Category Archives: Archive

News & Achievements Archive

Drake Law School Names Professor Jeremy Kidd as Kermit S. Sutton Research Fellow

Drake University Law School is proud to announce the appointment of Professor Jeremy Kidd as the inaugural Kermit S. Sutton Research Fellow. This prestigious fellowship is awarded to a Law School professor who demonstrates exceptional dedication to teaching, research, and public speaking.

Professor Kidd, who joined the Drake Law faculty in 2021, is an expert in law and economics, focusing primarily on business law and regulatory issues. His work explores the complex intersections of market theory and legal regulation and includes publications in the University of Pennsylvania Journal of Business Law, the Oklahoma Law Review, and most recently the Pepperdine Law Review. Professor Kidd is a respected speaker on public choice and law and economics, as well as a frequent panelist and presenter at both legal and economics conferences.

In a year of milestones, Professor Kidd was also named a co-recipient of Drake Law School’s 2026 Stevens Faculty Scholar of the Year Award. This honor, alongside his new fellowship, serves as a powerful affirmation of his academic distinction and his role as a leader in the national legal community.

“Professor Kidd embodies the spirit of intellectual curiosity and rigorous analysis that we value at Drake Law,” said Roscoe Jones Jr., Dean of Drake University Law School. “His appointment as the Kermit S. Sutton Research Fellow is a well-deserved recognition of his dedication to excellence and his significant contributions to our culture of rigorous academic inquiry. We are proud to support his continued work in shaping the future of commercial and corporate law.”

— Taylor Johnson, Drake Law School

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

New Podcast Episode: SPARC’ing a Conversation with Diana Otido & Dorcas Egya-Mensah

In the latest episode of SPARC’ing a Conversation, we sit down with Diana Otido and Dorcas Egya-Mensah, two talented interns working in the Office of Sponsored Programs Administration & Research Compliance (SPARC).

Listen here: Episode 4 Diana Otido & Dorcas Egya-Mensah | SPARC’ing a Conversation

Tune in as Diana and Dorcas share insights about their hands-on internship experience with the I-RAISE program, an initiative proudly funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) GRANTED award.

If you are interested in discussing your research projects or scholarly endeavors on an upcoming episode, please reach out to preston.miller@drake.edu.

— Preston Miller, Sponsored Programs Administration & Research Compliance

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Congratulations to the Newly Elected All Staff Council Members

The All Staff Council Governance Committee extends its congratulations to the following newly elected members!

Governance Committee

  • Patrick Williams, Grounds

Recognition Committee

  • Allyssa Ruths, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
  • Colin Atkinson, Facilities Planning and Management
  • Crystal Fierro-Galbraith, Drake Online and Continuing Education
  • Timm Pilcher, School of Journalism and Mass Communication

Events/Community Service Committee

  • Joanna Gilmore, Office of the Registrar
  • Nichole Stabile, Drake Online and Continuing Education
  • Rebecca Muntz, Career Services
  • Sydney Dvorak, Facilities Planning and Management

Special Interest Committee

  • Lilah Anderson, Anderson Gallery
  • Trey Leech, Drake Online and Continuing Education

Chair Elect

  • Betsy White, Office of Conference and Event Services

— Suzanne Wisslead, On behalf of All Staff Council

HR Information Archive

Welcome New Bulldogs: RSVP for the June 10 New Employee Orientation

Managers, please encourage your new team members to attend the first available New Employee Orientation after their start date.

The next orientation session is scheduled for:

  • Date: Wednesday, June 10
  • Time: 9–11:30 a.m.
  • Location: Johansen Student Center, Scripps Meeting Room 301 (3rd Floor)

Either the manager or the new employee can reserve a spot. To RSVP, please send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu and include “NEO” in the subject line.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

For Faculty Archive, For Staff Archive

Secure Your Drake Athletics Faculty/Staff Fall Sports Pass

Cheer on the Bulldogs all season long with the Drake Athletics Faculty/Staff Fall Sports Pass!

For just $125, Drake faculty and staff can enjoy admission to all regular-season home events for:

  • Football
  • Volleyball
  • Men’s Soccer
  • Women’s Soccer

Passes are also available for purchase for your immediate family members. 

Purchase today by clicking the link here, by emailing tickets@drake.edu, or by calling 515-271-3647. 

Go Bulldogs! Thank you for your continued support of Drake Athletics.

— Greg Kay, Athletics

Campus Announcements Archive

Changes Coming to DART Bus Routes This June

Starting June 14, DART is launching all new bus routes to improve frequency and service.

Key Service Updates For Routes Around Drake:

  • Route 3: Buses will run every 15 minutes (down from every 20 minutes)
  • Route 5: Service is moving to every 30 minutes (previously every 45–60 minutes)
  • Route 60: This route will be discontinued.

Please note that effective June 12 the following services will no longer be available: Express routes, Flex Connect, On Call, and the LINK Shuttle.

— Nate Reagen, Office of the President

News & Achievements Archive, Strategic Updates Archive

A Guide to Drake University’s 159th Commencement Ceremonies: May 16–17

Drake University will award 1,319 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees at its 2026 spring commencement ceremonies. Drake will host the undergraduate ceremony at 10 a.m. on Sunday, May 17, and the graduate and doctoral ceremony will follow at 2 p.m. Both ceremonies will take place in the Knapp Center at 2601 Forest Avenue, Des Moines, and be presided over by Drake University President Marty Martin.

Griff II ‘Graduates’

A special guest at this year’s undergraduate ceremony will be Griff II, who will “graduate” from his official live mascot duties and cross the stage with the Class of 2026. Griff III officially accepted the live mascot responsibilities at a ceremony on May 8, 2026, at Old Main and will serve the University in the years to come, accompanied by his caretaker, Erin Bell.

