VISIONS Summer 2022 by Iowa State University Alumni Association

T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R M E M B E R S O F T H E I O WA S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y A L U M N I A S S O C I AT I O N |

PURE GENIUS Harley Wilhelm’s secret work for the Manhattan Project launched Ames National Laboratory

Summer 2022

G E T T I N G START ED

by Melea Reicks Licht** ('00 public service & admin in agriculture, MS '05 agricultural education) mreicks@iastate.edu

e was an unlikely hero. While the world was in the throes of WWII, chemist Harley Wilhelm (PhD ‘31 chemistry) quietly plugged away at a long-shot research project in his own little corner of the Iowa State campus. His work on the Manhattan Project to purify uranium ultimately led to the end of WWII. Wilhelm’s story is one of innovation, collaboration, grit, and science. Now that’s an Iowa State story — with a serious wow factor. It’s one I hope you enjoy as much as I did when I sped through the story penned by Wilhelm’s granddaughter Teresa Wilhelm Waldof. Vivid images danced through my mind as if I was watching a movie. This historical narrative (on page 14) and the following feature on current cutting-edge research celebrate the 75-year history of Ames National Laboratory at ISU – the only U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory located on a university campus – and illustrate its continued relevance. Collaborating and innovating are core values for Iowa Staters. Just look at the effort it took to grow our own Kentucky bluegrass for Jack Trice Stadium’s turf (see page 8). Talk about science with practice. Scan the QR code to watch a video created by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences to meet the horticulturalists that made it happen. In our previous VISIONS, we mentioned collaboration and innovation to come within the pages of your ISU Alumni Association magazine. Read the message from university leadership on page 34 to learn how the ISU Alumni Association, Iowa State University, and the ISU Foundation are revisiting a former collaboration to communicate with you in a new way. In celebration of the legacy of VISIONS magazine and transition to a fresh format, I invite you to share your thoughts and fond memories. Was there a special story that sticks with you to this day? Is there a story you’ve always wanted the ISU Alumni Association magazine to tell? Let us know by emailing me at mreicks@iastate.edu. As we team up to innovatively tell the stories of Iowa Staters, we promise to do our best by you – to tell authentic, engaging, educational, and entertaining stories. You know, the ones with a serious wow factor. 

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CHRISTOPHER GANNON

A record number of undergraduate students – including Madesh Samanu* (‘22 biology) – opted to attend university commencement ceremonies Saturday, May 14, in Hilton Coliseum. Of an estimated 4,274 bachelor's degree recipients, 80% participated in ceremonies. To avoid capacity issues and ensure graduating students could continue to invite as many guests as they would like, Iowa State added a third undergraduate ceremony to the two originally planned. Nearly 1,000 more students attended Spring 2022 commencement than the previous largest event – Spring 2017’s outdoor ceremony at Jack Trice Stadium.

CON T E N TS FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

2 Getting Started 5 Reader Feedback 6 Around Campus 34 Message from University Leadership 37 Cyclones Everywhere Featuring Cyclones in the City, Cyclone Stories, Newsmakers, Association News, and More 44 Sports

Alyssa Gonzalez (‘16 advertising)

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STATEment Makers Faculty and Staff Inspiration Award Winners

COVER STORY

Pure Genius ‒ Harley Wilhelm’s secret work for the Manhattan Project at Iowa State University launched the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames National Laboratory

On the cover: Illustration by Jenny Witte

SUMMER 2022 / VOLUME 35 / NO. 2 EDITOR: Melea Reicks Licht DESIGN: Jenny Witte PHOTOGRAPHY: Matt Van Winkle EDITORIAL SUPPORT: Kate Tindall and Krystal Couture LOCAL PHONE 515-294-6525 TOLL-FREE 1-877-ISU-ALUM (478-2586) WEBSITE www.ISUalum.org

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to VISIONS, ISU Alumni Center, 429 Alumni Lane, Ames, IA 50011-1403. Copyright 2021 by the ISU Alumni Association, Jeffery W. Johnson, Lora and Russ Talbot Endowed President, CEO, and publisher.

Printed with soy ink on recycled and recyclable paper.

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The ISU Alumni Association mission: To facilitate the lifetime connection of alumni, students, and friends with Iowa State University and each other.

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.

A DV E R T I S I N G O P P O R T U N I T I E S : K Y L E J OH N S O N , kjohn1@iastate.edu 3

2022-2023 ISU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS Marc S. Mores**# Chair '95 exercise & sport science Johnston, Iowa Cathy McCall Schmidt**# Chair-elect ‘88 marketing Plymouth, Minnesota Timothy R. Quick**# Immediate Past-chair '01 marketing, international business Clive, Iowa Scott Bauer** Vice Chair of Finance ‘85 business management Ames, Iowa Chad Harris** Vice Chair of Records ‘01 political science Kansas City, Missouri Bonnie Whalen* ISUAA Board Treasurer ‘92 BBA finance, MPA ‘12 Ex-officio/voting Pilot Mound, Iowa Jeffery W. Johnson**# Lora and Russ Talbot ISUAA Endowed President & CEO PhD ‘14 education Ex-officio/non-voting Ames, Iowa ELECTED DIRECTORS Dan Bumblauskas** ‘03 industrial engineering, economics, MS ‘06, PhD ‘10 Cedar Falls, Iowa Kelli Ann Cameron**# ‘02 agricultural & life sciences education Janesville, Wisconsin Jeremy Davis** ‘01 agricultural education, MS ‘04 agricultural education, MEd ‘04 higher education Ames, Iowa Taylor Davis** ‘17 supply chain management Las Vegas, Nevada Marvin DeJear** ‘00 business management, MBA ‘03, PhD ‘16 educational leadership Des Moines, Iowa Gayle Farrell** ’87 biology Urbandale, Iowa Andrea Fellows** ‘06 business Atlanta, Georgia

Allison Flinn* ‘10 animal science, DVM ‘14 Cheverly, Maryland Trey Hemmingsen** '11 advertising Denver, Colorado Carl Kirpes** '12 mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, MS '14 systems engineering Cedar Rapids, Iowa Amanda Matchett** '08 marketing, international business Blaine, Minnesota Darius Potts* '89 telecommunication arts Ankeny, Iowa Dawn Refsell** '01 agronomy, MS '03 crop production & physiology Runnells, Iowa Melissa Schnurr* ‘04 psychology, MS ‘06 human development & family studies, PhD ‘09 Ankeny, Iowa Martha Smith**# ‘04 agricultural business St. Louis, Missouri Kathy Taylor** ‘80 English and speech communication Fort Dodge, Iowa Jeremy Wingerter** ‘96 art and design, MS ‘98 educational leadership and policy studies Quincy, Illinois APPOINTED DIRECTORS Sophia Ann Magill** ISU President’s Designee ‘05 political science Ames, Iowa Bradley G. Lewis** Non-alumni Representative Bondurant, Iowa Brittney Rutherford* ‘06 journalism & mass communication, DMJ ‘06 psychology College Representative Ames, Iowa Bronson Forsyth*** Junior, agriculture studies Student Alumni Leadership Council Representative Charles City, Iowa

Q&A with the BOD Marc Mores**# (‘95 exercise & sport science), left, serves as chair of the ISU Alumni Association Board of Directors – a position his father Steven**# (‘67 journalism), right, held 30 years ago. Steven and his wife, Michelle currently co-chair The Circle – an organization of former board chairs. VISIONS asked this father-son duo to share a few thoughts on leadership, volunteerism, and family. What are the most useful lessons your dad taught you?

What were your most memorable ISUAA board activities?

Marc: Work hard, be loyal, and give back. To truly be fulfilled, you need to engage in opportunities to give back to people, places, or things that have made you what you are today. Only then can you truly understand life is about sharing – sharing your knowledge, your time, and your treasure.

Steven: Getting to see what’s new on campus first-hand through special tours. Working toward annual goals set by the ISU Alumni Association board and staff. Getting VISIONS started was a major achievement during my tenure as president as was the growth of membership efforts.

What makes a good leader?

What does family mean to you?

Steven: A good leader is one that can successfully guide a team to the goals the group has set. Encouragement, explanation, involvement, and caring for the topics and the result are key. Ideally, a leader takes part in the efforts as well and doesn’t just give out orders.

Steven: Family is a priority. I have a lot of favorite things and activities, but family comes first. We do our best to see our immediate and extended families as often as we can and cherish those opportunities.

Marc: Leaders sell tickets for the journey while managers drive the bus to the destination. Leaders are good listeners with the skill to filter out the noise, they inspire others through their own actions and beliefs, and they encourage active engagement in shared goals leading to a brighter future. Why do you volunteer with the ISU Alumni Association? Steven: It gives me a chance to use my professional skills to further the mission of the association and the university. Selfishly, I get to interact with key members of the university, as well as return to the community and campus I so enjoyed for four years of my life. Marc: A desire to give back to a place that molded me into the person I am today is the undercurrent of my involvement in all things Iowa State. I hope to give Cyclones everywhere a reason and opportunity to reconnect and rekindle their love of Iowa State.

What’s your best dad joke? Steven: Maybe for me this ought to be, “What’s your best son joke?” It’s not a joke, however that I’m extremely proud of my sons, their Iowa State journeys and their professional careers. It’s been fun watching Marc in ISU Alumni Association leadership and my son Mike* (‘99 advertising) work with the Iowa State Athletic Department over the years. Marc: Why is Iowa the best state for telling dad jokes? It’s the corniest!

Scan this QR code to hear more from Mores and meet other members of the board.

Nominate yourself or another Cyclone for service on the board of directors at www.ISUalum.org/Board.

Membership key throughout this magazine: * Annual member ** Life member *** Student member

Marc: Family is a blessing that we do not take for granted. We were very fortunate to move back to Iowa as the pandemic subsided. While we miss many things, the benefits of being closer to family and friends here in Iowa far outweigh what we left behind.

^ Business member # Sustaining donor

Only Iowa State University degrees are listed, all alumni names are listed in bold. SUMMER 2022 WWW.ISUALUM.ORG VISIONS

Reader Feedback 

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY The Iowa State University Alumni Association welcomes letters to the editor addressing stories in VISIONS or topics of interest to Iowa Staters. All submissions must be signed and clearly marked “Letter to the Editor.” They must include the writer’s address and daytime phone number. The editor makes all final decisions on selecting letters to publish, and reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity. The editor may follow up with a letter writer to request any clarification. Letters selected to be published

Good morning, Melea, I am writing to thank you for the "Reining in Wildfires" article in the recent issue of VISIONS. The article provided significant factual information in combination with a nice balance of personal background stories. I was impressed by the breadth of geographic areas included in the article. It was also impressive to learn about the diverse roles of ISU graduates across the country in relation to wildfire management. Thank you for this interesting and informative article. Sincerely, Debbie Lee*

will appear either in a subsequent issue of the magazine or online on the ISUAA website. The views and opinions expressed in letters are solely those of the writers, and do not necessarily reflect those of ISUAA and Iowa State University. Letters containing potentially libelous statements or personal attacks will not be published. Send letters to VISIONS editor, ISU Alumni Center, 429 Alumni Lane, Ames, IA 50011-1403 or email Letter_to_the_Editor-Visions@iastate.edu.

CONNECT WITH US on social media

@ISUalum SEND US YOUR CYTINGS! Surveyor Gaming

Have a fun story or photo that illustrates a connection you’ve made with another Cyclone? Or did you proudly fly your I-STATE or Cyclones Everywhere flag on a recent trip? Share on social by tagging us @isualum and using #CyclonesEverywhere or send via e-mail to editor Melea Reicks Licht at mreicks@iastate.edu.

