University Awards

Professor and chair, the earth, atmosphere and climate; Smith Family Foundation Chair in Geology

• Secured a $2.2 million donation to create the climate science major, enhancing the department's academic offerings and attracting national attention.
• Guided the process of blending the needs of the geology and meteorology programs and updating the department's governance document.
• Hired the first tenure-track faculty member in meteorology in nearly 30 years.
• Increased recruitment efforts in the meteorology program, resulting in a rise in the number of majors from 100 to 127.
• Instituted a professional development program in which all department faculty receive $2,000 annually.

Greenwood Department Chair and professor, civil, construction and environmental engineering

• Led the initiative to create a master plan for the Town Engineering Building, a $33 million project to expand and renovate teaching, research, collaboration and office spaces, and is working with the ISU Foundation to privately fund it.
• Leveraged multiple funding options to renovate labs and replace or refurbish lab equipment.
• Created a positive climate in the department by modeling inclusiveness and service to others.
• Shepherded a new degree program, environmental engineering, through the approval process, adding faculty and redeploying resources to help it succeed. 
• Increased the percentage of female faculty members in the department from 26% to 38% and underrepresented minority faculty from zero to 6%.
• Played a critical role in expanding the construction engineering hall of fame to the entire department and honoring distinguished alumni.

Professor and chair, animal science; and Lloyd L. Anderson Endowed Professor in Physiology

• Led the creation, with the College of Veterinary Medicine, of the Production Animal-Veterinary Early Acceptance Program, enabling a group of animal science students to be accepted to the VM college after their first undergraduate year.
• Deployed the Animal Science Student Success Center, incorporating peer tutors, mentors and teaching assistants to support academic growth and student well-being.
• Facilitated the initial meetings and visioning process for a successfully funded $8.5 million research proposal to the National Pork Board. Multiple ISU departments and four other universities will share the funds.
• Reestablished the animal science external advisory board to enhance communication and collaboration with stakeholders.
• Oversaw completion of the Stanley L. Balloun Turkey Teaching and Research Facility, generated external research funding and created a partnership between West Liberty Foods and ISU Dining for turkey in campus dining centers.

Program specialist (graduate student recruitment), civil, construction and environmental engineering

• Envisioned and coordinated a week-long virtual recruitment event for graduate students in the department, resulting in an increase in graduate enrollment the last two years. 
• Developed an FAQ for prospective students that included broader university information relevant in a graduate school decision.
• Designed and implemented an orientation and seminar series for new graduate students to help with their transition to graduate school.
• Was among the first department employees to complete mental health first aid and the first volunteer on the department's response team for instances of student mental stress. 
• Nomination letter: "Dawn's exemplary dedication to student welfare is evident in her proactive efforts to support distressed students by connecting them with appropriate resources and advocating for their holistic wellbeing."

Associate professor, civil, construction and environmental engineering; and W.A. Klinger Teaching Professor

• Pursued training through Quality Matters in diversity, equity and inclusion concepts and implements its principles and lessons in her courses. One of the first ISU faculty to get a course QM-certified (2019).
• Published research related to retaining female students in construction engineering and construction management.
• Helped found and advises the construction engineering women's group.
• Serves on diversity-focused committees at all levels of the university (department, college, center) and in external organizations (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology) to create environments where all can succeed.
• Has a long history of mentoring underrepresented students in her department.
• Helped establish a job shadowing program for female and minority students in 2006 (when 6% of department students identified as female).

Director, multicultural student success, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

• Directs the BOLD (Bridging Opportunities in Leadership and Diversity) learning community and revised its curriculum to emphasize mental health care, innovation and entrepreneurship, and experiential learning opportunities.
• In 2018, founded the Coalition of Black Male Students, a universitywide support group for Black male students.
• Instituted Multicultural Student Night for all LAS students -- monthly social opportunities such as bowling, movie night or Halloween party.
• Serves as team leader for the yearlong ISCORE/NCORE experiential learning project for undergraduates.
• Received the 2023 George Jackson Award for Outstanding Support of TRIO program
• Works to identify internship and job opportunities for multicultural students.

