Register today for the 2021 Blueprint Men’s Summit held virtually Oct. 13 and 14 at 6 p.m. Registration is FREE. The Blueprint Men’s Summit is an empowering conference designed to develop, inspire, and motivate attendees to become the best version of themselves. This year’s conference has an exciting lineup of guests and speakers including Daymond John of Shark Tank, Luke James of The Chi, Academy and Emmy award-winning band leader Jon Batiste, and Dr. Jerome Adams, former United States Surgeon General, to name a few.

The Blueprint Men’s Summit isn’t just for men. Both women and men who are looking to grow and develop in all areas of life are encouraged to attend!

The event is hosted by Drake alumnus and Board of Trustee member Louis Carr. Carr is president of media sales at Black Entertainment Television (BET) Networks and founder of Blueprint Men’s Summit. Make sure to reserve your virtual seat at the summit today!

Help Your Shelf initiative is a new campus resource for students who may need school supplies or personal care items. Beginning Monday, Oct. 11, items such as notebooks, pens, pencils, backpacks or other school-related items, and personal care items will be available to students who may not have the financial resources to purchase them. Items will be stored in Meredith Hall, Room 104. Whenever the room is not scheduled for an event (a weekly schedule is posted on the outside of the room) students may go in and retrieve the items they need. If you want to donate items, please contact Sofia Turnbull, 515–271–4615, sofia.turnbull@drake.edu.

—Hannah Clayborne, Dean of Students

The University Bookstore is offering a special price on MV Sport crewneck and hooded sweatshirts. For a limited time, crewnecks are $19.95 and hoodies are $24.95. In-store and online.

— Kyle McVay, University Bookstore

Grab your walking shoes and join this year’s Healthiest State Walk on Wednesday, Oct. 6.

We know that you spend a lot of time working, and it is important to find ways to prioritize staying healthy and active.  The Iowa Healthiest State 11^th Annual Walk, presented by Delta Dental of Iowa, is a great way to get started, or keep moving.

To mitigate risk, we will not meet as a large group to start the walk together this year.  Instead, we are asking faculty, staff, and students to take a break sometime during the day on Oct. 6 and go for a walk.  Thirty minutes is ideal, but any amount of time is great.  If you are on campus, walk the Bulldog Mile.  This one-mile path begins on the sidewalk east of the Olmsted Center.  Just follow the signage and big blue paw prints.

As an added bonus, everyone who sends an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu after they complete their Healthiest State Walk, will be placed in a drawing for a chance at prizes!

Let’s get moving and “Walk the Dog” – the “Bulldog Mile”!

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Drake University will switch from cooling to heating in mid-October based on outside temperatures. The tentative switchover date is Oct. 18. We will monitor the forecast closely over the next few weeks and adjust this date accordingly.

The changeover process takes Facilities Planning and Management about a week to drain the loops and switch systems from one mode (cooling) to the other (heating). We start with the residence halls first since these buildings are occupied 24/7. Once the switch occurs, there is no changing back until the next cooling season (in mid-April).

Thanks for your patience during this fall season when air conditioning may not be available and we prepare to switch from cooling to heat. If a room is not comfortable, please let us know so our staff can see if adjustments can be made.

— Aaron Edwards, Facility Planning and Management

The Spring 2022 schedule of classes and related registration information is available online. Registration begins Monday, Nov. 1.

View registration information, including the registration time table that shows when you become eligible to register. View the schedule of classes.

Some courses will be temporarily reserved for students who have declared a certain field-of-study (major, minor, concentration, or endorsement). On Monday, Nov. 15, those reservations will be removed. Note that some courses have restrictions that are permanent.

If you are an undergraduate or pharmacy student intending to make any changes to your field-of-study and have those changes take effect before registration begins, you must file your changes via the change of record request no later than 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 25. Requests submitted after this date may not be accommodated until Wednesday, Nov. 17.

— Ryan Trump, Office of the Registrar

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.