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Meet the new Liberal Arts & Sciences dean
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Running with Iowa’s ‘largest cotton farmer’
Formerly the physics department chair at Virginia Tech, Beate Schmittmann became dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences on April 2. Jonathan Wendel is an ISU scientist and – along with his wife – a runner of marathons in all 50 states. He also grows Iowa’s biggest cotton crop.
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The investment in good teaching
Iowa State is a top research university, yet emphasizes and rewards great teaching in Liberal Arts and Sciences and throughout campus. Jay Newell teaching in Curtiss Auditorium. Bob Elbert photo
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Tate has pinned her career on helping others
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Watching and telling us about Wall Street
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Role models have guided ISU student Jessica Tate, the daughter of a former Cyclone mat champ, towards a career examining the multicultural aspects of criminal justice. Alumnus Steve Wood credits his ISU political science professors for helping him become the person providing insights into financial markets for millions of Americans.
Green’s the word for ‘sustainapalooza’ student
Active on many sustainable fronts across campus, student Chandra Peterson celebrates everything cardinal, gold and green.
We want your opinion on Link, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences alumni magazine. Send us your thoughts: las@iastate.edu or 515-294-0461 We want to hear from you! —Steve Jones, editor
More than one way to stay connected. www.las.iastate.edu/social
Link is published in the fall and spring each year by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa State University for alumni and friends of the college.
COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS & SCIENCES ADMINISTRATION Dean Beate Schmittmann Associate Dean Arne Hallam Associate Dean David Oliver Interim Associate Dean Martin Spalding Associate Dean Zora Zimmerman LIBERAL ARTS & SCIENCES DEVELOPMENT TEAM Senior Director of Development Michael Gens Senior Director of Development Stephanie Greiner LINK STAFF Editor Steve Jones Writers Steve Jones Laura Wille Graphic Designer Sheena Green Cover Photo Bob Elbert
Link College of Liberal Arts & Sciences 202 Catt Hall Iowa State University Ames, IA 50011 515-294-0461 las@iastate.edu Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran. Inquiries can be directed to the Director of Equal Opportunity and Compliance, 3280 Beardshear Hall, (515) 294-7612.
New faces and new friends Dear Friends of LAS, When you read this in late April, I will have experienced my first few weeks as the new dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. As I write this in late February, a light dusting of snow has turned the trees outside Catt Hall into beautiful black and white sculptures, and my first day on the job still lies ahead. So what are my hopes and expectations for LAS, as we all prepare for this transition? As you may know, I am coming to Iowa State University from Virginia Tech. Both universities are large public land-grant institutions, home to about 30,000 students, with a focus on science and technology. Both have a beautifully landscaped central campus and birds as their mascots – the Hokiebird and Cy. Not surprisingly, I already feel at home at Iowa State. I still have much to learn about the college, but here is what is immediately apparent: LAS is a thriving community of outstanding scholars and educators, dedicated staff members, and incredibly motivated students. Two characteristics stand out: the amazing diversity of creativity, discovery, and learning that takes place within LAS, and the welcoming climate of the ISU family, which takes kindness and friendliness to completely new levels. Beyond the campus, LAS is connected to a worldwide network of engaged and supportive alumni and friends – that is, you! I feel very honored that I have been offered the opportunity to join this wonderful community, and I will serve it with profound commitment. Several years of very difficult budgetary challenges lie behind us. My predecessor Dr. Michael Whiteford and Interim Dean Dr. David Oliver, together with the whole team in Catt Hall and in the LAS departments and
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programs, have done a truly remarkable job steering the college through some very tough times. Despite massive losses of resources, they were able to welcome record numbers of new students and make sure that every single student could experience the exemplary learning environment for which ISU and LAS are nationally known. By virtue of their tremendous efforts, the college weathered these storms well. Please join me in expressing our heartfelt thanks to Deans Whiteford and Oliver and their leadership team. What lies ahead? I think we may hope for a few years of stability and even modest growth. This gives us an opportunity to build aggressively on our strengths. First, LAS will continue to lead innovation and share best practices in student-centered instruction and experiential learning, both within and outside the classroom, to prepare all Iowa State students for a fast-paced global knowledge economy. Since we are rightly proud of the excellent education we offer, LAS will recruit regionally and nationally, to attract students into LAS majors. Please do help us spread the word. Second, LAS is home to world-class scientific research, from exploring chimpanzee tool use to developing plastic electronics and discovering new materials with sophisticated computational algorithms. Faculty from the social sciences and humanities frame the human dimension, from ethics to communication and cultural competencies, without which science cannot achieve its full potential. And our writers and musicians express their perspectives of the world in a kaleidoscope of voices and venues.
LAS is a thriving community of outstanding scholars and educators, dedicated staff members, and incredibly motivated students.
My dream for the college envisions research and educational programs in which all of these brilliant and creative minds work as equal partners in shaping our future and solving major global and regional challenges. I am looking forward to a wonderful journey with all of you.
Beate Schmittmann Dean
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New Iowa State president now in the Knoll Iowa State’s 15th president, Steven Leath, took office Jan. 16. Prior to coming to Iowa State, Leath was vice president for research and sponsored programs for the 16-campus University of North Carolina system. Trained as a plant scientist, he has a B.S. degree from Penn State University, an M.S. from the University of Delaware and a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois. Leath also held several positions at North Carolina State University. He began his academic career at the University of Illinois as an extension plant pathologist. A pilot, avid hunter and Christmas tree farmer, Leath grew up in St. Paul, Minn., and State College, Pa. Former president Gregory Geoffroy announced his intention to step down last spring.
Rodermel named AAAS Fellow Steve Rodermel, professor in the Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, was one of five Iowa State researchers elected Fellows by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He was honored for his contributions to the field of photosynthesis and administrative work for the National Science Foundation and ISU.
Mary Swander gets second Iowa Poet Laureate term Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has tabbed Mary Swander to a second term as Iowa’s Poet Laureate. And Swander, the Iowa State Distinguished Professor of English, is busier than ever. She has brought international writers to the state, worked with the Iowa Arts Council on Poetry Out Loud contests and camps, and developed a website (www.iowalit.com) for anyone in the state to post creative writing and receive peer feedback. More events also are in the works.
