Tag Archives: faculty accomplishment

News & Achievements Archive

SJMC news: Week of April 4

Lee Jolliffe authors chapters on free speech
SJMC’s Lee Jolliffe authored one chapter and is first author on another, in the newly issued book An Indispensable Liberty: The Fight for Free Speech in Nineteenth-Century America, edited by Mary M. Cronin, of New Mexico State University.

In the lead chapter of the book, “A Press Ablaze: Violent Suppression of Abolitionist Speech, Press, Petition, and Assembly,” Lee details the wide range of violence used against abolitionist speakers, publishers, preachers, and audiences. Using newly indexed 19th-century newspapers, she has discovered that far more violence was aimed at anti-slavery advocates than previous histories have led us to believe. A number of abolitionist speakers and preachers were murdered in the South, for instance.

In a co-authored chapter on the suffrage movement, “Incremental but Insufficient: Gains Offset by Suppression for Women’s Rights Speakers,” the authors found that jeering and harassment were the primary tools of anti-woman suffrage mobs, but sadly, previously unknown violence was again discovered. Lee’s colleagues in writing this chapter are Sandra Davidson, University of Missouri, and Paulette Kilmer, University of Toledo.

The book is available from Amazon or from www.siupress.com.


SJMC senior chosen to anchor coverage of national broadcasters convention
Broadcast news senior Brenna Paukert has been selected as an anchor for the production team providing live broadcast coverage of the 2016 National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show’s StudioXperience in Las Vegas on April 16–22. The NAB Show is the largest gathering of media and entertainment professionals in the world, drawing more than 100,000 attendees.


Learn to shoot better smartphone video
Professor Chris Snider will teach a smartphone video workshop on April 13 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in Meredith Hall, Room 124B. Come learn the basics of shooting great video and test out some accessories to make your smartphone a more powerful video tool. See all the details here.


SJMC hosts high school journalism conference
The SJMC will host a high school journalism conference on campus April 6 that is expected to draw as many as 100 students and their advisers. The daylong conference, which will focus on leadership and innovation, is co-sponsored by the Iowa Newspaper Foundation, Simpson College, and Iowa State University.


Road trip!
SJMC magazine students and faculty will take their annual tour of New York City magazines and meet with industry professionals and Drake alumni on April 6-10. And SJMC students and faculty will take a bus trip to Minneapolis April 3–4 to visit alumni and professionals at Twin Cities-area businesses and agencies.

—Kathleen Richardson, Dean, SJMC

News & Achievements Archive

CPHS news: Week of Feb. 22

Alumni Achievement awards
Drake University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Science’s Alumni Achievement awards were presented during the annual Pharmacy & Health Sciences Day on Feb. 18. Recipients of the annual Alumni Achievement awards are honored for their exceptional contributions to the college, distinction in their careers, and/or civic and community contributions. In addition, the college issues its Young Alumni Award to one alumna or alumnus within 10 years of graduation.

“It is an honor to recognize these distinguished alumni for their achievements,” said Renae Chesnut, dean of the college. “Their professional accomplishments, commitment to our students, and dedication to their communities is inspiring.” For a full list of the recipients, visit the Drake Newsroom.

FDA-funded study supports generic substitution of epilepsy drugs
Researchers are now more comfortable than ever that generic drugs may be used without risk or loss of effectiveness, according to new results from a federally funded study conducted by researchers at Drake University, the University of Cincinnati, and eight other major research institutions.

These findings were published online Feb. 12 in The Lancet Neurology. Tim Welty, professor and chair of clinical sciences in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, was second author on the paper, alongside lead author Michael Privitera at the University of Cincinatti Medical Center. For more information on the project, click here.

Strategic Updates Archive

From the Provost

Drake Social, Morning Edition
To begin her transition to Drake, Sue Mattison, our provost-elect, will visit campus in February, as well as on other occasions during the spring semester. These visits are intended to extend her familiarity with Drake (and ours with her); to hold conversations with those with whom she will be working closely; and to provide opportunities for her to meet more Drake faculty, staff, and students. To assist her transition, Drake faculty and staff are invited to spend some informal time with Sue at our next Drake social, a morning edition on Thursday, Feb. 11, 8–9 a.m. in Levitt Hall, Old Main. Coffee and pastries will be available, and I hope all of you will be as well. Please join me to welcome our provost-elect back to campus!

