All posts by Hannah Remke

Get involved in campus sustainability during Earth Week

If you have ever wanted to be involved with sustainability initiatives at Drake, April is the month to do it! Drake is going all out for Earth Week, working with DEAL, DOLC, the Student Alumni Association, and the Office of Sustainability. Take a minute to see what is going on.

April 14, 1–3 p.m.: Come help prepare the Sprout Garden and Food Forest for the season.  Planting and other preparation work will take place to ensure a bountiful harvest. The compost pile DEAL sifted last weekend is also ready to be used.

April 21, 11–1 p.m.: Celebrate Arbor Day a bit early and join DEAL and Facilities Planning & Management to plant trees around Drake’s campus. Meet at the Southeast GK courtyard to help retain our Tree Campus Higher Education recognition for the 12 year.

April 22, 10–12 p.m.:  Meet at the Harkin Institute parking lot for Paul Morrison Spruce Up Day! Spend part of Earth Day honoring the legacy of Paul Morrison through sprucing up the Drake Neighborhood. After the clean-up, participants are invited to join a tabling event and tour the Harkin Institute over doughnuts and coffee.

April 17–21: DEAL presents 2023 Earth Week.  An entire week dedicated to celebrating the Earth, concluding with live music, the Veggie Thumper food truck, and prizes on April 21 at the Olmsted Pit from 5–9 p.m.

April 27–29:  Join the Sustainability Coordinator to collect recycling during relays. Sign up here, for an hour time slot.

For questions, contact hannah.remke@drake.edu.

— Hannah Remke, Facilities Planning & Management

Student pharmacists and alumni have phase I residency match day success

Fourth-year student pharmacists in Drake University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (CPHS) who are interested in completing residencies learned of their postgraduate year one (PGY1) pharmacy residency training “matches” on March 15, 2023. Twenty-three of thirty (77%) CPHS student pharmacists pursuing residencies matched in Phase I of the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) Resident Matching Program. Seventeen of these students were matched to programs in Iowa and contiguous Midwestern states. The remaining six students matched to programs in Alaska, California, Utah, and Virginia.

Graduates who have already completed their first year of residency may apply for a PGY2, a second year of specialized pharmacy training. This year, 12 of 14 (86%) of CPHS graduates matched for a second year of residency.

Students and graduates who did not match have a second opportunity in Phase II; results will be released on April 14, 2023. The informal post-match scramble will be held following Phase II of the Match to ensure that individuals have as many chances as possible to connect with a residency program.

“Congratulations to the Drake graduates pursuing residency training who matched during Phase I of the ASHP matching process,” said Renae Chesnut, CPHS dean and professor. “The selection of our graduates by competitive programs across the country indicates the preparation that Drake provides our students.”

Read more and see where these students and alumni are headed across the United States here.

Congratulations to the following grant award recipients

  • Ryan Stoldt received $9,809 from the US Department of Defense in support of his research titled Algorithmic Personalization and Online Radicalization:  A Mixed Methods Approach.
  • Amanda Martin received $250 from the Sodexo Foundation to support her Sprout Garden Global Youth Service Day
  • Danielle Shelton received $17,000 from the Nellie Ball Trust Research Fund in support her research titled Legal Accommodations for Individuals with Mental Disabilities.
  • Richelle Williams received $1,000 from the Midwest Association of Athletic Trainers of America in support of her research titled Exploring Police Officers’ Perceptions of a Health/injury Risk Management Program Involving Athletic Training Educators

Mary P Wohlford, Sponsored Programs Administration and Research Compliance

Harkin on Wellness Symposium

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

For more information: https://harkininstitute.drake.edu/2023/02/23/how-2023/

— Kathryn Kuckelman, Harkin Institute

Summer and fall adoptions, demo dates

Drake University has a new textbook adoption tool called Fast. This new tool will be implemented for the Summer 2023 adoption process. One training is remaining on Wednesday, April 5, at 2 p.m. for those of you who have not yet been through the training or if you want to see the training again you are welcome to attend. To join the zoom training session click the link below and “Join Demo” button and it will take you to the training presentation.

https://ecampus.zoom.us/j/8653458271?pwd=OHZUa3ZUWVkzYzU3elNGZFduZEVHQT09#success

Both Summer and Fall 2023 adoptions are due on April 10.

— Kelly Foster, Finance and Administration

Campus safety walk

Please join Public Safety, Residence Life, Environmental Health and Safety, and Facilities Management and Planning for the second Campus Safety Walk of the year.

We will meet in the Olmsted Breezeway at 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 6, to walk the campus.

If you are interested, email scott.law@drake.edu.

Scott Law, Executive Director, Public Safety & Operational Services

Working Worldwide deadline extended

Drake’s Working Worldwide program is open for 2023–2024 with an extended deadline of May 15, with an acceptance on a rolling basis. The Working Worldwide Program offers recent graduates from any academic background the opportunity to live and work in Kosovo working at a company, non-profit, or governmental organization for up to one year. Whether you are interested in gaining professional, international, or cultural experience, the Working Worldwide Program will work to find the best setting to help you meet your goals. View the application to get more details and meet with Chelsea Funk to discuss whether this is the right opportunity for you. 

