Drake University Blue Magazine Fall 2020 by Drake University

FALL 2020

DRAKE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI INSIDER

A Mission Well-Lived

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To my fellow alumni, For the first few years I worked at Drake, I would get goose bumps every morning as I approached my office in Old Main. I knew from the moment I was hired as alumni director that a career at Drake was the perfect fit for me. While job titles and office locations have changed over the past 31 years, I’ve never lost my sense of awe over working for my alma mater.

Please join us in congratulating Diane on her retirement.

A Family of Bulldogs: Seven of these ten Caldbeck family members hold Drake degrees.

I feel so fortunate for all Drake has given me. While it is almost impossible to imagine retiring from a job that has brought me so much joy and fulfillment, I’ve decided it’s time to close this chapter of my Drake story and step into retirement, effective December 31. My lifelong relationship with Drake began more than 50 years ago. My four years as a Drake student were among the most memorable of my life. I grew up at Drake, received a great education, and met my closest friends and husband, Bill, BN'70, too. Bill and I passed our love for Drake to our three children, who are also alumni. I have so many wonderful Drake memories, but among my favorite is the moment my children surprised me with their gift to create the Caldbeck Challenge, a fund designed to inspire student philanthropy. Through my work, I’ve been fortunate to meet and form enduring relationships with countless alumni who have been generous with their time and resources. I’ve given hundreds of campus tours, sharing my passion for Drake’s rich history. Another highlight of my career is leading alumni trips, experiencing the joy of travel with those who share an affinity for Drake. I’ll leave you with one parting request. If you value the education you received, the experiences you had, and the friends you made, I ask you to maintain a lifelong relationship with Drake. You won’t be sorry. It is with profound gratitude, humility, and love that I thank Drake and all of you for this extraordinary experience. While I might be retiring, I will never leave my post as Cheerleader in Chief and will always hold Drake in my heart.

Her years of service, unwavering support, and unmatched advocacy and enthusiasm have advanced the University to the position it enjoys today. Her joyful presence will certainly be missed, but her impact will continue to be felt for generations to come. We hope to toast to Diane at the 2021 Drake Relays. — John Smith, AS’92, GR’00, Vice President, University Advancement

With gratitude,

Diane Caldbeck, ED’72 Associate Vice President, University Advancement

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Please join us in congratulating Diane on her retirement.

A Family of Bulldogs: Seven of these ten Caldbeck family members hold Drake degrees.

With gratitude,

Diane Caldbeck, ED’72 Associate Vice President, University Advancement

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The Future is Bright His name is emblazoned on a football field as a testament to his athletic feats. But John Dee Bright’s star shined beyond the field. A beloved, influential teacher and principal, his name is now synonymous with an accessible Drake education that empowers.

On Sept. 1, Drake University announced the founding of the John Dee Bright College at Drake University, which will grant two-year associate degrees in the integrated arts, sciences, and humanities, as well as in business, organization, and professional studies. The college will enroll its first students in the Fall 2021 semester. The program is designed to welcome a wider community of students to a Drake education on an attainable, affordable path.

A 1952 Drake graduate, “Johnny” Bright, ED'52, was a star player on the Drake football team. He was the first Black football player to play a game at Oklahoma A&M College (now Oklahoma State University). During a game in 1951, an Oklahoma A&M lineman charged Bright—who did not have the ball—and hit him in the face, breaking Bright’s jaw. This vicious play robbed Bright of the certain Heisman Trophy and led to national outrage and increased awareness of the racism Black athletes faced. After graduating from Drake, the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles drafted Bright in the first round of the 1952 draft. He would have become the Eagles’ first Black player. However, instead of facing potential racism in the United States, Bright took his talents to the Canadian Football League, where he became one of Canada’s most accomplished professional football players. He was inducted into the CFL Hall of Fame in 1970. Bright took his tenacity to the classroom, using his bachelor’s degree in education to work as a teacher, coach, and school administrator in Edmonton Public Schools in Alberta, Canada. Bright passed away in Edmonton in 1983 at the age of 53. The Johnny Bright School, a kindergarten through ninth-grade school in Edmonton, bears his name.

with Craig Owens, Dean of John Dee Bright College

Q WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF NAMING THE COLLEGE AFTER ALUMNUS JOHN DEE BRIGHT?

A Bright exemplified the kinds of attitudes and

commitments we wish to help our learners develop: determination, teamwork, resilience, fearlessness, self-discovery, and a passion for service and community engagement.

Q WHAT ARE YOUR BIGGEST GOALS

Drake is one of only a few private colleges nationwide to offer a two-year program, joining the ranks of Emory University and Loyola University Chicago. Students in the college will take classes as part of a learning cohort, working through the program with the same group of classmates. The cohort system enables students to more easily build relationships and networks with their peers.

HONORING JOHN DEE BRIGHT

Q&A

GOING INTO THE FIRST YEAR OF THE COLLEGE?

A Our first-year goals are the same as our long-term A WORTHY LEGACY Unlike the singular dimensions of characters in the history books we read, my grandfather’s tenacity and discipline extended far beyond the field. It was because of his academic drive as a first-generation college student from a background rarely seen and not yet celebrated, that four Black women in his lineage were able to accumulate five degrees. It is because of him that I can stand before you in shoes I designed at my first job. My grandfather’s legacy has long been focused on his athletic achievements, but today, I, alongside my family, am humbled and grateful to Drake University for choosing to see my grandfather as he was: a man with many dimensions, who above all else revered the importance of education. - BRE JOHNSON

Pictured above, right, with Maura Johnson, left, both Bright’s granddaughters, and Deanie Bright-Johnson, middle, Bright’s daughter.

goals: to support and guide our learners toward increasing competence in both disciplinary and transdisciplinary learning and to continue to invite new learners into the College.

Q HOW WILL BRIGHT COLLEGE ENABLE INDIVIDUALS FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS RECEIVE A DRAKE EDUCATION?

A There are many learners, throughout the school

system, whose skills and aptitudes aren’t represented by standardized test scores or for whom negotiating the transition from high school to college seems like such a daunting undertaking. They’re bright, creative, outgoing students who are eager to think in innovative, sometimes risky ways, and desire to keep moving forward. Bright College is here to provide a place for that kind of student. Owens is a Drake University English professor and director of the University’s Center for Teaching Excellence. He holds a doctorate in English from Indiana University–Bloomington and has taught at Drake since 2003. In 2014 Owens was awarded the Madelyn M. Levitt Teacher of the Year award.

Watch the announcement with remarks from President Marty Martin, Craig Owens, and Bre Johnson. 3

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with Craig Owens, Dean of John Dee Bright College

Q WHAT IS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF NAMING THE COLLEGE AFTER ALUMNUS JOHN DEE BRIGHT?

A Bright exemplified the kinds of attitudes and

commitments we wish to help our learners develop: determination, teamwork, resilience, fearlessness, self-discovery, and a passion for service and community engagement.

Q WHAT ARE YOUR BIGGEST GOALS

HONORING JOHN DEE BRIGHT

Q&A

GOING INTO THE FIRST YEAR OF THE COLLEGE?

Pictured above, right, with Maura Johnson, left, both Bright’s granddaughters, and Deanie Bright-Johnson, middle, Bright’s daughter.

goals: to support and guide our learners toward increasing competence in both disciplinary and transdisciplinary learning and to continue to invite new learners into the College.

Q HOW WILL BRIGHT COLLEGE ENABLE INDIVIDUALS FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS RECEIVE A DRAKE EDUCATION?

A There are many learners, throughout the school

Watch the announcement with remarks from President Marty Martin, Craig Owens, and Bre Johnson. 3

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Dr. Hijinio G. Carreon, AS’99, is MercyOne Central Iowa’s chief medical officer, a role that includes leading the medical center’s COVID-19 pandemic response. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in biology at Drake, Carreon earned a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree from Des Moines University. Earlier this fall, he walked us through his typical day. 4:45 AM

1:00 PM

Wake up and review emails I received overnight or any messages I may have missed.

Lunch. Some days, I’ll have an impromptu meeting with members of the medical staff over lunchtime. But this particular day, it was lunch!

5:10 AM Shower and get ready for my day. During this time, I typically listen to a motivational speaker. I have a long list of favorites, but my top three are Les Brown, Zig Ziglar, and Tony Robbins. This particular morning, I listened to Robbins, who discussed how he trained his mind not to have bad days, only bad moments. It seems to be fitting in light of the pandemic.

5:45 AM

Des Moines metrowide CMO (chief medical officer) call. This is a call with physician leaders from UnityPoint Health, Broadlawns Medical Center, MercyOne, The Iowa Clinic, and Primary Health Care. We openly and collaboratively discuss topics that ensure the safety of our community and healthcare workers, including visitor policies, COVID-19 volume, and forecasting data.

I review the hospital dashboards, including COVID-19 reports.

4:30 – 5:30 PM

6:30 AM After a 12-minute commute, I arrive at the hospital and meet with cardiovascular services to discuss scheduling changes and how we can work together to minimize the impact on patients.

7:00 AM Next, it’s our physician leadership huddle. Chief of infection prevention Dr. Ravi Vemuri, chief of pathology Dr. Matt Andres, and our critical care medical director, Dr. Bradley Wilcox all provide updates on COVID-19 and any medical care updates that need to be shared.

7:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Photos: Reprinted with permission from dsm Magazine. 5

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Photographer: Emily Blobaum

2:00 PM

My morning is a whole slate of meetings— everything from gathering with leadership to discuss staffing, attending a Safety First Classification with our director of quality, and a discussion about our Family Communication Plan. The COVID-19 visitor restrictions have created challenges to ensure families are kept updated on their loved one’s plan of care. We are working to find alternatives that are accessible to families and easy for providers.

My workday ends where it started, with meetings. One with our procedural governance committee. We typically discuss any testing limitations and if any surgical cases need to be delayed or rescheduled to ensure we are able to account for ongoing capacity constraints. My last meeting is with physician leaders from across the state to discuss system issues and possible improvements.

7:00 PM Meet with my classmates to complete group work for an econ class assignment. I am currently in the process of completing my EMBA (executive masters of business administration) degree. (And I fit dinner in, too.)

9:00 PM Go for a 2-mile run. I spend a considerable amount of time attempting to convince my daughters to accompany me; one finally agrees.

10:00 PM I catch up on email and review my schedule for the following day to ensure that I am prepared to speak or lead discussions. FALL 2020 | BLUE

1:00 PM

Wake up and review emails I received overnight or any messages I may have missed.

