This list includes notable alumni, non-matriculating, faculty, and staff of what is now

Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the ...

(ISU).

George Washington Carver by Frances Benjamin Johnston

Carrie Chapman Catt - National Woman's Party Records

Academia

Art and design

Design

Performing arts

Business

Government and politics

United States

U.S. Vice Presidents

* Henry A. Wallace (1888–1965), Animal Husbandry B.A. 1910,

Vice President of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest officer in the executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks first in the presidential line of succession. The vice ...

(1941-1945),

United States Secretary of Agriculture The United States secretary of agriculture is the head of the United States Department of Agriculture. The position carries similar responsibilities to those of agriculture ministers in other governments. The department includes several organi ...

(1933-1940),

United States Secretary of Commerce The United States secretary of commerce (SecCom) is the head of the United States Department of Commerce. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States on all matters relating to commerce. The secretary rep ...

(1945-1946), and founder of

Pioneer Hi-Bred Pioneer Hi-Bred International, Inc. is a U.S.-based producer of seeds for agriculture. They are a major producer of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), including genetically modified crops with insect and herbicide resistance. As of 2019, Pi ...

, a producer of

hybrid Hybrid may refer to: Science * Hybrid (biology), an offspring resulting from cross-breeding ** Hybrid grape, grape varieties produced by cross-breeding two ''Vitis'' species ** Hybridity, the property of a hybrid plant which is a union of two dif ...

seeds for

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people t ...

U.S. Cabinet

Lauro Cavazos Lauro Fred Cavazos Jr. (January 4, 1927 – March 15, 2022) was an American educator and politician. He served as the United States Secretary of Education, and was the first Hispanic to serve in the United States Cabinet. Early life and educat ...

(born 1927), Economics PhD 1954,

U.S. Secretary of Education The United States secretary of education is the head of the U.S. Department of Education. The secretary serves as the principal advisor to the president of the United States, and the federal government, on policies, programs, and activities rel ...

(1988-1990). *

Ezra Taft Benson Ezra Taft Benson (August 4, 1899 – May 30, 1994) was an American farmer, government official, and religious leader who served as the 15th United States Secretary of Agriculture during both presidential terms of Dwight D. Eisenhower and ...

(1899–1994), Agriculture Economics M.S. 1927, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (1953-1961), and 13th President of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...

. * Henry C. Wallace (1866–1924), B.A. Diary Science 1892, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (1921-1924), father of U.S. Vice President Henry A. Wallace.

U.S. Governors

Kim Reynolds Kimberly Kay Reynolds (née Strawn; born August 4, 1959) is an American politician serving as the 43rd governor of Iowa since 2017. A member of the Republican Party, Reynolds served as the 46th lieutenant governor of Iowa from 2011 to 2017. B ...

(born 1959), degree concentrations in Political Science, Business Management, and Communications B.L.S. 2016, Lieutenant Governor of Iowa (2011-2017), the 43rd

Governor of Iowa A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

(2017–present). *

Garrey Carruthers Garrey Edward Carruthers (born August 29, 1939) is an American politician and academic who served as the 27th governor of New Mexico and the chancellor of New Mexico State University. He previously served as special assistant to the U.S. Secret ...

(born 1939), Economics PhD 1968, Governor of

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Tiguex , OfficialLang = None , Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ke ...

(1987–1991); president and CEO of Cimarron Health Plan. * Robert D. Blue,

(1945-1949), Lieutenant Governor of Iowa (1943-1945), Speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives (1941-1943). * Bourke B. Hickenlooper (1896–1971), Industrial Science B.A. 1919,

(1943–1945) and longtime U.S. Senator (1945–1969). * John Edward Jones (1840–1896), class of 1865, eighth Governor of

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a state in the Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the 7th-most extensive, ...

(1895-1896). * Frank D. Jackson (1854-1938),

(1894-1896), and

Iowa Secretary of State The Secretary of State of Iowa is the commissioner of elections of the U.S. state of Iowa. A constitutional officer, the officeholder is elected every four years. The Office of the Secretary of State is divided into four divisions: Elections and ...

(1885-1891). *

James Benton Grant James Benton Grant (January 2, 1848 – November 1, 1911) was an American mining engineer, Confederate soldier, and the List of Governors of Colorado, third Governor of Colorado from 1883 to 1885. He was born in Russell County, Alabama and died ...

(1848-1911), attended and then transferred to

Cornell Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach a ...

, Governor of

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

(1883-1885).

U.S. Senators

Joni Ernst Joni Kay Ernst (née Culver; born July 1, 1970) is an American former military officer and politician serving as the junior United States senator from Iowa since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, she previously served in the Iowa State Se ...

