Welcome the following new faculty and staff to Drake:
Dana Walton, Residence Life
Betsy Collins, Residence Life
Kevin Moran, Facilities Planning & Management
Patrick Tomka, Athletics
Molly Wuebker, College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences
Jonathan Walker, Information Technology Services
Brian Lucas, Athletics
Erin Austin, The Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement
There’s still time to participate in reading the third book of the University Book Club! We are reading The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown this summer—a New York Times bestseller sure to put you in the mood for the Summer Olympics.
Cowles Library has nine copies (hint: ask for the book on reserve at the circulation desk). The book is also available in audio format from Audible.com, at various Des Moines-area public libraries, and Amazon. You can find more information on the University Book Club here: The Boys in the Boat Book Discussion
Contact Sara Heijerman if you have any questions or interest in discussing; the group discussion will be July 21 at 4:45 p.m. at Louie’s Wine Dive, 4040 University Ave. Happy reading!
—Sara Heijerman, Manager, Campus Card Office
A new book by Drake Associate Professor of Sociology Michael Haedicke explores how farmers, small business owners, regulators, and other stakeholders navigate conflict in the organic food industry.
Organizing Organic: Conflict and Compromise in an Emerging Market (Stanford University Press, 2016) leverages 10 years of research to explain how key players balance competing narratives within the industry: one that positions organic farming as a social and political movement poised to shake up big, traditional agricultural institutions; and another that emphasizes organic food’s potential for market growth and profit. Read more in the Drake Newsroom.
Jeffrey is joining the Office of Community Engaged Learning as an AmeriCorps VISTA; he will collaborate with other Drake departments to develop a campus tour program for area youth from the University’s community partners. He will also help develop tools and processes to track community-engaged learning at Drake and work on other projects to support the mission of the office and University.
Jeffrey is a graduate of the University of Iowa with a degree in political science and a minor in theatre arts. In 2014 he participated in the Great March for Climate Action, an eight-month cross-country march from Los Angeles to Washington, D.C. Jeffrey began his yearlong term of service on June 27 and his office is in Old Main 319—please feel free to stop by and say hello!
—Renee Sedlacek, Director of Community Engaged Learning
Girls outperform boys in digital literacy skills
Lindsay Woodward is the co-author of a Reading Research Quarterly article that has been gaining national attention in a couple different forums. Her co-author summarized their findings for Education Week and School Library Journal websites.
Student honored
Drake doctoral student Kim Wayne was selected to represent Iowa at the #NationofMaking event at the White House.
Professor quoted
Todd Hodgkinson was interviewed and quoted by the Desert News in an article on summer learning.
Visitors from Venezuela
On Thursday, June 30, the SOE hosted seven English teachers from Venezula and their hosts from the U.S. State Department and the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs. SOE graduate Ana Cara Van Dyck and students Kelli Carter and Kate Brightwell joined Associate Professor Shelley Fairbairn in presenting to and talking with the teachers about how we prepare ESL at Drake, with Assistant Dean Catherine Gillespie as host. The teachers asked many questions about teacher training, supervision, and evaluation and learned a great deal from their brief visit.
Student Research Assistants
Madeleine Emrich and Sydney Staudt have been selected to assist Sally Beisser, recipient of the Ronald Troyer Research Endowment Fellowship for 2016–2017, to write a book on early childhood giftedness. Their efforts include writing and editing chapters on myths of the gifted learner, recognizing gifted behaviors in preschool and primary classrooms, and effective curriculum design for high-ability children. Research funds will support their attendance at the Iowa Talented and Gifted (ITAG) conference and travel to the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC) in Orlando, to be a part of an accepted research presentation at this conference. Both Maddie and Sydney are completing the TAG endorsement at Drake and will graduate Spring 2017. Professor Beisser directs the online TAG endorsement program available for undergraduate and graduate students. Students in this program represent 27 states and 8 countries since 2007, when the endorsement was first offered.
—Catherine Gillespie, Associate Dean, Mary Collier Baker Endowed Professor
Central Iowa is embarking on its next five-year strategic plan, Capital Crossroads 2.0. A survey has been developed to gather public input to help identify key opportunities and challenges for our region. As Drake plays a crucial role in the community, your voice is important—click here to take the Capital Crossroads 2.0 survey.
Drake welcomes Mandela Fellows
Last weekend, Drake welcomed 25 young African professionals who will spend the next five weeks in Des Moines through a program called the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. The fellows, all of whom are between the ages of 25 and 35, will immerse themselves in business and entrepreneurship topics through a combination of academic study, cultural activities, professional networking opportunities, and visits to local corporate and community partners during their stay in Des Moines, June 17 to July 31.
“These are truly exceptional individuals—future African heads of state,” said Annique Kiel, interim executive director of global engagement and international programs at Drake University. “We look forward to facilitating valuable personal and professional connections that will strengthen internationalization efforts at Drake and in central Iowa.”
To learn more about the program and the fellows, visit www.drake.edu/yali or the Drake Newsroom. You can also follow their journey on social media with the hashtag #YALIatDrake
Executive director for The Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement named
President Martin announced last week that Joseph Jones, a Drake alumnus and former legislative assistant to retired U.S. Senator Tom Harkin, has been hired as executive director of The Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement.
Jones will serve as the Institute’s first full-time executive director beginning Aug. 1. He worked as legislative assistant for Harkin’s office in Washington, D.C., from 2010 to 2013, and currently serves as senior vice president for government relations and public policy at the Greater Des Moines Partnership.
To learn more about Joseph, visit the Drake Newsroom.
August is fast approaching and the Office of the President is calling on all alumni, students, faculty, staff, and partners to help represent Drake at the Iowa State Fair, Aug. 11–21. For those new to the experience, the fair is the best opportunity for Drake to engage thousands of people from Iowa and beyond. If you have volunteered in the past, we thank you for your contributions and hope you will continue to keep our connection to the community strong and alive.
New this year, volunteers have a chance to win two free tickets to either Jason Derulo, Sunday Aug. 14, or Lady Antebellum, Sunday, Aug. 21, both at 8 p.m. on the Grand Stand stage. In exchange for working a shift each day, volunteers receive free admission and a parking pass to the north lot so you can enjoy the fair before or after your shift for the day.
Shifts are distributed in 4-hour blocks all 11 days in the Varied Industries (VI) building and outside in our tent on the concourse for Drake Day at the Fair, Friday, Aug. 12. An orientation for registered volunteers will be held Thursday, Aug. 4.
So join us at the Iowa State Fair and encourage others to help us to strengthen our engagement with the community. Sign up today via the ink below and receive free admission to the fair.
—Nick Valdez, Neighborhood and Community Relations Manager
The American Legion Auxiliary Girls State program brings together young women from all over the state for an intense week of leadership, patriotism, and community. This year marks the first time the Girls State program has been on the Drake campus. Nearly 300 high school youth will participate beginning Sunday, June 12. Make sure to welcome these future leaders to our campus!
—Venessa Macro, Chief Administration Officer
Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice Wendy Mobley-Bukstein was elected to the the American Pharmacists Association Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management. Read more in the Drake Newsroom.