Class Notes

The American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) honored seed-industry veteran Dr. Owen J. Newlin with its inaugural Lifetime Industry Achievement Award--hereinafter known as the Owen J. Newlin Lifetime Seed Industry Achievement Award--which recognizes exceptional professionals whose career contributions to the seed industry span more than 50 years. It is the highest award given out by the association. Dr. Newlin was honored on June 20 during the Opening General Session of the joint ASTA-Oregon Seed Association Annual Convention in Portland, Oregon. “Owen Newlin is nothing short of a legend in the seed industry,” said ASTA Chair Risa DeMasi. “We’re extremely grateful for his expertise, dedication and service to ASTA over the years, and we couldn’t be more pleased to honor him with this landmark award.” Dr. Newlin’s distinguished career dates back more than 60 years. He joined Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc., known today as DuPont Pioneer, in 1955 as a Research Assistant in the production department of the Central Division. He became Production Manager for the division in 1964 and served as its President from 1967 to 1978. He was elected Senior Vice President for Pioneer Hi-Bred International in 1986 and became a key driving force in the maximization of hybrid corn for farmers, which serves as a foundation of the seed business to this day. Dr. Newlin is active both in and out of the seed industry. For ASTA, he has served many leadership roles, and is the longest running ASTA Past President who remains an active participant on the ASTA Board of Directors to this day. He currently serves as Chair of the Subcommittee for Strategic and Allied Partnerships and he is a Lifetime Honorary Member.

Tamara (Tam) Flarup, who will retire Aug. 31, 2016 as director of website services for the University of Wisconsin athletics department after 39 years of service to the university, received the Lifetime Achievement Award from College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) June 13, 2016 in Dallas, Texas. A member of the CoSIDA Hall of Fame who was a founding member of FAME (Female Athletic Media Relations Executives), Tam was a three-year golf letterwinner at Iowa State.

Loween Getter received a Distinguished Merit Award from the American Association of Community Theatre for her contributions to Webster City Community Theatre and the Iowa Community Theatre Association.

An image taken in Glacier Bay National Park by photographer Tom Bean is now being featured in the U.S. Postal Service's line of stamps commemorating the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. Covering 3.3 million acres of rugged mountains, dynamic glaciers, temperate forests, wild coastlines and deep sheltered fjords, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve is a highlight of Alaska’s Inside Passage and part of a 25-million acre World Heritage Site — one of the world’s largest international protected areas. From sea to summit, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve offers limitless opportunities for adventure and inspiration. Tom Bean Photography (Flagstaff, Ariz.) is online at http://www.agpix.com/results.php?agid=ToBe7.

Greg Martin, ASGCA, was elected President of the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) at the organization’s recent 70th Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. Martin’s first work in golf course architecture came with the late Jim Spear, ASGCA Fellow. After forming Martin Design Partnership, Ltd. in 1991 Martin has promoted a design approach that expresses efficient, classic design concepts that offer a unique golf experience while promoting environmental benefits. “I am intrigued by what inspires our membership,” Martin said. “While we are moving past the recent economic challenges, there will be aftershocks. It is a new world and the landscape has shifted. But the well-developed skills of ASGCA members are unique. Each in our own way adds value to the game, provides adventure for golfers and, most importantly, benefits our communities” While growing the game is an important goal, Martin – whose designs also maximize environmental benefits – stresses growth begins underground. “You cannot grow without well-established roots,” he said. “The health of anything depends on the depth of the roots. The game of golf needs healthier roots that translates to a more viable golf industry.” Martin’s impact on ASGCA is evident in the Design Excellence Recognition Program, which he proposed in 2012. Design Excellence shines a light on the innovation and problem-solving skills required of today’s golf course designs, whether the project is a small bunker renovation or a full-scale 18-hole layout. “Design Excellence is about problem-solving,” Martin said. “Every golf course architect needs to address the unique challenges of a project to better the game. Ultimately, the course and the game will benefit.” Martin’s course designs include: Millwood Golf & Racquet Club, Springfield, Missouri; Rich Harvest Links, Sugar Grove, Illinois; Wildridge at Mill Run, Eau Claire, Wisconsin; and renovations at Ridge Country Club, Chicago; River Forest Country Club, Elmhurst, Illinois; and Aurora Country Club, Aurora, Illinois. Founded in 1946 by 14 leading architects, the American Society of Golf Course Architects is a non-profit organization comprised of experienced golf course designers located throughout the United States and Canada. Members have completed a rigorous two-year long application process that includes the peer review of four representative golf courses. The average ASGCA member has spent nearly 30 years as a golf course architect, designing 42 new 18-hole courses and has worked on or consulted on nearly 150 projects in eight different countries around the world.

Jeff Swim has been named a new employee shareholder with Holmes Murphy, a privately-held, independent insurance brokerage. Holmes Murphy shareholders help lead the company in its mission to promote health, protect wealth, and deliver peace of mind. Jeff works in the Des Moines office as a senior client service consultant, Property Casualty. New shareholders will influence the company in a variety of ways, including: helping determine the direction of major company initiatives; growing employees and the company; fostering the unique company culture; and recruiting exceptional employee talent.

Class of 2012 Krystal Jones earned her Juris Doctor from Southern Methodist University in May 2016, graduating Cum Laude. She is sitting for the Texas July Bar Examination.

Mary Murimi has been named chancellor of Daystar University, a Christian liberal arts university with campuses in Nairobi and Athi River, both in Kenya. Murimi has 18 years of experience since starting her teaching and research career. She most recently served as a professor of nutrition at Texas Tech University, and previously worked at Louisiana Tech University.

