Mark your calendars! Registration for the Grand Blue Mile presented by Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield opens on Tuesday, February 10. For two days only you can register for just $10.
Join the Drake community and runners of all ages for a mile through downtown Des Moines. Everyone gets a Grand Blue Mile shirt, kids 12 and under earn finish line medals, participants can aim for the iconic Bulldog Double. Plus, enjoy Mascot Madness, a festive Kids Zone, and the high-energy downtown atmosphere that makes this one mile unforgettable.
Whether you’re running, walking, or cheering from the sidelines, this is your chance to be part of the fun. Don’t miss out — set your reminder now.
Parking near Olmsted Center will be impacted during several Career Services events this spring. Most important: On Thursday, February 12, the Olmsted Lot will be closed ALL DAY for the Drake Spring Career Fair.
Individuals with Olmsted Lot permits may park in any campus lot except the Ray Promenade Lot (Red Zone).
Please allow extra time for parking and consider alternative lots and ways to travel.
The Career Services Office is excited to host several professional development events this spring. These events will bring additional visitors to campus and may affect parking availability in the Olmsted and Harkin Lots. We appreciate your cooperation in making these events successful for our students and employer partners.
Key Parking Information
Visitors attending these events will be provided with parking passes and directed to designated lots, including Lot 1A, Lot 1, Lot 20, and Lot 24. Parking will be allowed in lot 16 after 4:30 p.m.
Faculty, staff, and students should plan ahead for potential congestion near Olmsted Center during event times.
Event Schedule and Parking Details
Thursday, February 5, 2026 (9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.) Resume Critiques in Upper Olmsted
Friday, February 6, 2026 (7:30 – 10:00 a.m.) Networking Event in Upper Olmsted
Important Notice: Thursday, February 12, 2026
Drake Spring Career Fair (1:30 – 7:00 p.m.) This is our large campus wide spring career event.
Olmsted Lot will be closed ALL DAY to accommodate event needs.
Special Note: Individuals with Olmsted Lot permits may park in any campus lot except the Ray Promenade Lot (Red Zone) on this date.
Please plan accordingly and allow extra time for parking on this date.
Additional Events:
Thursday, March 5 (4:30 – 7:00 p.m.): Mocktails Event
Tuesday, March 10 (5:30 – 9:00 p.m.): Marketing Speed Network
Thursday, March 26 (4:30 – 8:00 p.m.): Arts & Sciences Panel
Thank you for your understanding and support as we welcome employers to campus and provide valuable career opportunities for our students.
— Scott Law, Executive Director for Public Safety and University Operations
Make an impact on AND off the court! LifeServe and Drake Athletics are hosting the first-ever Bulldog Blood Drive at the Knapp Center in Des Moines on Feb. 11. All donors will receive a limited edition “I Bleed Blue” T-shirt along with a free ticket to an upcoming Drake Basketball game.
WHAT WE DO: The Writing Center’s trained peer tutors advise and assist students at any stage of the writing process:
Understanding instructions/prompts
Generating ideas and ways to develop ideas
Outlining and organizing
Writing, expanding, revising, and/or copyediting a draft
We are a free service for all Drake students, including graduate students and those in professional programs.
HOW TO SIGN UP TO VISIT: We use Starfish for scheduling. Please go here to book an appointment with a tutor, or use the QR code below.
Appointments are approximately 30 minutes, and students can sign up for more than one session if they wish. They may also request that a tutor keep a regular time slot available for them if they would like to come in each week. If you cannot attend your scheduled appointment, please remember to cancel and reschedule.
WHERE WE ARE: The lower level of Cowles Library—please follow the signs. We offer hours daily, from mornings to late afternoon/evening (including weekends). Students with health concerns can request an appointment on Zoom.
FOR FACULTY AND STAFF: If you refer a student to the workshop or require all students to visit, please let us know via email (megan.brown@drake.edu). Ask students to bring their assignment prompt/instructions to the Writing Center, as well as any writing they have done so far. When students are referred, or required, to visit, the tutor will email you to let you know that your student has attended and briefly describe what work was done. When students attend on their own, we do not inform professors unless they specifically ask us to do so. Note: please contact megan.brown@drake.edu for instructions on how to ascertain if a student has attended a Writing Center appointment.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS please contact Prof. Megan Brown, Director of Writing (megan.brown@drake.edu).
