All posts by Courtney Conrad

Strategic Updates Archive

Beautiful Bulldog Contest April 21

We are less than one week away from the 46th Annual Beautiful Bulldog Contest®. The contest will take place Monday, April 21. Doors will open at 5 p.m. to enjoy the Rescue Dog Festival and Kids Zone before the pageant begins at 6 p.m.. The event is free and open to the public. There will be a t-shirt giveaway for the first 125 students to show up with their Drake ID.

The Beautiful Bulldog Contest® at Drake University is a unique trademarked event with an over 40-year history. The event kicks off a week-long Drake Relays celebration. Thirty English Bulldogs walk the pup-way to impress judges in hopes of being crowned the Most Beautiful Bulldog. The winner of the contest will reign as the Most Beautiful Bulldog for the 2025 Drake Relays.

For questions, email beautifulbulldog@drake.edu.

— Courtney Conrad, Alumni Relations

News & Achievements Archive

U.S. News & World Report Ranks Drake Law School Among Top 100 in the Nation

Drake University Law School was ranked among the top law schools in the nation in the newly released U.S. News & World Report 2025 Best Law School rankings. The latest ranking at #84 marks the third year in a row of ranking within the top 100 schools in the country.

The annual rankings evaluate institutions on their graduate job placement, faculty resources, academic profiles of entering students, and peer evaluations regarding perceived program quality. These rankings place a special emphasis on bar passage rate and graduate job placement.

“I am proud to share that our ranking of 84 marks only the third time in our history that we have been recognized among the top 100,” said Roscoe Jones, Jr., dean of the Drake University Law School. “This achievement is a testament to the unwavering dedication of our faculty and staff, who prepare our students to be practice-ready upon graduation, our driven students, and our accomplished alumni.”

In addition to the overall ranking, Drake Law’s legal writing program ranked #17 in the country and was ranked #60 for Clinical Training.

This year’s ranking comes on the heels of several other acknowledgments of Drake Law School’s excellence in preparing students for future career success. This year, Drake Law has been recognized by preLaw magazine as a top school in four practice areas including family law, human rights, trial advocacy, and practical training. Drake was also recognized as a top school for Women Leadership in preLaw magazine’s Back to School 2024 issue.

“We have long been one of the best kept secrets in legal education, and our steadfast focus on delivering practice-ready education is now drawing well-deserved attention,” said Dean Jones. “Our community benefits from a robust education in legal theory, enriched by hands-on experiences that equip our graduates with the skills they need to thrive from day one in their legal careers.”

See the full list of U.S. News rankings for Drake Law School here.

— Taylor Johnson, Law School

HR Information Archive

New Employee Orientation April 30

Managers, please encourage your new employees to attend the first available New Employee Orientation after their employment. Either the manager or new employee can RSVP by sending an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu in Human Resources.  Please put “NEO” in the subject line of the email.

The next available New Employee Orientation session will be held Wednesday, April 30, from 9-11 a.m. in Levitt Hall, 2nd Floor, Old Main.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

For Students Archive

Sprout Garden Hiring for Summer Employment

Staying in Des Moines over the summer? Interested in gardening or working with youth? The Sprout Garden needs you. Find more information about our Maintenance Coordinator and Youth Program positions on Handshake (links below). Both positions are also open for the 2025–2026 school year. Apply by April 25 by sending your resume and cover letter to mallary.allen@drake.edu.

Summer Sprout Garden Maintenance Coordinator:
https://app.joinhandshake.com/emp/jobs/9782821

Summer Sprout Garden Youth Education Coordinator:
https://app.joinhandshake.com/emp/jobs/9782952

— Mallary Allen, Community Engaged Learning

For Students Archive

Call for Proposals: Co-Host a Second Saturday Social Event

Are you part of a student organization looking to bring exciting, community-focused events to campus? The Holistic Wellness fund, in collaboration with Campus Recreation, Counseling, Student Life, and Access & Success, is launching a brand-new initiative—Second Saturday Social.

We are inviting student organizations to apply for funding to host a social event on the second Saturday of select months: September, October, November, and February. Each event will take place between 7–11 p.m. at either Johansen or Olmsted and will receive $500 in event support from the Holistic Wellness fund.

