Iowa State University Alumni Association| online edition | fall 2002

FALL 2002
Home

Cover Story:
The Knoll

Feature Story:
Two voices

Departments:
Getting Started
Letters
>>On Campus
Alumni Profile
Association News
Giving
Sports

ON CAMPUS

A tractor for Colby
Progress continues, in spite of severe budget cuts
Fundraising begins for Morrill Hall
ISU receives $21 million grant for substance abuse prevention program
What's your favorite place on campus?
A new dean for College of Business
Ask the Expert: Plant pointers
Alumni return to honor retiring major professor
ISU to host World Food Prize Laureate ceremony
Major Media!

A tractor for Colby (Return to top)

Three-year-old Colby Reams from Ankeny, Iowa, loved the little green tractors that John Deere makes for kids, but he couldn’t ride them because cerebral palsy limits his movements.

So ISU engineering students tackled the challenge, and presented Colby with his own tractor – donated by John Deere and “souped up” by three teams of students, who created a special seat and harness, and developed a steering and wiring system.

The tractor was one of 20 “physical assist” devices developed by nearly 90 engineering students. Also included were a musical exercise bike for a wheelchair-bound teen and an all-terrain walker that allows someone with cerebral palsy to travel over rough ground, carrying a backpack.

Progress continues, in spite of severe budget cuts (Return to top)

There is little question that these are tough times at Iowa State. Operating appropriations have been reduced by over $50 million in the last 18 months, due to the state’s severe tax revenue shortfall. Many programs have been reduced or consolidated, and this year’s budget funds 200 fewer positions.

One of the programs most seriously affected was the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, which lost $1 million, or 86 percent of its funding. The center, which funds research that helps farmers identify and reduce the negative environmental impacts of agricultural practices and develop alternatives, was forced to suspend all new research proposals. The future of the center is uncertain, says director Fred Kirschenmann.

Students are also shouldering the burden of a weak economy. Tuition increased this fall by 18.5 percent. And although administrators originally intended to use tuition increases to raise the level of educational services, it was necessary to use the bulk of the new tuition revenue to offset state cuts and to increase student financial aid.

But progress continues, through leadership, hard work, and the ongoing generosity of alumni and friends. ISU President Gregory Geoffroy solicited a university-wide call for enhancement proposals, and formed a Task Force on Strategic Effectiveness and Budget Priorities to review them. The Task Force recommended 18 projects totaling about $5.6 million. Eight projects were funded, including enhancements to Parks Library’s online resources, an analysis of the risks and benefits of genetically modified agriculture, restructuring College of Design curricula and graduate offerings, increased participation in the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity, enhanced peer-led study groups, an institute that will analyze how scientific advances can improve human welfare, staff resources to monitor and secure biohazardous materials, and permanent funding for the Multicultural Learning Community.

Building projects continue as well, made possible by
private funding and targeted state appropriations. More than $13 million of the new $25 million Gerdin Business College building, scheduled to be completed in October 2003, was donated by private funds. More than half of the $4.7 million 4-H building, scheduled to be completed in the summer of 2003, will be paid for by private gifts, including a $1 million gift from the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation. Additions to Reiman Gardens, including a new conservatory building, have been funded almost entirely by private gifts.

Fundraising begins for Morrill Hall (Return to top)
One of Iowa State’s oldest and most visible buildings may have new life.

In late August, President Gregory Geoffroy announced that there is sufficient interest among potential donors to begin fundraising to finance renovation and reconstruction of Morrill Hall. The ISU Foundation conducted the fundraising feasibility study in the spring and summer.

“It became clear in talking with alumni, potential donors, and friends of the university that Morrill Hall is a special place and serves as a visible reminder of Iowa State’s land-grant heritage,” Geoffroy said. “Based on these conversations, I’m optimistic that people will provide the necessary financial support for Morrill Hall.”

Renovation and reconstruction of the 112-year-old building is estimated to cost $9 million to $10 million. Geoffroy has indicated that private gifts must cover the cost.

“While we believe the potential is there for success, nothing is assured. This represents a significant challenge that I know supporters of Iowa State will enthusiastically embrace,” Geoffroy said.

The plans for a reconstructed Morrill Hall point to several uses: the Center for Teaching Excellence; University Museums’ Art-on-Campus Collection, including the Christian Petersen Collection; and the Center for Visual Learning in Textiles and Clothing. The building also would include a large classroom and commons space.

Built in 1890, Morrill Hall occupies a prominent location on central campus, immediately northeast of Beardshear Hall. It has been unoccupied since 1998, and its condition has deteriorated substantially. However, earlier this year, consultants concluded that while the building has serious problems, it is structurally sound and could be salvaged.

A fund for Morrill Hall has been established, and contributions should be directed to the ISU Foundation, 2505 Elwood Drive, Ames, Iowa, 50010, and designated for Morrill Hall. For additional information, call the ISU Foundation at 515-294-8464. Information also is available at the Iowa State University Web site, www.iastate.edu/morrill.

ISU receives $21 million grant for substance abuse prevention program (Return to top)
What are the ingredients of an effective drug and alcohol prevention education program? Police officers who visit classrooms? Puppets who expound on self-esteem to preschoolers? Scary TV ads?

