Class Notes

Former Iowa State Daily reporter Luke Stoffel published an op-ed in Fortune this week on AI and publishing. He won a 2026 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award for his debut memoir, "How to Win One Million Dollars and $#!T Glitter," which he openly wrote with AI.

https://fortune.com/2026/07/22/award-winning-memoir-author-ai-detector-publishing-hypocrisy/

Jami (Paper) Lercher (’02) is the director of choral activities at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. She and her husband, Ryan Lercher (’02), are happy to be closer to the Cyclone Nation and look forward to more opportunities to visit campus and connect with family and friends.

Rebecca Janni (BA English and French, '94) is releasing a new children's book with Eerdmans Books for Young Readers on September 22, 2026. Branch: A Resurrection Story is Rebecca's poetic retelling of the Bible story from Genesis to Revelation and is one of Englewood Review of Book's Most Anticipated Books for Fall.

AIAA Associate Fellow Award 
https://aiaa.org/2024/09/23/aiaa-announces-its-class-of-2025-associate-fellows/

The Nebraska State Board of Education has appointed Dr. Ryan Foor as a Deputy Commissioner at the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE). In this role, Foor provides leadership and guidance for day-to-day operations and agency-wide administrative support to the Commissioner. 

Foor has served at the NDE since 2015 in various roles working with the State Board of Education, most recently as Assistant Commissioner and Chief of Staff. Prior to serving at the NDE, he was a high school agriculture teacher and FFA advisor, university teacher educator, and university program assessment coordinator. 

Dr. Foor grew up in Wapello (Louisa County) and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Education from Iowa State University where he was a Hixson Opportunity Award scholar. He earned graduate degrees from Ohio State. Foor began his duties as Deputy Commissioner on April 20, 2026.

Josh Kassing, managing principal of Mary Cook Associates, and Mary Cook, founder and CEO.

Dr. Cristina M. Dube has co-developed Math Castle, a research-based math-fact fluency app, with young software developers Christopher and Zachary Turner, ages 12 and 9. Drawing upon 40 years of experience in mathematics education, Dube designed the app’s content and 93 carefully sequenced developmental levels. Math Castle helps students see, hear, and handwrite addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts. The app launched in July 2026 and is available at MathCastle.app.

Benjamin Zelle has been promoted to the position of Tactical Marketing Manager for Planting and Seeding equipment at John Deere.

ISU alumni/sisters Robbie & Judy Roozen pursued careers that have encompassed a desire to make connections through creativity.

Three Books titled “All That Knitting”, “Sylvia the Garden Snake”, and “Sounds My Ears Don’t Like to Hear” by Minnesota and North Carolina sisters Robbie Roozen and Judy Roozen have been named finalists in the 2026 Next Generation Indie Book Awards (world's largest international awards program for independent publishers and self-published authors) recognizing them among the year's outstanding independently published books.

Finally retired at the end of 2025 after 47 years in the field of agricultural journalism, sticking with the major for which Iowa State prepared me so well. It was a great run, mainly with two companies (Knight-Ridder Financial, which no longer exists, and Sosland Publishing Co.), all in the Kansas City area. Added an MBA from a local K.C. university along the way to improve my marketing and analytical skills. My wife (Kay) of nearly 49 years and I already have increased our travel, spent more time with the grandkids, and worked more in our church and the local community. I'm doing a little consulting and mentoring this year and next, but then fully pulling the plug. Thanks, Iowa State! Go Cyclones!! 

I have been a Professor of Ecology and Alberta Conservation Association Chair in Fisheries and Wildlife at the University of Alberta since 1999. Last week, I was awarded the University Cup, the highest award for teaching, research and service at the University of Alberta. Target date for retirement: 2029.