Class Notes

Maren Hess Engelmohr* (‘87 arch.) has joined Forum Studio, Inc., which is a full-service architecture, interiors, graphic design, and planning collaborative. Maren will share leadership responsibilities for Forum’s interiors group. She lives in St. Louis, Mo.

Julie Hawkins* (’81 home ec. journalism) has just had her first novel, A Beckoning Hellfire, published. During the bloody American Civil War, the stark reality of death leads one young man on a course of revenge that takes him from his quiet farm in northern Alabama to the horrific battlefields of Virginia and Pennsylvania. A haunting look at the human side of one of America’s most tragic conflicts, A Beckoning Hellfire speaks to the delusion of war’s idealism. Julie lives in Longmont, Colo.

Nathan P. Klinge* (’07 arch.) was recognized by the American Institute of Architects with the Award of Merit as Runner-Up in the Gondola Design competition Oct. 8 at the 2007 Design on the Delaware Conference. The Gondola Design Competition was intended to develop a prototype for the fabrication of new freestanding merchandise display structures for the AIA Bookstore and Design Center in Philadelphia, Pa. Of the submissions, three designs were recognized. Nathan lives in Ames.

Robert Hensley* (’06 PhD. HDFS) writes: “Tammy and I were married on June 17, 2006 in Mandan, N.D.” Career-wise, Robert is now the assistant professor of psychology at the College of Saint Scholastica in Duluth, Minn.

Juan R. Guardia* (’06 PhD. ed.) received the Richard McKaig Outstanding Doctoral Research Award sponsored by the Center for the Study of the College Fraternity at the annual meeting of the Association of Fraternity Advisors. The award carries a cash prize of $1,000 and recognizes an outstanding doctoral dissertation completed by an individual recently completing his or her doctorate. Juan lives in Tallahassee, Fla.

Michael R. Mischnick** (’01 chem. engr.) is one of six new associates at the Fish & Richardson P.C. Michael is an associate in the firm’s Litigation Group. Prior to becoming a lawyer, he was a patent agent for the Beem Patent Law Firm in Chicago. Michael received his J.D. in 2007 from the University of Minnesota Law School, where he was a Research and Managing Editor of the Minnesota Law Review. Michael is admitted to practice in Minnesota and before the United States Patent and Trademark Office. He lives in Apple Valley, Minn.

Murray Leith** (’92 mgmt.) was hired in August 2007 as director of public relations strategy for Turner Entertainment Networks, a part of Turner Broadcasting System in Atlanta. Murray lives in Decatur, Ga.

Gregory L. Cote** (’83 biochem.) was recently named as a recipient of a President’s Call to Service award for volunteer work with the Boy Scouts of America. He was also named as a recipient of a USDA award for Superior Efforts in Technology Transfer for his research team’s role in developing a low-glycemic sweetener in collaboration with Cargill Corp.

Linda (Rieck) Compton* (’82 food sci., food nutr.) has joined the nation’s largest turkey producing company, Butterball, LLC, as the director of consumer affairs. Linda lives in Cary, N.C.

Karen (Ackerman) Witter* (’76 zool.) received the Order of the Pearl award from national Kappa Delta Sorority in recognition of outstanding contributions to society at the national, state, or local level. Karen received the award at the Kappa Delta National Convention in Indian Wells, Calif., in June 2007. Karen was a member of the Iowa State Sigma Sigma Chapter of Kappa Delta. She lives in Springfield, Ill.

James (Jim) R. Dean* (’74 forestry) has been with the Boy Scout organization for seven years. James is in his fourth assignment and has been the council finance director. James has also served the three districts—one as a district executive and two as a district director. James was transferred to Paragould, Ark., from Little Rock to serve the Cherokee district of the Quapaw Area Council as its district director. James lives in Paragould, Ark.

Tom Devine* (’73 indus. engr.) has been involved in project engineering/project management work most of his career, including the last two years in Russia. More than half of his time in Russia has been spent in two locations in Siberia, with the remainder in Moscow.

Jeff Wilcke* (’78 DVM) received the American Academy of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics Teaching Award. Jeff was recognized for over twenty years of devotion to teaching veterinary professional and graduate students and his many contributions to clinical pharmacology. Jeff lives in Blacksburg, Va.

Madolyn Johnson** (’66 mod. lang.) received the “Woman with Drive” Award at the 4th Annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business. Madolyn lives in Itasca, Ill.

