Drake University Blue Magazine Fall 2013

10 community and commitment drive triple major shiv morjaria 33 science is personal for sjmc emerita pat prijatel fall 2013

56 alumna jenny koska knows how to light up a room

From Classroom to Zeitgeist.

And Back.

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A passion for science ignites with program development by Science Center of Iowa’s Jenny Koska, as’11. See the story on page 55.

Features 20 recalculating science Science pervades today’s cultural landscape.

How can America make that familiarity translate in the classroom? By Danny Akright, jo’10, as’10

26 the drake formula

Drake undergraduates contribute to important research and help forward the fields of science, technology, and math on campus and beyond.

By Alyssa Young

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making sense of science

A well-known retired Drake professor shares her personal experience tackling the science behind breast cancer—as both journalist and survivor.

By Patricia Prijatel, gr‘79, the E.T. Meredith Distinguished Professor of Journalism Emerita

Profiles 8 shiv morjaria, class of 2014

One student—three majors. The trials and rewards of a fulfilling­—and busy—Drake journey.

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jonathan rosenbloom

A law professor connects students to real-life issues,

challenging them to improve lives by improving the law.

copyright drake university 201 3

55 jenny koska, as’11

A Drake alumna lives her love for science on a daily basis—blowing up a few things in the process.

60 andy cook, bn’91

Drake’s liberal arts education laid the groundwork for this alumnus to combine passion and career.

Departments 4 Welcome

From the editor and staff.

5 Inbox

Our readers respond.

6 Blue Notes The news and information, the people and stories that

keep you connected to the Drake experience.

54 Alumni Connections

Alumni-related updates, Drake Notes, Career Tips, and the Alumni Calendar.

64 The Last Word

DUSCI: Powered by students, empowering students.

By John Gitua, Associate Professor of Chemistry

Welcome in media and entertainment, however, does not match the test scores and higher education paths of the majority of America’s youth.

That trend is being challenged at Drake University, where STEMrelated majors are on the rise, and hands-on undergraduate research is igniting passion and presenting possibilities. In “The Drake Formula” (page 26) Alyssa Young introduces us ILLUSTRATION BY DREW ALBINSON, AS’13

at drake, the future is now.

When Thomas Hunt Morgan illuminated in the 1910s the role of chromosomes in heredity, did he envision the mapping of the entire human genome and its intricate network of molecular regulators impacting disease? When Edwin Hubble discovered in the 1920s that the universe was expanding, did he anticipate crossing the threshold into interstellar space? When Jack Kilby created in the 1950s the first integrated circuit, did he expect the role a 4-ounce, index-card-size personal data assistant using natural language interface would play in everyday life?

In their wildest dreams, could our curious and innovative forebearers have imagined today’s science- and technologylaced reality? Probably. Americans have always dreamed big.

Our inspiration and aspiration have fueled the increasing pace, democratization, and ubiquitousness of science and technology. As Danny Akright reminds us in “Recalculating Science” (page 20), zero gravity, the Large Hadron Collider, and more wonders pervade the current cultural landscape— not occasionally reaching us through textbook or special

to several students who are leading experiments, collaborating with faculty, and even applying academic experience to realworld concerns. Recent updates to campus facilities and the creation of new lab space—as well as Drake’s recent role as a governor-appointed STEM hub—underscore the University’s commitment to 21st-century learning, responsibility, and success.

Science touches everyone, even those pursuing so-called nonscience careers. Pat Prijatel’s personal story, “Making Sense of Science” (page 31), demonstrates the intersection of journalism and science. Interpreting and delivering complex information is a charge to which professional communicators rise and without which the rest of us would be lost.

There’s no turning back. Science is about the future—about seeing it and seizing it, about dreaming it and doing it. Realizing our vision for tomorrow is the lofty ambition of distinctlyDrake, and in this issue’s campaign update (page 36) we bring you more proof of the progress shared purpose can make. Notable developments are transpiring across the University, and The Blue Sheet (pages 42–53) offers updates from each of the colleges and schools.

broadcast but surrounding us on the many screens with

So many specks in the universe.

which we now surround ourselves. The familiarity of science

So many Drake opportunities.

—Beth Wilson, Editor

Ask the staff ...

What’s your dream invention?

president

editorial

Dr. David E. Maxwell

Micki Nelson: Exactly that—

executive director, marketing & communications

Danny Akright, jo’10, as’10; Jarad Bernstein; Jill Brimeyer; Alyssa Young; Aaron Jaco, jo’07, as’07; Theresa Sherwood; Tim Schmitt, gr’08, ’10

a recording device that captures and plays back your dreams.

Danny Akright: Self-driving

Debra Lukehart, jo’89

editorial director

supersonic hover car.

Beth Wilson

Shelly Mootz: One better: a teleporting machine. (I hate long commutes!)

Jill Brimeyer: A TARDIS. For real.

(Says this Doctor Who fan.)

creative director Kristin Dunn, jo’92

project manager Abbie Hansen, jo’01

Aaron Jaco: An Iron Man suit.

design Emma Akerly, as’09; Shelly Mootz; Micki Nelson

web communications Jeremy Sievers; Carl Olsen

student interns

For real. (Says this well-dressed superhero fan.)

Cameron Johnson, Class of 2015; Nicole Dyar, Class of 2014; Riley Brady, Class of 2015

follow us online magazine: www.drake.edu/magazine

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rss feed: www.drake.edu/magazine

facebook: www.facebook.com/drakeuniversity

To submit news or update your alumni profile, contact Drake’s Office of Alumni Relations: t 1-800-44-drake, x3152 e alumni.update@drake.edu w www.alumni.drake.edu

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

We welcome story ideas and submissions.

Send correspondence to: Drake Blue Office of Marketing & Communications Drake University 2507 University Ave. Des Moines, IA 50311-4505 e bluemag@drake.edu

Inbox drake standout

2) If a student is admitted on an athletic scholarship and

Thank you for the article concerning Dolph Pulliam’s

leaves early without a degree to pursue a professional sport,

career and retirement from Drake (“Bulldog by Choice,”

that student should be required to reimburse the school for

Spring 2013). Dolph was a fellow classmate of mine at

tuition, fees, books, room and board.

Drake in speech communications. He went the broadcast journalism route, and I went the direction of public address and group communications, with my mentor being Dr. Jon Ericson. Like Dolph, I also took a memorable class in sports broadcasting from Jim Duncan, learning

This would place all students on the same basis. Alas, it will never come about.

—Ira E. Delk, Bella Vista, Ark., ba‘51

the pulliam line A question, please: On page 10 of the Spring 2013 issue is

how to announce every sporting event from fast-paced

pictured Dolph Pulliam wearing a blue blazer and Drake

basketball to the more sublime pace of sailboat racing.

name. Is this a jacket worn by just Pulliam, or is this available

However, I found the challenge of bringing diverse people

on the market? Drake Store?

together to solve problems in the Rocky Mountain West

more to my liking. Dolph was and is a standout in many ways at Drake, and I was pleased to see the honor of recognition that you bestowed on him for his commitment to Drake and to excellence.

—Gary Severson, fa’69, Evergreen, Colo.

athletes are students first I believe there is a place for sports at educational institutions.

But sports should contribute to academics, not replace them.

Athletics should be about sportsmanship, teamwork, physical fitness, and competition. I believe there are two things that should be adopted by colleges and universities: 1) All students should have to meet the same academic standards for admission—the only exception would be students with special needs, if the school offered special needs programs;

—The Rev. Msgr. Thomas D. Knopf-Bigelow Pastor Emeritus, Brooklyn Park, Minn., la’73

From the Editor: Believe it or not, that blue linen blazer is 47 years old.

It was one of several ordered for the men’s basketball team in 1966— Dolph’s freshman year. Each player sported the jacket—tailored with script writing on the front pocket by men’s clothier Bodin Van Dorn— on game days.

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 Marketing and Communications Drake University 2507 University Ave. Des Moines, IA 50311-4505 e bluemag@drake.edu

Virtually Speaking What’s the single most important scientific advancement you’ve experienced or witnessed in your lifetime? We posed that question to some of our tech-savvy Facebook fans, and here’s what they had to say:

Dan Yamnitz, jo’00: The smartphone because I possess a device—in my pocket—that is capable of accessing the entirety of information known to man. (So maybe I use it to look at funny cats. It’s still amazing.)

Glenn Skuta, father of a Drake student: The beauty and

Jeremie Merlin Olsen, as’03: Discovery of the Higgs

magnificence brought to us by the Hubble (the telescope,

boson and the creation of “new physics.” Who knows what

not Hubbell Dining Hall).

new theories will emerge from such universal discoveries.

Matthew Kent, Pharmacy, Class of 2019: The development

Mark McAndrews, bn’85: Vaccinations. Mortality, and

of induced pluripotent stem cells, which will bring stem cell

particularly childhood mortality, has been reduced to a

therapy to ordinary people and sidestep (most) moral issues

degree unknown in human history.

with stem cell research.

A.J. Harris, bn’11: Bacon.

Jason Oswald, jo‘99: Decoding the human genome. The scientific and medical advances that have (and will!) come from it have changed our understanding of ourselves.

visit www.facebook.com/drakeuniversity for your opportunity to participate in future Virtually Speaking articles. fall 2013

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blue notes [ on the spot ]

Baranczyk and Giacoletti

Drake fans are eager to learn what the new season has in store for women’s and men’s basketball. Head coaches Jennie Baranczyk (bah-RAHN-check) and Ray Giacoletti (jack-o-LET-ee) share their insight and goals: Larry Shank, a 45-year ticket holder: What kind of players are you looking for? I know and understand they must be strong

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David Beall, bn’81, member of the National Alumni Association Board of Directors: What major changes can fans expect to see in Drake basketball?

Baranczyk: We were third in the Missouri Valley Conference in attendance this year, and we want to be No. 1. That’s a change I hope we see in our crowd.

in the classroom, but what do you like to see on the floor?

Giacoletti: That’s a hard question because I can’t speak for the

Baranczyk: Competitors with a high basketball IQ. When

past. Moving forward, I want our style to be defensively sound,

we’re looking at our system, players need to possess one of three traits: You either have to love to compete, love the game of basketball, or love your team to the point you’re willing to do whatever it takes to be successful.

Giacoletti: The three things we’re going to build this program with are character, academics, and, obviously, the talent to win Missouri Valley Conference championships. In terms of basketball, it’s skill, a feel for the game, and toughness.

create easy baskets, and win the battle of the boards every night.

game—the star or the open player?

Gene Irelan, parent of a Drake student: How does a student-

a better open shot, then the open shot is the best shot we’re

athlete excel both on the court and in the classroom?

going to get at the end of a game.

Baranczyk: We obviously have to recruit players that not

Giacoletti: If your team is good enough, you want the open

only fit Drake in the classroom but also in the community.

Those players must have an inner drive to compete and stay motivated in order to be successful in both areas and achieve the vision we have for this program.

Giacoletti: It takes high-character people who understand what it means to be a student-athlete, a strong work ethic, and a commitment to being successful in both athletic and academic pursuits.

player to take it. Even if it’s LeBron James, if he’s closely

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Matthew Mitchell, assistant professor of international business: Who should take the last shot in a Drake basketball Baranczyk: Obviously, your goal is to create a situation where your best player has the ball in her hands and is able to take that shot. But if she’s covered by multiple people and there’s

guarded and it’s not a good opportunity to shoot, then he shouldn’t take it.

Eduardo Tamez Zamarripa, as’12, jo’12: For Jennie Baranczyk, who would win in a one-on-one battle between you and Rachael Hackbarth?

Baranczyk: Rachael Hackbarth. Today.

[ where are they now ]

Charles Nelson, Professor Emeritus of History charles nelson, Professor of History, 1964–1994

The assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963 may very well qualify as the most controversial moment in U.S. history. There is no shortage of conspiracy theories about what happened on that fateful day in Dallas, and everyone from mob bosses to the vice president have been accused of complicity in the crime.

As a professor of history at Drake University, Charles Nelson delved into the controversy surrounding the assassination and encouraged students to think critically about the information available and come to their own conclusions.

“I examined the critical literature on the JFK assassination, found it wanting, so I told my students I believed in the basic conclusions of the Warren Report,” says Nelson.

The “JFK Class” was a favorite among students, not only for the riveting subject matter but also for the expertise and enthusiasm Nelson brought to the classroom.

“Professor Nelson taught us all the theories about the assassination, and it was our job to accurately argue the theory we felt was the truth,” recalls Kristin Dunn, jo’92. “It was an amazing experience being educated so broadly about a single instance in history, and his passion for the subject matter was contagious.”

Students and peers alike recognized Nelson’s dedication, which earned him the Best Undergraduate Teacher Award in 1970.

“Receiving the award was one of my favorite memories of my time at Drake,” recalls Nelson. “President Paul Sharp presented me with the award, and I was highly honored, being then a young and passionate teacher.”

Nelson was recognized in 1970 with the Best Undergraduate Teacher Award.

Nelson left Drake in 1994 and has since moved to San Diego with his wife, Solveig, gr’76,’78, to be closer to their daughter, Katie, and grandchildren, Alex, 9, and Kristin, 7.

“I have fond memories of Drake and miss many of my former colleagues,” says Nelson. “And of course I was a fan of the exciting Drake Bulldog basketball home games played in Vets’ Auditorium and always cheered the runners at the sometimes chilly annual Drake Relays.”

In addition to spending time with family, Nelson remains an avid reader. He recently completed the Sherlock Holmes series and has read most of John LeCarre’s espionage thrillers. In between books, Nelson spends time landscaping and working in his garden.

Nelson’s class probing the assassination of John F. Kennedy was a student favorite. fall 2013

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[ where are they now ]

Charles Nelson, Professor Emeritus of History charles nelson, Professor of History, 1964–1994

The assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963 may very well qualify as the most controversial moment in U.S. history. There is no shortage of conspiracy theories about what happened on that fateful day in Dallas, and everyone from mob bosses to the vice president have been accused of complicity in the crime.

As a professor of history at Drake University, Charles Nelson delved into the controversy surrounding the assassination and encouraged students to think critically about the information available and come to their own conclusions.

“I examined the critical literature on the JFK assassination, found it wanting, so I told my students I believed in the basic conclusions of the Warren Report,” says Nelson.

The “JFK Class” was a favorite among students, not only for the riveting subject matter but also for the expertise and enthusiasm Nelson brought to the classroom.

“Professor Nelson taught us all the theories about the assassination, and it was our job to accurately argue the theory we felt was the truth,” recalls Kristin Dunn, jo’92. “It was an amazing experience being educated so broadly about a single instance in history, and his passion for the subject matter was contagious.”

Students and peers alike recognized Nelson’s dedication, which earned him the Best Undergraduate Teacher Award in 1970.

“Receiving the award was one of my favorite memories of my time at Drake,” recalls Nelson. “President Paul Sharp presented me with the award, and I was highly honored, being then a young and passionate teacher.”

Nelson was recognized in 1970 with the Best Undergraduate Teacher Award.

Nelson left Drake in 1994 and has since moved to San Diego with his wife, Solveig, gr’76,’78, to be closer to their daughter, Katie, and grandchildren, Alex, 9, and Kristin, 7.

“I have fond memories of Drake and miss many of my former colleagues,” says Nelson. “And of course I was a fan of the exciting Drake Bulldog basketball home games played in Vets’ Auditorium and always cheered the runners at the sometimes chilly annual Drake Relays.”

In addition to spending time with family, Nelson remains an avid reader. He recently completed the Sherlock Holmes series and has read most of John LeCarre’s espionage thrillers. In between books, Nelson spends time landscaping and working in his garden.

Nelson’s class probing the assassination of John F. Kennedy was a student favorite. fall 2013

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blue notes

Profile

Major Commitment juggling three majors, cbpa senior shiv morjaria prepares for his next act: a career after college.

Near the end of his junior year, Shiv Morjaria started to feel overwhelmed.

The characteristically unshakeable Drake student from Mombasa, Kenya, was preparing for a summer internship in New York and an actuarial exam that required hundreds of hours of study. In the fall he would continue a long-standing internship at an insurance company in Des Moines while assuming leadership positions in Sigma Epsilon fraternity and the Order of Omega honor society.

Morjaria was also working part-time roles as student ambassador for the Office of Admission, where he introduces prospective students to Drake, and for the Office of Alumni and Development, where he helped advance the newly formed Student Alumni Association.

And at some point he had to attend classes and complete coursework.

So Morjaria made a tough decision: He’d trim one of his four areas of study. “I’m going to drop the math major,” says the senior with a tinge of regret.

Morjaria has become known at Drake for his exceptional dedication to scholarship, professional development, and the Drake community.

With his remaining majors—actuarial science, finance, and information systems—he’ll be among fewer than a dozen students from each graduating class who even attempt to earn three majors.

As a first-year student, Morjaria earned the title of “Superman” from The Times-Delphic student newspaper after he overcame a serious health condition while maintaining a perfect 4.0 grade point average. He’s upheld those high academic marks every semester.

Much to his surprise, Morjaria has also become financially independent during his time at Drake. He never expected that he’d make it through college without asking his parents for cash—an accomplishment he chalks up to the support of the Drake community.

“I’ve never been to a place where people care about each other as much as they do at Drake,” he says. “Friends and professors have helped me with things that are well beyond the scope of what you’d expect—they’ve helped me with my tax returns, given me rides to where I need to go, and accommodated my schedule when I missed three weeks of class for job interviews in New York, Connecticut, Chicago, and Minneapolis.”

Despite dropping that fourth major, Morjaria says he’s feeling confident. “Everything the Drake business school does gears you toward being a professional in today’s workforce,” he emphasizes.

“They’ve prepared me really, really well for a career after college.”

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illustRation BY riley brady, CLASS OF 2015

blue notes

Signs of the Times It’s the sixth most commonly used language in the United States, and it carries with it a rich cultural heritage as well as a complex linguistic structure that some have compared to spoken Japanese. American Sign Language (ASL)—a system that relies on hand gestures, facial expressions, and postures—is used by some 500,000 Americans.

Beginning this fall, ASL is being offered through Drake’s World Languages and Cultures.

ASL offering supplemented their other programs. Pharmacy

Two introductory courses are being offered in 2013-2014

what it means to be “big D” Deaf—a person with hearing

thanks to the Farr Fund for American Sign Language,

loss who identifies as culturally deaf.

established by Marilyn H., gr’66,’76, and Charles E. Farr. The Farrs sought to expand ASL offerings in central Iowa, filling what they recognized as a gap in the Des Moines community.

Now Drake is helping fill this void by enabling students with little or no background in ASL to expand their linguistic and cultural competencies. Marc Cadd, director of World

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students were excited to learn how to better communicate with deaf clients.”

