drake blue spring 2009

Spring 2009blueDR

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BREAKINGthe MoldDRAKE UNIVERSITY

STRIVES TO REDEFINE

LEADERSHIP IN THE

21ST CENTURY

D R A K E blue The Magazine of Drake University22

As I talk with alumni, friends and colleaguesaround the country, the most frequent question — not surprisingly — is, “How isthe economic crisis affecting Drake University?I suspect that question is on your minds aswell. At the risk of sounding glib, the answeris perhaps best summarized by CharlesDickens’ opening line: “It was the best oftimes, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness …”As you well know, for Drake University, it

has been, in many ways, the best of times,and we’d like to think we’re managing themwisely: financial stability and budgetaryintegrity; strong enrollment demand andretention; $70 million in physical plantimprovements in the past six years; increasinglycompetitive faculty/staff salaries; growingrecognition as one of the country’s premiermaster’s universities; and outstanding student,faculty and staff achievements.At the same time, in the world outside the

campus, it is the worst of times (financially, atany rate). The current financial environmenthas necessitated a variety of responses fromcolleges and universities around the country,including debilitating budget cuts, hiringfreezes, and elimination of positions, coursesand programs.At Drake, we have been monitoring the

situation with great attentiveness and care.Fortunately, to date we have not found itnecessary to undertake any dramatic, short-termmeasures. As an enrollment-driven institution(75 percent of our operating revenues derivefrom tuition and room and board fees), with

endowment income accounting for only 6 percent of the operating budget, the keyissues are retention of current students andmeeting our enrollment goals for enteringfirst-year students and transfers. Our retention rate in recent years has

been extremely high, and we have significantlyexceeded our first-year enrollment goals forthe past two years. The critical question aswe plan for next year (and the years following)is the impact that the economic downturn willhave on our students’ (current and prospective)ability to afford Drake, even with our low cost(relative to our peers) and considerable ($44 million) commitment to financial aid.

We have been actively engaged in planningfor next year’s budget (and beyond). Theunusual financial environment requires, ofcourse, the ability to be flexible and responsivein the face of changing circumstances. Giventhat we will not know for sure whether or notwe have met (or exceeded) our enrollmentgoals until September 4 (when we do the“census” of enrolled students for the fallsemester), we have taken a three-pronged,integrated approach to budget planning fornext year:• First, we have implemented a set of precautionary measures, delaying or reducing certain types of expenditures until/if we are sure in the fall that we have the revenues to support them;

• Second, we have developed four possible budget scenarios (best case, likely case, worse case, worst case) based on four

different assumptions about net revenues and identified the indicators that we are tracking on a regular basis to maximize our ability to predict which scenario will ultimately be realized;

• Third, we are finalizing a University-wide contingency plan (related to the scenarios) that will indicate precisely those steps to be taken, in sequence, should we fall short of our revenue targets.

Thus, if our enrollments/revenues fallshort of the target, we already know exactlywhat we will do to respond. The good newsin all this is twofold: one of our strategic goalswas to create a University that had the strength,flexibility, resiliency and agility to managechange and to respond to the unexpected. Ourability to ride out the storm thus far suggeststhat we achieved that goal. The other reason for cautious — very cautious

— optimism is that the indicators that we aretracking continue to look strong. In addition webelieve that our “likely” scenario, which looksvery much like the past two years, continuesto be likely. We will keep you informed ofthe situation as we continue to monitor the critical indicators.

From thePresident. . .

Dr. David E. Maxwell, president

The unusual financial environment requires, of course, the ability to be flexible and

responsive in the face of changing circumstances.It would be foolish to expect, of course,

that the economic crisis will not affect DrakeUniversity in some ways — it is already havingan impact on endowment income and giftsto the annual fund. But if we continue tomeet our enrollment goals, and if our alumni and friends renew their philanthropiccommitment to the University, the “best of times” will continue at Drake, thanks to the energy, wisdom, commitment and generosityof everyone who has helped us get to this point.

The Magazine of Drake University D R A K E blue 33

Features

DepartmentsCAMPUS 4Basketball Standout Selected as Rhodes Scholar • Law School ReceivesHigh Marks • Journalism Student Honored for Academic Success,Community Involvement • Drake and Qwest Partner to Enhance GrowBulldogs Program • Music Fraternity, Student Win National Awards •Generous Gift Enhances Science Lab • Astronomy Students ReceivePrestigious Appointments • Student Publication Honored withPacemaker Award • Pharmacy Student Develops Program to Aid Clinicin Belize • Drake Law Review Ranked Nationally

8 SPORTSDrake Track Star Sets His Eyes on a New Relays Record • Double-DAward Winners • Pulliam Honored

FACULTY 10Drake Names New Provost • New Law Dean Announced • CBPA Facultyand Staff Connect Through Book Clubs to Discuss Leadership

22 ALUMNILove of the Profession and a Commitment to its Advancement Definethis Pharmacy Grad • New Alumni Director Named • Alumni AwardWinners Announced • Weaver Medal Winner Named • SJMC GradHonored • Law Alumni Recognized

PresidentDr. David E. Maxwell

Director of Marketing & Communications

Brooke A. Benschoter

Director of Alumni & Parent Programs

Blake Campbell

EDITORIAL STAFF

Editor Casey L. Gradischnig

Art DirectorCourtney Hartman

Class Notes EditorAbbie Hansen, JO’01

Graphic DesignersAmber Baker • Calee Himes

Writers/Copy EditorsAbbie Hansen, JO’01 • Tim Schmitt, GR’08

ContributorsLisa Lacher • Tory Thaemert Olson, JO’05

InternsAmy Benes • Nicole Freise

Emilee Richardson • Michelle Thilges

Publication SupportAndrea McDonough • Jaquie Summers

Drake blue is published as a service to Drake alumni, parentsand friends by the Drake University Office of Marketing andCommunications. Views expressed in Drake blue do not necessarily reflect opinions of the editors or the University. We welcome articles by and story ideas from and about Drakealumni. Send correspondence to Editor Casey L. Gradischnig,Drake University, 2507 University Ave., Des Moines, IA50311-4505. E-mail: [email protected].

Copyright Drake University 2009

To submit news or update your alumni file, contactDrake’s Office of Alumni and Parent Programs.

Call: 1-800-44-DRAKE, x3152E-mail: [email protected]: www.drake.edu/alumni

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11 HITTING THE HARD NOTESLaw professor tackles emotional subjectmatter, mounts successful opera.

21 IMPROV AND CHEESEBURGERSDaring choices and lifelong inspirationdefine the life of this Drake alum andMcDonald’s chairman.

14 WINDS OF CHANGEA revolution is under way in the mediaworld. And Drake’s School of Journalismand Mass Communication is prepared.

contents


BASKETBALL STANDOUTSELECTED AS RHODES SCHOLAR

Lindsay Whorton, a former Drakewomen’s basketball player with aperfect academic record, is oneof 32 Americans selected as aRhodes Scholar for 2009. She isDrake’s first Rhodes Scholar in 82 years. Whorton, who graduated in

December with majors in Englishand secondary education, was aguard who used up her eligibilitylast season. In her senior season,she was named first-team academicAll-American, First-Team All-Missouri Valley Conference andone of Drake’s team captains. A native of Independence, MO,

Whorton received a two-yearscholarship to study at OxfordUniversity in Oxford, England.She plans to study social policy and evidence-based social intervention.This year’s 32 Rhodes Scholars

were picked from 769 applicantsendorsed by 207 colleges anduniversities nationwide. About

80 scholars throughout theworld were chosen to becomethe 2009 class. Rhodes Scholars are selected

on the basis of high academicachievement, integrity of charac-ter, a spirit of unselfishness,respect for others, potential forleadership and physical vigor.

LAW SCHOOL RECEIVES HIGH MARKS

Drake law school faculty, adminis-trators, library and career servicesstaff drew praise from studentssurveyed for The Princeton Review’slatest ranking of the nation’s bestlaw schools. The rankings were released in

Princeton Review’s “Best 174 LawSchools” with the 2009 editionsof its annual law and businessschool guidebooks. To generatethe rankings, The Princeton Reviewused school-reported data andsurveyed 18,000 students fromthe 174 law schools from the2007–08, 2006–07 and 2005–06academic years.

The Law School alsoreceived high rankings onceagain by preLaw magazine.The winter 2009 edition ofthe magazine lists Drake asone of the top schools thatoffers intellectual propertyand advocacy and dispute resolution programs.

JOURNALISM STUDENT HONORED FOR ACADEMICSUCCESS, COMMUNITYINVOLVEMENTDanielle Edwards, a seniorcreative advertising andgraphic design major fromKansas City, MO, was named among 40 other collegestudents nationwide as a MostPromising Minority Studentby the American AdvertisingFederation. Edwards is the first winner

to represent Drake in theprogram, which recognizesexceptional students for theiracademic achievement andcommunity involvement. As part of her award,

Edwards received a scholarshipto attend an AAF conferencein New York City in Februarywhere she was recognized forher award, participated inprofessional developmentseminars and met withrecruiters from global advertising agencies. She was nominated by

Drake Assistant Professor ofAdvertising Dorothy Pisarski,who selected Edwards for thecompetition because of heracademic achievement, dedi-cation to the Drake and Iowacommunities and an essayexpressing her desire to workin advertising.

