The Drake University Veterans Association is proud to bring together all military-affiliated members of the Drake community. The association’s goal is to provide academic, professional, and personal support through connection and advocacy. If you are interested, connect with the group through its Facebook page or email Kristin Porter at kristin.porter@drake.edu.
—Kristin Porter
The National Weather Service will conduct a statewide tornado drill on Wednesday, March 28. A test tornado watch will be issued around 10 a.m. followed by a test tornado warning around 10:15 a.m., in which sirens will sound.
The statewide drill allows us to test our planning and readiness and practice seeking appropriate shelter in case of a real tornado. Faculty, staff, and students should participate in the drill by following campus severe weather plans and going to the lowest level of their building, away from doorways and windows. View a list of designated severe weather shelters.
In the event of actual severe weather in the state during the drill, backup days are scheduled for March 29 and 30.
Tornado facts:
Know the terms:
Tornado watch – Tornadoes are possible. Remain alert for approaching storms. Watch the sky and stay tuned to the NOAA Weather Radio, commercial radio, or television for information.
Tornado Warning – A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. Seek shelter immediately.
Learn what actions to take when a tornado hits, whether you are outside, in a manufactured home, or in a building.
Wherever you are, remember that most injuries associated with high winds are from flying debris, so protect your head.
—Chris Nickell, Environmental Health and Safety
Hubbell Dining is hosting a baseball themed lunch on Thursday, March 29, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., in which faculty, staff and students can enjoy their favorite stadium food items. Drake faculty and staff can dine for just $5 with their Drake ID.
— Jennifer Bowersox, Hubbell Dining
Peggy Whitson, a NASA astronaut who holds the U.S. record for total days in space, will speak at 1 p.m. Friday, April 13, in Sheslow Auditorium.
This event is open to the public, and a significant number of seats have been reserved for Drake students, faculty, and staff members. Due to venue capacity, seating is limited. Registration is required. Seats will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
Whitson recently flew on Expedition 50/51 aboard the International Space Station and participated in four spacewalks (bringing her career total to ten). With a total of 665 days in space, Whitson holds the U.S. record, placing eighth on the all-time space endurance list.
The Iowa native also completed two six-month tours of duty aboard the station for Expedition 5 in 2002, and as the station commander for Expedition 16 in 2008. She accumulated 377 days in space between the two missions, the most for any U.S. woman at the time of her return to Earth.
In the evening following her lecture, Whitson will receive the 2018 Robert D. Ray Pillar of Character Award from the Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University.
— Aaron Jaco, University Communications
Both men’s and women’s basketball have had tremendous success this season and are primed for even more excitement in 2018-19. Fans will notice unique changes inside The Knapp Center prior to next season. New energy-efficient LED lights will be installed in May followed by a new game floor this summer.
All fans who place a deposit by April 2 will receive a piece of The Knapp Center floor in appreciation for their support of Drake Basketball. To secure your season tickets, a deposit of $50 per seat is required and will be applied to your season ticket balance. At the time of seat selection, you will have the option to pay for your tickets in full or enroll in a payment plan. Drake faculty and staff also qualify for discounted season tickets.
Join the ascent of Des Moines’ hometown teams by making your 2018-19 season ticket deposit today. Deposits can be made at The Knapp Center Ticket Office by calling 515-271-3647 or visiting www.draketix.com.
— Ryan Harris, Athletics
Register by March 30 to participate in the Nelson Institute Undergraduate Conference on Global Affairs on April 6 and 7 at Drake. The purpose of the conference is to recognize and share high-quality undergraduate research on global topics. Ambassador John K. Menzies, former chief of mission at the U.S. Office in Kosovo and U.S. ambassador to Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Xhavit Gashi, consul general for Kosovo in Des Moines, plan to share their expertise and offer a simulation on the Balkans. Students and faculty are encouraged to participate even if not presenting a paper.
— Denise Ganpat, Center for Global Citizenship
Cowles Library is hosting a contest to name its beloved bulldog statue. Submit a name idea by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11. Public voting for the winning name will take place the week of April 16. The winner will be unveiled on Friday, April 27. The person who submits the chosen name will win a $25 Amazon gift card.
