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On Campus - Stories
May 24, 2002 - Vol. 54, No. 41



Drake welcomes more than 1,000 new alumni

At Drake's three commencement ceremonies last weekend at the Drake Knapp Center, the University welcomed more than 1,000 graduates to the ranks of Drake alumni and presented two honorary degrees.

Doug Brown, long-time WOI Radio personality, and General Wesley K. Clark, who dedicated 34 years to the U.S. Army, each received a Doctor of Public Service degree.

For the first time, the Drake Teleproduction and Media Resource Center videotaped the Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony in a special format so that the images could be broadcast over the Internet. The streaming video enables families unable to attend the ceremony to view their loved one's graduation from afar.

The Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony was first posted online on Monday, May 20. On Monday and Tuesday, there were a total of 1,316 hits on the Web site, according to Todd Evans, director of the Teleproduction and Media Resource Center. Check out the streaming video by visiting
www.draketv.com.

Professor Dean Wright, marshal of the University, leads the academic processional. President David Maxwell, center, congratulates Gen. Wesley Clark, left, and Doug Brown on their honorary degrees.

Students smile and wave at family and friends documenting the occasion with cameras and camcorders. Crowds pack the Drake Knapp Center for the Undergraduate Commencement Ceremony. Those who werenít able to attend can view streaming video of the ceremony on Drakeís Web site.



Prof. Kleiner receives national award for advising students

Alexander F. Kleiner, the Thomas F. Sheehan professor of mathematics and computer science at Drake, has been selected to receive an Outstanding Advising Certificate of Merit in the Faculty Academic Advising category as part of the 2002 National Academic Advising Association's National Awards Program.

The award is presented to individuals who have demonstrated qualities associated with outstanding academic advising of students. The Faculty Academic Advising category includes individuals whose primary responsibility is teaching and who spend a portion of their time providing academic advising services to students.

Kleiner is one of 13 faculty advisers honored with this award in this category in nationwide competition this year. He will be honored and presented with this award in Salt Lake City, Utah, during the association's annual national conference in October.

This isn't the first time Kleiner has been honored for his advising efforts. In 1995, when he received the Madelyn M. Levitt Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award, he was described by current and former students as a professor whose caring goes well beyond the classroom. "He has a rare gift for recognizing abilities in his students and encouraging the growth of those talents," a 1984 Drake graduate said.

Graphic design majors receive international recognition

Three 2002 Drake graduates have received awards in the Mission Possible Communication Design for Traffic Safety Contest.

The contest, sponsored by the Alberta Motor Association of Canada, drew entries from graphic design students from Canada, the United States and Latin America.

The students produced visual materials aimed at fostering safe driving. These materials included Web pages and CD-ROMS, posters, fliers and booklets. At Drake, the competition was incorporated into a Graphic Design Four class taught by John Fender, assistant professor of art and design.

Heather Hardt of Des Moines received an Award of Excellence and $300 in Canadian currency for her work. Michelle Barr of North Platte, Neb., and Liz Bashaw of Shenandoah, Iowa, each received an Award of Merit, which included $150 in Canadian currency, for their work. All three award winners majored in graphic design.

Their award-winning work will be displayed in an exhibition that will open in Edmonton, Canada, before the end of the year and will later travel to other venues within the province.

Another graphic design major, Kevin Burg, a sophomore from Overland Park, Kan., has won third place in the student division of the MacWorld Expo Digital Art Competition, which drew 900 entries from students, professionals and hobbyists.

Burg's work, titled "Letters from Tanganyika," was among 12 selected for the 2002 MacWorld calendar. In addition to the calendar, his work was shown at the July Expo in New York City and then traveled as part of an exhibition to art galleries and universities throughout the country.

Faculty promotions announced

Provost Ronald Troyer recently announced that the following faculty members have been promoted and/or received tenure:


Drake historic home tour set for June 1, 2

The Drake Neighborhood Association will conduct its Annual Tour of Historic Homes from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 1, and Sunday, June 2. The tour will begin at the newly constructed Sigma Chi fraternity house at 3212 Forest Ave.

Tickets can be purchased in advance for $7.50 at the Drake Diner, Alphabet Soup and Drug Town. Tickets also will be available for $10 each at the Sigma Chi house on the tour days.

This year's tour features the northwest corner of the neighborhood, including Forestdale, the city's original suburb. This area was designed to take advantage of the area's hilly terrain and many trees and it boasts some of the most diverse architecture in Des Moines. The tour also features the new fraternity house, St. Luke's Episcopal Church and several unique homes on 42nd Street.

Another special event in the Drake Neighborhood - the annual Greek Food Fair - will take place on Sunday, June 2, at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 35th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue.

Meals, which include pork shish-kabob, Greek salad and dessert, will be served from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $9 in advance and $10 at the door. Tickets may be purchased in advance at the courtesy counter of Dahl's on Ingersoll Avenue.

For more information about the food fair, call 277-0780. Additional information about the tour of historic homes is available at 255-9293.

Farmers Market opens June 5

The Drake Neighborhood Farmers Market will open for the season at 4 p.m. Wednesday, June 5, in the parking lot of First Christian Church, 25th Street and University Avenue.

This season the market will celebrate the huge variety of fresh produce available in Iowa and the rich diversity of the neighborhood with special festivals and a series of live cooking demonstrations.

Opening day will feature a special visit from Ronald McDonald and a live cooking demonstration by Chef Tag Grandgeorge of the Art House on Ingersoll Avenue. Grandgeorge will prepare some of his favorite recipes using in-season produce available at the market.

He also is scheduled to conduct demonstrations at the market on June 12 and 26. Future cookjng demonstrations will feature a variety of recipes from chefs in the Des Moines area. Copies of the recipes will be available at each cooking demonstration.

The market, now in its sixth year, will be open from 4 to 7 p.m. every Wednesday through Sept. 25.
Here is a sampling of the special attractions scheduled at the market:

Also scheduled this summer are a Tomato Festival, Sweet Corn Festival and Apple Festival.

More than 20 vendors are expected to participate in the market. The vendors offer Iowa-grown produce, baked goods, on-site prepared foods, plants, and crafts.

Free entertainment will be provided weekly. In addition, there will be special guests sharing information on a variety of topics.

The market is a non-profit, community project sponsored by the Drake Neighborhood Association, Drake University, the Drake Area Business Association and First Christian Church.

Food Stamps, IFMNP/WIC checks and Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition checks are accepted at the market.
For more information about this year's market, call Ginny Gieseke at 277-6951.


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