Drake University Blue Magazine Fall 2014

12 drake law discovers big opportunities in small towns

14 senior domenic lamberti leads drake men for gender equality fall 2014

60 inmates get back on track in alumna monica rizzo’s classroom

GLOBAL Fitting Strategies for Worldwide Challenges

fall 2014

The traffic patterns of Houten, in the Netherlands, were transformed by a bike-first culture. Learn about more examples of sustainable development in “Willpower,” beginning on page 25. Photo by Danny Akright.

Features 20 world piece

Place-based strategies for global challenges fit together to build the big picture.

By Jill Brimeyer

25 willpower

Ideas generated in Europe can fuel sustainable development options here at home.

By Danny Akright, jo’10, as’10

28’ defining global citizenship

Drake is building connections to foster understanding and skills for a smaller world.

By Alyssa Young

Profiles 8

leslie mamoorian

The associate director of international and graduate admission is Drake’s connection to Malaysia.

14 domenic lamberti, class of 2016

A law, politics, and society major mobilizes men to address sexual violence and gender inequality.

56 robert ray, bn’52, lw’54

In 1975 Iowa’s governor made a bold decision, positioning the state as a global humanitarian leader.

60 monica rizzo, jo’85

This alumna always brings her “A” game to her classroom in the San Francisco County Jail.

Departments 4 Welcome

From the editor and staff

5 Virtually Speaking

Drake’s Facebook fans share thoughts, experiences, and observations

6 Blue Notes The people and stories of the Drake experience 54 Alumni Connections

Drake Notes, Career Tips, and the Alumni Calendar

62

The Last Word

Driven by the Global Intercultural Imperative

By Christa Olson, Vice Provost of International Programs

63 Just for Fun

COPYRIGHT DRAKE UNIVERSITY 2014

Two words: Bulldog origami!

Welcome solving has met with setbacks. As UNICEF Senior Immunization Specialist Maya van den Ent emphasizes, “Localized solutions are the best solutions.”

ILLUSTRATION BY DREW ALBINSON, AS’13

i journeyed today from the United States to Iraq to the Ukraine to Italy. All before 8 a.m. Such is the geography of my morning newspaper. Events across time zones and oceans make news, and we, in turn, must make sense of them.

Even the most advanced countries in the world have lessons to learn. Danny Akright returned from a class trip through parts of Europe that revealed sustainable development options requiring not only innovation but also determination.

Harnessing the power of ideas within reach, he suggests in his essay, requires mustering the willpower of U.S. leaders.

While partisanship in America can often overshadow larger perspectives, international and multicultural awareness is key to attaining the information and ideas that can help us make more effective decisions about our space on this planet and our role in the world.

Which begs the question of tomorrow’s leadership. In “Defining Global Citizenship,” Alyssa Young shows how Drake University is establishing itself as a learning community that develops global citizens prepared to make vital connections, advance intercultural understanding, meet changing workforce needs, and address complex issues—issues that may be defined by but are not confined by borders. Faculty members share their intercultural experiences in the classroom, students and alumni bring heightened awareness to worldwide issues, and global partnerships yield extraordinary opportunities.

A better understanding of people, places, history, culture, and events is not simply an advantage in the 21st century but a necessity. Tourism, commerce, contraband, information, entertainment, disease, financial markets, refugees, and even violence transcend borders, creating enormous challenges as well as tremendous opportunities. Our charge is to meet and seize.

Many of those opportunities have emerged in the last decade and a half under the leadership of Drake President David Maxwell. Drake’s strength, stature, and achievement have grown during Maxwell’s tenure, and in a special section of Drake Blue presented on the flip side of this issue, we celebrate mission and milestones as the University’s 12th president prepares to step down.

Where to start? In “World Piece” Jill Brimeyer highlights the priorities established by United Nations member states.

Significant progress toward some quality-of-life goals has been made over the past decade and a half but not consistently.

Failure to adequately factor local culture into global problem

—Beth Wilson, Editor

Drake’s 12th president will step down next June. Drake Blue celebrates David Maxwell and 16 years of remarkable leadership.

Catch it on the flip side!

4

DRAKE

BLUE

fall 2014

Virtually Speaking In six words, how would you distill your thoughts, experiences, or observations about international relations? Here’s what some members of our social media community had to say:

Pursuing common interests through genuine partnership.

Troy Sheets, bn’00 Lifelong learning: a world of possibility.

Lori Jayne Heyob Ancona, gr’13

Studying abroad was about finding home.

International relations require tolerance and transparency.

Heidi (Waldman) Opdyke, jo’01

Robert Dean Brown, bn’63, gr’71

Exploring new perspectives to forge possibilities.

Studying in Italy was so great.

Lauren Phillips, as’13

Marsha Zimmerman, jo’78

Global understanding only through global thinking.

Tom Rossley, bn’82, trustee

Join the current conversation:

visit www.facebook.com/drakeuniversity

follow www.twitter.com/drakeuniversity

Ask the staff ...

president

editorial

Your favorite intercultural moment?

Dr. David E. Maxwell

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

Kristin Dunn: Exploring history with a rugby team of prison guards in Scotland Jill Brimeyer: Introducing a Mexican visitor to Iowa ice (involuntary doughnuts!)

Beth Wilson: Sharing sandwiches on a night train to Romania Tim Schmitt: Touring downtown Des Moines with a group of Lost Boys from Sudan

executive director, university communications Debra Lukehart, jo’89

editorial director Beth Wilson

creative director Kristin Dunn, jo’92

project manager Brenda Kay Rodriguez

design Emma Akerly, as’09; Micki Nelson

web communications Carl Olsen; Jeremy Sievers

student interns Haley Austin, Class of 2015; Nicole Dyar, Class of 2014; Cameron Johnson, Class of 2015; Claire Sedovic, Class of 2015

Aaron Jaco: Watching four Finnish cellists perform the works of Metallica

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 your comments and story ideas.

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

follow us online magazine:

rss feed:

facebook:

twitter:

www.drake.edu/magazine

www.drake.edu/magazine

www.facebook.com/drakeuniversity

www.twitter.com/drakeuniversity

fall 2014

DRAKE

BLUE

5

blue notes [ on the spot ]

Matching Gifts

Diane Caldbeck, ed’72, associate vice president for alumni and development, helps University supporters shape major philanthropic projects as well as raise funds and awareness for Drake’s academic programs and endowment. After more than 25 years on campus—and with three children and a husband who are all Drake alumni—she has a deep understanding of the University. Many would say she’s done it all.

Hope Rowold Johnson, jo’94: What brought you to Drake?

What I’ve found over the years is that Drake and Diane Caldbeck are a perfect match, but landing that first job was purely accidental; I wasn’t out applying—I didn’t even have a current résumé! I originally taught school for five years but left that job to be a stay-at-home mother, which kept me busy for 12 years. When the assistant director of alumni and parent programs position opened up, someone at Drake suggested I apply. And the rest is history.

Danny Akright, jo’10, as’10: What is your favorite spot on campus and why?

Up until recently, my favorite area of campus was Helmick Commons. I was involved in the project from start to finish, and the space has become so central to student life. It’s special

to me for two reasons: 1) because I remember that area from my time as a student, what we called “Hubbell Field,” and 2) because I had the opportunity to work closely with an incredible trustee, Bob Helmick, la’57, lw’60, who grew up on Drake’s campus and shared my love for the University. Bob passed away at the time the area was being dedicated—a bittersweet time but ultimately a very meaningful project for me.

My new favorite place on campus is the Alumni House.

(The dining room of the 1901 home is shown above.) It’s something the University has wanted for years, and it’s exactly what we had been dreaming of—a gathering space that fosters a family atmosphere and enhances the alumni experience. A place that everyone can call “home.”

Peg Peterson, ed’81: What was the most fun you had on the recent alumni cruise to Greece and Turkey, and where are you going next?

The trip surpassed all expectations. Without a doubt, the best part was traveling with such a large group who all shared the common bond of Drake. It was also special to me personally because I was visiting my homeland—my grandparents were born in Greece.

And to host the trip was an absolute pleasure—more fun than I could have imagined! We plan to host a similar trip to the Mediterranean next June.

visit www.drake.edu/magazine for a virtual spot in Caldbeck’s famous campus tour, filled with Drake history and personal stories.

6

DRAKE

BLUE

fall 2014

Navigating an Industry in Flux The answer was simple, at least for Drake’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication: Get ahead of it. The question was more complex: How do you prepare effective and competitive students for an industry that’s shifting faster than the clouds in a roiling summer thunderstorm?

short-form journalism, still photography, digital magazines—

This fall, the SJMC introduced the most sweeping overhaul

the new major was created in less than a year and serves as

of the school’s programming in decades. The changes, which

an example of SJMC’s agility.

will be fully realized next year, include shifts in the core

“We’re people who work on deadline; we know the importance

curriculum and the individual majors, plus a new, innovative capstone experience for SJMC’s seniors. Collaboration underpins the transformation.

from all SJMC classes.

Last spring, SJMC introduced the new, interdisciplinary strategic political communication major. Combining aspects of journalism, public relations, political science, and rhetoric,

of moving forward and changing as we go.” says Jennifer Glover Konfrst, assistant professor of journalism and the faculty member who spearheaded the strategic political

“The bright lines that used to define the various disciplines

communication major.

are increasingly blurred,” says Kathleen Richardson, director

“We train people to be flexible, so who would we be if we

of the SJMC. “Journalists have to know how to market, produce, and find an audience for their work. There’s definitely an increased need for collaboration within the disciplines that we have here.”

The new capstone will bring all SJMC majors together to create and manage a news website that’s live throughout the school year. The site, currently scheduled to launch 2015-2016, will feature the best multimedia journalism—video, long- and

weren’t demonstrating this as a school?”

Faculty members are dynamic in leading the SJMC’s curricular changes, according to Richardson.

“Most of the time I’m chasing them; they’re out ahead of me and in many cases out ahead of the industry in their energy and their eagerness to innovate,” says Richardson. “That comes from their relationship with their students; they’ll do whatever it takes to give our students an advantage.”

Megan Bannister, as’13, jo’13, joined the White House press pool in covering a 2012 campaign rally in Des Moines.

fall 2014

DRAKE

BLUE

7

8

DRAKE

BLUE

spring 2014

Profile

Open Arms office of admission’s leslie mamoorian connects students and reconnects alumni in malaysia.

For many high school seniors, the college search process begins with a series of campus visits. But 9,000 miles is a long distance to travel for a tour.

Nicholas Raj Jayamany, bn’09, gr’11, knew he’d have to choose an American university from afar.

The Malaysia native’s decision centered on careful consideration of factors like academic reputation, financial aid, and student life—and was secured by a conversation with Leslie Mamoorian, Drake’s associate director of international and graduate admission.

“Leslie was one of only a few counselors who made the trip to talk to us, and it really did help us understand Drake better,” says Jayamany, who now lives in Malaysia and works for the business valuation department at Deloitte, the world’s largest professional services network. “Given the time it took to get here, we really did appreciate it and knew we’d be welcomed with open arms at Drake.”

Jayamany’s story will be familiar to many international students, particularly fellow alumni from Malaysia.

The Southeast Asian country has steadily developed into Drake’s most consistent pipeline for international students. Much of that growth can be attributed to Mamoorian, who calls Malaysia her second home after decades of annual visits.

“Leslie has been the connection to Malaysia for 25 years,” says Tom Delahunt, vice president for admission and student financial planning. “She has helped solidify Drake’s commitment to an area of the world that has sent many, many students to our campus.”

Mamoorian usually spends one week a year in Malaysia as a stop in a lengthier tour of Asia. This fall, she will stay for two months in a focused effort to broaden admission efforts and reconnect regional alumni with their alma mater.

“I’ll have a chance to visit more high schools, create more meaningful relationships with counselors and prospective students, and connect with alumni,” says Mamoorian.

“And if I need to fly to Singapore, Indonesia, India, or China, it’ll be more cost-effective for Drake. There are so many opportunities.”

Last year Drake’s student body included 339 international students from 46 countries. Nearly half of those students hailed from Malaysia. Drake’s distinction as a Society of Actuaries Center of Actuarial Excellence—a designation held by only a small handful of U.S. colleges and universities—has traditionally been a primary attraction for Malaysian students.

Mamoorian hopes Drake can leverage the University’s existing reputation to enhance awareness of other fields of study, a need to which alumni can attest.

“I have come across a few people who have heard of Drake, but our reputation is not well known unless you are an actuarial science major in an insurance company,” says Jayamany. “It would be great to expand our presence here in Malaysia and get alumni involved in local recruitment.”

International alumni stay connected with Drake through social media, email correspondence, and electronic newsletters. Many use Facebook to connect with classmates, and some circles of friends make a point of meeting in person.

“I am still in contact with close Malaysian friends and meet some of them at least every two months,” says Sivabalan Rajakulanayakan, bn’10, product manager at Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur. “But Drake could always do more to encourage engagement and association among international alumni.”

Mamoorian’s extended stay in Malaysia could become a model for future international outreach. “Drake wants to be a stronger global player, and this is our chance,” says Delahunt. “We have the right person in place, we have the pipeline into key recruitment areas, and now is the time to demonstrate our deep and continued commitment to our international students and alumni.”

Leslie Mamoorian, associate director of international and graduate admission (right), catches up with Azwirah Yasin, a junior actuarial science major from Malaysia.

fall 2014

DRAKE

BLUE

9

[ making a difference ]

Drake Ties Help Immigrants Move Forward “I know how hard it is to adjust to the United States and the way of life here,” says Paul Foo, bn’00, an immigrant from Malaysia who came to Drake to study finance, investments, and marketing.

“It is not an easy task.”

Since graduating from Drake, Foo has worked as a financial planner at MassMutual in West Des Moines. Today he has a thriving financial advisory practice where half of his clients are immigrants like himself.

Daniel Herting, lw’11, traveled to China for a fellowship after completing law school at Drake. He says adjusting to the new culture was more challenging than he imagined, and he was incredibly grateful for the people who helped him adapt, including Zixuan Yang—who is now the one acclimating as she pursues a Master of Laws degree at Drake.

As a reflection of its owner’s gratitude and commitment to paying it forward, Herting Law in Des Moines now provides many services for immigrants in Iowa.

When Herting and Foo (above, left to right) met through a mutual friend, they quickly bonded over their Drake education and discovered a mutual interest in immigrant issues. The two have combined skills and passions to help newcomers from Asia transition to life in central Iowa. Cyndi Chen, visiting instructor of Chinese at Drake, caught wind of their efforts and jumped on

10

DRAKE

BLUE

fall 2014

board. The result was the birth of Next Step Immigration, an organization that helps immigrants in Iowa access services that support personal and professional goals.

Unfamiliarity or even distrust (of, for instance, the banking system) can be overcome with education and guidance.

“Paul and I ran a few brief seminars during the summer providing general information about estate planning, and they were wildly successful,” says Herting. “Just providing that basic information about the planning options available was clearly something that people needed to know more about; it was a very rewarding experience.”

Herting says he’d like to see the organization expand its offerings with more networking events, a greater online presence, and partnerships with other service areas.

“I became a lawyer because I wanted to help people, but in other areas of my practice I sometimes feel my work is focused only on the day-to-day problems,” says Herting. “With Next Step Immigration, I really feel like I am helping with long-term success—both for individuals and for the community.”

— Haley Austin, Class of 2015, advertising-creative

[ how to ]

Emerging Entrepreneurs It seems everywhere you look someone is launching his or her own business. The statistics surrounding success, however, are daunting—on average, 25 percent of startups fail within their first year, 55 percent by the fifth year, according to a recent Forbes article.

Drake Blue sat down with the students to learn which factors contribute to start-up success:

The Lorentzen New Venture Hatchery, a newly developed program at Drake, gives students an unprecedented opportunity to start a business while still in school. In addition to use of office space and equipment at StartupCity in Des Moines, Hatchery students benefit from mentoring, coaching, and other assistance from Drake faculty and local entrepreneurs.

—Aaron Hermsen, a junior studying finance while launching Frank’s Fixies, a company that imports, assembles, custom paints, and sells fixed-gear bicycles.

“Step one is finding something that you honestly care for and are truly passionate about. You need to be sure you’re able to devote yourself to the business before you even start.”

“I once heard someone say that, ‘work is what you’re doing whenever you’d rather be doing something else.’ I don’t believe in that. To succeed in starting a business, you have to have passion and drive. If you don’t believe in what you’re producing, you aren’t going to succeed.”

—Joaquin Valdes, a junior studying finance, accounting, and international business while launching Frank’s Fixies with Hermsen.

“Before even attempting to start a business, you have to determine a problem that you believe you can solve. Without a problem, there’s probably no use for your business.”

—Dylan DeClerck, a sophomore studying marketing and finance while developing Opportunity on Deck, a sports clinic for inner city youth (more than 115 children in the Des Moines area participate in the clinic).

“Working in a team is a huge advantage. Even working with just one other person can be helpful. There are a lot of unforeseen hurdles that come up along the way, and it’s especially tough to tackle those challenges all alone.”

