Drake University Blue Magazine Spring 2015

spring 2015

12 canine comfort: our bulldogs are not just beautiful

16 a capital idea: drake law has leveraged location for 150 years

57 commanding leadership: alumna judy bradshaw’s rise through the ranks

What Gives?

spring 2015

57 judybradshawas’88,gr’92 Des Moines-born and -raised, this alumna uses her groundbreaking law enforcement career to help prepare the next generation of officers.

60 hasanhujairibn’03 A degree is only part of the Drake experience. Passions fueled at the University can take our graduates in new directions. That’s music to this alumnus’ ears.

Departments 4 Welcome From the editor and staff

5 Virtually Speaking Drake’s Facebook fans share their thoughts

6 Blue Notes The people and stories of the Drake experience

36 Campaign Update distinctlyDrake has big news to share!

54 Alumni Connections Drake Notes, Career Tips, and the Alumni Calendar

62 The Last Word The Ties That Bind, By David Maxwell, President

COPYRIGHT DRAKE UNIVERSITY 2015

Anna Chott’s research experiences at Drake will lead her to an extraordinary opportunity this summer, working in agricultural research with the Peace Corps. Read her story beginning on page 10.

Features22 whatgives? Americans remain a generous people, but evolving economies, new technologies, and shifting demographics are changing how we think about philanthropy. By Beth Wilson

27 drakephilanthropy Building on the work of legends before them, each generation steps up to give—acting not just with wallet but also with hands and heart. By Jill Brimeyer

33 whatadifferenceadaymakes Bulldog pride plus community loyalty equals progress across the country. By Tim Schmitt, gr’08, ’10

Profiles10 annachott,classof2015 Learning a new language, exploring in a new nation, and fostering agricultural sustainability are all on the post-grad horizon for this Drake student.

14 mattrussell From the Iowa Statehouse to his Iowa farm, Drake Law’s State Food Policy Project Coordinator combines personal and professional passions to guide food and agriculture policy.

4 DRAKE BLUE spring 2015

Drake trajectory in some unique and meaningful fashion. From Old Main’s bell tower to an off-Broadway stage, from a Hubbell lunch tray to a hospital bedside, from water quality data collected inside a campus greenhouse to experimental melodies emitted through imagination and improvisation in South Korea. All of which serve to underscore my point: Every issue of Drake Blue we deliver is a philanthropy issue. Because every issue showcases the work, the experiences, and the accomplishments made possible when someone identifies in Drake a chance to pay it forward, an under-standing of tomorrow’s challenges and opportunities, an outlet for passion, a recognition of inextricably linked futures, a channel for engaging the world and the future.

Over time there have been several twists offered on the meaning of philanthropy. The etymological translation of the original Greek word: love of humanity. The alliterated and pervasive slogan: time, talent, treasure. I find most satisfying the description offered in “Four Traditions of Philanthropy” (The Civically Engaged Reader, Great Books Foundation, 2006). Philanthropy, the authors outline, has always been the pursuit of human connectedness, the work of linking lives. We continue to witness just that everyday in the enduring Drake chain reaction.

—Beth Wilson, Editor

Welcome

ILLUSTRATION BY DREW ALBINSON, AS’13

my colleagues have been referring to this edition of Drake Blue as “the philanthropy issue.” True, the word is liberally sprinkled throughout the feature well. Here you’ll find a current national snapshot that offers a glimpse of some noteworthy shifts and trends in U.S. giving (p. 22). Then you’re invited to zoom in on familiar territory, to journey along the University’s trajectory, propelled most often by a chain reaction that begins with a Drake experience (p. 27). There are people here you likely know of, and some you likely don’t. Regardless of name recognition, the passion and purpose will be familiar to all alumni, who leave Drake with a strong sense of self and selflessness. We know those qualities play out year-round, but we’ve tabulated the impact of philanthropy for one day in particular (p. 33).

Elsewhere in this magazine you’ll encounter a diverse mix of students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends, each fueling that same

president Dr. David E. Maxwell

vice president, university communications Debra Lukehart, jo’89

editorial director Beth Wilson

creative director Kristin Dunn, jo’92

project manager Brenda Kay Rodriguez

editorial Danny Akright, jo’10, as’10, gr’14; Jill Brimeyer; Aaron Jaco, jo’07, as’07, gr’14; Elizabeth Ford Kozor, jo’07, as’07, gr’12; Tim Schmitt, gr’08, ’10; Niki Smith, jo’08; Alyssa Young, gr’14

design Emma Akerly, as’09; Libby Burns; Micki Nelson

web communications Jeremy Sievers

student interns Abbey Barrow, Class of 2015; Meghan Berry, Class of 2015; Riley Brady, Class of 2015; Emma Frederick, Class of 2016; Cameron Johnson, Class of 2015

To submit news or update your alumni profile, contact Drake’s Office of Alumni Relations:

t 1-800-44-drake, x3152 e [email protected] w www.alumni.drake.edu

Views expressed in Drake Blue do not necessarily reflect opinions of the editors or the University.

We welcome your comments and story ideas.

Send correspondence to: Drake Blue University Communications Drake University 2507 University Ave. Des Moines, IA 50311-4505

e [email protected]

follow usonline magazine:www.drake.edu/magazine

rss feed: www.drake.edu/magazine

facebook: www.facebook.com/drakeuniversity

twitter: www.twitter.com/drakeuniversity

Ask the StaffWho’s your favorite philanthropist?

Alyssa Young: President Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. They give back so much around the world.

Niki Smith: My late grandfather, Carl E. Jobst, who gave $10 to every charity that solicited him.

Sara Sommerlot: Debbie Turner— especially the way Scottish-American actor Alan Cumming says her name as he’s recognizing her support of Masterpiece Theatre.

Jill Brimeyer: Maggie Doyne, who at age 18 scraped together baby-sitting money to open an orphanage in Nepal.

Tim Schmitt: Anyone who gives time and money with no expectation of reward.

spring 2015 DRAKE BLUE 5

Virtually Speaking

visit www.facebook.com/drakeuniversity follow www.twitter.com/drakeuniversityJoin the current conversation:

You have $100 and two hours. How would you use those resources to do good in the world? Here’s what some members of the Drake social media community had to say:

Ruth (Sparks) Staplin, bn’89, gr’99: I would spend the two

hours with kids who need another caring adult in their lives—

and spend the $100 on books for those kids.

Julie Lanning, mother of a Drake student: I would go to the

grocery store and pay it forward.

Alexander Steiner, Class of 2016: I would keep driving, searching

for homeless people for whom I could “make it rain” with

handfuls of singles for each person.

Susan Stocum, jo’92: I am actually volunteering to assemble

literacy kits for the hundreds of students served by Drake

University Head Start. So I will say that for my two hours.

And the $100? I would donate it to the Illinois English Bulldog

Rescue group supported by our late mascot Porterhouse to

help a fellow bulldog.

“I would spend the two hours with kids who need another caring adult in their lives ...”

Traci Copeland, Class of 2018: With the $100, I would

buy items needed by Joppa Outreach for the homeless in

Des Moines, and I’d spend the two hours delivering

these items to homeless camps.

Susan (Anderson) Schrank, bn’92, gr’98: I would find a

website with discounted shoes. Then I would donate them

to an organization that provides services to the homeless.

Kyle Rankin, Class of 2016: I would simply give the money

to somebody who has been hurting or is having trouble

making sense of the world. There’s nothing better than

letting someone know that you care, and sometimes doing

a simple deed can be a life-changer.

Drake Blue accepts all signed letters and reserves the right to edit those that are published. Please include your full name, address, and Drake affiliation. Send your comments to the email or address below: Drake Blue, Office of University CommunicationsDrake University2507 University Ave.Des Moines, IA 50311-4505 e [email protected]

Inboxdefining momentI was eating lunch at my kitchen table when the word “global” on the front cover of Drake Blue (Fall 2014) caught my eye. As a pharmacy student with a concentration in Global and Comparative Public Health and a Certificate of Competence in Spanish, this is a buzz word for me. Then I spotted “Defining Global Citizenship” by Alyssa Young. Just that day my World Languages and Cultures post-study abroad class had been discussing how to define global citizenship and how Drake makes global citizens. We also discuss topics like the interna-tionalization of Drake and how to recognize and articulate employable skills we have gained from our experiences abroad. In fact, as the [World Languages and Cultures] certificate program grows, it is another great example of how Drake works to create global citizens.

I applaud the breadth and depth of Young’s coverage. Emphasis is often put on international relations majors when discussing internationalization, so I appreciated the mention of Dr. [John]

Rovers’ efforts toward internationalization in pharmacy. Additionally, I have discussed pharmacy and public health on a global level extensively with Dr. Rovers, so I can attest to what was said!

I enjoyed learning more about Drake’s efforts and seeing what I experience every day shared with a larger audience. Thank you.

—Michelle Mages, Class of 2018


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A New Chapter Begins

DRAKE BLUE 7

Earl F. Martin is good on his feet. He learned early in his professional career that dynamic environments don’t follow a script. When he arrives as Drake University’s 13th president on July 1, his first steps will employ a well-tested skillset, one that has served him well in his formidable rise through the ranks of higher education.

The fourth-generation lawyer is adept at collecting a mass of information, digesting it, determining what’s important, and effectively communicating his analysis. Research and discovery are strong passions and critical tools, and Martin is eager to begin.

“One on one, small groups, big groups. Hopes, aspirations, challenges,” he says, ticking off his engagement tactics and target evidence. “And then we’ll arrive at the community’s vision for itself. A president has the role of framing and articulating the vision, but it must be supported by the community.”

Moving forward will be as much about collaboration as it will leadership. That lesson became a theme along Martin’s career path, and he quickly names the mentors who taught him that commitment to work requires a commitment to people. Open conversation, genuine concern, confidence in abilities and responsibilities. Make time to understand the individuals on your team; make room for their success.

When Martin learned he’d been nominated for the top administrative role at Drake, he was attracted to the University’s national reputation. The former JAG officer, law professor, and dean of Gonzaga University’s School of Law knew of Drake’s outstanding legal education opportunities. And he’d heard a great deal about the locale thanks to an Air Force colleague from Iowa who regaled him with tales and promotion of the state. Still, it was Drake’s size and student-centered mission that were most important to him.

“It’s got a real intimacy that creates a sense of community, but it has enough scope to present opportunities that can unfold on a local, regional, national, and global stage,”

says Martin, highlighting the type of experience he wants for both his oldest son—soon to make a college choice—and his youngest, still in high school. “That takes a certain heft, and Drake has that.”

Martin hopes he has instilled in his children the same embrace of possibilities that he and his wife, Laura, have known. The same woman that carved out a place for herself in the horse industry—first in Australia, later back in Kentucky—attempted the potter’s wheel and became an accomplished artist. The same man that tried criminal cases in military courtrooms at home and abroad became an accomplished university administrator—overseeing academic programs and eventually operational services and strategic planning.

The subtle twang that occasionally escapes is a vestige of Martin’s Kentucky upbringing, and while it’s softened as he’s taken up residence in England and Germany, in New Haven and Fort Worth, and most recently in Spokane, it sounds right at home with a man who goes by “Marty” and who reaches back to his roots when he explains arriving at this point in his career.

“I developed a sense of adventure in childhood,” says Martin, describing banana-seat five-speed escapades that have morphed into mountain biking, and a penchant for arrowhead hunting that has now shifted to rockhounding. “And that, along with Laura’s support and consent, has enabled me to take the next chance. And be comfortable doing so. And it’s really that as much as anything else that’s enabled me to be here, to seize this opportunity now to be Drake’s president.”

visit www.drake.edu/president-elect to learn more about President-elect Marty Martin, and welcome him to Drake at [email protected].


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Chambers of Secrets[ on the spot ]

Mark Chambers is the man with all the keys—and all the access to Drake’s buildings and grounds. Since coming to Drake in the early-1980s, this multi-talented architecture aficionado has come to know Drake’s campus better than just about anyone. He first worked as chief electrician before becoming Drake’s HVAC and Electrical Department manager, then operations manager. In his current role as director of facility services, Chambers supervises everything from grounds care to maintenance to new construction and renovation to the occasional dragon taming.

Jessin Joseph, Class of 2017: In your position, do you have a

say when it comes to remodeling, expanding, or constructing new

buildings? If so, which project did you enjoy working on the most?

I make recommendations on project design, engineering, and details, and I work closely with architects and engineers throughout the design and construction process. While so many projects have been critical to the development of Drake and the Drake community, I think the “underdog” projects have meant the most to me, simply because they needed more support. Harvey Ingham, my current favorite project, has been undergoing renovations since the early-1990s and is scheduled to finally be completed this summer.

Liz Woyna, jo ’76: Has the bell’s clapper been found?

No, and in the past I have spent some quality time in that bell tower doing roofing, carpentry, and masonry repairs. I also

Facility Services staff cut, code, and archive keys for a variety of campus doors—from the president’s office to utility closets.

used to decorate the bell tower with holiday lighting for the season. I think the clapper became a souvenir for a past student.

Sarah Beth Coleman, Class of 2017: We all know Old Main is, well, old. Are there rules and guidelines that Drake has to follow to keep older and historically important buildings on campus up to snuff?

Drake has a great deal of mature architecture that needs regular maintenance. We try to keep restoration to a minimum unless a major project is involved and architects and the administration have agreed to change the structure, such as the renovation of Cole Hall for Admissions. Currently, we do have structures that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but not at the level that prevents us from controlling their redesign, renovation, or demise, if appropriate.

Oliver Housman, jo’12: Did you tame the dragon that lives under

Helmick Commons?

The “dragon” is actually the central steam distribution system buried throughout campus. On occasion there will be a minor leak in a manhole, and depending on atmospheric conditions, steam can be seen. This is also, and more frequently, caused by ground water seeping into manholes, which is turned to steam and water vapor. The dragon is currently caged but always trying to get free!


Better Than Ever

After a teaching career spanning 35 years at Drake University, Bill “Doc” Coleman left his role as professor and mentor to theatre arts students in 2001 to embrace a life of retirement.

“I wanted to write,” says Coleman. “And I read a lot. And

there’s always baseball.”

Reading, writing, watching baseball. Sounds like retirement.

Yet in his 14 years since “retiring,” Coleman has served as an

adviser to three former students opening their own stage

production companies, acted in commercials and movies, and

served as a casting director and acting coach for a feature film.

He’s written several award-winning plays, two screenplays that

have been optioned by film production companies, and he’s

begun work on two nonfiction books. He’s had 33 one-act and

full-length plays chosen in major competitions for production

around the country and as far away as Australia—one received

a world premier with New York Equity actors. On top of that,

Coleman’s full-length play, A Future Imperfect, was performed

off-Broadway as part of the highly selective New York

International Fringe Festival in 2013.

“To be the oldest living playwright to have an off-Broadway

debut was a great thrill,” says Coleman. “I was an 87-year-

old child prodigy—an overnight success after 50 plus years

of effort.”

Even while enjoying this prestigious honor, Coleman continued

to serve in his role as teacher and mentor. At his suggestion,

the play’s producer met with his former student, Allison

Moody, fa’00, and immediately hired her to serve as director.

“Working with ‘Doc’ on A Future Imperfect was one of the

most rewarding collaborative experiences I’ve had in theatre,”

says Moody. “I was honored for him to trust me to bring his

play to life. He enthusiastically embraced my vision for his play,

never treating me like a student but rather as a peer. He is an

incredibly generous collaborator, a gifted artist, and one of my

dearest friends.”

Coleman still resides in the Drake neighborhood with his wife,

Linda Robbins Coleman, fa’76, an internationally acclaimed

composer who served for 20 years as composer-in-residence for

Drake Theatre. She scored more than 35 plays during her tenure

and received the Drake University Alumni Achievement Award

in 2008. The couple has maintained close ties with Drake, even

hosting a reunion of more than 150 former students in their

home less than a half-mile from campus.

A heart attack last June and triple bypass surgery in August

might have slowed some people down. Not Coleman.

“I died 14 times,” he says. “But my ambition is to walk, maybe

with a cane, into the stadium for the I-Cubs home opener

this year.”

Then there’s his two-act historical comedy, Buffalo Bill to the

Rescue, to be staged in England in 2015 and produced by a major

Midwest regional theatre in 2016. And the nonfiction book on

four-sided arena theatre. And the many scholarly presentations

and lectures he’ll give. And future student reunions he and

Linda will host.

“One of these days I’ll figure out what I want to do when I

grow up,” he says. “I’m doing pretty well. When I get my

health back fully, I think I’ll be better than I ever was.”

[ where are they now ]

After 35 years at Drake University, Bill “Doc” Coleman left his role as professor and mentor to theatre arts students in 2001 to embrace a life of quiet retirement. He failed miserably.

visit www.drake.edu/magazine.com to learn more about Coleman’s incredible life and his other adventures in retirement.

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Professional Growthsenior anna chott is cultivating her career path.

In a few short months, senior environmental science major Anna Chott will walk across the stage of The Knapp Center, clutching her diploma—the physical representation of a wealth of knowledge

accumulated during her years at Drake.

Yet as soon as the academic year is finished, Chott will have a whole lot more learning to do. As an agricultural extensionist for the Peace Corps, she’ll move to Paraguay—a country she’s never seen—and start learning Guarani—an indigenous language she’s never spoken.

Chott didn’t know it when she arrived on Drake’s campus, but this is exactly where she wants to be. With a working command of the language (native to Paraguay as well as Argentina, Brazil, and Bolivia), she’ll begin work with the government and farmers in the central South American country to increase crop yields and protect the soil from erosion.

