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September 27, 2002 Vol. 55, No. 15

Justice Scalia to give Opperman Lecture

For the second time this year, a United States Supreme Court Justice will visit Drake University Law School. Justice Antonin Scalia will deliver the Dwight D. Opperman Lecture at the Drake Knapp Center at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is titled "Interpreting the Constitution."

"Drake Law School is honored to have such a distinguished jurist as our guest," said Law School Dean C. Peter Goplerud III.

The Dwight D. Opperman Lecture in Constitutional Law at Drake Law School has become one of the most prestigious constitutional law events in the country. This year's lecture by Justice Scalia marks the ninth time a current or former U.S. Supreme Court justice has visited Drake to deliver this distinguished address and Scalia's second visit. Justice Clarence Thomas visited the Law School in February 2002 as a weeklong professor in residence.

In addition to the public lecture, Justice Scalia will conduct meetings with Drake Law School student leaders and faculty, as well as participate in a question and answer session with students.

The Opperman Lecture was endowed by Dwight D. Opperman, a 1951 Law School graduate who received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in 1998.
Paquette family funds new lecture series at Drake
J. William Paquette
The family of the late J. William Paquette, long-time director of career planning and placement at Drake, has presented the University with a gift of $25,000 to fund a new lecture series.

The J. William Paquette Lecture Series, which will help students learn about employment issues, begins Thursday, Oct. 3, with a presentation on "Finding Career Success in Today's World." The speakers will be Phil Gardner, director of Michigan State University's Collegiate Employment Research, and Larry Routh, director of career services at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln.

The event will begin at 1:30 p.m. in Bulldog Theater. Gardner will talk about the college labor market, economy and workforce demographics, and key skills for achieving success. Routh will discuss strategies for developing these skills. Career Expo 2002 will follow the lecture from 4 to 7 p.m. in Olmsted Center.

"These men are major, national leaders in the placement world," says Don Adams, executive assistant to President David Maxwell for community and alumni affairs. "There isn't a university in the nation that wouldn't love to bring these speakers to its campus. It's a big coup to have them come to Drake."

Paquette, who died May 11, 2000, at age 73, was director of career planning and placement at Drake from 1961 to 1979, when he accepted a similar post at the University of Illinois. After retiring from the U of I, he turned his efforts to the Midwest College Placement Association, where he had served for more than 30 years, including terms as president and executive treasurer. To recognize Paquette for his service, the association named its leadership award in his honor.

While building relationships between employers and the campus communities of the Des Moines area, Paquette, along with his wife, Joyce, GR'71, worked to support the arts, their Catholic parish and to raise their seven children. Two of their daughters are Drake graduates: Mary Paquette Abt, LA'72, and Patricia Paquette Davis, ED'72, GR'78. Davis' son, Adam, is a first-year student at Drake this fall. Mary Paquette Abt is married to Jeffrey Abt, FA'71, GR'79.
Dr. Maxwell asks Drake community to focus on three things

When President David Maxwell began working on his address to faculty and staff at Drake's Fall 2002 convocation, he identified the key challenges the university faces in the next few years. But he also made a list of what has been achieved by the Drake community in the past three years - a list that, in his words, "I find truly remarkable."

That list of more than 30 accomplishments - all of which Maxwell noted in his Sept. 19 address - ranged from developing a five-year strategic plan for the University and creating new interdisciplinary centers to transcend historical boundaries between schools and colleges to enrollment increases and the completion of a $190 million capital campaign.

These successes were especially noteworthy for two reasons, according to Maxwell.

"First, I'd like you all to take pride in what we've accomplished, because it has been accomplished by all of you acting as a community - a community committed to the future of Drake and its students," said Maxwell.

"Second, some research conducted last spring on campus attitudes tells us that most have a cautiously optimistic attitude about the future of Drake - but they're waiting for evidence that we can do what we've set out to do," he added.

Moving forward to face the challenges posed by a volatile economy, an increasingly challenging admissions environment and deferred maintenance expense will not be easy, according to Maxwell. He also noted that efforts to ensure salary competitiveness and equity, dealing with increasing health care costs and continued work in neighborhood development and vitality as critical issues.

Meeting these challenges requires the Drake community to focus on three things, Maxwell said.

"First, we need to have a clear line of sight to University goals. Each of us needs to understand there is a direct relationship between what we do and what the University must accomplish.

"Second, we need to think strategically. When confronted with decisions, even those that seem mundane, those decisions must be made in the context of what best advances us toward meeting the University's strategic goals. And because today's short-term decisions can mean tomorrow's long-term problems, we must avoid the easy, non-strategic solutions in favor of a longer-term approach that achieves long-term results.