DRAKE AND QWEST PARTNER TO ENHANCE GROWBULLDOGS PROGRAMMore students at Des Moines’Phillips Traditional ElementarySchool will have the opportunity

to learn from Drake studentsand athletes, thanks to a$15,000 grant from the QwestFoundation. The grant to Drake’sSchool of Education will supportthe University’s Grow Bulldogsprogram at Phillips school.

continued on page 6

campusbuzzMusic highlights included theOasis Saxophone Quartet; a swing dance by the Drake Jazz Iensemble; and “To Be Certain ofthe Dawn,” a Holocaust oratorioby Stephen Paulus performed byDrake’s four choral ensembles,faculty soloists and a faculty/student orchestra. Theater pro-ductions included Euripides’The Bacchae, Habeas Corpusby Alan Bennett and “Carnage inthe Corn” stage combat workshop.Drake Opera Theatre presented A Night of Italian Comic Opera.The Writers and Critics Serieshosted poets Graham Foust,Natalie Diaz and Pablo Medina.The exhibit “Trauma, Trials andTriumph … As Evident ThroughArtistic Expression” was featuredat the School of Education. Drake’sHumanities Colloquium Seriesfeatured faculty lectures “War,Poverty, Democracy orConspiracy: Interpreting theOrigins of Terror in the FrenchRevolution” and “DecenteringDickens: Collaboration andAnonymity in Victorian Periodicals.”World trade expert Lori Wallachpresented “Alternatives toEconomic Globalization.”Agricultural expert FlorenceChenoweth presented a lectureon food as a human right. Drake’sCenter for Global Citizenship lectures included “Assessing 30Years of Reform in China” byRen Junfeng, professor of politicalscience at Fudan University inShanghai, China, and “The Puzzleof U.S.-Iranian Relations” byRobert Malley, program Directorfor the Middle East and North Africafor the International Crisis Group.

theHOT list

DRAKE’S NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED magazine program will groweven stronger thanks to a $1.5 million gift from alumna PeggyFisher, JO’70, and her husband, Larry Stelter, to establish ThePeggy Fisher and Larry Stelter Chair of Magazine Journalism. Thecouple also helped fund the Quad Creek and stadium renovationprojects and support the Don Adams Leadership Institute, theAnnual Fund and the Paul Morrison Legacy Fellowship.

spotlight


A Culture of Caring

Stories about young slackers with little concern for anything otherthan their own entertainment are everywhere. But if we are expectedto believe in this image of the narcissistic college student, it’s bestto not take a close look at Drake’s student body.“We are working to make volunteerism a part of our culture, not

just something to do because you feel like you should,” saysBrittney Miller, student coordinator for volunteer service programs.“When you’re in a classroom learning about these things it’simportant to go out there and see it first-hand and it creates empathyand makes you understand better.”Miller oversees the Feel Good Friday program, which began in

2006 to provide volunteer opportunities to students a couple oftimes each semester. Student participation has allowed the programto grow to a nearly weekly offering.

PASSING THE TRADITION “Students realize there is more after collegeand getting involved now and staying tied to the community isimportant,” says Chris Juhl, director of fraternity and sorority life.“This shows that this is what Drake is about and what we expect.”Ashton Hogan first participated in Feel Good Friday when his

First Year Seminar mentor brought her entire group with her tovolunteer. He’s since returned almost every week and has volun-teered with the Boys and Girls Club of Iowa, Drake UniversityHead Start, Iowa Homeless Youth Center, the Iowa State Fair andother organizations.

“I remember my first volunteer experience at the Boys and GirlsClub,” says Hogan, a first-year journalism student. “I realized some-one is always going to look up to you, and that is when you canalways make a difference.”

GROWING A CULTURE “The kernels of a culture of volunteerism werecertainly always present at Drake,” says Keith Summerville, associateprofessor of environmental science and associate dean in theCollege of Arts and Sciences. “But it’s really grown in recent years.It is definitely being infused in the student experience at Drake.”The service-learning component in courses has tripled in the

College of Arts and Sciences in recent years and Summerville is justone of many professors who require volunteer work of his students.“It’s a requirement in the sense that they have to design a project,”

says Summerville. “But the projects that are successful require themto go beyond the academic requirements of the course. And wehave a good success rate.”And success is apparent across the volunteer spectrum at Drake.

An annual Volunteer Fair attracts more than 40 outside organizationseach semester and continues to grow as companies come to recognizeand appreciate the culture of volunteerism at Drake.“I talk to community organizations when I’m setting up Feel Good

Fridays and they are always excited about our volunteers and saythey’ll do anything to work with Drake students,” says Miller.

— Tim Schmitt, GR’08

EXAMPLES OF STUDENT VOLUNTEERISM include (clockwise from top left) throwing a HalloweenHoops party for area kids, hosting Reggie's Sleepout — an event that raises awareness abouthomeless youth in Iowa, and planting trees at a local elementary school.

COLLEGE STUDENTS THINKING OF OTHERS AND GIVING UP THEIR FREE TIME? AT DRAKE, YES.

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continued from page 4The nine-week program is

designed to help teach urbanelementary students lessons inmath, reading, writing, socialstudies and health. The lessons arebased on Drake sports concepts,such as using jersey numbers toteach addition and subtraction. With the additional support,

program leaders hope to includeathletes from other sports suchas basketball and Drake Relaysparticipants, and expand theprogram to include more students.The funding will also help Drakestudents and program teacherswith curriculum developmentand materials. For Drake students, serving as

an engaged citizen is an integralpart of the Drake experience.The idea for the Grow Bulldogsprogram was introduced to theSchool of Education in 2006 byShea Moroni, a student-athletemajoring in education who waslooking for a way to gain additionalhands-on classroom experienceand for a unique opportunity for

his fellow football teammates togive back to the community.Drake School of Education students, with faculty guidanceand in collaboration with Phillipsteachers and administrators, created lessons with elementsrelated to Drake football.

MUSIC FRATERNITY, STUDENTWIN NATIONAL AWARDSDrake’s music fraternity forwomen, Sigma Alpha Iota,recently received the KatherineBecker National CollegiateChapter Achievement Award.The group, which won the annual honor from a pool of 212 nominated chapters acrossthe country, was honored for itswork supporting the music program at Drake and promotingmusic throughout the Des Moinescommunity.Sigma Alpha Iota organizes

community concerts and musicworkshops on Drake’s campus forelementary students. The Drakestudents also have helped raisemoney for new instruments inthe Des Moines public schools.

In addition to the music fraternity’s award, Drake seniorMicah Wright is one of 140young artists selected nationallyto participate in the NationalFoundation for Advancement inthe Arts youngARTS program.

Wright, one of 6,000 youngartists who applied for the programand placed in the top 2 percent,received complimentary travel toMiami in January to participatein live auditions, interviews, master classes, performances, aseries of enrichment and inter-disciplinary activities. He willreceive a final cash award of$1,000 to $10,000. The award isbased on a standard of excellencefor each participant’s age groupand discipline.

MOCK TRIAL TEAM TAKES FIRST PLACE AT HARVARDCRIMSON CLASSICDrake’s undergraduate mocktrial Team 488 recently won firstplace at one of the nation’s mostcompetitive mock trial tourna-ments. The Drake team beat Ivy League institutions, Big Tenschools and colleges from bothcoasts to secure its win at theHarvard Crimson Classic tournament in Boston. “The field at Harvard had

some of the best teams in the

admissionupdate

campusbuzz

DRAKE MAINTAINS HIGH RETENTION RATENot only are prospective students flocking toDrake in greater numbers (last fall’s enteringfirst-year class of 902 was a near-record high),but students who come to Drake are choosingto stay. Drake’s current retention rate of 88.38percent of first- to second-year students places the University as one of the top schools in the nation. “It is a remarkable accomplishment and is

the consequence of superior efforts by faculty,staff and the students,” said Provost Ron Troyer. “Student retention at Drake has not been a

‘problem’ if you look at retention rates at allcolleges and universities,” Troyer said. “Ourfirst- to second-year retention rate the fall of2001 (for the class that entered the fall of2000) was 81 percent. That is above average.

We were not and never should be satisfied withbeing above average.”To reach the current number, the entire faculty

and staff dedicated themselves to improving thefirst-year experience. First Year Seminars wereimproved, students were grouped together inresidence halls according to their FYS and animproved Student Life and welcoming programwas put into place. In U.S.News and World Reports’ 2009 best

colleges listings Drake is ranked sixth foraverage freshmen retention rates among the141 Midwest master’s universities. Drake rankedfifth in the overall rankings of 141 Midwest universities that provide a full range of under-graduate and master’s programs, and maintainedits No. 2 position in reputation for academicquality (peer assessment).

DRAKE’S HEALTH SCIENCES MAJOR is proving to be popular with 63 students enrolled in the program’s second year. Students inthe major are interested in pursing careers as physical therapists,physician’s assistants, physicians and researchers or careers inhealth care insurance or administration.


country. To be successful therewas a tremendous accomplish-ment that I hope we’ll be able to build on for the rest of theseason,” said co-president TylerBuller, a senior politics majorfrom Urbandale. Team 488 also placed third at

Cornell’s invitational and wentundefeated at the MacalesterCollege Invitational. In addition,two Drake students won awardsat the recent competition atHarvard. Kyair Butts, a sophomorenews/Internet and psychologymajor from Des Moines, receivedan award for his portrayal ofjournalist Reagan Thomas. VanEverett, a senior law, politics andsociety, and rhetoric major fromWest Des Moines, IA, received an honorable mention for hisperformance as an attorney.

z

GENEROUS GIFT ENHANCES SCIENCE LABStudents and faculty in Drake’sbiochemistry, cell and molecularbiology program now have a placeto call home, thanks to a $169,000donation from Dr. Roger andKimberly, BN’84, Ceilley. The funding supported the

renovation of a space in HarveyIngham Hall for the 10-year-oldBCMB program, which has grownfrom its first graduating class of12 students to 165 students.The Ceilley Resource Center

for Biochemistry, Cell andMolecular Biology will be usedfor undergraduate research andinteractive, community-basedlearning. In addition, the donation

helped transform and provideequipment for a lab across thehallway from the resource center.The center offers students a

place to conduct lab work andmake presentations. Students alsohave access to books, computersand specialized computer mod-eling programs for making andanalyzing chemical and proteinstructures.