We’re pleased to share that Collier Scripps Room 133 is now a Spiritual Wellness Room as a welcoming resource for our campus community. Students, staff, and faculty are invited to use this interfaith space for quiet reflection, prayer, meditation, gentle rest, or nursing. Available items include prayer rugs, shawls, yoga mats, and a meditation bowl, along with other supportive materials.
I would like to thank the Muslim Faculty/Staff Affinity group for spearheading this initiative. I also appreciate Dr. Ryan Wise, Dean of the School of Education, and the School of Education’s Diversity Committee for their support in these efforts.
— Terrance Pendleton, Office for Campus Equity and Inclusion
W-2 forms are available online through myDrake’s Employee Dashboard. To access and print your W-2, look to the “Taxes” section of the Employee Dashboard. Within this section, click “W-2 Wage and Tax Statement” and select the tax year for 2025. Instructions are available for your reference. If you have questions, contact Payroll at 271–3190 or Human Resources at 271–3133.
#4 Open networking time to meet people who want to help you succeed
#3 Advice from alumni who’ve turned Drake experiences into careers
#2 Honest talk about AI – a keynote from Ben Weinberg (Class of 2017)
And #1… A morning that might change your future!
Event Details:
Friday, February 6
8:30 – 10:00 AM
Olmsted Student Center, Parents Hall
AI is here. Students have questions, and Drake alumni have some advice! Join Career Services, Alumni Relations, and Drake alumni from diverse academic and industry areas for a conversation about IF, WHEN, & HOW to use AI to support your career development! Sponsored by The Principality Group of Wells Fargo Advisors.
Keynote Speaker:
Ben Weinberg (Class of 2017), Director of Talent Development at F&G and former religion major at Drake University, shares that most people don’t really understand AI, but everyone is going to need the knowledge to talk about it and the skills to use it. He’s excited to share is expertise about talent development, AI, and the power of relationships. Students will walk away feeling energized, informed, and ready to leverage new networking relationships!
8:30 AM – Check-In 8:45 AM – Breakfast & Networking 9:00 AM – Keynote Address: Ben Weinberg ‘17 9:25 AM – Open Networking
**Drake faculty and staff are welcome to attend and may use the same Student Registration Eventbrite link. Faculty and staff who plan to attend are encouraged to bring at least two students with you!
The Study Abroad Fair will be held Wednesday, March 4, from 4–6:30 p.m. in Parents Hall North, Olmsted Center. The fair is an opportunity to explore study abroad programs available at Drake, meet faculty leaders, learn more about upcoming J-Term opportunities, hear about student life abroad from alums, and discover your next adventure.
The State of Iowa is happy to announce the eligibility criteria for inaugural awards under the Health Care Professional Incentive Program (HCPIP). The application will become available on Feb. 1 and close on March 31.
The HCPIP provides awards in the form of an income bonus or a payment against a recipient’s federal student loan(s) for those who agree to work in an eligible health occupation and practice in an eligible location.
For 2025-2026 awards, the eligible occupations include:
· Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners (includes all categories)
· Licensed Professional Counselor (Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, Mental Health Counselor)
· Nurse Educator
· Occupational Therapist
· Physical Therapist
· Physician Assistant (includes all categories)
· Physicians (MD and DO)
· Registered Nurse
· Social Worker (licensed social workers qualified to provide mental health counseling).
Information about the eligible practice areas (counties), award amounts, and the application process is available at educate.iowa.gov/hcpip.
Bulldog Shop has launched an exclusive new series, called Griff of the Month. This collection celebrates Griff as more than a mascot, but as a symbol of Drake pride and Bulldog tradition.
Each month, a new specialty Griff design will be released, giving fans the chance to collect all 12. Complete the full set, and you will unlock a bonus exclusive design at the end of the year.
To kick off the series, we’re launching TWO new designs for February:
