Iowa Stater Summer 2023

CLEARED FOR LIFT OFF

Khushi Kapoor reaches new altitudes with innovation

CLUB CONNECTION

Volunteers across the U.S. foster the connection among alumni and Iowa State

CHANGEMAKERS COAST TO COAST

Crafting spirited classics, labor-saving tech, and fresh designs to unite and inspire

When you work in the Ames area you can take your life to the next level. The Ames region offers:

Diverse job opportunities in healthcare, IT, manufacturing, and other in-demand industries.

Entertainment opportunities including concerts, hundreds of dining options, ample outdoor recreation, diverse shopping options, Big XII athletics, and more.

Employers who value their employees by offering competitive wages, excellent benefits, and a variety of amenities.

2,000+

job and internship opportunities listed right now. Find your dream job today!

YOU’LL LOVE A CAREER HERE!

Your Gateway to Jobs in Boone and Story County, Iowa

ON THE COVER:

Maddie Fischer (’21 apparel, merchandising, and design), Byshawn Davis (’20 apparel, merchandising, and design), Ricardo Field (’21 apparel, merchandising, and design), Todd Snyder (’92 apparel design), Cole Kersey (’11 apparel merchandising, design, and production), Blaze Best (’19 industrial design, apparel merchandising and design), Lea Dochterman (’20 apparel, merchandising, and design), Telicia Bunch (’98 apparel, merchandising, and design) Cover image by Kenny Thomas.

Connecting Cyclones in the Big City

Iowa Stater

Editor Melea Reicks Licht

Assistant Editors Caleb Grizzle, Kate Tindall

Designer Jenny Witte

Photographers Christopher Gannon, Matt Van Winkle

Creative Consultant

2communiqué

Editorial Board

Melea Reicks Licht, Senior Director of Communications, ISU Alumni Association

Brian Meyer, Associate Director for Strategic Communications, Iowa State University

Jodi O’Donnell, Director of Editorial Services, ISU Foundation

Postmaster: Send address changes to Iowa Stater, ISU Alumni Center, 429 Alumni Lane, Ames, IA 50011-1403

As I walked along the brownstones of the Chelsea neighborhood, my excitement built. It was my first trip to New York City, and I was soaking in every moment.

An unshakable optimist and allaround positive guy, Darrin Rahn (’12 agricultural business, marketing) was walking me to my next interview, which just happened to be with one of his fashion icons—Todd Snyder.

Darrin is one of those guys who always says yes when Iowa State comes calling. Speak to a class? Yes. Host a student intern? Yes. Be interviewed for Iowa Stater? You get the idea. (Read more on Darrin on page 44.)

That’s why I was so excited to say yes when Darrin asked if he could accompany me to my interview with Todd Snyder (’92 apparel design). Snyder’s team didn’t hesitate when I asked about arranging a meet and greet with the two. Todd’s another alum who says yes when Iowa State comes calling. (See cover story on page 18.)

When we arrived, Darrin and I nervously adjusted our clothing – he a bright pink Todd Snyder sweater, me a vintage NYC tee from the designer’s early years paired with a blazer.

We were greeted with warm handshakes and smiles. Darrin and Todd quickly hit it off, and I could feel myself focusing in on the special moment unfolding in front of me.

“This is what it’s all about,” I thought, “connecting Cyclones everywhere.”

I hope you enjoy getting to know these two special Cyclones along with a host of other changemakers coastto-coast. Their stories illustrate how, in large and small ways, via science, technology, art, and more, Iowa Staters are shaping our world for the better.

Copyright 2022 by the ISU Alumni Association, Jeffery W. Johnson, Lora and Russ Talbot Endowed President and CEO

Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran. Inquiries can be directed to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Compliance, 3280 Beardshear Hall, 515-294-7612.

GET IN TOUCH WITH US! ISU Alumni Association ISU Alumni Center 429 Alumni Lane Ames, IA 50011-1403

iowastater@iastate.edu

1-877-ISU-ALUM (478-2586)

MELEA REICKS LICHT (‘00 PUBLIC SERVICE AND ADMINISTRATION IN AGRICULTURE, MS ‘05 AGRICULTURAL

Darrin Rahn and Todd Snyder

At Northcrest Community, we offer an active lifestyle, new friendships, and a spirit of community! All this on top of our care-free living, security and peace of mind with our Life Care promise.

COME LIVE YOUR BEST RETIREMENT LIFE!

The only independently owned and operated, non-profit, life-care community in Ames.

PROUD OF PATTERSON

I read the most recent issue of the Iowa Stater magazine with great interest. What caught my eye in particular was the story about Dr. Frederick Douglass Patterson who, in my opinion, is one of the most accomplished graduates of the university. That he was a college president is laudable. That he played a central role in establishing the Tuskegee Airmen is remarkable. And, that he was co-founder of the United Negro College Fund is extraordinary. All of his accomplishments and contributions to our country were encapsulated by his receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Few citizens in the history of our country accomplished as much or contributed more to the common good than Dr. Frederick Douglass Patterson. I was so pleased that his story was told in the Iowa Stater so that the current generation of ISU graduates and friends could learn of his exceptional life. Thank you so much for this article.

HONORARY) AMES, IOWA

Editor’s note:

Visit www.IowaStater.iastate.edu to read responses to the Spring 2023 Chime in question about the coolest class alumni have taken at ISU!

Iowa Stater’s letters to the editor policy is also available online.

(Left) FATHER OF THE COMPUTER: Near the U.S. Embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria, you can learn more about John Atanasoff (’26 mathematics) while waiting for public transport. The late professor, of Bulgarian heritage, is credited for building the first electronic digital computer at Iowa State. (Right) DOWN UNDER: Linda Leier Thomason (’82 public service & administration in agriculture, MS ’84 rural sociology) proudly displayed her Cyclone pride while making friends at the Lone Pine Sanctuary in Brisbane, Australia. (Bottom) GROWING LEGACY: Becki Casey (’93 elementary education) of El Macero, California, shared this photo of her daughter Brynn (’22 elementary education), from VISIONS magazine in 2000 along with a recent photo of Brynn with her daughter and new LegaCY member Laney.

DR. JOHN H. SCHUH (’18

MOMENT

The G.O.A.T.

Welcome

Iowa Staters enjoy some barnyard calisthenics during the Greatest Of All Time breakfast on central campus during last year’s inaugural Cyclone Welcome Weekend. The event provides students with healthy, communitybuilding activities to kick off fall semester.

The Hub

Image by Christopher Gannon

Trafficked tarantulas find home at ISU

The Iowa State University Insect Zoo welcomed 169 baby tarantulas after being selected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to receive the confiscated spiders in February. This is the first time the Insect Zoo has received confiscated animals from USFWS. Ten of the four-week-old tarantulas were given to Reiman Gardens. The remaining 159 will be raised at ISU until large enough to be offered to other zoos. Half will stay with the Insect Zoo joining other venomous species of spiders and scorpions as permanent residents.

SOCIAL LIFE

RANKING AMONG THE WORLD’S BEST

Iowa State’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences ranking (up from 14) worldwide and No. 4 (up from 7) in North America from the 2023 QS World University Rankings.

The Iowa State Jets? New York Cyclones? “You feel good about what you’re getting when an Iowa State player comes in here…”

Follow the #TravelingCyclones on Facebook to catch stunning photos from #CyclonesEverywhere around the globe and get the latest on upcoming trips!

#8 #51

College of Veterinary Medicine ranking (up from 14) in the latest U.S. News & World Report.

College of Veterinary Medicine ranking (up from 29) overall in the 2023 QS World University Rankings and No. 9 among U.S. veterinary schools (up from 12). Iowa State was the highest ranked Big XII veterinary school in the rankings.

MBA program at the Debbie and Jerry Ivy College of Business U.S. News & World Report ranking (up from 57), placing the program in the top 10 percent in the country and first in Iowa.

PRINCETON REVIEW’S BEST VALUE COLLEGES FOR 2023

Iowa State is one of three Iowa colleges or universities listed and the only regent institution listed among Princeton Review’s Best Value Colleges. Of the more than 650 colleges and universities surveyed, only 209 made the list. Among the institutions listed, Iowa State ranks No. 12 in Best Schools for Financial Aid (public schools).

CHRISTOPHER GANNON, ILLUSTRATION BY JENNY WITTE

#11 #16

Go behind the scenes of the historic Joan Bice Underwood Tearoom as featured in the ISUAA #STATEday virtual event.

New space to serve as hub for digital, precision ag

THE ISU RESEARCH PARK AND ALLIANT ENERGY are building a new multi-tenant collaboration space in the park with an anticipated Fall 2024 completion date. The Alliant Energy Agriculture Innovation Lab will provide more than 85,000 square feet for ISU’s College of Agriculture and Life Science’s Digital Ag Innovation Team and agriculture-based business tenants to access technology, research, and development. It will pair collaborative office and agricultural workshop space to create a unique work environment in Central Iowa. PivotBio, manufacturer of microbial synthetic fertilizer, also is expanding their presence at the park with new construction set to open this fall to house the company’s North American Training Center. The ISU Research Park covers more than 550 acres south of Ames providing space and resources to advance science and technology initiatives for 120 tenant companies.

Welcome to the club

Two Iowa State University faculty members – Jonathan Wendel and Dan Shechtman – are among the 143 scholars elected this year to the National Academy of Sciences, a prestigious honor that recognizes contributions to scientific research. Iowa State has had 14 faculty members elected to the National Academy of Sciences, which helps provide science, technology, and health policy advice to the federal government and other organizations. Wendel, an evolutionary biologist and Distinguished Professor in Liberal Arts and Sciences, shed light on the process and importance of genome doubling in plants. Israel-based Shechtman, an Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in Engineering who’s also affiliated with the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames National Laboratory, accepted the 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his discovery of quasicrystals.

HOW TO...

WALK FOR FITNESS

FREQUENCY IS IMPORTANT

Adults should have at least 150 minutes to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity each week according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. Brisk walking, for 30 minutes, at least five days a week, is one way to meet the goal.

