Bulldog Bucks are funds you can load onto your Drake ID card that can be used both on campus and off campus at some of our local neighborhood businesses or in the GrubHub app.  You can load funds at your convenience, and these funds carry forward from semester to semester while you are an active cardholder at Drake.  Visit the website www.acceptinglocations.com/drake to see which neighborhood businesses, along with restaurants on the GrubHub app, can accept your Bulldog Bucks. Funds can also be added at that website, or in the myDrake portal.

Current participating local merchants are Gursha Ethiopian Grill, Dough Co Pizza, Fernando’s Mexican Grill, Hummus Mediterranean Grill, and Lucky Horse Beer and Burgers…along with the many other restaurants on the GrubHub platform.

Please note that this program (and the Bulldog Bucks account in general) are available for both student and employee use.  Also, Bulldog Bucks are not your meal plan funds – those funds are called “Dining Dollars” and can only be used on campus at Drake Dining locations.  Bulldog Bucks can be used for on and off campus food, Drake Bookstore purchases, and printing transactions.

If you have any questions about this program, or are having trouble using your Bulldog Bucks at a local merchant, feel free to email studentservices@drake.edu.  We’ll be happy to help you troubleshoot or answer questions. The most common issues are trying to spend Dining Dollars instead of Bulldog Bucks, or trying to spend more than is in your account.  Both of those options will result in a denied transaction, and you’ll either want to split your payment method or use another.

We hope you’ll take advantage of ordering food both on and off campus with our different dining options. 

—  Sara Heijerman, Manager, Campus Card Office

Students, faculty, and staff are invited to register for a Mental Health First Aid training led by professor of occupational therapy Dr. Christine Urish. This training will benefit Pi Theta Epsilon, the occupational therapy student academic honor society.

Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an evidence-based training program administered by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing that teaches you how to identify, understand and respond to signs of mental health and substance use challenges.

The training will take place on March 25, 2023, from 8:30 am – 4:30 pm in the Occupational Therapy Building (Room #009) on campus located at 3003 Forest Ave across from McDonald’s.

Please email Dr. Urish christine.urish@drake.edu to register or ask questions. Space is limited.

The enrollment cost is $100 and that includes registration and a manual. Checks can be made out to Pi Theta Epsilon. Cash is also accepted.

— Kaylyn Maher, College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences

On Friday, Feb. 10, from 12–1:30 p.m. in the Cowles Library Reading Room, the Political Science department will  host an informal discussion on current events. President Biden’s State of the Union address and the approaching anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will probably feature among the topics, but many others can be covered. All are welcome to bring their lunch, questions, and civilly-expressed opinions.

— Kieran Williams, Assistant Professor of Politics

The Nelson Institute will again be hosting a student research symposium as part of the spring Global Citizen Forum to be held March 1–3, 2023. Proposals to present research as the symposium are due Friday, Feb. 10. The theme for the 2023 Global Citizen Forum is Social impact and responsibility.

The Nelson Student Research Symposium promotes a university-wide discourse on global intercultural tops. It is recommended that presentation topics for the 2023 symposium with one (or more!) of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs provide a framework for tackling complex global issues such as poverty, sustainable communities, climate action, and justice.

While Research presentations that support the theme are encouraged, all global topics from any academic discipline are welcome. We anticipate that the presentations will be about 15 minutes each. Undergraduate and graduate students are both eligible to present at the symposium.

Below are a few reasons why students (including, potentially, you!) should be encouraged to consider submitting papers for the symposium.

• It is a great opportunity to practice presentation skills, and obtain useful feedback!
• It is a platform to share the outcomes of research on a global topic of interest.
• It is a great addition to resumes, especially for students who are considering going to graduate school.

Proposal Submission

Papers (or concepts) should be submitted via Qualtrics form. Deadline: Friday. February 10^th, 2023.

Questions?

Learn more by visiting the Nelson Institute website or by contacting Professor Jimmy Senteza at jimmy.senteza@drake.edu.

— Hannah Sappenfield, Global Engagement

The Office of Sustainability is conducting a transportation survey to gain insight on the transportation behaviors of students, faculty, and staff. Your feedback will provide important information to make sustainable transportation more obtainable and convenient. More importantly, it will provide a baseline for Drake to accurately track scope three greenhouse gas emissions. This will allow Drake to complete an updated carbon footprint report and track the University’s progress toward meeting the carbon reduction targets outlined in the Climate Action Plan.

Thank you to those of you who have completed the survey.  If you haven’t, please take five minutes to complete it.  The survey is quick, anonymous, and will help Drake identify opportunities to reduce our Carbon footprint.

For more information about alternative transportation and Drake’s sustainability initiatives, visit Drake’s Sustainability Website.

— Hannah Remke, Sustainability Coordinator

The Adams Leadership Award ceremony is an annual, campus-wide tradition to celebrate the achievements of student leaders and organizations at Drake University. Each spring we honor students and organizations who have made valuable contributions to the campus community through their outstanding commitment to leadership.

Consider nominating any Drake students and student organizations who have exhibited strong leadership and excellence throughout the 2022–2023 academic year. Nominations can be submitted by any Drake student, faculty, or staff member. Award categories include:

• Outstanding First Year Student
• Outstanding Residence Hall Leader
• Outstanding Equity and Inclusion Program
• Oreon E. Scott Outstanding Senior of the Year
• …and many more!

View a full list of awards and the nomination form here. The nomination deadline is Sunday, April 9th.

All award nominees and winners will be recognized at the 2023 Adams Leadership Awards ceremony in Sheslow Auditorium on Saturday, May 6th at 2pm. (Save the date! All students, faculty, and staff are invited to attend.)

If you have any questions, please contact Kristin Economos, director of student leadership programs, at kristin.economos@drake.edu.

— Kristin Economos, Office of Student Involvement and Leadership