The National Alumni Association has awarded the honors for more than 75 years. Community leaders, faculty, staff and students can nominate alumni for the awards. The Association receives between 75 and 100 nominations each year.

“Alumni are the most visible example of the outcomes and success of a university, its mission and educational success,” says Blake Campbell, director of alumni relations at Drake.  “The Association attempts to shine a light on a select few of the thousands of successful alumni in order to celebrate the contributions of these individuals to Drake University and their communities.”

The following National Alumni Award winners will be honored April 26 at a reception on campus:

•    William Longfield, BN’60, of Isle of Palms, SC, will receive the Distinguished Alumni Award. Longfield is currently a director at Life Technologies Corporation and is the retired chairman and CEO of C.R. Bard, Inc. Among his many contributions to Drake, Longfield has been a leader on campus, speaking at various Drake events, including Drake Business Days and the Campus Health Care Symposium. He and his wife also donated $1 million to endow eight William & Nancy Longfield Scholarships.

•    Christin Lore Anderson, BN’93, of Palatine, IL, will receive the Alumni Loyalty Award. Anderson’s service to Drake is extensive; she holds positions on the National Alumni Board and the Drake University Board of Trustees. She is also a member of the Chicago Advisory Board, the All-Greek Reunion Committee and is a volunteer for the career fair and student recruitment. Beyond her time, Anderson has also contributed to Drake over the past ten years as a member of the President’s Circle.

•    Mark Cady, LA’75, LW’78, of Fort Dodge, IA, will receive the Alumni Achievement Award. Cady is currently Chief Justice of the Iowa Supreme Court and is an adjunct instructor of business in law and judicial studies at Buena Vista University. He is an active member in several associations and is part of the Drake Law School Board of Counselors.

•    Roger Cady, LA’72, of Ozark, MO, will receive the Alumni Achievement Award. Cady is currently the CEO and chairman of Banyan Group, Inc. He is also the founder of Headache Care Center, Clinvest and Primary Care Education Network. Cady is renown in the medical community for his pivotal contributions in the field of headache and migraine management. His many accolades include the prestigious Wolff Award from the American Headache Society.

•    Marisa Gift, AS’02, of Omaha, NE, will receive the Young Alumni Loyalty Award. Gift is currently a training coordinator at Lutz & Company, PC, and is also a certified trainer for Dale Carnegie. She is active in her community and professional associations, and continues to donate her time to Drake. She is a member of the Drake University National Alumni Association Board, coordinates a number of Drake alumni events in the Omaha area and has presented multiple times at the Lila and Richard Sussman Spring Leadership Conference.

•    Zachary Nunn, AS’02, of Washington DC, will receive the Young Alumni Achievement Award. Nunn currently serves as the National Security Council’s Director for Cybersecurity Policy. He advises the President and Director of National Security on how to safeguard the nation’s infrastructure and maintain US interests in cyberspace. Prior to his appointment, Nunn served six years as a captain in the US Air Force Reserve.

•    Mary Walbridge, PH’74, of St. Louis, MO, will receive the inaugural Community Service Award. In 2008, Walbridge founded the Walbridge Settlement Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing health education and resources in Ghana. She continues to be active in the Drake community. She is a member of the Drake Alumni Board and created the Walbridge Community Service Award in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

Pin your Drake University pride on Pinterest

We’re inviting alumni to “Pin Your Pride” using our new group board on the social network Pinterest. With this board, you can share items and images that spark your Drake pride, whether it’s an old Relays photo or a new blue jacket.

Pinterest is a photo sharing website that presents itself as a virtual pin board. The site allows users to share, or “pin,” images from the web or their own personal collections to virtual galleries. Users can comment on one another’s pins and repin others’ images to their own pin boards.

Drake has been using its official Pinterest boards for several months to showcase stylish Drake blue apparel, share dorm décor ideas and affordable recipes, explore wondrous places where students can study abroad, and collect photos of adorable bulldogs. A small team of student interns in the Office of Marketing and Communications pin a majority of the content, with oversight by staff.

Drake’s Pinterest presence has garnered praise from students and alumni, as well as mentions by marketing and technology blogs including Mashable, The Next Web and HubSpot.

Despite the attention, we felt that we were missing something important — you! The new “Pin Your Pride” board presents alumni their first opportunity to contribute. Forty alumni have already joined and we hope you’ll stop by to check it out.

(*Note: Because it’s a relatively new social network, Pinterest membership is by invite only. Non-members can view our boards, but cannot contribute. To join, request an invitation at pinterest.com or from a friend who’s already a member.)

