Steve Blaylock, locksmith in Facilities Planning and Management, received the Custodial/Maintenance of the Month award from the National Association of College and University Residence Halls, Inc. (NACURH) for the month of November. He was honored for his outstanding work on campus. Steve was nominated for his never-ending care for the welfare of the students residing in Ross Hall. His dedication to going above and beyond to resolve an issue extends to his approach with all members of the Drake campus. We extend our congratulations to Steve and are proud of his accomplishments.

Hard work and dedication are a standard in Facilities Planning and Management. In September of this year, the Facilities Grounds Department was nominated for the award, and although they did not win, we wish to express our gratitude for their efforts. In 2015 the custodial team for Crawford Hall was also nominated for their outstanding work.

—Venetta Hammond, Facilities Planning and Management

Last week, five Drake students received notification that they have been recommended as semi-finalists in the 2017–2018 Fulbright U.S. Student Program award competition. The semi-finalists are seeking awards to teach English (ETA) or conduct research (S/R); Drake’s semi-finalists are: Lara Cox (ETA Nepal), Ankita Dhussa (S/R India), Elena Dietz (ETA Indonesia), Nathan Jacobson (ETA Bulgaria), and Kelly Leatherman (ETA Malaysia).

The semi-finalists have been recommended by Fulbright’s U.S.-based National Screening Committees. The National Screening Committees typically recommend up to two times the number of candidates as there are grants available for a particular award. The semi-finalists’ applications will now go to the host country commissions for their consideration. The students will learn whether they receive an award between March and June of this year.

—Karen Leroux, Department of History

Sophomore Lauren Oreto is among 20 college students from Iowa and California who were selected for the first class of the Principal Community Scholars Program. The recipients were selected by Principal, Iowa Campus Compact, and California Campus Compact after being nominated by faculty or staff and going through a rigorous review process. The scholars proposed a project designed to engage their peers and their institutions in meeting community needs.

Lauren has proposed developing a program that enhances literacy in science and math for youth around the community. Oreto will receive a $1,000 scholarship from Principal upon completion of the service project. Learn more about Lauren and her project in the Drake Newsroom.

—Amanda Martin, Community Engaged Learning

At the January Board of Trustees meeting, President Martin announced that Steve Scullen, professor of management and international business, will serve as Faculty Athletics Representative (FAR) beginning in the Spring 2017 term.

Steve has been a member of the College of Business faculty since 2004. He is a three-year letterman in football and track & field. He served as a coach on the track-and-field team in the late 1980’s to early 1990’s.

The role of the FAR is to serve as the liaison between the institution and the athletic department, maintaining the appropriate balance between academics and intercollegiate athletics. As FAR, Steve will serve on the Intercollegiate Athletic Council, represent Drake on the Missouri Valley Conference Joint Committee, and represent the institution on NCAA matters.

As we welcome Steve to this new role, we want to acknowledge how grateful we are to Dean Renae Chesnut for her 17 years of service as Faculty Athletic Representative.

—Megan Franklin, Drake Athletics

Phillip Chen included in Art Center exhibit
The artwork of Phillip Chen, the Elle and Nelle Levitt Distinguished Professor of Art and Design, has been included in the Des Moines Art Center’s current exhibition, “Wild Life,” curated by Art Center Director Jeff Fleming. Prints, drawings, and sculpture chosen from the museum’s permanent collection investigate nature and animals, as well as images of humans and human behavior, hybrids, and views of the city or mechanical structures. “Wild Life” will be on view in the John Brady Print Gallery of the Des Moines Art Center from Jan. 13 to April 16.

ASTE meeting in Des Moines
Five hundred teacher educators attended the Association of Science Teacher Education’s annual international meeting in Des Moines Jan. 12-14. The successful event was co-chaired by SOE’s Jerrid Kruse, associate professor of education and chair, teaching and learning department. Learn more here.

Megan Brown authors new book
A new book by Associate Professor of English Megan Brown explores the myriad developments in American autobiography since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Brown, a native New Yorker, draws on years of reading, teaching, and academic research for American Autobiography after 9/11. Read more about Megan and her book in the Drake Newsroom.

Drake Athletics recently launched a brand new Snapchat account! Follow your favorite teams behind the scenes, and participate in fan opportunities exclusive to those that follow us on Snapchat. Add via username (DU_Bulldogs) or by scanning the image below:

—Tom Florian, Drake Athletics

The Nelson Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs announces its financial support for a new interdisciplinary research project to address pressing global issues. “Drake University’s Presence in the Toledo District of Southern Belize: Maximizing Our Impact While Minimizing Our Footprint” has been granted $30,000 for cross-disciplinary work in Belize and at Drake involving the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (CPHS), Data Analytics, and Leadership Education and Development (LEAD). A men’s health assessment will serve as a case study on impact over the course of the two-year project with Belizean partners.

The interdisciplinary research will involve students and the following faculty in CPHS, Data Analytics, and LEAD:

• John Rovers is professor of pharmacy practice and the John R. Ellis Distinguished Chair in Pharmacy Practice in the CPHS, where he teaches in both the pharmacy and global and comparative public health programs. He received his undergraduate education at the University of Toronto and his PharmD and MIPH from MCPHS University and the University of Queensland respectively. His research interests are in medical service trip volunteering experiences in the global south, and drug distribution logistics to under-served areas.
• Daniel Alexander is professor of mathematics and is on sabbatical leave from his duties as associate chair of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, and co-director for data analytics. His research involves the history of analysis in the late 19th-20th centuries, and Alexander has published two books. He has been named the Arts and Sciences Outstanding Teacher of the Year and Staknaker Lecturer, and was given The Mathematical Association of America, Iowa Section, Distinguished Teaching Award. He has been at Drake for over 20 years. His PhD is from Boston University.
• Thomas Westbrook directs and teaches Leadership Education and Development (LEAD). He has served in numerous administrative positions including assistant provost. He has published in many leading journals and was awarded the Spirit of Drake Award and the Iowa Distance Education Association’s Point of Presence Award for exemplary programming. Westbrook is an active consultant with numerous corporations and organizations, and his success at blending the theoretical aspects of leadership with practical, performance-based applications has won him praise as a master facilitator.

Previous Nelson Institute-supported Global Pressing Issues grant projects have addressed water quality in rural Uganda and youth narratives focused on refugee and immigrant communities.

The Nelson Institute was established in 2012 with the support of R.W. and Mary Nelson, founders of Kemin Industries. The Institute provides students with hands-on learning experiences that prepare them for international careers and public service. Other Institute activities include Model United Nations, European Union, and Arab League teams; an annual Conference on Global Affairs; a visiting diplomat program; and support for student conference travel.

—Denise Ganpat, Drake International

On Jan. 4, Michelle Laughlin, student disabilities coordinator, presented to more than 500 Des Moines Public Schools administrators, teachers, and professional staff members during their annual Cultural Proficiency Leadership Seminar at the Iowa Events Center. Michelle did a phenomenal job in discussing the inclusion of disability within our understanding of diversity. Dr. Ahart, the superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools, introduced Michelle before her presentation.

—Jerry Parker, Interim Dean of Students