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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.

SIGN UP HERE

—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.

Drake to dedicate the William S.E. Coleman Studio Theatre on June 17

Drake University will hold a dedication ceremony for the William S.E. Coleman Studio Theatre, formerly known as Studio 55 (and before that, Studio Theatre), at 5 p.m. Saturday, June 18, as part of a weekend-long theatre alumni reunion. The theater is named for William S.E. “Doc” Coleman, one of the Drake Department of Theatre Arts’ most longstanding and beloved faculty members, serving from 1966 to 2002.

Donations to a memorial fund in Coleman’s honor will be used to renovate the theater space, which Coleman helped to design, and any remaining funds will lay the groundwork for a guest artist program. Read more about Doc Coleman’s impact in the Drake Newsroom.

Adult Literacy Center celebrates 40 years, seeks volunteers

More Greater Des Moines-area adults are seeking assistance in achieving basic literacy skills. But at Drake University’s Adult Literacy Center, which is celebrating its 40th year in operation, demand for services is outpacing the supply of volunteers who are available to tutor participants in reading, writing, and speaking.

The Center has worked with more than 140 adults this year, including 25 individuals who are on a waiting list. That represents a 21 percent increase in demand over last year. Meanwhile, there are currently about 70 tutors who are available to teach. Tutor training will be held Friday, June 17, and Saturday, June 18, at the Drake University School of Education. Learn more about getting involved in the Drake Newsroom.

New staff member
Please welcome Katie Rock as she assumes the administrative assistant position formerly held by Doris Brunette. Katie has degrees from Iowa State and the University of Iowa along with experience with office systems from her time at Dupont Pioneer. She lives in Des Moines with her husband, William, and two sons, Ronan and Malcolm.

Head Start grant funding renewals
Drake University has received notification that the continuation grants for both the Head Start/Early Head Start and Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership are approved. Drake has held the  Head Start/Early Head Start grant for 39 years (currently totaling $6.8 million), providing services to 926 low-income, at-risk children and families across six counties.

The $1 million Early Head Start-Child Care Partnership is in its second full year of implementation. The grant funds quality enhancements for seven child care centers in the urban core of Des Moines. Drake University Head Start provides child care centers with quality materials (including curriculum/assessment), minor site alterations, instructional coaching, staff differential, and monitoring using research-based tools. All of the child care centers and Head Start classrooms must meet the strict requirements of Head Start Program Performance Standards. For more information on Drake Head Start, please visit the website at www.drakeheadstart.org.

—Catherine Gillespie, Associate Dean, Professor of Education, and Mary Collier Baker Endowed Professor

Welcome Drake’s newest employees:

Adrick Smith, ITS
Jerel Krueger, ITS
Monita Jackson, ITS
Kourtney Kirkpatrick, Alumni & Development
Andrew Verlengia, Alumni & Development
Selchia Cain, Office of Admission
Tracy Speck, Head Start
Julie Smith, Pharmacy & Health Sciences
Jessica Neal, Law Library
Anthony Leto, Student Accounts

Principal Charity Classic, June 3–5, 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

The Principal Charity Classic is a vibrant community event in the Des Moines metro area that contributes greatly to the economic vitality and quality of life in central Iowa. The tournament is dedicated to providing contributions to local nonprofit organizations called“FORE Our Kids charities”—six Tournament Charity Partners and the more than 100 Birdies for Charity organizations that support children throughout the state of Iowa. Since 2007, the Principal Charity Classic has awarded more than $7.7 million to Iowa children’s charities.

Drake will have a tent at the event and is looking for volunteers to staff it. Sign up to volunteer online.

-Nick Valdez, Neighborhood & Community Relations Manager

Neighbors Day for Juneteenth is June 18, 12–7 p.m.

Neighbors Day takes place in Evelyn K. Davis Park which is a major part of the Des Moines “Urban Core” neighborhoods and home to Iowa’s largest African-American population.  While the event provides family entertainment and food, the core focus is on engaging the community by networking with businesses, educators, government, and non-profit organizations to promote the well-being of Des Moines residents. Drake will have a booth at this event and is looking for volunteers; two-hour shifts are available throughout the day. Sign up to volunteer online.

—Nick Valdez, Neighborhood and Community Relations Manager

Lee Jolliffe serves as guest editor
Lee Jolliffe, associate professor of journalism in the Drake University School of Journalism and Mass Communication, was the first-ever guest editor of Journalism History.

Founded in 1974, the journal is the oldest in the United States devoted to the history of mass media, with an international paid circulation of about 500.

Jolliffe edited the spring 2016 issue of the academic journal, which carried the theme of “Adventure Journalism in the Nineteenth Century.” Read more about Lee’s accomplishment in the Drake Newsroom.

Lance Noe to discuss the challenges associated with an aging Iowa workforce
Lance Noe, director of the Center for Professional Studies, will discuss challenges associated with Iowa’s aging workforce during an event organized by the Business Record next month.

Noe is a panelist for the Business Record’s June 1 installment of the Power Breakfast Series, which focuses on “The Silver Tsunami.” Five workforce experts, including Noe, will discuss challenges facing Iowa’s workplaces, talk about possible solutions, and generate strategies for leveraging the so-called Silver Tsunami to drive shareholder value. Read more about Lance and the Power Breakfast in the Drake Newsroom.

We are happy to announce the third book of the University Book Club!  We will be reading The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown this summer—a New York Times bestseller that is 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.

Contact Sara Heijerman if you have any questions or interest in discussing; the face-to-face discussion session will be July 21 at 4:45 p.m. (location TBD—watch OnCampus and for a group email to known participants).  Happy reading!

—Sara Heijerman, Manager, Campus Card Office