(born 1970), Psychology B.A. 1992,

United States Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from Iowa since 2015, Lieutenant Colonel (retired)

Iowa Army National Guard The Iowa Army National Guard is a state agency of the State of Iowa, with significant funding from the Federal Government of the United States; and a reserve component of the United States Army. It has dual Federal and State missions. It is em ...

(1993–2015). *

Tom Harkin Thomas Richard Harkin (born November 19, 1939) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as a United States senator from Iowa from 1985 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously was the U.S. representative for Io ...

(born 1939), Government and Economics B.A. 1962,

from Iowa (1985–2015),

United States Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from

Iowa's 5th congressional district Iowa's 5th congressional district is an obsolete congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa. It was last represented by Republican Steve King in 2013, who continued to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives after the district's obsole ...

(1975-1985), and author of

Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, ...

(ADA). *

Herbert E. Hitchcock Herbert Emery Hitchcock (August 22, 1867 - February 17, 1958) was a United States senator from South Dakota. Life Hitchcock was born in Maquoketa, Iowa, the son of Harriet M. Lumley and Milando Lansing Hitchcock. He attended public schools in I ...

(1867-1958), attended but didn't graduate,

United States senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

from

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large porti ...

(1936-1938).

U.S. Representatives

Randy Feenstra Randall Lee Feenstra (born January 14, 1969) is an American politician and businessman serving as the U.S. representative for Iowa's 4th congressional district. The district covers much of the northwestern quadrant of the state, including Sioux ...

(born 1969), MPA,

from

Iowa's 4th congressional district Iowa's 4th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa that covers its northwestern part, bordering the states of Minnesota, South Dakota, and Nebraska, and the Missouri River. The district includes Sioux ...

(2021–present). *

Dave Loebsack David Wayne Loebsack (; born December 23, 1952) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 2007 to 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, he also is an ''emeritus'' professor of political science at Cornell Coll ...

(born 1952), B.S 1974 and M.A. 1976,

from

Iowa's 2nd congressional district Iowa's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa that covers most of its southeastern part. It includes Davenport, Iowa City, Muscatine, Clinton, Burlington, Ottumwa, Fort Madison, Oskaloosa, Bette ...

(2007-2021). *

Bruce Braley Bruce Lowell Braley (born October 30, 1957) is an American politician and attorney who served as the U.S. representative for from 2007 to 2015. A member of the Democratic Party, he was defeated in his attempt to win an open seat in the 2014 Unit ...

(born 1957), B.A. 1980,

from

Iowa's 1st congressional district Iowa's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa that covers its northeastern part, bordering the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois, and the Mississippi River. The district includes the cities o ...

(2007–2015). * Tom Latham (born 1948), attended but did not graduate,

from

(1995–2015). *

T. Cooper Evans Thomas Cooper Evans (May 26, 1924 – December 22, 2005) was a three-term Republican United States House of Representatives, U.S. Representative from Iowa's 3rd congressional district. First elected to Congress in a close race amidst a Republican ...

(1924-2005), B.S. & M.S.,

from

Iowa's 3rd congressional district Iowa's 3rd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Iowa that covers its southwestern quadrant, which roughly consists of an area stretching from Des Moines to the borders with Nebraska and Missouri. From 2013 t ...

(1981-1987). *

Berkley Bedell Berkley Warren Bedell (March 5, 1921 – December 7, 2019) was an American Democratic Party politician and businessman who served as the U.S. representative for Iowa's 6th congressional district from 1975 to 1987. After starting a successful b ...

(1921–2019), attended for two years but did not graduate,

from

Iowa's 6th congressional district Iowa's 6th congressional district is a former U.S. congressional district in the State of Iowa. It existed in elections from 1862 to 1992, when it was lost due to Iowa's population growth rate being lower than that of the country as a whole. T ...

(1975–1987).

U.S. Ambassadors

James Pettit James D. Pettit (born 1956) is an American diplomat, who served as United States Ambassador to Moldova in 2015–2018. He was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the Senate. Pettit was sworn in as U.S. Ambassador to the Repub ...

(born1956), B.A. International Studies, U.S. Ambassador to

Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised state of Transnistr ...

(2015-2018). * Dan Mozena (born 1949), History and Government B.S. 1970, U.S. Ambassador to

Angola , national_anthem = " Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

(2007-2010), and U.S. Ambassador to

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

(2011-2015). * Charles Manatt (1936–2011), Rural Sociology B.A. 1958, U.S. Ambassador to the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...

(1999-2001) and Chairman of the Democratic National Committee (1981-1985).

