Drake Blue fall 2008

Fall 2008blueDR

AK

E

championsCLASSROOM

Drake student-athletes enjoy success onthe court, on the field and in the classroom.

D R A K E blue The Magazine of Drake University22

In my last “… from the President,” I wroteabout our collective vision for DrakeUniversity’s future as articulated in DrakeUniversity: Vision 2012 (to which you can find a link at www.drake.edu/president, and Iinvite you to take a look at it). I emphasizedthat, for many reasons, Drake is at this pointin its history uniquely positioned to determine its own future, and I’d like now to look at Vision 2012 from a somewhat different perspective.As you will see when you read the

document, we have a very ambitious vision for Drake: “Drake University’s aspiration is to be — and to be recognized as — one of the very best institutions of higher education in theUnited States.” It is essential to emphasize that our primary goal — always — is to keep our promise to our students and theirparents to provide an exceptional learningenvironment; recognition of that excellence is a consequence of keeping our promise,not a goal in itself. It is equally important to note that in aspiring to be recognized asone of the very best, we do not have in mind the rankings and ratings of variousnational publications. We are pleased, ofcourse, that we are so highly rated by U.S.News & World Report, Barron’s, Peterson’sand Princeton Review, and that Kiplinger’sPersonal Finance ranks us among the top 50private universities in the country. Those publications provide us with visibility, andthey may be useful to prospective students

and their parents, but they’re of little importance to us as educators as measures of the quality of what we do.For those of us who are professionals in

higher education, there is a relatively smallgroup of schools, ranging from small liberalarts colleges to large research universities,that we all know as “special places,” as institutions that are exceptionally good atproviding their own version of the highereducation experience in a way that leaves alasting and cherished imprint on their alumni.

At Drake, we know, as do our tens of thousands of alumni, that the Drake experience — the deliberate integration of the best of liberal arts and sciences education with professional preparation, carried out in an intensely interpersonal and collaborative environment — makes us one of those special places. Drake is a community where students come to acquirethe knowledge, perspectives, habits of mind,values and relationships to make their dreamscome true — it is a role that we fulfill in amanner that is distinctly Drake, not a replicationof that of any other college or university inthe country. Our aspiration is grounded inour unique institutional mission, and basedon the distinctive attributes that define usand set us apart as a University.

We know that our aspiration to be a model for the very best in higher educationis ambitious, but we also know that wealready are an institution that our colleagueslook to as a model for best practices in many important ways, and that — I wouldargue — tells us that not only is this aspirationachievable, but that we’re well on our way tofulfilling it. At a recent meeting of Drake’sBoard of Trustees, I shared a list of all theareas in which Drake University is alreadyrecognized as a model in higher education,and it’s a pretty impressive list. There is notenough space to share the list with you here,but it is posted on the www.drake.edu/presidentWeb site, and we will add to it as we progress.The elements essential to Drake University’s

ability to determine its own future are fallinginto place: we have a clear and excitingvision of our future, and the strategic planthat guides us toward it will be consideredfor ratification by appropriate campus bodiesand the Board of Trustees this fall. You knowwell that we have the people to make it

happen — our committed students, faculty,staff, Board of Trustees and advisory groups,passionate alumni and a loyal and supportivecommunity. As we go forward, we will befocused on securing the needed resources to ensure that Drake will endure and prosper as one of those very special places on America’s higher education landscape.Please do take a look at Vision 2012 — I hope that you’re as excited by our aspirations as we are, and I’d be delighted to hear/read your reactions.

From thePresident. . .

Dr. David E. Maxwell, president

“Drake University’s aspiration is to be — and to be recognized as —

one of the very best institutions of higher education

in the United States.”

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

Features

DepartmentsCAMPUS 4Drake Students Receive Fulbright Grants • Engaged Citizen ExperienceLaunches • Law, Pharmacy Rank Among “America’s Best GraduateSchools” • Blue is Green • Science Conference Highlights StudentResearch • Magazine Students Receive National Honors • Law StudentsInitiate Social Justice Work • Pharmacy Facilities Get a Facelift

8 FACULTYBeisser Attends International Oxford Round Table • Fulbright ScholarTakes Expertise to the Philippines • Pharmacy, Business, Arts & ScienceFaculty Honored

SPORTS 16Phelps Powers New Bulldog Men’s Hoops Era • Netting More Victories• Top Relays Runners • Bulldog Bones

18 ALUMNIAlumni Honored at Annual Pharmacy Day • Alumni Writer Pens “UglyBetty” Book • Double D Awards Honor Outstanding Drake Letterwinners • Iowa Legislator, Alumna Libby Jacobs Honored for Public Service

5 A BRIGHT FUTURE IN WHITEPharmacy’s white coat program celebrates the profession while encouraging connections.

PresidentDr. David E. Maxwell

Director of Marketing & Communications

Brooke A. Benschoter

Director of Alumni & Parent Programs

Barbara Dietrich Boose, JO’83, GR’90

EDITORIAL STAFF

Editor Casey L. Gradischnig

Art DirectorCourtney Hartman

Class Notes EditorAbbie Hansen, JO’01

Graphic DesignersAmber Baker • Calee Himes • Amy Tingstrom

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

ContributorsLisa Lacher • Tory Thaemert Olson, JO’05

InternsAmy Benes • Charley Magrew

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 2008

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

Blueblue

BLUEblueD

RA

KE

10SERVING TO LEARNSpring break takes on new meaning toDrake Law School scholars.

19CHASING ADVENTUREGrizzly bears and treacherous mountain passes are part of life for this Drake alumnus.

contents


RECENT GRADUATES RECEIVE FULBRIGHT GRANTS

Linda Yang of Sioux Falls, SD,and Kathryn Seckman ofColorado Springs, CO, havebeen selected to receive Fulbrightgrants for the 2008–09 academicyear. Both graduated in May.Yang, a secondary education andmagazine journalism major, willapply her Fulbright scholarshiptoward an English teachingassistantship in Hong Kong.Seckman, international relationsmajor and Global AmbassadorCertification recipient, will useher grant to support her researchon the role of women in politicsin Morocco.“It’s so exciting to have two

successful applicants this year,”said Eleanor Zeff, associate professor of politics and Drake’sFulbright program adviser forthe application process. In recentyears, nine out of 18 Drake students who have applied havereceived Fulbright grants, sheadded. Drake is one of the topproducers of Fulbrights amongMaster’s Universities nationwide.

ENGAGED CITIZEN EXPERIENCE LAUNCHES

Drake’s new Engaged CitizenExperience program kicked offlast semester with students discussing their experiences duringthe 2008 Iowa caucuses. The newinterdisciplinary program is basedon issues that have local, nationaland global significance and isintended to engage the entirecommunity in cocurricular eventson a particular theme. Last spring’stheme was “Voices of Democracy:Dissent and Dialogue.”Engaged Citizen Experience

initiatives such as the “My Prez”program, which encouraged students to participate in thepolitical process and attend eventswith presidential candidates oncampus last spring, allow studentsto become more aware of publicissues and to find ways that they— as individual citizens — canengage in those issues. The spring 2009 theme is “Poverty,Development and SocialResponsibility: Whose World is It Anyway?”

LAW, PHARMACY RANK AMONG “AMERICA’S BESTGRADUATE SCHOOLS”

Drake’s Law School and theCollege of Pharmacy andHealth Sciences receivedsolid marks in the 2009 edition of U.S.News & WorldReport’s “America’s BestGraduate Schools.”Pharmacy improved its

score to 2.7 and tied for fifthplace nationally among privateinstitutions. The magazine’sTop Pharmacy Program rank-ings have been updated forthe first time since 2005, whenDrake had a score of 2.6.Drake Law School improved

its Iowa bar exam passage rate and maintained its rank-ing among law schools. Drake’sbar passage rate increased to90.6 percent, exceeding bynearly 4 percentage pointsIowa’s overall rate of 87 percent.The new rankings show

continued strong demand forDrake Law School graduateswith 94.9 percent of gradu-ates employed nine monthsafter graduation.In addition, the rankings

show a significant improve-ment in the Law School’s student/faculty ratio, whichwas 12.9 in 2007, improvedfrom 14.7 the previous year.The change reflects the addi-tion of two tenure-track facultypositions in fall 2007.

BLUE IS GREENDrake recently announced anew environmental programthat commits the Universityto doing everything it can tominimize its carbon footprintand impact on the environ-ment in general. The new“Drake Blue is Green” initiativestems from Drake’s role as oneof the charter signatories to theU.S. College and UniversityPresident’s Commitment.