"And, third, we need to strive toward a ëzero defects' culture to avoid diminishing the Drake experience. Each of us has the opportunity to define a student's total experience in five minutes by the way we interact or respond. From that perspective, it's important to recognize that enrollment and retention is not just the job of the Admissions office. We all play a role, in everything that we do."
Doug Hillman receives congratulations from Madelyn M. Levitt following the Fall Faculty and Staff Convocation.
Hillman honored for his extraordinary community service

Doug Hillman, the Aliber distinguished professor of accounting, recently received the Madelyn M. Levitt Community Service Award, which Levitt established to recognize individuals who have made an outstanding commitment to Drake, volunteerism and community service.

In presenting the award, President David Maxwell said Hillman was given the honor for his "willingness to give of himself without regard for personal recognition, for touching the lives of countless students, faculty and staff for more than 30 years, and for his enthusiasm and leadership as well as commitment to community service."

Hillman serves on the Holt International Children's Services board and is active in the program as a parent of four children with special needs from Korea. He also helps the Boy Scouts of Troop 202, serves on the Iowa Prison Industries board and is a member of Rotary International. He plans to use the monetary portion of the award to help renovate an orphanage.
Jones and VonBehren win Employee Excellence Awards
Aggie Jones, left, and Sherry VonBehren pose with their awards.
Drake recently presented Employee Excellence Awards to Sherry VonBehren, administrative assistant in the Law Library, and Aggie Jones, administrative assistant in the School of Education, for their exceptional initiative, commitment and excellence in the performance of their duties.

In announcing the award, Human Resources Director Venessa Macro said VonBehren consistently goes above and beyond her duties in performing complex legal research. She quoted from a survey in which one participant said, "Sherry is absolutely the best there is. She is knowledgeable, efficient, extremely thorough and courteous."

Macro said a nominator described Jones as calm, curious and ethical when working with angry students who couldn't get into courses or handling issues with the State Department of Education. She added that another nominator described Aggie as "a consummate professional, well-schooled, exact in her work and eager to serve and advocate for students and family."
Leake to give debut recital

Erika Inge Leake, visiting assistant professor of flute, will give her debut faculty recital at 8 p.m Tuesday, Oct. 1, on the Jordan Stage in Sheslow Auditorium in Old Main. She will perform works by J.S. Bach, Charles-Marie Widor, Toru Takemitsu, Katherine Hoover and Francis Borne. Admission is free.
Let's DU Lunch on Wednesday

Sarah Grant-Hutchison, co-owner of Sticks Inc., will speak Wednesday, Oct. 2, at the Let's DU Lunch speaker series. The lunch will start at 11:30 a.m. in the Younkers Tea Room in downtown Des Moines. The cost is $15. For reservations, call x3848.
Performance set for Wednesday

Orville Little Owl and his Iron Bull Singing and Dance Troupe will perform traditional songs and dances at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2, in Parents Hall.
NAB sponsors guest lecture

The Cowles Library National Advisory Board is sponsoring a guest lecture on Friday, Oct. 4, by Rick Johnson, the executive director of the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition. Johnson's lecture is titled "Igniting Change in Scholarly Communication." Following the lecture, Provost Ron Troyer will help dedicate the library's new online system.
Drake to host Book Week

A large selection of books published in 2002 for children and young adults will be displayed in the Reading Room at Cowles Library Oct. 7-9 as part of Book Week, which is sponsored by the School of Education, Cowles Library, the Public Library of Des Moines, Des Moines Public Schools and Heartland Area Education Agency.

The display will be open to the public from 1 to 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9.

On Monday, Oct. 7, there will be a book review session in the Reading Room at 4:30 p.m. followed by a speech at 5:30 p.m. by Todd Strasser, author of over 100 novels and novelizations for middle school and adolescent readers. Admission is free. For more information, call x3059.
Several town meetings planned

All Drake faculty and staff members are invited to learn more about Drake's budget by attending one of two town meetings scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 10. The meetings will start at 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. in Bulldog Theater. Victoria Payseur, vice president for business and finance, will review the results of the fiscal year that ended May 31, 2002, and discuss future budget challenges and opportunities.

Another set of town meetings on Drake's strategic plan will be held for faculty, staff and students on Wednesday, Oct. 9, and Friday, Oct. 11. President David Maxwell will lead the discussion of Drake's five-year strategic plan. The meetings will start at 3:30 p.m. Oct. 9 and 9 a.m. Oct. 11 in Bulldog Theater.

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