Class Notes

Tim Westrum (’99 ag studies, ag & life sci ed) and his family have been recognized as the 2017 Freeborn County (Minn.) Farm Family of the Year.

Sterling “Stu” Ainsworth (’55 hort) has been named the Illinois Council of Orchestras’ 2017 Volunteer of the Year.

Jack McGuire (A)(’63 civil engr) has been inducted into the ISU Department of Aerospace Engineering’s Hall of Distinguished Alumni. McGuire retired from Boeing in 2006 after 43 years with the company.

Amrut Sadachar (A)(’14 apparel, merchandising, and design), an assistant professor in the University of Auburn’s Department of Consumer and Design Sciences, received the Student Government Association’s Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year Award for the College of Human Sciences and the Student Supervisor of the Year Award.

Documentary filmmaker Vanessa McNeal (’15 child, adult and family services) received the Young Woman of Tomorrow Award at the 2017 Cedar Valley Women of Persimmon ceremony April 25. The recognition is given by the YWCA of Black Hawk County.

Raymond “Paul” Giroux (’79 con engr) of Kiewit Infrastructure has been awarded the Roebling Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Todd Sevig (’84 psych & sociology, PhD ’93 psych), director of the University of Michigan’s student counseling center, recently received a lifetime achievement award from the Association of University and College Counseling Center Directors.

Mike Hunter (’78 ag business) and his brother, Nick Hunter (L)(’83 ag business), farmers near Chariton, Iowa, have been awarded the Gary Wergin Good Farm Neighbor Award by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The Hunters raise grain, finish cattle, run a cow/calf operation, and manage a Christmas tree farm. The family’s conservation practices also have earned them the Rathbun Lake Protector Award and recognition from the Natural Heritage Foundation.

Gamma Sigma Delta, the Iowa Chapter of the Honor Society of Agriculture, recently presented two ISU alumni with awards. John Hallberg (L)(’76 animal science, MS ’78 DVM ’82), director of regulatory affairs with Zoetis in Kalamazoo, Mich., received the Alumni Award of Merit and Tom Baas (L)(’72 animal science, MS ’89 MS, PhD ’90), ISU professor emeritus in animal science, received the International Mission Award.

Gamma Sigma Delta, the Iowa Chapter of the Honor Society of Agriculture, recently presented two ISU alumni with awards. John Hallberg (L)(’76 animal science, MS ’78 DVM ’82), director of regulatory affairs with Zoetis in Kalamazoo, Mich., received the Alumni Award of Merit and Tom Baas (L)(’72 animal science, MS ’89 MS, PhD ’90), ISU professor emeritus in animal science, received the International Mission Award.

Mark Kuhlmann (’75 farm operation) has been named 2017 Citizen of the Year with his wife, Kelley, by the Charter Oak (Iowa) Community Club.

Ignacio (Colo.) teacher Lynn R. Blakesley (L)(’95 home ec ed) has been named the Colorado Family & Consumer Sciences Teacher of the Year for 2016-2017.

Dennis Casey (’64 ag business, MS ’68 poultry breeding, ’70 PhD poultry breeding and genetics) was named the Egg Person of the Year at the Urner Barry Executive Conference and Marketing Seminar in Las Vegas, Nevada held April 30 – May 2. Casey worked with Hy-Line International for more than 30 years serving in the research department, as manager of the company's West Coast distribution organization and as president from 1974 until his retirement in 2006. Casey is the current chairman of the Egg Industry Center Advisory Board.

Seth Smith (’02 ag systems technology), a farmer near Nemaha, and his family received the 2017 Iowa Cattlemen’s Association’s Environmental Stewardship Award. Smith’s operation includes rotational grazing, an extended grazing season and infrastructure improvements to promote healthy land and water. Their operation provides beef to the Smokin’ Hereford BBQ restaurant in Storm Lake, which won the 2017 Iowa Cattlemen’s Best burger competition.

Stuart O. Nelson (A)(PhD '72 ag engr) was honored with the prestigious Career Excellence Award at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) International Instrumentation and Measurement Technology Conference in Torino, Italy, May 22-25.

William Quick (L)('93 civil engr) received the 2017 Outstanding Service Award by the Kansas Bar Association June 8 in Manhattan. Kan. The award is given to attorneys or judges for their service to the legal profession. Quick is a shareholder at Kansas City Polsinelli.

Poet Gary J. Whitehead’s (MA ’96 English) “Wild Columbine” is featured in the spring 2017 issue of the Ploughshares Literary Journal.

Derek S. Oden (PhD ’06 ag history and rural studies) has published “Harvest of Hazards: Family Farming, Accidents, and Expertise in the Corn Belt, 1940-1975” (University of Iowa Press).

Andrew Lauver (L)(’12 ag studies) has been accepted into the Drake Law School, beginning fall semester. He plans to specialize in Drake’s agricultural and legislative certificate programs.

Michael McDowell (’13 ag studies) has joined Brock Grain Systems as a district manager for the West Region of the U.S.

Nathan Unsworth (’07 animal ecology) has been hired as director of Lee County (Iowa) Conservation.

Nathan Unsworth (’07 animal ecology) has been hired as director of Lee County (Iowa) Conservation.

Jacob Bolson (A)(’07 ag engr) is a new aftermarket manager for the John Deere Tractor Platform in Waterloo, Iowa.

Jacob Bolson (A)(’07 ag engr) is a new aftermarket manager for the John Deere Tractor Platform in Waterloo, Iowa.

Lisa Tronchetti (L)(’11 ag business and intl ag) was promoted to senior dairy products merchandiser at Gavilon Group, LLC.