Class Notes

Mary Kay Thatcher (L)('79 ag business & animal sci) has joined Syngenta as senior lead of federal government relations in Washington, D.C.

Erik Ervin ('89 hort) has been named chair of the University of Delaware's Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and professor of turfgrass and horticulture.

Carrie Tauscher ('09 hort), urban forestry coordinator for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, has been named president of the Indiana Arborist Association.

George R. Mulholland (L)('86 civil engr) has been promoted to associate principal with Raths, Raths & Johnson, Inc., a national architecture, engineering, and forensics consulting form headquartered in Willowbrook, Ill.

W. Mark Saltzman ('81 chem engr) has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering, one of the highest distinctions accorded to an engineer. Saltzman is the Goizueta Foundation Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, and Physiology at Yale University.

Charles E. Sukup (L)('76 ag engr, MS '82) has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering, one of the highest distinctions accorded to an engineer. Sukup is the president of Sukup Manufacturing Co.

Dennis A. Muilenburg (L)('86 aero engr) has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering, one of the highest distinctions accorded to an engineer. Muilenburg is chairman of the board, president, and CEO of The Boeing Company.

Cory Allison (M.Ed. '13) of Carlisle Elementary School in Carlisle, Iowa, was named the 2018 Iowa Assistant Elementary Principal of the Year by the School Administrators of Iowa.

Jerald Jones Woolfork (M.Ed. '84) has been named president of Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo., effective June 1, 2018. Lincoln University is a historically black public land-grant university that enrolls about 2,700 students.

Jason Ellis (MS ’03 meat science, food science and technology, PhD ’06 ag and life sciences education) has been named head of the Department of Communications and Agricultural Education at Kansas State University.

Mike Retallick (L)(PhD ’05 ag and life sciences education), professor and chair in the ISU Department of Agricultural Education and Studies, received the Distinguished Service Award from the Association for Career and Technical Education Research.

Scott Smalley (MS ’06 ag and life sciences education, PhD ’11), assistant professor in the ISU Department of Agricultural Education and Studies, received the Outstanding Beginning Scholar Award from the Association for Career and Technical Education Research.

Matt Romoser (’15 animal science, MS ’17 animal physiology) is a new technical service specialist for Fast Genetics in Ames.

Abigail Peterson (’15 agronomy) has been hired as an Illinois field manager for the Soil Health Partnership.

Andrea Basche (PhD '15 crop production and physiology/sustainable ag) has accepted a position as an assistant professor in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Logan Doty (’17 animal science) has been hired as the 4-H youth coordinator for Fremont County ISU Extension and Outreach.

Former Iowa State Daily sportswriter Ryan Young ('17 computer engr) covered the 2018 Winter Olympics for Yahoo! Sports as a freelancer based out of Los Angeles, Calif. "I've had to learn how to cover something from halfway across the world, which is just as difficult as it sounds," Young told the Daily in February. His writing for Yahoo! Sports, including his Olympics coverage, can be found online at https://www.yahoo.com/author/ryan-young/.

Jovan Johnson (MS '16 journalism) was one of four recipients of the 2017 YP of the Year Awards presented by the Des Moines Register and the Greater Des Moines Partnership's Young Professional Connection Feb. 15 in Des Moines, Iowa. Johnson currently works as assistant director of employer engagement and internships for Grinnell College in Grinnell, Iowa. He was recognized for his leadership in the community and efforts to help Des Moines attract, retain, and create a welcoming environment for young black professionals.

Kathleen Standafer Lopez ('04 dietetics) has written a book, Fibromyalgia Freedom!, subtitled "Your essential cookbook and meal plan to relieve pain, clear brain fog, and fight fatigue." Lopez is a board-certified nutrition support clinician and LEAP therapist who works with individuals with fibromyalgia.

Paul Kix ('03 journalism), a deputy manager for ESPN, The Magazine, has written a new book, The Saboteur: The Aristocrat Who Became France's Most Daring Anti-Nazi Spy. The New York Times Book Review calls it "an intense, highly detailed, and well-written book" and "first-class adventure writing."

Lt. Col. George A. Larson ('69 history) has written Whiteman Air Force Base, part of the "Images of America" series. Larson is retired and lives in Rapid City, S.D.