Drake has established aSustainability and OversightCommittee that is working tomake Drake a greener campus.

continued on page 6

campusbuzzThe spring fine arts season featured theatrical productions ofMacbeth and The Widow’s BlindDate. Musical highlights includedMozart’s Mass in C Minor featuringall four Drake choral ensemblesand a faculty/student orchestra;the opera Dido and Aneas;Hollywood saxophone player BillListon performed as a guestartist with the Jazz Ensemble I;and Sally Stunkel, director of operastudies at Boston Conservatory,conducted a master class. ActorRichard Thomas, of “The Waltons”fame, visited theatre students.Drake’s Engaged CitizenExperience brought speakers suchas grassroots organizing expertand former MacArthur fellowErnesto Cortés Jr. to campus and hosted “Is America Possible?Race and Black Religion” byesteemed African American religious thought and ethicsscholar Melanie Harris. The springBucksbaum Lecture featuredfuturist Erik Peterson. Drake’sCenter for Global Citizenshiphosted nearly a dozen springspeakers including former U.S.Ambassador Dennis Ross andglobal health expert Laurie Garrett.Drake Writers and Critics Seriesevents included National PoetryFestival poet Li-Young Lee and ananalysis of Mel Gibson’s films byAlan Nadel, the endowed chair ofAmerican literature and film at theUniversity of Kentucky. Politicalcartoonist Steve Brodner pre-sented the annual HawleyFoundation Lecture. Drake’sRainbow Union celebrated itspride week with “Puttin’ It OutThere—Living an Out Life.” JusticeRichard J. Goldstone presented“The South African Constitution:The Recognition of Social andEconomic Rights” as part of theConstitutional Law DistinguishedSpeaker Seminar.

theHOT list

DRAKE STUDENTS RECENTLY PARTICIPATED in the State University ofNew York Model European Union Simulation. The four-day simula-tion also involved students from several SUNY campuses as wellas students from Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Turkey and theUnited Kingdom. The simulation was followed by a 10-day tour ofTurkey. Professor Eleanor Zeff (center) gathers with students(from left) Randall Weigand, Adam Stone, Christopher Huszar,Anna Kunst, Alison Bowlin and Meghan Fleming at Izmir University.

spotlight


PHARMACY’S WHITE COAT PROGRAM CELEBRATES THE PROFESSION WHILE ENCOURAGING CONNECTIONS

A Bright Future in White

CALL IT A CLOAK OF HONOR — a symbolic rite of passage signifyingentrance into the profession. “It” is a white coat. And the coat is something Drake’s College

of Pharmacy and Health Sciences awards to Drake students duringa ceremony each fall marking their entrance into the College’sprofessional program.

A TRADITION OF PROFESSIONALISM Established in 1998, Drake’sWhite Coat Ceremony involves a formal “cloaking” of students inwhite laboratory coats. The ceremony is a tradition designed toreflect the responsibility, professionalism and commitment expectedof students beginning their final years of the PharmD program. Infront of faculty, family and peers, students receive one of the mostvisible professional tools of their chosen career path and take theofficial Pledge of Professionalism.

NURTURING NETWORKING Another goal of the White Coat program isto connect students with alumni pharmacy professionals. A printedcard with the name of an alumni sponsor is placed in the pocketof each white coat, allowing students the opportunity to begin aninformal mentoring relationship.

“Back when I was a third-year student, I was invited to speak tothe students and to welcome them into the College of Pharmacyand into the profession,” says Anthony Pudlo, PH’07, explaininghow he first became involved in the program. “I remember tellingthem, ‘You can’t do it alone. You have to rely on your family, pro-fessors and alumni for support.’”

A LEGACY IS BORN Though the ink had barely dried on Pudlo’s 2007 PharmD diploma, he decided almost immediately after grad-uation to become a white coat sponsor and mentor to currentDrake students.“The reason I chose Drake was because of the alumni involvement.

I went to a reception [for prospective students] and met a Drakepharmacy grad who really made an impression on me,” says Pudlo.“Drake made me feel welcome. I just felt like the professors always

tried their hardest to know us and understand what we were up toon campus and what we needed to succeed. That’s why I want tohelp and give back.”

— Casey L. Gradischnig


continued from page 4“As we move forward, you’ll be

able to see Drake’s progress inthis area,” President Maxwell saidin a speech to Drake studentsduring Earth Week. “But I wantto make sure you know howmuch has been done.”�Drake already has a list of

accomplishments in this area.The University has reduced gasusage by 27 percent and electricityconsumption by 15 percent overthe last seven years. In fact, theissue of Drake Blue that you arecurrently reading, as well as allfuture issues, will be printed byFSC certified printers on certifiedpaper. More Blue is Green information can be found atwww.drake.edu/green.

PHARMACY TEAM RANKS HIGHIN NATIONAL COMPETITION

A team of Drake pharmacy students finished third in thenational Pharmacy andTherapeutics CommitteeCompetition at the Academy ofManaged Care Pharmacy AnnualMeeting. The Pharmacy and

Therapeutics Competition mimicsthe process used by hospitalsand insurance plans in decidingif a new drug should be placedon their formulary. The competi-tion requires knowledge andskills from the entire curriculum:therapeutic and pharmacologicassessment, drug literature evaluation, economic analysisand communication skills.Drake’s team consisted of SethHousman, Kejal Patel, KevinWeber and Jennifer Lose. Drakebegan participating in the com-petition in 2004 and has been inthe top eight finalist pool twice,finishing first in the nation in 2004.

MAGAZINE STUDENTS RECEIVE NATIONAL HONORS

The student-produced DrakeMagazine recently claimed topprizes at two separate nationalcontests. The biannual magazinereceived five Region 7 Mark ofExcellence Awards from the Societyof Professional Journalists. TheDrake Magazine staff was selectedas the Best Student Magazine andthe online staff won Best Affiliated

Web Site for www.drakemagazine.com.Magazine majors junior JustineBlanchard, sophomore KaylaPorter and December graduateSara Broek received individual

awards for best nonfiction articles.In addition, www.drakemagazine.comis one of five finalists for the2008 Online Pacemaker Awardcontest from the AssociatedCollegiate Press.

LAW STUDENTS INITIATE SOCIAL JUSTICE WORKDrake law students have beenmaking news recently as a resultof their social justice work. FiveDrake University law studentsdrafted several children’s rightsbills, recruited sponsors, attendedsubcommittee meetings, securedconstituent support and lobbiedlegislators as they shepherdedthe measures through the Iowalegislature. Three of their fivebills passed unanimously in boththe House and Senate. Iowa Gov.Chet Culver, GR’94, signed twoof those bills into law and he isexpected to sign the third bill at alater time. The students in Drake’s

Legal Practice Center — SeanBagniewski, Kendra Boatright,

admissionupdate

campusbuzz

DRAKE TAKES SECOND in national moot court brief writing contest:Katharine Willey and Siva Kasinathan (above with ACMCA founderCharles Knerr, right, and then Law School Dean David Walker, left)won second place in the brief writing contest for petitioner at the2008 national tournament of the American Collegiate MootCourt Association. The tournament, which was hosted by DrakeLaw School, brought 128 undergraduate students from 29 collegesand universities across the country to Des Moines. Willey is asophomore from Cedar Rapids, IA, and Kasinathan is a seniorfrom Brandon, SD.

DRAKE DIPLOMA IN HIGH DEMAND

They just keep coming. Last fall, Drake’s 2007–08 academic year began with 924 first-year students — the largest entering class inmore than 30 years. And despite this year’s ear-lier application deadline and tougher academicrequirements, the interest in Drake continuesto grow. At press time, 923 students had made tuition

deposits in anticipation of attending this fall.Based on “melt” predictors, the fall enteringclass is estimated at 875, which is 42 more thanDrake’s goal of 830 first-year students. While theincrease in class size does create a few challengesin the University’s infrastructure, Drake has

been able to make adjustments in order toaccommodate the incoming students. Not only are more students showing interest in

attending Drake, but this year’s admitted studentpool also boosts a higher academic profile. Theaverage ACT score of the incoming first-year classis 26.8. Last year the average score was 26.2.“At a time when high school demographics

indicate we should be experiencing enrollmentdifficulties, Drake is enjoying success,” said TomDelahunt, vice president for admission andfinancial aid. “The last two years have positionedthe University well for the future in terms of qualityand quantity of our students.”