Professor, animal science; and Morrison Chair in Meat Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

• Sustained contributions in international service for more than 20 years, starting in the late 1990s.
• Introduced new U.S. food inspection standards to audiences in Japan and Singapore in the late 1990s.
• Served, by invitation, on two risk assessment joint panels of the World Health Organization/United Nations' Food Agriculture Organization related to salmonella in meat and in poultry.
• Chairs the U.S. delegation for the International Standards Organization, which provides the country's response to proposed revisions or new standards related to food safety.
• Served on two different delegations (United States, Institute of Food Technologists) to the international Codex Committee on Food Hygiene
• Teaches portions of short course offered by the ISU Meat Laboratory, which have a global audience.

Professor, history

• Implemented several programs and seminars to help students succeed in the classroom and develop leadership and presentation skills.
• Collaborated with colleagues to develop a required course, Historian's Toolbox, on the purpose and methodology of history to better prepare students for their capstone coursework. 
• Mentors undergraduate students pursuing research projects for presentation at conferences and the regent universities' Research in the Capitol. 
• Encourages and supports students in pursuing leadership positions, graduate degrees and other goals. 
• Helped create the Undergraduate Lounge on the sixth floor of Ross Hall to support students and foster relationships among history majors. 

Data analyst, career services, College of Engineering (nominated for her efforts in her former position as coordinator of career services, Ivy College of Business)

• Implemented new technologies, programs and practices to improve job-seeking skills and career outcomes for students. 
• Collaborated with colleagues across campus to boost student leadership opportunities through a partnership with the Forte Foundation, which focuses on helping women find careers in business.
• Served as advisor for the Collegiate Women in Business, a 100+ member Ivy student organization, and led a student trip to engage with business and industry.
• Coached and advised more than 700 finance and business economics students on career decisions. 
• Used team-based and flipped-classroom teaching techniques to help students develop business professional skills. 

ISU Student Centered Learning Workshop Team

(l-r)  Laura Bestler, program specialist, Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT); Paul Hengesteg, data analyst, CELT; Sara Marcketti, Morrill Professor, apparel, events and hospitality management; assistant provost and executive director, CELT; Tony Dirth, director, recreation services; Kristen Sievert, director, counseling services; Brian Vanderheyden, director, student wellness; and Erin Baldwin, associate vice president for health services and director, Thielen Student Health Center

• Designed an annual workshop focused on evidence-based teaching practices to improve student-centered instruction. 
• Created example opportunities for faculty to embed student well-being into their classrooms and other learning environments. 
• Collaborated with colleges, departments and units across campus to ensure content is impactful for all students. 
• Contributes to scholarship on student-centered learning practices and shared resources at national and international conferences. 
• Extends opportunities for graduate students to receive similar tools and instruction to help them become more effective teachers. 

Professor, English; co-coordinator, MFA program in creative writing and environment

• Organizes the Emerging Writers series, annual writers retreat near Lake Okoboji and many college events to benefit his students.
• Received the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences' Award for Excellence in Graduate Mentoring (2021).
• A decade-long alumni chain holds Cook accountable for their multifold successes.
• Provides exemplary mentoring in a healthy learning environment.
• Served on 36 MFA thesis committees, 29 as major professor (novels, story collections, creative nonfiction, poetry and hybrid projects). 
• Nomination letter: "Provides graduate students with the resources and tools they need to succeed as instructors in the classroom and writers in the world."