Army ROTC battalion captures two honors Iowa State’s Cyclone Army ROTC Battalion was named the top program in the 3rd Brigade. The award is based on overall training performance and success at the annual Leadership Development and Assessment Course (a challenging 29-day training event at Fort Lewis, Wash.) and commissioning excellence. The 3rd Brigade includes Army ROTC programs at more than 40 Midwest schools. The Cyclone Battalion also has won a 2011 MacArthur Award from the U.S. Army Cadet Command and the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Foundation. The award was one of eight presented to the top Army ROTC programs in the nation. ISU’s Army, Navy and Air Force ROTC units are housed in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
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The Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State celebrates its 20th anniversary in fall 2012. Events begin on Women’s Equality Day – Aug. 26 – with a performance of theatre professor Jane Cox’s one-woman play, “The Yellow Rose of Suffrage,” about Catt’s work to secure women the right to vote. Also scheduled are an anniversary party on Sept. 23, to mark the date the Iowa Board of Regents established the center in 1992, and a reception and dinner for all who have ever been involved with the center on Oct. 26 during Homecoming weekend. Also included, at a date to be announced, is a public lecture analyzing the November general election results by the fall 2012 Mary Louise Smith Chair in Women and Politics. Follow the celebration at www.las.iastate.edu/CattCenter/.
Computer-programming students ready for ‘Battle of the Brains’ An Iowa State student computer programming team has qualified for the “Battle of the Brains” in Poland in May. The three-person team, sponsored by ISU’s Department of Computer Science, was runner-up at the November regional ACM International Collegiate Programming Competition in Lincoln, Neb. Bryce Sandlund (computer science, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences), Kerrick Staley (College of Engineering) and Devon Eilers (College of Business) will take part at the competition’s IBMsponsored World Finals in Warsaw, May 14-18. The Computer Science Department annually participates in the competition by sending up to 30 students, who form three-person teams, to the regional event. Senior lecturer Simanta Mitra coaches the teams, which must solve problems quickly and accurately using programming principles.
Trio of music grads on Fulbright scholarships The 2011-12 academic year has been good on the international scene for Iowa State music graduates. Three alumnae are studying abroad on Fulbright scholarships: Catherine Compton (2008) is doing musical research in Leipzig, Germany; Quyen Nguyen (2008) is teaching in Haiphong, Vietnam; and Pamela Madsen (2004) is teaching in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), India. All are still musically active.
Teddy Roosevelt and ISU alum share honor Dwight Ink – a 1947 Iowa State graduate in history and government – served in executive positions for seven consecutive U.S. presidents, from Eisenhower to Reagan. The magazine “Government Executive” in October named Ink one of the 20 all-time federal civil service leaders. Among those also named: Allen Dulles (former CIA director), Leslie Groves (head of World War II’s Manhattan Project to build atomic bombs) and President Theodore Roosevelt.
Discover more about Dwight Ink. Access the story and videos with your smart phone:
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Hanna Arnold, student. John Hauptman photo
High-energy student summer
“I’m going to CERN,” Iowa State physics professor John Hauptman told his students, referring to the European Organization for Nuclear Research and home of the Large Hadron Collider. “If anyone wants to come along, send an email.” Hauptman was facing a busy summer as part of the DREAM Project, an Italian-American collaboration. Project scientists are developing a new kind of particle detector for high-energy physics, a calorimeter. Hauptman’s goal for summer 2011 was to build nearly a half-ton of instrumentation to test one of the concepts behind the DREAM detector. Before long, Hauptman had a team of 10 ISU undergraduates. One goal was to design, assemble and test a prototype instrument called a scintillating fiber hodoscope that tracks particle trajectories. Another was to build portable equipment to supply 2,000 volts of power. And a major one was to polish plastic to glass quality and focus light onto photomultiplier tubes. The students worked hard and in late June moved their work to a scintillator lab at CERN headquarters near Geneva, Switzerland. Students polished, machined and epoxied the scintillating material. They made light-tight coverings and cages for the scintillators. They assembled the electrical systems. They hooked the electronics to a computer system. They took a few overnight shifts in the collaboration’s control room. And it all worked. The ISU students had solved enough problems to take calorimeter measurements that had never been collected by any physics team. “They did very well,” Hauptman said. “I learned a lot about physics,” said student Hanna Arnold. “It’s one thing to learn this in class and another to do it. I’ll remember this physics forever.” – ISU News Service
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Brent Kreider economics study. LAS photo
Lunch program’s health value School lunches improve the health outcomes of children who reside in low-income households, according to a study by current and former Iowa State faculty. Researchers analyzed data from nearly 2,700 federally funded NSLP (National School Lunch Program) children ages 6-17. Their study finds that the NSLP reduces the prevalence of food insecurity by 3.8 percent, poor general health by 29 percent and obesity by at least 17 percent in its participants. “Our first objective was to try to provide policymakers with the best estimates of the effects of the NSLP on the well-being of children,” said Brent Kreider, professor of economics who collaborated on the study. We didn’t expect to find “We think our results provide good evidence that such a large effect of the school lunch program is having generally the NSLP on reducing beneficial effects on children’s health outcomes. the obesity rate. Of course we can’t say that all children benefit, but it appears from our results that the prevalence of food insecurity, poor general health and obesity would be higher without the program.” Kreider says it’s been well documented that children who qualify for free and reduced-price school lunches tend to have worse health than their fellow students. “What is more difficult to identify is the causal role of the program itself when children are not randomly assigned into the NSLP,” Kreider said. “Parents and teachers who know that particular children are not getting adequate nutrition at home may be self-selecting such children into the program.” The rate of obesity reduction surprised Kreider. “We didn’t expect to find such a large effect of the NSLP on reducing the obesity rate,” he said. “Theoretically, the impact of reduced-price lunches on obesity is ambiguous. Because NSLP administrators must adhere to nutritional guidelines, one might expect the NSLP to reduce obesity. But school lunches might also lead to higher caloric intakes, and possibly more fat-related calories.” – ISU News Service C O L L E G E O F L I B E R A L A RT S & SCIENCES
Martin Spalding, biofuels. Bob Elbert Photo
Increasing biomass in algae Research at Iowa State has led to the discovery of a genetic method that can increase biomass in algae by 50 to 80 percent. The breakthrough comes from expressing certain genes in algae that increase the amount of photosynthesis in the plant, which leads to more biomass. Expressing genes means that the gene’s function is turned on. “The key to this [increase in biomass] is a combination of two genes that increases the photosynthetic carbon conversion into organic matter by 50 percent over the wild type under carbon dioxide enrichment conditions,” said Martin Spalding, professor in the Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology and interim associate dean for research and graduate studies in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. This opens up possibilities for more and better biofuel development, according to Spalding. “There is no doubt in my mind that this brings us closer [to affordable, domestic biofuel],” he said. In nature, algae are limited from growing faster because they don’t get enough carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, according to Spalding. In environments that have relatively low levels of carbon dioxide, such as air in earth’s atmosphere, two genes in algae, LCIA and LCIB, are expressed – or turned on – to help capture and then channel more carbon dioxide from the air into the cells to keep the algae alive and growing. However, when algae are in environments with high carbon dioxide levels, such as in soil near plant roots that are expiring carbon dioxide, the two relevant genes shut down because the plant is getting enough carbon dioxide. When the two genes were expressed together, Spalding was surprised to see the big biomass increase. “Based on some prior research we had done, we expected to see an increase, probably in the 10 to 20 percent range” he said. – ISU News Service
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Kristie Franz, surface water hydrologist. LAS photo
Scratching the surface water As a surface water hydrologist, Kristie Franz studies water that moves across the land and through rivers. “I take over where the meteorologists leave off. Once the precipitation hits the ground, they kind of forget about it,” laughed the assistant professor in Iowa State’s Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences. Franz is aiming to improve the ability to predict “streamflow events.” Information about expected flow volumes and peak flows in a river is essential for reservoir operations, river navigation, water supply, recreation and, in particular in the upper Midwest, flooding. With NASA funding and working with the National Weather Service, Franz is beginning to use satellite data to improve computer models that predict runoff and streamflow. Members of her research team are sifting through mounds of satellite data from river basins in Iowa, Minnesota, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The models, however, are only as realistic and accurate as the quality and quantity of the data that goes into them. “Currently, streamflow predictions rely primarily on ground-based precipitation and temperature data to model recent hydrologic Satellite data can give processes, but those observations miss most us a better picture of of the watershed,” Franz explained. “Satellite data what’s going on all can give us a better picture of what’s going on across the watershed. all across the watershed.” She is studying how much water is being lost to the atmosphere through plants via transpiration, which helps determine soil moisture in the models. “If we get rain, soil moisture conditions tell us how much water can infiltrate into the soil versus runoff to the streams,” Franz said. Franz’s goal is to develop methods to generate more reliable streamflow information that will allow emergency management officials to provide earlier and more accurate flood warnings.