Amber Juffer, Karin McDougaland Justin Wolff — took up thecause on behalf of the MiddletonCenter and its clients. “I know this has been a tremen-

dous learning experience forthese students, and their workwill have a positive impact on Iowayouth for years to come,” saidJerry Foxhoven, director of theMiddleton Center for Children’sRights at Drake Law School.Additionally, two Drake law

students formed a nonprofitorganization to help spur eco-nomic development at the CrowCreek Sioux Tribe Reservation inBuffalo County, SD — the poorestcounty in the United States. DustinMiller and Jason Yates, who grad-uated in May, are developing theHarvest Initiative with supportfrom Principal Financial GroupChairman and CEO J. BarryGriswell and his wife, Michele.“Michele and I are honored tobe part of the work on CrowCreek Reservation,” Griswellsaid. “We have made several tripsthere and have made some won-derful friends. The work Dustinand Jason are undertaking toprovide economic developmentopportunities represents a long-term commitment on all our parts to lessen the effects ofpoverty there.”

PHARMACY STUDENTS TAKEENTREPRENEUR CHALLENGEDrake students recently participated in Drake’s Next Top Entrepreneur Competition,a challenge allowing them theopportunity to showcase theircreative skills and healthcare-related innovations. The eventwas part of EntrepreneurshipWeek USA and was hosted byDrake’s DELTA Rx Institute. The top three won cash prizes

of $1,500, $1,000 and $500,respectively. The team of third-year pharmacy students CharlesHartig, Derek Lomas and KejalPatel captured first place.

The team’s idea was a companythat would break through thelanguage and cultural barriers ofpharmacy using Internet videoconferencing and telephonetranslation services. “The business model is target-

ing the millions and a growingnumber of people that cannotproficiently speak English,”Hartig said. “Pharmacists have adifficult time counseling thisgroup on their medications andexplaining how to take the medi-cine and adverse events associatedwith the medication.”

2008 COMMENCEMENTMore than 1,400 Drake studentsdonned their caps and gowns atceremonies marking the com-mencement rites of passage.Approximately 750 seniors, 132law students and 550 graduatestudents received Drake diplomasin May. Dan Sadowski, recipient of the

University’s Oreon E. ScottAward for the most outstandingsenior, spoke during the under-

graduateceremony;former IowaGov. RobertD. Ray,BN’52,LW’54,addressedthe LawSchool graduates;and Bob

Woodward, professor emeritus ofjournalism, delivered the graduatecommencement address.

PHARMACY FACILITIES GET A FACELIFTDrake students now have a newlyupdated lab and a new resourceroom thanks to the generosity oftwo grads and Walgreens Co.Drake Trustee Don Davidson,PH’50, made a $300,000 gift torenovate the Donald F. DavidsonPharmacy Practice Laboratory in

Fitch Hall. Davidson’s gift willrevamp the lab that was originallyestablished in his honor in 1997.It will provide students in Drake’sCollege of Pharmacy and HealthSciences with the most up-to-dateresources to master their labora-tory skills before entering thework force.“This gift will transform the

college’s Pharmacy PracticeLaboratory into an exceptionallearning environment for studentsto develop skills through interac-tion with the latest dispensingand patient care technology,”said Raylene Rospond, dean ofthe college.Plans for the renovation will

change the space to better

resemble a pharmacy practicesetting. The renovated lab willalso allow students in differentlevels of the pharmacy programto share a common laboratoryand collaborate, no matter theirexperience or expertise. The labis scheduled to be completed byspring 2009.Alumnus Jay Langford, PH’44,

provided a $26,000 gift for a newmultipurpose resource room inFitch Hall. The Langford ResourceRoom offers pharmacy and healthsciences and chemistry students anew space to gather for individualand group study.

THE FIFTH-ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH inthe Sciences featured the work of more than 100 Drake students.The April conference included student oral presentations andposter presentations on current research projects by studentsand faculty. Research topics ranged from exercise to help traumacare to modeling Alzheimer’s disease in mice. Participating werestudents from biology; chemistry; physics; environmental scienceand policy; psychology; mathematics and computer science; bio-chemistry, cell, and molecular biology; and pharmaceutical science.“The conference is a reminder of the constant collaboration

between students and faculty on research projects pursuing newscientific discoveries,” said Maria Bohorquez, director of theDrake University Science Collaborative Institute.

Dan Sadowski

faculty members at the annualPharmacy & Health Sciences Day:Ronald Torry, professor ofpharmacology and the WindsorProfessor of Science, Teacher ofthe YearJohn Gitua, assistant professorof chemistry, Non-CPHS Teacherof the YearMichael Miller, assistant profes-sor of social and administrativesciences in pharmacy, Mentorof the YearAnisa Fornoff, assistant professorof pharmacy practice, ProgressIndustries, community supportadvocates and Mainstream Livingrotation preceptor, Preceptorof the YearSteve Sanders, educationpharmacist at Iowa HealthSystem, Adjunct Preceptor ofthe Year.

NEWLY NAMED LEVITT AWARD WINNERS JAMES DODD (LEFT) ANDGEOFFREY WALL (RIGHT) WITH PRESIDENT DAVID MAXWELL AFTERRECEIVING THEIR HONORS.James Dodd, Aliber Distinguished Professor of Accounting,

received the 2008 Madelyn Levitt Teacher of the Year Award,which recognizes the Drake faculty member who best demon-strates excellence in teaching, inspirational leadership andintellectual rigor, at Drake’s undergraduate commencementceremony on Sunday, May 18.During the graduate commencement ceremony, Geoffrey Wall,

associate professor of pharmacy practice, received the 2008Madelyn Levitt Mentor Award, which recognizes faculty and staffwho exhibit outstanding commitment to student success in andout of the classroom, as well as integrity in personal relationships.


BEISSER ATTENDSINTERNATIONAL OXFORD ROUND TABLE

Sally Beisser, associate professorof education, was one of 35education professors from aroundthe world invited to be part of theOxford Round Table in Oxford,England. Beisser traveled toEngland this past summer to pres-ent “Unintended Consequences ofNo Child Left Behind Mandateson Gifted Students.” Five graduate students in her

Curriculum and Pedagogy classassisted Beisser in researching thepaper, which will be consideredfor publication in Forum onPublic Policy, the journal of theOxford Round Table.

FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR TAKESEXPERTISE TO THE PHILIPPINES

Chip Miller, professor of mar-keting, spent last winter andmost of spring at the University ofSan Carlos in Cebu, Philippines,thanks to a Fulbright grant. Histask was to work with faculty toupdate academic programs onthe undergraduate, masters, andPhD levels, improve teaching and

assist faculty and graduate studentsin publishing their research.“The most meaningful part of

this experience has been helpingthe school get its programsaligned and better delivered,”Miller said. “I feel better educationis part of getting more fulfillmentfrom life, as well as proving thebedrock for creating change forthe better in one’s communityand nation.”“I’m elated for the chance to

make a significant impact in aThird World country,” Milleradded. “The experience is agreat way to make a differenceand bring back information foruse in the classroom.”

PHARMACY, BUSINESS, ARTS &SCIENCE FACULTY HONORED

Three faculty members receivedawards at the College of Artsand Sciences’ annual honorsconvocation celebration: Dennis Goldford, professor ofpolitics and international rela-tions and director of the law,politics and society program,Stalnaker Lecturer Darcie Vandegrift, assistant

professor of sociology,Outstanding Teacher of the Year Jody Swilky, professor ofEnglish, Centennial Scholar. Four faculty members were

honored at the College of Businessand Public Administration’sannual Business Day Banquet: Mary Edrington, assistant profes-sor of marketing and internshipcoordinator, David B. LawrenceOutstanding UndergraduateTeaching Award Patrick Heaston, the AliberDistinguished Professor ofAccounting, OutstandingGraduate Teaching AwardIsmael Hossein-zadeh, professorof economics, Harry I. WolkResearch Award/CBPA Outstand-ing Faculty Scholar Award.The College of Pharmacy &

Health Sciences honored five

Sally Beisser, associate professor of education, (center) traveledto England last summer to present “Unintended Consequences ofNo Child Left Behind Mandates on Gifted Students.” Five gradu-ate students in her Curriculum and Pedagogy class assisted inresearching the paper.

faculty focus

spotlight


A Family TraditionPRESTIGIOUS APPOINTMENTS AND GROUNDBREAKING

OPPORTUNITIES ARE MERELY TOOLS THIS PROFESSOR USES TO ENHANCE CLASSROOM EXPERIENCES.

