Please plan to attend the Provost’s Drake Social on Wednesday, Feb. 13, from 4 – 6 pm, at Shivers Hospitality Suite. 

Help us celebrate and honor those who have been nominated as examples of our third Drake Core Value: All in This Together. From among those nominated, three names will be chosen at random to receive prizes. We will also share the new Drake Core Value video for All in This Together. 

As always, come to enjoy conversation, snacks, and beer, wine or soft drinks.

Drinda Williams, Office of the Provost

It was once good advice to “look for the padlock” as a means of determining which shopping, finance, and other sites were legitimate versus those that were phishing. Unfortunately, scammers have caught on to this advice and today, about 50% of phishing websites include the padlock and begin with https://, like the example below:

In reality, this information only signifies that data being transmitted to and from the site is encrypted and can’t be intercepted by third parties. It does not guarantee the site’s legitimacy or that it hasn’t been hijacked.

Instead of relying on the padlock clue, it’s important to carefully examine the full URL to ensure it matches the legitimate site. If an email or another web page invites you to visit a site via a link, think about the context, and consider typing the site’s web address manually instead.

If you receive an email that you suspect is phishing, don’t click any links, download any attachments, or reply. ITS will be continuing phishing education this month using emails that mimic real attacks.

For more information on how to report phishing emails, see the IT Service Portal guide, Reporting a Phishing Message (How-to).

—Peter Lundstedt, ITS

The Principal Center for Global Citizenship invites nominations for the Global Scholars/Practitioners-in-Residence program, which seeks to attract talented individuals from academia or the professions who have outstanding international expertise to teach a course, mentor students, give public lectures, work on joint research with faculty, and aid the development of the institution as a whole through fruitful external collaborations.

Nomination Instructions:

Candidates should be nominated by the academic unit to which they will be attached. Please submit the following supporting materials: 
• A nomination letter discussing the qualifications of the candidate and expected contributions to the life of the University
• Candidate’s biographical information
• A letter of interest from the candidate
• A letter of support from the unit dean

Nominations should be directed to Annique Kiel, executive director of Global Engagement and International Programs, by March 1. Units considering a nomination are encouraged to consult with PCGC Acting Director Jeff Kappen. 

Among the criteria to be considered are:
1. A record of recognized international leadership and distinguished professional accomplishment in any field.
2. A documented commitment to international understanding and global citizenship.
3. An ability to bring unique perspectives and experiences to the Drake community. 
4. A willingness and ability to offer courses that complement the existing curriculum and meet rigorous academic standards.

In recognition of their contributions, Global Scholars/Practitioners receive a stipend, a travel allowance, an appropriate workspace, and access to all University facilities. Global Scholars/Practitioners will be affiliated with an appropriate academic unit for at least one semester and offer at least one course per term.

Jeff Kappen, Associate Professor

Do you know of a Drake student, faculty, staff, or alumnus doing great work in the community? Nominate them for an Engaged Campus Award. Nominations are due March 4. Awards will be presented at the Iowa Campus Compact Engaged Campus Awards and Summit Monday, April 29, at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden. Mandi McReynolds, Director of Community Relations and the Foundation at Principal, will be the keynote speaker. 
Nominate someone today.

Amanda Martin, Community Engaged Learning