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New LAS dean ‘honored’ to be at Iowa State Dean Schmittmann brings to LAS a distinguished background in computational physics.
Liberal Arts and Sciences’ new dean is a computational physicist. Beate (bay-AHT-uh) Schmittmann has been a member of the physics faculty at Virginia Tech since 1991 and department chair since 2006. She began her duties in Ames April 2. “Dr. Schmittmann brings an outstanding background as a distinguished computational physicist, chair of a major department of physics and a leader in Virginia Tech’s ADVANCE program,” said Elizabeth Hoffman, ISU executive vice president and provost. “Thus, she combines research and educational excellence, administrative excellence and a commitment to diversity in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields that is unparalleled.” “I am truly honored to serve as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences,” Schmittmann said. “The college is home to an amazing range of outstanding people and programs.” During the years of Schmittmann’s departmental leadership at Virginia Tech, annual research awards for physics faculty members grew from $1.99 million (2006) to $4.77 million (2011). The number of undergraduate majors grew from 112 to more than 200 and graduate student numbers rose from 55 to 75 during the same period. She developed a physics faculty-mentoring program and initiated the development of online versions of the department’s introductory physics courses, including lab components, to be offered during summer session. From 2003 to 2008, Schmittmann served on the leadership team and from 2006 to 2010, as a co-principal investigator of Virginia Tech’s ADVANCE grant from the National Science Foundation to increase both the participation and professional advancement of women in science and engineering fields in higher education. Schmittmann said she was familiar with Iowa State when she applied for the dean’s position. “When I first saw the position advertised, I was, of course, aware of Iowa State’s excellent reputation as a major comprehensive research university and as a member of the AAU [Association of American Universities],” she said. “Given my background as a scientist and department chair at Virginia Tech, I felt that Iowa State’s science and technology focus, together with excellent people and programs in the humanities and social sciences, would be a very good fit for my interests and experience.” Previously, Schmittmann served as a research associate (1984-86) and assistant professor (1986-91) at the Institute for Theoretical Physics III, Heinrich Heine
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University, Düsseldorf, Germany. She is a fellow of the American Physical Society. Her research interests are in statistical physics and biological physics. Schmittmann earned a diploma in physics from RWTH Aachen University, Germany; and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Former Liberal Arts and Sciences dean Michael Whiteford retired from the university last June after nearly four decades on the faculty. He had been dean since September 2003, including seven months as interim dean. David Oliver, professor of genetics, development and cell biology and associate dean for research in the college, served as interim dean from July 2011 through March 2012.
C O L L E G E O F L I B E R A L A RT S & SCIENCES
Biology-based video game a real blast
By Dan Kuester
Meta!Blast is an ISUdeveloped 3-D video game that teaches youth about cell and metabolic biology in a “cool” way.
After growing up on an entertainment diet of X-Men and Xbox, high school and college-age students may find a textbook on cell biology to be a little, well, bland. Eve Syrkin Wurtele decided the best way to get the attention of the science-deprived, gamer generation is to take the information out of a textbook and put it in a medium that kids crave – video games. So Wurtele, an Iowa State University professor in the Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, and her team developed Meta!Blast. The game won honorable mention in the 2011 International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Meta!Blast takes place in the year 2052. Plants are dying and there is a developing ecological crisis. At the same time, an expert team of plant scientists has disappeared. The player, represented by a student in the research lab, must shrink to microscopic size, enter the plant cell, rescue the lost scientists, discover what is killing the plants, and save the world – all in the game’s virtual, 3-D environment. Along the way, players must solve problems and answer questions about the cell and metabolic biology. Let’s see a textbook do that. It has been more than a decade
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Eve Syrkin Wurtele at the controls of Meta!Blast. Bob Elbert Photo
since Wurtele had the idea for the game as a way to reach students in an understandable, “cool” and exciting way. “It was a combination of teaching the freshman core biology class and teaching my own children about photosynthesis and respiration that sparked the idea of the game,” said Wurtele. “And most biological terms are really boring to the uninitiated. Words like acetyl-Coenzyme put kids to sleep.” Wurtele, who researches how metabolism is regulated, would love to see her students use the game to find a love for science. “Developing a game in which students interact with the subject makes them partners in learning. And playing video games, kids are willing to learn lots of crazy words just because they are involved in the game.” Diane Bassham, associate professor in the Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, worked with Wurtele on the project, and says
that the game is up to date and accurate. “We incorporate recent research on cell structure and behavior into the Meta!Blast cell models,” she said. “We wanted it to be visually beautiful,” Wurtele said. “And we wanted it to represent a real cell. It is very hard to understand the three dimensionality of the cell from drawings or text. And [in our game] cellular content can move, and the players interact with it. It’s like walking into a forest where you can see parts of the forest, touch the trees and moss, and explore. Looking at a sketch of forest doesn’t enable the same understanding.” The game is designed for use in schools and the learning principles and content are based on content standards of the National Academy of Sciences for life science, grades 9-12.
Dan Kuester is a writer with the Iowa State University News Service
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The running researcher
By Laura Wille
Acclaimed Iowa State biological scientist Jonathan Wendel is Iowa’s “largest cotton farmer” who has run a marathon in all 50 states, and then some.
