It is with deep sadness that we share that Drake University Professor Emeritus Robert C. Larson, 92, of Lincoln, Neb. passed away on March 24.

Bob positively impacted the lives of thousands of students as a chemistry professor at Drake, where he also served as the Chair of the chemistry department.

A celebration of life will be scheduled at a later date. Memorials to support Rett Syndrome research can be made at https://www.rettsyndrome.org/donate/ in the name of Emma Larson.

Read Bob’s full obituary. Condolences online at Roperandsons.com.

The Drake Relays are BACK on TRACK in 2024! Relays week festivities begin on Saturday, April 20, with the packet pick up for the 56th Annual Drake Road Races, which will be held the next day. Participants will compete in the Grand Blue Mile presented by Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield on Tuesday, April 23. The Drake Relays will begin on the Blue Oval on Thursday, April 25 and will finish on Saturday, April 27.

We are seeking the support of more than 1,000 volunteers to be integrated into every aspect of the events. The volunteers will be instrumental in reaching our longstanding goal of guaranteeing everyone has something exciting to talk about when the events conclude.

Visit the links below to find a volunteer position.

• Drake Road Races (Saturday, April 20 – Sunday, April 21)
• Grand Blue Mile (Tuesday, April 23)
• Drake Relays (Thursday, April 25 – Saturday, April 27)

Questions? Reach out to relaysvolunteers@drake.edu.

See you at the Blue Oval!

— Aaron Nederhoff, Athletics

On April 12–14, Drake will host the 6th annual Iowa Interfaith Conference (IIC), this time in conjunction with the regional conference of the upper-Midwest American Academy of Religion (UWMAAR) on April 12-13.

These conferences will feature site visits (on Friday evening, Saturday evening, and Sunday morning/afternoon) and panels and keynotes (on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning and afternoon). The on-campus events will be held in Meredith Hall.

Here, in brief is the schedule for both events. (Also see below for detailed schedules of each and attire/etiquette information about the site visits.)

FRIDAY, APRIL 12
-3:30 pm: reception
-4:00-5:15 pm: first session (panels 1 & 2)
-6:00-6:45: Visit to Hindu Temple and Cultural Center of Iowa (33916 155th Ln, Madrid)
-7:00-8:30: Visit to Islamic and Education Center: Bosniak (17630 Bosniak Ln, Granger), dinner
-9:00: Ice Cream social at Drake Diner

SATURDAY, APRIL 13
-7:45: breakfast
-8:15-9:30: second session (panels 3, 4 & 5)
-9:30: coffee break
-10:00-11:15: plenary address: Dr. Douglas Kries, “Religions and Their Communities: Is Religion Friend or Foe?”
-11:15-11:45: lunch
-11:45-1:00: screening of and panel about digital stories from Drake’s interfaith camps (Varsity Theater)
-1:00-2:15: session 3 (panels 6 & 7)
-2:30-3:25: interfaith plenary address: Sarah McCammon, “Making Sense of Religious Pluralism as an E(x)vangelical”
-3:25: coffee break
-3:45-5:00: session 4 (panels 8, 9 & 10)
-5:15-6:30: session 5 (panel 11)
-5:45-6:45: visit to Wat Lao Buddhavas (1804 E Park Ave, Des Moines)
-7:00-8:30: visit to Hindu Cultural and Educational Center (1940 E Army Post Rd, Des Moines), dinner

SUNDAY, APRIL 14
-10:00-12:00: visit to St Mary Coptic Orthodox Church
-12:00-1:30: visit to Iowa Sikh Association

— Catalina Samaniego, Senior, College of Arts & Sciences

Join Drake’s Corporate Games team. This annual company-based competition for organizations in central Iowa runs from May 19 through July 31.  With over two dozen events to choose from, Des Moines Corporate Games (DMCG) is a great way to meet new people and have fun.

Events range from team-based to individual and competitive to recreational. Try everything from pickleball, golf, and a 5K run to trivia, yoga, and bags. They’ve even added ping pong this year.  If sports aren’t your interest, put together a team and volunteer at Meals from the Heartland, donate blood, or try the annual Burst Your Thirst challenge. You may participate in as many events as you want.

All in-person activities will be held in the evenings and on weekends and are free (except golf cart rental). ALL Drake faculty and staff, student employees, interns, and retirees are invited and encouraged to join Drake’s team.

To participate, please send an email to linda.feiden@drake.edu for registration instructions, including Drake’s team code.

