Chad Harris

What drew you to your profession? Mentors! I have been encouraged or recruited at every step of my career. That started at Iowa State when (then) Honors Program Director Liz Beck ('74 history, MS '77) encouraged me to consider a career in higher education. That prompt led to graduate school then a career in university advancement and alumni relations which inspired my doctoral degree in educational leadership. My practical experience, dissertation research, and personal commitment to community service led to my career in nonprofit executive leadership and fundraising.

What’s the oddest thing in your refrigerator? Pickled chestnuts—they are used as a condiment, add flavor to dishes, and are largely associated with tradi tional Scottish foods. Their unique flavor and texture can be compared to an olive or mushroom. I am of Scottish heritage and host an annual Burns Night Supper (Scottish national holiday celebrating the poet bard, Robert Burns).

What is on your reading or podcast list?

The new centennial edition of Etiquette by Lizzie Post and Daniel Post-Senning, the great-great-grandchildren of Emily Post, of the Emily Post Institute. And their weekly podcast, Awesome Etiquette, offers contemporary views on how to navigate personal, professional, and social situations through a lens of consideration, respect, and honesty – tenets we can all ben efit from in modern times.

What opportunities are there for continued learning?

A.The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Iowa State University (OLLI at ISU) offers courses in-person and online via Zoom in a variety of subjects that appeal to many interests and backgrounds. Anyone age 50+ with a desire to learn (without homework and tests) is welcome to join the member organization. Courses range from a single 90-minute class to an eight-week course. Visit www.OLLI.iastate.edu, call 515-294-3192, or email jlogue@iastate.edu for details or to receive a course catalog.

Where can I find class notes or submit one?

A.Cyclones everywhere are encouraged to share news related to their careers, personal lives, and families through "Class Notes" on the ISU Alumni Association's website at: www.ISUalum.org/ClassNotes. That’s also where you can find a recent listing of class notes received by the ISU Alumni Association. A link to this webpage is included in each issue of Iowa Stater newsletter delivered via email every month. Not receiving Iowa Stater newsletter? Email alumni@iastate. edu to subscribe.

Have a question for Cy?

Share it on social media @isualum or email iowastater@iastate.edu.

Little and Often: A Memoir

TRENT PRESZLER

(’98 INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES)

With no experience in woodcraft, driven only by blind will, Trent Preszler built a canoe with tools he inherited from his father. He gained a new perspective on life, and the means to change it. This USA Today Best Book of 2021, delivers a moving reflection on bereavement and inheritance through a father-and-son odyssey, resonating with Robert Pirsig’s classic Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

About the author

Trent Preszler grew up on a cattle ranch in South Dakota. He is CEO of Bedell Cellars, founder of Preszler Woodshop, and a visiting professor of practice at Cornell University.

Virtual discussion date:

May 23, 7 p.m. CT

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Book club selections do not imply endorsement of their content or concurrence with their authors by the ISU Alumni Association.