Students in these courses are introduced to ASL syntax, grammar, and idiomatic usage in addition to other key elements of ASL communication such as facial expression and posture. In both courses, as well as a third on deaf culture, students will come away with a deepened understanding of

Courses are taught by Polly Fullbright, dean of students for the Des Moines Public Schools’ Deaf Education Program at Capitol View Elementary School and leader of the district’s deaf and hard-of-hearing programs. Deaf her whole life, Fullbright lip-reads and speaks while signing but is also aided by an

Languages and Cultures, associate professor, and department

interpreter in class.

chair, says that student response confirms the need for such

“We haven’t separated ASL from the culture part of the deaf

an offering.

experience,” says Cadd. “By not only learning ASL but learning

“Before we listed the course for registration, students were

from someone who happens to be deaf, they will go much

talking about how interested they were. The courses filled

further toward breaking down misconceptions and barriers.

almost immediately,” says Cadd. “Students also saw how an

It really is new territory, and it’s very exciting.”

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It’s Neil deGrasse Tyson’s World— We Just Live in It. Few astrophysicists are as comfortable on national television as they are behind a telescope. Fewer still have a global fan base that includes a million loyal Twitter followers. Neil deGrasse Tyson is that unique constellation of characteristics: renowned scholar, pop culture icon, and catalyst for popularizing science among a generation of young people.

“He has helped to get science out of the nerd realm,” says Charles Nelson, director of the astronomy and physics department at Drake University. “He’s just really terrific at creating an infectious enthusiasm about science.”

You may know Tyson as director of New York City’s Hayden Planetarium, the most-visited venue of its kind in the United States. He gained major public attention (to put it nicely) when he struck Pluto from the list of planets recognized by the planetarium. Although the scientific community later followed suit, the decision has been unpopular among stargazers young and old. (Even The Big Bang Theory’s fictional astrophysicist Sheldon Cooper is displeased.)

You more likely know Tyson from his parallel life as a public icon. Formerly at the helm of the PBS series Nova scienceNow, he makes regular appearances on programs like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report and is a trusted source for news outlets, including The New York Times and TIME. He’s slated to return to public television in 2014 to host an updated version of Carl Sagan’s PBS series Cosmos, produced this time around by Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane.

His ability to integrate hard science and pop culture seemingly knows no bounds. He embarrassed talk show host Jon Stewart by pointing out The Daily Show’s globe icon rotated in the wrong direction. Filmmaker James Cameron famously adjusted the nighttime sky in the final scene of Titanic after Tyson criticized its blatant astral inaccuracy.

A legion of tech-savvy twentysomethings accepted him on the internet forum Reddit, where his March 2012 Ask Me Anything Q&A session is second in popularity only to the session held by President Barack Obama. In a recent episode of his “Star Talk” podcast, he explored the potential for a “zombie apocalypse” through interviews with the best-selling author of World War Z and the director of the Center for Infection and Immunity at Columbia University.

Tyson’s versatility has made him something of a legend.

“Some of the best-known figures in science are only popular among one age group,” says Nelson. “Tyson has a way of appealing to everyone—including women and minorities, who are underrepresented in the sciences. We need that.

The sciences need all the publicity they can get.”

31st Bucksbaum Lecture at Drake University Neil deGrasse Tyson Tuesday, Oct. 29, 7 p.m.

Knapp Center, Drake University Admission is free. visit www.drake.edu/magazine to learn more amazing facts about Neil deGrasse Tyson. fall 2013

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photograph BY cameron johnson, CLASS OF 2015

blue notes

[ making a difference ]

Growing a Movement A multitude of veggies and herbs—from kale to chamomile—

Johansen, a junior environmental policy major and the student

grow in neat, green lines, and young fruit trees dot the

coordinator of the garden. “The Boys and Girls Club kids’

landscape of a once unused lot near the Knapp Center. On one

vibrancy is contagious. If we can spark a passion for

day elementary students sit in the nearby outdoor classroom

environmental responsibility or service-learning in one

learning about planting heirloom tomatoes and composting;

child, the garden will be a success.”

on another, Drake students discover a variety of healthful

While the garden serves as a unique classroom for community

foods to recommend to diabetes patients.

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children, Drake students from all colleges and schools will

This vision began as a seed in the minds of a few Drake

also participate in the initiative. Students from the World

students. It’s blossomed into the Des Moines Youth Learning

Languages Center created multilingual signage featuring

Garden—“Sprout” for short—a thriving garden designed

English, Spanish, and Chinese. As part of a J-Term course,

to encourage engagement with both the environment and

School of Journalism and Mass Communication

the community.

undergraduates developed a publicity plan for the project.

Several area organizations participate in the garden. This

“Many colleges and universities have gardens on campus.

summer, students in the service-learning program (providing

However, few have a specific focus on shared community and

undergraduates with volunteer experiences to complement

campus space,” says Mandi McReynolds, Drake’s director of

academic learning) used curriculum created by environmental

community engagement and service. “In addition, few have

science and policy undergraduates to teach children from the

dual learning opportunities for students of higher education

Boys and Girls Club of Central Iowa about growing their own

and local youth education.”

food and how to be environmental stewards.

Inspired by their first taste of a shared harvest, Drake students

“I firmly believe that the youth of the world can be the

hope the seeds they’ve planted grow into a stronger—and

catalysts for change, even in Des Moines, Iowa,” says Madison

greener—partnership.

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[ how to ]

Bring Creativity, Even a Bit of Gruesomeness, to Makeup Design Nose and scar wax, sometimes called modeling putty, is an easy addition that brings dimensionality to makeup design.

This versatile material lends itself to invention: Create a secret identity or just a shockingly great Halloween costume. For best results, try these tips from professional costume designer Josie Poppen, Drake instructor of theatre arts and the creative force behind many of the area’s professional productions.

Gather some inexpensive supplies. You can find nose and scar wax at theatrical makeup supply stores, online, and places that sell Halloween costume supplies. No need to match your skin color; you’ll be covering your new addition with makeup.

Pick up a small bottle of castor oil, found at your local drug store, to finish the project.

Do a little research. Sketch what you’d like the finished design to look like or find sample photos that match your idea.

Think outside the scar. You can use nose and scar wax to not only add something to your face—a wart, a broken nose, a laceration, a scar—but also to create the illusion of something

sticking out of your face—a pencil, a shard of glass (actually clear plastic), staples or stitches (black thread). Be creative.

Be hideous.

Give your design staying power. Try to position the placement of the wax on parts of the face that are firm or stable.

If you need a little extra sticking power, try incorporating some cotton fibers and spirit gum.

Finish the look. After shaping the nose and scar wax into your desired effect, dab on a light coat of castor oil. This will provide the proper finish that allows foundation to blend seamlessly between your skin and its waxy addition.

Have fun—but be smart. Even though some online examples may tell you differently, never fully cover up your eyes or nostrils with this versatile material.

visit www.drake.edu/magazine to see more photos of Josie Poppen using nose and scar wax to transform Cameron Reeves (Class of 2014).

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blue notes

[ reel club ]

[ top five ] It’s Tradition.

Fall semester is an exciting time on campus—students return from summer break to reunite with friends, and first-years begin their adventures as Bulldogs. Here are five fall traditions that define the semester: Welcome Weekend and move-in day

1.

are not just milestones for first-years.

Students and staff from around campus pitch in to move new undergraduates in and show them the ropes at Drake.

Screams on Screen Horror films generally share common elements (some measure of blood and fear of death and/or dismemberment), but through the decades, explains Associate Professor of English Beth Younger, these creepy flicks reveal changing attitudes about gender roles in our society. They remain popular, however, for a more visceral reason: “It’s fun to be scared.”

2.

Sweetheart Sing hits all the right notes every fall. The huge Greek community event is open to the public, providing harmonious entertainment tied to themes such as greatest hits and Disney songs.

Although Skip Day hasn’t been officially

3.

practiced since 1975, this tradition is one that many more-seasoned alumni no

Screen a Halloween celebration of cinema with Younger’s suggested lineup (and her analysis):

doubt remember. For 94 years, students took over the University and declared a

Halloween A movie ostensibly about a crazed killer who preys on sexually active young women, it’s more a narrative about how absent parents and hapless adults are ineffective tools against a man with a mission. The major lesson of John Carpenter’s 1978 low-budget film: Girls don’t need anyone to save them; they can save themselves.

free day for all.

4.

Teeth Best film ever about the utter failure of abstinence-only sex education. Best line: “It’s true, it’s true—Vagina Dentata!”

Night of the Living Dead George A. Romero’s 1968 classic about zombies who want to eat you. But really, are the zombies that scary in contrast to the two men fighting over control of the farmhouse?

It’s a power struggle over differing versions of masculinity.

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Homecoming, a week of festivities leading up to the big football game at and current students ardently enjoy the

a chainsaw!), but the scariest aspect of Tobe Hooper’s 1974 slasher film is the prospect of living in a house without women. TCSM is truly a nightmare for its heroine: Sally literally leaps through windows to avoid the family dinner. Twice. the genre was controversial, especially because the zombies are not real zombies. A contagion narrative that turns into a romance.

Bulldog spirit is in full swing during

Drake Stadium. Alumni may fondly recall

Texas Chainsaw Massacre Sure, Leatherface is terrifying (he has

28 Days Later Danny Boyle’s 2002 introduction of fast zombies to

Whether you’re a Greek or not,

carnival and Homecoming Picnic on Helmick Commons and window painting at Meredith Hall.

5.

As fall semester comes to a close and students bunker down for finals, Late Night Breakfast provides a delicious study break. Administrators, faculty, and staff prepare mouthwatering eats (think pancakes and bacon) at Hubbell for students prior to finals.

Profile

The City as Classroom law professor jonathan rosenbloom challenges his students—and himself— to push boundaries.

Jonathan Rosenbloom brought his expertise in sustainability, environmental law, state and local government, and property law to Drake Law School in 2010. Just two years later he was named Leland Forrest Outstanding Professor of the Year by his students.

Rosenbloom, who serves on several community boards working on sustainability issues, is passionate in his belief that law has the potential to have a positive impact on the economic and environmental challenges facing the world today. He shares this belief in the classroom and in his personal and professional life.

As a professor ... I try to make clear that there are great inequities in the world. Many of these inequities are created or exacerbated by the law, but they may also be remedied by the law. I want students to understand that the legal framework we have right here, right now, is only one way in which we can structure society. My hope is that students learn to evaluate and question current legal parameters and push the boundaries to improve the law to benefit more people.

In the classroom I like to ... open it up. I believe an enormous amount can be gained by opening the classroom to the community. It is a classic win-win. The students receive a unique “real life” professional and educational

experience in which they work on concrete issues facing our community. Both the University and central Iowa benefit from the energy, research, and enthusiasm of our dedicated students. There is great untapped potential in making connections between the way we educate students and the development of lawyers working in the real world.

My students ... are often fortunate to have been raised with a Midwestern work ethic. I have great respect for their focus and diligence—particularly the first-year law students.

They are thrown into a new and, in many cases, completely foreign world. In these stressful environments their character and work ethic rises to the surface. Their burgeoning passion to understand the law and how itworks is infectious. With every new class, I am challenged in new ways, rethinking law and my relationship to it as an educator.

Outside of Drake ... I work in the community regarding my biggest interest—local sustainability. I’m lucky to serve on a few boards of some great organizations doing wonderful things for our community and the environment. I think it’s important to keep a fresh perspective and use my experience and skills where they are needed. Above all else, I love traveling the world and exploring new and different cultures with my wife and twin daughters. fall 2013

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now

the drake university marching band brings martial accuracy to its footwork and music.

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then strike up the band Like many institutions across the country, Drake University mobilized for World War II, and hundreds of new faces arrived on campus. According to the terms of an agreement with the War Department, Drake was “to provide housing, food, and instruction for five hundred to five hundred and fifty men assigned here as an Army Air Corps Training Crew.” The Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps requisitioned Cole Hall—

Drake was soon awash in olive drab uniforms, the campus buzzing with national service and Sousa marches in addition to traditional academics. The period during and immediately after WWII became transformational for Drake. Enrollment surged with veterans after 1945, and calls for campus expansion led to Eliel and Eero Saarinen’s landmark buildings: the Quads, Harvey-Ingham, Fitch, and Hubbell.

—Danny Akright, jo’10, as’10

home today to the Office of Undergraduate Admission—and two other University buildings.

visit www.drake.edu/magazine to watch your Drake University Marching Band conquer Lambeau Field and Arrowhead Stadium in the 1970s.

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The Science of Porterhouse As anyone who’s ever met Porterhouse can attest, he’s a bundle of awesomeness. But there’s more to this loveable Bulldog (and all of his far-flung relatives) than one might expect. Here are a few interesting facts about our beloved mascot:

A lifejacket is a must for bulldogs if they are near water. That giant head may be cute, but it also makes the bulldog ill-suited for swimming.

Bulldogs are unusually large-skulled (brachycephalic, to be technical) animals, which means the majority of them are born by cesarean section.

A full-grown English bulldog can stand 12–16 inches tall at the shoulder and, when fit, weigh up to 70 pounds.

Bulldogs are more likely than all other dog breeds to suffer from hip dysplasia, a condition resulting from abnormal joint structure in the hip.

Porterhouse does not have this condition—he just enjoys stroller rides for the attention.

Those adorable squashed-up faces make for very short nasal passages. This means hot air does not cool down sufficiently before it reaches the lungs, making heat a true enemy of the bulldog.

When excited or playful, the bulldog wags its tail at an enthusiastic 350 miles per hour. (Okay, we made this one up, but it sure seems possible.)

While certainly not known for endurance running, the English bulldog can reach speeds up to almost 20 miles per hour over short distances. Though he’s pretty speedy on Drake’s basketball court, Porterhouse probably tops out quite a bit slower.

A bulldog’s bite has been measured at up to 300 pounds per square inch (compared to a human bite at 120 PSI).

Porterhouse, however, is much more likely to give you a friendly lick.

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Culture and Competency in America

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by Danny Akright, jo’10, as’10

Rockets roared, shooting powerful jets of fire toward the ground and lifting astronaut heroes into orbit, propelling them to the Moon. The space race of the 1950s and ’60s led to a boom in science on television and the silver screen and helped mint a new generation of scientists and engineers. In 2013 the glamorous Apollo moonshots are decades behind us. So why is science surging onto our TV and movie screens and into our classrooms once again?

SCIENCE FOR THE MASSES When Chris Hadfield wrapped up his term as commander of the International Space Station (ISS) earlier this year, the Canadian astronaut sent a special message to his fans. Hadfield covered David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” in a zero gravity music video that within a month had more than 16 million views on YouTube.

It was a stellar farewell from an astronaut who brought millions of followers on board the ISS through tweets, photos, and videos. Hadfield used social media to show experiments; share never-before-seen views of the space station, the stars, and Earth; and give those of us on the ground a glimpse into an astronaut’s life.

Mainstream blogs like Slate and Buzzfeed picked up on Hadfield’s content, preparing galleries of Hadfield’s photos and sharing videos like his zero gravity washcloth experiment. What started out as a single Twitter account (@Cmdr_Hadfield) blossomed, reaching vastly larger audiences than the commander’s 1 million followers.

On August 5, 2012, NASA’s Curiosity rover made its first tweet—ostensibly from another planet: “I’m safely on the surface of Mars. GALE CRATER I AM IN YOU!!! #MSL”

In reality, the Mars Science Laboratory tweet came from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, home to both the Mars Curiosity control room and Veronica McGregor’s team of social media specialists. By giving the rover a first-person perspective and a witty personality, McGregor’s team made the highly scientific mission accessible to a much wider audience. They even had the rover follow Instagram trends, as it tweeted a “selfie” (self-portrait).

Considering the distance between Earth and Mars (somewhere between about 34 million and 249 million miles, depending on where the planets are in their respective orbits), the intimacy with which Curiosity connects to its 1.3 million followers is astounding.

Social media has allowed astronauts like Hadfield and communicators like McGregor to reach new audiences, especially young people who’ve been primed for science.

SCIENCE IS COOL Bill Nye’s name carries a hefty cachet with the millennial generation. For many twentysomethings, Nye’s Emmy Award-winning television show, Bill Nye the Science Guy (1993–1998), was their first introduction to the concept of science as fun, science as cool.

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A frequent visitor to elementary classrooms via TV and video, Nye infused a high level of energy and wonderment into the subjects he brought to life.

Exploring concepts such as the physics of flight, how food is digested, and why our socks can create static electricity, Nye and his team of 40 produced enthralling episodes inside a Seattle warehouse. The show, Nye said in a 2013 interview with The New York Times, always had a mission.

“This was a conscious decision: I’m going to influence kids, influence young people, get them excited about science so in the future we’ll have scientists,” says Nye. “As near as I can tell, people were influenced.”

Today Nye has changed his tactics, shifting from engaging children to challenging TV pundits. Making guest appearances on cable news channels, Nye confronts hosts who deny the scientific evidence behind climate change and evolutionary theories.

“If I can get myself onto news shows where they would not normally have a person of my belief and bent— get on the inside—that to me is the best,” says Nye. “That reinforces the message the strongest.”

While Nye takes on those people he considers major obstacles to scientific literacy, others have picked up the “science is cool” banner. The Discovery Channel’s Mythbusters, a show in which hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman investigate urban legends, has less hard science than Science Guy—but many more explosions.

GOING MAINSTREAM Deep beneath the Franco-Swiss border, highly energized particles race around a 17-mile tunnel. This is the Large Hadron Collider, one of the biggest, most expensive, and most important scientific installations on Earth. If you’re already familiar with it, you probably watch The Big Bang Theory.

The Large Hadron Collider became a central plot element during the hit CBS comedy’s third season. One of the main characters, Leonard, faces a dilemma when he wins a trip to visit the collider. His choice: take his girlfriend, Penny, for a Valentine’s Day trip or take one 22

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of his roommates, all highly educated scientists. It’s classic sitcom conflict, but the scientific details of the episode are unique to The Big Bang Theory.

Launched in fall 2007 and featuring three physicists (experimental, theoretical, and particle) and an aerospace engineer, the show marks the first time that main characters with such extraordinary and visible scientific careers have succeeded on screen. It’s brought high ad revenue to CBS and higher visibility to science.

“Just look at what The Big Bang Theory has done for physics and physicists,” says Kyle Hill, a trained engineer and blogger for the popular and respected science magazine Scientific American. “Pop culture goes a long way in showing how science isn’t merely cold and calculated but an adventure on the grandest scale.”

Hill’s blog focuses on science in pop culture, examining when pop gets it right, when it goes wrong, and how the phenomenon influences the general population.

“When shows or books really want to get the science right, it can be a huge boon for the science involved,” says Hill. “Heck, watching Mythbusters drove me into engineering. When done right, the science can really shine.”

As The Big Bang Theory brings science to the mainstream, some popular performers are adopting science as a new passion. GZA, a member of the popular rap group Wu-Tang Clan (“I’m causin’ more family feuds than Richard Dawson”), recently partnered with physicists to create a cosmos-focused album. A New York Times article last fall profiled GZA’s partnership with a Columbia University professor to bring rap into New York City public school science classrooms, helping reach underserved African American students.

Science’s growing presence in pop culture isn’t an accident. It’s a goal.

SCIENCE SELLS Doron Weber has spent the better part of two decades opening doors for science. Weber, a former Rhodes and Fulbright scholar educated at Brown University, the

“ We’ve been pioneers in bringing the two cultures—science and the humanities—closer together,” says Weber. “It’s not as strange now to talk about science and film, science and theater, as it was when we started.”