Associate professor, biochemistry, biophysics, and molecular biology

• Offers graduate students opportunities to train and mentor less experienced members of the group, and to participate in peer reviews to become familiar with that process.
• Received numerous awards including Camille Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award (2019), College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Award for Mid-Career Achievement in Research (2019) and ISU McNair Program Faculty Mentor of the Year (2022).
• During weekly group meetings, provides input to all members on experimental aspects, presentations.
• Makes time for ongoing discussions with her students about what's next for them, for example a post-doc versus industry position.
• Put in extra time and effort during the COVID pandemic (even though her lab was closed) to keep graduate students' work moving to completion.
• Fosters both professional and personal connections (birthday, holiday gatherings) with her graduate students for an inclusive science environment.

Academic advisor, landscape architecture

• A dedicated team player who routinely takes on additional responsibilities and goes above and beyond to meet student needs.
• Coordinates several programs including the College of Design's new student orientation, high school summer camps and three learning communities. 
• Recognized for sincerity and compassion when working with students as they navigate curriculum requirements and course registration. 
• Serves as an indispensable resource to faculty and other advisors on policies and rules.
• Twice visits the department's six-week Savanna Studio (Canada to Texas exploration) to respond to student questions and needs.
• Nomination letter: "Mindy has consistently demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the well-being and achievement of students under her guidance. Her responsiveness is remarkable, ensuring that students always feel heard, valued and supported in their academic pursuits."

Academic advisor, social sciences unit, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

• Uses her vast knowledge of the curriculum, policies and procedures to ensure the LAS college provides a welcoming and supportive environment for students.
• Co-chairs the University Academic Advising Council and is active in national organizations for the advising community.
• Takes a lead role in Experience Iowa State visits for the psychology department and recruits, trains and schedules its student ambassadors.
• Nomination letter: "I will surely never forget the impact that Grace has had on my college experience. This experience has been a rollercoaster, but Grace hops on with me for each ride ... Not only does she help me pursue my interests, but she also provides practical advice that helps me think through each option with appropriate discernment.”

Teaching professor, biomedical sciences

• Developed a graduate course in cadaver-based human anatomy for the department's non-thesis master's program, which significantly enhanced student learning outcomes.
• Collaborated with colleagues at the University of Iowa to secure human donors for a state-of-the art cadaver lab he helped design.
• Expanded the cadaver-based curriculum to create a popular undergraduate human anatomy course that consistently receives exceptional student ratings and quickly fills its 50-student cap.
• Received a university Teaching Innovation Award in 2020 for quickly pivoting to online instruction during the pandemic while maintaining high-quality and rigorous material in the human gross anatomy lab.
• Partnered with kinesiology faculty to offer a summer 2024 course for master's students in the athletic training program.
• Tracks the performance of former students now studying in professional programs to assess whether his courses effectively prepare them for advanced human and veterinary anatomy courses.

Associate teaching professor, world languages and cultures

• Created an experimental course, French 107x (Intensive Beginning French) in 2020, an accelerated course that covers the beginner level in one semester to recruit more students into the stream of French language courses. Enrollment has more than doubled since then.
• Serves as convener of the department's French section and its American Sign Language section, assuring ASL courses continue to be offered.
• Formed and chairs a committee that's reevaluating course materials used in introductory and intermediate French language courses. 
• Continually studies and masters new teaching methods and techniques, including Communicative Language Teaching approaches and the flipped classroom model.
• Created the Polyglot Club in 2019 and served as its advisor until 2022, promoting language learning and cultural exchange among students.
• Nomination letter: "She excels in creating a warm, welcoming, inclusive and enriching classroom environment in which her students are 'front-and-center.'"

Professor, veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine; and Scott and Nancy Armbrust Professor in Veterinary Medicine

• Created and instructed a menu of five courses in the professional curriculum, including Intro to Animal Welfare and the clinical animal welfare two-week rotation (which draws students from veterinary colleges across the country).
• Developed a graduate course (Animal Welfare Science and Research) for the Ph.D. program in Population Sciences in Animal Health, consistently attracting graduate students from several ISU departments.
• Transformed the college's animal welfare program into one of the most regarded programs in North America.
• Led the development of the Iowa Farm Animal Care Initiative to prevent neglect in farm animals, providing students with hands-on experience in animal welfare issues.
• Appointed co-chair of the Model Animal Welfare Curriculum Working Group at the American Veterinary Medical Association, setting national standards for animal welfare education.
• Serves as advisor to the college's Animal Welfare Club and student chapter of the American Veterinary Society for Animal Behavior.