“I’ve always been interested in food—local food—and sustainable production,” says Chott. “But it wasn’t until junior year at Drake that I realized I wanted to do a job that was really hands-on. It helped that I had some internships and looked at other [career] options.”

In just four short years, Chott studied abroad in Costa Rica, where she helped to nurture butterflies; led children through native prairies, forests, and streams at an ecology center in St. Louis; coordinated student volunteers for a stream restoration project in Mitchellville, Iowa; assisted refugees in central Iowa with growing and selling their own produce; worked alongside a Drake professor to test the nutrient levels in water runoff from corn plants; and was a member of the Drake Environmental Action League, a student-led group that advocates for environmental awareness and sustainability on campus.

“At some schools you have to choose a specific focus in environmen-tal science as soon as you enroll,” says Chott. “The program at Drake was broad enough to allow me to explore my interests. In the process, I’ve decided exactly what I want to do—at least for now.”

Anna Chott sprinkles corn plants with water to simulate rainfall (above), then compares the nitrogen runoff levels of different fertilizers (opposite) as she researches the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy.

Profile


When the starting gun fired for the 2014 Drake Relays, Professor of Law Ellen Yee took off. Yee launched a new initiative, now called Next Course, to save pre-prepared but unserved food from the garbage bin and put it to good use. Nearly a year after the program’s pilot operation during the Relays, Next Course is a resounding success and growing steadily.

Unlike food pantries, which can be stocked with non-perishable goods, food recovery programs must quickly connect trays of ready-to-eat food with food-insecure populations.

“Food recovery has to be immediate,” says Yee. “The delivery mechanisms need to be agile. There’s a lot of variability and flexibility that’s involved to make it work.”

Bringing the right groups together was the first hurdle, and finding a student leader was the second. Laura Leben leaped over both challenges. Yee recruited Leben, a junior environmental science major, to serve as a student learning ambassador. She was charged with coordinating student volunteers and Drake’s food service contractor, Sodexo, with two local recipient organizations: Central Iowa Shelter & Services and Hope Ministries. With food providers, delivery, and destinations lined up, Next Course hit the ground running.

“The amount of food we recovered just in the fall semester is over 900 pounds, which is simply incredible,” says Leben.

“It doesn’t make sense for perfectly good food to be thrown away while so many of our neighbors could benefit from it.”

Making sure community members are fed is the primary goal, but Next Course has educational and waste-reduction benefits as well.

“Ultimately, I would like this concept to be part of the way we think about consumption, just as recycling has become,” says Yee.

Three Drake faculty members—Carlyn Crowe, visiting assistant professor of journalism; Michael Haedicke, associate professor of sociology; and Amahia Mallea, associate professor of history—brought their students on board, out of the classroom and into the community. The students make deliveries, help with coordination, and assist with marketing Next Course to organizations and individuals on and off campus.

“I am definitely not alone in my desire to break the ‘Drake bubble,’” says Leben. “This program serves as a bridge between the Drake community and Des Moines, and gives Drake students an opportunity to learn about food insecurity and issues in their own community.”

Recovery Race Competes Against Hunger

Drake students led by Laura Leben (below right), a junior studying environmental science, collect, weigh, and deliver unused food to area food kitchens and other organizations.

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The Power of Puppy LoveIn a stark hospital room, an elderly man lay, unable to speak or move, the recent victim of a stroke. Erin Bell pulled up a chair next to the bed and helped her stocky companion into it. The patient’s eyes moved to look at the calm, if a little slobbery, bulldog. Once Porterhouse was close enough to rest against his hand, the patient’s fingers barely wiggled—the first real reaction from the man to stimulus since his stroke.

It’s a moment Bell remembers well and one of countless ways Porterhouse, Drake’s live mascot until his death in 2013, touched the lives of those in need during his time as a therapy dog.

“His calm nature was key; he was a very gentle dog who wasn’t phased by anything,” recalls Bell. “It was like he knew he had to be especially controlled and well-behaved in those situations. He was a bright spot in everybody’s day who met him.”

The benefits of human-animal interaction have been well-documented as the number of certified therapy animals grows. For example, a 2011 UCLA study found that heart patients who

received a visit from a furry friend experienced reduced pressure in the heart and lungs by 20 percent, reduced stress hormones, and a 24 percent reduction in anxiety levels.

The bulldog may not necessarily be the breed that comes to mind as therapy dog material. But with gentle and protective tendencies, the bulldog’s disposition often makes it the ideal comforter.

Drake’s current Beautiful Bulldog, Lucey, is the “unofficial mascot” at the Katzmann Breast Center at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, where her owner, Dr. Tiffany Torstensen, works. While Lucey is not yet certified as a therapy dog—she must pass a behavior test first—she loves the opportunity to visit patients and employees alike. She doesn’t mask her joy well—her entire 60-pound body wiggles as she greets her adoring fans.

“Lucey has an amazing personality, and when she walks into a room, everyone just gravitates toward her,” explains Torstensen.

From nursing homes to hospitals, in the aftermath of tragedies or during times of stress, that powerful presence of a benevolent bulldog can make all the difference.

[ making a difference ]

Lucey, the 2014 Beautiful Bulldog, visits patients and caregivers on a regular basis at the Katzmann Breast Center at Mercy Hospital. The fashionable pup is considered the “unofficial mascot” of the center.

visit www.drake.edu/magazine for more photos of bulldogs in action.


Every few years, Matt Russell hosts a chicken butchering party. Guests flock to his farm to “retire the girls”—those hens that no longer produce eggs—and leave with a stewing hen and perhaps fresh garlic grown on the land. The hands-on event highlights the cycle of sustainability and feeds a growing interest in knowing where our food comes from. That said, he doesn’t get a lot of return visitors.

Russell, state food policy project coordinator at Drake and a fifth-generation farmer, has lived and breathed local food and agriculture from birth. Although he considered entering the Catholic priesthood—spending part of his 20s in seminary—agriculture is in his blood.

He and his husband, Patrick Standley, own and operate a 110-acre farm in Lacona, Iowa, called Coyote Run Farm. They raise cattle for grass-finished beef; grow vegetables, including peppers, garlic, and onions; and harvest eggs, their most popular item. By selling directly to consumers, the pair creates close relationships with their customers.

“I really enjoy the problem-solving nature of it,” says Russell. “It’s very empowering to run your own business. Farming is artistic, scientific, creative, and business-oriented all together.”

His passion for farming and introducing consumers to the region’s breadth of local food options informs his work at Drake, which has become a natural extension of his deeply planted roots.

As a staff member at Drake’s Agricultural Law Center, Russell conducts research, plans conferences, and shares his expertise on hot button agriculture topics such as sustainability and food security with students and professionals nationwide. He also oversees the local Buy Fresh Buy Local chapter, part of a national network connecting communities with locally grown foods and supporting economic growth for regional farms.

Russell and Agricultural Law Center Director Neil Hamilton lead innovative conversations through what they call the “power to convene.” Russell recently helped organize the first national forum to address programs and services for veterans pursuing careers in food and agriculture.

“Matt brings a unique perspective on what I refer to as ‘new agriculture’—that direct relationship and direct marketing that many local farmers are doing now,” says Hamilton, the Dwight D. Opperman Chair of Law. “He lives that on his farm and brings that day-to-day experience to the center.”

Russell lights up when he talks about working with Drake students. He collaborates with law and undergraduate interns on a number of projects, including events, research, and Buy Fresh Buy Local. Many have continued on the agricultural law path, practicing rural law, working for the USDA, lobbying on Capitol Hill, and more.

“We have so many talented students come through the center, and it’s rewarding to be part of their success,” says Russell. “We help them make connections, and to see that work pay off and to watch these students go into the field after graduation gives you a great feeling.”

Matt Russell, state food policy project coordinator at Drake, oversees the local Buy Fresh Buy Local chapter and works with area organizations, such as Des Moines Area Religious Council Food Pantry Network, to improve access to locally grown foods.

Profile

Thought for Foodthe agricultural law center’s matt russell lives local— and his connections are growing.

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Discover the Dark Side

[ the best place ]

Explore the origins of Saturn’s rings, discover what the color of stars reveals about their nature, and learn how moons are named as you journey through the cosmos at the Drake Municipal Observatory.

The observatory’s telescope was built in 1894 and donated to the University by none other than Francis Marion Drake. The City of Des Moines provided land for the observatory on the municipality’s highest point (about 957 feet), situated near the center of what is today Waveland Golf Course. Drake University has furnished scientific instruments, displays, and staff for

the observatory since 1920. The building is dedicated to Daniel Walter Morehouse, astronomer, physicist, Drake astronomy professor, and University president from 1922 until his death in 1941. His ashes and those of his wife, Myrtle, are interred inside the observatory.

The Drake Municipal Observatory is open to the public on Friday nights during the spring, summer, and fall seasons.

The Drake Municipal Observatory in Des Moines is dedicated to former Drake President Daniel Morehouse who discovered a comet in 1908. The observatory also serves as the final resting place for Morehouse and his wife, Myrtle, whose ashes are interred inside.

visit www.drake.edu/observatory/publicnights for more information.

pho

to by brian

abeling


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Austin Mouw knew his third year at Drake Law School was going to be busy. In addition to the usual rigor of course assignments, his fall 2014 schedule included work in Drake’s Advanced Criminal Defense Clinic and an internship with the Iowa Appellate Defender’s Office. Over the course of one week in September, Mouw tried—and won—his first jury trial and presented arguments in front of the Iowa Supreme Court. Soon after, he found himself before the Iowa Court of Appeals, arguing on behalf of a client whose sentence was subsequently reduced from 30 years to 30 days.

All before Mouw began his last semester at law school.

“Presenting arguments before the Supreme Court, trying a case before a jury, and arguing in the Court of Appeals would not have been possible anywhere else,” says Mouw. “Being Iowa’s capital and largest city, Des Moines has opportunities that other cities just can’t provide. I’ve been involved in multiple clerkships and internships, and

all students have the chance to work at the large law firms here in Des Moines year-round. This is a huge advantage to us at Drake.”

Student experiences like Mouw’s are common and deliberate. The commitment to capitalizing on the Law School’s location and providing opportunities for students to put theory into practice has served as the foundation of a legal education at Drake Law since its founding 150 years ago.

“The Law School has long prided itself on offering students real-world experience, through clinical programs on campus, and through internships, clerkships, and the many opportunities for hands-on legal work in Des Moines,” says Jerry Foxhoven, executive director of Drake Law School’s Neal and Bea Smith Legal Clinic. “The importance of the capital city to our founders resonates today in the lives of our students in the practical experiences they receive.”

Drake Law traces its lineage to The Iowa Law School, founded in Des Moines in 1865–16 years before Drake University opened its doors. That heritage makes Drake Law one of the 25 oldest law schools in the nation, and the second oldest west of the Mississippi.

Capital Advantage

Class of 1923 in front of Cole Hall. The Law School affiliated with Drake University upon its founding in 1881 and moved into Cole Hall (named for Drake Law founder Chester C. Cole) on the Drake campus in 1904. The school relocated to its permanent home in Cartwright Hall in 1976.


Placing the school in the heart of Des Moines was intentional. The founders knew that the state capital, where the Legislature meets and the Supreme Court holds most sessions, would provide law students invaluable educational opportunities not available elsewhere. These opportunities continue as a defining characteristic of a Drake Law education.

Within a few days of arriving on campus, today’s Drake Law students visit the Iowa Judicial Building to meet with justices of the Supreme Court and learn about its rich legal history and landmark decisions. Later in their first year, students learn about professionalism from the chief justice, enjoy breakfast and conversation with the rest of the Court, and honor the Supreme Court’s work at a spring banquet. This level of collaboration with the state’s highest court is made possible by Drake’s location in Des Moines.

Drake Law students regularly take advantage of other opportunities in the capital city. In recent years these students have, among other things, drafted and helped get legislation passed in the Iowa Legislature, tried numerous jury trials (including felony cases), prepared briefs for the U.S.

Supreme Court, represented children in the juvenile courts, collaborated with Iowa Supreme Court justices on research projects, and served in local and state government.

The impact these efforts have had on the City of Des Moines, the state of Iowa, and the nation is vast. Drake students and alumni are found serving in state government—in all branches, up to the governor’s office. Graduates fill key positions in business and nonprofits, and work in private practice across all 50 states and in several countries.

“Drake graduates serve wherever they are needed, whether in government and public service or in representing the smallest or weakest client up to the largest of corporations,” says Dean Benjamin Ullem, lw’69. “We cherish our history and applaud our thousands of alumni who work to improve their communities, wherever they may be.

“Completing 150 years is a good stepping stone toward the next 150,” adds Ullem. “Our programs and vision will ensure that.”

visit www.drake.edu/magazine to learn more about the origins of Drake Law School.


[ top five ][ how to ]

At Your Service

While the primary function of many apps seems to be to waste time, certain software applications available for your mobile devices are actually quite useful. Whether balancing a budget or buffing a body, there’s an app for that. Student intern Emma Frederick shares her top five to download today:

Evernote. This app has everything a busy professional needs. Type notes, attach files, and take photos and videos all in one place.

Any.do. A necessity for a busy schedule, this planner-on-the-go app helps organize tasks by creating to-do lists, which can be categorized based on importance, marked at completion, and synced with other devices.

Feedly. View multiple news sources in one stream with this aggregator. Simply select news sources of interest, and Feedly notifications arrive when something interesting happens.

Mint. This app helps users organize and categorize expenses so they know exactly where their money is going.

Sworkit. All those excuses you have for not working out? Gone. This app allows users to designate which part of the body they want to work on and how much time they have, and then provides a guided video workout. No planning or gym equipment needed.

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A Broad ExperienceLush mountain forests in Rwanda, burgeoning cityscapes in the United Arab Emirates, the dusty Outback of Western Australia. Some of Drake University’s best classrooms are nowhere near Des Moines. Study abroad can be an enlightening, eye-opening, one-of-a-kind experience, but only if a student is properly equipped.

Live like a local.In addition to ventilated, long-sleeve shirts for desert sun protection, finance major Tom Fisher plans to invest in traditional Emirati garb like a kandoora, an ankle-length woven white shirt. To get the most from the experience, Fisher has been taking Arabic language classes—and he has his language book with him.

Put your best foot forward.Taylor Hamberg, a public relations and international relations double major, has never been hiking, camping, or anything like it. She had some work to do in preparation for her trip to Perth, Australia, which includes a visit

to the Outback. After thorough research, Hamberg has prepared her gear—and her mindset—for a totally new experience hiking, swimming, and exploring a local cave.

Bridge the distance.Rwanda is not on the radar of many study abroad programs. That’s exactly why Ben Weinberg—a religion; and law, politics, and society double major—wanted to go to the small east-central African country. Weinberg’s study abroad program

focuses on the nation’s recovery from genocide in the mid-1990s, and immerses students in Rwandan culture by placing them with homestay families. Weinberg packed a gift that represents his own home, connecting his host family with the world he came from.

bluenotes


… When the ‘Chancellor’s Elm’ has gone down, leaving a great loneliness against the sky and on the Drake campus, the name of Chancellor Carpenter will continue to be linked with that of Francis Marion Drake, in a memorial more imperishable than any marble shaft, or boulder from the glacial drift of the forgotten ages …

—Charles Blanchard, History of Drake University, 1931

The stately tree that gave George Carpenter a line of sight (and foresight) toward Drake’s founding did eventually come down in 1969, the victim of Dutch elm disease. And the Carpenter and Drake names are forever celebrated. And while its geological origin is unconfirmed, a two-seater boulder commemorates a deep-rooted history.

Kissing Rock, as it’s known today, marks the spot overhung by the old boughs, etched permanently with Carpenter’s legacy. A gift from the graduating class of 1898, the boulder has become a touchstone for legend and tradition.

Around the corner and up a flight of stairs, a less well-known memorial to Chancellor’s Elm hangs in Old Main. A section of the old tree, sliced out after its untimely demise, is preserved and marked with milestones: the American Revolution, Iowa statehood, two world wars, and more.

Today, 46 years after its fall and 134 years since the University’s founding, the author’s words ring true: Carpenter’s name, unlike his tree, still lives on at the University.

now

deep roots


thena young university branches out (circa mid-1920s)


What Gives? By Beth Wilson

Economists take the pulse of the nation in dollars and cents. Financial fitness is calculated as producers sell and consumers buy. That longtime harbinger of fiscal health, Black Friday, hit $50.9 billion last November. U.S. shoppers continued to spend on Small Business Saturday ($14.3 billion) and Cyber Monday ($2.7 billion).

More dollars moved the following day, though their mass was part of a different sort of transaction. On the first Tuesday in December, $45.7 million flowed to more than 15,000 nonprofits—a 63 percent increase over the previous year’s total, with a 53 percent increase in the number of donations. After only three years, #GivingTuesday has become a giving season contender.

Its rise as part of tabulated holiday activity should not overshadow what is happening off-season. Data from nonprofit service provider Blackbaud suggests that people are giving throughout the year. Total charitable dollars continue to rise, up 2.1 percent in 2014. Indeed the size of the overall giving economy is noteworthy, greater than the gross domestic product of most nations. Of the $335.17 billion that Americans gave in 2013, 15 percent came from foundation grants, 8 percent from bequests, and 5 percent from corporations. The rest (72 percent or $241.32 billion, if you’re following the math) came from individuals.

Size Matters—in More Ways than One With the Ebola virus reaching epidemic proportions in Western Africa, officials at the United Nations estimated last fall that defeating the outbreak would cost at least $600 million. Bill and Melinda Gates announced in September a $50 million commitment—on top of the $12 million they’d given previously—to responding agencies and organizations, and to efforts to develop therapies and vaccines. Bill Gates has given away more money than any other living person ($30 billion since 2000) to fight disease across the globe and improve education in the United States.