State of Iowa Officials

* Mary Mosiman, (born 1962), B.S. Accounting 1999,

Iowa State Auditor The Iowa State Auditor is the state auditor of the Government of Iowa, United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North Ame ...

(2013-2019). *

Bill Northey William Howard Northey (born May 27, 1959) is an American politician who served as the Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation in the United States Department of Agriculture from 2018 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he p ...

(born 1959), Agricultural Business B.A. 1981,

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture The Secretary of Agriculture of Iowa is an elected position in government of the U.S. state of Iowa that was created in 1923 by the extra session of the 40th General Assembly. The Secretary of Agriculture heads the Iowa Department of Agriculture ...

(2007-2018). *

Kraig Paulsen Kraig Paulsen (born September 9, 1964) is an American attorney and politician who served as a member of the Iowa House of Representatives from 2003 to 2017 and as speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015. Early life and ed ...

(born 1964), Speaker of the

Iowa House of Representatives The Iowa House of Representatives is the lower house of the Iowa General Assembly, the upper house being the Iowa Senate. There are 100 seats in the Iowa House of Representatives, representing 100 single-member districts across the state, formed ...

(2011-2015). *

Sally Pederson Sally Pederson (born January 13, 1951) is an American politician and editor who served as the Lieutenant Governor of Iowa from 1999 to 2007. A Democrat, she is a native of Vinton, Iowa. She graduated in 1973 from Iowa State University in Ames, ...

(born 1951), class of 1973, former Lieutenant Governor of Iowa(1999-2007). *

Elaine Szymoniak Elaine Eisfelder Szymoniak (May 24, 1920 – May 20, 2009) was a State Senator from the U.S. state of Iowa, a former City Council Member representing the city of Des Moines, Iowa and a retired hearing and speech specialist, counselor, and admin ...

(1920–2009), Family Environment M.A. 1977, Iowa State Senator (1988–2000). * Jo Ann Zimmerman (1936-2019), took graduate classes but did not receive a degree, first female Lieutenant Governor of Iowa (1987-1991) and member of the

(1983-1987). * Dale M. Cochran (1928-2018), B.A. Agriculture 1950,

(1987-1999), Speaker of the Iowa House of Representatives (1975-1979), member of the Iowa House (1965-1987). * Maurice E. Baringer, (1921-2011), B.A. & M.A. Animal Husbandry (1949),

Treasurer of Iowa The Treasurer of State of Iowa is the state treasurer of the Government of Iowa, United States. The office is provided for by the Constitution of Iowa, which requires that the officeholder be elected every four years, simultaneously with the re ...

(1969-1983), Speaker of the

(1967-1969). *

Dayton Countryman Dayton Wendell Countryman (March 31, 1918 – September 13, 2011) was an American attorney, farmer, and politician who served as the 26th Attorney General of Iowa from 1955 to 1957. Early life and education Born in Sioux City, Iowa, Count ...

, (1918-2011), B.S. Forestry 1940, Attorney General of Iowa (1955–57). *

Clem F. Kimball Clement Field Kimball (August 11, 1868 – September 10, 1928) was an American Republican politician and lawyer. Biography Born in Anamosa, Iowa, Kimball went to what is now Iowa State University and received his degree in mechanical enginee ...

,(1868-1928), B.A. Mechanical Engineering, Lieutenant Governor of Iowa (1925-1928). * William C. Hayward, (1847-1917), did not graduate,

(1907-1913). * E. Thurman Gaskill (born 1935), Commissioner of both Iowa's Department of

Economic Development In the economics study of the public sector, economic and social development is the process by which the economic well-being and quality of life of a nation, region, local community, or an individual are improved according to targeted goals and ...

and its

Department of Natural Resources This article lists subnational environmental agencies in the United States, by state. Agencies with a variety of titles and responsibilities are included, e.g. Department of Environment, Department of Environmental Conservation, Department of E ...

, president of Iowa Corn Growers Association, president of

National Corn Growers Association The National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) is an association that represents and advocates for the interests of corn growers in the United States. It is distinct from the American Corn Growers Association, a competing organization set up in 198 ...

, chairman of the United States Feed Grains Council.

Other U.S. Officials

* Katharine Abraham (born 1954), B.S. Economics 1976, Commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (1993–2001), member of the Council of Economic Advisers under

President Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...

(2011-2013). *

Scott Stanzel Scott Michael Stanzel (born January 15, 1973) is an American political advisor who served as deputy assistant to the president and deputy press secretary in the George W. Bush administration from September 2006 to January 2009. After leaving go ...