Abbey Klaassen, JO'02, pays a visit to her alma mater

Drake University magazines major Abbey Klaassen, JO’02, is a headline-worthy example of where a Drake education can take you in a decade.

In just 10 years, Klaassen has gone from editor of Drake Magazine (fall 2000 issue) to editor at Advertising Age, a global resource for information about advertising, marketing and the media. She oversees editorial operations for the company, which offers a print magazine, robust website and active social media presence.

“Drake did a really nice job of helping me understand the business aspect of media, which is very important in today’s media marketplace,” Klaassen says. “Every editor today has to be business-minded in addition to possessing the traditional skills of writing, editing and story formulation.”

Prior to joining the Advertising Age staff, Klaassen worked as a contributing writer for Meredith Corporation in Des Moines and assistant editor for MSP Communications in Minneapolis.

Klaassen said she has two major tips for career advancement: add value to whomever you’re working for and help your audience become smarter.

Earlier this month, Klaassen shared her passion for education with journalism, marketing and business students at Drake. During her time on campus on Feb. 1, she visited classes, met one-on-one with undergraduates and gave a free public lecture about learning to thrive in a fast-growing mobile marketplace.

Klaassen was glad to find a student body that was well versed in contemporary social media techniques and business principles.

It was rare for students to use social media during her time as a Drake student — although some used MySpace and Friendster. Today, many students are required to use Twitter, maintain blogs, register their own domain name and engage in other best practices for personal branding online.

“I’m impressed by the amount of digital training students are receiving,” she says. “I mean, the idea of a journalism student graduating today without a strong background in web writing, social media and web development is kind of crazy, but that doesn’t mean students at every college or university receive that training. It’s nice to see that Drake teaches those skills, and that students are taking advantage.”

Drake alumni gather in West Des Moines for National Game Watch

Drake alumni showed their pride on Jan. 22 as they cheered on the Bulldogs against intrastate rival UNI as part of a Drake National Game Watch. The second annual National Game Watch event was held in 23 cities across the country and saw a great turnout from loyal Bulldog fans!

Be sure to follow Drake as they play in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Tournament, March 1–4 in St. Louis. If you’ll be in St. Louis for the tournament, join other Drake alumni for some pre-game fun. Receptions will be held at J. Bucks, 1000 Clark Ave., beginning three hours before tip-off of each Drake game.

The Drake Women’s Basketball team will play in the MVC Tournament the following week, March 8–11 in St. Charles, MO. For tickets to either tournament, call 515-271-DOGS or visit www.alumni.drake.edu for more information.

Students also performed “Oedipus Rex,” which required both the scenery and audience to be encased in a massive plastic bag, as pictured above. The set was then placed on display at the Science Center to demonstrate the principle of aerodynamics.

On March 1, students will perform a thespian classic, Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night,” in FAC’s Hall of the Performing Arts. Tickets are $6 for adults and $4 for students, seniors and those with a Drake I.D. For tickets, call the Drake Fine Arts Box Office at 515-271-3841.

The relationship between Drake University and Hebei Province is an important one to the University, whose mission statement emphasizes the importance of helping students become global citizens.

Drake University administrators and Hebei Province officials meet in Levitt Hall

“Drake University’s exceptional learning environment is not just a physical campus in Des Moines,” said President David Maxwell in his comments to the Chinese delegation. “Thanks to our partnerships with institutions in Hebei, that exceptional learning environment is global.”

The delegation was greeted by the Drake University choir singing “Drake Alma Mater” on the steps of Old Main before proceeding into Levitt Hall for their meeting with Drake University officials. Interpreters facilitated communication between the two groups. They then went on to the Cowles Library Reading Room to meet with faculty and students, who all had personal experience in Hebei or Shijiazhuang, the capitol of Hebei Province.

Since Drake’s relationship began with Hebei Province 25 years ago, the University has sent 114 graduates to Hebei as part of the Teach in China program, which offers recent graduates from any academic background the opportunity to live and work in China for a year. Other Drake programs have sent 72 students for research and study in Hebei over the past 15 years.

Drake has also welcomed dozens of visiting scholars from Hebei and has sent 15 of its own faculty members to Hebei for short-term visits through its faculty exchange program.

“Hebei and its people have played important roles in preparing Drake students for responsible global citizenship,” says Kirk Martin, director of the Chinese Cultural Exchange Program. “By having such a high-level delegation from Hebei wanting to come to campus, we see what an impact Drake has had in China as well.”