Much has been written—and scrutinized—about the new wealthy: individuals who amassed fortunes as drivers in the

ongoing digital revolution. The surge in giving by self-made billionaires like Ebay’s Pierre Omidyar, Google’s Larry Page, and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg have injected not only new dollars but also new ideas into philanthropy. Data-driven, innovation-inclined, risk-embracing, engagement-oriented, high impact-demanding, giving-while-living strategies have ushered in the era of venture philanthropy, strategic philanthropy, catalytic philanthropy, performance philanthropy, and philanthrocapitalism.

While the wealthy contribute disproportionately—the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy estimates that U.S. households in the top 2 percent income bracket are responsible for one-third to one-half of annual donations by individuals—the aggregate giving power of the general population is substantial. The other two-thirds to one-half of a $241-billion total in 2013 came from “philanthropists” giving more modest sums—many of them responding to a mailing, pooling efforts at work, clicking a “Donate Now” button.

“Giving by average donors has remained remarkably consistent, even through the recession,” says Una Osili, director of research with the Lilly Family School. “That says something about the importance of philanthropy in American life.”

People-Powered Philanthropy

How Much Good?Many nonprofits offer tangible examples of their work and calculate “doing good” in dollar increments accessible to a wide donor audience. What can $20 do?

• Provide a lifetime of immunity from measles to 10 children (Shot@Life)

• Buy a 50-lb box of nails during the home-building process (Habitat for Humanity)

• Fund 480 high-energy protein biscuits, providing nutrition in the wake of a disaster (UNICEF)

• Bring 288 pencils to children learning to read and write around the world (LitWorld)

• Supply a costume for a local stage production (The Repertory Actors Theatre)


Total annual giving by U.S. individuals is greater than the GDP of 149 countries.


Studies suggest that giving promotes a sense of trust and cooperation that strengthens our ties to others.

83% of Millennials gave a financial gift to a philanthropic cause in 2013.


The Changing Face of PhilanthropyNotably, many of the same technological advances that fueled new wealth and giving capacity for digital entrepreneurs also transformed philanthropy for the masses. Access to information, rapid communication, expansive online networks, fast and easy online transactions. Crowd-funding sites harness the power of the collective for micro-donating, micro-lending, and micro-volunteering. Social media and gamification turn a cause into a viral— if temporary—sensation (2014’s ALS Ice Bucket Challenge raised more than $100 million in just one month, a 3,500 percent increase over the same time period the year before). Individual passions are discovered and tapped as websites enable donors to choose exactly what to fund and where. (Sending second graders on a field trip to the NASA Space Center in Houston? Training rats to diagnose tuberculosis in Mozambique? Check and check).

Some have deemed this new environment the democratization of philanthropy; the more people giving money, the greater the participation in steering priorities for doing good. Researchers highlight not only technological and economical forces of change but also demographic ones.

Meet the Millennials. Born between 1980 and 1996, today’s 19-35 year olds transact most of their business—indeed much of their lives—online. A 1999 White House report on philanthropy in America cited the 65-plus demographic as the country’s most generous donors (25 percent more likely to contribute than younger individuals). A decade and a half later, The 2014 Millennial Impact Report announced that 83 percent of Millennials gave a financial gift to a philanthropic cause in 2013. There are 77 million Boomers in America. There are 82 million Millennials.

They are a generation of both givers and volunteers. While time, talent, and treasure remain important tenets of philanthropy, the Millennials and their motivations—among them meeting people and enhancing their expertise—have expanded the definition to include advocacy and professional relationships. Donating one’s voice to educate and involve others is an important form of philanthropy for this group, as is leveraging personal networks to rapidly spread a message. (While the nonprofit behind Kony 2012 was later criticized, its 30-minute documentary about Ugandan rebel leader and war criminal Joseph Kony had more than 100 million views in six days, raised $20 million, prompted a U.S. Senate resolution, and led to involvement by the African Union.)

Today’s Philanthropists• Donors are becoming more diverse.

• Donors give throughout their lives.

• Donors give both independently and collaboratively.

• Donors focus both close to home and around the world.

• Donors don’t just make gifts; they make investments.

• Donors are engaged, set specific targets, assess impact, and share what they learn.

Adapted from Looking Out for the Future: An Orientation for Twenty-first Century Philanthropists, Global Business Network and Monitor Institute, members of the Monitor Group

Giving casts a much wider net for Millennials, according to Derrick Feldmann, president of Achieve, a research agency leading The Millennial Impact Project. Members of this demographic consider all assets—time, networks, dollars— to be equally valuable, and philanthropic acts are likely to take the form of direct individual response—say, an Indiegogo campaign to help a friend battling cancer. Millennials are fundraisers as much as they are donors, and their philanthropy—an important form of self-expression— may not always be captured by today’s statistics.

“The pace of peer fundraising is much faster. Millennials can amass an army in one day,” says Feldmann of participation that can add up to significant amounts of dollars that flow to a cause rather than an organization. “Giving is bigger than ever before, and for this group it happens through a lot more transactions.”

Doing Good Well Changing technology, communication, and participation have combined with a growing nonprofit sector, affecting visibility, competition, awareness, and inquiry—all coinciding with higher expectations. Donors are increasingly interested in knowing how their money is spent and what it’s achieving. They want to be confident that donations are used efficiently. They want tangible, measurable results. How much good is being done?

The answer is “a lot,” strictly in term of organizational purpose. Forty years ago there were fewer than 500,000 nonprofits in the United States. Today there are 1.6 million.


Mission Measures Matter The number of nonprofits in the United States grew 25 percent from 2001 to 2011, and a growing number of watchdog organizations—including GuideStar, BBB Wise Giving, GiveWell, CharityWatch—are evaluating them and publishing ratings to help donors make giving decisions.

Launched in 2001, Charity Navigator—the self-proclaimed largest and most influential charity rater in America—originally evaluated nonprofits based on financial health only, i.e., how efficiently resources are used. In 2011 its rating analysis expanded to include accountability and transparency, how well an organization sustains its programs and services over time and its level of commitment to good governance, best practices, and open information.

Charity Navigator is now implementing a third dimension of analysis: mission-related results. In a nutshell: Is the money given going to programs that work? Charity Navigator President and CEO Ken Berger translated the organization’s Results Reporting in a National Public Radio interview. “How clearly do you identify the problem that you’re trying to solve, and how well do you have measures to know that you’re on the road to solving that problem?”

(Organizations with less than $5,000 in annual revenues are not required to register with the IRS and are not counted in this total.) Identifying a passion is only the first step of a much more complicated philanthropic journey. Donors must make their giving decisions amidst a proliferation of groups working on the same issue, as well as a vast variety of approaches to problem solving. How to choose where to give?

“Motivations spring out of personal life experiences,” says Gordon Fischer, whose law practice in Iowa City, Iowa, specializes in charitable giving. “Maybe a nonprofit helped them or their family when they were growing up. Maybe they’ve been through illness or job loss or some other trauma, and now they’ve bounced back and want to give back. But they want to be effective, to do the most good possible.”

Fischer, who previously led gift planning strategies at the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines, says there’s a practical side to giving, and donors can and do follow an approach similar to that for a home-improvement project. Talk with family and friends. Ask for recommendations and referrals. Gather information through Internet research.

“That’s where it usually starts. Folks hop onto Google, they check out charity rating systems,” says Fischer of today’s thoughtful, savvy, and demanding donors. “There is so much information out there. It takes some guidance and helps to have a charitable Sherpa.”

Among all the facts and data and questions and assessment, Fischer points out that philanthropy is still about passion. “We don’t call them ‘nonprofits.’ We call them the Bulldogs or my kid’s school or my church or the local hospital that saved a loved one,” he says, underscoring the significance of relationships—connections that enrich in both directions. “There are real, tangible rewards going back to donors.”

75% of donors seek information about the impact a nonprofit is making.


Giving moves in new directions at the University, but it’s always people that drive our possibilities.


Vote of Confidence

What does philanthropy at Drake look like? Is it benefactors who gift large sums to launch capital projects and new programs? Is it young students who step up to donate a fistful of singles for a Philanthropy@Drake event? Is it the alumni who volunteer to mentor Drake students in the field? Yes, yes, and yes. Some give money, some devote their time and talent to the University and its causes, and others donate all three. Whatever they’re able to do, their commitment is a powerful engine for strengthening and growing private institutions like Drake.

“Without philanthropy, no private university could possibly exist,” says Diane Caldbeck, ed’72, associate vice president for Alumni and Development and campaign director for distinctlyDrake. “It’s an endorsement of confidence in an institution’s value, and in its ability to maximize and sustain these gifts.”

At Drake, a student’s tuition pays for only about 75 percent of their education. Philanthropy closes the remaining tuition gap to fund everything from lab equipment in classrooms to airfare and accommodations that enable a student to present an academic paper at a national conference. Trailblazing new initiatives that benefit students, alumni, and the community—such as the University’s planned STEM@DRAKE complex and offerings—would never materialize without donor support.

“Tuition dollars sustain, but philanthropic dollars transform,” says Caldbeck.

In the Beginning

The first Drake philanthropists were stewards of a grand vision—improving humankind (and their region) by making new inroads in higher education.

Undoubtedly, the first and most pivotal philanthropist of Drake University was former Civil War general and Iowa governor Sir Frances Marion Drake. Beyond funding the initial $20,000 that launched the University and being the sole donor for the construction of several buildings, he was the go-to person for myriad needs—from books and endowments to emergency repairs. Realizing that the future of the institution relied on cultivating additional support, Drake urged others at the University to solicit contributions and offered to partially match funds raised.

Blaine, la’46, and LaVerne, fa’47, Briggs flew from California to be serenaded by Virgilio; Jose Ricardo Rios, Class of 2016; and Associate Professor Ashley Sandor Sidon. Both students’ education was funded by the LaVerne Sedrel Briggs Endowed Cello Scholarship, and Sidon was named the Briggs Endowed Professor of Cello in 2012.

“The Briggses have had a huge impact on music at Drake. When I started at the University in 2006, there were zero cello majors and just a few violins,” says Sidon, who adds that before the Briggs’ gifts to the music program, the department had to hire “ringer” musicians from the community to fill out orchestra performances.

“Because of the scholarship, professorship, and addition of new music staff, we now have nine cello majors plus a full violin section, and have transfer students from Mexico, New York, Boston, Chicago, all over,” she says. “All of this has helped raise the visibility of Drake.”

LaVerne Briggs says she and her husband give back to Drake in this way because they don’t want to see classical music diminished in American culture, especially at their alma mater, and especially with regard to her instrument—the cello. When the couple attended Drake in the ’40s, says Briggs, the music school had a fine reputation and a strong string section led by Frank Noyes, who also conducted the Des Moines Civic Orchestra from 1937 to 1967. It was a legacy that merited paying forward, and the cello professorship and scholarship did just that.

“It’s so nice to see the fruits of these efforts,” says Briggs. “It makes it seem like it’s all been worthwhile.”

Every gift is a link in the circular chain of philanthropy: Gifts make the University stronger; a strong Drake makes an impact on students’ lives; students graduate to contribute to the world in meaningful ways; and as alumni who have benefited from the Drake experience, they are inspired to pay it forward to the next generation.

ON A CHILLY SEPTEMBER EVENING, Drake senior Paul Virgilio coaxed the smooth, rich tones of a Hungarian rhapsody by Popper from his cello. He wasn’t in the familiar rehearsal room in Harmon Fine Arts Center or sitting in his chair in the string section at Sheslow Auditorium. He was in the sitting room of the President’s Home, expressing his thanks in song to the donors who had made his Drake experience possible.

visit wwwww.drake.edu/magazine to experience Bach’s “Cello Suite No. 2 in G Major” as coaxed by Paul Virgilio’s bow.


After Drake’s death, the institution’s growth strategy was a mishmash of student fundraising, land donation coupled with elbow grease, namesake plaques to woo donors, and appeals to New York steel magnate Andrew Carnegie for a library. Tactics included a good dose of “making do”— such as holding band rehearsals in a 1890s livery stable until 1972.

A few of these early donors saw their names etched onto Drake’s first stone edifices—notably Drake and Carnegie. But most, propelled by the power of a dream, pooled what they could to fund the buildings and programs that made Drake University.

The Next Generation

Over the next century, the campus would come to be shaped by new legions of benefactors—Cowles, Meredith, Levitt, Knapp, Opperman, Bucksbaum, Cline, Jorndt, Baum, Collier, Scripps, and Hubbell, just to name a few. The relationships these alumni and friends built with Drake were beginning to evolve and deepen. They gave not just from a desire to make an impact on the greater good; they were giving out of personal passions they wished to share and a deep love of Drake and its people.

Following the national trend toward growing donor involvement, philanthropy at Drake was no longer just about bricks and mortar and degrees. Alumni and friends were taking an increased level of ownership of the places and programs that their funds would benefit.

They served on Drake’s Board of Trustees. They steered programs and led initiatives. They were champions and devoted fundraisers for the University. They became involved in the lives of the students who earned their scholarships and took part in their programs. And they served as friends, advisers, and mentors to the Drake community.

Collaborative Philanthropy

Today’s Drake philanthropists aren’t always rich in funds, but they are rich in passion. They are informed and strategic. When they give, they often like to designate a specific

area for their gift so they can know exactly what good their hard-earned cash is doing. And quite often they want to be personally involved and see their vision through to fruition. “The trend we’re seeing is toward greater engagement and expectations for greater accountability,” says Caldbeck. “If you go back historically people would give without restrictions to the good old alma mater. Today, people tend to give with much more specificity. They want more engagement, more control, and more involvement with the lives of beneficiaries.”

Today, philanthropy at Drake might mean providing space and funding for a new program, but then following through with advising and mentorship. Or paying forward the internship you once had by extending one to a Drake student. It can even transcend money, such as sharing professional expertise in the classroom or drawing on professional

networks to bring speakers to campus. Drake has been exploring different ways to reinforce this active, engaged aspect of giving by connecting donors and recipients in creative ways. One example is the University’s annual fall Scholarship Luncheon, which brings scholarship recipients together with their benefactors. Another is Philanthropy@Drake Week, held twice a year by the student-led Student Alumni Association. This event gives students a chance to have fun and celebrate their love for Drake, recognize the impact giving has had on their own experience, thank donors through letters and tweets, and even begin carving their own path as young philanthropists.

Undoubtedly, philanthropy at Drake is, more than ever, about relationships.

Completing the Circle

On a recent Saturday night, a tuxedo-clad Paul Virgilio sits with bow poised to cello and eyes fixed on maestro, waiting


for the baton to rise at the Civic Center of Greater Des Moines. He’s been a full-time cellist for the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra since the age of 19, often sharing the stage with renowned guest conductors and musicians. It’s a long way from his days as a high school kid in Pleasant Valley, New York, with big dreams that sometimes seemed a little too big.

“Going to college, frankly, was not going to be a possibility,” says Virgilio. “I was in a situation where the only way I could go to college was if it was basically free.” Then he received a financial aid package from Drake, and

Professor Sidon worked with him to find scholarships— including the sizable one funded by the Briggs—to make up the rest. The opportunity is a gift he will never forget. “The Briggses were really great in not just getting me to

college but getting my career started,” says Virgilio. “It’s like a chain—any success I’ve had is because I was able to come to Drake, and the reason I was able to come to Drake was because of people like Mr. and Mrs. Briggs.”

Virgilio also credits his study with Sidon for preparing him for the opportunity with a professional orchestra, and that experience for helping him grow quickly as a musician.

He’s now ready for whatever may come next, be it teaching, performing, or—he hopes—a combination of the two. “Honestly, I was incredibly fortunate,” says Virgilio. “I always remind myself to tie every success back to the people who made this whole chain possible.”

Many alumni give back in recognition of the experiences and opportunities that shaped them.

Frances Bartlett Kinne began her relationship with Drake at 16 as a summer school student. At 18, she began teaching school during the week so she could afford to pay her way and commute to Drake for Saturday classes. After earning her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Drake, Kinne went on to earn her doctorate, teach, and blaze her way to many firsts, including becoming the first female college president in Florida.

Through it all, Kinne’s ties to her alma mater remained strong. So strong, in fact, that when she married Lt. Col. Harry Kinne in 1948, her former Drake professor Stanford Hulsizer sang at the reception.

“When my husband was stationed in China, I had contacts at Drake who kept in touch with me,” says Kinne. “I appreciated that so much when I was overseas for seven years. I felt that personal connection to Drake.”

And though her life took her to China, Japan, Germany, and ultimately Florida, she continued to maintain a lifelong connection to Drake. Kinne created a sizable music scholarship and serves on Drake’s Board of Trustees—contributions that led to the University naming the Frances Bartlett Kinne Alumni and Development Center in her honor.

“One reason I decided to give back to Drake was because I really had to struggle to fund my education, even though I was teaching,” says Kinne. “I can still remember; in the beginning, when I sent some very small gifts.”

Even before she had means to fund a scholarship, Kinne thought it important to give back to the places that shaped her.

“Drake has something that is so unique—quality academics, stability, enduring leadership, and opportunities for students, no matter where they’re from,” says Kinne. “I’m excited about what Drake has done and what it can do in the future. So for all of us who feel as if we want to be of some kind of assistance in this world, this is a way.”

visit www.drake.edu/magazine to meet “the names that live at Drake”—people, past and present, whose names grace Drake’s campus.

