Families who are home with their students right now may be looking for character development opportunities. The Ray Center has a series of Family Guides for Teaching Good Character available on our website.
— Amy Smit, Robert D. & Billie Ray Center
All posts by Amy Smit
CPHS announces 2020 Weaver Medal of Honor recipient
National pharmacy leader, Charlie Porter, PH’70, of Jefferson, Iowa, has been selected to receive the 2020 Lawrence C. and Delores M. Weaver Medal of Honor, the highest honor given by the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (CPHS).
The Weaver Medal of Honor recognizes an individual’s dedication to making a substantial impact on the profession of pharmacy and the advancement of human health. The award is made possible by a generous gift from Lawrence Weaver, PH’49, and his wife, Delores.
Charlie Porter has a long-standing record of serving the pharmacy profession and the community. After graduating from Drake, Porter began working for the owner of King’s Pharmacy, Russ Johnson Jr., PH’52. He helped Johnson develop a plan for the pharmacy franchise known as Medicap Pharmacy.
By 2003, Medicap Pharmacy had 200 facilities in 38 states and had over $400 million in sales. It was also the first pharmacy to have drive-thru windows installed and private consultation rooms. Porter was the company’s president and chief operating officer before selling it to Cardinal Health in 2003.
Learn more about Porter’s contributions to the pharmacy profession and CPHS.
— Kaylyn Maher, CPHS
Virtual meeting: Managing Emotional Stress
We all experience stress in our lives, but current world events have more than likely increased your stress levels. Finding ways to cope with stress is vital not only to your mental health, but also your physical health. Join Danielle Green, director of the Student Counseling Center, for a virtual meeting on April 16 at 9 a.m. as she discusses stress and ways to manage some of the emotional stress you may be feeling.
Register in advance for the meeting Managing Emotional Stress. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
— Danielle Green, Student Health Center
Do’s and don’ts of remote collaboration security
When a piece of technology quickly grows in popularity, it’s a given that the number of threat actors taking advantage of new and untrained users will also grow. The world is seeing this now with video conferencing tools, especially the popular and free Zoom.
With multiple reports of calls being interrupted with pornographic, violent, or racial images and threatening language, the FBI has issued a warning for users of video conferencing platforms about the issue. Techniques to discover meeting IDs for Zoom meetings have been circulating for nearly a year, but have seen a large spike in usage.
The good news is that most video conferencing and remote collaboration tools include settings that can prevent these events from occurring. ITS has additional resources to learn about the best collaboration tools for your situation, including best-practice guides and live training.
Here are some tips to ensure a good experience.
- Don’t use consumer-grade software or subscription plans. Consumer tools and subscriptions do not have the administrative tools needed to limit access. While no solution can guarantee security, enterprise-grade tools like Blackboard Collaborate or Microsoft Teams offer a more complete set of controls.
- Do use waiting room features. These features place participants in a separate room before the meeting and allow the host to admit only the people who are supposed to be there.
- Don’t share links to meetings or classes via social media. Invite the attendees via email or from the collaboration software.
- Do use the latest software version. Security vulnerabilities are likely to be exploited more often in older versions. For example, Zoom recently updated its software to require password-protected meetings, and is rolling out more features in the coming months. Double-check that participants are using the latest version available.
- Don’t use video on a call until you need to. Turning off your webcam and muting your microphone when you’re not speaking prevents social engineering efforts to learn more about you, and saves network bandwidth, improving the quality of the meeting.
- Do eject participants if an intruder gets in or becomes unruly. Ejecting a participant prevents them from rejoining.
While scams and phishing related to working from home and COVID-19 are more prevalent than ever, collaboration and meetings are being hit especially hard. 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).
— Peter Lundstedt, ITS
Graduation attire available for order
Graduates: If you want to order bachelor’s or master’s attire this spring for delivery, the University Bookstore is accepting orders online. Important to note: Academic attire is not required for the virtual commencement celebration. The Bookstore is offering this option for pictures and personal celebrations.
Make a purchase. In the comment field at checkout, please include height, weight, and college/degree for tassel color. If you need an honor cord, fill out comment field as well. The Bookstore has attire in stock and ready to ship.
For questions, contact Katie Wilz, University Bookstore manager, at kwilz@follett.com.
