During a time of transition and uncertainty, I am most grateful to recognize two extraordinary leaders within the School of Education.
First, let me recognize the extraordinary leadership of Randy Peters. When first asked to serve as dean, bridging the gap of transition, Randy was reluctant. Not because he was afraid of the challenge, but because he thought of the qualifications of all of the other leaders with whom he serves. His humility and grace, his ability to think strategically along with thoughtful understanding of his colleagues and the School, and his unwavering servant leadership were absolutely what the School needed. Dean Randy Peters is a leader among leaders.
This week marks a new chapter in the life of the School of Education and Drake University. Welcome, Dean Ryan Wise, on your first official week of deanship. In this extraordinary time, you have already demonstrated extraordinary leadership through your commitment, deep understanding, and passion that give all of us optimism and confidence for the future of the School.
Thanks to generous donations from the Lees’ family, Nellis and Coolidge families, Polk County Supervisors, and Wells Fargo, work will begin this summer on a new plaza in front of Old Main. As you can see from the conceptual images below, the plaza will feature a bronze bulldog statue in the likeness of Griff.
Also, the area will feature new landscaping and hardscape that will welcome families to campus on the path toward The Office of Admission at Cole Hall.
The bulldog statue is positioned in a way to create a unique photo opportunity for visitors and the campus community with the bell tower of Old Main in the background. The new plaza work is anticipated to be completed in July 2020.
— Michelle Huggins, Facilities Planning and Management
The College of Business and Public Administration held their annual awards and recognition ceremony Friday, May 8. There were three faculty members recognized for promotion.
Andrew Bryant from the Department of Marketing—promotion from assistant professor to associate professor with tenure
Royce Fichtner from the School of Accountancy—promotion from associate professor to full professor
Ina Purvanova from the Department of Management and Organizational Leadership—promotion from associate professor to full professor
Retirement: Rick Long, finance professor, is retiring this year. Rick has been a standout both in and out of the classroom as a teacher, mentor, and friend. He has a gifted knack for relating to students and bringing content to life in ways that make complex concepts seem intuitive.
Outstanding Graduate Admissions Ambassadors: A number of faculty members were honored for their graduate recruiting efforts by participating in information lunches, scheduling coffee chats, and connecting with prospective students. These individuals include Kelley Ellis and Steve Gara for the Master of Accounting program; Heidi Mannetter, Alanah Mitchell, Matthew Mitchell, and Carl Vieregger for the MBA; and Anna Clark, Lance Noe, and Allen Zagoren for the MPA.
Teaching Awards Adam Drake, Management Professor is the recipient of the Excellence in Teaching Award for Adjunct or Part-Time Instructor. In nominating Adam, students spoke of his caring and compassionate nature, the ability to present information clearly, and a willingness to provide constructive feedback that would challenge students to become their best selves. He instills confidence in students and helps the overcome one of people’s most dreaded fears, speaking in public.
David B. Lawrence Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher of the Year: Marketing Professor Heidi Mannetter was presented with the David B. Lawrence Outstanding Undergraduate Teacher of the Year award. Our undergraduate students nominate faculty for this award and the student sentiment was clearly evident in comments such as: “Great class! Super motivated professor – definitely feel like the professor cared about us and our learning! The professor’s enthusiasm helped to always make class engaging.”
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award: This year’s Graduate Teaching award, chosen by our graduate students was presented to Carl Vieregger, Management Professor. One individual summed it up best: “This instructor was great. I can honestly say that I looked forward to this class almost every day I had it. Class was engaging and intellectually stimulating. I’m so glad I had this instructor.”
Harry Wolk Research Award: Economics Professor Heath Henderson received The Harry Wolk Research Award which recognizes a CBPA faculty member who has published exemplary research in top journals and made significant contributions to the bodies of knowledge in an academic business discipline. Heath was selected because of the quantity, breadth, and quality of his research.
Dianna Gray
Jenny Jones
Madeline Mongar-Brodie
Team Innovation Award: The Team Innovation Award was presented to the Office of Graduate Programs team of Dianna Gray, director, graduate admission and engagement; Jenny Jones, director, graduate student programs; and Madeline Mongar-Brodie, administrative assistant. This team is collectively recognized for its deep knowledge of programs and systems to support the student experience. The members of this team support each other; they lift each other up, and through their generosity of spirit, they inspire each other to do their best.