Lunch. Some days, I’ll have an impromptu meeting with members of the medical staff over lunchtime. But this particular day, it was lunch!

5:45 AM

I review the hospital dashboards, including COVID-19 reports.

4:30 – 5:30 PM

6:30 AM After a 12-minute commute, I arrive at the hospital and meet with cardiovascular services to discuss scheduling changes and how we can work together to minimize the impact on patients.

7:30 AM – 12:00 PM

Photos: Reprinted with permission from dsm Magazine. 5

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Photographer: Emily Blobaum

2:00 PM

9:00 PM Go for a 2-mile run. I spend a considerable amount of time attempting to convince my daughters to accompany me; one finally agrees.

10:00 PM I catch up on email and review my schedule for the following day to ensure that I am prepared to speak or lead discussions. FALL 2020 | BLUE

CONTINUED...

CHALLENGES + TRIUMPHS

MY PATH + MY WHY

Given that we are a tertiary care center for the state of Iowa, we receive a large volume of patients from all over the state. We are one of two locations that provide mechanical thrombectomy; our ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) program continues to expand, and we are one of two facilities in the state that provide pediatric cardiothoracic care. Hence, it is challenging to forecast state needs versus community needs during a pandemic. Attempting to balance those needs and ensure that we have the capacity for our community is a frequent challenge.

My brother had a lifelong condition that ultimately led to his death at the age of 16. Watching my immigrant parents navigate our healthcare system and have a firsthand experience with the inequities that existed in healthcare served as my inspiration and fueled my healthcare pursuits. Drake University created an atmosphere that contributed to my maturity and quality development—attributes that define me today. Without having encountered personal failures during my undergraduate career, I would not have developed the perseverance or humility essential to my role. Opportunities created by Phi Delta Theta and La Fuerza Latina allowed me the chance to develop leadership skills and enduring friendships. As a minority physician who has been blessed with opportunities that Drake University produced, I believe it is my responsibility to create a unique environment where students, residents, and physicians of any nationality can feel a sense of belonging and practice medicine.

Ensuring that such demands do not lead to moral injury, physician burnout, or empathy fatigue is a daily concern, as is attempting to ensure our physicians and advanced practice providers feel supported. But everyone within the state has been remarkable to work with during the global pandemic. Several individuals have worked countless hours to ensure the safety of our community and our staff. The individuals I am blessed to work with are the true heroes who make MercyOne great. I have been fortunate to work alongside such exceptional people.

BEYOND WORK My family is No. 1. Although my days can be long, my wife and kids are incredibly supportive. Without their support, I could not continue this race, which has now become a marathon. Ironically, I also enjoy endurance training. It is therapeutic and helps me to find solutions to challenging situations that may have occurred during my day. We enjoy hiking, and I really like to push my girls to do climbs that they never feel are practical. It is such a personal thrill to discuss the journey.

“I BELIEVE IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO CREATE A UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT WHERE STUDENTS, RESIDENTS, AND PHYSICIANS OF ANY NATIONALITY CAN FEEL A SENSE OF BELONGING AND PRACTICE MEDICINE.”

I also serve on multiple boards: Iowa Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, Proteus Inc., and the Clive Behavioral Health Hospital Board. Giving back to our community is extremely important to me and allows me to maintain perspective. 7

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CONTINUED...

CHALLENGES + TRIUMPHS

MY PATH + MY WHY

“I BELIEVE IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO CREATE A UNIQUE ENVIRONMENT WHERE STUDENTS, RESIDENTS, AND PHYSICIANS OF ANY NATIONALITY CAN FEEL A SENSE OF BELONGING AND PRACTICE MEDICINE.”

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A Mission Well-Lived Think back to where you were a year ago. Many things have changed over the course of 2020, and we’ve all witnessed challenges, reckonings, and grief in the forms of a pandemic, political tensions, and calls for racial justice. In these moments of unrest, uncertainty, and change, our core values and truths become at once a beacon and a bedrock: the guiding light that illuminates paths forward toward a greater purpose, even amid clouded circumstances, and the foundation that doesn’t quiver or crumble. For Drake University, this unwavering guidepost is a mission statement with seven tenets that infuse the Drake experience and reflect what the University aims to be and see in the world. One of the mission statement’s greatest fulfillments is how it is reflected in the lives of our alumni, like these seven Bulldogs.

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

EXCEPTIONAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT While each of us mastered our ABCs and 123s long ago, there are still lessons adults can glean from the learning environments of the littlest students. Lisa Brunner, GR’17, teaches kindergarten at Delaware Elementary School in the Southeast Polk Community School District, part of the Des Moines metro. Fostering an exceptional learning environment for 5- and 6-yearolds includes building a classroom community where she gets to know each student and emphasizing positivity. “I hear a lot of ‘I can’t do it’—and we always make sure to add the ‘yet’. Because we will work until we can do it,” Brunner says. But the lifelong lessons hardly stop there. Brunner says learning from mistakes and internalizing socialemotional traits, such as sharing, patience, taking turns, communicating, and sharing how you are feeling, are kindergarten lessons that apply for a lifetime. That, and an afternoon snack helps fuel brains—no matter your age. As schools like Brunner’s face the present reality, their strategies to adapting and thriving also apply to settings beyond the classroom. Brunner emphasizes that sharing resources, discussing ‘how can we still do this, but safely?’, and giving others more grace are keys to adapting. And thriving means being flexible and up front with expectations; asking for help, even when it’s hard to

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do; and being able to pick up the pieces and try again the next day when something falls apart. The resiliency Brunner sees in her students gives her optimism. “I feel like all day long I have to say ‘no’—no playground, no large-group carpet time, no partner work, no groups—but we talk a lot about COVID (or, as they like to call it, the virus), and we talk about how we can stay safe while at school,” Brunner says. “I hope that in time, COVID is just a blip in their kindergarten memory, but that they will remember things like teaching Mrs. Brunner to floss, practicing our Frisbee skills at recess, and how I always start with ‘This is my favorite book’ with every book I read. They now realize that I love all books and will say that every time.”

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Hear more of Sanela’s story on fellow alumna Melissa Murer Corrigan’s, PH’89, podcast here.

MEANINGFUL PERSONAL LIVES “Resilience” is a 2020 buzzword, but it is something Sanela Bilic, PH’03, GR’03, personified long before. Born in Sarajevo, she lived in Bosnia-Herzegovina when war broke out there in 1992, and endured its impacts, including school closures and make shift schools in basements to allow for continuity of education, sporadic electricity and walking 2-5 miles for water as it was turned off by the oppressor, a perilous path with constant sniper fire and projectile grenades. In 1995, she left the country with her family as refugees and settled in Des Moines. Whether studying by candlelight in Bosnia, learning English alongside high school coursework, and earning a PharmD and MBA degrees while working multiple jobs to support her family and herself, Bilic owes her perseverance to a continual quest for knowledge and to crucial people that believed in her. After graduating from Drake, Bilic completed a 2-year drug development, clinical pharmacology fellowship with a focus in oncology at the University of Buffalo and Novartis Pharmaceuticals. Bilic then worked for Novartis Oncology in Clinical Pharmacology group for 14 years while simultaneously leading the University of Buffalo and Novartis Fellowship program. Drawing on this breadth of experience and her own tenacity, Bilic founded, Vanadro, a company that focuses on drug development and clinical pharmacology, in 2018, a first of its kind in Iowa. Throughout her journey, Bilic formed meaningful relationships with mentors like College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Dean Renae Chesnut and Geoffery Wall, professor of pharmacy practice, and was nurtured by her parents, family, and family friends, Dr. Nuha BarazanjiShash and Nancy Winebrenner in every step. “Surround yourself with people who believe in you,” Bilic says, “Go ahead and have more than one mentor, you can definitely learn different things from different people, and then once you succeed, pay it back and pay it forward.” 11

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PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS The COVID-19 pandemic has upended many workplaces. Coupled with outside circumstances, people are juggling plenty and thriving as a professional is a daunting prospect. As a career coach and author, Bernie Frazier, BN’89, has led clients through plenty of challenging situations and guided them to new and rewarding professional paths. The founder and president of CAREERCompass, LLC, a speakingand career-coaching firm in St. Louis, Mo., advises on three tenets that can shepherd employees and employers through this chapter: flexibility, patience, and creativity.

Alongside these accomplishments and accolades is a life given meaning through bringing forth innovation, paving new paths, and paying it forward. Bilics’s dedication to advancing cancer drug treatments is driven by a desire to improve the world around her, including the lives of family members who have been touched by cancer. Beyond the work itself, Bilic strives to draw in others, as she was once drawn in by mentors, and open doors for those just beginning their pharmacy journeys. Now in its second year, the Vanadro–Drake University Drug Development Fellowship puts this philosophy into practice, offering a year-long post-doctoral graduate experience in drug development and clinical pharmacology. “I’m here to tell you that you can accomplish anything in life. Never let anyone tell you your dreams are too big. Always chase after your dreams, and it’s never too late to start chasing after them either,” Bilic says. “Just work hard and always stay hopeful. I can’t promise you that it will be easy and smooth sailing, but what I can promise you is that it will definitely be worth it. Do not wait for the opportunities, look for them, and then once you find them, go and soar!”

Change is expected at this point, and people are facing stressors on the social, political, and environmental fronts, in addition to professional uncertainty and adjustments. “People can’t afford to hold on to the same notions they had before,” Frazier says. Enter flexibility, with a healthy dose of patience. “Everyone is in a new normal. A lot of companies are trying to figure their way through it,” Frazier says. “Leaders are taxed in ways they haven’t been taxed before.” With an upended world, there is a call for creativity. Bringing creative solutions is one way people can practice professionalism in today’s world. “Companies need innovation,” Frazier says. “The same old, same old is not going to help companies and organizations survive and thrive in the future.” Practicing flexibility, patience, and creativity will certainly buoy workplaces and professionals through this era, but some circumstances, whether it’s a lost job or a lost sense of purpose, require more.