— Chelsea Funk, Assistant Director of Education Abroad

Get involved during Civic Action Week April 10–15

Civic Action Week is a campus-wide week of events for students, faculty, staff, and the broader community to learn, engage, and encourage collective responses to persistent societal challenges. This year’s Civic Action Week will be April 10–15.

There’s many options for getting involved during the week!

Monday, April 10

  • Kick-off in the Olmsted Breezeway, 8–11 a.m. Stop by to learn about the events of the week, share why you serve, and grab snacks and CEL swag! Sponsored by Office of Community Engaged Learning.
  • APO Blood Drive, Pom Stage in Olmsted.
  • Emmenecker Challenge, 6–8 p.m. The Student Alumni Association’s “Emmenecker Challenge” is a sandwich-eating competition. This event supports food security initiatives in the Drake Neighborhood, as a portion of proceeds go to local food pantries. Spectators can attend to receive free food and participate in a kahoot game. Entrance fee is $1 dollar or a canned food item. There will also be information about food insecurity at the event. Spectators do not need to register in advance, but anyone interested in competing does.

Tuesday, April 11

  • Careers in Social Change Virtual Panel: 4-5pm on Zoom. Hear from local professionals on how they have used their career to create change. Panelists include Jacob Nastruz, Coordinator for Volunteer Services and Community Engagement at Children & Family Urban Movement; Elizabeth Talbert, Assistant Professor of Sociology at Drake University; Corey Lewis, Founder of My City My Health.  Register on Handshake. Contact amanda.martin@drake.edu. Sponsored by Office of Community Engaged Learning and Professional and Career Development Services.

Wednesday, April 12

  • Food Security: What do you know? A conversation with Aubrey Alvarez, Executive Director of Eat Greater Des Moines. 4-5pm, Olmsted 310/311. Sponsored by Next Course Food Recovery. Snacks will be provided.

Thursday, April 13

  • Lunch and Learn: Developing Your Impact Plan. 12-1pm, Olmsted 310.  Take the lunch hour to reflect on how you want to create change over the next few years. Are there certain experiences you’d like to have? What do you want to do in the short-term and long-term? This guided activity will give you a template for coming up with action steps, goals, and resources. Pizza will be provided. All are welcome, but advanced registration by April 5th will help plan for food. Sponsored by the Office of Community Engaged Learning.
  • Harkin on Wellness Symposium. 9am-4:45pm, Parents Hall or virtual. This year’s Harkin on Wellness (HOW) 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. Free to attend. Registration is required. Sponsored by The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement

Friday, April 14

  • Findley Elementary School First-Grade Visit to Drake. Drake has adopted the first grade class at Findley Elementary School and on April 14 the students will visit campus for a morning full of activities. Start your day off the best way! Anyone from the Drake community is invited to welcome the students when they arrive around 9:30am with a “Welcome Tunnel” at the University entrance of Cowles Library (check the Civic Action Week website for an updated time as the day gets closer). Form a line from the front doors down the sidewalk. Drake students have the opportunity to promote a college-going culture for youth in Des Moines. Contact kirby.nelson@drake.edu for more information.  Hosted by the Office of Community Engaged Learning.
  • Sprout Spring Volunteer Day. 1-3pm. Help prepare the beds for spring planting and plant some colder-weather crops.

Saturday, April 15

  • 2023 Constitutional Law Symposium. 8:30am-1pm. Cartwright Hall Room 213 or Zoom. Speakers will analyze a variety of current issues from multiple viewpoints.  Register in advance. 

All Week

  • Stock the Block – Donate to the Little Free Pantries in the Drake Neighborhood – Drop off your donations of non-perishable goods and personal hygiene items to one of the 9 Little Free Pantries in the Drake Neighborhood.
  • Griff Gives Back – Donate Adult Dog and Cat food to the Griff Gives Back project.
  • Volunteer! Visit www.drake.edu/dugood for other volunteer opportunities.
  • Follow along with @DrakeService on Instagram to see daily challenges you can do to be a more responsible, active citizen and have a chance to earn prizes!

Share your Impact

Tag us on social media @drakeservice #DrakeServes to let us know how you’re participating in the week. For each tag, you’ll be entered into a raffle to win prizes such as a Griff #DrakeServes T-shirt!

Visit drake.edu/community/learningservice/studentopportunities/civicactionweek/ for more information on how to register for each event.

— Amanda Martin, Community Engaged Learning

Office of Admission is hiring student ambassadors

Applications are open for student ambassadors through the Office of Admission for positions beginning Fall 2023, with potential to begin this summer. Student Ambassadors share their campus experience with prospective students and parents during tours and student panels and assist with office projects. The paid position requires a minimum of four hours per week, with flexibility in scheduling. For more information, and to apply, click here.

Applications are due at midnight on April 10th.

Student Ambassadors represent the wide variety of academic majors, student involvement, and diversity within the Drake student body. Reach out to admissioncoleition@drake.edu with any questions.

— Deneen Dygert, Admission