INSURANCE IS NOT A WORD THAT INSPIRES PASSION IN MOST PEOPLE. ButTerri Vaughan’s enthusiasm for the subject is rivaled only by thepleasure she derives from sharing her knowledge and experience inthe industry with her students. Vaughan spent several years as the director of the Insurance Center

and chair of the Insurance Department at Drake teaching insuranceand actuarial science courses and coordinating student internships andjob placement. She loved the work, but left Drake in 1994 for what wassupposed to be a two-year leave of absence. When Vaughan wasappointed as the first female insurance commissioner of Iowa duringthis time, that two years turned quickly into 10 as she led the state’sregulatory authority on insurance for more than a decade over thecourse of two administrations — one Republican and one Democrat.Ultimately, that opportunity proved to be an experience that would

further assist Vaughan in her passion for teaching when she returned toDrake as the Robb B. Kelley Distinguished Professor of Insurance in 2005.“I relished the chance to gain more insight on practical applications

of the theory I had been teaching,” she says.

TEACHING IS A FAMILY LEGACY passed down to Vaughan from her father,Emmett, who served as a professor of insurance at the University ofIowa for 41 years. Vaughan keeps a picture of her father, a dignifiedgentleman with a grey beard, situated prominently on her desk. It’s areminder, perhaps, of his work that she is carrying on while forging apath of her own.In 1972, Emmett published the college textbook Fundamentals of Risk

and Insurance, an introductory comprehensive survey of insurance.Vaughan joined him as co-author in 1994 and continued publication ofthe book after he passed away in 2004. The 10th edition, with bothVaughans listed as co-authors, was published in fall 2007.

VAUGHAN PUTS HER CONNECTIONS TO WORK, bringing representatives fromthe industry and government to her classroom to share their knowledgewith students. She’s currently teaching Personal Risk Management toundergraduates and a graduate class, Regulatory Environment andFinancial Institutions. The constant change and immediacy of theinsurance field keeps her on top of the issues, and her positions ingovernment and the corporate world provide her students the benefitof her experience and connections.“Des Moines’ huge insurance industry gives students lots of

opportunities to interact with the business world,” she says. “Theprofessional connections available to them are limitless.”

— Emily Kruse

1100

S E R V I N GSpring Break Takes On New Meaning

to Drake Law School Scholars BY TIM SCHMITT

EXOTIC BEACHES, FROSTY DRINKS AND A MUCH-NEEDED RETREAT FROM BOOKSAND HOMEWORK ARE WHAT MOST STUDENTS LOOK FORWARD TO DURING SPRINGBREAK. OTHERS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE WEEK TO PUT IN EXTRA HOURS ATWORK AND PAD THEIR BANK ACCOUNTS FOR THE COMING SUMMER. BUT AHANDFUL OF DRAKE LAW SCHOOL STUDENTS RECENTLY FOUND A NEW PURPOSEIN THE HOLIDAY.

T O L E A R N

Back row from left: Doug Abraham, Nick Shaull and Adam Gregg. Front rowfrom left: Josh Patrick, Tyler

Patrick and Adam Wilde.

A


“All of us were of the opinion that while having a week offfrom school was enticing, that perhaps there was somethingmore we could do with our spare time,” recalls Josh Patrick,a second-year law student and editor in chief of the DrakeLaw Review.

As a result, Josh, his brother Tyler and fellow second-yearlaw students Adam Gregg, Nick Shaull, Doug Abraham andAdam Wilde spent spring break in New Orleans working withvictims of Hurricane Katrina — for free.

“One thing we’ve always heard is that Drake is about practicing law from day one and making a commitment topublic service,” says Gregg. “This trip exemplified both ofthose things.”

Gregg, an Opperman Scholar and president of the DrakeLaw Federalist Society and Drake Law Republicans, organizedthe trip. He arranged for the group to work with the ProBono Project, a not-for-profit organization that connects volunteer attorneys with people in need of assistance whomight otherwise be unable to afford representation.

“We wanted to make sure that we could use our uniquelegal skills to help out,” says Gregg. “The Pro Bono Projectwas the one organization that could guarantee we’d be doingactual legal work.”

LIFE LESSONS Recognizing the value of such a trip, the Student Bar Association and the Law School Dean’sOffice covered some of the transportation expenses for thesix students.

“Our mission is ‘to produce outstanding lawyers who willpromote justice, provide service and leadership to the community and the profession, and respond to the call ofpubic service,’” says David Walker, then dean of Drake LawSchool. “Adam [Gregg] and his colleagues are certainlyexpressing what we articulate as our mission.”

Once the students arrived in New Orleans they were splitinto different teams and put to work immediately. Greggand Abraham worked specifically with homeless clients,Wilde and Shaull worked in consumer law and the Patrickbrothers worked with family law clients.

“Because of our experience at Drake and around Des Moines,we were prepared to do some high-level work and we were alittle disappointed at first,” Gregg says. “After the first daywe knew we had to assert ourselves more and let them knowwe have some skills we’d like to put to use.”

As a result, the Pro Bono Project supervisor had Greggand Abraham write a brief for an appeal of denial of SocialSecurity benefits for a man who has been homeless sincethe hurricane hit.

“Making the task even more difficult was the fact that hismedical records were destroyed in the flood,” says Gregg.“And being homeless and without transportation, he’s not had the time or resources to get proper documentation of his disabilities.”

After returning to Des Moines, the Pro Bono Projectsupervisor contacted the team and told them he had morehope for this client because of their work.

Tyler Patrick had a similar experience while working withhis brother Josh in the family unit, drafting and filing petitionsfor divorce and setting appointments for clients.

“All of us who went down to New Orleans were second-yearstudents with clerkship experience and the tasks we wereasked to perform seemed less complicated than we were

expecting,” he says. “But after the first day it became clearhow vital our roles were in the organization. The Pro BonoProject takes on an extremely large caseload, and withoutvolunteers it would take a lifetime to address each and everycase. I am extremely satisfied with what we accomplished.”

Before Hurricane Katrina and the subsequent floods,there were about 6,000 homeless people in the New Orleansarea. Since then that number has more than doubled andmany people living as squatters and those in temporaryhousing have yet to be included in this count.

On a trip to a homeless shelter to meet with a client, Greggpassed by a large homeless encampment that the city is tryingto have removed. He wanted to go inside and talk to thoseliving there but his supervisor convinced him it was not safe.The image of the tent city and those within it stuck with him, though.

“It’s not like something you see in Des Moines or [myhometown] Hawarden, IA,” he says.

This, and an experience at the shelter later that evening,helped put the entire experience in perspective for Gregg.

“The one thing that affected me most was someone at theshelter who was not even looking for service from us,” herecalls. “He was a tall, well-dressed man and we thought he

was staff at first. Before the storm he was a paralegal. All hewanted was to find a library where he could do some reading.

“It really helped to show me that a natural disaster is anequal opportunity destroyer. It makes you realize that it couldhave easily been you in this position.”

What this taught him, Gregg says, is not something onenormally learns in law school.

“Sometimes all someone needs is a little compassion,” hesays. “It gives you a little perspective on things when you’reworried about being bogged down with finals and stuff.”

Plans are already under way to get another, perhaps larger,group together to do similar work in the area next year.

“We’re really grateful to Drake, not only for allowing us todo this, but for preparing us to do it,” says Gregg. “We allleft New Orleans with a desire to do more. We came awaywith a stronger sense of responsibility to put our legal skillsto work.”

doug abraham (center) and adam gregg (right)meet with a homeless client while volunteeringwith the pro bono project in new orleans.

“ONE THING WE’VE ALWAYS HEARD IS THAT DRAKE IS ABOUT PRACTICING LAW FROM DAY ONE AND MAKING A COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC SERVICE.”


championsCLASSROOM

very year it happens. The second semester and

the final athletic seasons wind down and the

sense of who won’t be back next year kicks in.

“I worry, is there going to be another group?” says

Drake Athletic Director Sandy Hatfield Clubb. “This may

[have been] an extraordinary year, but there always

seems to be a great group of kids.”

Hatfield Clubb has good reason to wonder. The 2007–08

student-athletes brought unprecedented attention to

the University. Even those who were not in the spotlight

experienced success, both in class and in uniform.

“Drake really is a special place because young people

really can do it all at the highest level,” Hatfield Clubb

says. “We have coaches who are teachers and players

who are students. It is what college sports is all about.”

e

By Jane Burns, JO’ 83

Drake student-athletes enjoy success onthe court, on the field and in the classroom.