Sorbonne, and Oxford, is vice president for programs at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, a New York City charity whose name you might recognize from its National Public Radio sponsorships.

The Sloan Foundation’s Public Understanding of Science and Technology program has been Weber’s baby and an engine for supporting science-based works of literature, theater, film, and television (along with the occasional opera).

“We’ve been pioneers in bringing the two cultures— science and the humanities—closer together,” says Weber. “It’s not as strange now to talk about science and film, science and theater, as it was when we started.”

The Sloan Foundation’s 2011 annual report lists more than $12 million in grants distributed to support its projects. Among many notable successes is Robot & Frank, a film starring Frank Langella and Susan Sarandon but giving technology a lead role. It received nationwide distribution following success at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.

Hits like Robot & Frank have not always been easy.

“When we started, it was not natural at all,” says Weber of the then unfamiliar formula blending entertainment with science. “When I went out to Hollywood and brought up the word ‘science,’ none of these things existed yet. Now we’re much more accepted and much more mainstream than we used to be. Part of that is

cultural development—we’re riding this wave into a more scientific and technological society. The zeitgeist is with us.”

A NEW THEORY ON SCIENCE EDUCATION NASA’s Cassini spacecraft captures a 1,250-mile-wide hurricane at Saturn’s north pole. Wake Forest University scientists innovate a process of 3-d-printing viable human organs in North Carolina. Google engineers run self-driving cars on the streets of California. A study released in May by Universitas 21 ranks the United States higher education system the best on Earth.

So how could the United States be in the midst of a science education crisis?

An assessment called the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), created by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) in Amsterdam, provides the best data for comparing science students internationally. Every four years since 1995, students all around the world are tested for core science and mathematics competencies. The resulting data not only show how those students fared but also translate their scores into four benchmarks: Advanced, High, Intermediate, and Low. “While scores tell us something, they don’t tell the full story as well as international benchmarks,” says Stephen Provasnik, TIMSS national research coordinator fall 2013

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at the National Center for Education Statistics. “The [IEA] has pulled together a bunch of experts that have been able to identify what skills are associated with certain scores. You know if a student reaches a score, they can do a set of skills.”

In 2011, the last time TIMSS data were collected, 40 percent of American 8th graders achieved at least the “High” benchmark, up 10 percent from the initial assessment in 1995. Singapore, the top-scoring nation in both 1995 and 2011, saw a 13 percent gain, with “High” or better achievement rising from 56 percent to 69 percent.

“The U.S. has seen improvement; scores are going up in both math and science,” says Provasnik. “The reality is that the other countries are showing improvement, too, and some are showing more improvement than we are. We aren’t performing as well—and not showing as much improvement—as the countries that are doing the best.”

The statistics under the top benchmark reveal a more troubling American picture. In 2011, 10 percent of American 8th graders achieved the “Advanced” level.

Four times as many Singaporean 8th graders claimed that title. Even the third-place performer, South Korea, has double the U.S. percentage.

Of the 10 countries that ranked higher than the United States in the 2011 TIMSS assessment, the top four are Asian nations (Singapore, Chinese Taipei, South Korea, and Japan), followed by Russia, England, Finland, Slovenia, Israel, and Australia.

America lags further behind as the gap continues to grow, but experts say there’s hope.

DESIGNING THE EXPERIMENT In April of this year, a group of four national organizations released the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), the first revision of national

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science standards since the 1990s. The new standards are poised to create a seismic shift in how science is taught and assessed in the United States.

Achieve, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, nonpartisan education organization, spearheaded the process of creating NGSS. It began with the Framework for k-12 Science Education—a report released in July 2011 by the National Research Council (NRC) to present the most current knowledge on science and cognitive development.

“The Framework was a critical first step because it is grounded in the most current research on science and science learning and identifies the science all k-12 students should know,” says Achieve Senior Science Advisor Jennifer Childress about the foundational work that shaped NGSS. “The committee [developing NGSS] included practicing scientists, including two Nobel laureates, cognitive scientists, science education researchers, and science education standards and policy experts.”

America lags further behind as the gap continues to grow, but experts say there’s hope.

By focusing on three key areas—practices, crosscutting concepts, and disciplinary core ideas—the NGSS aims to ensure that students will learn the type of inquiry and problem-solving skills that practicing scientists and engineers thrive on.

“A lot of STEM [science, technology, engineering, mathematics] education is memorizing the definitions of concepts, and while that might help on a test, it’s not science,” says Adam Gamoran, chair of the NRC’s Committee on Highly Successful Schools or Programs for k-12 STEM Education. “We need our young people to understand what scientists do, and I think the NGSS continues the track of doing science and not just reading science concepts.”

UNKNOWN VARIABLES Achieve solicited state participation, eventually selecting representatives of 26 states to develop the set of rigorous, coherent standards. With the goal of nationwide adoption competing with the diversity of each state’s education systems and political environment, the NGSS creators had to structure the standards carefully.

“Every part of the NGSS was shaped by these considerations,” says Childress. “For example, the document was constructed in a way that purposely didn’t require all states to define a ‘standard’ the exact same way because many states have their own definition of a standard by law.”

Despite a concerted effort to make the standards widely acceptable, they came under fire shortly after their release. Some conservative groups say the standards are a federal imposition of educational standards on state and local governments, and the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a conservative think tank, issued a “C” grade for the standards.

Despite the backlash, many education experts see the NGSS as a key tool to improve American science education.

“Not implementing the standards would be failing to catch up to other parts of the world and to promote a science-ready workforce more broadly—and even to promote scientific literacy,” says Gamoran. “It takes a combination of professional expertise and political will. Those are both there, but they need to coalesce together.”

Each week more than 9 million Americans sit down with The Big Bang Theory, the top-rated show in the country.

Viewers are used to watching characters like Sheldon Cooper and Amy Farrah Fowler strut their scientific stuff on TV, but the intricacies of their fields are as foreign to most of their audience as the surface of Mars. Mayim Bialik, the actress who plays Fowler, would feel at home in a laboratory—she holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA. Her fans may only know molecular biology and electrophysiology in primetime.

Science has arrived in mainstream culture, pervading our daily lives. Our education system is trying to catch up. Part of the challenge is moving students from watching science to doing science. Will new standards and renewed commitment allow our kids to blossom into science champions and push our nation back to the top? Stay tuned.

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“Creating a model of behavior in these fruit flies is very interesting to me because it can be used by others in their research dealing with alcohol preference in fruit flies. Nobody has set up a behavior model like this with these insects before.”

—hannah moses

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The Drake Formula An Equation for Tomorrow

By Alyssa Young Bent over a lab table in Olin Hall, Hannah Moses attaches plastic t-shaped tubes full of miniscule fruit flies to an even larger tangle of tubes. With dials set and switches flipped, air and vaporized ethanol begin to fill the fruit flies’ chamber, and Moses observes how the insects behave “under the influence.” She hopes the assay she is creating with these teeny test subjects will someday lead to improved treatment options for individuals suffering from alcohol dependence.

“Creating a model of behavior in these fruit flies is very interesting to me because it can be used by others in their research dealing with alcohol preference in fruit flies,” says Moses, a senior psychology major and neuroscience minor. “Nobody has set up a behavior model like this with these insects before.”

Similar scenes of groundbreaking opportunity are commonplace at Drake, where initiatives such as the Bucksbaum Lecture Series and Drake University Science Collaborative Institute (DUSCI) bring such prestigious scientists and science journalists as Neil deGrasse Tyson, James Balog, and Ira Flatow to campus. They’re also a welcome sight in a state that needs workers skilled in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, collectively referred to as STEM. According to Iowa Workforce Development, STEM-related job growth is expected to exceed that of any other employment sector in Iowa through 2018. However, only 12 percent of Iowa undergraduates currently enroll in STEM majors, compared to 15 percent nationally.

The academic tide is beginning to turn at Drake: Students in STEM-related majors jumped by more than 13 percent between 2008 and 2012. Moreover, the number of students indicating an interest in math, science, and technology on their applications to Drake has grown by almost 30 percent since 2009.

Rising interest is likely connected to an intensified nationwide focus on k-12 STEM education, but the University’s shifting enrollment could also reflect the draw of the hallmarks of a Drake education.

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“My students ask me very innocent but interesting questions and make me think differently at times.”

­— pramod mahajan

Experiential Collaboration DUing SCIence The Drake Undergraduate Science Collaborative Institute (DUSCI) is one way students of all majors can get involved with research. DUSCI promotes student/faculty research experiences across disciplines, strives to increase scientific literacy, and provides opportunities to engage the larger community in science and math. Participating students share their research projects with the public in the annual Drake University Conference on Undergraduate Research in the Sciences (DUCURS). DUSCI also sponsors a competitive summer research program. Students work with a faculty mentor to create a research project proposal.

Read more about the program’s impact in “Commanding Performance” (page 64) and explore further online at www.drake.edu/dusci.

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The hands-on research possibilities available to Drake undergraduates are unmatched at research institutions—referred to as R1s in the higher education community. Graduate students are the main research force at these universities. Their undergraduates, if they even get into the lab, are often entering data or meticulously scrubbing glassware.

The cornerstone of research at Drake is student-faculty collaboration. Students often help create the investigations and guide experiments, not simply perform tasks as dictated by the professor. Many students and faculty members have co-authored studies published in a wide variety of scientific and trade publications, such as the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities, Physiology & Behavior, and Restoration Ecology.

John Emmons, a junior physics, math, and computer science triple major, boasts many student-faculty collaborations, including an interdisciplinary project with Tim Urness, associate professor of computer science, and Adina Kilpatrick, assistant professor of physics. Their research encompassed multiple areas, including computer science, artificial intelligence, physics, and biology.

“In addition to learning many technical skills in these areas during the project, Dr. Urness and Dr. Kilpatrick also taught me a lot about academic research in general,” says Emmons. “Instead of solving the problems I may have had, they gave me the tools to solve them on my own. I am now much more confident in my ability to conduct independent research.”

The team’s goal was to better understand the three-dimensional structure of proteins using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Urness and Kilpatrick served as advisers and partners on the project, with Emmons—recent recipient of a prestigious Goldwater Foundation Scholarship—leading the experiments.

Throughout the project, Emmons fine-tuned a software program he wrote that organizes NMR data in a way that produces the sequences of the amino acids of a protein.

This seemingly foreign language of advanced science bonded the researchers in a common cause: Creating such a program would enable future researchers to more quickly analyze the huge number of unknown proteins discovered by the rapidly evolving field of genomics. This ability to propel genetic research could lead to a number of breakthroughs in disease treatment and prevention and other health-related areas.

“John was very independent about this research,” says Urness.

“He would bring novel ideas to our discussions. In many ways, working with him was like working with a colleague. John taught me a lot about biology and reminded me how resourceful Drake undergraduate students can be.”

While Drake professors’ primary focus is teaching, research plays a vital role—not only in faculty members’ professional development but also in the student learning experience.

“Research projects really are the core way that I teach students how to do science—you can’t get a sense for how to design, implement, and analyze a field study in a wetland or prairie by reading a book,” says Keith Summerville, associate professor of environmental science and associate dean, whose research interests include ornate box turtles, prairie restoration, and conservation. “A place like Drake benefits from research-committed faculty because it allows students to get exposure to how STEM fields function in the professional world.”

Benefits and challenges often arise when working with undergraduate students in class and in the lab. Students’ preparation for collegelevel STEM coursework and research varies widely, according to professors. Yet limited exposure in high school can sometimes prove to be a bonus in the college classroom.

“One thing I particularly appreciate while working with undergraduate students is their scientific naiveté,” says Pramod Mahajan, associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences. “They are not afflicted with the virus of preconceived ideas or pet hypotheses. My students ask me very innocent but interesting questions and make me think differently at times.”

Engaged Citizens The Drake undergraduate research experience extends beyond campus. Along with study in a chosen STEM field, the liberal arts core of a Drake education helps students develop the ability to think critically and communicate their knowledge to the broader community, to see possibilities for how STEM-driven advances benefit society.

Adam Riesselman, a senior chemistry and biochemistry, cell, and molecular biology double major, sees the connection between his coursework and research with one international issue in particular—hunger.

Through various research experiences at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center in El Batan, Mexico; the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s research arm in Ames, Iowa; and now DuPont Pioneer in Johnston, Iowa, Riesselman has worked with transgenic crops, experimenting with beneficial genetic traits that may help food production keep pace with the world’s growing population.

“I have been able to apply what I’ve learned at Drake University in a challenging, fast-paced environment [at DuPont Pioneer]; moreover, I can see how my work will be applied to increase food supply in our world,” says Riesselman, another Goldwater scholar.

DuPont Pioneer President Paul Schickler, bn’74, gr’83, emphasized such awareness and ambition in his commencement address to the Drake graduating class of 2013. “Leadership is something that is

The Next Generation With the many STEM resources on campus and continued commitment to partnering with the community, Drake is situated to spark the younger generation’s interest in science, technology, and math.

In the spring of 2012, Drake was named one of six regional STEM hubs by Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad. Drake and the hub are tasked with increasing student interest and achievement, developing a stronger workforce in STEM fields, and stimulating statewide economic development.

In the first year of the program, the hub at Drake has laid the groundwork for more developments over the next two years, many of which will involve Drake faculty and students.

Learn more about the South Central Iowa STEM Hub at Drake in The Blue Sheet, page 50. To read more about how Drake is helping to ensure a strong future for STEM fields, visit www.drake.edu/magazine.

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“I have been able to apply what I’ve learned at Drake University in a challenging, fast-paced environment; moreover, I can see how my work will be applied to increase food supply in our world.”

—adam riesselman going to be greatly needed in the years ahead because we are facing an unprecedented task—the enormous challenge of figuring out how we are going to feed the world in the next 50 years. I’m convinced the world’s future depends on the imagination, expertise, and creative thinking your generation brings to bear.”

Meanwhile, undergraduates in white lab coats peer through lenses at

Future Innovation

Off campus, the environmental science and policy department recently

Faculty and administration alike acknowledge room for improvement in order for Drake to remain relevant in STEM education. Increased internal and external funding and better facilities are all areas of need.

Learning Center in Runnells, Iowa, where students co-manage 1,000 acres

“Availability of facilities attracts faculty with strong research programs, which in turn attracts bright students,” says Mahajan. “Research productivity increases, and the cycle of success continues. In smaller institutions like Drake, the facilities are limited, which hinders productivity.”

about the future of STEM at Drake. Further developing innovative

While resources are limited, important steps have been taken to strengthen the sciences at Drake, most notably with recent updates to facilities and the creation of new lab space. In the Ellis Disease Prevention Lab, students monitor vital signs, virtually explore the human body with an Xbox controller, and conduct wellness screenings for real patients.

“We need to prepare ourselves for those 21st-century learners,”

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microscopic DNA strands, determining how an individual’s genetics affect the body’s response to medication in the Pharmacogenomics Lab. The University has made such additions and renovations to existing STEM facilities a top priority.

partnered with Metro Waste Authority to establish the Environmental of prairie, forest, and wetlands.

With these developments, administrators and faculty are optimistic practices of teaching—which include research—is an important part of the Drake University Strategic Plan 2013–2017, reflecting an institutional commitment to STEM curricula and professional preparation.

says Provost Deneese Jones. “They don’t want to be passive learners; they want to be engaged. And what better way to do that than through research? We’ve got all the right elements to make a big change.

We’ve got a rocket here.”

MAKING

SENSE of SCIENCE and ourselves

A veteran journalist navigates facts and fears and shares her journey of survival.

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When my dad read the first piece I ever wrote for a national publication—an article on planning children’s parties—he asked, incredulously, “They pay you for this?” His comment has stuck with me for nearly four decades because it foreshadowed my career as a journalist in three ways.

First, while writing magazine articles is far more challenging than it might look, it is still a fun way to make a living. Second, I was headed to the “soft” side of writing—such as service journalism and human-interest features—rather than hard news, investigative journalism, or science writing. Third, I could always count on my dad to keep me humble. For much of my career in magazine journalism, this was true, with the majority of the articles in my first three decades as a writer focused on home and family topics, largely for Meredith Corporation magazines. I loved writing about houses and the families within them. And, yes, through it all, my dad kept my head an appropriate size.

In my 24 years as a magazine journalism professor at Drake, I worked with students who had broad interests: parenting, health, fashion, human rights, technology, music, the environment— basically anything a magazine might cover, which is just about anything. Many of the students who wrote about science ultimately pursued successful careers in science-related magazines, a move I applauded, knowing full well that those dense topics were for them, certainly not for me. I was no scientist.

Then science became personal.

In 2005 I was diagnosed with a unique kind of breast cancer that confused me. It was not fueled by hormones, so it did not act the way I had always heard breast cancer acted. And the doctors said it was aggressive—so I was frightened as well as perplexed.

I reacted the way most journalists would: I researched. I looked for the facts, for the real story of this disease, and I had no choice but to dive into science headfirst because that’s where the story was.

My background as a journalist was essential in my exploration and gradual understanding of the disease I faced. My education and

After Prijatel finished treatment for TNBC, she began sharing useful—and accurate—information in a blog (hormonenegative .blogspot.com). Her online readers encouraged her to write a book—with hope in the title.

training had taught me where to dig, what sources to trust, how to go deeper and farther into the information. I hit the internet and the old-fashioned library with real books. I accessed major medical journals, such as JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association and The New England Journal of Medicine, through Drake’s library.

And I enjoyed one of the great benefits of being a journalist— interviewing experts. I talked to researchers at Harvard, UCLA, and the Mayo Clinic. Together we walked through their studies, with the scientists explaining nuances, clarifying details, and appreciating my deep interest in the topic.

Research was tricky because the disease itself—triple-negative breast cancer, or TNBC—had barely been named; the term was first used in the medical literature in 2005, only a year before I was diagnosed. Much of the language was foreign to me: HER2/neu, adjuvant, immunohistochemistry, histologic.

And so came more research, more websites, more books, more conversations.

I learned about the specific behavior of TNBC, how chemotherapy can be especially effective against it, about lifestyle factors, about the disease’s diversity. I also learned that too many media reports were off base, using fearful words such as lethal, deadly, and aggressive that painted the disease as hopeless, which is far from the case.

The journalists writing these pieces were quoting expert sources—cancer researchers—but these experts were aiming their comments at medical professionals rather than patients and the general public. A good portion of the actual audience—the patients with TNBC—got caught in the middle of a muddle of negative misinformation. Many were terrified they would die, even if their doctors had given them an encouraging prognosis.

I knew most of them would survive—the research showed that. So I began writing. I wrote first for two breast cancer publications but found that most magazines wanted articles on broader topics, not specifically on TNBC. However, I knew there was an audience out there that wanted and needed details and could benefit from what I had learned and from the positive perspective I had gained from that knowledge. And so, several months after I finished treatment, I started a blog, Positives About Negative, dedicated to providing accurate and hopeful information about TNBC and other forms of hormone-negative breast cancer.

The more I posted, the more I learned about the subject matter and the audience, about the disease and the women dealing with it. (Men do get TNBC, but the great majority of those diagnosed are women.) I learned that my readers were smart, that they had

I learned something about myself—that science was something I could tackle, that, as a journalist, I could interpret this convoluted material in accessible language.