Janet L. Hanson (L)('81 biology) recently published, under the pen name Rannet Taj L'Orange, Alien Seduction and Destruction. Using humor, the book embraces some of the complexities that might occur when Extraterrestrials visit Earth.

Teresa (Adam) Green ('87 music, MS '98 curriculum & instruction) has been awarded the North Central Iowa Regional 2018 I.O.W.A. STEM Teacher Award. Green is a media specialist for the Ames Community School District.

Marvin Caruthers (A)('62 chemistry) was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his invention of methods for chemically synthesizing DNA. The co-founder of several successful biotech companies, including Amgen and Applied Biosystems, Caruthers holds 43 U.S. patents and has received numerous awards, including the 2006 U.S. National Medal of Science.

Matthew Condon (L)('99 exercise sci) is the youngest chair in the 130-year history of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce. He brings an entrepreneurial bent to the chairmanship, having founded and sold ARC Physical Therapy+ and founded Bardavon Health Innovations.

Beth Ford (A)('86 management) is the new COO of Land O'Lakes Businesses, with responsibility for Land O'Lakes' multi-billion-dollar dairy, animal nutrition, and ag-tech businesses. In addition, Ford has been elected chair of the board for Clearwater Paper Company.

Brad Hart (L)('78 pol sci) is the new mayor of Cedar Rapids -- Iowa's second-largest city. He writes that he's trying to determine how to have more Cardinal & Gold in city hall. Hart is the first of his family to graduate from Iowa State, but there are now 15 ISU grads.

Susan Weidmann (L) ('00 Family Resource Management) has joined Northwest Florida State College as Assistant Professor of Hospitality and Tourism Management. She is the founding faculty member of the newly created hospitality, tourism management and culinary arts department.

Martha Smith won the 2018 American Farm Bureau Federation’s Young Farmers & Ranchers Discussion Meet contest. Martha first won the Colorado Farm Bureau Discussion Meet in November before competing against other young farmers & ranchers from across the country at the AFBF Annual Convention in Nashville, TN in early January. The Discussion Meet simulates a committee meeting in which active discussion and participation are expected. Participants are evaluated on their ability to exchange ideas and information on a predetermined topic. As the winner of the 2018 Discussion Meet, Martha is the winner of a new Ford truck, courtesy of Farm Bureau Financial Services.

Howard Anderson (L)(’88 management) of Northcott Hospitality has been inducted into the Minnesota Hospitality Hall of Fame.

Billi Hunt (L)(’93 housing) has been named the executive director of Iowa's Cultivation Corridor. Hunt brings 20 years of experience working for one of the leading agriculture companies in the state. Hunt joins the Cultivation Corridor after working as the Government Affairs Manager — U.S. Central Region for DuPont. The U.S. Central Region includes Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wisconsin. In this role, she supported DuPont’s global business through state-level advocacy, public policy initiatives and government-related business collaborations. She represented DuPont’s business in a number of community and industry-related organizations, including the Iowa Business Council, the United Way of Central Iowa, the Iowa Biotech Association, the Greater Des Moines Partnership, the College of Human Sciences at Iowa State University and the Iowa Association of Business and Industry.

Eric Crowell (L)(’80 indus admin), president and CEO of UnityPoint Health – Des Moines, has announced he will retire July 1, 2018. Over a 37‐year career in health care -- 17 years in his current position, Crowell has led in Iowa, Illinois, and nationally, and he has been an active volunteer in his community.

Alison (Monaghan) Cate ('05 journalism) was united in marriage to James Cate in Des Moines, Iowa, on December 30, 2017. Alison is the director of marketing and development for Goodwill of Central Iowa, headquartered in Johnston. She and her husband reside in West Des Moines.

Eric Wilson (’77 electrical engineering), (‘73-‘77 Iowa State Rugby) was elected to the Austin Blacks Rugby Football Club inaugural Hall of Fame class.

Boston University has promoted Suzanne Markham-Bagnera ('16) to Clinical Assistant Professor in addition to serving as Undergraduate Program Coordinator in the School of Hospitality Administration.

Jake Swanson ('14 global resource systems) has been promoted to Legislative Liaison at the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

Stephanie Brennan ('07 family and consumer sci ed & studies), the Iowa Safe Schools 2016 Educator of the Year for her work with LGBTQ youth, was surprised with the prestigious Golden Apple Award Jan. 23, 2018. Brennan has spent a decade as a Des Moines Public Schools educator, currently working at her alma mater, Lincoln High School.