WHEN ADAM EMMENECKER WAS FIRST CONTACTED BYDRAKE he had never heard of the university. But by the timehe graduated this May, he probably had a greater sense ofDrake and what it means to people than anyone else on campus.Emmenecker led the Bulldogs’ men’s basketball team to

heights it hadn’t reached in decades — setting a schoolrecord with 28 victories and earning a trip to the NCAA tour-nament for the first time since 1971. Emmenecker was theMissouri Valley Conference Player of the Year and theAcademic All-American of the Year.“To see all the alumni and have them say they had been

waiting 40 years for this, you can see how happy they are andthe pride they have,” Emmenecker says. “It’s pretty special.”It wasn’t just the alumni; the Bulldogs became national

media darlings and were featured in USA Today and SportsIllustrated and on ESPN.

BUSY GUY If Emmenecker weren’t already busy enough jug-gling his four business majors with basketball, suddenly hewas also doing four or five interviews a day.

“A lot of people never get in the paper once in their lives,”Emmenecker says. “So to be able to talk to people acrossthe country and even get e-mail from overseas, it’s hard tosay anything bad about it.”A lot of it is time management, Emmenecker says. You

have to have a plan but be ready to adjust — not unlike whathappens on a basketball court.

PLANS CHANGE Emmenecker had to make another adjust-ment, too. He had a job lined up with Principal FinancialGroup, but his surprise basketball success has him lookinginto playing professional basketball overseas.Success will likely follow Emmenecker wherever he lands,

Hatfield Clubb says. “He is just off the charts. I’d like to gowork for the guy.”

adam emmenecker

“HOW AM I EVER GOING TO MAKE IT THROUGH FOUR YEARSOF THIS?” Melissa Nelson wondered this often in her firstyear at Drake while balancing pharmacy school with soccer. Challenging though it was, Nelson stuck it out and not

only succeeded, but also excelled — both on the soccer fieldand academically.“Being an athlete helped me succeed in the classroom and

being in a challenging academic program helped me succeedas an athlete,” Nelson says. “I learned very early in my col-lege career how to deal with the stress and the expectationsthat were put on me.

RECOGNIZED TALENT In her first year, Nelson was named to the MVC All–Freshman Team and in 2005 was named tothe All–Conference Team. In 2006, she was named to theMVC Conference All–Tournament Team and took home MVCTournament MVP honors. On top of all this, Nelson wasnamed to the MVC Scholar-Athlete team each year from 2005to 2007. Academically, Nelson is a member of the Rho Chi Academic

Honor Society, which is open only to the top 20 percent ofthe pharmacy class, and she served as president of theorganization in the 2007–08 academic year.

INNOVATIVE PLANS Not surprisingly, Nelson has plans to puther pharmacy degree to work in an innovative way that willcontinue to challenge her professionally, long after her dayson the soccer field have passed.“My career goal is to become a clinical pharmacist and

work in a hospital where I am not in the pharmacy but round-ing with the doctors and working as an integral part of themedical health care team,” she says. Achieving this goal will not be easy, but Nelson has

learned through personal experience that few things worth-while ever are.“I think any student-athlete would agree with me when I

say that going to college and playing a collegiate sport is notan easy task. I have had to make sacrifices all along the waybut in the end I have received a priceless experience that Iwouldn’t trade for anything.”

melissa nelson

1133

COLLEGE ATHLETES TEND TO USE THE WORD “SACRIFICE”when they talk about their collegiate experiences. They giveup this, and they give up that, but they end up with suchstrong memories that perhaps it’s the nonathletes who aremissing something.Just ask basketball player Lindsay Whorton. She had a full

plate and a nontraditional college experience, but she endedwith a trip to the NCAA tournament, a 4.0 GPA, a place in thecommunity because of team activities with local kids and aspot as a Rhodes Scholar candidate. “It’s a very different college experience, but it’s very worth-

while,” she says. “It really was just a dream come true toplay at the college level. Sure, there were some sacrificesalong the way, but it was completely worth it.”

DRAKE DOUBLE Whorton averaged nearly 14 points her sen-ior season and was the MVC’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year.She was also a first-team academic All-American. Drake wasthe only school in the nation to have a men’s player (AdamEmmenecker) and a women’s player so honored.Whorton says she was busy with activities in high school,

so she was somewhat prepared for what college would be —except, perhaps, the workout.She got her first summer workout in the mail before her

freshman year. It caught her off guard.“I was supposed to run, supposed to lift, supposed to

shoot,” she says. “I was completely panicking; it was sooverwhelming. “By the time I was a senior, though, it was nobig deal.”

BACK IN CLASS A double major in English and education,Whorton will spend this fall student teaching at Valley HighSchool in West Des Moines, IA. She’ll see school in a wholenew way, but her experiences give her knowledge she canshare with her students whether they are athletes or not.“Put your heart fully into something,” she says. “That’s

what makes the sacrifices worthwhile.”

lindsay whorton

AS A LONG-DISTANCE RUNNER, JEFFGRASSMEYER KNOWS THE IMPOR-TANCE OF STAYING STEADY. It helpshim on the track, on a cross countrycourse — and in the classroom.“I see people freaking out about

classes sometimes,” he says. “I tellthem, ‘If you have one bad test orsomething, shake it off, you canbounce back.’”That approach has worked well for

him. He was the 5,000-meter championat the Missouri Valley Conference out-door track and field championships in2007 and the 3,000-meter championduring the 2007 indoor season. He has

also been named to the MVC’s scholar-athlete teams for track andcross country.

READY TO GO A shin injury slowedGrassmeyer down his junior year, buthe’s ready to shake that off for hissenior year.“Being hurt was rough, but it’s not

the end of the world. Hopefully I’ll getback to where I was,” says Grassmeyer,a secondary education major, hoping toteach math and coach.“I think it would be fun,” he says. “I

had great coaches, especially in highschool, so I’d like to do the same.”

HITTING THE BOOKS Grassmeyer sayscoach Dan Hostager’s emphasis onclasswork has been a great examplefor him.“Coach is big on the GPA,” Grassmeyer

says. “The cross country team’s GPAhas always been pretty good.’’Keeping it that way might mean

staying in while classmates find other things to do, but that’s OK with Grassmeyer.“I have no regrets,” he says. “I

absolutely love being on the team.Even if you miss some things, you getto travel all over and have your friendson the team. It’s great.”

jeff grassmeyer

1144

THE DEFINITION OF STUDENT-ATHLETE.Last fall at the annual Drake Corn Feed to kick off the school year, soccercaptain Luke Frieberg told the crowdwhat it meant to be a student-athleteat Drake.He talked about the value of what

student-athletes learn through sports,talked about discipline and talkedabout handling adversity and about howstudent-athletes could transfer what they’ve learned into things thatcan help them in the working world.“I had to speak after him,” Hatfield

Clubb says. “I tell you it was the lastthing I wanted to do.”Frieberg was president of the

Student Athletic Advisory Committee, agroup that helps students understandthe rules but also tries to make the

sure student-athletes get the most outof their Drake experience.

NO. 1 FAN Besides the activities thecommittee organized, Frieberg alsosupported other athletes by becominga fan. “During a soccer game when we

were freshmen, we realized we couldn’task people to go to our games if wedidn’t go to theirs.”So the soccer players tried to go to

as many athletic events as they could.And when the men’s basketball teamhad its huge success last season, thesoccer players didn’t have to jump onthe bandwagon because they’d beenthere all along.“The basketball team has helped

everyone,” Frieberg says. “If you ask

anybody about Drake now, what theyknow is this: It’s good people and it’sgood athletes.”

OFF TO WORK Frieberg was named tothe MVC academic honor roll and wasnamed all-conference and all-district in academics.He majored in finance and manage-

ment, with a concentration in insurance,and had a job lined up at PrincipalFinancial Group before he graduated.Business will suit him, he says, thesame way sports always have.“It’s about being competitive,” he

says. “Business is similar to a sportwhere you work with a team to achievesomething. It’s been in my nature mywhole life.”

luke frieberg

SOME PEOPLE SUCCEED THROUGH LUCK, many succeedthrough hard work. For tennis player Veronika Leszayova, success is also by design.The No. 1 player on the women’s tennis team is also a tal-

ented graphic designer who has her eye on a possible careerin advertising or architecture. “I am very interested in the ways designers have the power of

drawing people’s attention to the information they need themto know about,” says the senior from the Slovak Republic.