TIGHT ON TIME? Break up your activity into shorter sessions.

n In the morning, park or get off the bus or train about 10 minutes away from your job.

n At lunch, walk for 10 minutes around where you work, indoors or outdoors.

n At the end of the day, walk briskly for 10 minutes back to your car.

TIPS TO GET YOU UP AND WALKING

n Early Riser: Before you go to bed, get your walking clothes and shoes ready so it’s easy to put them on quickly to start walking. Wear reflective clothing or carry a light, if still dark.

n Lunchtime Break: Schedule your lunchtime walk in your work calendar. Keep everything you need for walking at work.

n Happy Hour: Have a light snack about an hour or two before you leave so you don’t experience an energy dip and talk yourself out of walking.

—ISU EXTENSION AND OUTREACH

Jonathan Wendel Dan Shechtman

Everyday Entrepreneurship

I’VE ALWAYS LOOKED AT THE “WHY AND HOW” of any product and wondered: How could this be done more efficiently? As an Iowa State student in the 1970s, I had professors who were teaching me continual collaboration, market efficiency, and cost analysis. What they were really teaching me was entrepreneurship.

These lessons served me well when I co-founded Becker Underwood with Jeff Becker, a childhood friend from Atlantic, Iowa, just a few years after graduation. We took our initial idea of adding colorant to chemicals and turned it into a multi-national agricultural chemical company which we sold to BASF in 2012.

Entrepreneurship is a disruptive process. It’s a product, service, or technology that inserts itself into an existing market. Innovation is entrepreneurship’s close partner – it’s the idea, method, or product that challenges the status quo and brings market efficiency, cost savings, and consumer benefits. Consider the smartphone. It disrupted the camera and desktop computer industries and

quickly became an essential part of our everyday lives.

Today, Iowa State University has integrated entrepreneurship and innovation programs into the Start Something Network to encourage undergraduates to pursue their ideas and take bold steps in business, community, and non-profit settings. The Start Something Network helps colleges tailor each students’ experience to meet their unique needs and interests. And the Student Innovation Center is a perfect place for students to come together and refine an idea, build a business, or create a new product.

It’s working.

Iowa State University is a recognized leader in innovation programs, recently receiving the rank of 11th in the Princeton Review’s 2023 survey of undergraduate universities. And the university’s list of successful student-launched businesses continues to grow.

Mitch Hora (’17 agronomy, agricultural systems technology) started his business, Continuum Ag, as a junior at Iowa State. He is now a recognized

leader in regenerative agriculture, helping farmers grow crops profitably and sustainably while growing his Iowabased business. And Linda Tong (’20 music, event management) founded her customized planner business right in the middle of her Human Sciences 474 class. She credits Iowa State’s CYstarters and Start Something programs for helping her learn to scale her side hustle into a full-time business.

As part of the Start Something Network, the ISU Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship offers pitch competitions, workshops, clubs, internships, and campus visits by dynamic innovators. Thousands of students like Mitch and Linda benefit annually from these programs.

Just think of the global impact students will have with these dynamic skills. I encourage you to consider how you may join them in thinking creatively and introducing fresh ideas every day at work, in your civic organizations, and throughout your community. How can you start something?

Roger Underwood (’80 agricultural business), agricultural technology innovator and investor

START SOMETHING, PURSUE FRESH IDEAS, TAKE BOLD NEW STEPS BY ROGER UNDERWOOD IMAGE BY CHRISTOPHER GANNON

COMPETITOR

Collaborative contender

FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENT FINDS STRENGTH IN BUILDING TEAMS, BUSINESSES

STORY BY JOHN BURNETT-LARKINS IMAGE BY RYAN RILEY

“I LIKE TO KNOW HOW EVERYTHING COMES TOGETHER. This includes under standing how engineering intertwines with business.”

Phillip Gorni has taken that philosophy and run with it.

The junior in aerospace engineering designed all aspects of an interplanetary mission to the moon in a NASA student program and worked with supersonic wind tunnels as an undergrad research assistant. He also researched and developed investment methods for younger generations in a 12-week program with Principal Financial and studied the most promising aerospace companies working with hydrogen fuels for New Vista Acquisition Corporation.

Gorni teamed up with Sarah Ng, an industrial science and engi neering major, to create Safety Scan, a technology that uses artifi cial intelligence to alert workers if they are missing or improperly wearing safety equipment. They’ve garnered headlines and honors including $10,000 in seed funding via a Student Innovation Fund Challenge at Iowa State. The competition was established by a gift from David Slump (’91 electrical engineering), president and CEO of Marelli and innovator-in-residence for the Student Innovation Center, and his wife Christine (’91 elementary education).

“The Pappajohn Center and Student Innovation Center have been the most pivotal things in my college experience because they helped me combine my technical engineering background with my passion for entrepreneurship in a real-world setting,” says Gorni, who hails from Elk Grove Village, Illinois. “I think my biggest motivator is being the first in my family to go to college and be raised in America. Changing the generational trend in my family is something that keeps me dreaming big.”

On campus, Gorni founded the Polish Heritage Club to foster and engage the university’s Polish community. He also started Cross Campus Connector, a podcast for students to share experiences and opportunities.

It’s that collaborative spirit that will help Gorni bring his big dreams to life.

Fully Charged

STORY BY MIKE KRAPFL

RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES are part of everyday life. But, that wasn’t always the case.

Back in 1986, when Steve Martin started at Iowa State, he was one of a few researchers around the world working to invent better materials based on glass for a vital part of a battery. Today’s battery industry is huge, especially in China, South Korea, and Japan. Battery research is everywhere – even in the United States, which hadn’t been a big supporter of battery research and development.

Martin, a University Professor and a Distinguished Professor in Materials Science and Engineering, is the inventor or co-inventor on eight patents – most of them related to glassy materials.

Among his new projects funded by the U.S. Department of

Energy, Martin and his student researchers will study the use of glassy solid electrolytes to increase the energy density of lithium-ion batteries, which could allow electric vehicles to receive a full charge in only five minutes and travel up to 500 miles between charges.

Martin has helped graduate students fill about 60 theses with such experiments and discovery. And he’s filled 46 of his own lab notebooks with ideas and progress.

Breakthroughs don’t happen overnight.

“It’s years and years of learning, patience, practice, and a lot of hard work to do this all right,” Martin says of his search for better battery materials.

The payoff? Batteries that are cheaper, more powerful, longer-lasting, safer, and quicker to recharge.

Scan to learn more about Steve Martin’s inventions. BUILDING

A Childhood Dream Fulfilled

STORY BY MATT VAN WINKLE

EVER SINCE HE WAS A KID, Marcus Coleman was immersed in all things Iowa State.

“I used to go to every football game and wrestling meet,” he recalls. “I’d be on the hill (at Jack Trice Stadium) messing around like little kids do playing football and stuff. I’ve loved Iowa State forever.”

Born in Waterloo, Coleman (’22 criminal justice) and his family relocated to Ames to be closer to family after the Cedar River flooded and destroyed their home in 2009. His uncle coached wrestling at Ames High School and introduced Coleman to the sport.

“He wrestled in college and all through growing up,” Coleman says. “My dad wrestled. My grandpa wrestled.”

It’s like wrestling is in Marcus Coleman’s DNA.

His three state titles for Ames caught the attention of Iowa State Head Wrestling Coach Kevin Dresser.

“As soon as I got to that level where I knew I was going to go D-I for wrestling – it was always Iowa State.”

Since he first stepped on the mat as a Cyclone in 2017, Coleman has racked up personal accolades while helping bring the Iowa State wrestling program back into the national spotlight.

Coleman was an NCAA qualifier in five-straight seasons. His celebrated Cyclone career came to a close in March 2023 following his extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19. He walked off the mat one last time placing fifth at 184 pounds in the NCAA Championships and becoming a two-time All-American.

Iowa State finished 11th place overall with 47.0 team points. Fellow senior David Carr placed second. It is ISU Wrestling’s best placement in the NCAA Championships since 2013 and the Cyclones’ highest team score in the tournament since 2010.

“I got to live out a childhood dream of being an Iowa State athlete and representing my school at the highest level of the sport,” Coleman says. “It’s extremely special to me.”

Marcus Coleman, two-time All-American wrestler

A HOMEGROWN WRESTLER, MARCUS COLEMAN'S JOURNEY STARTED IN AMES AS A HIGH SCHOOL STATE CHAMPION. HE LEAVES IOWA STATE AS A TWO-TIME ALL-AMERICAN.

CYHAWK SERIES SECURED

The Iowa State swimming and diving team’s win over Iowa clinched the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series for the Iowa State Athletics Department in 2022-23. The Cyclones won the series 17-8 with wins in soccer, volleyball, football, men’s and women’s cross country, swimming and diving, tennis, and softball. This marks the second-straight year Iowa State has won the trophy.

HISTORIC SEASON FOR MEN’S RUGBY

FOR THE FIRST TIME in the club’s 54-year history, the Cyclone Men’s Rugby Club played for the National Championship against the University of San Diego on May 6 in Boulder, Colorado. The Iowa State Men’s Rugby Club team is a D1-AA Rugby recognized club and part of the Heart of America Conference. The Men’s Rugby Club finished their highly successful season as national runner ups in the 2023 National Championship.

Top Picks

STEPHANIE SOARES (LEFT) was selected fourth overall in the WNBA draft in April becoming the highest selection in program history. Soares’ (’23 MS family and consumer sciences) draft rights were dealt to the Dallas Wings. The Cyclones’ all-time leading scorer, Ashley Joens (’22 elementary education) (right, shown with Soares and Coach Bill Fennelly) was selected 19th overall in the second round and will join Soares with the Wings. ISU football closed the month of April with former Cyclones Will McDonald IV (’22 liberal studies), Xavier Hutchinson (’21 criminal justice), and Anthony Johnson Jr. (’22 communication studies), in the first, sixth, and seventh rounds respectively of the NFL draft. McDonald became the second, first-round pick in school history, joining George Amundson (’78 engineering operations), who was selected 14th overall in 1973. McDonald will join former Cyclone standouts Breece Hall and Allen Lazard on the New York Jets.