—Naren Bhojwani, a senior studying marketing and entrepreneurship while developing AP Lumina, a new brake light system designed to help drivers better determine the braking speeds of surrounding vehicles.

“The biggest mistake people make is rushing into things. Think about the consumer and why they’d care about the product.

Also, read, read, read. Stay up-to-date on news related to your business so you can always make informed decisions.”

—Benjamin Mullis, a senior studying law, politics, and society and rhetoric and communications studies while working with Bhojwani to develop the AP Lumina brake light system.

Naren Bhojwani (left) and Benjamin Mullis present at 1 Million Cups, a weekly startup showcase at Green Grounds Cafe in Des Moines’ Valley Junction.

“I know this sounds cliché, but networking is beyond important.

Once I stepped out of my comfort zone and started showing my face at places like StartupCity and the Des Moines Social Club, I began to connect with people who eventually helped me grow my customer base. Other entrepreneurs are excellent for bouncing ideas off of, and they can help you start putting your ideas in motion.”

—Kevin Clark, a senior studying English and entrepreneurship while developing Reflex Fight Gear, training equipment and apparel for combat sports like boxing and mixed martial arts.

fall 2014

DRAKE

BLUE

11

blue notes

Rural Revitalization

Jennifer Zahradnik, lw’03, and James Ries, lw’03, are a rarity. These young lawyers are dedicated to life and work in a small town and are introducing Drake Law students—like David Grapentine, 3l, (center)—to opportunities in the rural Midwest.

If you’re looking for a dizzying breadth of professional experience, head to small-town Iowa. That’s the lesson David Grapentine learned this summer. The third-year Drake Law student spent three months as an intern in Belle Plaine, a picturesque city (pop. 2,534) about 45 minutes west of Cedar Rapids, at law offices owned by Drake Law alumna Jennifer Zahradnik, lw’03.

“I went from taking my last final on Thursday to moving over the weekend, prepping documents on Monday, and Tuesday I was in a courtroom watching Jennifer try a trial,” says Grapentine, who also worked in property, elder, and family law, among other areas, during his full-time paid internship.

“It’s a lot of hands-on, practical experience.”

But while Grapentine dives into work at a small-town practice, many attorneys his age are enchanted by work at larger firms. Rural practices across the United States are

12

DRAKE

BLUE

fall 2014

shuttering their windows as older attorneys retire and young lawyers seek opportunities with higher wages and more modern amenities.

Statewide, only about 4 percent of Iowa’s attorneys are in the 33 most rural counties. Some clients drive more than 30 miles to visit Zahradnik and her legal partner James Ries, lw’03, who are among only 18 lawyers in Benton County (pop. 26,000). Other states have a similar shortage—in South Dakota, for example, 65 percent of attorneys live and work in just four cities.

“I can name 20 firms right now where their lawyers are in their late 60s, and they have no succession plan, no idea what they’re going to do when they retire,” says Zahradnik.

Drake Law School, the University of Nebraska, and Creighton University have teamed with the Iowa State Bar Association to address the shortage. The association’s Rural Practice Internship Program is currently in its third year. More than 30 Drake Law students applied for internship positions in small towns in summer 2014.

“Whether our alumni choose to work in rural areas immediately after graduation or four or five years down the road, we want to make sure they have exposure to that career path,” says Jennifer Zwagerman, director of career development at Drake Law School.

Ben Ullem, dean of Drake Law School, says students should consider careers in small towns—and not only because of the thriving job market.

“The primary reason most of us enroll in law school is to help people,” Ullem says. “Lawyers who work in small towns often have richer opportunities for community involvement than do lawyers in larger practices. There are fewer barriers to making a substantive difference.”

tour scenic Main Street in Belle Plaine, Iowa, and explore life as a small-town lawyer (online at www.drake.edu/magazine).

fall 2014

DRAKE

BLUE

13

blue notes

Profile

Everyone’s Issues

Junior Domenic Lamberti, founder of Drake Men for Gender Equality, is a tireless leader, says Renee Cramer, associate professor of law, politics, and society.

White, male, upper-class—the trifecta of privilege in America. Domenic Lamberti, a law, politics, and society junior at Drake, uses this privilege to give voice to two issues rocking college campuses across the nation: sexual violence and gender inequality.

Lamberti founded a student organization, Drake Men for Gender Equality, to encourage men to talk about these topics and to embrace their role as advocates and allies to the cause.

“During a class, Critical Race and Feminist Theory, I delved into my privileges as a white man,” recalls Lamberti. “The conversations I was having in my class weren’t being had outside of my major. But gender equality and violence prevention aren’t just women’s issues; they’re everyone’s issues.”

The group is particularly relevant now, as media coverage of sexual assaults on campuses across the nation—and universities’ mishandling of them—has increased public awareness.

A recent Department of Justice-funded online survey found that one in five college women reported experiencing some form of sexual assault.

14

DRAKE

BLUE

fall 2014

Under Lamberti’s leadership, Drake Men for Gender Equality has held a number of discussions and lectures by Drake faculty and outside experts. Attendance has been steady but low; Lamberti acknowledges the subject matter is tough to tackle.

“While people seem to recognize this as an important set of issues, it can still be an uncomfortable and morose subject,” he says. “I feel some people are afraid or nervous to talk about sexual violence, but this stems from the lack of conversation on this subject in young people’s lives.”

Lamberti is well versed in addressing challenging matters with his peers: He served as president of his fraternity and is a peer mentor/academic consultant for first-year students. His soft-spoken demeanor and inclusive nature help guide other Drake men through difficult conversations.

“Domenic mobilizes different types of leadership: At times, he is charismatic and leading from the front of the room, at other times he is quietly leading from within the group,” says Renee Cramer, associate professor of law, politics, and society, who serves as adviser for Drake Men for Gender Equality. “He is seemingly tireless in his efforts to leave Drake better than he found it.”

[ top five ] International Moments at Drake University While located in the heart of the United States, Drake University has been making global connections since its earliest days. The shape and form of these connections has changed over the years, but Drake’s dedication to internationalism has remained constant. Here are five defining moments from Drake’s history.

1.

In front of 11,500 spectators in Tanzania’s Sheik Amri Abedi Memorial Stadium, Drake’s football team defeated the CONADEIP All-Stars from Mexico 17–7 at the Kilimanjaro Bowl on May 21, 2011.

It was the first American football game played on the African continent. Team members and others, including Drake President David Maxwell, also summited Mt. Kilimanjaro, completed service work, and hosted football clinics for area children.

2.

Just five years after opening its doors in 1881,

to campus in 1886. Visit www.drake.edu/magazine

to view photos of and learn more about one of

these students, Jeu Hawk, who came to the

University from China.

Artist Myriah Kolar, ed’14, was inspired by classroom discussion of a sixth-century text exploring the power—and inadequacy—of words.

Ineffability was installed in the Provost’s Office this past May.

[ the best place ]

Old Main’s New Art Unbeknownst to many on campus, a small eclectic art collection on the second floor of Old Main spans form, media, and time.

In May Ineffability—an intriguing and, for some, baffling canvas— became the 2014 installation in Provost Deneese Jones’ office reception area, joining seven earlier Provost Purchase Award winners that highlight a range of student work.

Each spring faculty from the Department of Art and Design review selections made for the Annual Juried Student Exhibition, held in Anderson Gallery. Only one is chosen to be exhibited in the Provost Office and eventually become part of the University’s permanent collection. visit www.drake.edu/magazine to learn more about Myriah Kolar’s confounding canvas that is anything but blank.

Drake welcomed the first international students

3.

The Center for Global Citizenship was founded at Drake in fall 2002 and was renamed The Principal Financial Group Center for Global Citizenship in January 2011. The Center works to ensure that global perspectives and issues are an integral part of the intellectual and cultural experience of all members of the Drake community. Learn more at

www.drake.edu/cgc.

4.

Drake University’s first missionary (yes,

we did missionary work at one time) was Miss

Loduska Wyrick. She was sent in 1890 to work in

Tokyo, Japan. Her work as a medical missionary

was exemplary, earning her medals from the

Japanese emperor and more than 8,000 letters

and testimonials from Japanese soldiers serving

in the Russo-Japanese war.

5.

Drake alumnus and trustee Johnnie Carson, la’65, was President Barack Obama’s 2009 nominee for assistant secretary of state for African affairs and served in the role until 2013. He is now a senior adviser to the United States Institute of Peace.

Read more about Carson’s distinguished career at www.usip.org/experts/johnnie-carson.

now

students show their 2014 summer style in front of cole hall.

17

DRAKE

BLUE

spring 2014

then all gussied up This circa 1910 photo captures Drake students resplendent with hats—a bowler, a tam-o’-shanter, and a golf cap. Skirts would remain ankle-length for a few more years, and hair was not yet bobbed. The migration from facial hair to a clean-shaven look, however, had begun thanks to the growing availability of the safety razor.

18

DRAKE

BLUE

fall 2014

These Drake men and women, whose names are lost to history, are gathered on the east side of Old Main (note the Kissing Rock in the background), just south of Howard Hall. They are likely posing before or after hitting the links at the Waveland Municipal Golf Course, which opened in 1901.

Every Country Is the Best at Something

INDIA

FILM PRODUCTION (1,200+ feature films annually)

BULGARIA Home ownership rate (97%)

AUSTRALIA

BELGIUM

NETHERLANDS

BANGLADESH

UN TONS CONTRIBUTOR TO

Cricket World Cup victories

(4 men’s, 5 women’s)

CHICORY ROOT Tallest people (average adult height of 6’1”)

PRODUCTION

40,000+

PEACEKEEPING FORCES

(8,316) CANADA

ANNUALLY

CHINA RENEWABLE ENERGY

PRODUCTION

PAPUA NEW

GUINEA SPOKEN MOST LANGUAGES

(14 confirmed craters)

GERMANY

HIGHEST MINIMUM WAGE

($11.60 per hour)

Olympic canoeing medals

62 TOTAL, 31 GOLD

(820)

ASTEROID PER YEAR RWANDA HIGHEST

IMPACT

RUSSIA

790+ TERAWATT HOURS

SOUTH

KOREA

IRAN WOMEN (21.9 MBPS) PROPORTION OF

FASTEST INTERNET

connection speeds

HIGHEST FEMALE

to male school ENROLLMENT

(1.22 to 1)

IN GOVERNMENT (56%)

UNITED STATES NEW BOOKS PUBLISHED

(275,000+ annually)

fall 2014

DRAKE

BLUE

19

WORLD PIECE INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIES FIT TODAY’S GLOBAL PUZZLES

BY JILL BRIMEYER

AT THE TURN OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM in Madhya Pradesh, India, officials in the poor, rural district of Dhar placed 38 networked computers—the Gyandoot system—in market areas in an effort to make government services more accessible to villagers.

Unfortunately, spotty electricity and poor connectivity took all but 10 telekiosks out of commission. While a few did work, the majority of poorer citizens weren’t aware of their existence, and others were uncomfortable using them. Further, it broke social norms for women and lower caste members to use the same kiosks as the general public.

Gyandoot now serves as one of a number of cautionary tales. Tackling the world’s biggest problems—technology access, hunger, health, education, energy, climate change—is a bit like solving an intricate dynamic puzzle. The overarching strategy must be paired with an intimate understanding of the individual puzzles within—some cultural and social, others political, financial, religious, or geographical.

Only when these individual pieces function well on a micro level can they function together as a harmonious whole.

OUR BIG, SMALL WORLD Our world is getting larger. All of human history was defined by fewer than 1 billion people before 1800; today, our 7.2 billion can expect to be joined by another 2.4 billion by 2050.

Each day, an additional 220,000 people need food and water, shelter, energy, education, and income.

At the same time, the world is getting smaller. People travel and migrate from continent to continent with relative ease, and technologies such as the internet, smart phones, video conferencing, language translation apps, and more have accelerated the rate at which ideas move to near instantaneity. Many benefit from the strides and wonders that nations produce while the effects of poverty, hunger, water scarcity, disease, human rights abuses, global warming, and other costly quality-of-life impediments continue to reverberate around the globe.

Transnational approaches to global challenges, often driven by a Western, Euro-centric perspective, cannot effectively address pressing issues that transcend borders—in large part because unique factors exist inside borders. Complex problems require understanding of and input from diverse cultures and experiences. The best strategies are international.

To begin to address problems on a global level, an overarching framework is needed to help focus priorities.

Largely, that has been provided by the United Nations.

Working through its array of global sister associations, work groups, and in-country grassroots partners, the U.N. draws on global expertise and contacts to place boots—and place-based tactics—on the ground.

Chris Whatley, the executive director of the United Nations Association of the United States, recalls a time when international efforts weren’t quite as cohesive.

“I spent my early career in the ‘90s working in development assistance in sub-Saharan Africa, at a time in which total overseas assistance was about a third of what it is today,” says Whatley. “For the most part, you had individual donor nations spending on priorities in a well-intentioned way based on their own idea of what was the most effective investment.”

It was the convening power of the U.N., he says, that ultimately brought together member nations—rich, poor, and in between—to coalesce around eight United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The leaders fall 2014

DRAKE

BLUE

21

the population has access to the internet. The I nationwide effort to install computers and inst

Gates Foundation/Flickr/Commons https://www.flickr.com/photos/gatesfoundation/4774362445/in/photolist-8gTRBT-896rrR-a 9mPnxE-e1zqFf-bhoyse-9mLkzB-8JAyof-8gTRK 8JxuWT-9mLkq4-8EiXLZ-8z4Xia-62CVBi-6c1LPY -8gX87s-HCDyU-8xBgg2-8CViuA-93DoYU-atUZ

E ra

1.

4.

Imp

Co

En

8.

su

sal

uc ry ed prima

ation

mb

re

D ev

en

rove

at

el

vir

mat

erna

HIV /A ID

op

on

m

a

en

gl

ta

S,

ob

ls

l he alt

ma

al

us

ta

lar

pa

in

ia,

rt

ab

ne

ili

Community members in a local slum participat ployed Women's Association of India. The orga business or labor. (Gujarat, India, 2010)

Gates Foundation/Commons/Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/gatesfoundation/6726305123/in/photolist-bfo5aZ-8JxuXT-8 KaiJ-oo43n7-9yDDs1-8JAye7-9EViSi-byqdun-c7 eaWd-bAYwGn-9Umk5n-c8HXT9-dsNo6d-9Um XK-9oBV6C-9uBT8E-aAFxSs-8gX83U-8ZBBGv-b

h

an

do the

Vignette

rd ise ase s

ty

rs hi p fo rd el op m en

Transit polio vaccination teams working at Patn sheets at the start of their shift from a sub-dep people volunteer in India to fight polio. (Bihar, Gates Foundation/Commons/Flckr https://www.flickr.com/photos/gatesfoundation/5374386008/in/photolist-9A1HSS-akG3LR Visit www.drake.edu/magazine hoAM6-9A1NBL-anccpB-8gTRX6-9Mst6a-9th1Q URCJ-9EDU1w-9zXP5v-8LsnrX-br481z-9Q2KJR to explore complex global 9LRDmz-7V7fYt-9cURxJ-aUXWir-9A1JEG-aoPo8

ing/6052125861/in/photolist-adNJaB-dp9nkySUz-dPrymM-dPcQfR-dPitMj-dPcTJ6-dPryZT-dP dPxbj3-7WvwAN-ipCqgn-9cMxS7-bZ9D89-dPx W-ipBQ5E-dp9nCs-ipCzeJ-ipCGf9-ipCWSK-ipDN

t

According to Whatley, the creation of these MDGs “took what was 100 points of focus, all directed toward a world that was on fire in terms of needs—HIV was screaming over sub-Saharan Africa, you had more than 2 billion people living on a dollar a day or less at that time—and then focused it on eight key priorities.”

At the threshold of global polio eradication

challenges with World Health Blue Square Thing/Commons/Flickr Organization’s Sona Bari and Wind energy United Nations Environment Kelstrup, Sjaelland, Denmark https://www.flickr.com/photos/bluesquarethProgramme’s Patricia J. Beneke.

ev

of 189 nations gathered in September 2000 to commit to specific global objectives for addressing poverty, inequality, disease, and pollution by 2015.

PERFECT FITS, FALSE MOVES

Every child everywhere Women and children wait to receive routine im ghanistan, 2011) https://www.flickr.com/photos/gatesfoundation/5829342324/in/photolist-9T7Uo9-bviftP-8 8ZEGHm-8gX7BW-bhoA9v-aACSSn-9uyTDi-9A 96D4V-bx2XAV-9LUrty-bAYtbK-bwNPRD-bxzPS br479X-8JAytm-bugkS4-aghHr7-8gX8hL-br448 Cover

Re d u ce c h il d m o rt a li ty

5.

7.

re

hun

po w er w om en eq ua lit y an d em Pr om ot e ge nd er

3.

6.

ext

i ve r ve u n e i h c A

2.