STUDENT PUBLICATION HONOREDWITH PACEMAKER AWARDStudent-produced DrakeMagazine received the prestigiousPacemaker Award from theAssociated Collegiate Press forgeneral excellence in the featuremagazine category. Think, a joint senior capstone

project for magazine and news/Internet majors produced in thespring semester, also was a top10 finalist for the award. The awards are considered to

be the highest national honorsin student journalism. This year,a panel of judges from The New York Times Magazine selected the winners.

PHARMACY STUDENT DEVELOPS PROGRAM TO AID CLINIC IN BELIZE Erin Frazee wasn’t travelinglightly when she journeyed toBelize in January as one of Drake’sfirst pharmacy students to do aclinical rotation at the HillsideHealth Care International Clinic.Frazee, a fourth-year pharmacy

student, launched the “Fill theSuitcase for Hillside!” programto collect medications and medicalsupplies for the clinic. “I jumped at the opportunity

to participate in the Belize rotationbecause I wanted an internationalexperience that focuses more onthe basics of primary care and lesson expensive procedures andfancy medicines,” Frazee said. Frazee, a member of Trinity

Lutheran Church in Moorhead,MN, presented a formal grantproposal for the “Fill the Suitcase”

program to her church’s charita-ble foundation. In return, shereceived a $6,500 grant for medica-tion and shipping expenses. Inaddition, Frazee secured donationsfrom a variety of pharmacies andmedical companies for supplies.

DRAKE LAW REVIEWRANKED NATIONALLYFor the fourth consecutive year,the Drake Law Review ranksamong the top 30 law reviewsnationally for the number oftimes courts have cited its articles.The new rankings, compiled

by John Doyle of the Washingtonand Lee Law School Library,show the Drake Law Review had60 citations, according to the2008 data. Drake is in the topgroup of more than 1,400 journalsin the rankings.The Drake Law Review is

published quarterly by Drake law students.“The editorial staff makes a

conscious attempt to providearticles, notes and lectures thatare practical in application, yetforward in thought and purpose,”

said Joshua Patrick, editor of thepublication.The first issue of Volume 57

featured the remarks of theChief Justice of the United StatesJohn G. Roberts Jr. when hedelivered the Dwight D.Opperman Lecture inConstitutional Law at Drake in October.

ASTRONOMY STUDENTSRECEIVE PRESTIGIOUSAPPOINTMENTS Junior Deanna Berget and seniorJordan Mirocha are representingDrake around the globe. Berget,an astronomy major fromMontevideo, MN, recently wasselected to be one of 52 studentambassadors for a year as part ofNASA’s International Year ofAstronomy.Mirocha, a physics and astron-

omy major from Minnetonka, MN,traveled to Chile in January toparticipate in a 10-week ResearchExperience for UndergraduatesProgram in Astronomy at themountaintop Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory.

CHIEF JUSTICE OF THE UNITED STATES John G. Roberts Jr. (far left)visited with students as part of his visit to Drake to deliver the11th Dwight D. Opperman Lecture in Constitutional Law.Approximately 2,500 people attended the lecture.


MEN’S BASKETBALLThe Drake men’s basketballteam continued to draw nationalattention despite losing a headcoach and three starters from itsmagnificent 2007–08 season.The Bulldogs appeared

on national TV eight times this season — more than anyother team in the MissouriValley Conference.Senior starters from last season’s

school-record 28-5 mark andveteran leadership were thebiggest key in Drake’s 17-14 regular-season record.Seniors Jacob Baryenbruch,

Jonathan Cox, John MichaelHall, Brent Heemskerk and Alex White combined to appearin more than 400 Drake gamesduring their careers. Drake juniors Bill Eaddy and JoshYoung combined to appear in more than 120 games.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALLStingy defense, balanced scoringand the emergence of youngplayers earned the Drake women’sbasketball team a 17-10 regular-season record.In the first 17 games of the

2008–09 season, seven playersled Drake in scoring and six ledin rebounding. Leading scorerswere Ashleigh Brady, Kristin Turk(9 games), Jordann Plummer

(4), Rachael Hackbarth (2),Amber Wollschlager, MoniqueJones and Kelsey Keizer. Toprebounders were Lauren Dybing(5), Plummer, Keizer (6), Turk,Jones (2) and Hackbarth (2).The Drake bench outscored

opponents’ benches, 411-267,averaging 25.7-points per game tothe opponents’ 16.7. The Bulldogbench outscored opponents in atleast 13 games this season.The wins over Wichita State

and Missouri State were two ofthe largest margins this season,with Drake holding a 28-pointbench advantage in each game.

MEN’S TENNISFor the fourth consecutive campaign, the 53rd-rated Drakemen’s tennis team was selected as the preseason favorite to winthe Missouri Valley Conferencemen’s tennis crown in a poll ofleague head coaches.“It is nice to be picked to win

the Valley again,” Drake headcoach Chase Hodges said. “It willbe extremely difficult to win ourfourth title in a row, but our teamlooks forward to the challenge.”

WOMEN’S TENNISThe future appears bright for theDrake women’s tennis team as a young Bulldog unit comprised of three seniors and five fresh-

men took to the court this falland posted a 63-45 combined singles/doubles ledger, including43-29 in singles play.“Our fall season was very solid

and I’m extremely happy withthe way we performed,” Drakehead coach Urska Juric said. “Weare a very young team and thereis always room for improvement,but I’m looking forward to thespring campaign.”

MEN’S SOCCEROn the heels of the most suc-cessful season in school history(13-5-1), the Drake men’s soccerteam was honored for its work inthe classroom as the Bulldogswere tabbed as a College TeamAcademic Award Winner for2008 by the National SoccerCoaches Association of America.Drake was honored for the

third consecutive campaign formaintaining a team grade pointaverage of 3.16 for the 2007–08academic year. The Bulldogswere one of 103 men’s programsacross all levels of collegiate soccer to be so recognized across the country. Drake concluded its campaign

on the pitch with a school-record13 wins en route to the first-everNCAA Tournament berth inschool history. Ten Bulldogplayers were rewarded for theirefforts earning All-MissouriValley Conference recognition.

VOLLEYBALLFirst-year head coach Phil McDanielled the Bulldogs to a 12-20 markto post their highest victory outputsince 1998, while their five conference wins were Drake’smost since 2000. The 12 wins represented a

new ceiling for victories amongthe Bulldogs, as the previous highfor the current Drake roster waseight wins in 2006. Drake returnsall six starters and 14 letterwinnersnext season. The Bulldogs seekto post their first winning seasonsince 1996.

FOOTBALLDrake senior linebacker ColeDouglas, senior kicker Logan Reesand junior fullback Steve Platekearned first-team All-PioneerFootball League honors for theirefforts in the 2008 season.Senior free safety Andy Green,

a two-time first-team all-leaguechoice, headed four Drake playerswho were selected to the All-PFLsecond team.Junior defensive end Dain

Taylor, junior offensive centerQuinn McVey and junior punterBrandon Wubs also were tabbedsecond-team All-PFL recipients. Drake junior defensive tackle

Andrew Asbell, junior offensiveguard Eric Mora, junior safetySkye Buckner-Petty and juniordefensive back Tim Harvey collected honorable mentionAll-PFL honors.

The Double D Awards, the highest honor Drake bestows on its student-athletes,were presented during the Drake vs. Northern Iowa men’s basketball game byAthletic Director Sandy Hatfield Clubb to Jenni Fitzgerald, BN’90; Bob Holliday,LA’65, LW’68; and Steve Scullen, ED’72.

Senior guard Ashleigh Brady moves in against her opponent during the Bulldogs’ gameagainst Bradley. Drake women’s basketball team relied on a stifling defense to post itsfifth straight Missouri Valley Conference victory with a 71-51 decision past Bradley.

sports sideline

champions


Leaving His MarkDRAKE TRACK STAR SETS HIS EYES

ON A NEW RELAYS RECORD

HAVING ALREADY COMPETED in three Drake Relays and set therecord for the indoor long jump, Marcus Gaines has establishedhimself as one of Drake’s top athletes. Gaines runs short sprints— the 100 and 200 — but his strength is in the long jump, anevent in which he holds Drake’s indoor record with a distanceof 25 feet 3 inches.“The Relays is a great experience. It’s a historic event and it’s

really cool to be participating,” says the senior marketing andmanagement major from Aurora, CO.Still, merely participating in the 100th anniversary of the

Relays is not what Gaines has in mind.“My goal is to beat the Relays long jump record (27 feet,

1 inch), win the event and get on the podium and representmy team and Drake,” he says. “I just gotta go out there andmake it my day.”

BEYOND “WHAT IF?” Confidence may seem like one thing Gaines is not lacking, but his surety was learned through experiencesthat have at times left him rattled.“I came into track my senior year of high school with three

goals: go undefeated, win state and get a full-ride scholarship,”he recalls. “I accomplished all but one. I got beat by one inchat the state meet on my very last jump.”And though he can acknowledge now that two out of three

isn’t bad, the experience at the time troubled him.“It was a learning experience,” he says. “That other person

can’t control what I do. You got to know you’re there becauseyou’re good and you’ve got to give it all you’ve got. The key is tostop doubting yourself, stop saying ‘if only’ and take responsibilityfor yourself. That’s true of everything in life.”

COUNTING HIS BLESSINGS The future, Gaines admits, is a mystery, buthe hopes to keep track in his life as long as possible and is alsoworking to make the Drake track team stronger, faster and better.“It’s about getting recruits here so the team is even better

when I leave,” he says. “I’d like to go farther but if it doesn’twork out, so be it. My goal is to take advantage of now and dothe best I can and leave my mark at Drake. I realize every day is a blessing and run every meet like it’s the last one.”


During Sharp’s presidency,Drake’s enrollment increased by20 percent and the faculty grewby 40 percent. Sharp saw oppor-tunities for Drake in graduateeducation, leading to theintroduction of several master’sprograms and the first doctoralprogram.Sharp proved to be a highly

successful fundraiser, enablingthe University to increase facultysalaries, expand scholarship fundsand improve facilities. Amongthe buildings constructed on hiswatch were the Dial ComputerCenter, the American RepublicStudent Health Center, the Point(student center) and an extensiveaddition that more than doubledthe size of Cowles Library. UnderSharp’s leadership, Drake alsobegan construction of theHarmon Fine Arts Center.