The 2023’s Cyclone Men’s Rugby Club

Stephanie Soares, Coach Bill Fennelly, and Ashley Joens

is pursuing her doctorate in biogeochemical

oceanography, furthering the research she

conducted as an undergraduate research By providing experiential, outside-the-classroom learning opportunities, Iowa State is inspiring students to gain the knowledge and skills needed to innovate and improve lives. Be part of something bigger. Learn how at MoveWhatMatters.com

assistant at Iowa State University.

Bravissimo!

STORY BY SHERRY SPEIKERS

A FAN OF HOME IMPROVEMENT SHOWS while growing up in rural Colorado, Aimee Wallner set her sights on a career in interior design. What she didn’t envision was that someday she’d find herself in Rome, sketching the city’s ancient landmarks.

“When I first arrived in Italy, I was terrified – I had never traveled overseas,” says Wallner (‘22 interior design), a past participant in the College of Design’s Semester in Rome program. “But that first day exploring with my roommates, I realized it would be an amazing semester.”

Many design graduates remember the program, which celebrated its 30th anniversary in May, as the highlight of their college careers.

“My professors and peers pushed me to better my craft – to be curious and ask more questions,” Wallner says. “And I’ll never forget stepping into the Pantheon. Experiencing architecture that has existed for thousands of years blew my mind.”

Providing more students with study abroad experiences is key to Iowa State becoming the most student-centric leading research university. Scholarships, such as the Debra L. Furman Pulver and Robert G. Pulver Study Abroad Scholarship, make these life-changing opportunities possible for students who otherwise could not afford them.

“Receiving the scholarship changed the way I think about the world,” Wallner says.

Today, Wallner works as an interior designer in Portland, Oregon. She credits her semester in Rome with developing the confidence to start her professional life far from home.

“I’m more open to others’ perspectives and better at building relationships,” she says. “Iowa State prepared me well for what I’m stepping into.”

Central showpiece

Iowa State’s 20-acre lawn on central campus can be credited to the university’s first president, Adonijah Welch, whose original vision of an open greenspace was honored throughout the decades as the Campanile, Beardshear Hall, and Curtiss Hall encircled the park-like space.

Image by Christopher Gannon

POSTCARD FROM CAMPUS

CHANGE MAKERS

COAST TO COAST

Crafting spirited classics, labor-saving tech, and fresh designs to unite and inspire

For Todd Snyder, running a successful business is like good fashion. It all comes down to honoring a few key principles.

“Work hard. Be creative. Be nice. You’d be surprised how many people mess that last one up,” Snyder says.

Nice? In the uber-competitive world of fashion, nice isn’t a word you often hear. But here, in the New York City headquarters of Todd Snyder, brimming with bolts of rich tweeds and samples of wooly sweaters, collaboration, respect, and yes, even kindness, are part of day-to-day operations.

IMAGE BY KENNY THOMAS.

SPIRITED CLASSICS

Time-honored design and values drive Todd Snyder

Todd Snyder (’92 apparel design) was always known for being well dressed. “To get attention from girls, I learned at an early age to dress better,” he quips. “Then it became like a hunt to find unique things.”

But, a pick-up basketball game in Iowa State’s State Gym with Steve King (’93 apparel design), a rival basketball player from his high school days, helped Snyder realize he could make fashion his livelihood.

“I told Steve about my frustration in finding my major. I knew he was into clothes, too. He gave me the information about switching from architecture, and I never looked back.”

While in college, Snyder worked as a tailor assistant for Badowers in Des Moines, taught himself how to sew, and says once he got into the textiles and clothing department, the coursework helped all the pieces come together.

“I fell in love with fashion and couldn’t graduate fast enough,” he says.

“I got an internship with Ralph Lauren here in New York City and that led to a full-time job.”

CREATIVE PROVING GROUND

Once in the Big Apple, the Huxley, Iowa, native registered for a few courses at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). When picking up the required textbooks, he realized they were all written by his instructors from Iowa State. With a renewed sense of confidence in his education, he didn’t enroll in FIT again.

The program at Iowa State, Snyder says, was not only full of experts, but also mentors—Ruth Glock in particular.

“Ruth was a champion for getting people to go out of their comfort zones,” he says. “She was great at encouraging us to get out in the workforce, do the work, and let that become our proving ground.”

That’s the type of vibe they nurture at Todd Snyder.

“I’m always looking for new avenues

of creativity. It’s important to build an atmosphere of push and pulls,” he says. “Bringing young talent into the company helps cultivate that. It makes things fresh and new. And you’re getting great workers who are tough and spirited.”

He’s returned to Iowa State several times since moving out east, including a stint as the guest designer for The Fashion Show. And he set up a scholarship in Glock’s memory – the winner of a design competition secures an internship at Todd Snyder and living expenses for the summer. It’s become a much-sought-after prize, and has been awarded to seven students since its creation in 2016. Of 77 full-time employees at Todd Snyder, nine are Iowa Staters.

“When I was an intern, I was doing tech design, and I got to do production. We all were in tears by the end of my internship – we had the best time,” says Lea Dochterman (’20 apparel, merchandising, and design), associate designer.

STORY BY MELEA REICKS LICHT

Todd Snyder (’92 apparel design) lead designer, Blaze Best (’19 industrial design, apparel merchandising and design) designer and collaborations, and Lea Dochterman (’20 apparel, merchandising, and design) associate designer and sweaters

“There’s a lot of fluid discussion and asking questions here. No one is afraid to approach anyone on any of the teams.”

This culture of mentorship and collaboration leads to better collections, better business, and better growth. Snyder’s team is known for pushing creative boundaries with innovative capsule collections. He’s also been asked to collaborate with iconic American heritage brands, including L.L. Bean, Champion Sportswear, New Balance, Timex, and FootJoy, among others.

Telicia Bunch (’98 apparel, merchandising, and design), director of technical design, says she couldn’t bring garments to life without input from across the organization.

“We work cross-functionally with design, production, and merchandising to bring the garments to the stores,” she says. “It’s collaborative, positive, respectful. I feel like everyone’s voice is heard here.”

LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE

Living in New York and starting your own business is expensive and the barriers to entry are high. Snyder worked in the industry 20 years before going out on his own.

Following graduation, Snyder and King each settled into day jobs at Ralph Lauren. In their afterhours they launched Tailgate Clothing Co. together in 1997, the manufacturer and seller of American collegiate apparel and vintage inspired sportswear.

“Todd and I would meet uptown at a sports bar called Polo Grounds to watch the Iowa State game. It was during this time we realized the gap in the marketplace when it came to fan gear,” says King. “Tailgate Clothing Co. was founded on the premise of creating high-quality collegiate clothing you’d feel proud to wear.”

Snyder went on to hold leading roles at Ralph Lauren, The Gap, and J.Crew, where he designed the brand’s popular Secret Wash Shirting, BrokenIn-Chinos, and Ludlow Suit. He created the cult-favorite J.Crew Liquor Store in New York City featuring an innovative curated selection of apparel and lifestyle products. It was then he knew the time was right to break out on his own.

“It was like catching lightning in a bottle. I knew I had to do this.”

SCALING UP AND OUT

Since launching his signature label in 2011, Snyder has been hailed by GQ as one of The Best Menswear Designers in America who “taught me to love clothes.” He’s caught the attention of his peers, earning nominations for the Council of Fashion Designers of America Menswear Designer of the Year not once, but twice, and becoming a finalist for the association’s Vogue Fashion Fund.

Jake Woolf, a writer for GQ, recently compared the designer to performer Adele.

“If you could measure a designer’s popularity by Spotify streams, Todd

Snyder might be menswear’s Adele: Everyone likes him, and he doesn’t really miss. Over the last decade or so, the Iowa-born J.Crew alum has amassed a devoted following by anticipating exactly what his customers will want to buy next…,” writes Woolf.

The Todd Snyder and Tailgate Clothing Co. brands were acquired by American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. in 2015, providing the financial foundation for Snyder to scale up and out. King remains director of licensing for Todd Snyder, Inc.

“I love building things in a nontraditional way. That’s what I love about being an entrepreneur. I like that we’re small and scrappy. There’s not a job too small or too big for anyone,” Snyder says. “When there were just three or four of us, we had to do multiple jobs – selling t-shirts to Target, trying to do side jobs to keep things going and money coming in. That’s part of the story of entrepreneurship you don’t often hear about.”

Snyder continues to expand his brand via ecommerce and 15 store locations from New York to Los Angeles, including a new location in Chicago. Todd Snyder openings are set for 2023 in Dallas, Washington D.C., Miami, and Atlanta.

“Work hard. Be creative. Be nice.” Solid advice for any industry.

LEFT IMAGE BY KENNY THOMAS, RIGHT IMAGE BY MELEA REICKS LICHT

Scan for Tips from Todd on building a business and a classic wardrobe.

STEADY AT THE WHEEL

Finding practical solutions to agriculture’s big issues

Visibility from the cockpit is limited. Next to nothing. Colin Hurd can only see the readings on the instrument panel in front of him as he flies the Cirrus SR22.

This would be anxiety-inducing for many, but for Hurd (’13 agricultural studies), it’s all part of the plan. He’s working on his instrument pilot rating, and learning to fly in poor weather conditions has been the focus of nearly a year of lessons.

His vision is obscured by a pair of “foggles” that simulate the experience of flying through rough weather by clouding his vision just as actual clouds would do. Outside the cockpit, a clear, blue Iowa sky surrounds him.

Hurd has no trouble trusting the instrumentation and automation of the airplane’s systems. He’s CEO of Mach Inc. – a company that creates autonomous solutions for heavy equipment. Hurd flies himself to client and development meetings, and he’s

STORY BY MELEA REICKS LICHT IMAGE BY CHRISTOPHER GANNON

Driven by a desire to solve problems and fueled with innate curiosity, Colin Hurd is breaking new ground for autonomous technology use in agriculture.

learned he can rely on technology.