Angie Carter (MS '12 rural sociology & sustainable ag, PhD '15 sociology & sustainable ag) has joined the faculty of Michigan Technical University in Houghton, Mich., as an assistant professor of environmental and energy justice.

Martin Gross (A)('11 biology, MS '13 food sci & tech, PhD '15 ag & biosystems engr/food sci & tech), CEO of Gross-Wen Technologies in Ames, Iowa, won the 2017 John Pappajohn Iowa Entrepreneurial Venture Competition.

Heather Hucka ('03 animal ecol), naturalist for Story County (Iowa) Conservation, received the National Association for Interpretation's Master Frontline Interpreter Award.

Angela Shaw (A)('03 an sci, MS '06 meat sci, food sci & tech), associate professor in ISU's Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, received the Advance Degree Graduate Distinction Award from Texas Tech University's Department of Animal and Food Sciences. Shaw received her Ph.D. from Texas Tech in 2010.

April Riley ('94 ag studies), farm manager at Riley Farms in Harrisonville, Mo., received the CropLife Ambassador of the Year Award.

Pamela White (A)(PhD '81 food tech), former dean of the ISU College of Human Sciences, received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities Board on Human Sciences, Inc.

Andrew Barnum (PhD '59 entomology), retired biology professor at Dixie State University in St. George, Utah, was recently honored with a life-size bronze statue in front of the university's science building. Barnum, one of the college's longest-serving faculty members, is known for his dedication to animal and plant science and for the creation of a museum of scientific specimens at Dixie State.

Amanda DeJong (A)('02 ag business) has been appointed by President Donald J. Trump to manage the Farm Service Agency for the State of Iowa. She previously worked as senior policy advisor for the Iowa Corn Growers Association.

Clark Chapin (MS '09 interdisciplinary studies) has been appointed by President Donald J. Trump to manage the Farm Service Agency for the State of Connecticut. He previously served 16 years as a Connecticut state legislator and as project director for Working Lands Alliance.

Ryan Haaland ('05 philosophy), attorney in the Ames office of Davis Brown Law Firm, was elected to the 2018 Davis Brown Lawn Firm Board of Directors. He is the current Story County Bar Association president.

As of November, I am the new USDA-NRCS Soil Conservationist in St. Mary's County, Maryland. This was a promotion from being a NRCS Farm Bill Program Assistant in NYS. I am really enjoying the change in work and getting used to living in Southern Maryland. I'm only about an hour from D.C. so that is a bonus.

Jim Dietz (L)('89 history, MA '92 English), the head coach of the Lincoln Land Community College women's volleyball team that recently advanced to its third-straight NJCAA Final Four, is set to publish his second coaching textbook, "Like Heck She Isn't a Volleyball Player: 27 Essays to Make a Coach Think."

J. Mark Meachem (A)('99 mech engr, MS '02) was among 109 St. Louis-area educators honored with the 28th Emerson Excellence in Teaching award in November 2017. The award is designed to recognize educators from kindergarten teachers to college professors for outstanding achievement and dedication in the field of education. Meachem is an assistant professor in the School of Engineering & Applied Science at Washington University, St. Louis.

Katie Hulet (’06 electrical engr), senior engineer at Midcontinent Independent System Operator, received the IEEE Power and Engineering Society Twin Cities 2017 Outstanding Engineering Award during the Minnesota Power Systems Conference in November.

Ann Krogan ('82 speech comm), a behavior strategist for the Des Moines Public Schools, has received the Stephen Tsai Award for Excellence in Autism Education from the Autism Society of Iowa.

Michelle Johnson ('09 early childhood ed) of Rolling Green Elementary School in Urbandale, Iowa, has received the Stephen Tsai Award for Excellence in Autism Education from the Autism Society of Iowa.

Michael Spiritfair Marty ('07 liberal studies) is the founder of "Just Another Holy Book," LLC, which publishes e-books aimed at tackling the broad topic of understanding life's purpose and direction.

Jean Duffy (L)('87 family resource mgmt & consumer sci) has been named one of the National Association of Plan Advisors' 2017 Top Women Advisors, as well as named to the 2017 Financial Times 401 Retirement Plan Advisors list. Duffy is senior vice president and financial advisor with CAPTRUST in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Minnesota Rep. Rick Hansen (A)(MS '87 agronomy) of South St. Paul received the Willard Munger Award for Distinguished Environmental Partnership from the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party he represents in the Minnesota House. The award was presented Dec. 9, 2017 at the DFL Founders' Day Dinner in Minneapolis.

