The Office of Alumni Relations is pleased to welcome Courtney Conrad to the role of assistant director of regional engagement and Greg Lin to the role of assistant director of volunteer engagement. Courtney and Greg will begin their new positions Monday, Sept. 20.

Please take a moment to learn more about Courtney and Greg below and join me in warmly welcoming them to Drake.

Courtney Conrad
Courtney recently relocated to Des Moines from Colorado where she served as the Coordinator of Transition Programs at Colorado State University. Courtney brings with her a wealth of experience in program development and execution. While at CSU Courtney took a significant program idea that had been a concept for several years, refined it, and carried it through to execution.

Her references shared the following comments:

“Her ability to connect with others and serve as a mentor is unbeatable. She can engage with anyone, any age, any background. She asks the right questions (valued skill I admired in her) and seems to be the staff member that many of my teammates miss the most. She has an ability to leave that mark/impact on others through her first conversation.”

“Working with Courtney has been one of the greatest gifts of my professional career in Higher Ed.  She is hands down incredible.”

In her role, Courtney will be tasked with managing all aspects of our regional alumni outreach and engagement including volunteer management, event programming, and communication. Courtney will serve as the staff liaison to our eleven regional advisory boards (RABs) across the country. Additionally, she will also be responsible for developing and executing strategic virtual engagement programs including the Back to Class series.

Greg Lin
Greg has worked at Drake for the past five years serving as an Assessment Coordinator in Institutional Research. In his time at Drake Greg has built countless personal and professional relationships across campus. His experience working with data and assessment, coupled with his natural relationship building skills will serve the department well. 

Greg is currently the President of the Young Professionals Connection of Greater Des Moines and is also a 2021 Des Moines Business Record 40 under 40 recipient. 

His references shared the following comments: 

“Greg left for his position at Drake several years ago. He still frequently communicates with several of his former peers after all this time. We just finished preparing for our accreditation visit in March, and it was commented several times that we were very well prepared because of processes that Greg implemented during his time here. Greg Lin is someone that if you encounter him, you don’t forget him. You don’t forget his kindness, his selflessness, his dedication, his intellect, his contributions, or his work ethic. I know that he would be a valuable asset to any team that welcomed him.”

In his role, Greg will be tasked with establishing and growing a dynamic volunteer program through volunteer selection and management, communication, and event programming. Greg will also be responsible for supporting our LGBTQ+ and Black Alumni Association affinity groups, helping foster deep connections between alumni and with students.

—Andy Verlengia, Alumni Relations

It is with great sadness that we share the passing of Robert R. Shultz, 102, who taught piano and theory at Drake University from 1946 until his retirement in 1984. He also served as the assistant dean of the music department for several years.

Bob served as president of the Iowa Music Teachers Association and Civic Music Association, and was on the board of directors for the Des Moines Symphony. The Iowa Music Teachers Association awarded him the Distinguished Service Award in 1983. The Music Teachers National Association awarded him the Iowa Foundation Fellow Award in 2015. Bob was an adjudicator for piano competitions, a piano tuner, a woodworker, and built Mozart pianos and a harpsichord. He wrote the manual, “The Pianists Interpretation of Bach,” used by many teachers and students. His interests were many, his talents immeasurable, his spirit indefatigable, his goodness ever-present.

He will be dearly missed by his family, friends, and students. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or American Lung Association. Read Bob’s full obituary.

Ann Guddall and Marietta Jackson were surprised with True Blue awards by the All Staff Council Recognition Committee this month.

Ann Guddall, budget manager, Academic Affairs, was recognized for “being reliable and generous with her time and expertise. Ann leads the academic budget officers and does so with thoughtful and clear communication. She is always direct and always professional. She has fostered so much teamwork among the BOMs.” Ann is a true example of We are All in This Together. She was nominated by Drinda Williams.

Marietta Jackson, Sodexo manager, was recognized for “always having a smile on her face and being happy to go the extra mile to make sure everything goes smoothly at the register and behind the counter. Marietta is the pentacle of customer service and is very welcoming to all.” Marietta is a true example of Joyful Accountability. She was nominated by Teresa Downs.

If you would like to recognize a staff member for being True Blue, visit our webpage to learn more and submit a nomination.

Meet Executive Chef Angela Shultz
Chef Angela is originally from Hancock, Iowa, and received her AAS in Culinary Arts from Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids—but it wasn’t long until her education and pursuit of her craft took her to the pacific northwest where she gained extensive experience in everything from fast-food to fine dining.