Martha Smith

Kerry in SW Ireland Along the Ring of Everywhere nes #ISUFlag #Cyclo

Ames, Iowa

Jeff, really enjoyed the VISIONS magazine, beautiful photography…and fun to see that Greg Smith leads the Cedar Rapids, Iowa (my hometown) Fire Department, cool! I also noted your comment about the “next strategic plan.” Yell if we can help … with lots of input from Adrienne (Notre Dame), Sam (Michigan State), Kristin (DePauw/Penn), Bethany (Minnesota), Samantha (Southern Illinois), Peter (St. Lawrence), Mike (Winona State), and Jeff (Iowa State). Have a great Cyclone day.

Before I even sat my helmet down , random guy in next chair over says, “are you also an Iowa Stater?” And that, my friends, is the epito me of #CyclonesEverywhere

Jeff Prouty*

(‘79 business administration) Eden Prairie, Minnesota Melea, I just wanted to drop you a quick line to let you know that I really like what you’re doing with VISIONS. Great pictures, easier to read print and print format, and able to read it in less than two hours. Some of the previous VISIONS were just getting too many pages and took too long to get through. Just a great job with it! Kevin Drury**#

(‘83 agricultural business) Ankeny, Iowa

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CHIME IN! What did you learn by reading this issue? What story did you share with a friend, neighbor, or prospective student? What future topics would you like to see explored in future issues of the ISU Alumni Association magazine? Please share your thoughts with editor Melea Reicks Licht at mreicks@iastate.edu. 5

Carving out a space of their own

Around Campus

Members of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. perform during the April 3 dedication ceremony for Iowa State’s National Pan-Hellenic Council Plaza located north of the Memorial Union. The plaza's nine columns honor the nine historically Black fraternities and sororities of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), eight of which have chapters at Iowa State. It includes seating, historic information about the NPHC, and an open gathering space. The ISU Division of Student Affairs provided seed money for the plaza and alumni, friends, employees, and current students supported the $400,000 project. Fundraising efforts continue to provide for upkeep and maintenance of the gathering space.

Get active to battle depression, boost mental health

esearchers at Iowa State have found exercising for half an hour may reduce symptoms of depression for at least 75 minutes post-workout and amplify the benefits of therapy. Studies suggest a window of time post-exercise when it may be easier for someone with depression to do something psychologically or cognitively demanding. And researchers report those who exercised before talking with a therapist had more pronounced reductions in symptoms of depression. The next step, according to Jacob Meyer, lead author and professor of kinesiology, is to synergize the short-term benefits of exercise with the long-term benefits of therapy.

“I felt very lonely. I was only 18 years old, and it was hard to get people to take my business seriously other than my friends. And I wasn’t a business major, so I didn’t have connections. After joining the I+E Academy, I was instantly connected to other LAS students who supported me and made me feel like I belonged.” - Jassma’Ray Johnson, senior in psychology and communication studies, won the College-by-College Pitch-Off this spring in the existing business category for Simply Sámone, her web-based business offering organic-based lip balms and vegan-based glosses. The Innovation + Entrepreneurship (I+E) Academy is part 6

of Iowa State’s Start Something network. The two-year, credit-based program strengthens entrepreneurial skills, connects liberal arts and sciences students with supportive networks, and teaches the basics of business development.

SUMMER 2022 WWW.ISUALUM.ORG VISIONS

Brew U A new three-credit course is bringing the science of beer to the classroom. The dual-listed food science and human nutrition and mechanical engineering course is taught by craft beer practitioner Robert Brown, Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in Engineering and Gary and Donna Hoover Chair in Mechanical Engineering, with industry support from John Blichmann (‘88 mechanical engineering), a manufacturer of brewing equipment. Brown covers the roles that malts, hops, yeast, and water play in producing beer. Students must be 21 years of age and complete alcohol server training before being allowed into the laboratory where they spend four and a half hours each week, plus one and a half hours in the classroom. Scan the QR code below for a link to a video that takes you inside the updated brewing lab in the Center for Crops Utilization Research and hear from Brown on the science and practice of brewing.

Fresh air Iowa State research using UV light is producing safer, cleaner air that “smells like toothpaste.” Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Professor Jacek Koziel’s primary goal started with improving air quality and reducing odor in barns, on farms, or other areas with a high population of animals. Koziel is now teaming up with Kryton Engineered Metals Inc., a metal spinning and fabricating company in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Together, through the Iowa State University Center for Industrial

Research and Service (CIRAS), they upgraded a box that filters airborne dust particles, including bacteria and other pathogens, from large, indoor spaces. His recent research at the Iowa State Swine Nutrition Research Farm showed ultraviolet light technology removes odor even in fast-moving air. Once illuminated with UV light, it will come into contact with outside air with a minty scent, similar to the smell of toothpaste.

Next level access

o create safer pedestrian access to Jack Trice Stadium across South University Boulevard and enhance game day parking opportunities, a quarter-mile, elevated walkway has been built from Gate 2 on the east side of Jack Trice Stadium through a new Gateway Bridge over South University Boulevard to parking areas further east. The $10 million project was funded by private donors.

ONLINE EXTRAS: Illustration: ISU Athletics

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Interested in learning more? Visit www.ISUalum.org/VISIONS or scan this QR code with your smart device to find a list of links to related content. 7

Around Campus 8

Homegrown

“A year and a day, from seed to harvest.” That’s how long it took this Kentucky bluegrass to develop into the thick carpet now blanketing Jack Trice Stadium. Adam Thoms (‘06 horticulture), associate professor and ISU Extension and Outreach horticulture specialist, worked with a crew of 12 undergrads and graduate students to grow the 87,000 square feet of turf under exacting conditions at the ISU Horticulture Research Station to match the sand-based root zone at Jack Trice. “It’s been a great teaching tool for hands-on management,” Thoms says. “It fits really well in the land

grant mission. Not only can we use it for teaching and research purposes, but we’ve also given talks for extension. It’s really unique.” Iowa Sports Turf and Stensland Sod cut the sod in 4-by-85-foot rolls (280 total) and transported them to the stadium on flatbed semitrailers. The whole process took less than two days, and the new surface should last 10-12 years. The new sod will be well-rooted and ready for Cyclone football by the home opener on Sept. 3 vs. Southeast Missouri. “No university has grown their own sod successfully and used it on a game field within a year. We’ve proven it’s possible," Josh Tvrdik, (‘10 horticulture), director of turf and grounds says.

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“No university has grown their own sod successfully and used it on a game field within a year. We’ve proven it’s possible."

Cyclone alumni on the turf team include: Josh Tvrdik (‘10 horticulture), director of turf and grounds; Mike Young (‘20 horticulture), assistant director of turf and grounds; Adam Thoms (‘06 horticulture), associate professor horticulture; Tom Gould (‘20 horticulture), graduate student in horticulture; Casey Scheidel (‘04 horticulture), Iowa Sports Turf; Eric Van Ginkel (‘11 horticulture), Iowa Sports Turf; Derek York (‘09 horticulture, ‘11 professional ag), Iowa Sports Turf; and Nick Howell (‘85 horticulture, ‘15 professional ag), superintendent of the ISU Horticulture Research Station.

Photos by Christopher Gannon and Matt Van Winkle

WATCH ONLINE: Scan this QR code with your smart device for a link to watch the turf harvest and installation and meet the Iowa Staters behind this unique, collaborative effort. VISIONS WWW.ISUALUM.ORG SUMMER 2022

Around Campus

NEW SCHOLARSHIP ENDOWMENT OPPORTUNITY

Creating Futures

While Honoring Our Past This academic year marks the graduation centennial of one of ISU’s most innovative, influential and impactful alumni.

Dr. Frederick Douglass Patterson (DVM, 1923; MS, 1927) was among the first African Americans to earn his DVM at Iowa State. From Ames, he would go on to become President of Tuskegee University, where he launched programs in aviation and veterinary medicine. These resulted in the famous Tuskegee Airmen of World War II and the education of more than 75 percent of the Black veterinarians in America today. Dr. Patterson also founded the United Negro College Fund, helping enough students gain a college education to fill Jack Trice Stadium ten times over. His accomplishments created futures and changed lives across our nation, earning Dr. Patterson the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1987.

Dr. Patterson receiving our nation’s highest civilian honor from President Ronald Reagan. Photos: Reagan Library Archives

LEARN MORE To learn more about Dr. Patterson and to help endow his scholarship fund, please visit vetmed.iastate.edu/patterson. Contact Steven Hatting, CVM Executive Director of Development at 515.294.8562 or email hatting@foundation.iastate.edu.

As Iowa State and the College of Veterinary Medicine celebrate our amazing alumnus this school year, we have set a goal to endow the Frederick Douglass Patterson Scholarship Fund. We believe his name and values must remain prominent in our community, and the best way to honor his legacy for fostering opportunity and success is to recruit, educate and empower even more difference-makers. This endowment will attract more trailblazers in (and to) Iowa to advance the research and service of our college and its Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center and Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. During this special centennial, gifts of any size will receive a private match until our endowment goal is reached. Iowa State always understood a mind is a terrible thing to waste. Our 100th anniversary alumnus helped the world recognize scholarships are key to realizing one’s true potential through educational access and ambition. 10

College of Veterinary Medicine

vetmed.iastate.edu SUMMER 2022 WWW.ISUALUM.ORG VISIONS

Peter Dorhout assumed his duties as Iowa State’s vice president for research in 2021.

RIS TO P

Achieving greatness By Peter Dorhout, Vice President for Research

RG AN

Although my training is in chemistry, I have an enormous appreciation for William Shakespeare. What’s past is prologue. If that truly is the case, as The Bard tells us, then our successful and relentless commitment to collaborative innovation puts Iowa State University’s research enterprise on a very positive trajectory for the future. I say this as someone who, since assuming my vice president’s role in January 2021, has been impressed with how eager our faculty and staff are to come together to identify and explore big ideas. I have found them to be a community of ceaselessly curious scholars and innovators driven to create new knowledge and craft bold solutions to society’s greatest challenges. With challenges as massive as feeding an ever-expanding global population while protecting our earth, it’s essential that we bring together perspectives from many disciplines, constituencies, and stakeholders. Fortunately, at Iowa State, what’s past is prologue includes collaboration — something we’ve always done exceptionally well. For the last decade, our Presidential Interdisciplinary Research Initiative each year invests in worthy interdisciplinary efforts to jump-start large-scale projects. Several have excelled, garnering significant external funding support and leading to larger initiatives that are now national in scope. One is our Consortium for Cultivating Human and Naturally reGenerative Enterprises (C-CHANGE), which leads a $10 million USDA grant involving more than 30 partner organizations and is working to create new value chains on American farms to improve rural economic outcomes and protect the environment. Another is our Nanovaccine Institute, which has grown into a consortium of nearly 80 researchers VISIONS WWW.ISUALUM.ORG SUMMER 2022

at 24 universities, research institutes, national laboratories, and companies. The institute leads a national effort to revolutionize how disease is treated and prevented. Also, some of our most recent initiatives offer enormous promise. The Translational Artificial Intelligence (AI) Center is a 40-scientist collaboration focused on establishing Iowa State as the leader in AI across multiple industries. The TechTHRIVE program, led by researchers in engineering, architecture, and education, is re-envisioning rural communities as key nodes in an expanding innovation economy. In all these efforts, it’s worth noting that our faculty fully understand that research is a high-impact practice for student learning. They provide excellent educational experiences focused on engaging students, growing their knowledge, and providing meaningful, transformative opportunities that enable Iowa State to fulfill its mission as a leading public research university. Allow a chemist to return once more to The Bard. How our research innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurial attitude inspires our curriculum, decision-making, and outlook may best be summarized as: Be not afraid of greatness.