Frazier pointedly asks her career-coaching clients, “What do you want?” “People establish goals they think they can get, but they’re not honest with themselves about what they really want,” Frazier says. “When it comes to your future, the answer to that question should be the foundation of just about every decision you make.” Though a clear answer to this question can be a journey, Frazier offers a few starting points: Spend time in selfreflection and pinpoint what tasks give you energy versus what depletes you, identify areas where people always come to you for help, ask for feedback from the people around you, and carve out space to read books that pertain to what you’re facing. When pivoting or transitioning to the next thing isn’t on the horizon, Frazier encourages people to find ways to reconnect with their jobs and workplaces. Continuing to foster relationships with colleagues is one way to keep remote or altered work environments from becoming isolating. Taking a moment to understand the goals of the business and identify where you play a role can also reinvigorate a sense of purpose. “Find the thing that tethers you to the organization and its goals,” Frazier says. “It can help you start to see the impact you are having.”

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Hear more of Sanela’s story on fellow alumna Melissa Murer Corrigan’s, PH’89, podcast here.

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RESPONSIBLE GLOBAL CITIZENSHIP As a young student in Zimbabwe, Kavilash Chawla, AS’98, looked for similarities to make connections with a diverse mix of classmates. Chawla, born in Zambia to parents from India and Pakistan, carried this practice with him when he came to the United States in high school, then to Drake where he studied economics, history, and political science.

With this wealth of experience, Chawla has gained a perspective on what it means to be a global citizen.

Chawla’s work as a strategy advisor and consultant to private- and public-sector organizations has taken him around the world. Des Moines drew Chawla and his wife back about five years ago as a place to raise their family. Today he is a partner at Bâton Global, a Des Moines-based firm that provides strategy, innovation, leadership, and research services to clients and communities worldwide, with hubs in Athens, Des Moines, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, and Riyadh.

Today’s interconnected world necessitates a global mindset and a commitment to understanding different perspectives and being prepared to work across these differences.

“A good global citizen is engaged and empathetic and able to understand a counterpoint. You may not agree with it, but on the intellectual and emotional levels, you understand it,” Chawla says.

Developing this mindset starts with identifying commonalities to help forge connections. But for relationships and interactions to become meaningful, acknowledging differences is necessary for professional advancement, economic growth in local communities, and personal fulfillment, among other benchmarks. Embracing this dichotomous mindset of common ground and acknowledged differences is no longer optional in the globalized world of the 21st century, but its adoption is certainly rewarding. “Being an engaged global citizen is a critical element of success across all aspects of life,” Chawla says. “The ability to have a diversity of experiences enriches life.”

COLLABORATIVE LEARNING Creating a truly collaborative environment requires several things that must be kept intact to uphold that environment and ensure obstacles are overcome. Amy Pfeifer, GR’15, is an adjunct professor at Drake, current doctoral student, and a learning and development analyst at Principal Financial Group, all roles where collaborative learning is essential. “To me, the collaborative learning process is built on the assumption that no single person knows everything, and that we each bring to the table perspectives and insights valuable to the learning process,” Pfeifer says. She says collaborative learning looks like actively listening, asking questions, being willing to challenge our underlying assumptions, looking for the voices that aren’t being heard or represented, and opening up to compromise to create better relationships and solutions. Pfeifer emphasizes that collaborative learning is foundationally stemmed by trust. In diverse environments, trust becomes especially important.

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“This means differences in values, motivations, life experiences, strengths, and interests. While this adds a richness to the fabric of the environment, it can also mean conflict. We have to work with one another to find our way through that conflict when it arises,” she says. Pfeifer especially taps these skills in the classroom with her students. “I made time each class to allow for simple, casual discussion to allow them to acknowledge the challenging environment and also to start building relationships with one another,” Pfeifer says. “I also threw a bunch of new digital tools at them to support collaboration, and they embraced them wholeheartedly—and often came up with creative solutions I would never have come up with on my own.”

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With this wealth of experience, Chawla has gained a perspective on what it means to be a global citizen.

Today’s interconnected world necessitates a global mindset and a commitment to understanding different perspectives and being prepared to work across these differences.

“A good global citizen is engaged and empathetic and able to understand a counterpoint. You may not agree with it, but on the intellectual and emotional levels, you understand it,” Chawla says.

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INTEGRATION OF THE LIBERAL ARTS & SCIENCES WITH PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION

As a staff writer for Stateline, a news service funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts, Matt Vasilogambros, AS’11, JO’11, is on the front lines of the headlines, covering topics like voting rights, police reform, and other state and local policy issues. The job requires writing and reporting skills, which Vasilogambros gained in Drake classrooms under the tutelage of mentors and professors like Jill Van Wyke and Rachel Paine Caufield, and through college work experiences, such as serving as editor in chief of The Times-Delphic; writing speeches for then-Gov. Chet Culver and former U.S. Rep. Leonard Boswell, both of Iowa; and interning on Capitol Hill. 15

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TRANSFORM LIVES, STRENGTHEN COMMUNITIES

But the work also taps into a critical thinking mindset, inherent to a liberal arts and sciences education.

In times of challenge, connections and the arts act as salves; when combined, the results are powerful.

“Critical thinking and skills allow you to take a step back and make an educated decision about what’s in front of you,” says Vasilogambros, who earned degrees in political science and news/internet at Drake. After graduating, he stepped into a role with National Journal as a reporter, followed by a stint as an editor at The Atlantic. Vasilogambros is now based in Monterey, Calif., where he leads West Coast coverage for Stateline.

Isaac Myers III, LW’11, parlayed a passion for creative writing into Curlew Quarterly, a literary and photo journal of New York City neighborhoods that publishes poetry, fiction, and creative nonfiction. The endeavor exemplifies the power of strengthening communities as it brings together artists from all over the city to give voice to the unique fabric of the city’s many boroughs and neighborhoods.

Reporters and writers are charged with gaining an in-depth understanding of the topic at hand in order to present a full, accurate story—no easy task in an increasingly complex, nuanced world where truth can be hard to ascertain and voices are often lost.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in English from Butler University, Myers came to Drake for law school. While at Drake, he took some poetry classes that further fostered a love of creative writing.

Recently, Vasilogambros turned a critical eye onto his own work and audited a year of his reporting to assess who he used as sources and who he interviewed. He said the results floored him, and he realized a lack of representation of women and people of color in his sources and subjects. Vasilogambros committed to change, and he repeated the audit a few months ago with marked improvement, but with a continued charge to meet the times and keep striving for better representation in his stories. “It is my responsibility to ensure my work reflects this country and the people most impacted by the issues I write about.”

With a law degree in hand, Myers headed to New York City, where he worked as an attorney for a civil rights law firm and earned a master of fine arts from the New School in 2013. Myers continued to build his law practice while also working as a real estate broker. But something was missing, and in 2017 Curlew Quarterly became a reality. The journal became a platform and acted as an accelerant, kick-starting the creative process for artists. “When people know they’re being heard, they’re more inclined to keep at it,” Myers says.

As the COVID-19 pandemic silenced New York City into shutdowns and empty streets, Curlew was brought to a standstill, its vibrant readings where the community gathered were now verboten, and daily life was beset by burdens. But the transformative power of the arts and community remained an ember. Myers and the Curlew team relaunched their website in August and resumed their online “Daily” series of writings to bring new voices to the community, and are now looking to publish the next issue of the journal. During this period, Myers launched the Curlew Law Firm, which focuses on helping businesses faced with pandemic-related struggles such as evictions. Though the entities share a name, the connection runs deeper. Myers says his experience with creative writing has fostered a greater understanding of the work he does as an attorney. Amid these new and reinvigorated pursuits, Myers points to how the pandemic has brought about a slower pace, which has provided space for people to read and engage with works they may not have picked up previously. “Moving at a slower pace and taking time to engage with writing or visual arts, or any other form of creativity, it becomes its own gift,” Myers says. “It’s an opportunity to build more communities around creative endeavors.”

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INTEGRATION OF THE LIBERAL ARTS & SCIENCES WITH PROFESSIONAL PREPARATION

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TRANSFORM LIVES, STRENGTHEN COMMUNITIES

But the work also taps into a critical thinking mindset, inherent to a liberal arts and sciences education.

In times of challenge, connections and the arts act as salves; when combined, the results are powerful.

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Deans’ Updates What has the fall semester looked like for your college/school? CPHS: We began the fall semester by assisting with COVID-19 saliva testing of more than 1,200 students living in the Drake residence halls, along with some of the studentathletes and coaches. Nearly 160 faculty, staff, and students volunteered to assist at the drive-by stations. Our faculty’s planning over the summer has led to a smooth transition for classes this fall. While they may look different with regard to students distancing themselves from each other and wearing face masks, what hasn’t changed is our faculty’s commitment to preparing our students for their future careers.

SJMC: Quiet in the real space and

humming in the virtual space. Many classes and most activities are being conducted remotely, so things are pretty quiet around Meredith Hall. But the students are still busy working on projects, collaborating, creating publications, running the radio station, volunteering, and doing service learning from afar (or just from the residence halls!).

CBPA: The CBPA staff and faculty

have taken the lessons learned from our quick pivot to online learning this spring and applied them to how we thoughtfully approached the fall. We provided our students and faculty the flexibility to engage virtually and/or in person, and have made a commitment to being ready for whatever scenarios we encounter during the fall semester.

A&S: This fall semester looks a

The traditional CPHS White Coat Ceremonies for incoming OTD and PharmD students were held in August, with pandemic modifications. The ceremonies were attended by the incoming students and a handful of faculty, and livestreamed to family and friends.

BLUE | FALL 2020

bit different. Our classes meet in smaller groups to allow for social distancing in the classrooms. Some music ensemble rehearsals are taking place outside when the weather allows. Over the summer, faculty prepared online science labs that use simulation software, put art kits together for students to follow their art classes from home, and chose theatre productions that include masks as a costume prompt. None of our concerts or performances will have a live audience, but some are being livestreamed or uploaded to YouTube.

Renae Chesnut

Kathleen Richardson

Alejandro Hernandez

Gesine Gerhard

Jerry Anderson

Ryan Wise

College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences

School of Journalism & Mass Communication

College of Business & Public Administration

College of Arts & Sciences

Law School

School of Education

Law: Amid challenges, we

have plenty to acknowledge. Allan Vestal was selected as a Dwight D. Opperman Distinguished Professor of Law. The Opperman Distinguished Professorship recognizes faculty who have demonstrated the highest level of teaching, scholarship, and service to the law school, the University, and the profession. Our faculty presented a webinar series on racism in America, which concludes with two final sessions in November. The Drake Law community marked Constitution Day by hosting a virtual lecture from Stephen Gardbaum, entitled “The Counter-Playbook: Resisting the Populist Assault on Separation of Powers.”