— Carrie Dunham-LaGree, Cowles Library
All In, Drake’s annual 24-hour giving campaign, is next Thursday and Friday, April 5 and 6, from noon to noon. It marks a day when faculty, staff, alumni, students, parents, and friends unite to show their support and pride for the University. The campaign raises funds to support Drake’s greatest needs. The donations made will affect every area of campus and impact the life of every student, current and future.
https://www.facebook.com/allinDrake/videos/768465180030326/
VIDEO: For more videos and campaign updates follow the All In Facebook page.
As Drake employees, we commit ourselves to making Drake a better place every single day—and nobody knows Drake’s needs better than we do. Last year, 183 faculty and staff went All In, and overall, the campaign raised more than $150,000 from 852 donors. This year we aim to be even more successful.
In fact, this year three generous alums have joined together to offer a challenge. If 1,000 members of the Drake community make a gift during All In, they will collectively donate $50,000. This is a tremendous opportunity to make your gift go even further and help unlock a substantial amount of support for Drake.
Here are five more important reasons to give:
Think your gift won’t make a difference?
Think again. Collective giving makes a huge impact. Every gift, no matter the size, makes a difference, and puts us closer to achieving our goal of 1,000 donors and $50,000 for Drake.
You can make your gift during the event at drake.edu/all-in.
Attend the social and show your Drake pride
Attend a social on Thursday, April 5, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the lower level of Collier-Scripps Hall to celebrate All In. A drink ticket and snacks will be provided. This is an opportunity to learn more about All In. Don’t forget to wear your Drake gear to celebrate All In on April 5 and 6.
Want to know more?
If you have any questions about the event and how you can be All In, contact Becca Widmer, director of annual giving, at becca.widmer@drake.edu.
— Becca Widmer, University Advancement
More than 135 English bulldogs from 18 states registered to compete in Drake’s world-famous Beautiful Bulldog Contest set to take place April 22. From this record-breaking pool of bulldogs, only 40 (and 10 alternates) will be selected to compete in the contest, which crowns the official mascot of the 2018 Drake Relays presented by Hy-Vee.
A public lottery drawing will be held tonight, March 20, at 6 p.m. in The Knapp Center lobby to determine the contestants. During the lottery, an exciting panel of contest judges will also be announced.
Faculty, staff, and students are invited to attend both events—tonight’s lottery and the April 22 contest. The events are free and open to the public, and will be live-streamed on the Beautiful Bulldog Contest at Drake University Facebook page.
In conjunction with the contest and lottery, pet lovers are invited to contribute to the “Griff Gives Back” pet food drive. Last year the pet food drive, hosted by Griff, raised more than 5,000 pounds of food for the nonprofit Pet Project Midwest. Donations of adult dog and cat food are accepted on-site at the contest and lottery, or they can be taken to Drake Postal Operations located in the Olmsted Center.
— Niki Smith, University Communications
Online Programs hit an important milestone. It received its 100th application, which is well ahead of enrollment projections. Currently, there are 23 admits and 38 applicants for the online Master of Art in Communication program. The online Master of Science in Education: Effective Teaching has admitted five students, and in just a month, received 18 more applications.
Drake’s online programs will begin its second part of term (six-week session) on March 26, with Preview Week set to begin on March 19. Preview Week allows students to look at their classes, review syllabi, prepare their schedules, and view an introductory message from their instructor. This introductory look gives students the chance to make sure their class fits both their academic goals and personal schedule. If not, they can drop the course early, saving time and money.
Two more faculty have completed the Online Teaching Certificate through Quality Matters—quite a milestone. Several others have completed the two required modules for teaching online. Our instructional designers have met with many faculty to begin and support the process for designing their online course.
Finally, the instructional designers have developed several resources regarding designing and teaching online classes. These resources are available in Blackboard. If you would like access, please contact Christina Trombley at christina.trombley@drake.edu or at extension 2506. Christina is happy to answer questions or discuss online education with faculty and staff anytime.
— Christina Trombley, online programming