And, as a journalist, I had a responsibility to do so.

also done research. I also learned that they wanted a go-to site for TNBC information, that they appreciated humor, and that they craved hope.

from mine; it would not have the same heart and soul. Researchers, I had learned, did not always understand how patients with this disease felt nor the type or depth of information they needed.

And I learned something about myself—that science was something I could tackle, that, as a journalist, I could interpret this convoluted material in accessible language. And, as a journalist, I had a responsibility to do so.

I let readers of my blog choose the name: Surviving Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Hope, Treatment, Recovery. “Hope has to be in the title somewhere,” one reader said. And the word “survive” insisted others. The book came out in October 2012, and I held my breath for criticism from the scientific community. It did not come. In fact, Clinical Oncology included it as one of its featured picks and now offers the book in its online store. Two library journals gave it the thumbs up. Surviving was regularly one of Amazon.com’s top ten breast cancer books in its first six months, and the Kindle version has been a best seller among oncology titles.

One of the aspects of journalism that makes me the most proud is its ability to make sense of the complex, overwhelming information we face every day—be it about political shenanigans, economic effects of public policy, environmental changes, or any part of the sea of details that threatens to drown us. How could we understand it all without the writers, editors, and designers in newspapers, magazines, broadcast, and digital media who do the research and explain it for us?

Ultimately, my blog readers began encouraging me to write a book.

I had already co-authored a magazine textbook: The Magazine from Cover to Cover, with Sammye Johnson from Trinity University.

The first edition had been a grueling task, taking three years and a boatload of stress. And Sammye and I had just finished the second edition, with both of us getting breast cancer as a bonus.

Committing to write another book was a dubious decision.

Yet I settled down to write. And after a year, I had a book—a dry and highly academic book that I hated. The profiles of TNBC survivors were scant, my own story brief. But bless my wonderful editor’s heart; she read the initial draft and told me what was lacking: my personality and the personalities of the 11 women I profiled. “Add your voice,” she encouraged, giving me permission to write a book that was both hard—with more endnotes than I hope to endure for the rest of my life—and soft.

Through it all I had a nagging thought: Why am I the one writing this book and not somebody with more research credentials?

I finally realized the answer: Nobody had yet written a book on TNBC—no researchers, clinicians, nobody—and it was needed. And if a scientist did write such a book, it would be significantly different

Most important, my primary audience embraced it. Several tell me they’ve read it more than twice. Others thank me for the detail and the endnotes and the suggestions for further exploration. Readers appreciate my own story, coming in and out of the book briefly, making it personal but, ultimately, more about them than about me.

I still absolutely do not consider myself a scientist, but I have learned that science is not foreign territory. We live it every day. And the more we understand of it, the more we understand ourselves. I am astonished by how much I’ve learned, and I feel privileged to use my journalism background to help others.

I do wish my dad had lived to see this book because I think he would be proud of what I have done. Heck, I am proud of what I have done.

This time, though, I am the one who is a bit incredulous.

Patricia Prijatel, gr‘79, the E.T. Meredith Distinguished Professor of Journalism Emerita, is the architect of Drake’s magazine program, which she headed for 25 years. When she retired in 2007, she was director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Today she remains involved in the Master of Communication Leadership program and the E.T. Meredith Center for Magazine Studies.

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The Opperman Difference From the building that bears his name to the programs he brought to fruition to the students and faculty whose presence on campus is made possible by his generosity, Dwight D. Opperman, lw’51, has been and will remain pervasive throughout the Drake community.

Mr. Opperman passed away on June 13, 2013, at the age of 89. His legacy at Drake includes not only the scholarships for law students that have made a legal education possible for many but also the creation of the Opperman Hall and Law Library and Wifvat Plaza, and the opportunity for law students to meet and converse with sitting members of the U.S. Supreme Court.

His generosity and dedication to Drake transformed the lives of many young people and continue to influence and shape the future of the University. His thoughtfulness has truly benefitted posterity.

Update

Our Promise. Our Progress.

More than

100

$200 million

new scholarship funds

958 President’s Circle members last fiscal year.

$30 million $11 million $25 million

Campus has been transformed by More than

$100 million

$0

in gifts for new or renovated spaces.

Nearly raised for interdisciplinary centers. acquired to enhance teaching and learning.

Possibility. Achievement. Transformation. The defining

potential, student lives, and the future of Drake University—

elements that launched distinctlyDrake in 2010 continue to

one experience at a time. For more information, contact

mark our progress. More importantly, your passion is growing

John Smith, as’92, gr’00, Vice President for Alumni and

extraordinary opportunities that are transforming faculty

Development, 515-271-2969, john.smith@drake.edu.

Listening to the Wind By the time students set up music stands and

world.” Indeed, Drake band members have gone on to careers

fine-tuned their instruments inside the Harmon Fine

as performers, as teachers, and in the music business.

Arts Center’s Performing Arts Hall in April 2013, it had already been an eventful year for Drake’s Wind Symphony. The fall 2012 auditions that brought together four dozen of the University’s best wind and percussion players were followed by home concerts, state and regional conference performances, and

Principal alto saxophonist Katelyn Stessman says the physically and emotionally demanding weekend recording session culminated weeks of vigorous preparation, with each musician learning and perfecting how his or her part would fit in the ensemble. “I recently had the opportunity

a three-day, five-concert tour. With a recording engineer, producer, and two associate producers in

Regional tours and recording

the audience, last spring’s performance—spanning

production are made possible

20 hours over three days—was different.

The recording session that takes place every other year is

Friends of Drake Arts.

Mosaic, the Wind Symphony’s

an intense experience for the musicians, says Professor of

seventh CD, will be released this

Percussion and Director of Bands Robert Meunier, describing

fall and available online through

the endurance, focus, and critical listening skills involved.

iTunes and Naxos Music Library

“Students are asked to perform at their highest level, each and every take. That may be 10 takes through the same passage until we get what we want,” explains Meunier. “[The session] gives them a good idea of what it’s like in the professional 36

by distinctlyDrake support of

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and by contacting the Drake University Bands at du.bands@ drake.edu or Robert Meunier at robert.meunier@drake.edu.

to hear parts of the final product, and it was one of the

With two solo tracks recorded the year before, the Wind

most humbling experiences of my life,” she says. “To be

Symphony filled the rest of an eight-track CD (63 minutes

part of such an incredible ensemble that is able to work

distilled down from 40 hours of raw material) with a mosaic of

together and produce something so real and beautiful

musical shapes and colors. The compilation, aptly entitled

is not an experience many get. With each note I am

Mosaic, includes performances by both the 2011–2012 and the

overwhelmed with memories of the music my talented

2012–2013 bands.

colleagues and I made. It is what music is all about!”

Beyond Beakers

A cramped science lab filled with timeworn black tables

for more instruments to be available to students, and teaching

may function just fine to titrate a solution of chemicals.

stations and a glass writing board make instruction and

But today’s science students need—and expect—much

collaboration much easier. Additionally, the space includes

more. Thanks to a $500,000 gift from Cathy, gr’86,

energy-efficient biosafety hoods, an ADA biosafety hood,

and Steve Lacy, a newly renovated organic chemistry

and enhanced safety showers and eyewashes.

lab in Harvey Ingham is the latest in a list of sciencesupporting capital projects that are making an enormous difference in the Drake student experience.

“I really think Drake has a great science curriculum,” says Cathy Lacy, a board of trustees member with an undergraduate science background. “It’s stellar, but some of the labs were not. I didn’t want to see us losing students to other universities just due to the state of our labs.”

Contractors reconfigured two smaller spaces into one larger

The space was completed just in time for students’ arrival in August, and Maria Bohorquez, professor of chemistry and department chair, says the benefits extend far beyond aesthetics.

“We have the chance to include additional experiments and allow students to interact much better and more closely than before,” she says. “All of these little things add up to something big—engagement. And with engagement comes learning.”

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Update

Good Chemistry Katelyn Marr’s entire family came from Illinois to watch

combining her pharmacy degrees with a new nursing degree.

the junior pharmacy student slip into a crisp white coat,

Today Walbridge teaches her graduate nursing students at

recite the pledge of professionalism, and officially and

St. Louis University about the critical role pharmacy will play

ceremoniously transition into the Pharm.D. program.

in their future caregiving, and she pours her knowledge,

She joined other P1 students on the Sheslow stage that

experience, and passion into her vision of a new clinic bringing

day, each reaching into the coat’s left breast pocket

health care to a Ghanaian community in need.

to pull out an important new connection.

“Learn something more. Do something more. That’s what

The thank-you note Mary Walbridge, ph’74, soon received

Mary is about,” says Marr of her mentor and friend. “I thought

in her St. Louis mailbox was not the culmination of her white

about her when I came to my decision to double major.”

coat sponsorship but the beginning of a relationship that continues today.

Combining a Pharm.D. with an M.B.A., Marr says she can see herself managing or even owning a pharmacy, especially

“Mary has transformed my idea of what a pharmacist is,” says

a compounding pharmacy, which she feels is the wave of a

Marr, who had found Walbridge’s name inside her pocket. “I’ve

future defined by evermore personalized medicine.

realized that I can do anything with this degree.”

Through emails and Facebook and—when Walbridge comes to Des Moines for Alumni Board meetings—across the table over lunch, student and alumna have shared experiences, ideas, and aspirations. Marr learned about Walbridge’s career path, which took her from graduation into the manufacturing

That vision, says Walbridge, speaks to Marr’s keen perception.

“It’s gratifying to know that the generation coming up is going to handle the future well,” says Walbridge. “To know that there are kids—bright, honest, motivated kids—that will take care of the world and the people in it.”

side of pharmacy, then the research side, and eventually the

Marr continues to explore career options during this her final

community side. Her work with outreach programs providing

year. When she gets a job offer, she knows with whom she’ll

health care and medicine to indigent patients revealed her

share the news first. “After my parents, the first person I’d

life’s calling, she explained. And back to school she went,

contact is Mary. She’s rooting for me.”

A total of 110 pharmacy students stood on the stage in Sheslow on Aug. 25 and donned white coats made possible by 110 distinctlyDrake donors—including 10 2012 graduates. The cost to sponsor a student’s white coat is $50. (An additional gift can support the Student Travel Fund, helping students attend professional meetings, scientific conferences, and other career development opportunities.) Learn more at www.drake.edu/cphs/alumnifriends or contact Jackie Howard at 1-800-44-drake x4050 or jackie.howard@drake.edu.

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The Comparison Project—supported by multiple sponsors,

Giving Voice Through Video A Sikh teenager is dining in a restaurant with his father

including distinctlyDrake donors giving to the Principal Financial Group Center for Global Citizenship—also hosts a series of lectures and dialogues on Drake’s campus, with a commitment to build understanding between people of diverse faiths.

Digital stories, research, and other resources are available at comparisonproject.wordpress.com.

and mother when a group of older teenagers accosts them with offensive religious stereotypes. The young boy sits in a combination of fear and wonder as his

“These personal narratives teach us something about

father silences the teenagers with only a courageous

the basic beliefs and practices of religion but through a

and effective stare. “I wish I was fearless like him,”

very personal lens,” says Tim Knepper, associate professor

says the son, narrating the scene from his childhood

of philosophy. “Through them, we learn how people are

in a short online video. “But I’m not there yet.”

actually practicing religion and ‘living’ their religion here in Des Moines.”

In another video, a Quaker man describes the feeling of spiritual connectedness that envelops him when he is

Drake students have become teachers in Knepper’s Religions

exploring nature—hiking through deep forests and climbing

of Des Moines class, helping community members learn the

mountains—and recalls how, as a college student, he

technical skills they need to write, compile, and produce their

discovered that a gathering of worshippers in silent prayer

stories. “In the process, their own learning experience goes

gives him that same feeling of spiritual fulfillment.

well beyond reading about a religion in a book or a Wikipedia article,” says Knepper. “They connect in a personal way with

These are two of many personal stories told by members

religions that can otherwise seem foreign and strange.”

of the Des Moines religious community this year as part of The Comparison Project at Drake University. They provide a collection of brief, two- to four-minute snapshots of life as experienced by members of various faiths, especially those that tend to be less familiar to others or commonly misunderstood. fall 2013

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Update

The Ethics of Health While many scholars of international relations focus on security issues, military affairs, and war, Debra DeLaet has always been drawn to more everyday political issues, over time becoming more deeply engaged in global health and human rights challenges. “There’s an obvious intersection with ethics there.”

As DeLaet, professor of politics and international relations, begins her appointment as the new Herb and Karen Baum

As chair, she plans to bring together students, staff, faculty,

Chair of Ethics and the Professions, she’s driven by an

and community partners—through brown bag seminars

overarching inquiry: In everyday life, how can we promote and

and reading groups—to expand a conversation about ways

achieve change to improve the well-being of populations,

to meet the fundamental health needs in the immediate

affect the longevity and quality of human life, and protect

community. Practitioners from health clinics, hospital

human rights?

physicians, Red Cross representatives, and groups working

Health professionals, she says, are pivotal.

“In my field there’s a tendency to focus on and presume that organizations created exclusively for the purpose of human rights advocacy are the best vehicles for promoting change,” says DeLaet of groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. While DeLaet stresses that such organizations are doing important work, she points to the power of organizations created for other purposes. “In some cases where there’s been a successful change of culture, it happens not because you have a human rights advocacy organization condemning a practice but because you have an association of health professionals working with other community leaders to nudge toward change,” she explains, describing successful

locally with refugees may all bring insight to the discussion, which must, stresses DeLaet, move beyond biological and behavioral factors.

“If we really want better population health outcomes, you have to address the socioeconomic determinants of health— which means poverty,” says DeLaet of what she predicts will be challenging discussions. “I hope to move us out of our silos—where those training, say, pre-med students are only covering the basic biological principles they need to master to be ready for med school. We need to broaden the education of undergraduate students, who may go on to work in any sort of health profession, to pay close attention to the social, political, and economic factors that shape health.”

community efforts to reduce the incidence of harmful

Wider exposure is already happening at Drake. DeLaet

traditional practices such as nontherapeutic genital cutting

points to the University’s Global and Comparative Public

and shifts in medical training programs that incorporate

Health Concentration, through which students from multiple

the public dimensions of health.

disciplines—including international relations, pharmacy

Such are the more subtle and less romanticized channels through which conversations, guidelines, practice, and recommendations can promote change, says DeLaet, the

and health sciences, and pre-med—are exposed to a wider mix of science and humanities than they might encounter in their core coursework.

second Drake professor to hold the endowed position

During the second year of her appointment, DeLaet will

made possible by a $2 million gift to distinctlyDrake by Herb

organize a symposium on Ethics, the Professions, and the

Baum, bn’59, and his wife, Karen, in 2010.

Promotion of Global Health. Instead of highlighting academic experts, DeLaet says she wants to gather health care

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practitioners that are modeling innovative approaches. “That

to work in humanitarian organizations or human rights NGOs.

might encourage faculty to consider other elements that

And the number of jobs there is so small. There are simply

they’re not currently bringing to their programs, and students

not enough professional spaces in those organizations for

to think differently about what their professional goals are.”

every student who wants to make that their career,” she says.

Recognizing possibilities for meaningful impact in everyday work, says DeLaet, can reveal more professional paths for students, who sometimes enter her classroom with narrow notions about changing the world. “So many of them want

“But every one of our students is going to work in a profession—business, health, law, education—and I want to use this position to educate students about how the work that many of them are more likely to do has deeply important ethical implications.”

Your Loyalty Is Our Strength

Our alumni are the driving force of distinctlyDrake.

The stories on the previous pages—and online at www.distinctly.drake.edu—reveal how your support

What do Amazon, Samsung, Apple, and Ford have in

is fostering opportunities and moving the University

common? According to recent customer loyalty

toward its vision.

research, these companies annually rank near the top.

Visit www.drake.edu/donors to view the fiscal year

Their customers are among the most committed.

2013 Honor Roll of Donors.

What fuels such allegiance? Longtime Drake Associate Professor of Practice in Marketing Mary Edrington says

loyalty but action. Our challenge has been moving our

there are several factors that contribute to consumer loyalty.

graduates from satisfied and proud alumni to loyal and

“Consumers want to feel valued and trust the company or

active participants in the life of the University.

organization to deliver on its promise,” explains Edrington.

Our alumni can demonstrate their loyalty in numerous

“The brand must stand for something different than its

ways: connecting with a former roommate or professor,

competitors but relevant to the consumer.” Consumers are

recommending a student to Admission, advertising an

driven by information and emotion to take action.

internship or job opportunity at your company to Drake

The Alumni and Development staff partner with our

students and alumni, and visiting campus with family for

colleagues in Marketing and Communications to deliver

a lecture, athletic event, or fine arts performance. And,

information through websites, email newsletters, and

of course, making a gift to your favorite Drake interest.

print media (such as the biannual Drake Blue magazine

Every day, the National Alumni Association Board of Directors,

you hold in your hands). We know, according to a recent

in collaboration with the Office of Alumni Relations, works

Drake alumni attitude survey, that 91 percent of our alumni

hard to find ways for Drake alumni to strengthen their pride

had a great student experience. It’s clear that pride is a

for and loyalty to Drake University. I welcome your ongoing

powerful emotion for our graduates. When it comes to

input into how we can increase your “consumer” loyalty and

action, however, only 38 percent of respondents indicated

create an alumni experience worth bragging about. Please

that they promote Drake all the time or regularly to friends,

share your ideas with me at blake.campbell@drake.edu.

family, and colleagues. Only 12 percent make an annual gift in support of Drake and its students.

Thank you for all you do to make Drake University a priority in your personal and professional lives. Our alma mater will

Our job in the Office of Alumni Relations is to help our

achieve its mission with the dedicated—and loyal—support

graduates stay informed, to remind our alumni of that sense

of our valued alumni.

of pride, and to uphold the trust that translates not only to

—Blake Campbell, gr’05, Director for Alumni Relations 41

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the blue sheet

College of Arts & Sciences back to the future

DUSCI achieves all of this through three special programs:

I have just returned from Iowa City, where I attended the 5th annual FUTURE in Biomedicine Symposium at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. The Fostering Undergraduate Talent Uniting Research and Education program brings faculty and their students from colleges and universities across Iowa to the University of Iowa for the summer, where they conduct research under the mentorship of College of Medicine faculty.

• Speakers Series: The Colloquium Lecture Series brings invited speakers and Drake faculty to campus to share current research and discoveries in science and math.

Since 2005, the Series has held 61 events, attended by 4,880 students. The Life After Drake speaker series lets students hear from and interact with alumni who have turned their Drake education into successful careers in science and math.

Drake has participated in this forum for four years—more than any other higher education institution in Iowa. This year I was privileged to see presentations by Adina Kilpatrick, assistant professor of physics, and her student, Amanda Marwitz, a senior double major in biology and BCMB (biochemistry, cell, and molecular biology). Yeah, I know.

The frequency of participation in the FUTURES program

by Drake faculty and students is evidence not only of their talent (of course) but also of the extent to which the experiential value of research is embedded in our approach to teaching science.