STUDIO WORK Her major is a tough one to juggle with athletics;on the tennis team’s road trips, Leszayova can’t just crackopen a book and read what is required for her classes.“I need the special computer programs that are on the

school computers and cannot be brought with me to thematches,” she says. “Some of my homework is also in thestudio and there’s no way I can bring that with me.“When other people get to hang around, I have to work on

my homework because I know that the majority of it, I will notbe able to bring with me on our next trip.”Leszayova isn’t afraid of a challenge. After attending high

school in South Dakota, she stayed in the United States forcollege and decided on Drake for its educational and athleticopportunities. She has spent her summers back in Slovakia.“I enjoy the people at Drake,” she says. “Everybody is very

friendly and ready to help.”

A HELPING HAND Leszayova’s advice to other students is totake advantage of that help when it is offered.“Don’t be afraid to go and talk to the professors,” she

says. “All the professors are very nice and willing to help.”It’s not an easy design to follow, but Leszayova, like many

student-athletes, has made it work.

veronika leszayova

1155


PHELPS POWERS NEW BULLDOGMEN’S HOOPS ERA

Drake named Mark Phelps, whohas served as associate headcoach at Arizona State Universityfor the past two seasons, as theUniversity’s 25th men’s headbasketball coach. Phelpsreplaces Keno Davis, who leftDrake for the head coaching jobat Providence College.Phelps will inherit a Drake

team that has two starters backfrom a squad that posted aschool-record 28-5 mark whileadvancing to the NCAATournament for the first timesince 1971.“I consider it an honor and

privilege to be named the headcoach at Drake University,” saidPhelps. “President Maxwell hasfostered a true family environmentwhere the Drake Experience is a special one for students, faculty, staff and the entireDrake community.”Phelps, a Virginia Beach, VA,

native and 1996 Old Dominiongraduate, served on the coach-ing staff at North CarolinaState under head coach HerbSendek from 1996 – 2006 beforejoining Sendek at Arizona Statein 2006.

Phelps helped Arizona Stateto a 22-8 record, advancing tothe quarterfinal round of theNational InvitationalTournament. Phelps, 42, hascoached for 20 years, including13 years on the collegiate levelafter a highly successful highschool coaching career.

NETTING MORE VICTORIES

Capping the most prolific seasonin Drake men’s tennis history,the Bulldogs captured their thirdconsecutive State Farm MissouriValley Conference Championshiptitle and NCAA Tournamentberth in April. Drake equaled aschool record set during the2006 campaign with its 24thvictory and improved to 24-0. Drake made a clean sweep of

the major MVC awards as aBulldog claimed Player of theYear, Freshman of the Year andCoach of the Year accolades. By virtue of his selection as a

first-team All-MVC selection atthe No. 1 singles, senior DaliborPavic was tabbed the MVC Playerof the Year. A three-time leaguePlayer of the Week selection, Pavicposted a perfect 6-0 conferencemark en route to an 18-1 ledgerin the dual campaign. Making a

splash in his rookie campaigndonning the blue and white,first-year student MauricioBallivian was honored as theleague’s Freshman of the Year. Chase Hodges was honored by

his peers with his second straightCoach of the Year award in histhird year at Drake. He has ledthe Bulldogs to a 24-0 record,

including winning their last 42regular season matches — thelongest streak in the nation —and claiming their second con-secutive and fifth regular seasonMVC crown. The Bulldogs havenever lost a home match in histenure, as Drake has won 47straight home contests. Garnering first-team recogni-

tion in singles were Pavic, MaorZirkin, Ballivian and IvanMendoza at the Nos. 1, 2, 4 and6 singles slots, respectively. Allfour Bulldogs finished withundefeated league marks.Zirkin, the 2007 MVC Player

of the Year, became a three-timeAll-MVC performer with hisselection at No. 2 singles afterclaiming top honors at theNos. 1 and 2 slots during hissophomore and freshman seasons,respectively. Mendoza repeatedhis 2007 first team honors atNo. 6.In doubles, Drake collected

first-team accolades at the Nos.1 and 3 positions. At the topposition, the duo of Zirkin and

WITH A GIANT STUFFED BULLDOG UNDER HIS ARM,Rep. Wayne Ford, (D-Des Moines), ED’74, introduced the Drake men’s basketball team withan enthusiastic speech during a ceremony in theHouse Chambers at the state Capitol. The speechwas in favor of a resolution honoring the Bulldogmen’s and women’s basketball teams. Rep. LibbyJacobs, (R-West Des Moines), GR’86, proudlyintroduced the women’s team and emphasized hersupport for the resolution.The Iowa Senate passed similar resolutions

recognizing both teams. “This goes to show whathappens with dedication and teamwork. Athleticsis a microcosm of what we do in Iowa,” said Sen. Jack Hatch, (D-Des Moines), BN’72, GR’73.

THE DONALD V. ADAMS SPIRIT OF DRAKE AWARD was presented toMike Cigelman, associate athletic director for facilities anddirector of recreational services, and Jean Berger, associateathletic director and senior women’s administrator. Drake createdthe Donald V. Adams Spirit of Drake Award in honor of longtimeadministrator Donald V. Adams. It is presented annually to afaculty or staff member who exemplifies the spirit of Drake.Picture at a Drake basketball game during the award presentationare (from left) Sandy Hatfield Clubb, Mike Cigelman, Jean Bergerand Don Adams.

sports sideline

champions


Pavic was a perfect 6-0 inleague action and 24-4 overall.Combining to register a 4-0 MVCrecord and 9-3 on the campaignwas the tandem of BokangSetshogo and junior RicardoLau of Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

TOP RELAYS RUNNERS

Georgia sophomore Chris Hilland reigning World Indoorchampion Lolo Jones, who bothset meet records, were namedthe outstanding men’s andwomen’s performers of the 2008Drake Relays.Six meet records were set and

one equaled during the 99thrunning of the Drake Relays.Hill set a Drake Relays record

in the university-college javelinat 268 feet 1 inch, which is thebest throw by any collegian inthe United States this spring aswell as the second-best overallthrow by an American.Jones captured her fourth

consecutive Drake Relays title inthe 100-meter hurdles. She wasclocked in 12.74 seconds, just offher 2008 world-leading time of12.72, but good enough to breakher previous Drake Relays markof 12.93 set in 2005. Jones alsobettered the Drake Stadium markof 12.92 set by former Illinois starPerdita Felicien in 2001.

BULLDOG BONESVOLLEYBALL: Drake named PhilMcDaniel the 10th women’svolleyball coach at Drake inApril. An assistant coach at SouthDakota State since 2005, McDanielhelped the Jackrabbits claim the2007 Summit League title aswell as a berth in the NCAATournament this past season.

SOFTBALL: The Bulldogs earned a26-24 overall record, including a13-10 Missouri Valley Conferencemark. As the fourth seed in theMVC Conference Tournament,the Bulldogs beat Missouri State

to capture the tourney titleand earn a berth in the NCAAtournament. Marilyn Buss ledDrake’s regular season effort,notching a .305 average with 29runs scored, 25 RBI and fourhomers. Brynne Dordel ledDrake’s pitching staff with a16-10 record with 196 strikeoutsin 177 innings pitched.

MEN’S BASKETBALL: The Bulldogsfinished their season with aschool-record 28 victories, winningboth the regular season andMissouri Valley Conference titlesand earning their first berth inthe NCAA Tournament since1971. Senior point guard AdamEmmenecker and sophomoreguard Josh Young shared theteam’s most valuable playeraward during the annual teambanquet. Former coach KenoDavis earned numerous topcoaching awards, includingAssociated Press Coach of theYear. Davis’ father and Bulldogcoaching predecessor, TomDavis, received the Robert D.Ray Pillar of Character Award.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: The Drakewomen assembled a 23-11record, including a share of theregular-season Missouri ValleyConference title and earned aberth in the Women’s NationalInvitational Tournament. TheBulldogs beat Wisconsin-GreenBay before falling in the secondround. Senior Lindsay Whortonwon the team’s most valuableplayer award for averaging 13.6points per game and setting theschool’s career three-point markwith 266. Senior Jill Martingrabbed the best offensive playerhonor averaging 16.8 points pergame with 9.1 rebounds.Sophomore Monique Jonessnagged defensive player acco-lades, leading a Drake defensethat held opponents to an averageof 60 points per game.

