Drake Recreational Services is offering Group X Classes this fall beginning Monday, Aug. 31. All classes are free and open to all Drake students, faculty, and staff. Classes will be held in the Bell Center. No pre-registration is necessary and all equipment is provided. All fitness levels welcome to join!
For the class schedule and descriptions, visit: www.drake.edu/recservices/groupexercise
I am pleased to announce that Chelsea Ochylski has been hired to serve as our new assistant director of alumni relations. In her role, Chelsea will manage our regional engagement programs and provide counsel to our six Regional Advisory Boards across the country (Denver, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Chicago, Kansas City, Washington, D.C., and Phoenix). She starts Sept. 8.
In addition, Chelsea will serve as a staff liaison to our college and school faculty and administrators to ensure we are engaging our alumni through their strongest affinity and interests. As part of her responsibilities, Chelsea will also manage an affinity reunion annually (the Drake Choir Reunion this year).
She is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in Leisure, Youth and Human Services: Nonprofit Administration. Since that time, she has continued to advance her education with certificates in the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance, Principles and Practices of Nonprofit Excellence, as well as being certified in Fund Raising Management through the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
Over the past three years, Chelsea has worked at Make-A-Wish® Iowa as the manager of philanthropy. In this role, she worked with all individual and corporate donors in the Des Moines area as well as the western half of the state of Iowa. She managed a portfolio of donors ranging from annual donors to major gift donors giving $10,000 and up, as well as managing more than 50 corporate accounts throughout the state. She oversaw regional boards and committees across Iowa and executed dozens of events each year with those volunteers and fellow staff.
Chelsea’s combination of fundraising knowledge and experience; strong communication skills with donors, board members, colleagues and wish families; and energetic personality will be a huge asset to our team as we move forward in building and maintaining relationships with our alumni across the globe.
—Submitted by Blake Campbell, Director, Office of Alumni Relations
During Fall Convocation, Ellen Liang Yee, professor of law, was announced as the winner of the inaugural Principal Financial Group Global Citizenship Award.
In addition to Ellen, four nominees with outstanding qualifications submitted application packets: Mahmoud Hamad, associate professor of politics; Matthew C. Mitchell, assistant professor of management and international business; Michael Renner, professor of biology and psychology; and John Rovers, professor of pharmacy practice. Each nominee has been diligently working toward global engagement and internationalization of the campus and curriculum, as aligned with the three main goals of the International and Global Engagement Strategic Plan. All nominees are doing inspirational work.
Members of the selection committee acknowledged that Ellen is immersed in addressing pressing global issues and approaches these issues with creativity, persistence, and a positive outlook to find ways to work around obstacles.
Ellen is director of Drake Law School’s International Programs. While remaining attentive to her work in criminal law and trial advocacy, Ellen’s dedication and passion for internationalization at Drake is evident.
For seven summers, Ellen has taught in Drake’s law program in Nantes, France. In 2014 she organized celebrations in both locations for the 20th anniversary of the collaboration. She also taught in Chongqing, China, with Drake’s Chinese Cultural Exchange Program, and has undertaken professional or research work in Cambodia and The Hague, Netherlands. Ellen continues to develop new University relationships in locations ranging from Cuba to South Africa.
In addition, Ellen fosters internationalization on campus through coordinating Drake International Law Week, working with the International Law Society, and advising international students at the Law School. Ellen also created the “Next Course” program, which allows students across the University also learn about global and local food waste and hunger through service-learning and academic study.
—Submitted by Drake International
Melva Bucksbaum, a dedicated philanthropist who helped to establish Drake’s largest and most well-known lecture series, passed away at 82. It was also announced that that Peter Neufeld, co-founder of the Innocence Project, will deliver the 35th Bucksbaum Lecture, named for Melva’s husband, Martin. The lecture will take place Oct. 27.
Please join me in congratulating Mandi McReynolds, director of community engagement and service-learning, as she begins her new role on Sept. 8 leading global community relations for The Principal Financial Group, a strategic community partner with Drake University. A reception will be held for Mandi in Levitt Hall on Sept. 3 from 3 to 4:30 p.m.