U.N. Millennium Development Goals (2000–2015)

di

e cat

and ty r e p ov me

Maternal Health Yasodha Ojha, a skilled birth attendant, was br each month and is known throughout the dist to the local clinic to have her check on the stat Gates Foundation/Flickr/Commons https://www.flickr.com/photos/gatesfoundation/4686129537/in/photolist-9iWybV-8JAyiE-9 TRqF-aAFxSs-dWBSAr-9bS4Kr-aAFxSJ-896D3R7Lj-aECWZ4-aECWKc-896DCP-9PEdxR-9doyjbaUXWjp-a43YuU-9F6hVg-aAFxSE-aUXWhx-aEG

ger

David Neesley

improved sources of drinking water. Mortality rates from Storm Clouds malaria fell by more than 25 percent. Measures70of national MPH winds blew through Chicago this week the road from each other. This is a 3 shot panor debt to revenue in developing countries dropped nearly 10 percent. And the percentages of both undernourished people and tuberculosis deaths are on target to be halved by 2015.

Still, achievement toward the MDGs has been uneven among and even within countries. Sub-Saharan Africa and southern Asia lag behind the rest of world in attaining MDG targets, and daunting challenges remain in the areas of environmental sustainability, child mortality, maternal health, HIV treatment and prevention, primary education, and gender equality.

There have been hard-won lessons on the importance of The progress made over the past 14 years has been called factoring local culture into global problem solving. On the “the most successful global anti-poverty push in history” CBC Radio-Canada show The Current, journalist Nina Munk, r

by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and extends toh u n g e author of The Idealist: Jeffrey Sachs and the Quest to End d n a multiple measures of quality of life in the developing Poverty, described some cultural missteps of the Millennium y world, ert o vhealth. p from income to food and clean water access to The Villages Project, a collaboration of multiple nonprofit e em r t x proportion of people living in extreme agencies including The Earth Institute at Columbia University. e e poverty (on less a t i o n The ongoing pilot project, launched in 2005, aims to c a t globally from 47 percent c i u d d than $1.25 a day) has been halved e y E ra rimar s a l p access to 1 . 2 billion people r to 22 percent. More than gained accelerate achievement of the MDGs within dozens of e v i un 2.

22

U.N. Millennium evelopment Goals

DRAKE

BLUE

Achie

ve

po w er w om en eq ua lit y an d em fall 2014 Pr om ot e ge nd er 3.

4.

R

THE VACCINE RUNNERS A neighborly approach improves global health In 2006, intrepid polio vaccination teams blanketed India, traversing open sewers teeming with refuse to blanket every tightly packed shanty and immunize every child. Progress was being made. But volunteers, working through the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control, and Rotary International groups, noted that there was an entire segment of the population that continued to be infected.

“It was mostly minorities who were not reached,” recalls Maya van den Ent, senior immunization specialist for UNICEF. “The programs came to the conclusion that they were using vaccinators and volunteers who were from another group—they were Hindi. If you have a health worker from a certain tribe or village that

is not accepted in the target population, you have a problem.”

Little by little, teams worked to mobilize women from within these communities.

After training, these village women educated their neighbors about vaccines, organized vaccination sessions, and phoned other mothers to make sure their children attended.

“Even someone from the capital city will not have results if they go to a remote village,” says van den Ent. “It’s really the link with the community that determines the strength of the program.”

By 2011, the teams succeeded in interrupting the circulation of wild polio virus in India. But the battle is far from over. Just across the border in Pakistan, as well as in Afghanistan and Nigeria,

sub-Saharan villages in various agro-ecological zones. In an effort to alleviate hunger, the project distributed fertilizer and high-yield maize seeds—chosen because of its nutrition, drought tolerance, and ease of cultivation—to villagers.

It was an idea that played out better on a white board in New York than it did in the mountains of Ruhiira, Uganda.

“Number one, the people in the village frankly didn’t even like maize,” says Munk. “They call it prison food there because in that part of Uganda it’s really only given to prisoners or school children.”

Further, farmers didn’t know what to do with the enormous yield, she says; and with no roads, finding a market was difficult. So villagers dumped their piles of excess for rats to devour, and the price of maize collapsed.

One of the most effective ways that U.N.-guided organizations have avoided such culturally disastrous setbacks is to forge close partnerships with in-country allies. Whatley highlighted the usefulness of this kind of partnership in the U.N.’s efforts to eradicate polio from India—recently certified by the World Health Organization as polio free.

the preventable disease continues to be endemic. While challenges in reaching these countries are as varied as the people who live there, many come down to politics, mistrust of the Western world, religious conflict, and violence. Since July 2012, more than 23 polio workers have been killed by militant groups who are convinced that immunizations are a front for U.S. spying. Some Muslim factions also remain suspicious that the vaccines are part of a Western conspiracy to sicken or sterilize them.

“Localized solutions are the best solutions,” says van den Ent. “One size fits all? We cannot work with that. We can give some broad guidance, but we really need to adapt to local challenges and have the input of the community to actually provide the solutions.”

“The global effort has been a partnership with churches, member state governments, and the Indian rural health mission,” he says. ”The World Health Organization is alongside all of that, providing the vaccines and technical assistance. But who are those frontline workers, who are often walking 10 to 12 miles to get to a village, crossing streams with no infrastructure? It’s Indian health workers from governmental ministries working alongside the U.N.”

THE RIDDLE OF THE FLIP SIDE The biggest roadblock to addressing a problem in some regions is getting people to recognize that a problem even exists. And sometimes, with issues of gender equality, education, and environmental sustainability, what one group of people considers a dire problem another considers a comfortable or even righteous status quo. In cases like these, the U.N. may step in to serve as both outreach arm and hub for divergent information streams. The key, says Whatley, is how you frame the case for change.

fall 2014

DRAKE

BLUE

23

“Gender equity would be one of the big areas where that is a challenge. You can view it as a human rights issue but also as a development issue,” he says. “Improving gender equity in education and other places has a strategic development impact that cuts across all sectors of society and leads to higher GDP growth.”

In regions where women are suppressed under cultural norms, he says, the discussion centers on development benefits.

“Either way,” says Whatley, “I think getting to the outcome of better access for young women to education, land tenure, the political system, and birth registries; so they’re actually counted as individuals—the outcome is what matters.”

As the U.N. and other entities prepare to step forward with a new set of ambitious goals beyond the MDGs’ 2015 deadline, there is now, more than ever, a need for engaged people with global understanding and cultural intelligence. And the chance to contribute begins now. The second iteration of Millennium Development Goals is employing an online survey—at www.myworld2015.org—so that anyone with computer and internet access can have a say in what matters most where they live. And yes, access to technology is one of the new priorities put forth.

“To have that kind of opportunity where citizens from around the world can have their individual say and compare their say with counterparts in Zambia or the Ukraine, that direct engagement is exactly where the U.N. needs to be,” says Whatley. “It’s where the world is.”

All photography in story courtesy of the Gates Foundation at Flickr Commons.

JUST ONE PATCH OF LAND It’s been called the biggest crisis our civilization has ever faced, and the trouble zone is not where you might expect. The Midwest is responsible for more carbon dioxide emissions than most countries across the globe, with the exception of China, India, Russia, and Japan.

Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin account for 20 percent of the carbon pollution of the world’s No. 1 producer: the United States.

“Some of it is because of how we get our energy,” says Josh Mandelbaum, staff attorney for the Environmental Law and Policy Center in Des Moines. “Our energy generation in the Midwest has traditionally relied on a large amount of coal, which is a particularly dirty source of electricity. From a climate change perspective, it creates a large amount of carbon pollution.”

24

DRAKE

BLUE

fall 2014

The local benefit of clean energy fuels global change

It’s dire news with an upside, according to Mandelbaum. “The Midwest is also well-positioned to solve the problem.”

The region, he says, holds the nation’s richest—and largely untapped—clean energy potential. Solar, wind, biomass, hydro, and geothermal power are all options being explored, as well as other technologies including an anaerobic digestion system that creates fuel from livestock manure.

It’s no secret that global warming is a tricky issue. In 2013, 64 percent of Americans surveyed said they believe global warming is happening; 19 percent said they do not (Yale Project on Climate Change Communication). Yet most people can get behind the need for a cleaner environment, sustainable energy sources, and the economics of a smaller energy bill. That’s the case Mandelbaum and his counterparts are making across the Midwest, and—slowly but surely— some pockets are reaping the benefits.

“Farmers are embracing solutions because it’s better for their bottom line,” he says. A good example is in Washington County, Iowa, made up of mostly small, rural communities with a strong agricultural economy. “They raise a lot of hogs, which can be a pretty energy intensive operation. Yet Washington County has more solar energy than any other county in Iowa.”

Change, he says, was gradual and driven by the farmers themselves.

“One or two people figure it out, and you see solar panels going up on your neighbor’s farm. You ask questions, check it out yourself, and see that it makes sense for you, too,” says Mandelbaum of small, practical steps that can add up to a large impact around the world. “Very local solutions are part of addressing global challenges.”

A class trip through Europe reveals America’s sustainable potential.

Willpower

by Danny Akright, jo’10, as’10

spring 2014

DRAKE

BLUE

25

I’ve always thought of wind turbines as graceful, turning slowly above the Midwestern landscape I call home. Standing inside the base of one in the wooded hills of southern Germany, looking up into its cavernous, dark, humming innards, gave me an entirely different impression: powerful. Unlike most wind turbines in the United States, this turbine in the small town of Wildpoldsried isn’t owned by a massive utility or energy conglomerate; it is owned by a co-op of farmers and villagers. With a population smaller than Drake’s undergraduate student body, Wildpoldsried uses this wind turbine, along with two others, plus photovoltaic solar panels, biomass, and hydroelectricity, to power an entire village.

Wildpoldsried is unusual in that the town’s energy production exceeds its energy needs— it’s profitable. As a result, the village has been able to create a slew of new buildings, including a school, a town hall, and an athletics center. Local residents are reaping both the economic and environmental benefits of their energy entrepreneurialism. I, along with a couple dozen other students and faculty of Drake’s Master of Public Administration program, was there to learn how they did it.

The Environmental Performance Index—a sustainability metric created jointly by Yale and Columbia universities and measuring the protection of human and ecosystem health and resource management— ranked the U.S. at 33 of 178 countries in 2014. This is, admittedly, a large gain from 2010, when the country ranked 61 of 163, but we still have a lot to do. And a lot to learn.

Our trip wound through Europe, stopping at nine of the best examples of sustainable development on the continent. The goal was to learn from people who’ve proven the viability of their projects, digest those lessons, and bring them back to the United States.

Each site spoke to a particular aspect of sustainability: transportation, city development, or renewable energy.

Houten, in the Netherlands, was totally redesigned in the 1960s and 1970s. During the era in which the U.S. was adapting to interstate highways and massive suburbs, this city of almost 50,000 people was transforming into a bike-first culture. Bicycles take priority in pathway and parking, and the central area of the city is all but off-limits to cars. Because of Houten’s layout, street design, and speed controls, bikes have become more efficient than cars, housing density is higher, and the city is quiet except for the hum of bike tires and the jingle of handlebar bells. Some U.S. cities have started to adapt a few of the

26

DRAKE

BLUE

spring 2014

strategies that make a town like Houten possible: protected bike lanes, bikes-only stoplights, and bicycle parking lots to begin with. Despite such efforts, the U.S. car culture remains firmly entrenched.

Vauban, an area of Freiburg, Germany, has reclaimed a former military base and turned it into an eco-friendly neighborhood and university housing. The Western Harbor, a district of Malmö, Sweden, transformed an industrial port into desirable— and sustainable—housing, shops, and restaurants. HafenCity, a bright and shiny riverside region of Hamburg, Germany, turned old piers, docks, and warehouses into a thriving, upscale business and living area. These areas struck me as brilliant alternatives to two American city archetypes: suburban sprawl and a downtown that’s either dead or gentrified.

Some of the best examples of sustainable development were found in the HafenCity district of Hamburg (the atrium in the Unilever headquarters for Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, previous page), in the Baltic Sea (wind farm, top); and in Houten, Netherlands (bicycle parking at the train station, below).

Photography by Danny Akright, jo’10, as’10.

It’s hard not to notice the abundance of wind turbines and photovoltaic panels throughout Germany. From wind farms off the Baltic coast and dotting the countryside like dandelions to solar panels on barn rooftops, renewable energy is a national priority. Three years ago, Germany boasted more than twice as much solar power as the U.S. has today, despite the fact that we have about 240 million more people and about $13 trillion more in gross domestic product. This June, Germany generated more than half of its national electrical grid needs from solar power alone.

Across the Atlantic, the U.S. Department of Defense has begun to account for climate change in its war plans and is investing in methods of developing fuel from seawater. Michael Bloomberg, Henry Paulson, and a number of other economists and industrialists have started a group called Risky Business to highlight the serious impact that climate change will have on our bottom line. Their concern is not shared by many legislators and business leaders, who deny the need to invest in sustainability.

Standing on a hill in southern Germany, three wind turbines towering above me and a village nestled below, I couldn’t help but think of how closely Wildpoldsried resembled a small Iowa town. Within 20 years, Wildpoldsried went from an average German farm town to a model of energy efficiency and prosperity. Germany’s sustainability clout is huge, but it didn’t start that way; it started in villages like Wildpoldsried, neighborhoods like Freiburg’s Vauban, and redevelopments like Hamburg’s HafenCity.

America’s lagging, but the lessons we need are right in front of us. All we need now, it seems, is the will to get it done.

spring 2014

DRAKE

BLUE

27

Un•der•stand•ing Learning to interact and connect with those from other nations and backgrounds—vital in an increasingly global workplace.

28

DRAKE

BLUE

fall 2014

Defining Global Citizenship Exploring the world in order to enrich it

By Alyssa Young It’s a world of laughter, a world of tears It’s a world of hopes and a world of fears There’s so much that we share That it’s time we’re aware…

It’s a small world after all—a phrase and song ingrained in America’s collective consciousness with a message, crafted in the ‘60s, that continues to resonate in the 21st century.

The melodic motif is one that Drake University has embraced, as evidenced by the steady stream of visiting professors from institutions around the world, a robust international student population, and increasing study abroad numbers.

An intentional, campuswide effort to internationalize the University and develop responsible global citizens is underway.

“We are starting to understand that the exceptional learning environment we provide students isn’t just in Des Moines; it’s the entire globe,” says Drake President David Maxwell. “We’re providing those experiences in Uganda, in Belize, in China. At the same time that we’re pushing our students into the world, we’re also bringing the world to campus.”

Internationalization is a big concept. It’s one that encompasses initiatives touching nearly all corners of campus and a movement driven by personal experience and individual passion: the hopes of an immigrant parent from Panama, the dedication of a Russian literature scholar, a wish for peace and understanding, a desire to change the University and the world.

The staff of Drake International is spearheading the internationalization effort. The office oversees a number of campus operations, including study abroad, faculty-led seminars, and international student services. Ultimately, according to Drake International’s Vision for 2020, Drake will establish itself as a “global hub”—a learning community that develops global talent, addresses pressing global issues, enhances visibility and connections around the world, and fosters intercultural understanding. fall 2014

DRAKE

BLUE

29

Building Skills for a Global Workforce As Lindsey Phelps, bn’13, jo’13, greeted the head of marketing for Unilever Turkey at a Walgreens flagship store in Chicago, Guclu Atinc’s voice was in the back of her head: “Don’t get right down to business, make sure to establish a relationship first.”

Phelps was just three months into her career at Unilever and was unexpectedly solo, giving her Turkish colleague a tour of the store and discussing business strategy and sales performance. By reaching out before her meeting to Matthew Mitchell, assistant professor of international business, she connected with Atinc, then assistant professor of management and international business at Drake, who gave her a basic understanding of how business is done in Turkey, Atinc’s native country. Phelps strove to get acquainted with her colleague, learning about Turkish coffee shops and marketing tactics in his country in the process.

Experiences like Phelps’ are rapidly becoming the norm in a changing world. By the end of the century, 80 percent of the world’s population will live in Africa and Asia, and only 10 percent will live in the West. The end of the century is a ways off, but consider this: More than 95 percent of the world’s consumers currently live outside of the United States.

It’s safe to say the need for global talent—graduates with experience in other countries, intercultural understanding, and foreign language abilities—can only increase in the U.S. “If you’re going into the workforce, you need to have basic skills that enable you to work with people from around the world,” says Mitchell. “How many Fortune 500 companies aren’t conducting international business? None.”

Drake students are increasingly aware of the skills needed in a smaller world. First-year enrollment in the international business major doubled this academic year.

The department’s current research includes a focus on Islamic finance, an unfamiliar business model for Western perspectives in which religion has minimal influence in commerce. But the Islamic financial industry is growing at a rate 50 percent faster than conventional finance companies and is expected to be worth more than $2 trillion by the end of 2014.

The Principal Financial Group Center for Global Citizenship raises awareness and sparks conversation about important international issues. Learn more online at www.drake.edu/academics/undergraduate/global/cgc.