For years, Iowa State has evaluated various drug prevention programs, and now it has the opportunity to create a program that may serve as a model for the entire country. ISU’s Institute for Social and Behavioral Research (ISBR) has received a $21 million federal grant – the largest in ISU history – from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

One of the most important ingredients of effective drug and alcohol prevention programs, ISU researchers have found, is family involvement. ISU’s five-year program, called PROSPER, will be carried out cooperatively with ISU Extension, and will develop local partnership teams in seven Iowa school districts. The teams will be made up of school leaders, extension staff, parents, community leaders, students, and health and social service providers. Iowa State will collaborate with Pennsylvania State University, and together the two projects will reach 10,000 youth.

What's your favorite place on campus? (Return to top)
Help us choose photos for the 2003-2004 ISU Events Calendar by submitting your vote for the most beautiful, scenic, special, or memorable place on campus. E-mail cgieseke@alumni.iastate.edu and be sure to include your name, address, and graduation year.

A new dean for College of Business (Return to top)
Labh Hira has accepted a three-year term as dean of the Iowa State University College of Business. Hira, a professor of accounting, has served as interim dean of the college since July 2001, when former dean Ben Allen took the reins as interim vice president of external affairs. Allen was recently named interim provost.

Ask the Expert: Plant Pointers (Return to top)
Bring outdoor plants indoor for a healthy fall and winter Iowa State has some of the most knowledgeable experts in the world, on topics from thermodynamics to parenting. We thought you’d like to stay in touch with some of our experts, who will offer advice on topics of general interest. This column begins a new VISIONS service.

Our expert is Cindy Haynes, assistant professor of horticulture and consumer horticulture extension specialist.

Q: USA Today recently identified gardening as the country’s most popular leisure activity, beating out TV-watching! What’s the appeal?
A: Folks are understanding that gardening is good for your body and your spirit. Research shows that gardening can result in lower blood pressure and slower heart rates. Plants are calming.

Q: Why?
A: Maybe because you’re nurturing something that “talks back” by growing and performing. It’s easy to be successful.

Q: Do you have any suggestions about which houseplants to try, for a beginning gardener?
A: Spider plants, peace lilies, and ivies are easy plants to grow, and they can improve indoor air quality. These – as well as most plants – can serve as an air filter for your home. Dieffenbachia are poisonous, so if you have pets or kids, stay away from that one. (A common misconception is that poinsettias are poisonous, but they aren’t.)

Q: How can I interest my kids in houseplants?
A: Buy a Venus flyplant and let your kids feed it dead flies. Or create a terrarium. You might also involve your kids in bringing some of your outdoor plants in for the winter.

Q: Which plants can come in for the winter, and how do I do it?
A: Geraniums, begonias, coleus, and basil will all do well indoors over the winter. To root cuttings, cut a 3-inch stem tip, and remove the lower set of leaves. Put the plant in moist perlite (available at gardening stores) in a paper cup and rubber band a plastic bag over the top, forming a little tent. Keep the tent on for two to four weeks, to keep the plant moist.

Q: When should I bring plants indoors?
A: It can be done at any time, but don’t wait until the last minute before it frosts. If your first attempt fails, you’ll have enough time to try again.

Alumni return to honor retiring major professor (Return to top)
This spring, alumni, faculty, and staff helped celebrate
the retirement of Richard Manatt, university professor of educational leadership and policy studies, who has been dubbed the “granddaddy of major professors.” At the conclusion of his 38-year career at ISU, Manatt had chaired or co-chaired the committees of 175 Ph.D. graduates. Manatt’s mentoring didn’t stop at graduation. He stayed in touch with all of his Ph.D. students, except, of course, for those who had died. Of those he says, “I can tell you where they’re buried.”

Of Manatt’s 175 Ph.D. graduates – a record number in the state and among ISU’s peer institutions – many have chosen similar paths. Forty-nine are college professors, 10 are college department chairs, and one has become a university president.

ISU to host World Food Prize Laureate ceremony (Return to top)
The World Food Prize is the foremost international award recognizing the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity, or availability of the world’s food. In October, more than 2,500 guests are expected to attend the presentation of the $250,000 prize to Pedro Sanchez, at ISU’s Stephens Auditorium.

The prize was created in 1986 by Norman Borlaug,
the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. Laureates have been recognized from around the world, including the United Kingdom, India, Switzerland, Bangladesh, and the United States. Since 1990, the prize has been sponsored by Des Moines businessman and philanthropist John Ruan.

Media Mania! (Return to top)

The accomplishments of ISU were read by millions, when four major news publications picked up on four different stories last spring and summer. The May 28 issue of the New York Times covered the work of Neal Iverson, ISU associate professor of geological and atmospheric sciences, who conducts research under a glacier in Norway; U.S. News and World Report profiled Aiddy Phomvisay, an ISU student pursing a master’s in the College of Education, in the 2003 edition of the magazine’s “Best Graduate Schools,” released in May; Sports Illustrated featured Cyclone wrestler Cael Sanderson in its April 1 issue, calling his 159-0 record the second most impressive college sports feat ever; and in its ongoing feature ZipUSA, National Geographic’s June issue focused on the residents of Friley, Helser, and Westgate halls, an area big enough to have its own zip code.