REMEMBERING OPPORTUNITY Frances Bartlett Kinne, fa’40, gr’44


For Joan Middleton, giving back is as much about taking at-risk youngsters under her wing as it is funding the programs that benefit them. The retired teacher of students with behavior disorders and her late husband, Lyle, la’61, lw’64, a longtime Drake trustee, have made a direct, significant impact not just on Drake but also on the surrounding community.

The Middletons were instrumental in making Drake the home of the “I Have a Dream” Foundation for the Des Moines area, which empowers children in low-income communities with the support, mentorship, and guaranteed tuition funds to attain the dream of higher education. Since becoming involved, Middleton has mentored many “Dreamers,” also taking them on small-group trips to Washington, D.C.

GETTING INVOLVED Joan Middleton, ed’63, gr’77

PAYING IT FORWARD J.C. Van Ginkel, bs’76, gr’79, lw’79, sons James, bs’12, and John, Class of 2015

FOSTERING CONNECTION Ben Urick, ph’11

J.C. Van Ginkel is the second of three generations of Van Ginkels to attend Drake—so far. It all started with patriarch Jim Van Ginkel, lw’53, and is carried on with J.C.’s sons—recent grad James, and John, a senior business student.

J.C., an attorney in Atlantic, Iowa, wanted a way to honor the life-changing education and leadership opportunities his father benefited from at Drake. The plan crystallized during a family meeting one Saturday morning in fall 2014.

“Both James and John were awarded Presidential Scholarships when they came to Drake,” says J.C. “I talked to the boys a bit, saying, ‘you got some free money here. I think it would be appropriate for you guys to pay that back.’”

Today’s True Blue philanthropists don’t need to make a huge commitment to make a difference. The White Coat Ceremony has been a tradition for pharmacy students at Drake since 1998. In 2007, Drake expanded on that tradition to enable pharmacy alumni to sponsor a coat for $50, and also include their business card in the pocket. The sponsorship is meaningful, but that personal connection is invaluable.

Ben Urick was one of the many P1 students who were given the gift of a white coat through donations.

“I remember as a P1 reaching into my pocket and reading the name of the person who sponsored my coat,” says Urick. “At that moment

Luke Frieberg started becoming a force for Bulldog athletics even as a first-year student at Drake. The Bulldog soccer player and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee member came together with his soccer buddies to launch Spike’s Army, the student group that creates a high-spirited (and hopefully intimidating) presence during home court basketball games.

After graduation Frieberg, a project lead at Principal Financial Group, was approached to become a member of the board of the Bulldog Club, the fundraising arm of Drake Athletics. He jumped at the opportunity.

“I think it’s important for these kids to see our country and learn something about its history,” says Middleton. “Many are impressed to see that the things in their textbooks are real, like the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. And it’s powerful when they see people who look like them in positions of authority.”

The couple went on to address additional needs for at-risk youth in the area: They established the Middleton Center for Children’s Rights in the Drake Law School and the Urban Education Program in Drake’s School of Education. Both programs are propelled by Drake students, who have the opportunity to better the community while practicing professional skills.

“I like kids, and I like education,” says Middleton. “That’s where it’s at for the future of our world.”

So the Van Ginkel brothers, along with their dad, committed to contribute to an endowed scholarship fund to benefit both law and business students.

“Our goal is that people will see what we’re doing and know that they can do it, too,” says James, an operations business solutions developer for Wellmark. “They can pay it forward to Drake and help someone else, and start a chain reaction of helping the next generation.”

Adds J.C., “Somebody, actually, a lot of somebodies, did something over a lot of years to make Drake the institution that it is; the place that Jim, James, John, and I were able to enjoy. I look at it as taking a turn or, in the boys’ case, paying back the opportunity so someone else will benefit someday.”

I knew that I was not only a future pharmacist but also a member of the Drake pharmacy family. That reassuring sense of community felt great.”

So when Urick was asked to donate to the White Coat Sponsorship Program in the years since he graduated, he did so without hesitation—despite being a recent graduate, part-time pharmacist, and full-time Ph.D. student.

“I knew my donation to the White Coat Sponsorship Program would give a student that same powerful feeling of belonging I had when receiving my coat.”

“It’s a similar mission: I’m still trying to get people organized who are passionate about Drake Athletics,” says Frieberg, who is now board chair.

Today, instead of recruiting people to cheer loudly and wear blue body suits, he’s cultivating donors, funding games and travel, and giving student athletes the best experience possible.

“When you’re a student you don’t really think where the funding for what you do comes from; you don’t realize that it’s people donating and coming to games and supporting what you’re doing,” says Frieberg, “It was eye opening when I graduated to understand what I was given. It made it easy to get involved.”

CHAMPIONING DRAKE Luke Frieberg, bs’08, gr’11

What a Difference a Day Makes


Drake alumni across the country joined together to share the Bulldog spirit and give back to their communities as part of the annual DU Good Day on Sept. 27, 2014. So what did this pack of tenacious Bulldogs accomplish?

Want to join in this year? Watch www.alumni.drake.edu/dugoodday for upcoming details.

350

3010 8,370270 6,833

1,400 17volunteers project sitesvolunteer hours

hoursvolunteers pounds of food meals

1. Des Moines

2. Chicago

3. Dallas

4. Denver

5. Kansas City

6. Milwaukee

7. Los Angeles

8. Minneapolis

9. New York

10. Omaha

11. Phoenix

12. St. Louis

13. San Diego

14. Washington, DC

pallets of supplies

St. Louis Area Foodbank

14cities

Overall numbers

2

45

8

7

10

11

1214

13

6

3

9

1

HEAVY METAL

Drake’s J-Term is an opportunity for students to gain experiences far outside their majors. While some travel abroad, others take advantage of unique opportunities on campus. During a two-week blacksmithing course, Professor of Art and Design Robert Craig guided students in creating with heat and iron.


Update

Philanthropy MattersPhilanthropy tells a powerful story of our collective

and individual impact addressing a multitude of

societal issues. The generosity of the human spirit

advances the common good in so many ways—from

significant gifts working to eradicate global diseases

to small towns rallying around a struggling family;

from a generous contribution to support innovation

in scientific research to a family establishing a local

scholarship fund. Relationships, resources, and resolve

combine to create a better world.

Drake is the grateful beneficiary of inspirational support—of invaluable time and talent and consequential resources. The University recently celebrated eclipsing the $200-million mark in the distinctlyDrake campaign. Crossing this historical threshold is truly momentous, but distinctlyDrake has always been about more than a dollar goal. It’s been about impact. Since the public launch of the campaign in October 2010, more than 23,000 donors have helped develop more than 175 scholarship funds, construct and renovate multiple facilities, create professorships and centers to enhance the academic experience, and bolster our collective strength through The Drake Fund. All that translates into possibilities that tap the potential of our extraordinary students and develop professionals that contribute to the world in extraordinary ways.

And we are not done yet. As distinctlyDrake enters its final months, there is still time for every alumnus and alumna to be part of this extraordinary moment.

I want to express my deep appreciation to each of you who plays an active role in this remarkable story. As a proud Drake graduate myself, I am inspired by your endorsement of and your confidence in the University’s future. We can all follow your example by inviting classmates, fraternity brothers and sorority sisters, fellow athletes, and friends to invest in this outstanding University. Your voice and invitation will help foster Drake’s growing culture of philanthropy.

Philanthropy is an expression of love. It is my honor, as a representative of Drake, to express my love for our University every day. My charge to you is to continue to express your love for Drake. Invest in advancing the value of your degree; create life-changing opportunities; and inspire the next generation of active alumni by making our students’ dreams come true.

Thank you for all you do to advance and support the mission, image, and reputation of our University. With your lifelong engagement, this very special community will continue to positively and profoundly change the world.

—John P. Smith, as’92, gr’00 Vice President for Alumni and Development

$200 million

$100 million

$0

The second floor of Cartwright Hall is just one of the many spaces transformed by distinctlyDrake.


Making Dreams a RealityLongtime Drake supporter Larry Fish, jo’66, calls giving back to Drake “a joy.” In addition to a gift to the Shivers Basketball Practice Facility, the Fish family’s generosity provides a Drake education to worthy students through the Robert and Lottie Brown Scholarship and the Lawrence K. Fish Scholarship, which covers full tuition and living expenses.

At the annual Scholarship Luncheon in November, Daniel Creese, a sophomore from Boston, spoke about the scholarships’ impact.

“I instantly felt welcome the second I stepped foot on Drake’s campus, and I realized I had found an institution that was perfect for me,” said Creese. “While Drake seemed like a dream come true, I had no idea how my family and I could afford for me to attend the University. However, my dream became a reality upon discovering that I received the Robert and Lottie Brown and the Lawrence K. Fish scholarships. I will never forget receiving that call; sharing the news with my family was one of the happiest moments of my life. These scholarships gave me an opportunity that otherwise would have been impossible.”

Local Companies Embrace distinctlyDrakeCorporate partners throughout Greater Des Moines have invested significantly in their future workforce through gifts to distinctlyDrake.

• Hy-Vee helped build a popular collaborative study space on campus, the Cline Atrium, and made a significant commitment to the new Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake.

• The Principal Financial Group invested in the Center for Global Citizenship, which now bears the company’s name.

• Sammons Enterprises, parent company of Sammons Financial Group, endowed a professorship for actuarial science.

• Cardinal Health boosted giving with a six-figure gift for pharmacy student scholarships.

• American Equity Investment Life Holding Company created the David J. Noble—American Equity Center within the College of Business and Public Administration.

• Nationwide has invested in both the School of Actuarial Science and the Nationwide Urban School Partnership and Learning Academies within the School of Education.

• Meredith Corporation provided vital support to the School of Journalism and Mass Communication through the Meredith Apprenticeships in Service Journalism program.

• Wells Fargo Bank and Bankers Trust each expanded access to a Drake education through leadership-level scholarship support. Drake students Daniel Creese and Damion Miller, both Fish Scholars,

met with Larry Fish during the Scholarship Luncheon.


Update


World Explorer Gifts Global ExperiencesInspired by a simple gift from his parents, Jim Foster’s future began to take shape at the young age of five. The gift was a simple album filled with stamps that featured flora, fauna, and points of interest from around the globe.

“Every time I would look at a stamp, I would head to the encyclopedia to learn more,” says Foster, la'55. “They guided me into the world at large.”

His curiosity for people and places outside Iowa continued to grow as he followed the news of World War II—marking battle lines on the maps that covered his bedroom floor.

By the time he reached Drake, he knew he was going to travel internationally, and he began to save money for a trip while working through college at The Des Moines Register. After graduation, he set off. Foster started in Japan, moved through Asia, Russia, the Middle East, and parts of Africa, and finished his travels in Europe. His goal during the journey was to never fly on an airplane but instead “experience everything right down on earth.” He crossed borders in cars, boats, trains, and even once, on a camel.

He found Japan and Italy to be the most culturally enriching stops on his expedition and says he will never forget the hospitality he encountered in India, where he only needed a hotel room for one night of his visit. Instead he accepted invitations into the homes of individuals he met along the way. He recalls sleeping on an animal skin rug in a shepherd’s hut one night and in the magnificent mansion of a maharaja another.

“I found a way to share experiences with people,” he says. “You learn to communicate in a fundamental way and find ways to express yourself. You learn how to break through some of the barriers that exist because of language differences.”

Foster eventually parlayed his extensive international experience into a job at J. Walter Thompson Company, where his first assignment was to launch the Kodak Instamatic Camera in 12 world capitals. Foster ultimately co-founded and served as CEO and chairman of J. Walter Thompson’s corporate communications division, where he continued to work with a variety of organizations worldwide.

This passion for international experiences, both in his personal and professional life, inspired Foster’s gifts to Drake University. His generosity will create an endowed chair in international business, a global business scholars program in the College of Business and Public Administration, and a global music scholarship program. Foster has also created an endowed professorship of music and an endowment for opera theatre—an art form he loves and hopes to preserve through his giving.

His gifts will encourage students to interact with other cultures in a deliberate and meaningful way and help them prepare for careers in business or music—fields he says are well served by cultural exchange and engagement.

“There is very little that international travel is not going to enhance,” he says. “Exposure to the international community is one of the most important ingredients to a well-rounded education. It is important to almost every career focus.”

Jim Foster spoke to fellow Drake alumni during the Golden Reunion weekend after he was recognized for his extraordinary contributions to the University.


Update

When Learning Lasts a Lifetime Tucked in the corner of Karen Branding’s basement are her notes from nearly every class she took during her years at Drake University.

“I am usually very lean and decluttered, but I can’t part with my Drake notes because I learned so much,” says Branding, la’82.

While she holds on to those archives as a reminder of her academic achievements, she says some of her most influential experiences at Drake happened outside the classroom as a residence hall assistant (RA). Branding served as an RA in Goodwin-Kirk during her sophomore through senior years.

“Equally important to the academic learning and growth was what I got out of being an RA,” says Branding, senior vice president for public affairs at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. “What I learned as an RA is what I have applied in my business career. It was a wonderful leadership development opportunity for me. I learned about myself, my leadership style, and collaborating with other people.”

Her involvement in Residence Life also created lifelong friendships. Branding regularly gathers with a group of about a dozen former Drake RAs.

“G-K was the rowdy dorm, and we were all so proud to be RAs there,” she says. “The RA experience brought us together, and we became fast friends. It was a tight knit group, and many of us have stayed in touch.”

She pauses. “We’re actually still pretty rowdy.”

Her experience as an RA was so influential that Branding wanted to ensure future Drake students would have equally powerful experiences. She created a fund at Drake to provide leadership training and development opportunities to current and future residence hall assistants.

“I hope my gift helps RAs uncover the best part of their leadership style so they can impact Drake and also prepare for the next stage of their lives,” she says.

Her generosity will also create a scholarship fund so students from St. Louis can attend Drake without financial worry.

“The scholarship means a lot to me because I love St. Louis and I have great pride in helping people from St. Louis advance their lives,” she says of the gift she designated in her will. “Being able to go to Drake is just a wonderful opportunity to pass on to someone else after I am gone.”

Homecoming Queen Karen Branding (below the blue pompon) and a group of Drake RAs celebrate Homecoming during a downtown pep rally in 1981.


`

do something now

1 day. 24 hours. 70,000 alumni.Join us.May 6–7Noon to Noonwww.drake.edu/all-inwww.facebook.com/allinDrake

All In

Go All In for Drake on May 6-7. Last year’s inaugural event attracted hundreds of donors who gave a total of $228,778 in just 24 hours to support the University. Help make this year even bigger and better.

THE BLUE SHEET spring 2015

College of Arts & Sciences

THE BLUE SHEET

magnificent obsession

What does the distinctlyDrake campaign have to do with the cable series Da Vinci’s Demons? Not much, except to provide me with an occasion to talk about the virtue of magnificence. As you know from your art history class—or from watching the TV series—one of Leonardo da Vinci’s earliest and most important patrons was Lorenzo de' Medici, or Lorenzo the Magnificent, as he was known back in the day.

“Magnificent” is a tag he shared with other leaders, like the Frankish King Charlemagne (Charles the Great) and the Russian Czar Peter the Great (or, the heroes of my favorite western, The Magnificent Seven). They were called magnificent not because they were exceptionally big or particularly stylish (though both Lorenzo and Peter certainly were stylish). They were dubbed “magnificent” or “great” because various political philosophers going all the way back to Socrates believed that magnificence was the cardinal virtue of a ruler, combining honesty, grace, courtesy, justice, courage, temperateness, and, most of all, generosity. All this should be familiar to those of you who studied Edmund Spenser’s epic poem The Faerie Queen with me. But I digress.

Or not. Over the course of the distinclyDrake campaign the college has benefited from the magnificence of many, many generous people. As the campaign reaches its close, I want to take this opportunity to thank the thousands of people who have invested in the future of the College of Arts & Sciences and Drake University.

magnum forceNot surprisingly, due to our focus on STEM@DRAKE, the sciences have garnered a fair share of the pot. There is the Clifford Rea Chair in Biology; the Ceilley Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology Resource Room; the Judith A. Lindquist Excellence in Science, Technology, Math, and Business Scholarship; the Tracy and Franklin Codel Excellence in Math Education Scholarship; the George Huff Endowed Fund; and the Professor Rodney Rogers Endowed Scholarship, to cite just a few examples.

Two years ago Cathy, gr’86, and Steve Lacy donated $500,000 to renovate the organic chemistry labs in Harvey Ingham Hall. That gift created an enhanced, state-of-the-art learning environment for hundreds of students every semester. More than that, it served as a catalyst for our STEM@DRAKE project to update and add needed space for our science, technology, education, and math facilities. The Lacys’ gift sparked a complete renovation of Harvey Ingham. Last summer we redid three physics labs, three classrooms (including Harvey Ingham 102), the hallways, and the entry lobby to rooms 102 and 104, the large lecture halls. This coming summer we will renovate two more labs, more classrooms, office space, research labs, and add restrooms to each floor. By fall semester 2015, the inside of Harvey Ingham will be redone top to bottom—without changing the external architecture designed by Eliel and Eero Saarinen in 1949. If things go as planned, construction will begin next fall on two new buildings and the renovation of Olin Hall.