• Hands-On Research and Collaboration: Summer undergraduate research fellowships are the centerpiece of the DUSCI program, allowing students to immerse themselves in their field of study. At this time, six to ten fellowships ($3,000 stipend each) are funded for students who conduct full-time research in June and July, with students presenting the results of their research at an all-day symposium at the end of each summer. Since 2006, 66 students have served as fellows.

Undergraduate research offers students opportunities they may not find elsewhere. In fact, in each one of our Bachelor of Science degree programs in biology, BCMB, chemistry, computer science, environmental science, mathematics, neuroscience, physics, and psychology, students are required to complete (at least) a research-based capstone project and, as is more often the case, devote research hours during their junior and senior years. Because the college does not have full-time graduate students working in the labs, undergraduates have the opportunity to do actual research work themselves or in collaboration with faculty. In fact, it is fairly common for faculty to list students as co-authors on their published articles and presentations, and for students to publish their research findings in journals and present their work at local, regional, and national conferences—with the assistance of the alumni-supported STAR (Student Travel And Research) fund.

• Drake University Conference on Undergraduate Research in the Sciences (DUCURS): Each April, the Conference brings DUSCI participants and other Drake students together to showcase their diverse research to the public.

Student-faculty teams showcase their research in oral and poster presentations, and awards are given to top teams. Since 2004, more than 1,260 students have presented research to collaborators in industry, government, and business.

the big bang The opportunities for student research extend beyond the courses and labs required by our various programs. Students also participate in the Drake University Science Collaborative Institute (DUSCI). Established in 2005, DUSCI promotes a culture of scholarship among students and faculty in science and math, supporting collaborative student/faculty research experiences and providing opportunities to engage the larger community. (Learn more about the program from its current director, John Gitua, in “Commanding Performance” on page 64.)

THE BLUE SHEET

fall 2013

DUCURS brings diverse student research to the public each spring.

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

dean, college of of arts & sciences

development staff

Joe Lenz

Doug Lampe

joseph.lenz@drake.edu

doug.lampe@drake.edu | 515-271-3055

the next generation

the final frontier

The research environment at Drake supports our teachingoriented mission, part of which includes engaging with the community and ensuring science literacy not just for our students but also for the college students of tomorrow.

Initiatives in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) are an important part of this. Drake University is the STEM hub for the south central region of Iowa, responsible for working with businesses, education institutions, nonprofit groups, and others in the region to create greater k-12 student achievement in STEM subjects and a stronger workforce. The programming is vast.

So here we are, back to the future, using experiential learning and research to train the next two generations of scientists, teachers, doctors, lab technicians, engineers, and researchers.

Why do we place such emphasis on research and experiential learning? Because we know it works. All you need to do is look at the placement—or accomplishment rate—of our recent graduates. Within six months of graduation, 99 percent of the Arts & Sciences class of 2012 had jobs, were enrolled in graduate or professional schools, or were engaged in activities (Teach for America, Peace Corps, etc.) that they saw as pertinent to their career objectives.

• Drake’s Wide World of Science summer camp for middle school students is just one of many examples of how Drake faculty and students engage with area k-12 students and teachers, often in collaboration with local businesses.

These camps, while designed and supervised by faculty, are often run by our students—who are sharing their knowledge and learning how to teach others.

Our students’ achievement is certainly a consequence of their intelligence and hard work, but I also have to think that the dedication of our faculty and their pedagogy has something to do with it as well. In fact, the evolution in science pedagogy over the years, from lecture-based to active learning, is one of many reasons why we are engaged in renovating and upgrading our science facilities as part of the distinctlyDrake campaign. (Learn more about science at Drake in “The Drake Formula” on page 26.)

• Under the direction of Associate Professor Keith Summerville, Drake University and Metro Waste Authority cosponsor a weeklong, immersive summer camp for high school students to learn how to do field research.

• For the past two summers, Associate Professor Tim Urness and Assistant Professor Eric Manley (computer science) have held the Summer App Camp, a weeklong summer camp on iPod/android app development designed for middle school students.

• Windsor Professor of Chemistry Mark Vitha received three years of funding from the American Chemical Society to support high school students who worked in his lab. Also, the Chemistry Club sponsors Kids in Chemistry activities on the Drake campus, and physics department faculty visit Des Moines area high schools, giving demonstrations and promoting interest in the study of physics.

• And there is that Des Moines landmark, the Drake Municipal Observatory, operated jointly by the City of Des Moines and Drake’s Department of Physics and Astronomy under the direction of Charles Nelson, associate professor and chair of physics and astronomy.

It is located on the grounds of the Waveland Golf Course and is open to the public during our public night series held each spring, summer, and fall on successive Friday nights.

And here I cannot resist a plug. Drake University has taken a lead in developing innovative, inquiry-based classes and real undergraduate research opportunities. We intend to expand those efforts to provide a more science-literate population. However, as we educate scientists—and the general population—for the 21st century, we are constrained by facilities designed in the 1940s and 1960s. We need more flexible classrooms and labs that can move rapidly from lecture to group work to undergraduate research and that permit us to make the best use of current technology.

Thanks to donors Cathy, gr’86, and Steve Lacy; Morgan E. Cline, ph’53; Bill Smith, as’70; and others, we have renovated key introductory labs in Olin Hall and, more recently, Harvey Ingham 104 (see distinctlyDrake Update, page 37); the biochemistry, biophysics, and organic chemistry labs in Harvey Ingham; and added the Cline Atrium between Cline and Harvey Ingham. However, to realize our goal of a distinctive learning environment for science studies, we need a more comprehensive effort to modernize our science facilities.

If you are moved to help us achieve that goal, please feel welcome to contact me or Doug Lampe, the major gift officer for the college.

fall 2013

THE BLUE SHEET

the blue sheet

College of Business & Public Administration high tech, high touch revisited Our Promise: The College of Business and Public Administration prepares our learners to succeed as leaders and global citizens by bringing the world into the classroom and the classroom into the world.

Key to this pledge is a commitment that graduates of the College of Business and Public Administration (CBPA) will be proficient in their fields, strategic problem solvers, and effective communicators. This commitment responds to the needs of a business community that looks very different than in 1982 when Aliber Hall was built to house the CBPA. Like most other business schools of that era, CBPA’s classrooms and lecture halls generally adhered to the Socratic model in which professors would deliver key information, ideas, and concepts to their students. When students, individually or in groups, were challenged to apply these ideas and concepts, they generally did so through library research on their own time and prepared a paper or presentation in which their conclusions were delivered to the professor.

But technology has dramatically altered the way today’s students learn, and technological proficiency is now a skill that all CBPA graduates need, no matter their field. As a result, CBPA has heavily invested in state-of-the-art technology for all its classrooms and lecture halls. It is no longer unusual to find a student using internet tools— Web browsers, Google Docs, YouTube, Skype, and a host of social media—to facilitate research and discussion in the classroom as well as to keep an open line of communication with faculty outside class.

active learning CBPA graduates will need more than factual knowledge and technological competency. Professionals in business, industry, and the nonprofit world increasingly operate in a collaborative, problem-solving environment in which members of a team access and analyze information, integrate ideas, and provide feedback in real time and across geographical and cultural boundaries.

This requires a different teaching model, according to Allen Zagoren, associate professor of practice in public administration. “Medical schools have long used a problemsolving model in which small groups of students have to identify patients’ health issues, with tutelage from experts,” notes Zagoren, who is also a general surgeon at Unity Point Health Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines.

CBPA has been steadily moving toward this “active learning” model. By placing more emphasis on solving real-world

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CBPA has heavily invested in state-of-the-art technology for all its classrooms and lecture halls.

problems and more responsibility for learning on the student, CBPA is preparing its graduates to be strategic problem solvers and effective communicators.

• Matthew Mitchell, assistant professor of international business and strategy, teaches a graduate course on cross-cultural communication. Students are asked to conduct a multinational negotiation in which the participants represent firms from different cultures and countries. This fall, students will negotiate face-to-face with counterparts at partner universities in Uganda, Mexico, China, and France.

• Zagoren’s capstone (master’s level) students in public administration are not only required to complete a “cogent and cohesive” solution to a real-world problem, but each team is required to define the problem it intends to solve.

One of the recent capstone groups, for example, researched the problems of non-English-speaking residents of the United States, most of whom were immigrants. The group developed introductory course materials to facilitate language learning for five groups: Bosnian, Spanish, Sioux, Hmong, and Lakota Sioux.

• Thomas Swartwood, assistant professor of practice in entrepreneurship, believes he can’t teach entrepreneurship without experiential learning. A typical team-based student project is the development of a comprehensive new business proposal, with several teams competing for venture capital funding.

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

dean of the college of business and public administration

development staff

Charles Edwards

Michael Peterson

charles.edwards@drake.edu

a better way There is increasing demand from faculty and students for this active learning approach, but supplying it is a challenge, even with Aliber’s top-notch technology. Given the traditional structure of the classrooms, only one individual at a time— be it the professor or a student—can be the primary source of information and ideas. While students can work in small groups within the classroom, they need their own computers to access data or conduct research, and they have no way to link the resources they find.

Similarly, there is no mechanism for the ideas and analysis of one group to be shared simultaneously with other groups or with the class as a whole. The professor can monitor the quality of a team’s work by examining individual computer screens or talking with the group, but only with one group at a time. Outside the classroom, the challenge is even greater; space where students can gather for joint research, talk through their results, and get reasonably prompt feedback from the professor has been scarce.

“Technology is only a tool,” says Deb Bishop, associate professor of practice in management. “If we are going to provide our graduates with a better education, we need to use our technological tools in a better way.”

michael.peterson@drake.edu | 515-271-2132

And it is that “better way” that has inspired two significant infrastructure enhancements in Aliber Hall.

One of these, the Active Learning Center, represents a revolutionary redesign of one of Aliber’s 12 traditional classrooms to replicate a collaborative, problem-solving environment. The new laboratory-like facility will enable up to six groups of six students to work on different projects independently, with each group having its work linked to all members of the team and to the professor at the same time. In addition, the professor will be able to make the work product of any single group visible to the class as a whole to facilitate discussion and feedback. The teams can be working on different approaches to the same problem or on six completely different issues.

The other project, the Entrepreneurship Center, will provide collaboration centers for use outside of class time. The technology will allow student teams to link their research and integrate the results. Located on the third floor near faculty offices, it will enable faculty to monitor and comment on the team’s work in progress.

“These two conversions exemplify our promise to merge the classroom and the world,” observes Charles Edwards, CBPA dean. “And we are doing it in a way that will make the CBPA education exciting and interesting. It is truly a transformative opportunity for our students and faculty.”

CBPA students have a new destination for collaborative work outside of class time. The technology behind the Entrepreneurship Center enables faculty to monitor and comment on student teams’ works in progress.

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the blue sheet

College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences science and pharmacy and health sciences education Peruse the vision and mission statements of most colleges of pharmacy and health science programs across the nation and a consistent theme emerges: A central value and point of pride for the health professions is a strong educational emphasis on the sciences.

A pharmacist’s central charge is to serve as medication expert to patients, other members of the health care team, and the public. Science is an integral part of that responsibility.

Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines increasingly steer decisions about which medications should be used and how they should be prescribed, but it is our scientific expertise that enables us to explain why and recommend patient-specific modifications to medication therapy.

With scientific knowledge constantly changing and rapidly expanding, the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences (CPHS) curriculum and the practitioners we’re preparing

are challenged to keep pace. Our best strategy is to educate our students to become scientific thinkers, expert learners, and skillful problem solvers.

The CPHS curriculum emphasizes approaches to teaching and learning that enable our students to build dynamic skill sets. “Content” is required, of course, and lectures, readings, and other traditional teaching methods are effective in its transmission. But other methods are essential for learning to use that information effectively. If you visit a CPHS classroom today, you will likely see groups of students discussing cases, solving problems, and assessing each other’s and their own performance. Questions are asked and answered, and electronic resources are used to access data on the fly.

Experiential education—comprising a full third of today’s curriculum—is also critical because mastery of these competencies takes time; practical skills labs and practice sites provide an authentic and motivating context in which techniques can be practiced and honed under the watchful eye of senior mentors.

The Drake curriculum includes team-based learning and other innovative approaches to educate students to become scientific thinkers, expert learners, and skillful problem solvers.

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

dean of the college of pharmacy and health sciences

development staff

Wendy Duncan

Jackie Howard

wendy.duncan@drake.edu

jackie.howard@drake.edu | 515-271-4050

science and pharmacy practice Whenever a patient or caregiver walks into the local pharmacy and is greeted by a pharmacist, science is probably the furthest topic from his or her mind. He or she needs to fill or refill a prescription or seek advice on a health-related matter. Behind these services is a commitment to the practice and delivery of the latest scientific advancements to individual patients.

The training and preparation of professional pharmacists requires proficiency not only in the basic sciences but also in clinical and social sciences. Each pharmacist in practice today has demonstrated knowledge of myriad scientific disciplines and the ability to apply this understanding in the daily practice of the profession. Every pharmacist is also required to maintain competency in the scientific disciplines associated with the profession through continuing education.

While the specific areas of science will be defined by individual practice settings, the general use of science in pharmacy practice can be summed up in the concept of evidence-based medicine or evidence-based practice. Briefly stated, evidence-based medicine synthesizes scientific data from published medical literature and other sources into answers to problems confronted in practice, applies those solutions, then evaluates the outcome with the goal of improving the treatment or solution. This scientific approach is used to assist physicians, other health care providers, and patients or caregivers in determining the optimal treatment approach to a particular disease or disorder.

In addition, the application of science in pharmacy practice goes far beyond issues surrounding drug therapy decisions.

The use of science by a pharmacist also involves disciplines of psychology, education, sociology, communications, business, and technology/engineering. Only through the use of all these fields can a pharmacist ensure the best possible care is delivered to every patient.

Mastering these disciplines takes a great amount of knowledge, skill, and ability on the part of every pharmacist. The Drake curriculum addresses these needs through innovative approaches such as team-based learning; a pharmacy skills and assessment course series that emphasizes capabilities such as communications and counseling; and a developing interprofessional education initiative with partners such as Des Moines University, Des Moines Area Community College, and Grand View University.

The next time an encounter between a patient and pharmacist occurs, remember the amount of science involved in making sure the best and most appropriate care is delivered. It is the pharmacist’s job to use the scientific method and science to provide this type of care to any patient.

research in undergraduate curriculum While evidence-based medicine necessitates thorough scientific training of health care professionals, the amount of scientific information is increasing exponentially. This presents a significant obstacle to science education. An additional challenge is that less than 40 percent of students entering a STEM discipline (science, technology, engineering, and math) in college end up graduating with a STEM degree.

According to a February 2012 report by the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, the United States “will need to increase the number of students who receive undergraduate STEM degrees by about 34 percent annually over current rates” in order to retain its prominence in science and technology.

A recent publication shows that engaging undergraduate students in scientific research may help this situation. Science in Solution: The Impact of Undergraduate Research on Student Learning, by David Lopatto, describes practical benefits to students that improve career skills important in the sciences: critical thinking, communication, and working effectively with colleagues. Other gains from undergraduate research include instilling a sense of enthusiasm for scientific inquiry and lifelong learning—and for science in general. Undergraduate student involvement in research can also benefit mentors; in a collegial environment, student participation can generate fresh perspectives and new avenues for exploration.

Drake and CPHS have a rich tradition of promoting undergraduate participation in research. These efforts are supported by the Drake Undergraduate Science Collaborative Institute (DUSCI), which encourages a culture of scholarship among students and faculty in science and math. (Learn more in “Commanding Performance,” page 64.) In addition, CPHS faculty have been successful in receiving extramural and intramural funding support for research and the curricular capstone, and experiential and independent study opportunities allow students to gain valuable research background prior to graduation. These experiences, coupled with a rigorous didactic curriculum, help provide the tools our graduates need to remain at the forefront of the scientific knowledge curve and current in best practices.

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the blue sheet

Drake Law a landmark year ahead We have entered into an exciting year here at the Law School.

There are a number of milestones—capital improvements, clinic diversity, an impactful legacy, and more—that will affect our community.

cartwright hall renovations The first phase of the Cartwright Hall renovations was completed in mid-August. There is a new, 90-seat classroom at the south end of the lower level of Opperman Hall. The entire second floor of Cartwright was redone. The old deck was enclosed in a glass atrium and combined with the old quiet and noisy lounges to form the new Kern Commons.

The improvement is remarkable.

around, placing students in nine groups of five students each.

These rooms will be beneficial for classes involving writing, negotiations, and collaborative work. Finally there is the Michael F. Lacey, Jr. seminar room, a 22-seat venue just off of the Commons.

All of these rooms open onto the Sutton Gallery, a light-filled area that extends from the head of the stairs at the north end of the building all the way to the Commons and the view overlooking the campus.

I think you will agree that the renovations turned out very well. If you were not able to join us for the formal dedication in October, I hope you will be able to stop by to see the transformation for yourself.

The classrooms were completely redone. There are now two 90-seat classrooms flanking the central area. In addition to wonderful sightlines and acoustics, each has deep wells to facilitate discussion among students and faculty. There are two 45-seat cluster classrooms that allow variable configurations: Students can face forward in a traditional classroom setting, or the first and third rows can be turned

A formal dedication in October will highlight Cartwright Hall renovations, including a new 90-seat classroom (above) and the new Kern Commons (bottom left).

admissions transitions You have undoubtedly read about the steep national downturn in law school admissions applications. In response to this trend and the challenging national employment market, virtually all law schools are experiencing reduced enrollments. We have witnessed our entering class size fall from 141 in 2011 to 126 in 2012 to 115 this year.

It is difficult to predict with any precision what the longterm admissions picture will be. We are proceeding on the assumption that our enrollment will stabilize at an entering class of about 120. I want to thank all of you who have made scholarship and annual fund gifts that have been so helpful in keeping the Law School competitive in an increasingly challenging admissions environment.

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For alumni and friends of the Drake University Law School

dean, law school

development staff

Allan Vestal Sarah Johnson allan.vestal@drake.edu

the passing of dwight opperman We were saddened to learn in June of the passing of Dwight Opperman, lw’51. The news came just as we were completing preparations for the celebration of Dwight’s 90th birthday.

Dwight’s history with the Law School goes back 65 years and influenced this community in myriad ways. The scholarships in his name have transformed the lives of many young people.

We continue to celebrate the Dwight D. Opperman Hall and Law Library, a centerpiece of the University and a remarkable benefit for generations of law students. We are thankful for his friendship, which led to successive classes of Drake Law students having the opportunity to meet and converse with a justice of the Supreme Court.

Thus we celebrate Dwight’s life and legacy. His influence on the Law School has been pervasive. His presence is a daily feature of this community through the building that bears his name, the people whose presence here is due to his generosity, and the programs that he brought to fruition.

For all of that, he has our genuine and heartfelt gratitude.

sarah.a.johnson@drake.edu | 515-271-1877

20 Drake Law School students into contact with individuals involved in agriculture, agriculture and policy officials, and agricultural law lawyers and professors.

The visit of Cuban law professor Maritza McCormack to Drake in April was a direct result of these trips. She was the first Cuban law professor to receive a visa to visit the United States since the Cuban Revolution.

