On Nov. 2, 2023, Dean Beate Schmittmann honored a select group of distinguished alumni at Iowa State University’s Alumni Center in Ames during Homecoming Week. Awardees from a variety of professional backgrounds, from medicine to the military, returned to campus to receive their awards and soak up some Cyclone spirit.
Now, what could make an extraordinary event like the LAS annual alumni awards celebration even more extraordinary? How about the in-person appearance of NFL superstar and alum Brock Purdy (’21 communication studies)? Purdy took advantage of a bye week in the San Francisco 49ers schedule to visit Iowa State and share lessons on leadership with a communication studies class prior to the ceremony.
In addition to Purdy, 16 alumni were presented with department awards at the Nov. 2 LAS event:
Distinguished Alumni Award – Department of Computer Science
Karthik Balakrishnan (MS ’93, Ph.D. ’98 computer science)
Distinguished Alumni Award – Department of History
Mark Chidley (’89 history, international studies)
Distinguished Alumni Award - Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences
Ken Harding (’86 meteorology)
Distinguished Service to Private Enterprise – Department of Economics
Duane Harris (’66 industrial administration, MS ’68 economics)
Outstanding Alumni Award – Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology
Shannon Harris (’95 zoology)
Outstanding Alumni Award – Department of Political Science
John Holcombe (’88 political science, economics)
Distinguished Alumni Award – Department of Statistics
Barb Hunt (’89 statistics, MS ’91 statistics)
Distinguished Alumni Award – Department of Mathematics
Scott Jean (’93 mathematics)
Distinguished Alumni Award – Department of World Languages and Cultures
Aranthan (AJ) Jones II (’99 anthropology, sociology)
Distinguished Alumni Award – Department of Psychology
Brenda (Hagen) McGuire (’94 psychology, interdisciplinary studies)
James W. Schwartz Award for Distinguished Service – Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication
Alan Mores (’80 journalism and mass communication)
James W. Schwartz Award for Distinguished Service – Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication
Steve Mores (’67 journalism)
Outstanding Alumni Award – Department of Chemistry
Jibing Lin (Ph.D. ’95 organic chemistry)
Distinguished Alumni Award – Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular Biology
Manjula Noone (’91 biochemistry)
Outstanding Achievement by a Young Alumni – Communication Studies Program
Brock Purdy (’21 communication studies)
Distinguished Service for the Public Good – Department of Economics
Bobby Richey Jr. (MS ’86 economics)
Outstanding Alumni Award – Department of Physics and Astronomy
Jen Scharff (’98 physics)
Six additional alumni were honored at the LAS event, and received their awards at a Nov. 3 event hosted by Iowa State University’s Alumni Association:
Iowa State University Alumni Association’s Outstanding Young Alumni Award
Kevin Bieniek (’11 biology, psychology)
Carrie Chapman Catt Public Engagement Award
Jennifer Jacobs (’93 English)
LAS Citation of Merit
Danny O’Neill (’83 political science, international studies)
Iowa State University Alumni Association’s Alumni Medal
Kay Kretschmar Runge (’69 history education)
Carrie Chapman Catt Public Engagement Award
Paxton Williams (’00 political science)
LAS Young Alumni Award
Clayton Mooney (’12 English)