This is a great opportunity to create fun, engaging, and inclusive experiences for students while fostering wellness, connection, and campus spirit. Whether you envision a game night, open mic, cultural celebration, wellness workshop, or something completely unique—your organization can help shape these dynamic Saturday nights!

Proposal Details:

  • Who Can Apply? Any registered student organization
  • Funding Available: $500 per event
  • Event Timing: Second Saturday of September, October, November, and February (7:00 – 11:00 PM)
  • Location: Johansen or Olmsted
  • Application Deadline: Friday, May 9

Interested in hosting? Submit your proposal today and bring your vision to life!

For more information and to apply by May 9 at  https://forms.office.com/r/QGpMZr4L2f. Don’t miss this chance to make your mark on campus.

— Laura Shell, Academic Success & Retention

Campus Announcements Archive

Accessible Screening and Panel Discussion of “Change Not Charity”

The Harkin Institute and Iowa PBS are hosting an accessible screening of Change Not Charity: The Americans with Disabilities Act, followed by a panel discussion with film director Jim Lebrecht and film writer/producer Chana Gazit. The screening will include open captions and open descriptive audio.

 Date:
April 29, 2025

Time:
6:00 – 8:00 p.m. CT

Location:
Tom and Ruth Harkin Center (2800 University Ave., Des Moines, IA 50311)

Cost:
Free, but registration is required.

Accommodations: American Sign Language and live-captioning (CART) in English will be provided for all attendees. Other accommodation requests can be made by emailing harkininstitute@drake.edu.

Learn more on our website.

— Kathryn Kuckelman, The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement

Campus Announcements Archive

2025 Distinguished Lecturer: Justice Leondra Kruger

The Constitutional Law Center’s Distinguished Lecture Series brings to campus the nation’s leading constitutional scholars to engage students and faculty on the important issues of the day. Speakers deliver a formal lecture, teach a class, and meet with students in informal settings.

This year, we are proud to welcome Associate Justice Leondra Kruger of the Supreme Court of California for a Q&A session with Dean Roscoe Jones, Jr.

Join us Thursday, April 17, at 3 p.m. in
Cartwright Hall, Room 213. Livestream will NOT be available.

Register

Campus Announcements Archive

NPHC Relays Stroll-Off

Don’t miss the annual “Relays Stroll-Off” hosted by Drake’s National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) on Saturday, April 26, at 5 p.m. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m. to watch our four historically Black Greek-letter organizations battle it out in Old-School, Slow-Jam, and Hype dance categories. Winner is based on audience vote. Come celebrate with current yard members, Divine 9 alumni, and have your voice be heard!

This is a ticketed event. Students are $3 and Adults/Alumni are $5. Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite at the link below.

Follow us on Instagram for updates @dunphc.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/relays-stroll-off-tickets-1316444965329?aff=oddtdtcreator

— Candace Carr, JO, AS

Campus Announcements Archive

Beautiful Bulldog Contest and Drake Relays Merch

The Bulldog Shop will have a pop-up shop in the southwest corner of the track level during the Beautiful Bulldog Contest on Monday, April 21.

Mark your calendars, and don’t miss the chance to get exclusive Beautiful Bulldog Contest merch like this crew or this T-shirt in addition to some fun gear for your furry friends.

Event Details:

  • Date: Monday, April 21
  • Location: Knapp Center
  • Doors Open: 5:00 PM
  • Contest Begins: 6:00 PM

Drake Relays Merch

In addition to specialty Beautiful Bulldog Contest gear, the Bulldog Shop has select Drake Relays styles now available in-store. Additional exclusive Relays gear will drop during the Relays event at the three Bulldog Shop merch tents. Stay tuned on our website for a preview link to see all products that will be available for onsite purchase.

Tent Locations:

  • Plaza: Behind the Press Box at Drake Stadium
  • Fieldhouse: At the corner of Forest Avenue and 27th Street, in front of the Drake Fieldhouse
  • FanZone: Right by the food trucks outside the main entrance to Drake Stadium

Tent Hours:

  • Thursday, April 24: 1 PM – 9 PM
  • Friday, April 25: 7 AM – 9 PM
  • Saturday, April 26 (Fieldhouse & Plaza): 7 AM – 5 PM
  • Saturday, April 26 (FanZone): 7 AM – 2 PM