At the annual business meeting of the Iowa Defense Counsel Association (ICDA), the membership elected Kevin M. Reynolds (A)('78 pol sci) as its 2017-2018 president. Reynolds, member attorney at Whitfield & Eddy Law in Des Moines, will serve a one-year term as president. He has served on the IDCA Board of Directors since 2013.

The winter 2017-2018 issue of the Ploughshares literary journal will feature "Transparent" by Jodie Noel Vinson ('05 English) -- a Seattle-based writer and editor.

Kelsey Heino ('11 history) has joined Goosmann Law Firm as a complex litigation lawyer at the firm's Sioux City, Iowa location.

Dr. Mingan Shao (PhD '96 agronomy) has been elected to the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Promoted to Associate Chief Information Officer at Illinois Institute of Technology.

President, Commission on Institutions of Higher Education, New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Serve on the Quality Board of Iceland and Quality and Qualifications Ireland, the higher education quality assurance bodies of those counties.

My wife, Ayfer Hoffman (nee Keskinel), passed away at age 82 on November 2, 2017, from complications of cancer and dementia. A Fulbright Scholar at ISU from Turkey, she received her MS in Food Technology in 1962; her honors included being named a Landgrant Centennial Scholar. She and I were married in the ballroom of the ISU Memorial Union on March 2, 1962, and lived in Pammel Court until we both completed our degrees. We delighted in sharing our lives for over 55 years. Ayfer's career covered many aspects of the food industry and included founding and managing Sultan Baci Fruit Preserves in her native city Istanbul and, more recently, developing many successful dietary products for Medifast, of Owings Mills, Maryland. She is survived also by our two daughters and three grandchildren. Eugene Hoffman PhD 1963

Peter Myers ('17 finance) has accepted a promotion with HNI Corporation; he will be relocating to Rochester, New York from the Quad Cities to work as a Financial Analyst at The Gunlocke Company, a subsidiary of HNI Corporation.

Kaitlyn Aldrich (L)(’16 civil engr) and Jackson Mores (L)(’16 kinesiology & health) are happy to announce their engagement. A May 2018 wedding in Des Moines, Iowa, is being planned.

Kaitlyn Aldrich (L)(’16 civil engr) and Jackson Mores (L)(’16 kinesiology & health) are happy to announce their engagement. A May 2018 wedding in Des Moines, Iowa, is being planned.

Mary Barnard Petterson (’49 home mgmt) and Karl E. Petterson (’49 engineering) celebrated their 70th anniversary on March 16, 2017, in Seattle, Wash., where they have resided since 1953.

Mary Barnard Petterson (’49 home mgmt) and Karl E. Petterson (’49 engineering) celebrated their 70th anniversary on March 16, 2017, in Seattle, Wash., where they have resided since 1953.

Darrin Rahn ('12 ag business) has been accepted to Harvard University's master's of business program.

Trey Kellner (MS ’14 an sci), an ISU graduate student, received the Stahly-Peo Outstanding Swine Nutrition Midwest Graduate Student Award from the American Society of Animal Science.

Hannah Phillips (’14 an sci), a graduate student at the University of Minnesota, was awarded first place in the Organic Research Forum Poster Session at the 2017 Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service Conference.

Glenda Bivens (’14 interdisciplinary) has received the Council for the Study of Community Colleges’ 2016 “Dissertation of the Year” award for her work on “Retention and Persistence through the Lens of Black Women Community College Students.”

Iowa State University student Madison Dierks (’16 landscape arch & env studies) is one of 75 Americans selected to participate in the 2017-2018 Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (CBYX), a year-long U.S. Department of State-funded fellowship for study and work in Germany.

Jeff Janak ('83 microbiology) of Carrollton, Texas was named Repligen Corp.'s 2016 Sales Manager of the Year and subsequently promoted to director of the company's North American sales team.

Josh Kibbie ('16 ag studies) has joined the staff of First State Bank in Humboldt, Iowa, as an ag lender.

Casey Balvanz ('09 animal sci, DVM '13) is the new owner of Rivervale Veterinary Clinic in Union, Iowa.