Assistant professor, chemical and biological engineering

• Excels at teaching three foundational chemical engineering courses (ChE 210, ChE 310, and ChE 421), averaging 4.7/5 in teaching evaluations.
• Students presented him with the "Most Enthusiastic Instructor" award at the department awards banquets (2021, 2022).
• Took the initiative to develop a new series of ChE 210 reflection assignments in response to a department review of several years of student outcomes.
• Proactively creates team environments and facilitates interactions in the classroom that yield group learning outcomes and are replicated by other faculty.
• Mentored the research of nearly 20 undergraduate students through ChE 290/490 research experiences.
• Adopted an "I do, we do, you do" format in which he integrates learned concepts into examples that require progressively more independence of students. 

Assistant teaching professor, management and entrepreneurship

• Receives great evaluations in the several sections he teaches of the college's core course in ethical and responsible management (MGMT 372), though his Ph.D. is in sociology with an emphasis in health and healing systems.
• Learns all students' faces and names within a few class meetings.
• Received a 5.0 instructor rating from every responding student in a large MGMT 372 section, 78% of whom responded.
• Advises students with honors projects and independent studies in healthcare management.
• Serves as faculty advisor for two ISU Clubs: Women's Lacrosse and Healthcare Management.
• Organized and leads a Teaching Club for the management department faculty.

Associate professor, civil, construction, and environmental engineering

• Developed or co-developed the first three courses in the new (fall 2020) environmental engineering major, including a learning community and introduction to research, and two of the required upper-level courses.
• Mentored dozens of undergraduates in research projects involving laboratory measurements and field experiments.
• Makes time to talk with students, especially women and underrepresented students, about careers, internships, course plans and other issues.
• Emphasizes teamwork-building and excitement for the major among primary learning outcomes.
• Received the Outstanding Teaching in Environmental Engineering and Science award from the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (2021).
• Student letter of support: "The emphasis on creativity, teamwork and problem solving gave me greater confidence in my ability to collaborate with various teams and tackle higher-level challenges. This has given me practical skills applicable to my future career."

University Professor, biochemistry, biophysics, and molecular biology; and Roy J. Carver Chair of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology

• Led groundbreaking research on immune response, significantly advancing cancer therapies to treat leukemia and lymphoma more effectively. 
• Secured more than $11 million in research funding, including the longest-running single investigator National Institutes of Health award at Iowa State. The grant, active since 1999, has brought more than $7.5 million to the university.
• Provided critical insights into the mechanisms of drug resistance in cancer therapy, impacting the development of new treatments.
• Collaborated with international researchers, enhancing global understanding of immune cell function and signaling.
• Authored 68 research papers in prestigious journals such as Nature, Science and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, sharing valuable insight for other research programs. 

Professor, agronomy; and Pioneer Distinguished Chair in Maize Breeding; and director, Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding

• Pioneered the application of genomic selection in plant breeding, which led to the development of high-yield, disease-resistant and climate-resilient crops.
• Developed a model for genome-wide association studies, solving a long-standing problem in genome-wide association analysis and becoming a widely used method in various research areas.
• Demonstrated a global, cost-effective strategy for assessing valuable germplasm in gene banks, enhancing gene bank germplasm use and renewing discussions on global crop diversity for food security.
• Uncovered the first case of a domestication triangle, showing the interaction between human genetics, sorghum genetics and the environment in influencing the proportion of tannin sorghums grown in Africa.
• Secured a total of $34 million in grant funding, with $7.7 million directly supporting his research program, placing him at the top level in his research area.