The Chinese delegation’s visit is just another example of the important cultural events happening on the Drake campus. The Principal Financial Group Center for Global Citizenship has a full schedule of events happening in the spring 2012 semester. The center is partnering with the Chinese Cultural Exchange Program to sponsor a series of Chinese visiting scholars from prestigious institutions this semester, including a lecture by Chu Jianfang, a Freeman Scholar at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a concert by Cui Jinlan and Lin Jing, faculty members from Central Nationalities University in Beijing. For a full list of the semester’s events, click here.

Paul Morrison sees the sign for Paul F. Morrison Way for the first time

Anyone associated with Drake University knows Paul Morrison — Mr. Drake, as he is also known — is an institution at the school. And now, his dedication and decades of service to Drake are physically immortalized: Forest Avenue between 31st and 25th Streets was named Paul F. Morrison Way on Feb. 22

Several city and university officials were present to commemorate the day. Des Moines Mayor Franklin Cownie also honored Morrison with a key to the city.

“Paul Morrison, and his life’s work, has served as a bridge between Drake’s Athletics Department and the general campus community for more than 65 years,” says Sandy Hatfield Clubb, Drake athletic director. “It is fitting that his name will forever connect the two with the naming of Paul F. Morrison Way. Paul is a true treasure to all of us.”

Morrison, who is 95 years old, grew up with Drake. His parents met there and Morrison was raised hearing about and visiting campus. He graduated from Drake in 1939 and returned to start his position as director of the News Bureau on Dec. 15, 1945. During his time in that position, Morrison met his own wife, Pauline, on campus. Over the years, he served as sports information director and athletics business manager. He officially retired in 1986.

But retirement couldn’t keep Morrison away. He’s worked every day since in the Bell Center as a volunteer athletics historian. Morrison has served on the Relays executive committee since 1946. He has been honored at Drake by having a room in the Bell Center and a scholarship fund for journalism student athletes named after him. Morrison is also honored annually at the national convention of the College Sports Information Directors of America, of which he is the oldest member. In 1996, he received a Drake chair in recognition of his 50 years of service to the school.

“It was a big surprise,” Morrison says of the street naming. “I’ve had a lot of surprises in my life and this is definitely one of the best ever.”

Photos and a video of the event are available.

Medici says her connections and learning experiences at Drake helped her earn the prestigious scholarship. Medici graduated with a degree in international relations and a minor in sociology. She credits David Skidmore, professor of politics and international relations, with helping to further cultivate her interest in foreign affairs.

“Drake played an absolutely invaluable role in the development and growth of my interest in international studies and global issues,” says Medici. “[My classes] at Drake provided me with a breadth and depth of knowledge on so many important international issues and ultimately played a very important role in changing what was an interest in international affairs into a genuine passion for global humanitarian issues.”

Cammeo Medici, AS'08, helps treat children for parasites in a rural village in Peru

While at Drake, Medici was part of the Global Ambassador Program and served on the executive council of the International Student Association. She also earned a valuable internship with the World Food Prize Foundation. During the first half of her senior year, she studied with the School for International Training in Cape Town, South Africa. She says those months in South Africa affirmed her fervor for humanitarian efforts in developing countries.

“Through my study abroad experience I was exposed to the hardships and suffering that so much of the underdeveloped world must endure due to lack of public health services and education,” Medici wrote in her personal statement to the Rotary scholarship committee. “By the end of my research I was as passionate as ever to use my life, skills and career to help give a voice to those whose basic health needs and rights have for so long been denied.”

Medici will channel that zeal in Medellin, Colombia in 2013. As part of her scholarship, she will participate in a service project, which she hopes will address a local public health issue and be in collaboration with local organizations. She will attend the School of Public Health at the Universidad de Antioquia to finish her MPH, which she started at the University of Illinois in Chicago.

The Ambassadorial Scholarships program, which began in 1947, promotes international understanding and friendly relations among people of different parts of the world. While abroad, scholars serve as goodwill ambassadors to the country where they study and give presentations about their own culture to Rotary clubs and other groups.

“My goal is to learn and absorb as much as possible about global and Latin American public health from my coursework, service project, internship and colleagues,” says Medici.

The project began when senior Hilary Henak discovered Foursquare’s challenge for users to create the best list of “gotta-see” sites in their cities. The reward? A citywide badge Foursquare users can earn by using their mobile devices to check in at each location.