She’s been with Sodexo for seven-plus years now, and recently moved from Seattle to get back to her Iowa roots with the Drake Dining team, and we’re thrilled to see chef in action at Hubbell Dining Hall. “I love new challenges,” she said. “We have so much diversity in our kitchen and I can’t wait to work alongside our team and learn their food and culture. I’m so excited about all the possibilities this new dining hall can offer.”

Chef Kevin Fletcher
Chef Kevin was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio, where he cut his teeth and honed his culinary skills in fast-paced casino kitchens and healthcare systems where high-volume food production was the name of the game. He joined the Drake Dining team in Spring of 2020. Chef Kevin’s favorite ingredient to work with is lamb, but also loves to experiment with different types of chocolate.

He’s eager to flex his culinary chops in the newly remodeled Hubbell Dining Hall, and says, “I’m most excited to show the new, innovative and fun ideas that we’re cooking up for the new school year!” Look for Chef Kevin next time you dine at the Hubb!

— Casey Morgan, Dining Services

The Des Moines Film Society will be hosting outdoor movie events on September 17 and 18 at the corner of 25th Street and Carpenter Avenue, just steps away from the Varsity. All proceeds go to the redevelopment and reopening of the Varsity Cinema.

Popcorn, snacks, and soft drinks will be available for purchase. Bring a chair or blanket, sit on the lawn, and enjoy the show! Limited tickets are available. Advance purchase is recommended.

The Friday, Sept. 17, show will be Moon Rise Kingdom. A pre-show DJ set from The Dust Bros., inspired by the music of Wes Anderson, will begin at 7 p.m.

The Saturday, Sept. 18, show is a special advanced screening of Storm Lake. There will be a post-screening Q&A with the film’s directors and Art Cullen, editor of the Storm Lake Times.

Find more information

— Ryan Arnold, Director, Community Engagement

The expense of returning to school often entails far more than the cost of tuition. Students and the parents/caregivers who support them are wise to look for the best deals possible, but scammers, spammers, and phishers are looking to outsmart you at every turn.

These common back-to-school scams offer the perfect study guide for protecting yourself from security threats.

1. SMS giveaways and freebies

Congratulations! You’ve just received a text message saying you’ve been awarded a free back-to-school shopping spree. You just have to visit a website, provide your email address… and you will be “rewarded” with endless emails, texts and automated phone calls from the company you’ve just given your information to.

Bonus: You’ll also get solicitations from the marketing companies they’ve sold your information to if you happen to agree with their privacy policy before catching on to the phony SMS message.

Most companies don’t market via SMS. If you’re curious about whether the deal is legitimate, search for the company and the deal it’s claiming to offer online. If you don’t see your offer listed, you are being phished.

2. Social media scams

You know the familiar Facebook sidebar, advertising deals, offers and giveaways that seem too good to be true; and they often are. Common back-to-school scams show up in the form of ads promising desirable mobile devices, $1000 gift cards and department store vouchers for a fraction of the price.

These seemingly unbeatable deals often lure curious Facebook users away from their news feeds to investigate further. They are particularly dangerous because they often only depend on the user clicking the advertisement. Instead of being one click away from a $19.99 iPad, you’re downloading malware onto your electronic device.

3. Advertisements

Whether they’re arriving by pop-up, sidebar or email, always inspect back-to-school advertisements and promotions closely. A poorly constructed malicious ad will often feature spelling errors, bad grammar and distorted or unfamiliar company logos, but many scam advertisements are hard to spot at first and even second glance.

One way to ensure an advertisement is authentic is to search for the language appearing in the ad along with the company name through a reputable search engine. If nothing comes up (or if the search results look just as suspicious), the ad is likely a fraud.

Scammers and phishers purposely make it easy to click your way right into a situation that compromises your private data. Ensure your security software is up to date on all devices you use for web browsing and be wary of clicking on links from unknown sources. To help you identify fraudulent emails, 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).

— Carla Herling, ITS

It has been a busy, yet quiet summer, and it is wonderful to see more activity on campus again. As we start another school year, I want to share some updates to ITS services and projects we are working on. 

This fall, the support center in Carnegie Hall is open again for student walk-in assistance, however ITS recommends using the IT service portal at service.drake.edu/its (or click the ITS Support button in myDrake) or calling 515-271-3001 for assistance. ITS staff will first try to resolve issues remotely. In-person appointments for faculty and staff will be scheduled if remote resolution isn’t successful. 