From top-of-the-line grand pianos (like the Yamaha CFX, opposite) to renovated classrooms and lab spaces, gifts to distinctlyDrake have enhanced physical spaces and educational opportunities in the College of Arts and Sciences.

spring 2015 THE BLUE SHEET

dean, college of arts & sciences

Joe [email protected]

development staff

Doug Lampe [email protected] | 515-271-3055

For alumni and friends of the Drake University College of Arts & Sciences

in the giving veinThe sciences, however, are not the only areas to have enjoyed success in the campaign. The fine arts, and in particular, music, have benefitted from the generosity of our alumni and friends. There is the Patty and Fred Turner Jazz Center, the Fred and Patty Turner Professorship in Jazz Studies, the LaVerne Sedrel Briggs Cello Professorship, the LaVerne Sedrel Briggs Endowed Cello Scholarship, the Don R. Marcoullier Endowment for Band Excellence, and the Drake University Jordan Concerts. Speaking of the Jordan Stage, I do not want to omit the Keys to Excellence campaign, the music department’s effort in cooperation with Yamaha Corporation of America and West Music to replace 66 practice, studio, classroom, and concert pianos. The signature gift, a $110,000 Yamaha CFX Grand piano—one of just a handful that exist on stages in the United States—came from Sally Bartlett, a newfound friend of Drake.

James Foster, la’55, an old friend of Drake, has made a major $2.5 million estate gift to the College of Arts & Sciences, a remarkable contribution that will establish the James Foster Professorship in Music, the James Foster Opera Theatre Endowment, and the James Foster Global Music Scholars Program. For years, Mr. Foster has provided annual support to make travel by music students to international competitions and programs possible. This gift will provide permanent support for individual student and group travel, as well as provide funding for Drake’s annual spring opera (a particular

love of Mr. Foster’s) and for a professorship in music, with emphasis on opera. Last year the University announced a similar gift by Mr. Foster to the College of Business and Public Administration, establishing the James Foster Chair of International Business and the James Foster Global Business Scholars Program. In total, Mr. Foster’s contributions to the distinctlyDrake campaign will exceed $7 million, making him one of our largest benefactors.

greatest show on earthBut it would be wrong to suggest that the distinctlyDrake campaign has reached its goal solely as a consequence of the generosity of those with deeper pockets than most of us. Quite the contrary: As John Smith, vice president for alumni and development, announced, more than 23,000 alumni, friends, faculty, staff, and students (yes, students) contributed to the campaign’s success. An apt example is Friends of Drake Arts. Each year nearly 400 friends contribute more than $75,000 that goes directly into supporting our fine arts program, making possible plays, exhibitions, performances, faculty research, student travel, and countless other activities. Since the campaign’s start, that’s more than $350,000—most of it given in gifts of $35, $50, or $100. The same is true of our annual fund, in which a similar amount goes towards sustaining the distinctive learning experience the college strives to provide. This is what Ronald Reagan might have called a “trickle up” fundraising campaign.

The “greatness” that I am trying to describe does not attend to the amount of the gift; rather, it pertains to the character of those who contributed to the campaign, your greatness of heart. You understand—as anyone affiliated with Drake should understand, as Lorenzo and Charles and Peter understood—that responsible citizenship requires the engagement of mind, of effort, and of money to ensure that an institution, its people, and its works flourish. It requires magnificence—and our gratitude.


THE BLUE SHEET

College of Business & Public Administration

If you follow demographic trends, you’ve probably heard that Millennials—the generation that includes the College of Business and Public Administration’s current students—exhibit a greater degree of commitment to community service than their Boomer parents or the intervening Gen Xers. What we in the CPBA are seeing as well is an entrepreneurial élan to their service, whether on a local or global scale.

crossing cultures“It was the CBPA’s promise of global citizenship that made me choose Drake,” says Emily Raecker, senior Finance and Marketing double major.

CBPA may have opened a door, but Raecker charged through it. In 2012, as a first-year student, she was introduced to a Ugandan artist, Godfrey Kalungi. She soon began an email exchange with him to flesh out his expectations for expanding his business.

According to Raecker, Kalungi was initially skeptical about what a student could accomplish, but when she brought her proposal to Kampala, his enthusiasm mounted. Her business proposal included $1,500 in microfinancing for studio and shop space in the capital city, as well as a program to sell Kalungi’s batiks in the United States through an online retail website (Etsy) and craft fairs around the Midwest.

Once Kalungi accepted her proposal, Raecker raised the $1,500 herself and set up a loan repayment schedule. Working with Kalungi to prepare yearly budgets, monthly progress reports, and promotional materials has been akin to a senior capstone project. “In Iowa, we take these business management tools for granted, but they’ve opened up a whole new world for Godfrey.”

Raecker radiates enthusiasm for Kalungi’s work and often takes his batiks to craft fairs herself—when “they don’t interfere with my cheerleading schedule.” Strong U.S. sales have helped nearly pay off the loan.

Raecker’s entrepreneurial spirit bubbled up again when she went to Uganda last January to work with the Sunrise Rotary in Kampala, which has agreed to donate maternity kits—simple items like cotton, sanitary pads, clean water, razor blades—to

pregnant women too poor to afford the $20 hospital fee for the materials. Raecker taught the village women how to prepare these kits so that the local community can steer the project going forward.

“The opportunity to apply classroom learning in a cross-cultural context has been beyond my wildest expectations,” says Raecker.

giving hope“Age doesn’t matter—if you’re passionate enough,” says Moses Bomett, first-year M.P.A. student and founder of Hopeful Africa, a student-based nonprofit that has provided nearly 70,000 in educational support to schools in Bomett’s native Kenya since 2008.

The vision for Hopeful Africa emerged during Bomett’s junior year at Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa, when he recognized the enormous disparity between the educational resources and opportunities at Valley and those at even the elite private school he’d attended in Kenya. For most Kenyan schools, Bomett notes, “There was no comparison at all.”

When a friend challenged him to do something to fill the gap, Bomett founded the Hope 4 Africa Club at Valley. Initially, student volunteers sold baked goods and T-shirts to raise money for supplies for two schools near his family home in Kenya.

Senior Emily Raecker shares a moment with Ugandan artist Godfrey Kalungi in Kampala. Since she was a first-year student, Raecker has helped Kalungi grow his business through online sales and microfinancing.


dean, college of business & public administration

Terri Vaughan [email protected]

development staff

Michael Peterson [email protected] | 515-271-2132

For alumni and friends of the Drake University College of Business & Public Administration

Sophomore Dylan DeClerck gives a presentation for the Lorentzen Student Hatchery. DeClerck spent his internship with the hatchery developing a business plan for his nonprofit, Opportunity on Deck.

After graduation, he re-established the club at Iowa State University, while fellow students from Valley set up branches at a half dozen other schools and colleges around the Midwest. Donations have increased enough to expand support to seven Kenyan schools, including two high schools. Funds go to meet specific needs identified by each school; generally, those needs include books (textbooks or library books depending on the teacher’s needs) and musical equipment, as well as the need to build infrastructure to bring water and/or electricity into Kenyan classrooms.

Bomett emphasizes that the organization focuses on giving hope rather than giving help. As a result, all donated books and equipment are purchased in Kenya, doubling the impact of the donated dollars.

The nonprofit—renamed Hopeful Africa to reinforce the image of a continent in charge of its own destiny—recently hired a full-time executive director and has a board of eight. With their efforts, as well as input from students and faculty in the M.P.A. program, Bomett expects they’ll be able to build a broader donor base, access grant monies, and put the agency on the path to long-term sustainability.

“Being in Des Moines is a wonderful opportunity for me to share my knowledge of Kenya,” says Bomett. “God placed me here to be an ambassador to both countries and continents.”

teamworkSophomore Marketing and Finance double major Dylan DeClerck, who grew up playing almost every kind of competitive sport, believes that the “league experience” gave him a host of invaluable social and professional advantages. While interning with the Iowa Cubs in high school, he wanted to make that opportunity available to kids who couldn’t access competitive sporting leagues through their school or church.

A $1,000 grant from the Iowa Cubs provided the seed money for Opportunity on Deck, which started in 2012 as a baseball clinic at Linnan Park in Clive, Iowa, for boys and girls in grades 1 through 6. Since then DeClerck has added basketball to the roster and opened clinics at the Evelyn K. Davis Center for Working Families as well as Crestview Apartments. The kids are fed healthy snacks at the end of each clinic, and get to keep their equipment (jerseys, cleats, etc.) at the end of each season. DeClerck expects to add a soccer clinic in 2015, and eventually a transportation program so that teams can compete with other clinics.

The clinics have taught more than 300 kids the fundamentals of baseball (e.g., batting stance) and basketball (e.g., dribbling), as well as rules of the game and scrimmage techniques. While Opportunity on Deck relies heavily on its 50 volunteer coaches (most of whom are experienced athletes and/or coaches), it is a 501(c)(3) with a board that meets regularly. Its financial supporters include the Iowa Cubs, 100 Men on a Mission, and NCMIC Insurance Company.

There’s no doubt about DeClerck’s passion for this sporting venture, but he’s the first to admit that he owes much of his success to service opportunities at Drake. As an intern in Drake’s Lorentzen Student Hatchery in 2013, he received funding for the clinics as well as help in developing a business plan for a sustainable organization that will outlast his direct involvement. As a result, Opportunity on Deck has quadrupled the number of leagues and level of student participation through partnerships with Clive and Des Moines Parks and Recreation, the Boys and Girls Club of Central Iowa, and the Oakridge Neighborhood.

Raecker, Bomett, and DeClerck are great examples of how CBPA students are making a difference, improving lives from Iowa to Africa and elsewhere. “They illustrate the kind of energy and passion we see every day at CBPA, says Terri Vaughan, CBPA dean. “I am constantly amazed by what our students accomplish.”


College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences

THE BLUE SHEET

This past year has been incredibly busy—and productive— for the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (CPHS). In addition to preparing for a fall site visit from the Accreditation Council for Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE), the college has been exploring and seeking approval to implement new programs, pursuing and finalizing a memorandum of under-standing to establish the Des Moines Area Interprofessional Education Collaborative, undertaking strategic planning, and collaborating with the rest of the Drake community to plan the exciting STEM@DRAKE project. The faculty and staff at the college definitely deserved their year-end holiday break, and the results of their efforts merit considerable pride.

acpe accreditation An on-site evaluation by representatives from peer institutions, as well as a former member of the ACPE Board of Directors, took place Sept. 23–25, 2014. The purpose of the visit was to validate the college’s self-study, conducted between August 2013 and June 2014. The evaluation process gave particular attention to the progress made and the changes that have occurred since the last comprehensive on-site evaluation in 2009. The team generated a report that was used as the basis for a decision about continuing accreditation for Drake’s Doctor of Pharmacy. In January, the ACPE Board of Directors endorsed continued accreditation through 2022.

interprofessional education When multiple health workers from different professional backgrounds collaborate effectively with patients, families, caregivers, and communities, the quality of care is optimized. Effective collaboration requires mutual understanding and respect for each other’s roles, productive communication, appropriate interaction, coordinated efforts, and knowledge sharing among health care professionals. In addition to improved patient outcomes, effective interprofessional collaboration results in enhanced provider satisfaction, lower costs, decreased hospital stays, reduced health care errors, and more effective utilization of resources.

Interprofessional education (IPE) is the pedagogical approach for preparing health professions students to provide patient care in an interprofessional, collaborative environment and has been strongly advocated for by the World Health Organization, National Academies of Practice, and the American Public Health Association, among others. Most

health care professions’ educational accrediting bodies now require IPE. Those in the pharmacy field led the way in recognizing the need for IPE, and the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy was a participant in the expert panel that created the set of required interprofessional competencies. Drake wants to continue the tradition of strong pharmacy leadership in this area.

IPE faces many of the same issues that interprofessional collaboration suffers. Housed in different spaces—and often on different campuses—with different schedules, different curricula, and different policies, educators have struggled to operationalize even modest interprofessional learning activities. The IPE efforts of the CPHS are a case in point. To meet our educational needs, we have collaborated with health care programs from four universities in our metro area, an effort that requires the coordination of dozens of faculty and hundreds of students. Bringing even half the students together in one place at one time requires the seating capacity of a convention center!

Prior to 2013, no systematic IPE was taking place in the Des Moines area. During Spring 2013, faculty members from Drake, Des Moines University, Grand View University, and Des Moines Area Community College started an informal collaboration to plan and implement several pilot IPE activities. Students had the opportunity to travel to other campuses to participate in TeamSTEPPS training sessions and three interprofessional learning experiences: one in a patient simulation lab, another requiring students to solve patient care cases, and the third engaging students in a pharmacy-related “brown bag” medication adherence activity. Support for this initiative was solely provided in-kind by the participating institutions. Student response to these IPE activities was overwhelmingly positive.

In Fall 2014, we achieved a more formal partnership when all the institutions signed a memorandum of understanding to establish the Des Moines Area Interprofessional Education Collaborative. Strategic planning for the collaborative, which began in April 2014, will conclude in March 2015. The goal of the plan is to educate student health professionals and practitioners to develop, evaluate, continually improve, implement, and sustain practices that meet the criteria of evidence-based, patient-centered, interprofessional care in all contexts.

dean, college of pharmacy & health sciences

Wendy [email protected]

development staff

Angeline Hartman [email protected] | 515-271-4050

For alumni and friends of the Drake University College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences

strategic planningFaculty, staff, alumni representatives, and students began strategic planning for CPHS in January 2014. The result was a confirmation of our mission, a new vision, and the establishment of a set of guiding values as well as four broad goals for the college.

Vision / A diverse community of learners leading the way to a healthy world

Mission / Preparing today’s learners to be tomorrow’s health care leaders:

The College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences provides an intellectually stimulating learning environment with collaborative learning among students, faculty, and staff. Graduates are liberally educated professionals who are dedicated to serving their clients, patients, profession, and community. The college emphasizes excellence and leadership in education, service, and scholarship.

Core Values / The values at the heart of all that we do and that guide our most important decisions such as hiring, rewarding, and planning:

• Collaboration • Collegiality • Innovation

• Student/ • Entrepreneurial • Professionalism learner-centered leadership

Aspirational Values The values that we know are important, wish we had, and are striving to make endemic in our culture:

• Agility • Global perspective

Goals

Brand Promise: To establish a distinctive presence on key distinctions such as international engagement, student focus, and specialized courses.

Curriculum: To enrich the curriculum to engage students in their personal and professional development and to prepare graduates to capitalize on opportunities in health care.

Partnerships: To align active partnerships with the CPHS mission and vision to be mutually beneficial to all stakeholders.

Quality and Sustainability: To develop, improve, and sustain an administrative model that maintains or enhances the quality of our programs in the face of changing environments in higher education and health care.

stem@drakeCPHS will play a large role in this exciting initiative, which will expand Drake’s focus on science, technology, education (Drake’s unique ‘E’ in STEM@DRAKE), and mathematics. The interdisciplinary effort includes the construction of two new buildings, the renovation of Harvey Ingham and Olin halls, and the initiation of five new programs, including two professional programs that will be administered by CPHS: an innovative six-year, entry-level Doctor of Occupational Therapy and a five-year, entry-level Master of Athletic Training. Both will admit students to special tracks in our Heath Sciences program. Students will be able to matriculate into the professional programs after two and three years, respectively. The baccalaureate degree will be awarded partway through each professional program so that, in the end, graduates will have attained two degrees over an accelerated timetable.

alumni awardsOn Feb. 26, the college honored five CPHS alumni at the annual College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Day. The Alumni Achievement Awards are given to graduates of the college who have excelled in one or more of the following areas: service to the college, distinction in their career, and recognized civic and community contributions. This year’s honorees were:

Young Alumni Achievement Awards Robert Berendt, ph’04 Charles Hartig, ph’09

Alumni Achievement Awards Joshua Benner, ph’98 Asad Patanwala, ph’02 Patrick Verdun, ph’84

New professional programs in occupational therapy and athletic training are part of the STEM@DRAKE vision.



Drake Law

THE BLUE SHEET

Scholarships enable a diverse range of students to pursue their law education at Drake, where they enjoy unique experiences such as the First Year Trial Practicum.

new beginnings As a graduate of Drake University and its law school, a former member of the board of trustees, and now dean of Drake Law School, I have watched the distinctlyDrake campaign progress from its initial launch to the counting down of its final months. The impact of our graduates’ philanthropy throughout has been vast and profound. While there are countless stories to share, I will only provide a few of the highlights.

cartwright hall renovationsThe renovation of Cartwright Hall was the first major renovation since the building of Opperman Hall in 1993. Cartwright Hall now matches the beauty of the Neal and Bea Smith Legal Clinic and the Dwight D. Opperman Law Library. The generosity of those who made gifts in support of the Cartwright renovations has truly created an exceptional learning environment for our students.

scholarship supportThis is a particularly challenging time for law schools everywhere, and Drake Law School is no exception. We have kept tuition at Drake Law low compared to many other schools, and our graduates are finding jobs of their choice at a much higher rate than most places. Still, there are significantly fewer people taking the LSAT and matriculating to law schools everywhere, and it remains a challenge to attract students without scholarship assistance.

During the distinctlyDrake campaign, the philanthropy of our alumni and friends created 46 new scholarships that provide nearly $1 million in additional funds each year.

I’ve told this story many times, but I’d like to share it again because I believe it is a strong example of the impact of philanthropy: During my first term as dean six years ago, I was able to invite a 3l student to my office and offer her a $2,400 scholarship thanks to the generosity of our donors. That award was so meaningful to this student she began to cry with gratitude.

The needs of our students are real and the impact of your support is immediate and powerful.

the law school annual fund piper challengeThis year marks our 150th anniversary as a law school—making Drake one of the 25 oldest law schools in the country. Such a milestone is truly something to celebrate.

To help commemorate this occasion, Joseph, lw’54, and Lynn Piper made a commitment to match all new and increased gifts to the Law School Annual Fund in fiscal year 2015, up to $150,000.

As I knew they would, many of our alumni already have stepped up to meet the challenge. However, a significant amount remains to be done, and I am confident we can exceed the challenge issued by the Pipers.