David E. Maxwell Distinguished Professor of International Affairs
I am delighted to announce that at its January meeting the Drake University Board of Trustees awarded the David E. Maxwell Professorship in International Affairs to Debra DeLaet, professor of political science. Established through the generosity of Patricia and L. Daniel Jorndt and designed to honor President Maxwell’s years of service to Drake and his devotion to international study, the David E. Maxwell Professorship in International Affairs recognizes a Drake faculty member at the full professor rank in a discipline directly linked to international affairs, including (but not limited to) international business, international relations, politics, sociology, and global public health.

Nominated by her dean, recommended by a selection committee of other distinguished professors, and supported by the provost and president, it is a recognition that Professor DeLaet richly deserves. In her 20 years at Drake she has achieved a record of effective teaching, rigorous scholarship, and engaged service animated by her interest and expertise in international relations, human rights, and global public health. She has previously been selected as the College of Arts & Sciences Outstanding Teacher of the Year, invited to present the Stalnaker Lecture, elected to serve as Faculty Senate president, and awarded the Herb & Karen Baum Chair of Ethics and the Professions, a title she will cede to her successor at the end of this year. Please join me in congratulating our newest distinguished professor.

Herb & Karen Baum Chair of Ethics and the Professions
In 2010, a generous gift by Herb & Karen Baum established the Herb & Karen Baum Chair of Ethics and the Professions. The appointment to this chair is for a three-year period for full professors at the University whose teaching and/or research examines issues of ethics and the world of practice, and who are nominated for the chair by their dean. I am proud to announce that after being nominated by her dean, recommended by a committee of distinguished professors, and approved by President Martin, Professor Jennifer Harvey will succeed Professor DeLaet as the next Herb & Karen Baum Chair of Ethics and the Professions. Jennifer is a professor of religion and currently also serves as director of the Humanities Center and faculty director of the Crew Scholars Program. Her focus in teaching and research is liberation ethics, and she has authored three books on race and social justice, published a wide range of essays, and has been invited to give many talks to community groups and professional organizations. She has been recognized as the Honors Teacher of the Year and as the Madelyn M. Levitt Mentor of the Year.

Provost Mobile Office Hour
With the start of the new semester I am resuming my roaming, open office hours. You can find me this week on Friday, Feb. 5, 1–2:30 p.m., in the Olmsted coffee shop. No appointments needed.

—Provost Joe Lenz

News & Achievements Archive

Arts & Sciences news

Theatre for social change
Last spring, students from Art of the Interview together with Law, Politics, and Society major Clare VanEchaute interviewed Drake women on campus about their experiences with gender violence. The interviews turned into a series of theatre scenes entitled “How It Goes.” Last spring, the students performed the piece to Roosevelt High School students in Petra Lange’s Women in Literature course, sponsored by the Slay Fund for Social Justice and the Drake Sociology program. We hosted the high school students for breakfast and had a discussion afterwards. We also listened to their poetry readings as part of an exchange.

At Drake’s Welcome Week, “Sex, Drugs, & Drake” included two of the scenes from “How It Goes” into the performance. Alysa Mozak was an advocate for the scenes’ inclusion because they captured the experiences with gender violence on campuses.

The process and theatre piece generated rich learning for students and an opportunity to learn about interviewing, sociological research, an important social issue, and how to use theatre for social change.

—Submitted by Darcie Vandegrift, Associate Professor of Sociology, Department Chair

 

John Graham elected to VASTA board of directors
John Graham, associate professor of theatre, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the Voice and Speech Trainers Association (VASTA), an international organization dedicated to advancing “the art, research, and visibility of the voice and speech profession.”

—Submitted by John Graham

 

Drake granted neuroscience honor society charter
Over the summer, Drake was approved to shelter a chapter of Nu Rho Psi, the National Honor Society in Neuroscience. Drake’s is the 53rd charter issued since the society was established in 2006 and the first in Iowa. Brian Sanders, professor of psychology and neuroscience, will be the faculty adviser for the chapter.

Drake has approximately 60 neuroscience students who are active in summer research opportunities at major research institutions and the Drake University Conference on Undergraduate Research in the Sciences (DUCURS).