Over the last four years, Mandi has led Drake to integrate service-learning institutionally across all schools and colleges; achieve the coveted Carnegie Foundation Classification for Community Engagement and Presidential Honor Roll for Community Service; and develop countless community relationships with nonprofits, government agencies, and schools, creating a solid foundation for Drake’s future service-learning and community engagement efforts.
As we take the next 60 days to thoughtfully reflect on moving forward, Renee Sedlacek will serve as interim director of community engagement and service-learning.
—Submitted by Shannon Cofield, Senior Advisor for External Affairs
The I Have a Dream Foundation is hosting a citywide scavenger hunt starting Aug. 31. As part of the inaugural Search the City event, a medallion will be hidden somewhere in Greater Des Moines. Participants will receive clues daily starting Aug. 31, and the lucky hunter that figures out the clues and finds the medallion will win a $10,000 college savings account.
Anyone can register to participate in Search the City by purchasing a $5 button online. Full details on Search the City are also available at www.desmoinesdreams.org
—Submitted by Emily Hamilton, Executive Director, I Have a Dream Foundation
Broadcast journalist Gwen Ifill, who received an honorary degree from Drake in 2005, returned to campus this week with a crew from PBS’ NewsHour to report on the 2016 Iowa caucuses and presidential campaign. Drake alumnus Travis Daub, JO ’98, creative director of NewsHour, connected with Lee Jolliffe, associate professor of journalism, to arrange for the PBS crew to set up shop in Meredith Hall for two days. Broadcast news grad Mario Rossi, JO’15, helped the crew as they interviewed political experts (including Professor Art Sanders) and presidential candidates (such as Ohio Gov. John Kasich).
Many thanks to the Drake Technology Services folks, especially Bill Jensen, who helped make it possible. (Drake was recognized in the NewsHour credits.)
—Submitted by Kathleen Richardson, Dean, School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Editors’ note: Due to technical difficulties, you may be looking for the HR news item, “New managers’ email.” If so, please click here for the story.
During the spring semester, faculty were invited to submit nomination packets for the inaugural Principal Financial Group Global Citizenship Award. The main criteria for the award include outstanding contributions to global engagement and internationalization of the campus and curriculum, as aligned with the three main goals of the International and Global Engagement Strategic Plan, 2015–2020.
The winner of the inaugural award will be presented with a plaque during the Fall 2015 Convocation on Aug. 28.
The five nominees are:
Mahmoud Hamad, Associate Professor of Politics
Mahmoud’s dedication to exposing students to other cultures and languages is well-known University-wide. His frequent travel seminars to Egypt or Turkey challenge students’ knowledge and assumptions and are usually filled to capacity. The fall semester Model Arab League (MAL) is another way Mahmoud encourages students to learn about policy-making through research, dialogue, and debate. Each year Mahmoud leads 8–10 students to Cairo to compete in MAL councils, debating current issues facing the Arab world.
Students and other faculty write of Mahmoud’s untiring efforts to immerse students in culture and language as an extension of every topic and every course. He takes every opportunity to share his culture and beliefs and to encourage students to do likewise. Students become familiar with his thesis, “no one holds monopoly over truth.”
In addition to his engagement with students, Mahmoud’s bilingual skills offer him opportunities to publish in both English and Arabic journals and to provide news commentary to Al-Jazeera and Al-Hurah.
Matthew C. Mitchell, Assistant Professor of Management and International Business
Matthew pursues internationalization both within his classes and across multiple sectors of Drake. He is an enthusiastic advocate for study abroad; one of his nominators described Matthew as “an apostle of internationalization.”
In addition to streamlining the International Business curriculum, thus making the major more accessible to students, Matthew secured several valuable grants to foster international business studies, language acquisition, study abroad, and international internships. He helped establish Drake’s relationship with University of the Andes in Chile, and co-taught a groundbreaking J-Term class for Drake’s soccer teams at Monterrey Tec in Guadalajara, Mexico.
As a leader with the Academy of International Business, including as chair of the Academy’s international conferences, Matthew has inspired and mentored students to conduct research, of which some has been accepted for conference presentations and publications.
Matthew is a recipient of the Madelyn M Levitt Teacher of the Year Award and the CBPA Graduate Professor of the Year.