RYAN PETERSON, ISU FOUNDATION

Luman Liu, graduate

student in chemical and biological engineering, is researching nanotherapeutics for pancreatic cancer for the Nanovaccine Institute at Iowa State as part of a National Institutes of Health-funded project that links Iowa State, the University of Iowa, and the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

BLAZING NEW TRAILS Story by Matt Van Winkle Image by Norma Ibarra

Alyssa Gonzalez, product designer for the outdoor industry in Boulder, Colorado, is leading efforts to build more inclusive communities for women of color in outdoor sports.

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oon after moving to Colorado, Alyssa Gonzalez became immersed in the cycling and skiing communities. A mixed-race woman of color with both Hispanic and Asian heritage, she quickly realized there were a lot of differences between her own identities and those around her. “There are minority aspects to many of the spaces I’m in and think about,” she says. Gonzalez (‘16 advertising) grew up in the quaint town of New Milford in western Connecticut, and now calls mountainous Boulder, Colorado, home. She works as a product designer in the outdoor sports industry creating active living content, experiences, travel, and services. “I found myself in a place where I wanted to step up and be an advocate for other women of color in marginalized groups in these spaces – to help provide more awareness, representation, and ideas around diversity and inclusivity,” Gonzalez says. She gained valuable experience in creative design during her time at Iowa State through the student-run advertising agency within the Greenlee School of Journalism, Cardinal and Gold. She says working for prominent outdoor companies allows for influence to create meaningful change. Not just trying to make products look good, but also making sure they are benefiting people and communities. “I control the full scope of digital products,” Gonzalez says. “That starts with everything from coming up with the idea, like a solution to a problem, to brainstorming what that looks like. It gives me the ability to have my hand in lots of different buckets on the design process.” While she’s always been athletic – she was a walk-on to the track team at Iowa State and earned a scholarship her senior year – Gonzalez admits she wasn’t involved in outdoor sports until she moved to Boulder. There, she found affinity spaces and groups promoting minority athletes. One of those being Women of Winter, a group dedicated to “inspiring and empowering women and girls to get outside, to be courageous, and to boldly embrace and pursue their dreams by carving their own paths in the mountains and in life.” “Women of Winter had a scholarship for women of color to become certified ski instructors,” Gonzalez says. “That was something that I was really interested in as someone with a background in sports and wanting to be able to help my community learn more. So, I applied to the scholarship and got into it.” Gonzalez now leads the group as its diversity, equity, and inclusion consultant and helps run the scholarship program. “There was a statistic from Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) that showed 98% of people who signed up for a membership through the PSIA identified as white,” Gonzalez says. “Just alone with this scholarship, we now have 36 women who are a part of that and are helping to truly change what the face of this new sports industry looks like.” Gonzalez will continue working with and talking directly to communities – seeking out the existing barriers for women in outdoor sports. “It’s cool because part of my background in user experience is not me putting my biases on products and design – it's looking at users and figuring out what they actually want and how we can help them.”

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PURE GENIUS

Harley Wilhelm’s secret work for the Manhattan Project launched Ames National Laboratory Story by Teresa Wilhelm Waldof  Illustrations by Jenny Witte Contributed photos, ISU Special Collections and University Archives

It was Aug. 6, 1945,

and President Harry S. Truman had just announced the successful deployment of an atomic weapon over Hiroshima, Japan. Harley Wilhelm (PhD ‘31 chemistry) picked up the phone and called home. “Orpha,” he said when his wife answered, “Turn on the radio and you’ll know what I’ve been doing the last three and a half years.” It was at this moment Orpha learned her husband, a chemist at Iowa State College, had been involved in the classified work of the Manhattan Project. As the news spread across the Iowa State campus, young chemists who were performing top secret research under Wilhelm’s direction gathered around a radio in the chemistry building. When Secretary of War Henry Stimson’s voice came over the airwaves, they leaned in to listen. The work done at Iowa State was so secret even they didn’t know for certain what their efforts had been used to create. Stimson provided background on the discovery of fission and detailed how the project had gotten underway in early 1942. It had been an enormous undertaking and a successful collaboration of efforts between government, industry, and academia—one that was unmatched in scale, and eighty years later, still remains the largest-ever. Facilities and manufacturing plants to develop and produce these new, powerful atomic bombs had been quietly operating at Los Alamos, New Mexico; Oak Ridge, Tennessee; and Hanford, Washington. Listening intently, Wilhelm’s team soon heard Stimson say, “Certain other manufacturing plants much smaller in scale are located in the United States and in Canada for essential production of needed materials.” The chemists looked at one another in anticipation of what he might say next and wondered, “Would he mention Iowa State?” Stimson continued, “Laboratories at the Universities of Columbia, Chicago, and California, Iowa State College...” With that, the men leapt from their chairs, overjoyed—the secret was finally out.

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THE GENESIS OF AMES NATIONAL LABORATORY

During the war, the team at Iowa State performed research and produced critical materials for the development of the atomic bomb. After the war, the numerous inventions by Wilhelm and his team, and the impact of those inventions to the outcome of the war, were recognized by the State of Iowa and U.S. governments. Wilhelm and his boss, Frank Spedding, conceived to build a great research institution at Iowa State and proposed the founding of an Institute for Atomic Research. Charles Friley, president of Iowa State College, agreed, and he was able to procure $50,000 from the state to fund an initial team of twelve scientists. Wilhelm and Spedding spent 1946 organizing the new institute, bringing on staff, and making plans for construction of new buildings for their grand undertaking—all while continuing the research of critical materials for the United States under the Manhattan Engineering District (the government’s managerial body of the Manhattan Project). Coincidental to all this was the advent

of the Atomic Energy Act, which was signed into law by President Truman on Aug. 1, 1946. The act shifted the district from military to civilian control and launched the Atomic Energy Commission. The two professors successfully lobbied to become part of the Atomic Energy Commission. In May 1947 the Ames Laboratory was established as a national laboratory on the Iowa State campus—the only national laboratory situated on a college campus. It all began, though, with a problem that needed solving. In the years leading up to World War II, physicists had been researching atoms. They theorized splitting an atom would release immense amounts of energy, which could then be harnessed and put to use in a multitude of ways, not the least of which was weaponry. When news of German scientists’ discovery of nuclear fission reached the U.S. in January 1939, it alarmed Western researchers—would Germany exploit nuclear fission by using it in a weapon? When Germany invaded Poland the following September, the race was on to build an atomic bomb.

During World War II a team of Iowa State researchers produced critical materials for the development of the atomic bomb as part of the Manhattan Project. Their efforts led to the development of Ames National Laboratory, which remains the only national laboratory housed on a college campus.

CONFIDENTIAL COLLABORATION

The U.S. was slow to join the race. Significant hurdles had to be overcome to go from splitting one atom to building an atomic bomb. The first objective was to prove the theory that a self-sustained, controlled nuclear chain reaction was possible. Years into the war, though, the U.S. was still watching from afar as Germany marched across Europe destroying cities, performing atrocities, and killing millions of innocent civilians—and President Roosevelt had yet to provide any significant funding for research on fission. VISIONS WWW.ISUALUM.ORG SUMMER 2022

The Dec. 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor became the demarcation point for the president. With newfound urgency, President Roosevelt quickly approved funding for more investigation into the plausibility of building an atomic weapon. Nobel laureate Arthur Compton, a physicist at the University of Chicago, was put in charge of the development project. Compton called Spedding at Iowa State in early 1942 to inquire if he would be interested in joining the Chicago team. Spedding jumped at the chance.

“If pure uranium is what they need, I’ll give that to them too.” EXPERT METALLURGIST

During covert meetings at the University of Chicago in late February 1942, Compton’s team laid out a plan to build a reactor to test the theory. Earlier research had pointed to uranium as the most likely element by which to achieve a self-sustained, controlled nuclear chain reaction. Though there were many problems to solve in building the world’s first nuclear reactor, the team identified the dearth of pure uranium as being a significant barrier to success. If they used impure uranium in the test reactor, the impurities would steal neutrons from the reaction and kill it, leading to a failed experiment and setting the project back months or even years. The major snag to using pure uranium? It didn’t exist. In nature, uranium exists in compounds. In the 150 years since the discovery of the element, no one had been able to purify uranium to the extent needed for this project. For the test reactor that physicist Enrico Fermi was designing at the University of Chicago, tons of ultrapure uranium, free of compound elements and other impurities, were going to be needed. Little was known about this mysterious metal. Even its basic chemical properties, such as its melting point, were misunderstood. However, what was known was that certain uranium compounds were dangerous, unstable, and highly explosive.

Compton’s original plan to research uranium purification at the University of Chicago was thwarted because the facilities didn’t have the requisite equipment, in particular a special furnace for melting metals. So he assigned the task to chemists at Princeton University. Even so, Compton had little faith that the purity problem would be solved in time for the experiment he'd scheduled to take place in December 1942. He wondered if one of the many uranium compounds could be used as a substitute for uranium and wanted research to begin on that immediately. Spedding later recalled, “We couldn’t do it in Chicago until we built a building … we had a furnace here at Ames.” He also told Compton there was a “whole team” of people at Iowa State who could get going on finding a substitute right away. Spedding failed to mention that his “whole team” consisted of two people: Wilhelm and himself. The urgency of the situation prompted Compton to agree to this arrangement, with the understanding that when his lab at the University of Chicago was properly equipped, the Ames team would move to there. Upon Spedding’s return to Ames, he swiftly located Wilhelm, explained the project, and asked him to begin working on finding a substitute. Without hesitation, Wilhelm agreed. Charged with the task of finding a substitute, Wilhelm began his research straightaway, but it dawned on him that what the physicists really wanted was pure uranium. “If pure uranium is what they need, I’ll give that to them, too,” Wilhelm thought.

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THE BOY FROM PUMPTOWN

Wilhelm was an unlikely character to change history. Born in 1900 on a farm outside the small town of Ellston in Ringgold County, Iowa, his early life was one of meager means. His parents were sharecroppers who never owned their own farm. To supplement the dinner table, Wilhelm’s father taught him and his siblings to hunt and fish. Wilhelm’s education began in a one-room schoolhouse, Pumptown School. He never knew why they called it Pumptown School. He often chortled when reminiscing that “there was no pump and no town!” It was a classic, early 20th century country school that had no electricity or water. The schoolchildren fetched water for the day from the closest farm. When basketball bounced into town in 1910, Wilhelm’s older brothers taught him to play. He became a phenom. By eighth grade he was a starter on the Ellston High School team and was making seemingly impossible shots. Harold Place, sports editor for the Des Moines News, wrote of Wilhelm, “He pumped in field baskets with monotonous regularity, and, playing on a minor team, forced the attention of every sports critic in the state.” In Wilhelm’s senior year, at the Ringgold County basketball tournament, the Drake University assistant coach was a referee and witnessed Wilhelm’s outstanding performance. He reported it to the head coach, who said, “Get him up here!” Drake University offered Wilhelm a scholarship, though expectations were low that he would succeed in college because Ellston High School was unaccredited. But as a young boy, Wilhelm had shown early signs of an aptitude for mathematics. By second grade he’d already mastered the fourth-grader’s lessons and had become a math tutor to older students. Soon after his arrival on campus at Drake, it became apparent to faculty that Wilhelm was uniquely talented, a gifted scholar who relished the problem-solving inherent to math, chemistry, and physics. To meet expenses he worked various odd jobs, managing to maintain his grades and also play on the Bulldog football, basketball, and baseball teams. On the basketball court he shined, became known as the “Tornado,” and played on the team that set and held a winning record for Drake for over fifty years. It was an easy decision for his teammates to elect him captain of the team for his senior year.

the end of a disastrous year of coaching at a small college in Montana, where both his football and basketball teams lost every game, Wilhelm realized he was a better athlete than coach and decided to move back to Iowa to pursue a doctorate in chemistry. As the project began, Spedding moved to the University of Chicago to lead the chemistry division there and placed Wilhelm in charge at Iowa State. The absence of knowledge on the basic chemical properties of uranium meant Wilhelm and his team were essentially starting from scratch. The breakneck pace at which they had to work—because every day more soldiers were dying in battle—was unheard of in scientific discovery. Collaboration and innovation were key to quickly gaining new information, learning from failures, and planning next steps.