30

DRAKE

BLUE

fall 2014

Muhamad Iqbal Mohd Rafi, an economics and finance double major from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, recently completed research on Shariah-compliant financial markets and the effect of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan on those markets. Shariah, or Islamic religious law, forbids making money from money—so interest, for example, is prohibited.

Investment in companies involved with alcohol, gambling, tobacco, or pornography is also off limits.

“This research allows me to help Western businesses understand how they can tap into this socially responsible investor market by offering Shariah-compliant products,” says Rafi. “I would like them to understand that Shariahcompliant products are not only for Muslims. For instance, there are Islamic banks in Malaysia with a customer base that is 95 percent non-Muslim.”

As a state-sponsored student, Rafi will return to Malaysia to work for his government upon graduation. He will take his understanding of Western business practices with him while leaving behind a better appreciation of how religion and business intersect in other parts of the world.

Beyond internationally focused majors, Drake International staff and the University’s faculty are working to ensure intercultural perspectives are integrated into majors across campus. John Rovers, professor of pharmacy practice, brings his extensive international experience to the classroom through stories from time spent in Mali and Vietnam. He recalls treating a few-months-old infant in Mali whose mother had died. The child’s grandmother was breastfeeding her own newborn but did not want to do the same for her grandchild, requesting formula instead. Rovers says such a story highlights numerous public health issues such as formula versus breastfeeding, Malians’ preference for modern Western culture, and the young age at which women have children in that country.

Rovers is not an anomaly on campus; he is part of a growing number of faculty bringing intercultural experience to the Drake classroom—giving students the foundation for successful global careers and lives. Drake alumni from a variety of majors work all over the world: conducting research in Costa Rica; teaching English in Seoul; advising students for the U.S.-U.K. Fulbright Commission in London; battling pandemics for The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria in Geneva. In fact, Drake alumni live and work in 98 countries, while countless others are employed at multinational companies domestically.

Jour•ney Discovering new perspectives while studying abroad in more than 70 countries.

Changing the World: Pipe Dream or Possibility?

Just a few blocks from beautiful beaches, where aquacolored water laps the sand and cliffs meet the Caribbean Sea, was a country in disarray. The magnitude-7 earthquake that rocked Haiti in 2010 was six months passed—along with it the attention of the world. But families were still homeless, living in plastic tents in steamy 80-plus-degree weather, crammed together on any available land. A cholera epidemic was in full force—the first outbreak in the country in more than a century and one that would claim more than 8,000 lives by 2013.

Daniela Bermeo Torres, as’08, was in the midst of it, working in the Canaan displacement camp to construct temporary housing to replace the zinc and plastic lean-tos slapped together in the immediate aftermath. During her one-year experience, Torres absorbed the Haitian culture, learning Creole and riding colorful tap taps (local public transportation). She also witnessed the politics and complicated challenges surrounding multinational organizations, which redirected her career and eventually led her home to Ecuador.

Torres’ story is one of transcending physical borders and cultural differences to effect change. It’s a story that’s becoming more commonplace among Drake students, alumni, faculty, and staff.

“Students are aware of worldwide issues that no single country can deal with alone, such as global warming and hunger,” says David Skidmore, professor of politics and international relations and director of The Principal Financial Group Center for Global Citizenship, a forum exploring complex international affairs and hosting world leaders, such as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (pictured on page 33). “They understand that they must develop a global perspective on those problems that their generation faces if they are to be solved.”

That heightened awareness has led students and alumni to all corners of the state, nation, and globe to tackle world-altering issues.

Stephen Rapp, lw’74, served as chief of prosecutions at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, prosecuting criminals from the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Since 2009, about 20 pharmacy students a year spend a rotation in Hillside Health Care International Clinic in Belize, often loading their luggage with books and medical supplies for the community. A group of Drake students initiated plans for the Kikandwa Health Centre in Kikandwa, Uganda, raised the needed funds, and broke ground in 2013.

fall 2014

DRAKE

BLUE

31

A•ware•ness Sharing culture and heritage with more than 300 international students at the annual International Night on campus.

Finding Common Ground Briefly, the glimpse of a young man as he looks through the camera lens to focus the shot. Once the camera is fixed to his person, the viewer is whipped around Shanghai, weaving between cars down narrow streets lined with closely built cement buildings. Passersby barely give a second look.

The YouTube video “Fixed in Shanghai” captures Drake students Joaquin Valdes, finance, accounting, and international business triple major, and Aaron Hermsen, finance major, as the two ride “fixies”—fixed-gear bikes, which are extremely popular in China—during their time abroad. That video, and the fixie culture in China, sparked the idea to sell fixies in Des Moines. The bikes were originally imported from China, where the two students made contact with a local manufacturer. Funded by the Lorentzen Student Hatchery—a venture at Drake fostering student startups (learn more on page 11)—Valdes and Hermsen are introducing a new kind of activity to the community.

Grassroots connections like those made by Valdes and Hermsen, paired with strategic partnerships with organizations around the world, are setting Drake apart in higher education, says Christa Olson, vice provost for international programs.

32

DRAKE

BLUE

fall 2014

“What distinguishes Drake from our peer institutions is the commitment we have to developing a select number of global partnerships into multifaceted, high-impact relationships,” says Olson. “Another distinguishing factor is the engagement of leaders from the Des Moines community—such as Luis Valdés from Principal International—in connecting Drake with relevant institutional partners.”

Thanks to these global collaborations, Drake has been part of a number of worldwide firsts. Drake law students were the first U.S. legal group to study agricultural law in Cuba, which in turn led to a visit from the first Cuban professor of agricultural law to be granted a visa to the U.S. since the 1962 embargo.

The first American football game played on the African continent launched one of the University’s strongest global partnerships. Drake athletes competed against a team featuring players from Technológico de Monterrey (Monterrey Tec), now a partner university in Guadalajara, Mexico. Drake has enjoyed one of its richest collaborations with Monterrey Tec, including faculty exchanges and, most recently, a hands-on teaching experience in which Drake secondary education and English majors worked—both online and in person over spring break—with Prepa Tec (a preparatory school for Monterrey Tec) students on a semester-long writing project, providing feedback and mentoring.

The next step in the partnership: a J-Term class at Monterrey Tec with the men’s and women’s soccer teams. In a unique set up, both teams will take a course in international business (fulfilling a major or Area of Inquiry requirement) while playing a number of games against local teams and training in the warmer weather.

Sean Holmes, men’s soccer head coach, says such an experience is unusual in Division I soccer. Most teams head to England or Western Europe, and they only play soccer. While the Bulldogs will be playing fútbol matches, the academic focus of the trip will make for what Holmes hopes is a more meaningful experience.

“I want them to remember this as a defining time in their college career,” says Holmes. “I want them to leave with an appreciation for the world. I want them to leave having made friends from another country.”

The development of stronger global partnerships aims to enhance intercultural understanding, perhaps the most crucial piece of the puzzle—and most difficult to achieve.

Amelia Piecuch, as’13, is one 27 Drake students since 1997 to receive a Fulbright Scholarship. (In fact, Drake is one of the top five producers of Fulbrights among master’s institutions.)

Piecuch’s grant is funding research on the effects of new fishing laws on local and artisanal fishermen in Chile.

“Originally I had planned to conduct interviews with local fishermen,” says Piecuch. “But I’ve had trouble getting past the obstacle of credibility. People take my background into account and give me the responses they think I want to hear as an American.” To overcome this bias, she’s developed connections and tactics to build trust within these communities.

Piecuch also notes the difficulties of making friends in a country where friendships are traditionally set in stone from an early age. Here she’s discovered a solution: She joined a running club.

“My club is made up with people from all over Chile, all different age groups and various professions,” says Piecuch.

“It has encouraged me to go outside my bubble and has made me feel part of a community.”

And this, perhaps, is what is at the heart of intercultural understanding: accepting and navigating differences while also finding common ground. After all, it is a small world.

Con•nec•tion Inspiring deeper reflection and sharing ideas with world leaders and the Drake community.

fall 2014

DRAKE

BLUE

33

SUPERSTAR With matching pink tutu and toenails, Lucey, winner of the 2014 Beautiful Bulldog Contest, quickly became a media darling.

Following her victory over 49 competitors in the 35th annual competition, Lucey was featured on the “Today” show, “Good Morning America,” in The New York Times, Huffington Post, U.S. News & World Report, and The Daily Telegraph in the United Kingdom, among other media outlets. Overnight fame hasn’t changed her.

Lucey continues to represent Drake—and bulldogs everywhere— with poise and grace.

Update

do something groundbreaking

At the start of any academic year, there is always a bit of magic in the air—a sense of new possibilities inspired by our incoming students as they take the first steps toward achieving their dreams.

I have to admit, their enthusiasm is contagious, and in this culminating year of distinctlyDrake, excitement on campus is greater than ever. Since the beginning of the campaign, the generosity of our alumni and friends has truly transformed the University. We’ve raised more than $185 million for scholarships, campus improvements, and new and expanded opportunities for students.

While I have immense pride in what we have already achieved, my passion for what we have planned is even greater. As you’ll read in the following pages, we have set our sights on a new state-of-the-art science and education complex that will shape Drake’s future and enhance the University’s already exceptional learning environment.

36

DRAKE

BLUE

fall 2014

As always, these incredible changes are being made possible through the leadership and generosity of the Drake community.

I hope you will join us as we seek to propel this University forward through the visionary initiative,STEM@DRAKE. —John Smith, as’92, gr’00, Vice President for Alumni & Development

$200 million

$100 million

$0

STEM@DRAKE: Leading the Way in Science and Education Drake has a bold plan for transforming the way students engage with math, science, and technology, as well as the way the University prepares educators who will lead and inspire tomorrow’s innovators.

STEM@DRAKE—with its ‘E’ for education—is a forwardthinking strategy that will connect science, technology, education, and math in a distinctive, interdisciplinary learning environment. The campus-wide effort will build on Drake’s success in the sciences and education, lead to innovative new programs and majors at the undergraduate and graduate level, and attract the best and brightest students and faculty to Drake University.

It will also make a considerable impact on traditional STEM education at the k-12 level. The School of Education will be relocating to the new STEM@DRAKE complex, enabling future teachers and administrators to learn alongside those training for professions in science, math, and technology.

“The overarching goal of STEM@DRAKE is to position the University so we are not just providing an exceptional 21st- century science education but also serving as a proponent and driver for it,” says Joe Lenz, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “We are going to move the School of Education back to campus and literally connect it with the sciences, math, and computer science. The goal is not just to produce students who will go to medical school or conduct research in the sciences but also develop those who will be teaching math and science in the k-12 system. We’re looking at this not only as something we are doing for our students but also something that has the potential to influence students in the 12 years before they even get to us.”

Achievement of this vision requires significant capital improvements. Drake University plans to build a state-of-theart STEM@DRAKE complex—a place filled with leading-edge technologies and innovative spaces designed for learning, research, experimentation, and cross-disciplinary connections.

The proposed project includes three distinct components: •

A connector building to link the programs in Olin Hall (biology, psychology, environmental science and policy) with those in Harvey Ingham and Cline halls (chemistry, physics, pharmacy, health sciences) to create a hub for communication and cooperation across disciplines

•

A new academic building south of and connected to Olin Hall to house the School of Education, as well as the math and computer science departments

•

The renovation of Olin and Harvey Ingham to create flexible classrooms and laboratories that that can accommodate a variety of learning styles

“We recognize that science isn’t advanced in isolation,” says Lenz. “It is done in a community. We’re deliberately designing these buildings so students and faculty across disciplines can better connect with one another.”

The first stages of this initiative began this summer with renovations in Harvey Ingham. The project will only become a reality with powerful philanthropic support.

Visit www.distinctly.drake.edu. fall 2014

DRAKE

BLUE

37

Update

Opportunity of a Lifetime It’s been nearly 70 years since Joan Gerling, ed’45, graduated from Drake, and she still fondly remembers her time at the University.

“This is where I spent two years, living in the dorms and having a normal life,” says Gerling, “so Drake has always been significant for that reason.”

Gerling attended Drake at the height of World War II. There were few men on campus, and she, like many female students, spent her second year volunteering at Des Moines’ Mercy Hospital as a nurse’s aide.

“I felt that I was doing some good and helping during the war,” she says.

While her time at the hospital was meaningful, it was her local student teaching placements at Hubbell and Greenwood elementary schools that helped her uncover her true passion: education. Those placements began a 20-year teaching career that was driven by a deep concern and love for her students.

She remembers enjoying it so much that she once told her principal that she would teach for free.

“I loved teaching the children,” she says. “I enjoyed third grade the most, though I taught second and fourth at other times.”

38

DRAKE

BLUE

fall 2014

She retired from teaching in 1968, but the students—and Drake—have never been far from her mind. Or her heart.

A decade ago, she created the Joan Huber Gerling Endowed Scholarship to help undergraduate or graduate students who are pursuing a teaching license in elementary education attend Drake.

In recent years, she has developed a close friendship with Dean of the School of Education Jan McMahill. They meet a few times a year in Burlington, Iowa—at a restaurant appropriately named The Drake—to reconnect and chat about the University.

When they meet, the conversation inevitably turns toward the new home for the School of Education. The building— which will connect with Olin Hall in the STEM@DRAKE complex—is a shared passion and an endeavor Gerling has supported generously.

“Jan talks about how important this project is, and I want to do something I think will be very good for the School of Education,” says Gerling.

As one of the building’s biggest advocates, she is eager to see it break ground.

“I think it will be wonderful,” she says. “I just keep telling Jan, ‘I hope this will happen in my lifetime.’”

A Father’s Inspiration Strengthens Tomorrow’s Science Teachers Todd Shaw, bn’86, had many meaningful teachers as a child.

He remembers several in middle and high school that were “really tough and had high standards”—something he has grown to appreciate over time. But the biggest influence on his life is a long-time principal and beloved teacher who he knows simply as “Dad.” His father, Donald Shaw, ed’54, gr’62, worked in the Des Moines public school district for nearly 50 years, first as a teacher, then as a principal and administrator. Todd, and his wife Elizabeth, honored this commitment by creating the Donald D. Shaw Family Scholarship at Drake University.

“My dad is one of those people I look up to,” says Todd. “I remember being struck by how much respect and love there was for my dad from the people he worked with. There is incredible value in educating people, and I aspire to contribute as much to people’s lives as he did.”

The scholarship is designated for education majors who will teach in the traditional STEM (science, technology,

engineering, and math) fields, combining two of Donald’s interests—science and education.

“One of my dad’s early passions in life was becoming a doctor,” says Todd. “He served in a MASH (Mobile Army Surgical Hospital) unit in Korea. He ended up there because originally he was studying pre-med before he switched to education. I think he appreciates that we are helping kids in elementary and middle school get a good education in the sciences and helping other people toward that path.”

As chief human resources officer for Verifone, a payments technology company, Todd also has a personal interest in helping STEM education improve.

“In my profession, I see a huge need for education in technology and math,” he says. “We need to send a lot more kids out of school prepared in those disciplines.”

Todd believes well-trained teachers are the key to improving STEM education, and he hopes others who share his passion consider supporting existing scholarship funds—or creating a new one.

“If we can help a few people over the years, really good people that we help afford an education at a great place like Drake and allow them to become teachers in the public school system, I will feel very fortunate.”

fall 2014

DRAKE

BLUE

39

Update

Alumni Challenge: Pay It Forward Though School of Education alumni Debbie and Ric Scripps received their degrees from Drake in the 1970s, they describe their Drake experience much as students do today: an education characterized by valuable real-world experiences and the close guidance of dedicated faculty.

“I had fantastic instructors,” says Ric, ed’70, who taught middle school for several years. “I remember one that taught me a very basic concept I used throughout my teaching career: Kids learn differently. You have to teach everything three or four different ways.”

“The hands-on experience was valuable,” adds Debbie, ed’72, a former first-grade teacher. “It made me a better teacher.”

Ric and Debbie no longer work in the classroom, but they remain committed to education and the school that brought them together. Debbie provides leadership to Drake as a member of the board of trustees, and Ric and Debbie have given generously to the building project that will provide a new home for the School of Education.

“We’re putting our money where our heart is,” says Debbie.

“Drake gave us the opportunity to further our lives, and we have the opportunity to repay that. We hope that students feel the same way—that they have a wonderful Drake experience and pay it forward someday.”

40

DRAKE

BLUE

fall 2014

The Scripps see tremendous value in the new building, which will be part of the STEM@DRAKE complex. They particularly appreciate its potential to closely connect Drake’s education majors with students and faculty in the math and computer science departments—to be housed in the same new building—and the sciences.

“The School of Education is currently not on campus, so for it to gain a presence is important to us and also important for the students, so they can feel they are a part of the campus experience,” says Debbie. “The ties to math and science are also beneficial. The building will be interdisciplinary and enhance the educational experience for the students.”

While many individuals have given generously to the School of Education building project, the Scripps hope more alumni will invest in the future of the School of Education and its students, especially as the endeavor nears its fundraising goal.