Ellen Liang Yee, Professor of Law
Ellen earned the title of director of Drake University Law School’s International Programs in 2013 following years of commitment to internationalization. While remaining attentive to her work in criminal law and trial advocacy, Ellen’s dedication and passion for internationalization at Drake is clearly evident.
For seven summers, Ellen has taught in Drake’s law program in Nantes, France. In 2014 she organized celebrations in both locations for the 20th anniversary of the collaboration. She also taught in Chongqing, China, with Drake’s Chinese Cultural Exchange Program and has undertaken professional or research work in Cambodia and The Hague, Netherlands. Ellen continues to develop new University relationships in locations ranging from Cuba to South Africa.
In addition, Ellen fosters internationalization on campus through coordinating Drake International Law Week, working with the International Law Society, and advising international students at the Law School.
Students across the University also learn about global and local food waste and hunger through service-learning and academic study in the Next Course organization she created.
Michael Renner, Professor of Biology and Psychology
Michael teaches in the Environmental Science and Policy program while also serving in significant leadership roles with the Forest of Hope Association in Rwanda and the Gishwati Foundation, a U.S.-based charity supporting Rwandan conservation. He regularly leads students on field research in equatorial Africa and brings the world to his students on Drake’s campus.
Through Michael’s leadership, Drake students and faculty have positively influenced land use policy and practices in Rwanda. They have facilitated local acceptance of conservation of an important biodiversity area while also improving the livelihoods of local farmers.
Michael was one of the architects of the University’s infrastructure and support mechanisms for internationalization, including the new structure within the International Programs office and the calendar revision to incorporate a January Term, allowing additional student travel opportunities.
Michael serves as faculty liaison to the School for Field Studies, a significant provider of international experiences in environmentally related disciplines in eight permanent research and teaching sites around the world. He has earned numerous grants including several from the National Science Foundation and the U. S. Department of Education.
John Rovers, Professor of Pharmacy Practice
John is a founding member of The Principal Financial Group Center for Global Citizenship and the Heartland Consortium for Global Health. His efforts to address public health issues led to establishment of the Global and Comparative Public Health concentration at Drake and international rotations on several continents for pharmacy students. John chairs an ad hoc committee of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences to evaluate existing and new clinical sites overseas. He has successfully secured numerous grants for the University.
John advises independent study projects related to global health and encourages student participation in various global and public health activities, both internationally and around Des Moines. Students are motivated by his experiences with and knowledge of global public health issues and are encouraged to be conscientious professionals who can create positive changes in global healthcare.
John completed graduate studies in Australia and has traveled widely for research, teaching, and curriculum development, including the Hanoi University of Pharmacy. He also assists with charitable and philanthropic work throughout the world, including McCord Hospital in Durban, South Africa.
—Submitted by Drake International
For the second consecutive year, World Languages and Cultures (WLC) has earned a grant from the Evans Family Foundation. The $50,000 grant will be used to examine the current status of WLC at Drake and address the critical role language acquisition and cultural competence need to play to fulfill Drake University’s mission promise of graduating globally responsible citizens. The grant will enable Drake to attract new students to language learning, encourage persistence to advanced levels of language learning, and integrate languages more deeply into existing international studies programs and courses.
As a result of the Evans Family Foundation grant money, WLC is able to develop new programming, such as introducing a new Spanish minor this fall; train faculty to provide Culture and Language Across the Curriculum (CLAC); and send two faculty members to the CLAC 2015 Conference. Additionally, Drake University will host the CLAC 2016 Conference.
—Submitted by Drake International
Lorentzen Student Hatchery businesses will present at 1 Million Cups Des Moines on Wednesday, Aug. 19:
1 Million Cups Des Moines meets from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Science Center of Iowa. If you’re free, come down to support our students!
Three other Lorentzen students presented last week:
1 Million Cups (1MC) is a free, weekly, national program designed to educate, engage, and connect entrepreneurs. Developed by the Kauffman Foundation, 1MC is based on the notion that entrepreneurs discover solutions and network over a million cups of coffee.
The Lorentzen Student Hatchery was founded by John C. Lorentzen, BN’77, AS’77. The Hatchery will begin recruiting for summer 2016 participants in October 2015.