James Schmeling, J.D., Iowa 1999, BA, Iowa State, 1997, has recently taken a position as Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director of the Burton Blatt Institute at Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY. He left his position as Interim Co-Director of the Law, Health Policy & Disability Center at the University of Iowa College of Law and moved to Manlius, NY to assume his new position in June, 2007. He has also been an adjunct professor of law at the University of Iowa College of Law since April, 2007.

David Roskos-Ewoldsen** ('83 speech communication) is the founding editor of professional journal, Communication Methods and Measures (Routledge/Taylor & Francis), 2007. David lives in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Janie Crosmer ** ('93 community health. ed.) and husband, Scott Clifford ('94 graphic dsn.) welcome the birth of their daughter, Kaitlynn Kristine Crosmer Clifford on October 30, 2007. Kaitlynn was 5 lbs., 6.9 oz and was 18 1/2 inches long. Janie and Scott live in Flower Mound, Texas.

Cesar Vega** ('94 sp. comm.) graduated from North Park University of Chicago with an M.B.A. - Management in 1998. There, he met is wife, Juanita (Martinez) Vega and they were married in Mt. Prospect, Illinois on June 25, 1999. In 2003, they welcomed the birth of their daughter Sophia Michele and in 2005 their son Daniel Ricardo. Cesar continues to work as the sales manager for the Latin America Region for F.C.P.A. Cesar and his family reside in Crystal Lake, Ill. and look forward coming back to ISU for Homecoming every year.

Kevin Connolly** ('87 earth sci.) celebrates a double adoption on October 9th, 2007, with his wife Kerry. We adopted each other's children. Kerry adopted my 6 yr. old son Joe, and I adopted her 18 yr. old daughter Candice. Added to the mix is my 11 yr. old daughter Kathleen, who has a new half sister, and we're one big happy family!! The Connolly's live in Johnston, Iowa.

Robert Keyt** ('72 comp. sci.) was a resident in the off-campus German-speaking Das Haus in academic year 1971-1972. Robert lives in Tallahassee, Fla.

Juaquetta Holcomb* ('77 home ec. ed.) and husband, Jay Holcomb* (76 elec. engr.) moved to the Spokane area January 2005, after 27 years in Waeca, Minnesota. Jay is with Itron and I have my own business selling my handspun yarns. Our son graduated from ISU in business management information systems, summer 2006. He has a real job with Lands End. Our daughter graduated from Kirkwood Community College, 2005 with a degree in equestrian science. She is living in Bozeman Montana.

Matthew Capo** ('85 sp. comm.) opened the second clinic for Accelerated Physical Therapy and Occupational Health, Inc. in Diamondhead, Mississippi in Sept. 2007. Our first clinic in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi was wiped out by Hurricane Katrina but has been rebuilt and re-opened Februay 2007. We have plans for a third clinic to be opened by summer 2008 in Biloxi, Mississippi. On a personal note, the house destroyed in Katrina was rebuilt and we are thrilled! We have four children, Kyle-age 6, Adisson-age 4, Hailey-age 2 and Mallory-age 1. The Capo family lives in Diamondhead, Miss.

It's hard to find ISU games on the radio or TV here in Ohio, but it doesn't mean the Iowa/Iowa State game isn't important. This is what happens when an Iowa fan goes on vacation over game weekend. Decoration by Scott Little (ChE '07), photo by Jonathan Marvin (Micro, PolS '04). Go CYCLONES!

Dianna Mishler* ('77 txt. clo.) and Richard Colgan ('69 ind. engr.) were married on June 9, 2007 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Solon, Iowa. Dianna is a 4-H County Youth Coordinator at the Johnson County ISU Extension Office in Iowa City. Richard is the Human Resources Director at Oral B Laboratories in Iowa City. After a honeymoon in San Francisco, the couple resides in Iowa City.

Jessie (Leidigh) Streit* ('03 elem. ed.) wed on August 5, 2006 to Luke Streit* ('03 ag. engr.) in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The couple enjoyed a "Cyclone Tailgating" themed rehearsal dinner, attended by many ISU alumni and supporters! The couple now reside in Waukee, Iowa. Luke is a project engineer with the Ken Bratney Company in Urbandale and Jessie is a special education teacher with the West Des Moines Community School District.