Commencement Ceremonies Steven
F. Faux, associate professor of psychology at Drake University,
is the 2004-05 recipient of the Madelyn Levitt Teacher of
the Year Award - the highest honor bestowed upon a Drake teacher.
The passionate educator conducts his classes with signature
exuberance that students find infectious – even if they
are not science or psychology majors.
Students regularly comment on how excited he gets
in class,” said Maria Clapham, professor of psychology.
They enjoy the variety of techniques he uses to communicate
with students, including sometimes acting things out or even
singing a song to illustrate a point.”
Faux joined Drake in 1990 after five years at Harvard Medical
School where he worked on a variety of brain-function research.
He earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from the University
of California at Riverside and his Ph.D. from Brigham Young
University. Before his work at Harvard, Faux worked at the
Children's Medical Center in Tulsa, Okla.
At Drake, Faux teaches psychology at all levels from the most advanced courses to the beginning course taken by many first-year students for science requirements. From the first day in class, it is clear Faux loves his subject matter and, moreover, loves learning and the process of intellectual curiosity. Some years ago, a former student recalls, during an early November class, Faux began his introductory psychology course by showing an overhead projection about the history of Guy Fawkes Day, a British holiday that commemorates a plot by angry British Catholics and others to blow up British Parliament in protest.
Faux discussed his reading about Guy Fawkes Day and showed
an illustration in a book he was reading. He then showed an
enlargement of an engraving that spelled Fawkes Faux,”
just like the teacher himself, which led Faux to investigate
whether he had an ancestor in common with these rebels from
the 17th century.
The lesson,” the former student said, was
that you should always look closer because you never really
know what you're going to learn until you investigate all
possibilities. I took only one psychology class, but that
lesson has stuck with me for a decade.”
And that, by Faux's own admission, is what he seeks.
Fifty years from now, if my students still think of me, they
probably will not recall my lectures or teaching activities,”
he said. However, I do hope they remember my enthusiasm for
the pursuit of learning and intellect. If I have made that
enthusiasm memorable and contagious, I have succeeded as a
teacher. I could have no greater reward than that. Jean
A. Berger, assistant athletic director and senior women's
administrator at Drake University, is the winner of the Madelyn
Levitt Mentor of the Year Award –- the highest honor
given to mentors at Drake.
A constant, driving force in the growth and respectability of Drake's athletic department for more than a decade, Berger is known for her earnest relationships with student-athletes, faculty and staff and others in the local and national community. She takes an interest in all students who cross her path, regardless of athletic involvement, and makes it her mission to help them succeed. Ever since I told Jean about my desire to go to law school, she has been a constant supporter,” said one student nominator. She has taken time out of her busy day to write me post-graduate scholarship nomination letters, offered to put me in contact with people she knows in the legal field and provided me with constant counsel in order to help me deal with the weight of my decision. Moreover, she did all of this while making me appreciate exactly how much I've grown over the past three and a half years here at Drake.” Berger joined Drake in 1991 as assistant sports information director after stints in similar positions at Wichita State University and Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb. She became assistant athletic director in 1993. She earned her bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Iowa in 1981 and her master's degree in physical education and sports studies from Iowa in 1989. At Drake, Berger supervises four of Drake's men's and women's intercollegiate athletic programs and athletic training services. She works as an NCAA compliance officer and is responsible for all oversight of department actions related to NCAA regulations. She is coordinator of academic support services that help ensure student-athlete success both in sport and classroom. The relationships Berger fosters with Drake students create a trusting environment for student-athletes that helps alleviate the high-stress environment and demands created by balancing the terrific demands of NCAA Division I athletic schedules and those of the classrooms at a top-ranked private university.
In my four years as an athlete at Drake, she counseled me
on everything from applying for government financial aid to
enhancing my education through a variety of summer school
options,” said one former student-athlete. Jean showed
a genuine interest in my well-being and success. I've found
that I can trust her not only as an adviser, but also as a
counselor and a friend.” Last summer, Dolph Pulliam ventured to Huntington, Md. for
a visit with his old college buddy and fellow Drake alumnus,
Wayne Evans and his wife, Conni.
