Class Notes

John Laflen* (’72 Ph.D. ag engr.) has been named the 2007 winner of the John Deere Gold Medal Award. This is a prestigious award and is given for distinguished achievement in the application of science and art to the soil. John lives in Buffalo Center, Iowa.

Ferdinand Chabot* (’67 hort./’75 land. arch.) writes, “This year finds me in my third career. The first one was as a practicing landscape architect. The second was as a U.S. Air Force Civil Engineering Officer. The current career is that of the safety manager at Pioneer Hi-Bred International in Johnston, Iowa. My wife’s and my immediate family has grown to include two daughters, two son-in-laws, four grandsons, and one grand-daughter. We count ourselves as very well blessed! Upkeep on a Queen Anne Victorian home, gardening, and church committees fill my discretionary time. I’ve crammed preparation for RAGBRAI 35 into the discretionary time also. Seeing a restored Morrill Hall at ISU is terrific. I practiced with the ISU symphony orchestra there while a student in 1963-1967.” Ferdinand lives in Newton, Iowa.

Roger Silberstein* (’63 dairy sci.) is currently semi-retired/disabled with crippling arthritis in the hip, neck, and spine, which all started back with his football playing days. For more than 40 years, Roger has owned a small vending company. He has taken care of the Aurora, Iowa, waste-water treatment plant since 1981. Roger is has been married to his second wife, Delia (Philippino) for nine and a half years. She is actively engaged in Hometown Vending’s day-to-day operations, along with helping Roger raise a large vegetable garden and selling its products at a local farmer’s market. Roger has done many things: He was a semi driver for five years, a correctional officer for 16 years at Anamosa, and a farmer for eight years. Roger writes, “Most memorable of them all was being Lowell Walter’s last farm. The greatest asset of my college education was learning the trait of flexibility. I’ve used it many times throughout my working life.” Roger lives in Quasqueton, Iowa.

Mary (Lush) Hausrath* (’46 exp. cooking) and husband, Alfred (Al) Hausrath III* ‘(’47 gen. engr.) write, “Enjoyed our 65th reunion at Gateway in May. Al has assembled a computer report of the three-day event. We were impressed at the jewelry and the furniture-making labs in the Design College. Students and faculty graciously answered all our questions. Intra-college projects at ISU proliferate, a sign of the future. Lita Albuquerque, whose art is in Sweeny hall, is an L.A. friend.” The Mary and Al live in Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.

Alicia (Schiller) Holland* (’02 bot./sci. ed.) married her high school sweetheart, Jarrod Holland, in Key West, Fla., on Dec. 27, 2007. Their wedding was held on the beach at sunset with many family and friends present. Following their vacation with family and friends in Key West, they all headed back to West Point, Iowa, where the newlywed couple lives.

Linda Lucille (Kelley) Galkowski* (’88 soc., ’93 MS) gave birth to a daughter, Taylor Kelley Galkowski, on May 24, 2007. Taylor weighed 7 lbs. 11 oz and was 19 ” long. Taylor is the first and only child of Linda and her husband, John Galkowski. The family lives in San Diego, Calif.

Timothy Greene** (’85 bus. admin.) has been promoted to the director of sales, branded and private label, Century Foods International (a division of Hormel foods.) Tim lives in Onalaska, Wis.

Pamela (Rypkema) Wright** (’84 history/ed.) lives in Virginia with her husband, Andy Wright, and son, Richard Wright. Pam serves as the risk manager for Gallaudet University, a school for the deaf in Washington, D.C.

Carol Pugsley* (’77 ad dsn.) is employed at Wendy’s as grill master, dining hostess, and drive-through window coordinator. Carol sewed a fashionable boat neck dress and completed a 12 x 24 oil and acrylic painting of The Cross, and created some collages. She sang alto in the Baptist Choir at a 4th of July event and has also attended a Beth Moore Bible seminar in Albuquerque. Carol is a current student in an ongoing Bible class and provides tea service for the group. In fall 2007, she attended a He Speaks to Me seminar and attended a walking for fitness exercise class. Carol lives in Carlsbad, N.M.

Neale Zellmer* (’47 elec. engr.) enrolled at Iowa State (with the target of earning a BSEE degree) in early December 1946, shortly after receiving an honorable discharge from the U.S. Army in late November. Neale originally received credit for about two-thirds of his three years of college credits toward a B.A. degree with math and chemistry majors and history & education minors at Upper Iowa University in Fayette, Iowa. Neale earned them before being drafted in October 1942. With a good enough grade-point average, he was invited to join the Eta Kappa NU EE Fraternity and the Phi Kappa Phi, Scholastic Honorary. Neale received a MSEE degree from Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., in 1973. After receiving an offer that was promising as an electronic engineer for Lenkurt Electric, in San Carlos, Calif., and moving there, he met a girl, an elementary school teacher, who was born and raised in western Iowa about 35 miles from the farm where Neale was born and raised. Upon his return to San Diego for their June wedding after she finished that year of teaching, Neale and his wife, Arlene, moved to San Carlos. Arlene got a job with the San Carlos elementary school district, and three years later they bought a new house where they had two sons and 51 happy years of life.

