All posts by Kaylyn Maher

Next Top Entrepreneur winners

On Tuesday, Nov. 12, the DELTA Rx Institute hosted the annual Next Top Entrepreneur Competition. We would like to thank all the participants for their pitches and congratulate the finalists:

  • First Place: $1200 to Johnny Mills and Andrew Bjorlin (PharmD/MBA Candidates 2021) – RecycleRx
  • Second Place: $800 to Breanna Moore (PharmD Candidate 2022) – AutoRx Prescription Pickup
  • Third Place: $400 to Sedie Harms, Layne Davis, and Tessa Buehrer (PharmD Candidates 2021) – Pharmers Traveling to the Farm

We would like to thank our judges, Greg Johansen, Dalton Fabian, Sarah Dean, Tom Swegle, Jason Salton, Anthony Pudlo, Robert Loch, Felix Gallagher, and Debra Bishop.

— Kaylyn Maher, CPHS Communications Coordinator

Emma Robasse receives Express Scripts Scholarship

Emma Robasse, PharmD/MBA Candidate 2020 in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, is one of four dual-enrolled students nationwide to receive a 2019 Express Scripts Scholarship. The Express Scripts Foundation (ESF), in partnership with the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy, awards four $10,000 scholarships to dual-degree students each year.

The ESF recognizes that students interested in dual degrees may have increased financial need and provides these scholarships to offset tuition, fees, or books.

Learn more about this scholarship and how CPHS supports the diverse interests of students.

— Kaylyn Maher, CPHS Communications Coordinator

CPHS student wins 2019 Next-Generation Future Pharmacist Award

Drake Reiter, a fourth-year student pharmacist in the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, was announced as the winner of the 2019 Future Pharmacist Award during the Next-Generation Pharmacists Award Gala held on Oct. 25 in San Diego. Sponsored by Parata and Pharmacy Times, the national Next Generation Pharmacist™ awards program honors pharmacists, technicians, students and industry advocates in 11 categories who are defining the future of pharmacy.

The college has a stellar record for the Next-Generation Future Pharmacist Award with more finalists being selected for 7 years of the 10-year history of the award than any other pharmacy program:

  • 2010 – Kathryn McDonald Starbuck
  • 2012 – Huy Nguyen
  • 2013 – Natalie Schmitz
  • 2014 – Laura Vollmer (winner)
  • 2015 – Natalie Roy
  • 2018 – Matt Glasow (winner)
  • 2019 – Drake Reiter (winner)

Learn more about this honor and Drake Reiter’s accomplishments.

— Kaylyn Maher, CPHS Communications Coordinator

Colleagues recognized for Generosity of Spirit

Over 60 individuals were recognized for their Generosity of Spirit at the Provost’s Drake Social on Wednesday, Nov. 21, in the Reading Room at Cowles Library.

Three individuals were drawn at random for prizes:

  • Matthew Mitchell: An apple pie baked by the Provost
  • Melissa Sturm-Smith: A St. Kilda gift card
  • Drinda Williams: Breakfast for the office

Be watching for nominations to open in January to celebrate those who exemplify the Drake Core Value of All in This Together.

— Drinda Williams, Office of the Provost

Nominate a student for the Newman Civic Fellowship

The Office of Community Engaged Learning is now accepting nominations for the Newman Civic Fellowship.

 The Newman Civic Fellowship is a national award that recognizes and supports community-committed students who are changemakers and public problem-solvers. Students should engage in collaborative action with others from campus or from surrounding communities in order to create long-term social change, take action in addressing issues of inequality and political polarization, and demonstrate the motivation and potential for effective long-term civic engagement.  Through the fellowship, Campus Compact provides students with training and resources that nurture their assets and passions and help them develop strategies for social change.

Nominees must be enrolled at Drake University for the spring semester 2020, and the 2020–2021 academic year.

 To nominate a student, please submit 1–3 paragraphs including information about the nominee’s approaches to addressing the root causes of social issues. This may include involvement in public policy reform, community organizing, community-based research, social entrepreneurism, or other efforts to build the capacity of community-based organizations. Additionally, please include why you believe this person has the motivation and potential to develop innovative and collaborative approaches to addressing public problems and to contribute to a network of similarly committed students.

