The Harkin Institute’s Spring 2024 Sussman Lecture, “Pain and Politics in the Heart of America” with Dr. Jennifer Silva is this Wednesday, March 6, 2024. Dr. Silva will discuss the economic, social, and cultural challenges currently facing America’s working class and how those challenges have impacted the ability of the working class to achieve the American Dream. Dr. Silva has written two books surrounding these topics, Coming Up Short: Working-Class Adulthood in an Age of Uncertainty and We’re Still Here: Pain and Politics in the Heart of America. In Coming Up Short, Dr. Silva conducted one hundred interviews with working class residents in two towns-Lowell, Massachusetts, and Richmond, Virginia, and shed light on their experience of heightened economic insecurity, deepening inequality, and uncertainty about marriage and family. In We’re Still Here, Dr. Silva conducted more than a hundred interviews of Black, white, and Latino working-class residents of a declining coal town in Pennsylvania to examine the civic and political disengagement of working-class people.
Date: March 6, 2024
Time: 7–8 p.m. CT
Location: Tom and Ruth Harkin Center (2800 University Ave., Des Moines, IA 50311)
Registration: This event is free and open to the public but registration via Eventbrite is required.
Accommodations: American Sign Language (ASL) and Live Captioning (CART) will be provided for both in person and virtual attendees. Additional accommodation requests can be made by emailing harkininstitute@drake.edu.
Whether you’re budgeting for the present or planning for your retirement, managing your finances can be an overwhelming task. That’s why The Harkin Institute chose “Navigating the Journey to Financial Wellness” as the theme for this year’s Harkin Retirement Security Symposium. The event will bring together advocacy and community organizations, government agencies, and private companies and their foundations that work on financial wellness and retirement security. The symposium will provide a forum to discuss the most pressing challenges and find collaborative opportunities to address documented financial wellness needs and their relationship to retirement security, with an emphasis on vulnerable populations.
WHAT: 2024 Harkin Retirement Security Symposium: Navigating the Journey to Financial Wellness
WHEN: Tuesday, April 30, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. – 4:15 p.m.
WHERE: Olmstead Center at Drake University (2875 University Ave., Des Moines, IA 5031)
Dogtown After Hours is a large-scale, collaborative, alcohol-alternative event that entertains over 850 attendees every year during the spring. This year’s event will take place on Friday, March 22, from 8 p.m. to midnight. Drake students will be participating in numerous safe activities on campus, such as: giant yard games, inflatable activities, zorb ball tracks, life size hungry hungry hippos, performances from Drake student groups, etc. In addition to these activities, students will be able to participate in service opportunities that benefit local communities. The event will also include a great deal of food and chances to win prizes.
It’s time to put on our party hats and break out the confetti because we’re shining a spotlight on the incredible team at the Student Services Center (SSC)! This dynamic group, led by the indomitable Sara Heijerman and the fantastic Tiffany Hach, has been making waves and creating smiles on our campus. Need assistance? Look no further than the Olmsted Student Center, just off the breezeway, where the SSC team works its magic.
The SSC boasts two full-time staff members, Sara and Tiffany, who form the powerhouse of the department. Alongside them, a squad of talented student staff, adds an extra layer of awesomeness to the team.
Sara, the maestro orchestrating this symphony of efficiency, has been at the helm since the SSC’s grand opening in August 2014. She’s been a part of the Drake family since January 2013, starting off in the Student Accounts office. Talk about dedication!
Tiffany burst onto the scene in August 2022, diving headfirst into the hustle and bustle of our busiest month. She’s not only been managing the student staff like a pro but has also been the face of top-notch customer service.
Their Mission: Making Campus Life a Breeze. Ever wonder who’s behind the scenes making campus life run smoothly? That’s our SSC crew! From keys to ID’s, door access to parking permits, Bulldog Bucks to HR paperwork, they’ve got it all covered. Need a print job done? No worries, they’re your go-to print superheroes. Their motto? Turning campus chaos into coordinated calm!
Did you know the SSC recently revolutionized campus identification with the rollout of a mobile credential? Not only is it convenient, but it also enhances security, embraces modernity, and champions eco-friendliness. Now that’s what we call a game-changer!
But wait, there’s more! The SSC team isn’t confined to their office; they’re out and about, participating in campus events and committees. From All Staff Council to the University Book Club, Wellness classes to HR Build opportunities, Sara and Tiffany actively foster a sense of community and belonging.
So, let’s give a resounding Bulldog Applause to the Student Services Center – the unsung heroes making our campus tick, one Bulldog Buck at a time. Thank you, SSC, for your dedication, humor, and the positive vibes you bring to our university family!
Here’s to the SSC squad – where every challenge is met with a smile and every problem is just an opportunity for another triumph!
Kieran Williams, associate professor and co-chair of the Department of Political Science, has co-edited a collection of essays on the Czech writer-statesman Václav Havel. Each chapter focuses on a keyword closely associated with Havel’s thought – such as truth, power, responsibility – and what it tells us about the enduring meaning of his work and life in our time. Contributors were recruited by Williams and his co-editor, David Danaher (University of Wisconsin-Madison) from a range of disciplines and from around the world; Williams himself wrote two of the chapters. Williams’s 2016 biography of Havel recently appeared in a Turkish translation.
Everyone is Welcome! Regardless of if you are diagnosed with OCD or not. Join if you would like to learn more about OCD or ways to support yourself or someone else.
