Class Notes

Daniel Stephans ('71 architecture) is the recipient of the Wisconsin Historical Society's 2020 Historic Preservation Award for his years of service specializing in historic preservation and restoration. Stephans worked as the Wisconsin chief state architect for 25 years and guided numerous projects to completion, including the restoration of the Wisconsin State Capitol Building, which took over 10 years.

Denise Drake ('85 psych & speech comm) has been recognized among the top businesswomen in the greater Kansas City region by the Kansas City Business Journal through induction into its 2020 class of “Women Who Mean Business." In addition to her role as chair of Polsinelli’s national labor & employment department, Drake also serves as co-chair of the firm’s employment class & collective actions practice and is a member of the firm’s board of directors.

Clinton Hansen (L)('87 graphic design) has had two art pieces unveiled in Urbandale, Iowa. The two sculptures are on each side of the Douglas Avenue/I-80/35 overpass. They are titled “Love You to the Moon” and “Raise You to the Stars.”

Craig Solid (MS '99 statistics) released his first solo book, "Return on Investment for Healthcare Quality Improvement." The book offers a comprehensive overview of performing return-on-investment (ROI) analyses for healthcare quality improvement (QI). He is the current owner and principal of Solid Research Group.

Stephen Kolison (A)(MS '86, PhD '90) has been appointed as the new president of the State University of New York at Fredonia. Kolison has served in his role as executive vice president and provost for the University of Indianapolis since April 1, 2017. In this capacity, his wide range of responsibilities included providing leadership for achieving the academic mission of the university. He was instrumental in the planning of 10 new degree programs.

John Latham (L)('92 ag business), president of Latham Hi-Tech Seeds in Alexander, Iowa, has been elected to the role of chair for the American Seed Trade Association officer team.

James Schweigert (MS '12), president of Gro Alliance, LLC in Cuba City, Wisconsin, has been elected by the American Seed Trade Association officer team to serve as second vice-chair.

William Cornelius (L)(’09 agronomy, seed science, MS '13 seed technology and business) has been recognized as a “Top 10 Next Gen Leader” by Seed World. Honorees are considered leaders who influence the direction of the American and global seed industry.

Brandi Payne (MS'19 agronomy) has been recognized as a “Top 10 Next Gen Leader” by Seed World. Honorees are considered leaders who influence the direction of the American and global seed industry.

Kevin Falk (PhD '19) has been recognized as a “Top 10 Next Gen Leader” by Seed World. Honorees are considered leaders who influence the direction of the American and global seed industry.

Wendy Wintersteen (L)(PhD '88 entomology) is the recipient of the 2020 National Ruby Award from Epsilon Sigma Phi (ESP), the national honor society for extension professionals. The award recognizes outstanding thinking, performance, and leadership in extension.

Everett Peterson ('81 ag business, MS '83) has been conferred the title of professor emeritus by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors. A member of Virginia Tech faculty since 1989, Peterson has authored or co-authored more than 40 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, and reviews and more than 20 additional technical reports. He was named a GTAP Research Fellow twice and received the Gamma Sigma Delta Faculty Research Award.

Sharon Juon (L)('69 sociology) was honored at the 2020 OVATION unveiling ceremony for the Cedar Falls/Waterloo area. OVATION provides a way to pay tribute to a woman or girl in your life. Each year, the publication contains personal tributes to amazing women and girls from around Iowa, sponsored by family members, friends, colleagues, or community members.

George Everett ('72 zoology) has been named governor of the Florida Chapter of the American College of Physicians (ACP), the national organization of internists. Everett is the founding program director and the current academic chair of the Internal Medicine Residency Program at AdventHealth Hospital in Orlando.

Robert Ashby (L)('92 community and regional planning) has been elected president of the Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO). AMPO is a nonprofit transportation advocacy organization for metropolitan regions and is committed to enhancing MPOs’ ability to improve metropolitan transportation systems. Ashby currently chairs the ISU Department of Community and Regional Planning's Planning Advisory Council.

Rahele Jomepour (MFA '15 integrated visual arts) illustrated Our Favorite Day of the Year, a children's picture book which will be published on June 30, 2020.

Yu-Ngok Lo, ('04 architecture) principal and design director of Culver City, California-based YNL Architects, has been elevated to fellowship in the American Institute of Architects.

Miranda Moen (MArch '19 architecture) has received a Fulbright U.S. Student Program Open Study/Research Award to Norway for the 2020-2021 academic year. She will work closely with the Norwegian Emigrant Museum and the Oslo School of Architecture and Design on her project, which will analyze parallels between 19th-century working-class residences in Norway and Norwegian-American immigrant-built houses in her home state of Minnesota.

Rukmini Neuhold-Ravikumar ('03 graphic design) has been promoted from the interim associate provost of education and access to the acting undersecretary for education at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. She is also the director of education at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City.

Matthew Thompson (A)('03 history, PhD '10) has been appointed president of Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, IA. Thompson had served as dean of students and executive director of institutional advancement at Southwestern Community College in Creston before joining Indian Hills, where he has been executive vice president.

Thomas Goodale (A) ('62 science journalism, PhD '71 higher ed admin) is the 2020 recipient of the Eldridge W.Roark Jr. Meritorious Service from Omicron Delta Kappa, National Student Leadership Honor Society. The award celebrates his past service as the executive director and recognizes his philanthropic leadership and ongoing involvement in the society's scholarship program.

Theodore LaGrange ('81 fisheries and wildlife biology, MS '85 animal ecology) has been named the 2020 National Wetland Hero by the Environmental Law Institute. LaGrange is honored for his efforts of building and developing Nebraska's Wetland Program for over 25 years.

Linda Farr (L)('73 dietetics) began her one-year term on June 1 as the 2020-2021 president of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the world’s largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. Farr, the academy’s 95th president, is the owner of Nutrition Associates of San Antonio (doing business as Nutritious Table), which she founded in 1995. As an entrepreneur and certified specialist in obesity and weight management, Farr provides personalized medical nutrition therapy to teens and adults.

Steven Myers ('10 ag business) has been honored with the 2020 Iowa Environmental Stewardship Award by the Iowa Cattlemen's Association. Myers works to reduce emissions and sequester carbon in the soil by using energy-efficient equipment, cover crops, and minimal tillage.

Michelle (Euken) Myers ('09 ag business and economics) has been honored with the 2020 Iowa Environmental Stewardship Award by the Iowa Cattlemen's Association. Myers work to reduce emissions and sequester carbon in the soil by using energy-efficient equipment, cover crops, and minimal tillage.