THE MANHATTAN PROJECT

Even if Wilhelm were able to invent a process to purify uranium, or discover a suitable substitute, there was a plethora of other problems to solve in order to safely use it and to accumulate the

Iowa State chemist Frank Spedding oversaw work of the Manhattan Project at the University of Chicago in partnership with Harley Wilhelm’s work in Ames.

His dream to become a high school teacher and coach was realized upon graduating college. His winning record in Guthrie Center, Iowa, motivated him to become a college athletics coach. It didn’t take long before he coined the phrase, “Coaching is great guns, if you’re winning!” At

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quantity needed for practical use in developing the atomic bomb. One such problem was to invent a casting method, which included finding a material uranium could be cast in without reacting with it. Wilhelm and his colleague C F Gray (PhD ‘42 chemistry) successfully did so. Throughout the summer of 1942, the chemistry building (now Gilman Hall) hummed with activity 24 hours a day as Wilhelm and his team carried out myriad experiments. The fast-approaching test reactor experiment set for December 2 weighed heavily on everyone. Success seemed out of reach. In late July, Spedding delivered a small sample of a rare uranium compound, uranium tetrafluoride. Wilhelm and colleagues Wayne Keller and Gerald Butler used it in an experiment on Aug. 3 that resulted in the first pure uranium—twenty grams.

The process entailed placing a mixture of uranium tetrafluoride and calcium into a heat-resistant and pressure-resistant vessel. Wilhelm used a Champion spark plug and a small amount of magnesium to heat the vessel and its contents, which catalyzed a chemical reaction. The result was a different compound, calcium fluoride, and pure uranium metal. It was a major breakthrough, but that tiny amount was a far cry from the twelve thousand pounds needed for the experiment in December. It seemed unlikely that anyone could produce the quantity needed, but Wilhelm was intent on getting as close as possible. For the next five weeks he modified his experiments, gradually increasing the quantity of uranium resulting from each reaction. Eager to prove to Compton that he could scale-up production, Wilhelm asked Gray to cast all the pure uranium they had produced to date into a solitary ingot—a solid, oblong hunk of metal. On Sept. 23, Wilhelm hand-carried the still warm eleven-pound ingot with him on the overnight train from Ames to

To purify uranium, Wilhelm’s process involved heating a mixture of uranium tetrafluoride and calcium which catalyzed a chemical reaction. The result was calcium fluoride and pure uranium metal.

The breakneck pace at which they had to work–because every day more soldiers were dying in battle–was unheard of in scientific discovery. Collaboration and innovation were key to quickly gaining new information, learning from failures, and planning next steps. 18

SUMMER 2022 WWW.ISUALUM.ORG VISIONS

The pilot plant at Iowa State College, dubbed Little Ankeny, produced two million pounds of uranium for the Manhattan Project. Formerly located east of the Food Science Building, the plant was torn down in 1953 and a plaque now marks its location on campus.

Chicago. He arrived on the University of Chicago campus, found Spedding, and together they took the ingot to show Compton. When Wilhelm pulled the ingot out of his traveling bag, Compton’s eyes bugged out and his jaw dropped. He didn’t believe it was solid or pure. It was quickly proved to be both, which induced Compton to set up a pilot plant in Ames to scale-up uranium production.

LITTLE ANKENY

Nicknamed for a huge munitions plant in Ankeny, Iowa, the pilot plant at Iowa State College produced the pure uranium core of the test reactor. Following the history-making Dec. 2 experiment that proved the theory, an aggressive production schedule was set. Little Ankeny went on to produce two million pounds of uranium for the project. Working with uranium is dangerous and not for the faint of heart. Explosions and fires were commonplace at Little Ankeny, but, due to the classified nature of the work, the fire department was never allowed into the building. Wilhelm’s team became their own fire brigade. After construction of the first Ames National Laboratory building, Little Ankeny’s use declined greatly. When it was torn VISIONS WWW.ISUALUM.ORG SUMMER 2022

down in 1953, Wilhelm quipped, “It was more radioactive than active.” During the war, the Army-Navy “E” Award was given to industrial production plant teams for having achieved production quotas of vital war materials. More than eighty-five thousand companies were eligible for the “E” flag award, but only five percent earned it. Iowa State was distinct—the only educational institution to receive the “E” flag. Spedding proudly pointed out that, “We were in competition with industry during this time… and our process won out over all others, and we got the Army Navy “E” Award for it.” Notably, Wilhelm is the only individual known to have been awarded his own flag. Wilhelm and his team set the hallmarks of collaboration and innovation that hold fast to this day as Ames National Laboratory celebrates its 75th anniversary in 2022. – Teresa Wilhelm Waldof is a leading expert on the Ames Project, Harley Wilhelm's granddaughter, and author of "Wilhelm’s Way: The Inspiring Story of the Iowa Chemist Who Saved the Manhattan Project," available at www.WilhelmsWay.com, www.Amazon.com, or your favorite bookstore.

Science for a Sustainable Future

75 years of materials and energy solutions Story by Laura Millsaps, Ames National Laboratory Images by Matt Van Winkle, Trevor Riedemann, Historical images contributed

n integral part of Iowa State University’s legacy of science, engineering, and innovation, Ames National Laboratory celebrates 75 years in 2022. Iowa’s National Laboratory is shaping its future much like it shaped its past: by being first, by forging new ground, and by using science to meet national and global challenges.

1940s

1942: The Ames Project was born as part of the Manhattan Project and helped build the world’s first nuclear reactor. Manhattan Project researchers and Iowa State College chemists Frank Spedding and Harley Wilhelm developed a uranium purification method that became known as the Ames Process and is still in use today.

1950s Oct. 12, 1945: The Ames Project was awarded the Army Navy "E" Flag for service to the country during WWII (Iowa State University is only academic institution to have been awarded this honor). Between 1942 and 1945, the Ames Project produced 2 million pounds of purified uranium for the Manhattan Project.

May 17, 1947: The Ames Project became Ames Laboratory. The Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), the federal agency that preceded the current U.S. Department of Energy, establishes the Ames Project as a national laboratory.

1950: Ames Lab expanded its footprint on campus. The AEC funded the construction of two buildings for Ames Lab – the first, called the Metallurgy Building, was re-named Wilhelm Hall in 1986. The second building, built in 1950, was renamed Spedding Hall in 1974. 1955: The lab became a recognized authority in rare earth metals. The newly minted national laboratory developed methods that produced the purest rare earth metals in the world while reducing prices by as much as 1,000%. SUMMER 2022 WWW.ISUALUM.ORG VISIONS

BRINGING QUANTUM BEHAVIOR INTO FOCUS

In 1959, famed theoretical physicist Richard Feynman conjectured there was “plenty of room at the bottom,” and the future of science would rely increasingly on understanding and manipulating matter on the atomic scale. Fast forward to 2022, and to the Sensitive Instrument Facility. A resource shared jointly by Ames National Laboratory and Iowa State University, the building is specially constructed to reduce the acoustic and mechanical vibrations and electric static interference that disturb the accuracy of the electron beam microscopes housed inside. There, discoveries on the atomic scale have enormous potential impact on the future of new and developing technologies. At the facility, Ames National Laboratory Scientist and Iowa State University Professor of Materials Sciences and Engineering Matt Kramer (PhD ‘88 earth science), and Ames National Laboratory Scientist Lin Zhou, use state-of-the-art electron microscopy techniques to simultaneously see and manipulate materials to reveal how they function. An example of this precision research includes searching out, atom-by-atom, the appearance of oxygen atoms that appear in niobium, a material used in devices for quantum computing. The oxide forms impurities that can affect the stability of qubits, the unit of quantum information. The research is part of a larger national effort led by Fermilab to build an advanced quantum

Ames National Laboratory Scientist Lin Zhou, uses a state-of-the-art electron microscope in the Sensitive Instrument Facility – a resource shared by Ames National Laboratory and Iowa State. Their collaborative discoveries on the atomic scale have enormous potential to impact new and developing technologies.

computer based on superconducting technologies. “All materials have impurities and imperfections that can dramatically impact their performance and reliability,” says Kramer. “As we design and develop materials at the quantum scale, their sensitivity to these defects is magnified. Having the capability to discover the defects and understand how they correlate to device fabrication is pivotal for technology improvement.”

1960s 1956: Ames Lab continued to contribute to nuclear science including the development of processes for separating plutonium and other fission products from spent uranium fuel. 1956: Ames Lab made large quantities of pure yttrium. It produced 18,000 pounds of pure yttrium for the AEC and the U.S. Air Force for the secret Project Pluto, which aimed to create nuclear powered aircraft (The U.S. government abandoned the effort in 1964).

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1962: Ames Lab began using Iowa State’s new IBM 7074 computer. 1963: Ames Lab developed alternative fuels for nuclear reactors. Researchers produced thorium metal with a purity of 99.985 percent for this purpose.

1966: The Rare Earth Information Center was launched. A database of the world’s knowledge in the lanthanides, the center fielded tens of thousands of requests for scientific information from around the world by the time it closed in 2002.

1970s

1975: Ames Lab scientists developed the use of inductively coupled plasma (ICP) to prepare samples for analysis with mass spectrometry. ICP is widely used today in environmental monitoring, geochemical and pharmaceutical analyses, metallurgy, and clinical research.

1980s

1975 - 1976: The Iowa Coal Project was launched. A collaboration between Iowa State University and Ames Lab, the project developed an economical process for producing clean, sulfur-free coal for burning.

1980: Ames Lab received Department of Defense funding to develop nondestructive evaluation techniques for aircraft. Work here provided a foundation for the Center for Nondestructive Evaluation (CNDE) at Iowa State, founded in 1985.

1977: The Department of Energy was created with national laboratories including Ames organized under its authority.

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Aaron Sadow (left) leads the Institute for Cooperative Upcycling of Plastics, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the Department of Energy. He and graduate student Kajol Tonk are re-imagining the science of plastics recycling.