“It’s a hill. Get over it.”
The expression has motivated Jonathan Wendel in two important aspects of his life. As an internationally known plant biological researcher for 25-plus years, who is the head of an Iowa State University department, there have been many hills to climb. Many different paths to take. Many obstacles. And as a runner for over 35 years, there is that of the literal kind. Wendel, professor and chair of the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, is well known on campus and in his field for his cotton genome research. He has been dubbed “the largest cotton farmer in Iowa” for his diverse selection of wild cotton species on the greenhouse roof of ISU’s Bessey Hall. As much as he is known for his cotton research, he is becoming known for his running too. In November Wendel and his wife, Kathleen, accomplished a marathon feat that was years in the making.
The big 5-0 In White River, Ark., a crowd of about 15 of their friends and family cheered at the finish line with special hats and a celebratory cake. The group had traveled across the country to see the Wendels complete this run, which marked a completed marathon in all 50 states. Wendel completed his first 10K in the mid-1970s and since then he hasn’t stopped running. He has completed (at press time) 67 marathons and ultra marathons (the longest being a 52-miler). He has run approximately eight marathons per year since he ran the first in 1997, ranging from the huge – Boston, New York, London and Chicago marathons – to the “homespun” races that may have only a handful of participants. Jonathan Wendel with a variety of cotton on display. Sheena Green Photo 8
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Distance runners Jonathan and Kathleen in, from left, London, Montana and Arkansas.
He has run through woods, across mountains and over sand. Wendel once ran a 50K race on a cold New Year’s Day that had no entry fee because, as it was advertised, “you get what you pay for.” Wendel and his wife have gathered enough medals for a “medal wall” in their home, and enough race T-shirts to make a quilt or two. Both are members of Ultra Runners Club, Marathon and Beyond, Runners World, and Marathon Maniacs – Ruthenium Level. “It’s a great way to see the country,” he said, and, in fact – countries. Wendel has also run marathons in England, France and the Netherlands. Beyond the physical and scenic benefits, Wendel said the enjoyment runs much deeper. “It’s really validating and personal,” he said. “I’m responsible for every step. I have to do every bit of work myself so it’s the ultimate in personal responsibility.” He added that running brings balance to his busy schedule, and research ideas also stem from the long distance treks. “There are 50 projects going on in the lab at once,” he said. “Thoughts occur to me when I’m running. I’ll think of something new.”
biologists in the country,” Oliver said. “He loves plants and has wonderful stories to tell about their natural history. A walk through the greenhouse with him is a chance to really understand what marvelous organisms plants really are.” Understanding plant genomes and their function is the first step toward making advances that benefit humans, Wendel said, whether it involves disease resistance, increasing yield or improving nutritional content. He added that the field of plant genomics is the greatest hope for feeding a growing planet with diminishing resources and a changing world. “We’re relying on knowledge of plant genomes to face all the challenges of feeding, clothing and housing the world’s burgeoning population.” Wendel will present his cotton genome research at a conference in Prague this May – one of his many international appearances. However, this time, since the coordinators knew about his marathon background, they scheduled the meeting around the Prague International Marathon. Wendel’s and his wife’s next goal is to join the 100 Marathon Club. Just another hill to get over. ■
High cotton In the same vein as Wendel’s marathon training, his quarter century journey into the depths of the cotton genome has meant hard work, determination and continual learning. The cotton genome is a great model for studying biodiversity and formation of plant species, he said. Wendel is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the principle investigator for the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Cotton Fiber Genomics project. David Oliver, associate dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences and professor of biology, said the fact that NSF picked a researcher in Iowa to lead the cotton project speaks worlds about the level of recognition Wendel has in the field. “Jonathan Wendel is one of the best general plant
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To learn more about Jonathan Wendel’s cotton research, watch his “Jeans, Genes and Genomes” lecture from November 2011:
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ON THE COVER
Good teaching
classroom success
Professor Fritz Keinert teaching MATH 267, Elementary Differential Equations and Laplace Transforms. Bob Elbert Photo
Top-quality teaching has come front and center to a university known for its research prowess.
Like many Tuesday-Thursday classes at Iowa State University, Stacey Weber-Fève’s French 304 lasted 80 minutes. A student could count on one hand the number of English words spoken during the upper-level class. Although the conversations between the assistant professor of French and her students were gibberish to an English-speaking visitor, Weber-Fève’s actions spoke louder than words. The award-winning teacher kept her class engaged with vibrant instruction, brief small-group sessions and student presentations in a welcoming and encouraging environment. Teaching and learning were top notch in this classroom, perfectly illustrating Iowa State’s keen emphasis on superior instruction. 10
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ON THE COVER
points to for students
by Steve Jones
However, it’s wrong to believe teaching is not emphasized at Iowa State, say ISU leaders. “Today, much more weight is given to excellent teaching than 20-some years ago,” Zimmerman said. “In the past, university policies recognized great scholarship, but excellent teaching was not given as much weight.”
The university has been willing and eager to invest in good teaching.
Successful in the classroom
Investing in teaching “The university has been willing and eager to invest in good teaching,” said Zora Zimmerman, associate dean for academic affairs in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Zimmerman, an ISU faculty member since 1974 and an administrator for the past 22 years, has seen a major campus shift that places greater emphasis on quality teaching. The most dramatic event took place more than a decade ago. The faculty senate approved measures giving more weight to teaching abilities when faculty members were eligible for tenure and promotion. Previously, research or scholarly activity was the key factor in an assistant professor’s quest for tenure and promotion to associate professor, or an associate prof’s promotion to full professor. “Publish or perish” was the unofficial maxim. Research and scholarly output have always been important at Iowa State and remain key to the university mission. ISU, for example, is proud of its membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities, a group of 61 “leading research universities” in North America.
“One of the things that makes Iowa State unique among research-intensive universities is that teaching is valued,” said Ann Marie VanDerZanden, a professor of horticulture and director of ISU’s Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT). The center offers workshops and other programming to enhance teaching effectiveness and learning on campus. VanDerZanden said ISU faculty want to be successful in the classroom and work at being good teachers. “I think it is a combination of the changes in the promotion and tenure document and the opportunity for faculty to be acknowledged and rewarded, giving faculty a reason to continue to pursue becoming better teachers.” Zimmerman said the university is investing in good teaching in several ways: • Supporting the teacher-training mission of CELT. The center has a lengthy list of learning opportunities ranging from course development to class climate to first-day tips. Two popular areas right now are instructional technology and team-based learning strategies. • Emphasizing student and peer evaluations of faculty. “Students sometimes are surprised we give weight to student evaluations, but we do,” Zimmerman said. “If we get consistently low scores on someone in a department, that’s a red flag.” • Improving the large-lecture hall learning experience. (See the story on page 13.) • Increasing efforts to help graduate students and post-doctoral researchers prepare to be better teachers once they get faculty jobs. • Recognizing good teaching by faculty (professors and instructors alike) with awards. Continued...