Anna Clark
Kelley Ellis
Unsung Hero Award: Anna Clark, public administration professor, was a recipient of the Unsung Hero Award. She has identified creative collaborations and works tirelessly to integrate experiential learning into courses to provide outstanding learning opportunities while increasing Drake’s connectivity with our community. Her close attention to student needs and their ability to think in a broad perspective has been a true asset to all with whom she works.
Kelley Ellis, director and chair of the Accounting Department, was also a recipient of the Unsung Hero Award. She addresses each challenge as an opportunity with a can-do spirit, an attitude of resolve, and the ability to figure it out. Through it all, she maintains a ready smile for others, a positive perspective, and a willingness to collaborate and find solutions.
Extra Blue Mile Service Award: The Extra Blue Mile Service Award was presented to Success Coach Sophie Tibbals of the Undergraduate Office. Sophie is truly exceptional and has stepped up when asked and stepped in when there were holes needing filling. Her dedication and loyalty to the CBPA is unmatched. Sophie has a positive attitude and serves as a warm, friendly representative for the College.
Blue Star Award for Teamwork: Lendie Follett, business analytics professor, is the recipient of the Blue Star Award for Teamwork. Despite a very full plate and juggling multiple balls, she is quick to say yes when asked for help with research, especially when it comes to statistical modelling, leading to successful collaborations and co-authored publications with her colleagues.
Outreach Award: Matthew Mitchell, international business professor, is this year’s Outreach Award recipient. In a community like Des Moines, it is important to create connections and be visible. This person connects with the community in person, through social media, and via the media. He made a promise to willingly respond when asked to be an “expert” voice – being connected with the media, engaging in panels, and answering questions.
Blue Star Award for Leadership: The Blue Star Award for Leadership recognizes Professor Alanah Mitchell whose leadership has been instrumental in moving an initiative forward. She is an innovator in the classroom and has been the catalyst behind several important initiatives. She was the primary architect in creating the online Master of Data Analytics Leadership degree and led the recent effort to rename the degree to the Master of Science in Business Analytics. She is a part of the Faculty Senate’s Information Technology Committee, Program Co-Chair for Data Analytics, and Chair of the Department of Information Management and Business Analytics.
Brooks Excellence Award: The Brooks Excellence Award goes to Academic Support Manager Karen Pomeroy who has gone above and beyond the call of duty and has made key contributions to advance the College’s mission. Always ready to serve, Karen often plays a parental role for our students. Karen has been a rock of stability in the Office of Undergraduate Programs, played key roles in transforming the office and assuming additional duties during times of transition and maternity leaves.
Legacy Award: John Rozycki, finance professor, is the recipient of the Legacy Award. John is passionate about his work and about Drake. Over his illustrious career, John has served Drake and the College in many ways, including as a faculty senator, a member of the Faculty Senate Budget Committee, and as associate dean of the College. Within the College, besides being known as an outstanding teacher, fabulous colleague, and friend, John is probably most known for being a man of integrity, for reminding us why we are here at Drake (to serve our students), We salute John and say congratulations on a job well done. Good luck to John in your new adventures.
Drake University will hold a virtual commencement ceremony to celebrate the accomplishments of 1,071 students who are eligible to receive their undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees.
The virtual commencement website can be viewed any time beginning Saturday, May 16. Content on the website will include the conferring of degrees; remarks from University administrators and deans, including Chair of the Drake University Board of Trustees Peggy Fisher, FA’70, and Drake University President Marty Martin; a message from alumnus Steve Berry, LA ’83, LW ’86; student submitted images; and video content specific to each academic discipline.
The virtual commencement will be accessible online through December. This semester’s graduating students are also invited to walk in the December 2020 commencement exercises.
To commemorate the celebration, all graduates will receive a blue tassel in the mail along with their diploma. Traditionally, graduates’ caps are adorned with a tassel in a color that denotes their academic discipline. The blue tassel is designed to be a symbol of unity and hope, capturing the Class of 2020’s “we are all in this together” spirit.