CBPA FACULTY AND STAFFCONNECT THROUGH BOOK CLUBSTO DISCUSS LEADERSHIPTwenty-one faculty and staffmembers in the College ofBusiness and Public Administrationare teaming together in readinggroups to explore leadershipand new strategies for teachingstudents and demonstratingleadership in the workplace.“It’s a great environment

where we can sit down and talkabout a book and leadership,” saidLisa Gardner, associate professorof statistics, who developed theinitiative and leads the groups.“The book gives us a frameworkfor our conversations. It helpsus better live our mission andimprove as a college.”Gardner dreamed up the idea

for these groups as part of afollow-up to a CBPA retreat. Shedesigned the idea for the groupsbased on the college’s under-graduate learning outcomestatement: “Each student candemonstrate the ability to leadand work with others effectivelyin a collaborative environment.”


DRAKE NAMES NEW PROVOST

Michael J. Renner, who previouslyserved as provost and vice president for academic affairs atMansfield University ofPennsylvania, will become DrakeUniversity’s next provost on June 1. The provost is Drake’s chief

academicofficer.Renner willsucceedRonaldTroyer, whowill becomeDrake’s first seniorcounselor

for international initiatives.Renner served as provost and

vice president for academic affairsfor three years at Mansfield,where he is also a professor of psychology. He also was thefounding dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at NazarethCollege in Rochester, NY.Renner previously spent 13

years at West Chester Universityof Pennsylvania, where he was aprofessor of psychology and held numerous administrativepositions. He served as interimassociate vice president for sponsored research and facultydevelopment, interim associatedean, institutional research fellow and laboratory director. An expert in animal behavior

and neuroscience, Renner haspublished more than 70 scientificjournal articles, chapters, booksand abstracts and presentedapproximately 60 papers and symposia. In addition, Renner has taught

at Memphis State University, theUniversity of Wisconsin at Oshkosh,the University of Wyoming,California State University and theUniversity of California, Berkeley.

NEW LAW DEAN ANNOUNCED

Allan W. Vestal, professor of lawand former dean of the University

of KentuckyCollege ofLaw, hasbeen nameddean ofDrakeUniversityLaw School.Vestal, anative of

Iowa City, IA, will begin his newposition on June 1. Vestal received both his

bachelor’s degree and his lawdegree from Yale University andis a member of the AmericanLaw Institute. He is the author or co-author

of more than 30 law review articlesand several book chapters, primarily in the area of unin-corporated business associations.He also is co-author of theThomson West treatise on theRevised Uniform Partnership Act. He joined the University of

Kentucky College of Law facultyin 2000 and served as dean for eight years. He returned tothe faculty last July and is on sabbatical for the 2008–09 academic year. Vestal began his career by

practicing law at Foley & Lardnerin Milwaukee, WI, from 1979 to1982. He went on to become anassociate and partner in theCedar Rapids, IA, law firm ofShuttleworth & Ingersoll, PCfrom 1982 to 1989. From 1989 to 2000, Vestal was

on the faculty of the Washingtonand Lee University School ofLaw, where he taught in the areasof partnership and corporationlaw, commercial law, and realestate. He also served as associatedean at Washington and Lee inhis last year there.

Vestal will succeed BenjaminB. Ullem, LA’66, LW’69, a seniorpartner at the Des Moines lawfirm of Whitfield & Eddy PLC,who took a leave of absencefrom the Drake University Boardof Trustees to serve a one-yearterm as dean in 2008–09.

PULLIAM HONOREDFormer Drake University basket-ball standout Dolph Pulliam

was among14 athletesinductedinto theIndianaBasketballHall of Famein NewCastle, IN,March 25.

Pulliam was a two-year startingforward at Roosevelt High Schoolin Gary, IN, earning all-statehonors while leading the team to the semifinal round of the1965 Indiana State High SchoolTournament.He was a three-year forward at

Drake from 1966–69, guiding theBulldogs to the 1969 NCAA FinalFour where the team finished third.

FORMER DRAKE PRESIDENT DIESPaul F. Sharp, a nationallyrenowned historian and widely

admiredadministratorwho servedas DrakeUniversity’seighth presi-dent from1966–1971,died after alengthy illness

on February 18 in Norman, OK.He was 91.Sharp came to Drake after

serving as chancellor of theUniversity of North Carolina,Chapel Hill, and president ofHiram College in Ohio.

faculty focus

Michael J. Renner

Allan W. Vestal

Dolph Pulliam

Paul F. Sharp

spotlight


Hitting the Hard NotesLAW PROFESSOR TACKLES EMOTIONAL SUBJECT MATTER,

MOUNTS SUCCESSFUL OPERA

WHEN DRAKE LAW PROFESSOR Cathy Lesser Mansfield was a child, she had a nightmare in which German soldiers were chasing her through alleys. Fast-forward to Nov. 8, 2008 — the 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht.

Mansfield sits nervously in the back row of a sold-out theater where the curtain is about to rise on the world premier of her Holocaust opera TheSparks Fly Upward.

AN ACTIVIST AND COMPOSER, Mansfield began working on the opera nearly 30 years ago. She studied at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatoryof Music before shifting to pursue her interests in social justice and law. After a successful law career, Mansfield brought her consumer advocacyexpertise to Drake in 1996. Taking a sabbatical from classes recently,Mansfield planted herself at the piano bench and began fine-tuning the stories and score for Sparks.“Perhaps because I view myself as a helper and a healer,” says Mansfield

of her choice to bring such ominous subject matter to the stage. “I tell mystudents that lawyers are very powerful people and that, with that power, theyhave a responsibility to help people.”

A METICULOUS RESEARCHER, Mansfield conducted interviews and gatheredsource material in Europe. She spent many long days at the U.S. HolocaustMemorial Museum in Washington, D.C. and the Leo Baeck Institute in NewYork stooped over reading and photocopying manuscripts. The result: a powerful story following the lives of two Jewish families in Berlin who go intohiding with the help of a Christian family. Through their struggles, the familiesturn to the biblical story of Job for reassurance and enlightenment. As thestory progresses the parallels between their lives and Job’s become apparent.“I decided that it was very important to create a historically accurate piece

that had the power to both educate and inspire. When you think about it, theopera’s themes are very relevant today,” says Mansfield, citing the conflicts ofBosnia and Darfur.Mansfield’s labor of love premiered before a full house that included

Holocaust survivors and theatrical producers. The production’s cast featuredDrake music professors along with several Drake students and alumni.“Sparks disrupted my entire life and changed me in ways that only experiences

like giving birth can,” says Mansfield. “Now there’s both theatrical and educationalinterest in the opera, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.”

— Casey L. Gradischnig

Editor’s note: For more information or to order a recording of The Sparks FlyUpward visit www.TheSparksFlyUpward.org.


EMPOWERING STUDENTSThe cornerstone of the University’s student leadership programming is Drake’s Donald V. Adams Leadership Institute.

The Institute uses annual fund gifts to support well-attended seminars and programs including

• The Adams Academy — an intensive yearlong leadership development program for upper division students

• The Emerging Leaders Model — a six week program for first year students

• The Fall and Spring Leadership Conferences, which are attended by more than 400 student leaders.

The Adams Academy programs develop key skills in ethics, self-reflection, and teamwork and provide resources to

connect the insights and experiences of Drake alumni and community leaders with the talents of current faculty, staff

and students. The programs shape a high percentage of the leaders of student government, clubs and organizations.

The Council on Leadership Development hopes to build on the foundation provided by the Donald V. Adams

Leadership Institute to build a Center on Leadership that includes student life programming, an academic concentration,

and domestic and international service projects where students put to use the leadership skills they learn in the classrooms

and through their roles in student organizations.

“We’re looking at what’s best for students holistically,” says Wanda Everage, vice provost for student affairs and

academic excellence. “Taking the student voice seriously is a hallmark of Drake; it always has been. But we’re now taking

that to the next level. There’s a lot of work yet to be done, but to see where we’ve come over the past 40 years, the level

of engagement of our students and the fact that the University wants the student voice heard is much more pervasive.”

The result: nearly 90 percent of Drake students are active in some kind of campus activity such as student

government, Greek life or athletics. And if students don’t find an organization they can relate to, they’re encouraged

to create one on their own.


t has been said that leaders are not born; they are made. At Drake, how they are made is being redefined.

Drake is distinctive in believing that leadership can be taught at the undergraduate level, and the University

is in the process of building outstanding academic and cocurricular programs on leadership open to all

students across college and school lines. Building on current offerings infused with leadership in graduate

programs in Business and Public Administration and Educational Leadership and Communication Leadership,

the leadership paradigm is being shifted at Drake in two ways: how leadership is taught and more important,

what defines leadership.

In 2007–08, Drake established the Council on Leadership Development chaired by Vice Provost for Academic

Affairs John Burney, bringing together a unique blend of faculty members, students and administrators from

across the University including Dean of Students Sentwali Bakari, Director of Leadership Programs Jan Wise,

Athletic Director Sandy Hatfield Clubb, Director of Human Resources Venessa Macro, and former Vice President

Don Adams to collaborate on defining leadership and creating new programs to deepen leadership development

for students, faculty and staff. In that process, the council determined that leadership is less about position

and more about building relationships and pursuing collaboration with a high degree of ethics and integrity.

“Leadership is something that is more encompassing than the position you hold, and for students to

understand that, we need to do more to help them learn how to build relationships, to understand ethics and

to give them the opportunity to practice leadership through experiential learning,” says Burney.

Senior Adam Kaduce agrees. “I don’t just want to close a book and say, ‘That’s a great idea, I’ll use it

someday when I get to be a leader.’ Drake gives students the opportunity to act as leaders now.”

