Iowa State University Alumni Association| online edition | winter 2007

WINTER 2007
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Cover Story:
The power of one

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Time to celebrate

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ENDOWMENTS HELP ATTRACT AND RETAIN THE BEST

President Gregory Geoffroy speaks often about the excellence and character of Iowa State’s faculty – the benchmark of what truly makes a great university. Faculty have an impact in every corner of ISU, from research and discovery to inspiring students and providing sound advice.

There is also a trickle-down effect because top-notch faculty attract the best and brightest students, who in turn help to elevate Iowa State’s national and international reputation even more.

Iowa State has recruited some of the best faculty to Ames. But while there are many successes to celebrate, there is also cause for concern. As state support has declined, competition from other universities and industry for ISU faculty has grown more intense.

Faculty support is one of the top priorities for Iowa State’s upcoming comprehensive fundraising campaign that will launch in the fall of 2007. In fact, Geoffroy has said he wants to double the number of endowed positions during the campaign. Attracting and retaining some of the world’s best faculty is a lofty goal, but it is essential because the excellence of Iowa State depends upon it.

Mark Gordon, the Frances M. Craig Chair in Chemistry, is one of Iowa State’s most recently endowed faculty members.

“It is very meaningful that the university chose to recognize me this way. It’s extremely important to me as a member of the faculty, but at the same time, the additional funds provide important flexibility in my research,” Gordon said.

Mike Whiteford, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, emphasized the benefits of private support when it comes to retaining faculty members like Gordon.

“When other institutions want to recruit someone of Gordon’s stature, they’re going to offer endowed professorships. We were able to respond to early initiatives with a position positively, forcefully, and quickly,” Whiteford said.

There are many ways for donors to support ISU faculty, but the most powerful is to create an endowment. This means an initial gift will be invested as a permanent fund – the endowment – and a portion of the annual investment return will be used by the faculty member. The remaining return on the endowment (minus a management fee) is reinvested along with the fund’s principal. Endowments are a way
for alumni to leave legacies in their names or the names of people they want to honor.

Endowed faculty positions provide the highest level of faculty recognition. They help support course development, graduate assistants, laboratory equipment, salary enhancements, professional development, and research projects. Earnings from endowments are like margin of excellence dollars – they provide opportunities that are not typically budgeted for in a college or department.

Faculty support is a critical issue for Iowa State to continue educating the world leaders of tomorrow. For more information about supporting ISU faculty, visit www.foundation.iastate.edu.

SIDEBAR: RECENTLY ENDOWMED FACULTY POSITIONS AT ISU

Iowa State currently has 95 endowed chairs, pro-fessorships, and faculty fellowships. Some of the more recently created faculty positions include:

Brian Gleeson
Alan and Julie Renken Professorship in
Materials Science and Engineering

James K. West (’71 DVM, ’75 MS)
Scott and Nancy Armbrust Professor of
Veterinary Medicine

Malika Jeffries-EL
Gregory L. and Kathleen C. Geoffroy Faculty Fellow

Mark Gordon
Frances M. Craig Chair in Chemistry

Gary Munkvold
Seed Science Endowed Chair

Paula Morrow (’78 Ph.D. sociology)
Max S. Wortman, Jr. Endowed Professorship (management)

Paul Durbin
Martin C. Jischke Professorship in
Aerospace Engineering

About the Writer | Ann Wilson is the director of communications for the ISU Foundation.