Come play in a free Super Smash Bros. Ultimate tournament and eat some snacks in Herriott Lobby this Saturday, Feb. 24, at 8 p.m. We’re planning to have GameCube controllers, Pro Controllers, and a couple Nintendo Switch setups, including projecting a big display on the wall. At least one Switch has all DLC characters.
— Jake Elafros, senior
March is Employee Appreciation Month and National Employee Appreciation Day is Friday, March 1, and we are celebrating YOU! While we value Drake employees all year, we like to set aside some time for special fun in March to recognize and celebrate our amazing employees.
To help show our appreciation, Human Resources and All Staff Council invite you to take a break and join us for the following Employee Appreciation Month events:
March 1–13: Build a Bulldog
You have all probably seen the colorful bulldog statues around campus. Now it is your turn to get creative in decorating a bulldog. Not a bulldog statue, but a PICTURE of a bulldog. Simply send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu to receive an outline of Griff–then decorate the picture using whatever artistic materials you wish. Send your completed picture to Linda Feiden, HR, 3rd floor Old Main, by Wednesday, March 13. All entries will go through a preliminary screening and the finalists will be on display during the BINGO event on March 20 for faculty and staff to vote on. Prizes will be awarded to the winning entries!
March 20: BINGO!
Join All Staff Council and Human Resources on Wednesday, March 20, from 12–1 p.m. in Parents Hall South, Olmsted Center to play BINGO. This family-friendly event will include tasty treats for all, and an assortment of fun prizes for our winners. And don’t forget to vote for your favorite “Build a Bulldog” picture.
March 28: Faculty/Staff Recess
When we were kids, recess was a part of our day, but as adults we often do not get nearly enough play time. As part of employee appreciation month, we invite faculty and staff to take a break from work on Thursday, March 28, between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. and join us in the Bell Center Courts 1 & 2 for recess! Play nine holes of miniature golf, try pickleball, or challenge a colleague to a game of cornhole (bags). All equipment will be provided.
All Month: Give a shout-out
In addition, we have brought back the popular Shout-Out program for Employee Appreciation Month. This is a great way to recognize your colleagues. Simply write a sentence or two thanking a colleague or team for going the extra mile or showing support to others. Submit your shout-outs to linda.feiden@drake.edu between now and March 27, and they will be compiled and posted in OnCampus.
Be on the lookout for more Employee Appreciation Month information throughout March.
— Linda Feiden, HR
The annual J-Term Fair will be held Wednesday, March 6, from 4:30–6:30 p.m. in the upper lobby of Olmsted Center. Discover the 2025 travel seminars destinations & speak with the faculty members leading the experiences to find your perfect opportunity to study abroad next J-Term. We can’t wait to see you there.
— Chelsea Funk, Assistant Director of Education Abroad
The Global Citizen Forum is comprised of a series of events drawing on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals as a thematic lens, taking place annually in the spring semester.
The Forum was established as the co-curricular arm of the Engaged Citizen Experience, part of the Drake Curriculum which aims to ensure students will learn to participate effectively in democratic processes through coursework and classroom and community activities. The ECE seeks to mobilize the entire campus community to discuss a critical theme or global issue.
The 2024 Global Citizen Forum will take place March 6–8.
Interested in traveling next J-Term? Come learn more about the J-Term travel seminars to be offered in 2025 from the program leaders themselves!
On a Drake travel seminar, students can explore the world alongside their fellow Bulldogs and professors. Travel seminars run during J-Term or summer and are typically between one to three weeks in length. Past program locations have included Africa, the Americas, Asia, Australia and Oceania, Europe, and the Middle East. If you are finding it difficult to fit a semester study abroad experience into your program—due to time constraints, financial obstacles, or personal reasons—this may be an excellent option for you. With your Drake community by your side, you’ll develop new relationships with fellow Drake students and professors, and create long-lasting memories that will serve you long after your time abroad.
Hosted by Drake’s Principal Center for Global Citizenship, please join us for a networking breakfast with Drake faculty and staff as well as Drake’s global partners, a special presentation by Robert Ludke, expert on Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) Strategies and Harkin Institute Senior Fellow, with moderated discussion but Dean Alejandro Hernandez, and the presentation of the 2024 Faculty Global Citizenship Award!
