Take this brief survey to tell us what features, services, resources, and spaces you’d like to see in an updated library facility. All Drake faculty, staff, and students are welcome to participate. Current Drake students who provide a valid Drake email address will be entered in a drawing for a $20 Sodexo gift card after completing the survey!
—Leslie Noble, Cowles Library
Nominations for the Drake Teacher of the Year and Drake Mentor of the Year will be due in early February. Faculty, staff, or students wishing to nominate an individual for one of these awards will find directions at www.drake.edu/acad/honors/
—Art Sanders, Associate Provost
I’m pleased to announce that Nate Reagen will serve the University as my chief of staff beginning tomorrow, Nov. 16. Nate has been working with colleagues across the University for the past 14 months on our continuous improvement efforts, positioning him well for this important role on campus.
Nate has 20 years of experience managing complex projects and programs, including time at The Principal Financial Group, Aviva USA, and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. He specializes in strategic planning; project and program management; and business process improvement. Nate earned his BA in management with an emphasis in marketing and organizational leadership from St. John’s University.
As chief of staff, Nate will manage the day-to-day operations of the Office of the President; support University-wide strategic initiatives; coordinate the institution’s continuous improvement work; and provide support and coordination to the President’s Council. The chief of staff serves as an important resource in delivering on our mission promise to students and the greater Drake community.
I am confident that Nate’s past year of experience building relationships on campus and years of expertise in the areas of strategic planning and project management will serve Drake well. Please join me in congratulating Nate on his new position.
—Marty Martin
Tickets for the Madrigal Dinner (Saturday, Dec. 3, 7 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 4, 5 p.m. in Olmsted Center, Parents Hall) are $55 per person and include a six-course meal and wine. A $10-per-person discount is offered to Drake faculty and staff, as well as their dinner companions, for the Sunday performance. Call the Drake Fine Arts Box Office, 271-3841, to make your reservation if you want to receive the Sunday discount. Why not put together a table of guests from among your Drake colleagues or other friends? Drake’s Chamber Choir, under the direction of Aimee Beckmann-Collier, will transport you and your guest to a glorious place and time!
—Aimee Beckmann-Collier, Department of Music
Public opinion researcher J. Ann Selzer and political expert David Yepsen will discuss the fallout of the 2016 presidential campaign in a wide-ranging discussion at Drake on Tuesday, Nov. 29, at 7 p.m.
“The Press, the Polls and the Presidential Campaign 2016: Where Do We Go From Here?” will begin at 7 p.m. in the Cowles Library Reading Room. The event is sponsored by the Drake School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Selzer runs the nationally recognized Iowa Poll, and Yepsen is retired director of the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University and former political reporter at The Des Moines Register. They will discuss media and polling coverage of the campaign, why the results of the election seemed to catch so many in the national polling and journalism establishments by surprise, and the effect on the profession’s credibility. There will be plenty of time for audience questions.
—Kathleen Richardson, School of Journalism and Mass Communication
The holiday season is fast approaching, and inquiries on where donations are needed have come to the All Staff Council. Due to some changes in the needs of our community partner, ASC will not be organizing an official holiday food drive this year.
However, should you have the desire to donate, we encourage faculty and staff to contribute to the Drake Area Food Pantry coordinated by Cross Ministries and IMPACT. It’s located in the IMPACT building on University Avenue. More information can be found here: http://crossministriesdm.org/foodpantry.html
United Way of Central Iowa also publishes a Holiday Helping Hand Guide with a list of volunteer and donation opportunities across the Greater Des Moines metro. View or download the guide here: www.unitedwaydm.org/holiday-helping-hand
As always, thank you all for the great work that you do at Drake; we appreciate you all, and wish you a happy holiday season.
—All Staff Council, Special Events and Community Service Committee
ITS has been made aware of a few ongoing problems some students are having with PDF and color printing. Here are some suggestions to resolve these issues:
If you are having consistent issues printing PDFs, consider downloading the printer driver to your computer rather than going through Webprint. This can be done either by following the step-by-step driver download directions, or if you need assistance, you can visit the Support Center in the lower level of Carnegie Hall.
When printing in color, make sure that you are releasing your print job at a color printer (look for the color FollowMe sticker on the front of the machine) and that you’ve selected color settings for your document itself. Please note: the printers in the lobbies of the residence halls print in black and white only.
Want to learn more about printing in general? Visit the Printing How to Guides for more information.
—Carla Herling, ITS
Salisbury House Foundation is pleased to announce the 20th anniversary of its Holly & Ivy Holiday Home Tour on Dec. 2–4 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. This year’s tour includes Salisbury House, Wallace House, Drake University Alumni House, West End Architectural Salvage, and the Central Presbyterian Holiday Market.
Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for Salisbury House members, and $5 for children ages 6–12. Tour groups of 12 or more receive a special rate of $18 per person if booked by Nov. 23. Tickets may be purchased at www.salisburyhouse.org or by calling Salisbury House at 515-274-1777. To book a group tour, guests may contact ekist@salisburyhouse.org. More information can found online.
University Advancement also welcomes faculty, staff, and students to stop by the Alumni House to see the holiday décor anytime during normal business hours (8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.) leading up to winter break.
—Erica Hartschen, University Advancement
Drake will raise awareness of food insecurity in Des Moines during a free community event in honor of Martin Luther King Day 2017.
Drake was one of six Iowa colleges and universities to receive a MLK Day of Service Community Partnership Project grant from Iowa Campus Compact (IACC) this year. The grants—in Drake’s case, more than $1,600—provide funding for service projects that work toward alleviating hunger and supporting veterans.
Drake’s event, organized by students in Drake’s Sprout Garden and Next Course: Food Recovery Project, will provide a free meal for about 50 people. Each attendee will receive potting containers, soil, and a variety of seed packets and fresh plants that they can take home to start an in-kitchen garden. The event will be held on Thursday, Jan. 26. Learn more in the Drake Newsroom.
Drake public relations students finalists for national PR News honors
Public relations major Madison McConnell has been named a finalist for PR News‘ Student of the Year. Tom Scearce is a finalist for Intern of the Year.
Drake advertising senior on winning ad challenge team
Advertising senior Jeff Hersheway was on the winning team at the recent GRIT student conference sponsored by the American Advertising Federation of Des Moines (AAFDSM). The teams, comprising students from Drake, Iowa State, Buena Vista, Upper Iowa, and Grand View, tackled a challenge posed by the Iowa Cubs. The students also participated in agency visits and career talks.
—Kathleen Richardson, Dean, SJMC