BREAKINGthe Mold

DRAKE UNIVERSITYSTRIVES TO REDEFINE

LEADERSHIP IN THE 21ST CENTURY

I

NATALIE SPELLMANSophomore, marketing managementStudent Activities Board, CampusImpact co-chair; Kappa AlphaTheta, sisterhood chair; Campus AdvancementCommittee member

ERIC GUDMUNDSONJunior, public relations

Student Senate, vice presidentof student life; FIJI member;

Donald V. Adams LeadershipAcademy graduate; Peer

Mentor/Academic Consultant;Peer Advisory Board

DRAKE IS A MELTING POT OF DIFFERING IDEAS

AND LIFESTYLES THAT ALL BLEND TOGETHER

NICELY, AIDING THE GROWTH AND

DEVELOPMENT OF INDIVIDUALS.

AT DRAKE I AM ABLE TO GET INVOLVED IN

ANY WAY I WISH. HAVING THE ABILITY TO

GET INVOLVED HAS HELPED ME GROW

AS AN INDIVIDUAL.

TIBB SHIMABUKUROSenior, biochemistry and cell molecular biology Assistant Residence HallCoordinator, Ross Hall; NationalResidence Hall Honorary Of theMonth chair; Senior ExperienceCommittee member

ONE OF THE UNIQUE THINGS ABOUT DRAKE ISTHE PLETHORA OF LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIESAVAILABLE TO STUDENTS.

Thus Drake offers a multitude of options that allow students to take on responsibility, to get

involved and to push boundaries while broadening their understanding of the roots of leadership.

Drake is working to make sure that students elected to leadership positions understand that leadership

is not just about individual action, but about getting a whole group to perform to their best abilities.

“Everyone — no matter what position they are in or what role they’ve taken — needs to take

responsibility for positive change,” says Burney.

THE RESPONSIBLITY OF LEADERSHIPAt Drake, leadership is dependent upon developing a shared

vision, assuming leadership roles to bring the knowledge

and skills of diverse individuals together to influence others,

and, ultimately, ethically achieving a common goal. Drake’s

vision includes both on-campus leadership opportunities,

campus and community service, and regular interaction

with Drake alumni who have exercised leadership in all fields, including business, non-profits,

politics and education.

The University’s Peer Mentor/Academic Consultant Program, designed to assist new students

in their transition to Drake, illustrates this aspect of leadership. PMACs foster and establish

peer-to-peer relationships, provide insight and resources, introduce first-year students to campus,

and more important, instill the overall mission of the University through four days of Welcome

Weekend programming. Drake entrusts this — one of the most vital time periods for first-year

students — to these 50 individuals.

“It never ceases to amaze me what [PMACs] gain through the program. Part of that is intentional,

it’s the purpose of the program, but the results we’ve seen have been beyond that,” says Everage.

PMACs witness firsthand the impact they have on the lives of approximately 1,000 first-year students.

The program reinforces how thoughtful and conscientious they have to be, the ability they have to

make a difference beyond Drake.

“The focus isn’t on the power they have as PMACs, but it’s the responsibility they have to

make the life of someone else better, to ensure those students have a successful experience,” says

Everage. But the experience gives students responsibility that is meaningful and teaches them

thoughtful ways to become engaged. “That’s what they remember,” Everage says.

HEAD OF THE CLASSWith more than 160 student organizations on campus, Drake provides a multitude of diverse

opportunities for students to become engaged. And according to survey data from the National

Survey of Student Engagement, students are taking full advantage of the options.

“Our students are involved in cocurricular programs at a higher rate than other institutions,

peers as well as nationally,” says Melissa Sturm-Smith, assistant dean of students. “In addition,

I think that Drake is a place that emphasizes cocurricular programs as an important aspect of

the academic experience. Drake believes in a seamless learning environment where leadership

opportunities outside the classroom provide important learning opportunities.”

Grassroots efforts on campus, in particular, show how students are embracing the Drake

approach to leadership. Take U.G.A.N.D.A. Youth, for example.

Recently U.G.A.N.D.A. Youth, Drake’s Unified Group Against Neglected and Displaced African

Youth student organization, was inspired by the film Invisible Children. After witnessing the daily

struggles of the people of Uganda depicted in the film, Drake students took action; they hosted a

Concert for Hope to raise awareness and funds that were donated to Gulu Secondary School in

northern Uganda. Because of these Drake students, those at Gulu now have access to a new library

— a tangible result of leadership at its best.

“There are all kinds of ways in the course of life that students will be called to exercise both

informal and formal leadership. In their professional lives and as responsible global citizens we want

students who are prepared to take the lead in developing vision and acting to solve problems,” says

Burney. “Drake is preparing students for the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”

The Magazine of Drake University D R A K E blue 1133The Magazine of Drake University D R A K E blue 1133

When Bob Dylan wrote, “You don’t need a weatherman to know which way the

wind blows,” he was referring to a very different time in American history. But for

media practitioners (and students and educators), the environment in which

they find themselves today is as volatile as that troubled period referenced in

“Subterranean Homesick Blues” — and the warning is as apt today as ever.

By Tim Schmitt, GR’08

T


housands of media professionals have

faced layoffs in the past year while simul-

taneously witnessing the rise of “citizen

journalists” who report and disseminate

news for free. Blogs created by untrained

and often unqualified reporters have not

only become acceptable sources of news,

but have gained respect and notoriety.

Traditional media outlets have folded or

been forced to adapt to the changing

times. And the entire industry is struggling

to keep pace with the changes and trying

to stay afloat.

“In the last 5 to 10 years the changes

have been very significant,” says Tracy

Baim, JO’84, publisher and managing

editor of Chicago’s Windy City Media

Group. “For someone going into school

seeking a four-year journalism degree,

by the time they graduate everything will

have changed. The changes we’re seeing

over four years now used to take place

over a period of 20 years or more.”

As a result, says Baim, journalists

with decades of professional experience

have been pushed aside to make room

for younger, less experienced but more

technology-savvy practitioners.

”It’s getting hard to find a professional

journalist out there,” she says. “Content

is no longer king. Having a diverse skill

set is often more important.”

Even when Baim was a student at

Drake 25 years ago, the focus was on

professional development and gaining real-

world experience so that students could

hit the ground running in their careers.

“I got more out of Drake when I was

doing things, not just sitting in a lecture,”

she recalls. That hands-on experience

was invaluable then, and remains so

today. But now, she says, a lot of

schools are going too far in that direction

and not providing enough background

on what it means to be a journalist and

how to be a responsible journalist.

“I think we need that now more than

ever,” she says.

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE ...Baim was one of several SJMC alumnito participate in a recent panel discus-sion hosted by the school to discuss thecurrent and future state of the media.The consensus among participantsseemed to be that gaining experience in as many areas as possible while continuing to focus on the basics ofgood communication is key to the success of future journalists.

“The one thing that struck me in boththe panel discussion and with alumniwho were present that weekend is that

even though they started out in one field,many have careers that have branchedout in many different and interesting ways,”says Kathleen Richardson, associateprofessor of journalism and director ofthe School of Journalism and MassCommunication.

The panelists included working journalists—both print and online—as well as public relations, marketing and advertising professionals. Like manymedia professionals, several of the panelists started their careers in a specialty far different from the one inwhich they find themselves workingtoday. All agree that it has become moreand more common to cross the line from journalism to marketing, from advertisingto online journalism and otherwise jumpfrom one area to another.

“It’s important to have good basicskills not only in information gatheringand writing, but communicating in othermedia,” says Richardson. “You have tobe willing to explore other fields.”

As an educational institution thismeans Drake must basically tackle thetask of preparing students for everything

possible. Though nearly impossible, it’s agoal the SJMC takes seriously.

“Especially in the journalism schoolwe have to continually tinker with thecurriculum and we are always asking,‘How do we focus on the basics— goodwriting and critical thinking—while also introducing technology that is necessary to the success of students?’”says Richardson.

Every major within the school isalways reviewing its curriculum and thecore classes have been updated everycouple of years. But more important is

the culture of change the SJMC is creat-ing for students that prepares them tobe flexible in terms of career opportuni-ties as well as job requirements and inwhich multimedia is addressed in everyclass students take.

“Generally speaking the students who are here even now, who’ve grownup with technology, don’t see themselvesworking for a Web site,” says Richardson.“They don’t consider themselves computergeeks. And they have a certain fear oftechnology. Print is not going away andneither is traditional television, at leastnot in my lifetime, but the future is onlineand that means multimedia.”

“IT’S IMPORTANT TO HAVE GOOD BASIC SKILLS NOT ONLY IN INFORMATION GATHERING AND WRITING, BUT COMMUNICATING IN OTHER MEDIA.”


And with an ever-adapting curriculumallowing more multimedia into courseworkand with additions to the SJMC such asthe Kragie-Newell Interactive Media Lab,the opportunities to prepare students forchanges — both expected and unforeseen— have grown exponentially.

“It’s a very difficult time in the industry,but the average Drake graduate is betterpositioned than those my age and with myexperience,” says Joe Wiesenfelder, JO’89,another member of the panel discussion

and senior producer for cars.com. “Theyare trained to do what is going to beasked of them. In that sense today’s students are more prepared.

“They are not just doing one thing,”he adds. “They are learning not just themechanics of how things are done, butthe mindset that allows them to adaptwith the times and technology.”

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKINGTechnology is the most often consideredagent of change when it comes to themedia. And while certainly a major consideration, other facets of society aredriving the change as well. Shifts in thecultural, economical and ethnic makeup ofthe country are becoming more representedin the media as the industry continues torecognize the changes and evolve.

“The media landscape is so muchmore colorful and vibrant today than itwas in the ’50s and I think that’s good,”says Kevin Waetke, JO’86, a communi-cations manager for Wells Fargo. “Itpresents a challenge for the media but it better represents the diversity of our country.”

