Inside Iowa State

March 11, 2005

Alumni, friends will receive top awards April 8

by Diana Pounds

Ten individuals and a corporation will receive the top awards for Iowa State University alumni and friends during a public ceremony Friday, April 8. The Distinguished Awards Ceremony will feature the presentation of several university awards, given through both the ISU Alumni Association and the ISU Foundation.

The Distinguished Achievement Award will be presented to four alumni who are nationally and internationally recognized for contributions to their professions or life's work. Honorees are:

• Lloyd Lee Anderson, Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in Agriculture at Iowa State. Anderson, internationally known for his research in neuroendocrine regulation of growth and reproduction in farm animals, will be honored for contributions to animal agriculture and service to humanity.
• Stanley Howe, chairman emeritus of the office furniture manufacturer HNI Corporation, Muscatine. Howe will be honored for business leadership and supporting economic and community development in Iowa. He and his wife Helen provided the leadership gift that launched Iowa State's Engineering Teaching and Research Complex (ETRC). Howe Hall is named in their honor.
• Michael Nettles, vice president of the Policy Evaluation and Research Center, Educational Testing Service, Princeton, N.J. Nettles, nationally known for research in educational assessment, will be cited for leadership in improving education programs.
• Bruce Roth, vice president of chemistry at Pfizer Global Research and Development. Roth, Plymouth, Mich., invented atorvastatin, better known as Lipitor, a widely used drug that lowers cholesterol levels and reduces cardiovascular risks.

The Honorary Alumnus/Alumna Award will be presented to three individuals who have significantly contributed to Iowa State. Honorees are:

• Kathryn Engel, Ames, retired educator and longtime Iowa State supporter. She will be recognized for generous support of Iowa State. Her gifts have established a mechanical engineering laboratory and numerous scholarships for students and student-athletes. She also has supported several athletics facility projects, including the Hilton Coliseum addition, Jacobson Athletic Building, Jack Trice Stadium Press Tower and Bergstrom Indoor Training Facility.
• Mary and John Pappajohn, Des Moines. Entrepreneur and venture capitalist John Pappajohn and his wife Mary will be honored for providing educational opportunities for Iowa State students and Iowans. They founded five Pappajohn Entrepreneurship Centers (including one at Iowa State), established a scholarship fund for disadvantaged and minority students, and were lead donors in the Pappajohn Higher Education Center in Des Moines.

The Order of the Knoll Campanile Award will be presented to Murray and Ruth Harpole, St. Paul, Minn., for service and generosity that advanced the excellence of Iowa State. Murray Harpole founded Pentair Inc., a global leader in water-handling equipment and enclosures for electrical equipment. The Harpoles have served Iowa State on various boards and through gifts that supported the ETRC and renovation of Coover Hall, and created a professorship in electrical and computer engineering.

The Order of the Knoll Cardinal and Gold Award will be presented to Marvin Walter, Ames, for long-term service to Iowa State and agriculture, and for bringing economic opportunity to Iowans. Walter, president of Dayton Road Development, has led development of 18 "start from scratch" business ventures, many of them managed by ISU graduates. He is past president of the ISU Alumni Association, past chairman of the Memorial Union and a founding director of the ISU Achievement Fund, a former ISU fund-raising organization.

The Order of the Knoll Corporate and Foundation Award will go to UGS, the product lifecycle management (PLM) company in Plano, Texas, for its support of educational excellence at Iowa State. In 2003, the firm gave Iowa State PLM software valued at $282 million. The software allows students to gain practical experience with the software, which enables companies to digitally manage a product's complete lifecycle.

The Distinguished Awards Ceremony will begin at 3:15 p.m. in the Memorial Union Sun Room. A reception will follow in the West Lounge.

Friday, April 8
3:15 p.m.
Memorial Union Sun Room
Reception follows