Members of the Human Resources team will be available Thursday from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Olmsted Center’s Drake Room. This is a convenient opportunity for you to talk with HR Partner Services about any HR topic that’s on your mind. You’re also welcome to schedule a meeting at the HR offices, 3206 University Avenue, if another time works better for you. We look forward to meeting with you and hearing your ideas for making Drake an even better place to work.
Debra Wiley, Human Resources
Faculty and staff are invited to attend the BUILD program session “Did U Know: Harkin Institute and Political Papers” on Thursday, March 8, from 9 to 10 a.m. in Cowles Library, Room 201. Drake University is proud to the be the home of Senator Tom Harkin’s (retired) papers, spanning 40 years in public service and addressing some of the most pressing issues of the past half-century. Attend this BUILD session, led by Joseph Jones, executive director of The Harkin Institute, and Hope Bibens, University and political papers archivist, to learn more about The Harkin Institute, its role in Des Moines, and the significance of hosting these papers. Email Debra Wiley at debra.wiley@drake.edu to register.
Debra Wiley, Human Resources
Human Resources is proud to announce that Drake has been designated a Health Champion by the American Diabetes Association.
Through its Wellness Lives HereTM initiative, the American Diabetes Association recognizes organizations that make health and wellness a priority for their employees.
To become a Health Champion, organizations must meet healthy living criteria in three different areas: Nutrition and Weight Management, Physical Activity and Organizational Well-Being. The health and wellness initiatives of Drake have met the criteria and the American Diabetes Association has selected us for this prestigious recognition.
Faculty and staff should take pride in this recognition and the reassurance that Drake is committed to making health and wellness a priority among our campus community.
Linda Feiden, Human Resources
The Nelson Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs invites proposals for a two-year grant that will fund interdisciplinary faculty-student research projects that address a global issue of broad public importance. The purpose of this initiative is to enhance Drake’s involvement in addressing pressing global issues, thus helping to position Drake as a global knowledge hub in service to local, national, and international communities.
Over the past three years, the Nelson Institute has funded the following projects:
One project will be funded from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2020. The deadline for proposals is May 4. Proposals should be sent to Denise Ganpat at denise.ganpat@drake.edu. Award notification will occur by June 1. Teams are encouraged to consult with Jeffrey Kappen, assistant professor of international business and interim director of the Nelson Institute, at jeffrey.kappen@drake.edu, as they prepare their proposals. The Nelson Institute will provide $20,000–$30,000 in support of the selected project, depending upon demonstrated need. Project leaders are encouraged, if necessary, to seek additional funding from on- and off-campus sources. View the full call for proposals and criteria.
— Denise Ganpat, Provost’s Office
Drake faculty are invited to submit nominations to the Deans’ Council for University Marshal and Assistant Marshal. The marshals oversee and participate in Drake commencement and other ceremonies. Submit nominations by Friday, March 9, prior to Spring Break.
University Marshal: To be eligible for consideration, nominees for University Marshal must 1) hold the rank of professor, 2) be actively engaged in the life of the University through all-university leadership and service, and 3) have regularly attended Drake University commencements.
Assistant Marshal: To be eligible for consideration, nominees for Assistant Marshal must 1) have been recognized by their academic unit or by the University for excellence in teaching, scholarship, or service, and 2) have regularly attended Drake University commencements.
The University and Assistant Marshals are appointed by the president, upon the recommendation of the Deans’ Council. The term is for five years, renewable at the discretion of the president. Nominations can be directed to Drinda Williams, administrative assistant to the provost, at drinda.williams@drake.edu.
University Marshal Joseph Schneider, Ellis and Nelle Levitt distinguished professor of sociology and department chair, and Assistant Marshal David Wright, professor of journalism and mass communication, are stepping down as Drake’s Marshals following the 2018 commencement.
Drinda Williams, Provost’s Office
On Wednesday, March 7, from 3 to 5 p.m., organizations from on and off campus will host interactive and informational booths related to sexual and reproductive health in Upper Olmsted. Organizations are encouraged to focus on being approachable, non-judgmental, and fun. This year, Primary Health Care will be offering free and confidential STD and STI testing during the event in nearby private space—no appointment is necessary.
Tess Cody, Violence Prevention & Programming
The Drake University Science Colloquium Series presents, “Protein-Protein Interactions in the Cytoskeleton of Ciliated Protozoan Tetrahymena thermophile,” by senior Noah Skantz and Jerry Honts, associate professor of biology, on Friday, March 9. The event will take place from 12 to 12:50 p.m. in Harvey Ingham Hall, Room 134.
Sharyn O’Connor, College of Arts & Sciences
Mark Harris, senior lecturer in science and religion at the University of Edinburgh, will present the next lecture in The Comparison Project’s series on miracles on Thursday, March 8, at 7 p.m. in Sussman Theater.
Harris’s lecture will discuss conventional assumptions in theological and philosophical discussions of miracles that science can be adequately dealt with simply by invoking ‘the laws of nature’, such that a miracle transgresses these laws. He will talk about the shortcomings of these assumptions, arguing that there is a need to address wider underpinning concepts in the philosophy of science, including naturalism, the uniformity of nature, and the unity of science. Harris will suggest new ways forward for thinking about miracles by bringing in insights from debates in geology.
Harris studied geology at Cambridge University before moving into mainstream physics in Oxford, first in a postdoc at the University of Oxford, then in a staff position at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. For about 10 years, Harris established his interests in the physics of magnetic materials. After exploring a calling to ordination in the Church of England, Harris read theology at Oxford in the early 2000s, and moved into parish ministry and university chaplaincy. In 2012, he constructed the University of Edinburgh’s new master’s program in science and religion and has been a director of the program ever since. Harris’s teaching and research focuses on the relationship between Christian theology and the physical sciences. He is especially interested in the impact of science on modern views of the Bible, especially in thinking on miracles and divine action. Harris is in the process of working on a book project on naturalism, and the ways that historical debates on naturalism in geology provide a new way of looking at miracles.
Monique Rodriguez, College of Arts & Sciences
Today, March 6, the East Asian Film Series will show its second film: Shin Godzilla (Japan, 2016). The film will begin at 6 p.m. in Harvey Ingham Hall, Room 134. It is about a giant monster who destroys Tokyo as the government struggles to respond. The film is co-sponsored by the East Asian Studies Minor and the Department of Political Science. Students from the class government and politics of Japan will lead a discussion following the film. Contact Professor Mary M. McCarthy for information about this film or others in the series.
Mary M. McCarthy, Department of Political Science
The Community Outreach Student Senate Committee is hosting a panel on International Women’s Day, March 8, at 7 p.m. in Parents Hall South in the Olmsted Center. The panel will feature powerful women in the Des Moines community. Please come out and show your support.
Avery Malinski