— Linda Feiden, Human Resources

The Drake Constitutional Law Center will host the 2024 Constitutional Law Symposium on Saturday, April 13, from 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. The program will be delivered in Cartwright Hall, room 213, or virtually via Zoom. The annual Constitutional Law Symposium invites scholars, judges, and lawyers from across the country to discuss a timely constitutional issue. This year, speakers will focus on an array of constitutional and environmental issues. Speakers include:

Jerry Anderson, Dean and Richard M. and Anita Calkins Distinguished Professor of Law, Drake Law School

Abre’ Conner, Lecturer, UC-Davis and Director, Center for Environmental and Climate Justice, NAACP

Jonathan H. Adler, Johan Verheij Memorial Professor of Law and Director, Coleman P. Burke Center for Environmental Law, Case Western Reserve School of Law

Erin Daly, Professor of Law and Director, Dignity Rights Clinic, Widener University Delaware Law School

James Salzman, Donald Bren Distinguished Professor of Environmental Law with joint appointments at the Bren School and UCLA Law School

The symposium is approved for 4 hours of Iowa Continuing Legal Education credit and is open to the public. Register online here.

The proceedings are published in an upcoming issue of the Drake Law Review. Registrants may pre-order a copy for $12.

This year’s Constitutional Law Symposium is dedicated to the tenure of Dean Jerry Anderson, who served as dean of Drake Law School for the past eight years. Dean Anderson will continue to serve students as a member of the faculty.

— Taylor Johnson, Drake Law School

The first-year Changemaker Scholars at Drake are putting on a series of events this Spring called “SNAP out of Food Insecurity.”

Stop by tabling sessions to get information, partake in trivia and get a treat on April 16 from 1–3 p.m. or April 18 from 9–10:30 a.m.

Attend their session at the Zimpleman Business for Good Summit on April 19 from 10:45–11:45 a.m. in Upper Olmsted. Guest panelists will be speaking about food insecurity and how it affects college students, and sharing about resources and ways to get involved.  Register for the Business for Good Summit here. (You don’t have to be able to attend the whole summit in order to attend the session).

And contribute to their food drive, both in person and virtual. Boxes for canned foods and hygiene items will be placed around various buildings on campus, or people can donate to the virtual food drive at justgiving.com/page/snapoutoffoodinsecurity.

— Amanda Martin, Community Engaged Learning

Whether you’re budgeting for the present or planning for your retirement, managing your finances can be an overwhelming task. That’s why The Harkin Institute chose “Navigating the Journey to Financial Wellness” as the theme for this year’s Harkin Retirement Security Symposium. The event will bring together advocacy and community organizations, government agencies, and private companies and their foundations that work on financial wellness and retirement security. The symposium will provide a forum to discuss the most pressing challenges and find collaborative opportunities to address documented financial wellness needs and their relationship to retirement security, with an emphasis on vulnerable populations.

WHAT: 2024 Harkin Retirement Security Symposium: Navigating the Journey to Financial Wellness

WHEN: Tuesday, April 30, 2024, from 8:30 a.m. – 4:15 p.m.

WHERE: Olmstead Center at Drake University (2875 University Ave., Des Moines, IA 5031)

RSVP: Registration is free for Drake students, staff, and faculty! The event will also be livestreamed on The Harkin Institute’s YouTube channel.

For more information on the 2024 Harkin Retirement Security Symposium, click here.

— Kathryn Kuckelman, The Harkin Institute

Join influential thought leaders and industry pioneers as they showcase how business can be a force for good in our rapidly evolving world.

Drake’s first annual Zimpleman Business for Good Summit features keynote speaker David Reiling, Sunrise Banks CEO and President, as part of the Archie Boe Lecture Series, and offers the opportunity to connect with other change agents shaping our economy while championing values of sustainability and inclusion within their communities.

What: Zimpleman Business for Good Summit

When: Friday, April 19, 2024, from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Where: Olmsted Center at Drake University (2875 University Ave., Des Moines, IA 50311)

RSVP: The summit is free and open to the public, but advanced registration is required. Visit businessforgood.eventbrite.com to register now.

The Archie Boe Lecture Series is proudly presented by the Kelley Center for Insurance Innovation at Drake University.

Do you know an Iowan who is a good role model and deserves to be recognized for their good character? The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center is now accepting nominations for the 2024 Iowa Character Awards! The Iowa Character Awards acknowledges individuals and organizations who show good character in the following categories:

• Citizen of Character
• Educator of Character
• School of Character
• Student Organization of Character
• Business/Organization of Character
• Athletic Team or Organization of Character
• Community of Character

Nominations will be accepted through May 1, 2024. All nominees are recognized. Recipients are celebrated at the Iowa Character Awards Dinner, during a one-hour prime-time special, and at a hometown event of their choosing.

Learn more and get started on your nomination materials at IowaCharacterAwards.org. Additional nomination information, award descriptions, and criteria are also available online.

Megan Wesselink, The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center

Come have your voice heard, test out, and provide feedback on potential furniture for the new Morehouse reimagined student center. Two showrooms will be on display in the Meredith Hall south lobby from April 23–May 2.

Heather Winslow, Capital Projects