This summer we learned that the Law School has received the necessary permissions from the State Department to enable us to sponsor nonstudent travel to Cuba. These trips, within the People-to-People program, will also be led by Professor Hamilton. We contemplate two such trips this academic year.

We will keep you informed and hope you will consider coming with us.

the founding of the transactional and nonprofits clinic The Law School has long been recognized as having an exceptional clinical program. Our clinical offerings—along with our internships and experiential opportunities— have been important elements in preparing our students for practice. A challenge has always been that our clinical offerings, like those of almost all law schools, were heavily skewed toward litigation practice.

Professor Neil Hamilton again led students to Cuba during J-Term. The Law School will soon sponsor nonstudent travel to the Caribbean island country.

We have now started to shift that balance. The first step was the creation of the Tax Clinic taught by Professor Jim Monroe. The most recent step was the addition of our new Transactional and Nonprofits Clinic. Taught by a new addition to our faculty, Professor Chip Lowe, the new clinic focuses on the transactional representation of nonprofits and startup businesses. Chip, a longtime practitioner in Des Moines who began his legal career as a clinical professor at the University of Nebraska, started screening clients over the summer and setting up procedures for the clinic; he has a limited enrollment of students as the clinic ramps up this fall and will be in full operation this spring.

An important measure of what we do at the Law School is the accomplishments of our graduates. A few updates in that regard: The February bar passage rate among first-time takers from Drake was 90 percent, compared with 91 percent last July. The standard nine-month employment rate for the class that graduated in May 2012 was 90 percent, of which only one was in a nonprofessional position. Only 6 percent of 2012 graduates were not employed and seeking employment.

an expansion of our involvement with cuba

This continues to be a challenging employment environment, but thanks to the initiative of our students, the quality of their preparation, and the hard work of our career development staff and our professors, our students are doing well.

For the past two years, during the University’s January term, Professor Neil Hamilton has led groups of students to Cuba. These educational trips, under the auspices of the State Department’s People-to-People program, focused on agricultural law, with each excursion bringing approximately

employment successes for our graduates

As you can see, we are making progress on a number of dimensions. Thank you for your ongoing interest in the Law School—and for your continuing support.

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School of Education education for the future In a previous report, I shared the news of a major initiative designed to elevate science, technology, engineering, and math for faculty, staff, and students—the STEM Hub housed at Drake.

As a refresher, the Governor’s STEM Advisory Council— created by Iowa Governor Terry Branstad and co-chaired by Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds and Vermeer Corporation President and CEO Mary Andringa—leads statewide efforts to promote STEM education and stimulate economic development.

One of the Council’s initial action items is to increase student interest in STEM through the implementation of “scale-up” projects based on programs with demonstrated success. Selected as the South Central Iowa STEM Hub in 2012, Drake is responsible for developing a regional action plan, conducting a needs and strengths analysis, and implementing and evaluating the scale-up activities.

Drake has also formed an advisory committee and hired a manager and project assistant to work with elementary and secondary teachers; curriculum directors at Heartland, Great Prairie, and Green Hills Area Educational Agencies; and Drake faculty and staff involved with STEM-related coursework and research. Kris Kilibarda laid the groundwork for the South Central Iowa STEM Hub during her year as manager, and Sarah Derry, STEM regional advocate, is now pushing the project forward. Other Drake leaders involved with the initiative are Drake Sponsored Programs staff Jayne Smith and Kathryn Coleson-Horner and yours truly. Together we are working to identify, grow, and create STEM programs at the University and in the surrounding area.

stem in action During the first year as a STEM Hub, Drake received $515,000 for the implementation of 12 research-proven projects across 133 sites. Organizations included in these initiatives were 31 of the 60 school districts in the region, the Boys and Girls Club, Girl Scouts, after-school organizations, and county extension services.

The 12 programs provided teachers and community leaders with curriculum materials and supplies needed to implement student activities such as: • Engineering Is Elementary • First Lego League • First Tech Challenge

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Drake’s STEM hub provided Engineering Is Elementary curriculum to a regular Saturday morning program at Moulton Elementary.

The experience, organized with the Iowa Education Brain Trust and Corinthian Baptist Church’s STEM partnership, engaged about 60 students and 20 parents in hands-on STEM lessons.

For alumni and friends of the Drake University School of Education

dean of the school of education

development staff

Jan McMahill

Meaghan Tigges

janet.mcmahill@drake.edu

meaghan.tigges@drake.edu | 515-271-4843

• Curriculum for Agriculture Science Education • A World in Motion • Kid Wind Other first-year activities included spearheading the development of a STEM endorsement to the Iowa teaching license, STEM Day at the Capitol, two summits for STEM advocates, and a State Science and Technology Fair. At Drake, the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences; Cowles Library; the School of Education; and the computer science, math, and science departments of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences were involved in planning, supporting, and hosting STEM-related events.

As we reviewed results from the first year of these projects, we find that an estimated 6,700 students in Drake’s south central hub region benefited from these ventures. The Iowa STEM Monitoring Project 2012–2013 Summary Report (available at www.IowaSTEM.gov) offered more promising news: Statewide, the Iowa Assessment mathematics and science scores of participants in STEM hub programs across the state were considerably stronger than the scores of young Iowans in general, an encouraging association. Student, parent, and teacher surveys suggest an impressive increase in student attitudes toward activities related to STEM careers.

It’s now time to continue our progress and outreach. I am pleased to announce that Drake has received an additional $595,000 to execute a second round of projects in the 17-county area. To date, initiatives have been approved and resources allocated to one or more schools or agencies in all 17 counties.

It is noteworthy that one of the newly funded projects is available to every school, library, museum, and school-related club in our region. Defined STEM is a Web-based program designed to connect classroom content with real-world applications. The licensed service reframes STEM education by providing a context (specific industries, companies, jobs, skills, and challenges) and an authentic environment for students to apply content knowledge through role-based, multidisciplinary performance and literacy tasks.

to meet the need for skilled workers in STEM fields. I am personally proud to be working on such an important effort with a stellar league of partners, including Des Moines Area and Southwestern Community Colleges, Iowa State University, University of Northern Iowa, and the University of Iowa. Thanks to this meeting of the minds, the state of Iowa—and Drake—are better positioned to provide important STEM opportunities for future generations. I hope you can sense the pride and enthusiasm we here at Drake have for our South Central Iowa STEM hub.

For more information visit www.scstemhub.drake.edu.

soe in the community Drake is also working directly with two Des Moines public schools to open the Griffin Academy, named for the Harry Potter symbol of the Griffin, which signifies strength and honor. Nationwide Insurance employees helped to direct a $250,000 foundation gift to Drake for promoting and supporting effective teaching practices in local schools.

Sessions will be offered to small groups of students interested in advancing their fine arts, science, technology, engineering, and math skills.

Starting in September, students at Studebaker Elementary and McCombs Middle School will have two unique opportunities. The first is a “book blast” with more than 2,000 age-appropriate, popular books available for beforeand after-school checkout. The second component is a two-hour academy that more than 100 students will attend every Wednesday afternoon.

The focus of the Wednesday academy will be fine arts and STEM. Drake professors and students will help design creative curriculum, while local artists, scientists, musicians, and performers present high-interest lessons. The Griffin Academy will be a model that Drake education professors and pre-service teachers hope to replicate in other schools and communities.

All these accomplishments would not be possible without the collaboration of many schools, governmental agencies, nonprofits, and businesses. This undertaking has truly been a cooperative one as organizations across the state join together

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School of Journalism & Mass Communication inspiring work The first cohort from the redesigned Master of Communication Leadership (MCL) program is graduating this year, and students ended their MCL coursework this summer on a high note by teaming up on a project for Boys and Girls Club of Central Iowa.

The MCL is an innovative multidisciplinary graduate program that focuses on personal and career development for communications professionals. The coursework is divided between the SJMC and the College of Business and Public Administration graduate programs.

A new addition to the MCL curriculum is a capstone course that allows the members of the cohort to apply everything they’ve learned to a real-world problem. This year’s client, Boys and Girls Club, had a fledgling meal program that provided food to at-risk children and their families. The organization wanted to expand the program but lacked the necessary staffing, cooking facilities, and financing. The six-week MCL class was challenged with formulating a plan that would grow the program and make it sustainable.

The students—marketing, communication, and technology professionals in their day jobs—conducted local and national research; identified the meal program’s strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities; and came up with some recommendations that were simple, insightful, elegant, and achievable. They even identified some potential donors who were excited about helping out. The clients were bowled over—one started crying. A board member who initially appeared skeptical turned around at the end of the presentation and asked, “So what is this class?” Inspiring work and great recognition for the students, the MCL, the SJMC, and Drake.

For more information about the MCL, including course requirements, FAQs, testimonials from alumni, and how to apply, visit www.drake.edu/mcl.

Hundreds of SJMC alumni from the 1960s through the 2000s gathered in Des Moines April 26–27. Reunion events included an open house in Meredith Hall, where alumni met with current students, viewed their work, and enjoyed wine and snacks with music provided

by L. Lars Hulsebus, jo‘06, and Alex Wainberg, jo‘06. Visit www.drake.edu/sjmc for a link to more photos.

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a celebration of all things sjmc The SJMC all-years reunion held over Drake Relays 2013 was a resounding success, with approximately 200 people attending the Friday night open house in Meredith Hall and almost 100 at the Saturday night reception at Jasper Winery.

Many thanks to the members of the reunion committee: Viki Arias, jo’09; Mac Brand, jo’76; Lee Carey, jo’77; Amy Schmelzer, jo’96; Nicole Jobst Smith, jo’08; and Shawn Rolland, jo’04. Special thanks go to Roger, jo’65, and Joyce, fa’65, Lethander, who donated wine from their Spanish winery for the event and attended the reunion to help us drink it!

The gathering coincided with the 10th anniversary of the Meredith Apprenticeships in Service Journalism. Associate Professor Lori Blachford, gr’08, Fisher-Stelter Chair of Magazine Journalism, and Assistant Professor Jeff Inman organized a reception at Meredith Corp. headquarters to celebrate the success of the program, which has launched the professional careers of 66 of our best and brightest students.

Two SJMC alumni were honored by the University over Relays weekend. Brian Wansink, gr’84, an author and expert on consumer behavior and nutritional science, received the Drake Alumni Achievement Award. Wansink is the director of the

For alumni and friends of the Drake University College of Journalism and Mass Communication

director, school of journalism and mass communication

development staff

Kathleen Richardson

Michael Peterson

kathleen.richardson@drake.edu

michael.peterson@drake.edu | 515-271-2132

Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University in New York.

Emily Abbas, jo’97, gr’99, received the Drake Young Alumni Loyalty Award. Abbas is director of customer value management for Aviva USA and is on the University’s National Alumni Board.

The reunion was also an opportunity to honor Associate Professor Ronda Menke, who has retired after 22 years teaching public relations. In addition to retiring in May, Menke also married her high school and college sweetheart, Martin (Marty) Haas.

“I’d say we believe in happy endings, but this feels more like a beginning,” says the new Mrs. Haas. She will continue to use her Drake email address for alumni and colleagues: ronda.menke@drake.edu.

awards and recognition • Public relations students received two PRIME Awards from the local chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) this spring.

• Broadcast students were recognized in the Iowa Broadcast News Association contest, receiving five awards, including best newscast.

• Drake Magazine was honored as best student magazine in the Society of Professional Journalists’ Region 7 Mark of Excellence Awards last spring. Drake students also received four individual awards in writing and photography.

• Public relations senior Amanda Laurent was awarded a Fulbright scholarship to teach in South Korea.

• The Times-Delphic won nine awards at the annual Iowa College Media Association contest last February, including first place for general excellence.

faculty notes The SJMC is pleased to welcome Jennifer Glover Konfrst, jo’96, gr’98, to the faculty. Konfrst was communications manager at Iowa Public Television and has taught as an adjunct in the SJMC off and on since 2001. She will teach primarily in the public relations major and also basic reporting classes. “Drake has been such a key part of my personal and

professional life,” says Konfrst of her transition to academia. “And to be part of the SJMC as a member of the faculty is humbling and exciting.” Konfrst is married to Drake alum Lee Konfrst, jo’96, lw’06, and they have two children.

John Lytle, the Ellis and Nelle Levitt Professor of Broadcast Journalism, received another University honor during commencement last spring: He was named the 2013 Levitt Mentor of the Year on the strength of recommendations from current and former students.

Assistant Professor David Remund, jo’91, gr’08, was named an educator fellow by the Plank Center for Leadership in Public Relations, which brings together scholars and practitioners. Remund spent his fellowship last summer in Birmingham, Ala., at the headquarters of Regions Financial Corp.

Assistant Professor Kelly Bruhn and Remund presented their research at the Public Relations Society of America Midwest District Conference in July and at the PRSA International Conference in the fall.

Associate Professor Dorothy Pisarski was appointed to a two-year term to the West Des Moines Sister Cities Commission.

Associate professors Lee Jolliffe and Blachford and assistant professors Jeff Inman, gr’08, and Jill Van Wyke, jo’85, gr’96, were selected to present their scholarship or discuss their innovative teaching approaches at the annual Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication conference in August in Washington, D.C. SJMC Director and Associate Professor Kathleen Richardson, jo’76, gr’01, lw’02, was named to the Iowa Board of Regents’ transparency task force, which is charged with recommending best practices to make the state’s public universities more open.

Keep up with SJMC news and activities at the school’s website (www.drake.edu/sjmc), like us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/drakesjmc), and follow us on Twitter (@drakesjmc).

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alumniconnections

Changed your career? Published a book?

Earned an advanced degree?

Let’s stay connected!

Tell us about your accomplishments at www.alumni.drake.edu or by completing and mailing the form on page 63.

We’ll share the news with your fellow Bulldogs.

Drake Notes is published in each issue of Drake Blue. This issue includes all entries received by June 10, 2013.

achievements 1950s Earl Kobayashi, ph’52, San Mateo, Calif., retired from McClards Pharmacy.

Jerry Richardson, la’53, ed’64, Riverside, Calif., retired.

Richardson and his wife, Wanda, celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary.

Dale Patterson, la’69, Miami, Okla., retired from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College after two years as head football coach. Prior to taking that position, he coached in other capacities at the college for eight years. Before joining the staff at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Patterson coached at Oklahoma State for seven years.

1970s

1960s Ruth (Anfinson) Bures, fa’67, Winona, Minn., created an educational iPad/iPhone application, “Fuzzy Life Caterpillar,” that brings music and science together in an interactive format for children ages 3 and older.

Irwin Kesselman, la’67, Glenview, Ill., founded a cancer-related nonprofit organization in memory of his daughter, Rebecca.

Clyde Hupton, fa’68, Yaphank, N.Y., premiered his Requiem for the Victims of Genocide for Chorus and Orchestra in New York City on June 2, 2012, at St. Mary’s Church in Times Square.

Mike Mason, la’68, Clarendon Hills, Ill., and his wife, Judy, celebrated the birth of a granddaughter, Eleanor Jane.

Michelle (Grothe) Lawson, la’70, Cape Coral, Fla., a licensed mental health counselor, retired from Lee Memorial Health System. Lawson worked in the case management Department of The Rehabilitation Hospital.

Gary Rudin, la’70, bn’71, Irving, Texas, was named president and chief operating officer of USMD Holdings. Rudin will oversee the areas of physician practice management, outpatient services, hospital division, human resources, communications and marketing, information technology, and strategic planning.

Coulette Takach, la’70, Channelview, Texas, will retire after 30 years of employment in the Houston Public Library System.

Michael Gadient, la’71, Davenport, Iowa, retired following 39 years of work for several Quad Cities contractors.

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Frank Mackaman, la’71, Pekin, Ill., was elected to a two-year term as president of the Association of Centers for the Study of Congress.

J. Paul Blake, jo’72, Renton, Wash., received the 2013 Lifetime of Public Service Award from the Evergreen Chapter of the American Society of Public Administration.

Gary Christensen, ed’73, Winterset, Iowa, retired from his position as athletic director of Winterset Schools. Christensen was also elected to the Iowa High School Athletic Directors Association Hall of Fame.

Lawrence Schneider, la’73, Buffalo Grove, Ill., retired from a 40-year career in the commodity futures industry.

Schneider has since turned his attention to the anti-money laundering field as vice president of Exchange Analytics.

Randy DeGeest, la’74, lw’78, Oskaloosa, Iowa, was appointed

by Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad as an Iowa District Court Judge in the 8a Judicial District.

Joanne (Mauloff) Mosier, ed’75, Lakeville, Minn., founded Excelerated ACT, a company that offers tutoring services to help high school students prepare for the ACT.

Mark Wampler, la’75, Slater, Iowa, is a certified family law mediator and director of mediation services for a division of Buffalo Eagle, Inc. Wampler served more than 30 years as an administrative law judge.

Mark Weston II, ed’75, Atlanta, joined Georgia Tech Professional Education as dean of learning systems.

Rodney Carter, ph’76, Westminster, Colo., was named dean of the Regis University School of Pharmacy.

Linda (Robbins) Coleman, fa’76, Des Moines, premiered her latest work, Suite Antique, in Iowa City on May 12, 2013. Coleman performed Images Dangereuses with her piano quintet at the Sigma Alpha Iota International Convention to an audience of 1,000 in Atlanta.

Pam Deitrick, ed’77, Carlisle, Iowa, accepted a position as branch manager of Franklin Avenue Library.

Richard Frey, la’77, Knoxville, Tenn., was awarded a Fulbright Scholar grant for the fall 2013 term. Frey will study the adverse environmental, health, and socio-economic consequences of pesticide use under exportfocused rice production in Vietnam.

Profile

Playing with Fire science is a journey, and this drake alumna lights the way.

Jenny Koska, as’11, found success in the Des Moines area at the Science Center of Iowa, where the Drake alumna combines her interests of science and education. And has a little fun, too.

give participants the opportunity to interact with the basic principles of physics, including pressure waves, the Bernoulli Effect, and kinetic energy. It’s exciting to be part of it.

Tell us about your role at the Science Center of Iowa.

As program coordinator, I help plan and facilitate a variety of different activities that are both youth- and adult-friendly. We create live science. Science of Sound, for instance, is a new experience where we live-scoped an opera singer’s throat.

What do you consider when developing programs?

We do fun science. A lot of guided learning, which involves more intimate interactions with the audience. Schools tend to focus on science that’s more structured. Here we have an end goal for our presentation, but we don’t know exactly how we’re going to get there. That’s what I love most about it. It’s unpredictable.

What would you say is a goal or priority for the Science Center?

I think a major goal is to get the community more involved and make what we offer here more relatable to people’s everyday lives.

With your background in environmental science and policy, how have you brought your own ideas to the programs?

I originally wanted to go into environmental education right after college, but I kind of fell into the museum world, and I’m glad I did. I get to explore all different fields instead of focusing on just one. A professor of mine at Drake, Dave CourardHauri, was able to combine so many different elements of environmental science with social aspects as well, which I feel is unique. I try to use his approach at the Science Center.