Hurd and the rest of the Mach team, including Chief Technology Officer Rhett Schildroth (’94 mechanical engineering), work directly with leading original equipment manufacturers like Vermeer and Kuhn. Mach provides technical solutions in perception, navigation, route planning, monitoring, and connectivity to sync up their companies’ existing autonomous tech with tasks that clients demand.

“Any time someone invests in an autonomous tractor they’re looking to do a specific job with it – tillage, baling hay, pulling a grain cart, seeding,” Hurd says. “Mach provides the implement and tractor manufacturers with the tech needed to automate what’s going on behind the hitch for a seamless operation.”

GAINING EFFICIENCIES, SAFETY

Hurd makes an important distinction between automation and autonomy.

“In terms of automation in agriculture and farming, we’re very advanced. I would say 90-plus percent of modern farms are using some type of automation like rate control, auto-guidance, or GPS steering. In terms of autonomy [operator-optional farming] we’re at the infancy,” he says.

Autonomous technology will allow farmers to spend less time in the cab and more time exploring what’s working, making management and agronomic decisions, and improving overall efficiencies on the farm. And, it could ultimately improve workplace safety.

“A big part of what excites me about integrating this technology is that the farmer doesn’t need to be physically present to operate. As we put machine vision in place, a lot of machines will have the ability to detect when a person is within its hazard zone and shut off or establish a safer route around an obstacle,” Hurd says.

ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS

Hurd is a serial entrepreneur, dating back to the launch of his first company, which resulted from a class assignment in the Entrepreneurship in Agriculture course at Iowa State. His charge was to develop an original business concept that solved a problem.

“As farmer’s size up their equipment to reduce time in the field, larger equipment leads to more soil compaction which can detrimentally affect yield and profitability,” Hurd says.

He and Kyle Meyer (’05 agricultural systems technology) created TrackTill, a tillage implement used behind planter tires to break up soil compaction. They established the corporation Agricultural Concepts to develop and market the idea with support from Iowa State’s Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative and field testing by ISU Extension and Outreach. The product was released in January 2014 and gained quick attention. They licensed it to Yetter in 2015.

Hurd kept wondering if he was asking the right questions. Was it about undoing soil compaction, or were there new ways to prevent it from happening in the first place? Farmers were using larger and larger equipment to reduce labor. Was there another way to reduce labor that would also allow farmers to use lighter, smaller equipment?

Finding a solution would impact two major agricultural issues: addressing labor shortages and promoting soil health. In 2016 Hurd founded his second company, Smart Ag, with fellow Iowa Staters Quincy Milloy, and farmer Mark Barglof (’02 mechanical engineering) to do just that.

SMART SOLUTIONS

Smart Ag developed the first retrofit driverless system to automate tractors. The “plug-and-play” tech catapulted Hurd, a Story City, Iowa, native into the national spotlight earning him a place among Forbes magazine’s 2018 list of 30 Under 30 Entrepreneurs in Manufacturing and Industry across the U.S. and Canada.

After funding and growing the company, he led Smart Ag through an exit to Raven Industries in 2019. Raven was acquired by CNH Industrial – owner of core brands Case IH and New Holland – in 2021. Hurd managed business development for Raven until joining MACH in 2022.

“I first met Colin when he was fresh out of college and just starting his entrepreneurial journey. His ability to understand what was important in a business and focus on those things was extremely impressive,” Schildroth says. “That’s one of the reasons why when he asked me to come aboard and merge my company with another to form Mach, I was very enthusiastic to do so.”

Hurd’s curiosity drives him to consider an evolving list of questions to benefit farmers’ bottom lines and help position American agriculture as a global leader.

And through his support of entrepreneurship programs in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Hurd is fostering the curiosity of the next generation of Iowa Staters.

“I don’t think there is a better place in the world to be an agricultural focused entrepreneur than within the ISU ecosystem,” Hurd says. “It benefited me a lot over the years, so I am always looking for ways to engage with start-ups and investors to reinvest back into the space.”

Catch Colin Hurd on The ISU Research Park’s Innovators Podcast

“I don’t think there is a better place in the world to be an agricultural focused entrepreneur than within the ISU ecosystem.”

A COLORFUL JOURNEY

San Francisco muralist, painter infuses her work with bright hues, relatable subjects

STORY BY MELEA REICKS LICHT IMAGE CONTRIBUTED

Lauren Gifford’s creative process mirrors her entrepreneurial mindset in many ways. She trusts her instincts, makes informed decisions, and embraces the unexpected.

“My process is a lot of first thought, best thought iterations. I’m always willing to paint over it and start again,” Gifford (’19 marketing) says. “In the beginning of an abstract painting I don’t have a specific vision—it’s more about where each step of the journey takes me. Getting to the final painting is the result of many spontaneous decisions layered on top of each other. Long, colliding paint drips were originally an accident, and now they’re one of my favorite elements.”

Gifford’s layered decision making has helped her create a successful custom mural and signage business. Her murals beautify contemporary venues like the Student Innovation Center at Iowa State, community hubs including downtown Ames, Iowa, and educational spaces like The King’s Academy in Sunnyvale, California.

“I take a relatable subject and portray it in a way that feels joyful and a little bit crazy. I am inspired by nature and the world around me, the flora I pass on my morning walk,” she says. “I like creating things that resonate easily like flowers and faces.”

ARTISTIC PROOF OF CONCEPT

While a student at Iowa State, Gifford launched her YouTube channel @LaurenLiz. She shared content about bullet journaling, hand lettering, and productivity. She learned she could grow an audience and monetize her efforts. Since creating the page, her content has racked up more than eight million views.

She never considered applying for jobs after graduation. She knew her plan was to invest in herself. Her grandparents are artists and served as

Artist Lauren Gifford sharpened her business savvy via CYstarters while a student at Iowa State. A muralist and painter in San Francisco, Gifford is making a life and a living making art.

the “proof of concept” and inspiration for a life of creation. And her parents have been enrolling her in entrepreneurial programs since she was a kid.

Educational experiences had a large impact on her understanding of business.

“CYstarters was a complete gamechanger for me. I was feeling a little disconnected in college and was having trouble finding students who were starting businesses. When I got accepted to that program, I not only found a group of likeminded students, but also a group of supportive and encouraging faculty and staff,” she says.

Gifford credits her mentors, including Judi Eyles (’93 marketing), the director of the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, for seeing her through the early stages of business development and keeping her accountable for achieving her goals.

“At the heart of the CYstarters program is connection,” says Eyles. “It’s an 11-week program that helps students find the right resources at the right time in their development. Lauren is super talented, and a great example of how young entrepreneurs can utilize resources at Iowa State to help get their companies launched, connect with mentors, and identify

KEEPING THE MUSIC ALIVE

Catch up with Sam Summers, the owner of Wooly’s in Des Moines’ East Village and mastermind behind Hinterland Music Festival, in an online feature at www.IowaStater. iastate.edu.

Summers (’06 economics, marketing) started First Fleet Concerts while a student at Iowa State to promote musical acts in small clubs like the Maintenance Shop and recently bought West Des Moines’ historic Val Air Ballroom with plans to renovate and reopen in 2024.

A STEP INTO THE UNKNOWN

Enamored by San Francisco’s beauty and “quirky spirit” since she was a teen, Gifford moved to the City by the Bay in 2021 and immediately began to reach out to businesses and schools in the area.

“I would send 100-200 emails out a week, and only hear back from one or two,” Gifford says. “But the one or two who were positive would end up leading to something. As my social media presence and website have grown and more people learn about my work, I no longer have to do that kind of outreach.”

Gifford is currently working on a collection of colorful, layered acrylic abstract paintings in her home studio in the Bay Area, and may also return to creating more social media content as her business grows.

“It can be scary to take that leap and create something you haven’t seen before, it’s like a step into the unknown. Close your eyes to the work of others, be willing to make mistakes, and create something just for yourself,” Gifford says. “That’s how you find your style rather than emulating others.”

a vast array of supporters who often become customers.”

Scan for video feature of Summers

Khushi Kapoor made use of cutting-edge labs and makerspaces to start an aviation club and connected with leaders in the industry through the Innovation Fellows Program. Between her rigorous aerospace engineering course loads, she landed some plumb internships and co-op experiences before landing with Boeing after graduation.

Cleared For Liftoff

STORY BY FRED LOVE IMAGE BY RYAN RILEY

light captured Khushi Kapoor’s imagination at an early age. Before her first birthday, she regularly took 15-hour flights with her family between the United States and India, where she was born. And her childhood included trips to aeronautics museums, where she wondered how enormous aircraft could stay aloft.

“Being over 30,000 feet in the air and traveling at speeds you can’t even imagine on the ground fascinates me every time,” Kapoor says.

With a hot job at Boeing underway, Kapoor (’22 aerospace engineering) credits a curriculum relevant to the needs of the modern aerospace industry and Iowa State’s devotion to innovation as important ingredients for launching her career. She currently works in the multinational’s Phantom Works Division in St. Louis contributing to teams working with experimental military technology.

Kapoor grew up in Iowa City and graduated from Iowa City West High School. A campus visit to Iowa State immediately made her feel at home. When her tour stopped in Howe Hall, she marveled at the jet engines that line the hallways and the cardinal-and-gold airplane suspended from the atrium ceiling. Her mind was made up. She decided to become a Cyclone.

“I could picture myself spending a lot of time there,” Kapoor says.

CUTTING-EDGE CURRICULUM, CLUBS

One of Kapoor’s courses focused on vertical takeoff and landing, or the ability of some aircraft, such as helicopters, to lift straight up off the ground without a runway. The course well positioned Kapoor for an internship during the summer of 2022 with Joby Aviation, a company in Santa Cruz, California, advancing air taxi technology.

The company is developing electric aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing capabilities to shuttle passengers between large city centers and suburban regions. The aircraft would take off vertically from rooftops and then transition into forward flight like conventional airplanes. This “Uber for the air” concept could slash commute times and reduce the number of vehicles on urban roadways. Kapoor’s job was to assist in the control room as a flight test engineer, monitoring various aircraft parameters.

