Alumni News – Spring 2017

CALS Grads Named Statement Makers by the ISU Alumni Association

Four young college alumni were honored by the ISU Alumni Association as “STATEment Makers” for their personal, service, entrepreneurial, business and scholastic achievements .

• Cameron Creighton (’06 industrial technology), product manager, Toyota North America, Torrence, California
• Jenny Lichty (’09 ag and life sciences education, ’14 MS), agricultural educator and FFA adviser, Ballard Community Schools, Huxley, Iowa
• Deepak Premkumar (’14 global resource systems, economics, mathematics), graduate student, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, California
• Joe Sweeney (’13 ag business), CEO, Eagle’s Catch, Ankeny, Iowa

Carlson Honored as Emerging Iowa Leader

Stephanie Carlson (’13 animal science), producer outreach and federal policy director with the Iowa Pork Producers Association received the 2017 Emerging Iowa Leader award during the college-sponsored basketball game on January 21. Carlson serves in the college’s young alumni initiative, Curtiss League, and is an active advocate for Iowa’s agricultural industry.

Barkema Speaks at Hertz Lecture

Alan Barkema, retired senior vice president for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, presented the 2017 Carl and Marjory Hertz Lecture on Emerging Issues in Agriculture April 11 at Iowa State. Barkema’s (’73 farm operation, ’85 MS economics, ’86 PhD economics) presentation “Pursuing Questions:Prospects for the Economy in Agriculture,” is available online at www.stories.cals.iastate.edu.

Ross Selected as Caret Representative 

Kevin Ross, a farmer near Underwood, has been appointed to represent the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach on the Council for Agricultural Research, Extension and Teaching (CARET). Ross (’03 ag studies) is a licensed crop insurance agent for the Home Agency, board officer for Western Iowa Energy, LLC, and serves on the National Corn Growers Association Board.

CALS Alumni, Friends Receive Top Honors from Iowa State

CALS alumni and friends were among those honored by the ISU Alumni Association and ISU Foundation during the annual Distinguished Award Celebration April 7.

• Larry Ebbers (’62 ag and life sciences education, ’68 MS, ’71 PhD higher education), received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the ISU Alumni Association.
• Roy Reiman (’57 ag journalism), chairman of Hexagon Investments and Bobbi Reiman (’06 honorary), received the Order of the Knoll True and Valiant Award from the ISU Foundation.

ISU Residence Hall Houses Named for CALS Alums

Iowa State’s newest residence hall, Geoffroy Hall, opened for students at the beginning of January. The hall includes two houses named for college alumni.

• Lauro Cavazos (’54 PhD genetics), professor of public health and community medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine. He formerly served as U.S. Secretary of Education and president of Texas Tech University.
• Larry Ebbers (’62 ag and life sciences education, ’68 MS, ’71 PhD education), emeritus University Professor in the Iowa State University School of Education and former coordinator of residence life.

ASFMRA National Honors to CALS Dean, Alumnus

The American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA) has honored agricultural and life sciences endowed dean, Wendy Wintersteen (’88 PhD entomology) with the Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award. Richard Pringnitz (’85 farm operation), accredited farm manager and rural appraiser with Hertz Farm Management, was honored by ASFMRA and Syngenta as 2016 Professional Farm Manager of the Year.

Carriquiry Named to Academy of Medicine 

Alicia Carriquiry, a Distinguished Professor of statistics, was elected to the National Academy of Medicine. During her 26-year career, Carriquiry (’86 MS statistics, ’89 PhD statistics, animal science) has developed statistical methods to better measure food consumption. Her work also has focused on evaluation of Veterans Affairs mental health services.

Mellion-Paton Named Vice Chancellor

Dawn Mellion-Patin (’95 PhD ag and life sciences education) has been appointed vice chancellor for extension and outreach by the Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension Center. She has served the institution since 2003 as an ag specialist and associate specialist in agriculture for the cooperative extension program.

Kolison Appointed Executive Vice President and Provost

Stephen Kolison (’86 MS forestry, ’90 PhD) has been appointed executive vice president and provost for the University of Indianapolis. In his role, Kolison will lead more than 550 faculty for the university, which boasts an enrollment of more than 6,500 undergraduate and graduate students and is ranked among the top Midwest Universities by U.S. News and World Report.