New Systems and Services  

• Some of the most important technology ITS supports is in the classroom. Last year, ITS received funding to begin a two-year project to update classroom technology across campus. You’ll start to see new equipment and designs in classrooms this fall! Tools for online instruction also got a major boost this year with the upgrade to Blackboard Ultra.
    
• We are currently working with our vendor, LRI, to replace campus printers and copiers. While our goal was to have all printers installed before classes began, global supply chain delays in equipment delivery will extend the roll out into the school year. Please bear with us as we work to distribute and install new equipment as quickly as possible.

• One of the most exciting projects of the summer was the full upgrade of the wireless network in residence halls. New wireless access points have been installed in every room and relocated in common areas to provide stronger and more consistent wireless coverage.
   
• Last year ITS began moving all campus telephones from the old analog system to Microsoft Teams Voice over IP (VoIP) services. Our 20-year-old telecom system is no longer vendor supported. We are more than halfway through the transition to VoIP. Call quality and service should return to normal as we complete this move and are able to fully decommission our old system.

Information Technology Security 

Cybersecurity, data breaches, ransomware and phishing at colleges and universities have become frequent headlines. To ensure our personal and institutional information is protected, ITS is implementing several new security measures.  

1. Longer password requirements that are stronger and harder to crack
   Password length is more effective than frequently updating your password. Until recently, Drake’s minimum requirement was eight characters including upper- and lower-case letters, symbols and numbers. This combination now takes less than 8 hours to crack, compared to 34,000 years for a 12-character password. ITS has increased the minimum required password length to 12 characters and is extending the reset schedule from every year to every two years.
2. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for students
   Using multiple methods of verification is the most effective way to prevent compromised email accounts. Rather than just signing in with your username and password an additional authentication method such as a PIN or mobile app will be used to access email and other Drake accounts.  

In closing, on behalf of all ITS, I want to thank you for your support as we roll out these technology changes. We look forward to another year of supporting our community and furthering the innovative use of technology to enhance the Drake experience for students, faculty, and staff.  

— Keren Fiorenza, Acting CITO, Information Technology Services 

The College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences is partnering with Hy-Vee Pharmacy to offer flu vaccinations on campus at the Harkin Center, 2800 University Avenue, for Drake University faculty, staff, and students.

Sign up for an appointment

Appointments will be offered on Mondays, 8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m., and Fridays, 12 to 3 p.m., from Sept. 13 through Oct. 15.

IMPORTANT: Approximately 10–14 days prior to your appointment, you will receive an email from nora.stelter@drake.edu with a secure link from Hy-Vee to complete the online vaccination consent form and enter your prescription insurance information.

You must complete this online consent form at least two days prior to your scheduled flu vaccination clinic appointment.

Prescription insurance is required for this flu vaccination clinic. (We are unable to accept cash/credit card payments for services at this clinic). Most insurance plans cover the cost of a flu vaccination.

For individuals without prescription insurance, flu vaccinations are available for $25 at the Drake Student Health Center. Contact the Drake Student Health Center to make an appointment at: 515–271–3731.

— Nora Stelter, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice

The Drake University LGBTQ+ Alumni and Allies are hosting a Rainbow Welcome networking event on Wednesday, Sept. 22, at 7 p.m. at the Alumni House (2700 University Avenue). New and current students, alumni and allies, faculty, and staff are invited to attend. We’ll share information, resources, food, and fun. Meet leaders on campus and in the community who will energize your Bulldog experience!

— Jennifer Harvey, Campus Equity and Inclusion

The College of Arts and Sciences invites students, faculty, and staff to the 37th annual Stalnaker Lecture featuring Maura Lyons, professor of art history. The event will take place Sept. 23 at 6:30 p.m. in Sheslow Auditorium.

“Cut, Paste, Repeat: Satirical Collages from the U.S. Civil War”

We think of our fraught era as one in which visual satire reigns supreme. But similar strategies were employed more than 150 years ago. In this presentation, Professor Maura Lyons will explore collages that spoofed leading political and military figures during the U.S. Civil War. These collages, which combine photography and other media and hover between portraiture and caricature, reveal both the power and limitations of “cutting and pasting” during a time of national crisis.

— Kayla Jenkins, College of Arts and Sciences