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On Campus - Stories
April 27, 2001 - Vol. 53, No. 40


Groundbreaking set for Saturday morning
Jack Kragie, LA'65 Liz Newell, LA'69


Faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends are invited to attend a groundbreaking ceremony for the Kragie Newell Agora in Helmick Commons at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 28. An agora is an ancient Greek marketplace used as a gathering place for the populace. The Kragie Newell Agora will provide a gathering place for Drake students as part of the Helmick Commons beautification project.

The ceremony will take place under a tent set up between Herriot Residence Hall and Harvey Ingham Hall. In case of rain, the event will take place in the Student Lounge in Olmsted Center.

Participating in the ceremony will be Drake alumni and former Des Moines advertising executives Liz Newell and her husband, Jack Kragie.

They have funded the agora with a $200,000 gift. "It's a privilege to help this great institution create a better environment for students in the 21st century," Newell said.

Other speakers at the ceremony will include Drake alumnus Benjamin Ullem, chair of the Drake Board of Trustees; Drake President David Maxwell; and Drake alumnus Robert H. Helmick, who has made Helmick Commons possible with a $500,000 gift and an endowment of $1.5 million to ensure future maintenance.

Renowned landscape architect Tony Tyznik, who designed the Morton Arboretum near Chicago, has created a master plan to transform the field between Meredith Hall and Hubbell Dining Hall, and the adjoining areas, into a beautiful gathering place for the Drake community. Assisting with the project are architects from the Des Moines firm of Herbert Lewis Kruse Blunck.
Kleiner, Stratton receive coveted Levitt Awards
Alexander Kleiner and Donald Stratton receive congratulations from Madelyn M. Levitt.


Drake's top awards for faculty and staff recently were presented to Alexander Kleiner, the Thomas F. Sheehan professor of mathematics and computer science; and Donald Stratton, the Ellis and Nelle Levitt distinguished professor of physiology.

Kleiner received the 2001 Madelyn M. Levitt Outstanding Mentor of the Year Award and Stratton received the 2001 Madelyn M. Levitt Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award. These awards were created in 1994 by Madelyn M. Levitt, national chair of Campaign Drake and a member of the University's Board of Trustees.

In presenting Drake's top award for mentors at the Spring Faculty/Staff Recognition, Provost Ron Troyer noted that Kleiner also received the Madelyn M. Levitt Teacher of the Year Award in 1996. Troyer then quoted from a letter from a faculty member who wrote that Kleiner "actively counsels advisees to help make good choices for their current academic experiences as well as for life after graduation."

The Levitt Teacher of the Year Award is the eighth teaching award that professor Stratton has received at Drake. In presenting the award, Troyer quoted from a letter written by one of Stratton's students who described his professor this way:

"He explains difficult concepts in a short amount of time. I am constantly amazed how he can do this, as not many professors can ... He is confident but not cocky. You do not feel like an idiot asking him to explain something. Finally, he brings enthusiasm to the classroom. He's not above literally hopping around, imitating various molecules and/or ions to get a concept across."
Pilmer returns to Drake as marketing director
Sharon Pilmer


Drake alumna Sharon Pilmer recently returned to her alma mater as director of marketing and communications. She had been senior vice president and director of market research and planning at CMF&Z Marketing and Public Relations.

Pilmer has succeeded Drake alumna and journalism professor Ronda Menke, who had served as interim director of marketing and communications since January. Pilmer is now responsible for coordinating the efforts of the Office of Marketing and Communications, including advertising, publications, public relations, community relations, marketing and market research. As Drake's chief spokesperson and community relations representative, she also works closely with the news media, neighborhood leaders and city officials.

"We are delighted to have Sharon Pilmer join Drake," said Angela Voos, the University's vice president for institutional advancement. "She brings with her tremendous experience and a proven record of success in marketing and strategic communications. Plus, as a Drake graduate, she understands and appreciates the University's traditions and aspirations."

Pilmer holds two degrees from Drake. She received a bachelor's degree in sociology in 1979 and a master's degree in mass communication in 1994. She has done post-graduate work at Iowa State University and the American Press Institute.

