Drake Alumni Relations and the College of Business and Public Administration invite faculty, staff, and alumni to meet Dan Connolly, the new dean of the College of Business and Public Administration, over a cup of coffee Nov. 9. Stop by Turner Jazz Center on your way to work for a light breakfast and conversation. Coffee, muffins, and fruit will be provided from 7:30 to 9 a.m.

For questions, contact Andy Verlengia at andrew.verlengia@drake.edu.

—Dianna Gray, College of Business and Public Administration

Robert Russell, professor of theology and science from Berkeley, will speak in Sussman Theatre on Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. His lecture, “Does ‘the God who acts’ really act? Special divine action via quantum mechanics that is objective but not miraculous,” is free to attend.

Russell will describe a new way to achieve a theory of divine action in which God’s action makes an objective difference in the processes of nature without in any way being a violation of, or intervention into, these processes: “NIODA” (non-interventionist objective divine action). He argues that quantum mechanics offers a promising approach for NIODA and may allow Christian theology to view God as acting in, with, and through the biological evolution of life.

Russell is founder and director of the Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences (CTNS) and the Ian G. Barbour Professor of Theology and Science at the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, CA. He is a leading researcher and spokesperson for the growing international body of theologians and scientists committed to a positive dialogue and creative mutual interaction between these fields. He received a PhD in physics from the University of California at Santa Cruz (1978) and an MA in theology and an M.Div. from Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley (1972).

—Kayla Jenkins, College of Arts and Sciences

The third annual Women in STEM event will take place Friday, Oct. 27 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Science Connector Building, Room 301.

The event is an opportunity for female students in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math to connect with other women who have similar interests and visit informally with women leaders in their fields, including faculty, staff, alumni, and community members.

Female STEM students are encouraged to attend and bring their friends who are exploring similar fields or recruits who are on campus for STEM at Drake Day.

The event is open to students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members. Light refreshments will be served.

For questions, contact Suzanne Clayton at suzanne.clayton@drake.edu.

—Karley Ross

The Drake Constitutional Law Center is hosting a lecture featuring Justin Driver, Harry N. Wyatt Professor of Law at The University of Chicago Law School, on Oct. 26, at 3 p.m. in Cartwright Hall, Room 213. The lecture, “Free Speech in Public Schools: From Black Armbands to BONG HiTS FOR JESUS,” is free and open to the public.

During the lecture, Driver will discuss the controversial topic of free speech in public schools, citing two milestone Supreme Court cases: Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (the “black armband case”) and Morse v. Frederick, in which student Joseph Frederick was suspended after displaying a banner reading “BONG HiTS 4 JESUS.”

Prior to joining the University of Chicago Law School, Driver was a professor of law at the University of Texas and a visiting professor at Harvard, Stanford, and the University of Virginia. He also served as a law clerk to Judge Merrick B. Garland of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and Justice Stephen Breyer of the U.S. Supreme Court. Driver has been published in the Yale Law Journal, Columbia Law Review, Harvard Law Review, and more.

For more information, see the news release.

—Kayla Choate, Law School

Volleyball
Drake vs. Valparaiso
Oct. 20 at 7 p.m.
The Knapp Center

Men’s Soccer
Drake vs. Evansville
Oct. 21 at 3 p.m.
Cownie Soccer Complex

Volleyball
Drake vs. Loyola
Oct. 21 at 7 p.m.
The Knapp Center

For questions, contact 515-271-3647 or tickets@drake.edu.

—Tom Florian, Drake Athletics

Join fellow Bulldogs at the Marriott in downtown Des Moines Oct. 26 at 7 a.m. for breakfast and a preview of this year’s Drake basketball seasons. Hear the latest from head coaches Niko Medved and Jennie Baranczyk while enjoying a delicious spread. To attend, RSVP at DrakeTix.com/tipoff by Oct. 20. The event cost $15 to attend.

For questions, contact Austin Strawhacker at 515-271-2228, austin.strawhacker@drake.edu.

—Tom Florian, Drake Athletics

On Nov. 9, at 7 p.m. in Sheslow Auditorium, Victor Padilla from RSM will lead a discussion on the use of data analytic tools, public information, and visualization techniques to detect and uncover fraudulent activity. The lecture is sponsored by the Drake School of Accounting and Financial Executives International. It is open to the public and free to attend.

—Stephen Gara, College of Business and Public Administration

Drake’s Disability Action Awareness Community will hold its annual Day in the Life event Oct. 22 at 8 p.m. in Parents Hall South. Participants will be broken into small groups and given a profile on someone with a disability. Then, they will have to problem solve through the many adversities they face on a daily basis. The event is designed to shed light on what it is like to live with a disability. Food will be provided.

—Courtney Nelson

On Oct. 23 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., join the Drake Law Federalist Society for a thought-provoking discussion about the law enforcement practice of civil asset forfeiture and its effect on society and the criminal justice system. The discussion will be held in Opperman Hall, LL19. It is open to the public, and food will be provided.

—James Bump

The eleventh annual CHINA Town Hall will take place Oct. 24 and will feature Ambassador Susan E. Rice, former national security advisor and U.S. ambassador to the UN, as the webcast speaker.

CHINA Town Hall is a national conversation about the country’s economic, political, and security relations with China. More than 80 venues around the country, including Drake, participate in the event. The webcast will be shown from 6 to 8 p.m. in Sussman Theater, and will be preceded by a live, on-site discussion with Ira Kasoff titled, “Are We on the Verge of the Chinese Century.” The event is free and open to the public.

China’s emergence as a global power, role as an important trading partner, and potential collaborator in key U.S. global policies ensures that U.S.-China relations will affect the lives of every American. This discussion will help participants to understand the challenges and opportunities of what has been characterized as the most important bilateral relationship of the 21st century.

Ira Kasoff is an author and senior counselor with APCO Worldwide. He is a former deputy assistant secretary for Asia with the U.S. Department of Commerce, principal commercial officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Shanghai, commercial counselor at the American Embassy in Tokyo, and senior commercial officer at the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong. Earlier in his career, Kasoff worked for the Boston Consulting Group, the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations, and as the Beijing representative for the Fuqua World Trade Corporation.

Ambassador Susan E. Rice was national security advisor (2013–2017) for the Obama administration and U.S. permanent representative to the UN (2009–2013), as well as U.S. assistant secretary of state for African affairs and senior director for African affairs at the National Security Council. Her critical role as a presidential advisor developing and executing U.S. foreign policy make her perspective on the relationship especially relevant during this uncertain time in the bilateral relationship.

—Jeffrey Kappen, College of Business & Public Administration