“This is an effort by a great number of people,” says Debbie.

Because of their passion for the project, the Scripps have issued a challenge for fellow Drake graduates. They will match gifts to the School of Education building from alumni and friends dollar-for-dollar up to $250,000.

“This helps send the message of how important we think this is,” says Ric. “We are not alone in this.”

Take the Scripps Challenge!

Visit www.alumni.drake.edu/scrippschallenge.

Don, bn’67, and Carol Fletcher are passionate supporters of the University—and they hope to inspire the same generosity in other Drake alumni and friends.

For more than a decade, Don has made substantial contributions of time and talent to the University. He is a current member and past chairman of the Drake University Board of Trustees and has served as a career adviser and a member of the College of Business and Public Administration’s National Advisory Board.

Don and Carol have also bolstered the University through philanthropy, creating a scholarship fund to aid Drake students from Liberty, Missouri, and supporting The Drake Fund—which addresses the most immediate needs of the University.

Boost Your Gift Be part of the Fletcher Challenge: Don and Carol Fletcher will match all new and increased gifts to The Drake Fund this fiscal year up to $100,000. Don’t miss the chance to make an even bigger impact on Drake.

This challenge represents how strongly Don and Carol believe in distinctlyDrake and The Drake Fund and their desire for others to join them in supporting distinctlyDrake in its final year. fall 2014

DRAKE

BLUE

41

THE BLUE SHEET

College of Arts & Sciences as the world turns

far and away

This summer fans across the globe came together to celebrate the phenomenon that is the World Cup. Even the United States was thoroughly caught up in the frenzy—at least until we were eliminated. Being part of a global event was fun while it lasted, and it served as a reminder that in everyday life, not just in sporting events, we need to participate fully as global citizens. At Drake University we are striving to create citizens who are consistently, not occasionally, engaged in the world.

It is ironic. As our Office of Admission will no doubt confirm, prospective students spend years carefully determining that our distinctive learning environment is right for them and that Drake is the place they want to be. And yet almost from the moment they arrive, we are encouraging them to go away, whether for a summer internship, a three-week intensive travel seminar, or a transformational semester abroad. This past year, for instance, 133 A&S students spent all or part of the academic year studying in 28 different countries including Brazil, Japan, Israel, Cameroon, Italy, and New Zealand.

Like the rest of the University, we in the College of Arts and Sciences have adopted various strategies in our effort to foster engaged global citizens. On the one hand, we provide opportunities for our students to visit destinations around the globe, encouraging long- and short-term international experiences that provide direct contact with other languages, other cultures, other ways of living and doing. On the other hand, we are internationalizing the curriculum, infusing our courses—and not just those that are, by definition, “international”—with multiple perspectives. The more our students understand that knowledge is interconnected and interdependent, the better able they will be to engage with and contribute to the world of the 21st century.

Even more students took advantage of our J-Term (a threeweek session between semesters in January) travel seminars in 2014. These seminars, limited to 20 students and typically team-taught, are designed to integrate topic and locale. For instance, the International Environmental Seminar, led by David Courard-Hauri, associate professor of environmental science and policy, took students to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. For Islam in the 21st Century, students traveled with Mahmoud Hamad, associate professor of politics, to Egypt and Turkey. And to study Risky Business: European Roots of Actuarial Science, Deborah Kent, assistant professor of mathematics, led a group of students to London, where in the 18th century the insurance industry was born.

Just mentioning the titles and the places, however, does not communicate the full scope of what the students study, encounter, and experience. To begin to do that, I’d like to focus on two trips in more detail.

south of the border Contemporary Urban Mexico, designed by Darcie Vandegrift, associate professor of sociology, and Eduardo García-Villada, assistant professor of Spanish, drew from staff and facility resources of a new partnership with Tecnológico de Monterrey, Guadalajara campus (ITESM). Drake students learned about everyday life in contemporary Mexico through hands-on interactions in flea markets, the chamber of commerce, community social movements, the U.S. Consulate, Sunday Catholic Mass, an upscale shopping mall, and an elementary school, as well as engagement with students and experts from ITESM.

Students visit Old Delhi’s Red Fort—home to Mughal emperors for nearly 200 years—as part of the 2014 January Term course, India on the Eve of Independence.

THE BLUE SHEET

fall 2014

The class met with journalist and television commentator Eduardo Gónzalez, an expert on migrant lives and culture.

The students toured two shrines dedicated to the Death Saint, a popular religion in Mexico that recognizes the realities of migration and drug violence. Student participant Carly Kinzler comments, “It’s amazing how much one’s perspective can change from a three-week trip.”

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

dean, college of arts & sciences

development staff

Joe Lenz

Doug Lampe

joseph.lenz@drake.edu

As news reached the U.S. this summer about child migrants traveling through Mexico by train, Vandegrift thought back to the conditions witnessed on field site visits to the tracks and receiving centers where these children pass: “The train is referred to as ‘La Bestia,’ the beast. These journeys claim hundreds of migrant lives each year.”

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

They met around the conference table to engage in often fierce and passionate debates about whether India could or should remain one country or about how democracy could guarantee freedom of religion if religious practices differed and clashed.

Six months after it ended, the class is still discussing the lessons learned during the course through an active Facebook page. Kinzler adds, “I understand the importance of being an ambassador for a neighboring country, because people know so little about life in Mexico.” Kinzler published her project on non-governmental organizations and democratic development in the spring 2014 issue of the Drake University Social Science Journal. All students created individualized research projects on topics such as the new middle class, women’s gender roles, and definitions of health and wellness.

Three students completed additional certification in cultural competency in Spanish.

This reacting game has been taught on campus and has always been intense and absorbing for students. But it was all the more powerful for students to actually be on-site in India to see Shimla and the Viceregal Lodge where the actual conferences were held; to see the very bullet holes in walls of the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar, the site of the 1919 Amritsar Massacre; to visit Hindu temples and Islamic mosques and the Sikh Golden Temple filled with devout worshippers. The presence of these shrines and the multitudes of present-day Indians who live and worship in them brought the struggles of the past deeply and vividly to the students’ consciousness.

In short, history wasn’t history, the dead hand of the past, anymore; it was lived reality, with very present and determinative meaning for millions of people including, now, the Drake students who became “midnight’s children.”

a passage to india

world cup

Those of you familiar with the novels of Salman Rushdie (one of our previous Bucksbaum lecturers) will especially appreciate this next seminar. Elizabeth Robertson, associate professor of English, and Tim Knepper, associate professor of philosophy and the Ron Troyer Research Fellow for 2014–2015, created their course, Developing Democracy: Critical Political, Social, and Religious Issues: India on the Eve of Independence, 1945–1947, to introduce students to the richness and complexity of Indian political and social history in the period leading up to independence. They also examined the vital role diverse religious beliefs and practices played in the establishment of India and Pakistan.

Finally, as evidence that our efforts to internationalize our students’ experiences does, in fact, produce engaged global citizens, let me close by mentioning our three recent graduates, all veterans of Drake travel seminars, all recipients of Fulbright Scholarships for 2014–2015 to assist their service to the global community. Nora Sullivan, as’14, received an award to teach English in Bulgaria. Nicole O’Connor, ed’14, received an award to teach English in Malaysia. And Erin Hassanzadeh, as’14, jo’14, received an award to teach English in South Korea. The Fulbright Scholarship is one of the most competitive postgraduate international exchange programs in the nation. Historically, Drake University has been one of the top institutional producers of Fulbright Scholars, with 25 in the past decade—of which 20 were humanities and social science majors. Our goals are to foster intercultural engagement, to develop global talent, and to enhance our visibility and connections around the world. I think we scored.

The course featured the Reacting to the Past pedagogy developed at Barnard College, a pedagogy that engages students in elaborate role-playing as they recreate the debates, factions, and divisions of a society at a moment of crisis. For instance, a “game” might reenact the trial of Galileo, the Declaration of Independence, or, in this case, the end of British colonialism and the partition of India and Pakistan. Thus, even as they traveled in New Delhi, Shimla, and Amritsar—visiting temples and historical sites important to the establishment of independence in India—students were researching their roles as Jawaharlal Nehru, as Mohammad Ali Jinnah, as a Sikh leader, as Mohandas Gandhi adherents.

fall 2014

THE BLUE SHEET

THE BLUE SHEET

College of Business & Public Administration cbpa’s promise to its students is delivering unexpected benefits—not only to students but also to a community that extends well beyond the walls of Aliber Hall.

Two projects are particularly noteworthy: • Kikandwa Health Centre: The design and construction of this health center in rural Uganda is a result of collaboration among Drake faculty and students, the Rotary Club of Des Moines A.M., the Iowa-based Shining City Foundation, community leaders, church leaders, and the Rotary Club of Kampala South in Uganda.

• International Business Young Scholars: A program to provide Ph.D.-level research training as well as publication and presentation opportunities for undergraduate students interested in global issues.

What is particularly striking is that both programs involve students from across the Drake campus.

Our Promise: The CBPA prepares our learners to succeed as leaders and global citizens by bringing the world into the classroom and the classroom into the world.

kikandwa health centre This collaboration first began in 2004, when Jimmy Senteza, associate professor of finance, invited colleague Tom Root, associate professor of finance, on a visit to his native Uganda.

In the decade since, collaborative activities have included faculty and student exchanges with Makerere University Business School (MUBS), joint faculty research projects, and exchange visits by MUBS and Drake administrators.

The centerpiece of the collaboration is the annual three-week seminar that has taken more than 160 Drake students to Uganda to study a variety of issues related to sustainable development in this resource-rich but underdeveloped country. Participants define a research project; collect data as they visit schools, clinics, political offices, and businesses in Uganda; and write a report upon their return. The participants, who include students from pharmacy, pre-med, political science, education, and biology as well as business, are paired with MUBS students throughout their travels in Uganda.

THE BLUE SHEET

fall 2014

Over the years, the program has increased its emphasis on service-learning, the hands-on experience that integrates classroom material with meaningful community service.

One such project began in the summer of 2011, when faculty visited Kikandwa, a rural village that relies on cash crops such as coffee and bananas. During and following the trip, village elders identified the need for a health center and students began planning and fundraising in 2012. In spring 2012, students on the seminar were split into two groups.

One group worked with MUBS students to conduct a fullday survey to determine what types of services were needed and should be offered at the center. Another group of Drake and MUBS students reviewed preliminary site plans for the health center with the villagers, discussing how the center should be structured in order to be sustainable.

Based on feedback, students concluded that Kikandwa not only needed health care services, but also health education and preventive care.

The site plans and recommendations were turned over to an architect associated with the Rotary Club of Kampala South.

About the same time, the Mukono Diocese of the Church of Uganda donated land for the health center. Groundbreaking for phase one (treatment rooms, laboratory, waiting room, and pharmacy) took place during the students’ visit to the village in June 2013. The Rotary Club of Kampala South supervised the construction.

During that same summer, Drew Harkins, a senior biology and philosophy double major, spent two weeks in Kikandwa developing a detailed site map of health care services in the area. “They have so few resources,” says Harkins, who found that the most immediate need was for prenatal and maternity care, as well as immunizations and specialties such as dental and vision services. Harkins also met with local school and community leaders to identify ways to partner with the community for health education.

In the fall of 2013, Drake students prepared the first draft of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Church of Uganda, members of the Kikandwa community, Rotary Club of Des Moines A.M., and the Rotary Club of Kampala South. When finalized, the MOU will specify the terms of the operating model for the health center, including the surgical and inpatient facilities to be developed over the next three to five years.

Students also led fundraising efforts for the center. Emily Raecker, a marketing and finance double major who was in

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

dean, college of business & public administration

development staff

Terri Vaughan

Michael Peterson

terri.vaughan@drake.edu

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

Drake students celebrate phase one of the new health center with Kikandwa residents in June 2014.

Kikandwa for the 2012 kickoff, has played a major role in the fundraising effort. Raecker notes that the villagers “needed so much. It was wonderful that Drake’s involvement provided a stimulus for the project.” Back on campus, Raecker worked to obtain a large number of small donations from students and students’ families as well as a $20,000 grant from the Shining City Foundation. By the end of the 2012–2013 academic year, the students had raised more than $42,000. During the 2013–2014 academic year, they obtained a commitment for a donation of a 40-foot container of repurposed medical equipment and raised an additional $15,000 to cover the cost of shipping it to Kikandwa.

Phase one of the health center was dedicated during the students’ visit in June 2014 and is expected to open in the fall of 2014.

“It was so exciting to see the how much the students’ efforts meant to the residents of Kikandwa,” says Root. Harkins concurs: “The Kikandwa experience took my education to a whole new level, and I plan to go back to work with the health center when I finish my medical training.”

international business young scholars The college takes a different approach to providing global opportunity in its International Business Young Scholars program.

Each year, the international business faculty select four first-year students from across the Drake campus to conduct original research on topics that explore “the

appropriate relationship between business and society in different national contexts.” According to Matthew Mitchell, assistant professor of international business and strategy, the students are expected to perform at a Ph.D. level.

In return, they have access to publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at scholarly conferences.

And it seems the program is meeting its goals. Junior Muhamad Iqbal Mohd Rafi’s paper on Islamic business practices has already been published in a peer-reviewed journal, Organizations and Markets in Emerging Economies (spring 2014). Last fall, six young scholars’ research projects were accepted for presentation at the 2013 conference of the Academy of International Business.

At the conference, Will Heaston, a senior international relations and history double major, delivered a paper on corruption in global sports. After 18 months of work, he won the conference award for the best undergraduate student research paper. “One goal in joining the young scholars program was to present at a conference like this,” says Heaston. “To win this award far exceeded my expectations.

It’s really a testament to the quality of the program.”

the bottom line These two programs—in which students and faculty work closely together—are great examples of the collaborative learning that characterizes the Drake experience. Educational opportunities that go beyond the classroom to address real-world problems are just one of the many reasons our graduates are so well prepared to meet today’s challenges.

fall 2014

THE BLUE SHEET

THE BLUE SHEET

College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences where in the world is cphs?

Internationalization of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences means more than the development of student Advance Pharmacy Practice Experiences (APPEs). It also includes developing faculty who are global citizens. CPHS has a number of faculty members who are engaged globally— building partnerships for further expansion of opportunities in research, development, service, and teaching. Fifty percent of our faculty have been involved in some type of international experience.

from australia and vietnam to south africa and belize John Rovers, professor of pharmacy practice, has long been a proponent of international experiences for our students.

He developed Drake experiences in Australia and South Africa, and identified Hillside Healthcare International, Belize, as a potential partner. Most recently, he and Andrea Kjos, assistant professor of social and administrative sciences, traveled to Hanoi, Vietnam, where they met with faculty and staff from Hanoi University of Pharmacy (HUP). Rovers and Kjos had collaborated with HUP faculty in 2011 to study drug distribution systems in Vietnamese hospitals. Following that project, HUP administrators and policymakers from the Vietnamese Ministry of Health requested Drake’s assistance in modernizing the pharmacy curriculum at HUP.

During their recent visit, Kjos and Rovers discussed pharmacy education and practice in Vietnam with HUP faculty and staff from the Ministry of Health as well as personnel from the Health Affairs Attaché’s office at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi.

They visited several community pharmacies to evaluate the state of pharmacy practice, and are currently preparing recommendations on how Vietnamese pharmacies can enhance patient care and public health. Kjos and Rovers plan to continue their collaboration with Vietnamese colleagues as some of the suggested changes are implemented.

partnerships in ethiopia, india Drake pharmacy professors Abebe Mengesha, assistant professor of pharmaceutics; Pramod Mahajan, associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences; Denise Soltis, assistant dean, community and global engagement and associate professor of pharmacy practice; and Frank Caligiuri, assistant professor of pharmacy practice; have initiated a partnership with Addis Ababa University (AAU) in Ethiopia, Mengesha’s home country and home undergraduate training institution. The partnership will provide an opportunity to submit a grant to the National Institutes of Health. In the future we hope to see health sciences and pharmacy students traveling to AAU to complete experiences in the research labs and rural health attachment. We also plan to submit a Global Practitioner in Residence application for a faculty member at AAU for academic year 2015–2016.

Mahajan championed a new partnership with Pravara Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in India. Mahajan, Rovers, Soltis, and Leslie Mamoorian, associate director of international and graduate admission, traveled to Loni, India, to forge the partnership. In summer 2013 we sent six students to Loni to complete a Social Medicine Certificate program. Two more students traveled there in 2014. We hope to host two faculty members from PIMS next year for research collaborations.

Abebe Mengesha; Annique Kiel, assistant director, Drake administered programs abroad; and Denise Soltis at Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia.

THE BLUE SHEET

fall 2014

The CPHS partnership with Hillside Health Care International has not only provided approximately 20 APPEs each year; it has also provided an opportunity for our faculty to refine their cultural competence skills and discover the public health issues in a developing country. To date, 12 different faculty members have experienced the interprofessional, multicultural practice environment. Soltis has provided dedicated service to Hillside as pharmacy committee chair, secretary, and now president of the board of directors.

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

dean, college of pharmacy & health sciences

development staff

Wendy Duncan

Jackie Howard

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

Denise Soltis (middle) with Sarah Thune, ph‘13 (left, standing), Ellen Heikens (right), now a p4, and local staff member Jennifer Choco (seated) at the Santa Anna Health Center in Belize.

hospitals and clinics in thailand and china Timothy Welty, professor of pharmacy practice and chair of the clinical sciences department, began his long history of international involvement in college at a mission hospital in south Thailand. He served in a clinical pharmacy, working with physicians, nurses, and other health professionals at the hospital. It was that experience that sparked his interest in utilizing his pharmacy training to work internationally.

His next opportunity to be involved on a global level came about 15 years later working with a non-governmental organization, MSI Professional Services, in southwest China.

This organization was working under official contracts with provincial governments to improve health care delivery and education in this part of the country. Association with this organization has allowed Welty to make approximately 15 trips to China to consult with rural hospitals, provide continuing education programs for pharmacists and physicians, teach

pharmacy and medical students, and engage in teaching English to students. As a result of these interactions, he developed close professional and personal friendships that have led to research collaborations and exchanges of students.

Our partnership with University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa, brought a visit in May from Fatima Suleman, associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences, who lectured Drake faculty and students on multicultural approaches to medication use. She will be our Global Practitioner in Residence for the spring 2015 semester, teaching a course on health policy.

In summary, CPHS is making significant strides internationalizing our faculty, our students, and our curriculum.

fall 2014

THE BLUE SHEET

THE BLUE SHEET

Drake Law new beginnings There’s nothing quite like the start of the new academic year.

The 1ls have completed orientation and are getting into the routine of legal research, torts, and writing their first memos.

Faculty, who were busy over the summer writing, teaching, or presenting at various professional conferences, have returned to what it is we really do: educate, train, dialogue with, and mentor the next generation of legal professionals.

The deanship is not the only transition. After 38 years on the faculty, Russ Lovell has retired. Lovell joined the Drake faculty in 1976 after working at the Legal Services of Indianapolis and the Indiana Center on Law and Poverty. He is known for his unflagging energy and innovation.

Throughout his tenure, Lovell twice served as associate dean and spent years developing programs to benefit law students and the community as director of clinical programs.

He has had a career-long association with the NAACP, for which he has been honored repeatedly.

law school transitions As you may have heard, former dean of Drake Law School Allan Vestal resigned in late June due to health issues. He plans to take a sabbatical and return to a faculty position for the 2015-2016 academic year.

I was appointed dean for the next two academic years and began my role on July 1 (taking a leave of absence from my current position as a member of the Drake University Board of Trustees). For those who may not know, I graduated from Drake University in 1966 and from Drake Law School in 1969.

It is an honor and privilege to serve the Law School once again in this role (you may remember I served as interim dean in 2008–2009), and while we have so much to be proud of, our best days are still ahead. All of us pulling together can achieve greater things.

“Russ Lovell’s impact on Drake has been, and will continue to be, long lasting. The innovative First-Year Trial Practicum he developed provides Drake students with a trial experience that no other law school offers,” says John Edwards, associate dean for information resources and technology and professor of law. “His tireless work in stints as associate dean and in serving as clinic director shows how willing Russ is to undertake challenging jobs when the law school needed him to do so.”

Russ Lovell has retired after nearly four decades with Drake Law.

Lovell’s colleagues say he has been a consistent voice for public service and is a powerful example of how an individual lawyer can make a difference.

“His commitment to public service helped instill that spirit in others, whether students pursued it as a vocation or participated in projects to make our community a better place,” continues Edwards. “Through his work on so many fronts, Russ has made Drake and Des Moines a much better place.”

20 années avec université de nantes For two decades, Drake’s partnership with the University of Nantes (two hours west of Paris) has fostered valuable opportunities for our students, including the Drake Law Summer in France program. For six weeks, students gain valuable experiences—both academic and cultural.

Summer in France combines academic and cultural experiences while strengthening the University’s partnership with the University of Nantes.

THE BLUE SHEET

fall 2014

The program began as a connection in agricultural law. As a frequent visitor to Drake Law School, Professor Louis Lorvellec, from the University of Nantes, connected with Neil Hamilton, The Dwight D. Opperman Chair of Law, professor of law, and director of the Drake Agricultural Law Center, and worked with then-Dean David Walker to eventually develop the Summer in France program.

For alumni and friends of Drake Law

dean, law school development staff

Ben Ullem Sarah Conroy ben.ullem@drake.edu

Participants take six credits in a variety of subjects relating primarily to comparative and international law. More recently, the program expanded to include the International Environmental Law course. A continuation from what the main Drake Law campus does so well, the program offers students hands-on experience through out-of-classroom projects, including negotiations with French students and a French mock trial at the Palais de Justice. Curriculum is designed to allow extended weekends and plenty of free time during the week so students can take advantage of the many cultural activities and sites in Nantes. During weekends students are also able to travel around Europe, including France’s picturesque Mont Saint Michel and Normandy.

As with many study abroad experiences, Drake Law’s Summer in France program enhances a student’s experiences in ways they did not expect.

“I was able to interact and hang out with local students from the University of Nantes, travel each weekend, and take classes that are not available during a traditional semester,” says Tayler Haggerty, a 3l from Dallas, Texas.

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

“During my last weekend in Europe I was able to travel to Dublin and see Rihanna perform! I am truly thankful for being able to have a great summer experience.”

From the very beginning, the Summer in France program has encouraged students to become immersed in the world of international law. For 20 years, Drake Law students have had this advantage when making professional connections and beginning their career.

“Originally from Iowa, but having been gone for several years, I was surprised by the substantial international connections that Des Moines boasts,” says Ryan Hanlon, lw’12, foreign service officer with the United States Department of State.

“The summer after my first year, I took advantage of Drake Law’s fantastic Summer in France program, which provided a meaningful overseas academic experience appropriately tailored for graduate level study abroad.”

We’d love to know what’s happening with you. Keep us posted by emailing your updates and news to law-alumni@drake.edu.

Visit us at www.law.drake.edu/newsevents for more recent news.

150th anniversary celebration—this is big!

It’s hard to believe, but 2015 will mark our 150th anniversary as a law school. As one of the 25 oldest law schools in the country, this is truly something to celebrate.

As we approach this milestone in our history, we are already planning a year of celebration.

Be on the lookout for various events that will involve the entire Drake Law community.

Think about ways you would like to interact with Drake Law School and plan to visit this wonderful place during one of the many upcoming activities.

We hope to take this opportunity to highlight the accomplishments of both the Law School and the many people who have been transformed by their experience here.

As Kool and the Gang so wisely said, “Celebrate good times—come on!”

Please visit www.law.drake.edu/alumni for an updated list of events.

fall 2014

THE BLUE SHEET

THE BLUE SHEET

School of Education going global

where did they go?

As I settled in to write this installment of the SOE Blue Sheet, I considered my brewing options: coffee beans from Brazil or premium green tea leaves from China. Faculty members brought both back from their travels abroad.

When I was a Drake student, travel meant going to Chicago with my roommate during spring break. Today, travel is an international experience; in the past year, SOE faculty and students have journeyed across the world to Asia, Europe, South America, Central America, South Africa, the Middle East, and the Bahamas.

Bengu Erguner-Tekinalp, associate professor of education, presented her research on resilience last fall at the International Counseling Conference in Istanbul. During the conference, as part of the counseling department’s efforts to internationalize its curriculum, she established relationships with counseling programs in Turkey. Because of these new connections, two scholars from Turkish universities visited Drake during the spring term and lectured to graduate students on the topics of happiness and procrastination.

why did they go?

Our students need to experience and understand other countries and cultures. Our mission and vision includes the promotion of lifelong learning as a purposeful activity that advances global citizenship and a just society. Through international experiences, students learn about global issues and expand their creative thinking, problem solving, and collaboration skills in order to take action and create sustainable change. This has been accomplished through a series of January Term and spring break travel seminars, newly designed courses, conference presentations, and guest lectures by faculty.

Kathleen Diedrich, ed’14, taught school children in Asikuma, Ghana, during a 2014 J-Term travel seminar. For eight days, Drake students had an unfiltered view of life in a rural African village.

THE BLUE SHEET

fall 2014

Fourteen students traveled to Rio de Janeiro for a J-Term course with Erguner-Tekinalp and Cris Wildermuth, assistant professor of education. Half the class was focused on human resource and organizational practices while the rest took a class on counseling diverse populations. “This was a magical trip and experience,” says Wildermuth. “We visited major Brazilian and multinational organizations, learned from a labor lawyer, discussed fascinating aspects of the country’s culture, and, of course, saw amazingly beautiful places.”

Thomas Westbrook, professor of education, teams with a second faculty member each January to offer 20 Drake students an adventure at sea sailing the Bahamas Out Islands. This year his faculty partner was Melissa Sturm-Smith, associate provost for academic excellence and student success. Students enrolled in Leadership at Sea include SOE undergraduates who are completing the Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) concentration. The course encourages students to navigate new environments (Nassau and a tall-mast sailboat), learn a new language (bow from stern), and work in teams (following and leading). The class spends one week on campus, a week in Nassau visiting governmental and community organizations, and a week at sea learning to sail the tall-mast schooner Liberty Clipper.

Additionally, Westbrook will oversee the first two LEAD students to complete the new international LEAD capstone requirement. One student, Alana Linde, a secondary education major, spent six weeks this summer in Punta Gorda, Belize, working with a special project, “Plenty Belize.” She focused on community education for women and youth and advancing economic development through microfinance. As one of the first students to complete the international capstone, Linde takes her role seriously. “Belizean culture and hospitality is rooted in family and lasting relationships,” she explains. “I hope to see this experience become a long-lasting partnership with the countries and the organizations that we have the privilege to work alongside.”

For alumni and friends of the Drake University School of Education

dean, school of education

development staff

Jan McMahill

Meaghan Tigges

janet.mcmahill@drake.edu

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

Belize is also host to other international efforts organized by Sally Beisser, professor of education. Through both alternative spring break and J-Term teaching experiences, she has been traveling to Belize since 2006 to serve impoverished children at Holy Cross School. She has donated more than 2,000 books to the school and conducted professional development workshops. Volunteer work in Belize has expanded to include work in a Belize chocolate factory, a Mayan archaeological site, and a marine conch shell project.

In addition to co-leading the J-Term course in Belize with Beisser, Shelley Fairbairn, associate professor in education, presented her work at professional conferences in China and Canada during the spring semester. Fairbairn presented opening and closing conference keynotes, as well as two breakout sessions in China. At the Celebrating Linguistic Diversity conference in Toronto, she and Stephaney Jones-Vo, ed’73, presented key information from their co-authored book, Differentiated Instruction and Assessment of English Language Learners: A Guide for K-12 Teachers, for a symposium and in a session focused on their book’s topic.

Matthew Hayden, assistant professor of education, has collaborated closely with a colleague at the University of Cyprus to develop a J-Term travel seminar to Cyprus and Greece. In January 2014, Hayden planned the curriculum and visited potential historical research sights in Cyprus. Along with Benjamin Gardner, associate professor of art and design, he will lead 20 students there for the first time in 2015.

This past year, Eunice Merideth, professor of education, traveled to Belfast, Northern Ireland, to explore study abroad possibilities for education students at Stranmillis University College, one of the top five teacher-education institutions in the United Kingdom system. The visit was successful in articulating 12 courses and setting up a special program that allows students to complete the second half of fall student teaching in Belfast. Already, eight students have jumped at the opportunity to student teach abroad. Merideth is now working with the Institute for Study Abroad-Butler, the third-party host of this program, to see if a spring student teaching placement might be possible in the future.

Students had the opportunity to study education in Ghana thanks to the efforts of Jill Caton Johnson, associate professor of education. Drake undergraduates spent eight days during J-Term in the rural village of Asikuma, arriving with more than 20 suitcases of school supplies, medical supplies, backpacks, and soccer balls. Our students had an honest and unfiltered view of life in a developing country where educational options were limited. They saw firsthand both cultural and educational

differences between the Des Moines area and this povertystricken village and the challenges villagers face.

Drake students analyzed the instructional paradigms used in the village schools, trained local teachers to use new writing techniques, and gained an understanding of village students’ expectations. They also discovered some of the cultural differences between male and female students and experienced the overall condition of the educational opportunities afforded these young children. Our students also taught in schools, helped children get medical attention, and played games with the village kids. “This trip allowed us to learn beyond what textbooks taught us,” says education major Dori Hauser. “It gave us the opportunity to apply our knowledge and skills. The experiences and memories we made on the trip will influence our future college experiences and careers.”

what’s next?

We’re about to discover how some of the most successful school systems outside the United States lead students to the highest levels of academic excellence. Drake’s education leadership team is focusing on the addition of international experiences for future principals and superintendents. The first opportunity is a J-Term seminar to Finland where students will be immersed in the culture and pedagogy of the well-known Finnish education system. A group of undergraduates and Des Moines-area school leaders are already preparing for the first trip to Finland in January 2015. Drake University Board of Trustees member and past Rhodes and Fulbright scholar Lindsay Whorton, as’08, ed’08, spent a year conducting research with Finnish educators, and she helped guide the planning and implementation of the educational leadership department project. Future education leaders will also have the option to spend their clinical time in the Toronto metro schools. Both experiences will expand the knowledge, vision, and global perspective for these up-and-coming school leaders.

In addition, Associate Dean Catherine Gillespie will travel in October to the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in Durban, South Africa. Gillespie will take our relationship with UKZN to the next level and help forge a multilayered agreement between Drake and UKZN. As columnist and author Thomas Friedman reminds us, we’ve always known the world is flat and our future depends upon the interdependence and understanding between countries and cultures. Now, we are actively creating options to make that intention a reality. As always, I send my thanks to you for the time, talent, and resources you direct to the School of Education.

fall 2014

THE BLUE SHEET

THE BLUE SHEET

School of Journalism & Mass Communication engaging with the world I saw the power of international travel to open young minds and change lives firsthand in 2003. My husband and I decided to bring our children—then ages 16, 14, and 10—with us on one of our periodic pilgrimages to visit relatives in Ireland and Great Britain. It was a complicated and expensive expedition—schlepping five people, including a couple of sometimes fractious teens and a youngster who usually traveled on a diet of hot dogs—through several foreign countries. Before we left home, I laid down the law: I did NOT want any embarrassing whining or fighting or complaining about the food. And (amazingly!) there was none. What I saw instead were three sets of eyes opened to different ways of living, talking, thinking, and engaging with the world. And while all three have traveled abroad by themselves since then, they refer to the trip as one of the defining experiences of their young lives.

It’s a reaction I hear frequently from SJMC students who have the glorious and challenging opportunity to travel and study abroad. The school consistently has the highest study abroad rate on campus, and our legion of travelers is growing with the introduction of our January Term international seminars. Dorothy Pisarski, associate professor of journalism, led a class last year to Poland to study the evolution of consumer society in that former Soviet Bloc nation. David Remund, past assistant professor of public relations, took a group of students to study public relations in Chile last winter. The SJMC is establishing strategic international partnerships with universities in Spain, Mexico, and China.

And increasing numbers of our graduates are spending a “gap year” following graduation as English teachers in places as far-flung as Romania, Indonesia, and Honduras. Six SJMC students in six years have received prestigious postgraduate Fulbright Scholarships to teach overseas.

Assignments and experiences that cultivate multicultural perspectives are also incorporated into the on-campus SJMC curriculum. Public relations students partnered with an English class this spring to produce and promote a book written by local Latinas. Every semester students in the Media Responsibility Over Time class explore the diverse religious, racial, and ethnic communities throughout Des Moines, which is a thriving center of immigrant resettlement. SJMC classes conduct Skype interviews with international practitioners, and the first Distinguished Lecture in Public Relations was delivered by Frenchman Patrick Merle, assistant professor of communication at Florida State University. Drake’s Constitutional Law Center Chair Mark Kende led

THE BLUE SHEET

fall 2014

this spring’s Communications Law and Ethics class through a comparison of Americans’ views on free speech with those of other countries. Magazine and news-internet students met with a group of Middle Eastern journalists—some of the many international visitors brought to Drake through local nonprofits devoted to promoting democracy worldwide. And of course, every four years the Iowa Caucuses lure journalists, filmmakers, and political junkies from around the world to our backyard.

Whether we venture out into the world, or the world comes to us, the SJMC community is enthusiastically embracing the adventure.

sjmc curriculum updated to stay at forefront of communications education After months of research and discussion, the SJMC faculty voted this spring on the biggest reorganization of its core curriculum and majors in decades. Starting in fall 2015, all SJMC majors will take classes in communication in a global society with a multimedia lab, beginning reporting and writing, a career development workshop, intro to visual communication, media law and ethics, a financial fundamentals workshop, and a course on emerging and evolving media.

