Growing up in Ames, Iowa State University was always a part of Katie Cook’s life. She rode her bike around campus and took her dogs and horse to ISU’s Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center.
“I just thought that Iowa State was the most incredible place in the entire world,” Katie (’94) says. After graduating from Ames High School, Katie knew college was the next step. While Iowa State seemed like the natural choice, her mom had a different idea. “My mom believed strongly in creating independence, so she made me go out of state,” she says. “She felt it was really important for me to experience places outside of Ames and Iowa.”
Two-hundred and eighty miles away in central Minnesota, Katie attended St. Cloud State University. But after one year away, she felt called back home.
“I made one of my good friends that I had met at St. Cloud transfer back with me to Iowa State our sophomore year,” Katie says. “She didn’t know anything about Iowa State, but I convinced her we needed to go.”
The two lived together in Elm Hall and pledged sororities. Joining Chi Omega, says Katie, helped her find her place.
“Iowa State is a big campus. [Through my sorority], I made great friends — and those connections lasted not only through college but have continued to grow.” After graduation, Katie left Ames again to start her teaching career in Kansas. Dave was already there working for the University of Kansas.
Katie spent more than 29 years in the field of special education, working in K-12, higher education, and consulting. She has a master’s degree and doctorate in special education with an emphasis on behavior disorder and autism spectrum disorder.
While balancing careers and continuing their education, Katie and Dave expanded their family, welcoming two sons and a daughter.
In 2022, Dave was named president of North Dakota State University, and the couple headed north to Fargo. As first lady, Katie found creative ways to make an impact, including combining her expertise in special education and her passion for horses.
“I helped teach a pilot course [for our secondary education program] that combines instruction about disabilities and special education with hands-on application,” Katie says. “Students apply what they’ve learned working with individuals with disabilities through our equine therapy program.”
While Katie and Dave valued their time at NDSU, they’re honored and excited to return home and experience their alma mater from a new perspective.
“It will be fun for us to bridge our memories of being from Ames and being students at Iowa State to now coming back to the university in a leadership role,” Katie says.
In her role as first lady, Katie is eager to find ways to contribute. “I love working with individuals with disabilities,” she says. “I love learning about agriculture. So, it might mean going to guest lectures to continue learning or volunteering when appropriate.”
Her favorite part of the job, however, (and Dave’s too!) is interacting with students. Katie and Dave plan to continue the tradition of teaching the President’s Leadership Class — a weekly course for 30 first-year students that provides insight into how the university operates and fosters leadership development.
The Cooks will also continue a custom they started at NDSU — connecting with students over a meal.
“We go to the dining halls probably twice a week,” Katie says. “We love it. It’s such a good way to interact with the students on a different level where they will have honest conversations and you get to know them more personally.”