The decision to issue a charter for Drake was unanimous. Comments from the reviewers included:

  • “Clearly, Drake University is a very special place and I’m excited to have one of our national chapters there.”
  • “Drake University offers a well-established neuroscience major with strong, interdisciplinary course offerings.”
  • “The neuroscience faculty are relatively sizeable, include a diverse range of research interests, are productive in scholarship, and engaged with students in the classroom and in the laboratory.”
Featured Events Archive

“Freedom to Grieve”

Luther W. Stalnaker Lecture
“Freedom to Grieve”
Nancy Berns, Professor of Sociology
Tuesday, Sept. 15, 7 p.m.
Jordan Stage, Sheslow Auditorium

When someone we love dies, we have to make sense of a new world. Nancy explores the challenges people face when learning to live with loss in a culture that pushes the idea of “closure.” People grieving face not only the pain of a loss, but social expectations about how they should grieve.

Consequences follow when we force people to use a universal roadmap for grieving and then judge those who do not follow it as wrong or sick. Nancy will explain how people need freedom to grieve because it is through grieving that we give visibility to the pain felt, the world shattered, the person lost, the joy remembered, and the love continued. She argues that rather than needing “closure,” people can learn to carry joy and grief together.

Reception to follow in the Madelyn M. Levitt Hall of Honor.

News & Achievements Archive

Drake faculty receive more than $83,000 in external funding

Principal Investigator: Matthew Zwier
Project Title: High-Performance Weighted Ensemble Software for Simulation of Complex Bio-Events
Project Summary: Matthew Zwier is a primary developer of the WESTPA software package, whose continued development this grant is intended to support. WESTPA is a tool for controlling other software tools: It orchestrates up to thousands of trajectories run natively by other software at any scale (e.g., Gromacs, Amber, BioNetGen, MCell) using a “weighted ensemble” strategy. He will be doing computer programming related to WESTPA. This programming will include implementing new features for the software, improving the performance (e.g. speed) of the software, and validating the software (ensuring that it produces the correct results). His particular focus will be ensuring that the WESTPA software package can run effectively on large supercomputers and interface smoothly with a number of chemical and biological simulation software packages.
Funding Agency: National Institutes of Health thru University of Pittsburgh
Award Amount: $28,000

 

Principal Investigator: Tom Rosburg
Project Title: Remnant Prairie Inventory in the Grand River Grassland CCS Landscape in Northwestern Harrison County, Missouri
Project Summary: The objective of this project is to intensively survey the recently expanded southern portion of The Grand River Grasslands Conservation Landscape in northwestern Harrison County for native prairie remnants. When complete, such an inventory will enable partner agencies working in this Conservation Landscape to better target grassland conservation efforts on both public and private lands.
Funding Agency: Missouri Department of Conservation
Award Amount: $20,000

 

Principal Investigator: Neil Hamilton
Project Title: Iowa Landowner’s Legal Guide
Project Summary: Drake staff will utilize project infrastructure funding to research and write educational materials relating to the Iowa Landowner’s Legal Guide, to be used to help educate Iowa land owners and their advisors and to enhance partnerships with other organizations using Sustainable Agricultural Land Tenure (SALT) resources.
Funding Agency: Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture
Award Amount: $9,736

 

Principal Investigator: Keith Summerville
Project Title: Targeted Reptile Assessment at Chichaqua Bottoms Greenbelt
Project Summary: This project will conduct an assessment of reptiles of Chichaqua Bottoms Greenbelt with an emphasis on poorly documented species such as smooth green snakes, Graham’s crayfish snake, and six-lined racerunner. The project will also assess whether hay management increases mortality in snakes that are considered declining in the state.
Funding Agency: Polk County Conservation Board
Award Amount: $1,500 (total funding for this project is $6,250)

 

Principal Investigator: Jerrid Kruse
Project Title: K-12 Energy Education Pilot Project
Project Summary: The Drake School of Education will work with AEA PD Online to develop effective e-curriculum that is uniquely tied to Iowa schools including those schools in rural locations. All students in our state will be provided access to STEM curricular materials through the development of a modular e-curriculum. This curriculum will be delivered online via a learning and management system geared specifically for personalized learning. Teachers will have the ability to create individualized units, mini-courses, or full courses for student use during or outside the normal school day.
Funding Agency: Iowa Energy Center
Award Amount: $24,000

News & Achievements Archive

Shelley Fairbairn publishes new book

Shelley Fairbairn, associate professor of education, recently co-authored Engaging English Learners Through Access to Standards: A Team-Based Approach to Schoolwide Student Achievement. She wrote the book with alumna Stephaney Jones-Vo, LA’73, who is also an adjunct professor in the School of Education.

Fairbairn’s teaching foci include preparing pre-service teachers to design effective lesson plans and assessments for K-12 students and empowering both pre- and in-service teachers to meet the needs of English language learners through linguistically and culturally responsive practice. She also directs on- and off-campus English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching endorsement programs. Prior to joining the Drake University School of Education faculty, Shelley concurrently taught ESL courses for the Drake University International Center and served as a K-12 ESL teacher in two Des Moines area school districts. She has recently conducted teacher professional development sessions and workshops in China, Canada, and across the U.S.

—Submitted by Shelley Fairbairn

News & Achievements Archive

Winner of the inaugural Principal Financial Group Global Citizenship Award announced

During Fall Convocation, Ellen Liang Yee, professor of law, was announced as the winner of the inaugural Principal Financial Group Global Citizenship Award.

In addition to Ellen, four nominees with outstanding qualifications submitted application packets: Mahmoud Hamad, associate professor of politics; Matthew C. Mitchell, assistant professor of management and international business; Michael Renner, professor of biology and psychology; and John Rovers, professor of pharmacy practice. Each nominee has been diligently working toward global engagement and internationalization of the campus and curriculum, as aligned with the three main goals of the International and Global Engagement Strategic Plan. All nominees are doing inspirational work.

Members of the selection committee acknowledged that Ellen is immersed in addressing pressing global issues and approaches these issues with creativity, persistence, and a positive outlook to find ways to work around obstacles.
Ellen is director of Drake Law School’s International Programs. While remaining attentive to her work in criminal law and trial advocacy, Ellen’s dedication and passion for internationalization at Drake is evident.

For seven summers, Ellen has taught in Drake’s law program in Nantes, France. In 2014 she organized celebrations in both locations for the 20th anniversary of the collaboration. She also taught in Chongqing, China, with Drake’s Chinese Cultural Exchange Program, and has undertaken professional or research work in Cambodia and The Hague, Netherlands. Ellen continues to develop new University relationships in locations ranging from Cuba to South Africa.

In addition, Ellen fosters internationalization on campus through coordinating Drake International Law Week, working with the International Law Society, and advising international students at the Law School. Ellen also created the “Next Course” program, which allows students across the University also learn about global and local food waste and hunger through service-learning and academic study.

—Submitted by Drake International

News & Achievements Archive

Nominees for the inaugural Principal Financial Group Global Citizenship Award

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During the spring semester, faculty were invited to submit nomination packets for the inaugural Principal Financial Group Global Citizenship Award. The main criteria for the award include outstanding contributions to global engagement and internationalization of the campus and curriculum, as aligned with the three main goals of the International and Global Engagement Strategic Plan, 2015–2020.

The winner of the inaugural award will be presented with a plaque during the Fall 2015 Convocation on Aug. 28.

The five nominees are:

Mahmoud Hamad, Associate Professor of Politics
Mahmoud’s dedication to exposing students to other cultures and languages is well-known University-wide. His frequent travel seminars to Egypt or Turkey challenge students’ knowledge and assumptions and are usually filled to capacity. The fall semester Model Arab League (MAL) is another way Mahmoud encourages students to learn about policy-making through research, dialogue, and debate. Each year Mahmoud leads 8–10 students to Cairo to compete in MAL councils, debating current issues facing the Arab world.

Students and other faculty write of Mahmoud’s untiring efforts to immerse students in culture and language as an extension of every topic and every course. He takes every opportunity to share his culture and beliefs and to encourage students to do likewise. Students become familiar with his thesis, “no one holds monopoly over truth.”

In addition to his engagement with students, Mahmoud’s bilingual skills offer him opportunities to publish in both English and Arabic journals and to provide news commentary to Al-Jazeera and Al-Hurah.


Matthew C. Mitchell, Assistant Professor of Management and International Business
Matthew pursues internationalization both within his classes and across multiple sectors of Drake. He is an enthusiastic advocate for study abroad; one of his nominators described Matthew as “an apostle of internationalization.”

In addition to streamlining the International Business curriculum, thus making the major more accessible to students, Matthew secured several valuable grants to foster international business studies, language acquisition, study abroad, and international internships. He helped establish Drake’s relationship with University of the Andes in Chile, and co-taught a groundbreaking J-Term class for Drake’s soccer teams at Monterrey Tec in Guadalajara, Mexico.

As a leader with the Academy of International Business, including as chair of the Academy’s international conferences, Matthew has inspired and mentored students to conduct research, of which some has been accepted for conference presentations and publications.

Matthew is a recipient of the Madelyn M Levitt Teacher of the Year Award and the CBPA Graduate Professor of the Year.


Ellen Liang Yee, Professor of Law
Ellen earned the title of director of Drake University Law School’s International Programs in 2013 following years of commitment to internationalization. While remaining attentive to her work in criminal law and trial advocacy, Ellen’s dedication and passion for internationalization at Drake is clearly evident.

For seven summers, Ellen has taught in Drake’s law program in Nantes, France. In 2014 she organized celebrations in both locations for the 20th anniversary of the collaboration. She also taught in Chongqing, China, with Drake’s Chinese Cultural Exchange Program and has undertaken professional or research work in Cambodia and The Hague, Netherlands. Ellen continues to develop new University relationships in locations ranging from Cuba to South Africa.

In addition, Ellen fosters internationalization on campus through coordinating Drake International Law Week, working with the International Law Society, and advising international students at the Law School.

Students across the University also learn about global and local food waste and hunger through service-learning and academic study in the Next Course organization she created.


Michael Renner, Professor of Biology and Psychology
Michael teaches in the Environmental Science and Policy program while also serving in significant leadership roles with the Forest of Hope Association in Rwanda and the Gishwati Foundation, a U.S.-based charity supporting Rwandan conservation. He regularly leads students on field research in equatorial Africa and brings the world to his students on Drake’s campus.

Through Michael’s leadership, Drake students and faculty have positively influenced land use policy and practices in Rwanda. They have facilitated local acceptance of conservation of an important biodiversity area while also improving the livelihoods of local farmers.

Michael was one of the architects of the University’s infrastructure and support mechanisms for internationalization, including the new structure within the International Programs office and the calendar revision to incorporate a January Term, allowing additional student travel opportunities.

Michael serves as faculty liaison to the School for Field Studies, a significant provider of international experiences in environmentally related disciplines in eight permanent research and teaching sites around the world. He has earned numerous grants including several from the National Science Foundation and the U. S. Department of Education.


John Rovers, Professor of Pharmacy Practice
John is a founding member of The Principal Financial Group Center for Global Citizenship and the Heartland Consortium for Global Health. His efforts to address public health issues led to establishment of the Global and Comparative Public Health concentration at Drake and international rotations on several continents for pharmacy students. John chairs an ad hoc committee of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences to evaluate existing and new clinical sites overseas. He has successfully secured numerous grants for the University.

John advises independent study projects related to global health and encourages student participation in various global and public health activities, both internationally and around Des Moines. Students are motivated by his experiences with and knowledge of global public health issues and are encouraged to be conscientious professionals who can create positive changes in global healthcare.

John completed graduate studies in Australia and has traveled widely for research, teaching, and curriculum development, including the Hanoi University of Pharmacy. He also assists with charitable and philanthropic work throughout the world, including McCord Hospital in Durban, South Africa.

—Submitted by Drake International

News & Achievements Archive

Eleanor Zeff publishes book

Eleanor Zeff, associate professor of politics and international relations and University coordinator for post-graduate international scholarships, recently published The European Union and the Member States. She co-edited the book with Ellen Pirro, a lecturer in political science at Iowa State University. The book looks at the relations between the current 28 member states of the European Union (EU) to each other and to the overarching Union administration. It is the third book in the series, which started when there were only 15 member states.

She also recently joined the executive board of the Iowa International Center (IIC).

Eleanor specializes in studying European and EU politics and the politics of democratization and developing areas. She publishes on African politics, women in politics, teaching issues, and European politics.