BREAKING BONDS FOR A CLEANER, GREENER PLANET

It could be argued that plastics are perfect human-made materials. They keep our food fresh and our medical supplies clean and safe. Plastics are everywhere in modern life: in our clothes, cars, houses, and electronics. Unfortunately, we don’t know how to manage discarded plastics, which escape landfills into the environment. Since mass production of plastics began, an estimated 8,300 million metric tons of plastic have been produced. If plastics are perfect, plastics recycling definitely is not – only about 9% of that total has been recycled. Plastics are composed of long chains of carbon atoms. These chains make plastics strong and flexible, but also stubbornly persistent in the environment once we’re done with them, taking hundreds of years to degrade. Current recycling methods break the weakest links in the chains, resulting in downgraded products that are not as valuable. “Scientists have designed every aspect of plastics’ properties to perform the way we want them to,” says Aaron Sadow, a scientist at Ames National Laboratory and professor of chemistry at Iowa State University, “except the ‘so-called’ end of life for used plastics. That’s where chemical upcycling of plastics could make a positive impact.” Sadow leads the Institute for Cooperative Upcycling of Plastics, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the Department of Energy, dedicated to re-imagining the science of plastics recycling. Sadow and his multi-institutional team of researchers are developing new catalysts that turn discarded plastics into more valuable chemicals by breaking the chains at precise positions. These are the building blocks for high-value chemicals like detergents, emulsifiers, fuels, solvents, and lubricants. The value of these products provides an economic incentive for plastics recycling, and the possibility of a future, less plastic-littered landscape. “We imagine used detergent bottles being turned into new detergents at the store, so not a drop is wasted. Or selling used grocery bags and milk bottles to a recycler who manufactures brand new tools in their 3D printer. Removing plastics from the waste stream and into a circular economy would change the world for the better,” says Sadow.

1990s 1981: The Materials Preparation Center was established. Today, the specialized research center is globally recognized for ultrapure research grade samples of metals, alloys, and single crystals.

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1994: Ames Lab engineers and mechanics created the Solar Ranger, a solar-energy powered pickup truck.

1984: Collaboration between Ames Lab and U. S. Navy researchers resulted in the development of Terfenol-D. The material changes form in a magnetic field – a property that makes it ideal for sonar and transducer applications.

1990: Ames Lab was the first to demonstrate the existence of photonic bandgap crystals used in solar cells, telecommunications, and lasers.

1996: A patent was granted for lead-free solder and has been adopted throughout the manufacturing world. The patent was a top earner for Ames Lab and Iowa State University, with royalty income of over $58M.

TRANSFORMING TRASH TO TREASURE

The end of the line for a computer hard drive is usually a shredder, so that no data can be retrieved by hackers. The process produces a chaotic jumble of materials that is part treasure and part challenge. The treasure? Rare earth metals like neodymium and dysprosium; precious metals like silver, platinum, and gold; in-demand elements like cobalt and copper. The challenge? How to recover the treasure from the jumble. Rare earth magnets are the key ingredients of many modern technologies, like electric vehicles, wind turbines, and consumer electronics. For the last decade, skyrocketing demand for rare earths and other critical materials such as cobalt has forced industries to reconsider their use of these materials in manufacturing. The demand is intensified by a federal government effort to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Ames National Laboratory ’s Critical Materials Institute, a public-private consortium of academic institutions including Iowa State, Department of Energy National Laboratories, and industry partners, has been working to find ways to reduce, recycle, or find substitutes for the materials that are suffering from supply chain interruptions.

The institute speeds economically feasible solutions to manufacturers, and several of them have garnered coveted R&D 100 awards, including a new technology that efficiently recovers rare earths and other valuable elements out of shredded computer hard drives. The process was recently licensed to TdVib LLC, a Boone, Iowa, based company for scaled up recovery of rare earth oxides. “We put the shreds into a chemical solution which leaches out the rare earth materials. The shreds then move on in the recycling process and the liquid is captured for further refining. We pull out the rare earth materials and create rare earth oxalate or oxide which we can then sell,” Dan Bina, president and CEO of TdVib, says. Ikenna Nlebedim, the Ames National Laboratory scientist who created the process in 2015, says the recovered oxide can be converted to rare earth metals using a process similar to the Ames Process used by Harley Wilhelm (PhD ‘31 chemistry) to purify uranium at Ames National Laboratory 75 years ago. “This method doesn’t require pre-sorting, and recovers rare earth oxides which match or surpass commercial grade materials in purity,” Nlebedim says. “Unlike traditional separation methods, it does not use acids. That’s a cost savings and eliminates the environmental impact of hazardous wastes.”

ONLINE EXTRAS: Take a peek inside Ames National Laboratory, where shredded hard drives and other electronics have their rare earth materials extracted for repurposing. The technology has been licensed and scaled up by Iowa company TdVib LLC, in Boone and is similar to that used by Harley Wilhelm to purify uranium at Ames National Laboratory 75 years ago. Scan this QR code with your smart device to watch or visit www.ISUalum.org/VISIONS.

2000s 1997: The giant magnetocaloric effect was discovered. A gadolinium-silicongermanium alloy displays a reversible temperature change when exposed to a magnetic field. Today, Ames Lab is developing this into alternatives to gas-compression refrigeration systems.

2000: Scientists discovered a super-slick, super-hard material consisting of boron, aluminum, and magnesium. BAM is the second hardest bulk material after diamond, and can be used as an industrial coating to reduce friction.

2004: Researchers pioneered the use of nanoscale catalysts to create biofuels from all types of biomass, including corn stover, grass, wood pulp, animal waste, and garbage. 2001: Multiplex Capillary Electrophoresis, a method of rapidly separating samples of complex chemical or biochemical mixtures, won its fourth R&D 100 award. It is now the standard analysis tool used for DNA testing.

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Researcher Ikenna Nlebedim (second from right) developed a technology that efficiently recovers rare earths and other valuable elements out of shredded computer hard drives. The process has been licensed to TdVib LLC in Boone, Iowa. Co-owners Scott Roberts (left), Dan Bina (second from left) and project manager Kevin Stoll (‘12 chemical engineering) round out the TdVib team.

2010s 2008: Ames Lab physicists grew the first single crystal of a new class of iron-arsenide superconductors, creating new research frontiers in physics.

2011: Dan Schechtman, an Ames Lab scientist, won the Nobel Prize in chemistry for the discovery of quasicrystals. The discovery upset long-standing views on the structure of matter itself.

2020s 2013: The Critical Materials Institute was founded. In response to shortages of rare earth materials used in a host of clean energy technologies and consumer electronics, the Department of Energy established the CMI Energy Innovation Hub at Ames Lab .

2022: Ames Laboratory is renamed Ames National Laboratory.

2014: Ames Lab became the home to the first dynamic nuclear polarization solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer to be used for materials science and chemistry in the U.S. The instrument helps scientists understand how individual atoms are arranged in materials. VISIONS WWW.ISUALUM.ORG SUMMER 2022

A chicken yard in Mexico inspired Yalitza Curiel to pursue a degree in animal science at Iowa State. Thanks to support providing more equitable access to college and promising career paths for historically underrepresented students, she’ll be returning to her hometown of Ottumwa, Iowa, to put her degree to work.

ADVANCING CAREER AND COMMUNITY By the Iowa State University Foundation  Images contributed

On Yalitza Curiel’s Instagram, there is a photo of her as a young girl surrounded by chickens. A caption accompanying the image reads: “This is where my passion for poultry began! #Mexico #avicultura.” Though that chicken yard in Mexico may have inspired Curiel's (‘22 animal science) interest in poultry, Iowa State helped her turn it into a career through support aimed at providing more equitable access to college for students who have been historically underrepresented. Long fascinated by birds, she joined a poultry interest group at Iowa State and learned about the different varieties and breeds of chickens. The recent Iowa State graduate worked in the Robert T. Hamilton Poultry Teaching and Research Facility as a student, where she had direct experience with many aspects of egg production. “That’s how I got my job at the Poultry Science Farm,” she says. And with the state of Iowa being number one in egg production, students like Curiel who participate in poultry production and research have an immediate impact for egg producers, as well as prepare to become future experts for this field. 26

As global challenges continue to escalate, finding solutions will require a wide range of perspectives, ideas, and talents. Attracting an eager, engaged, and diverse student body to Iowa State through donor-funded scholarships, fellowships, grants, and other support enables deserving students such as Curiel to engage in all that being part of a university community has to offer. “I really liked the opportunities I had to get involved in extracurricular activities that are available to everyone,” Curiel says. “As a student of color, you can sometimes feel you don’t belong in certain communities. At Iowa State, I didn’t feel excluded.” Curiel is poised to make her mark – in her career and in her community. She plans to move back to Ottumwa, Iowa, where she hopes to influence the future of her hometown. “I love to help people, so wherever I end up in my career, I’ll be happy if I’m helping others to move forward,” she says.

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With the state of Iowa being number one in egg production, students like YALITZA CURIEL who participate in poultry production and research can have an immediate impact for egg producers, as well as prepare to become future experts in the field.

As global challenges continue to escalate, finding solutions to them will require a wide range of perspectives, ideas and talents.

Be part of something bigger. Learn how at

MoveWhatMatters.com

VISIONS WWW.ISUALUM.ORG SUMMER 2022

STATEMENT MAKERS 2022 Iowa STATEment Makers is an honor that recognizes the early personal and professional accomplishments and contributions to society of Iowa State University's young alumni (graduates 34 years of age and under). Among the 2022 class you’ll find trailblazers, tech catalysts, public health professionals, innovators, and scientists. MEGAN BRANDT* (‘12 journalism), Des Moines, Iowa Trailblazer and catalyst for technology innovation, Megan Brandt is the program manager at the world’s first startup accelerator aimed at the insurance industry, the Global Insurance Accelerator. Brandt is responsible for bridging the gaps in early-stage start-ups’ access to mentorship, education, and investment opportunities. Fifty-eight global early-stage start-ups have participated in the accelerator and collectively raised over $125 million in additional capital.

MASSAH MASSAQUOI (‘12 psychology), Boston, Massachusetts Massah Massaquoi is an experienced public health professional with a passion for reducing health disparities among vulnerable populations. Massaquoi demonstrates expertise in project management and evaluation for national and local initiatives focused on the impacts and outcomes of social determinants of health in urban and rural communities. In addition to her degree from Iowa State, she earned a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she continued her work to support communities through education, research, advocacy, and community mobilization.

MORGANN MCCOY (‘13 apparel merchandising, design, and product), Belleville, Wisconsin Morgann McCoy – founder of small business and lifestyle brand A Well Worn Story – designs, patterns, and crafts leather goods in her Wisconsin-based studio. McCoy co-hosts a retreat in the Northwoods of Wisconsin with fellow entrepreneurs to assist women in starting and growing their own businesses and recently opened a storefront in New Glarus, Wisconsin, where she features her own handcrafted leather goods along with other high quality, locally made goods.

COMPLETE THIS SENTENCE: The world would be a better place if … “we looked for the best in each person.”

FAVO R I T E M E M O R Y: “My favorite memories at ISU were created with the African Student Association (ASA). There were so many activities and opportunities for me and other students to learn about people, food, and culture across the diaspora … This group of students and staff brought so much fun, love, and aptitude to my college experience.”

FAVO R I T E A P P : “I have an embarrassing amount of Pinterest boards. It is a beautiful tool for a creative mind like mine to organize my dreams and design ideas into categories. It is so easy to share with others, too.”

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C L AY T O N M O O N E Y (‘12 English), Ames, Iowa Growing up on a family farm in southeast Iowa, Clayton Mooney has always had a high appreciation for food technology and supply chains. In 2014, Mooney co-founded his first company, KinoSol, which manufactures solarfood dehydrators for farmers in developing countries. Mooney’s second co-founded company, Nebullam, is an indoor farming company located in Ames. When not building food technology companies, Mooney competes in ultra-marathon trail races throughout the country.

BETH NERVIG (‘10 int studies, journalism & mass comm, world languages & cultures), Seattle, Washington Beth Nervig applies her journalistic skills and global knowledge in her work for Girl Up, teaching girls who live in 130 different countries skills to advance access to education, health, safety, and equality. Nervig travels internationally, meeting with club members and documenting their stories. One such production was a joint video series with Disney called “Dream Big, Princess,” chronicling the stories of female trailblazers around the world.

