Congratulations to two Drake University Head Start staff who are being recognized by the Iowa Head Start Association as annual award recipients this year:

Mary Middleton: Iowa Head Start Association’s Board of Directors is awarding Mary with the Iowa Head Start Support Staff of the Year! This award celebrates the significant contributions and support she has provided to the Drake University Head Start program. Mary has been with the Drake University Head Start program for almost 23 years. Congratulations and thank you Mary.  

Nicolle Smith: Iowa Head Start Association’s Board of Directors is awarding Nicolle with the Iowa Head Start Family Advocate of the Year! This award celebrates the important contributions Nicolle has made to the Drake University Head Start program in her work serving families through a home visitation model.  Nicolle has been with the Drake University Head Start program for over 12 years. Congratulations and thank you Nicolle.

— Lisa Proctor, Head Start

During the annual Health Professions Day (formerly Pharmacy and Health Sciences Day), held on February 23, 2023, the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (CPHS) presented several awards to faculty members who demonstrated outstanding teaching, mentorship, scholarship, and professional involvement over the past year within their fields. Nominations for the awards are sought from students and colleagues alike from within the college.

Maggie Fiala, director of external experiential external affairs, received the inaugural CPHS Staff Member of the Year award. This award was created to recognize the work of one individual who has gone above and beyond in their work to help the College fulfill its goals and mission.

Cheryl Clarke, assistant dean of clinical affairs, director of experiential education, and professor of pharmacy practice, was named the Hartig Distinguished Professor. This award recognizes a pharmacy faculty member who has distinguished him or herself in teaching, scholarship, service, or practice.

Rachel Allen-McHugh, assistant professor of occupational therapy, was honored with the C. Boyd Granberg Professional Leadership Award. This award is given to a faculty member who is committed to professional organizational leadership – both for themselves and among students.

John Rovers, Professor of Pharmacy Practice and Health Sciences, and John R. Ellis Distinguished Chair of Pharmacy Practice, was honored with the Richard Morrow Transformational Leadership Award. This award recognizes a faculty member whose transformational work has gone above and beyond. Transformational leaders focus on team building, motivation and collaboration with colleagues to accomplish change for the better. They identify a needed change, create a vision to guide the change through inspiration, and execute the change through collaboration.

The College’s Student Governance Association announced the following teaching and mentoring awards:

Yolanda Griffiths, professor of occupational therapy, was named the CPHS Teacher of the Year.

Mark Vitha, Windsor Professor in Science and Professor of Chemistry, was named the non-CPHS Teacher of the Year.

Nate Newman, associate professor of athletic training and MAT program director, was named the CPHS Mentor of the Year.

Sally Haack, professor of pharmacy practice and pharmacist at Primary HealthCare Pharmacy, was named the CPHS Preceptor of the Year.

Kaylyn Maher, CPHS

The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University will host the Civic Leadership Academy as an exclusive opportunity for high school juniors to learn from scholars, policymakers, and thought leaders from across the nation as part of the Drake University Center for Public Democracy. The Civic Leadership Academy will be held from July 10-12, 2023, concurrent with the Drake University Center for Public Democracy Summer Institute. The Civic Leadership Academy will immerse 25 high school students in an intensive and rewarding leadership development program that gives students the skills to stand out as leaders.

— Megan Wesselink, The Ray Center

We are proud to share that Drake University is a finalist for the 2023 Healthiest State Annual Award, in the large workplace division.  These awards recognize workplaces, communities, and individuals for their efforts to improve the physical, social, and emotional wellbeing of Iowans.

Drake offers a variety of programs and classes that cover multiple dimensions of wellbeing.  Here are some offerings in March:

Do It for a Day Challenge.  March 27 through April 23.  If you want to make healthy changes but get easily distracted, this challenge is for you!  Over four weeks simply complete a series of one-day challenges.  You will have two challenges to choose from each day, that cover all dimensions of wellbeing.

Introduction to Juggling.  March 23 from 2-3 p.m. in the Olmsted Center Parents Hall North. Take a break from work and have some fun trying your hand – or hands at juggling.  Nate Reagen, chief of staff, will be our guide.

Get Real: Telling My Story.  March 24 from 12-1 p.m. in the lower level of the OT building (3003 Forest Ave.).  Learn how to create a personalized journal, a great tool to reduce stress and enhance your health.  Facilitated by students in the occupational therapy department.

Money at Work: Foundations of Investing.  March 30 from 2-3 p.m. in the Olmsted Center conference room 310/311. This class will provide the information you need to invest in your future, no matter where you are in life.  Paige Philips, senior financial consultant at TIAA will present.