Hosted by Drake’s Principal Center for Global Citizenship, in partnership with the Politics/IR, International Business, and LPS departments, this event brings together an interdisciplinary panel of Drake faculty to talk about topics related to global ‘development’ and creating a more just, prosperous future for all the world’s inhabitants. This panel asks simply, “How do we make the world better?” This question opens the door for discussion along two main avenues: first, what sets of practical policies, social arrangements, and economic configurations might be worth looking at to make the world better; and second, what courses of international, coordinated action might be taken in order to achieve those goals? The panel will rely on the panelists’ expertise, as well as observations about existing international trends and institutions in their discussion.
Panelists include Dr. Kieran Williams, Dr. Jeffrey A. Kappen, Dr. Ali Malik, and Dr. Leanne Purdum.
Join us at the Harkin Institute auditorium for the special screening of the Iowa PBS documentary Citizen Diplomacy, with an introduction by the film’s producer, Dave Miller. Following the screening will be a commentative panel moderated by Dr. David Skidmore, including Iowans featured in the film such as World Food Prize President Emeritus and former U.S. Ambassador Ken Quinn, Roger Engstrom, and Sofia Fernandez.
**Registration for this event is encouraged but not required**
The purpose of the Nelson Student Research Symposia is to recognize and share high-quality undergraduate research related to international and global topics. Students presenting research are encouraged to have their topics align with one (or more!) of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDGs provide a framework for tackling complex global pressing issues such as poverty, sustainable communities, climate action, and justice. Student presentations will be roughly 15 minutes each.
— Kaiya Kielb Young, senior
In honor of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Week, join the Broadlawns Drake Student Counseling Center and office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for a mental health panel March 22 focused on disrupting the harmful narratives given to marginalized communities, and an open discussion on ways to enhance worth and belonging in the face of social injustice. Participants will also receive free self-care prizes and free food, and admitted students will have the opportunity to be entered into a raffle to win additional self-care prizes, such as weighted blankets, self-help books, and MORE! This is a wonderful opportunity to experience a taste of the culture of inclusivity, belonging, and well-being at Drake! Register here.
When: March 22nd from 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Where: Parents Hall South
— Kayla Bell-Consolver, Broadlawns Drake University Student Counseling Center
Stop by the Olmsted breezeway Feb. 26, March 25, or April 22 from 9–10:30 a.m. to chat with counselors from the student counseling center. This is a chance to get answers to questions related to mental health and receive free coffee from local coffee shops!
When: February 26, March 25, and April 22 from 9–10:30 a.m.
Where: Breezeway, Olmsted
— Kayla Bell-Consolver, Broadlawns Drake University Student Counseling Center
Want to discuss the issues of Des Moines’ transportation system and sustainability? Come join Dr. Dian Nostikasari and our Fulbright Scholar Dr. Suryani Wijaya in an informal discussion around Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). This will be an information conversation where you will be able to contribute your thoughts in how to make walkable cities more of a reality.
Join us on Friday, Feb. 23, from 3–4 p.m. in Cowles Library, Room 201 (the Fishbowl Room). Light refreshments will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there.
— Jorona Johnson, Global Engagement
Science on Screen, a collaboration between Varsity Cinema, STEM Librarian Dan Chibnall, and STEM@DRAKE, launches Feb. 27 with a screening of the sci-fi/horror classic The Thing, introduced by Shauna Kaplan, associate professor of biology. Buy tickets.
Kaplan’s introduction will explore how different diseases spread in our society. Some transmit directly from one person to another, others are spread from an insect bite, such as a tick or mosquito, and some spread from animal to human. Before watching The Thing, she will talk about how some diseases transmit from an animal to a human easily, while others are much more difficult, and whether once the disease is in a human if it can transmit to another human, using influenza as the main example.
The Thing is a sci-fi/horror classic from director John Carpenter. Set on a science research station in the Antarctic, an American research team has a strange encounter with their Norwegian counterparts, including a husky dog who is not what it seems. This film explores science and sci-fi concepts such as biological transmission of disease, paranoia, seclusion, social anxiety, and alienation.