Commencement Speakers

Kristopher (Kris) Covi, alumnus speaker

The Drake University undergraduate ceremony will include remarks from alumnus Kristopher (Kris) Covi, AS’95, welcoming new Drake graduates into a community of more than 75,000 Bulldogs. Covi is a shareholder at Dvorak Law Group in Omaha, Neb., and currently serves on the Drake University National Alumni Board of Directors. He earned his law degree from the University of Nebraska College of Law in 1998. In his spare time, Covi is a comedian and does stand-up comedy shows in the Omaha area.

Katelyn Jetelina, Ph.D., honorary degree recipient, Doctor of Humane Letters

Katelyn Jetelina, Ph.D., is a distinguished epidemiologist and the founder of Your Local Epidemiologist, a newsletter that has reached more than 500 million readers globally. A TIME100 Most Influential People in Health honoree, she has served as a as a senior advisor to three former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) directors. She is a co-founder of The Evidence Collective and an adjunct professor at the Yale School of Public Health, dedicated to translating complex data into actionable public health insights. Jetelina earned her Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in 2016 in epidemiology and biostatistics and her master’s degree in public health in 2014 from the University of Texas Health Science Center. She completed a bachelor’s degree in physiology from the University of Arizona in 2011. Jetelina also holds an honorary doctorate from The State University of New York (SUNY).

Emerson Whittemore, Oreon E. Scott Senior Legacy Award, Fulbright scholar, and undergraduate ceremony speaker

Each year, Drake presents the Oreon E. Scott Senior Legacy Award to an undergraduate student leader who embodies scholarship, leadership, service, and involvement. This year’s honoree is Emerson Whittemore. Whittemore is from Brooklyn Park, Minn. She is graduating from Drake with majors in sociology and Spanish and a minor in leadership education and development.

While attending Drake University, she has been part of the Donald V. Adams Leadership Institute, Student Alumni Association, Violence Intervention Partners, Student Senate, a peer mentor/academic consultant, Alpha Kappa Delta, Phi Beta Kappa, and Kappa Kappa Gamma. She is a leadership selection committee member for the Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity Council and District Directors. During the summer of 2025, Whittemore served as a social and human rights intern at El Instituto Educativo San Gregorio El Iluminador and El Instituto Superior Daguerre in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Upon graduation, Whittemore will be working as a traveling leadership consultant for the Kappa Kappa Gamma fraternity headquarters until March of 2027, when she will move to Uruguay on a Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship grant through November of 2027.

Alicia Chilton, graduate ceremony speaker

Alicia Chilton will address graduate students and guests at the commencement ceremony for graduate and doctoral degree recipients. Chilton is graduating from Drake University with her Master of Business Administration degree. She currently works at the Greater Des Moines Partnership, where she is the vice president of marketing. Before joining the Greater Des Moines Partnership, Chilton worked at Drake for more than two years as the assistant director of marketing. While employed at Drake, she collaborated with the annual giving team to help fundraise during the “All In” program. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in journalism from Iowa State University, with minors in design studies and apparel merchandising.

Commencement Schedule, Parking, and Livestream

Saturday, May 16

  • 3 p.m.: The College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Doctoral Hooding and Commencement Ceremony
  • 7 p.m.: The Drake Law School Commencement

Sunday, May 17

  • 10 a.m.: The 159th Commencement Ceremony for Undergraduate Degree Recipients
  • 2 p.m.: The 159th Commencement Ceremony for Graduate and Doctoral Degree Recipients

Drake will stream all four ceremonies at live.drake.edu. Free parking is available in campus lots during the ceremonies. For more details, visit the Registrar’s website.

Campus Announcements Archive

Gear Up for Graduation: Gifts, Alumni Apparel, and More

Graduation is a time to celebrate years of hard work, dedication, and achievement. Bulldog Shop is here to help the entire community mark the occasion with thoughtful grad gifts, alumni gear, and any last-minute graduation essentials.

Whether you’re honoring a graduate, cheering on a loved one, or celebrating your own milestone, visit us for meaningful gifts and new alumni apparel to commemorate this special moment. Our store will be open throughout commencement weekend for any last-minute regalia needs.

Bulldog Shop Special Hours (May 11–17)

Mon–Thursday: 9 a.m. –5 p.m.

Friday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Saturday: 10 a.m.–3 p.m.

Sunday: 9 a.m.–2 p.m.

— The Bulldog Shop

Campus Announcements Archive

Cowles Library Survey Findings

As part of Cowles Library’s ongoing commitment to assessing our effectiveness and improving how we serve Drake University, the Library Assessment, Data, and Retention Working Group invited the campus community to share feedback in Fall 2025 about our spaces, services, resources, website, and teaching and research support. Hundreds of students, faculty, and staff responded. Thank you! Linked here is a brief summary of what we heard and how the results will help inform our planning.

— Teri Koch, Cowles Library

Campus Announcements Archive

New in Dogtown: Lifestyle Juices Expands and True Blue Opens

As some of you may have seen, Lifestyle Juices has moved next door and now has a larger, upgraded space at the corner of 25th and University (the former Ancient Ways location). Along with their signature fruit smoothies, be on the lookout for an expanded lunch menu coming soon.

Entirely new to Dogtown is True Blue Shake & Energy Bar, a wellness-focused nutrition club offering delicious meal replacement protein shakes, energizing herbal teas, and 24g protein iced coffees. Whether you’re looking for a quick breakfast, a healthy lunch option, an afternoon energy boost, or post-workout fuel, True Blue provides convenient, feel-good options designed to fit busy lifestyles. With a welcoming atmosphere and a focus on community, True Blue Shake & Energy Bar is excited to serve students, staff, athletes, and the greater Des Moines community.

— Nate Reagen, Office of the President