Pulliam, director of community outreach and development, is godfather to the Evans' daughter, Allyson, who graduated from Drake in 2001. During his visit, Allyson asked Pulliam to step out onto the deck with her and her long-time boyfriend, Dan Kitchen, also a 2001 Drake alumnus. Allyson announced that she and Kitchen were getting married and, beyond that, she wanted Pulliam to perform the ceremony. But I'm not a minister,” Pulliam protested. No problem, the couple told him. It turns out that in Maryland, all he needed to do was fill out some paperwork and, ta-da!, he's now the Rev. Adolphus Pulliam in the non-denominational Universal Life Church. Pulliam performed the ceremony late last month at the Evans' Maryland home.
I was more nervous than before the tip-off of the UCLA game
in the 1969 Final Four,” Pulliam said. But like that
game, this is something I will remember and cherish for the
rest of my life. And everybody involved had ties to Drake.
It was something special.” Drake University student Lauren Derebey has been awarded a Fulbright Award to teach English as a foreign language in South Korea. Derebey recently completed her senior year at Drake, majoring in international relations, political science and French. "I feel very honored to have been selected and offered this tremendous experience," said Derebey, a 2001 graduate of Prairie Ridge High School in Crystal Lake, Ill. "After having studied international relations for the past four years, I am really excited to put some of my knowledge into practice." Derebey, who recently won Drake's Elsworth P. Woods Prize for outstanding seniors majoring in international relations, will leave for South Korea in early July. During her 13-month visit, she will teach English language courses to high school students and help them develop an understanding of American culture, society and values. "I hope to develop a better global awareness by gaining an understanding of Korean culture, politics and economics," Derebey said. "I also hope to offer South Koreans a better understanding of the United States." She plans to educate her students using both traditional methods of reading, writing and speaking, as well as sharing with them more current cultural elements, such as magazines, music and movies. Upon returning from South Korea, Derebey hopes to work for a few years before attending graduate school. She plans to obtain an international law degree or a master's degree in international relations. Two students from Drake University won Fulbright Awards in 2004-05, ranking Drake as one of the top producers of Fulbright Awards for students among the nation's master's universities. "This year we had five applicants, three finalists and one student who received a Fulbright Award," said Eleanor Zeff, Drake Fulbright program adviser and assistant professor of politics and international relations. "In the last three years, we've had a total of nine applicants and one-third of them have been accepted. We are pleased that more students are applying for the program and anticipate that our numbers will continue to improve." Starting in the spring 2006 semester, education students
in Drake University's Nutrition and Wellness course will benefit
from some of the innovations made possible by a grant from
the NASA Opportunities for Visionary Academics program.
NOVA aims to enhance science, mathematics and technology literacy for preservice teachers in the 21st century. The program emphasizes the extensive use of technology in the classroom, inquiry-based and student-centered instruction, and content incorporating NASA research. Courses are based on national standards for science, math and technology. Drake, an academic member of the Iowa Space Grant Consortium, was awarded a one-year NOVA grant in April of 2005. Charisse Buising, Drake's ISGC coordinator, learned about the NOVA program at the annual meeting of the Great Midwestern Regional Space Grant Consortium. Also working on the NOVA grant at Drake are LaRhee Henderson of the Department of Chemistry and Jack Gerlovich of the College of Education. The NOVA program director is Kevin Whitaker. Nutrition and Wellness, along with a course called The Iowa Environment, make up Drake's general education requirement for mathematics and the sciences. The two courses integrate the science and mathematics disciplines and focus on current, practical issues. Students learn content in the context of an issue and use science and mathematical methods to explore questions. "Students apply science and math to issues with which they are already familiar and that affect their everyday lives," said Buising. "They are drawn into learning by the practical, hands-on approach." The courses are recognized as national models by the Science Education for New Civic Engagement and Responsibilities program. This summer Buising, who teaches the Nutrition and Wellness course and is director of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology at Drake, will journey to the Johnson Space Center in Houston to gather data sets for integrating into the Nutrition and Wellness course. Students will use the data for research projects.