We will continue to celebrate the philanthropy of our alumni and friends, but rest assured—philanthropy and fundraising will not stop at the close of distinctlyDrake. On the contrary; we’re not slowing down—we are picking up momentum.

We invite you to join us.


dean, law school development staff

Ben Ullem Sarah Conroy [email protected] [email protected] | 515-271-1877

For alumni and friends of Drake Law

dean ben ullem named a “15 to watch in 2015” by the des moines registerThe Des Moines Register named Dean Ben Ullem to its list of “15 to Watch in 2015.” Those named to the list are central Iowans in business, arts, nonprofits, civic activism, and nonelected government positions who are expected to make a difference in their fields of endeavor in 2015.

The article points out that the Law School is a “family affair” for Ullem, whose father, Benjamin, earned undergraduate and law degrees from Drake in 1920 and 1923 respectively. His daughter Cynthia also graduated from Drake Law in 1997.

Visit www.tinyurl.com/DeanUllem to read the full article.

professor mark kende to lead delegation to south africaDrake Law School Professor Mark Kende has been selected by the People to People Citizen Ambassador Program to coordinate a delegation of professionals specializing in law who will travel to South Africa Oct. 19–29.

The South Africa program is open to participation by Drake Law School alumni as well as other legal professionals and judges and will include visits to Cape Town and Johannesburg among other locales.

The delegation will seek to increase collaboration between those visiting and South African professionals and organizations on topics of mutual interest in the field of law. Delegates will enjoy insider views of the legal profession and the courts in South Africa, as well as experiencing the culture in ways that most travelers never do.

Kende is an internationally known scholar of comparative constitutional law. He is the James Madison Chair in Constitutional Law and director of the Congressionally endowed Drake Constitutional Law Center. He was a senior Fulbright Scholar and visiting professor of law in South Africa in 2000. He is the author of Constitutional Rights in Two Worlds: South Africa and the United States (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2009) and the forthcoming Comparative Constitutional Law: South African Cases and Materials in a Global Context.

He was recently one of the featured speakers at a conference on the 20th anniversary of the South African Constitution in New York City sponsored by the Ford Foundation and New York Law School. He has served as the chair of the Association of American Law Schools Section on Constitutional Law (2008) and Chair of the Section on Africa (2003). He was a visiting professor of law at the University of Paris II—Pantheon, and

Notre Dame Law School. He has lectured and/or published in Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Spain, the United Kingdom (Oxford University), and other countries.

Visit www.peopletopeople.com/markkende for more detailed information. Enrollment is limited so those wishing to participate should sign up soon.

arbitration team wins regional competitionA Drake Law arbitration team advanced to the semifinal round of the national tournament after winning the regional in Chicago in January. Team members include Ana Dixit, Meret Thali, Ronald Forsell, and La’Cee Groetken.

In preparing and presenting an arbitration case, including opening statements, witness examinations, exhibit introductions, evidentiary presentations, and summations, participants experience what it is to be a professional, competent, and ethical advocate.

“I’m incredibly proud of how much our arbitration team grew over the year, and we certainly wouldn’t have been in a position to be one point away from the national championship without the great work from our coaches and fellow teammates we scrimmaged against each week,” says Forsell. “Participating on the arbitration team at Drake has really been the highlight of my law school career, and I look forward to the team finishing what we started and winning the national championship next year.”

During the regional round, the winning team placed first out of 20 teams, with a nearly 40-point advantage over competitors. During the semifinal round, the team missed qualifying for the finals by only one point.

A second team of Chris Merkle, Kylynn Mowell, Tyler Heeren, and Mark Ross also competed in the regional competition. Teams are coached by Audra Dieber, lw’12, attorney at James R. Monroe Law Office, and Sarah Grotha, lw’12, attorney at Gislason & Hunter LLP.

“The teams have been working tirelessly since August, meeting twice a week to prepare for the competition,” says Grotha. “Their hard work paid off, and both teams were superb.”


School of Education

THE BLUE SHEET

we called. you answered.This is by far the most encouraging message I have written during my tenure as the dean of the School of Education (SOE). I‘m thrilled to share information and inspiration about the greatest giving era in our history.

Nine years ago, we received one new program endowment gift for the Social Justice in Urban Educaiton concentration. Add this to five legacy gifts for undergraduate student scholarships and the total approximated $2.5 million. This year those six gifts continue, but they are added to $14 million for programs, scholarships, and a new building soon to be constructed in the heart of campus.

The path to this remarkable accomplishment began when Drake administrators and trustees agreed to launch a capital campaign, which included a new SOE building as one of its top priorities. Five generous benefactors (to be commemo-rated in various building locations) answered the call and committed $8,547,500 in cash and short-term pledges to make this happen.

Our president, vice presidents, provost, and advancement office leaders researched, called, drove, and flew with me across the United States to tell our story of quality programs for teachers, counselors, and school administrators. Simply stated, more than 95 percent of our graduates find employment in their field within one year of graduation. Their grade point averages are consistently above 3.0, and they graduate on time. When I approach a donor or partner, I am asking them to invest in our educational enterprise. For good reason, alumni and partners have been willing to put stock in our “business,” and their contributions show.

As you are well aware, the last seven years have been very difficult for investors and advancement officers. Drake launched our most aggressive capital campaign right before the major economic downturn that created uncertainty and changes in the amount of resources available for giving. Despite these odds, we persisted, and in January the University not only met but exceeded its $200 million goal.

The School of Education will soon be back in the heart of campus. A new home—connected to Olin Hall and an integral part of the $65-million STEM@DRAKE complex—means SOE faculty, staff, and students will soon teach, research, and learn in a state-of-the-art facility.


dean, school of education

Jan [email protected]

development staff

Meaghan Tigges [email protected] | 515-271-4843

For alumni and friends of the Drake University School of Education

We are now in the final months of the campaign, and many of you received the mailing detailing the construction plans for the new School of Education building. As a result of this appeal, more than 200 individuals have contributed cash, with gifts ranging from $100 to $100,000. Try to imagine the pleasure I receive from signing the cards and letters of acknowledgement for each and every gift.

Noting that the numbers change daily, the total amount of cash and pledges for the new building at the time of this writing is $11,011,172. With planned gifts, the cumulative total is more than $14 million.

momentum is buildingEvery gift has a story behind it. The first is quite personal and, upon reflection, very humbling. I came to Drake to begin my career as a speech and English teacher, and from the very beginning I became a member of a smaller learning community, Alpha Phi. This group has gone on to play a large part in my life and in the success of this institution and the School of Education. For the last 30 years, seven sisters from my Alpha Phi era join me annually to celebrate, commiserate, and otherwise gather in the name of Drake. The women in my sorority (and their spouses and parents) have rallied recently to raise more than $50,000 to name a room in my honor. We have each contributed to Drake’s past and future, and with great pride, we note that one of the eight is a dean (yours truly) and another is a current Drake trustee.

SOE’s international advisory board has also supported our efforts. At our April 2014 meeting, our youngest member, a recent Drake graduate, stepped forward with pledge cards for each member to sign. His message was simple: “If I can do it, you can do it.” And they did. Several have been actively giving to our building and scholarship funds, but after the challenge, they sent an additional $13,817.

Gifts come from within our ranks, too. We continue to receive gifts from faculty, staff, emeriti faculty, and even parents of Drake employees. The School of Education building is often listed in the memorial contributions of those who dedicated themselves to careers at Drake.

Those outside of the School of Education understand the importance of what we do as well. Drake trustees accepted a challenge for matching gifts, and in the last six months have contributed nearly $1.3 million to the SOE portion of the capital campaign. Many included in that total are not education graduates. But they recognize the need for us to showcase and demonstrate best teaching practices, which we cannot do in the former credit union we currently occupy west of campus.

As the advancement officers and I called upon prospective donors, we discovered a deep dedication to helping prepare teachers who are making a difference in our nation’s pre-k–12 schools. As a result of this interest, we have received a major endowment from Nationwide Insurance to establish after-school academies in two urban schools. An estate gift from two former teachers enabled us to start our first master’s degree in literacy. United Way of Central Iowa contributes more than half of the annual operating money needed for our Adult Literacy Center.

The passion for Drake’s School of Education has flared in this last phase of the capital campaign. We called, and so many answered.

If you have given of your time, talent, and treasure, I thank you. If you haven’t yet had the chance, now is the time.


School of Journalism & Mass Communication

THE BLUE SHEET

Michel Martin, a longtime journalist for National Public Radio, characterizes her work as “making the world larger for other people.” Isn’t that what we all aspire to do, in our various ways, as communication professionals?

It’s certainly one of our goals as communication teachers in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC). The best education opens your eyes and broadens your mind, but it should open your heart as well. Drake has embraced service-learning as a key part of its institutional mission in recent years, but the SJMC has long been serving its community partners by providing hands-on learning that benefits both students and clients. Many of our undergraduate and graduate classes do projects for off-campus nonprofit organizations.

Lori Blachford, gr’08, the Peggy Fisher and Larry Stelter Chair in Magazine Journalism, and her media responsibility class have won awards for their work with the Iowa Radio Reading Information Service for the Blind and Print Handicapped (IRIS). For five years, Blachford’s students have learned about the needs of this special population of media consumers by reading local Iowa newspapers aloud every day for a statewide broadcast audience.

“Having the students read for IRIS has been a great teaching tool for me and a powerful lesson for students in the important role news plays in citizens’ lives,” says Blachford. “By the end of this school year, more than 550 students will have had the experience of reading the news aloud for someone who otherwise would not have access. I think the most impactful lesson IRIS delivers is how there are members of the community, either because of disability or socioeconomic status or language or lack of technology, who don’t have equal access to the news. That’s not something the students have ever had to face. It makes them see journalism in a new light.”

Associate Professor Sandy Henry, jo’88, says that one prerequisite she looks for in advertising class clients is “the simple act of working for that client should expose the students to a new perspective or expand their knowledge in some way beyond just learning about advertising. It is eye-opening to see the students learn about themselves, their community, and the world around them via the client.”

For example, Henry’s creative strategies class last fall completed campaigns for Wabi Sabi Farm, a small organic farm incorporating environmentally sustainable practices. “Many students didn’t know anything about farming, let alone these practices,” says Henry. “By the end of the project, students were talking about small farms and sustainable practices like they grew up on the farm.”

Henry says perhaps the most dramatic experience thus far was her classes’ work with Healthy Birth Day, a nonprofit devoted to helping prevent stillbirths. “The students not only learned about the client; they also learned about their own health and responsibilities as future parents as well as the emotions associated with the loss of a child and how to communicate in a sensitive way with those in mourning,” says Henry. “It also expanded their point of view in regard to diversity, as non-English speaking patients, Latinos, and African-Americans are more likely to experience this.”

SJMC Internship Coordinator Carlyn Crowe, gr’04, teaches a First Year Seminar called The Real Hunger Games, which addresses food insecurity. Last year the students interviewed clients of area food pantries about their needs. “When students heard the personal stories about why people need to use food pantries, it changed their perceptions dramatically,” says Crowe. “They learned that food pantry clients are people who have jobs, are grandmothers feeding grandchildren, are educated—some with advanced degrees, are going to school, are not able to work but want to. It opens their eyes and changes their perceptions about their own community, its needs, and perhaps its shortcomings.”

don’t be a stranger!Lori Blachford is leaving Drake at the end of the spring semester after more than a decade of teaching in the magazine program. Since 2009, Blachford, former managing editor of Meredith’s Country Home magazine, has been the first Fisher-Stelter Chair of Magazine Journalism. In her tenure, the SJMC magazine program has blossomed in national stature and forged headlong into multimedia, electronic, and mobile publication without sacrificing the fundamentals of good storytelling. Lori Blachford’s media responsibility class has won awards for work with IRIS.

dean, school of journalism & mass communication

Kathleen [email protected]

development staff

Michael [email protected] | 515-271-2132

For alumni and friends of the Drake University School of Journalism & Mass Communication

Blachford is identifying her next career as “professional do-gooder,” in whatever form that takes. “After 10 years of urging journalism students to recognize their power to give voice to the voiceless, it’s time for me to put those words into action,” says Blachford. “Plus, I’m eager to put that Master of Communication Leadership to the test!”

we rock!Drake students won nine awards in the National College Media contest, including recognition for top magazine for the digital publication Urban Plains. Students also won writing, design, and best website awards.

SJMC student Laura Plumb was named national Public Relations Student of the Year by PR News, an industry publication. Plumb, a senior from Eagan, Minnesota, was recognized for academic achievement, professional accomplishment, and service.

Master of Communication Leadership students won a local Public Relations Society of America PRIME Award for their communications plan for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Iowa. Undergraduate PR students were recognized for their class projects.

The Drake student chapter of Public Relations Society of America was recognized as national “Star Chapter,” and won a competition to host a regional student PR conference in Des Moines this spring.

A record number of SJMC students are studying abroad this spring—25, which is almost a quarter of the total number of Drake students overseas for the semester. They are studying everywhere from Peru and Costa Rica, to Russia, Australia, Spain, and Italy.

faculty notesAssistant Professor Jennifer Glover Konfrst, jo’96, gr’98, was named Outstanding New Member by the Public Relations Society of America Central Iowa Chapter. Konfrst and Assistant Professor Kelly Bruhn were invited to present research posters at the PRSA Educators’ Academy in Washington, D.C.

Associate Professor Lee Jolliffe presented her research on “Abolitionists’ Speech and Publishing” at the Symposium on 19th Century Press, the Civil War, and Free Expression. Jolliffe is also a reviewer for the scholarly journals American Journalism and The Atlanta Review of Journalism History.

Associate Professor Blachford wrote the introduction “Reflections on the Recent History and Near Future of LGBTQ Scholarship” for the Journal of Communication Inquiry.

Assistant Professor Chris Snider, gr’13, conducted a webinar, “Mobile Gadget Lab: Creating Great Video,” for the Iowa Newspaper Association and Southern Newspaper Publishers Association.

Associate Professor Dorothy Pisarski’s reflections as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor were published in the first edition of the “Companion for Visitors” to the Iowa Holocaust Memorial.

Assistant Professor Jill Van Wyke, jo’85, gr’97, presented sessions on live-blogging and on ethics and accuracy when covering breaking news at the College Media Association convention. She was also chosen to coach in the student newsroom at the Online News Association conference. Assistant Professor Jeff Inman, gr’08, and Van Wyke published an article on mobile tablet publication in the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication magazine.

help kick start a drake pr student’s career PRSA recently created a national PR certification exam for graduating seniors. The certification allows employers—including you when you’re hiring talent—to know right away that applicants have mastered key public relations principles. We encourage all graduating Drake students to take the exam, and you can help. If you’re interested in sponsoring a student’s $150 registration fee, or otherwise supporting the Drake PR program, contact Kelly Bruhn at [email protected].

The SJMC kicked off a series of alumni receptions with a celebration in November at the Des Moines Social Club. Receptions also were held throughout the winter in Chicago, Kansas City, and Minneapolis. The finale will be a party in Meredith Hall on April 25, the Saturday evening of Relays weekend. Keep an eye on the SJMC website for details (www.drake.edu/sjmc).


alumniconnections


Phillis (Silvey) Hansell, gr’71, ‘75, ‘84, Des Moines, was named a Business Record’s 2014 Women of Influence award honoree.

David Nelson, gr’71, lw’79, Ankeny, Iowa, was honored by Chambers and Partners in 2014 attorney rankings in the area of real estate.

Thomas Spero, bn’71, Mequon, Wis., was elected chair of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s board of directors.

Bruce Recher, la’73, lw’78, Wayzata, Minn., was selected to the “2014 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars” list for the state of Minnesota by Super Lawyers magazine.

Michael Pierce, bn’76, Houston, was recognized in 2014 by “The Legal 500 US” directory published by Legalease for their legal expertise. He was also included in the 2014 Chambers USA “Leaders in their Field” legal directory by Chambers and Partners.

Ronald Briggs, jo’77, Columbia, Md., retired on Independence Day 2014 from WMAR TV, the Scripps, the ABC affiliate in Baltimore. His golf game has improved, fishing technique has been tuned up, and he enjoys relaxing with a second cup of coffee in the morning.

Sandra (Hummel) Carroll, fa’77, Avoca, Iowa, was a contestant on Jeopardy! this year. The episode aired on July 11, 2014. She finished in 3rd place.

George F. David, la’77, Chicago, played in the Millionaire Chess Tournament in Las Vegas last October. He won $1,000. This chess tournament had the largest prize fund in chess history.

Alice (Bode) McBride, la’77, Tucson, Ariz., received Southern Arizona University of Phoenix Outstanding Faculty 2014 Award

achievements

1950s

Bob Clark, la’50, lw’53, West Des Moines, Iowa, was recognized by the Business Record for his volunteerism throughout his life.

Loraine (Boos) Hull Smithers, fa’50, Santa Barbara, Calif., wrote the bestselling book, Strasberg’s Method: A Practical Guide for Actors, Teachers and Directors. She also produced two 2-hour-long DVDs: The Method and The Method II, Acting Techniques-Advanced.

Dorothy (Baiely) Masters, la’50, and Wayne Masters, ph’50, Sioux City, Iowa, celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary.

Peter Johnson, ph’56, Wyoming, Ill. hung up his microphone after 58 years as a high school football announcer.

1960s

Jim Bruner, bn’60, lw’63, Scottsdale, Ariz., was honored as a 2014 Historymaker by the Arizona Historical League on Feb. 8, 2014.

Jeanne (Mosier) Niebel, ed’62, Williamsburg, Va., was a founding member of Good Shepherd School in Lusaka, Zambia.

David Phipps, la’67, lw’69, Des Moines, was honored by Chambers and Partners 2014 attorney rankings.