“It was so much fun to be hands on with the aircraft,” she says. “I think out of anything you could be doing at the company, that would have been the job I would have chosen, and I was lucky enough to get to do that during the internship.”

Kapoor also competed in NASA’s 2022 Student Launch rocketry competition. The Iowa State team had two semesters to build a functional, reusable rocket for the competition, which took place in April 2022 near NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

The competition attracted 60 teams from more than 20 states, and the rockets were judged across a range of criteria designed to mirror real-world engineering challenges drawn from NASA’s missions. Iowa State’s rocket, nicknamed Craig, took second place in the altitude award category, which recognizes teams whose rockets come closest to their declared target altitude.

Back on campus, Kapoor started ISU Go Fly, a student club dedicated to designing autonomous aerial vehicles that transport medical supplies in the developing world.

The inspiration for the club came from challenges emergency medical personnel in developing countries often experience. Delays due to poor infrastructure and other considerations can mean the difference between life and death during a medical emergency, and autonomous electrical aircraft could be an innovative piece of the puzzle to making sure remote locations have adequate medical supplies.

ISU Go Fly set about designing their own aircraft capable of meeting the challenge, and Kapoor found ways to contribute even when she spent a semester living in Iowa City working for Collins Aerospace as part of a cooperative learning/work arrangement. The team eventually assembled a prototype aircraft roughly a square foot in size by the time Kapoor graduated. The water jet labs in Sukup Hall and the Student Innovation Center’s 3-D printers and soldering tools were indispensable in bringing their designs to life.

INTERACTING WITH EXECS, PEERS

Kapoor pointed to the Innovation Fellows Program as one of the highlights of her time at Iowa State. The program put Kapoor in touch with executives at some of the most iconic aerospace and aviation companies in the world, and its mix of academic, entrepreneurial, and personal development opportunities helped her develop her leadership skills.

Matthew Nelson, an assistant teaching professor of aerospace engineering, was Kapoor’s advisor for one of her Innovation Fellows Program research projects on hydrogen fuel for aircraft as a substitute for conventional jet fuel.

Kapoor worked with other students to contact aviation companies developing hydrogen-fuel technology. Then the team assembled a presentation on the topic, assessing the viability of hydrogen fuel and analyzing the infrastructure it would require to become widely adopted.

Nelson says Kapoor was in “go-getter mode” throughout the project. She contributed to the team’s conversations and kept everything moving forward at critical stages, he says.

“Those experiences encouraged outside-the-classroom thinking combined with a lot of hands-on work that forces you to think on your feet,” Nelson says.

It’s that combination of hands-on learning and relevant curriculum Nelson says is crucial for preparing grads like Kapoor for today’s aerospace industry.

PEACE OF MIND ABOUT YOUR FUTURE

a membership program designed to keep you in your home and independent for years to come.

LifeChoices® at Bethany is a life care at home program. That means that with the payment of an entry fee and monthly dues, membership guarantees care for life. We focus on being proactive about care for you and your home, so as to prevent the need for long-term care. If and when long-term care is needed, it is covered at 100% from day one.

Contact Austin Mortvedt at 515-460-4161 for more information!

CLUB CONNECTION

GENERATIONS OF INSPIRATION

Faculty and Staff Inspiration Awards celebrate difference makers

CYCLONE STORIES

Preening the Greens

Insightful, Inclusive Branding Crafting an Enterprise of Art, Agriculture

ASK CY p31 IOWA STATER BOOK CLUB p32 IF YOU’RE HEADED TO... p33 FUTURE CYCLONES p33 CYCLONE POWER p48

GOLD-LEVEL EXCITEMENT

Shawn Norman, senior vice president for operations and finance, tried his hand at the crowd favorite at the 2023 Cardinal & Gold Gala. See page 40 for more from the “Cardinal City.”

Image by Matt Van Winkle

Volunteer Cyclones foster and grow club networks

Special gift gets grads off to a good start

DEAR MEMBERS:

Have you ever given someone an extra-special gift? You know, the kind you’re so excited to watch them open that you can hardly sleep the night before?

I recently had the honor of giving such a gift. And it’s thanks to many of you.

Because of the profits generated by more than 700 loyal, forever-true attendees of this year’s Des Moines-area Cardinal and Gold Gala, coupled with a portion of the financial gifts made by 429 Sustaining Donors to date, we are able to offer one-year, gift memberships to the ISU Alumni Association to the entire Class of 2023.

Yep. You’re reading this correctly—these special Cyclones provided funds to offer pre-paid, one-year gift memberships to this year’s new class of Iowa State alumni! All the new graduates have to do is opt in to accept their gifted membership.

Alumna Chelon Stanzel (’61 textiles and clothing) did a similar act of generosity back in 2013. She established a Kappa Kappa Gamma Membership Fund to provide five years of paid ISU Alumni Association membership to each new graduate of her undergraduate sorority. Thanks, Chelon, for leading the way with your pioneering and innovative gift! We are thrilled to provide similar support to new graduates through this new large-scale effort of offering one-year gifted memberships.

I was honored to share the news of the new grad gifted

memberships during each of Iowa State’s five commencement ceremonies this May. As you can imagine, this news was met with appreciative applause by the new alumni and members of the audience.

Once new grads opt in to accept their gifted membership, they will gain access to the online alumni directory, Iowa Stater magazine, event invites, thousands of discounts, and new grad tip sheets and programs among other member benefits.

I’ve been smiling since this announcement was made. I felt as though I floated out of Hilton after I, on behalf of more than a thousand donors, made the announcement to the Class of 2023. Gratitude is such a wonderful feeling!

Thank you, Chelon, and thanks to each of our 2023 Cardinal and Gold attendees and 2023 Sustaining Life Donors for supporting your fellow Cyclones with this gift of membership!

Yours for Iowa State,

JEFF JOHNSON, PHD ‘14 TALBOT ENDOWED PRESIDENT AND CEO

IMAGE BY CHRISTOPHER GANNON

Cathy McCall Schmidt

(‘88 MARKETING) CHAIR-ELECT OF THE ISU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION’S BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND PRESIDENT AND CEO OF STAHL CONSTRUCTION

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

The music department used to host guest carillonneurs over the summer – does that still happen?

A.The Summer Carillon Concert Series, sponsored by the Stanton Memorial Carillon Foundation, returns in 2023!

At work you’re known as the one who…?

… gets things done. While I love to plan and appreciate the importance of a plan, I am an action-oriented person and thrive on putting a plan into action, moving forward step by step, and ultimately achieving goals.

What’s your most unique family tradition?

A newer family tradition that my husband, Mark (’88 agricultural business), and I started doing together in the last 10 years is making jam. Mark’s mom, Jean, was a legendary jam maker, so we are following in her footsteps. Mark grows strawberries and raspberries in our yard, and down the street from our house at our church’s historic chapel are wild black raspberry bushes. We work together to pick the berries, and then we each have our role in the jam making process. We have a lot of fun making and giving away Schmidt jam!

When you plan a trip with friends, what role are you always assigned?

I am typically the planner because once we have decided to do something together, someone needs to take the lead initially to find dates that work for everyone and then book the flights and hotels. I am the most likely to take the lead in these situations. I’m proud to say I have played a part in planning some pretty fun trips over the years – my favorite being to Aix-en-Provence, France, for a family wedding.

There are three remaining concerts to attend, featuring talented carillonneurs from across the country. The last Tuesday of each month you can hear a different visiting musician at 7 p.m. on central campus. Remaining concerts are: June 27, Margaret Pan, freelance carillonneur based in Boston, Massachusetts; July 25, Jim Fackenthal, carillonneur at St. Chrysostom’s Church in Chicago, Illinois; and August 29, David Christensen, university carillonneur at the University of California, Riverside. For the most updated information visit www.Music.iastate. edu/2023-Summer-Carillon-Concert-Series.

Will the ISU Creamery be open during the summer?

A.Yes! You can enjoy from-scratch cheese and ice cream products at the ISU creamery all season long. With a rich history dating back to the first dairy lab in 1880, to the original creamery (1927 to 1969), to reopening in 2020, the ISU Creamery exemplifies industry-shaping innovation. The creamery is located on the second floor of the Food Science Building and offers a variety of delightful dairy from noon - 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Check out the scoop schedule at www.Creamery. iastate.edu/ISU-Creamery-Store!

Have a question for Cy? Share it on social media @isualum or email iowastater@iastate.edu.

IN

The Stars Beneath Our Feet

DAVID BARCLAY MOORE (’07 ENGLISH) BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

When Lolly is beaten up and robbed, joining a “crew” almost seems like the safe choice. But building a fantastical Lego city at the community center provides an escape—and an unexpected bridge back to the world. A powerful portrait of a boy navigating the Harlem projects after his brother’s death, this Coretta Scott King John Steptoe Award Winner is soon to be a major motion picture directed by Michael B. Jordan.

About the author

Born and raised in Missouri, David Barclay Moore studied film at Howard University and has worked for Sony

StudiOne, Harlem Children’s Zone, and freelanced for the Associated Press.

Virtual discussion date: September 6, 2023

Sign up at www.ISUalum.org/BookClub

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

Preening the Greens

During John Newton’s 33-year tenure at Iowa State University’s Veenker Memorial Golf Course, he cultivated a family environment for staff and students, influenced the next generation of turf professionals, and laid the foundation for accessible, high-quality golf in Ames.

“John did a phenomenal job elevating Veenker from what it was, to what it is today,” says Tom Meier (’96 horticulture), current superintendent at Veenker. “And, he’s humble, patient, and willing to teach everybody.”

Newton (‘81 horticulture) recently received the distinguished honor awarded by the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America – the 2023 Col. John Morley Award.

“I was overwhelmed and surprised to be the recipient of this award,” Newton says.

Newton retired in 2018 and credits Nick Christians, professor of horticulture, and Tess Balsley (’86 physical education) for their support in creating a student-friendly environment. It’s students, Newton says, that are key to Veenker’s success.