, B.A. 1995, deputy press secretary at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

in the

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...

administration. * Trudy Huskamp Peterson, B.S. 1967, Archivist of the United States (1993–1995). * Steven VanRoekel, Management of Information Systems B.A. 1994, second

Federal Chief Information Officer of the United States The federal Chief Information Officer of the United States, also known as the United States Chief Information Officer, is the administrator of the Office of Electronic Government, or the Office of the Federal CIO (OFCIO), which is part of the Of ...

. * Robert W. Sennewald, B.A. 1951, Commanding General,

United States Army Forces Command United States Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) is the largest United States Army command. It provides expeditionary, regionally engaged, campaign-capable land forces to combatant commanders. Headquartered at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, FORSCOM con ...

(1984-1986). * Harvey Gantt (born 1943), transferred to

Clemson University Clemson University () is a public land-grant research university in Clemson, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Clemson is the second-largest university in the student population in South Carolina. For the fall 2019 semester, the university enr ...

becoming the first black student to be admitted, Mayor of Charlotte, NC (1983-1987). * James Clark Jr. (1918-2006), B.A. Animal Husbandry (1941), President of the Maryland State Senate(1979-1983). *

Jon Lindgren Jon Gilmore Lindgren (born 1939) is an American politician who was the mayor of Fargo, North Dakota, an advocate for LGBT rights, and a professor at North Dakota State University. Early life and education Lindgren was born in Lanyon, Iowa, in 19 ...

(born 1938), B.S. 1960, Mayor of Fargo, North Dakota, 1978–1994 and pioneering LGBT supporter. *

Gwynn Garnett Gwynn Garnett (December 26, 1909 to November 21, 1995) was the administrator of the Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) of the United States of America from 1955 to 1959. He also wrote the first draft of what would become the Agricultural Trade Dev ...

(1909–1995), B.S. 1934, administrator of the

Foreign Agricultural Service The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is the foreign affairs agency with primary responsibility for the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) overseas programs – market development, international trade agreements and negotiations, ...

from 1955 to 1959 and author of the first draft of what would become the Food for Peace program. * Spencer Haven (1868–1938), B.S. 1890, Attorney General of

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

(1918–1919). * Willet M. Hays (1859-1928), M.A. Agriculture 1885, U. S. Assistant Secretary of Agriculture (1904-1913). * Bayard T. Hainer (1860-1933), B.S. 1884, justice of the Territorial Oklahoma Supreme Court (1898-1907). *

Thomas Harris MacDonald Thomas Harris "Chief" MacDonald (July 23, 1881 – April 7, 1957) was an American civil engineer and politician with tremendous influence in building the American Interstate Highway System. He served as chief of the Iowa State Highway Commissi ...

(1881–1957), Civil Engineering B.S. 1904, led the development of the

Interstate Highway System The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. T ...

. *

Elwood Mead Elwood Mead (January 16, 1858 – January 26, 1936) was an American professor, government official, and engineer known for heading the United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) from 1924 until his death in 1936. During his tenure, he oversaw ...

(1858–1936), Civil Engineering PhD 1883, commissioner of U.S. Bureau of Reclamation during construction of the Hoover Dam, namesake of

Lake Mead Lake Mead is a reservoir formed by the Hoover Dam on the Colorado River in the Southwestern United States. It is located in the states of Nevada and Arizona, east of Las Vegas. It is the largest reservoir in the US in terms of water capacity. L ...

International

Heads of state and government

John Garang John Garang de Mabior (June 23, 1945 – July 30, 2005) was a Sudanese politician and revolutionary leader. From 1983 to 2005, he led the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) after the Second Sudanese Civil War, the comprehensive peace agreeme ...

(1945–2005), Economics PhD 1981, former commander of SPLA and former Vice President of Sudan. *

Parviz Davoodi Parviz Davoodi ( fa, پرویز داوودی; born 5 February 1952 in Tehran, Iran) was the third first vice president of Iran (2005–2009), an educator, and an Iranian hardline conservative politician. He is currently member of the Expediency D ...

(born 1952), Economics PhD 1981, first

Vice President of Iran The vice president of Iran ( fa, معاون رئیس‌جمهور ایران) is defined by article 124 of the Constitution of Iran, as anyone appointed by the president of Iran to lead an organization related to presidential affairs. , there are ...

. * Lee Teng-hui (born 1923), Agricultural Economics M.S. 1953, former President of the Republic of China (

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

Cabinet ministers

Isa Kalantari Issa Kalantari ( fa, عیسی کلانتری, born 1952 in Marand, East Azerbaijan) is an Iranian politician and former head of Department of Environment, serving from 2017 to 2021. He served as minister of agriculture in last year of Khamene ...