Sandy Huisman has been named director of the year by the School Nutrition Association of Iowa. Huisman is the director of food and nutrition management for the Des Moines Public Schools. She's implemented the Breakfast in the Classroom program, introduced more diverse menu options, and organized a community open house at the district’s central nutrition center.

Jerry McKim, a 1990 and 1993 Iowa State University graduate in human development and family studies, was one of five national recipients of the Eternal Flame Award for significant achievement in serving the home energy assistance community. McKim has spoken out and fought for low-income energy consumers for more than 20 years. He has been the Iowa Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) director for the last 19 years, where he has overseen the expenditure of more than $900 million for low-income Iowa utility customers. His efforts include testifying on several occasions before the full U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions in support of LIHEAP, developing and conducting a survey of LIHEAP recipients that ultimately led to a report that focused national attention on the consequences of unaffordable energy on low-income citizens, and intervening in various dockets before the Iowa Utilities Board on behalf of low-income consumers. The award is bestowed by the National Energy Assistance Directors' Association.

Jason Wiegand, who is an academic adviser in the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication at Iowa State University, is the winner of a 2016 Outstanding New Adviser Award from the National Academic Advising Association (NACADA). The award recognizes outstanding advising of students by advisers in their jobs for three years or less. Wiegand will be honored at an awards ceremony and reception at the NACADA annual conference, Oct. 5-8, 2016 in Atlanta, Georgia

The National Academy of Public Administration (the Academy) today celebrates the contribution of federal career leaders with the naming of the Dwight Ink Fellows’ Hall, which will honor the distinguished career of exemplary public servant Dwight Ink. “The Academy is proud to celebrate and honor the long and distinguished career of Dwight Ink,” said Dan G. Blair, President and CEO of the Academy. “Dwight’s work on behalf of the American people stands as an example of the substantial contributions career executive leaders can make in service to the American people. We are proud to honor these unsung heroes in honoring Dwight and hope that Dwight’s example of commitment to public service inspires a new generation of government leaders.” Dwight Ink has held major leadership roles in the federal government in the administrations of seven U.S. presidents, from President Eisenhower to President Reagan. His public service includes leadership roles at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB); the General Services Administration (GSA); U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD); USAID; U.S. Atomic Energy Commission; and the Community Services Administration. He was a principal founder of several agencies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Mr. Ink is an Academy Fellow and a former President of the Institute of Public Administration. “I am overwhelmed by this recognition,” said Dwight Ink. “It has been a privilege to devote a career to the public service. Contrary to the negative image of a government “bureaucrat,” I have found work in government at all levels to be the most challenging, exciting, and fulfilling of any field I can imagine. Our Academy Fellows showcase the thousands of public service leaders who provide the highest level of competence and dedication in serving our nation. When given the opportunity, they get things done. “I congratulate the Academy on the leadership role it has played in helping agencies deal with complex management issues,” he said. “Today, the many advances we have made in improving management have to be weighed against the instances in which serious failures have also occurred. In addressing the remedies, the tremendous depth of knowledge and experience possessed by the Academy can be of great help.”

Joel Rochleau, Senior Vice President and Branch Manager of Security State Bank, Springville, Iowa, was honored by the Northwestern Financial Review Magazine as one of the Rising Stars in Banking for 2016.

Lauro Fred Cavazos received an honorary doctorate degree from Texas Tech University. Cavazos was president of Texas Tech from 1980 to 1988.

Tom Loynachan, an ISU professor of agronomy, received the Distinguished Achievement in Agriculture Award from Gamma Sigma Delta, the Iowa Chapter of the Honor Society of Agriculture.

Tom Polito, former director of ISU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Student Services, received the Thomas B. Thielen Award, the highest honor given by the ISU Division of Student Affairs, on April 26,2016. The award, named after Iowa State’s vice president of student affairs from 1977 to 1997, recognizes individuals who strongly support student success. A retirement reception for Polito was held May 3.

Rich Degner, retired CEO of the Iowa Pork Producers Association, has been named a 2016 Pork Master by National Hog Farmer.

Vicky Hinsenbrock, loan manager with Farm Service Agency in Winneshiek, Fayette and Allamakee counties, was honored by the Decorah Area Chamber of Commerce Agriculture Committee with the 2016 Friend of Agriculture Award.

Gary Wright has joined Iowa State Extension and Outreach as a farm management specialist in northwest Iowa.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey received the Distinguished Achievement in Agriculture Award from Gamma Sigma Delta, the Iowa Chapter of the Honor Society of Agriculture.

Fred Iutzi has been named president of The Land Institute, a nonprofit agriculture research organization based in Salina, Kan., working to advance perennial grain crops and polyculture farming. He presently serves as manager of agriculture, energy, and cooperative development programs for the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs at Western Illinois University. He will succeed Wes Jackson, who co-founded the institute 40 years ago. Iutzi will take the helm Oct. 1.

Steve Larsen, vice president of science and technology at the National Pork Board, received the Distinguished Achievement Award from the American Meat Science Association. Larsen previously worked as a food technologist at Tyson Foods, Inc. before joining the National Pork Board as a director of pork safety. He was recently promoted to Vice President of Science and Technology at National Pork Board.

Tong Wang, an ISU professor of food science and human nutrition, has been named a fellow by the American Oil Chemists Society.

ISU professor of economics Chad Hart has received the Exemplary Faculty Mentor Award from the office of Iowa State's senior vice president and provost.

Michael Witt is the new field agronomist for the Iowa State Extension and Outreach crops team. Witt will serve Audubon, Crawford, Guthrie, Harrison, and Shelby counties.