Joseph Stoddard** (’43 engr.) writes, “Aloha from Kauai! In as much as the nearest Alumni Club is several thousand miles away, I always look forward to “VISIONS’! It’s an excellent publication and I particularly enjoyed the spring issue reviewing the past 150 years! Mahalo (Thank you) for all your good work! Should any alums be traveling our way, look me up! We’re in the phone book!” Joe lives in Kapaa, Hawaii

Robert Cooper** (’39 chem. engr.) writes, “Since losing my wonderful wife, Ruth (Deems) Cooper** (’39 txt. cloth.) I have moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, where my son, Dr. James Cooper lives. I have a very nice apartment in Trinity Towers. It turns out to be a great place to live. In October, I sold my home in Charles City, Iowa, but still spend part of the summer in Mercer, Wis. – another great place to be. I’m looking to be 90 in December. I’m a very lucky man and plan to continue for some time.”

Kimberly (Windom) Martinez graduated from the Stanford Graduate School of Business on July 17, 2007 with her MBA. Kim graduated from ISU in 1998 with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering with Honors and Distinction. Kim will be joining DaVita in a general management position later this summer.

M.A., Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1995

Jennifer (Guggisberg) Estochen** (’99 transp./logistics, ’99 MIS) and husband, Brad Estochen** (’97 civil engr., ’99 civil & const. engr.) welcomed twin daughters, Kylie Rose and Neela Marie, on Feb. 17, 2007. Both girls are ready to join their parents, Shih Tzu, Cy, and Aunt Angie Guggisberg (’04 constr eng) at Cyclone football tailgates this fall. Brad and Jen live in Woodbury, Minn. Brad is currently employed by the Minnesota Department of Transportation as a Metro Area Maintenance Operations Engineer. Jen is currently employed by 3M as a supply chain analyst in the Electronics Markets Materials Division.

Courtney (Reyes) Wagler* (’06 child/adult & fam. svcs.) and Michael Wagler* (’06 comm. reg. plan.) were married Oct. 28, 2006 at the Bloomfield United Methodist Church in Bloomfield, Iowa. Courtney is a case manager at the House of Mercy in Des Moines, and Michael is a design consultant with Main Street Iowa in Des Moines. The couple resides in Ankeny, Iowa, with their dog, Jerry.

David Olds** (’02 hotel rest./inst. mgmt, ’04 MS food svc. & lodging mgmt.) has been awarded the Hettie Margaret Anthony Doctoral Fellowship from Kappa Omicron Nu, the national honor society for students in the human sciences. The fellowship recognizes quality scholarship and potential for leadership. David lives in Manhattan, Kan.

Dominick E. Fazarro* (’01 PhD. indus. ed.), associate professor in the industrial technology program at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, received the 2006 National Association of Industrial and Technical Teacher Educators’ (NAITTE) G. Harold Silvius Outstanding Young Teacher Educator Award, which was recently presented at the 2006 Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE) conference in Atlanta. Dominick lives in White Hall, Ariz.

Shelly (Bruening Broich) Richard* (’97 speech comm., ’06 ed.) and husband, Bryce Richard* (’97 hort.) wish to announce the birth of their son, Henry Isaac, and daughter, Macy Elizabeth. The Richards live in Boone, Iowa.

Srikanth Padmanabhan** (’91 PhD. mech. engr.) is now the managing director of a division of Cummins Power Generation headquartered in Stamford, England. Srikanth writes, “We have been in England now for over three years. My wife, Usha, and daughter, Megna, hove moved with me from Tennessee to San Luis Potosi, Mexico, to England.”

Katie (Kingsley) Messerli** (’87 pol. sci., ’87 int’l. stds) and husband, Todd Messerli** (’87 arch.) are the proud parents of a son, Nicholas Peter Alexander Messerli, born Jan. 15, 2007. Katie and Todd live in Golden Valley, Minn.

Mike Orso** (’83 ag. journalism) recently spoke to nearly 200 college and university students at the Alpha Zeta national Agriculture Leadership Conference. The conference’s workshops focused on ethics in agribusiness, shaping the image of agriculture, and developing sound pubic policy. Mike and approximately 20 other employers met students and discussed career opportunities during the NALC’s career and internship fair. Mike lives in St. Louis, Mo.

Timothy Reinert* (’85 ag. bus./acct.) has been named director of accounting for Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Society. As director of accounting, Timothy will oversee Woodmen of the World’s financial transactions, as well as those performed on behalf of Woodmen of the World’s subsidiary companies. Timothy will also be responsible for budget administration, general accounting operations, and financial reporting for Woodmen of the World. He lives in Glenwood, Iowa.

Michael Dombeck** (’84 PhD. ag) was awarded an honorary degree during commencement exercises at Haverford College in Haverford, Pa., May 20, 2007. Michael is the recipient of the prestigious Audubon Medal, the Lady Bird Johnson Conservation Award, and the Presidential Rank – Distinguished Executive Award, the highest award in federal service. He has authored, co-authored, and edited more than 200 scholarly and popular publications, including the book "Watershed Restoration: Principles and Practices," and most recently the book "From Conquest to Conservation: Our Public Lands Legacy." Michael lives in Stevens Point, Wis.

Kyoko Mizuno** (’89 English) was one of six recipients of the Presidential Award for Teaching Excellence. This award is presented to honor outstanding teaching, advising, and administrative skills at Kansas State University. Kyoko lives in Manhattan, Kan.