And because it’s a smaller museum, I feel like I can contribute more. I’m now on a team that’s developing a permanent exhibit—the first we’ve developed in-house. Eureka! Lab will

What have been some of the more popular programs for the Science Center?

Anything where we blow something up. Mixology—a 21+ program that mixes drinks, science, and entertainment—is also popular. When we first started it, we were hoping for 50 people to attend, and now we are seeing 400. It’s been really fun to watch the program grow.

What’s your favorite Drake memory?

I would like to say it was Relays, but the weather was always horrible, so I’ll instead highlight all of the leadership experience that I gained. I don’t feel like there are many universities where you can walk away with so much real-world experience. I walked out of Drake and knew how to manage a budget and a department, and how to work with very different people for a common goal.

visit www.drake.edu/magazine to see Koska ignite more science and education. fall 2013

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alumniconnections

Craig Freyer, la’77, Fort Worth, Texas, accepted a medical directorship at Nova Medical Clinics.

Karen Kaul, la’78, Wilmette, Ill., was selected chair of pathology and laboratory medicine at NorthShore University HealthSystem. Wilmette was also appointed the endowed Duckworth Family Chair.

Ron McMullen, la’78, Iowa City, Iowa, retired from the United States Foreign Service after a 30-year career as an American diplomat. McMullen is now a visiting professor at the University of Iowa.

1980s Raymond Aranza, la’80, Omaha, Neb., joined Marks, Clare, Richards, LLC as a partner.

John Forbes, ph’80, Urbandale, Iowa, was elected by House District 40 to serve as a state representative.

Brian Palmer, fa’80, Libertyville, Ill., accepted the president’s gavel at the annual convention of the International Association of Speakers Bureaus.

David Strege, bn’81, Winterset, Iowa, is a member of the National Endowment for Financial Education Board of Trustees.

Christopher Hart, fa’82, McComb, Miss., released his second recording, “In the Cross,” based on words by Fanny Crosby and sung by Aimee Bellanca of The Music Room. Hart was chorus master for the Natchez Festival of Music’s production of Rigoletto in May 2013.

Trish (Koehler) Joyce, lw’84, Sterling, Ill., was elected state’s attorney in a contested election on Nov. 6, 2012.

Eugene Salganik, bn’85, Skokie, Ill., launched FunderHut.com, a crowdfunding platform that helps support small businesses, nonprofits, local communities, and individuals looking to meet fundraising goals.

Cathy (Button) Benscoter, jo’87, Monaca, Pa., oversees marketing and Web production for Penn State Beaver. Benscoter also teaches classes in newspaper production, print design, graphics, and multimedia.

Mary Ellen Kimball, jo’89, Winterset, Iowa, launched KSOI-91.9 FM, an educational nonprofit regional radio station.

Kimball interviews community and cultural leaders, and her husband hosts the “Dr. Jim” show. She hosted the red carpet premiere of Trying to Quit and produced both Restoration Osceola and Solid Gold Cadillac.

The couple has served on various boards, including the Iowa Cultural Trust Foundation, the StageWest Theater Company Board of Directors, and the Clarke Area Arts Council.

Patty Kumbera, ph’89, West Des Moines, Iowa, was selected to receive the inaugural Distinguished Achievement in Practice Management Award from the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) and the APhA Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management.

Kumbera is also featured in the cover story of the February issue of Pharmacy Today.

1990s Ed McGill, bn’90, West Des Moines, Iowa, was honored with membership into the 2012 Forum Group, which includes only five percent of more than 6,000 financial representatives.

Steven Slaughter, as’90, Chicago, accepted a position as an English Language Arts teacher at Rosslyn Academy in Nairobi, Kenya.

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Sean Gannon, as’91, Los Angeles, signed a distribution deal for his feature film Something Blue, which features several Drake theatre graduates.

Desmund Adams, ed’96, lw’99, Des Moines, was named to the Business Record’s 2013 Forty Under 40 list.

James Lyday, bn’92, Brentwood, Tenn., joined the Ward Financial Advisory Group of Wells Fargo Advisors in Brentwood.

lw’99, Des Moines, was named to

Rinky Parwani, bn’92, ’93, Tampa, Fla., was selected as a Super Lawyer Rising Star for 2013.

David Ortega, lw’93, San Antonio, was elected mayor of Hollywood Park, Texas.

Stephen Custis, bn’94, Owatonna, Minn., joined Medica Insurance Company as vice president and chief actuary.

Chris (Hiley) Donohue, lw’94, West Palm Beach, Fla., was admitted to the Florida Bar in April 2013.

Anne O’Roake, jo’94, Riverview, Fla., is an instructional multimedia developer for the University of South Florida College of Public Health.

Dexter Wimbish, lw’94, bn’94, Madison, Ga., recevied the 2013 Chief Justice Robert Benham Award for Community Service from the State Bar of Georgia.

Julie Korb, ph’95, Greenfield, Wis., is director of pharmacy at Surety Pro Pharmacy.

Daniel Mittag, as’95, Albion, Mich., was awarded tenure at Albion College, where he is an assistant professor of philosophy.

Tasha Ransom, bn’95, Evanston, Ill., received two Peter Lisagor Awards—one for Best Science, Health, Technology, and Environmental Reporting; the other for Best TV Public Affairs Programming.

Darren Abbott, as’96, Kansas City, Mo., was promoted to creative group vice president at Hallmark Cards, Inc.

Danielle (Jess) Haindfield, jo’96, the Business Record’s 2013 Forty Under 40 list.

Eric Rogers, as’96, Kansas City, Mo., received the Advocate of the Year Award from the Alliance for Biking & Walking.

Dana Rubin, as’96, Minnetonka, Minn., is director of development for Children’s Cancer Research Fund, which is a national nonprofit organization located in Minneapolis.

Christina (Wojtysiak) Johns, jo’97, Riverside, Ill., will serve a one-year term as president of the board of directors of the Legal Marketing Association Midwest Chapter.

Vicki Wade, as’97, Newton, Iowa, was promoted to director of marketing for The Vernon Company in May 2013.

Philip Waitzman, as’97, Chicago, is business partner and senior vice president of strategic alliances and enrollment at All Campus LLC. Kevin McCarthy, lw’98, Des Moines, will begin his sixth term as an Iowa state representative.

Deanna (Joens) Mundt, ed’99, Urbandale, Iowa, is director and instructor of the Jester Park Exceptional Riders Therapeutic Horseback Riding Program.

2000s Felix Gallagher, ph’00, Des Moines, was named to the Business Record’s 2013 Forty Under 40 list.

Heather Starr, bn‘00, Des Moines, was named to the Business Record’s 2013 Forty Under 40 list.

Claire Celsi, as’01, West Des Moines, Iowa, joined Lessing-Flynn as director of public relations.

Andrew “Andy” Vogel, as’05, Topeka, Kan., accepted a position as coordinator in the International Office at Washburn University.

Scott Hall, lw’08, Des Moines, was named a partner in the Des Moines law firm of Carney and Appleby, PLC.

James McKillop, as’01, West Burlington, Iowa, is an amateur historian for McCook County, South Dakota.

Erica Axiotis, bn’06, Des Moines, was named to the Business Record’s 2013 Forty Under 40 list.

June Kendall, as’09, ed’09, Chicago, began work toward a graduate degree in secondary and special education at National Louis University in January of 2013.

Michael Heaston, as’02, Dallas, was named director of the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artist Program at Washington National Opera at The Kennedy Center.

Lou Loquasto, bn’02, Roswell, Ga., has been named chief marketing officer with Global Lending Services.

Bill Miller, lw’02, Des Moines, was promoted to partner with Dorsey & Whitney LLP. Rick Colpitts, ed’03, Dubuque, Iowa, accepted a position as executive director of human resources for the Dubuque Community School District.

Michal Piszczuk, ph’03, Glenview, Ill., is an associate surgeon with the Midwest Foot and Ankle Clinics.

Karin Johnson, lw’04, Des Moines, joined the Faegre Baker Daniels law firm. Johnson focuses on employment litigation and counseling.

Bradley Brennan, as’05, New Haven, Conn., has accepted a post-doctoral research position at the Energy Sciences Institute of Yale University.

Brandon Criger, bn’05, Des Moines, is one of four owner/ partners of 515 Brewing Company, a new nano brewery start-up in Des Moines.

Kristy Latta, lw’05, Des Moines, was elected shareholder at Ahlers & Cooney, PC. Thomas Schenk, bn’05, Chicago, was appointed director of analytics and performance management for the City of Chicago.

Brian Conway, bn’06, West Des Moines, Iowa, has accepted a position at INSPRO Insurance as an account executive.

Brandon Edmundson, lw’06, Grapevine, Texas, accepted a position as a partner at Moses, Palmer & Howell, LLP. Edmundson practices primarily in commercial litigation with a focus in the areas of banking and trust, oil and gas, construction, and contracts.

Ashley Fuhrmeister, lw’06, Des Moines, was named a member of the BrownWinick Law Firm. Fuhrmeister practices in the areas of corporate and business law and securities law.

Emilee Richardson, jo’09, Des Moines, was named president of the Young Professionals Connection (YPC).

Seema Prabhakar SoniBrahmbhat, ph’09, bn’09, Des Plaines, Ill., accepted a position as senior specialist in global medical review with Abbott Laboratories.

Jeremy Anderberg, as’10, jo’10, Denver, started a new career as editor and community manager of the men’s interest blog The Art of Manliness.

Christopher James, lw’06, Des Moines, was elected as shareholder for The Davis Brown Law Firm.

Darren Beverage, as’10, Des Moines, opened Darren Beverage State Farm Agency in Indianola, Iowa, in January 2013.

Joseph Leo, lw’06, Des Moines, was named a member of the BrownWinick Law Firm. Leo practices in the areas of securities law and corporate transactions.

David Barajas, lw’11, Des Moines, accepted a position at Gaudineer, Comito & George as an associate attorney in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Courtney Strutt Todd, lw’06,

Danika Portz, bn’11, Nashville, Tenn., signed a music publishing and artist development deal with Nashville-based Green Hills Music Group and Grin Like A Dog Songs.

bn’06, Des Moines, was named to

the Business Record’s 2013 Forty Under 40 list.

Cornetta Levi, ph’07, Chicago, was elected to serve a two-year term as the president of the National Pharmaceutical Association.

Jonathan Brendemuehl, jo’08, BN’10, Des Moines, was named to the Business Record’s 2013 Forty Under 40 list.

Peter Cownie, bn’08, West Des Moines, Iowa, was appointed to serve his third term as an Iowa state representative.

Jennifer Soma, ed’11, Des Moines, was named to the Business Record’s 2013 Forty Under 40 list.

Joshua Cobie, lw’12, Ackley, Iowa, joined Brubaker, Flynn, and Darland, PC as an associate attorney in general practice in Davenport, Iowa.

advanced degrees 1980s Cathy (Button) Benscoter, jo’87, Monaca, Pa., received her Master of Science in multimedia technology with a concentration in Web design and development from Duquesne University in December 2012.

1990s Daniel Goldman, as’90, St. Louis, received his Master of Business Administration from Saint Louis University.

2000s Joyce (Feinstein) Grossman, ed’90, ’00, Urbandale, Iowa, received her Ph.D. in educational leadership and policy studies from Iowa State University.

Anne O’Roake, jo’94, Riverview, Fla., graduated in December 2012 with a master’s degree in instructional technology.

Karl Brooks, ed’95, Bolingbrook, Ill., received his Doctor of Education from DePaul University in August 2012.

Jenna McMullin, jo’02, Arlington, Va., received her Master of Business Administration from George Mason University.

Allison Clough, as’03, Hoover, Ala., completed her doctorate in piano performance at the University of Alabama.

Michal Piszczuk, ph’03, Glenview, Ill., finished a four-year surgical residency at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Laura Micheli, jo’05, Chicago, received her M.B.A. from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

Wendi Laake, bn’12, Davenport, Iowa, opened Eclectic, a store in Davenport that offers vintage, repurposed, and modern home furnishings.

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more 2000s

births

Nathaniel Koppel, as’08, Naperville, Ill., graduated cum laude from the University of Illinois College of Law.

Sarah (Matter) Arndt, lw’96, and Christopher Arndt, lw’96, Edina, Minn., a daughter, Anna Jane Elizabeth

Chelsea Cole, bn’09, Irving, Texas, received an M.B.A. from the University of Dallas.

Leighe Paige Hoover-Steers, jo’97, Chicago, a son, Watson Corbet, and a daughter, Avin Jade

Mary Herbig, as’09, ’09, Rockford, Ill., received her Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary.

Christina (Wojtysiak) Johns, jo’97, and Jason Johns, bn’98, Riverside, Ill., a son, Ethan Andrew

authors

Sarah (White) Chamberlain, jo’99, and William, Des Moines, a girl, Quinn Leahy

1960s Byron Egeland, la’61, North Oaks, Minn., published The Development of the Person: The Minnesota Study of Risk and Adaption from Birth to Adulthood.

Gail (Moore) Avgeris, la’66, Western Springs, Ill., published Raking Leaves, a book of poetry, in 2009 and is working on a second book.

Mary Lee Morrison, la’69, Hartford, Conn., wrote Peace Education, which is now in its third edition. The book provides a comprehensive approach to educating for a just and sustainable future and looks at how the past has shaped our view of peace.

Alan Loots, jo’70, Clive, Iowa, recently published a new book of fiction, The Cold Diary.

Deborah Sweaney, la’74, Carlisle, Pa., wrote Unpacking Memories: The Story of a Suitcase, a Country Doctor, and a Community, which is a memoir about her life in the 1950s.

Patrick Leong, la’78, Nashua, N.H., published The Wrong Wong.

Alan Pedleton, lw’80, Anoka, Minn., published a new book through Minnesota Continuing Legal Education titled Minnesota Handbook on Motor Vehicle Stops and Warrantless Searches.

Heather (Freise) Tredup, jo’91, Antioch, Ill., published Teleworking: Your Guide to Success to help others make the most of working virtually.

Tyann Rouw, ed’00, Cedar Falls, Iowa, published “Convenient Care” in the book Chicken Soup for the Soul: Raising Kids on the Spectrum: 101 Inspirational Stories for Parents of Children with Autism and Asperger’s.

Sarah Goldschadt, fa’02, New York, wrote her first book, Craft-a-Day: Danish Design and the Future of Crafts.

Thomas Schenk, bn’05, Chicago, published Circos Data Visualization How-To, which is an introductory guide to using the Circos data visualization software with applications to social sciences.

Kyle Decker, as’07, Flossmoor, Ill., published his first novel, Cannon Fodder: The Secret Lives of Henchmen.

Kuebari Lemea, jo’10, Des Moines, published the novel Minus 16.

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Lindsay (Gillies) Pearson, jo’01, Dayton, Ohio, a son, Asher Charles Tiffany (Abell) Tauscheck, jo’01, and Mark, Des Moines, a daughter, Tennyson Jennifer Andrlik, jo’03, and Ryan McMurrer, New York, a son, Harrison William McMurrer Greta Hogrefe, ph’04, Meriden, Iowa, a son, Luther Robert Blake Campbell, bn’05, and Sarah, Des Moines, a son, Ryan Blake Laura (Micheli) Daly, jo’05, and Gary Daly, as’05, Chicago, a daughter, Violet Grace Rachel Mason, as’05, and Brian Mason, bn’05, Kansas City, Mo., a daughter, Eleanor Jane Amanda (Palmer) Mertz, jo’05, and Kyle Mertz, bn’04, Altoona, Iowa, a son, Flynn Frederick Rosa (Gabel) Neumayr, bn’05, and Andrew, Midvale, Utah, a son, Adam Thomas Colette (Perley) Hartman, bn’06, and Adam, Washington, Ill., a daughter, Khloe Joel

marriages Walter Clark, jo’88, to Peggy O’Day, Dec. 31, 2013 Zachary Nunn, as’02, to Kelly Friend, March 15, 2013 Jon Vermedahl, as’02, to Tina Pompilio, Dec. 11, 2012 Amy Gronauer, as’09, jo’09, to Kevin Martens, bn’10, Sept. 8, 2012

deaths

Jack Mishler, bn’49, Bondurant, Iowa

1920s

Gordon Opel, bn’49, ed’52, Des Moines

Marguerite (Sherriff) Purcell, ed’29, Wildomar, Calif.

1930s

James “Pat” Riding, ed’49, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Jack W. Robinson, bn’49, Springfield, Ill. Robert Sackett, fa’49, Emmetsburg, Iowa Philip A. Thomas, la’49, Waterloo, Iowa

Ermal (Breckenridge) McFarland, la’30, Newton, Kan. Gwendolyn (Shuey) Hinecker, ed’31, Marshalltown, Iowa Martha (Louden) Payne, la’34, Sarasota, Fla. Mildred (Caldwell) Wright, fa’35, Sheffield, Ala. Janet (Craven) Freese, ed’36, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Nitsa Panagos, la’36, Des Moines LuVern (Gray) Shiffler, la’36, Des Moines Dorothy (Wilson) Carver, la’37, Waverly, Iowa Nanna (Gum) Alford, fa’38, Durango, Colo.

Janice (Myers) Davis, fa’39, La Veta, Colo.

Madeline (Flint) Neiman, fa’39, Milo, Iowa Loraine (Duncan) Shaw, la’39, Annapolis, Md.

1940s

1950s Eugene Broyles, la’50, Urbandale, Iowa Marvin “Marv” Diemer, bn’50, Cedar Falls, Iowa Daniel Ellis, la’50, Pleasant Hill, Iowa Esther (Kindig) Hanson, la’50, Franklin, Tenn.

James Lawyer, lw’50, Sun City Center, Fla. Jack L. Morgan, bn’50, Indianapolis, Ind. Donald Robertson, bn’50, Minneapolis, Minn.

Billy “Bill” Saito, lw’50, Kansas City, Mo. William “Bill” Seid, bn’50, Windsor Heights, Iowa Jimmy Wilkinson, ph’50, Tama, Iowa Shirley (Cohen) Berck, ed’51, Des Moines Deloras “Dee” Brightwell, fa’51, Des Moines

Jeannette Brush, la’40, Maxwell, Iowa

Edward Lee Faaborg, ph’51, Johnston, Iowa

Jane (Watson) Dooley, la’40, Des Moines

Stanley Grazdiel, la’51, Shawano, Wis.

Alice (Renz) Fry, la’41, West Des Moines, Iowa

Edwin Green, ed’51, Iowa City, Iowa

Gilbert Moseley, la’41, Issaquah, Wash.

Velman Luse, la’51, dv’56, Decorah, Iowa

Grace (Saunders) Hodgett, ed’42, Neponset, Ill.

Charles McCoy, la’51, ’59, San Diego

Gail (Bruce) Jennings, la’42, Des Moines

James Newell, la’51, Des Moines

Carl Johnson, ed’43, Monmouth, Ill.

Charles “Chuck” Polluck, ph’51, Grays Harbor, Wash.

Marion (Kochheiser) Lambert, la’44, Ames, Iowa

Margueritte “Babe” (Jones) Smith, fa’51, Des Moines

Harold Gotsdiner, bn’46, Des Moines

John Connor, bn’52, Anamosa, Iowa

Marjorie (McLaren) Gruening, fa’46, West Des Moines, Iowa

L. Warren Isom, bn’52, Las Vegas

Reid W. Kennedy, lw’46, Marietta, Ga.