LINDSEY WIEMER (‘10 biology), Des Moines, Iowa Lindsey Wiemer develops new solutions through science at Corteva Agriscience, creating and executing Good Laboratory Practice compliant insect testing procedures to support global regulatory product submissions. As part of the Insect-Active Protein Discovery Team, she leads an evolution in insect testing to harness laboratory automation. Wiemer promotes engagement as part of Corteva’s women’s network, as a United Way business champion, and she’s helping relaunch an on-campus community garden.

ALEX CONNOR (‘19 journalism), Washington, D.C. Alex Connor uses her passion for journalism and audience engagement as a social content producer for The Associated Press. Formerly with USA TODAY’s audience team, Connor played an integral role in communicating USA TODAY’s coverage of the 2020 election and the COVID-19 pandemic online. She also served as editor of audience development for USA TODAY, where she contributed to multiple newsletters and helped develop video strategy on its core social platforms.

FAVO R I T E M E M O R Y: “ Walking into the library after a boxing practice, to meet a group of global resource systems majors who wanted to focus on food security. That group of talented women became fellow co-founders of KinoSol, my first food tech company. One of them later became my wife, Mikayla.”

ROLE MODEL: “An ISU teacher who was a role model to me was Barbara Mack (‘74 journalism and mass communications), who was the perfect combination of tough love and humor. She inspired me to stay in the journalism program, and I wish I could tell her what an impact she had on my life.” Mack passed away in 2012.

FAVO R I T E M E M O R Y: “My third year I participated in a biology course that culminated in a weeklong adventure into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area. It was an amazing trip, with amazing people, and was a catalyst igniting a love of the outdoors.”

W H AT D O E S I O WA S TAT E ME AN TO YOU? “Iowa State is where I was able to find and define myself. My career is thanks to the Iowa State Daily, my professors, and my fellow classmates who believed in me and taught me everything I know.”

READ MORE Read more about this year’s STATEment Makers or nominate a worthy Cyclone online at www.ISUalum.org/StatementMakers. Nomination deadline is Dec. 1. VISIONS WWW.ISUALUM.ORG SUMMER 2022

INSPIRE

Celebrating 10 years of the Faculty-Staff Inspiration Award

Five Iowa State University faculty and staff were honored at the 2022 Faculty-Staff Inspiration Awards on May 20, 2022, at the ISU Alumni Center. Faculty-Staff Inspiration Awards recognize current or former Iowa State faculty or staff who had a 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 & life sciences education, MS ‘77) are sustaining life donors to the ISU Alumni Association. Nominations are due Dec. 1 annually and can be submitted at www.ISUalum.org/Awards.

IMAGE CONTRIBUTED

COMPILED BY MELEA REICKS LICHT

Dr. Rachel Allbaugh** (‘00 ANIMAL SCIENCE, DVM ‘04) BOONE, IOWA

Assurance, support, and crucial guidance from Dr. Rachel Allbaugh have left her students inspired and motivated to pursue their professional goals. Allbaugh is an associate professor of ophthalmology; the Lora and Russ Talbot Endowed Professor in Veterinary Medicine; and associate chair for culture, inclusion, and diversity in the veterinary clinical sciences department. Allbaugh is involved in many organizations that strive to advance the veterinary world. She is a regularly published author and speaker at conferences across the country. Her area of expertise includes ophthalmic diseases in dogs, cats, horses, and other species. Allbaugh’s passion for veterinary medicine stems from her childhood cat who nearly went blind from eye disease. This sparked her passion for helping animals, understanding that a career spent educating others would maximize the number of animals that she could positively impact. Allbaugh gives students the chance to get hands-on experience, such as providing opportunities to shadow her on the clinic floor in their preclinical years and working closely with clinical year students on cases in the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center. She facilitates an environment that radiates enthusiasm about veterinary medicine. “If you speak with anyone who knows Dr. Allbaugh, or simply seek a conversation with her, you will find a radiating enthusiasm that cannot be contained,” wrote nominator Dr. Taryn Overton (DVM ‘14). “Allbaugh has been a primary influence that has helped students navigate the path to achieving their goals. Beyond veterinary school, Dr. Allbaugh has been one of few constants in my life as I continued to aim for one of the more difficult specialties to enter. She has continued to propel me forward.” Only ISU degrees are listed

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IMAGE CONTRIBUTED

WAMEGO, KANSAS

As nominator Kim McDonough** (‘02 journalism & mass communication, MS ‘04, PhD ‘17) wrote, Ann Gansemer-Topf’s “unwavering dedication to the success of her students embodies the spirit of the Faculty-Staff Inspiration Award.” Since she started teaching at Iowa State in 2012, Gansemer-Topf has taught hundreds of students in higher education courses in the graduate program. She also serves as director of graduate education in the School of Education. “As an associate professor, Ann teaches and mentors countless graduate assistants who are placed in positions throughout the university,” nominator Jenn Plagman-Galvin (‘96 journalism & mass communication, ‘18 education) wrote. “Her impact on masters and doctoral students is monumental.” Gansemer-Topf provides extensive feedback, challenging students to think critically. Her courses and academic research cover a gamut of topics: privilege, equity, student success, and more. In addition to the academic support she provides her students, Gansemer-Topf facilitates strong personal and professional growth. She leads by example and empowers her students to use their voices in inspiring change. She is known to set high expectations, but always with the goal of bettering her students, colleagues, and herself. “Professionally, Ann is committed to making sure first generation leaders in higher education, especially from underrepresented groups, are successful in their careers,” McDonough wrote. “Because of that, her reach extends far beyond the students who she teaches and mentors.”

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IMAGE CONTRIBUTED

Raluca Cozma

“Raluca Cozma is a true Cyclone…an innovator, a teacher, a visionary, and a trusted mentor,” wrote nominator Kate Tindall** (‘15 journalism & mass communication, political science). While working at Iowa State between 2009 and 2017, Cozma was an associate professor for the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication and faculty advisor for the student-run campus television station, ISUtv. She helped her students find passion in broadcast journalism through storytelling. Cozma currently serves as an associate professor and associate director of graduate studies and research at the A.Q. Miller School of Journalism and Mass Communications at Kansas State University. She has a deep dedication to research and student success. Her central research questions deal with journalism and communication quality, credibility in a global media environment, and the impact of social media on international, science, and political communication. As a media contact, Cozma has provided expertise on foreign news, political communication, and social media uses by journalists and politicians. She brings her expertise into the classroom to educate and inspire the next generation of journalists.

Ann Gansemer-Topf*

(MS ‘92 EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP & POLICY, PHD ‘04) AMES, IOWA

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CHRISTOPHER GANNON

Pat Miller

(‘80 PSYCHOLOGY) AWARDED POSTHUMOUSLY

During her 37 years as the director of the ISU Lectures Program, Pat Miller never lost sight of the importance of engaging students with a marketplace of ideas. She made Iowa State University a stopping point for individuals of international, national, regional, and local acclaim. Experts in their respected fields of science, politics, economics, sports, health, agriculture, the arts, and most importantly to her, social, gender, and race issues. By emphasizing the value of exposing Iowa State to diverse voices and ideas, Miller convinced highly sought-after speakers to visit Ames. She had a huge network of agents and contacts who helped bring hundreds of speakers every year to campus. Miller elevated a respected program to a nationally recognized program of excellence, all while putting students at the forefront. The lectures program provided Iowa State students with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to personally interact with renowned personalities. Her commitment literally changed students’ lives. “I remember feeling exhilarated on the chilly walk back to my dorm, Barton Hall, thinking to myself: this exchange of ideas is exactly what I thought college would be, and what it should be,” nominator Claire Wandro Orlando ('11 global resource systems, French) wrote. “Like any true leader and mentor, Pat saw in me my best, and her belief in me allowed me to think and engage with people and thoughts I would have never engaged with. She literally introduced me to some of the greatest thinkers of our time. She taught me that student voice and participation are crucial when programming at universities and schools.” Miller retired from Iowa State in 2018, ending her impressive and impactful career on campus. She died in August 2021 of ALS.

WATCH ONLINE: View the 10th Annual Faculty and Staff Inspiration Awards Ceremony on YouTube. Scan this QR code with your smart device or visit www.ISUalum.org/VISIONS for a link.

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IMAGE CONTRIBUTED

Peter Orazem AMES, IOWA

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“An indefatigable researcher and professor of economics.” This is what you can expect from Peter Orazem when you walk into his classroom, wrote nominator Deepak Premkumar (‘14 mathematics, global resource systems, economics). Orazem first started his career at Iowa State University in 1982 and has since made a lasting impact on the lives of many through his work. He is now a University Professor of Economics and a highly renowned economist, having published numerous papers, presentations, and projects. His research focuses on labor economics and economic development. He gives his students the tools to pursue their professional goals through research and application. Research mentorships between Orazem and students have produced economic change that has reached the state legislature and impacted communities throughout the state of Iowa. Orazem is a prolific academic writer, authoring and co-authoring numerous publications and serving on editorial boards for multiple respected publications in the field of economics. Outside of the classroom, Orazem connects with students through smiles and laughs. He is the advisor for the Stand-Up Comedy Club on campus and guides them through their shows. Orazem is also a teaching assistant for the Comedy College at ISU. “Using him as a model, I strive to be a nurturing and patient mentor to those whom I manage,” Premkumar wrote. “I truly cannot think of a candidate more deserving for the Faculty-Staff Inspiration Award.”

A message for

Iowa Staters

Iowa State University is constantly aspiring to achieve new levels of excellence, innovation, and visibility. This is true, too, in how we communicate with our many external audiences to better showcase the university and its many constituents. BY WENDY WINTERSTEEN** (PHD ‘88 ENTOMOLOGY), PRESIDENT, IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY JEFF JOHNSON** (PHD ‘14 EDUCATION), LORA AND RUSS TALBOT ENDOWED PRESIDENT AND CEO, IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION LARISSA HOLTMYER JONES** (‘94 MARKETING, MBA ‘03), PRESIDENT AND CEO, IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION

ast year the Office of the President, along with leadership of the ISU Alumni Association and ISU Foundation, began a series of intentional conversations on working together to develop a new magazine that will showcase Iowa State University and our alumni and donors, while maintaining the key membership benefit offered to members of the ISU Alumni Association. As part of planning efforts for a new magazine, we undertook listening sessions and conducted surveys. Thank you to all who provided us input. One thing we heard loud and clear from the majority of you is that you’d like to see improved, coordinated communications from your alma mater. Beginning in December 2022, we will transition VISIONS magazine to a new name—Iowa Stater—and a new look, style and broader focus. Rest assured, this change will not impact the status of your membership in the association. So, with this issue, VISIONS magazine will end an

amazing 35-year run, with its hundreds of memorable stories and images now part of our institutional history. Being able to put out a new Iowa Stater publication that clearly highlights our university will go a long way toward lifting the excellence of our renowned university and its incredible constituents and programs. This isn’t the first time we’ve joined forces on a collaborative publication aimed at our alumni and friends. From 1974 to 2002, The Iowa Stater was the result of our pooled efforts to reach a broad swath of alumni and friends. The Iowa Stater itself was the result of a merger between the Iowa State Alumnus — an alumni association publication with roots tracing way back to 1905 — and News of Iowa State, a publication that launched in 1948 to inform alumni and parents of students. The Iowa Stater will remain a benefit for ISU Alumni Association members, with exclusive content available only to members and selected content shared broadly online via enhanced digital communications that will support the

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print version of the new magazine. Our new venture is in the capable hands of our editor, Melea Reicks Licht, who we hired in 2021 with the knowledge that a reimagined VISIONS magazine was on the horizon. Melea has steered our efforts to remain committed to crafting an appealing and inviting publication that engages, educates, and entertains — one that keeps you connected to us while lifting authentic voices of past, present, and future Iowa Staters, programs, services, and innovations. Melea will work closely with an editorial board made up of our three representatives to ensure we meet our agreedupon mission: • Enhance understanding of Iowa State’s goals, priorities, direction, and impact • Tell the most compelling, meaningful, entertaining, and land-grant-mission-in-action stories that advance the university • Strengthen relationships among Iowa State University, stakeholders, and other key audiences

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We will continue to explore other ways to improve coordination of campus-wide communications that speak directly to you and our other external audiences and that deliver the best information and critical messages worthy of your time and attention. Please share your feedback as we work to debut the Iowa Stater magazine by the end of 2022. We want to hear from you every step of the way. Thank you for being among the 40,500-plus members of the ISU Alumni Association. Your engagement and support are instrumental to the ongoing success of the association and Iowa State University.