Judy (Alex) Townsend, fa’69, Corning, Iowa, teaches preschool at Prescott School.

1970s

Bruce Thorsen, jo’70, Fairview, N.C., was presented The Order of The Long Leaf Pine award, the highest civilian honor awarded by the state of North Carolina.

Jim Nussle, lw’86, Alexandria, Va., has been selected by the Credit Union National Association as the trade group’s new president and CEO.

Rose (Johnson) McKinney, jo’87, Brooklyn Park, Minn., was inducted to the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)’s prestigious College of Fellows.

Philip Montgomery, lw’87, Elgin, Ill., was appointed an associate judge in the judicial circuit that serves DeKalb County.

Suellen Overton, as’87, lw’90, Waukee, Iowa, closed her practice in Council Bluffs and was promoted to colonel, Iowa Air National Guard, JFHQ, and Camp Dodge, Iowa.

Judy Bradshaw, as’88, gr’92, Des Moines, retired from the Des Moines Police Department and became the new assistant director of the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy.

Adam Gerol, lw’88, Mequon, Wis., was selected as the 2013 State Prosecutor of the Year.

John Heisler, lw’88, Sioux Falls, S.D., began working with CorTrust Bank as senior vice president and wealth management services division director.

Catherine Lugg, gr’88, ‘90, Belle Mead, N.J., received the Jay D. Scribner Mentoring Award for mentoring junior scholars, especially scholars of color, into the professoriate, in educational administration and policy.

Amy Elizabeth (Ouart) Farlinger, ph’89, Cresco, Iowa, was named co-head of Cresco Family Pharmacy.

Susan Neely, gr’89, Chevy Chase, Md., was named chair of the American Society of Association Executives Board of Directors.

for the College of Education at Tucson graduation ceremonies April 5, 2014. She is now the lead faculty at University of Phoenix, College of Education, Southern Arizona Campus.

Hedy (Fritz) Helsell, gr’78, Dallas, was elected to the Texas Court Appointed Special Advocates board of directors.

Greg Naylor, lw’78, Urbandale, Iowa, was honored by Chambers and Partners in the 2014 attorney rankings in the area of labor and employment.

1980s

Tim Smith, fa’80, Fort Worth, Texas, joined the Amon Carter Museum of American Art as an exhibition designer and installation director.

David Strege, bn’81, Winterset, Iowa, will be participating in his third Senior Men’s Volleyball Global Cup.

Nancy (Black) Mueller, ed’82, Kansas City, Mo., has been named a Woman in Insurance Leadership winner for 2014 by Insurance Networking News (INN).

Mark Snell, la’83, gr’03, Norwalk, Iowa, was appointed chief deputy secretary of state, State of Iowa, by Paul D. Pate, Iowa secretary of state, effective Jan. 1, 2015.

Mark Snell, la’83, gr’03, and Cynthia (Pennington) Snell, gr’12, Norwalk, Iowa, completed serving two years as foreign English teachers for the Kofu-Des Moines Teacher Exchange Program in Kofu, Yamanashi, Japan.

Clifford Dunigan, la’86, Cayman Islands, took a position with Greenlight Re in the Cayman Islands where he has been living since September 2014. Clifford’s wife, Jackie, and their three children will join him this year.

1990s

Kathleen Wood Laurila, gr’90, Minneapolis, does international outreach and grant writing for a nonprofit, Nonviolent Peaceforce, that provides unarmed protection for civilians caught up in war violence such as in South Sudan, Philippines, Myanmar, and Syria.

Michelle (Smiley-Minnmann) Hamilton, jo’91, Ankeny, Iowa, was named new activity director at Sunnyview Care Center.

Lynette (Skow) Rasmussen, jo’91, Johnston, Iowa, was named a Business Record’s 2014 Women of Influence award honoree.

Peter Stomma, lw’91, New Berlin, Wis., was recently elected firm president at Boyle Fredrickson, Wisconsin’s largest intellectual property law firm.

Marcie Thompson, as’93, Carrollton, Texas, was promoted to dealer sales manager II, online sales, national remarketing, with Hyundai Capital America.

Chris Godfrey, as’95, lw’98, Washington, D.C., was appointed to the position of chief judge and chair of the Employees’ Compensation Appeals Board in Washington, D.C., by Secretary of Labor Tom Perez in July 2014.

Tasha Ransom, bn’95, Evanston, Ill., received the Illinois Associated PressBroadcast Award for Best Light Feature for the story “Babies Taught Self-Rescue Water Survival,” The Chicago Bar Association Herman Kogan Media Award for the story “Ex Sitter Fights to Get Conviction in Infant Death Overturned,” and Youth Freedom Fighter Award for commitment to bringing important issues to the community.

Kristal Rivers, lw’96, Chicago, was appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court to the position of judge of the Cook County Circuit Court. Her appointment ended in December 2014 when she began her elected judicial six-year term.

Sara (Taylor) Fagen, bn’97, Arlington, Va., was selected as one of “The Influencers 50” for campaigns.

Nicole (Junas) Schoenberg, jo’97, New York, joined MWW as senior vice president in the firm’s Corporate Reputation practice.

Jody (Crossman) Gifford, jo’98, West Des Moines, Iowa, was named executive director of Ballet Des Moines.

Holly (McIntyre) Neary, ph’98, Loxahatchee, Fla., was named the new director of clinical operations for Tower MSA Partners, a national provider of Medicare secondary compliance services for worker’s compensation and liability.

Emily Thompson, fa’98, Chattanooga, Tenn., is now the studio librarian at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Kristy Jozwiak, jo’99, Phoenix, co-founded Duality Public Relations in Phoenix.

2000s

Joshua Devine, ph’00, San Antonio, Texas, was selected by the APhA Academy ofPharmacy Practice and Management as a 2014 Fellow.

Greg Morris, gr’00, Clarendon Hills, Ill., will be president of Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) Company’s WILD Flavors and Specialty Ingredients business unit.

Krista Tanner, lw’00, Clive, Iowa, joined ITC as vice president, ITC Holdings Corp., and president, ITC Midwest.

Jason Cassady, lw’01, Minneapolis, was elected a shareholder at his firm, Fredrikson & Byron, P.A.

Jordan Reinwald, fa’01, bn’01, Warrenton, Mo., is launching a media, marketing, and entertainment company out of St. Louis called Rhino Hyde Productions.

Tiffany (Abell) Tauscheck, jo’01, Clive, Iowa, was named a Business Record’s 2014 Women of Influence honoree.

Sarah Ronnebaum, as’02, ph’02, Arlington, Va., finished a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of North Carolina and published two peer-reviewed scientific articles. She is now a senior consultant in federal health care strategy at Deloitte in Arlington, Va.

Kara Sinnard, lw’02, Urbandale, Iowa, was honored by Chambers and Partners 2014 attorney rankings in the area of real estate.

Portialyn (Peterson) Buzzanga, jo’03, Houston, is the director of behavioral health at Mainland Medical Center.

Michelle (Rienhardt) Cook, gr’03, Clive, Iowa, is now a financial consultant at Wells Fargo.

Sarah Reinwald Guldalian, jo’03, Ballwin, Mo., is launching a media, marketing, and entertainment company out of St. Louis called Rhino Hyde Productions.

Jason Comisky, as’04, Ankeny, Iowa, joined Ahlers & Cooney Law Firm.

Dustria (Dickerson) Relph, lw’05, Corydon, Iowa, was appointed judge in the 5th Judicial District, which includes Dallas, Madison, Polk, and Warren counties.

Timothy Ryder, jo’05, Chicago, joined the cast of The Second City e.t.c., one of the resident stages at the legendary comedy theater in Chicago. He can currently be seen performing the show “Apes of Wrath.”

David Zawilinski, jo’05, Windsor Heights, Iowa, is joining NBC affiliate WOWT in Omaha, Neb., as morning news anchor.

Lilianna (Weisman) Bernstein, as’06, jo’06, gr’09, Des Moines, Iowa, was promoted to assistant director of admission at Drake University.

Adam Davis, jo’06, Sherman Oaks, Calif., achieved his goal of directing his own short film.

Cracking the Class Code Below is the “code” for identifying your fellow Drake alumni. The College of Arts and Sciences evolved during the reorganization of Drake’s colleges and schools in 1987, when “Liberal Arts” and “Fine Arts” were combined. Those pre-1987 alumni carry the acronym “la” or “fa,” while those post-1987 alumni are labeled “as.”

as Arts and Sciences

bn Business and Public Administration

dv Divinity

ed Education

fa Fine Arts

gr Graduate Studies

jo Journalism and

Mass Communication

la Liberal Arts

lw Law

ph Pharmacy and Health Sciences

The Office of Alumni Relations biannually compiles updates on Drake alumni and makes efforts to confirm the accuracy of published information. This issue of Drake Blue includes entries received as of January 2015.


alumniconnections


Cynthia (Pennington) Snell, gr’12, Norwalk, Iowa, is now teaching 7th and 8th grade science at Merrill Middle School in Des Moines.

Logan DeVries, ph’14, Forest City, Iowa, started working for UnityPoint Health as an instructional designer on Epic systems in its IT training department.

Stephanie Esker, bn’14, Minneapolis, started a new position as marketing coordinator in the Marketing Leadership Development Program at Ameriprise Financial in Minneapolis.

Jim Green, gr’14, West Des Moines, Iowa, has started a new company, JWG Consulting LLC, after receiving his M.P.A. this past May

advanced degreesBen Bumbry, ‘54, Quincy, Ill,, received an honorary degree from Culver-Stockston College.

Elizabeth Kurylo, jo’84, Avondale Estates, Ga., earned a Master of Communication Management from the University of Southern California in August 2014.

Michael Earles, as’00, Maquoketa, Iowa, received a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Concordia University in Portland, Ore.

Shelley (Bechler) Hurst, ed’05, Grimes, Iowa, earned a Master of Public Administration in Human Resources from Drake University in August 2014.

Jane (Fiegen) Green, as’07, Altoona, Wis., completed her Ph.D. in history from Washington University in St. Louis.

Joey Donia, jo’07, Davenport, Iowa, was named the new sports director of Media General’s NBC affiliate KWQC Davenport, Iowa.

Aaron Eggers, gr’07, Seattle, became global strategic partnerships manager at PitchBook Data on March 18, 2014.

Laura Mommsen, as’07, lw’12, Des Moines, joined Hupy and Abraham, S.C., P.C., personal injury law firm.

Amber Thompson, lw’07, Sigourney, Iowa, was made new magistrate in Mahaska County.

Daniel Sadowski, as’08, Springfield, Ill., received the 2014 Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award, presented May 17, 2014.

2010s

Susan (Scieszinski) Daniels, jo’10, lw’13, Centerville, Iowa, was sworn in as the new Appanoose County attorney.

Daniel Garrett, gr’10, Des Moines, has joined WNC, a national investor in real estate and community development initiatives, as a vice president.

Crystal Nance, as’10, jo’10, Saint Joseph, Mo., was promoted to manager, training and volunteer support, with Girl Scouts of NE Kansas & NW Missouri.

Gary Oldenburger, lw’10, lw’11, Altoona, Iowa, was appointed Wapello County attorney.

Danika Portz, bn’11, Nashville, Tenn., played at the Nashville CMA Music Festival and released a debut recording project, Set This World on Fire.

Lindsay (Dunham) Snodgrass, ph’11, New Windsor, Ill., is now working as infection preventionist at UnityPoint Health Trinity hospital in the Quad Cities.

Stormy (Carver) Smith, jo’04, Pleasant Hill, Iowa, self-published her first book, Bound by Duty, on July 23, 2014. Bound by Duty can be found on the top 100 of the Amazon Kindle store.

birthsVivienne (Lindquist) Braun, la’69, and Ronald, lw’68, Brodhead, Wis., became grandparents to a baby girl, Hanifah Braun.

Ashley (Lawhon) Wiley, jo’99, and Zach, Hermitage, Tenn., a daughter, Audrey Elizabeth

Ryan Anderson, bn’00, and Julie, North Saint Paul, Minn.,welcomed triplets to the world, a girl, Hazel Maria, and a boy, Grant Carlos. Their daughter, Marissa Jean, passed the same day on May 14, 2014.

Tanya (Barber) MacGumerait, as’00, and Heather, Indianapolis, twins, Layne and Rettie

Kristi (Richman) Gilbertson, ph’01, and Erik, a son, Isaac Henry

Jennifer (Kruml) Jodlowski, as’01, Omaha, Neb., a son, Jenson Louis

Alexandria Scatchell-Coyle, as’02, Niles, Ill., twins, a boy and a girl.

Michelle (Fobert) Bottenberg, ph’05, and Charlie, as’04, lw’12, Waukee, Iowa, a son, Landon Michael Louis

Lisa (Porcello) Knapp, ph’05, and Chad, lw’02, Urbandale, Iowa, a daughter, Evelyn Marie

Tyler Marciniak, jo’05, and Barbara, Lake Forest, Ill., a daughter, Charlotte Elizabeth

Lyndi (Benz-Dean) McVey, ph’09, and Sean, as’07, Orlando, Fla., a daughter, Shannon

Dale Decker, bn’12, and Libbie Kenny, West Des Moines, a son, Donald Thomas Decker

Aliana (Reichert-Eberhardt) Britson, as’08, State College, Pa., earned a dual Ph.D. in ecology and biogeochemistry from Pennsylvania State University.

Kelly Krogh, ph’08, Minneapolis, received her Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Minnesota’s Medical School.

Michelle Stammet, ph’10, Elburn, Ill., received her Doctor of Pharmacy from University of Iowa College of Pharmacy. She begins a pharmacy residency program in ambulatory care at the North Florida/South Georgia VA Medical Center in Gainesville, Fla.

authorsWarren Jorgenson, jo’50, Omaha, Neb., released a new World War II memoir, The Expandable Garrison, which is a true story of hope and despair that begins at the start of World War II.

Phyllis (Jensen) Campbell, ‘55, published a book, Farther up the Mountain, The Death of a Son.

Larry Katzen, bn’67, Rancho Mirage, Calif., wrote a book about how to succeed in business called And You Thought Accountants Were Boring— My Life Inside Arthur Andersen.

James Carroll, fa’72, Livingston, N.J., published an e-book, Clumpety-Clump Learns to Tip-Toe.

Diane Kadlec, lw’83, Valley Stream, N.Y., wrote A Veterans’ Benefits Law Primer.

Hadley Barrows, jo’99, Minneapolis, recently published a children’s book, Antler, A— A Cabin ABC Book. Illustrated by Megan Moore.

Marta (Anderson) Lindsey, as’00, San Francisco, has a children’s book coming out in February called Little Gray’s Great Migration.


Pedal to the metal, Judy Bradshaw, as’88, gr’92, has three patrol cars on her tail. She pushes the car’s speedometer ever higher, swerving left and right as a cloud of dust billows in the rearview mirror.

It’s a bit of role reversal for the former Des Moines Chief of Police.

This law enforcement professional hasn’t gone rogue. She’s guiding future police officers at the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy. Bradshaw, now the academy’s assistant director, is driving the “rabbit” car to train these budding cops in chase techniques.

Bradshaw began her career with the Des Moines Police Department as a 21-year-old officer. She became the first woman in the department to be appointed lieutenant, then captain, and finally chief—one of the few female chiefs in the country. Well-spoken and approachable, she is an unassuming leader. Those qualities made her the leader the DMPD needed at a pivotal time. Her emphasis on community relations led to what she deems her proudest accomplishment—starting the Community Ambassadors program in 2011.

The program is an effort to engage community leaders and members in solving crime-related problems. Now with 200 ambassadors, the initiative has opened up lines of communication between the police department and the community, particularly with minority populations.

“I think she’s benefited the community,” said Ako Abdul-Samad, the state representative for much of the neighborhood east of Drake, in an interview with The Des Moines Register. “She [was] open to getting officers more involved in the community, more supportive of them being involved.”

After 34 years with the DMPD, Bradshaw, now 55, is ready for her next chapter.

“At the beginning of 2014, I did not imagine I would be somewhere else by the end of year,” she says. “The Des Moines Police Department pumps through my veins, it’s all I had ever known. But I had accomplished what I wanted to. I didn’t leave too early or too late. I have no regrets.”

Bradshaw credits her Drake education for her rise through the ranks and significant impact on area law enforcement. She received her bachelor’s and Master of Public Administration

from Drake, a feat she never thought possible as a young woman who lived in the neighborhood when she was starting out in the police force.

“Growing up around Drake and living in an apartment near campus, I thought Drake was this unreachable school that I would never be able to attend. But I would walk around campus and imagine going there. It’s always been an institution that’s been larger than life for me.”

Imagination turned to determination, and Bradshaw discovered that a Drake degree was attainable. Six years later, her master’s degree—along with her graduation from the FBI National Academy, offered to a limited number of police managers nationwide—put her in demand for jobs across the country. But she stuck to her roots and maintains her connection to Drake, meeting with students, conducting presentations, and keeping an eye on crime in the area.

Today, she’s leading a slightly quieter life. She’s finally enjoying nights and weekends at home as well as shuttling her two children, Alec and Grace, to and from various practices and activities—at a perfectly safe speed.

Glass Ceiling— Shattereda career of firsts leads alumna to new heights.

Judy Bradshaw recently began her new position as assistant director at the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy after 34 years with the Des Moines Police Department. Bradshaw started her career in law enforcement as a 911-dispatcher in Ankeny, Iowa, when she was a teenager.