Driving Dedication

COUPLE GIVES NEW MEANING TO THE PHRASE “RABID BULLDOG FANS”

One definition of the word “dedication,” according toMerriam-Webster, is a self-sacrificing devotion. That mightbe enough to describe the commitment Dave, PH’63, andNancy Thompson have made to the Drake men’s basket-ball team. The couple has held men’s basketball season tickets

for the past five years. But what’s remarkable is that theThompsons live in Granville, IL, travel 500 miles roundtrip to attend each home game and haven’t missed morethan two games in a single season. Those two absencesoccurred last season during the Iowa Realty Invitationalonly because their son had been deployed to Iraq and thetwo traveled to Nor th Carolina to help his family preparefor the holidays. Dave doesn’t think this is anything out ofthe ordinary, though. He simply says, “I love theUniversity. I always have.”Dave came to Drake in the 1960s and enrolled in the

pharmacy program. It wasn’t until 1981, when the couplefirst attended the Drake Relays together, that Nancy visitedcampus. That single experience was enough to make hera true fan and a Bulldog at hear t — they’ve only missedone running of the Relays in the last 27 years. And thatpar ticular year a tornado hit Granville and completelydestroyed Dave’s pharmacy, Granville Drug, which he wasplanning to sell the following week. But it’s not just about Relays anymore. Once Dave

became semiretired in 2002, he bought men’s basketballseason tickets. “It was something I’d always wanted todo, and when I retired, I finally had the oppor tunity.” Though Nancy knew it meant making no fewer than 17

trips to Des Moines during a span of four months eachseason, she never objected.

— Abbie Hansen, JO’01

ALUMNI WRITER PENS“UGLY BETTY” BOOK

As a writer forEntertainmentWeekly, TannerStransky, JO’05,is allowed topass off his“obsessive”televisionwatching as

research for his work. It waswhile watching popular shows,including “The Office” and“Ugly Betty,” that he was inspiredto write Find Your Inner Ugly Betty– 25 Career Lessons Inspired by TVShows for Young Professionals.Stranksy came back to Des Moinesrecently to promote his new bookand meet with Drake students.One of his former magazinejournalism professors at Drake,Angela Renkoski, is not a bitsurprised he’s written such abook so early in his career.“Even when he was here,” shesaid, “Tanner was so savvy abouthis career and he was interestedin helping others realize theirdream jobs. He actually foundedour Ed On Campus chapter aspart of Ed2010 and always lendsa hand to aspiring journalists.”

ALUMNI HONORED AT ANNUALPHARMACY DAY

The 2008 College of Pharmacyand Health Sciences AlumniAchievement Awards werepresented to Jennifer Fix, PH’85,GR’86; and Geoffrey Lawton,PH’04; and the 2008 YoungAlumni Achievement Award wentto Lt. David Sohl, PH’04. Thehonorees were selected based ontheir service to the College ofPharmacy, distinction in theircareers and recognized civic andcommunity contributions.Fix is president of Jen-Rx Inc.

and owner of The MedicineShoppe pharmacy in Halton


City, TX. In addition, she is aconsultant and instructor forTechnician Training. Fix wasnamed the American PharmacistsAssociation Good GovernmentPharmacist of the Year in 2007.She now serves as director of the Texas Pharmacy Associationand Academy of IndependentPharmacists, as well as preceptorfor the University of Texas andDrake University.Lawton, a resident of

Englewood, CO, is vice presidentof business development andphysician services at LittletonAdventist Hospital. He is a fellowwith the American Society ofHealth-System Pharmacists andwas named Pharmacist of theYear by the Colorado PharmacistsSociety in 2006.Sohl, of Corpus Christi, TX,

is a lieutenant in the MedicalService Corps for the U.S. Navy.He previously received the Navyand Marine Corps AchievementMedal. Sohl also was named theNavy Junior Pharmacist of theYear in 2006. He now serves asthe head of pharmacy at theNaval Hospital in Corpus Christi,as well as on the Navy PharmacyAdvisory Board.

DOUBLE D AWARDSHONOR OUTSTANDING DRAKE LETTERWINNERS

Many Drake athletes go on togreatness in their careers andcommunities. Drake Universityhonored four of them with theDouble D Award on March 1.Jody Busing, ED’79, GR’81,

is vice president of purchasing at MotorCity Casino/Hotel inDetroit, where she manages purchasing and procurement of products and services and ispresently overseeing purchasesfor a $300 million addition tothe casino. Busing played pointguard on the Drake women’s

basketball team and became oneof Drake’s first 1,000-point scorersin women’s basketball. Aftergraduating from Drake, Busingserved the University as an assistant basketball coach andhead softball coach.Bill Coldiron, ED’55, GR’68,

attended Drake University on a football scholarship. He concluded his 40-year teachingand coaching career at ValleyHigh School in West DesMoines, IA, in 1995. Under hisleadership, Valley’s golf teamswon 14 state championships.

He was named the National High School Athletic CoachesAssociation National Golf Coachof the Year in 1994, was inductedinto the Iowa Golf Coaches Hallof Fame in 2004 and was inductedinto the NHSACA Hall of Famein 2005.Patrick Meyer, BN’87, GR’90,

is the group vice president atPella Corp. Since joining Pella in1990, he has progressed throughthe company with assignments inPella, IA; Chicago; Shenandoah,IA; and Cincinnati. At Drake,

continued on page 20

DRAKE UNIVERSITY HONORED SIX ALUMNI at the annual AlumniAwards Dinner May 16 on the Drake campus. (Back, from left) Richard“Dick,” LA’71, GR’74, and Linda, ED’74, Anderson Worcester werepresented with the Alumni Loyalty Award as “unsung heroes” who support the University both personally through their volunteer workand financially through donations. Lawrence “Larry” Fish, JO’66, chairman of Citizens Financial Group, was honored with theDistinguished Service Award as a longtime Drake supporter and former member of the Drake University Board of Trustees. Herecently created the Fish Family Scholarship to provide an annualfour-year, full-tuition room and board scholarship to Drake, in addition to an annual $2,000 stipend, for a child of a Citizens employee.(Front, from left) Julie Knake Koch, AS’99, business strategist forMayo Clinic, received the Young Alumni Loyalty Award. A past NationalAlumni Scholar, Koch has served for the past three years as chair ofthe NAS program, which annually brings more than 300 outstandingadmitted students to campus to compete for scholarships. LindaRobbins Coleman, FA’76, was presented with the AlumniAchievement Award. Coleman, a composer/consultant is one of Drake’s most prolific composers. In addition, Zach Johnson,BN’98, (not pictured) received the Young Alumni Achievement Award.Johnson, a professional golfer, won the 2007 Masters Tournament in Augusta, GA. He has also been featured in the top 40 of theOfficial World Golf Rankings.

Tanner Stransky,JO’05

alumniupdate

spotlight


DAVID READINGER CAME TO DRAKE on afootball scholarship in 1959 andlearned on the gridiron what it meantto work toward a goal and “leaveeverything out there.” When he graduated in 1962, he left with a business degree, a couple of bad knees and a strong sense of adventure.After a few decades working in the

private sector, 16 years in Iowa politicsand a failed run for Congress, Readingerretired and devoted his life to chasingthrills of a different sort.

ENTER THE GRIZZLY Readinger has spenttime in the most isolated wildernessareas of the United States. In 1999 heparticipated in a study of grizzly bearsin Glacier National Park. Three yearslater he researched grizzlies in theYukon and spent a couple months inthe Alaska backcountry by himself.

“My wife gave me permission to go,and she didn’t think I’d be gone thatlong,” he says. “I purposely got offinto places that are very remote alongthe Yukon River where the nearesttowns had only a couple of familiesliving there.”These experiences would pale in

comparison, however, to the challengehe would undertake two years later.

TACKLING THE TRAIL The AppalachianTrail covers 2,170 mountainous miles across 14 states from Maine to

Georgia. And Readinger decided atthe age of 68 that he was going to hikethe entire thing.“Part of it was a quest,” he says. “I’m

an adventurer and I wanted to see if Icould hang in there. It was much moredifficult than I imagined.”He was hospitalized with an injury to

his foot for nearly a month in Virginia,aggravated a preexisting rotator cuffinjury in a fall and trudged through 15 inches of snow in the Great SmokyMountains National Park. After passingthrough the White Mountains of NewHampshire (where 150 people havedied on the trail since 1935), Readingerthrew in the towel. “It had beat me up emotionally,

physically and spiritually,” he says. “Just like on the football field at Drake I left everything out there, but under the circumstances it was more than I could handle.”The setback was temporary. Readinger

returned and reached the summit of Mt. Katahdin, the trail’s end, atthe age of 70.“What I saw is indelibly printed on

my heart and mind forever,” he says. “When you’re above the tree line on a mountain, you look out 360 degreesand know it’s a very special place,and you know you paid the priceto get there.”