LegaCY Activity Corner CARDINAL & GOLD POPSICLES

As a member of the LegaCY Club, your child, grandchild, niece, or nephew will receive age-appropriate gifts from time of enrollment until age 18. Parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles who are members of the ISUAA can enroll their little Cyclone in the LegaCY Club for a one-time fee of $35. Email legacyclub@iastate.edu for details or visit us online at www.ISUalum.org/Legacy. Ingredients • 1/2 cup sugar • 1 bag frozen mangos • Juice of 1/2 lime Directions 1. Start by combining 1 cup water with the sugar in a small saucepan. Turn the heat to medium and let it warm while the sugar dissolves. 2. Pour half the sugar syrup into a blender with the frozen mangos and lime juice. Puree until totally smooth. Pour the mango mixture into the bottom half of some ice pop molds and freeze for 20 minutes.

• •

1 bag frozen strawberries Juice of 1/2 lemon

Add the other half of the syrup to the blender with the frozen strawberries and lemon juice. Puree until smooth and pour it into the molds to the top. Freeze until solid.

Recipe inspired by the Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond's Fruit Pops

You’re invited to email us a photo of you and your Cardinal and Gold popsicles to legacyclub@iastate.edu. You could be featured in future ISU Alumni Association print or digital communications!

You know what it means to be a Cyclone. Share the legacy with your student.

APPLY TODAY ADMISSIONS.IASTATE.EDU

515-294-5836

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 CYCLONE STORIES NATHAN STOUFER ‘22 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

A CENTURY-OLD CYCLONE LEGACY Nathan Stoufer (‘22 mechanical engineering) is prolonging his family’s century-old legacy by becoming the tenth Stoufer to graduate from Iowa State. Nathan was born into a Cyclone family, but his passion for building was of his own fruition. Growing up in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Nathan enjoyed designing his own Halloween costumes and playing with LEGO blocks. By middle and high school, his interest shifted toward woodworking and metalworking, which were encouraged by his dad and grandpa. “I knew I wanted to be an engineer of some kind,” Nathan says. “Mechanical engineering jumped out at me right away because of its emphasis on hands-on learning.” Not only was Nathan continuing the Stoufer family’s Iowa State Alumni legacy, he was walking in his ancestors’ footsteps. Florence Kimball Stoufer and Donald Stoufer, Nathan’s great-great grandparents, graduated from Iowa State’s mechanical engineering department in 1908. Florence was the first female graduate in the department.

The family legacy: five generations Florence (Kimball) Stoufer, mechanical engineering, 1908; Donald Stoufer, mechanical engineering, 1908; William Stoufer, mechanical engineering, 1938; Lucy (Stoufer) Beall Graeme, household equipment, 1946; Alice (Graeme) Rohrssen, craft design, 1978; William Stoufer, transportation and logistics, 1990; Brian Stoufer, transportation and logistics, 1995; Angela (Koenig) Stoufer, elementary education, 1995; Mason Stoufer, supply chain management, 2018.

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Nathan also followed his great-great grandfather’s legacy when he pledged to Phi Delta Theta, of which his father and uncle were also members. Nathan’s great-great grandfather was one of the chapter’s founding members in the early 20th century. Given the fond memories he and his family have developed at Iowa State, Nathan hopes to play a role in a sixth generation of Stoufers attending his alma matter. “If I have kids someday, I will definitely show them how great Iowa State is so we can carry on this proud family tradition,” Nathan says.

ONLINE EXTRAS: To read more of the Stoufer family story on the College of Engineering website, scan this QR code with your smart device. Read more Cyclone STORIES at www.ISUalum.org/CyclonesEverywhere.

NEWSMAKERS & CYCLONE STORIES

NEWSMAKERS Chris Martin (‘90 fine arts), professor of art and visual culture at Iowa State, was profiled in the March-April 2022 issue of Woodworker West, the premier magazine for woodworking in the western United States. Jami Simon (‘81 physical education, speech communication) plays Sideways Jane in the film “Riding the D with Dr. Seeds." To watch the film, download the PlexTV app. Simon was also featured in the film “The Man Behind the Camera” which received two prizes at the 2021 Sunscreen West Film Festival.

HONORS Curtis Cain** (MS ‘99 educational leadership and policy studies and education, PhD ‘01 educational leadership and policy studies and education) has been named the 2022 AASA National Superintendent of the Year. Cain has been superintendent for the Wentzville School District since 2013 and oversees the educational performance and well-being of more than 17,300 students and 2,600 staff members.

Xiang-Jin Meng* (PhD ‘95 microbiology, immunology & preventative medicine), professor of molecular virology at Virginia- Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, has been elected as a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

TOP JOBS Brian Funk (‘01 transportation and logistics) will serve as the new deputy general manager and chief operating officer for Metro Transit in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Funk began his transit career as a CyRide dispatcher when he was a student. He is celebrating 20 years with Metro Transit in 2022. Dr. Heather Loenser ('99 animal science, DVM '03) has been appointed vice president of professional development, culture, and well-being for Harbor.vet by Suveto, a veterinary ownership company. Loenser was an emergency veterinarian for 10 years before serving as the Chief Medical Officer at the American Animal Hospital Association.

ALUMNI BOOKSHELF Antoine J. Alston (PhD '00 agricultural education and studies) released a new publication titled “The Legacy of the New Farmers of America.” Alston’s publication is a historical narrative and pictorial history of the New Farmers of America, the African American version of the FFA, prior to 1965, and has direct ties to Iowa State alumnus George Washington Carver. Alston’s publication is available at Barnes & Noble and Target. Austin Eppert (‘11 kinesiology and health) released his first published book titled “Evolution Point.” Readers join this futuristic story about the survival of the human race after a hurricane strikes America. Eppert’s book is available online at Barnes & Noble. Dale Netherton* (‘63 forestry) has published his 13th book titled, “Barriers to Thought.” Netherton’s books can be found online at Amazon and Apple Books.

RACHEL CHIKWAMBA PHD ’02 GENETICS

GLOBAL IMPACT A Zimbabwe native, Rachel Chikwamba (PhD ’02 genetics) is a highly regarded expert in innovation, making global impacts in the fields of agriculture, health, chemicals, and the environment. As group executive and vice president for chemicals, agriculture, food, and health at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Pretoria, South Africa, Chikwamba leads the council’s strategies for research, development, and innovation to improve economic competitiveness and innovation. A classically trained plant geneticist, Chikwamba sought out further education and experiences to expand her horizons, earning her bachelor’s degree from the University of Zimbabwe, master’s degree from the University of Queensland, doctoral degree from Iowa State University, and her MBA from the University of Pretoria. Prior to her time at CSIR, Chikwamba worked in a variety of research capacities, where her work has been published in several scholarly journals. She’s managed numerous research projects, including a sorghum nutritional fortification program, with support and grants from notable sources like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the European Union Framework programs. She has also taught applied plant biotechnology at the University of Pretoria and was an honorary research fellow at St. George’s Hospital at the University of London. Chikwamba has provided support to Africa’s leadership on how to responsibly implement emerging 38

technologies and actively engages with governments on policies for responsible integration and implementation. Additionally, Chikwamba serves as an expert on several boards, committees, and panels including the Applied Centre for Climate and Earth System Sciences, South African Medical Research Council, and African Union Panel on Emerging Technologies. She is a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa. She is also a 2021 recipient of the George Washington Carver Distinguished Service Award from Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Chikwamba was recently recognized by Agile 50, highlighting the world's 50 most influential people navigating disruption. SUMMER 2022 WWW.ISUALUM.ORG VISIONS

FRESH TAKE

 NEWSMAKERS

Photo: Rush Street Photography

Haylee Green (‘18 graphic design), a graphic designer for the Iowa State University Library, won the first Innovate 1858 Alumni Design Contest hosted by the Iowa State University Alumni Association with support from the ISU Department of Apparel, Events and Hospitality Management and the Donna R. Danielson Professorship in Textiles and Clothing. Her winning design will be featured on products in the Innovate 1858 store at the Student Innovation Center this fall.

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS CHURCH & CATHOLIC STUDENT CENTER Serving students for 75 years as the Catholic Student Center at Iowa State University

2210 Lincoln Way, Ames, IA 50014 VISIONS WWW.ISUALUM.ORG SUMMER 2022

✠ sue@staparish.net 39

Matt Van Winkle

ASSOCIATION NEWS

Kreamer, Schmidt Named KC Cyclones of the Year at Cyclones in the City The Iowa State University Alumni Association recognized two outstanding alumni, Jan Kreamer, right, and Bryan Schmidt, left, with 2022 KC Cyclone of the Year awards presented by Jeff Johnson** (PhD ‘14 education), center, Lora and Russ Talbot Endowed President and CEO, at the inaugural Cyclones in the City event Thursday, June 9, at the Abbott in Kansas City, Missouri. Following a review of expenses, the Cyclones in the City event secured $27,500 that will be used to support ISU outreach activities and engagement events for Kansas-City-area alumni and current Iowa State students. The KC Cyclone of the Year award recognizes alumni who are engaged with Iowa State and whose career achievements or volunteer service has positively impacted the Kansas City community.

Kreamer** (‘69 history) has made a lasting impact on the Kansas City area as a community leader and impactful volunteer. Kreamer is the retired president and CEO of the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation and Affiliated Trusts. As president of ISU Alumni of Kansas City, Schmidt* (‘13 architecture) provides leadership to one of the most active Cyclone groups in the nation. He has fostered an active Cyclone presence for game watch events, local outings, community service, and philanthropy activities. At Cyclones in the City more than 140 Iowa Staters filled the Abbott with Cyclone pride accompanied by live music, hosted food and drink, a silent auction, and games of chance. Jake Jacobson (‘97 advertising, art & design, ‘00 English), served as emcee. The event will return to Kansas City in summer 2023.

Thank you to 2022 Cyclones in the City sponsors, benefactors, and planning committee members! ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Sigler Garmin Diane and Steve Conley** ('82 industrial engineering) Bill Quick** (‘93 civil engineering) and Sarah Uchytil** (‘96 accounting) Deborah and Rudy Herrmann** ('73 industrial engineering) Ben Biller** (‘81, ‘82 civil engineering) Jacquelyn Carroll (‘13 event management) Allison Dohnalek** (‘17 marketing, DMJ ‘17 management) Jackie Dietz (‘12 landscape architecture) Molly Lack** (‘05 biology)

★ ★ ★ ★

Bryan Schmidt* (‘13 architecture) Dean Walston** (‘03 marketing) Kim Westerfield** (‘92 management, management information systems) Cortney Xiong (’07 speech communications)

SCENES FROM KC: Scan this QR code with your smart device to view photos from the inaugural Cyclones in the City event held in Kansas City June 9.

