Standing Forever True

Last September, Iowa State University kicked off the public phase of Forever True, For Iowa State, a campaign to raise $1.1 billion for the university. Alumni and friends have signed on to help lead campaign efforts for the university and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

With a name inspired by the Iowa State Fight Song, the university-wide Forever True campaign will ensure access to an Iowa State education, advance expertise in key areas addressing global challenges and enhance the university’s impact on the economy and quality of life in Iowa and around the world.

These university campaign goals perfectly align with Dean Wendy Wintersteen’s vision for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

“With a world population expected to reach more than 9.6 billion by 2050, the demand for our college’s distinctive strengths in science, education and extension and outreach will be greater than ever in the coming decades,” says Wintersteen.

The campaign will be transformative for the college. The college’s goal of $200 million will support six key areas:

• global agriculture
• biosciences
• student and faculty enrichment
• agricultural business and entrepreneurship
• sustainability
• new innovative facilities for animal agriculture teaching and research

In strengthening these areas, the campaign will ensure the college continues to provide a world-class education that meets the needs of tomorrow’s students.

“Thankfully, our alumni and friends have always been our greatest allies in meeting new goals,” says Wintersteen. “With their help and support, the Forever True campaign will provide a timely opportunity to create a college ready to embrace the future.”

A few of the alumni and donors leading the charge to help the college reach its campaign goal offered their thoughts on the importance of Forever True—and why they choose to be involved.

• “Kathryn and I personally support student scholarships because there’s a lot of need as student enrollment grows. We created funds in areas that are important to us, including scholarships that honor our parents. I was very appreciative of the support I received as a student, and it felt appropriate to give others the same opportunities. The themes and goals of the Forever True campaign come down to supporting the basic tenets of the land-grant mission. The college’s priorities are very much in line with that vision. The campaign is focused on generating funds to maintain and grow our tradition of educational excellence, to support our world-renowned faculty as they conduct top-notch research while teaching and mentoring students and to build facilities that encourage the hands-on learning that makes our students so highly sought by employers. These are world-class objectives.” – Lloyd Bettis, (’70, agricultural journalism), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences campaign committee member and ISU Foundation campaign cabinet member
• “A lot of graduates have a faculty mentor or class they feel made all the difference in getting their careers and lives started. One of the college’s most unique resources, the Ag 450 Farm, is the only completely student-managed farm at a land-grant university in the nation. Ag 450 was the class I valued most because it does such a great job of teaching practical knowledge and teamwork. When it came time to give back, we decided to endow a faculty position for Ag 450. It takes a special faculty member to lead this class— someone with a full range of farm management knowledge, from production to marketing. We wanted to be sure there’s always a top faculty member in that position.” – Jim Frevert (’60 farm operation), College of Agriculture and Life Sciences campaign committee member

Members of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences campaign committee:

• Wendy Wintersteen (’88 PhD entomology), endowed dean, campaign committee chair
• Lloyd Bettis (’70 BS agricultural journalism)*
• Chris (’83 agricultural journalism) and Chuck Cornelius (’83 agronomy)
• Nancy (’72 food science) and Rich Degner (’72 agricultural and life sciences education, ’77 MS agricultural and life sciences education)
• Clare and Jim Frevert (’60 farm operation)
• Howard (’73 MS, ’74 PhD veterinary microbiology and preventative medicine) and Nancy Hill (’74 MS education)
• Owen Newlin (’51 BS agronomy, ’53 MS crop production)*
• Dana Robes (’67 BS dairy science)*
• Roger Underwood (’80 agricultural business)*
• Dana (’87 BS home economics education) and Pete Wenstrand (’74 BS agricultural business)

* Also serving on the university-wide Forever True campaign cabinet