(born 1952), PhD Agricultural Physiology, Vice President for the

Environment Environment most often refers to: __NOTOC__ * Natural environment, all living and non-living things occurring naturally * Biophysical environment, the physical and biological factors along with their chemical interactions that affect an organism or ...

of Iran (2017-2021),

Minister of Agriculture An agriculture ministry (also called an) agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister ...

(1988-2001). * Sawsan Ali Sharifi (born 1956), Animal Science M.S. 1981 and PhD 1983, former Iraqi

in 2004. * Luis Ernesto Derbez (born 1947), Economics PhD 1980, current academic

rector Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to: Style or title *Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations *Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...

for the

Universidad de las Américas Puebla Universidad de las Américas Puebla, commonly known as UDLAP ( en, University of the Americas), is a Mexican private university located in San Andrés Cholula, near Puebla. The university is known for its programs in Finance, Arts and Humaniti ...

(UDLAP), former Mexican Secretary of Foreign Affairs (2003–2006) and Secretary of Economics (2000–2002).

Other figures

* Jalaluddin Rakhmat (1949–2021), Communications and Psychology 1981, Member of the People's Representative Council (2014–2019). * Chen Min-jen, Nuclear Engineering PhD 1983, member of the Legislative Yuan (2005-2008). * Anthony Worth,

Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire The Lord-Lieutenant of Lincolnshire () is the British monarch's personal representative in the county of Lincolnshire. Historically, the lord-lieutenant was responsible for organising the county's militia. In 1871, the lord-lieutenant's responsibi ...

. * Fred Grimwade (1933-1989), President of the Victorian Legislative Council (1979-1985).

Activists

Carrie Chapman Catt Carrie Chapman Catt (; January 9, 1859 Fowler, p. 3 – March 9, 1947) was an American women's suffrage leader who campaigned for the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which gave U.S. women the right to vote in 1920. Catt ...

(1859–1947), General Science B.S 1880, leader of women's suffrage movement and founder of the League of Women Voters. * Frank J. Christensen (born 1961), American Labor Leader. * Vine Deloria, Jr. (1933–2005), General Science B.S 1958, Native American rights leader and author.

Journalism

Terry A. Anderson Terry A. Anderson (born October 27, 1947) is an American journalist. He reported for the Associated Press. In 1985, he was taken hostage by Shia Hezbollah militants of the Islamic Jihad Organization in Lebanon and held until 1991. In 2004, he ra ...

, B.A. 1974, former Middle East Bureau Chief, The

Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. ne ...

* Sally Jacobsen, B.A., journalist and foreign correspondent, first woman to serve as international editor of the ''

'' *

Arendo Joustra Arendo Joustra (born 19 July 1957, in Vlissingen) is a Dutch writer and journalist. Joustra is the editor in chief of the Dutch newsweekly ''Elsevier (magazine), Elsevier'' and a commentator on politics and the Dutch monarchy. He is a co-author ...

, attended Graduate School, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, 1979–1980 –

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

writer and editor in chief

Elsevier Elsevier () is a Dutch academic publishing company specializing in scientific, technical, and medical content. Its products include journals such as '' The Lancet'', ''Cell'', the ScienceDirect collection of electronic journals, '' Trends'', ...

* Robert E. Kowalski, B.A. 1966, M.S. 1977, bestselling medical author *

John Madson John Madson (1923 in Ames, Iowa – April 19, 1995 in Alton, Illinois) was a naturalist, conservationist, journalist, and freelancer who worked in the field of outdoor writing. Over time his work concentrated on the celebration of the vanish ...

, 1951 (wildlife biology), freelance writer (outdoor sports periodicals); became independent scholar of

tallgrass prairie The tallgrass prairie is an ecosystem native to central North America. Historically, natural and anthropogenic fire, as well as grazing by large mammals (primarily bison) provided periodic disturbances to these ecosystems, limiting the encroachm ...

ecology * Sean McLaughlin, B.A. journalism, former

Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and talk morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It w ...

weather anchor *

Christine Romans Christine Romans is a correspondent and anchor for CNN, and also an author. She previously worked for Reuters and Knight Ridder Financial News. She is the chief business correspondent for CNN, in addition anchors '' Early Start'' from 4 a.m. to ...

, B.A. 1993,

CNN CNN (Cable News Network) is a multinational cable news channel headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Founded in 1980 by American media proprietor Ted Turner and Reese Schonfeld as a 24-hour cable news channel, and presently owned by ...

Chief Business Correspondent * Hugh Sidey, B.S., journalist for ''

Life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as Cell signaling, signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for Cell growth, growth, reaction to Stimu ...