“It was a gift being at Iowa State, with all the turf kids and people

wanting to learn,” he says.

Nearly 2,000 students have worked at Veenker during Newton’s tenure, and 150 of his former staffers went on to become golf course superintendents.

Passionate about all things Cyclone – especially football – Newton hosted tailgates for several years welcoming friends and family, including many Iowa State grads. In 1998, following a long drought of Cyclone wins against the University of Iowa, Newton stayed loyal to Iowa State and his word.

“We had lost to Iowa 15 years in a row, and I told my friends I would put a tattoo of Cy on my leg if we won,” he says. “We went over there and won the game. So, I put a tattoo on my leg.”

In retirement, Newton loyally mows greens each week for Briarwood Golf Course in Ankeny, Iowa. He golfs frequently with a group known as, “The Geezers.” And he enjoys time with his wife, Darla, three children (all Iowa State grads), and grandchildren.

—STORY BY CALEB GRIZZLE, IMAGE BY MATT VAN WINKLE

CYCLONE STORIES: JOHN NEWTON (‘81 HORTICULTURE) / ANKENY, IOWA

Future Cyclones

These little Iowa Staters are showing off their true colors!

Parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles who are members of the ISUAA can enroll their little Cyclone in the LegaCY Club to receive age-appropriate gifts and activities (like Homecoming Bingo) from time of enrollment until age 18 for a one-time fee of $35. For details and info about LegaCY Camp (July 20-21, 2023) visit www.ISUalum.org/Legacy.

IF

YOU’RE HEADED TO ...

Colorado Springs, Colorado

 Start your day with a cup of coffee from The Perk Downtown, before heading to one of the beautiful golf courses in the area like Pine Creek Golf Club, Patty Jewett Golf Course, or Cheyenne Shadows Golf Club.

 Venture out to one of the many hiking or bike paths that Southern Colorado has to offer. Don’t forget to visit Garden of the Gods or Pikes Peak during your trip!

 After a full day of activities, excellent food to refuel for the next adventure can be found at Arizmendi’s favorite stops: Mici Italian, Mollica’s Italian Market & Deli, and MacKenzie’s Chop House.

 For casual dining, check out local breweries like Pikes Peak Brewing Company, Cerberus Brewing Company, Peaks N Pines Brewing Company, and JAKs Brewery & Taproom.

 Looking to learn and explore new places during your trip? The Air Force Academy, the Colorado Springs Pioneer Museum, the ProRodeo Hall of Fame, and Museum of the American Cowboy offer unique learning experiences and tours.

1. Malachi and Landon: Submitted by Megan Heath (’05 political science)

2. Holden and Rowan: Submitted by Molly (’04 journalism) and Burton (design ‘05) Murphy

3. Emmett and Goldie: Submitted by Mallory Maahs (’12 liberal studies)

4. Avery and Brynn: Submitted by Aaron (’09 communication studies) and Katie Lott

5. Charlie: Submitted by Morgan Snyder-Olson (’17 psychology)

6. Mia: Submitted by Dalton (’12 Aerospace Engineering) and Megan (’16 Child, Adult, and Family Services) Royer

4.

3.

2.

6.

1.

5.

To submit a photo of future Cyclones for Iowa Stater magazine visit www.ISUalum.org/ShareCycloneStories.

THE CLUB CONNECTION

STORY BY KATE TINDALL ILLUSTRATION BY JENNY WITTE

Clubs can be formed in any location that has at least 500 alumni with valid emails in a 40-mile radius. Interested in finding a club in your area, or curious about whether your region qualifies? Email ISUAAClubs@ iastate.edu to get started.

Pockets of Cyclones who live and work in cities across the United States and around the globe are tied together with threads of cardinal and gold. ISU Alumni Association clubs foster and grow the connection. Friendships feed their forever-true pride.

Katie Lickteig leans forward as she recalls her first out-of-Iowa ISU Alumni Association club experience.

“I sometimes take my daily brushes with cardinal and gold for granted,” Lickteig says. “I recognize not everyone is seeing Iowa State daily. There was so much excitement at the event – the passion and attentiveness blew me away.”

As vice president of constituent engagement for the ISU Alumni Association, Lickteig (’05 marketing) harnesses that passion and directs the focus of club programming efforts –working hand-in-hand with more than 140 enthusiastic club volunteers across the nation.

The first ISU Alumni Association club was formed in Chicago, Illinois, in 1893. Today, you can find 36 club locations in 23 states organized by alumni association club volunteers. Smaller gatherings are held by alumni association ambassadors in all 50 states and internationally.

A little-known fact: you do not have to be an alumnus of Iowa State to be a volunteer or engage with club events. All that is required is a connection to the university and fellow Iowa Staters.

In her 28 years of service, alumni association staffer Beth Lott has seen an evolution in the way association clubs connect Cyclones everywhere.

“There was no cable or on-demand in 1995,” she recalls from her desk on the first floor of the ISU Alumni Center — HQ for the association’s clubs. “To have a game watch, I had to get the satellite coordinates from ISU Athletics, give those coordinates to the club leader, and the club leader had to ask the bar to tune the TV to the game.”

Today, email has replaced phone calls. Club social media

accounts connect alumni with events happening in their region. Streaming services pull up Cyclone games with a few simple clicks.

Something that hasn’t changed is the excitement of a club game watch on a fall day, or the feeling of community that emerges when Cyclones volunteer on a project. The energy is contagious, just like it has been for the past 130 years.

NORTH TO SOUTH, EAST TO WEST

Jim (’70 fisheries and wildlife biology) and Sandy Elkin and Doug (’68 ag and life sciences education, MS ’75 animal science, PhD ’77 ag and life science education) and Diana (’68 home economics) Pals know a thing or two about connection. The dynamic duos have hosted all kinds of events out of Fort Meyers and Naples for the ISU Alumni of Southwest Florida: game watches, dinner cruises, even agricultural and nature tours.

“We feel a bit like an extension of Iowa State, and I hope we are with the example we set, how we treat people, and how we support the university,” Diana says.

The Florida crew even has its own recruitment tactics.

“It’s been known to happen that – if you see an Iowa plate – some people will sit in their car and wait for that person so they can find out who it is and invite them to the game watch,” Doug explains with a laugh.

The couples inherited a legacy of fun and friendship when they took up the mantel of club leaders. Resident historian Doug has traced the formations of the southwest Florida clubs back to 1998.

“Give any credit for what our club is doing back to the history,” Doug says. Sandy, Jim, and Diana agree. When the opportunity presented itself, both couples stepped up to

Jim and Sandy Elkin and Doug and Diana Pals team up to lead a slate of events for the ISU Alumni of Southwest Florida: game watches, dinner cruises, even agricultural and nature tours.

We feel a bit like an extension of Iowa State, and I hope we are with the example we set, how we treat people, and how we support the university.”

continue the club’s good work.

“There’s a camaraderie,” Jim says of club events. “There’s a bond with fellow Iowa Staters. It doesn’t matter what walk of life you are. If you are a Cyclone, you are a part of that family.”

“What stands out in my mind were the Iowa State students,” Sandy says when asked to share her favorite game watch memory. “They came with their grandparents, and they had the best time! They couldn’t wait to tell us at the end, ‘If I’m here again, I’m coming back. You guys are fun!’ That meant a lot, to cross the age barriers and see how enthusiastic we were. The Hilton Magic overflowed into our game watch that day.”

WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME

“There are a million different tourist attractions in New York City, but priority no. 1 for my mom and dad is to get to the Cyclone bar.”

Tanner Twetten (’11 hotel, restaurant, and institution management) is the leader behind game watches at The Keg Room in Midtown Manhattan. The Iowa native knows a thing or two about bringing people together – thanks in part to his degree from Iowa State – and, like his parents, Twetten bleeds cardinal and gold.

“Not Broadway, not the Statue of Liberty, not the Empire State Building. They want to go to The Keg Room in Manhattan,” he says.

Twetten’s parents are not alone. During any given game watch, you’ll find the bar packed with Iowa Staters – half of whom may be tourists visiting The Big Apple. Twetten even remembers a time when two famous Cyclones walked through the front doors.

“Suddenly I look over my shoulder and see Georges Niang (’16 marketing) and Naz Long (’16 communication studies) walk into our game watch,” Twetten recalls. “They were doing summer tryouts out here. Everyone looked around at each other like, ‘Do you see Georges Niang and Naz Long?’ We were a bit nervous to go up to them, but as soon as someone broke the ice, they were the nicest guys in the world. They even stayed to watch the football game.”

When you’re at The Keg Room, Twetten is quick to make you a part of Cyclone Nation. The wait staff are honorary fans, too.

“It’s the ‘Cheers’ effect,” Twetten says. “The owners, the staff, they all know your name. When we lose, they are very kind to us. When we win, they celebrate with us. We may even get a free round.”

ALWAYS ROOM FOR MORE CYCLONES

Hieu Nguyen (’16 finance, DMJ ’16 economics, DMJ ’16 mathematics) found Iowa State by accident when a friend took him on a college visit. A first-generation student whose family moved to Minneapolis from Vietnam, Nguyen was soon taken in by

Tanner Twetten, leader of the New York City Cyclones, connects locals and visitors alike through events and gatherings in NYC. LEFT; IMAGE BY DON KAPLAN, RIGHT; IMAGE BY MATT VAN WINKLE

Hieu Nguyen says Cyclone peers and mentors helped create a community for him after moving to Minneapolis from Vietnam. As a club leader, he works to surround others with that same sense of community.

Cyclone peers, mentors, and the campus community.

“Iowa State was life-changing for me,” he says. “That’s why it’s so important to give back, and working with my local club is a way to do that.”

Nguyen volunteers for Iowa State Alumni of the Twin Cities. As a young alum, he has a unique understanding of the power of clubs.

“When you graduate, you’re a little lost,” he says. “You’re in a new city, a new job, a new environment. You don’t know anybody. Having a community that shares Iowa State in common makes you more comfortable.”

