Category Archives: News & Achievements Archive

News & Achievements Archive

Walk 34 miles in their shoes

Walk for the Horn is an extreme, long-distance charity walk. The event raises funds and awareness for unaccompanied Eritrean refugee minors in Ethiopia.

The walk starts on Sunday morning, April 17, and goes from Drake University to Iowa State University (34 miles), so it’s no walk in the park. Participants can walk any distance they wish.

Sign up today by signing up on our fundraising page: www.razoo.com/team/Walk-For-The-Horn

A $20 donation is required to participate, but that includes an awesome T-shirt, water along the walk, and shuttle rides to and from Drake’s campus. Want to help the cause more? Raise a total of $50 and get all of the above plus a sweet Walk for the Horn bandana.

—Adam Poole

News & Achievements Archive

Bulldogs of DU: Kelly Bruhn

What do you do?
I’m the associate dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and associate professor of public relations, so I teach undergraduate courses and in the Master of Communication Leadership program. As associate dean, I handle recruitment and student success.

You have three children under the age of four, a demanding job, and other commitments; do you think women can have it all?
Someone told me a long time ago that you can have it all, you just can’t have it all at the same time. Sometimes the job takes over a little bit, like orientation or finals week, but then there are times when I need to focus at home. I’m lucky that I have leaders at Drake who support that life balance and a husband who supports me, as well.

What’s a story you share with prospective students and their families?
In PR writing, I have students write a few pieces for their dream employer—if they could pick any place, no holds barred, where would it be? They craft some communication samples for the employer and put together a packet. I write a cover letter and send the packet to the head of communication for that company, and on several occasions we have those communication folks reach back. This exercise has turned into opportunities with organizations like the Los Angeles Angels and National Geographic. It’s a great example to show how class work can lead them to their dream and that anything is possible.

What do you hope students remember about you after they’ve graduated?
I hope they remember that I cared. My door is always open. I always have chocolate and Kleenex. I think that academics certainly matter and every assignment is very intentional, but at the end of the day I hope they remember me for listening, caring, and helping them to achieve their dreams.

News & Achievements Archive

Run for a cause

Drake Law School’s Public Interest Law Association (PILA) is hosting the 9th Annual Court2Court 5K to raise money for the Poverty Law Internship that provides free and reduced legal assistance to those needing it but unable to afford it. Every $1 raised is matched at $3 by Drake Law School’s federal work study program.

Race day is April 16. Registration at 8 a.m.; Race starts at 9 a.m.

Register at http://secure.GetMeRegistered.com/court2court5K 

Pre-registration is now until March 26: $20
Registration is March 27–April 15: $25
Same-day registration is April 16: $30

—Matt Knipe

News & Achievements Archive

Arts & Sciences news: Week of March 21

Environmental science and policy students present at association meeting
On March 5, the Raccoon River Watershed Association held its annual meeting in Perry, Iowa. Drake environmental science and policy students Andrew Rupiper, Gabrielle Brodek, and Leah Robison as well as Thomas Rosburg, professor of biology and chair of the department, presented.

More information can be found at http://theperrynews.com/large-turnout-for-annual-raccoon-river-watershed-association-conference/

Ann Cravero joins prestigious summer program in Europe
Ann Cravero, associate professor of voice and director of opera theater, was accepted as assistant director to Sherrill Milnes on Mozart’s opera, Don Giovanni with the Prague Summer Nights: Young Artist Music Festival this summer. Ann will participate in performances, master classes, workshops, concerts, and recitals in venues and halls in the Czech Republic, including fully staged performances of Don Giovanni in the Estates Theatre and Suor Angelica/Gianni Schicchi at Simon & Jude Church (semi-staged) in Prague as well as orchestra concerts in Tabor, Dvorak Hall in Prague.

The opportunity to direct alongside whom many consider the greatest singer to portray the role of Don Giovanni (Sherrill Milnes) at the theater that Mozart premiered Le Nozze di Figaro and Don Giovanni is a great honor. It should be noted that Sherrill Milnes received his bachelor of music at Drake University. This festival will provide Ann the opportunity to learn from some of the greatest singers and conductors in the field of professional opera, including conductors James Nardolillo and James Burton, clarinetist Walter Seyfarth, violinist Rodney Friend, and coach Scott Rednour. A complete list of faculty can be found online.