'' and ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...

'' magazines

Pulitzer Prize winning journalists

* Robert L. Bartley (1937–2003), B.A. 1959, recipient of the 1980

Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing The Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing is one of the fourteen American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Journalism. It has been awarded since 1917 for distinguished editorial writing, the test of excellence being clearness of style ...

; editor of ''

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

'' opinion page, vice-president of Dow Jones & Company. *

Tom Knudson Thomas "Tom" Jeffrey Knudson (born 6 July 1953) is an American journalist and a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner in 1985 and 1992. Biography Thomas Jeffrey Knudson was born 6 July 1953 in the city of Manning in Carroll County, Iowa. He attend ...

, Journalism B.A. 1980, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner in 1985 and 1992. *

Ted Kooser Theodore J. Kooser (born 25 April 1939) is an American poet. He won the Pulitzer Prize in Poetry in 2005. He served as Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004 to 2006. Kooser was one of the first poets laureate selec ...

(born 1939), B.S. 1962, U.S. Poet Laureate (in 2004–2006) and recipient of the 2005

Pulitzer Prize for Poetry The Pulitzer Prize for Poetry is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes awarded annually for Letters, Drama, and Music. It was first presented in 1922, and is given for a distinguished volume of original verse by an American author, published ...

. * Lauren K. Soth (1911–1998), Agriculture Journalism B.A. 1932 and Agriculture Economics M.S. 1938, he was the recipient of the 1956

. * Jennifer Jacobs, journalist and a senior

White House correspondent The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) is an organization of journalists who cover the White House and the president of the United States. The WHCA was founded on February 25, 1914, by journalists in response to an unfounded rumor t ...

for

Bloomberg News Bloomberg News (originally Bloomberg Business News) is an international news agency headquartered in New York City and a division of Bloomberg L.P. Content produced by Bloomberg News is disseminated through Bloomberg Terminals, Bloomberg Tele ...

Science and technology

Aerospace engineering and mechanical engineering

Clayton Anderson Clayton Conrad Anderson (born February 23, 1959) is a retired NASA astronaut. Launched on STS-117, he replaced Sunita Williams on June 10, 2007 as a member of the ISS Expedition 15 crew. He is currently an author, a motivational speaker, and a ...

(born 1959), M.S. 1983,

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the civil List of government space agencies, space program ...

astronaut; first Iowa State Alum in space * Steve Bales (born 1942), Aerospace Engineering B.S. 1964, director, Space Operations Management Office at NASA; known for the

Apollo 11 Apollo 11 (July 16–24, 1969) was the American spaceflight that first landed humans on the Moon. Commander Neil Armstrong and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo Lunar Module ''Eagle'' on July 20, 1969, at 20:17 UTC, ...

landing. *

Clarence Chamberlin Clarence Duncan Chamberlin (November 11, 1893 – October 31, 1976) was an American pioneer of aviation, being the second man to pilot a fixed-wing aircraft across the Atlantic Ocean, from New York to the European mainland, while carrying the fir ...

(attended but did not graduate), aviation pioneer * Firouz Naderi (born 1946), Mechanical Engineering B.S. 1969, Iranian-American, served 36 years at

Jet Propulsion Laboratory The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is a federally funded research and development center and NASA field center in the City of La Cañada Flintridge, California, United States. Founded in the 1930s by Caltech researchers, JPL is owned by NASA an ...

(JPL), also has an asteroid named after him, "5515 Naderi". *

Sadanand Joshi Sadanand D. Joshi is the president of Joshi Technologies International, Inc. (JTI) and a petroleum engineer, he contributed in developing horizontal well technology to produce crude oil and natural gas. He was also a distinguished lecturer for t ...

, Ph.D. 1980, president of Joshi Technologies International, Inc. (JTI) and a petroleum engineer, he contributed in developing horizontal well technology to produce crude oil and natural gas.

Agriculture sciences, plant sciences, and food science

* Griffith Buck (1915–1991), B.S. 1948, M.S. 1949, Ph.D. 1953, professor of

horticulture Horticulture is the branch of agriculture that deals with the art, science, technology, and business of plant cultivation. It includes the cultivation of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, sprouts, mushrooms, algae, flowers, seaweeds and no ...

; developed nearly 100 new varieties of roses * George Washington Carver (1860s–1943), B.S. 1894, M.S. 1896, American botanist and inventor, the first

African-American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ensl ...

student and the first African-American faculty member at ISU. * Michael Grimes, MS 1922, PhD 1923, Irish scientist and first professor of microbiology at

University College Cork University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh) is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork. The university was founded in 1845 as one ...