More information on the virtual commencement experience is available at https://www.drake.edu/commencement/. Faculty, staff, and classmates are encouraged to post congratulatory messages to graduates on social media using the hashtag #DearDrake2020.
Summer is a great time to continue your education, pick up additional credits, or work to improve your grade point average. Whether you’re located in Des Moines or thousands of miles away, online courses are available to you—no matter your location. Use Drake’s online scheduling feature to see the current listing of summer online courses.
Summer at Drake begins May 18 and ends August 25 for most classes, with online courses offered during two sessions. For Drake Law School, the summer session runs June 1 through July 31. All summer courses will be taught by Drake faculty who will provide an exceptional Drake learning experience.
As a reminder, Drake University is requiring temperature self-monitoring for faculty, staff, and students who come to campus. Additionally, those who come to campus, including visitors, are required to wear a mask inside University buildings, and also expected to do so on University grounds when they are within six (6) feet of others.
The University provides essential employees in Facilities, Mail, Public Safety, and Student Life with masks; other Drake employees have the option to choose from a University-provided mask (as supplies last) or one they already own. In addition, residential students still residing in Drake residence halls are required to wear masks while in common areas on campus. The University has provided one reusable cloth face mask to each residential student.
The University will not provide non-residential students or visitors with face masks. These individuals are encouraged to acquire a face mask from another source. These masks can be purchased from various vendors, or be homemade following the CDC or Iowa Department of Public Health guidelines. A YouTube video of the Surgeon General making a version of the mask that does not require sewing can be found here.
This process is not because of any case or concern specific to the University, but rather is in accordance with directive from the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and Polk County Health Department (PCHD). Thank you for adhering to these requirements in an effort to help minimize the spread of COVID-19 and protect the health and safety of the Drake community.
There’s no doubt that your time spent at Drake University has been full of hard work, achievements, meaningful experiences, and lasting memories. Although we won’t be able to recognize you in person this May, we want to still commemorate you properly, and we’ve created a virtual experience to do just that.
The new Virtual Commencement website will serve as the hub for the virtual celebration on May 16, so bookmark the page and save the date!
Feel free to send the link to your friends and family so they can celebrate with you on this special day. Can’t celebrate on May 16? No problem, the commencement site can still be viewed by Bulldogs and their families through December.
In a time when we could all use a dose of inspiration, Above and Beyond Cancer, a new book from the Drake Community Press, is just what the doctor ordered. The 171-page book is a collection of more than 100 voices accentuated by stunning photographs that illuminate the difficult journey of a cancer diagnosis and the opportunity it provides for profound personal transformation. The production of Above and Beyond Cancer was a two-year journey for more than 100 collaborators including several Drake classes, numerous student interns, faculty, staff, administrators, community partners, and campus partners from nearly every department on Drake’s campus. Together, with members of the central Iowa community, these collaborators came together as the Drake Community Press, an academic-community partnership.
The first launch event is Saturday, May 9, via Zoom. A special launch for the Drake community will occur on May 15 at 2 p.m. More information will be provided in the next OnCampus.
— Carlyn Crowe, School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Dr. Richard D. Bergen, the Kansas artist who designed the bronze bulldog that stands guard at the entrance of Drake Stadium, died Wednesday, April 22, at the age of 95.
According to his obituary, Bergen and son Rich partnered for over 35 years in the Bergen’s Sculpture Studio where together they crafted more than 40 monumental bronze sculptures and other works of public art found in cities across the Midwest.
The 750-pound bronze bulldog, which stands 3 feet high and stretches 5 feet long, is courtesy of a gifts by Andy and Elaine Hanna Wright, a pair 1969 Drake graduates, as well as support from gifts from the Class of 1997. The Wrights’ son, James Wright and his wife, Bethany (Hornblad) Wright, both graduated from Drake in 1997. Andy Wright, of Barrington Hills, Ill., is a member of the Drake Board of Trustees.
The bronze bulldog has become a symbol of pride on Drake’s campus and a worthy selfie-spot during Drake Relays and athletic events.
