Greetings, Honors alumni and friends. Summer is here, and we're excited to announce that 102 spring grads have joined your ranks and are beginning new adventures as Honors alumni. We hope you'll take a moment to scroll through the Honors news from the past few months and help us celebrate our students' accomplishments.

Meet the class of 2022: Graduate Profiles

We'd like to offer a special thanks to Chris Jacobs ('14 chemical engineering), who gave the spring convocation address. Jacobs recently joined the startup Eat Just in San Francisco, where he will be working to expand their product portfolio and implement world-wide production launches. Jacobs had previously been with Archer Daniels Midland.

Students in the Honors Program are building on a long history of innovation at Iowa State. They are more motivated than ever to make a difference in the world and are eager to tackle problems in new ways. The annual poster session offers a glimpse at the wide range of undergraduate research honors students conducted this year. The online platform features research posters from 98 Honors students across all 6 colleges.

View the posters and abstracts online: Spring 2022 Honors Virtual Poster Session

Congratulations to Honors alumna Dr. Rachel Allbaugh ('00 animal science), the Lora and Russ Talbot Endowed Professor in Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State, and to University Professor of Economics, friend of Honors, and nine-time Comedy College instructor Dr. Peter Orazem. The Iowa State University Alumni Association awarded Allbaugh and Orazem the Faculty-Staff Inspiration Award this spring. This award offers a way for former students to recognize current or former faculty or staff members who had a significant influence in their lives as students at Iowa State.

It was the Honors Program that brought together University Professor Peter Orazem and his student nominator, Deepak Premkumar ('14 economics, global resource systems). Orazem served as Premkumar's faculty advisor during the First-Year Mentor Program and remained a mentor throughout Premkumar's academic career. Premkumar has since completed a PhD in economics at the University of California, Berkeley, and he is currently a research fellow and economist at the Public Policy Institute of California. He credits his ability to achieve this dream job to Orazem's support and encouragement over the years.

Dr. Tayrn Overton (DVM '14), a veterinary ophthalmologist in Naples, Florida, similarly credits her academic and professional success to her ISU faculty mentor, Dr. Rachel Allbaugh. Overton's letter of nomination highlighted Allbaugh's outgoing personality and "radiating enthusiasm." Dr. Allbaugh in turn acknowledged the role students like Overton play in generating excitement for her work: "It's amazing to me how much energy I obtain from these hungry minds and how much stimulation they provide," she remarked.

Honors alumna Claire Wandro Orlando ('11 global resource systems, French) also spoke at the award ceremony. Orlando, a high school science teacher with the Des Moines Public Schools, nominated Pat Miller, former director of the University Lectures Program, for the award. Miller, who passed away from ALS last August, received the award posthumously.

Want to hear them in their own words? Watch the award ceremony online:

Inspiration Awards and Annual Reception, May 20, 2022

Do you have an ISU faculty or staff member in mind for this award? Nominations are accepted annually in November. Keep your eyes out for more information next fall.

University Professor of Economics Peter Orazem opens the spring 2022 Comedy College finals at the M-Shop. The seminar is offered annually and teaches students tricks, techniques, and theories that can make a person funnier. When put into practice, these skills can help build self-confidence and public speaking and communication skills.

We already know we have some pretty impressive students, and we love when they receive the recognition they deserve. Here are a few of the many students who received national honors and awards this spring.

Congratulations to Nethmi Hewage ('23 chemistry), who was selected as a 2022 Goldwater Scholar. The Goldwater Scholarship is the premier undergraduate scholarship in mathematics, natural sciences, and engineering in the United States. Hewage, who grew up in Matara, Sri Lanka, plans to obtain a Ph.D. in chemistry and continue her studies at a Carnegie 1 research university.  Read more

Junior Hanna Stec ('23 aerospace engineering) joined an elite group of undergraduates in the field of aerospace engineering. Stec was one of 51 women selected for a 2022 Brooke Owens Fellowship. She will be working as an engineering intern at Iridium as a Satellite Network Operations Center. Read more

Additional congratulations to Honors alumni Jensina Davis ('22 agronomy, seed science) and Jacqueline Blaum ('20 physics) for recently being awarded National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships (NSF-GRFP). Davis will be a graduate student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln this fall, and Blaum is currently a PhD student at the University of California, Berkeley. 

What fork do I use? That was the question headlining posters around Jischke publicizing the networking and dining etiquette workshop the Honors Student Board hosted this spring. After two years of canceled or virtual programming for job fairs and internships, students were eager to brush up on their professional etiquette in preparation for face-to-face interviews, business meals, and conference networking sessions. Callista Gould of the Culture and Manners Institute led the 90-minute interactive training, during which time students learned how to make introductions, the importance of making others feel comfortable, and which fork to use, of course.

Students who participated in the workshop were subsequently invited to attend a special 4-course dinner at Clouds of Ames, where they had the opportunity to practice their networking skills with honors alumni and staff. The buzz of conversation, view of central campus from 100 feet above, and a delicious handcrafted meal left attendees feeling energized and prepared for future opportunities.

Honors is especially grateful to the alumni who participated in this inaugural event: Emily Elveru ('15 journalism & mass communication), Dotdash Meredith; Krista Klocke ('16 speech communication), Iowa State University, Rhetoric and Professional Communication Program; Kyle Miller ('16 materials science), Iowa State University, Materials Science & Engineering; Alexandria Miller ('17 biology, animal ecology), Animal Rescue League; Ashley Ober Arellano ('06 accounting, finance), Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield; Rebecca Runyon ('18 agricultural education), Iowa State University LAS Innovation and Entrepreneurship Academy; Nick Terhall ('15 mechanical engineering), MODUS; Abhishek Vemuri ('14 electrical engineering), Sogeti USA; and Claire Wandro Orlando ('11 global resource systems, French), Des Moines Public Schools.

Support Honors

There are many ways to support Honors. The gift of time is one of the most valuable ways alumni can contribute to the success of current students. If you would like to participate in future events like the alumni engagement dinner, please let us know! No special skills, accomplishments, qualifications, or preparations are needed on your part – just an encouraging smile and a genuine interest in helping these young people prepare for professional life. 

Private financial support is crucial to advancing the mission of the Iowa State Honors Program as well. Gifts to the Iowa State Foundation's University Honors Fund support student professional development activities like this spring's etiquette workshop and alumni dinner. Consider investing in student success and career readiness. Make gift to Honors today.