Drake broadcast program recognized
College Magazine has recognized the Drake SJMC’s news major as a Top 10 journalism program. The magazine cites Drake’s hands-on curriculum, extracurricular opportunities and experienced faculty.
Alumni news
Monica (Papuga) Gray, JO’12, visited campus during finals week to discuss her career with SJMC students and others. Gray is the marketing director for country music star Kenny Chesney’s rum brand. She told students about how she got into the music business during her time at Drake by working for a local country music radio station, then moved to Nashville to pursue her passion. Gray also gave away a guitar and tickets to Chesney’s Des Moines concert.
David Lubbers, JO’86, was part of an ESPN team that won a Peabody Award this weekend for “Spartan Silence,” a documentary about sexual abuse of female athletes at Michigan State. Lubbers is a longtime ESPN producer.
Joey Taylor-Moon, JO’ 04, vice president of marketing for Hubbell Realty, was recognized as a graduate of the 2019 Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute.
Three SJMC alums were nominated for Minnesota Ad Federation’s “32 under 32” honor. The annual list honors “original thinkers” and “next generation of leaders.” They are Amy (Harren) Ward, JO’12, marketing manager at GoKart Labs; Ellen (O’Byrne) Brinn, JO’11, account supervisor at Yamamoto, and Jon McDonald, JO’11, account supervisor at Carmichael Lynch.
D.M. Young Professionals Connection hosting welcome event for students, recent grads
The Des Moines Young Professionals Connection (YPC) and the Greater Des Moines Partnership would like to invite Drake students and recent grads to join YPC on Saturday, June 1 at the Greater Des Moines Partnership building in downtown Des Moines for a free event to highlight why Des Moines has consistently been named the No. 1 city for young professionals to work, live and play.
Why Des Moines will feature a panel of young professionals from universities across the country who work in a wide array of industries in the Greater Des Moines area; a roundtable discussion with the YPC Board of Directors on how to get involved in Des Moines and transition from college to the working-world; a keynote presentation on work-life balance from Jen Schwartz, Human Resources Consultant at Principal Financial Group; followed by a networking happy hour at Peace Tree Brewery in the East Village.
Lunch is provided by the Greater Des Moines Partnership at no cost. Please RSVP by Friday, May 31 in order to reserve your seat and lunch for this fun welcome event to #DSMUSA.
Summer Meredith Hall building hours
Meredith Hall is unlocked during the following hours during the summer:
Sunday and Saturday: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Monday-Thursday: 7 a.m.-9 p.m.
Friday: 7 a.m.-10 p.m.
Have a news item for the Memo?
The SJMC Monday Memo is a weekly newsletter to keep members of the wider SJMC community updated on School news, achievements, events and opportunities. If you have an item for the Memo, please send it to Dean Kathleen Richardson (kathleen.richardson@drake.edu) or SJMC webmaster and multimedia professor Chris Snider (christopher.snider@drake.edu). SJMC alums and other professionals can also contact Chris to have the Memo delivered via weekly email.
The School of Journalism and Mass Communication strives to create a community of scholars that represents the complexity of the human experience in regards to race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, economic status, political views, gender identification, religion, age and physical abilities. We are committed to creating a welcoming and supportive environment for all our faculty, staff, students and visitors, and celebrating our differences through the lens of the First Amendment value of freedom of expression.