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ON THE COVER Continued from page 11
Caring for students So what makes a good teacher? Zimmerman said it goes beyond having the right kind of course syllabus, the right textbook or returning homework on time. “A person is seen as an excellent teacher if that person conveys a deep knowledge of the subject matter and cares about students learning the subject,” Zimmerman explained. She added that students sense whether a faculty member cares about them. “I think this is true from kindergarten on up. If a student recognizes and sees that the teacher cares about him or her as an individual learning in that classroom and really loves and understands the subject, that’s perfect as far as I am concerned. That’s all that’s needed.” “Being a top teacher effectively makes you a student for life,” said Weber-Fève, from the Department of World Languages and Cultures. “You have to want to learn from your students and be open to making adjustments in order to be successful.”
Jane Dusselier, assistant professor of anthropology, said she adjusts her teaching style almost daily. “Every class period is different, at least I hope this is the case because it signals that my students are growing and thinking.” Simple hard work is perhaps an under-appreciated virtue in the classroom, said astronomy professor Curtis Struck, of the Department of Physics and Astronomy. “It certainly takes a lot of work to teach a new class,” he said, “but it also takes work to keep an old one fresh, and adapt to new techniques and changing student expectations.” VanDerZanden believes Iowa State has a lot of faculty members who are intrinsically motivated to be good teachers. “They do it because they see the value in what their students gain. They like how they feel when they’re done. They believe they’ve made a difference in a student’s life.” She also said the best teachers, concurring with Struck, put time into their craft. “Good teaching doesn’t just happen – the faculty is willing to put in the time to make it happen.” ■
The Art of Good Teaching Four College of Liberal Arts and Sciences faculty members, all recipients of teaching awards, comment on the art of good teaching. “College students are eager learners. Most are just beginning their lives as independent adults and ready to formulate their positions on a variety of questions or issues. This is a fulfilling process for me as my students and I think about ideas and questions together.”
Jane Dusselier
Curtis Struck
assistant professor, anthropology
professor, astronomy
“Perhaps the two most critical characteristics for any educator wishing to achieve success in the classroom is first, a love for learning, and second, an understanding of how students learn your content area and the ability to anticipate any difficulties.”
“The interaction with the students is what gets me into the classroom and keeps me there, when they are engaged, asking questions, pointing out mistakes (yes, even good teachers make mistakes, and it’s great when a student catches a mistake before I do).”
Bob Stephenson
University Professor, statistics
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“The ideal (super) teacher has complete command of his/her evolving subject, understands all the major learning styles of his/ her students, knows exactly how to plug into them, has the resources to do that, and faces eager and prepared students. In the real world it is never possible to come close to perfection in any of these areas.”
Stacey Weber-Fève
assistant professor, French
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ON THE COVER
Large classes are now big on student learning It’s five minutes before the hour. The auditorium’s wide, cushioned seats are filling. The resonant sound system is on and ready, the video clips for the two large screens are set and the two aides are primed to provide assistance. Showtime. This isn’t a concert or a Hollywood premier. It’s a large-lecture class, Advertising Principles, taught by Jay Newell, associate professor in the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication at Iowa State. On this snowy February day some 175 students entered the remodeled Curtiss Hall auditorium to listen to Newell discuss ads used to steal market share. This isn’t your dad’s large-lecture auditorium class. The old “sit and git” classes with only lectures and tests are old school. Replacing them across Liberal Arts and Sciences and ISU is a new breed of large-format courses, some which can accommodate 250 or more students. Technology, improved auditoriums, small-group discussions, group quizzes and the use of top teachers are some of the ways Iowa State is making these large-university staples better learning environments for students. “The faculty cares about teaching throughout the university. They work really hard at it,” said Newell. He never thinks of an auditorium class as a “big class,” rather to him it’s a couple hundred individuals all with different backgrounds. Technology helps, and Newell uses “every technological gizmo I can find.”
Problem-solving skills On the snowy day, his advertising course featured videos of British commercials. Supplementing Newell’s teaching is an ISU-developed website called ThinkSpace, a case-study tool
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Greenlee School’s Jay Newell in a technology-rich large class. Bob Elbert Photo
that helps students develop valuable problem-solving skills. “The idea is to engage students in more critical thinking, analysis, planning and complex tasks,” said Craig Ogilvie, professor of physics and assistant dean of the Graduate College. Usually reserved for upper-level courses, Ogilvie wants to embed these complex cases in more large classes. “It’s not enough to only have them in 300- and 400-level courses,” he said. Ogilvie said students in Newell’s course are engaged because they are given challenging assignments. ThinkSpace allows students to upload projects in stages and drafts, letting Newell and his assistants give quick feedback, “which forces students to wrestle with revisions,” Ogilvie added. A device resembling a TV remote affectionately called a “clicker” has made its way into many large classes. “It’s been a quiet revolution that really has improved the large-lecture learning for students,” Ogilvie said. Ogilvie believes he was the first ISU faculty member to use clickers in a large class as part of an effort to encourage small-group discussions. He would ask a “conceptual-type” question every 10 minutes or so. Students answered with their clickers then Ogilvie asked them to discuss the question among themselves in brief breakout sessions. Each group
provided its own answer via the clicker.
Class “road checks” Cinzia Cervato does not require students to have a clicker in her large-lecture introductory geology course. “But if they have them, we use them for periodic ‘road checks’ along the way,” said the geology professor. “The interesting aspect of this is that I can quickly identify possible misunderstandings and start a discussion with the students to understand how and why they reached a certain conclusion rather than the correct one.” Cervato, who received a National Science Foundation grant to study large-class learning, said a large-format class requires much more planning and organization on her part than a regular-sized class. “I work hard to try to establish a small-class feeling in a class with 250-plus students through small group discussions, ‘think/pair/ share’ activities, group quizzes and group exams.” Newell, Ogilvie and Cervato are all award-winning teachers in Liberal Arts and Sciences and indicative of another Iowa State trend – using top teachers in large lecture classes. It’s all in an effort to ensure good teaching and learning at ISU.
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ISU student Jessica Tate and her father, Bill, are matside before a Cyclone wrestling dual. Steve Jones Photo
In the footsteps of role models
by Steve Jones
by Steve Jones
Iowa State senior Jessica Tate has a zeal for helping others, a trait ingrained in her from several role models including her wrestling champion father and grief counselors.