In the last three years, Nguyen has met many Twin Cities Cyclones through game watches, happy hours, and volunteering opportunities hosted by the club. Whether it is a brewery tour, packing meals, or cheering on the Cyclones for a game, there’s a spot waiting for Iowa Staters in the Twin Cities.

“We always leave room for more Cyclones,” Nguyen says.

THE CLUB CONNECTION

Back at the ISU Alumni Center, Lickteig and Lott are training fellow staff members to work with club volunteers. It’s an effort by the ISU Alumni Association to enhance the connection of Cyclones everywhere, and it’s a crucial part of bringing Iowa Staters back home in many different ways.

“Club involvement is a grassroots, inclusive opportunity for people to volunteer that often sparks further support for Iowa State,” Lickteig says.

“You’ll see a Student Alumni Leadership Council member graduate, get involved with their local club, then connect through charitable giving to the association and university and through service on association boards and committees,” Lott says. “It’s amazing to me how – each year –our club volunteers are recognized with association, university, and foundation awards for their dedicated service.”

CLUB FAVORITES

Cardinal or gold?

Cardinal – hands down – was the choice of ISU Alumni Association club volunteers featured in this story. Doug Pals jokingly mentioned “Either! As long as it isn’t black and gold.”

Wings or pizza?

To fuel the perfect game watch, our volunteers say that a good slice of pizza pie is a must! In the defense of wing-lovers everywhere, this was a tough choice for our dedicated Cyclone fans.

Football or basketball?

Both! Volunteers can’t choose between the two. Each one is unique, mentioned Sandy Elkin. She suggests you try one of each in a community near you. Find game watch locations during football and basketball seasons at www.ISUalum.org/events.

The Keg Room in Midtown Manhattan is the official home for game watches in New York City thanks to the leadership of club leader Tanner Twetten, who snapped this pic. You can often find the bar packed with Iowa Staters including many tourists visiting The Big Apple.

We always leave room for more Cyclones.”

There’s no place like home

More than 600 Cyclone alumni and friends followed the yellow brick road to the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in downtown Des Moines on February 10 for the 2023 Cardinal & Gold Gala. The event raised more than $132,000 for ISU Alumni Association programing and the New Graduate One Year Paid Gift Membership Program via a live and silent auction, games, raffles, and direct donations. Cardinal & Gold scholarship recipients supported with endowed funds raised at past galas also were honored.

2023 Cardinal & Gold Co-Chairs

Heidi (‘81) and Chuck (‘81) Howlett

Julie & Dave (‘82) Walter

Nicole (‘09, ‘13) and Bryan (‘08) Schmidt

Official Sponsors:

Alumna House Sigler Companies

Ames Silversmithing: Red Box Raffle sponsor

Special Thanks

ISU President Wendy Wintersteen (PhD ‘88) and Robert Waggoner

Dan Winters (‘03), emcee

$5,500 Forever True Benefactors

Brad and Lesa Lewis

Keen Project Solutions

Nyemaster Goode

Sigler Companies

Lora (‘17H) and Russ (‘17H) Talbot

Cynthia (‘84) Thorland and Fritz Weitz

$2,750 Bells of Iowa State Benefactors

Bank of America

Dentons Davis Brown

Karen (‘92) Heldt-Chapman and Jay (‘90, ‘93) Chapman

McFarland Clinic

Jon (‘75) Fleming

Jeff (‘14) and Peggy Johnson

Mary (‘78) and Tim (‘76) Wolf (Phantom Attendee)

$1,100 Campanile Benefactors

Rueters

$550 Cardinal & Gold Supporters

Mark (‘79) and Ann (‘78) Aljets

Hallie Still-Caris (‘83) and Dave Caris (‘83)

Denise (‘73) Essman and Dennis Dykstra

David and Kathy Law

Bev (‘60 ‘70) and Warren (‘61) Madden

Cathy (‘88) and Mark (‘88) Schmidt

Michael (‘77) and Carrie (‘77) Thrall

José and Rebecca (‘05) Torres

Eric (’11) and MacKenzie Tubbs

Jeff (‘94) and Rachelle Underwood

Todd (‘94) and Kari Van Thomme

Lori (’93) and Dwayne (’93) Vande Krol

2023 Scholarship Recipients

• Benton Meyer, apparel merchandising, Newton

• Noah Rohlfs, finance, Boyden

• Savannah Kallaus, microbiology, Waterloo

• Sophie Halverson, history, Waukon

• Anna Ten Hoeve, interior design, Waverly

• Lucas Wurzer, mechanical engineering, West Union

ISUAA Cardinal & Gold Scholarships

Craig and Terry Denny ISU Alumni

Association Cardinal & Gold College of Human Sciences Scholarship

Alyssa Rodriguez, College of Human Sciences, Davenport

Terry Marie Denny ISU Alumni

Association Cardinal & Gold College of Engineering Scholarship

Joaquin Fitzsimmons, College of Engineering, Marshalltown

ISUAA Board of Directors Cardinal & Gold Leadership/Terry Denny Memorial Scholarship

Taylor Bearman, College of Agriculture and Human Sciences, New Hampton

Lora & Russ Talbot ISU Alumni

Association Cardinal & Gold College of Veterinary Medicine Scholarship

Jennifer Vander Lee, third-year Vet Med, Hartley;

Amberly Van Hulzen, fourth-year Vet Med, Auburn

Iowa State University Stadlman Family Cardinal & Gold Scholarship

Jacob Severn, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Glenwood

J. Elaine Hieber Cardinal & Gold Scholarship

Jessica Ramirez Solis, College of Human Sciences, Des Moines

Save the date for the Cardinal & Gold Gala February 9, 2024.

2023 Faculty-Staff Inspiration Awards

Five awardees were honored with Faculty-Staff Inspiration Awards on May 19, 2023, at the ISU Alumni Center. Honorees are selected based on nominator statements portraying their significant influence in their former students’ lives. The Faculty-Staff Inspiration Award Program is funded by the Nancy and Richard Degner ISU Alumni Association Endowment. Nancy (‘72 food science) and Rich (‘72 agricultural and life sciences education, MS ‘77) are life members and sustaining donors to the ISU Alumni Association. Nominations are due Dec. 1 annually and can be submitted at www.ISUalum.org/Awards.

ERIC ABOTT

associate professor, Greenlee School of Journalism and Mass Communication

(’67 journalism)

“Dr. Eric Alan Abbott, my major professor, has had a large influence on my professional and personal life…What a great pleasure it was to attend Eric’s lectures! Words cannot express how highly indebted I am to him for the way he prepared his students as professionals and empowered us. I am so fortunate to know him and stay in touch with him.”

— AVINASH PANCHOLI, (’91 JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION)

MAROLYNN BERRETT

former university retail director, Iowa State Daily

“To this day, I think about many of the lessons she taught me about being a strong manager and asking for what you want. She always took the time to sit down with each of us, discuss our struggles, and give advice… She had a significant impact on me during a crucial time of developing my professional skills and making important decisions about my future.”

— TREY HEMMINGSEN, (’11 ADVERTISING)

TOM KROESCHELL

athletics communications

“Over several decades, Tom hired and helped develop/mentor hundreds of ISU students in the athletics communications office, many of whom turned their experience into careers in sports or public relations. Beyond the job, he took interest in each student and their individual goals and always had time for meaningful conversations and advice.”

— BRAD GEE, (’08 JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION)

SOJUNG LEE

associate professor, apparel, events, and hospitality management

“I had the pleasure of working for Dr. Lee as a student and as a colleague for the past seven years… From the moment I walked into her office, Dr. Lee provided me with inspiration and confidence. I also believe she changed my life and the club industry. I am so happy that I met her, as she carries a divine spirit that inspires her students and colleagues.”

—

JIM BUTLER, CEO OF CLUB BENCHMARKING (’16 PHD HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT)

TRICIA NEPPL

associate professor, human development and family studies

(’92 psychology)

“Dr. Neppl and I have a long and rich history, she has been my undergraduate and graduate mentor, but even more significantly a second mother figure and trusted friend and colleague … I have been encouraged by her every step of the way. For this, I am forever grateful.”

— OLIVIA DIGGS, (’15 PSYCHOLOGY, MS ‘18 HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND FAMILY STUDIES, PHD ‘22)

FACULTY AND STAFF INSPIRATION AWARD

ISU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION MEMBER INDEX

ANNUAL

Tom Meier p.32

David Barclay Moore p.32

Morgan Snyder-Olson p.33

Dalton Royer p.33

Megan Royer p.33

Tanner Twetten p.34

Mark Aljets p.41

Ann Aljets p.41

Caroline Freese p.45

Brandon Niebuhr p.47

LIFE

Todd Snyder p.2

John Schuh p.4

Linda Leir Thomason p.4

Becki Casey p.4

Brynn Anderson p.4

David Slump p.8

Christine Slump p.8

Roger Underwood p.9

Judi Eyles p.25

Jeff Johnson p.30

Chelon Stanzel p.30

Cathy McCall Schmidt p.31

Mark Schmidt p.31

John Newton p.32

Darla Newton p.32

Tess Balsley p.32

Molly Murphy p.33

Burton Murphy p.33

Aaron Lott p.33

Katie Lott p.33

Jim Elkin p.36

Sandy Elkin p.36

Doug Pals p.36

Diana Pals p.36

Katie Lickteig p.36

Beth Lott p.36

Heidi Howlett p.41

Chuck Howlett p.41

Dave Walter p.41

Julie Walter p.41

Nicole Schmidt p.41

Bryan Schmidt p.41

Wendy Wintersteen p.41

Robert Waggoner p.41

Dan Winters p.41

Brad Lewis p.41

Lora Talbot p.41

Russ Talbot p.41

Cynthia Thorland p.41

Fritz Weitz p.41

Karen Heldt-Chapman p.41

Jay Chapman p.41

Jon Fleming p.41

Peggy Johnson p.41

Mary Wolf p.41

Tim Wolf p.41

Hallie Still-Caris p.41

Dave Caris p.41

Denise Essman p.41

Warren Madden p.41

Bev Madden p.41

Michael Thrall p.41

Carrie Thrall p.41

Rebecca Torres p.41

Jose Torres p.41

Jeff Underwood p.41

POP QUIZ WINNER

Claire Kruesel (’07 biochemistry, genetics, MFA ’15 creative writing and the environment) of Ames, Iowa, was the first to identify “Floating World,” by Ralph Hemlick in the Biorenewables Complex which was installed in July 2014.