Associate professor, veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine; and Roy A. Schultz Professor in Swine Medicine

• Established the swine disease epidemiology research group, FieldEpi, considered one of the top groups in North America and the world.
• Developed novel and sensitive methods for Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus surveillance, significantly improving the accuracy and timeliness of detection for the most important disease pork producers face.
• Published more than 75 peer-reviewed manuscripts in prestigious journals.
• Secured approximately $12 million in research funding through 93 grants and contracts.
• Led the process to develop the department's Ph.D. program (2018), Population Sciences in Animal Health, which has graduated 11 and has 20 current students.
• Nomination letter: "His work has changed the way the swine industry monitors farms and makes health decisions."

Associate professor, political science; and Dean's Professor, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

• Awarded the Andrew Carnegie Fellowship for high-caliber research in the social sciences and humanities (2020-22), Iowa State's only recipient to date.
• Published four books and 35 peer-reviewed journal articles, showcasing a prolific and impactful research career spanning just 13 years.
• Received the Theda Skocpol Prize for emerging scholars in comparative politics from the American Political Science Association, recognizing her as the best emerging scholar of comparative politics.
• Awarded two fellowships recognized as prestigious by the American Association of Universities: the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars fellowship (2020) and the Luce/American Council of Learned Societies fellowship in religion, journalism and international affairs (2019).
• Invited to present research at Harvard University, Columbia University, University of Chicago, The Ohio State University, University of Minnesota, Notre Dame and others.

Professor, chemical and biological engineering; and Richard C. Seagrave Professor, chemical and biological engineering

• Led pioneering research on combining fermentation and electrocatalysis to convert biomass sugars into high-value chemicals.
• Published 94 peer-reviewed articles cited more than 7,200 times.
• Secured 14 patent applications (nine granted and five pending) for innovative chemical processes and materials.
• Hosted 52 undergraduates in his lab, 61% of whom represent underserved communities in STEM.
• Received $11 million in external funding as part of 26 competitive grants.

Assistant professor, civil, construction and environmental engineering

• Since joining the Iowa State faculty in 2019, has collaborated on 22 research projects.
• Established as an emerging leader nationally in utility engineering, the interactions between underground utilities (fiber optic, electric, gas lines) and highway infrastructure.
• Secured more than $8 million in research funding ($3 million allocated to Iowa State), primarily from federal agencies.
• Published 16 peer-reviewed articles, 12 books or book chapters, 12 conference papers and 15 panel- or peer-reviewed reports.
• Presented more than 30 seminars and presentations, and more than 20 conference presentations, including invited talks and webinars.

Assistant professor, biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology

• Established himself as a leader in coronavirus research.
• Published seven research articles as corresponding author and 11 total articles in top journals (Science, Nature Communications, Nucleic Acids Research) since coming to Iowa State in 2021.
• His discoveries about the virus structure and behavior provides the basis for the design of new drugs to treat COVID-19 infections and future vaccines.
• Invited to participate in regional partnerships, such as the Midwest Antiviral Drug Discovery Center, where he can demonstrate his expertise.
• Secured $3.2 million in research funding from the National Institutes of Health, including a Maximizing Investigators' Research Award.
• Received Iowa State's Postdoctoral Mentoring Award (2023).

RegenPGC Team (Regenerating America's Working Landscapes to Enhance Natural Resources and Public Goods through Perennial Groundcover)

Daniel Andersen, associate professor, agricultural and biosystems engineering (Extension Theme Leader); Cynthia Bartel, research scientist, agronomy; Amani Elobeid, teaching professor, economics, and Ron and Lynn Deiter Endowed Chair for Sustaining Excellence in Ag Business; Shuizhang Fei, professor, horticulture; Susana Goggi, professor, agronomy; Amy Kaleita, professor and chair, agricultural and biosystems engineering; Anne Kinzel, project deputy director, agricultural and biosystems engineering; Thomas Lubberstedt, professor, agronomy, and K.J. Frey Chair in Agronomy; Marshall McDaniel, associate professor, agronomy; Ken Moore, Distinguished Professor, agronomy; and Raj Raman, project director and Morrill Professor, agricultural and biosystems engineering