For more information or to register for these classes or program, please send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu.

—  Linda Feiden, Human Resources

Professor Lee Jolliffe has been named vice president of the Society of Nineteenth-Century Historians and will serve on the board of directors. The Society represents the evolution of a long-held symposium on the 19^th Century Press, the Civil War, and Free Expression, held every autumn since 1993.

Professor Jolliffe’s research appears in several books that have arisen from the Symposium, including Adventure Journalists in the Gilded Age: From the Arctic to the Orient (McFarland, July 2021), which she co-wrote and co-edited with Katrina Quinn and Mary Cronin. Adventure Journalists won the 2022 Browne Award for Best Edited Collection in American Culture. Her chapters on “A Press Ablaze: Violent Suppression of Abolitionist Speech, Press, Petition, and Assembly” and “Freedom of Expression for Women: The Fight for Suffrage and Personal Liberty” (the latter co-authored with Sandra Davidson and Paulette Kilmer) were published in An Indispensable Liberty: The Fight for Free Speech in Nineteenth-Century America edited by Mary M. Cronin, and her article on “‘BLACK FIENDS’ AND ‘ATROCIOUS MURDERS’: Redefining ‘Sensationalism’ ,” appears in The Press in the Gilded Age, edited by David Sachsman. Professor Jolliffe also guest-edited an issue of Journalism History with articles from a Symposium panel she created.

Science on Screen, a collaboration between Varsity Cinema, STEM Librarian Dan Chibnall, and STEM@DRAKE, launches on Feb. 28 with a screening of the highly acclaimed After Yang, introduced by Chris Porter, associate professor of computer science and director of Drake’s Artificial Intelligence Program.

Porter’s introduction will explore the role of artificial intelligence in our lives, a theme which also resonates in the film. New developments in AI, especially in natural language processing and generative art, have recently captured the attention of the general public. While determining the true impact of these high-profile advancements remains an open question, it is undeniable that AI has become an integral part of our daily lives in various forms. Porter will discuss the mundane influence of AI by highlighting the subtle, often imperceptible ways in which we have grown dependent on AI for seemingly routine tasks.

After Yang is the second feature from acclaimed Director Kogonada. Set in the near future, it follows the struggle of a father, Jake (Colin Farrell), when his young daughter’s beloved companion—an android named Yang—malfunctions. Jake searches for a way to repair him. In the process, Jake discovers the life that has been passing in front of him, reconnecting with his wife and daughter across a distance he didn’t know was there.

This is the first of three films in the series coming to Varsity Cinema this spring. The next film in the series will be WALL-E, March 28, with an introduction by Baker Professor of Education Jerrid Kruse about being more creative and critical about technology.

Science on Screen is a national initiative of the COOLIDGE CORNER THEATRE, with major support from the ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION.

— Dan Chibnall, Cowles Library

Drake University Law School has been named a “Best Law School for 2023” by The Princeton Review. The education services company recently released their annual unranked list of outstanding law school’s across the country.

The list features detailed profiles of each school including The Princeton Review’s ratings in each category and quotes provided by students surveyed by The Princeton Review for this project.

Drake Law earned a score of 89 for overall academic experience, 94 for interesting professors, 95 for accessible professors, and 90 for career services (based on a scale of 60 to 99.)

Highlights from the student comment section include:

• Professors are patient and kind but also demand a lot out of students.
• Drake’s location in the capital city and the Law School’s strong alumni network and relationships with the bench and bar in Iowa create an advantage for Drake Law students.
• The small class size allows students to engage effectively, and adds to a family atmosphere and many opportunities for students to bond and network outside of the classroom.

“The best source regarding the quality of education are the students themselves.  I’m gratified that our students report they are getting exactly what we promise: outstanding professors, supportive staff, and unparalleled opportunities for professional growth,” said Dean of Drake Law School, Jerry Anderson.

“What students tell us about their experiences at their law schools contributes substantially to our school selections, profiles, and ratings,” said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief.

“All of the schools that made our list for 2023 deliver exceptional legal education programs,” Franek noted. “We recommend each one as an academically excellent choice for a student considering earning a J.D.”

— Taylor Johnson, Law School

Keith Summerville’s grant proposal to the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) titled “Woodland Restoration and Oak Regeneration” was awarded. The award was in the amount of $39,888.  Congratulations, Keith.

— Mary Pat Wohlford, Director, Sponsored Programs Administration and Research Compliance