Class Notes

Rosemary Wiese Wilson(1974) and Steven J Wilson(1978), Ames IA, celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on June 12, 2022.

John Leahy (Iowa State Univ., Civil Engineering, BS, 1987) is retired and living with his wife Mary of 34 years in Springfield, VA. Together, they are considering when they will relocate permanently to their home town of Omaha, NE in order to be near their three grandchildren. John earned his Army commission through the ISU ROTC program and spent most of his career serving first part-time in the Reserves and then later on active duty. He earned his MS in Nuclear Engineering from the USAF Institute of Technology. John is considering whether to stay retired and volunteer or to more aggressively pursue new professional goals.

Richard Beem ('79 chemical engineering) was recently welcomed to Lathrop GPM LLP's Chicago office as a partner. Beem has more than 30 years of experience with patent prosecution and patent litigation work. He advises clients in the chemicals and polymers, pharmaceutical, biomedical, software, computers, electrical, mechanical, and industrial industries, among others. Beem’s practice includes the preparation, filing and prosecution of patent and trademark applications, as well as litigation, including trials and appeals for both patents and trademarks, and hearings before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB). In addition to Chicago, he will also be working from the firm’s Dallas office.

Dick Hannasch (B.S. English, 1985, M.Ed., 2003) retired from Principal Financial Group on June 3, 2022, closing a 35-year career where he worked in a variety of roles related to professional development via training, coaching, and assessments. He continues to own and operate Aware and Willing, LLC, a company he established in 2018 to offer coaching, assessment, and development services to help people achieve their goals. See https://awareandwilling.com for more about the company. Dick is an Associate Certified Coach via the International Coach Federation (ICF) and a Board Certified Coach via the Center for Credentialing & Education, and he holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) designation. He is an active member of the ICF Iowa Chapter.

Elizabeth (Schaller) Sanguedolce has published her first children's chapter book, My Life by Fallon the Traveling Cat for ages 6-9. Inspired by her ISU class in children's literature, she has now fulfilled her dream of writing and publishing a children's book. Her passion is children's literacy, because if children learn to read, they will learn to think for themselves and make their own decisions, not just follow the media. She is currently writing Book 2 in the Traveling Cat Series, told from the cat's point of view. Book 1 chronicles true stories that happened as Fallon traveled across the US (highlighting US points of interest) and is available on Amazon. Book 2 will feature Yellowstone National Park.

Trudy Huskamp Peterson ('67 history) was named a Fellow of the International Council on Archives (ICA) at its annual meeting in Rome. The International Council on Archives is an international association created in 1948 to promote the development of archives. It holds advisory status to UNESCO in the field of archives and documentary heritage; its membership includes governmental and nongovernmental archives in 199 countries. The ICA Fellows award honors members and others in the international archives community who have given distinguished service to the ICA or to the cause of archives at the international level.

Bhanu Jena, (PhD '88 zoology) the George E. Palade University Professor and Distinguished Professor of Physiology, was honored with a Distinguished Lecture from the Wayne State University School of Medicine to recognize his academic and scientific contributions.

Colin Behr (‘15 industrial design) has accepted a position as footwear designer II with the Jordan Special Projects unit at Nike. Behr has been a footwear designer for Nike since graduating from Iowa State.

Claire Michelson (‘19 community & regional planning), planner at MSA Professional Services, Inc., has earned the American Institute of Certified Planners certification, highlighting her commitment to the institute’s high standards of practice, ethics, and professional conduct.

Ruki Neuhold-Ravikumar (MFA ’03 graphic design) has recently become the Nerman Family President of the Kansas City Art Institute. Check out this video introduction: https://vimeo.com/743104406/94173ec39e.

John Newton ('81 horticulture) served as superintendent of Veenker Memorial Golf Course at Iowa State University (ISU) for 33 years. Newton will receive the 2023 Col. John Morley Award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA).

Adrienne Nelson ('09 interior design, MA '13 arch) was recently promoted from associate principal to the position of principal at the award-winning architecture studio, Pickard Chilton located in New Haven, CT.

Christopher Huisman ('93 political science) recently joined the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) as a research staff member.