FARMERS® NOW EXCLUSIVE INSURANCE PROVIDER FOR ISU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION MEMBERS Thanks to a new arrangement the ISU Alumni Association has with Farmers, which is part of one of the country's largest insurer groups insuring consumers’ vehicles and homes, Cyclones now have access to an expansive portfolio of insurance products for autos, homes, renters, boats, motorcycles, recreational vehicles, and more. More information about the available options can be found at www.ISUalum.org/Insurance. Purchases from Farmers can help you protect yourself from the financial impact of loss to personal property, while facilitating the lifelong connection of Cyclones everywhere. This arrangement supports the work of the association 40

including assistance for alumni groups across the country and abroad, free career resources for both students and alumni, crucial funding for student organizations like the Student Alumni Leadership Council, opportunities to network with fellow Iowa Staters, and much more. “We’re excited to introduce Farmers, our newest provider of insurance products, to the community of Cyclones everywhere,” says Jeff Johnson** (PhD ’14 education), Lora and Russ Talbot Endowed President and CEO. “Not only could alumni benefit from the multitude of insurance options Farmers provides, but this relationship will strengthen the association’s mission and vision to be the best alumni association in the U.S. at engaging diverse partners to help showcase how Iowa State University and Cyclones everywhere are making communities, Iowa, and the world a better place. We look forward to working with Farmers to expand benefits to Cyclones everywhere.” SUMMER 2022 WWW.ISUALUM.ORG VISIONS

THE ONLY INDEPENDENTLY OWNED AND OPERATED, NON-PROFIT, LIFE-CARE COMMUNITY IN AMES.

Experience a vibrant active lifestyle, enjoy the amenities of care-free independent living, and relax with the security and peace of mind with our Life Care promise. Only at Northcrest Community - come join the fun! Call for a personal tour.

www.northcrestcommunity.org | 515-232-6760

 ISUAA NEWS

SUSTAINING CYCLONES Thanks to new and continuing sustaining donors who made gifts in 2021. Unfortunately, there were some errors in the sustaining donor list included in the previous issue of VISIONS magazine. The below list accurately credits those who were erroneously omitted. 2-YEAR DONORS Robert Baschke (`74) Rick Harmon (`77) Sheryl Larson (`82) Barbara Lemmer (`82) Gerald Lutkenhaus (`70) Amanda Matchett (`08) Janet Payer (`52) Thomas (`56) and Norma Proctor

3-YEAR DONORS Carrol Collins (`50) Paula Norby (`78) 5-YEAR DONOR Andrew Underwood (`17) 6-YEAR DONOR William Underwood 9-YEAR DONORS Kent (`70) and Lou Ann (`70) Sandburg 11-YEAR DONORS Carl Carlson (`71) Roger Grundmeier (`72)

16-YEAR DONOR Jack Hegenbarth (`59) 18-YEAR DONOR Thomas Whitson ('63) The ISUAA Sustaining Donor program is a voluntary way for association members and ISU alumni to provide additional tax-deductible annual support to the ISU Alumni Association. This is the 18th year of the program, and dollars donated by life members have helped provide additional support for the association’s programs and services, including the LegaCY Club, young alumni programs, VISIONS magazine, and student leadership programs. Make your 2022 gift online at www.ISUalum.org/Sustaining.

Calling all Cyclone Sweethearts Did you and your significant other meet at Iowa State? Share your story for a chance to be crowned the 2022 ISU Homecoming Cyclone Sweethearts! To qualify sweethearts must have met while students at Iowa State and both must be ISU alumni. Winners will receive a gift package including two tickets to the ISU Homecoming football game, a weekend stay in Ames at the Gateway Hotel, and more! Additionally, our 2022 Cyclone Sweethearts will lead Cyclone Nation in Mass Campaniling the Friday before the game! Apply today by scanning this QR code with your smart device. You can also mail in your application. Simply include your names, graduation years, phone number or email, and your story to Cyclone Sweethearts HCC, ISU Alumni Center, 429 Alumni Lane, Ames, IA 50011-1403. Applications are due Sept. 1.

PRESENTED BY THE IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

HOMECOMING 2022 “CY ME TO THE MOON!” October 30 - November 5 Make plans to revisit where your Iowa State adventure began – mark your calendar for these celebrated traditions: • Homecoming 5K and Kickoff Celebration: Sunday, Oct. 30 • Honors & Awards Ceremony: Friday, Nov. 4 • Homecoming Pep Rally : Friday, Nov. 4 at the ISU Alumni Center • ExCYtement in the Streets, Mass Campaniling & Fireworks: Friday, Nov. 4 • Homecoming Cyclone Central Tailgate: Saturday, Nov. 5 • Cyclone Football vs. West Virginia: Saturday, Nov. 5 Stay up to date on event plans and ways to connect virtually at www.ISUalum.org/Homecoming

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 ISUAA NEWS

CONNECT WITH CYCLONES EVERYWHERE Connect to ISU through ISUAA clubs and gamewatch locations across the country and around the globe. To become involved in your local club visit www. ISUalum.org/GameWatch for information. If you wish to hold an event in an area without a club or gamewatch, email isuaaclubs@iastate.edu. Alumni clubs’ structure, events, and level of participation vary depending on volunteer leadership, alumni demographics, and interest. Activities may include:

Gamewatches Networking activities Young alumni events Family events Community service

Social activities Recreational athletic teams Happy hours Scholarships and awards

A complete list of athletic schedules and TV coverage is available online at www.Cyclones.com. Go to www.ISUalum.org/Gamewatch or scan this QR code with your smart device’s camera to find gamewatch locations in your area.

See you at the ISU Alumni Center for Cyclone Central Tailgates! Family-friendly Cyclone Central Tailgates provide a temperature-controlled environment where Cyclones everywhere can celebrate Cyclone football and enjoy giveaways, kids’ games, shopping, food and drink, and entertainment for all ages. Advance registration is requested for meals. Watch our Facebook page and visit www.ISUalum.org/CycloneCentral for updates and registration information!

2022 CYCLONE CENTRAL TAILGATE SCHEDULE Sept. 3: Cyclones vs. Southeast Missouri Sept. 17: Cyclones vs. Ohio Sept. 24: Cyclones vs. Baylor Oct. 8: Cyclones vs. Kansas State Oct. 29: Cyclones vs. Oklahoma Nov. 5: Cyclones vs. West Virginia (Homecoming) Nov. 19: Cyclones vs. Texas Tech

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SPORTS BRIEFS

RECORD-SETTING SEASON FOR TWISTER SISTERS

The Iowa State women’s basketball program set a school record with 28 wins on its way to finishing No. 10 in the Associated Press Top 25. Head Coach Bill Fennelly** led the Cyclone women to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament as ISU was one of three schools nationally to have its men’s and women’s programs reach the second weekend of the tournament. Ashley Joens continued her record-breaking career by becoming the school’s career scoring leader (2,369 points) and winning the Cheryl Miller Award for the second straight season. The Miller Award is given to the nation’s top small forward. Lexi Donarski became the first Cyclone to earn Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors. Donarski and Emily Ryan joined Joens on the All-Big 12 First Team.

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR Izaiah Brockington had a major impact in his one season with the Cyclone men’s basketball team, earning Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honors and a spot on the All-Big 12 First Team. The Cyclones stunned college basketball with their gritty effort and defensive excellence that saw them boast the nation’s fifth-best defense. Iowa State won 20 more games than a season ago, the third-biggest win improvement in Division I history, and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament after being unanimously picked to finish last in the Big 12 Conference pre-season poll.

HALL OF FAMER Cyclone Football Head Coach Matt Campbell was inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame, which recognizes an individual’s achievements academically in college and as a professional. The Iowa State football team continued to thrive under the direction of Campbell, who completed his sixth season at the helm of the program. The Cyclones finished 7-6 overall and 5-4 in Big 12 Conference play and appeared in a school-record fifth-straight bowl game.

ALL-AMERICAN EFFORT The Iowa State men’s and women’s track and field teams wrapped up successful seasons, sending six athletes to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. Two Cyclones earned AllAmerica honors – Jason Gomez who finished in fourth place in the men's 800-meter run and Emily March in eighth place in the women’s discus. 44

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SCHOLAR ATHLETES Iowa State posted a school-record 93% graduation success rate (GSR) score, the Big 12 Conference’s second-highest mark. Nine Cyclone teams led the Big 12 Conference with perfect fouryear GSR scores of 100%: men’s basketball, men’s golf, women’s golf, gymnastics, women’s soccer, women’s swimming and diving, women’s tennis, and women’s track and field/cross country. ISU’s only three-time All-American, Charlie Kolar (‘20 mechanical engineering), was also a superstar in the classroom. Kolar took home the prestigious 2021 William V. Campbell Trophy, given annually to the nation’s best scholar-athlete football player and considered the academic Heisman.

IT’S A CYCLONE STATE The Cyclone softball team, including pitcher Saya Swain (right), beat Iowa, 5-4, in April to help Iowa State clinch the Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series. Iowa State last won the series in 2018. Iowa State secured points in men’s and women’s basketball, women’s swimming and diving, men’s and women’s cross country, women’s tennis, and softball for a 14-11 series win over Iowa.

DOWN THE LINE The Iowa State tennis team, coached by Boomer Saia, advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season – the only two appearances in school history. Chie Kezuka became the first student-athlete in program history to win eight conference matches in a season. Thasaporn Naklo also made history by becoming the first Cyclone individual to be selected for the NCAA Singles Championship.

GOING THE DISTANCE The Iowa State men’s and women’s cross country teams posted top-10 finishes in their first season under Director of Cross Country Jeremy Sudbury. Both programs finished second at the Big 12 Championships and the men followed that performance with a second-place finish at the NCAA Championship – its best team effort since winning the national title in 1994. Wesley Kiptoo (left) led the men with an All-American second-place finish at the national event, while Thomas Pollard also earned All-America honors. The Cyclone women were paced by All-American Cailie Logue, who sprinted to a fourth-place finish in leading the team to ninth place, which was first among Big 12 programs. This summer, five Cyclones secured trips to the NCAA Outdoor Championships. STORY AND IMAGES BY MATT VAN WINKLE AND ISU ATHLETICS VISIONS WWW.ISUALUM.ORG SUMMER 2022

Continuing the Legacy of CONNECTING CYCLONES EVERYWHERE…

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Spring 2017

Uganda:

C R E AT I N G A S U S TA I N A B L E F U T U R E

SPECIAL ISSUE:

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Spring 2018

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Spring 2019

THE MAGAZINE FOR MEMBERS OF THE IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION |

Spring 2021

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THANKS A BILLION+ ($1.542B TO BE EXACT)

A year in the life of a pandemic

TOGETHER, MORE THAN 96,000 CYCLONES SURPASSED THE GOAL OF CAMPAIGN FOREVER TRUE, FOR IOWA STATE

Fall 2021

GL BAL HUNGER

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Summer 2022

PURE GENIUS Harley Wilhelm’s secret work for the Manhattan Project launched Ames Laboratory

IOWA STATE RESPONDS TO THE UNPARALLELED HEALTH AND ECONOMIC CRISIS CAUSED BY COVID-19

Madam President

Young alumni leading the way

ISU’s 16th president is forever true to Iowa State

Iowa Stater HEADER

FALL 2022

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… Iowa Stater. Launching December 2022.

VISIONS WWW.ISUALUM.ORG SUMMER 2022

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VISIONS Summer 2022

Articles inside

Pure Genius

Alyssa Gonzalez

STATEment Makers

Faculty and Staff Inspiration Award Winners