The future is in our hands, so get engaged with the environment this Earth Week! Join us each day this week for an event, including a movie at Sussman Theater today (April 18), and don’t miss Earth Jam, live music in the Olmsted Pit, on Friday, April 21.

Check out the photo below for a list of challenges.

Tuesday, April 18: Movie night from 6 to 8 p.m. at Sussman Theater. Join us for The Lorax and snacks.

Wednesday, April 19: Zoo! Learn about zoo conservation and meet animals from the Blank Park Zoo on Wednesday from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Science Connector Building, Room 201.

Thursday, April 20: Hear climate activist Jeff Biggers speak about climate change and environmental issues on Drake’s campus from 6 to 8 p.m. at Pom Stage. Snacks included.

Friday, April 21: Help plant limber pine trees with Drake Grounds from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the GK Courtyard and get an exclusive sticker.

Friday, April 21: Earth Jam! Enjoy live music from Andre Davis, Charlotte Blu, and Annalibera plus crafts, plants, snacks, Veggie Thumper, prizes, and more from 5 to 9 p.m. in the Olmsted Pit.

Learn here about our speaker, Jeff Biggers:

“Founder of the Climate Narrative Project, an arts and advocacy project, Biggers has given lectures, readings and performances at over 100 universities and schools across the country, from the University of California in Berkeley, the University of Mississippi, Yale University to the University of Rome (La Sapienza). Biggers has served as the Climate Narrative Playwright-in-Residence at Indiana University Northwest, the Sustainability Writer-in-Residence at the University of Iowa, the Campbell-Stripling Distinguished Writer-in-Residence at Wesleyan College in Georgia, and delivered the keynote address at numerous literary, urban planning and environmental conferences.”

— Andrew Kennard, JO, AS

The Drake Relays brings thousands of athletes, alumni, and guests to campus. As a reminder, parking and travel on and around campus will be impacted Saturday, April 22, through Saturday, April 29.

It is highly recommended that if you are coming to campus from off grounds, that you use public transportation, if possible.  If you do plan on driving, give yourself plenty of time to find parking.  Please remember that cars that are parked on the grass, illegally in handicap spaces, or blocking operations will be towed without notice.

All valid residential and commuter permits will be honored on Thursday and until 5 p.m. on Friday.  Only residential permits are valid in residential lots and commuter permits in commuter lots, unless posted otherwise.  Please note that the Olmsted and Ray Promenade lot still require the correct permit color to park in those lots before 4:30 pm.

Saturday, April 22 – Sunday, April 30 – Lot 17 (Facilities Lot) will be closed/no parking allowed

Wednesday, April 26 at 12 p.m. – Saturday, April 29 at 8 p.m. – Forest Avenue will be fully closed from 27^th Street to 29^th Street and will allow for only limited access from 24^th to 27^th Streets and from 29^th to 31^st Streets. No street parking is allowed along Forest Avenue.

Wednesday, April 26 – Saturday, April 29 – 27^th Street will be intermittently closed between Forest Avenue and Clarke Street.

Wednesday, April 26 – Saturday, April 29 – Lot 18 S (Studio Arts) will be closed/no parking allowed

Wednesday, April 26 – Monday, May 1 – Half of Lot 13 (Ray Promenade Lot) will be closed

— Scott Law, Public Safety & Operational Services

The 2023 Harkin on Wellness (HOW) Symposium will take place on Thursday, April 13, at the Olmsted Center.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare systems were overrun with patients and supply chain issues disrupted our access to healthy foods. Community leaders and organizations responded by creating new approaches to address the relationship between food and health. These new approaches include the growth of food systems coalitions and councils working to shape, advise, and implement food policy. These groups also worked to increase opportunities and reduce barriers to healthy outcomes at the regional level.

This year’s Symposium will showcase the work being done at state and local levels to improve people’s lives by reimagining the food system from farm to table and everywhere in between.

We are pleased to welcome Deputy Under Secretary for the USDA’s Food, Nutrition, and Consumer Services, Stacy Dean and Dr. Walter Willett, M.D., Dr. P.H., Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and co-chair of the EAT-Lancet Commission as the keynote speakers for HOW 2023. Additional speakers will include experts on the environmental impacts of food production and on local approaches to improving health and wellness.

American Sign Language (ASL) and live captions in English will be available for all general session content for all attendees. ASL are available for breakout sessions upon request. (To request accommodations or ask accommodation questions email harkininstitute@drake.edu.)

Date: Thursday, April 13, 2023
Time: 9:00 a.m. – 4:45 p.m.
In Person Location: Olmsted Center at Drake University (2875 University Ave., Des Moines, IA 50311)
Virtual Location: Livestream (access details and link will be sent to registered virtual attendees closer to the date of the event)
Registration: This event is free but registration is required.

More information: harkininstitute.drake.edu/2023/02/23/how-2023/

— Kathryn Kuckelman, Harkin Institute

Lifetime income strategies refer to the decisions we make about how to manage accumulated retirement assets in the defined-contribution system, where options such as annuities are not a default. Retirees must manage several risks when making these decisions, such as investment risk, longevity risk (the risk that they will outlive their assets), and even the need for long-term care. Good financial planning advice, which may not be available for everyone, is essential when making these decisions. This virtual webinar will discuss how to create a balanced lifetime income strategy, as well as currently available strategies and proposals such as longevity pooling.

What: Retiree Income Strategies: Current Options and Innovative Approaches Webinar

When: Thursday, April 20, at 1 p.m. CT

Where: Virtual

Registration: This event is free but registration is required. You can register through Eventbrite.

— Kathryn Kuckelman, Harkin Institute

Higher education is particularly vulnerable to a range of potentially damaging cyberattacks. From large catalogs of sensitive student information to research data, institutions of higher education have plenty of tempting targets for cybercriminals. Consequently, cyberattacks on colleges and universities have been on the rise. According to the 2022 Verizon Data Breach Investigations (DBIR) report, education and research institutions were targeted by an average of 1,065 cyberattacks per week last year—a 75% increase from 2020. Over 30% of these breaches are attributable to ransomware.

Despite the increased potential for risk, higher education tends to lag compared to other sectors when it comes to cyber-preparedness. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security examined the state of cybersecurity by industry and found the education category ranked at the bottom. Despite the emerging awareness of the cyberthreats colleges and universities face, higher education is struggling to keep up. This has created an extremely dangerous situation for colleges, universities, and affiliated institutions. The consequences of a successful data breach can be devastating for universities: huge ransom payments, stolen student information, and significant reputational harm.

The most effective cybersecurity resource higher education institutions have at their disposal, aptly enough, is education. This year’s Verizon DBIR reports that 82% of breaches involved a human element—a powerful reminder that cybersecurity is not a technology issue; it is a user issue. Security awareness is the best way to protect any organization from a wide range of cyberthreats. Mitigating cybersecurity attacks begins with a culture of security awareness at every level of an institution, and cybersecurity education is essential for every member of an institution, including students, faculty, and staff.

Please review the following cybersecurity education resources that have been made available by Drake ITS:

Drake University Information Security Awareness course available in Blackboard

Cybersecurity Awareness Month (October 2022)

In addition, ITS will continue to simulate phishing and assign training to those most susceptible. If you believe you’ve been targeted by phishing, see Reporting a Phishing Message (How-to).

— Christopher Mielke, ITS