Profile


marriagesKevin Little, bn’90, to Tracy Skerik, Oct. 24, 2014

Justin Brown, jo’01, to Eriko Shiono, June 7, 2014

Portialyn Peterson, jo’03, to Aaron Buzzanga, May 27, 2012

Elizabeth Cleek, as’07, to Benjamin Julian, May 10, 2014

Victoria Novakovich, as’08, to Kevin Haas, Aug. 31, 2014

Rachel Barkley, as’11, to Spenser Tonda, as’10, Aug. 2, 2014

in memoriam1930s

Doris (Schar) Rossow, ed’37, ed’67, Panora, Iowa

Marian (Streyffeler) Easter, ed’39, Des Moines

Marjorie (Olson) Griffith, ed’39, ed’63, Omaha, Neb.

Robert Sanderson, bn’39, West Des Moines, Iowa

Cary (Melick) Williams, ed’39, Corning, Iowa

1940s

Margaret Jane (Cobb) Paulding, ed’43, Des Moines

Arthur Kuhlman, ed’45, gr’47, Humboldt, Iowa

Katheryn (Mahannah) Ehrhardt, ed’47, Adel, Iowa

Robert Popple, la’47, Des Moines

Raymond Whisenand, bn’47, Littleton, Colo.

Evelyn (Agee) Celander, jo’48, Des Moines

Mary ‘Molly’ (Miller) Bryan, ‘49, Des Moines

Albert Hove, bn’49, Webster City, Iowa

Kathleen (Kay) Kochheiser, la’49, Cincinnati, Ohio

Adam Stirling, bn’49, Tucker, Ga.

Frances (Ultican) Wiese, la’49, Vacaville, Calif.

april

Beautiful Bulldog ContestApril 19The Knapp Center

Downtown Street PaintingApril 22Court AvenueDowntown Des Moines

106th Drake RelaysPresented by Hy-VeeApril 23–26Drake Stadium and additional locations

National Alumni AwardsApril 23Reading Room, Cowles Library

All-Alumni Tent PartyApril 24Olmsted Center parking lot

Young Alumni BrunchApril 25Alumni House

All-Greek ReunionApril 25Olmsted Center parking lot

CBPA Relays TailgateApril 25Outside Aliber Hall

Drake Alumni RecitalApril 26Sheslow Auditorium

may

Let’s DU Lunch Entrepreneur and E-Company Startup PanelMay 6Des Moines Embassy Club

Commencement WeekendMay 15–16Drake campus

september

Parents and Family WeekendSeptember 26–27Drake campus

DU Good DaySeptember 26In communities nationwide

october

distinctlyDrake Campaign CelebrationOctober 3Drake Campus

Homecoming October 9–10Drake campus

Golden ReunionClasses of 1956 and 1966October 22–24Des Moines

African American ReunionOctober 30–November 1Drake campus

Visit www.alumni.drake.edu for event descriptions and the most up-to-date details.

1950s

Phyllis Clark, ‘50, Bedford, Iowa

Everett Craft, ed’50, Urbandale, Iowa

Jerome Cubbage, ‘50, Des Moines

Henry “Hank” Cunningham, jo’50, Des Moines

Aubrey Herrick, ed’50, Waterloo, Iowa

James Quinn, ed’50, Bradenton, Fla.

John Rendleman, bn’50, Westport, Conn.

Theodore Brubaker, fa’51, gr’54, Des Moines

Donald C. Byers, lw’51, gr’93, Estes Park, Colo.

Ralph Carroll, gr’51, Boone, Iowa

Vernon Kirlin, gr’51, Libertyville, Ill.

Thomas McManamon, la’51, La Crescenta, Calif.

Richard E Olson, ed’51, Phoenix

Florence (Lowe) Ouderkirk, ed’51, Indianola, Iowa

George Patterson, gr’51, Damascus, Ore.

Richard Provost, la’51, gr’56, Creston, Iowa

Jo Lee (Reid) Scarborough, fa’51, West Des Moines, Iowa

James Shirk, bn’51, Mesa, Ariz.

Tommy “TC” Thomas, fa’51, gr’55, Johnston, Iowa

Harry Brodrick, ‘52, Newton, Iowa

Herbert Burgett, ed’52, Sarasota, Fla.

Takashi Kariya, ph’52, gr’54, Takoma Park, Md.

James K Shepherd, fa’53, Pearcy, Ark.

Alvin Witwer, lw’53, Lenexa, Kan.

Norma (Rasmussen) Smith, ed’54, gr’62, Pella, Iowa

James Hanson, la’55, Des Moines

Mary (Ruiz) Keithley, ‘55, Mableton, Ga.

Richard Schnell, ed’55, Surprise, Ariz.

Alumni Calendar

alumniconnections

Alan Shulman, bn’55, Chicago

Violette (Holbrook) Elliott, ed’56, gr’59, ‘85, Des Moines

Marilyn (Hirschman) Baker, ed’57, Clive, Iowa

Billie (Herbster) Houck, fa’58, Des Moines

Richard “Dick” Fedro, bn’59, Des Moines

Larry Sharp, fa’59, gr’63, West Des Moines, Iowa

1960s

Cynthia Levy, la’60, Des Moines

Jerry Nelson, la’60, gr’66, Fort Worth, Texas

James Forsman, bn’61, Barron, Wis.

Lorraine (Doolittle) Hobbs, ed’61, Creston, Iowa

Mary Kay (Martin) Kluiter, bn’61, Grimes, Iowa

Earl “Dean” Swartzwelter, bn’61, Naples, Fla.

Stephen D Cree, gr’62, Iowa City, Iowa

Ronald Haag, bn’62, Waukee, Iowa

Thomas “TJ” Heronimus, lw’62, Grundy Center, Iowa

Elaine (Senchak) Krupp, ed’62, Powder Springs, Ga.

Keith McNeil, gr’62, Henderson, Nev.

Ronald Schuler, la’62, Bondurant, Iowa

Brenda (Palian) Tabor, ed’62, Warrensburg, Mo.

Howard Hake, gr’63, Spokane Valley, Wash.

Leonard Kotz, jo’63, Indianola, Iowa

Robert Lackey, bn’63, Des Moines

Marlene (Davis) Stevenson, ed’63, Chariton, Iowa

Esther (Bittner) Lemke, ed’64, Des Moines

Theodore “Ted” Reis, fa’65, Carrollton, Texas

Career TipsThis fall, Drake introduces a brand new interdisciplinary

program combining elements of mathematics, business,

and computer science: Data Analytics. Drake faculty

collaborated with local corporations and professionals

to determine curricula for the new major and minor.

Bradley Meyer, associate professor of management

and international business; Dan Alexander, professor

of mathematics; and Tim Urness, associate professor

of computer science, provide a few tips for professionals

working in diverse fields—from health care to finance

to marketing—at jobs increasingly shaped by the

expanding world of big data.

Speak the LanguageYou don’t need to be a database technician or math

whiz. What is necessary is an understanding of basic

concepts and an ability to roll with the jargon—terms

like data visualization and logic-based languages. Using

information to think analytically rather than instinctively

is key. Coding languages like Java or data-specific

languages like SAS and R can help you go bigger with

big data. Once you have the bird’s-eye view, you can

collaborate with techies and wonks to accomplish your

big data goals.

Know What’s RelevantHaving tons of data doesn’t necessarily equate to good

information. An effective data analyst will be able to

separate the wheat from the chaff to find the data that’s

actually relevant. Knowing your field is essential here;

use your professional expertise to determine what data

you actually need to know. Once you have your dataset,

you’re ready to dig in.

Be ScientificTrying to use data on the fly can be problematic; good

data analysis needs to be intentional and scientific. What

problem are you trying to solve? What do you expect to

be true? Do the results confirm your hypothesis? Knowing

is half the battle, and knowing the right questions can

help you win.

Gordon Burstein, ed’66, gr’72, Surprise, Ariz.

Gene Charles Porter, bn’66, Johnston, Iowa

Richard F. Rabe Jr., jo’66, Des Moines

Vernon Simms, la’66, Pittsburgh

Larry Hansen, fa’67, gr’70, Dayton, Iowa

Jack Harn, ph’67, Macomb, Ill.

Michael Kent, la’67, gr’72, Des Moines

Robert Meier, ed’67, Urbandale, Iowa

Charles Montagnoli, ph’67, Denver

Greg Scharnberg, bn’67, Urbandale, Iowa

Harvey Shaeffer, bn’67, Maxwell, Iowa

Marlys (Green) Stearns, ed’67, Bentonville, Ark.

Daniel Thompson, la’67, Brookings, S.D.

Marjorie Cass, ed’68, Fayette, Iowa

Ellen (Hill) Harris, ed’68, Johnston, Iowa

Frances (Holthuis) Williams, ed’68, Grimes, Iowa

Andrea (Mann) Carponelli, ph’69, Barrington, Ill.

Donna (Bleich) Hrubes, gr’69, Spencer, Iowa

Howard “Tom” Morgan, bn’69, Newton, Iowa

1970s

Theodore Houser, bn’70, Des Moines

Sharon (Novotne) O’Keefe, jo’70, Lutz, Fla.

John Suiter, bn’71, Melvindale, Mich.

Robert Sward, gr’71, Sully, Iowa

Duane Williams, ed’71, Trenton, Mo.

Hans Hanson, ed’72, gr’01, Des Moines

alumniconnections


Profile

During the first decade of the new millennium, Hasan Hujairi’s résumé read like a self-contained success story: bachelor’s degree in finance from Drake, master’s in economic history from Hitotsubashi University in Japan, and a comfortable job in his native country of Bahrain as an accountant for one of the world’s three largest accounting firms.

And while that life story is impressive, it’s Hujairi’s other life—the one he’s nurtured alongside the first and which has outlived his accounting career—that he’s most interested in discussing. These days, he’s working as a composer and sound artist, pursuing a doctorate in Korean traditional music composition at an institution in Seoul, South Korea. His work has been featured at experimental music festivals and art exhibitions around the world.

So how’d he leap from accounting to ethnomusicology? He says he couldn’t have done it without his experiences as a Bulldog.

“This idea of being a self-made, self-taught composer, it all began at Drake,” says Hujairi, bn’03. “I played classical guitar as a child, but it was while at Drake that I started taking lessons on the oud [a fretless stringed instrument that is popular in the Middle East]. And I owe a lot, also, to Cowles Library—I remember every book I read there because I had access to a lot of literature that I could not easily find or access in Bahrain. Reading those books, that was the beginning of my independent study of music.”

The passion for music stuck with Hujairi. Even while his study of economic history turned toward Japanese maritime history, he found free time to learn the art of digital sound

Art of Improvisationfor this experimental alumnus, life is an adventurous composition

recording; and while he should have been resting up for the next day of work in the Bahraini offices of Ernst & Young, he was composing original works and practicing the oud. It took him a long time to own up to the fact that his heart wasn’t in accounting and finance.

Distressed by increasing political unrest in the Middle East and concerned by the post-Enron banking industry, Hujairi decided to quit his job and enroll in a graduate program in maritime history in the United Kingdom. Soon after he began his studies in the U.K., fate thrust him into music.

In summer 2010, Hujairi was one of only 40 musicians out of 50,000 applicants to be selected for the exclusive, globe- trotting Red Bull Music Academy. He participated in masterclasses with world-renowned musicians, had dinner with minimalist music pioneer and personal idol Steve Reich, and found his name plastered all over pop culture and the experimental music world. Offers poured in for performances and art installations.

Today, Hujairi is a composer and sound artist, thriving (as always) on the beauty that can be found in unusual combinations: the strum of an oud, fed through a MIDI soundboard and laptop; the shout of voices through megaphones, hung from chains in an art exhibition; the reverberation of electronic notes through tin cans.

“I have no idea what I’m doing at times,” he says. “Sometimes my work references pop music, sometimes it’s traditional music. Sometimes it’s just noise. But that is what fascinates me. I like the idea of improvisation.”

Hasan Hujairi, bn’03, was an accountant in Bahrain when the writing on the wall—and melodies in his mind—nudged him toward a career in experimental music.


YOU’VE CHANGEDHave a professional accomplishment, family news, or updated address to share? Tell us so we can stay connected and current.

q Check here if your current address differs from the magazine mailing label; please attach the mailing label so we can correct our records—and stay connected with you!

Name (Mr./Ms.)

College/school and year Email address

Address

City State ZIP

Phone (home) (business)

Employer Title

What’s new with you?

Paul Linn, gr’72, West Des Moines, Iowa

Max Lyon, fa’72, Austin, Texas

John Huss, ed’73, Des Moines

Kenneth Northness, gr’73, Pleasant Hill, Iowa

Barbara (Peterson) Ranney, gr’73, Story City, Iowa

Thomas Donahue, lw’74, Waukee, Iowa

Willard Wallace, la’74, Ankeny, Iowa

Paul Birocci, la’75, gr’76, Des Moines

Brian Martin, gr’75, Denver

Mary Newbrough, la’75, West Des Moines, Iowa

Linda Sarver, fa’75, Salt Lake City, Utah

Jean Rosone, fa’76, Burbank, Calif.

Venita (Quincy) Wells, ed’76, Des Moines

Dana (Huenemann) Toraason, fa’78, Slinger, Wis.

Randall Cambron, bn’79, Hollywood, Fla.

John Scaglione, la’79, Des Moines

1980s

Charles “Scott” Bittick, la’80, Des Moines

Joseph Schaefer, la’80, Des Moines

Dan E Turner, bn’80, West Des Moines, Iowa

John Hodson, gr’81, Des Moines

Update your information online at www.alumni.drake.edu (log in to My Drake), or complete the form below and mail to: Drake University, Office of Alumni Relations, 2507 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50311.

Lorenzo Jasso, gr’81, ‘92, Des Moines

William Brighton, bn’82, Ankeny, Iowa

Daniel Olson, la’82, Knoxville, Tenn.

Michael Conrath, bn’84, Franklin, Tenn.

Sarah Strom, ed’84, Garden Grove, Iowa

Gary Telford, gr’84, Ankeny, Iowa

John Ketcham, gr’85, Baxter, Iowa

Barbara (Olson) Mahoney, gr’87, Johnston, Iowa

Eric Brown, as’88, Fox Lake, Ill.

Keith Haroldson, lw’89, Des Moines

Lawrence Stegge, gr’89, Havelock, Iowa

1990s

Randy L Meiners, gr’91, Pleasant Hill, Iowa

David A. Roth, lw’91, Waterloo, Iowa

Marlene “Tiny” (Chiodo) Iaria, as’93, Panora, Iowa

Robert Cobb Miller, gr’93, West Des Moines, Iowa

Richard Orta, as’93, Martesdale, Iowa

Roger Baysden, as’94, Clive, Iowa

Sandra K Jacobs, as’97, West Des Moines, Iowa

2000s

William Houck, ed’00, gr’09, Des Moines


the ties that bindThe distinctlyDrake campaign surpassed its dollar goal of $200 million five months ahead of schedule. But the campaign has—from the start—had two goals: one, a dollar figure that would provide a quantitative measure of our success; the other —and far more substantive goal—is a transformative vision of Drake University that we would realize with the investment of those dollars. So we’re going to press forward with even greater vigor because we still have big and important things to get done. We’re going to take advantage of the momentum, the energy, the commitment, and the excitement of what we've accomplished thus far and push ahead for even greater things.

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all of my colleagues and friends at Drake and to the tens of thousands of supporters who have made this success possible. I cannot tell you how rewarding it has been to connect Drake University's needs with the interests and passions of our alumni and friends. True philanthropy not only supports the University and its students but also enriches the lives of those who give in ways that they themselves find meaningful and fulfilling. It has been truly enjoyable to participate in the hundreds of conversations that have led to these connections, and as Maddy and I prepare to retire at the end of June, I know that we will always

treasure the love and affection for Drake University that were so evident in these conversations—love and affection that we both wholeheartedly share.

As I reflect on this remarkable 16-year adventure, it has become abundantly clear that Drake University is a community bound together not just by the name of an institution but also by a passion for Drake’s mission; by shared values and aspirations; by civility, mutual respect, and generosity of spirit; by the conviction that collectively and collaboratively we have more meaning than we do individually. We are bound together by the need to know more than we do now, by the drive to discover and to innovate, and by the passionate embrace of difference. And we are bound together by the recognition that our purpose—both as individuals and as an institution—goes far beyond ourselves, with an unwavering commitment to serve the common good.

It has been an incredible privilege to become part of this community—one that we will cherish forever. Please know how immensely grateful Maddy and I both are for your support, encouragement, guidance, generosity, and friendship. You have all enriched both Drake University and the lives of the Maxwells in ways beyond measure.

—David Maxwell, President, Drake University

THE SKYIS THE LIMIT

x

drake’s mission is to provide an exceptional learning environment that prepares students for meaningful personal lives, professional accomplishments, and responsible global citizenship. The Drake experience is distinguished by collaborative learning among students, faculty, and staff and by the integration of the liberal arts and sciences with professional preparation.

2217

2507 University AvenueDes Moines, Iowa 50311-4505

After more than a century of tradition and athletic excellence, the Drake Relays is still ascending to new heights. For the 106th year, world champions and celebrated Olympians will take the stage at Drake Stadium. Be in the stands for the drama of a last-minute finish, the joy of an underdog victory, or even the celebration of a new world record.

Join friends and reconnect with classmates back home where Bulldogs are undoubtedly beautiful and a fresh coat of paint on the street—and Drake students— is the surest sign of spring. From the All-Alumni Tent Party to the All-Greek Reunion, one thing’s certain: The sky’s the limit for the Drake Relays experience.

Visit www.drake.edu/relays for information on reunion events, parking, tickets, race registration, and community celebrations.

Drake University Blue Magazine Spring 2015

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Transcript of Drake University Blue Magazine Spring 2015