Tamales and foreign language
On Thursday, Feb. 25, professors Eduardo Garcia and Lourdes Gutiérrez-Nájera gave a tamales-making demonstration for Alpha Mu Gamma, the Drake chapter (Xi Kappa) of the international honor society for foreign languages.

The goal of the event was to build community, specifically in relation to foreign languages. Social events such as this that are open to all Drake students give the opportunity to educate others about aspects of other cultures and thereby grow the world languages department.

News & Achievements Archive

SJMC to host summer camp for high school students

The award-winning Drake School of Journalism and Mass Communication is partnering with St. Louis-based Media Now to host its first summer camp for high school students. The four-day “boot camp,” which will be held July 6-9 on Drake’s campus, will introduce students to the professional digital media and communications skills they need to be successful not only in high school but beyond. Workshop topics include editorial leadership, design, narrative storytelling, web and social media, and photo/multimedia. Teachers include high school and college instructors and media professionals from around the country.

The camp is available both as a sleep-over camp and as a day camp. Scholarships are available for students in need of financial assistance. Advisers get a discounted registration fee if five students from their school sign up.

For details on curriculum and fees, and to register, visit https://medianowdrake.com/.  Early bird registration deadline is April 1. Regular registration runs through June 1, with a late fee after that.

—Submitted by Kathleen Richardson, Dean, School of Journalism and Mass Communication

News & Achievements Archive

Reception for Blake Campbell

Please join alumni and development staff, campus colleagues, and friends as we celebrate Blake’s seven years of service to Drake University as director of alumni relations on Thursday, March 10, from 10:30 a.m. to noon. We will gather at the Alumni House, 2700 University Ave., to wish him well as he takes on new professional opportunities.

—Heather Hendrix, Administrative Assistant 1

News & Achievements Archive

Contribute a used bike to the Drake Bike Initiative

LEAD 100 students will conduct a Bike Drive the week of March 21–25 in the Olmsted Breezeway each day from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., where students, faculty, and staff can drop off their bikes. The bikes are being collected to create a bike library on Drake’s campus, available to students, faculty, and staff for their biking needs throughout the year and throughout the city. This initiative is part of the Drake Bike Friendly program with assistance from a grant from Wellmark.

—Submitted by Art Sanders, Associate Provost

News & Achievements Archive

Bulldogs of DU: Jeff Kappen

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What do you do?
I’m an assistant professor of international business, and the main course I teach is the globalization seminar, which is required of all undergrad business majors. So by the numbers, I get to work with almost a third of all Drake undergraduates at some point in their time here.

How did you end up at Drake and in teaching?
I spent 10 years in corporate America, and one day I was in a personal development seminar in which they told us to make a Venn diagram of passions, talents, and the least amount of money we were willing to make. Upon completion of my diagram, I decided I was not in the right position. The very next week, there was an article in the Wall Street Journal about the shortage of Ph.D. professors in business. I talked with some advisers and decided to take the plunge.

You’ve studied (and experienced) a lot abroad …
I spent a year of undergrad in Europe, part was in France and part was in Russia. In Russia, I lived Krasnodar, not too far from Chechnya, so we were very close to the conflict [the outbreak of The First Chechen War happened at the time]. Most Thursdays we didn’t have class because there would be bomb threats at the university. I also spent a year teaching English in Brazil and have gone back there several times, including in 2014 for the World Cup. I speak Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Russian.

How do all these experiences affect how you teach?
My students hear a lot of stories; my experiences allow me to talk students about study abroad in a firsthand sort of way. It also helps me relate to the international students who enroll at Drake, because I understand the dynamics of what it’s like to be the only student who’s not from a certain place.

News & Achievements Archive

Welcoming new employees

Drake welcomed five new employees in February:

  • Mike Lacey, ITS
  • Christina Busch, Facility Services
  • Mallory Quinn, School of Journalism and Mass Communication
  • Aldijana Hotic, College of Business and Public Administration
  • Kayli Burnside, Student Financial Planning

—Human Resources