SOE: As a new dean, this is my first

semester at Drake, but I can still say with confidence it has never looked quite like this! Our faculty and students are engaging in a mix of online and face-to-face instructional methods. And while appropriate safety measures like face coverings and social distancing are commonplace, so are enthusiasm and support. The School of Education community has rallied to ensure the changing and uncertain circumstances of the COVID era do not reduce the quality of teaching and learning we’re known for. Note: Classes shifted to fully remote on November 11.

A challenge you have overcome is… CPHS: Our experiential education

staff have overcome quite a bit since the pandemic began. Given the uncertainty for a number of our pharmacy clinical rotation sites, occupational therapy fieldwork and capstone, athletic training experiential, and health sciences internships, our faculty and staff have had to make many changes to students’ schedules, particularly those in the last year of their program.

SJMC: We are still trying very hard to re-create in the virtual space the sense of camaraderie and community we have built on campus—through enhanced communication, social media, and outdoor and online activities. CBPA: Students, faculty, and staff

are entering a world that is different than anything in recent decades. Our ability to listen to them, and to other stakeholders, and to respond creatively and with foresight will be crucial.

A&S: We recruited one of our

largest and most diverse class of first-year students—despite the pandemic. Another big challenge was to quickly shift our classes in

watch now the spring to a completely virtual format. And finally, the challenge of preparing for a fall semester that offers the same kind of exceptional learning environment yet under drastically different circumstances was a challenge that our college has mastered successfully—and with good humor. Check out the message (above) that our musical theatre faculty sent out to their students.

Law: Technology has raised many

important legal questions, from privacy to patents. This presents an opportunity for us to add faculty expertise to our roster. We are partnering with the College of Arts & Sciences, which offers a new artificial intelligence major, to hire a professor of technology law, who will teach both law and undergrad students.

This is the first joint appointment in the Law School, which may provide a great model for the future.

SOE: Many of our K–12 partner

schools, particularly those in the Des Moines Public Schools district, have moved online and implemented a variety of new protocols, which has created some challenges in securing the hundreds of hours of practicum placements we need for field experiences within the School of Education. We’ve overcome this by personally reaching out to all our partner principals to express our interest in both deepening our partnerships to better meet their schools’ needs and innovating our approach to practicum placements by developing online options. FALL | BLUE

SJMC: Quiet in the real space and

CBPA: The CBPA staff and faculty

A&S: This fall semester looks a

BLUE | FALL 2020

Renae Chesnut

Kathleen Richardson

Alejandro Hernandez

Gesine Gerhard

Jerry Anderson

Ryan Wise

College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences

School of Journalism & Mass Communication

College of Business & Public Administration

College of Arts & Sciences

Law School

School of Education

Law: Amid challenges, we

SOE: As a new dean, this is my first

A challenge you have overcome is… CPHS: Our experiential education

are entering a world that is different than anything in recent decades. Our ability to listen to them, and to other stakeholders, and to respond creatively and with foresight will be crucial.

A&S: We recruited one of our

largest and most diverse class of first-year students—despite the pandemic. Another big challenge was to quickly shift our classes in

Law: Technology has raised many

This is the first joint appointment in the Law School, which may provide a great model for the future.

SOE: Many of our K–12 partner

This semester, the Student Alumni Association has been focusing on service and connecting students with alumni. Paul Morrison Spruce-Up Day took place on October 24 and SAA organized teams to undertake socially-distanced spruce-up projects around campus and the Drake Neighborhood. SAA also kicked off a student-alumni interview series. Watch the Q&A conversations here and email SAA advisor, Kim Jones (kim.jones@drake.edu) if you’d be interested in participating.

How can alumni support or be involved with the school? CPHS: We could not be

successful in recruiting, educating, and graduating such high-caliber students were it not for alumni support in mentoring through our white coat and professional travel sponsorship program, serving as preceptors, providing guest presentations for a class or organization meeting, supporting a scholarship or award fund, naming a research or teaching space, or donating toward our strategic initiatives.

SJMC: We encourage alumni to volunteer to professionally mentor students and recent graduates to help them network and find jobs. SJMC faculty invite alumni to be remote guest speakers in classes. And we have been experimenting with small video meetups with alumni from throughout the country. If you’re interested in participating in any of these, contact Dean Richardson, kathleen.richardson@drake.edu. CBPA: Alumni’s ability to

reinforce students’ decisions to be at Drake to pursue their purpose can make a big difference. This can take many forms, from participating in recruiting events to speaking to students as they prepare to graduate.

A&S: Students always love to

hear what alumni are doing, and how the connections they made

BLUE | FALL 2020

at Drake and the things they learned led them to where they are today. Alumni provide valuable insight during our speed networking events and career panels. We love hosting alumni as guest speakers in our classes, where they can share their expertise. Last spring some of our alumni wrote emails to prospective students to help with student recruitment— and the results show in our student numbers. Alumni can refer current Drake students to internships, experiential learning, or job-shadowing opportunities in their workplaces.

Law: By recommending Drake

Law to prospective students. Recent studies show that this sort of personal recommendation is the leading source of student information about law school. We now offer a special Alumni Referral Scholarship to admitted students who are recommended by an alum. Alumni Referral Scholarship.

SOE: Reach out to Dean Ryan

Wise (ryan.wise@drake.edu) , share your Drake experience, and give feedback on how the SOE can improve. One of the best parts of my time so far has been the opportunity to learn from alumni how the SOE can strengthen its programs to ensure graduates are prepared for a rapidly changing education environment.

What are you looking forward to in the 2020– 2021 academic year? CPHS: During the spring semester, we will have an accreditation site visit team evaluate our athletic training program as we seek accreditation, and we will graduate our first students in the program. We will hold our AllPharmacy Reunion during the Drake Relays weekend in April. Our firstyear occupational therapy students began a revised curriculum that adds efficiency to the content and skills taught and incorporates feedback from the first two cohorts. SJMC: Seeing how the SJMC

faculty and students adapt, create, and thrive in this current environment that offers both physical hurdles and the technology tools to surmount them. For example, the advertising and public relations students are creating PR, ad, and marketing strategies for a Chicago-based start-up led by Drake alum Drake Blessum, BN’11, a longdistance project we may not have tackled if not for the pandemic.

CBPA: The opportunity to

innovate is greater than ever. These are unconventional times, so we will have to consider unconventional solutions to attract, engage, and nurture students, alumni, faculty, staff, and the community.

A&S: A sense of normalcy. While

we probably will have to live with the COVID virus for a while, I look forward to the exhilarating buzz of campus life and reassuring routine of classes that take place in person, online, or anything in between.

Law: We are launching our first-ever spring start this January. Law schools, including ours, have traditionally required students to start in the fall. Since the pandemic has disrupted so many academic plans, we decided this would be the perfect time to allow students to start in the spring semester. We have designed the curriculum to allow them to graduate with students who started in the fall, if they attend two summer sessions.

SOE: I am most looking forward to

deepening our diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. This summer’s protests against systemic racism have increased the commitment within the School of Education to create an environment in which students, faculty, and staff of color feel supported and in which our graduates are prepared to meet the needs of those they serve.

SJMC celebrated JMC Week in October. Each day had a theme and activity as a way for the SJMC community to connect, in socially-distant ways. On Wellness Wednesday, JMC 54: Newswriting and Reporting students walked the Bulldog Mile with Professor Lindsay Gilbert. See more of the week’s activities on the SJMC Facebook page.

How does your college/school live out the Drake mission statement?

CPHS: While things may look different, our faculty’s commitment to preparing our students for their future careers has not changed. We continue to provide teaching, learning, mentoring, and advising that helps our students gain a wellrounded education, allowing them to have successful careers and make a difference in the communities where they work and serve. SJMC: We strive to create a community of learners that is welcoming and mutually supportive but challenging. As one student wrote of her SJMC professor after the roller-coaster spring semester, “He is an incredible person and professor. I would not have made it without him. It is one thing for a professor to say, ‘I’ll be there’ or ‘I’ll help’ or ‘I hope everything is OK.’ This professor actually does care, does check on all of his students, and cares more than your own family sometimes. He wants all his students to succeed as professionals and takes it seriously, which is what we all need.” CBPA: Now more than ever, a

CBPA education has the potential to be a force for good, contributing to the world’s economy and to society. Our ability to equip students with the skills, acumen, empathy, and experience needed to enable them to live meaningful personal lives, achieve significant professional accomplishments, and, ultimately, fully realize their potential as responsible global citizens is central to our purpose.

A&S: Difficult times can create

tension, but they can also bring people closer together. The current pandemic has caused stress and worries, but faculty and staff in

the College of Arts & Sciences are committed to provide the same exceptional learning environment that students expect from Drake. When we can’t lead travel seminars to learn about other cultures, their history, and beliefs, we have to enhance global learning in each of our classes. We focus on the skills needed to understand climate change and the spread of viruses, we lead students in their search for meaningful lives, and we educate them broadly to prepare them for careers in this rapidly changing world. We provide opportunities to apply their learning to real life experiences. We really are all in this together!

Law: We launched the inaugural

Mark S. Cady Day of Public Service this October (photos, page 21), in partnership with the Iowa Bar Association and several other organizations, to honor former Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Cady, BS’75, LW’78, who died unexpectedly last November. The event inspired lawyers across the state to devote a day to public service, and our students got involved in projects from expungement clinics to helping low-income clients with powers of attorney. Cady Day combined helping others, learning the law, and honoring an outstanding jurist and remarkable public servant.

SOE: The School of Education excels

in providing an exceptional learning environment despite the challenges created by the global pandemic. Our faculty are all accomplished teachers, and several are leading authorities on effective online instruction. While we all hope to be fully in person as soon as safely possible, our faculty are wellprepared for the hybrid environment in which we currently operate. FALL 2020 | BLUE

How can alumni support or be involved with the school? CPHS: We could not be

A&S: Students always love to

hear what alumni are doing, and how the connections they made

BLUE | FALL 2020

Law: By recommending Drake

SOE: Reach out to Dean Ryan

CBPA: The opportunity to

A&S: A sense of normalcy. While

SOE: I am most looking forward to

How does your college/school live out the Drake mission statement?

A&S: Difficult times can create

tension, but they can also bring people closer together. The current pandemic has caused stress and worries, but faculty and staff in

Law: We launched the inaugural

SOE: The School of Education excels

The first Cady Day of Service was held on October 23, in honor of the late Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Cady, LA’75, LW’78. Attorneys and students spent the day providing pro bono work, volunteering, and giving back in their communities.