Even more significantly, the majors have been reconfigured to reflect the revolution in the communications industry and to ensure that our students acquire the skills necessary to thrive and lead in a multimedia, online, mobile environment (learn more on page 7).

Advertising has become one track, with all students taking classes in video production, ad principles, consumer awareness, copywriting, and content design, and choosing from courses in strategic message design, media planning, and account planning.

In addition to public relations, we’re excited to add a major in strategic political communication, which will leverage Drake’s strengths in both PR and politics and Iowa’s unique position in the presidential election process.

The magazines, news-internet, broadcast news, and radio-TV producing programs have been sharing classes and projects for years, but the new curriculum kicks the collaboration to a higher level. The new magazine media, news, and digital media production majors will share a set of core classes in video, audio, and web design, in addition to specializations in magazines, news journalism, and advanced video production.

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

director, school of journalism & mass communication

development staff

Kathleen Richardson

Michael Peterson

kathleen.richardson@drake.edu

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

The most exciting aspect of the new journalism curriculum is a pioneering combined capstone experience, in which students in all three majors will collaborate on producing a yearlong website that will provide a showcase for the school’s best multimedia content, to be promoted by PR and advertising students.

As the faculty put it in a memo to Drake’s academic leadership team: “With our new curriculum, we are fully embracing the multiplatform, multimedia ecosystem. We are progressing with mobile creation and delivery. And we are acknowledging the essential role of marketing, promotion, and social media in finding and attracting an audience.”

continuing a tradition of excellence: recognition of sjmc student work Students in the Master of Communication Leadership research cohort won a Bronze Quill award in June from the Iowa Association of Business Communicators (IABC) for their research and data analysis for Des Moines’ World Food and Music Festival. Undergrads Taylor Larson, Laura Plumb, Bob Griffith, and Olivia O’Hea won IABC awards for projects they did in their public relations classes.

the startup category for their prototypes for new magazines.

Kelsey Johnson, jo’14, was recognized for investigation and analysis, and a new publication, The Annual, was recognized for design.

DUH (Drake University Honors magazine) won Best Student Magazine and Drake Magazine was a finalist in the Midwest region Society of Professional Journalists Mark of Excellence contest. Urban Plains and Think were finalists in the Best Digital-Only Student Publication category.

Senior Sean Hall won a gold ADDY and student Best of Show award in the American Advertising Federation of Des Moines contest. Louis Laurent, jo’76, president and owner of ZLR Ignition in Des Moines, won the Silver Pro award, and Lydia Metzger, jo’11, account executive at Two Rivers Marketing in Des Moines, was honored as Rookie of the Year. Advertising senior Sumit Sen won a competitive postgraduate internship at Olson in Minneapolis.

Times-Delphic staff members won six awards in the annual Iowa College Media Association Awards contest, including three first-place writing and photography awards.

Seniors Gwen Baumgardner and Frank Merchlewitz won first-place awards in the Iowa Broadcast News Association contest in May. Noelle Smith, jo’13, also took a first-place award, and sophomore Mariah Lewis won the Eliot Keller Scholarship that recognizes outstanding promise. Broadcast news graduate Erin Hassanzadeh, jo’14, received a Fulbright Scholarship to teach English in South Korea.

A video promoting electronic media education at Drake won a Telly Award and seniors Brianna Laubach and Ashley Thompson won a regional Emmy for best editing for their work on the project.

SJMC magazine and news students knocked it out of the park at the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication magazine contest this year. They

Oustanding student work in Drake Magazine was recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists.

won 12 awards, more than any other university in the country.

The annual contest is judged by media professionals and this year featured 270 entries from 28 universities. The spring 2014 issue of Drake’s news magazine, Think, won the general excellence award for single issue of an ongoing magazine.

The magazine app can be downloaded for free on iTunes.

Think’s website (think-mag.com) was also recognized, as was drakemagazine.com. Junior Meagan Flynn won two first-place and one third-place writing awards. Junior Selchia Cain, Hali Ortega, jo’14, and junior Kayli Kunkel won awards in

fall 2014

THE BLUE SHEET

alumniconnections

achievements 1950s Bruce Cottington, bn’53, Litchfield, Minn., traveled on the Honor Flight to Washington, D.C., on April 22, 2014.

1960s Bruce Cottington, bn’53, lw’63, Scottsdale, Ariz., was honored as a 2014 Historymaker by the Arizona Historical League on Feb. 8, 2014.

Richard Hewins, ed’69, gr’76, Des Moines, was honored with the Drake Athletics Double D Award on Feb. 15, 2014.

Eric Ramberg, la’69, Austin, Texas, started a consulting company, Viking Oncology Consulting.

Bruce Gillilan, bn’71, Wheeling, Ill., received the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Export Achievement Award, the SBA’s Illinois Small Business Exporter of the Year, and the President’s “E” Award for Exports.

Dean Matthew Powell, la’71, lw’74, gr’74, Arlington, Va., assistant general counsel at the National Science Foundation (NSF), received the NSF Director’s Distinguished Service Award, the highest form of recognition conferred on individual Foundation employees. The award recognizes singularly exceptional service that has had a profound impact on NSF, its mission, or the nation.

Douglas Frazer, la’74, gr’79, ‘83, Des Moines, was named Instructor of the Year (2013– 2014) at the Newton Campus of Buena Vista University.

54

DRAKE

BLUE

Alice (Bode) McBride, la’77, Brooklyn Park, Minn., was appointed pastor of the St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church.

Joel Tonda, fa’79, gr’83, Knoxville, Iowa, was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at Knoxville High School. Tonda coached boys’ tennis at Knoxville for 33 years and coached the 2001 1a-State Tennis team champions.

1980s Scott Anderson, fa’80, Minneapolis, won a Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative grant in 2012.

1970s

Michael K. Pierce, bn’76 Eveleth, Minn., retired from his position as associate professor at Flagler College.

He is a past president of the Newell Rubbermaid Home Fashions Group, which is headquartered in Brussels.

Cheryl (Brossman) Garland, jo’80, gr’04, Johnston, Iowa, is chief executive officer and clinical director of Integrative Counseling Solutions, Inc., a mental health counseling agency she founded in 2008 to meet the mental health and substance abuse needs of Iowans. In addition to providing outpatient mental health services in West Des Moines, Knoxville, and Waukee, Cheryl and her team of 10 licensed therapists provide school-based mental health outreach in 26 schools.

Christopher Hart, fa’82, McComb, Miss., was featured as baritone soloist in Carmina Burana, performed by the Chorus and Percussion Ensemble of Southwest Mississippi Community College.

Myron Cahill, la’83, Smyrna, Ga., was named assistant vice president of Aspen Insurance.

Frederick Davis, la’83, Broadview, N.M., retired from the U.S. Department of Justice with the Federal Bureau of Prisons

fall 2014

with 24 years of service to the U.S. government.

Study of Twins Reveals Surprising Answers.”

Brenda Sutton, jo’84, Santa Monica, Calif., is a member of the Los Angeles County Bar Association (LACBA) Board of Trustees and just completed a term as chair LACBA Labor & Employment Section.

Brendan Daly, as’97, Foxboro, Mass., was added as a defensive assistant to the New England Patriots.

Glen MacDonell, jo’86, Scottsdale, Ariz., was recognized by the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International as one of Top 25 Most Extraordinary Minds in Sales & Marketing for 2013.

Rose McKinney, jo’87, Minneapolis, was designated to the President’s Circle of Engagement by Metropolitan State University.

Amy Elizabeth (Ouart) Farlinger, ph’89, Cresco, Iowa, is working as a staff pharmacist at Sterling Drug #35.

1990s Michael J. Elston, as’91, Woodbridge, Va., was promoted to the position of associate general counsel and chief ethics and compliance officer of the U.S. Postal Service.

Rinky Parwani, bn’92, gr’93, Tampa, Fla., was selected for the 2014 Leadership Institute Class of the Hillsborough County Bar Association.

David Borzo, fa’94, gr’11, Des Moines, was instrumental in the AdoptAClassroom.org program.

Mark D. Belongia, bn’95, Chicago, earned a position in the Duane Morris Chicago law firm as a member of the trial practice group.

Tasha Ransom, bn’95, Evanston, Ill., received a Peter Lisagor Award for Best News Specialty/Health/Science for the story “Chicago’s Doctor’s

Rebecca Valcq, as’97, Milwaukee, Wis., was appointed as general counsel by Lammi Sports Management.

Emily Thompson, fa’98, Oswego, N.Y., was awarded the 2014 Library Innovation Award by the Eastern New York Chapter of the Association of College and Research Libraries on May 19, 2014.

Amanda (Lewis) Crowell, as’99, gr’99, Davenport, Iowa, was promoted to director of payor contracting with UnityPoint Health.

Jarriet Dewitt, as’99, Omaha, Neb., is a workforce inclusion business partner (human resources) at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska.

2000s Tammi Blackstone, as’00, Des Moines, was honored with the Drake Athletics Double D Award on Feb. 15, 2014.

Joshua Devine, ph’00, West Des Moines, Iowa, was appointed chair of the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Commission.

Robin Shelby, gr’01, Orlando, Fla., was appointed to the position of business development executive at Fry Hammond Barr.

Grant Geyerman, bn’02, Arlington, Va., was elected a partner of Williams & Connolly LLP. Nikki (Coffman) Syverson, jo’03, Clive, Iowa, was named director of development at the Des Moines Community Playhouse.

alumniconnections

The Office of Alumni Relations biannually compiles updates on Drake alumni and makes efforts to confirm the accuracy of published information. This issue of Drake Blue includes entries received as of July 2014.

CoraLynn Trewet, ph’03, Ankeny, Iowa, was selected by the APhA Academy of Pharmacy Practice and Management as a 2014 Fellow.

Nichelle Dawkins, bn’04, gr’08, Irving, Texas, was named director of strategic data at Perr&Knight, Inc., based in Fort Worth, Texas.

Kasey Skala, jo’04, Chicago, joined the Solo Cup Company as head of social media and digital marketing.

Cracking the Class Code Below is the “code” for identifying your fellow Drake alumni.

The College of Arts and Sciences evolved during the reorganization of Drake’s colleges and schools in 1987, when “Liberal Arts” and “Fine Arts” were combined.

Those pre-1987 alumni carry the acronym “la” or “fa,” while those post-1987 alumni are labeled “as.”

as

Arts and Sciences

bn

Business and Public Administration

dv Divinity ed

Education

fa

Fine Arts

gr

Graduate Studies

jo

Journalism and Mass Communication

la

Liberal Arts

lw

Law

ph

Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Grant Kimberley, gr’05, Ankeny, Iowa, was selected as the new executive director of the Iowa Biodiesel Board.

Tim Ryder, jo’05, Chicago, has been working with improv groups such as the Second City National Touring Company, The Second City’s Improv All-Stars, Baby Wants Candy, The Beatbox, Sears Tower, and The Senate. Represented

by Gray Talent Group.

Carter Casmaer, as’07, Minneapolis, is a staff emergency physician at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis.

Mary Rooney, as’08, ed’08, Denver, was promoted to manager of planned giving at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science.

Van Everett, as’09, Des Moines, was recognized for his pro bono work by the 2014 Polk County Bar Association.

Rachael Stanger, as’09, St. Petersburg, Fla., joined the Florida Bar in May 2012 and is currently a marital and family law attorney in St. Petersburg (Tampa Bay), Fla.

2010s Justin Fletcher, gr’11, Norwalk, Iowa, was elected to the school board of Norwalk.

Elizabeth Shoemaker, lw’12, Bettendorf, Iowa, joined the Davis Brown Law Firm as an associate attorney.

advanced degrees Daniel Sadowski, as’08, Prior Lake, Minn., graduated from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and will enter urology residency at SIU School of Medicine.

Jennifer (Strauch) Benters, as’09, Sycamore, Ill., graduated from University of Illinois at Chicago with Master of Science in Nursing as pediatric nurse practitioner.

Margaret Shepard, jo’11, Rochester, Minn., received a Master of Science in Mass Communication from North Dakota University in May 2013 and is currently a fulltime social media contractor at Mayo Clinic.

DRAKE

BLUE

spring 2014

Sarah (Grauerholz) Alden, ph’07, and Dan, Kasson, Minn., a daughter, Olivia Grace Alden Ashley (Andrews) Mills, bn’07, and Brandon, Milan, Ill., a son, Jacob James Mills Aliona (Hairetdinova) Pavlovskaya, as’08, bn’08, and Dmitriy, Los Angeles, a son, Leo Kevin Bell, lw’11, and Erin, Des Moines, a son, Carter Warren

marriages Christopher Hart, fa’82, to Karen Clark, March 22, 2014

authors Joel Barrows, lw’89, Bettendorf, Iowa, published his book, Deep White Cover.

births

Myron Cahill, la’83, to Nakia Washington, Oct. 5, 2013 Julie Lagus, ph’03, to Greg Davenport, Sept. 4, 2011 Elissa Koc, bn’05, to Victor Maurer, June 1, 2013

Lillias Freeman-Hogan, jo’81, and Terry, Omaha, Neb., adopted a 14-year-old daughter, Skye Blue Kavi Chawla, as’98, and Elizabeth, River Falls, Wis., a daughter, Ayanna Bronwyn Chris Goode, bn’98, and Jennifer, Alexandria, Va., a daughter, Caitlin Virginia

deaths 1930s Gordon Bird, fa’36, DeKalb, Ill. Beverly (Lindstrom) Scott, ed’37, ed’60, Phoenix, Ariz.

Ben Hall, bn’38, St. Paul, Minn.

Harold Newman, fa’39, Ankeny, Iowa

Grant Geyerman, bn’02, and Sarah, Arlington, Va., a daughter, Mary Elizabeth

1940s

Julie (Lagus) Davenport, ph’03, and Greg, St. Paul, Minn., a son, Landon Catherine (McGleam) Philpott, as’03, and Justin, Naperville, Ill., a daughter, Kiera Anne Cara (Stein) Rinkoff, jo’03, and Evan, Montgomery Village, Md., a daughter, Marissa Elyse Jessica (Ellis) Baker, jo’04, and Mark, Chicago, a son, Calvin John Erin (Kane) Joseph, jo’04, and Phillippe, bn’02, Cape Cora, Fla., a son, Phillippe Joseph III

55

Megan (Thumma) Sease, bn’05, Des Moines, a daughter, Harper Lee

fall 2014

James Roberson, la’40, Wheat Ridge, Colo.

Phyllis (Culbertson) Miller, la’41, Fairfield, Calif.

Abe Rissman, bn’41, Minneapolis Theodore Czech, ed’42, Portsmouth, R.I. Don Paulsen, bn’43, lw’49, Scottsdale, Ariz.

Illa (Dorsey) Coffey, ed’46, Altoona, Wis. Victoria Katsuko Iwata, la’46, Johnston, Iowa DRAKE

BLUE

55

alumniconnections

Profile

Leadership Legacy

a bold decision changed lives and secured iowa’s place in history

Gov. Robert Ray elevated Iowa to the international stage when he opened the state’s doors to refugees fleeing Southeast Asia.

Ray and his wife, Billie, shared photos from their travels (opposite) in a book, Robert D. Ray: An Iowa Treasure (2013), produced by Keep Iowa Beautiful.

Among the flood of refugees fleeing southeast Asia in the wake of the Vietnam conflict in 1975 was a small ethnic group from Laos. Only a couple thousand in number, the Tai Dam had no advocates in the United States government, which planned to separate and relocate them around the country.

The Tai Dam feared disbandment could mean the end of their language, heritage, and ethnic identity.

With nowhere to turn for help, an advocate for this small group—devoid of political power or influence—sent a letter requesting a favor of some of the most powerful people in the U.S. The plea, sent to dozens of governors in the country, seemed a simple one: Help us. Let us come to your state and live together as a community.

What the Tai Dam were asking for was not even legal under U.S. State Department rules at the time, and the political landscape in the wake of Watergate and Vietnam did not inspire elected officials to take risks. The politically smart decision was to simply ignore the request, which is what almost every governor chose to do. Iowa Gov. Robert Ray, bn’52, lw’54, did not.

“I responded thinking maybe we could do that, and to my amazement I was the only governor who responded,” Ray has said about the moment. “The State Department had a policy that refugees could not be relocated in a group in any one community ... But I thought there was a good reason for the exception, and so I worked with the State Department and the White House. And I remember making the trip to talk to [Secretary of State] Henry Kissinger and then to [President] Gerry Ford, and [in] the final analysis they agreed, and they made the exception. And so we were able to invite the Tai Dam to come to Iowa.”

Many Iowans did not agree with Ray’s actions, fearing a flood of refugees who would negatively affect employment and resources in the state. But Ray believed this issue transcended politics—and even his own career. The first group of 300 Tai Dam arrived in Iowa in late October 1975.

“This was a momentous decision that changed the lives of these people and helped them preserve their culture and heritage,” says Ken Quinn, president of the World Food Prize and a member of Gov. Ray’s staff on loan from the U.S. State Department from 1978 to 1982. “The legacy of this decision and his leadership is that Iowa has an amazing humanitarian heritage of easing human suffering and helping those in need who are seeking freedom and trying to build new lives.”