Bradley J. Buecker (‘77 chemistry) received the 2022 "Award of Merit" at the annual International Water Conference in Orlando, Florida.

Annette Busbee ('80 journalism and mass communications), an annual member of the ISU Alumni Association, wrote and produced three documentaries that tell the story of Collins Radio Company, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and how they led the development of communications equipment and systems for the American manned space flight programs in the 1960s.

Sophia Magill (‘05 political science), a life member of the ISU Alumni Association, has been named senior advisor to Iowa State President Wendy Wintersteen (PhD ’88 entomology) and will lead the implementation of strategic initiatives while continuing to manage federal relations. Magill will advise President Wintersteen and senior leaders on funding for the most promising and strategic projects – ones that move the university closer to achieving its goals.

Mary Warner (‘73 industrial administration), an annual member of the ISU Alumni Association, has authored a children’s book titled, “Adventure on Gallop Ghosts Islands.” Warner’s book follows Olive, an octopus who is curious about the world beyond her ocean home. Find Warner’s book on Amazon.com.

Theaster Gates (’96 community & regional planning, MA ’05 interdisciplinary graduate studies) is the first non-architect selected by London’s Serpentine Gallery to design its annual pavilion for 2022. Check out this video interview from Dezeen: https://www.dezeen.com/2022/08/17/theaster-gates-serpentine-pavilion-black-chapel-video-interview/?…

Commander, Submarine Squadron (CSS) 1 conducted a change of command ceremony at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Aug. 2, 2022. Capt. Aaron Peterson (‘00 chemical engineering), a life member of the ISU Alumni Association from Scotland, South Dakota, relieved Capt. Melvin Smith, from Long Island, New York, as CSS-1 commanding officer during the ceremony, which was held on the fantail of the battleship Missouri (BB-63).

Deland Myers (’81 food technology, ’84), a life member of the ISU Alumni Association and his wife, Eveadean Morrison Myers, celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on Aug. 7, 2022!

Eveadean Morrison Myers (‘81 elementary education), a life member of the ISU Alumni Association, and her husband, Deland Myers, celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on Aug. 7, 2022!

Alan (Al) Krysan (‘87 agricultural business) and his wife, Terri Krysan (‘87 home economics education), both life members of the ISU Alumni Association, established the Alan E. Krysan and Terri M. Krysan Design Closet Endowment, which supports ISU College of Design students by funding supplies and materials required for their design classes. Al and Terri value giving back because others did before them, providing them both with the opportunity to attend college. They have also established an endowed scholarship in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in honor of Terri’s grandparents, Ted and Hazle DeBerg. With the Krysans’ support, the college will be able to provide free design kits to about half the student population that needs them. Al is currently an area executive director for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. He is a past member and past chair of the Iowa State University Alumni Association Board of Directors. Terri works as a strategic accounts manager with WestRock Company, a leading global paperboard and packaging company. She’s an accomplished competitive quilter as well. To read more about the Krysans’ endowment, read the full story at design.iastate.edu/news. Shad Brook (‘06 industrial engineering) has been hired as The Procopio Companies director of operational excellence. In this role, Brook will apply manufacturing principles to Procopio’s construction operations to standardize processes and procedures, ensuring value creation and efficiency are top of mind for continuous improvement.

Fred Cubbage (‘74 forestry), a life member of the ISU Alumni Association, authored the book “Natural Resource Leadership and Management – A Practical Guide for Professionals.” This book examines leadership and management in natural resources, drawing on literature, principles, and the author’s own experiences as a leader and activist.

Deborah Tharnish (‘77 English), a life member of the ISU Alumni Association, has been recognized in the 2022 Chambers USA guide as a leading lawyer in labor and employment. Tharnish is a highly-regarded Iowa litigator with a practice focused on commercial litigation and employment law. She is known for her non-confrontational but direct style, her common sense, and her status as a trailblazer for female attorneys.

Kevin McAdams (‘93 political science), a life member of the ISU Alumni Association, has been appointed president of Perdue Foods and COO of Perdue Farms, which is based in Salisbury, Maryland.