All Drake faculty and staff are invited and encouraged to nominate a colleague for the 2026 Madelyn M. Levitt Distinguished Community Service and Employee Excellence Awards.

The Employee Excellence Award is presented to a staff member who demonstrates exceptional commitment to excellence in the performance of their duties. The Distinguished Community Service Award recognizes the outstanding contributions of Drake faculty and staff to the Drake community. The criteria to be eligible for each of these awards can be found here.

To nominate a colleague, submit a letter of nomination to Human Resources. Nomination letters may be sent through campus mail or electronically to drakehr@drake.edu.  The subject line should read “Madelyn M. Levitt Award Nomination”.  The letter should detail specific examples of how the nominee exemplifies each of the applicable criteria. Additional letters of support are not necessary, but welcome. Nominations are due to Human Resources by Monday, March 2.

For additional information, please contact Linda Feiden at linda.feiden@drake.edu.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Bulldogs United in Learning & Development (BUILD) provides faculty and staff learning opportunities throughout the academic year to enhance professional skills, improve wellbeing, and create conversation.  BUILD is a great platform for learning new ideas as well as an opportunity to collaborate with others from across campus.

The Spring 2026 schedule is available online and registration is open.  Please take a moment to check out the classes on the Drake HR BUILD Offerings webpage, including detailed descriptions.  There is an online registration link to a Qualtrics survey that makes signing up easy.

This semester’s class list includes everything from designing routines for success and finding ways to fit physical activity into a busy lifestyle, to a mental health first aid for higher education class, and a presentation on the services offered by our employee assistance program.  In addition to classes, take an architectural tour of Meredith Hall, go on a sustainability ‘walk and talk’, or join us for a full fledge tour of the Drake campus. And there’s more!

Most classes are only an hour in length, and many are facilitated by our own faculty and staff.  This is a great way to invest in yourself, support your colleagues, and take in the culture that Drake has to offer.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Many start the year out by getting their annual physical.  If that sounds like you and you are on Drake’s health plan, don’t forget to take a copy of the Premium Discount-Annual Physical Form to your appointment. This form can be found on the Drake HR Internal website.  Just look for Wellness Premium Discount under the DU Well – Wellness and Wellbeing tab.

Those on Drake’s health plan who complete a physical with an in-network provider between Dec. 1, 2025, and Nov. 30, 2026, and submit a completed form by Dec. 1, 2026, will qualify for the wellness health insurance premium discount in 2027, which is a savings of over $30 per month.  Don’t forget, this is an annual event, so make those appointments today.

—  Linda Feiden, Human Resources

If you like to be challenged but you don’t have time for a structured group program, these challenges may be for you.  Both the Bookworm Challenge and the 500 Strong Challenge are self-driven (do on your own).  There is no form to submit, and you can start either challenge any month that works best for you.

The idea behind this program is that some of you have resolutions, goals, or intentions for the new year.  If your goals include wanting to get more fit or spending more time reading, these challenges may help keep you on track. Just select a month to start and create or print off a blank calendar.  You can easily find them on Excel or online.

• 500 Strong Challenge. This challenge invites you to do 500 reps (repetitions) of any strength exercise (push-ups, pull-ups, squats, crunches, etc.) over the course of one month.  Start slow – maybe 5 reps a day for week one, 10 reps a day for week two and on up.  The rules are simple: 1) select just one exercise to challenge yourself, 2) make sure the exercise is difficult enough to challenge you over the course of the month but not too difficult to try, 3) complete 500 reps in a month.  Use your calendar (or any tracking form you create) to record your reps.
• Bookworm Challenge. This challenge invites you to read 500 minutes over the course of one month (audio books do NOT count).  Record the minutes you read each day on your own tracking form. The Bookworm Challenge is a good challenge to share with your children to get them in the habit of reading.  Share with other family members, friends, or colleagues, by all reading the same book.  If you need some book ideas – check out Cowles Library or the University Book Club! For more information on the University Book Club, send an email to chibnall@drake.edu, sara.heijerman@drake.edu, or erica.mcgowan@drake.edu.

Reward yourself if you successfully complete either challenge, and then come up with a new one-month challenge that fits with your goals or passions.

Give it a try and have fun!

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources