Please join the students in Lenswork and the Department of Art and Design in welcoming artist and educator Michael Burton to campus on April 14 and 15. Burton will be giving a public lecture on his art practice, specifically how he creates animations for commercial art projects and his own studio research on April 14 at 5 p.m. in the Fine Arts Center, Room 336. For more information about Michael and to see examples of his animations, www.michaelburtonart.com/
—Emily Newman
Hundreds of Des Moines-area high school and college students will dive into science through a series of fun and educational activities that culminate in a free lecture by Bill Nye the Science Guy at Drake on Thursday, April 14.
The series of activities, all of which are free and open to the public, include the Drake University Conference on Undergraduate Research in the Sciences (DUCURS), featuring a keynote speech by an expert in baseball statistics; an interactive STEM festival for K-8 youth; and an art gallery inspired by the sciences. Nye’s evening lecture is the 36th installment in the Martin Bucksbaum Distinguished Lecture Series.
For more information, visit the Drake Newsroom.
Who: students, techies, artists, crafters, DIY lovers, nerds (a.k.a. anyone!)
What: Building projects from mystery materials
When: Tuesday, March 29, 6:30–9 p.m.
Where: Cowles Library, Room 201
Why: Meet like-minded students from across campus who are interested in doing things. Also, enjoy free snacks, drinks, and prizes!
Come and hang out for all or part of the fair—and bring your friends!
For more information email jpec@drake.edu or visit http://tinyurl.com/drakeminimar2016
—Stephanie Cardwell, Administrative Assistant 2
On Thursday, March 31, join Des Moines Register columnist Kyle Munson and Drake Professor Carol Spaulding-Kruse at the Science Center of Iowa for a dialogue that tackles issues addressed both in the museum’s current traveling national RACE exhibit (ending in early April) and in this new series of public forums, #UniteIowa. We’ll be joined by an expert from the Pew Research Center in Washington, D.C. (Jens Manuel Krogstad Ortiz) in a world cafe-style dialogue format. Come ready to dive into some of the latest racial data and for open, honest conversation with your fellow Iowans.
Starting at 5 p.m. that day, the Science Center of Iowa’s RACE exhibit will be available to view for all Drake students for a special discounted admission ($9 with Drake Card) immediately prior to the forum. Please allow at least an hour. Snacks will be available between 6 and 7 p.m., with a dialogue start time of 7 p.m.
—Carol Spaulding-Kruse, Professor of English
Public opinion pollster J. Ann Selzer will discuss the roller coaster U.S. presidential campaign at Drake on April 5. “Behind the Numbers: Polling in Campaign 2016” will begin at 7 p.m. in the Cowles Library Reading Room.
The conversation, which is free and open to the public, will include time for audience questions.
Selzer, president of the public opinion research firm Selzer & Company that runs The Des Moines Register’s Iowa Poll, will discuss the current chaotic political climate and what the polls have taught us this presidential campaign season. The conversation will be facilitated by Professor Jennifer Glover Konfrst, who leads Drake’s new strategic political communication program.
Selzer’s appearance is sponsored by the School of Journalism and Mass Communication and Drake’s new multidisciplinary data analytics program.
—Kathleen Richardson, Dean, SJMC
The fifth film in the Engaged Citizen Documentary Film Series, The Iron Ladies of Liberia, an examination of Liberia’s first female president’s attempts—with her largely female cabinet—to rebuild war-torn Liberia, is Wednesday, April 6 at 7 p.m. in Meredith 106. For more information, click here.
—Art Sanders, Associate Provost
What: Esam Boraey—“Youthful Hopes, Painful Realities: Looking Back at the Arab Spring”
When: March 22, 7–8:30 p.m.
Where: Sussman Theater, Olmsted Center
Esam Boraey is a human rights activist working for freedom and democracy in the Middle East. This passion led him to play a key role in the Egyptian revolution of 2011, which helped overthrow dictator Hosni Mubarak. Esam taught classes and studied for his master’s degree in international relations at Cairo University.
During the Mohamed Morsi presidency, Esam worked for U.S. Agency for International Development and later left the country after being sentenced in Egypt’s criminal court to two years in prison for his work for human rights and democratization in the Middle East. Esam then moved to Washington, D.C., where he continued his work for human rights, working for the U.S. Institute for Peace.
He has worked with a number of civil society organizations (CSOs) in both the Middle East and the United States, fostered close professional relationships with political leaders throughout the region, and advised policy makers in the U.S. and European Union. This experience provides Esam a nuanced perspective to an understanding of Egyptian, Middle Eastern, and Islamic affairs that takes into account the concerns of stakeholders at various levels, both in the Middle East and beyond its borders.
—The Principal Financial Group Center for Global Citizenship
The Engaged Citizen Documentary Film Series showing of Please Vote For Me, a look at an experiment in democracy in Chinese schools, will be shown on Tuesday, March 22, at 7 p.m. in Harvey Ingham 134. Click here for more information.
—Art Sanders, Associate Provost
Enjoy a free performance in Sheslow Auditorium, March 23, at 7:30 p.m., featuring chamber and solo works for viola inspired by traditional songs and dances from Europe. Works will include pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach and his son, W.F. Bach. Faculty member Diane Phoenix-Neal performs with guests Claudia Anderson, flute (Grinnell College); Deborah Dakin, viola (Augustana College); and Ian Moschenross, piano (Monmouth College).
—Diane Phoenix-Neal
Drake students—save the date for this year’s Dogtown After Hours!
When? Friday April 1, 8 p.m. to midnight
Where? The Olmsted Center
Come and enjoy FREE food, fun, and entertainment! If you haven’t been following us on our Facebook page (Dogtown After Hours) or on our Twitter (@Drake_DTAH), we have been releasing sneak peaks of what you can enjoy on the night of the event. We have also released this year’s theme: “Pieces of Drake: A perfect fit.” Make sure to visit and like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter to find out all the the exciting and amazing events we have planned for you. There will be something for everyone; after all, the students are the pieces that make Drake!
—Emma Haselhuhn