The difficulty for those in the media,says Waetke, lies in communicating withsuch diverse audiences and earning apiece of “the people’s mindshare” that

is being fought over by more and more players with increasingly focused messages and agendas.“The morediverse experiences the students have, the better,” says Waetke. “I think the typical student now has a commitmentto seek out the various opportunitiesavailable.”

But, he adds, a university can only do so much given the time a studentspends in the classroom. Because acorporate or business environment hasmore variety and opportunity, studentsneed to use their Drake education as a foundation from which to launchtheir education.

“It’s an ironic time for people in ourbusiness,” says Wiesenfelder. “The fieldin some ways is shrinking and the role ofjournalists in it is shrinking even more.”

It’s this shrinking field, saysWiesenfelder, that leads to the shift of focus so many media professionalscomplete during their careers — some-thing he now sees as a natural processin the industry and one of which educa-tors should be aware.

“Good communicators will alwaysfind work, just maybe not where theyexpected to,” he says. “I think Drake is doing a good job of incorporating the mechanical aspects of getting

people comfortable with differentaspects of media.”

Richardson agrees, adding that thisdiversity of education is a natural extensionof the curiosity she finds in students inthis field.

“We realize that although we havedistinct majors, most students sampledifferent areas while they are here,” she says. “Journalists always manage to find interesting things to do that they can be passionate about and that’s very heartening.”

ROLLING WITH THE PUNCHESWhen Baim graduated and left Drake

University she was working at GayLife

newspaper in Chicago within a month,

helping capture the mindshare of a

select, targeted audience that Waetke

believes is now such a challenge. Within

a year of graduation she founded the

Windy City Times, and is now publisher

of Windy City Media Group, which

produces print, online and podcast

media in the Chicago area.

“Drake made my skin very thick,” she

says. This thick skin and a willingness to

accept and adapt to change helped her

avoid a common problem that some in

the profession face.

“It’s easy to get a job and put your

head down,” says Wiesenfelder. “Then

you go to work and look up a few years

later and realize you don’t have a good

grasp on the world around you.

“It seems it’s the people and the

companies that adapt quickly that

succeed,” he adds. “Drake is a forward-

thinking institution and it has its size to

its advantage. Because it is not an

ocean liner, it can turn a little quicker

than other schools when it needs to.”

And that turn is always taking place

as faculty, staff, students and adminis-

tration track the ever-changing world

around them.

Says Richardson: “We’re all dancing

as fast as we can over here.”

“I THINK THE TYPICAL DRAKE STUDENT NOW HAS A COMMITMENT TO SEEK OUT THE

VARIOUS OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE.”

“The changes we’re seeing over four years now used to take place over a period of 20 years or more.”


spotlight

The Music Man

ASK DRAKE TRUMPET PROFESSORand Director of Jazz StudiesAndy Classen to describe himselfand his demeanor usually doesthe talking. Classen is “fired up”— about life, and more so aboutmusic. He first picked up thetrumpet at age 10 and hasn’tput it down since.

THE MUSICIAN’S LIFE Right out ofcollege, Classen took a four-month gig touring with the1940s Radio Hour. He then settledin the Twin Cities, offering histalents as a freelance trumpetplayer. “I was living the life of aprofessional musician — livingfrom gig to gig,” says Classen.That is, until he received a callinviting him to apply for ateaching position at SoutheastMissouri State. “I only had an undergraduate

degree, but they took me anyway,”he says. “I thought it was great —

a salary, benefits and office. And itall came with something I hadn’thad as a musician: stability.” Though he was only offered

a one-year contract, those 12 months were enough to convince Classen that he wantedto teach. Eager to enter the profession, he completed anassistantship at the University of Tennessee and earned hismaster’s degree. Classen thensecured a position at Drake.“When I came to Drake in

1992, we didn’t have enoughtrumpets to fill one jazz band,”says Classen. “But Drake gaveme the support I needed tobuild the program — one Ibelieved would be the best forthe students. Today, the programis humming.”

UNDERSTATED SUCCESS TheDrake program is more than“humming.” Under Classen’s

leadership there are currentlyenough talented students to filltwo complete jazz ensemblesand numerous jazz combos. Thebands consistently draw largecrowds at several concerts eachyear and receive top ratings innational contests. They haveperformed at the North Sea JazzFestival in Holland and theMontreaux Jazz Festival inSwitzerland, and have recordedsix CDs. In recognition of Classen’s tal-

ents along with his commitmentto promote and preserve jazz atDrake and within the musicindustry, Classen recentlybecame The Fred and PattyTurner Professor of Jazz Studies.The $1 million gift from FredTurner will provide resourcesfor Classen to continue to buildon the University’s jazz legacy.

—Abbie Hansen, JO’01

DRAKE PROFESSOR’S INCREDIBLE PASSION FOR MUSIC IS CONTAGIOUS

Funding the FutureA Look at University Endowments and Drake’s Financial Stewardship Strategy

What is an endowment? An endowment is oftena good gauge of the quality and health of an educa-tional institution. Endowment funds are required bythe donor(s) to be held in perpetuity. Unlike annualfunds, which are intended to be spent in the shortterm, endowment funds are invested with a viewtoward the very long term. Another way to think ofan endowment is as a perpetual savings accountthat provides flexibility in times of financial promiseand stability when financial vulnerability is high.Endowments generate income throughout the lifeof the institution because only investment earningsare spent.

Why are endowments important? Endowmentshave a transformational impact because these giftsmust be held by the University forever. Endowmentscreate stable funding for scholarships, facultysalaries and other vital programs. Endowed fundsoffer opportunities for innovation and creativitysince they are often driven by donor interests.

What are the types of endowments? The mostcommon endowments support scholarships, pro-fessorships and new academic programs.

What does it take to create an endowment?The minimum gift required to create an endowedscholarship at Drake is $25,000. With an annualspending rate around 5 percent of the endowment’saverage market values, a $25,000 endowmentwould yield approximately $1,250 per year. One ofthe most prestigious endowed gifts is to supportthe academic community through an endowedprofessorship, which is funded with gifts of at least$1 million.

How do you start? Funding an endowed gift maybe spread out over time, say five years. In the caseof a $25,000 scholarship, we would not startspending earnings until the fund was fullyendowed, i.e. the $25,000 was in hand.

What does a gift of an endowed professorshipmean to Drake? Endowing a professor is one ofthe most meaningful gifts one can make. Anendowed professor position adds credibility,excitement and prestige to the institution. A gift ofthis magnitude — $1 million or more — generatesincome each year to support salary, fund researchand open the way for travel. Beyond these benefits,endowed chairs are a critical factor in recruitingand retaining top faculty.

Who creates endowments? Endowment gifts arethe ultimate statement of confidence in the futureof the University. Many people establish endow-ments to honor a parent, friend, favorite professoror mentor. More individuals than corporationsprovide endowment support.

DRAKE’S ENDOWMENT plays animportant role in recruitment bysupporting scholarships that helpthe University to attract the bestand the brightest students. Eachyear Drake awards 16 prestigiousfull-ride scholarships to top students. The scholarships,awarded through the NationalAlumni Scholarship program,include six National AlumniScholarships, covering costs oftuition, room and board; and 10George A. Carpenter Scholarships,which cover full tuition. Drake’sgoal is to have all of thesescholarships fully endowed.

Learn how these scholarshipshave impacted students. Seeprofiles on the following page.

Where does Drake’s endowment stand compared to its peers?An institution’s endowment is a measure of the institution’s vitality andstrength. We’re incredibly proud of where we are as an institution. Drakehas a balanced budget, a strong and sustained enrollment and we receiveexcellent third-party recognition. Internally, we know we provide a greateducation and our students learn values they take with them to buildsuccessful careers.In spite of our successes, Drake has a modest endowment compared to

our peers. While we consistently outperform our resources, our financialsituation is not a model that can be sustained if we are to meet ouraspiration: “to be — and be recognized as — one of the best institutionsin the nation.” To achieve our goals, we must have the confidence andsustaining support that a larger endowment provides.

What are Drake’s endowment priorities?We are committed to accessfor students. The current economy may cause parents and students toquestion whether they can afford a quality private education. Endowedscholarships are a great way to ensure that students continue to receive aDrake education.Our second priority is to invest in our faculty. Endowed support for pro-

fessorships allows us to recruit and retain the best faculty, adding to theprestige and stability of the institution.

How has the current economy affected the Drake endowment?During the 2008 fiscal year, Drake’s endowment experienced reasonablystable performance in spite of market volatility. Still, the University’s endow-ment has been negatively affected by the recent downturn in the market. Endowment value can’t be seen as a snapshot in time; rather we look at

the long-term horizon. It’s important to know that our endowment is investedacross multiple asset classes: equities, bonds and alternative investments.Over the long run, these investments should provide incremental returnwhile reducing the overall risk of the Endowment portfolio. Over the shortrun, however, the portfolio is not immune from market volatility.

How does the drop in endowment value affect Drake? Drake has anoperating budget of $115 million. A little over $6 million of that is fundedby endowment earnings. When the market drops as it has recently, theUniversity must either increase its spending rate or rely on less financialsupport from the endowment.

How does an endowment allow Drake to dream? We believe Drake isdoing higher education the right way. We need our endowment size toreflect our aspirations and match our promise. Only then do we have theopportunity to bring to the landscape of higher education a greater awarenessof the unique and distinct aspects of the Drake experience and education.The only thing that separates us from achieving that reality is resources.

An endowment worthy of a Drake education will allow the University tostrengthen its place among the most respected institutions in the country.

