Category Archives: Archive

For Staff Archive

Be True Blue Today, Win a Sapphire in April

Have you encountered a Drake staff member or even a whole office or team who practices excellence, learning, integrity, citizenship, and/or fiscal responsibility? Nominate them for All-Staff Council’s Called to be True Blue Award today at www.drake.edu/asc/recognition.

All True Blue recipients nominated before Friday, March 18, will be in the running to receive All-Staff Council’s highest recognition for staff members at Drake—a Sapphire Award. Mark your calendar for the Sapphire Awards Show, held Tuesday, April 19 from 2 to 3 p.m. in Levitt Hall.

— Submitted by All-Staff Council

Featured Events Archive

Roundtable: “Feminist Perspectives on Trigger Warnings and Academic Freedom”

What: Roundtable discussion, “Feminist Perspectives on Trigger Warnings & Academic Freedom.”
When: Friday, March 4, 1-2 p.m.
Where: Howard Hall 308

Participants will discuss how members of the Drake community can support students in learning about subjects related to trauma and/or violence, and how we navigate the risks and benefits of vulnerability in the classroom.

Open to all members of the Drake community. Facilitated by Prof. Nancy Reincke (English & WGS); Melissa Ulrickson of Crisis Intervention Services; and Taylor Donaldson, a student representative of the WGS Steering Committee.

— Submitted by Jennifer Perrine, Associate Professor of English and Director of Women’s and Gender Studies.

For Staff Archive

A True Blue Leader: Melissa Sturm-Smith

Melissa Smith, True Blue Award winner, with her nominator Bryan Thomas.
Melissa Smith, Drake’s newest Called to be True Blue Award winner, with her colleague Bryan Thomas.

Melissa Sturm-Smith, associate provost for academic excellence and student success, was honored Feb. 9 with the Called to be True Blue Award. In nominating her, Melissa’s colleague wrote:

“Melissa has shown exemplary leadership as a supervisor, colleague, and supporter for all students, faculty, and staff. She never takes any credit for her hard work and dedication. Whether it’s working with Welcome Weekend, Dean’s Council, SDAT, etc., she embodies what it means to be an effective and humble leader. I can’t think of anyone here at Drake who cares about the well being of their staff and colleagues more than her. I hear students say that they want to be ‘Just like Melissa.’ If that isn’t True Blue then I don’t know what is.”

Melissa was surprised at a meeting and awarded a certificate and gift card, and is now in the running, along with other True Blue Award winners from this fiscal year, to win top honors for staff accomplishment at the All-Staff Council Sapphire Awards event April 19.

Do you know of a staff member or department that has gone above and beyond to exemplify True Blue spirit? Nominate them today! The nomination form is available online.

—Submitted by All Staff Council Communications Committee

Campus Announcements Archive

Open forums for Director of Sponsored Programs finalists

The two finalists for the position of Director of Sponsored Programs will be on campus this week for interviews. There will be open forums for each in the Medbury Honors Lounge from 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. Mary Wohlford will visit Wednesday, March 2. Christina Sibouih will visit Thursday, March 3. All faculty, staff and administrators are welcome.
— Submitted by Associate Provost Arthur Sanders
Featured Events Archive

Free lecture by Global Practitioner in Residence Peiqin Zhou

What: “The Invisible Curfew: Women’s Fear & Use of Public Space during China’s Urbanization,” featuring Global Practitioner-in-Residence Peiqin Zhou
When: March 1, 7-8:30 p.m.
Where: Sussman Theater, Olmsted Center

Peiqin Zhou is associate professor and deputy chair in the Dept. of Sociology at Nanjing University in China. She is serving as visiting Global Practitioner-in-Residence in Drake’s Department for the Study of Culture and Society. Zhou studies urban women’s use of public space in China and how fear affects young women in a low-density suburb. Due to “the shadow of sexual assault,” women usually show more fear of crime, measures to avoid victimization, and negative impacts on their lives. The crucial factor triggering fear is the lack of informal social control, which is partly due to the architecture design embodied by modern functionalism and partly due to the homogeneity of social life. She argues that women’s spatial experience will improve if more informal social control is put into effect, but a more profound sociological imagination is called on to better understand this issue.

Sponsor: The Principal Financial Group Center for Global Citizenship.

— Submitted by Denise Ganpat, Center for Global Citizenship

Featured Events Archive

What is Reproductive Justice?

What is reproductive justice? Faculty and students from Law, Politics and Society and Women’s Gender Studies host Loretta Ross and Ricki Solinger. The two will have a conversation about reproductive justice, its meaning, its importance and its place at Drake. Join them March 2 at 7 p.m. on Pomerantz stage in the Olmsted Center.

Learn more about the speakers here.

—Submitted by Renee Cramer, Associate Professor Law, Politics and Society/Department Chair

Featured Events Archive

Pre-tour choir performance

The Drake Choir and Chamber Choir will perform a pre-tour concert on Tuesday, March 8, at 7:30 p.m. in Sheslow Auditorium before embarking on a tour to Minnesota, March 9–13, with evening concerts in Winona, Collegeville, and St. Louis Park. The choirs’ tour repertoire includes music by contemporary American composers, works by Handel and Bruckner, as well as a particularly enticing piece by Latvian composer Eriks Esenvalds, with whom the ensembles will work when they tour Latvia, Estonia, and Finland in May. There is no charge for the evening concerts but a freewill offering will be taken.

—Submitted by Aimee Beckmann-Collier, the Ellis and Nelle Levitt Distinguished Professor of Conducting

For Faculty Archive

Midterm grading open March 1

Midterm grading for non-Law School courses will open on March 1 and will be due at 10 a.m. on March 21. Students will be able to view their midterm grades as soon as instructors submit them. My sincere thanks to all instructors who submit their grades on time.

—Submitted by Kevin Moenkhaus, Director, Student Records and Academic Information

News & Achievements Archive

Bone marrow registry drive

On Friday, March 4, from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Olmsted Breezeway, Be The Match On Campus will be holding a bone marrow registry drive. Be The Match On Campus is a new student organization that focuses on holding bone marrow registry drives and spreading awareness of the need for committed, diverse members on the registry. Sign up is free and only requires an ID. The sign up process will include a form and cheek swabs to gather DNA for the registry. If you have any questions, you can contact Be The Match On Campus President, Elena Dietz at elena.dietz@drake.edu.

-Submitted by Elena Dietz