more information.

Bulldog Club Basketball Tip-Off Breakfast: Oct. 26

Join fellow Bulldogs at the Marriott in downtown Des Moines Oct. 26 at 7 a.m. for breakfast and a preview of this year’s Drake basketball seasons. Hear the latest from head coaches Niko Medved and Jennie Baranczyk while enjoying a delicious spread. To attend, RSVP at DrakeTix.com/tipoff by Oct. 20. The event cost $15 to attend.

For questions, contact Austin Strawhacker at 515-271-2228, austin.strawhacker@drake.edu.

—Tom Florian, Drake Athletics

Lecture: Advanced Data Analytics, the Fraudsters Worst Enemy

On Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. in Sheslow Auditorium, Victor Padilla from RSM will lead a discussion on the use of data analytic tools, public information, and visualization techniques to detect and uncover fraudulent activity. The lecture is sponsored by the Drake School of Accounting and Financial Executives International. It is open to the public and free to attend.

Stephen Gara, College of Business and Public Administration

A day in the life of a person with a disability

Drake’s Disability Action Awareness Community will hold its annual Day in the Life event Oct. 22 at 8 p.m. in Parents Hall South. Participants will be broken into small groups and given a profile on someone with a disability. Then, they will have to problem solve through the many adversities they face on a daily basis. The event is designed to shed light on what it is like to live with a disability. Food will be provided.

Courtney Nelson

CHINA Town Hall

The eleventh annual CHINA Town Hall will take place Oct. 24 and will feature Ambassador Susan E. Rice, former national security advisor and U.S. ambassador to the UN, as the webcast speaker.

CHINA Town Hall is a national conversation about the country’s economic, political, and security relations with China. More than 80 venues around the country, including Drake, participate in the event. The webcast will be shown from 6 to 8 p.m. in Sussman Theater, and will be preceded by a live, on-site discussion with Ira Kasoff titled, “Are We on the Verge of the Chinese Century.” The event is free and open to the public.

China’s emergence as a global power, role as an important trading partner, and potential collaborator in key U.S. global policies ensures that U.S.-China relations will affect the lives of every American. This discussion will help participants to understand the challenges and opportunities of what has been characterized as the most important bilateral relationship of the 21st century.

Ira Kasoff is an author and senior counselor with APCO Worldwide. He is a former deputy assistant secretary for Asia with the U.S. Department of Commerce, principal commercial officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai, commercial counselor at the American Embassy in Tokyo, and senior commercial officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong. Earlier in his career, Kasoff worked for the Boston Consulting Group, the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, and as the Beijing representative for the Fuqua World Trade Corporation.

Ambassador Susan E. Rice was national security advisor (2013–2017) for the Obama administration and U.S. permanent representative to the UN (2009–2013), as well as U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs and senior director for African affairs at the National Security Council. Her critical role as a presidential advisor developing and executing U.S. foreign policy make her perspective on the relationship especially relevant during this uncertain time in the bilateral relationship.

Jeffrey Kappen, College of Business & Public Administration

Fall Sussman Lecture to feature South Carolina Mayor

Join The Harkin Institute as it welcomes Columbia, S.C., Mayor Stephen Benjamin to Drake on Monday, Oct. 30. Mayor Benjamin will discuss some of the top issues facing American cities and their elected leaders at 7 p.m. in Sussman Theater, Olmsted Center.

The city of Columbia has confronted many social issues faced by local governments across the country, including ongoing conversations about race, equality and the role of monuments in our society; sanctuary cities and creating welcoming environments; and how cities have become more proactive in the face of state and federal government inaction.

Benjamin was first elected mayor of Columbia in 2010 and currently is seeking his third term in office. He serves as vice president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and will assume leadership of the organization in 2018. Benjamin has been praised as a thoughtful, innovative leader on issues facing Columbia and American cities in general.

As the capital city of South Carolina, Columbia has been at the center of ongoing discussions about how and where to display confederate symbols, and in 2015, removed the Confederate battle flag from the South Carolina Capitol grounds.

Earlier this year, Benjamin joined mayors across the country seeking clarification on how local authorities should enforce immigration policies and potential consequences for communities that identify themselves as “sanctuary cities.”

This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required.

Emily Schettler, The Harkin Institute

Participation requested: Survey of Administrative Services

An important aspect of our Continuous Improvement Plan is annually assessing our performance in delivering services to campus. To that end, I encourage you to complete the fall 2017 Survey of Administrative Services. It should take approximately ten minutes to fill out.

The survey focuses on six areas: Human Resources, Facilities Planning and Management, Information Technology Services, Finance, Public Safety, and University Communications. The survey was developed by the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment in collaboration with several other of our colleagues. Continuous improvement efforts are meant to drive intentional and strategic action. Your feedback will help these departments understand where service gaps may exist and how they can better meet the needs of our University.

Thank you in advance for your participation. I look forward to sharing the results with the campus community.

—Marty Martin, President