Danny AkrightCARPENTER SCHOLAR

MAJOR: American history and news-Internet HOMETOWN: Overland Park, KSINTERNSHIP/WORK EXPERIENCE:Churchill Museum and Cabinet WarRooms, London; National World War I

Museum, Kansas City, MO NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS &ACTIVITIES: news-Internet faculty search panel member,managing editor of The Times-Delphic, Eagle scout,Global Citizenship House, Study Abroad Mentor(England), Webmaster for Drake ROTC

Katy Hayes MARY COLLIER BAKER SCHOLAR

MAJOR: Elementary/special educationwith endorsements in coaching andreading HOMETOWN: Oconomowoc, WIINTERNSHIP/WORK EXPERIENCE:School coordinator for Everybody Wins

Iowa; program assistant for ChildServe; preschool daycamp counselor; fitness intern NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

& ACTIVITIES: MVC all-academic team 2005; World Cupteam to La Coruna, Spain; World Junior Championshipteam to Beijing, China; track and field; Drake crosscountry; Student Activities Board-Relays; BestBuddies; Tutor for the I Have a Dream Foundation;racewalker for U.S. Track and Field

Emily LentzCARPENTER SCHOLAR

MAJOR: PharmD/JD HOMETOWN:Milbank, SD INTERNSHIP/WORKEXPERIENCE: Mercy West PharmacyNOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS & ACTIVITIES:Selected as Outstanding Junior at

Drake; Delta Gamma Sorority, vice president of com-munications; Phi Delta Chi, co-pledge education;Student Senate, CPHS senator; student ambassador;Emerging Leaders Model mentor; Order of OmegaGreek Honorary; CPHS Deans Student AdvisoryCouncil; Senior Experience Committee; volunteering with various organizations; judging highschool speech and debate

Sean Edward SlavenNATIONAL ALUMNI SCHOLAR

MAJOR: Biology/pre-med HOMETOWN:Mason City, IA INTERNSHIP/WORKEXPERIENCE: Applying for summerundergraduate research work in the area of biological sciences at

universities across the country NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS

& ACTIVITIES: 2007 Pioneer Football League honor roll, Dean’s List, Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity CAREERASPIRATIONS: Become an MD and a surgical specialist

“There’s a reason that I’ve been giving campus tours since Iwas a first-year student. I honestly cannot imagine my lifewithout Drake, and I want every student who visits campus tofully understand what Drake has to offer. Drake has given somuch to me that I want to give back in any way I can.”

EMILY LENTZ


spotlight

Fred Turner has a knack for making decisionswith lifelong consequences and gettingthem right.In his professional life he chose to work

in the corporate office of a young upstartcompany rather than owning a profitablefranchise. In his personal life he chose tocourt a young woman in a hillbilly band withwhom he was enamored.

As a result, Turner became chairman ofthe McDonald’s Corporation, overseeingworldwide operations. And more importantly,the young hillbilly girl became the love ofhis life, mother to his three daughters and acontinuous source of inspiration.

HILLBILLY LOVE “I first saw Patty on stage atDrake playing the gutbucket and was imme-diately smitten,” he recalls.In his second year at Drake, Turner

managed to win her over and gave her hisfraternity pin. The two were later marriedand remained inseparable until Patty succumbed to cancer in 2000.“She was a stand-up comic and performer

and played the piano and the ukulele,”Turner recalls fondly of his wife. “She was aperforming arts student and had an all-girlhillbilly band called Patent Pending 13804.”To honor her memory, Turner recently

made a $1 million gift to Drake’s College ofArts and Sciences to fund the Fred and PattyTurner Chair in Jazz Studies (see relatedstory, page 18). “It has very personal mean-ing for me,” Turner says. “This is in herschool and it’s where we first met.”

ORCHESTRATED CAREER MOVES Turner leftDrake before graduating and went to workwith McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc in 1956

as one of the company’s first employees. Twoyears later, at age 25, he was a vice president. “I ran McDonald’s for 19 years,” he says.

“I wouldn’t be a part of Ray [Kroc] giving uphis chairmanship. Only when they decidedto name him senior chairman would I acceptthe title of chairman.”During his tenure as chairman, Turner

helped turn McDonald’s into a uniquelyAmerican institution that reaches people inevery corner of the world — much like thejazz music he feels so passionate about.“Jazz is one of America’s greatest contri-

butions to the world,” he says. “Patty lovedmusic as much as I do, and I know she wouldbe pleased by this gift because giving back isa value we shared. And I’m pleased by theopportunity to share with Drake, thanks to alittle cheeseburger stock.”


DARING CHOICES AND LIFELONG INSPIRATION DEFINE THE LIFE OF THIS DRAKE ALUM AND MCDONALD’S CHAIRMAN

Improv and Cheeseburgers

“And I’m pleased by theopportunity to share withDrake, thanks to a littlecheeseburger stock.”

Fred and granddaughter, Lucy Hartman


NEW ALUMNI DIRECTOR NAMED

Blake Campbell, GR’05, wasnamed director of alumni and parent programs for theUniversity in January. Campbellbegan his career as senior programming director of theYMCA of Greater Des Moines.Campbell joined Drake in 2002as assistant director of alumniand parent programs and waspromoted to advancement officerfor the School of Education andSchool of Fine Arts. After a stint at Iowa State University as

associate director of development,he returned to Drake as a senioradvancement officer in 2006.Feel free to contact him at 1-800-44-DRAKE, x3077 [email protected].

WEAVER MEDAL WINNER NAMED

Lon Larson, the Ellis and NelleLevitt Distinguished Professor of Pharmacy Administration, has been selected to receive the2009 Lawrence C. and DeloresM. Weaver Medal of Honor. Theaward is the highest honor

presented by Drake’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.Larson received a bachelor ofscience degree in pharmacyfrom Drake in 1972 and went onto earn an MS and PhD fromthe University of Mississippiin health care (pharmacy)administration. He worked inregional health planning andhealth insurance before beginning his academic career at the University of Arizona.Larson joined the DrakeUniversity faculty in 1991. He is the only member of

Drake’s faculty and staff to havetwice received the Madelyn M.Levitt Mentor of the Year Award.He was first honored with theaward in 1997 and again in 2007. He has received alumniachievement awards from bothDrake University and theUniversity of Mississippi. His academic interests includecost-effectiveness analysis, theethics and values of health policy,and the rationing of health careservices. Larson has publishedmore than 75 professional articles and book chapters.

alumniupdate

ALUMNI AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCEDDrake University will honor six alumni at the annual awards dinner Saturday, May 16, on the Drake campus.

Jennifer Jacobs HendersonJennifer Jacobs Henderson, JO’90, will receive the Young AlumniAchievement Award. Henderson is an associate professor of communications at Trinity University in San Antonio. Henderson’s teaching and research have received multiple awards,

including the Association for Educators in Journalism and MassCommunication’s Promising Professor’s Award and Trinity University’sJunior Faculty Distinguished Teaching and Research Award.In addition, she is the co-founder and chief creative officer

of Elastic Collision, a virtual world development and consultingfirm. In that capacity, Henderson has consulted with Fortune 500companies, federal government agencies and universities aroundthe world on ways to leverage the power of virtual worlds for education, collaboration and social change.

Carrie BlumenfeldThe Young Alumni Loyalty Award will be presented to CarrieBlumenfeld, JO’00, account director of sales promotions forOffice Depot and Sears at Wunderman. At the WPP marketingagency, she manages the development of national promotions,including integration across retail and external channels. As amember of Drake’s Chicago Advisory Board, Blumenfeld hashelped coordinate several young alumni events in the Chicagoarea. She has also been an enthusiastic mentor to several Drakestudents and young alumni for the past several years. She is a leaderin planning additional, structured career networking programs in the metro area for both alumni and current Drake students.

Bill BrysonBill Bryson, LA’77, will receive the Alumni Achievement Award.Bryson’s books have sold some 10 million copies throughout theworld and have been translated into more than 20 languages.Bryson’s A Short History of Nearly Everything won both theAventis Prize, which is administered by Britain’s Royal Society,and the European Union’s Descartes Prize. He is the chancellor

of the University of Durham in England and has served for fouryears on the board of directors of English Heritage, the Britishgovernment body responsible for England’s historic environment.In 2006, Bryson was awarded an honorary Order of the BritishEmpire by the British government and the President’s Prize byBritain’s Royal Society of Chemistry. A year later he was presentedwith the highest honor of the Museum of Science in Boston, theannual Bradford Washburn Award.

Joan E. Middleton

The Alumni Loyalty Award will be presented to Joan E.Middleton, ED’63, GR’77, who has supported the University bothpersonally through her volunteer work and financially throughgenerous donations.A passionate advocate for children, she and her late husband,

Lyle, BN’61, LW’64, created the endowment for the Joan and LyleMiddleton Center for Children’s Rights at Drake. The center enablesDrake law students to directly represent some of the community’s andsociety’s neediest citizens — children needing representation andresources to gain access to the legal system. The Middletons alsoendowed the School of Education’s Urban Education Program.

Richard J. Hartig

Richard J. Hartig, PH’73, GR’81, CEO and owner of Hartig DrugStores, will receive the Distinguished Service Award. He is thethird-generation owner of one of the nation’s oldest family-owneddrugstore chains. An entrepreneurial leader in pharmaceuticalcare, Hartig has emphasized active patient care by pharmaciststhroughout his career.He is the 2006 recipient of the Lawrence C. and Delores M. Weaver

Medal of Honor, the highest honor bestowed upon alumni ofDrake’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. Hartigalso received the College of Pharmacy and Health SciencesAlumni Achievement Award in 1998. Along with his wife, Brenda,he established the Hartig Pharmacy Fund at the University to support faculty development and faculty achievement.

spotlight


He is not a Cyclone. If there is one thing Don Decker, BN’70, wants people toknow about him, it’s that he is a Bulldog. People often confuse the chairmanof the board and president of Decker Truck Line Inc. for an Iowa Statealumnus. And for good reason — his trucks haul equipment for Iowa Statefootball. While ISU is one of his company’s high-profile clients, there’smuch more to the truck line and to Decker himself than that.