— Tim Schmitt

Chasing AdventureGRIZZLY BEARS AND TREACHEROUS MOUNTAIN PASSES

ARE PART OF LIFE FOR THIS DRAKE ALUMNUS

calendar

� For more information on Drake events visit:

www.drake.edu/alumni


the Drake National AlumniScholarship Selection Committee.

IOWA LEGISLATOR, ALUMNA LIBBY JACOBS HONORED FORPUBLIC SERVICE

Iowa Rep. Libby Jacobs (R-WestDes Moines) was honored for her commitment to public service through her professionaland personal endeavors byDrake University’s Pi AlphaAlpha honor society last spring.Jacobs, who earned a master’sdegree in public administrationfrom Drake in 1986, received the Distinguished Alumna Awardat the Center for Graduate andProfessional Studies’ annualluncheon honoring a graduatefrom the MPA program. Sheserves as community relationsdirector at Principal FinancialGroup and is a member ofDrake’s Board of Trustees.

SeptemberWEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10Let’s DU LunchChris Creighton, Drake Head Football CoachInPlay, Des Moines

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13Drake Alumni and Friends at the Hollywood BowlPicnic and ConcertLos Angeles

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26 –SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27HomecomingParents & Family Weekend1946 Drake Salad BowlFootball Team ReunionDes Moines

OctoberWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1Let’s DU LunchLaura Hollingsworth, The Des Moines RegisterInPlay, Des Moines

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3Francis Marion Drake Society Dinner(honoring annual donors of$1,000 or more)Des Moines

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 24 –SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25Journalism/Times-DelphicAlumni ReunionDes Moines

NovemberWEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5Let’s DU LunchInPlay, Des Moines

FebruaryWEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4Let’s DU LunchInPlay, Des Moines

MarchWEDNESDAY, MARCH 4Let’s DU LunchInPlay, Des Moines

AprilWEDNESDAY, APRIL 1Let’s DU LunchInPlay, Des Moines

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22Weaver Medal of Honor Lecture and Reception Des Moines

FRIDAY, APRIL 24 – SATURDAY,APRIL 25100th Annual Drake Relays

FRIDAY, APRIL 24Parents Board Meeting

SATURDAY, APRIL 2510-Year Cluster ReunionClasses of 1998, 1999, 2000Des Moines

40-Year Cluster ReunionClasses of 1968, 1969, 1970Des Moines

All-Greek Alumni ReunionDes Moines

MayFRIDAY, MAY 15 –SATURDAY, MAY 16ReunionClasses of 1959, 1949, 1939

FRIDAY, MAY 1550-Year Club DinnerDes Moines

SATURDAY, MAY 16Annual Alumni Awards DinnerDes Moines

Law School Commencement

College of Pharmacy and HealthSciences Hooding Ceremony

SATURDAY, MAY 16Undergraduate and Graduate Commencement

continued from page 18Meyer was a four-year letterwinnerand served as captain for theDrake wrestling team. He isa member of the DrakeUniversity Letterman’s Club and serves on the NationalAdvisory Council for the DrakeUniversity College of Businessand Public Administration. Rita Harmening Pedersen,

LA’81, GR’84, LW’84, is an attorney and abstracter inJefferson, IA, where she’s beenpracticing law since 1984 andhas served as Greene CountyMagistrate Judge since 1995. She played on the women’s basketball team from 1977 to1980, after which she continuedto be involved with the program.Pedersen has served on numerous committees for theIowa Supreme Court, Iowa StateBar Association and Iowa LandTitle Association. Pedersen was a Drake Alumni Scholar andrecently became a member of

ALAN FREDREGILL, LW'75, receives the Law School Alumnus of the YearAward from then Law School Dean David Walker during the annualSupreme Court Banquet. Fredregill has been a partner of Heiman,Edmond, Fredregill, Patterson, Plaza, Dyykstra and Prahl law firm inSioux City, IA, for more than 30 years. He is a member of the IowaAcademy of Trial Lawyers, Iowa State Bar Association, American Collegeof Trial Lawyers, Iowa Defense Counsel Association and AmericanBar Association.

alumniupdate

spotlight


WHEN MOST PEOPLE THINK OF NIKE, they think of athleteslike high-flying Michael Jordan or thunder-dunkingLeBron James.When Steve Harkin used to think of Nike, he thought

of design. Then he thought of the company as hisemployer. Now Harkin, AS’95, thinks of the sportsapparel giant as his No. 1 client.Harkin is creative director for HERENOW Creative

Network in Portland, OR. He oversees the look of Nike’sretail campaigns and displays. While he was a seniorgraphic designer at Nike, he worked on photo shoots forsome of the NBA’s biggest stars.“It was cool, they were very nice people and I’d say I

was impressed with just about all of them,” he says.

THE WAY THE BALL BOUNCES Harkin was never a hugesports fan. But his first job after graduation was as afreelancer for Nike and it led to full-time employment.After working for Nike, Inc., for 10 years, Harkin

became creative director at HERENOW. With Nike as atop client, he still helps create the brand’s retail look. The concepts for the Nike shoots became his. He

would have a plan of what he wanted to do and try to getthe athlete to cooperate. Most times, they did.

COOL KOBE Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant wasamong the athletes who impressed Harkin.“He’s the first athlete I ever met who wanted to sit

down and discuss my ideas,” Harkin says. “He spent alot of time going over my notes and he always gave usreally good stuff.”It didn’t always go smoothly.“You do run the risk of actually injuring them,” Harkin

says, recalling a time a high-profile athlete was injuredduring a shoot. “People have to remember this impactsthis guy’s whole organization.”Harkin minored in painting and says that creative

element gives him an advantage in the design world. So does his education.“I feel really lucky,” he says. “A lot of people don’t

realize what Drake meant to me. I feel I was just at theright school at the right time me.”

— Jane Burns, JO’83

High-Flying DesignsALUMNUS ARTIST RALLIES BIG-NAME ATHLETES

IN SUCCESSFUL ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS


5

3

21

4

alumniupdate

Picture 1: A law alumni event was held in Las Vegas. (From left)Rob Zeims, LW’96; Keith Miller, Ellis and Nelle LevittDistinguished Professor of Law; and Derek Harmer, LW’96.Picture 2: Barbara Harding, FA’78, (left) and Mary Jo Oakley,FA’78, reminisced at the 30-year cluster reunion held on campusin April. Picture 3: Pamela Henkel, JO’02, GR’07, and Linda Yang,ED, JO’08, at a campus dinner for former National AlumniScholars. Picture 4: Katherine Glick and Mike Peddle, BN’81, atthe former National Alumni Scholar dinner. Picture 5: Alumni gathered to cheer on the Bulldogs at one of the many MVC watchparties held around the country. (From left) Jill Pearson, JO’99;Kelly Caldbeck, PH’01; Tyson Lagoni, JO’97, and Jennifer Lagoni.

QUESTIONS? Contact Calee Himes at 1-800-44-Drake, x3247 or [email protected].

By providing Drake your photographs, you are granting the University permission to use them for various print and online marketing efforts.

SEND US YOUR PERSONAL SNAPSHOTS of the Drakemoments you treasured most and we’ll publish them. Participatein the Drake alumni scrapbook program and help us developa lively online record of Drake’s history. Your pics will beincluded in an online photo gallery and may be printed inDrake publications like Drake Blue, the University magazine.

WHAT TO SUBMIT• Prints or digital photos (digitals should be 4x6-inch jpgs taken

at high resolution).• Short descriptions of the images and names of folks pictured.• A self-addressed, stamped envelope if you’d like us to return

your prints.

HOW TO SEND PICTURES1 Upload your photos online at

www.flickr.com/groups/drakealumniscrapbook

2 Email your photos to: [email protected]

3 Mail a CD or photo prints to:Calee HimesDrake UniversityMarketing & Communications2507 University Ave.Des Moines, IA 50311

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.

GRADUATING SENIORS GOT A TASTE of thekind of social event they might expectduring their post-college life at aspecial wine and cheese receptionhosted by President David and MaddyMaxwell. The annual May event, heldat the President’s home, is a traditionbegun by the Maxwells as a wayof celebrating the students’ finaldays in Drake classrooms and theirtransition to the professional world.

A Toast toNew Grads

SENIORS HONORED BYPRESIDENT AND FIRST LADY

pictorial

Date post:	07-Mar-2016
Category:	Documents
Upload:	casey-gradischnig
View:	221 times
Download:	1 times

Drake Blue fall 2008

Documents