When one of Trent Grundmeyer’s students moved out of state, he found an innovative way for her to continue her education despite being thousands of miles away: a robot named Trebek. Trebek is on wheels and has an iPad attached to it with a speaker and webcam. The student controlled it from her home and had the capability to hear, speak, and interact with the class, similar to if she were physically present.

Grundmeyer was selected as ITS’ Digital Faculty Member of the Month. See a brief interview with Grundmeyer below.

What course(s) do you use this technology in? 

• EDL 276: Application of Law, Mandates and Policy
• DOC 360: Technology and Organizational Leadership

In what context do you use this technology? 

Simulation, group discussions, reflections, remote participation.  Remote participation is achieved through the use of a robot named “Trebek.” Watch a video and WHO news story about Trebek.

How does this type of technology align with your teaching pedagogy?

I’ve always tried to integrate technology in the classroom to improve instructional practices, retention and be able to maximize instructional time. The technology I utilize is designed and leveraged to help students meet the course objectives.

Where did you get the inspiration to make a change?

I try to stay current on education technology trends and tools through social media, networking, social media, and other means.

How long did it take for you to implement this technology? 

I always reflect after each class and try to continue to try to implement technology when it fits my criteria.

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 

Daniel Connolly, dean of the College of Business & Public Administration, completed his first publication under the Drake name, “2017 Customer Engagement Technology Study: Targeting Experience.” His collaboration with a colleague from UNLV and Hospitality Technology included a study on the trends and adoption of technology in the hospitality industry to support customer engagement and customer experience. The study was published in August 2017.

Ina Purvanova, associate professor of management and international business, collaborated with three students, Michelle Raymer, Marissa Reed, and Melissa Speigel, as well as three MPA alumni, to publish the paper, “An Examination of Generational Stereotypes as a Path Towards Reverse Ageism,” in the August 2017 issue of The Psychologist-Manager Journal. The publication was a result of a MPA Capstone project that piqued Purvanova’s interest.

Anna Clark, assistant professor of public administration, conducted a study along with co-author, Evgenia Gorina, on the effects of emergency financial management on small Michigan cities. Municipal financial indicators were traced for three fiscally-stressed cities across more than a decade and examined the roles of state-appointed emergency managers in addressing the cities’ financial woes. The paper, “Emergency Financial Management in Small Michigan Cities: Short-term Fix or Long-term Sustainability?,”  went to press in the fall 2017 issue of Public Administration Quarterly.

Alanah Mitchell, associate professor of information systems, and Liping Zheng, associate professor of economics, presented the paper, “Examining Longhand vs. Laptop Debate: Evidence from a Replication,” at the Americas Conference on Information Systems in Boston.

Lynn McCool, assistant professor of practice in business communications, published a textbook titled Professional and Written Business Communication in a collaboration with Great River Learning. The textbook is designed to be an interactive, digital experience and is specifically designed to meet the needs of the CBPA undergraduate students. This fall, Drake students are using the text in BUS-074: Professional Written Communication.

—Dianna Gray, CBPA

Drake has been accepted into the CFA Institute’s University Affiliation program. An Affiliated University means that its curriculum is closely tied to the practice of investment management and is helpful to students preparing for the CFA program exams.

—Dianna Gray, CBPA

The Central Iowa chapter of Public Relations Society of America recognized graduate and undergraduate students in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication for their public relations work for local clients.

Master of Communication Leadership capstone students won a PRIME Award in the Community Champion category for their YMCA Supportive Housing Campus Plan, and undergraduate students in the PR Planning class won a PRIME Award in the student category for their USDA Farm to School Communications Plan.

The awards will be presented at the annual PRSA conference on Oct. 25 in Des Moines.

— Kathleen Richardson, SJMC

The Division of Student Affairs/Student Life promoted Joe Campos from community standards officer to associate dean of students on Sept. 1.

In his new role, Joe will serve as the University’s liaison to the student body. He will provide leadership assistance to the dean of students, evaluate division policies pursuant to student life, provide support to students and families during crisis situations, keep the dean informed and connected to student organizations, and much more.

Joe graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and minor in psychology, and a master’s in educational leadership policy study.

He has more than 10 years of experience in higher education working with diverse student groups. Before coming to Drake, he served as the residence director of administration at the University of Illinois–Chicago and the assistant director of student conduct at Iowa State University.

Joe will play a vital role in enhancing the Drake experience for students, while upholding the values and responsibilities of the University.

Please congratulate Joe on his new position. He can be reached at 271-4199 or joe.campos@drake.edu. Or, stop by his office in Old Main, Suite 205.

— Jerry Parker, Dean of Students

This summer, four new faculty members joined the College of Business and Public Administration. The college also celebrated the promotions of four professors.

Meet CBPA’s new faculty members:
Douglas Bujakowski, assistant professor of actuarial science and risk management, comes to Drake from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a graduate of Ohio State University with degrees in actuarial science and economics. He received his doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in risk and insurance.

Doug is originally from Cleveland, Ohio. He enjoys adventure sports and has participated in skydiving, canyoneering, flyboarding, mountain climbing, and whitewater rafting. His other hobbies include ping pong, running, and strategy games.

Anna Clark, assistant professor of public administration, comes to Drake from Texas Women’s University. She received her bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Denver. She continued her education at the University of Texas at Dallas where she received her master of public administration and doctorate of public affairs.

Before academia she worked as a baker’s apprentice, ran a law office, and sold cars. She grew up near Denver, Colo. She loves ethnic food and would welcome any suggestions for local Thai, Indian, Greek, or Lebanese restaurants.

Lendie Follett, assistant professor of business analytics, previously taught at Iowa State University where she also received her BS, MS, and doctorate in statistics.

In her free time, Lendie likes to cook delicious food, read good books, and go bird watching. She has two highly intelligent cats named Franklin and Ginger.

Denise Hill, associate professor of practice in public administration, is already a member of the Drake family. Previously, she taught in Drake’s Law School where she also received her JD.

Before law school, she completed her bachelor’s in political science and communications at Wartburg College and her master of public administration in state and local government at Drake.

Denise is an expert in health law, policy, compliance, and ethics. She was the 51st Youth Governor of New York State during the term of Mario Cuomo. The following year, she interned for Gov. Terry Branstad. Before discovering her passion for teaching and law, she was an athletic trainer during her first two years of college.

Promotions:
Congratulations to Deb Bishop, promoted to professor of practice in management and international business; Andy Norman, promoted to professor of marketing; Rick Long, promoted to associate professor of practice of finance; and Sean Severe, who achieved tenure and was promoted to associate professor of economics.

—Dianna Gray, College of Business and Public Administration