Henak tweeted at her professor, Chris Snider, instructor of practice in multi-media: “I think this is something that really needs to happen in #DSM. Agreed?”

From there, the class diverted from their syllabus to focus efforts on the real world social media opportunity. Snider and his students collaborated to assemble a list of venues that exemplified the Des Moines lifestyle. They identified social media influencers in the community — like the Des Moines Register, Iowa Public Radio, Raygun and Jethro’s — and found ways to reach out to them.

“In Des Moines, people realize that social media is a great way to stay connected and get information,” says Sarah Coffey, a senior graphic design and public relations major. “All the support we received for the list via social media proves that.”

A Cutting-Edge Classroom

Chris Snider's Social Media Strategies Class used their smartphones to put Des Moines on the map

The contest allowed the 20-student class to experience a real-life application of social media strategy and see how their coursework may be used in their future professions. Coffey attributes this unique experience to Drake’s advanced, hands-on learning environment.

“Drake embraces social media more than any other school I’ve seen in the Midwest,” says Coffey. “The journalism school discusses Twitter as a reporting tool in classes and the public relations program talks about using it for promoting brands on Facebook.“

Snider allowed the students to make the project their own, acting as a collaborator rather than a facilitator. He encouraged the students to work together as they would in a professional setting.

“I didn’t impose any of my own ideas or thoughts about this on the group,” says Snider. “It was a class project; I wasn’t even the one to put together the list and submit it. That was Hilary.”

Why Des Moines?

The group’s hard worked paid off when Foursquare released the five winners on Jan. 24. After receiving hundreds of submissions, only five cities were chosen; Baltimore, Richmond, VA, Oklahoma City, and Stamford, CT joined Des Moines on the winning list. The Foursquare contest was inspired by the White House’s #visitUS initiative to boost tourism and travel in the United States.

The site provided the following commentary on the Des Moines location compilation:

“We were super impressed by this Des Moines city list made by Drake University’s Social Media Strategies class. They joined forces to write a bunch of great tips, got the word out and got over 250 followers. Their list features fairgrounds, zombie burger joints, delicious cornbread and more.”

The Des Moines social media community gave the students great recognition for their work; Coffey hopes that their win over big-city competitors like Portland, Nashville and Minneapolis will bring recognition to Iowa’s capitol city as well.

“Des Moines winning a badge might help people to see that Des Moines is more than butter cows and corn,” says Coffey. “It shows that we’re really up on the times and I think proves ourselves as a social media force in the nation.”

Drake law students listen to their guide on a farm in Cuba

Cuba — a nation few Americans have set foot in since 1960 — played host to a group of 18 students from the Drake University Law School last month. The group, accompanied by Professor Neil Hamilton, director of Drake’s Agricultural Law Center, was the first U.S. legal group to visit Cuba to study agricultural law.

The students were hosted by the Union National de Juristas de Cuba (the Cuban equivalent to American Bar Association) and met with officials from the Sociedad Cubana de Derecho Agrario (the Agricultural Law Society of Cuba). The delegation learned about many different aspects of Cuban law, from the Cuban Constitution and legal education in Cuba, to current issues in agricultural law.

The delegation focused particularly on the agricultural reforms taking place in Cuba. Since 2008, a movement to make idle state-owned farmland available to individual farmers under 10-year leases has changed the way food is grown in the country. Since the campaign began, more than 178,000 individuals have signed agreements involving more than 3 million acres. While Cuba has increased its food production, the country still imports about 75 percent of its food.

Drake students visited several of these farms and urban gardens to see how they are organized and how urban agriculture is used.

“There is nothing that can compare to a hands-on, in-person educational experience like the one we received in Cuba,” says law student Kale Van Bruggen, who went on the trip. “Speaking with the Cuban people about their own experiences provided an entirely deeper level of understanding and appreciation.”

To conclude the visit, the students attended a joint session on agricultural law with the Cuban Agricultural Law Society and Hamilton gave a lecture on the parallels of agricultural law between the United States and Cuba, the first talk on the topic by a U.S. professor.

Beyond the agricultural law lessons students took with them, the trip gave the group a chance to learn about a country few Americans understand clearly. Hamilton says the experience gave the delegation a new perspective on the relationship between Cuba and the United States. He hopes to make the trip a reoccurring event.

“Our trip was an invaluable opportunity for Drake students to visit a country with a unique political and legal system,” says Hamilton. “Someday soon the U.S. will have more normal relations with our neighbor to the south, and these Drake Law students will be prepared to help build that new future.”