Last month, John Gitua, associate professor of chemistry, was invited to speak at Egerton University in Kenya. While there, he also delivered a talk to students at St. Vincent Lioki Secondary School. After touring the both institutions, he was surprised to learn that the unavailability of books, including textbooks and fiction and non-fiction works, is a major problem among many schools. In the secondary school, there was not a single book in the library, only empty shelves.

To assist, Professor Gitua is collecting books to send to these schools. If you have textbooks or fiction/non-fiction works that you are not using and would like to donate, contact Professor Gitua at john.gitua@drake.edu. He will pick them up and ship them to the schools. Thank you in advance for your willingness to support these underprivileged students.

— John Gitua, College of Arts & Sciences

Registration is now open for the Drake University 2018 Learning Symposium, Building Trust: Leading the Conversation. The symposium will be Monday, Aug. 20, at the Olmsted Center. Please review the program to choose your break-out sessions prior to going to Eventbrite to register. For links to the program and Eventbrite, please visit the Learning Symposium web page.

— Drinda Williams, Provost’s Office

Nominations are open to faculty and staff for the Principal Financial Global Citizenship Award, recognizing outstanding contributions to global engagement and internationalization of the campus and curriculum. The selected awardee will receive a plaque, up to $3,000, and will be announced at the August 2018 Learning Symposium. A screening committee, appointed by the provost, will review all nominations and make recommendations to the provost. Nominations should be submitted to Bonnie Ehler at bonnie.ehler@drake.edu by June 30, 2018.

Nomination details:

A letter of nomination should be submitted recommending an individual for the award and explaining the context and manner in which the nominator has come to know the faculty or staff member. This letter should speak to the following qualifications:

Pursuant to the University’s mission to develop “responsible global citizens,” explain how the nominee has made outstanding contributions toward realizing the three main goals of the Internationalization and Global Engagement Strategic Plan, 2015-2020:

Goal 1: Serve as a global knowledge hub that brings value to external partners in local, national, and international settings.
Goal 2: Infuse global and multicultural perspectives across the campus and curriculum.
Goal 3: Develop infrastructure, resources, and communication systems to support internationalization and global engagement.

The nominee must be a faculty or staff member in at least her/his fourth year of service at the University. The nominee cannot have won this award within the past five years. Faculty and staff members who report directly to Drake International are ineligible.

Nominees who indicate a willingness to be considered will be invited to submit a c.v. and a statement discussing their contributions to the above goals. One or two letters of support from faculty, staff, or students will be accepted (this is optional). The deadline for submitting supporting materials is July 15.

Any individual who was nominated for the award in 2016 or 2017 may be re-nominated if the nominator resubmits a letter offering the individual for consideration this year. Files of previous nominees are maintained for two years. If a faculty member is re-nominated, the nominator will be invited to review the file from the previous year to ensure that the nomination is as current as possible.

Nomination letters are due by June 30, 2018, and should be sent as an attachment to bonnie.ehler@drake.edu. Questions may be directed to Jeff Kappen, acting director of the Principal Center for Global Citizenship, at jeffrey.kappen@drake.edu.

— Bonnie Ehler, Center for International Programs and Services

All Staff Council is sponsoring a Campus Scavenger Hunt tomorrow, June 13, from 12:30–2:30 p.m. Meet at Pomerantz Stage in Olmsted to sign up and participate in the hunt. Participants may work as a team of two or individually. Work your way across campus gathering photos of items found on the “clue” sheet.  After capturing an image of each item, race your way back to Pomerantz Stage for check-in and the chance to win a prize (and bragging rights). The Scavenger Hunt is not only an opportunity for you to see people and places across campus you may have never seen, but it’s also terrific exercise.

— Kerwin Dobbins, Education Teaching and Learning Department

The Woolverton Manufacturing e-store is your source to purchase Drake customized paper goods such as letterhead, envelopes, and business cards. The Competitive Edge e-Store is your source to purchase Drake branded giveaways and promotional merchandise such as pens, pencils, and pennants. Both Competitive Edge and Woolverton Manufacturing have agreed that orders placed through the e-stores on or before June 15 will be delivered and invoiced by June 30, unless a representative of one of those companies notifies the purchaser otherwise. Orders placed after June 15 will be delivered and invoiced after June 30. For questions, contact Sara Sommerlot at 271-2169 or at sara.sommerlot@drake.edu.

— Sara Sommerlot, University Communications & Marketing

A bicycle ride for staff and faculty will take place tomorrow, May 31. All abilities are welcome. Cyclists should meet in front of Old Main at 4:30 p.m. The route will depend on attendance. In the event of bad weather, the ride will be rescheduled.

— Amy Cutler, Law School

Last year, All Staff Council added a new committee, the Special Interest Committee. This committee explores initiatives, questions, and/or concerns presented to All Staff Council through research, planning, and collaboration with appropriate offices on campus.

Over the year, the committee reviewed recommendations that policy documents be added to the HR website. The committee has also been working on a staff mentoring program that will launch in August, 2018. At that time, if you are interested in becoming a mentor or mentee, you can fill out an application. Mentees will be matched with a fellow staff member and will build their mentoring relationship throughout the year. Stay tuned for the application and more information.

As a reminder, this committee seeks your suggestions, questions, or concerns. All suggestions are kept confidential.

The Special Interest Committee chair is Carla Herling, and the chair-elect is Andy Verlengia. Additional members of the committee are Shelly Biondi, Pam Pepper, Jennifer Reitano, Niki Smith, and Patrick Williams. If you have anything to reach out to the committee regarding, please direct those inquiries to chair Carla Herling at carla.herling@drake.edu or 515-271-2356.

— Niki Smith, University Communications & Marketing

Each month a faculty member, nominated by their dean, is recognized for their efforts to integrate innovative technology into their classroom.

May’s digital faculty member of the month: Jeff Inman, assistant professor of journalism, School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Read an interview between ITS and Jeff below.

Which courses do you use this technology in?
JMC 195: Mobile Application Development
JMC 172: Journalism Capstone

What type of technology do you use?
In the mobile app class, we bring together three different disciplines—computer science, graphic design, and journalism—to help ideate and execute proof-of-concept applications for Android devices. To make that happen, the class uses everything from Android emulators to InDesign to Trello to create truly inventive products.

As for the journalism capstone, it’s based around Urban-Plains.com, a multimedia website that covers the stories of the Midwest, from the latest trends in Chicago to the tales hidden in the cornfields of Nebraska. To do that, we use everything from 360 video to traditional written stories. Together, it creates a picture of the Midwest that is as eclectic as we all know it truly is.

In what context do you use this technology?
Both classes are built around collaborative projects everyone contributes to based on their skill sets and ambition; it’s all about creation. I merely act as a guide through each, helping students find the best way to achieve their goals. Technology is the tool that makes it happen.

How does this type of technology align with your teaching pedagogy?
Whatever helps tell a better story, create a better project or run a better team.

Where did you get the inspiration to make a change?
We live in a world that, technologically, is in a state of flux. There is always something new to learn, something new to try, and while we could teach students the best new tool, those often end up by the wayside. I think it’s better to teach students to experiment with technology and find the best way to get the results they want rather than stay locked into one tool or another.

Did ITS assist you in implementing this technology?
ITS set up 18 Android tablets for class. Otherwise, the students handle all the magic.

Are you interested in trying out new technology in your classroom? Want help from ITS staff? Schedule a technology adoption consultation.   

 —Erin Ulrich, CPHS, and Carla Herling, ITS