"The courses are academically rigorous," Buising
said, "but the way the material is taught and presented
enables students who are not science or math majors to lose
their fear of these subjects and open up to learning."
The two courses, which have been offered at Drake for two
years, were already incorporating many of the features that
the NOVA program was looking for — student-centered
learning strategies such as project-based labs, role-playing
and debates.
The grant will allow Buising to incorporate NASA data into course exercises and student research projects. She will also work closely with education faculty to help preservice education students use the class to learn teaching strategies while learning content. "We will be modeling appropriate teaching behavior, behavior that the students themselves can later use in their own classrooms," she said.
NOVA consists of a network of more than 90 member institutions
that collaborate by sharing their experiences in developing
the NOVA preservice education model. The program emphasizes
sustained collaboration among interdisciplinary teams of faculty
and administrators. Workshops and support are provided for
NOVA faculty. Drake University Athletics Director Dave Blank recently announced that Chase Hodges, who has served as head men's and women's tennis coach at North Carolina-Asheville the past three seasons, has been named the new head men's tennis coach at Drake University. During his first two years at UNC-Asheville, Hodges guided both programs to their first national rankings at the NCAA Division I level. He led the men's team to its highest national ranking (No. 64) and the most wins (15) in school history in the 2003-04 season. The women's team earned the most victories (13) and best record in the history of the program, going 13-8 in 2003-04. "Chase did a remarkable job in building the tennis programs at North Carolina-Asheville and we look forward to having him continue to build upon the strong tradition the Drake men's tennis program has enjoyed over the years," Blank said. "He brings a lot of energy and enthusiasm to our program and he will be a welcomed addition to Drake." Hodges also served as head men's and women's tennis coach at Longwood University in Virginia during the 2001-02 campaign with the women's program posting a 16-5 record, achieving its first national ranking in school history. "Our goal will be to win the Missouri Valley Conference, " Hodges said. "The Valley offers a very competitive tennis conference and I'm excited about this opportunity. I'm very thankful to Dave Blank and look forward to working with him." The Hickory, N.C., native received his bachelor's degree and master's degree from North Carolina-Wilmington, where he was a two-year letterwinner for the Seahawks. He played two years at North Carolina State before transferring to North Carolina-Wilmington. Hodges earned all-conference honors as a senior and was named the team's most valuable performer as a junior and senior. He also was a two-year Colonial Athletic Association Scholar-Athlete at UNCW. He served as a graduate assistant at North Carolina-Wilmington for three years. After receiving his master's degree from North Carolina-Wilmington, Hodges was the tennis professional at the Roanoke (Va.) Country Club for one year. To raise awareness and support, the Drake Adult Literacy Center will host its third annual Support the Right to Read Walk for Adult Literacy” on Friday, May 20, at Nollen Plaza in downtown Des Moines. The theme of this year's walk will be There's a Place for Us.” Walkers, including a group of students from Dallas Center-Grimes, will meet at 11:45 a.m. in Nollen Plaza in downtown Des Moines, then begin the walk in the downtown skywalk system at noon. A rally will be take place in the Kaleidoscope Mall at 12:30 p.m. Adults who have benefited from the program will share their experiences and describe how the Drake Adult Literacy Center changed their lives. In addition, Michelle Swieter, Miss Johnson County, will sing There's a Place for Us” at the rally. For more information about the Drake Adult Literacy Center, contact Anne Murr at (515) 271-3982 or During the summer sessions, OnCampus will move to a bi-weekly schedule. We will return to the weekly schedule in August. As always, please e-mail or call us with your noteworthy accomplishments, student achievements or tales of the fun, fascinating and far out at Drake University. Lisa Lacher, media relations director, can be reached at x3119. Daniel Finney, public relations specialist, can be reached at x2833. The e-mail is Daniel.Finney@drake.edu or Lisa.Lacher@drake.edu. |
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