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At a young age Jessica Tate knew what she wanted to do. Now the Iowa State University senior has a plan. If all goes well, Tate will someday be a counselor and a college professor researching rehabilitation programs for people in the criminal justice system. It’s a lofty aim, but those who know the Waterloo, Iowa, native, say she’s hard working, goal-oriented and focused. Tate already has started conducting research, and she’s had several influential role models along the way – including her wrestling champion father and grief counselors.
Student researcher Tate is an ardent researcher and by this spring will have presented her findings twice before her peers at national conferences. The psychology and sociology student is a member of the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program at Iowa State. The U.S. Department of Education effort aims to increase the number of students from underrepresented groups receiving Ph.D.s. by
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exposing them to research and preparing them for the graduate school. Ronald McNair was a black astronaut who died in the 1986 Challenger space shuttle explosion. “It has been a great program for me,” said Tate, who works closely with her McNair mentor, David Vogel, professor of psychology. “Initially I didn’t know what type of research I was going to do. But I discussed it with Dr. Vogel and he suggested my topic. He’s been an outstanding mentor for me.” Tate studies the stigma faced by black male felons trying to reenter society. She started by conducting a two-hour focus group last year with eight black males – all felons recently released from incarceration – and gathered a heap of information. She has since done additional research in hopes of publishing her work in a scholarly journal. Her interest in counseling comes partly from her father’s work. Bill Tate Jr. has spent more than two decades with the Iowa Department of Corrections. He is a case manager but his work is better known as a probation or parole officer. Cyclone fans will remember Bill as ISU’s 1986 Big Eight wrestling champion at 158 pounds. He was a teammate and remains a close friend of Cyclone wrestling coach Kevin Jackson, who is Jessica’s godfather.
Admiration for parents Jessica admires how her father, now working with individuals with mental health and substance abuse issues, counsels people with respect and a focus on rehabilitation. “He doesn’t treat them as cases, he treats them as equals,” said Jessica. “They respect that quite a bit. To this day, the clients he had on parole 15 years ago still call him to see how he’s doing. By seeing that, it really made me want to help other people.” Jessica watched her father coach the Waterloo Columbus High School wrestling team for some 10 years. In addition to learning more about the sport than most other schoolgirls, she admired Bill’s compassion for his wrestlers. “He was more than a coach,” she said. “He was their mentor, sort of a father figure. It was compelling for me to see that impact on them.” She watched her mother, Lisa Tate, tenderly care for children in a home daycare business while also raising three active daughters. “The passion she had for those kids and the
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way she took care of my sisters and me was also something that made me want to help other people.” When Lisa was diagnosed with cervical cancer, Jessica watched her father put his career on hold to care for his wife. When they learned the cancer was terminal, the family began grief counseling. While learning how to manage her stages of numbing heartbreak, Jessica took notice of the counselors.
I always wonder what I would be able to do. How will I be able to tackle this if it hasn’t been tackled yet? “Each time I went I paid attention to the counselor. I watched how they were talking to us with their different styles,” she recalled. “I was young at the time, but I realized I really wanted to do it. I was pretty much set…there was nothing else that I wanted to do but be somebody who would help other people. “I wanted to be that person sitting there helping another family.” Lisa passed away at home in 2002.
Improving the programs Jessica was an all-conference basketball and softball player at Columbus High. College coaches wooed her, but she decided to concentrate on her studies at Iowa State. “I love the school so I decided to come here,” said Jessica, who was born in Ames. Her sister Jasmine is also on campus, studying community and regional planning, while the youngest Tate daughter, Jenna, is a sophomore at Waterloo East High School. As Jessica progressed through Iowa State, her plans crystallized – become a college researcher, hold a private practice and focus on the multicultural aspects of the criminal justice system. She said current rehabilitation programs need improvement. Jessica pictures herself with a group of prisoners and thinking of how she could connect with them, to let them know they can still succeed in life. She is confident she will devise new ways that will make a difference. “I always wonder what I would be able to do. How will I be able to tackle this if it hasn’t been tackled yet?” she said. “Jessica is conducting a great research project,” said Vogel, her McNair program mentor. “She is one of the most motivated, competent and dedicated students I have worked with. I think she will make an excellent counselor.” Bill is not surprised with his daughter’s plans, saying she always was focused in school, activities and athletics. “Coaches would say she would just absorb information like a sponge,” he said. “It’s just her personality.” ■
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LAS alumnus Steve Wood, right, visits with one of his former profs, Steffen Schmidt. Steve Jones Photo
The world of high finance and financial news
by Steve Jones
Political Science graduate Steve Wood keeps an eye on Wall Street for clients and America’s TV business news viewers.
Steve Wood laughed when asked if he had an average day. “I’m still trying to figure out my day job,” said the personable Iowa State University political science alumnus. His day could be filled with research, news interviews, client meetings or all of the above. Wood is the chief market strategist for North America for Russell Investments. He works in New York City’s Midtown Manhattan, a good locale to keep a watchful eye on Wall Street to the south. In the simplest terms, he studies the investment environment and helps
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people navigate the markets’ risks and opportunities. “He explains what’s going on,” said University Professor of political science Steffen Schmidt, under whom Wood studied in graduate school at Iowa State. Wood works with Russell’s clients and also shares his carefully crafted thoughts in the news media. Watch the business news on television or the Internet and you’ll likely see Wood. He represents Russell on news outlets such as CNBC, BBC, Fox Business Network, Bloomberg TV and PBS. He’s often quoted in the Wall Street Journal and elsewhere.
C O L L E G E O F L I B E R A L A RT S & SCIENCES
Wall Street and television, however, were never on his radar at Iowa State, yet neither was much of anything else. As a University of Wisconsin undergraduate, he toyed with becoming a dentist, but really didn’t know what lay ahead. “Steve was bright, full of energy and had no idea what he wanted to do,” said James McCormick, professor and chair of political science at Iowa State. Then Wood found direction in Ames. He grew up in Manitowoc, Wis., along Lake Michigan not far from Green Bay. Wood’s mother was a smart, highly motivated immigrant from post-war Britain who sought better opportunities in America. His father, a farm boy, took advantage of the G.I. Bill to attend college to “move onto bigger and better things,” Wood explained. “Coming from parents who have this sense that there is something more, something better, meant education is not an option, it’s a requirement in the family,” he said.