* Charlotte Maria King (1864-1937), botanist, mycologist and agronomist. * Edward F. Knipling (1909–2000), Entomology Ph.D. 1947, he was a noted entomologist and

World Food Prize The World Food Prize is an international award recognizing the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity, or availability of food in the world. Conceived by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nor ...

winner for his work on developing the

sterile insect technique The sterile insect technique (SIT) is a method of biological insect control, whereby overwhelming numbers of sterile insects are released into the wild. The released insects are preferably male, as this is more cost-effective and the females ma ...

for eradicating or suppressing the threat posed by pests to the livestock and crops that contribute to the world's food supply. * Rose Marie Pangborn (1932–1990), Food M.S. 1955, she was a food

scientist A scientist is a person who conducts scientific research to advance knowledge in an area of the natural sciences. In classical antiquity, there was no real ancient analog of a modern scientist. Instead, philosophers engaged in the philosoph ...

, food technologist, a pioneer in the field of

sensory analysis Sensory analysis (or sensory evaluation) is a scientific discipline that applies principles of experimental design and statistical analysis to the use of human senses ( sight, smell, taste, touch and hearing Hearing, or auditory percepti ...

of food attributes, and professor at

University of California, Davis The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a public land-grant research university near Davis, California. Named a Public Ivy, it is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University of California system. The inst ...

. * , Utah State University Research Professor Emeritus and Cornell University Roy A. Young Scientist Emeritus Chair, helped to form the subdiscipline of biological pest control, known for studying ''Metarhizium'' * James A. Slater (1920–2008), Ph.D. 1950, he was a noted entomologist, specialist in the study of heteroptera, and professor at the

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from H ...

. *

G. Malcolm Trout George Malcolm Trout (March 7, 1896 – November 1, 1990) An American dairy industry pioneer, writer, researcher, and professor emeritus in food science at Michigan State University. Trout is credited with finding the key to the creation of homoge ...

, B.S. 1923, M.S. 1924, noted food scientist and creator of

homogenized milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modulating ...

Chemistry and biochemistry

* Julian Banzon (1908–1988), Biochemistry Ph.D. 1940, biochemist,

National Scientist of the Philippines The Order of National Scientists of the Philippines, abbreviated as ONS, is the highest award accorded to Filipino scientists by the Philippine government. Members of the order are known as National Scientists ( Filipino: ''Pambansang Alagad ng Ag ...

* Lawrence F. Dahl, Ph.D. 1956, professor emeritus of chemistry at the

University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...

* Velmer A. Fassel, Ph.D. 1947, chemist, creator of inductively coupled plasma for mass spectrometry *

Lyle Goodhue Lyle D. Goodhue (September 30, 1903 – September 18, 1981) was an internationally known inventor, research chemist and entomologist, with 105 U. S. and 25 foreign patents. He invented the “ aerosol bomb” (also known as the “bug bomb”), ...

, B.S. 1928, M.S. 1929, Ph.D. 1934, he was an inventor, research chemist and entomologist. *

Darleane C. Hoffman Darleane Christian Hoffman (born November 8, 1926) is an American nuclear chemist who was among the researchers who confirmed the existence of Seaborgium, element 106. She is a faculty senior scientist in the Nuclear Science Division of Lawrenc ...

, B.S. 1948,

nuclear chemist Nuclear chemistry is the sub-field of chemistry dealing with radioactivity, nuclear processes, and transformations in the nuclei of atoms, such as nuclear transmutation and nuclear properties. It is the chemistry of radioactive elements such as ...

, part of the team that discovered Seaborgium, faculty senior scientist in the Nuclear Science Division of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and a professor in the graduate school at

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

Computer engineering

* Dale A. Anderson, M.S. 1959, Ph.D. 1964, pioneer in the field of

computational fluid dynamics Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a branch of fluid mechanics that uses numerical analysis and data structures to analyze and solve problems that involve fluid flows. Computers are used to perform the calculations required to simulate ...

John Vincent Atanasoff John Vincent Atanasoff, , (October 4, 1903 – June 15, 1995) was an American physicist and inventor from mixed Bulgarian-Irish origin, best known for being credited with inventing the first electronic digital computer. Atanasoff invented the ...