Kayla Lichty (’12 ag business) recently graduated from Kansas State University with a master’s degree in agricultural business.

Larry Shannon (PhD '74 fisheries biology) has been appointed interim dean of the College of Science and Technology at Lincoln University.

John Williamson (L)('77 ag business) recently began his third career as a humanitarian assistance adviser to the military at the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance. He retired from the U.S. Air Force after 24 years in 2001 and from Analytic Services, Inc., in 2015.

Jean Bertrand (MS '83 animal sci) has been appointed associate dean for undergraduate studies at Clemson University's College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Life Sciences.

Marissa Pinkowski (A)('08 apparel merchandising, design, and production), an account representative with EDWARDS in Des Moines, has been named to the Idealliance Young Professionals Board of Directors.

Corrine Stoffel (’13 animal science) graduated with a doctorate in veterinary medicine from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and will begin her career as a swine herd veterinarian for The Maschoffs LLC.

Andrew Lauver (L)(’12 ag studies) recently graduated from Kansas State University with a master’s degree in agricultural business.

Jennifer Krienert ('00 sociology) of Chandler, Ariz., is the creator of the "Rock Your Different" line of clothing -- T-shirts, tanks, hats, and hoodies inspired by her son Rory, who wears an eye patch. "I don't want him to think that being different is a bad thing," Krienert said. "We see it as something to celebrate." The current clothing design features general messages, but Krienert says she's working on specific designs for kids with Type 1 diabetes and autism. A portion of all proceeds from the clothing line will be donated to Phoenix Children's Hospital.

Greg Casey (A)(’80 computer engr) of Round Rock, Texas – a senior architect and strategist at Dell/EMC – has been named to the board of directors of Peripheral Component Interconnect Special Interest Group (PCI-SIG).

Reuben Flesner (MS ’09 mech engr) of St. Paul, Minn., has been promoted to senior design engineer with Climate by Design International in Owatonna, Minn.

Mike Helms (A)(’88 civil engr) of Moline, Ill., has been elected president of the Rock Island Post of the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME). A vice president and U.S. Federal & International Programs market leader at Stanley Consultants, Helms served as the organization’s vice president last year.

Aaron Wagner (’15 ag bus) has been promoted to business and ag banker at Security Savings Bank in Eagle Grove, Iowa.

Cody Vantiger (’14 an sci) has been promoted to associate product manager in the marketing department at Kent Nutrition Group.

Michael Hotz (’08 ag bus) is the new senior commodity manager at Kent Corporation-Enterprise Services.

Jess Frank (’15 an sci) is the new content editor for Corner Post Marketing in Fort Dodge, Iowa.

Emily Lair (L)(’15 hort) is the new ag instructor and FFA advisor at Spirit Lake (Iowa) High School.

Timothy Van Pelt (’02 ag engr) has been named president of the trust division for National Exchange Bank & Trust in southeastern Wisconsin.

Actress Jami Simon (’81 phys ed & speech comm) plays the recurring role of Pinky in the hit HBO series High Maintenance and the recurring role of Sideways Jane in the TV miniseries Riding the D with Dr. Seeds. She also has a featured role in the forthcoming film Accommodations.

Shane Jacobson (L)(’03 comm studies, MEd ’08) has been named president and CEO of the University of Vermont Foundation in Burlington, Vt.

Christina Freese-Decker (L)(’00 finance) has been appointed to a newly-created position as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Spectrum Health in western Michigan. She previously served as president of the Spectrum Health Hospital Group. In her new position, Freese-Decker will oversee strategy and operations for the entire system, including the hospital group, medical group, human resources, and information services.

Eric T. Crowell (L)(’80 indus admin), president and CEO of UnityPoint Health – Des Moines since 2001, has been appointed to the board of directors for the Alliance of Independent Academic Medical Centers.

David L. Ford, Jr. (A)(’67 indus engr) will retire Aug. 31, 2017 after 42 years as a business school professor at what is now the Jindal School of Management at the University of Texas at Dallas. For 20 of those 42 years, Ford was the only African American professor in the school.

Mahipal Kunduru (PhD ’94 food sci) has joined Topco Associates, LLC as vice president for quality assurance.

Faegre Baker Daniels has added Chris Kreuder (’06 finance) to its product liability litigation team. As an associate, he will be working from the Des Moines office.