Sept. 29, 2011
Executive vice president and provost Elizabeth Hoffman congratulates entomology professor Joel Coats, one of three faculty to receive the title of Distinguished Professor for 2011-12, during the university convocation Sept. 26. (Joining Coats on the distinguished list are food science and human nutrition professor Jay-lin Jane and agronomy professor Kenneth Moore.). Thirty-nine individuals were honored during the ceremony, including double winner Richard Mansbach, professor of political science (Louis Thompson undergraduate teaching award and Regents Award for Faculty Excellence). Photo by Bob Elbert.
Smooth transition among Geoffroy's top priorities
by Anne Krapfl
Slide show
Slide show accompanying president's remarks (PDF).
Maintaining high student enrollment and increasing sponsored research funding are among the goals president Gregory Geoffroy identified for the university community this year during his Sept. 26 convocation address.
But noting that "it's necessary to give the new president plenty of freedom and space to establish his own agenda," Geoffroy stopped short of laying out a full agenda for the academic year ahead.
"I have made it one of my absolute top priorities for this year to ensure a very smooth transition to my successor," he said.
Geoffroy, other university leaders and state Board of Regents president Craig Lang presented 40 university- and regent-level awards to faculty and staff members during the second part of the convocation.
Among recent achievements Geoffroy highlighted:
- An all-time record enrollment of 29,887 students this fall
- A third straight year of securing more than $300 million in externally funded research
- The largest private fund-raising campaign in the university's history: $867.4 million (July 2003-June 2011)
"Faculty and staff gave $37 million to support the university," he added. "We had to raise the faculty and staff goal three times because we kept exceeding the goal, thanks to your generosity and that of your colleagues."
Building progress
Geoffroy said several new facilities -- new greenhouses at Horticulture Hall, the west campus recreation complex and a portion of the new small animal hospital -- will be used for the first time this year. He said there will be notable progress on several other significant building projects this year:
- Construction will begin next month on Troxel Hall, an $11 million, 400-seat teaching auditorium facility east of Horticulture Hall
- Work is under way on two athletics projects: the outdoor Cyclone Sports Complex for the softball, soccer and track and field programs east of the Towers residence halls, and a building adjacent to the Bergstrom facility that will house the Cyclone football program
- Pending final approval from the state Board of Regents, construction should begin in the spring on phase 2 of the Biorenewables Complex on the west side of campus. The $74.5 million second phase features two wings -- teaching/research and office/classroom -- and will become the new home of the agricultural and biosystems engineering department.
- Phase 2 at the Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center -- the small animal hospital -- is on track for completion next fall (2012). The $45.1 million phase 2 renovates about 88,000 square feet and adds about 17,000 square feet for the small animal hospital.
Noting that it was his last convocation as university president, Geoffroy added, "I do want everyone here to know how much I've really enjoyed my service as president and really how proud I am of everything that we've accomplished working together in so many different ways -- faculty, staff, alumni, students -- a great big team working to advance the university. The future of Iowa State is very, very bright."
