Inside Iowa State: Iowa State University

INSIDE IOWA STATE
January 18, 2002

Geoffroy's tour of Iowa continues this semester

by John McCarroll
Who at Iowa State takes a tractor ride, faces tough questions from newspaper editors, recruits high school students, speaks to a Rotary club, meets with legislators and greets alumni and friends all in one day?

President Gregory Geoffroy.

Those are just some of the activities that fill Geoffroy's 10 community visits this year as he gets acquainted with Iowa and Iowans get to know him.

"These visits are extremely valuable to me as I get to meet many of the enthusiastic Iowa State alumni and friends, community leaders, journalists, business leaders and high school students who are thinking about attending Iowa State," Geoffroy said.

To date, Geoffroy has visited Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Sioux City and Waterloo. In the next four months he will visit at least six other communities: Iowa City (Feb. 7), Council Bluffs (Feb. 14), Davenport (March 4), Ottumwa (March 11), Dubuque (April 9) and Mason City (May 6).

During the visits to Waterloo and Cedar Rapids, officials of John Deere and Rockwell Avionics showed Geoffroy how their relationships with Iowa State have benefited both their companies and Iowa State students.

"I saw our graduates conducting valuable research and development work, and learned from both companies what skills they are looking for as they consider hiring Iowa State students," Geoffroy said.

In his speeches to Rotary clubs, Geoffroy emphasizes Iowa State's role in the economic development of Iowa. That role is three-part: educating students, discovering new knowledge and applying that knowledge to improve life in Iowa and elsewhere.

The first person to greet Geoffroy when he arrives in a community in the morning usually is the ISU Extension area director, who drives Geoffroy to many of his stops. Hours later, the visit ends with a reception sponsored by the ISU Alumni Association.

"What a way to end the day," Geoffroy said. "No matter where I am, the room is draped in cardinal and gold and it's full of alumni who really make me feel at home."