And Ray’s leadership in this area continued through his tenure as governor as he ensured Iowa—and the rest of the country— provided assistance to other refugee groups in need.

“Between 1975 and 1980,” says Quinn, “impelled by a moral impulse planted deep inside him by his family, church, and education at Drake University, Gov. Ray welcomed the Tai Dam to Iowa; sent food, medicine, and Iowa doctors and nurses to save the lives of starving Cambodians through the Iowa SHARES program; and was the first governing leader anywhere to offer to resettle the Vietnamese Boat People, saving hundreds of thousands who were perishing and making Iowa a global humanitarian leader.”

Drake University is currently working with the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs to explore options for digitizing a wide variety of correspondence, documents, and publications in the Robert D. Ray Collection and expanding public access.

fall 2014

DRAKE

BLUE

57

alumniconnections

Alumni Calendar october 2014

february 2015

Francis Marion Drake Society Dinner October 17 Parents Hall, Olmsted Center (by invitation only)

distinctlyDrake Naples February 19

Golden Reunion 2014 October 23 Des Moines

MVC Men’s Basketball Tournament March 5–8 St. Louis, Mo.

november 2014

MVC Women’s Basketball Tournament March 12–15 St. Charles, Mo.

James E. Bowman, ed’47, gr’49, ’75, Pittsburg Phyllis (Clipson) Rittgers, ed’47, Des Moines Shirley Jean (Henke) Drake, ’49, Muscatine, Iowa Vivian L. (Newton) Fielmann, ed’49, Des Moines Angelo C. Scandroli, ph’49, Rockford, Ill. Thomas Textor, la’49, Urbandale, Iowa

1950s

march 2015

Joseph J. Bell, ed’50, Urbandale, Iowa Robert Inhofe, bn’50, Honolulu

Let’s DU Lunch November 5 Des Moines Embassy Club Student Alumni Association On-Campus Networking November 10 Drake University Scholarship Luncheon November 14 Cowles Library Reading Room (by invitation only)

december 2014 Hy-Vee Big Four Classic Men’s Basketball vs. Iowa State December 20 Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines

Supreme Court Celebration March 26–28 Drake University

Robert Lagomarsino, la’50, Lodi, Calif.

Donald Jenkins, la’50, bn’50, Sun City, Fla. Vern Schultz, la’50, Prescott, Ariz.

Robert Boyden Hedges, la’51, Des Moines Jack W. Kaley, ed’51, gr’56, Bement, Ill. Ruth (Wedemeyer) Powell, ed’51, ed’70, Adair, Iowa Patricia A. Conway, jo’52, Saint Paul, Minn.

William Mock, lw’52, Leawood, Kan. Ernest M. Wilson, bn’52, Mayfield Village, Ohio

april 2015 Drake Relays April 22–26 Drake Stadium Distinguished Alumni Awards April 23 Drake University All-Alumni Tent Party April 24 Drake University

Don Beran, jo’53, Oregon, Wis. Morgan Cline, ph’53, Middletown Township, N.J. John Fred Phillips, ed’53, ed’58, Des Moines Alice (Grossman) Daniels, ed’54, Urbandale, Iowa Doris Landess, ed’54, Saratoga, Calif.

Vernon E. Leach, ‘54, Des Moines Ronald John Rex, la’54, Odebolt, Iowa Doris (Peterson) Weber, ed’54, Arlington Heights, Ill. William Basinger, la’55, Des Moines Susan (Grundman) Kramer, ed’55, Park Forest, Ill.

Young Alumni Brunch April 24 Drake University

Don Maurice Jacobs, bn’56, Corwith, Iowa

Ione (Jennings) Wight, ed’56, Winterset, Iowa

january 2015

All-Greek Reunion April 25 Drake University

distinctlyDrake Sarasota January 16

may 2015

distinctlyDrake Charleston December 9

Commencement Weekend May 16–17 Drake University

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

58

DRAKE

BLUE

fall 2014

Marvin E. Kelley, fa’56, gr’60, Grinnell, Iowa Ronald D. Nelson, la’56, Berkeley, Calif.

Max Hockett, jo’57, lw’60, Des Moines Marion E. Tvarian, ph’57, Germantown, Md. Bernie Wolfe, ed’57, Guthrie Center, Iowa Charles “Ron” Lund, la’58, Hastings, Neb. Adrian Martin, ed’58, Des Moines Richard Gregory, la’59, Dayton, Ohio

1960s Patricia Ann (Milligan) Bienlien, ed’60, Freeport, Ill. Charles Ferguson, gr’60, Lake View, Iowa

Career Tips

Gary Hoskin, la’60, New York City Larry Maxwell, ph’61, Ankeny, Iowa

Fashion in the Workplace

Sandra (Allen) Sinnard, fa’61, Lincolnshire, Ill.

Fashion-forward fans began buzzing the moment

Gary Dean Christopher, fa’62, West Des Moines, Iowa

Tim Gunn, star of Project Runaway, was tapped to

Robert Groom, jo’63, Dover

deliver the 33rd Martin Bucksbaum Distinguished Lecture. Gunn’s campus visit in September was a

Thomas G. Powers, la’63, lw’65, Indian Harbour Beach, Fla.

rare opportunity to experience the style guru’s sassy

John Thomas, bn’63, Denver, Pa.

demeanor and signature catchphrases up close

Jennifer (Porter) Adair, ed’64, gr’72, Benton, Ark.

and personal.

Everett P. Fulton, gr’64, White Water, Wis.

Whether you’re a diehard fashionista or far from it,

Thomas Gray, la’64, gr’65, Durango, Colo.

Juri Kaseoru, la’64, Des Moines Kay (Moore) Alvord, ed’65, Urbandale, Iowa Paul Fleischacher, bn’65, West Palm Beach, Fla.

what you wear matters—especially in the workplace.

We sought advice from Chrystal Stanley in Drake’s Professional and Career Services Development Office.

“Talk to me.”

Carol (McKay) Winterberg, ed’65, Des Moines

Your wardrobe speaks volumes. It’s not just what

Beulah Lorraine Lucas, ed’66, Des Moines

you wear; it’s how you wear it. Perhaps the biggest

David E. Roseberry, la’66, Louisville, Ky.

faux pas that can be made in the office is to wear

Gene Wanek, gr’66, Wilber, Neb. Nancy Elizabeth “Betty” Lemon Finch, ed’67, Hartford, Iowa

poorly fitted clothes. If they are too large, you risk looking unkempt. Clothes that are too tight are often inappropriately revealing. Make sure your clothes are

Ila (Rogers) Lappe, ed’67, Indianola, Iowa

saying what you want them to say about you. If you

Joan (Snelling) Lewis, la’68, Fair Oaks, Calif.

want an executive position, speak up by dressing

Frank Gerald Wieslander, la’68, lw’71, Altoona, Iowa

the part.

Leah Jean (Himschoot) Hamilton, ed’69, Windsor Heights, Iowa Ed “Geezer” Henderson, bn’69, Clive, Iowa David Jewett, fa’69, Mountain View, Calif.

1970s Max Gors, lw’70, Pierre, S.D.

“Make it work.”

Take note of what others are wearing around the office. In a new job, it’s safest to dress conservatively for the first week while you assess the dress code.

A suit and tie might not be your favorite choice, but making it work can reap serious benefits.

Nancy (Lane) Hood, la’70, Des Moines Robert Hyde, gr’70, Des Moines Judith “Judy” Lindquist, gr’70, West Des Moines, Iowa John Barakat, gr’71, ‘77, Urbandale, Iowa Robert “Bob” Stolz, la’71, Carlisle, Iowa Dorothy (Brown) Graham, ed’72, LeClaire, Iowa Lois (Willis) Vincent, ed’72, gr’75, Des Moines Gary Faust, lw’73, Council Bluffs, Iowa John Gumm, bn’73, Windcrest, Texas James E. Station, la’73, Knoxville, Tenn.

Eleanor “Becky” (Van Beckum) Vanden Branden, fa’73, Clive, Iowa Rosayln (McClelland) Dawson, ed’74, Earlham, Iowa Mark S. Sullivan, la’74, Broken Arrow, Okla.

“It’s a little costumey.”

Don’t over-accessorize. If your jewelry or nails announce your presence before you do, you’ve gone too far.

alumniconnections

Profile

Blue Behind Bars

journalism graduate helps inmates discover the joy of learning

Twice a week Monica Rizzo, jo’85, passes through a series of bolted doors and security checkpoints to reach her classroom in Five Keys Charter School, operating inside the San Francisco County Jail. Her students there are all facing, fighting, or convicted of felony charges.

What led you to teaching?

At about age 46, I finally realized what I wanted to be when I grew up. When I went back to school to get my teaching credential, it was with the intention of working in under-served schools. It is my hope that I can help students who got off the educational track get back on and reach their full potential.

What makes the Five Keys Charter School unique?

Five Keys provides the opportunity to earn a high school diploma or GED to inmates in the San Francisco County Jail, people on probation, and any adult who has not earned their diploma. This has a ripple effect through their family and the community at large. Students who earn a high school diploma cut their chance of recidivism almost by half, and children whose parents earn a high school diploma are more likely to earn one themselves.

Tell us about your classroom.

I teach in two different sites. I teach independent study to adult students in the sheriff’s community program, which requires one-on-one work with individual students as well as some group instruction. Many of these students have no connection to the criminal justice system. In the jail, I currently teach English. There is nothing quite like the experience of 60

DRAKE

BLUE

fall 2014

teaching Guy de Maupassant’s The Necklace to women in jail.

The perspective they bring to the interpretation of literature is sometimes shocking and sometimes brilliant.

What are the challenges of teaching in this environment?

Jail is by its very nature high stress. It is a claustrophobic environment with no fresh air and little to no natural light.

Many students are distrustful of schools and teachers. My first job is to help them discover the joy of learning and the beauty of success. This is no place to bring a boring lecture.

I need to bring my ‘A’ game every single day.

I have also had to adjust to the revelations about life on the street. When people are homeless, drug-addicted hustlers, their in-class essays are very different from what we wrote and read at Drake. I have learned to control my reactions to shocking revelations.

The worst thing I have had to face is a student who was shot in the chest on the way to turn in his homework. He survived the gunshot but has not completed his diploma. I remain hopeful for him. Violence is a part of many of my students’ daily lives. Poverty, homelessness, and hunger add to the long list of factors working against them.

What do you find rewarding in this role?

This position allows me to occasionally help an individual break out of the cycle of poverty and violence that has been their life. It doesn’t always happen, but when it does, it is the sweetest thing there is. I have learned to savor the small successes. Also, I do not have to chaperone a prom— something I will be eternally grateful for.

alumniconnections

Keith Peterson, fa’76, South Whitley, Ind.

1990s

Sandy (Solfisburg) Whitelaw, jo’76, Chicago

Theresa Hockins, as’90, Des Moines

Marilyn (Pierschbacher) Bridgford, ed’77, Chariton, Iowa

Brent Helmkamp, ed’91, Ankeny, Iowa

Anthony Kingkade, ph’77, San Diego

Daron Fritz, lw’92, Lake Mills, Iowa

Helen (Johnson) Moyer, gr’77, Kellogg, Iowa

Rebecca Zalleck, bn’93, gr’99, Des Moines

correction

Brant Bruhn, bn’94, Muscatine, Iowa

While Drake Notes accurately reported the passing of Robert Zeller, la’49, in the Spring 2014 issue of Drake Blue, we regret that his son— Robert Zeller, ed ‘74—was mistakenly included in the list of 1970s deaths. Alumnus Roger Davison, bn‘74, kindly reminded us that Bob is alive and well in Manchester, Mo.

Sybil Linn, as’94, Des Moines

1980s

2000s

Sheila (Eichmann) Lumley, la’80, Waukee, Iowa

Thomas Nielsen, gr’01, Johnston, Iowa

Donald Patton, bn’80, Chicago

Susan (Kramer) Johannsen, gr’03, Park Forest, Iowa

Kevin Alphin, la’82, St. Louis

Sara Rick, gr’07, West Des Moines, Iowa

Leon Joseph Swift, ph’82, West Des Moines, Iowa

emeriti faculty

Steven W. Feldman, la’83, Palatka, Fla.

John Hicks, professor emeritus of art, Des Moines

Mike Corum, gr’85, Pella, Iowa

Milan Kaderavek, professor emeritus of music theory, Perrysburg, Ohio

Vicki (Jackson) Scharf, bn’85, Des Moines Julie A. (Norris) Westrom, fa’86, Glen Ellyn, Ill. Scott Larson, bn’89, Chicago

James McKean, jo’94, Arnold, Mo. Rodney Bragg, bn’96, Burlington, Iowa Stephanie (Westpfahl) Seiler, gr’97, Van Meter, Iowa

Donald Roland Keyworth, professor emeritus of philosophy, Des Moines

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

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

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

Name (Mr./Ms.) College/school and year

Email address

Address City

State

Phone (home)

(business)

Employer

Title

ZIP

What’s new with you?

61

DRAKE

BLUE

spring 2014

fall 2014

DRAKE

BLUE

61

driven by the global intercultural imperative “Puedo hablar con Señor Gutiérrez? Me llamo Christa Olson. Estoy una profesora visitante, y hago une investigación …”

I can hear the frustration in the voice of the woman on the other end of the phone. I try repeating my carefully rehearsed script in Spanish, but she can’t understand my thick accent and finally hands the phone over to another colleague. A few weeks earlier, I had arrived at the Universidad de Guanajuato as a Fulbright scholar with a research agenda that depended on interviews conducted in Spanish with university leaders, professors, and students. My questions were carefully scripted, but the task of arranging the interviews was proving to be a challenge. I had not yet learned that in this particular higher education setting, email communications were spotty and face-to-face communications were critical. In this new context—like so many others in which Drake staff, faculty, and students will likely find themselves in this global era—I needed to speak the language well and understand the culture to be professionally effective.

Global Vision 2020, Drake University’s international strategic plan, emphasizes developing global talent, facilitating intercultural learning, and addressing pressing global issues. These features resonate with faculty, staff, and students at Drake; with colleagues at our partner institutions; and with members of our respective communities because they convey in simple language the global intercultural imperative—the dire need to transcend intercultural differences so we can work together effectively in addressing the most pressing issues facing our world.

Since the introduction of the Global Vision 2020 plan and the receipt of generous support from The Principal Financial Group and several alumni, Drake has made steady progress with our

internationalization efforts. Our strategic partnership initiative, global service learning initiative, international grants program, additional student scholarships, and robust travel seminar program all facilitate global learning opportunities for our faculty, staff, and students. Professors from both Drake and Minzu University of China are offering master classes at each other’s institutions. Faculty and staff are identifying internship opportunities in Australia and Chile.

Drake education majors are mentoring Mexican high school students. Drake professors are leading travel seminars that engage students in sustainable development projects in Uganda.

Yet my experience in Guanajuato demonstrates that however well one may be globally prepared with content knowledge, it is also essential to be linguistically equipped and culturally aware of the contexts into which one enters. Likewise, if the University is going to deliver fully on our mission of graduating responsible global citizens, we have to ensure we are equipping our students with sufficient opportunities to enhance their language skills, deepen their cultural awareness, and fine-tune their intercultural communication skills before we send them out into the world.

I wonder if, when proposing our partnership activities, service learning experiences, or travel seminars, we are paying sufficient attention to ways we might enhance linguistic and intercultural competence? Can we draw more upon our institutional and organizational partners to facilitate more language and cultural awareness? Have we considered building language immersion experiences into our travel seminars? I welcome exploring further with alumni, friends of Drake, faculty, staff, and students how we might systematically engage all Drake students in speaking second or third languages, deeply experiencing other cultural practices, and thereby preparing for their contribution in addressing global challenges. It’s simply Drake’s most pressing need at this point in our evolution as an institution with global relevance.

—Christa Olson, Vice Provost for International Programs

62

DRAKE

BLUE

fall 2014

Just for Fun by claire sedovic, class of 2015

No need to dog-ear your pages! Start with a square piece of paper (just trim an 8.5 x 11 sheet down to size) and follow the steps below to create your own bulldog bookmark.

1. Pre-crease both diagonals by folding and reopening.

6. Fold down top point to touch bottom point.

2. Fold left and right corners to the center.

7. Fold top layer back so point touches top.

10. Pull down left corner pocket and crease.

Return to position.

13. To finish nose, fold under bottom point of diamond.

3. Flip over paper.

4. Fold left edge to center.

8. Fold left flap in half, reducing 90-degree angle to 45-degree angle. Crease, then reopen.

11. Repeat Step 10 for right corner pocket.

5. Fold right edge to center to match left.

9. Repeat Step 8 for right flap.

12. Now pull down both pockets while simultaneously pinching and flattening the top point to create the bulldog nose.

14. For ears, fold down both top triangles.

visit www.drake.edu/magazine to watch a how-to video. fall 2014

DRAKE

BLUE

63