At CMF&Z, Pilmer was responsible for managing all client research and worked closely with account teams to develop and execute marketing and communication plans for key accounts. She also has led the agency's media (advertising) planning and buying staff.

Prior to joining CMF&Z, Pilmer led research and strategic marketing functions for The Des Moines Register, where she also served as director of The Iowa Poll, the country's longest-running newspaper public opinion poll.

Before that, she was a public relations manager for Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Iowa, where she worked for former Drake President and Iowa Gov. Robert D. Ray, BN'52, LW'54.

She also spent several years working in Iowa state government and politics. She served two years as administrative assistant to the House majority leader and later staffed House committees on education and higher education funding.
Students to produce live telecast

Approximately 75 Drake students are preparing for the Drake Broadcasting System's telecast of the 2001 Drake Relays.

The 12-hour broadcast will be produced, directed and reported by Drake students. The telecast will be seen live in Des Moines on cable channel 46 and on the World Wide Web from 12:30 to 5 p.m. today (Friday, April 27) and from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.
Stop by the All-Alumni Tent Party

Faculty and staff are invited to attend the first-ever All-Alumni Tent Party from 5 to 8 p.m. today (Friday, April 27), across Forest Avenue from Drake Stadium. For just $10 per person, guests will enjoy beer, other beverages and the retro recipes of their youth.

On Saturday, April 28, sociology professor R. Dean Wright will present the Third Annual Paul Morrison Relays Lecture at 10 a.m. in room 106 of Meredith Hall. The lecture, titled "Under the Bridges of Polk County," is open to the public.
Everyone who attends the lecture is asked to bring a canned food item. All donated food will be given to the Des Moines Area Religious Council's emergency food pantry.
Walk for Drake with Dr. Maxwell

It's not too late to join President David Maxwell in representing Drake at the Greater Des Moines American Heart Walk this Sunday (April 29) or by making a contribution if you so choose.

Professor Lou Ann Simpson in the College of Business and Public Administration is collecting donations. Those interested in contributing may send her checks - made payable to the American Heart Association - via campus mail.

President Maxwell is vice chair of this year's Heart Walk, which will start at 1 p.m. He also will participate in the opening ceremonies beginning at 12:30 p.m. at the stadium. For more information, call Lou Ann Simpson at x2007.
Correction

Janet Keefer joined Drake as dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication in 1994, not 1974, as was reported in the April 20 issue of On Campus.

Joining the "Litter Marathon" to spruce up the campus for Relays are Paul Morrison, JO'39, athletic historian and consultant, and President David Maxwell. Approximately 225 faculty and staff finished the marathon.

Magazine Center to open Monday

The Center for Magazine Studies at Drake University will have an open house for faculty, staff, students and alumni on Monday, April 30, from 3 to 4 p.m. in room 111A of Meredith Hall.

The center was initiated by the E.T. Meredith Family Foundation and the Bohen Foundation, as part of a $1.1 million grant that included funds from Meredith Corp. to the Drake School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

The center is designed as a resource for scholars and professionals who want to further their knowledge of magazines and the magazine business. The center includes a magazine resource room for academic and professional research housing a diverse archive of high-quality publications that are rarely part of library collections. Continuous runs of numerous publications, from Ms. to Mother Earth News to Better Homes and Gardens, will be accessible, as will historical background and planning documents for Flair and Look.

Also on Monday, April 30, the center's interactive Web site www.magazinestudies.com will be launched. It will include an ongoing forum on major issues in the magazine industry; translate scholarly research into practical information; and provide links to other magazine sites for resource purposes.

The center will eventually conduct professional development seminars to provide continuing education opportunities for local and national magazine professionals.
From front to back: Louisa VonAhnen, Michael Gadient and Ang Maya Sherpa transplant native Iowa plants as part of professor Tom Rosburg's Field Biology class. The entire class transplanted and nurtured 300 native plants, which will be sold at the "Go Native in the Garden" event at the Des Moines Botanical Center on Saturday, May 5. "The students enjoyed getting their hands in the dirt," Rosburg said. "As the plants grew, they provided the class with wonderful examples of different leaf types and flower types."



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