• Working to establish year-round groundcover on working lands the norm for Midwestern agriculture. 
• Hosted hands-on field days to inform farmers of benefits of perennial ground cover.
• Engaged with the agriculture commercial sector to create a stakeholder advisory board, on-farm trials and research partnerships.
• Mentoring graduate students on the impact of each step of the project to establish relationships that will benefit students in the future.

Manager of research, agricultural and biosystems engineering

• Leads the Daily Erosion Project, one of the largest and technologically sophisticated, real-time soil erosion research programs in the world.
• Invited regularly by the Natural Resources Conservation Service and U.S. Department of Agriculture to present his soil erosion research at USDA-centric Soil and Water Conservation workshops.
• Funded his own position since 2010 with research funds -- $7.8 million as a PI or co-PI for 24 grant projects.
• Published 24 peer-reviewed journal articles, 18 refereed conference proceeding articles and 16 research reports of his funded completed projects.
• Taught interdepartmental courses, GIS Programming and Automation (2012-23), Introduction to Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis (2016-current), and Survey of Remote Sensing Technologies (2023-).
• Served on 17 M.S. and seven Ph.D. committees since 2015, and as a co-major professor for two M.S. and three Ph.D. students.

Professor, chemical and biological engineering; and Mary Jane Skogen Hagenson and Randy L. Hagenson Professor in Chemical and Biological Engineering

• Developed biobased products to extend the life and reduce the environmental impact of asphalt and concrete roads and lots, significantly contributing to the Cultivation Corridor in Central Iowa.
• Constructed a $5.5 million pilot plant at the BioCentury Research Farm, producing nearly 100 tons of demonstration material and proving the viability of soy oil-based asphalt binders in projects across 10 states.
• Founded SoyLei Innovations (2020) to license and commercialize technologies developed at Iowa State, resulting in more than $2.5 million in sales and 14 new jobs.
• Listed as inventor on more than 70 patents and patent applications.
• Invited to the U.S. Capitol to lead a two-hour briefing (February 2024) on the sustainability and economic advantages of his team's technologies.

Director, engineering services, Center for Industrial Research and Service

• Leads CIRAS' engineering services team and the Iowa Technology Assistance Program, which has resulted in nearly $500 million in reported financial results among more than 1,000 companies.
• Developed and leads the Digital Manufacturing Lab (supported by Alliant Energy), providing resources to help Iowa businesses adopt new technologies and improve productivity.
• Implemented programs at CIRAS (such as the Technology Assistance Program) that generated results 10 times its state funding stream.
• Guided a local supply chain for face shields during the COVID-19 pandemic, supporting Iowa's manufacturing sector in a time of crisis.
• Assists undergraduate students through internships and supports K-12 STEM programs such as FIRST Lego League and Manufacturing Day, contributing to future workforce development.

Thomas Lubberstedt, professor, agronomy; and K.J. Frey Chair in Agronomy 
Ursula Frei, research scientist, agronomy

• Granted two patents in plant breeding, with a third pending.
• Disclosed nine haploid inducer technologies (reduces the number of chromosomes in an offspring after fertilization) to ISU's Office of Innovation Commercialization.
• Created haploid inducer lines for maize, enabling rapid development of high-yielding, disease-resistant varieties, that 17 companies worldwide have licensed.
• Accelerated the breeding and production of corn varieties to address challenges of feeding a growing global population with affordable, high-quality food.
• Discovered germplasm with a higher rate of spontaneous haploid genome doubling. This increases the efficiency of plant breeding programs and could lead to better crop varieties that are more environmentally friendly.