Meet Ryan Wise Drake University’s new School of Education dean, Ryan Wise, comes to the position with a long history in the education field. He was the director of the Iowa Department of Education for five years and he also served as the executive director for nonprofit Teach For America, and was one of the first staff members at Teach For All as managing director for growth strategy and development.

CBPA: CBPA recently named

Any other news to share or accomplishments to celebrate?

alumnus Kevin Croft, BN’89, GR’95, to the position of distinguished EMC Associate Professor of Practice and Director of the Kelley Insurance Center. Kevin brings more than 30 years of insurance and investment management experience to Drake.

A&S: Every four years, Drake

CPHS: Leah Bishop, P2, was named one of five national CVS Health Minority Scholarship recipients. Both Phi Delta Chi and Kappa Psi finished in the top seven in their fraternities’ national rankings. SJMC: Student work won awards for

writing, design, and general excellence at the summer Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication contest. SJMC won best business Facebook account, and students won two Hashie Awards from the Social Media Club Des Moines chapter. The Drake Public Relations Student Society of America was recognized as a national Star Chapter for the eighth year in a row. SJMC student Tina Intarapanont was a finalist for a regional Emmy in the spring.

BLUE | FALL 2020

students are at the center of presidential politics. Now they can study American politics full-time. The University’s Department of Political Science recently announced the creation of a bachelor of arts in American politics degree to start in the Fall 2020 semester. Students may begin enrolling in the program now. This fall, the Drake University Theatre Department will present its first virtual mainstage production of The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice by William Shakespeare. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, actors will perform Othello in an empty Performing Arts Hall, and post video of the performance to the DrakeUTheatre YouTube channel. The recording will be accessible for a two-week period, November 19 through December 3, 2020.

Law: We finished seventh in

the country in the American Bar Association’s competitions championship, which ranks schools based on their students’ performances in a series of skills events, such as Arbitration, Negotiations, and Moot Court. Two years ago we finished third, so we are consistently delivering on our mission to prepare students well for the practice of law. We also were proud to be ranked No. 2 in the country for employment in small/ medium law firms by U.S. News & World Report.

SOE: The School of Education has

received accolades for the innovative collaboration with the Greater Des Moines Partnership in the development of the DSM Tutor Connection. This web-based platform created by the Partnership allows parents seeking tutoring for their children to connect with Drake School of Education students to provide these services. I’ve heard from several parents who have said this has provided much-needed support as their children have moved to online schooling, and Drake students have found this to be an excellent earning and learning opportunity.

“I have always appreciated the foundational role educator preparation programs play in building a high-quality system, and my interactions with these teams served to reinforce this belief and to inspire me to one day pursue the path of becoming a dean of a school of education,” Wise says. As the dean of the School of Education, Wise plans to further excellence, equity, and innovation by “ensuring each and every member of our team feels supported, that our students are prepared to meet the needs of students from diverse backgrounds, and that we’re collectively attacking the systemic issues that have created barriers for students of color for too long.”

HE BELIEVES EXCELLENCE, EQUITY, AND INNOVATION ARE THE “THREE-LEGGED STOOL OF THE EDUCATION SYSTEM”. “By strengthening each of these components we ensure a high-quality system that evolves to meet the needs of all learners,” Wise says.

“I walked by the classroom of one of our outstanding faculty members leading a student discussion. I could hear the enthusiasm and energy in his voice as he elicited student responses and called out, ‘What else, what else, what else—these are all good!’ Sometimes the simplest moments are the most memorable.”

MOMENTS LIKE THESE SUPPORT WISE’S VISION FOR THE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION. “My goal was, and remains, to focus on ensuring our students are prepared to be successful in a rapidly changing education system, supporting our faculty and staff so that they can do their best work, connecting and engaging our alumni, and meeting the needs of the schools and community partners we serve.”

Wise is enjoying his new role as dean. He recalls a memorable moment from the first week of classes:

FALL 2020 | BLUE

CBPA: CBPA recently named

Any other news to share or accomplishments to celebrate?

A&S: Every four years, Drake

BLUE | FALL 2020

Law: We finished seventh in

SOE: The School of Education has

Wise is enjoying his new role as dean. He recalls a memorable moment from the first week of classes:

FALL 2020 | BLUE

Achievements 1960s

Richard Barnes, LA’63, GR’70, Gary, Ind., was inducted into the Hammond Sports Hall of Fame after being recognized for track and field activities at Drake University. Ronald L. Olson, BN’63, Los Angeles, serves as a member of the Doheny Eye Institute Board of Directors. He also serves as a board member of the UCLA Stein Eye Institute. Robert G. “Bob” Brink, LA’64, Boynton Beach, Fla., has published his third crime novel, Blood on Their Hands. Mickey Kesselman, LA’67, Glenview, Ill., retired after 47 years as an attorney. Rev. Karen Crawford, ED’68, GR’95, Newton, Iowa, retired from St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Newton.

1970s

Gary Porter, BN’72, Hudson, Wis., published the book Griff: My Life as Drake’s Top Dog. Cary Capparelli, JO’74, Chicago, is running for Illinois State Representative, House District 20. Gayle Mayer, PH’75, Spirit Lake, Iowa, was reappointed to a second three-year term on the Iowa State Board of Pharmacy.

Jon Bowermaster, JO’76, Stoneridge, N.Y., produced a documentary that was nominated for an Emmy for outstanding cinematography. Ghost Fleet delves into human trafficking in the world’s fishing industry. David S. Wiggins, LW’76, West Des Moines, Iowa, is retiring from the Iowa Supreme Court after serving since 2003. Lex Anderson, BN’77, Tulsa, Okla., has joined CAP Tulsa as chief financial officer. David Kimball, BN’77, GR’80, Wheaton, Ill., retired from IBM after 35 years and is continuing part-time as a global sales coach, mentor and cohort advisor, working with new IBM executive sellers in North America, Latin America, and Europe.

1980s

Kelli L. (Teater) Jacobi, ED’80, Rhinelander, Wis., retired as the School District of Rhinelander superintendent. Norm Ogilvie, JO’81, Durham, N.C., retired as director of track and field at Duke University. Cary J. Mogerman, LA’82, Creve Coeur, Mo., was recently installed as first vice president of the Chicagoheadquartered American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, and will become the organization’s president in 2022.

Griff II (aka George) stepped into the role of

official Live Mascot in July, following Griff I’s retirement. The 2-year-old English Bulldog keeps busy with meet-and-greets on campus, virtual visits, and sharing his life on social media. Check him out on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

BLUE | FALL 2020

John C. Werden, LW’84, Carroll, Iowa, was recently elected to the Iowa State Bar Association’s board of governors. Effie-Alean Gross, LA’85, GR’90, Maricopa, Ariz., released a book titled Stories That (Really) Matter: Biblical Reflections, which is geared toward literature-lovers from high school through retirement. Christine Keyser-Fanick, GR’85, San Antonio, graduated with a PhD in education with a concentration in organizational leadership from the University of the Incarnate Word. She is a media adviser and journalism instructor at John Paul Stevens High School in San Antonio, where she has led a national award-winning program since 2005. Vincent A. Gutekanst, JO’86, Northbrook, Ill., has been promoted to president of the Midwest region for Clune Construction. Diane Hall, BN’86, Milo, Iowa, was reelected to a second term as mayor of Milo. She is the owner and president of Promotions Plus, LLC. Kevin Waetke, JO’86, GR’93, Johnston, Iowa, associate vice president of corporate marketing for Sammons Financial Group, has been named to the Public Relations Society of America’s College of Fellows. Frank S. Cservenyak, LW’88, Shorewood, Ill., published an article about motorcycle safety in Vents Magazine.

Hubbell Dining Hall ...was renovated over the spring and summer. The revamped space opened up more floor space for food stations, and the walkway from the south area to the north side (formerly known as Quad Creek Cafe) was intentionally opened up to also allow for a better ease of flow. A new, colorful, decidedly Drake mural greets visitors at the entrance.

Daniel Mallin, BN’88, Minneapolis, is a successful entrepreneur who has cofounded, led, and sold multiple firms that have focused on innovating within the product, marketing, and digital spaces, and is presently the managing partner and founder of Equals 3. Michael Collins, PH’89, Stockbridge, Ga., retired from military service as an Army colonel. Jeffrey Dyche, AS’89, Harrisonburg, Va., was promoted to professor of biological psychology in the department of psychology at James Madison University.

1990s

Richard L. Jensen, AS’90, Colorado Springs, Colo. has been hired as the athletic director at Sterling High School. Melissa A. Anderson-Seeber, LW’91, Hudson, Iowa, was appointed district court judge in Iowa Judicial Election District 1B. Carl B. Boyd, LW’91, Chicago, is nominated for induction in 2021 into the National Football Foundation College Football Hall of Fame. Michael W. Briggs, LW’91, Baltimore, has been appointed senior vice president and general counsel of the Mortgage Bankers Association. Michael Elston, AS’91, Woodbridge, Va., was named secretary of the Board of Governors with the United States Postal Service.

Matt Kelley, JO’93, Bozeman, Mont., is the health officer for Gallitin County in Montana. Jeremy Glenn, BN’94, Chicago, has been named a 2020 Client Choice winner by Lexology and the International Law Office in the Illinois Employment and Benefits Law category. This is the second time Glenn has been honored with a Client Choice Award. Larry Beall, GR’95, State Center, Iowa, became a high school science teacher with the Iowa Falls School District. Carisima A. Koenig, AS’95, New York, has joined Perkins Eastman as principal in the global architecture and design firm’s New York City headquarters. Daniel D. Zomermaand, GR’95, Sioux Center, Iowa, has been appointed interim county treasurer by the Sioux County Board of Supervisors. Tasha L. Jones, JO’96, Denver, is the chief marketing officer for Mile High United Way. James L. Drury, LW’97, North Sioux City, Iowa, has joined the Goosmann Law Firm in Sioux City. Thomas E. Messinger, GR’97, ’14, Newton, Iowa, is the new superintendent for the Newton Community School District. Brian D. Vandersluis, GR’98, ’00 Corydon, Iowa, is being honored by the Iowa High School Athletic Association as a 2020 School Administrator Award winner.

2000s

Jennifer Block, LW’00, West Des Moines, Iowa, is now a senior attorney with Dorsey & Whitney LLP. Curtis Collins, PH’00, Dexter, Mich., was honored with the 2019 National Alliance of State Pharmacy Association’s Excellence in Innovation Award for outstanding contributions to the profession of pharmacy. Joseph S. Griffith, GR’00, Waukon, Iowa, has accepted the superintendent of schools position for the North Fayette Valley School District. Tiffany Tauscheck, JO’01, Clive, Iowa, has been promoted to chief operations officer for the Greater Des Moines Partnership. She also recently earned the distinction as a certified chamber executive by the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives. Jennifer L. Dorris, AS’02, JO’02, Pittsburgh, is doing research at Carnegie Mellon University on the effects of music on the aging brain. Anthony Ivan Joseph, GR’02, Ontario, Canada, has been appointed vice president of student affairs at Wilfrid Laurier University. David A. King, GR’02, Ankeny, Iowa, started serving in an interim role at Art’s Way Manufacturing in March 2020, and will assume the role of chief executive officer in the third quarter of 2020.

FALL 2020 | BLUE

Achievements 1960s

1970s

1980s

Griff II (aka George) stepped into the role of

BLUE | FALL 2020

1990s

2000s

FALL 2020 | BLUE

Drake Together Street Painting

Wade W. Riley, GR’14, Cherokee, Iowa, was appointed superintendent of schools for South O’Brien School District. Taylor Zemansky, BN’14, Adel, Iowa, started a home business, Third Shift Cookies, Cakes, and More, in addition to her daytime job with Principal Financial.

Street Painting didn’t happen this spring, as all students were attending classes remotely. But the Drake Student Activities Board seized the Welcome Week moment in August to introduce first-year students to the tradition. Students worked in shifts of small groups to paint the “Drake Together” design.

2000s

Jorge A. Guzman, JO’03, Minneapolis, is opening a new restaurant called Petite Leon. Erik M. Link, ED’03, GR’08, Columbia, Mo., is the assistant football coach, special teams, University of Missouri. Sarah G. Updegraff, GR’03, ’12, New Hampton, Iowa, has been hired as the Kee High School/Middle School principal. Erica Axiotis, GR’06, Des Moines, has been promoted to executive director of the ChildServe Foundation. Meagan J. Coil, AS’06, Minneapolis, has been named regional sales manager for Minnesota and the Midwest for Advocate Health Advisors. Nikki Roberts, AS’06, Aurora, Colo., was named an associate at Moye White LLP. Roberts’ practice focuses on real estate with an emphasis on commercial leasing, acquisitions and dispositions, and finance. John R. Flynn, LW’07, Boone, Iowa, has been appointed to the position of district court judge in Judicial Election District 2B. Jerimi J. Kopsa, GR’07, Tama, Iowa, was promoted to executive vice president and cashier of the State Bank of Toledo.

BLUE | FALL 2020

Jason Snow, GR’07, Grimes, Iowa, is the new principal at McCombs Middle School in Des Moines. Christopher L. Hodo, GR’08, ’12, Laveen, Ariz., has been appointed principal at Pima Traditional School in the Scottsdale, Ariz., school district. Kelly Krogh, PH’08, Minneapolis, started a new position at Biogen as a senior medical science liaison. Meagan Moody, BN’08, Hoffman Estates, Ill., received the Young Executive of the Year Award from the Auto Care Association. This annual award is given on behalf of the import community segment of the Association to a young leader in the automotive aftermarket.

2010s

Rebecca Hammond, BN’10, Richardson, Texas, has been named a new shareholder with Holmes Murphy. Ronald W. Lorenz, GR’10, Red Oak, Iowa, is the new superintendent of schools in Red Oak. Greg Woods, AS’11, Indianola, Iowa, is the commentator for all things marble racing for the Jelle’s Marble Runs by Jelle and Dion Bakker, brothers from the Netherlands. The story of this internet sensation took off internationally as a “sport” that was still taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic, garnering massive media attention.

Matthew Wright, AS’15, Houston, graduated from the Medical College of Wisconsin with an MD and will begin residency at University of Texas-Houston in child neurology.

Yaa Gyamfuah Nsiah, AS’12, Denver, accepted the position of community relations coordinator with the International Justice Mission in Ghana. Ethan B. Secor, AS’12, Albuquerque, N.M., joined the faculty at Iowa State University as an assistant professor in the College of Engineering this fall. Michael E. Traxinger, LW’12, Claremont, S.D., has been named president of the American Agricultural Law Association (AALA). Megan E. Bannister, AS’13, JO’13, Windsor Heights, Iowa, authored the book Iowa Supper Clubs, published by Arcadia Publishing. Abby Delaney, JO’13, Altoona, Iowa, was promoted to assistant vice president of corporate communications at Bankers Trust. Amy (Thorne) Rasmussen, GR’13, West Des Moines, Iowa, assumed the office of president of the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) on January 1, 2020. Eric M. Ferring, AS’14, Dubuque, Iowa, won third prize in the Glyndebourne Opera Cup 2020. Alberto Munoz, BN’14, GR’16, Clive, Iowa, has been appointed marketing director for Kemin Nutrisurance, a division of Kemin Industries. Natalie Pohlman, GR’14, Des Moines, published the book Triumphs of Nat and Ned.

Darrin MacLeod, PH’16, Kansas City, Mo., is the goalkeeper coach at Sporting KC Academy. Caitlin Robertson, PH’16, GR’16, Dallas City, Ill., will be a medical student at Washington State University in Spokane, Wash.

Angela M. Rogers, AS’16, JO’16, Sioux City, Iowa, joined KTIV as the assistant news director. Brooke Vance, GR’16, Pacifica, Calif., was promoted to senior personnel officer in the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at San Francisco State University. Christina M. Bravos, PH’17, GR’17, Woodstock, Ill., a USN lieutenant, has been awarded the Bronze Star for meritorious service in Afghanistan. Anthony Ferguson, Jr., GR’17, ’20, Des Moines, was hired by the West Des Moines Schools as the executive director of equity and inclusion. Kayla Schween, AS’17, New Glarus, Wis., earned an MA, majoring in mission and discipleship at the University of Dubuque Theological Seminary.

Collin Albrecht, PH’18, Brentwood, Tenn., was promoted to senior manager, OptimizeMTM and medication reconciliation, at AdhereHealth, LLC. Lauren Holmes, PH’18, GR’18, West Des Moines, Iowa, started a new position as an expert global trial manager at Novartis. Tyler Wilke, LW’18, Harvard, Ill., is the new McHenry County, Ill., GOP Chairman. Kelsea M. Hawley, LW’19, Vail, Iowa, has joined the law office of Minnich, Comito and Neu in Carroll, Iowa, as an attorney, after serving as a paralegal with the firm for three years.

2020s

Cassandra “Cassie” Rohan, BN’20, Palatine, Ill., is one of 28 players named to the Chicago Red Stars’ tournament roster for the upcoming 2020 National Women’s Soccer League Challenge Cup.

BULLDOG MILE This February, Drake University won the 2020 Healthiest State Large Workplace Award, presented by Healthiest State Initiative. This award included $1,000 to further Drake’s work to improve the health and wellbeing of its community. A campus committee used the funding to create the Bulldog Mile, a 1-mile walk around campus shaped like a bulldog (right). A map sign in the Olmsted Center parking lot shows the route, and the walk (marked by blue paw prints) can be started from anywhere along the route. FALL 2020 | BLUE

Drake Together Street Painting

2000s

BLUE | FALL 2020

2010s

Matthew Wright, AS’15, Houston, graduated from the Medical College of Wisconsin with an MD and will begin residency at University of Texas-Houston in child neurology.

2020s

Cassandra “Cassie” Rohan, BN’20, Palatine, Ill., is one of 28 players named to the Chicago Red Stars’ tournament roster for the upcoming 2020 National Women’s Soccer League Challenge Cup.

The Class of 2024 reflected on commitment and identities during Welcome Week. Students wrote their personal commitments in response to Drake’s commitments surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion. The exercise also included a writing prompt for students to express one thing about them that others can’t tell just by looking at them, and why that facet of their identity is important. The completed, anonymous responses were posted in the Olmsted Center.

In Memoriam 1940s

Mary Frances (Carhart) Kanze, LA’43, Sunnyvale, Calif.

Edward L. Jackman, BN’50, Lake Oswebo, Ore.

Donald C. Hohnbaum, LW’53, West Des Moines, Iowa

Burnis H. Bushong, GR’56, Avon Park, Fla.

Catherine McCluskey, ’44, Bettendorf, Iowa

Warren G. Jorgenson, JO’50, Omaha, Neb.

Jane (Ahlstrand) Allman, ’45, Lincoln, Neb.

Sachiko N. (Nakamura) Kariya, LA’50, Takoma Park, Md.

Blaine A. Briggs, LA’46, Carlsbad, Calif. Donald Clark Woodard, BN’48, Trenton, Mo. Pauline (Polly) M. Engelking, FA’49, Springfield, Mo. William J. Kniel, ED’49, GR’55, Quincy, Ill. John Robert Ostrander, ‘49, Holts Summit, Mo.

1950s

Helen Melass Canine, FA’50, West Des Moines, Iowa 27

Billy O. Sander, ED’55, GR’63, Cedar Falls, Iowa

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Marvin Locey, BN’50, Gainesville, Ga. Ira “Ed” Delk, LA’51, Sioux City, Iowa Sidney I. Keller, ED’51, West Hartford, Conn. Joseph L. Warnell, LA’51, Milford, Del. Jay M. Wilsker, LA’51, Ft. Lee, N.J. Lewis Workman, BN’51, Palmetto, Fla. Norma A. (Nelson) Brown, JO’52, Fort Dodge, Iowa

Gerald M. “Jerry” Kinney, FA’53, GR’60, West Des Moines, Iowa Shirley Ann (Grimmius) Blenderman, BN’54, GR’67, Johnston, Iowa

Michael W. Babcock, BN’67, Manhattan, Kan.

Robert Jenk, PH’70, Golden, Colo.

Roland W. “Moe” Richardson, LA’58, Mount Vernon, Iowa

Ronald P. Morden, BN’62, West Des Moines, Iowa

Tommy J. DeReus, LA’67, Dipolog City, Philippines

Paul A. Pannkuk, LA’70, GR’73, New York

William “Bill” Myles, ED’62, Dublin, Ohio

John Hoff, BN’67, Lake Forest, Ill.

David MacDonald, BN’63, JO’73, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Glen Harold Madsen, PH’67, Marion, Iowa

Louise K. Bleakly, ED’64, San Diego

Larry J. Mayhew, PH’67, Fountain Hills, Ariz.

Walter L. Galvin, GR’64, Des Moines

John “Jack” Williams, BN’67, Algona, Iowa

Olen Rowe, BN’64, Washington Court House, Ohio

James A. Abels, LA’68, Oak Harbor, Wash.

Sandra J. (Pigott) Zimmerman, FA’58, Clive, Iowa Clinton F. Gaulke, BN’59, Des Moines Mary L. Graves, GR’59, Washington, Iowa

Thomas D. Vlassis, ED’59, PH’68, Des Moines

Marjorie Schwien, ED’52, GR’57, Urbandale, Iowa

Frances J. (Crane) Best, ’44, Clive, Iowa

Gerald Levy, LW’62, Cape Coral, Fla.

David K. “Dave” Owens, GR’59, ’69, Fairbank, Iowa

Geraldine A. (Kast) Humpal, ED’50, Waukee, Iowa

June M. Jaehnel, FA’50, GR’51, Des Moines

Anita Mandelbaum, LA’58, Boulder, Colo.

Phyllis D. (Thomas) Funk, LA’56, Marshalltown, Iowa Merlin R. Peter, ED’56, Ankeny, Iowa Floyd D. Sanders, BN’56, GR’64, Ankeny, Iowa

Keith L. Cook, BN’54, Johnston, Iowa

Marilyn J. (Trotter) Walker, ’56, Ames, Iowa

Ethel L. Honnold, ED’54, Overland Park, Kan.

Richard R. Black, FA’57, Farnhamville, Iowa

Jimmy Johnson, BN’54, Geneva, Ill.

Alice E. (Glazer) Hoffman, ED’57, Sheboygan, Wisc.

James (Jim) L. Lawless, JO’54, Des Moines

Corwin “Corky” Peterson, BN’57, Minneapolis

William M. Manning, FA’54, GR’57, Missoula, Mont.

Barbara Stevenson, ’57, Prospect Heights, Ill.

Joseph C. Piper, LW’54, Urbandale, Iowa

Herbert “Herb” M. Baum, BN’58, Jupiter, Fla.

Bob L. Harward, LA’55, Indianola, Iowa

Jo Anne Cook, FA’58, West Des Moines, Iowa

1960s

Leland C. DeMoss, FA’60, GR’68, Ottumwa, Iowa

Robert B. Scism, LW’64, Bella Vista, Ark. Lee J. Loventhal, LA’65, San Diego

William Hoffman, LA’68, Phoenix Thomas Kunz, GR’68, Needham, Mass.

Richard “Dick” Provi, BN’65, Rockford, Ill.

Joyce E. (Marrington) Reese, ED’69, GR’77, Overland Park, Kan.

Christina (Howland) Skok, LA’65, Bannning, Ariz.

Thomas Georg Zug, JO’69, Clive, Iowa

Kay Dalnen (Bromley) Sanservino, ’60, Pleasanton, Calif.

Verda J. Swanson, ED’65, GR’70, ’74, Urbandale, Iowa

Max H. Holmes, Des Moines, Iowa

Teresa T. Vermeer, ’60, Marion, Iowa

John Warren Burrill, LA’66, Overland Park, Kan.

Elva M. (Airy) Butcher, ED’61, GR’67, Altoona, Iowa

Craig Eugene Carlson, LW’66, West Des Moines, Iowa

Frank A. Comito, LA’61, LW’63, Des Moines

Donald L. Glazier, DV’66, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

James E. Houser, LW’61, Belmond, Iowa

Sherilynn (Benderoff) Wimmer, ED’66, Ankeny, Iowa

Alice “Jean” (Mannes) Pearson, ED’60, Klemme, Iowa

Gary Olney, ED’61, GR’65, West Des Moines, Iowa Catherine G. Williams, LA’61, Des Moines

Dennis R. Yamada, BN’66, LW’68, Honolulu

James McBroom, West Des Moines, Iowa

1970s

Joyce (Oshel) Abbott, ED’70, Creston, Iowa Allyn J. “Al” Arthur, JO’70, Urbandale, Iowa William E. Carlson, GR’70, Ankeny, Iowa Susan E. (Knupp) English, ED’70, Washington, Iowa

Thomas A. Higgins, LA’71, Columbia, Mo. Deborah W. Johnson, FA’72, Half Moon Bay, Calif. Robert Nesbitt, LA’72, Plymouth, Minn. Michael W. Graham, GR’73, Maryville, Mo. Joy Ellen Harvey, ED’73, Des Moines James M. Mahoney, GR’73, Des Moines Phyllis M. Johnson, ED’74, Forest City, Iowa Keith L. Konajeski, LA’74, Baltimore Thomas R. (Van Steenhuyse) Stonehouse, BN’75, LW’75, Palm Springs, Calif. Anna Vasser, JO’75, Chicago Joseph Brisben, GR’76, Iowa City, Iowa Bruce D. Buchanan, LA’76, Des Moines Todd A. Elverson, FA’78, LW’81, Des Moines Matthew I. Koster, PH’78, Ottawa, Ill. Susan Marie (Eslinger) Eckstaedt, GR’79, Waukee, Iowa

FALL 2020 | BLUE

In Memoriam 1940s

Mary Frances (Carhart) Kanze, LA’43, Sunnyvale, Calif.

Edward L. Jackman, BN’50, Lake Oswebo, Ore.

Donald C. Hohnbaum, LW’53, West Des Moines, Iowa

Burnis H. Bushong, GR’56, Avon Park, Fla.

Catherine McCluskey, ’44, Bettendorf, Iowa

Warren G. Jorgenson, JO’50, Omaha, Neb.

Jane (Ahlstrand) Allman, ’45, Lincoln, Neb.

Sachiko N. (Nakamura) Kariya, LA’50, Takoma Park, Md.

1950s

Helen Melass Canine, FA’50, West Des Moines, Iowa 27

Billy O. Sander, ED’55, GR’63, Cedar Falls, Iowa

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Gerald M. “Jerry” Kinney, FA’53, GR’60, West Des Moines, Iowa Shirley Ann (Grimmius) Blenderman, BN’54, GR’67, Johnston, Iowa

Michael W. Babcock, BN’67, Manhattan, Kan.

Robert Jenk, PH’70, Golden, Colo.

Roland W. “Moe” Richardson, LA’58, Mount Vernon, Iowa

Ronald P. Morden, BN’62, West Des Moines, Iowa

Tommy J. DeReus, LA’67, Dipolog City, Philippines

Paul A. Pannkuk, LA’70, GR’73, New York

William “Bill” Myles, ED’62, Dublin, Ohio

John Hoff, BN’67, Lake Forest, Ill.

David MacDonald, BN’63, JO’73, Grand Rapids, Mich.

Glen Harold Madsen, PH’67, Marion, Iowa

Louise K. Bleakly, ED’64, San Diego

Larry J. Mayhew, PH’67, Fountain Hills, Ariz.

Walter L. Galvin, GR’64, Des Moines

John “Jack” Williams, BN’67, Algona, Iowa

Olen Rowe, BN’64, Washington Court House, Ohio

James A. Abels, LA’68, Oak Harbor, Wash.

Sandra J. (Pigott) Zimmerman, FA’58, Clive, Iowa Clinton F. Gaulke, BN’59, Des Moines Mary L. Graves, GR’59, Washington, Iowa

Thomas D. Vlassis, ED’59, PH’68, Des Moines

Marjorie Schwien, ED’52, GR’57, Urbandale, Iowa

Frances J. (Crane) Best, ’44, Clive, Iowa

Gerald Levy, LW’62, Cape Coral, Fla.

David K. “Dave” Owens, GR’59, ’69, Fairbank, Iowa

Geraldine A. (Kast) Humpal, ED’50, Waukee, Iowa

June M. Jaehnel, FA’50, GR’51, Des Moines

Anita Mandelbaum, LA’58, Boulder, Colo.

Phyllis D. (Thomas) Funk, LA’56, Marshalltown, Iowa Merlin R. Peter, ED’56, Ankeny, Iowa Floyd D. Sanders, BN’56, GR’64, Ankeny, Iowa

Keith L. Cook, BN’54, Johnston, Iowa

Marilyn J. (Trotter) Walker, ’56, Ames, Iowa

Ethel L. Honnold, ED’54, Overland Park, Kan.

Richard R. Black, FA’57, Farnhamville, Iowa

Jimmy Johnson, BN’54, Geneva, Ill.

Alice E. (Glazer) Hoffman, ED’57, Sheboygan, Wisc.

James (Jim) L. Lawless, JO’54, Des Moines

Corwin “Corky” Peterson, BN’57, Minneapolis

William M. Manning, FA’54, GR’57, Missoula, Mont.

Barbara Stevenson, ’57, Prospect Heights, Ill.

Joseph C. Piper, LW’54, Urbandale, Iowa

Herbert “Herb” M. Baum, BN’58, Jupiter, Fla.

Bob L. Harward, LA’55, Indianola, Iowa

Jo Anne Cook, FA’58, West Des Moines, Iowa

1960s

Leland C. DeMoss, FA’60, GR’68, Ottumwa, Iowa

Robert B. Scism, LW’64, Bella Vista, Ark. Lee J. Loventhal, LA’65, San Diego

William Hoffman, LA’68, Phoenix Thomas Kunz, GR’68, Needham, Mass.

Richard “Dick” Provi, BN’65, Rockford, Ill.

Joyce E. (Marrington) Reese, ED’69, GR’77, Overland Park, Kan.

Christina (Howland) Skok, LA’65, Bannning, Ariz.

Thomas Georg Zug, JO’69, Clive, Iowa

Kay Dalnen (Bromley) Sanservino, ’60, Pleasanton, Calif.

Verda J. Swanson, ED’65, GR’70, ’74, Urbandale, Iowa

Max H. Holmes, Des Moines, Iowa

Teresa T. Vermeer, ’60, Marion, Iowa

John Warren Burrill, LA’66, Overland Park, Kan.

Elva M. (Airy) Butcher, ED’61, GR’67, Altoona, Iowa

Craig Eugene Carlson, LW’66, West Des Moines, Iowa

Frank A. Comito, LA’61, LW’63, Des Moines

Donald L. Glazier, DV’66, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

James E. Houser, LW’61, Belmond, Iowa

Sherilynn (Benderoff) Wimmer, ED’66, Ankeny, Iowa

Alice “Jean” (Mannes) Pearson, ED’60, Klemme, Iowa

Gary Olney, ED’61, GR’65, West Des Moines, Iowa Catherine G. Williams, LA’61, Des Moines

Dennis R. Yamada, BN’66, LW’68, Honolulu

James McBroom, West Des Moines, Iowa

1970s

Joyce (Oshel) Abbott, ED’70, Creston, Iowa Allyn J. “Al” Arthur, JO’70, Urbandale, Iowa William E. Carlson, GR’70, Ankeny, Iowa Susan E. (Knupp) English, ED’70, Washington, Iowa

FALL 2020 | BLUE

In Memoriam ...CONTINUED

1980s

John A. Egnew, GR’80, Marshalltown, Iowa Stephen L. Gatzke, BN’80, Fort Pierce, Fla. Michael L. Logsdon, ED’80, GR’03, West Des Moines, Iowa

Thomas Milliken, BN’82, Madison, Wis.

Thomas M. Parkins, AS’89, Millville, Del.

Dr. Eric D. Jorgensen, LA’83, Troy, Kan.

James R. Prins, GR’89, West Des Moines, Iowa

Nathan E. Leidahl, GR’84, Cherokee, Iowa Mindy S. Marshall, LA’84, Boscobel, Wis.

Margaret J. McCombs, GR’91, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Mary Arlene Thompson, GR’84, West Des Moines, Iowa

Teresa (Rossmanith) Gross, GR’93, Fort Dodge, Iowa

Dalis J. Ramonas, LA’80, Naperville, Ill.

Daniel A. Jurgensen, BN’85, Liberty, Mo.

Glenna S. Grohe, GR’81, Des Moines

Mari Lynn (Gschwendtner) Hoselton, PH’86, Chenoa, Ill.

Zola M. Moore, LA’81, GR’85, Des Moines Thomas Stafslien, LA’81, Encinitas, Calif.

1990s

Jay Brehmer, BN’87, West Des Moines, Iowa Karla Buckalew, ED’87, West Des Moines, Iowa

Larry D. Johnson, BN’93, GR’96, Ankeny, Iowa Gwenda K. Baker, GR’98, West Burlington, Iowa

2000s

Erin M. Valicelli, AS’01, Saint Francis, Wis.

Marlon D. Laverman, GR’88, Des Moines Frank A. Bain, AS’89, Andrews, Texas

Weddings Barry Jacobsen, JO’76, and Deborah Sills, April 22, 2020 Molly Scott, AS’08, and Bradford Reeves Courage, April 17, 2020 Kirstie (Gill) Bennett, BN’11, and Aaron Bennett, June 20, 2020 James Siegle, AS’14, and Stephanie (Esker) Siegle, BN’14, Nov. 2, 2019 Jessica (Seadler) Foley, PH’18, and Scott Foley, PH’18

Births

DRAKE’S NEWEST SPACE WAS UNVEILED ON OCTOBER 10. Bulldog Plaza sits on the south lawn of Old Main and enhances the public space traversed by many. The addition of the Plaza is owed to the support of Bob, LA’74, and Pam Lees and the Lees family on behalf of three generations of Drake alumni. The Plaza includes a statue of Griff I, who was honored during the ceremony and officially welcomed into retirement, while his successor, Griff II (aka George) was officially installed as Drake’s Live Mascot.

David King, BN’75, and Marcia King, Johnston, Iowa, a grandson, Carter David Mallie, and granddaughter, Sutton Jean-Marie Mallie Richard Vincent, JO’76, and Donna Vincent, Olathe, Kan., a granddaughter, Berkeley Pearl Hamerle Michael Chilton, BN’08, and Alicia Chilton, a son, Graham Fisher Chilton

Like most events this spring and summer, the Beautiful Bulldog Contest went virtual. Hulk, a three-year-old English Bulldog, won the hearts of voters to clinch the title of 2021’s Most Beautiful Bulldog. A March Madness-style bracket of 32 dogs faced off in rounds of voting during the weeklong contest. 29

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Ellen Reeves, AS’11, and James Reeves, a son, Lawrence Michael Reeves

Although retired, Griff I’s story lives on. His journey as Live Mascot is documented in Griff: My Life as Drake’s Top Dog, a new book written in Griff ’s voice by Gary Porter, BN’72. Learn more about the book here.

FALL 2020 | BLUE

In Memoriam ...CONTINUED

1980s

John A. Egnew, GR’80, Marshalltown, Iowa Stephen L. Gatzke, BN’80, Fort Pierce, Fla. Michael L. Logsdon, ED’80, GR’03, West Des Moines, Iowa

Thomas Milliken, BN’82, Madison, Wis.

Thomas M. Parkins, AS’89, Millville, Del.

Dr. Eric D. Jorgensen, LA’83, Troy, Kan.

James R. Prins, GR’89, West Des Moines, Iowa

Nathan E. Leidahl, GR’84, Cherokee, Iowa Mindy S. Marshall, LA’84, Boscobel, Wis.

Margaret J. McCombs, GR’91, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Mary Arlene Thompson, GR’84, West Des Moines, Iowa

Teresa (Rossmanith) Gross, GR’93, Fort Dodge, Iowa

Dalis J. Ramonas, LA’80, Naperville, Ill.

Daniel A. Jurgensen, BN’85, Liberty, Mo.

Glenna S. Grohe, GR’81, Des Moines

Mari Lynn (Gschwendtner) Hoselton, PH’86, Chenoa, Ill.

Zola M. Moore, LA’81, GR’85, Des Moines Thomas Stafslien, LA’81, Encinitas, Calif.

1990s

Jay Brehmer, BN’87, West Des Moines, Iowa Karla Buckalew, ED’87, West Des Moines, Iowa

Larry D. Johnson, BN’93, GR’96, Ankeny, Iowa Gwenda K. Baker, GR’98, West Burlington, Iowa

2000s

Erin M. Valicelli, AS’01, Saint Francis, Wis.

Marlon D. Laverman, GR’88, Des Moines Frank A. Bain, AS’89, Andrews, Texas

Births

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Ellen Reeves, AS’11, and James Reeves, a son, Lawrence Michael Reeves

FALL 2020 | BLUE

Welcome Week Students returned to campus in August, ushering in a fresh burst of energy. Welcome Week introduced new students to Drake, all while masking up and observing social distancing practices.

DIVERSITY EQUITY INCLUSION We stand committed. As the Drake University Office of Alumni Relations, we recognize there is much work to do and commit to the following: • We will finalize the creation of our Black Alumni Association, under the leadership of Alexis Davis JO’12, GR’17, establishing and funding programming that will connect and engage alumni and students who identify as Black, African, African-American, or multiracial.

SHARE YOUR NEWS + CONTACT US Submit a Class Note for the next issue of Blue here. Questions? Comments? Reach out to the Alumni Relations and Blue team at insider@drake.edu.

• We will continue to ensure that our alumni communications, print and digital, are representative of our increasingly diverse student and alumni populations. • We will collaborate with campus partners to provide programming with the goal of fostering professional relationships between alumni and Black students. • We will make equity and inclusion a regular topic of our staff meetings, providing discussion and action around campus efforts in support of our students and alumni. • We will continue to make it a priority that our alumni relations staff is reflective of the diverse alumni population we serve.

drake.edu/diversity 31

BLUE | FALL 2020

Welcome Week Students returned to campus in August, ushering in a fresh burst of energy. Welcome Week introduced new students to Drake, all while masking up and observing social distancing practices.

SHARE YOUR NEWS + CONTACT US Submit a Class Note for the next issue of Blue here. Questions? Comments? Reach out to the Alumni Relations and Blue team at insider@drake.edu.

drake.edu/diversity 31

BLUE | FALL 2020

In Conversation with...

Alejandro Hernandez Do you have a mission statement or a guiding value?

responsibility that the private sector has to help address society’s greatest challenges.

A guiding value for my work is the belief that business can be a force for good. For the last decade, I’ve been one of a growing number of senior corporate responsibility professionals working with this belief as our North Star as we fight for better environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices inside multinational companies.

What does meaningful social responsibility look like?

What are the defining moments in your career? I got a big break early on in my career when I parlayed my bicultural and bilingual background into a role with a large communications firm in Los Angeles that was establishing a Hispanic communications practice. My sense of belonging in the global white-collar world was confirmed years later when I attended my first meeting of Latin American leaders of a global consulting firm in Miami. I finally felt like I found my tribe of educated and successful bicultural business people from across the region. When I began to define social responsibility as my career focus, I seized the opportunity to spearhead the development of Wells Fargo’s first human rights statement. This experience made me realize the power and 33

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Social responsibility has implications for students, many of whom are seeking value alignment in their careers and their personal lives. Companies recognize the importance of strong ESG performance as it has a proven link to positive business outcomes. The idea that institutions have an increasingly essential role in addressing the complex challenges we face also has resonance for communities that increasingly believe—and expect—that corporate and government leaders should use their influence to impact pressing social and sustainability issues.

A year from now, what is one thing you hope will have been accomplished in CBPA? I have a passion for what Drake is seeking to become: an innovator and catalyst for change, a community leader to advance the public good and economic growth, and a model for bringing inclusive transformative ideas to the world. I believe that the CBPA has a pivotal role in this pursuit.

The College of Business and Public Administration welcomed Alejandro Hernandez as dean ahead of the fall semester, succeeding Daniel Connolly, who will transition to a full-time faculty role this spring. Hernandez joins Drake from Wells Fargo & Company, where he most recently served as senior vice president responsible for corporate social responsibility strategy and reporting.

Who are the important people in your life? I pursued a career in corporate responsibility and made it my academic calling to try to make a difference so that my two daughters—and their generation—can have a better life in a world that’s more just, more caring, and more human.

Anything else you’d like to share with the alumni audience? This age of uncertainty requires strong leadership with the foresight to anticipate change, the willingness to commit when others doubt, and the ability to garner trust from people so they do things they did not think they could do. I encourage all of us to take on our leadership roles with this in mind as we look out over the horizon into 2021.

FALL 2020 | BLUE

In Conversation with...

Alejandro Hernandez Do you have a mission statement or a guiding value?

responsibility that the private sector has to help address society’s greatest challenges.

What does meaningful social responsibility look like?

BLUE | FALL 2020

FALL 2020 | BLUE

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM

ACCELERATE YOUR LEADERSHIP GROWTH A four-part, 12-month professional development online course from Drake University.

Online & Continuing Education

NOW ENROLLING Online Delivery Begins January 2021 drake.edu/execed

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