The annual J-TermFair will be held Wednesday, March 6, from 4:30–6:30 p.m. in the upper lobby of Olmsted Center. Discover the 2025 travel seminars destinations and speak with the faculty members leading the experiences to find your perfect opportunity to study abroad next J-Term. First-year students are welcome and snacks will be provided.
In honor of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Week, join the Broadlawns Drake Student Counseling Center and office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for a mental health panel on March 22 from 2:30-4:30 p.m. focused on disrupting the harmful narratives given to marginalized communities, and an open discussion on ways to enhance worth and belonging in the face of social injustice. Participants will also receive free self-care prizes and free food, and admitted students will have the opportunity to be entered into a raffle to win additional self-care prizes, such as weighted blankets, self-help books, and MORE! This is a wonderful opportunity to experience a taste of the culture of inclusivity, belonging, and well-being at Drake! Register here. The event will take place in Parents Hall South.
BIPOC Women (+) Healing Circles are focused on cultivating a space of connection, healing, and belonging as we hold space for various shared experiences that impact wellness and mental health. All BIPOC students that self-identify as or have been socialized as women are encouraged to attend.
When: 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month from 5–6 p.m.
The Global Citizen Forum is comprised of a series of events drawing on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a thematic lens taking place annually in the spring semester.
The Forum was established as the co-curricular arm of the Engaged Citizen Experience, part of the Drake Curriculum which aims to ensure students will learn to participate effectively in democratic processes through coursework and classroom and community activities. The ECE seeks to mobilize the entire campus community to discuss a critical theme or global issue.
The 2024 Global Citizen Forum will take place March 6-8.
When: Wednesday, March 6 at 4:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m. Location: Upper Olmsted Center
Interested in traveling next J-Term? Come learn more about the J-Term travel seminars to be offered in 2025 from the program leaders themselves!
On a Drake travel seminar, students can explore the world alongside their fellow Bulldogs and professors. Travel seminars run during J-Term or summer and are typically between one to three weeks in length. Past program locations have included Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia and Oceania, Europe, and the Middle East. If you are finding it difficult to fit a semester study abroad experience into your program—due to time constraints, financial obstacles, or personal reasons—this may be an excellent option for you. With your Drake community by your side, you’ll develop new relationships with fellow Drake students and professors and create long-lasting memories that will serve you long after your time abroad.
When: Thursday, March 7, at 8:30 a.m.–10 a.m. Location: Cowles Library, Reading Room
Hosted by Drake’s Principal Center for Global Citizenship, please join us for a networking breakfast with Drake faculty and staff as well as Drake’s global partners, a special presentation by Robert Ludke, expert on Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) Strategies and Harkin Institute Senior Fellow, with moderated discussion but Dean Alejandro Hernandez, and the presentation of the 2024 Faculty Global Citizenship Award!
When: Thursday, March 7, at 11 a.m.–12:15 p.m. Location: Meredith Hall, 106
Hosted by Drake’s Principal Center for Global Citizenship, in partnership with the Politics/IR, International Business, and LPS departments, this event brings together an interdisciplinary panel of Drake faculty to talk about topics related to global ‘development’ and creating a more just, prosperous future for all the world’s inhabitants. This panel asks simply, “How do we make the world better?” This question opens the door for discussion along two main avenues: first, what sets of practical policies, social arrangements, and economic configurations might be worth looking at to make the world better; and second, what courses of international, coordinated action might be taken in order to achieve those goals? The panel will rely on the panelists’ expertise, as well as observations about existing international trends and institutions in their discussion.
Panelists include Dr. Kieran Williams, Dr. Jeffrey A. Kappen, Dr. Ali Malik, and Dr. Leanne Purdum.
When: Thursday, March 7, at 4:30 p.m.–5 p.m. Location: Upper Olmsted, CR 310
Are you interested in going abroad? Are you curious about opportunities to work, conduct research, or further your education abroad post-graduation? Are you unsure of exactly what you would like to do once you graduate? If yes, you may be interested in applying for a global post-graduate scholarship! Whether you are just starting out at Drake or graduating soon, it is never to early or late to consider applying for a scholarship to live, work, and/or study abroad.
To learn more about having your work, research, and/or studies post-Drake graduation sponsored, come to the Post-Graduate Global Scholarship Information Session. This session will include an overview of programs such as the Fulbright Scholarship, Marshall Scholarship, Mitchell Scholarship, Gates-Cambridge Scholarship, and more. The information session will be conducted by Doctor Shelley Fairbairn, Professor in the School of Education and Post-Graduate Scholarship Coordinator.
When: Thursday, March 7, at 6:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m. Location: Tom and Ruth Harkin Center, Auditorium
Join us at the Harkin Institute auditorium for the special screening of the Iowa PBS documentary Citizen Diplomacy, with an introduction by the film’s producer, Dave Miller. Following the screening will be a commentative panel moderated by Dr. David Skidmore, including Iowans featured in the film such as World Food Prize President Emeritus and former U.S. Ambassador Ken Quinn, Roger Engstrom, and Sofia Fernandez.
**Registration for this event is encouraged but not required**
The purpose of the Nelson Student Research Symposia is to recognize and share high-quality undergraduate research related to international and global topics. Students presenting research are encouraged to have their topics align with one (or more!) of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs provide a framework for tackling complex global pressing issues such as poverty, sustainable communities, climate action, and justice. Student presentations will be roughly 15 minutes each.