 A committee will review nominations to select one student from Drake University to be nominated for the Fellowship. That student will need to complete additional paperwork. 

 Please submit nominations to Amanda Martin, Assistant Director of Community Engaged Learning, at amanda.martin@drake.edu, no later than Jan. 10.  More information about the Fellowship can be found at https://compact.org/newman-civic-fellowship/.

— Amanda Martin, Community Engaged Learning

Final benefits meeting Thursday

“Know Your Benefits” meeting scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 21, at 2 p.m. in Olmsted, Room 310.

Drake University strives to provide quality benefits responsive to the needs of employees and their families. This fall, the University Benefits Committee worked closely with Benefit Consultant, Mark J. Becker & Associates, to monitor Drake’s overall benefit plan performance. This collaborative approach to the benefit review process has allowed Drake to consistently maintain benefits that are better than average, current with market trends and competitive with peer groups.

Mark J. Becker & Associates will be present Thursday, Nov. 21, to highlight the value of Drake’s benefit package and provide an overview of shared benefits costs.  Please take this opportunity to learn more about your Drake benefits Thursday, Nov. 21, at 2 p.m. in Olmsted, Room 310. Registration is not required.

— Marlene Heuertz, Human Resources

Planned power shutdown for Aliber, Cartwright, and Jewett

On Friday, Nov. 29, electricity will be shut off to Aliber, Cartwright, and Jewett from approximately 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. so Facilities Planning and Management can safely clean three high voltage vaults on campus. Please remember to turn off your computers and electronic devices before leaving for Thanksgiving. Please contact Ron Tart, chief electrician, if you have any question or concerns.

— Ron Tart, Facilities Planning and Management

Finance shares Administrative Survey results

The Offices of Finance and Student Financial Planning would like to thank everyone for taking the time to complete the Administrative Survey in October.  We have gained valuable feedback to help us maintain and improve the services we provide to students, faculty, and staff.

Ratings in nearly every question increased over the prior year. Each of the departments individually scored between 4 and 5 on the 5-point scale with only one exception. While not a statistically significant difference, the overall satisfaction with the services provided by the Offices of Finance and Student Financial Planning increased to an average score of 4.38 this year compared to 4.26 in 2018. While there is always room for improvement, the unit’s staff are clearly doing their best to meet our service-oriented objectives to:

  • Ensure our constituents are engaged and informed,
  • Ensure integrity and transparency,
  • Process university resources timely and accurately, and
  • Improve service excellence.

The comments included in the survey were very helpful. There were many positive comments all centered around the staff being knowledgeable, approachable, courteous, service-oriented, responsive, and helpful, as well as displaying a ‘can do’ attitude. There were also several valuable suggestions for improvement. The most significant theme identified by our staff pointed to the need for continuation of our focus on process improvements. Two recent examples of already implemented process improvement include the automation of our payment processing using the services of Paymerang and the transition of the tuition rebate application to an online form rather than paper. Additional process improvement initiatives are already in the works, such as efficiencies in processing transactions from restricted and endowed funding sources. Other initiatives will continue as staff time and IT resources allow.

Thank you again for participating in the Administrative Survey and please know that your input is reviewed and analyzed by the entire staff of the Offices of Finance and Student Financial Planning.

— Adam Voigts, Chief Financial Officer

Caucus Kahoot

Come test your caucus-know-how! On Nov. 20, The Iowa Caucus Project will be hosting “Caucus Kahoot” at 6 p.m. in Quad Creek Cafe. Play multiple rounds of 2020 candidate and Caucus trivia from your seat. Plus, if you make the top three, you’ll win a prize!

— Will Follett, AS’20

Heritage and Holocaust info sessions Nov. 20

The deadline for submitting your application to Terradotta for the May 2020 travel seminar Heritage and Holocaust is Dec. 8.

For information about the Terradotta portal, the details of the Heritage and Holocaust travel seminar, or the five concentration camps included in the itinerary, plan to attend one of the information sessions on Wednesday, Nov. 20. Sessions are 3:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. in Meredith Hall, Room 125.

— Dorothy Pisarski, Associate Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication