Drake University Blue Magazine Fall 2017

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THE ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF DRAKE UNIVERSITY

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THE ALUMNI MAGAZINE OF DRAKE UNIVERSITY | FALL 2017

24 More Than Just a Number

Every year, a growing volume of lists and analyses tries to condense the college experience into a ranking. Which of Drake’s noted distinctions ring true for the people who live the institution every day?

By Erin Peterson and Leah Duncan

editor Beth Wilson art director Emma Daily, as’09 contributors Jill Brimeyer; Libby Burns; Ashton Hockman; Aaron Jaco, as’07, jo’07, gr’14; Ann Hinga Klein, jo’86, gr’86; Ellen Koester, Class of 2019; Meredith Ponder; Tim Schmitt, gr’08, ’10; Justice Simpson; Praneeth Raj Singh, Class of 2017; Niki Smith, jo’08, gr’15; Mohamad Izzuddin Bin Suhaimi, Class of 2019; Alyssa Young, gr’15

30 Breaking Through

While scientists try to understand what’s different in the autistic brain, individuals on the spectrum are discovering what’s possible in the world.

By Ann Hinga Klein, jo’86, gr’86

executive director, university communications Dave Remund, jo’91, gr’08

34 Momentum by Moments

director of alumni relations Andy Verlengia, jo’02

Bulldogs have witnessed tangible signs of progress during President Martin’s first two years leading the University. Less obvious to most is the inspiration Martin draws from a mission that relentlessly drives the people of Drake.

vice president, university advancement John Smith, as’92, gr’00 president Marty Martin

By Aaron Jaco, as’07, jo’07, gr’14

Blue is published twice a year and mailed to alumni, parents, and other friends of Drake.

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The views expressed in Blue do not necessarily reflect those of the staff or the University.

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Send correspondence to: Blue, University Communications Drake University 2507 University Ave. Des Moines, IA 50311-4505 e bluemag@drake.edu Submit news or update your alumni profile: w alumni.drake.edu e alumni.update@drake.edu t 1-800-44-drake, x3152 © 2017

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| welcome

Bulldogs have a habit of shaping our world.

Often in ways unexpected, sometimes in ways unknown.

Take, for instance, Orr Cleveland Fisher, an accomplished cartoonist, painter, and muralist whose work is recognized in the Smithsonian American Art Museum. While attending Drake in the early 1900s, Fisher drew cartoons and illustrations for The Drake Delphic and The Quax.

(According to online information compiled by a fan, he also hand-painted sofa pillows for fellow students.)

Among those who know of his vast expanse of diverse work—and until recently I didn’t (more about that in a moment)—Fisher is probably remembered as a New Deal muralist, one of thousands of American artists employed by federal cultural programs during the Great Depression and the years leading into WWII. The experimental program created a unique era of regionalist art that touched citizens where they lived, learned, and worked—in schools, libraries, post offices, and more.

I’ll press pause here and fast forward a few decades. As a child, I was enamored with postcards. When my family vacationed, usually with long car rides and roadside lodging, I sought out the mass-produced snapshots of visited places in order to build a sort of travelogue. Even the motels we stayed in had their own wish-you-were-here mementos.

What I still love about postcards is the small slice of identity they offer. Unlike random tourist photos, postcards are printed with

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Orr C. Fisher’s “The Corn Parade,” 1941, oil on canvas

a specific image chosen to represent a destination. On a 3.5-by-5-inch area of cardstock, someone is saying not only “You are here” but also “This is us.”

I don’t recall where I was when I purchased the postcard showcasing “The Corn Parade.”

I only remember being tickled by someone’s representation of Iowa: a fantastical procession featuring a giant ear of corn festooned in ribbon and flowers, and carrying a three-piece ensemble and its conductor. Oh, and there’s a marching pig and a giant chicken. I enjoyed the creativity and craftsmanship so much that I framed and hung the postcard.

It was still sitting in its frame when a Drake colleague called my attention to an online post this summer. A blogger who celebrates the current and historical life of south-central Iowa had highlighted a magnificent 1941 mural in the Mount Ayr post office.

And there it was.

I learned not only some intriguing history about the artwork in my private collection but also about the Bulldog behind it. And I’ve come to believe the six-degrees-of-separation concept is just as applicable to Drake. Delve into any topic, and you won’t have to dig far before finding an alumnus connection.

Beth Wilson, Editor bluemag@drake.edu

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| inbox Peace Corps Connections I enjoyed reading the Spring 2017 issue of Blue, especially Alyssa Young’s “Peace by Piece.” One of my sisters was in the Peace Corps in the 1970s.

She has recently made two trips back to the Philippines for a vacation and to meet with persons she knew while stationed there. Also, I know she has kept in contact with individuals in the U.S. from her time in the Peace Corps.

Your article brought me a smile, memories, and good vibes about Drake students. Thanks.

Nancy Geiger, Student Information Analyst, Drake University More Ways to Share Alumni News As usual, I enjoyed the latest issue of Blue magazine. I do, however, have a suggestion for a small change. In the alumni news section, many similar publications list “Births and Adoptions,” not just “Births.” While I have not had the joy of adopting a child, I know many people who have, and I would imagine that Drake would want to share their happiness.

Bob McNurlen, la‘78, West Des Moines, Iowa

From the Editor: We do! We do! Check out page 51, Bob. We incorporated your very good suggestion.

More Redesign Feedback I’m sure you want your readers to tell you how they feel about your magazine, and I’m sorry my first communication is a criticism, as I’ve enjoyed your magazine tremendously for decades. I realize that your redesign was done with the best of intentions, but I find it off-putting. The editorial typeface seems too small, the use of color is often gratuitous, and it was hard for me to grasp what different types of comments were—I thought the light blue sidebar on page 3 was a continuation of letters to the editor, until I really delved into it.

I also found many of the headers so brief or metaphoric that they weren’t inviting, like those on page 6. Even we retirees are too busy nowadays and want headlines that summarize things, subheads with a little more info, and articles in inverted pyramid style.

And I want black typeface.

On the plus side, I loved the photo design in “Layered Lives,” and the head and subhead were also swell. Photos of those mentioned in “Class Acts” is also a nice addition.

Harriett (Graney) Harrow, la’65 (magazine sequence) Austin, Texas

From the Editor: Seems we still have some navigation work to do, Harriett. With valuable feedback from readers like you, we’ll continue to better our efforts to produce an engaging magazine experience. Do let us know how we’re doing.

| said & done “Wouldn’t trade my time at @DrakeUniversity for anything. I’m a Bulldog through and through...”

—Chelsea Dubczak, as’15 and 2017 Miss Iowa, on Twitter

“I’ve always imparted that the people who do the work day to day can tell us more about how to fix things than the people at the top. ” —Jerry Foxhoven, former Drake law professor and new director of the Iowa Department of Human Services, on how his leadership will steer the department.

“It’s the first binge-watchable opera.”

—Drake sophomore and vocal performance major Rowen Sabala on her title role in Vireo: The Spiritual Biography of a Witch’s Accuser, the first major opera project packaged episodically (12 episodes); accessible nationwide online.

“Several of these composers fought in [World War I] or experienced the war, and are trying to recreate their experience in a way that isn’t sentimental or experimental. …They were trying to reintroduce beauty back into the world.”

—Eric Saylor, Drake professor of music history, on the misunderstood genre of English Pastoral Music. His book English Pastoral Music: From Arcadia to Utopia, 1900–1955 was published in June by the University of Illinois Press.

“[I]f Kim wants a deal that guarantees his regime’s survival and a path out of international isolation, then China must play a bigger role.

Such a solution would thrust China into a leadership position in Northeast Asia, diluting, in some degree, American influence. Perhaps neither Chinese nor American leaders are ready for such a transition. Yet it may offer the best chance for peace.”

—David Skidmore, Drake professor of political science, on resolving the North Korea crisis, The Des Moines Register, Aug. 18, 2017

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First Crew Scholars Become Alumni Four years ago, Drake took serious action to address a grave concern.

“Retention rates for students of color, African-American students in particular, were dismal,” says Melissa Sturm-Smith, associate provost for academic excellence and student success. “Our students of color were coming into the University equally prepared, but their experiences with the climate at Drake were detrimental to their success.”

Drake instituted the Crew Scholars program in 2013 to offer minority students a network of support from faculty, staff, and peers; encourage participation on campus, and build camaraderie among members.

In the third year of the program, then-junior Anthony Pawnell spoke about his experience as a Crew Scholar:

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“I think the biggest difference it has made is giving me a place to express myself and talk to people I know understand,” he said. “It makes a world of difference.

It makes this place, Drake University, feel like home, instead of just a place I’m living.”

Pawnell graduated in 2017 with the first Crew Scholars cohort. The law, politics, and society major’s success is mirrored by other participants, and the increased retention rate among students of color has been dramatic. Since the program originated, retention of black students has increased from 73.3 percent to a high of 87.5 percent; with Crew participant retention ranging from 90.5 to 100 percent.

Visit drake.edu/academics/undergraduate/crew to learn more and get involved.

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THIS JUST IN

CLASS OF 2021 The Bulldog pack has expanded once again. Here’s the skinny on a new crop of first-year students:

771 members 59 relatives of alumni 33 states represented 13 countries represented

Foxhoven: Champion of the Vulnerable Former Drake Professor of Law Jerry Foxhoven was appointed last June to lead the Iowa Department of Human Services, which came under scrutiny for oversight of its child welfare program after the tragic deaths of two Iowa teenagers last spring.

As director, Foxhoven oversees one of the state’s largest agencies, aiding over 1 million Iowans each year through services including food assistance, Medicaid, adult mental health, and disability services.

Foxhoven has been an advocate for Iowa’s most vulnerable populations for more than 35 years and since 2006 served Drake Law School in a number of leadership capacities, including most recently as executive director of the Drake Legal Clinic.

1 entering Drake exactly 100 years after her grandmother did 39 commuter students 104 student-athletes 1 certified hypnotist 1 creative genius (at least based on an epic decision video involving a bonfire fueled by materials from other colleges—set to a Drake Bell song. Nice.)

Top 10 Major Picks 1. Pre-Pharmacy 2. Actuarial Science 3. Undecided/Open Enrolled 4. Business Studies 5. Biology 6. Law, Politics, and Society 7. Psychology 8. Health Sciences 9. Music 10. Accounting For this incoming class of Bulldogs: • The euro has always been a thing.

• Their births coincided with the advent of “Family Guy,” “Futurama,” and “SpongeBob SquarePants.”

• They have no memory of a world before Columbine.

• Most were between 11 and 14 when they got their first phone (flip, not smart).

• They were taking their first steps as former NFL placekicker Billy Cundiff, as’03, started breaking Pioneer Football League records at Drake.

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Defeating Diabetes

In addition to in-development “smart” devices like watches and contact lenses that monitor blood sugar without a finger stick, she says a hybrid closed-loop insulin pump has already been marketed this past year. “It is the first step toward the bionic pancreas.”

Conquering the disease is the ultimate goal, adds Johnson, but “until we have a cure, we need to help people with diabetes live a life without limits.”

Bulldogs help drive the Des Moines metro area economy. According to a Drake-commissioned study by Impact DataSource, University spending per year totals $413.5m, student spending totals $55.2m, and visitor spending totals nearly $15m. Together, the impressive sum is still far from central Iowa alumni’s contribution to the regional economy each year: $2b (that’s billion).

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After her pivotal PharmD rotation at a kids’ diabetes camp in Utah in 1980, June Johnson, professor emerita of pharmacy practice at Drake, became a dedicated teacher and researcher in the field of diabetes management. While the discipline has advanced considerably since then, Johnson says rapidly evolving technology in the next two to five years will be a game-changer for people with the “disease that never takes a day off.”

Central Iowa Engine

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Looks Like Progress Contact lenses that monitor blood sugar.

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222,550 visitor days

Bulldogs Take a Bite Out of Food Insecurity Much of the Drake neighborhood has been described as a “food desert”—a lack of grocery stores makes it difficult for community members to secure heathy food. Leadership, Education, and Development (LEAD) students are helping tackle the challenge, establishing three “little food pantries” in Spring 2017, with plans to install a total of 10. People can take or donate nonperishable food items from the blue wooden boxes any time.

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Good Neighbors Guided by an advisory group of neighborhood residents, a neighborhood business owner, and Drake faculty and staff, the University requested ideas from local developers for projects aimed at advancing neighborhood vitality. Nelson Construction, selected by the group, has proposed a hotel, market-rate apartments, retail, and urban-style houses on 2.65 acres of land along University Avenue.

Bulldog Biopic Junior music and digital media production double major Anna Steenson wields both cello and camera. She recently produced, directed, and edited a documentary about the making of A Spectrum of Faith, a student-researched, student-written book exploring diverse religious communities in central Iowa.

The film won numerous accolades, including a Student Production Crystal Pillar Award from the Upper Midwest EmmyÂŽ Chapter/Foundation. It was accepted to the Interrobang Film Festival in Des Moines, where it won Best Student Film, and to the Impact Documentary Awards, where it won the Award of Merit.

View the documentary and learn more about Steenson: annasteenson.com

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STAFF PICK

Oval Office Insight Presidential historian, best-selling author (The Reagan Diaries, JFK, Cronkite), and Rice University Professor of History Douglas Brinkley will deliver the 39th Bucksbaum Lecture on Nov. 14 at 7 p.m. CST in the Knapp Center. Described by CNN as “a man who knows more about the presidency than any human being alive,” Brinkley will discuss the state of the nation through a historical lens.

Learn more: drake.edu/bucksbaum

Check Out These Bulldogs Drake alumni are great role models, and the influence of three in particular inspired Petra Lange’s creations. The special programs coordinator in the School of Education was invited

by Findley Elementary to adorn Little Free Libraries destined for the school’s surrounding neighborhood. Lange hopes that young students will see themselves in the painted faces of retired vice provost for student affairs and academic excellence Wanda Everage, la’72; recent graduate and student body president Thalia Anguiano, as’17, jo’17; and Larry Whiteside, jo’59, whose career in sports journalism spanned nearly half a century.

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Lifelong Learning Within three years of its creation in 2003, the RaySociety’s 100 founding members quadrupled. In the last decade, membership has almost doubled. The lifelong learning organization, named to honor alumnus and former Iowa governor Robert Ray, bn’52, lw’54, offers classes on diverse topics and activities led by current and emeriti Drake faculty, along with local community and business leaders.

Campus & Community Drake and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Iowa are partnering to bring the Gregory & Suzie Glazer Burt Club to the southwest corner of 25th Street and Forest Avenue. The third Boys & Girls Club in the country built on a private college campus, the new space— scheduled to open Fall 2019—is expected to provide after-school and summertime services to more than 170 k–12 kids in its first year.

The Cold War, Socrates, opera, and more: drake.edu/raysociety

Visit bgcci.org/club-pathways1 to learn more about this valuable addition to the neighborhood.

Innovation in Journalism Drake’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC) is one of only 50 journalism schools from around the world invited to join Google’s News Lab University Network. With training provided by the technology giant, students at partner schools explore how the company’s online tools can help journalists tell better stories. Reporters can, for example, compare search trends by county to gauge popular interest in candidates throughout an election. Using Google Fusion Tables, the reporters can then quickly translate the data into a color-coded visual that enhances storytelling.

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From the Archives The cardboard box sitting on the shelves of the Drake University Archives & Special Collections in Cowles Library seems ordinary enough. Its contents are anything but—a frayed, black leather banner, a handful of 100-year-old dance cards, a golden human skull stuffed inside a drawstring bag.

“This was new for all of us,” says Archives Associate Katherine Lincoln of the macabre find.

“We’d love to put the facts of this all together.”

The leading theory holds that the materials once belonged to The Golden Skull Club, a men’s organization that predated the lettered fraternities on campus in the early part of the 20th century.

Beyond the name, there’s little known about the organization. If you have information that may shed light on this mystery, we want to hear from you.

Lessons Learned in Kosovo School of Education faculty members joined an Iowa delegation on an exploratory trip to Kosovo at the end of June. The tiny southeastern European country is starting from scratch with its public institutions after a difficult road to its 2008 declaration of independence.

Staff investigated how the University might help, and discussed initiating a Teach in Kosovo program (similar to the current Teach in China program), sending over Drake professors for teaching seminars, and arranging study abroad opportunities for students from both countries.

“We were on the news [in Kosovo] all week. It’s a big deal for them,” says Matthew Hayden, assistant professor of education. “They really need things to happen on these visits.”

The relationship between Kosovo, Iowa, and Bulldogs is growing. Read “Nation Building” on page 48.

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FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION

The Next Big Thing We are living in some fast and fluctuating times. Five, maybe 10 years from now, what will be different about our existence? About how we learn or communicate or do business or access health care? About how we eat or sleep or play? About how we experience our world, think about our world—even what we know about our world? What’s the next big thing to significantly affect our lives?

Nihal Mulla

Michael Rieck

Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Associate Professor of Computer Science

Advances in biotechnology have led to a complete paradigm shift in cancer treatment. Immunotherapy— drug treatments that enhance the body’s ability to recognize and fight cancer cells—can offer long-lasting remission.

However, cancer cells, unlike normal cells, are defined by unpredictable and diverse gene mutations. In other words, no two cancers are alike. Cancer immunotherapy needs to be custom-designed for individual patients. The future of cancer therapy lies in delivering these immunotherapeutic molecules to the immune system using smart drug delivery systems, such as nanoparticles that target the cancer cells specifically and microneedles that painlessly deliver the immunotherapeutic molecules by dissolving into the skin.

Flying drones require swift reactions to accurately navigate through their environment, and performance depends on rapid computations of location and direction. Self-driving cars will demand even faster responses. Because the global positioning system (GPS) is sometimes unavailable and only indicates position and not direction, the future of assistive technology requires better camera tracking. Enter the Perspective n-Point problem—determining a camera’s position and orientation from the images of some known fixed points in space. The better PnP is understood mathematically, the more discovered relationships between aspects of the problem can be exploited, leading to more efficient computer programs. The time difference will be critical to success.

Jill Van Wyke, jo ‘85, ed ‘96

Associate Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication We’ll soon access news by talking to a machine. Instead of typing or tapping on a computer or phone (or reading a newspaper, listening to the radio, or watching TV), we’ll simply ask aloud, “What’s in the news today?” Tech and media experts predict that voice-controlled devices such as Amazon’s Echo, Google Home, or the Apple HomePod will upend the news media the way the iPhone did 10 years ago. For news organizations, it’s a vexing challenge: How can audience reach and demographics be measured?

How can businesses make money with this new technology? The rest of us face a different question: How comfortable are we allowing artificial intelligence to select and customize the news and information we receive?

What’s in your crystal ball?

Tell us what the future holds: bluemag@drake.edu

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New Buildings Are Open Four years of visioning, studying, planning, revising, and building ended with the beginning of new learning at Drake, as students stepped over the entrance thresholds of Collier-Scripps Hall and the Science Connector Building on the first day of classes.

How Global Are You? That’s the question Drake international business students are helping Des Moines companies 222,550 answer.

visitor days

After interviewing more than 200 local business operators, students discovered that while many surveyed didn’t consider their business to be global, most, in fact, have international ties—exporting products and/or providing a service worldwide. Since Spring 2015, students have added such collected information to the Global Data Hub, a database that tracks and measures the capital city’s international business connections. Next, students will begin working with local companies to identify and address emerging needs, such as serving diverse constituencies at home and abroad.

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WORKPLACE

FAC 258 The office of John Pomeroy, associate professor of theatre arts and department chair, could double as a prop room, art exhibit, or, at the very least, a place to indulge in America’s favorite cookie.

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A Chair for the Chair—A reproduction of Van Gogh’s Chair comes with the namesake position. Passed down from department chair to department chair, Pomeroy is the third in line to acquire the painting.

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Oreo Obsession—A quick survey of Pomeroy’s office reveals his lifelong love of the sandwich cookie. It’s not uncommon for students to leave a package of Oreos on his desk in hopes of gaining a few “cookie points.”

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Art Collection—Lighting design renderings by his son and numerous drawings from past students, professors, and friends make up some of the most meaningful items in Pomeroy’s office. A simple smiley face drawn in blue crayon is tacked to the wall near his desk. “I was having one of those days where I wasn’t my usual goodhumored self,” explains Pomeroy. “Thinking I needed a smile, one of my students stuck this to my forehead. It’s hung on my wall for 15 years, and it still makes me smile.”

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Theatre Warehouse—From the antique end table his mini-fridge sits on to his 1950s desk lamp, everything in Pomeroy’s office is a usable prop.

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Exclusive Access—From Springsteen to Slipknot, a collage of backstage passes cover the sides of Pomeroy’s desk and filing cabinet.

When he’s not teaching, he enjoys working as a stagehand for various performances.

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| school notes College of Arts & Sciences Joseph Lenz, Dean drake.edu/artsci

In August, we welcomed the Class of 2021 to a campus with a new skyline.

The addition of the Science Connector Building (connecting Fitch and Olin halls) and Collier-Scripps Hall (directly south of Olin) have changed our profile in more ways than one. The Science Connector Building has added much needed laboratory space for our biochemistry/molecular biology and kinesiology programs, and consolidated three animal care facilities into one.

The greenhouse now sits on the roof of the building, as does an astronomy observation deck. The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science relocated from Howard Hall to the top floor of Collier-Scripps, placing it adjacent to the other sciences.

Collaborative Learning More than that, we have added several flexible classrooms: floor-to-ceiling white boards, adjustable seating for small- and/or large-group work, and wireless technology with multiple monitors on which to display student work. These classrooms were designed to promote collaborative, project-based learning that has replaced the static, “sage-on-the-stage” lecture with active, participatory, theory-into-practice application. Take, for instance, Professor Dan Alexander’s Computer Ethics course, in which students partnered with the Young Women’s Resource Center to conduct a donor analytics project. Professor Michael Haedicke’s Environmental Sociology course uses “case study” pedagogy, where students practice using sociological concepts to analyze concrete examples of environmental problems, such as water quality in Iowa. Associate Professor Angela

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Battle’s Planets course provides an introduction to the sciences through art making, risk-taking, and experimentation, their products displayed in a revolving exhibition in the Weeks Gallery.

• Rowen Sabala, vocal performance major, stars in a made-for-TV and online opera, Vireo, which aired June 13.

Professor Carol Spaulding-Kruse’s first-year seminar, Talking with the Enemy, and Associate Professor Joanna Mosser’s Crime and Punishment classes partnered with The Des Moines Register civil dialogue series #UniteIowa to produce a series of five dialogues on race and issues of education, criminal justice, democracy, science, and immigration at various locations in the metro area. In Case Studies in Analytics, taught by Associate Professor Eric Manley, students are placed into teams to investigate analytics tools, explore how businesses use data analytics in innovative ways, and develop a new idea into a business proposal. In Spring 2017, students built models for (1) pricing and predicting yogurt sales for Hy-Vee and (2) recommending roadway improvements to reduce crashes in the Des Moines area for the Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization.

• Eight Drake music students and two professors traveled to Beijing for a 10-day seminar at Minzu University of China. Participants were flutists Kaylee Johnson, Chloe Hickok, and Sonya Benzmiller, as well as pianists Adam Poole, Mary Traxler, Christina Johnson, Steven Strong, and Max Cichock. Professor Nicholas Roth and Associate Professor Leslie Marrs taught master classes and performed a faculty recital. Professor Roth stayed at Minzu to teach local students and judge a competition.

All of the students who traveled to Beijing took part in master classes, attended performances of the ethnic minority orchestra and Mongolian quartet, as well as performed a solo and chamber music recital.

Excursions to the the Great Wall, Red Square and the Forbidden City, and other sites around the city rounded out the trip. Minzu students who have studied and will study at Drake—Xingyu Lucy Huo, Cenyiyang Clark Chen, Jialu Fan, Kaiyan Wang, and Xinyu Li—were an incredible asset as translators and tour guides during this residency.

I can go on, but you get the picture.

The days of sitting in rows and parroting rote memorization are long over.

Now, faculty and students learn collaboratively—together producing knowledge, asking questions, and finding answers that address real-world concerns. This is why we call Drake’s learning environment distinctive. This is what we mean by integrating liberal arts education with professional preparation. This is why our students have a 99 percent accomplishment rate.

In Student News • Megan Lindmark, environmental science major, spent the summer at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama working on its Agua Salud project regarding watershed around the Panama Canal.

• Claire Garreans, junior kinesiology major, interned in Sydney, Australia, at the Sports Medicine Institute.

And In Faculty News • Liza West, associate professor of English, co-organized the 20th anniversary symposium of the Catharine Maria Sedgwick Society.

• Will Garriott, associate professor of law, politics, and society, received a grant from the Wenner-Gren Foundation to conduct research on marijuana legalizations and markets in Colorado.

• Lourdes Gutierrez Najera, assistant professor of anthropology; Darcie Vandegrift, professor of sociology;

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and five students from A&S worked with Kevin Lam, assistant professor, urban and diversity education, to create the Community Research Summer Scholars Program (CRSSP).

Fifteen Des Moines high school student scholars from refugee and immigrant communities will gather at Drake for three weeks to create audio story interviews about Des Moines as a transnational city.

Funded through the Nelson Pressing Global Issues Grant, CRSSP will create a series of story podcasts to share with teachers and other interested community members.

• Deborah Kent, associate professor of mathematics, was honored with the Paul R. Halmos-Lester R. Ford Award from the Mathematical Association of America for exceptional mathematics writing in The American Mathematical Monthly.

• The Department of Philosophy and Religion teamed up with the Iowa Sikh Turbanators, Des Moines Area Religious Council, and the Interfaith Youth Core to host a weeklong camp for 12 high school students from local religious groups. During the camp, these students are creating digital stories about their personal faith experiences and practices as well as learning about each other’s faiths.

• With the assistance of alumni Jim Holsapple, la’80, Ruth Lier, la’50, gr’52, and others, the Department of Physics and Astronomy sponsored an astronomy summer camp for area high school students. Under the direction of Charlie Nelson, associate professor of astronomy, the campers toured the Drake Observatory, learned about telescopes, and produced a poster about Hubble time (not the dining hall) and the age of the universe.

College of Business & Public Administration Daniel Connolly, Dean drake.edu/cbpa

It’s been said that life should not be measured by how many breaths you take but rather by the number of moments that take your breath away.

For me, receiving the invitation to join Drake as dean of the CBPA provided just one of those moments. In my previous roles at the University of Denver and Portland State University, I admired Drake from afar for its innovation with experiential learning and extraordinary commitment to student success. I am pleased to be part of this great Bulldog community, working with amazing colleagues and stakeholders to shape the future and advance the CBPA to the next level.

I follow Dean Terri Vaughan, which is no easy feat. Under her leadership, the CBPA achieved many notable milestones, including but not limited to the adoption and implementation of the hybrid MBA—a new delivery model to provide greater flexibility, access, and accommodation for working professionals­—and success in numerous regional and national student case competitions. Our May 2017 business undergraduate outcomes are remarkable: Within three months of graduation, 95 percent achieved first-choice city, company, and job or are continuing academic pursuits with graduate school. Additionally, the CBPA’s marketing major gained national, prime-time recognition on the “Today” show for its Top 5 ranking in The Princeton Review’s Colleges that Pay You Back. That ranking is based on academic excellence, exceptional student preparation and career placement, and overall value—the very things that are core to our mission.

Another significant achievement and sign of continuous quality improvement is reaccreditation through AACSB International, the premier accrediting body for business schools. Only 785 business schools out of more than 16,000 worldwide hold this highly coveted designation, ranking the CBPA among the top 5 percent of all business schools in the world. We are truly among the best of the best thanks to our remarkably dedicated and talented faculty, staff, and students, and the incredible commitment and support of parents, alumni, employers, community partners, and donors.

New Year, New Faces This fall, I am excited to welcome nearly 1,300 new and returning students to the CBPA. Joining me in my inaugural year as dean are four new faculty colleagues: • Anna Clark is an assistant professor in the MPA program. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Denver and her master’s and PhD degrees from the University of Texas at Dallas. Prior to Drake, Professor Clark was on the faculty at Texas Women’s University.

• Lendie Follett is an assistant professor of business analytics.

She received her undergraduate, master’s, and doctorate degrees from Iowa State University.

• Douglas Bujakowski is an assistant professor in the School of Actuarial Science and Risk Management. He completed his undergraduate studies at the Ohio State University and his doctorate from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

• Denise Hill is an associate professor of practice in public administration and will teach in the MPA program.

Her undergraduate degree is from Wartburg College. She also holds MPA and JD degrees from Drake.

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The World Is Our Business With renewed energy following summer break, the inspiration a new academic year brings, and a strong foundation upon which to build, we are not resting on our laurels. This is our decade and our opportunity to achieve prominence throughout the region and beyond. Our impact spans the globe, whether it be locally in Des Moines or in a faraway place such as Uganda.

Simply put, the world is our classroom and our business. One example of this global reach took place this summer: Drake had the distinct privilege of hosting 25 Mandela Fellows from across Sub-Saharan Africa as part of the Young African Leaders Initiative for a six-week educational program. The institute allowed us to showcase our approach to innovative, experiential, and community-based learning. Our faculty, staff, and students engaged with the fellows, guiding these leaders to utilize their business skills and acumen in the work they do to make a positive difference.

Tradition of Connection With the start of the new academic year, we partnered with the School of Journalism and Mass Communication to formalize the Innovation Studio in Meredith 124a, and with the Law School to launch a set of interdisciplinary program offerings in compliance and risk management. We will soon introduce online delivery formats (our MPA program will be the first, starting Fall 2018) and expand our programs portfolio to include a new online, STEM-designated Master in Data Analytics Leadership.

Although we are growing and diversifying our offerings, our commitment to integrating data analytics, entrepreneurship, and globalization throughout our curricula remains. We will also continue our exploration of new ways to engage with, serve, and integrate the Des Moines community throughout all of our programs, with the goal of

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becoming one the most connected business schools of our time. We will be bold, different, and innovative to stay at the forefront of business education, and set new standards for other business schools to follow. In other words, we will continue our investment in your alma mater—to be the best we can be and to increase the value of your diploma.

Distinguishing Ourselves Clearly, this is an exciting time to be at Drake; it is also an important time for the CBPA to make its push to prominence. Being situated in Des Moines—the government seat and center for commerce for the state of Iowa and the fastest-growing city in the Midwest—the CBPA is uniquely positioned to drive economic prosperity, urban development, and public policy. Our faculty members provide thought leadership; our students are an integral part of the community; and our graduates fill talent needs and serve as influential change makers within the region, across the country, and around the world.

I look forward to meeting you, hearing your stories, and serving as your dean.

Please share your thoughts and ideas regarding opportunities for the future, and let me know how I can help Drake and the CBPA realize their full potential and achieve new heights.

College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences Renae Chesnut, Dean drake.edu/cphs

I have often referred to the past year as being transformative, with new programs, faculty, partnerships, and facilities. The Fall 2017 semester is already exhibiting that same spirit of change, primarily thanks to the recently completed teaching, research, and collaboration spaces in the Science Connector Building. Our health sciences and athletic training faculty are housed there and several of our courses, discussion sessions, and labs will be held in the new spaces.

The facilities provide even more collaboration spaces for our students, and faculty are already realizing additional interdisciplinary collaborations. Thanks to the many donors who had a part in making this building come to life. If you weren’t able to join us for the dedication on Oct. 7, please stop by to see this impressive facility when you are in the area!

New Faculty Join the College We welcomed nine faculty to the college, including our first athletic training director and department chair. We look forward to the future successes of all our students, faculty, staff, and alumni, whose work is critical to fulfilling our vision to be a diverse community of learners leading the way to a healthy world.

Nate Newman, Director and Department Chair and Director of Athletic Training—Professor Newman earned his BS in exercise science from the University of Iowa, MS in physical education from Western Illinois, and an EdD in allied health, recreation and community services from the University of Northern Iowa. Professor Newman will be the inaugural director of our

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master’s in athletic training after serving as the director of the AT program at Loras College.

Michael Nelson, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management and Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences—Professor Nelson earned his BS in pharmacy from the University of Washington and PhD from the University of Minnesota.

He has held academic positions at Southwestern Oklahoma State University and Wingate University and was most recently at Regis University, where he served as chair for the pharmaceutical sciences department, including a year serving in the role as assistant dean for student affairs.

Yolanda Griffiths, Department Chair and Director of Occupational Therapy—Professor Griffiths earned her occupational therapy doctorate from Creighton University. After serving 20 years as an associate professor in the occupational therapy program at Creighton University, where she helped develop entry-level and post-professional distance-based doctorate programs, Professor Griffiths was most recently the occupational therapy program director at College of Saint Mary in Omaha, Neb. Her extensive career also includes several years as an occupational therapist at numerous mental health clinics and community hospitals.

Kelsee Hove, Assistant Professor of Occupational Therapy—Professor Hove is also a graduate of the Creighton University OTD program. She was previously at On With Life in Ankeny, Iowa, and brings additional neurological injury and adult rehabilitation expertise to our program.

Stanley Paul, Professor of Occupational Therapy—Professor Paul earned a BS in occupational therapy from Christian Medical College in Vellore, India; an MS in occupational therapy from State University of New York at Buffalo; a PhD in occupational

therapy from New York University; and an MD from Hope University School of Medicine in Belize. Before joining Drake, Professor Paul was an associate professor and director of the postprofessional OTD program at South College in Palm Beach, Fla., and has had faculty positions at Keuka College, Georgia Health Sciences University, and Western Michigan University.

Stacy Gnasinski, Assistant Professor of Health Sciences—Professor Gnasinski earned her PhD in health sciences from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. She also earned a Master of Science in kinesiology with specializations in sport psychology and exercise physiology, also from UW-Milwaukee.

Michael Daly, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy Practice—Professor Daly earned his PharmD from the University of Nebraska and a BS in biology from Creighton University. He also earned an MS in clinical investigation at Washington University’s Clinical Research Training Center Postdoctoral Program. Professor Daly was most recently pharmacy clinical manager at the SSM Health Saint Louis University Hospital and prior to that was on faculty at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy. He is based at The Iowa Clinic Internal Medicine in West Des Moines.

Student and Faculty Accomplishments A number of CPHS students and faculty have been recognized for their outstanding leadership, including:

Shankar Munusamy, Associate Professor of Pharmacology—Professor Munusamy holds a BS in pharmacy from M.G.R. Medical University in Chennai, Tamilnadu, India; an MS in pharmacology and toxicology from the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research in Mohali, Punjab, India; and a PhD in pharmacology from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the department of physiology and biophysics at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Since 2011, Shankar has been an assistant professor of pharmacology in the College of Pharmacy at Qatar University and has research expertise in kidney disease.

• Anne Stella, P4: Iowa Pharmacy Association’s Jerry M. Karbeling Award

Jamie Pitlick, Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice—Professor Pitlick earned her PharmD from Drake in 2008.

She was previously clinical associate professor at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy. Professor Pitlick will have a pharmacy practice site at the Iowa Diabetes and Endocrinology Center, filling the faculty position held by June Johnson, who retired at the end of June 2017.

• June Johnson, professor emerita of pharmacy practice, was awarded the 2017 Dr. Edward J. Hertko Lifetime Service Award from the American Diabetes Association.

• Ryan Hannan, P4: Lon Larson Engaged Leader Award • Logan Clarahan, senior health sciences major: Health Sciences Student Leadership Award • Nick Jenderko, senior health sciences major: Outstanding Health Sciences Student Award • Elise Damman, P4, and Kayla Hughes, P4: Cardinal Health Scholarship • Elizabeth Bald, ph’17: Jerry M. Karbeling Memorial Leadership Award • Lambda Kappa Sigma: Outstanding Collegiate Chapter for the Midwest Region

• Kim Huey, associate professor of health sciences, was named a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine.

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Drake Law School

Jerry Anderson, Dean drake.edu/law

This fall has been a time of change and growth for the Law School. The physical transformations are evident when you visit Cartwright Hall: The first-floor renovation project, which began this summer, is making speedy progress.

It’s not just our building that’s undergone change. This fall, we kicked off our Compliance and Risk Management program, launched a new Entrepreneurial Clinic, and welcomed five students to the inaugural Law Opportunity Leadership Program, which partners with local employers to provide internships, mentorship, and leadership training.

These initiatives are examples of how the Law School is evolving to respond to the ever-changing world of legal education. I am excited about the direction we are going, and I look forward to even more opportunities this academic year.

Law Review Revamp Thanks to the support of generous donors, including Johnny C. Taylor Jr., gr’91, lw’92, the Drake Law Review’s suite was updated to create a more functional layout with new chairs, computers, and desks. The East Bay has a new conference room, as well as fresh carpet and paint. The renovation will continue next in the West Bay and Dean’s Office areas. I invite you to stop by the Law School the next time you’re on campus to see these impressive improvements.

Getting in the Entrepreneurial Spirit The Iowa Supreme Court awarded a $500,000 grant to the Drake Legal Clinic to establish a new Entrepreneurial

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Clinic, which provides free legal services to entrepreneurs in low-income neighborhoods. The clinic offers a full range of business and legal services, including trademark protection, entity formation, employment agreements, contracts, licensing agreements, and leases.

The clinic aims to spur community revitalization by removing legal challenges that might impede the success of new businesses and nonprofit groups. Several Drake Law students will work for the clinic each semester, gaining valuable experience in corporate and nonprofit law.

New Partnerships Drake Law School, along with Drake’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, recently signed agreements with three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs): Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo.; Lincoln University in Lincoln University, Pa.; and Kentucky State University in Frankfort, Ky. Under the agreement, qualified JD candidates from those institutions will be guaranteed admission and a renewable scholarship covering at least half of the annual cost of tuition. The partnership, which continues through fall 2020, is part of an ongoing effort to increase diversity among Drake’s student body.

The Law School also added 3+3 agreements with the University of Northern Iowa and Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. In the 3+3 program, qualified students can earn an undergraduate degree and a law degree in six years rather than the usual seven.

Welcome Back, SWUPL Students!

For the second consecutive year, Drake Law School hosted nearly 30 law students from the Southwest University of Political Science and Law (SWUPL) in Chongqing, China. The program is part of a long-standing relationship between

Drake and SWUPL, one of Drake’s international partner institutions.

For four weeks in September, the students stayed in Drake residence halls and attended courses taught by Drake Law faculty. They also visited sites around Des Moines, enjoyed social events with Drake Law students and faculty, and met with state legislators and local attorneys.

Drake Law in the AALA Drake Law School hosted a reception at the American Agricultural Law Association’s (AALA) 38th Annual Educational Symposium in Louisville, Ky., Oct. 26–28.

Drake is well-represented in the AALA leadership. Jennifer Zwagerman, lw’04, currently serves as president; Amber Miller, lw’05, serves as president-elect; and Beth Crocker, lw’01, just finished her term as past president. Mike Traxinger, lw’12, and Pat Dillon, lw’03, are both members of the board of directors.

We are proud of Drake’s reputation as one of the nation’s leading law schools in agricultural law, as well as our alumni’s continued involvement and leadership in the AALA organization.

A Celebration of Congressman Neal Smith On Sept. 21, Drake Law hosted an event honoring Neal Smith, former U.S. congressman and a 1950 Drake Law alumnus. The program featured selections from Visionary of Shared Dreams: He Helped Government Work Better, a videotaped interview conducted by former Drake Law Dean David Walker.

In the interview, Smith revealed details of his childhood growing up on a farm during the Depression, enlistment in the military during World War II, and his nearly four decades in public service that gave him the title of longestserving Iowan in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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The video will later be available for viewing in the Drake Law Library.

School of Education

Mark Your Calendar The Drake Law General Practice Review is Dec. 7–8. Attend both days to earn a total of 15 CLE credit hours, or attend one of the days to earn 7.5 CLE credit hours. Registration is now available online. And save the date for the Drake Law Real Estate CLE on March 24.

The 81st Annual Supreme Court Celebration will be held March 22–24 to celebrate academic excellence, leadership, and public service within the Law School. Drake Law student and alumni award recipients will be honored, including Alumni of the Year and Recent Alumni of the Year.

The annual Constitutional Law Symposium, which invites scholars, judges, and lawyers from across the country, is April 14. This year’s theme will be “Is Constitutional Democracy Endangered in the U.S. and Abroad?”

Find more information about Drake Law School’s upcoming events at drake.edu/law.

Jan McMahill, Dean drake.edu/soe

On Monday, Aug. 28, more than 400 undergraduate and graduate students entered Collier-Scripps Hall. After 30 years of teaching in various “nearcampus” locations, we are located in a multi-million-dollar complex in the heart of campus. Returning students stared in disbelief. Current faculty, staff, and new students came early and stayed late. They found their classrooms and more than 12 places to gather for individual or group work.

What’s Different?

Over 44,000 square feet of learning and work space is now open seven days a week for daytime and evening classes, small conferences, and special events.

Technology-rich classrooms are equipped with projection systems, wireless internet, glass boards for handwritten work, and furniture that can be configured in many ways. You’ll find original works of art from Drake faculty and local area artists throughout the building, and an outdoor classroom for lectures, music, drama, poetry readings, drawing, painting, listening, and reflecting on the west lawn adjacent to the Oreon E. Scott Memorial Chapel.

And, we have neighbors! In this four-story building, we house the Teaching and Learning and the Leadership and Counseling departments on the first and second floors.

Plus, the 11 faculty members of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science are on the third floor, providing new opportunities for faculty and student collaboration.

With a leadership level gift from Hy-Vee, Inc., the Robert D. and Billie Ray Center opened in the lower level.

Under the direction of Scott Raecker, the program formerly known as Character Counts is staged to expand services to schools and agencies seeking curriculum materials, and businesses in need of models for employee development.

Who’s Responsible?

The major benefactors were philanthropists Debbie, ed’72, and Ric Scripps, ed’70, and Jim Collier, ed’70. Together, the Scrippses and Collier contributed funds that took us over the midpoint of fundraising and helped others to believe in the feasibility of our vision. Three advancement officers traveled with me for 10 years to raise the millions needed; unending thanks to the early advancement staffers Beth Cuddeback and Andrea Hansen and the “closer,” Meaghan Tigges. Meaghan traveled across the country for five years, and even after construction commenced, she secured over $400,000 in additional gifts. More than 500 alumni, trustees, and corporations contributed gifts large and small to ensure the future preparation of teachers, administrators, counselors, and corporate leaders.

Our lead architect, Vitus Bering, produced the first blueprints 10 years ago. Actual construction was finished in 14 months. Countless Drake staff members worked overtime with contractors, technicians, furniture installers, and maintenance experts to make sure we were ready for the 2017–2018 school year. The buildings were officially dedicated at a ceremony on Oct. 7. Collier-Scripps Hall and the Science Connector Building also played host to the annual Francis Marion Drake Society dinner the night before.

To see it is to believe it. Make a visit.

Prepare to be amazed.

But What Else?

In the midst of construction, our work did not end: • We were granted a full seven-year accreditation for our teaching,

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counseling, and school administration programs. On June 9, the State Board of Public Instruction announced the award to Drake as the first of Iowa’s universities to be reviewed using newly established guidelines.

• We approved and launched the Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). The first 10 candidates enrolled in one of the state’s only programs that leads to licensure for those who wish to serve those with developmental disabilities in school, agency, and hospital settings. A majority of those to eventually receive treatment have been diagnosed with autism across a wide age spectrum. Associate Professor of Psychology Maria Valdovinos has been the champion for ABA for at least a decade. With Maria’s influence and dedication, Drake received the accreditation and funding needed to serve the first entering class. I am pleased to report that Sacha Pence, an experienced and licensed college-level behavior analyst from Auburn University, joined the Drake program as director in August. (Hear from both Maria and Sacha in “Breaking Through,” pages 30–33.)

• We are preparing to launch a Master of Arts in Literacy Education as one of Drake’s first online-only graduate programs. Teachers across the United States and abroad can enroll in the program next spring, and choose electives from a wide range of courses in reading and English language learning.

• Drake Head Start received additional federal funding to open five more classrooms of full-day programs for preschool students. With a timeline of less than six months, Director Judy Russell and her capable staff secured a renovated section of a shopping mall on the south side of Des Moines. Added to previous grants for home-based, infant and

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toddler programs for children and parents, Drake Head Start has secured over $8 million in federal funds during the last 12 months.

• The doctoral program (EdD and PhD) has 113 students! Program Director Robyn Cooper is directly responsible for one of the fastest growing doctoral programs in the Midwest. Thirty-seven new students started their degree work in August.

What’s Next?

Scholarships and more scholarships.

The high cost of private college tuition has adversely affected teacher preparation programs nationwide.

While the number of job openings has increased, Drake is one of many colleges experiencing gradual decline in full-time undergraduate enrollment.

While our graduate enrollment has reached more than 750 students— bringing the total of undergraduate, graduate, and endorsement certificate students in the School of Education to more than 1,000—we want to do more.

I now turn my attention from fundraising for the building to generating endowments and gifts to provide scholarships for at least 10 more undergraduate students each year.

We draw from a pool of exceptionally talented students, and we plan to send them forth as exceptionally talented teachers.

School of Journalism & Mass Communication Kathleen Richardson, Dean drake.edu/sjmc

In the SJMC, we promise to be our students’ “mentors for life”—and they hold us to it! From coffee klatches to cocktail meet-ups, Facebook friendships to late-night text messages, SJMC graduates reach out to former professors to share good news; commiserate over sad news; and seek encouragement, advice, and those all-important job references.

New Master’s Program Online We are thrilled to announce a new way that the SJMC can support our alumni and friends around the world and throughout their professional lives: an online Master of Arts in Communication. Beginning in January 2018, we will offer a 33-credit online degree with four specialized tracks: communication leadership, brand communication, public policy and advocacy, and health and science communication. Because the world is interdisciplinary, our program is, too: Students will take a core set of SJMC courses, then meet their personal career goals through a menu of classes in business, law, marketing and multimedia communication, public policy, health, and science.

And because we’re all in a hurry to get where we’re going, our program can be completed in just one year, with start times every six weeks.

For more information on coursework and how to apply, contact SJMC Associate Dean Kelly Bruhn at kelly. bruhn@drake.edu.

Strategic Political Communication Major Takes Off Our newest major is also our fastest growing: In 2014, the SJMC launched strategic political communication

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(SPC), an interdisciplinary program in which students take classes in public relations, journalism, politics, and rhetoric. The major is a natural fit, both for our areas of expertise and Des Moines’ place at the hot center of state and national politics. The major has blossomed to 35 students, many of them coming to Drake specifically for this program. SPC students have snagged internships and jobs on national and Iowa political campaigns, for political parties and consultants, and in state and local government. So if you know any students who have the itch for politics and public service, have them contact our SPC guru, Assistant Professor Jennifer Glover Konfrst at jennifer.gloverkonfrst@drake.edu.

Student Work “Hits on All Cylinders” Drake students won nine awards in this summer’s Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication magazine contest. The senior capstone website, Urban Plains (urban-plains.com) won best website, and Drake Magazine was honored for general excellence and editorial content. Student work also was recognized for design and writing.

The judge in the general excellence category, a Vanity Fair editor, wrote of Drake Magazine, “This entry is exceptional for many reasons—its design, its photography, its story selection and presentation. ...This magazine hits on all cylinders.”

Drake public relations students won the professional Community Relations category in the national Association for Women in Communications 2017 Clarion Awards contest. The award recognized the 2016 senior capstone campaign to promote the town of Manning, Iowa. The work also won the student campaign category, and a PR class writing project for Easter Seals also won an award.

Digital media production major Anna Steenson won two first-place Emmys in the spring Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Upper Midwest Region contest.

SJMC Grads Named Fulbright Scholars

Goodbye for Now, and Keep in Touch!

Kelly Leatherman, jo’17, was named a Fulbright Scholar and will spend her scholarship year in Malaysia before attending law school. Ankita Dhussa, jo’13, also won a Fulbright and will create a multimedia project on women and transportation in India. Dhussa has been living in California and working as a user experience researcher in the tech industry.

Start off your week with a little bit of Drake every Monday by subscribing to the SJMC Monday Memo, a weekly electronic newsletter for the SJMC community. Keep up with SJMC news, events, achievements, and opportunities by contacting SJMC webmaster and multimedia expert Associate Professor Chris Snider (christopher.snider@drake.edu).

Summer Camp

Plus, the Drake Media Gigs blog (drakemediagigs.wordpress.com) is chock full of internship and job opportunities of interest to communications professionals.

The second year of our Media Now Drake summer camp drew 80 high school students and their advisers from as far away as Hawaii. Campers polished their photography, video, writing, social media, design, and leadership skills while exploring Des Moines and the Drake campus (including a “street chalking” event on Painted Street). Next summer’s camp will be July 8–11. Contact Associate Dean Kelly Bruhn (kelly.bruhn@drake. edu) for more information about registration or sponsoring a camper.

Join Your friends at Annual Alumni Reception The annual SJMC alumni reception, with a hosted bar and snacks, will be held on the Saturday evening of Drake Relays: April 28, 5–7 p.m. in the back lobby of Meredith Hall. Watch for more details soon at alumni.drake.edu.

Wright to Retire JMC 30 classes at 8 a.m. will never be the same. Associate Professor David Wright has announced that he is retiring in May 2018 after 28 years on the SJMC faculty. With his booming laugh and trademark whistle, Wright is a famous (infamous?) electronic media whiz, SJMC recruiter, Drake sports booster, and Meredith Hall basementdweller. Before he sails (literally—he has a sailboat) into retirement, say goodbye to Wright at the annual SJMC alumni reception during Drake Relays on Saturday, April 28, 5–7 p.m. in Meredith Hall.

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Match Game The men’s tennis team is becoming a powerhouse. The regular-season and MVC Tournament championships won last spring were the 10th for the program—as was its NCAA Tournament appearance.

Junior (then sophomore) Tom Hands extended his singles winning streak to five matches during the MVC

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Tournament, was named to the AllMVC team, and earned the MVC Elite 18 Award for having the highest GPA at the championship (a 3.72 for the environmental science major).

Every member of last season’s winning team has returned to Drake this year as they look toward championship No. 11.

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SCOREBOARD SPRING SPORTS WRAP-UP BASKETBALL (W) 28-5, MVC: 1st Drake women’s basketball recorded one of the most successful seasons in program history. The Bulldogs advanced to the NCAA Tournament after claiming the MVC regular-season and tournament championship.

They won 22 straight games, including an 18-0 record in conference action, to become the first team to post a perfect record in MVC play. The Bulldogs finished the season with a 28-5 record to tie the program record for wins, and the team was ranked nationally for multiple weeks. Senior Lizzy Wendell earned honorable mention All-America accolades from the AP and the WBCA. (M) 9-24, MVC: 9th The Bulldogs won five of their first 10 MVC games of the season while averaging more than 87 points per game in those wins. Reed Timmer— MVC Student-Athlete of the Year again—led the team in scoring with 15.3 points per game and was named to the all-MVC team. Niko Medved was named the new head coach of the program after four successful seasons at Furman University.

GOLF (W) MVC: 10th Junior Madison Glennie led the Bulldogs at seven events, highlighted by a top-18 flag honor at the MVC

Championship. Glennie also earned first-team MVC Scholar-Athlete honors and was joined by freshman Sigurlaug Jonsdottir in receiving Women’s Golf Coaches Association All-American Scholar Team accolades.

(M) MVC: 8th The Bulldogs finished in eighth place at the 2017 MVC Championship and were paced by junior Drew Ison, who tied for 18th-place, earning his third straight top-18 flag honor. Off the course, sophomore Tommi Avant earned MVC Men’s Golf Scholar-Athlete Team honors for his work in the classroom and on the links.

TENNIS (W) 10-11; MVC: 5th Under first-year head coach Mai-Ly Tran, the Bulldogs posted a 10-11 record and advanced to the quarterfinals of the MVC Championship.

Junior Summer Brills led the team by earning MVC all-select team honors. She recorded a team-best 13-5 dual match singles record.

The Bulldogs will look to build from the 2017 season as they return all six student-athletes for the 2018 season.

(M) 17-12, MVC: 1st The Bulldogs won their sixth MVC regular-season title in the last seven years and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 10th time

in program history. Head Coach Davidson Kozlowski guided the team to a 17-12 (9-0 in the Roger Knapp Tennis Center) to earn his fourth MVC Coach of the Year award. The Bulldogs received five all-MVC selections, highlighted by sophomore Vinny Gillespie being named MVC Player of the Year.

Gillespie’s award marked the 10th time in the last 11 years that a Bulldog has taken home the league’s top honor. Drake’s stellar season came to an end in the first round of the NCAA Tournament with a tough loss to No. 25 Illinois.

SOFTBALL 28-27, MVC: 6th The Drake softball team finished with a 28-27 overall record. Drake qualified for the MVC Tournament for the 13th time in the past 15 seasons under head coach Rich Calvert. Freshman Mandi Roemmich set the table for Drake’s offense in the leadoff spot with a team-leading .380 batting average. Roemmich, from West Des Moines, Iowa, raised her play in league action with a .432 batting average, which ranked second in the MVC.

ROWING MAAC: 5th The Drake rowing team completed the 2017 season with a fifth-place finish at the MAAC Championship. Drake competed in six regattas

during the spring, including a win over local rival Creighton on April 22 in Omaha. The Bulldogs had another strong semester in the classroom with 13 student-athletes being named to the MAAC Rowing All-Academic team.

OUTDOOR TRACK & FIELD (W) MVC: 7th Three Bulldogs were named all-conference at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships including MVC champion Mary Young in the 100-meter hurdles. Young was also one of two competitors to advance to the NCAA West Preliminary Round at the conclusion of the season.

(M) MVC: 8th The men’s team had three student-athletes earn all-conference honors, with Reed Fischer winning a conference title in the 10,000 meters and advancing to the NCAA Championships, where he raced to All-American honors. Fischer, who was also a Drake Relays presented

by Hy-Vee Champion, set a total of three school records during the season and was one of two Bulldogs named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete Team while the Bulldogs were named a USTFCCCA All-Academic Team for the sixth consecutive season.

All Athletics, All the Time: GoDrakeBulldogs.com

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More Than Just a Number LOVE THEM, HATE THEM, OR LOVE TO HATE THEM, COLLEGE RANKINGS —BOTH SIGNIFICANT AND FRIVOLOUS—GET PLENTY OF ATTENTION.

By Erin Peterson and Leah Duncan

It’s impossible to boil down the value of a college experience into a single definitive ranking. But Keith Summerville, deputy provost of enrollment management and Levitt Distinguished Professor of Environmental Science, understands the impulse that drives many people to rely on them.

The fact is that most universities—including Drake— have mixed feelings about rankings, even good ones, says Jill Brimeyer, assistant director of recruitment communications. “Rankings only tell one piece of the story, and do so through a very specific lens,” she says.

“You get a glimpse at a small set of specific variables without any of the context.”

“Families face a dizzying array of choices when they look to send their high school graduates for additional education,” he says. “Rankings are one tool that they can use [to help make a decision].”

And while Drake is always working to get better, rankings don’t drive decision-making, says Kevin Saunders, Drake’s head of institutional research and assessment. Accreditors pay little attention to rankings, and Drake does not develop action items based on a desire for specific rankings. “Digging into [a ranking’s] methodology and measures can give us some useful information to guide improvements,” says Saunders, “[but] the results represent just one set of benchmarks.”

Of course, a ranking is only as good as the criteria used to create it. Ranking rigor is one reason that the deeply researched rankings offered by U.S. News & World Report get plenty of attention when they come out. And it’s why the methodology-free HuffPost story that named Drake among the top 20 “most interesting” places to go to college didn’t merit a front-page story on the University website.

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In the pages that follow, we dig into some of Drake’s most well-known (and a couple lesser-known) rankings. We’ve asked the people who know the institution best—its students, alumni, faculty, and staff—to share their insider view on the numbers.

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top 2% in alumni

earnings

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#39 best values in private universities

Worth Every Penny The numbers: #39 of 100 “best values in private universities,” Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, 2017 Top 2% in “alumni earnings above expectation,” with median earnings $8,796 higher than expected earnings, The Economist, 2015 The details: Students at Drake benefit from strong financial aid, low debt at graduation, and high postgraduation salaries.

Our take: “We would much rather help a student build a résumé than just write a résumé. Therefore, we encourage participation [with our office] beginning in a student’s first year. Last year alone, we held more than 1,650 individual appointments to help students create plans to achieve their goals. We also offered career fairs, networking events, and career information events for more than 65 classes and organizational meetings.”

“I had a great experience with the Professional and Career Development Services at Drake. They helped me with a CV and résumé review to make sure I would stand out as a candidate on paper. In the final year of my program, I attended an interview day. This was a full day where employers seeking new graduates from the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences allowed us to set up short interviews. I had six interviews, and that event resulted in the job offer I ultimately accepted.”

—Zach Wright, ph’17, gr’17, is a community pharmacist for the Schnucks grocery chain in St. Louis.

Focused on Mentorship The grade: A-, faculty accessibility, StudentsReview.com, 2017 The details: Students themselves give marks to professors in their departments, which are aggregated to provide a final letter grade.

—Chrystal Stanley, director, Professional and Career Development Services

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a-

faculty accessibility

Our take: “I definitely feel that my responsibility to students is broader than just the classroom. I’m happy to mentor students about careers, graduate school, future plans, and major choices. It’s so enjoyable to watch students create their life journeys. Some of my former students are far enough along in their careers that they’re hiring some of my more recent students— it ripples outward.”

—Mary Edrington, associate professor of practice in marketing, has taught at Drake since 1986.

“What started as teacher-student relationship grew to a mentorship within Drake’s American Marketing Association club for students. After I graduated, I continued to reach out to Professor Edrington and the Drake marketing professors for career advice, or simply to catch up. In fact, my current job was made possible through an acquaintance of one of Professor Edrington’s former students [Laurel Rundle jo’91.]

Her former students trust her opinions, insight, and skills. I’m so grateful to be one of her former students and now, a friend.”

Great from 9 to 5, too.

Drake has earned plenty of recognition for the efforts it’s made to offer a great education to its students. Turns out the University is offering a top-notch experience to its employees, too. This past summer, The Chronicle of Higher Education recognized Drake as one of its “Great Colleges to Work For.” Results were compiled from responses collected by more than 45,000 people at more than 200 institutions.

Among Drake’s strengths, as reported by respondents: confidence in senior leadership; open communication and strong value modeling by senior leadership; and excellent faculty, administration, and staff relations.

—Mary Honeyman bn’14 (Entrepreneurial Management)

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More interesting than most realize...

...but culinarily challenged?

The ranking: Top 20 “most interesting places to go to college,” HuffPost, 2014

The number: 3 out of 5 stars for campus food, Unigo, 2017

The details: HuffPost praises Drake’s political and publishing connections, along with its fledgling “Silicon Prairie,” but wriggles out of methodological rigor in its analysis: “The list is not ranked in any order and is entirely subjective,” it notes.

The details: Students are notoriously tough on campus dining experiences at all colleges. The reality is that dining options at Drake are exceptionally strong, with many healthy options, including vegetarian and vegan.

A smartphone app, Bite, offers students menus, ingredients, and nutrition information for every dish. Of course, no matter how students feel about the on-campus choices, there’s no question that Des Moines offers plenty of tempting restaurants, too.

Our take: “As a small school, Drake’s weekends are sometimes a little quieter than other schools, but in general, it packs a big punch for its size. During caucus season, Drake becomes a hub of political action. I’ve had the chance to watch debates live and see almost every political candidate running for president before the 2016 caucus. Beyond that, every year we have Relays, which is similar to caucus season. People in the track and field world and beyond are watching what is happening at Drake.”

—Jess Lynk, Class of 2018, was the 2016-17 editor of The Times-Delphic.

Our take: “We do have a wide variety of foods, but I still take advantage of off-campus food options and go out to eat at least once a week. I love Zombie Burger, Sakari Sushi Lounge, and Fong’s Pizza.”

—Cassandra Bauer, Class of 2019, is a longtime writer for the food publication Spoon University.

top

20

most intersting

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#3 Schools for

Veterans

Friendly to Veterans The ranking: #3 in regional universities, Best Schools for Veterans, U.S. News & World Report, 2017 The details: To qualify, institutions must participate in federal initiatives that help veterans and active-duty service members pay for their degrees.

Our take: “There are a lot of nuances with funding from the U.S. government, and every student’s eligibility looks a little bit different. We try to be as flexible as possible with deadlines, and we work closely with students and their families. But more than that, we try to treat [veterans] like individuals.

We help connect them to other veterans, but they can also just be ‘regular students’ if they wish. We want to do as much as we can to help them have a positive experience.”

“I know that one of my law school professors is a Naval reservist and has been deployed, and I receive email invitations to certain events Drake puts on for veterans, which I appreciate. Drake made it easy for me to use my GI Bill.”

—Rob Howard is a second-year law student. He was honorably discharged as a third-class petty officer in the U.S. Navy, receiving the National Defense and Global War on Terror service medals.

What is Drake tops at in your book? Seen a ranked list out there that missed us? Send word: bluemag@drake.edu.

—Nancy Geiger is a student information analyst at Drake and works closely with students who have Veterans Affairs or Department of Defense benefits.

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Breaking Through LESS THAN TWO GENERATIONS AGO, THE DIAGNOSIS OF AUTISM DIDN’T EXIST. TODAY, THOSE MOST FAMILIAR WITH LIFE ON THE SPECTRUM—INCLUDING DRAKE ALUMNI, FACULTY, AND STUDENTS—ARE SHOWING THE WORLD WHAT’S POSSIBLE.

By Ann Hinga Klein, jo‘86, gr‘86 Brandon Arkland paused at the podium and looked out at his high school classmates in AP Public Speaking. He’d known most of them since kindergarten. Now, a month before graduation, he had something to tell them.

A thoughtful kid with a big smile, he’d made good friends over the years in the Webster City Public School System, mostly through cross-country, track, and wrestling. He’d done well in school.

But he had also worked almost every waking minute to manage nuances of day-to-day life—like figuring out what to say in a conversation and when to say it, like rambling too long in class and flinching when a classmate cut in with, “Just get on with it!”

He’d turned such incidents into lessons, determined to learn, which he had over the years. Enough that he was pretty sure his classmates didn’t know.

Now, he glanced at his instructor, who gave him a nod.

“Today,” Arkland began, “I’ll be speaking about autism— what it is, who it affects, and my journey with it.”

Scientists are still working to understand autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a complex condition with a wide range of symptoms, challenges, and abilities.

It wasn’t until 1980 that the American Psychological Association published an autism diagnosis. As recently as the 1960s, individuals on the spectrum were often misdiagnosed with unrelated conditions, especially schizophrenia. Some lived out their lives in institutions, medicated and misunderstood.

While its causes are still being rigorously researched, the diagnosis now focuses on three symptoms: challenges with social skills, challenges understanding verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive behaviors such as hand flapping and rocking.

Part of autism’s complexity is its variance. Some with ASD experience mild difficulties; others need lifelong support. Some grapple with learning disabilities; others possess astounding math and problem-solving abilities.

Neurologists still don’t know exactly how ASD brain mechanics differ from those of neurotypical individuals (scans of brain activity do look different) or why (according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], studies to date show no association with vaccines; genetic and environmental factors have emerged as stronger theories).

What is clear: ASD impacts more people than once thought—an average of one in 68 children (one in 42 boys and one in 189 girls), according to the CDC. The growing prevalence may be due to a broader definition and better efforts at diagnosis, but experts say an overall increase can’t be ruled out.

While cognitive scientists continue to probe those questions, behavioral scientists are focused on one that’s even more pressing for the millions worldwide who live with autism: How can they lead full, satisfying lives?

The realities of life on the far end of the spectrum became real for Drake’s Maria Valdovinos in 2012. An associate professor of psychology, she began working pro bono one day a week at Blank Children’s Developmental

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Clinic in Des Moines, seeing kids with severe behavioral challenges. Some threw books, others hit or bit caregivers, one habitually pulled hair from her scalp and ate it.

Valdovinos, who holds PhD certification in behavior analysis, used applied behavior analysis (ABA) to develop treatment plans for her patients. Established in the 1970s, the discipline and practice of ABA are based on findings that when behavior is rewarded, it’s more likely to be repeated.

Valdovinos witnessed dramatic improvement as patients replaced challenging behaviors with adaptive ones.

But she was troubled by additional obstacles: So many families had to make long drives to see specialists; so many clinics had open positions they couldn’t fill.

That year, nearly 11,000 Iowa kids had autism diagnoses, but only 89 people in the state were certified to develop ABA treatment plans—a ratio of one professional to every 124 children in a field where caseloads typically top out at one per 10 or 12 patients.

Also disconcerting: Kids waiting to be seen were essentially put on hold—some medicated and hospitalized—at a time when treatment could change the trajectory of their lives.

“It was really disheartening,” says Valdovinos.

Sheryl and Craig Kalman of St. Louis understand autism on a personal level. Their son, Kenny, was diagnosed with Aspberger syndrome—now included under the ASD umbrella—when he was 6. Born with a condition called Stickler syndrome, he also had to navigate hearing, sight, and motor difficulties.

But in a twist of fortune, he was born the year the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 became law, opening opportunities that had never been available to individuals with challenges like his. Now 27, Kenny holds a master’s degree in public administration and works as a management and program analyst in the area of adult education and literacy for the U.S. Department of Education.

His parents credit his perseverance and some talented teachers. “He had a phenomenal fourth-grade teacher who by classroom design brought out the best in all his students,” says Sheryl (Shapiro) Kalman, bn’85.

“Tests and assignments were designed based on student levels. He also taught respect and the importance of embracing diversity.”

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She and her husband advocated for opportunities, too.

“When Kenny was in high school, we successfully fought for him to be in honors history, where he excelled,” says Sheryl. “He also benefited from having time to work on social skills and did best when he had a place to go when reaching sensory overload.”

While the Kalmans celebrate advances in understanding ASD, they question the cost of conformity. “Some of our greatest minds happened to think differently,” says Craig Kalman, bn’85, director of health care economics with UnitedHealth Group. “Many on the autism spectrum have their own form of creativity, and adapting behaviors to mainstream society may keep people from noticing their strengths and abilities.”

He points to changing hiring practices at companies like Microsoft, where traditional interviews have been replaced with workshops to let candidates with autism demonstrate their skills. “The Americans with Disabilities Act opened up college campuses,” says Craig Kalman, “but if society doesn’t accept them after college, all the skills developed are useless” Kenny Kalman encourages a collective effort. “It’s important that employers and society accept people with autism for their strengths and who they are,” he says. “It’s also good as human beings to be open to constructive feedback, and for people on the spectrum to think through feedback, and work with friends, families, employers, and professionals to improve themselves.”

Shelby Meyerink thinks about that balance often.

A board-certified applied behavior analyst and clinic supervisor with The Homestead in Altoona, Iowa, Meyerink, as’10, oversees programs to help autistic clients more fully participate in school and work. Society benefits, she says, when the rest of us better understand the contributions those on the spectrum can make.

People with autism, explains Meyerink, often stand out in jobs that require attention to detail—from lawn and garden work to accounting, computer programming, and engineering. “Where others might perceive a person with autism as rigid, that determination may show passion and commitment that leads to high levels of productivity.”

And while a person with autism might not enjoy water cooler chats, “that doesn’t mean they don’t enjoy having

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“We Can Effect Change” Sacha Pence, director of Drake’s new master’s degree program in applied behavior analysis, has seen ABA change lives. A doctorate-level certified behavior analyst, she has worked with kids on the most severe end of the spectrum. Kids such as 8-year-old Matthew (not his real name).

“He was at or above his peers cognitively,” says Pence. But Matthew would launch into rages, biting his aide, overturning desks, and running away. “To staff, his behavior was unpredictable.”

As a result, Matthew was spending entire school days in an isolation room with a special education paraprofessional.

Pence first determined why he engaged in problem behavior—to get attention and escape work he found difficult—and then developed a “token economy” system, with rewards for things he liked—extra iPad time and bigger snacks.

Working the plan, Matthew gained skills to comply with tasks, and learned to tap a card to ask for a break when overwhelmed. “Once they had something that worked, they were able to get him back in the classroom,” says Pence. “The transformation was amazing.”

A relatively new field, ABA hasn’t escaped scrutiny. As children on the spectrum have come of age, some describe all-day sessions that would exasperate any toddler. Others say they received electric shocks or that toys and even affection were withheld.

a job and having relationships, because they do, even if it looks different than what we might expect.”

Meyerink suggests new expectations of workplace relationships. “Rather than saying, ‘This person has not bonded with the team,’ we need to look at ways to help make them part of the team. They might enjoy hands-on activities and things with more structure rather than small talk about the weather.”

Brandon Arkland exceeded the expectations society had for him when he was diagnosed on the autism spectrum as a 4-year-old who still wasn’t talking.

“Clinicians told my parents that maybe I could expect to have a job as a janitor.”

He says he was lucky—he didn’t face the behavioral challenges others with ASD often do. He also had strong support from his parents, who helped him sort through each day, learning from interactions that hadn’t made sense in the moment.

When he got to college, his circle of friends deepened, as did his resolve. When bright, buzzing fluorescent lights flooded his senses and disrupted his focus, he moved to the lecture hall’s front row. When others partied, he studied.

Arkland graduated from Iowa State University in just three years while also finding his voice as an advocate.

He served on the board of directors for the Autism

Pence says uncredentialed individuals were responsible for some of those practices, and that feedback nudged the field to focus on methods less restrictive, more individualized, more positive, and more specific to skills that matter in building social connections, opportunities, and leisure interests.

The goal, says Pence, is full, satisfying lives for people who might have been institutionalized and isolated a generation or two ago.

And while early intervention is best, it’s never too late to improve a life—which Drake’s new program will equip its grads to do.

“We can effect change no matter what age people are.”

Society of Iowa and the Iowa Autism Council while managing a part-time job with The Homestead. That’s where he saw the experiences of his childhood adding up to an edge: He understood what his clients were facing. He saw their potential.

This summer, Arkland was accepted to two graduate programs—one in social work and the other a new master’s-level program in ABA that Maria Valdovinos successfully championed at Drake.

It was the letter from Sacha Pence, director of Drake’s new program, that he posted on his Facebook wall to announce his decision. In August, Arkland began classes as part of the School of Education program’s first cohort.

He hopes to someday manage a clinic.

“With my life experience and now my education, I feel like I’ll be able to really make a difference,” says Arkland. “This program at Drake is exactly what I want to do. It’s a perfect fit.”

Learn more about ASD: autismspeaks.org Learn how your business can support employees with autism: thehomestead.org Share your experience with autism: Email bluemag@drake.edu.

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Momentum by Moments PRESIDENT MARTIN FINDS THAT A COLLECTION OF SMALL BUT POWERFUL EXPERIENCES BEST AFFIRMS DRAKE’S MISSION.

By Aaron W. Jaco, jo’07, as’07, gr’14

Marty Martin’s tenure as the 13th president of the University has so far been marked by major initiatives that transformed the campus landscape and elevated Drake to greater national prominence. For Martin, the most memorable moments of his first two years haven’t necessarily been the most momentous. Instead, in less obvious, more personal exchanges, he has confirmed the character of the University: its commitment to service, its collaborative spirit, and its mission-driven focus on students.

Nov. 14, 2015: The three leading contenders for the Democratic presidential nomination had left the stage of Sheslow Auditorium, and most of the 250 journalists who held press credentials for the evening’s debate streamed over to Cartwright Hall and funneled into Kern Commons, a traditionally relaxed study lounge that became a throng of candidates and campaign staff members.

Rows of black drapes carved one wall into a series of narrow makeshift stalls, each with its own set of cameras and production lighting, where TV reporters were interviewing politicians and pundits. The room’s high windows, which would under normal circumstances afford a terrific view of Old Main—decked out in red, white, and blue exterior lighting for the occasion—had been obstructed by massive digital displays on which Twitter trends were scrolling in real-time. CBS News’ streaming video news channel was broadcasting from a stage set at shoulder-height above the crowd.

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President Martin entered the fray. His first inkling of Drake’s prominence in the national political sphere was four months earlier—during his first few weeks on the job, when he spotted Gwen Ifill, then-host of PBS NewsHour, broadcasting from the front steps of Old Main. But the spectacle that November night was something else entirely. A chance to hear pundits pontificate on the evening’s significance, to watch public attitude (and campaign tides) shift in real-time, to meet CBS News’ John Dickerson, maybe shake hands with the future president. But Martin’s focus was elsewhere.

“I was talking to as many students as I could,” he says.

“There were students working on news production teams, working directly for candidates and their campaigns, advocating for particular political or social issues, helping the Twitter team with social media—and some of them were first-years or sophomores, getting involved. It was amazing to see them in those roles ...I actually stayed on campus until 2:30 in the morning because I was hanging out with students, all of them political junkies.”

Oct. 15, 2016: President Martin and a group of University trustees climbed a naked concrete staircase inside the skeleton of what was still 14

months away from being the new Science Connector Building. The floors had been laid, and most of the structure’s exterior had been fleshed in, but only a few interior walls were in place. Amid the steel beams and ductwork and electrical cords, Martin helped his guests imagine the layout of this building in which generations

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of students will study science, technology, mathematics, and related fields. After three flights of stairs, the group stopped in a large area that had distinctly been designed as classroom space. Students would eventually study kinesiology, metabolic chemistry, injury rehabilitation, sports medicine, and other subjects related to human movement and wellness in this room—which, not coincidentally, offered a commanding view across Forest Avenue, high over the brick walls of Drake Stadium.

It’s a panorama worthy of an exclusive restaurant, or an executive office.

“There were quite a few jokes about, ‘This should be the president’s new office,’ and I didn’t necessarily disagree with them,” says Martin, who, standing there with the trustees, watched the kickoff of the Bulldogs’ home football game. “It was a wonderful moment. But history has me located in Old Main, so I’ll stick with that. Students and faculty members will put the room to better use than I could. The opening of these new buildings is, in at least one way, like the kickoff of a football game: It’s just the beginning.”

March 12, 2017: The Drake women’s basketball team had won 21 straight games and now, at the

conference championship—in front of an MVC recordsetting crowd—the game vs. University of Northern Iowa was up in the air. The Bulldogs were down 39-29 at the half. Passes weren’t moving as quickly as they should. Shots weren’t falling.

But in the third quarter, the game took a new direction.

The Bulldogs made a run to tie the game 42-42, and they stayed neck-and-neck with the Panthers—with the lead changing 13 times before the final buzzer. Four

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“The opening of these new buildings is, in at least one way, like the kickoff of a football game: It’s just the beginning.”

Bulldogs ended the game with more than 10 points; senior Lizzie Wendell, who was about to land among the top-scoring players in Drake history, happened to log fewer points than two teammates. Another senior standout, Caitlin Ingle, led the team in scoring—and crucially, sank a tough buzzer-beater to send the game into overtime. It was all Drake from there.

The win was thrilling, of course, but what most interested Martin was the uniquely Drake way the team won.

“A lot of coaches talk about having a system, or a plan, and it’s hard to look on the court and see what that is.

With Coach [Jennie] Baranczyk, it’s easy to see that system in action—I call it ‘The Machine.’ Everyone is expected to play, everybody makes a contribution. And when you come into the game, you go full bore the whole time.

“To me, that reflects the spirit of the University—the willingness to give back to the collective and inspire all of us to do better. It’s a culture of sharing the ball, looking for the best shot—whoever has it—and empowering everyone to take the shot. And if you make a mistake … yes, you’re going to hear about it, but the feedback will be delivered with love and with the goal of making the team better than it already is.”

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Mission Accomplished?

Send President Martin your ideas for the University’s future: president@drake.edu

April 28, 2017: Martin adjusted the fit of his clean white hardhat and picked up a shiny round point shovel. He joined a line of 16 guests, positioning

himself at Suzie Glazer Burt’s left elbow. The dirt they were about to turn on the northeast corner of campus was strictly ceremonial—the real earth movers wouldn’t arrive for months—but the photo op demonstrated their shared commitment.

A year and a half earlier, across a table in a Des Moines steak and seafood restaurant, Martin and Glazer Burt considered a vision for the future of Drake. She’d told him about her late grandfather, how he founded the Boys & Girls Club of Central Iowa more than 50 years ago, how she carried on that commitment to a nurturing space for youth in Des Moines. Martin came to understand the powerful role the University could now play.

“The club will serve children from kindergarten age to grade 12,” Martin says. “Part of the vision for the partnership is, when these students graduate from high school—and Drake has had a positive hand in that— they’ll say, ‘I’ll go to Drake, because I know this place.

It’s been my home away from home for so many years.’

I can’t think of anything we can do to have a more long-lasting, positive impact on this neighborhood than through this project.”

“That reflects the spirit of the University—the willingness to give back to the collective and inspire all of us to do better.”

Aug. 23, 2017 Martin stepped back in the entryway of Carpenter Hall as two students hauled a futon through the doorway and up a flight of

stairs. When the path was free, he returned to the south lawn to hoist another box, this one full of computer equipment. Dressed in jeans, tennis shoes, and a Drake T-shirt, he worked steadfastly alongside hundreds of students, faculty, and staff members, all volunteering to ease the transition for the Class of 2021.

One of the young men moving in that morning was Martin’s son—the second of two children who now attend the University. A few miles away, in the President’s House, another move-in process was underway. Martin’s wife, Laura, had recently relocated to Des Moines after remaining in Spokane, Washington, until their youngest son finished high school.

Vision was culminating in reality—two new academic buildings were open, construction was soon to begin on the Boys & Girls Club, 2020 hopefuls were already testing first-in-the-nation waters, another generation of students had arrived.

And Martin was surrounded by family. Not just his wife and children and pets but also an ardent network of Bulldogs living and advancing Drake’s mission.

The University had never felt more like home.

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now Temperature control was a priority for Drake’s new greenhouse.

Positioned atop the Science Connector Building, its glass ceilings have extendable shade cloths that help regulate both temperature and light intensity. Adjustments can be made by computer, and sensors email alerts when fluctuations are significant.

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& then Drake’s previous greenhouse, a tiny, standalone structure on the north side of campus, offered little functionality. It got so hot in the summer that only the geraniums survived. With no plumbing and no storage space, operators had to haul water and tools back and forth from Olin Hall.

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| class acts ’78

Peter Coniglio’s got a White House gig!

1950s Frank Gondela, ba’50, Norridge, Ill., received the 2017 Fisher House Volunteer of the Year Award. Frank has been volunteering at the Fisher House since March 2010.

1970s Bruce Thorsen, jo’70, Clive, Iowa, was appointed a public member of the Dallas County Board of Health by Dallas County Supervisors and appointed to the Iowa Dental Board as a public member by former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad.

James C. Carroll, la’72, Milton, Del., has created a website of his artwork: www.clarkcarroll.com.

Lizbeth (Anderson) Fitzgerald, la’73, Roselle, Ill., retired from her team administrator position at the Glenside Public Library in September 2016.

James Brusatte, la’74, Ottawa, Ill., was awarded a “Hero of Justice Award” by Illinois legal aid organization Prairie State Legal Services.

The award recognizes legal assistance to those in need over a career of at least 40 years.

R. Cary Capparelli, jo’74, Chicago, earned a PhD in geography from Birkbeck, University in London.

Lloyd Fry, jo’75, Chicago, has been elected chairman of the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, a Chicago-based philanthropic

organization founded by his grandfather. The foundation dedicates its grant-making to nonprofit organizations in the areas of education, arts learning, employment, and health.

David Luginbill, lw’76, Clive, Iowa, became a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Alan Ryerson, bn’76, Des Moines, was awarded the 2017 Distinguished Service Award at the Iowa Society of CPAs Leadership Conference and Annual Meeting. This award honors an Iowa CPA who has provided exceptional dedication and service to ISCPA and the profession.

Steven Jacobs, bn’77, gr’89, West Des Moines, was re-elected by the Board of Directors of the Alliance of International Corporate Advisors to serve as treasurer of the organization during the AICA’s 2017 Global Meeting in Oslo, Norway.

Judith (Miller) Steiner, gr’77, Fly Creek, N.Y., wrote the play Hell Haven, which was performed at the Glimmer Globe Theatre in Cooperstown, N.Y. David Wright, bn’77, Ann Arbor, Mich., was elected vice chair of the University of Michigan Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs (SACUA). The SACUA is a nine-person executive leadership arm

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Dog’s Best Friend Lamb bone broth soup. Organic pizza with sweet potato dough, red pepper sauce, and cauliflower cheese. Duck and sweet potato frozen pops. This is no prix fixe menu at an upscale French eatery but instead just a sampling of the canine cuisine Alicia Boemi whips up for her three dogs.

You can find the recipes for these healthy treats on Boemi’s blog, The DIY Dog Mom with Alicia. It’s just one part of her expanding all-natural animal welfare empire, which also includes online retail; social media consultancy; and the Mylah Medical Foundation, a nonprofit supporting care for homeless dogs with medical needs.

Boemi’s inspiration comes from her three fur babies: Izzy, Hudson, and Mylah. All rescues, they range in breed, age, disposition, and size, but all are equally spoiled.

“My love for dogs comes from always growing up with one,” says Boemi, as’08, jo’08.

“Dogs never judge you, they stick with you; they don’t care what you look like or who you are.”

Since she graduated from Drake with a dual degree in public relations and English, Boemi has dedicated her life and career to animal welfare causes. She’s worked in a variety of roles and has helped start two charitable causes, including the Mylah Medical Foundation, named for her own special needs dog who was diagnosed with diabetes at 10 months old.

Her full-time focus now is growing her niche business in the $60 billion pet industry. of the University Faculty Senate and consults with the regents, president, provost, and executive officers on university affairs.

“What I want to do is have a successful business that I’m passionate about, and that I can use to then support animal welfare causes. I want to help owners give their dogs the best, most healthy life possible.”

Greg Broer, bn’78, Houston, Texas, became chief actuary at Citizens, Inc. Peter Coniglio, lw’78, Fairfax, Va., has accepted a six-month detail to the White House Counsel’s Office as an Associate Counsel to the President. He is assigned to the clearance counsel section of the office.

Sharon Malheiro, jo’78, lw’89, Des Moines, was recognized on the list of 50 Heroes in 50 States by The Advocate magazine. In this article, Sharon is recognized for her role in the founding of

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THE YEAR WAS 1985 • Back to the Future is the highest grossing film of the year.

• The Nintendo Entertainment System is released in the United States.

• New Coke is introduced—and pulled from shelves less than three months later.

• Live Aid broadcasts 75 acts to 110 countries and raises $127 million for African famine relief.

Were you on campus in 1985?

Share your favorite memories: #DURemember or bluemag@drake.edu

• “Calvin and Hobbes” is first syndicated and soon to appear in the comics section of 2,400 newspapers.

• “The Golden Girls” and “MacGyver” debut on network television.

• Elmo joins the cast of “Sesame Street.”

One Iowa, the state’s largest LGBTQ advocacy organization, in 2005.

1980s Greg Boattenhammer, jo’80, gr’85, Prole, Iowa, has opened his own consulting firm, Bottom Line Strategies.

Timothy McCarthy II, la’80, lw’83, West Des Moines, Iowa, was sworn in as a member of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers at the association’s annual meeting in San Francisco.

42

Thomas Derrick, la’81, Omaha, Neb., retired from CenturyLink after nearly 44 years.

Robert Scheetz, gr’81, Des Moines, recently completed a one-year term as president of the Paradise Park Estates Activity Committee.

Jill Johnson, bn’82, gr’83, Fridley, Minn., president and founder of Johnson Consulting Services in Minneapolis, has been named to the Top Women in Finance Hall of Fame by Finance & Commerce newspaper. In the 16-year history of this award, she is the second woman honored with this recognition.

Christopher Knowles, gr’82, Vineyard Haven, Mass., wrote his latest book, The Eagle, The Bear and the Dragon: The Zumwalt’s Final Trial. Since 2002, he has published several novels.

His books and electronic books are now available through Amazon.com, Kindle Books and Nook Books.

Thomas Rossley, bn’82, Chicago, was promoted to executive vice president and national sales manager at Hutchison, Shockey, Erley & Co. Michael Fitzpatrick, la’84, Janesville, Wis., was elected to serve a six-year term on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals.

Patricia (Koehler) Joyce, lw’84, Sterling, Ill., has been selected as a Whiteside County resident circuit judge in the 14th Judicial Circuit of the state of Illinois.

Sharlene (Schultz) Kenyon, jo’85, Vinita, Okla., earned her PhD in education from Oklahoma State University.

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Gas, Food & Launching Frank Beard was hungry for change. He was determined to lose weight and lead a healthy lifestyle. While documenting his journey on a personal website (frankbeard.org), he got an idea.

“I just thought to myself, ‘I’ll do the craziest thing I can think of,’” says Beard, as’08, who at the time was traveling the country doing inspection work for an engineering company.

He had already lost 80 pounds and wanted to create something that would bring greater public attention to healthy choices. And tackle one of the biggest barriers: eating out.

He started a social experiment, eating only in convenience stores for 30 days straight— every meal. His goal was to gain no more than five pounds. After traveling through nine states and visiting over 200 convenience stores, he’d lost six.

Beard wanted to dispel the myth that eating out means you don’t have healthy options.

He says he did it at just the right time, as the convenience store industry began pushing healthy options in their stores to accommodate changing consumer demand. His advice for those foraging in gas stations: Look for the open-air coolers that often offer fresh fruit, salads, and sandwiches.

Wendy Olson, jo’86, Boise, Idaho, was selected by the Idaho State Bar’s Diversity Section as the recipient of its 2017 “Justice for All” award. The award highlights the progress and impact an individual has made in bringing opportunities of the law to bear to protect against discrimination.

Beard’s experiment caught the attention of GasBuddy, an app that searches gas prices by location in the United States and Canada. It was named one of the 100 Best iPhone Apps of 2017 by PC Magazine and has been downloaded by 66 million users. The company hired Beard as its Analyst/Evangelist of Convenience Store and Retail Trends, and a new career was launched. He speaks publicly on the subject for GasBuddy, most notably at the May 2017 Building a Healthier Future Summit, which also hosted Michelle Obama and Bill Clinton.

Beard continues to tell his story. Follow him on Twitter (@FrankBeard) and Instagram (@30daysofgasstationfood) as he shares his favorite convenience store finds.

Mary Ellen Kimball, gr’89, Osceola, Iowa designed the logo for Iowa Women Pilots 99s Chapter & Regional Fly-In.

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Jockeying for Fame The popular morning personality on Marshalltown, Iowa’s KFJB talk radio station, DJ Kyle Martin, jo’89, is a passionate promoter of oldies rock ‘n’ roll, and an emcee of concerts across the state. His 30-year legacy in Iowa radio recently landed him a coveted spot in the Iowa Rock ‘n Roll Music Association’s Hall of Fame, which inducted him in September.

When Martin arrived on campus in 1985 as a radio/TV broadcasting major, he immediately took the helm of his own show at Drake’s KDRK. His audience was limited; the signal transmitted through electrical outlets reached only students in the residence halls. Small audience, big ideas.

“My professors—like Todd Evans, who I’m still friends with—let you choose what you wanted to do on the radio. I always had a love for oldies rock ‘n roll—Buddy Holly, the Beatles—and I started doing a show like that.”

One of his early triumphs was tracking down and interviewing his idol, Dean Torrence from the ‘60s surf music duo Jan and Dean. He further cemented his Drake radio legacy when he and fellow DJ Rob Sobkoviak, jo’90, held a 48-hour radio marathon, and local media picked up on the event.

In Martin’s sophomore year, Des Moines’ revered oldies station KIOA asked him to work as a DJ, then offered him a full-time position when he graduated. He later DJed at stations in Ames and Grinnell/Newton before moving to an Ottumwa station where he segued into the talk radio format. Since then, he’s been interviewing luminaries from the early years of rock ‘n’ roll.

“One of the neatest ones was Pete Best, the Beatles drummer before Ringo. I sat down with him at a picnic table in a cow pasture in What Cheer, Iowa, and talked about the early days of the Beatles.”

Today, Martin returns to Drake’s campus whenever he can for career fairs and to speak to classes.

“I love stepping into the control booth in the basement of Meredith to see what the latest toy is,” says Martin. “And I love to talk to the young journalism students and look for potential up-and-comers. I remember being there.”

1990s Johnny Taylor Jr., gr’91, lw’92, Washington, D.C., was named president and CEO of the Society for Human Resource Management, an organization with 285,000 members.

Rinky Parwani, bn’92, gr’93, Tampa, Fla., was honored by the Florida Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Pro Bono

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’02

Andy Verlengia.

Remember the name, Bulldogs.

Committee, Have A Heart, and the Bay Area Legal Services Volunteer Lawyers Program with the Outstanding Pro Bono Service by a Law Firm Award.

Darcy (Tague) Doty, ed’98, gr’04, ‘11, Urbandale, Iowa, became an education and information manager for the Iowa Department of Transportation.

Sarah Larson, as’93, Sellersville, Pa., was named to the development committee of HealthLink Dental Clinic.

Elizabeth “Buffy” HigginsBeard, as’98, Wheaton, Ill., was hired as the U.S. CEO for the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, the world’s leading youth award for 14– to 24-year-olds in more than 140 countries.

Donald Feinstein, jo’95, Northbrook, Ill., was promoted to associate publisher of American Trade Magazines LLC. Christian Baughman, as’97, Clive, Iowa, was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Dubuque Colts Drum and Bugle Corps organization.

Ossie Kendrix, gr’99, Milwaukee, Wis., was named president and CEO of the African American Chamber of Commerce of Wisconsin

William Watson, gr’01, Urbandale, Iowa, was honored by the Ray Center with the Character Champion Award.

Kelly Nass, jo’99, Toluca Lake, Calif., became the production coordinator for Universal Television, LLC’s “Chicago Med.”

Andy Verlengia, jo’02, Des Moines, is the new director of Alumni Relations for Drake University.

2000s Kristy Anderson, as’01, Arlington, Va., became the senior government relations advisor for the American Heart Association.

Julie Smith, bn’01, Cook, Neb., was sworn in as a district court judge in the First Judicial District of Nebraska.

Frank Beard, as’04, Ankeny, Iowa, joined the team at GasBuddy as an analyst for convenience store and retail trends. After completing the popular “30 Days of Gas Station Food” experiment he has become an in-demand public speaker.

Jonica (Joey) Taylor-Moon, jo’04, gr’07, Des Moines, became the director of marketing at Hubbell Realty Company.

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G

PL

A

T BUL LD O

NE

IN

M

TW

N

FALL 2017

C I T I ES,

Twin Cities ‘Dogs Sharing space along I-35 just 250 miles directly north of Drake’s campus, the cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis are home to more than 3,500 alumni—the third largest community of Bulldogs in the United States.

A committed group maintains a strong true-Blue community. Among the many local alumni events of the past year: a yoga class, National Game Watch days, group trips for baseball and soccer games, and a first-year sendoff for area students moving to Des Moines to attend Drake.

“The Twin Cities alumni group is active because we have such a strong core of dedicated individuals committed to keeping the programming interesting and appealing to a broad range of alums,” says Martha Capps, jo’78, vice president of client experience at Hanley Wood Marketing in Minneapolis.

Capps, a member of both the Regional Alumni Board and the National Alumni Board, was at Target Field the night the Twins lost but a fellow Bulldog caught a foul ball during a memorable Take Me Out to the Ball Game event. She helped promote the recent Let’s DU Breakfast event (featuring Mark Coyle, as’91, gr’92, director of athletics for the University of Minnesota) and spent

How do Bulldogs run with the pack in your place on the planet? bluemag@drake.edu

time this past summer writing personal notes to incoming Drake students.

“I wanted to make them feel welcome and offer any assistance I could,” she says. “I heard back from a couple of them. They were so appreciative and I think surprised at the personal touch.”

Alex Farrel, as’05, an intellectual property attorney with Hellmuth & Johnson, PLLC in Minneapolis, lost touch for a couple of years, but recently reconnected with fellow Bulldogs in the area.

“I’ve been happy with the group and have gotten a lot of enthusiasm when I reach out to others,” he says. “It’s nice to know that other alumni have the same sense of pride that I do. We have a lot of shared experiences that we bond over.”

Farrel organized the Let’s DU Breakfast event with Mark Coyle, and he hopes to get graduates from his era and earlier more involved in the organization.

“Our group is really driven by recent graduates. Those who’ve graduated in the past 10 years are playing a large role in creating events,” he says.

“Expanding the group is a good way for alumni of different ages and from different eras to get together and meet each other and benefit from each other’s experiences.”

Eric Bein, jo’05, gr’11, Rockville, Md., became a market research manager at the United States Pharmacopeial Convention.

Shelley (Bechler) Hurst, ed’05, gr’14, Waukee, Iowa, became the assistant registrar at Mercy College of Health Sciences Ruby Nancy, gr’05, Greenville, N.C., earned her MA in English from Western Illinois University.

Timothy Ryder, jo’05, Chicago, wrote and performed on “Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Return,” which is currently streaming 14 new episodes of the classic cult comedy on Netflix.

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’05

Timothy Ryder helped bring back a cult comedy classic.

Kristine (Spefskage) Stone, lw’06, Bettendorf, Iowa, joined Ahlers & Cooney Law Firm in the Government Law Practice Area.

Joshua Goldberg, as’06, Arlington, Va., has been promoted to partner at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, LLP, one of the largest intellectual property law firms in the world.

Heather Said, as’06, Omaha, Neb., became an assistant professor of maternal fetal medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Robert Hodges, lw’07, Ankeny, Iowa, joined the Brown Winnick Law Firm.

Emily (Kruth) Stork, lw’07, Johnston, Iowa, was elected as a shareholder at the Davis Brown Law Firm.

Tyler Watt, bn’07, Raymore, Mo., became an analyst, business development, at Tortoise Capital Advisors.

Justin Colbert, ed’08, Iowa City, Iowa, became the Assistant Principal at Liberty High School.

Allison Edwards, as’09, Westwood, Kan., has opened her own medical practice, Kansas City Direct Primary Care.

Kristin (Billingsley) Cooper, lw’10, West Des Moines, Iowa, was elected as a shareholder at Ahlers & Cooney.

2010s Channel De Leon, ph’12, Boston, was honored with the Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience Preceptor of the Year Award.

Dekow Sagar, gr’13, Des Moines, published a memoir, Life in Exile: The Untold Story of Civil War and Refugee Life.

Bjorn Berg, gr’13, Madison, Wis., was recognized as one of the city’s 40 Under 40.

The distinction is given to business and community leaders under the age of 40 who have achieved success and made an impact on the greater Madison area.

Janet Wilwerding, gr’13, Ankeny, Iowa, became a communication specialist with the city of Johnston.

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Nation Building Many Iowans might be challenged to point out Kosovo on a map. The tiny southeastern European country declared independence less than a decade ago. At the time, Michael Wunn, jo’91, lw’01, bn’01 was stateside, having completed a yearlong peacekeeping mission in Kosovo for the Iowa National Guard two years earlier. He didn’t think he’d return.

In 2011, a partnership between the young nation and Iowa was formalized by the National Guard State Partnership Program, which connects Guard divisions from across the country with nations around the world. Wunn soon found himself headed back to Kosovo as a new state partnership director.

“What really attracted me to [the position] was the ability to continue working with Kosovars and seeing the further development of their country,” says Wunn about working alongside those who wrote the Kosovar constitution. “Not very many people have this type of an opportunity.”

The young country is establishing new institutions, and the partnership opens many doors for sharing. Kosovo’s Minister of Education toured parts of the Iowan education system. Other Kosovars have toured Iowan farming operations, and the United States has sent cattle embryos to Kosovo to improve the genetics of their local herds. Iowan judges have visited to assist with their new judicial system.

“It’s really unlimited,” says Wunn. “There’s no rule book saying that when you do these partnerships, this is what it should look like. You get to be creative.”

Wunn is in contact with Kosovars almost daily through email, teleconferences, and face-to-face meetings in Iowa and Kosovo. His responsibilities include coordinating military training and exercises between the Iowa National Guard and Kosovo’s equivalent military force but leaves room for much more. He often hosts Kosovars at his home for barbecues and is a frequent guest in Kosovar homes for shared meals. He sees many parallels between Iowa and Kosovo.

“You come to realize how much they’re like us,” says Wunn, describing a similar expanse of rural farmland in Kosovar. “There are a lot of similarities to people I know and people I grew up with in the Midwest. One of the reasons they’re such a good partner for us is that we have so much in common.”

Editor’s Note: Information listed was submitted prior to Aug. 18, 2017, and may be edited for clarity and space.

Class Codes as* Arts & Sciences bn Business & Public Administration dv Divinity ed Education fa* Fine Arts

gr Graduate Studies jo Journalism & Mass Communication la* Liberal Arts lw Law ph Pharmacy &

Health Sciences *The reorganization of Drake’s colleges and schools in 1987 combined liberal arts and fine arts. Pre-1987 alumni are identified with la or fa; post-1987 with as.

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’15

Chelsea Dubczak took the crown!

Photo by Say Uncle! Photography

Chelsea Dubczak, as’15, Urbandale, Iowa, was crowned the new Miss Iowa and competed for the title of Miss America on Sept. 10.

Brandon Geib, lw’15, Windsor Heights, Iowa, became the director of public policy for the Alzheimer’s Association.

Mikhala Stutzman, as’15, Minneapolis, became the faculty and department support coordinator at the University of Minnesota.

Michael “Ryan” Yashack, gr’15, Pensacola, Fla., is now an officer in the United States Air Force and has been selected to be a Combat Systems Officer.

He will earn his wings in February 2018.

Sean Callison, lw’16, Urbandale, Iowa, joined the corporate group of Faegre Baker Daniels in the firm’s Des Moines office.

Brian Foddrill, lw’16, Kelley, Iowa, became an attorney at Foddrill Law Firm, P.C.

Got News?

Share what’s happening in your life—professional and personal—by submitting a class note and photo: Visit alumni.drake.edu/update.

Join fellow Bulldogs online! alumni.drake.edu /socialmedia

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In Memoriam 1930s Eileen (Hartman) McCormick, ed’34, Des Moines Wendell Wendt, bn’39, Newton, Iowa

1940s Kathryn “Nan” (Schwaegler) Bowen, ed’41, Clive, Iowa Jeanette (Hoyt) Ziesman, ed’42, gr’68, Des Moines William Anderson, bn’47, Des Moines Barbara (Hoover) Kiburz, ‘47, Tingley, Iowa Stanley Barman, la’48, Des Moines Betty (Dillavou) Durden, la’48, gr’71, gr’90, Urbandale, Iowa Esther (Kroloff) Sandler, ‘48, Des Moines John Wallace, bn’48, Des Moines Frank Ball Jr., la’49, lw’51, Fort Worth, Texas Otto Bieber, bn’49, Davenport, Iowa Mary (Lambert) Bottke, ‘49, Urbandale, Iowa Norma (Wood) Bowlsby, ed’49, Des Moines Robert Boyt, la’49, Sioux Falls, S.D. Edward Damerval, bn’49, Des Moines Marilyn (Post) Juliano, ‘49, Des Moines Virginia (Hanrahan) Kinney, ‘49, Clive, Iowa Jeraldine (Johnson) Kubicek, ed’49, ed’50, Clive, Iowa Max Poole, ed’49, gr’54, Des Moines

1950s Daniel Cliffford, bn’50, Des Moines Mary (Bicksler) Duncan, la’50, San Diego John Hollingsworth, bn’50, Des Moines Raymond Kolz, la’50, Des Moines Constance (Egeland) Lorentzen, ed’50, Des Moines Wayne Masters, ph’50, Sioux City, Iowa Harold Rathert, ed’50, gr’54, Des Moines Jack Macy, ed’51, Mahomet, Ill. Murray Polinsky, bn’51, Ridgefield, N.J. Merlin Scholl, ed’51, gr’55, gr’69, gr’76, Mason City, Iowa Charles Wasker, la’51, lw’52, West Des Moines Alice (Cheever) Carpenter, ed’52, gr’60, Orland Park, Ill. James Dixon, la’52, Richmond, Calif.

Allan Freund, la’52, Lawrence Township, N.J.

50

William Longman, la’53, Watertown, Mass.

Rosemarie VanDyck, gr’53, Des Moines Duane Blesz, ‘54, Clive, Iowa Amy Lou (Miller) Garlock, ‘54, Winfield, Iowa Nancy (Graffam) Held, ed’54, gr’55, Marshall, Mich.

Rex Hicks, fa’54, gr’56, Dayton, Ohio George Smith, ‘54, Phoenix, Ariz.

Terry O’Connor, ph’55, Altoona, Iowa Drew Tillotson, bn’55, lw’55, Windsor Heights, Iowa Vesta Burrows, ‘56, Huntington Beach, Calif.

Bill Grother, bn’56, Eldridge, Iowa Harley Whitfield, lw’56, Spirit Lake, Iowa William Collingwood, bn’57, Morton, Ill. John Frangos, la’57, Port Richey, Fla. Hollis Haworth, bn’57, Columbia, Mo. Gordon Loy, ph’57, Sarasota, Fla. Cleo Branjord, ed’58, Sioux Falls, S.D. Joyce (Graham) Brown, la’58, gr’70, West Des Moines Hugh Glissman, ph’58, Knoxville, Iowa Melvin Hall, ed’58, Des Moines Larry Hamilton, ed’58, Mableton, Ga. Janice (Bowers) Moore, ed’59, Boise, Idaho Marvin VanSickle, gr’59, Indianola, Iowa Jack Zohn, lw’59, Des Moines

1960s Richard Boyce, la’60, Indianola, Iowa Larry Brubaker, la’60, West Des Moines Mary (Sheeler) Kingdon, ed’60, Monroe, Iowa Elaine Long, fa’60, Des Moines Clair McGriff, bn’60, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Robert Eiten, ph’61, LaSalle, Ill. Clarke Cordes, ph’62, North Richland Hills, Texas Donn Modlin, fa’62, gr’63, Indianola, Iowa Nancy (Brown) Mooney, ed’62, Sainte Genevieve, Mo. Mary Neu, fa’62, gr’68, Mattawan, Mich.

John Harvey, ed’63, gr’69, Des Moines James McCullagh, bn’63, Sunrise, Ariz.

Arlene (Hawkins) McKnight, ed’63, Chariton, Iowa Mary (Wittrig) Sherer, gr’63, Indianola, Iowa Edward St. Mary, bn’63, Bonita Springs, Fla.

Sophie (Pargas) Vlassis, la’63, Des Moines Edis Anderson, gr’64, Moline, Ill. Dan Johnston, lw’64, Des Moines Olive (Blackburn) Umbaugh, ed’65, Ankeny, Iowa Frazier Coffie, gr’66, Blue Ridge, Ga. Evelyn (Kile) Coffman, ed’66, Winterset, Iowa.

Robert Hulling, gr’66, gr’71, Clive, Iowa Janice (Bentley) Kalbach, ed’66, Menlo, Iowa Jeffery McFrath, jo’66, Highland Park, Ill. Virginia (Johnson) Zinger, ed’66, gr’74, Des Moines Phyllis (Askari) Deaton, la’67, Atlanta, Ga. Bette (Mateer) Dilley, la’67, Oskaloosa, Iowa Shirley (Smith) McQuistan, ed’67, gr’73, Ankeny, Iowa Patrick Moran, ed’67, gr’72, ‘92, Windsor Heights, Iowa Arlene (Roberts) Morris, gr’67, Spring, Texas Theodore Porter, bn’67, Crystal Lake, Ill. Sidney (Cook) Alber, ed’68, gr’73, West Des Moines Terry Hutchins, jo’68, West Des Moines Ronald Johnson, bn’68, Strongsville, Ohio Janet (Patton) Brady, ed’69, Sioux Falls, S.D. William Woodring, bn’69, Riverside, Calif.

1970s Vernon Anthofer, bn’70, Waukee, Iowa Marvel (Shannon) Hall, la’70, Sun Lakes, Ariz.

Gary Jones, la’70, Runnells, Iowa Loretta (Riley) Tracy, ed’70, Ankeny, Iowa Amie Jo (Miller) Ross, ed’71, Colorado Springs, Colo.

James Yates, la’71, Ocala, Fla. Glenn Crellin, la’72, Seattle, Wash.

Stephen Cunningham, fa’72, West Des Moines Walter Johnson, lw’72, Des Moines Theodore Boecker, lw’73, Des Moines Marie (Keating) Evers, ed’73, Soldier, Iowa Leonard Rife, la’73, Des Moines Richard Mohler, la’74, Ames, Iowa Nile Tannatt, bn’74, bn’84, Des Moines Larry Anderson, bn’75, Huxley, Iowa Earnestine Boos, ed’75, Indianola, Iowa

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Mary (Bjorndahl) Hemmingson, ed’75, Urbandale, Iowa Thomas Beran, gr’76, Palm Springs, Calif.

Lois (Puderbaugh) Bird, ed’76, gr’79, Iowa City, Iowa Lucille (Colvin) Jamison, la’76, Des Moines Robert Matteson, la’76, Evergreen, Colo.

Donald Sloan, ed’76, gr’78, Des Moines Paula Duke, ed’77, gr’83, Des Moines Carol (Meyer) Evans, gr’77, Johnston, Iowa Owana McLester-Greenfield, gr’78, Des Moines Kent McMullen, ph’79, Johnston, Iowa Roger Myers, gr’79, ‘93, Clive, Iowa Harry Watson, lw’79, Plano, Texas

1980s

New Acts weddings Thomas Leahy, la’60, lw’66, to Nora Leahy, May 18, 2017 Lori Schoenthaler, jo’86, to Peter Cattaneo, August 20, 2016 Allison Britton, as’03, to Christoper Zahn, August 5, 2017 Amanda Kasper, as’08, to Richard Osowski, September 2, 2017 Craig Nelson, as’08, to Pamela Neubauer, as’10, October 15, 2016 Elizabeth “Buffy” Higgins-Beard, as’09, to Gregory Beard, September 17, 2016 Crystal Nance, as’10, jo’10, to Marquis Everett, December 16, 2016 Kristin Coppa, bn’11, to Eric Schafernak, ph’13, March 4, 2017 Kirsten Anderson, bn’13, to Caleb Warner, ph’15, West Des Moines

Nancy Koons, fa’80, Des Moines Mitchell Espe, la’81, Newbury Park, Calif.

Robert Hartzler, gr’83, Coralville, Iowa Michael Morrow, jo’83, Ankeny, Iowa John Joseph, la’85, Waukee, Iowa Roger Stoneking, bn’85, Bettendorf, Iowa Emmett Cooney, gr’86, Duncombe, Iowa Brenda Williams, as’88, Indianola, Iowa Nancy Burda, gr’89, Schleswig, Iowa

Rebecca Henry, as’13, to Matthew Nash, May 19, 2017

1990s

Crystal Anderson, bn’00, gr’01, and Jeff Paul, Downers Grove, Ill., a son, Calan William.

Arlene (Campbell) Edmondson, ph’90, Ankeny, Iowa Jennifer (Jensen) Peterson, gr’94, Iowa City, Iowa Sarah (Camody) Thornton, as’95, Blue Springs, Mo. Mary (Halliday) Nigut, ph’96, Indianola, Iowa Lenette (Michael) Swanson, gr’97, Newton, Iowa Angela (Haines) Mann, gr’98, Ankeny, Iowa Scot Squires, gr’98, Kansas City, Mo.

Brad Hurst, as’01, gr’06, and Shelly (Bechler) Hurst, ed’05, gr’14, Waukee, Iowa, a daughter, Holly Elizabeth

2000s Kelly Donovan, as’09, Seattle

Anthony Lilienthal, as’13, to Shay Miller, as’15, ed’15, April 22, 2017 Paige Johnson, as’14, to Adam Green, bn’15, May 27, 2017

births and adoptions Doug Bend, as’99, and Joanne, San Francisco, a daughter, Madeleine Zhuo-Li

Christie (Gebauer) Denniston, jo’02, gr’04, and Mark Denniston, Ogden, Utah, a son, Anders Aaron.

Jeff Seaman, bn’03, and Marie Seaman, Phoenix, Ariz., a son, Grayson William Andrea (Diaz) Petrovich, lw’07, and Andrew Petrovich, lw’07, Des Moines, a son, Alphonse Luis.

Dana (Gustafson) Dossett, as’09, and Corey Dossett, ph’09, gr’09, Wauwatosa, Wis., a son, Micah Drake Pamela (Neubauer) Nelson, as’10, and Craig Nelson, as’08, Des Moines, a daughter, Gemma Alice Olga Reding, bn’16, and Brian Reding, New Castle, Colo., a son, Walter Daniel.

2010s Jennifer (Stickley) Lowe, gr’11, Grimes, Iowa

class acts | fall 2017 | blue

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| the b-side

Actuary by day, brewmaster by night, Bulldog forever.

Jeff Heng, bn’92

Jeff Heng took a calculated risk.

Tapping his dream of business ownership and a passion for beer, he partnered with longtime friend Shawn McNeeley in 2016 to open a brewery in Ankeny, Iowa.

When the two first contemplated the venture, they both had day jobs. The amount of time the pair would have to spend away from family inspired the new business’ name: Mistress Brewing.

Living up to its name, the business has grown and become more demanding, with plans to add a tap room. Heng still works as an actuary but aims to take early retirement within the next few years in order to devote himself to the craft.

He credits his base knowledge of running a business to Drake’s unique actuarial science program. While similar programs at most other schools reside in the math department, Drake’s program resides within the College of Business and Public Administration, where students learn about actuarial practices while gaining valuable base business knowledge.

“Drake prepared me to seize life’s opportunities. I have the energy, passion, and education needed to thrive in the corporate arena or start a business, thanks to Drake.”

In other words, the pint glass is always half full.

What’s spinning on your B-side?

Tell us about your hobby, passion, volunteer gig, favorite pastime, diversion, or obsession: bluemag@drake.edu 52

blue | fall 2017 | the b-side

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| alumni calendar november

december Drake vs. University of San Diego Football Tailgate Nov. 4, 2017 San Diego

Let’s DU Lunch Nov. 1, 2017 Des Moines

An Evening with Douglas Brinkley, Bucksbaum Lecture Nov. 14, 2017 Des Moines Student & Alumni Networking Event Nov. 16, 2017 Des Moines

january

Drake vs. University of Minnesota Basketball Pre-game Gathering Dec. 11, 2017 Minneapolis Deadline: National Alumni Award Nominations Dec. 11, 2017 alumni.drake.edu/ alumniawards

Hy-Vee Classic Pre-game Gathering Dec. 16, 2017 Des Moines

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

J-Term Networking Event Date TBD Washington, D.C.

Drake vs. Loyola Basketball Pre-game Gathering Feb. 7, 2018 Chicago

march

National Game Watch: Drake vs. UNI Basketball Feb. 10, 2018 Various locations

april Women’s Basketball MVC Tournament March 8–11, 2018 Moline, Ill.

Men’s Basketball MVC Tournament March 1–4, 2018 St. Louis

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Let’s DU Lunch March 7, 2018 Des Moines All-In Campaign April 5–6, 2018 Worldwide

Drake Relays April 26–28, 2018 Des Moines 50/60 Reunion April 26–28, 2018 Drake Campus

10/19/17 1:03 PM

top ETHNIC 2507 University Avenue Des Moines, Iowa 50311-4505

coll ollege ............

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onlin program most

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BEST CAMPUS FOOD

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national game watch

Bulldogs vs. Panthers February 10, 2018

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MOS PRO ......

top CO

Alumni are cheering on the Bulldogs in a location near you!

Hustle to alumni.drake.edu/events/game-watch to find updates to our playbook.

with a ..........

BES LAW SCHO

10/17/17 10:03 AM