Class Notes

Vanessa McNeal ('15 child, adult, and family services) won the "Best Documentary" award at the Des Moines Arts Festival's Interrobang Film Festival June 28-30 in downtown Des Moines. McNeal received the prize in recogntion of her film, "Gridshock," which exposes the hidden and disturbing reality behind the sex trafficking demand in Iowa.

Anna Segner (A)(MFA '19 integrated studio arts) won the Leysens Family Award for Best of Emerging Iowa Artists at the 2019 Des Moines Arts Festival, which was held June 28-30 in downtown Des Moines. Segner was one of nine emerging artists, including four from Iowa State, selected to exhibit their work at the festival in downtown Des Moines. In addition to a $1,000 cash prize, Segner will be invited to exhibit in the professional artists’ category at next year’s festival.

Sara Compton (A)('80 music), outreach manager for the Iowa State Center, is the recipient of the Bill Pelz Arts Advocacy Award from the Ames Community Arts Council. Compton, who has worked at the center for more than 20 years, was recognized for supporting students and adults with a desire to participate in or enjoy performing arts -- through both her work and volunteer activities.

Jake Nelson ('18 history) has been hired by Southeast Polk Community School District in Runnells, Iowa, to teach ninth-grade U.S. history.

Retired from the Air Force in 2011 after 20 years of active duty military service. Continue to service USAF as a civilian employee since 2015 in post-graduate engineering professional continuing education as a department head at the Air Force Institute of Technology.

Grant Thomas ('06 materials engr), manager of product research for AK Steel Research and Innovation, was honored by the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) and the Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI) for collaborative steel market development and distinguished research as part of the AISI-SMDI General Meeting in Washington, D.C., on June 6, 2019. Grant received SMDI’s 2019 Market Development Achievement Award for his significant contributions in advancing the competitive use of steel in the marketplace. He has contributed to the industry through active involvement with the SMDI-sponsored program on Integrated Computational Materials Engineering, development of commercial Third Generation Advanced High Strength Steels, and active promotion of steel research and development.

Scott Carey (MS '90 MS nuc engr) attended the commissioning of the USS South Dakota (SSN 790) on February 2, 2019, in Groton, Connecticut. Carey is the manager of the Fleet Nuclear Engineering Subdivision at the Naval Nuclear Laboratory, which is responsible for design of the submarine's nuclear reactor. In addition, his team directed the initial startup and acceptance testing of the reactor.

Khayree Duckett (’17 political science) has joined the Saint Paul Area Association of REALTORS (SPAAR) as its Director of Government Affairs.

Joe Woodley ('04 liberal studies) has been named the head football coach at Grand View University in Des Moines, Iowa. He previously served as the Vikings' associate head coach/offensive coordinator. He replaces his father, Mike Woodley, who started the Grand View football program 11 years ago.

Kirt Walker (L)('85 mgmt) has been named the CEO-Elect of Nationwide. He has served the insurance and financial services organization for 33 years, most recently as president and chief operating officer. He is a board member for the American Council of Life Insurers, the Association of Ohio Life Insurance Companies, and the American Institute for Chartered Property Casualty Underwriters. Nationwide is a Fortune 100 company based in Columbus, Ohio that offers a full range of insurance and financial services products including auto, business, homeowners, farm , and life insurance; public and private sector retirement plans; annuities and mutual funds; excess & surplus, specialty and surety; pet, motorcycle, and boat insurance.

Blake Heitman (L)('19 mgmt & mktg) has joined the NFL's Indianapolis Colts as a member of the franchise's partnership marketing staff.

Bob Birkenholz (’76 ag and life sci ed, MS ’78, PhD ’82), professor emeritus for The Ohio State University’s College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, received the Meritorious Service Award from the college’s alumni society.

Austin Putz (’13 an sci) has accepted a position as a geneticist for Hypor.

Daiton Tietz (A)(’18 ag and life sci ed) has accepted a position as a client development manager at VerticalXchange.

Vivan Bernau (’12 horticulture & agronomy) has accepted a position as a maize curator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Ames.

Justin Jedlicka (A)(’06 ag studies) has accepted a position as the north central U.S. sales team leader with Alta Genetics U.S.A.

Dave Danilson (A)(’76 ag business) retired as Chief Judge of the Iowa Court of Appeals in January 2019 after serving 38 years in various judicial positions -- hospitalization referee, magistrate, district associate judge and district court judge.

Paul Waugh (L)('83 metallurgical engr) has been appointed to the U.S. Senior Executive Service. The Senior Executive Service was established by Title IV of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 and its members are charged with leading the government and “producing results for the American people,” according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. These leaders operate and oversee nearly every government activity in about 75 federal agencies. Waugh previously served as Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center's (AFNWC) deputy director for its Air-Delivered Capabilities Directorate, where he enabled the center to acquire and sustain air-delivered nuclear weapon systems in support of the nation's nuclear deterrence operations. He retired as an Air Force colonel in 2010 after senior leader positions in a variety of fields, including engineering, program management, training and logistics.

PMI Industries, Inc., an engineering and manufacturing company based in Twinsburg, Ohio, with a global presence servicing energy (both fossil fuel and renewables), marine, research, and government industries, has hired Brad Moore (L)('85 chem engr) as its manager of sales and marketing. Moore will be responsible for leveraging PMI’s brand worldwide and directing the company’s sales efforts. He recently was the Senior Business Development Manager at Ohio-based Beckett Energy Systems.

Bryan Boswell (A)('83 Electrical Engineering) of Keysight Technologies, Inc. in Loveland, CO was granted a US patent #10220715 that he co-authored for his invention "Systems And Methods For Determining A Self-Discharge Current Characteristic Of A Storage Cell".

Nancy Bohl Bormann (A)(’04 ag and life sciences education, environmental science) of Humboldt, Iowa, environmental services manager and agronomist for The Maschhoffs, is a 2019 recipient of the Secretary’s Iowa Ag Leader Award for Conservation from the Agribusiness Association of Iowa.

Jeff Mounts ('08 advertising and design), an employee-owner of and marketing manager for ESP International, a 100% employee-owned global supply chain company headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been named the national 2019 Employee Owner of the Year by The ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) Association. Mounts was previously recognized with the Iowa/Nebraska Chapter award in February but went on to win the national honor at a May 2019 ceremony in Washington, D.C.

Travis Knight ('89 ag biochem, MS '92 an sci, PhD '99 biochemistry, biophysics, and molecular biology) of Slater, Iowa, received the 2018 Alumni Award of Merit from Gamma Sigma Delta -- the Iowa Chapter of the Honor Society of Agriculture. Knight is the laboratory bureau chief for the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

Ron Hankins (A)('80 indus admin) of Polk City, Iowa, a retired transportation manager with MidAmerican Energy, received the Abbott 6-Star Finisher distance running award in April 2019 for completing all six of the Grand Slam of World Marathon major running events -- in London, Tokyo, Berlin, Boston, New York, and Chicago. As an ISU Alumni Association member who sported his school colors while running in these international events, Hankins was able to train using the ISU indoor track at the Lied Rec Center during Iowa's cold winter days.

Lynn Davis (A)(MS '80 an sci, PhD '83) of Hortonville, Wisconsin, received the 2018 Distinguished Achievement in Agriculture Award from Gamma Sigma Delta -- the Iowa Chapter of the Honor Society of Agriculture. Davis owns Nutrition Professionals, Inc.