ON THE ROAD AGAIN The company was founded by Decker’s uncle during theDepression. The first truck was a Model B Ford, which was used to haul ashes.The second truck was purchased to haul concrete once construction onHighway 20 began.“Things took off from there,” says Decker. “The company started out of need.

People needed my uncle’s knowledge and wherewithal to get things done.” Though he grew up in the family business, Decker didn’t necessarily

aspire to work alongside his uncle and father. He started his professionalcareer as a rate analyst with Illinois Power Company in Decatur. But in1973, opportunity knocked. Decker started working for the truck line withthe intention that he would eventually become owner. Three years later,Decker, along with his father and brother, bought out his uncle. Then in1993, Decker purchased the company from his dad and brother, acquiringtotal ownership of the company. Since 1976 the company has grown from 18 trucks to more than 600;

from one terminal located in Ft. Dodge to more than 10 nationwide; from27 employees to 1,000; and from $1.5 million in revenue to $150 million.Decker has also acquired 14 companies in related industries under thename The Decker Companies.

IN GOOD GRACES It should come as no surprise, then, that Decker describeshimself as “Type A” — like many other successful businessmen. Thoughwhat’s humbling is that Decker exudes generosity and compassion. “My father instilled in me a work ethic, and, hopefully, integrity and

character,” says Decker. “There was a time when he said to me, ‘Use common sense. Wherever you are, evaluate the situation and do the right thing. If you do the right thing, no one can criticize you.’” That’s exactly what he has done. If you ask him about the past, there

isn’t much he would change. “I’m proud to have accomplished what Ihave,” says Decker. “I’m happy. And I thank God I am where I am.”

—Abbie Hansen, JO’01

King of the RoadWITH MORE THAN 600 POWERED UNITS IN FOUR DIVISIONS,

DECKER TRUCK LINE INC. KEEPS THIS DRAKE ALUMNUS MOVING

calendar

� For more information and a full listing of all Drake events—including athletics and fine arts events—visit:

www.drake.edu/calendar


Stephen Rapp, LW’74, and SheliaTipton, LW’80, at the annualSupreme Court CelebrationBanquet in March. Rapp currentlyserves as prosecutor of the specialcourt for Sierra Leone. Prior tojoining the SCSL, he was chief of prosecutions at the UnitedNations-International CriminalTribunal for Rwanda. Tipton is a shareholder with the firm of Belin Lamson ZumbachMcCormick Flynn, a professionalcorporation, practicing in the areas of corporate law,administrative law, employmentand public utilities law, includingenergy, telecommunications andwater law. She has been active inthe Polk County Bar Association,the Iowa State Bar Association andthe Federal Energy Bar Association.

alumniupdateApril

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22Weaver Medal of Honor Lecture Presented by 2009 Weaverrecipient Lon LarsonDes Moines

THURSDAY, APRIL 23–SATURDAY, APRIL 25100th Annual Drake Relays

FRIDAY, APRIL 2410-Year Cluster ReunionClasses of ’98, ’99, ’00

40-Year Cluster ReunionClasses of ’68, ’69, ’70

Parents Board Meeting

SATURDAY, APRIL 25Drake All-Greek ReunionDes Moines

MayTUESDAY, MAY 5Mentor Teacher ReceptionLevitt Hall, Old Main

FRIDAY, MAY 15–SATURDAY, MAY 16ReunionClasses of ’59, ’49, ’39

FRIDAY, MAY 1550-Year Club DinnerDes Moines

College of Pharmacy and Health SciencesHooding Ceremony

Law School Commencement

SATURDAY, MAY 16Annual Alumni Awards DinnerDes Moines

Undergraduate and GraduateCommencements

SJMC GRAD HONORED

WHO Radio personality Van Harden was named theSchool of Journalism and MassCommunication’s DistinguishedAlumnus of the Year at the all-SJMC reunion in October.Harden has been one of DesMoines’ most listened to andbest-loved broadcasters for morethan 25 years. He was namedprogram director of WHO Radio in 1987. Under Harden’sleadership WHO Radio has wonseven national Marconi awardsfrom the National Association of Broadcasters, two of whichwere awarded to him as mediummarket personality of the year in1992 and 1997.

LAW ALUMNI RECOGNIZED

The Drake Law School recognizedits Alumni of the Year recipients,

(From left) Nancy Sebring, GR’90, ’96, ’03, superintendent, Des Moines Public Schools;

Scott Raecker, executive director, Institute for Character Development; and Judith

Cunningham, GR’80, retired adminstrator, Des Moines Public Schools were honored at

the School of Education’s Believers and Achievers Banquet in February.

spotlight


AT THE AGE when most young boys still vacillate between jobs asfiremen and cowboys, Brian Reisetter had already decided on along-term career.“I came home one day when I was 7 or 8 years old and told my

mom and dad I was going to be a pharmacist,” Reisetter recalls. “I just always knew that’s what I wanted to be.”After gaining experience as a paperboy at age 10, Reisetter

decided to combine his pharmacy career with business, and he hasremained committed to this goal ever since. After graduating fromDrake’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in 1985 andearning a Drake MBA in 1987, Reisetter went on to a career filledwith more opportunities than he ever could have anticipated as awide-eyed 7-year-old dreaming of his first white lab coat.

NAVIGATING CHANGE While completing work on his PhD at theUniversity of Mississippi, Reisetter and a few colleagues formedMedical Marketing Economics (MME), a company focusing onpricing and consultant work for the pharmaceutical industry. “I don’t know what happened, but something we were doing

struck a chord and the phone has been ringing off the hooksince,” he says. He credits the group’s all-encompassing experience in

research, marketing and academics for its success. The company has grown from an original staff of five to include six partners and35 employees in two offices — with a third office to be added inOxford, England, soon. “This market changes so fast you really need an expert to focus

on this,” he says. “The biggest indication of our success is thegrowth we’ve seen and the fact that in the seven years MME hasexisted we’ve only lost one employee. Our employees love cominghere and that’s our biggest success.”

IN FOR THE LONG HAUL Reisetter is now so entrenched in his career that his life and profession are almost inseparable. Besides anannual fishing trip to Canada every year, most of Reisetter’s off-duty activities are related to his professional work. He’s been a member of Drake’s College of Pharmacy and Health

Science’s National Advisory Council for three years and has beenactive in the Kappa Psi Pharmacy Professionals fraternity since1981, including stints on the national board and a term as president for two years. “After 25 years of going to conferences a couple times a year, Kappa

Psi has become as much a family as anything,” Reisetter says. “If Ihad to leave this industry I don’t know what I’d do. I’ve been in itall my life and it’s scary to think about doing something else.”


Behind the White CoatLOVE OF THE PROFESSION AND A COMMITMENT TO ITS

ADVANCEMENT DEFINE THIS PHARMACY GRAD


Drake Readership Survey

Periodically, we ask you, the members of the Drake family, to give us

feedback so that we can provide you the kind of Drake information you’d

like to read in the format you most prefer.

The Drake readership survey takes only a few minutes to complete and

individual survey comments will be kept confidential. Alumni who complete

the survey by May 15, 2009, and who provide their name, e-mail address

and phone number will be entered in a drawing for a Drake gift basket

($200+ value).

So tell us what Drake publications and e-communications you receive

and read by taking part in the readership survey today.

“Get blue?”

www.drake.edu/alumni/survey

Picture 1: Former Drake athletes Willie Wise, ED’69, Gary Odom, FA’70, DaleTeeter, ED’70, and Jim O’Dea, ED’70, visited campus for the 40th anniversarycelebration of the 1969 Final Four team. Picture 2: Drake’s Board of Trusteeshosted an alumni gathering at Chicago’s Drake Hotel in January. Pictured are attendees Mary Kravenas, AS’01, and Ellen Johnson, AS’02. Picture 3:Pharmacy graduates Larry Mayhew, PH’67, Michael Case-Haub, PH’02, andPatty Kumbera, PH’89, were honored at the College of Pharmacy and HealthSciences annual Pharmacy Day celebration in February.

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alumniupdate

3

SUPPORT DRAKE IN ACHALLENGING ECONOMY

During times of economic fluctuation, your gift to Drake can work hard

for you and the University. Charitable contributions support

essential programs, fund scholarships and change lives.

Ways to Give

• Retirement plan assets

• Bequests

• Charitable gift annuities

• Charitable remainderannuity trusts

• Life insurance policies

• Stock gifts

Drake University has staff available to offer objective

advice on how to make the most of your charitable gift

and ways you can realize your personal financial goals.

Amy Peters, director of gift planning,

is a 1996 Drake Law graduate with

experience working in banking and

wealth management. For information or

with questions, call 1-800-44-DRAKE,

x4069 or 515-271-4069, or e-mail

[email protected].

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Nonprofit Organization

U.S.POSTAGE PAIDDes Moines, Iowa

Permit No. 762

Office of Alumni and Development2507 University AvenueDes Moines, Iowa 50311-4505

DRAKE’S MISSION is toprovide an exceptionallearning environment thatprepares students formeaningful personal lives,professional accomplish-ments, and responsibleglobal citizenship.

The Drake experienceis distinguished bycollaborative learningamong students, faculty,and staff and by theintegration of the liberalarts and sciences withprofessional preparation.

Throughout its history, fans have foundfestive ways to participate in and celebratethe Drake Relays. The first Drake studentto be crowned Relays Queen was JeanMoritz, LA’43, (pictured at right). Studentshave held bonfires and tent parties for theentire campus community. The BeautifulBulldog Contest attracts contestants fromaround the country and national mediaattention. The annual Relays paradefeaturing local celebrities and floats con-structed by student organizations hastaken routes both through downtown and,in more recent years, campus town. Andstudent organizations continue to colorizecampus as they compete for the best designduring the annual street painting contest.

Relays Rituals100 YEARS OF CELEBRATING

AMERICA’S ATHLETIC CLASSIC

TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS YEAR’S RELAYS, APRIL 23-25, VISIT WWW.DRAKERELAYS100.COM.

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