This is the first of three films in the series coming to Varsity Cinema this spring. The next film in the series will be Blackberry, March 26, with an introduction by SJMC professor Chris Snider on the evolution of and relationship with our mobile devices particularly smartphones. The final film will be Galaxy Quest on April 30 with an introduction by professor Charlie Nelson on our fascination with the concept of extraterrestrials.
Film: John Carpenter’s The Thing
Tuesday, Feb. 27: talk begins at 6:30 p.m., film shortly after, no later than 7 p.m.
Special Guest Speaker: Associate Professor Shauna Kaplan, Biology & Microbiology, Drake University
Presentation Title: Diseases that Transmit Between Animals and Humans
Description: Different diseases spread (known as transmission) in different modes. Some transmit directly from one person to another, others are spread from an insect bite, such as a tick or mosquito, and some spread from animal to humans. Before watching The Thing, we will talk about how some diseases transmit from an animal to a human easily, while other are much more difficult, and whether if once the disease is in a human if it can transmit to another human, using influenza as the main example.
Tickets: On sale now https://varsitydesmoines.com/purchase/381564/
Film: Blackberry
Tuesday, March 26: talk begins at 6:30 p.m., film shortly after, no later than 7 p.m.
Special Guest Speaker: Associate Professor Chris Snider, School of Journalism and Mass Communication, Drake University
Presentation Title: “Don’t Silence Your Phones”
Description: How our smartphones went from email-obsessed devices to powerful movie-making tools that fit in our pocket. This presentation from Drake University School of Journalism multimedia professor Chris Snider will discuss the evolution of smartphones, which are now used to film major motion pictures. Snider will also share some tips for all of us to unleash our movie-making abilities.
Tickets: Will go on sale in mid-March
Film: Galaxy Quest
Tuesday, April 30: talk begins at 6:30 p.m., film shortly after, no later than 7 p.m.
Special Guest Speaker: Associate Professor Charlie Nelson, Physics & Astronomy, Drake University
Presentation Title & Description: TBA
Tickets: Will go on sale in mid-April
Science on Screen is a national initiative of the COOLIDGE CORNER THEATRE, with major support from the ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION.
The annual Survey of Administrative Services, SAS, is an opportunity for faculty and staff to provide feedback on how services are performed across the campus. Facilities Planning and Management uses this input to celebrate our successes over the last year and where opportunities for improvement may lie within our team.
Survey respondents provided largely positive feedback about FPM services. Satisfaction with FPM staff courtesy, professionalism, knowledge, timeliness, resolution of issues and communication regarding work orders and projects received similar ratings to last year.
The eleven FPM specific services that were evacuated received ratings in which some services were slightly lower this year than the past year, with a few services receiving higher marks. Grounds team is this year’s winner of the FPM Golden Bulldog Award, 2nd year in a row, for receiving the highest satisfactory rating within FPM at 4.57 out of 5. Congratulation to the Grounds Team!
Overall satisfaction with FPM dipped a little from the previous year. We contribute this to several factors, the lower number of respondents to the survey, and from the comments, truly understanding the role of FPM. Our team is dedicated to maintaining campus buildings and grounds to the best of our abilities. We recognize there are some outdated systems and infrastructure, but those are still operational due to the hard work of the staff. We would like nothing more that be able to remodel and updated every building, until that time, our staff is ensuring that the learning environment is to the utmost main concern of our mission.
FPM continues to review areas of opportunities for improvement. This coming year communication to the campus remains a top priority. Keeping everyone updated on work orders or projects that affect their daily routine tends to be an area that gets many comments on the survey. Being proactive and reporting and addressing issues prior to those becoming larger concerns is going to be followed through by our front-line staff. Lastly, FPM will continue to exhibit the core values in everything we do.
— Kevin Moran, Facilities Planning and Management, Executive Director
University Communications and Marketing will hold professional headshot sessions Thursday, Feb. 29, from 1:30-3:30 p.m. in Old Main, Conference Room 115. The sessions are free to all students, faculty, and staff. High-resolution portraits are made available for download 2–4 weeks after the photos are taken. Images can be downloaded at https://drakeuniversity.smugmug.com/Headshots-1.
— Jimmy Hoover, University Communications and Marketing
