Drake University, in collaboration with Homeward, Polk County’s homelessness planning organization, announced today the release of a comprehensive study on families experiencing homelessness in the Des Moines metro area.

This research initiative, conducted with significant involvement of Drake University student researchers, sheds light on the unique challenges families experiencing homelessness are facing. The study brings a humanized perspective to the discussion by highlighting the lived experiences of families while identifying process-driven strategies for addressing the unhoused crisis in Polk County.

“We are incredibly proud to collaborate on such an important research project and of how our students contributed to the study,” said Elizabeth Talbert, Ph.D., assistant professor of sociology at Drake. “By working closely with Homeward Iowa and engaging directly with families, our students gained invaluable experience in the sociology field and can see the concrete impact their efforts have on pressing issues in the Des Moines community.” 

The study, led by Talbert and Professor Matthew Record (previously of Drake, now at Molloy University), involved in-depth interviews and ethnographic study of 10 families with children experiencing homelessness in the Des Moines Area during the summer of 2023. It revealed that families often view entering a shelter as a temporary refuge during a time of crisis. However, the study also found that time limits and behavioral expectations within shelters can create uncertainty, anxiety, and confusion for families. The process of searching for housing presented other hurdles, including intensive application processes and confusing resources.

The study results emphasized that securing independent housing remained the most important goal for all families involved. By exploring these experiences and the multifaceted causes of family homelessness, the study provides crucial insights into immediate human needs including access to shelter, childcare, education, and employment resources.

“Their experience reinforces the concerns of providers we partner with; without enough affordable housing and supportive services, the future is unknown for many families in crisis,” said Angie Arthur, Homeward’s executive director.

The study’s findings will be used to inform Homeward’s strategic planning and community-wide efforts to prevent and address homelessness. Arthur states, “As key leaders create this five-year community strategic plan, the firsthand voices of individuals helps to emphasize the human impact of this work. We are trying to help families, the elderly, people living with disabilities, and the support staff who work tirelessly to best address the needs of our extremely low-income neighbors. When we center our work around solutions that support those most in need, we create a stronger community web for all of us.”  

This study is part of a larger research effort, including the previously released Unsheltered Des Moines Study in January 2023. Both studies have been a partnership between Homeward Iowa and Drake University faculty and students, with funding provided by Drake University (The Slay Fund for Social Justice and Fitzsimonds Faculty Fellowships), Wells Fargo, the City of Des Moines, Polk County, and Nationwide.

To read the full report, Metro Homelessness: A Study of Family Experiences, visit: https://www.homewardiowa.org/unshelteredfamilies

About Homeward

Homeward serves as Polk County’s homelessness planning organization, forging strategic partnerships toward ending homelessness. By distributing funding, resources, and data, Homeward seeks to create an efficient, effective homeless response system that meets all residents’ strengths and needs. We lead community-wide homelessness planning efforts to ensure that one day, everyone in Polk County will have a safe place to call home. For more information, visit https://www.homewardiowa.org/

—John Krantz, University Communications & Marketing

Drake University’s School of Education announced that the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a $628,791 grant to Professors Jerrid Kruse and Lindsay Woodward.

The grant will fund research into how teachers understand and teach complex topics with social, cultural, scientific, and technical elements, a concept known as socioscientific literacy. Kruse and Woodward will work with fourth and fifth-grade teachers over three years, providing professional development and enabling teachers to bring socioscientific concepts into their curriculum.

“Our unique project allows teachers to understand socioscientific topics while also supporting them as they innovate ways to integrate those topics into existing lessons for their classes,” said Woodward.

“Most students who go into STEM fields acquire an affinity for STEM topics before middle school,” said Kruse. “Giving students access to scientific literacy earlier and adding social and ethical context can make science more relevant to students.”

The socioscientific topics in the study will relate to existing fourth and fifth-grade science lessons. For example, when fourth graders are learning about erosion, or fifth graders are learning about properties and changes in matter, both topics will connect to the socioscientific context around access to clean water. Participating teachers will explore ways to bring such contexts into their classrooms.

Kruse and Woodward will gather data on the efficacy of the program by directly observing how teachers implement socioscientific knowledge and materials. Teachers from eight Des Moines area school districts are participating in the research program. Teachers are paid $3,500 for participating in the project.

“From a literacy perspective, this work has the potential to be groundbreaking in understanding the processes and sense-making strategies that teachers use to understand socioscientific issues, and how they can help students process these issues,” said Woodward.

By the end of three years, Kruse and Woodward hope to have quantitative and qualitative data reflecting how teachers comprehend socioscientific concepts and how they guide their students’ understanding of these issues.

“Often, we don’t realize how important teaching broad scientific literacy is,” said Kruse. “We’re giving teachers the framework to teach scientific literacy in a broader sense to help students better understand the world around them.”

Listen to the SPARC’ing a Conversation podcast with Kruse and Woodward

To learn more about the NSF grant-funded study, listen to Drake University’s SPARC’ing a Conversation podcast featuring Kruse and Woodward.

—John Krantz, University Communications & Marketing

Drake University has appointed Professor Teri Koch as the new Dean of Cowles Library, following approval from the University’s Board of Trustees. Koch, who has served in various leadership roles at the University for more than three decades, will begin her official tenure as dean in a three-year term effective immediately.  

Koch has been integral to Drake’s library services since 1993, holding numerous positions, including Professor of Librarianship and Chair of the Scholarly Communications & Collaborations Department. In 2024, she shared interim dean responsibilities with Associate Professor Hope Bibens, effectively steering the library through a transition period. With this new appointment, Koch will continue to advance the library’s strategic goals, which focus on academic excellence, research support, and sustainable resource management. 

Drake University Provost Sue Mattison expressed confidence in Koch’s ability to build on the legacy of former Dean Jill Gremmels, who led Cowles Library with unwavering dedication.  

“Teri’s leadership this past year has been exemplary, balancing the demands of her role while remaining an advocate for her colleagues and the students she serves,” said Mattison. “Teri’s longstanding dedication to Cowles Library and her innovative contributions make her uniquely suited to lead the library into a new era of academic collaboration and research accessibility—building upon Jill’s legacy and vision.” 

Committed to accessibility 

Throughout her career at Drake, Koch has championed forward-thinking library initiatives, including pioneering one of the Midwest’s first Patron-Driven Acquisitions programs, which ensures resource allocation aligns closely with student and faculty needs. She has also been a driving force behind the library’s Open Education Resources initiatives, helping students reduce costs associated with commercial textbooks. As part of her commitment to accessible and inclusive resources, Koch has established partnerships both within and outside of Iowa, positioning Drake’s library as a model for collaborative resource sharing. 

Revered in the community 

Koch is well-regarded in the academic community, having held influential roles within the Iowa Academic Library Alliance and the Central Iowa Collaborative Collections Initiative. Her leadership has been recognized for fostering collaboration across academic institutions, supporting student success, and advancing the academic library profession through published research and presentations. 

“I am honored to take on the role of dean at Cowles Library, a place that has been close to my heart for more than 30 years,” said Koch. “I look forward to working with our talented library team and faculty partners to continue enhancing the library’s role in supporting academic excellence and student achievement at Drake.” 

The Drake community congratulates Teri Koch on her appointment as dean, as she leads Cowles Library into a promising future of innovation and shared knowledge.

—John Krantz, University Communications & Marketing