Rachelle Underwood p.41

Todd Van Thomme p.41

Kari Van Thomme p.41

Lori Vande Krol p.41

Dwayne Vande Krol p.41

Eric Abott p.42

Avinash Pancholi p.42

Trey Hemmingsen p.42

Betsy Freese p.45

Robert Freese p.45

Emily Barske p.46

Matthew Meyer p.46

Kaitlyn Mores p.46

Julia Campbell p.46

Clayton Anderson p.48

Sarah Grant p.45

Arlen Patrick p.45

Carol Patrick p.45

Margaret (Meg) Schon p.45

Gary Thompson p.52

Invest in stories with purpose.

Your gift to the ISUAA Alumni Magazine Endowment is an investment in stories that matter -- stories that educate, engage, and entertain.

Iowa Stater print member magazine and digital content at www.IowaStater.iastate.edu advance the missions of Iowa State University and the ISU Alumni Association by featuring compelling stories of innovative alumni, students, faculty, and friends who are shaping our communities, country, and world.

Help us to share Cyclone stories with purpose and elevate the voices of Iowa Staters by donating to the ISUAA Alumni Magazine Endowment at: www.ISUalum.org/MakeAGift

Insightful, Inclusive Branding

As a senior brand manager for PepsiCo., Darrin Rahn creates marketing strategies for some of the world’s most wellknown brands.

Rahn (’12 agricultural business, marketing) steered the multinational’s tea and water portfolios (Aquafina, LIFEWTR, Lipton, Pure Leaf, and Brisk) before recently moving to manage SodaStream.

The switch is in line with the company’s global sustainability effort, “PepsiCo Positive.”

Tenants of the program align so closely with Rahn’s passions that it’s a match made in snack food heaven: positive agriculture, positive value chain,

and positive choices.

“We go all the way to the source to determine how we can grow a better potato for Lay’s, oats for Quaker Oats, tea for Lipton. And we consider ways to do so that are sustainable for a healthy planet,” Rahn says.

Rahn has a knack for finding positions with companies that align with his personal values of advancing agriculture and inclusive communities. “I won’t join any company that I can’t see myself driving passionate impact and success,” he says.

Building a marketing strategy is more than working with ad agencies and reviewing storyboards and ad copy, though he does plenty of that. He builds relationships, creates strategy, watches results, and course corrects when

necessary. With budgets in the millions, he considers all avenues.

Rahn’s first job at Target Corporation in Minneapolis helped him learn to create merchandising strategy and collaborate with global vendors. He broadened his experience at General Mills, where he developed brand strategies for big names like Betty Crocker and Bisquick. And he was actively involved in each corporation’s LGBTQ+ employee support and marketing efforts.

After interning with PepsiCo. and finishing his Harvard MBA in 2019, he joined the company full time and became a member of their LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group’s leadership team.

PepsiCo. has multiple Employee Resource Groups—volunteer-based support systems for different identity groups—that provide support, connection, and build awareness. They also offer feedback on business strategy, company marketing, and consumer promotions.

“The best ads hit on an emotional truth,” says Rahn. “We need to take intentional risks of where and how we can evolve as a brand and as people. Our differences are accepted, celebrated, and applied to make the company better. This leads to diversity of thought that is good for brands and people. We can change hearts and minds one person at a time.”

CYCLONE STORIES: DARRIN RAHN (’12 AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS, MARKETING) / NEW YORK, NEW YORK

“Our differences are accepted, celebrated, and applied to make the company better. This leads to diversity of thought that is good for brands and good for people.”

Crafting an Enterprise of Art, Agriculture

Caroline Freese has always enjoyed being surrounded by animals. Her Indianola, Iowa, ceramics studio is lined with bold roosters, portly swine, and regal felines reminiscent of her childhood days growing up on a nearby farm.

Freese (’16 integrated studio arts) adorns ceramics with decals of original folk animal paintings. She also creates and sells custom acrylic paintings on wood, printed pillows, greeting cards, stickers, and coloring books for children and adults.

The daughter of Betsy (’84 agricultural journalism) and Robert (’83 animal science, ’87 veterinary medicine), Freese says creating animal-inspired art is a fitting nod to her heritage, passions, and statement as an artist.

“I am following in my parent’s footsteps, but I am still getting to create my own path,” says Freese. “I had the drive to be a leader and business owner.”

Freese entered Iowa State with an undeclared major and credits a mix of coincidences for leading her to the pottery studio.

“I sat down on the wheel my junior year and threw for the first time. I was obsessed for a while, all I wanted to do was go in and throw,” she says.

Her work has been featured at national and regional events, winning first place in the 2022 Iowa State Fair Fine Art Competition pottery category and an honorable mention in the mixed media category in 2021. She also was selected as an emerging young artist in 2021 at the Cherry Creek Arts Festival in Colorado—one of the country’s largest and most selective art shows.

Freese mentors students, hosts Iowa State University interns, and stays active in the art community as a member of Creative Artists Studios of Ames (CASA). She was awarded the Ames Community Arts Council’s 2021 Hazel Hammer Cherished Volunteer Award and received a 2022 Outstanding Young Alumni Award from the ISU College of Design.

STORY BY CALEB GRIZZLE

IMAGE BY MATT VAN WINKLE

Freese’s work is available at Iowa State’s Innovate 1858 shop in the Student Innovation Center, the Octagon Center for the Arts, and Knittery Nook and Fiber Co. in Ames, Iowa; the Mary Rose Collection in Perry, Iowa; and www.etsy.com where customers can request custom designs.

CYCLONE STORIES: CAROLINE FREESE (‘16 INTEGRATED STUDIO ARTS) / INDIANOLA, IOWA

2023 Wallace E. Barron All-University Senior Award Recipients

The Wallace E. Barron All-University Senior Award recognizes outstanding seniors who display high character, outstanding achievement in academics, and university or community activities, and who show promise for continuing these qualities as alumni. The award is named for Wallace E. “Red” Barron (1928 agricultural economics) director of alumni affairs at Iowa State from 1937 to 1968.

Michelle Morford

Biochemistry

Omaha, Nebraska

Compassionate mentor

2023 STATEment Makers

Iowa STATEment Makers is an honor recognizing the early personal and professional accomplishments and contributions to society of Iowa State University graduates age 34 and younger.

Matthew Beyer

‘15 history

Altoona, Iowa

Museum Education and Engagement Coordinator, State Historical Museum of Iowa

Innovative educator

Jaden Ahlrichs

Global resource systems/ horticulture

Pocahontas, Iowa

Hunger fighter

Julia Campbell

Agricultural business/ economics

De Witt, Iowa

Servant leader of Iowa

Emily Barske

‘18 journalism and marketing Ankeny, Iowa

Editor, Business Record

Journalist and advocate

Kaitlyn Mores

‘16 civil engineering

Overland Park, Kansas

Civil Engineering Section Manager, Burns & McDonnell

Empowering engineer

Anna Olson

Journalism and mass communication/political science

Boone, Iowa

Innovative initiator

Jacob Ludwig

Economics/political science

Ankeny, Iowa Champion for change

Political science/public relations

Eagle Grove, Iowa

Uplifting advocate

Biochemistry/microbiology

Urbandale, Iowa

Restorer of hope

Brandon Niebuhr

‘15 civil engineering Ankeny, Iowa

Civil Engineer, Snyder & Associates

Collaborative builder

Kendra Plathe

‘14 liberal studies

West Des Moines, Iowa Photographer and Entrepreneur Memory maker

Learn how these Iowa Staters are making Cyclone Nation proud and submit a nomination for 2024 at www.ISUalum.org/Barron and www.ISUalum.org/ StatementMakers. Nomination deadline is Dec. 1.

Mariana Gonzalez

Kathryn Wittrock

Clayton Anderson

First Iowa Stater in space

Retired NASA astronaut Clayton Anderson spent 167 days in space over two missions (including a five-month stint on the International Space Station). Anderson (MS ’83 aerospace engineering) is currently a professor of practice at Iowa State, author, and motivational speaker.

How did your Iowa State experience shape who you’ve become –professionally and personally?

It gave me the work ethic I would need when I went to NASA. The coursework at Iowa State blew me out of the water. I was up late translating code and studying to pass exams. Aerospace engineering was a huge challenge for me, and I worked very hard in grad school. I put my head down, did what I was told, and did it to the best of my ability. I learned to

be focused, do my job, and seek help when I needed it.

What was most unexpected about your experiences as an astronaut? Competition was fierce. I watched people try to manipulate situations for visibility and opportunities. But that wasn’t me. I figured if I kept doing what I was supposed to do I’d come out ok. Parts of it were frustrating, depressing, and made me question if that was what I wanted to do. I spent a lot of time away from my family, and my wife sacrificed her career so I could have mine. We are hugely proud of the fact that we did it together.

What are people surprised to learn about you?

I play piano and am a vocalist. I have also written some songs. My friend Clayton Anderson

(a successful songwriter and performer) and I met in Nashville and ended up writing a song together called “Brighter in the Dark.” I am hoping he will record it in the future.

What does being an Iowa Stater mean to you?

There’s a strong work ethic in the Midwest. I’m a big advocate for my home state of Nebraska and Iowa because of that work ethic and the accompanying positive morality Midwesterners exhibit. I also think Iowa Staters (and Midwesterners) are well rounded. Academics, athletics, and civic organizations are all hugely important and make folks better citizens.

For more from Clayton Anderson visit www.IowaStater.iastate.edu.

www.ISUalum.org/Homecoming

MemberDeals provide alumni association members exclusive offers to the world’s greatest entertainment and travel brands.

429 ALUMNI LANE AMES, IOWA 50011-1403

Image by Christopher Gannon