In 1994, the Madelyn Levitt Awards were created in honor of Madelyn Levitt’s commitment to Drake and her ongoing interest in faculty and staff achievement and academic excellence. Each year they are awarded to various individuals in recognition of their excellence in a respective area of achievement consistent with Drake University’s mission and core values. 

Invitations for nominations for the various awards are accessible via the respective links below. All Drake faculty, staff, and students are invited and encouraged to nominate a Drake faculty member for the appropriate award(s) per the instructions included therein. Nominations are due February 6th.

 Nominations for the Madelyn Levitt Teacher of the Year Award.pdf 

 Nominations for the Madelyn Levitt Mentor of the Year Award.pdf 

 Nominations for the Madelyn Levitt Scholar of the Year Award.pdf 

— Anne Marie Greenwood, Office of the Provost

Drake University has been working with the City of Des Moines on ways to improve pedestrian safety on Forest Avenue. Recent changes include removing parking to allow for greater visibility, improved cross-walk signage from both directions, and most recently, speed feedback signs near 30th and 24th streets. However, these are temporary measures as the city is planning significant improvements to Forest Avenue. More on the research and recommendations for this project can be found here. Work is tentatively slated to begin next year.

— Nate Reagen, Office of the President

Warm up this Valentine’s day at the Rec Center’s Hot Chocolate Bar. Stop by the Rec Center on Friday, Feb. 13, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for free hot chocolate, festive toppings, and cozy vibes. Bring a friend, partner, your workout buddy, or treat yourself after a workout—because everyone deserves a little love and sweetness this Valentine’s Day!

Discover the real story behind a rising literary career with bestselling author and Drake graduate Ellen Won Steil, JO’07. Tune into this Everclass session on Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. as Ellen reflects on her path from Iowa to the bookshelves, sharing the quiet persistence, reinventions, and even failures that fueled The Lives of Others, Becoming Marlow Fin, and Fortune. She will also discuss what it is like to have one of her books optioned for development as a series on Peacock and how her background in journalism and law sharpened her voice as a storyteller. Perfect for creators seeking motivation, insight, and a candid look at the publishing world.

Register: https://drake-edu.zoom.us/meeting/register/-Up2zZbmQQW1dFm8gg_EDA#/registration

— Andy Verlengia, Alumni Relations

Philosophy. Politics. Law. Artificial intelligence in American elections is raising important questions about our society and civic life. Join three distinguished speakers at the Drake University Law School who will tackle AI’s real-life impact in past and future elections, followed by free refreshments. This event is free and open to the general public.

Speakers:
– Drake Philosophy Professor Jennifer McCrickerd, PhD
– Nebraska State Senator Tony Vargas
– Nyemaster Goode, P.C. Attorney Robert L. Palmer

Please RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ai-in-elections-sease-award-speaker-panel-tickets-1981856234347.

— Anthony J. Zarzycki, Law School

On Sunday, Feb. 15, from 3–5 p.m., Drake University’s The Comparison Project, in conjunction with the “Iowa Interfaith Exchange,” will host “Roads to Religion” in the Olmsted Center (Parents Hall) on Drake’s campus. The event, which is free and open to the public, features dozens of local religious communities, collectively representing 10+ religious (and spiritual) traditions. These communities will be arranged throughout the hall as on a map of the metro. Visitors will receive a map to guide their exploration.

 The event also includes musical and cultural performances by several of the participating communities. Food and drink will be provided by Drake’s catering service.

The Comparison Project engages in the practice of comparative philosophy of religion, increases understanding of local-lived religion, and cultivates interfaith literacy and leadership. It is supported by Drake’s Center for the Humanities, Drake’s Stringfellow and Hay Lectureships, Drake’s Slay Fund for Social Justice, Drake’s Principal Cener for Global Citizenship, Humanities Iowa, and Cultivating Compassion: The Dr. Richard Deming Foundation.

The ”Iowa Interfaith Exchange” includes Drake’s The Comparison Project along with CultureALL, the Des Moines Area Religious Council, and Interfaith Alliance of Iowa.

For more information, please visit: http://comparisonproject.wp.drake.edu, or email: comparisonproject@drake.edu.

— Timothy D Knepper, Professor of Philosophy/Comparison Project Director

In 1994, the Madelyn Levitt Awards were created in honor of Madelyn Levitt’s commitment to Drake and her ongoing interest in faculty and staff achievement and academic excellence. Each year they are awarded to various individuals in recognition of their excellence in a respective area of achievement consistent with Drake University’s mission and core values. 

Invitations for nominations for the various awards are accessible via the respective links below. All Drake faculty, staff, and students are invited and encouraged to nominate a Drake faculty member for the appropriate award(s) per the instructions included therein.   

 Nominations for the Madelyn Levitt Teacher of the Year Award.pdf 

 Nominations for the Madelyn Levitt Mentor of the Year Award.pdf 

 Nominations for the Madelyn Levitt Scholar of the Year Award.pdf 

— Anne Marie Greenwood, Office of the Provost

Drake professors Chris Porter and Chris Snider will host four virtual AI Lunch Club sessions starting Feb. 9 designed to help professionals, students, and curious learners understand and apply the latest generative AI tools.

All Drake faculty, staff, students and alumni are encouraged to sign up and share these events. There are sessions for beginners and advanced users of generative AI.

Feb. 9, 2026 – Getting Started with Generative AI

Feb. 16, 2026 – Gemini, Nano Banana and NotebookLM

Feb. 23, 2026 – Building Microsoft Copilot Agents

March 4, 2026 – Vibe coding with Claude, ChatGPT and Lovable

The sessions are free to attend thanks to a sponsorship from technology and management consultancy, Lean TECHniques. For more information, visit innovationprofs.com.

— Chris Snider, Professor of Digital Media

The Center for the Humanities invites you to join us in reading Natasha Brown’s razor-sharp 102-page novella, Assembly.

Drake students, faculty, or staff who want a book can request a free copy via this Google form.

Books will be available for pick-up at Nos Books, located in the Drake neighborhood, during the first 2 weeks of the spring semester (Jan 26-Feb 6). An optional but celebratory catered book chat will take place on Friday, March 6, at 10am, so readers can share their thoughts on the book.

The goals of this common read are to celebrate books and human ingenuity, and to promote connections among students, faculty, staff, and the Drake neighborhood through a focused reading experience. Please join us.

— Jeanette Tran, Associate Professor of English

The Center for the Humanities invites you to join us in reading Natasha Brown’s razor-sharp 102-page novella, Assembly.

Drake students, faculty, or staff who want a book can request a free copy via this Google form.

Books will be available for pick-up at Nos Books, located in the Drake neighborhood, during the first two weeks of the spring semester (Jan 26-Feb 6). An optional but celebratory catered book chat will take place on Friday, March 6, at 10 a.m., so readers can share their thoughts on the book.

The goals of this common read are to celebrate books and human ingenuity, and to promote connections among students, faculty, staff, and the Drake neighborhood through a focused reading experience. Please join us!

— Jeanette Tran, Associate Professor of English