— Katie Wilz, University Bookstore
Drake Rec Services offers virtual group exercise classes
Drake Recreational Services is bringing Group Exercise classes straight to your home. By using our Drake Rec App or visiting imleagues.com/drake, you can view our virtual classes and sign up for a session. New classes are posted daily, but all past classes are still open for you to join. Additionally, check out our social media pages for updates, contests, and fun with our staff. Email wellness@drake.edu if you have any questions or feedback.
Follow Drake Recreational Services:
Instagram: DrakeRec
Twitter: DrakeRec
Facebook: DrakeRecServices
— Drake Wellness
How to help others during COVID-19 pandemic
For most, if not all of us, the coronavirus creates anxiety and fear. We take steps to protect ourselves and our family. But beyond those basic instincts, there is a common thread among many to reach out and help others. The question then becomes, how?
Much of what you need to know can be found on the Drake University Community Engagement website. The United Way Volunteer website is a great resource as well. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Check on your neighbors. Call or text your neighbors (especially elderly neighbors) to make sure they’re doing okay. If there is anything they need that you can provide, offer to leave it outside their front door. And if you feel comfortable going out, consider knocking on the door of an elderly neighbor and chatting through the storm door to offer a bit of comfort.
Donate. There are many ways you can do this. Contribute to Drake’s Virtual Food Drive or the College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences’ virtual fundraiser for the Food Bank of Iowa. Consider donating blood, or drop off canned goods and toiletries to one of the Drake Neighborhood’s Little Free Pantries.
Put your creative skills to use. You’ve heard the stories of drive-by parades to celebrate a loved one’s birthday; singing, dancing, or playing a musical instrument to lift the spirits of others from a safe distance; and creating fun videos to share with family and friends. Find out what your passion or talent is and find a way to share it safely. It could be sewing face masks or writing letters to a local nursing home (Ramsey Village is in our Drake neighborhood). How about getting your family together and using chalk to write motivational messages on your sidewalk and driveway? The options are limitless.
Support your local businesses. Many of us are already ordering food from our local restaurants either drive-thru, delivery, or curb-side pick-up. Check online to see what other small local businesses are offering delivery or curbside pick-up options and consider making a purchase.
Find a way to say thank-you to those on the front lines. The best way we can say thank-you is to follow the CDC recommendations and wash our hands, practice social distancing, and stay home if we are sick. If you want to take it a step further, find out if your local hospital is accepting a delivery of a few pizzas. And don’t forget to thank all our front line and essential workers — including our own faculty and staff.
Although we are socially distanced, we are still best when we work together … six feet apart.
— Linda Feiden, Human Resources
New Teams chat groups create sense of community
All Staff Council created two more chat groups in TEAMS. A “Parents Group” and a “Wellness Group.” The parents chat allows parents to share challenges as well as ideas on how to make it a positive experience with your children at home. The wellness group allows members to share ways to be active and to be a source of motivation to keep you on track. Both groups serve as a connection point and source of community during this time.
If you would like to be added to the “Parents Group,” please send an email to jenny.jones@drake.edu. If you would like to be added to the “Wellness Group,” please send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu. Each group is limited to 100 people.
— Linda Feiden, Human Resources
Nominate Students for the Adams Leadership Awards
The Adams Leadership Awards recognize and celebrate the achievements of student leaders and organizations at Drake University. Please consider nominating Drake students and student organizations who’ve exhibited strong leadership and excellence throughout the 2019–2020 academic year. Nominations can be submitted by any Drake student, faculty, or staff member. View a full list of awards and the nomination form here. The nomination deadline has been extended to April 16, 2020, at 11:59 p.m.
In place of this year’s Adams Leadership Convocation ceremony, the nominees and recipients of each award will be announced via social media the week of April 27. If you have any questions, please contact Kristin Economos, director of student leadership programs, at kristin.economos@drake.edu.
— Kristin Economos, Director, Student Leadership Programs
Cowles Library online chat and databases
The library building may be closed, but Cowles Library faculty and staff are still here to help. Online chat is available Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit libraryhelp.drake.edu for more information.
There are so many library resources available online and off-campus with your Drake ID and password. Check out the library’s Article Databases page for more information.
— Hope Bibens, Cowles Library Dean’s Office