Diamond in the rough With a bachelor’s degree, Wood came to Iowa State somewhat “directionless.” ISU faculty recognized a diamond in the rough, albeit one in “pink high tops and short pants that suspiciously looked like boxer shorts,” said Schmidt. “He was imaginative, very charming and eager to learn new things and get his act together,” Schmidt recalled. “[Professor Richard] Mansbach and I sensed that, and we took him under our wings because he clearly had a lot of talent.” Wood quickly saw opportunities at Iowa State, calling it his “first slap in the right direction.” He said he had “fantastic” opportunities to work with the faculty. “A 21-year-old from Wisconsin comes here and has access to guys like Schmidt, McCormick and Mansbach in his coursework. That’s a nontrivial event,” he said. Wood studied international
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relations under Mansbach and worked closely with Schmidt in comparative politics. “For the first time, I was taught how to think in a formal way… how to figure out things,” Wood said. “He was smart, creative and nonconformist – all the things that make for successful people,” Schmidt said of Wood, who earned an M.A. in
investment process and portfolio management.” Break it down, he said, and it’s behavioral finance – attempting to maximize probabilities of the good and minimize those of the bad in the volatile financial world. “The market environment is not driven by logic,” Wood said. “It’s driven by a lot of things, and logic
The market environment is not driven by logic. It’s driven by a lot of things, and logic might be one of them, but it’s certainly not the dominant one. We shouldn’t fool ourselves into thinking this is a logical, numbers-driven game. political science in 1990. “He really started focusing on his work and learned to write in a meaningful way. When he left here, I think he really knew what he wanted to do.” Wood’s plan was to earn a Ph.D. and follow in his brother’s footsteps into an academic career. He left Iowa, met his future wife and entered a rigorous doctoral program at Claremont Graduate University in California. Call it a slap in the right direction 2. Under the stern guidance of Professor Jacek Kugler, Wood excelled at econometrics, statistics, math, finance and economics en route to a doctorate in international political economies.
Joining the world of finance Instead of an academic career, he became a senior research associate and economist for the Milken Institute, a nonprofit economic think tank at the Milken Family Foundations. It was a baptism by fire as he veered into the fast-paced world of economics and finance. In 1999 Wood went east to New York and entered the financial services industry. He joined Russell Investments in 2005. Wood’s bio says he “works closely with Russell’s institutional clients and retail partners to communicate Russell’s global market perspectives,
might be one of them, but it’s certainly not the dominant one. We shouldn’t fool ourselves into thinking this is a logical, numbers-driven game.” It’s Wood’s job to make sense of it all, to understand the prevailing characteristics of a market environment that will either hamper or assist clients’ investing goals. Each morning starts with a good hour of prep work, scanning data and the news, and conferring with colleagues. His “research days” include time with Russell’s analysts (the “quant guys” who do the quantitative research) and other market strategists in places like London, Toronto and Sydney. “Media days” can include a handful of news interviews. He did three the day he came to the Iowa State campus in October to accept the Alumni Achievement Award from the Department of Political Science. Wood recalled his first national interview – with Bloomberg News – a few years back. “It was terrifying but in a fantastic way,” he remembered. A live interview has no safety net, so he has one shot at knocking it down. But he enjoys the opportunities to talk to America and believes he does a good job. “Maybe I process information quickly, maybe I just talk too much,” he said with a wry smile. ■
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By Laura Wille
During her studies at Iowa State, Chandra Peterson restarted the Campustown Action Association, implemented a new student organization and helped coordinate campus symposiums. And those are just a few of her achievements. Chandra Peterson is all green. Dan Bell Photo
Just a few weeks into her Iowa State experience, Chandra Peterson was elected a Campustown senator for the Government of the Student Body. She immediately dove into the job by looking for ways to improve Campustown and make the business district a destination spot. Peterson began talking to local business owners about reviving the Campustown Action Association. After multiple knocks on doors, letters in the mail and a lot of persistence on Peterson’s part, it paid off. The new Campustown Action Association has nearly 50 members in just a year and a half of its re-start. The association is working to make the area more attractive, viable and sustainable.
A student for sustainability “Sustainable” is a term near and dear to Peterson, a senior majoring in political science and philosophy with minors in business and classical studies. She is the co-founder and copresident of The Green Umbrella, a student organization that brings together all of ISU’s student sustainability clubs. She started the organization because she saw the
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need for the multiple groups to communicate with each other and collaborate on projects. She is also heavily involved in campus sustainability efforts through her internship with ISU’s Live Green! initiative. Peterson created an online sustainability course database, and she is producing a “green guide” with budget, marketing and leadership tips for the green-related student groups. As part of her internship and The Green Umbrella presidential duties, Peterson helped coordinate sustainability symposiums on campus. This year’s February event, “Sustainapalooza: Celebrating our Cardinal, Gold and Green,” featured various green-related activities. Just as Hollywood has its red carpet, Sustainapalooza had its own green carpet.
Scholarships paved the way Her involvement in these activities wouldn’t have been possible without the help of scholarships, Peterson noted. She applied for as many scholarships as possible, estimating she has received 15 (some were renewable) to help finance her education.
About five of those are college or departmental scholarships in Liberal Arts and Sciences. “I wanted to be active,” she said. Scholarships allowed her to be involved on campus rather than needing to carve out more time to work. Peterson plans to take her sustainability ideas with her to law school this fall where she will study international human rights law. Although much of her efforts at Iowa State are focused on environmental sustainability, she said sustainability involves so much more. “Sustainability, in my opinion, has an element of social justice and an element of sustaining others,” she said. “A lot of the accepted definitions of sustainability revolve around three pillars: the environment, social sustainability and economic sustainability.” Her dream job is to work for a nonprofit organization such as Human Rights Watch or Amnesty International. “I’m excited to start my career as a lawyer,” she said. “To me, international human rights law ties in with my broad definition of sustainability.”
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ISU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Alumni Merit Award
Danny O’Neill BA Political Science and International Studies 1983 Kansas City, Missouri Founder The Roasterie
John V. Atanasoff Research and Discovery Award John L. Gustafson MS Mathematics 1981; PhD 1982 Santa Clara, California Director Intel Corporation’s Extreme Technology Research Laboratory
Award for Superior Service to Alumni
Barbara M. Mack BA Journalism 1974 Des Moines, Iowa Associate Professor Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication, Iowa State University
Impact Award
Lisa Koll Uhl BS Biology 2008 Portland, Oregon Professional Runner Training with Nike
James A. Hopson Alumni Volunteer Award Kathrine Rollinger BA Communication Studies 1998 Kansas City, Missouri Human Resources General Electric
Outstanding Young Alumnus Award
Anne C. Campbell BS History and International Studies 1998 Minneapolis, Minnesota Independent Consultant The Open Society Foundation
COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS & SCIENCES Carrie Chapman Catt Public Engagement Award Sharon (Miller) Rodine BS Political Science 1971 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Youth Initiatives Director Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy
COMPUTER SCIENCE Alumni Achievement Awards
Norman Farrington BS Computer Science 1970; MS 1972 Council Bluffs, Iowa Founder The Farrington Consultancy LLC Rebecca S. Taylor BS Computer Science 1984 Austin, Texas Senior Advisor, Innovation & Entrepreneurship U.S. Department of State, Office of the Science and Technology Adviser to the Secretary
Lawrence E. Buja BS Atmospheric Science 1982; MS 1984 Broomfield, Colorado Director, Climate Sciences and Applications Program National Center for Atmospheric Research Tracy L. Vallier BS Geology 1962 South Lake Tahoe, California Scientist Emeritus, Research Marine Geologist U.S. Geological Survey
GREENLEE SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND COMMUNICATION James W. Schwartz Award for Distinguished Service
John Arends BS Journalism and Mass Communication 1977 Saint Charles, Illinois President and CEO Arends, Inc.