Clement “Clem” Marsden, ed’52, Ames, Iowa

Rexford Walker, la’46, Des Moines

Harold D. Robbins, bn’52, Ames, Iowa

Janet (Mathison) Anderson, ed’47, Fort Collins, Colo.

William Roberts, la’52, Newton, Iowa

Robert Branson, la’47, Guthrie Center, Iowa

Clifford Stephenson, la’52, Clear Lake, Iowa

Melva (Harry) Johnson, fa’47, Oskaloosa, Iowa

Maralyn (Monger) Curl, ed’53, Cedar Falls, Iowa

Frank Miles, la’47, Greensboro, N.C.

Vern Davitt, lw’53, Rockford, Ill.

Nathan Ellis, bn’48, Hialeah, Fla.

Charles King, lw’53, Gulf Shores, Ala.

Josephine Fagen, ed’48, ’56, Aurora, Colo.

Donald Morrison, fa’53, Rock Island, Ill.

Howard Johnston, la’48, San Antonio

Frank Robinson, ph’53, Lake Bluff, Ill.

Beverly (Nord) Simpson, fa’48, Overland Park, Kan.

Ervin Burton, ed’54, Chariton, Iowa

Kenneth Smith, ed’48, ’54, Des Moines

Charles Helin, ed’54, Long Beach, Calif.

Phillip Cooper, ed’49, Windsor Heights, Iowa

Charles Neifert Hull, la’54, Des Moines

Vincent Hanrahan, bn’49, lw’50, Des Moines

Lloyd McDole, la’54, ed’59, Marion, Iowa

James Kempkes, lw’49, Urbandale, Iowa

Marlene (Martin) Nesmeyer, ed’54, Missouri Valley, Iowa

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Profile

Discovery Drives Dreams a drake alumnus combines his passion for sports with an evolving industry.

Cook (far left) gathers his college friends for a Drake football game almost every fall. In 2011 he surprised them, taking the group to a game in a bus wrapped in photos from their playing days.

When Drake alumnus Andy Cook, bn’91, was just three short credit hours away from receiving his M.B.A., he put his studies on hold.

He was burned out, he recalls, and while he enjoyed his master’s courses at Webster University, he needed a break.

He found one in a three-month gig driving a truck with a buddy for the U.S. Cycling Team and handing out Coca-Cola and Fresca at races.

Experiential marketing, also known as event or grassroots marketing, was then in its infancy. Larger agencies were starting to brainstorm ways to connect consumers to an experience that would raise brand awareness and move sales.

Cook and a few of his buddies grabbed hold of the concept: channel their creative energy into entertainment and sportsrelated marketing projects. To date, Cook has developed two experiential marketing agencies that have been nationally recognized as the leading agencies in the industry.

“I always knew I wanted to do something that I would love.

Sports was a no brainer for me. I played football at Drake, and I loved it, but I didn’t really know anything about working in the industry,” says Cook. “I tried working for a few professional 60

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teams after college, but I wasn’t doing anything more than intern work, and I certainly wasn’t making any money. My dream was to find something where I could combine my passion for sports and this evolving business.”

In a span of 10 years, Cook and his friends developed both Momentum and Vivid Marketing, which are today part of multibillion-dollar agencies. Vivid was named the best experiential sports agency in the country by Sports Business Journal in 2010. The company has worked with big name clients, including Pepsi, Sports Illustrated, NASCAR, Mountain Dew, Tropicana, Red Bull, ESPN, and Coors Light.

Cook credits a Drake liberal arts education for helping him discover his creative side and parlay it into a successful career.

“When I think about all my friends that went to Drake, it’s crazy how much the Drake education and discipline really paid off,” says Cook. “There’s a tangible difference between my Drake friends and friends from other universities. Everyone from Drake is really successful—part of start-ups, brokers in Chicago, lawyers, you name it. They are all successful, and that’s because of Drake.”

more 1950s James W. Pilkington, ed’54, Ozark, Mo. Al Razor, la’54, Nevada, Iowa Lorraine (Dobbe) Richardson, fa’54, Granada Hills, Calif.

Robert Smith, bn’54, Payson, Ariz.

Marvin Belford, fa’55, fa’57, Talent, Ore. Richard Larson, bn’55, West Des Moines, Iowa Charles Marshall, la’55, Cottage Grove, Ore. James Parks, bn’55, Des Moines Fred Turner, la’55, Deerfield, Ill. Daniel Byrne, fa’56, Oskaloosa, Iowa Wayne Greene, jo’56, Des Moines Donald Knold, ed’56, Brainerd, Minn.

Career Tips

Q:

A:

How can I use social media to boost my professional reputation?

While the “rules” for social media use differ by industry, company, and position, there are a few universal tips to help you effectively captivate colleagues, consumers, and prospective employers.

Build a brand around your skill set. Your career is a part of who you are, and you should feel proud to share your accomplishments (as your workplace permits).

Work experience goes a long way toward establishing your expertise.

Joann “Jo” (Borcherding) Mahony, ed’56, Indianapolis Max McBroom, bn’56, Urbandale, Iowa Mary Beth (House) Soth, fa’56, Long Beach, Calif.

Elizabeth (Booth) Wendelmoot, la’56, Des Moines Velma Flora, ed’57, Marshalltown, Iowa Carson Griffith, fa’57, ’70, Grand Junction, Iowa Richard McBeth, ed’57, Mount Pleasant, Iowa Richard Owens, ed’57, ed’71, Runnells, Iowa Elwin Colson, la’58, Washington, Iowa Marilyn (Stevenson) Harl, bn’58, Urbandale, Iowa Richard Jones, bn’58, Gilbert, Ariz.

Fern (Wolken) Thompson, ed’58, Marshalltown, Iowa James Peterson, la’58, Des Moines Raymond “Ray” Pugh, ed’58, Johnston, Iowa Norma (Williams) Bryan, ed’59, Des Moines Robert Butzow, ph’59, Morengo, Ill. Virgil Jacobsen, bn’59, Des Moines Minnie (Van Zante) Miller, ed’59, Newton, Iowa Carol (West) Pittman, ed’59, Rio Rancho, N.M.

Explore multiple platforms. Many people rush to LinkedIn to post their resumé and connect with businesses. LinkedIn is a great resource, but consider how other platforms (Facebook, Twitter) can help promote your professional skills and experiences. It’s not about using every tool but using those that work best for you and your audience.

Be authentic. People want to feel they’re connecting with the real you, not an edited or fabricated version of you. It wasn’t until I began working for my boss, U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill, that I truly grasped the importance of authenticity. She’s one of the most popular senators on Twitter, in large part because people know she types her own tweets.

Talk to people, not at them. Finding a distinct voice among the chatter can be a challenge. Dialogue helps you stand out from one-way communications. Make it clear that you are listening and ready to respond.

—Anamarie Rebori, jo’09 New media director for U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill

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1960s

Marian (Lambertson) Chase, ed’67, West Des Moines, Iowa

Harriet (Drew) Elstner, ed’60, Shelburne, Vt. Marlin J. Love, dv’60, Turner, Ore. Carroll Neville, ed’60, Dallas Center, Iowa Melvin Antrim, ed’61, Fort Scott, Kan. James Friesz, bn’61, Branson, Mo. Robert “Bob” Mueller, ed’61, ’63, Peru, Ill. Richard Palmer, McKinney, la’61, Vancouver, Wash.

Virginia (Stamper) Van Surksum, ed’61, Omaha, Neb. Robert Allen, bn’62, Des Moines Jan Berg, bn’62, West Des Moines, Iowa William Crawford, bn’62, Waukee, Iowa Maurice “Maury” Geist, ed’62, Ames, Iowa Robert “Bob” Powers, bn’62, Tallahassee, Fla. Bernice (Bentley) Recknor, ed’62, Canby, Ore.

Duane Heithoff, bn’67, Urbandale, Iowa Carroll Jones, bn’67, Grimes, Iowa Alan Swarthout, bn’67, Chariton, Iowa Karen (Weedman) Vanderlip, bn’67, Des Moines Alfred Randall Jr., ed’68, Rochester, N.Y. Norma Giles, ed’69, West Des Moines, Iowa Linda (Scherf) Leaf, bn’69, St. Charles, Mo. Maxine (Gambs) McCaw, fa’69, Des Moines Betty Redman, ed’69, Van Wert, Iowa Thelma Sefton, ed’69, Clarion, Iowa Gretchen (Noe) Williams, ed’69, Adel, Iowa

1970s

Wanta (Garnatz) Throckmorton, ed’62, Carroll, Iowa

Eleanor Christianson, ed’70, Bode, Iowa

Leora (Jensma) VanZee, ed’62, Hudson, Wis

Suzanne (Lund) O’Brien, ph’70, Council Bluffs, Iowa

Phyllis (Ferszt) Jagiello, la’63, ed’69, Des Moines

Dean Witmer, ed’70, Perry, Iowa

Doris Lundquist, ed’63, Creston, Iowa

Kenneth D. Clary, ed’71, Indianola, Iowa

Gayle (Hedke) Nelson-Hopper, ed’63, ’76, Des Moines

Kathleen (Sinnott) Lydon, ed’71, Urbandale, Iowa

Ruth (Bridges) Pearson, ed’63, Oskaloosa, Iowa

Bonita (Olson) Severson, la’71, ed’87, Des Moines

Franz H. Henkel, jo’64, Des Moines

Rebecca Whitver, ed’72, Jefferson, Iowa

Muriel (Christ) Kneller, ed’64, ed’74, West Des Moines, Iowa

Steven Fontanini, ed’73, Marshfield, Wis.

Richard Lashier, ed’64, Early, Iowa

Claudia (Spanel) Nelson, jo’73, Avon, Colo.

James McHugh, jo’64, Wanatah, Ind.

Craig Stern, la’74, Arlington Heights, Ill.

Sharon Papian, fa’64, Des Moines

William Drew Critser, fa’75, Denver

Herbert Standing, dv’64, Stuart, Iowa

Mark Weston, II, ed’75, Atlanta

Gladys (Campbell) Wallace, ed’64, Chariton, Iowa

Mary (Collyer) Connolly, la’76, West Des Moines, Iowa

Nancy Bork, ed’65, ed’75, Des Moines

Patricia Gayle Ford-Smith, fa’76, Sacramento, Calif.

Linda (Bumgarner) Goreth, ed’65, Urbandale, Iowa

Weldon “Skip” Hall, bn’76, Amelia, Va.

Robert Paul “Heff” Heffelfinger, ed’65, Danville, Iowa

James Quigley, la’76, Ankeny, Iowa

James Mairs, ed’65, Marshalltown, Iowa

Mary Ellen Dickerman, fa’77, Downers Grove, Ill.

Jack Noah, fa’65, ’72, Johnston, Iowa

Scott Samberg, la’77, Burlington, Iowa

Lillian (Meyer) Eller, ed’66, North Richland Hills, Texas

Marian Kempkes, ed’78, Urbandale, Iowa

Phyllis (Erickson) Knudtson, ed’66, Northwood, Iowa

Mark Murphy, la’78, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Neil Meglitsch, fa’66, Anchorage, Alaska

Paul Nelson, bn’78, Chattahoochee Hills, Ga.

Jean Parish, la’66, Chapel Hill, N.C.

Carol Perrier, ed’79, Grand Haven, Mich.

Judith Ruckman, ed’66, Lincoln, Neb.

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Robert A. Davis, fa’67, Mason City, Iowa

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1980s George Vincent, bn’80, Marion, Iowa Kirk Foley, lw’81, Superior, Wis Stephan Hampton, la’81, Des Moines

Cracking the Class Code Here’s the “code” for identifying your fellow Drake alumni:

Norietta (Soutter) Love, ed’81, ’83, Des Moines

The College of Arts and Sciences evolved during the

Emery “Joe” Laud, la’82, West Des Moines, Iowa

reorganization of Drake’s colleges and schools in 1987,

Judy (Folk) Sheriff, ed’84, Greenfield, Iowa

when “Liberal Arts” and “Fine Arts” were combined.

James Bodensteiner, ed’85, Cedar Falls, Iowa

Those pre-1987 alumni carry the acronym “la” or “fa,”

Gregory Field, fa’85, Englewood, Colo.

while those post-1987 alumni are labeled “as.”

Carol (Bappe) Miller, la’85, Des Moines Chyre Diveley, ed’88, Lamoni, Iowa

AS Arts and Sciences DV Divinity

1990s

FA Fine Arts

Barry Michael Lepp, jo’90, Arlington Heights, Ill.

JO Journalism and Mass Communication

Jean Thomas, ph’94, Dallas Center, Iowa

LW Law BN Business and Public Administration

2000s

ED Education

James W. Semonchik, bn’00, Batavia, Ill.

GR Graduate Studies

Bradly Essman, bn’01, Fleming Island, Fla.

LA Liberal Arts

Casey William Schildhauer, bn’03, Santa Monica, Calif.

PH Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Andrea (Covert) Jenkins, lw’07, Ottumwa, Iowa Andrea Tate, ed’11, Des Moines

Changed your career? Your address?

Do you have family news or any career information you’d like to share with the Drake alumni network? Tell us so we can stay connected with you!

Complete this form and mail to: Drake University, Office of Alumni Relations, 2507 University Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50311, or update your information at www.alumni.drake.edu. q Please check here if your current address is different from the attached mailing label.

And 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

Phone (home)

(business)

Employer

Title

ZIP

What’s new with you?

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commanding performance Drake students own their science. Whether measuring the incidence of supraventricular arrhythmias and atrial connexin40 expression,* synthesizing alpha amino acids via an organometallic reaction pathway,* or any myriad of authentic, new scientific contributions, our students are given the opportunity to identify their interests, collaborate with a mentor, and express themselves through the discovery that unfolds. When wonder reveals itself, passion ensues.

The curiosity of wanting to know how our world works propels Drake students along the journey of many different science courses, enlightening them and igniting infectious enthusiasm for further exploration into the scientific disciplines. The Drake Undergraduate Science Collaboration Institute (DUSCI) offers hands-on experiential learning that not only creates a drive in students: It is driven by students. Created as a platform for interdisciplinary exchanges, DUSCI has grown into a dynamic unit that promotes and coordinates undergraduate research endeavors probing biology, chemistry, physics, environmental science, pharmaceutical science, neuroscience, computer science, mathematics, psychology, astronomy, and science education. Students themselves identify not only their interests but also the faculty members with whom they’ll partner. Inquiries are crafted by students. Research is conducted by students.

Awareness of research opportunities is expanded by faculty and guest speaker presentations in the Drake University Science Colloquium Series—also steered by students. The success of their research is celebrated during the annual Drake University Conference on Undergraduate Research in the Sciences (DUCURS), when students present their research before a large multidisciplinary audience—a guest list assembled by the students, with valuable feedback and connections in mind.

The learning goes both ways: Faculty members learn from current students, who become valuable resources—contributing ideas,

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expanding conversations, and eventually becoming mentors themselves. Drake students visit local schools and summer camps to talk about their research. These are our University’s ambassadors of science, providing peer support and building bridges for the next generation.

By creating independent thinkers and strong leaders, DUSCI prepares students for any eventuality. While we can’t know exactly what tomorrow holds, we can help students see the possibilities, see themselves in the future. DUSCI’s Life After Drake Series brings successful alumni back to campus to celebrate their professional accomplishments as well as to network with current students.

That’s when our undergraduates might discover how a biology major can lead to a career in criminal investigation or how a physics and mathematics double major can take one to Los Alamos National Laboratory.

As the scientific landscape continues to evolve, the DUSCI program is empowering Drake students to be key leaders in shaping the science of tomorrow. Triple major Rosalie Sterner, as’13, graduated in May and headed to Rochester, Minn., to work toward her M.D./ Ph.D. at Mayo Medical School. She carries with her experience that began in my laboratory her freshman year and evolved into work presented at conferences, a Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship, and admittance to the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB). She’s arrived at Mayo with skill and insight that can help her one day deliver better patient treatment.

Through Drake’s undergraduate research experiences, our students equip themselves to take advantage of and compete for the many opportunities the world has to offer.

—John Gitua, Associate Professor of Chemistry, current director of DUSCI

visit www.drake.edu/ducurs/presentations/drakeuniversity-oralpresentations to learn more about the 2013 award-winning oral presentations delivered at the 10th annual DUCURS.

2507 University Avenue Des Moines, Iowa 50311-4505 4271

EVERYBODY EVERYBODY

1964, ’65, ’66, ’67, ’68, ’69, ’70, ’71, ’72, ’73, ’74, ’75, ’76, ’77, ’78, ’79, ’80, ’81, ’82, ’83, ’84, ’85, ’86, ’87, ’88, ’89, ’90, ’91, ’92, ’93, ’94, ’95, ’96, ’97, ’98, ’99, 2000, ’01, ’02, ’03, drake’s mission is to provide an exceptional learning environment that prepares students ’04, ’05, ’06, ’07, ’08, ’09, ’10, ’11, ’12, ’13 ... for meaningful personal lives, professional accomplishments, and responsible global citizenship. EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY!!

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.

1964, ’65, ’66, ’67, ’68, ’69, ’70, ’71, ’72, ’73, ’74, ’75, ’76, ’77, ’78, ’79, ’80, ’81, ’82, ’83,

’84, ’85, ’86, ’87, ’88, ’89, ’90, ’91, ’92, ’93, ’94, ’95, ’96, ’97, ’98, ’99, 2000, ’01, ’02, ’03, ’04, ’05, ’06,

’07, ’08, ’09, ’10, ’11, ’12, ’13 ...

EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY!!

EVERYBODY EVERYBODY

1964, ’65, ’66, ’67, ’68, ’69, ’70, ’71, ’72, ’73, ’74, ’75, ’76, ’77, ’78, ’79, ’80, ’81, ’82, ’83, ’84, ’85, ’86, ’87, ’88, ’89, ’90, ’91, ’92, ’93, ’94, ’95, ’96, ’97, ’98, ’99, 2000, ’01, ’02, ’03, ’04, ’05, ’06, ’07, ’08, ’09, ’10, ’11, ’12, ’13 ...

EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY!!

Join us under the big top for the All1964, Alumni Tent Party! ’65, ’66, ’67, ’68, ’69, ’70, ’71, ’72, ’73, Friday, April 25, 2014 ’74, ’75, ’76, ’77, ’78, ’79, ’80, ’81, ’82, ’83, ’84, ’85, ’86, ’87, ’88, ’89, ’90, ’91, ’92, ’93,

Drake alumni from all years will gather to reconnect and celebrate during Relays ’96, ’97, ’98,weekend. ’99, 2000, ’01, ’02, ’03, ’94, ’95, ’04, ’05, ’06,

’07, ’08, ’09, ’10, ’11, ’12, ’13 ...

Email Elizabeth Tesar (elizabeth.tesar@drake.edu) for more information and watch for details as they develop at www.alumni.drake.edu/relays. Contact the EVERYBODY, Office of Alumni Relations if you’re EVERYBODY!! interested in planning something special with your class.

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