MUSIC AND THEATRE Outstanding Alumni Award ECONOMICS Award for Early Contributions to the Economics Profession Vishal Singh MS Economics 1997 New York, New York Associate Professor of Marketing Stern School of Business, New York University
ENGLISH Outstanding Alumni Awards
Kevin Brooks PhD English 1997 Fargo, North Dakota Professor and Chair, Department of English North Dakota State University
Scott Anderson BM Music 1985 Lincoln, Nebraska Professor of Trombone University of Nebraska – Lincoln
POLITICAL SCIENCE Alumni Achievement Award
Stephen P. Wood MA Political Science 1990 Hastings-on-Hudson, New York Chief Market Strategist, North America Russell Investments
WORLD LANGUAGES & CULTURES Distinguished Alumni Award
Citation of Merit
Kerry Skram Jurgens BA English 1995 Des Moines, Iowa Actress and Playwright Company Member with Repertory Theater of Iowa
Elizabeth K. Andre BA Spanish and International Studies 1998 Ashland, Wisconsin Assistant Professor of Outdoor and Environmental Education Northland College
Distinguished Service Award
GEOLOGICAL AND ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES Distinguished Alumni Awards
CLASSICAL STUDIES PROGRAM Distinguished Alumni Award
Douglas K. Spong BS English 1981 Bloomington, Minnesota President Carmichael Lynch Founder and President Carmichael Lynch Spong Gary L. Krull BS English and Speech 1967 Williamsburg, Virginia Retired President and Founder Krull Communications, LLC
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Thomas Bown BS Earth Science 1968 Westminster, Colorado Consulting Geologist
Christopher J. Johanson BA Classical Studies 1999 Los Angeles, California Assistant Professor, Department of Classics, UCLA
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Career teacher ‘invests’ in LAS scholarships
by Laura Wille
Her Iowa State degrees prepared her well, so Mary Lindgren is giving back to her alma mater with the WhitakerLindgren Scholars in Political Science.
The value of a higher education was instilled in Mary Lindgren very early on. Her parents were in college in the early 1930s – a difficult time for many to go to school – and some of her grandparents had also completed advanced schooling. Her father’s financial planning allowed Lindgren to earn bachelor’s (1968) and master’s (1969) degrees in government from Iowa State without incurring any debt. In loving remembrance of her father’s gift, Lindgren has established an endowed scholarship fund at Iowa State University that will eventually reach $1 million to help students who have financial need. The Whitaker-Lindgren Scholars in Political Science fund will provide scholarships for juniors and seniors in the Department of Political Science. The first scholarships are scheduled to be awarded in 2013. “Through my years in teaching I saw many students who had the ability, but not the funds,” she said. “Education is something that is portable. You can never lose it.” Lindgren’s ISU education took her to the Neenah, Wis., school district where she taught high school Advance Placement Western Civilization and also American Government and Politics for 29 years. She served as a 20
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Mary Lindgren with Charles Wiggins, her undergraduate and graduate adviser at Iowa State.
board member, program chair and state president for the Wisconsin Council for the Social Studies, a professional organization of social studies teachers. She also took her Neenah students to Washington, D.C., for a “close up” view of government. Through the Close-Up Foundation, the students experienced democracy in action.
An endowment is an investment which pays continuous future dividends, and this endowment was something I felt was very important.
Lindgren’s students met with members of Congress, senators and the media during an intense week of study. Lindgren was also involved in the Center for Civic Education’s “We the People” educational program. Students were tested on constitutional issues and could participate in state and national competitions. For her work with these programs, the Wisconsin State Bar honored Lindgren as the Law Related Educator of the Year in 2000. Lindgren said her ISU degrees gave her many opportunities to assist young people in their education, and she wanted to do more. “I was always very grateful for the experience I had at Iowa State,” she said. “An endowment is an investment which pays continuous future dividends, and this endowment was something I felt was very important. To me, this is a way to help others and reward an institution that did great things for me.”
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The rising need for scholarships – especially for undecided students
Liberal Arts & Sciences Development Staff
The numbers are impressive. Over the past eight years, 42,000 private scholarship awards have been given to Iowa State University students. They have received almost $60 million in scholarships created by the university’s alumni and friends. “Private support for student scholarships is very important to Iowa State and our students,” said Michael Gens, senior director of development for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. While those figures are expected to continually grow, it’s not nearly enough, according to Roberta Johnson, director of financial aid at Iowa State. “The debt load of our students is one of the highest in the country,” Johnson said. “That’s why raising funds for scholarship support is so vitally important to this university. I can’t think of any better investment than a scholarship for the next generation of students.”
Michael Gens Senior Director of Development 515-294-0921 mgens@iastate.edu
Political science student Chandra Peterson (featured on page 18) is as active on campus as any student. However, her campus involvement would not have been possible had it not been for the scholarships she received. Peterson applied for as many scholarships as possible, believing she has received 15 to help finance her education. “I wanted to be active,” she said. The scholarships permitted her involvement on campus rather than needing to work more to pay for college. Gens said all scholarships are important, yet two priority areas exist in Liberal Arts and Sciences. Unrestricted scholarships – those that can be designated to any student – are vital because the flexibility of these funds allow the college to allocate scholarships to students regardless of area of study. Another important area of scholarship need is for open option students those who have yet to decide on a major. Nearly 25 percent of all entering ISU freshmen are open option and are assigned to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Stephanie Greiner Senior Director of Development 515-294-8868 greiner@iastate.edu
These students are still exploring academic major options. As a result, they discover new opportunities and interests they were unaware of when they began their academic journey. To encourage this important discovery process among so many ISU students, additional open option scholarships are needed. “Raising scholarship funds for open option students is an important priority for our college and university,” Gens said. “These funds allow students to explore a wide range of offerings at Iowa State, rather than declare a major – that may not ultimately be the best fit – just to be eligible for scholarships restricted to that major.” If you would like to learn more about setting up a scholarship, contact Michael Gens (mgens@iastate.edu, 515-294-0921) or Stephanie Greiner (greiner@ iastate.edu, 515-294-8868).
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College of Liberal Arts and Sciences 202 Carrie Chapman Catt Hall Ames, Iowa 50011