(1903–1995), ISU Math M.S. 1926, (see also Atanasoff–Berry Computer), inventor of the first electronic digital computer * Clifford E. Berry, (1918–1963), B.S. 1939, MS 1941, Ph.D. 1948, (see also Atanasoff–Berry Computer), co-developer of the first electronic digital computer * Bob O. Evans, B.S. 1951, computer pioneer and

National Medal of Technology The National Medal of Technology and Innovation (formerly the National Medal of Technology) is an honor granted by the President of the United States to American inventors and innovators who have made significant contributions to the development ...

recipient * John Gustafson, M.S. 1981, Ph.D. 1982, computer scientist and businessman, chiefly known for his work in

High Performance Computing High-performance computing (HPC) uses supercomputers and computer clusters to solve advanced computation problems. Overview HPC integrates systems administration (including network and security knowledge) and parallel programming into a multi ...

(HPC) such as the invention of

Gustafson's law In computer architecture, Gustafson's law (or Gustafson–Barsis's law) gives the speedup in the execution time of a task that theoretically gains from parallel computing, using a hypothetical run of ''the task'' on a single-core machine as the b ...

of parallel computing, introducing the first commercial computer cluster. * Tom M. Whitney, BS 1961, MS 1962, Ph.D. 1964, co-inventor of the first handheld calculator able to perform

trigonometry Trigonometry () is a branch of mathematics that studies relationships between side lengths and angles of triangles. The field emerged in the Hellenistic world during the 3rd century BC from applications of geometry to astronomical studies ...

, and former executive vice-president of engineering at

Apple Inc. Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California, United States. Apple is the largest technology company by revenue (totaling in 2021) and, as of June 2022, is the world's biggest company ...

Mathematics

* Albert Turner Bharucha-Reid,

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, structure, space, models, and change. History On ...

probability Probability is the branch of mathematics concerning numerical descriptions of how likely an event is to occur, or how likely it is that a proposition is true. The probability of an event is a number between 0 and 1, where, roughly speakin ...

and Markov chain theorist * Arthur E. Bryson, Jr., "father of modern optimal control theory" * Gertrude Cox B.S. 1929, American statistician, president of American Statistical Association in 1956 and the first woman elected into International Statistical Institute *

Wayne Fuller Wayne Arthur Fuller (born June 15, 1931) is an American statistician who has specialised in econometrics, survey sampling and time series analysis. He was on the staff of Iowa State University from 1959, becoming a Distinguished Professor in 1983 ...

, B.S. 1955, M.S. 1957, Ph.D. 1959, statistician *

Hadley Wickham Hadley Alexander Wickham (born 14 October 1979) is a statistician from New Zealand and Chief Scientist at Posit, PBC (former RStudio Inc.) and an adjunct Professor of statistics at the University of Auckland, Stanford University, and Rice Un ...

, Ph.D. 2008, New Zealand statistician, elected fellow of American Statistical Association in 2015, known for

ggplot2 ggplot2 is an open-source data visualization package for the statistical programming language R. Created by Hadley Wickham in 2005, ggplot2 is an implementation of Leland Wilkinson's ''Grammar of Graphics''—a general scheme for data visu ...

and

tidy data Tidy data is an alternative name for the common statistical form called a ''model matrix'' or ''data matrix''. A data matrix is defined in as follows: A standard method of displaying a multivariate set of data is in the form of a data matrix in ...

Medical sciences

* Nancy Cox BS 1970, American

virologist Virology is the scientific study of biological viruses. It is a subfield of microbiology that focuses on their detection, structure, classification and evolution, their methods of infection and exploitation of host cells for reproduction, thei ...

at the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the national public health agency of the United States. It is a United States federal agency, under the Department of Health and Human Services, and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgi ...

, 2006 U.S. Federal Employee of the Year; one of the 2006

Time 100 ''Time'' 100 (often stylized as ''TIME'' 100) is an annual listicle of the 100 most influential people in the world, assembled by the American news magazine ''Time''. First published in 1999 as the result of a debate among American academics, ...

* Mark Mattson, BS 1979, prominent neuroscientist * Emil Steinberger, M.D. 1955, endocrinologist, founding president of the American Society of Andrology

Sports

Baseball

* Mike Busch, former

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

player *

Mike Myers Michael John Myers OC (born May 25, 1963) is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. His accolades include seven MTV Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2002, he was awarded a star on the Hollywoo ...

player * Jim Walewander, former Major League Baseball player

Basketball

Football

Mixed martial arts

* Mike Van Arsdale, 1988 NCAA Division 1 Wrestling Champion; current

MMA Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on strike (attack), striking, grappling and ground f ...

coach *

Justin Eilers Justin Mark Eilers (June 28, 1978 – December 25, 2008)Eilers Shot Dead
– Sherdog.com ...

, collegiate Football player; retired professional

fighter

Olympics

Glen Brand Glen Brand (3 November 1923 – 15 November 2008) was an American wrestler and Olympic champion in Freestyle wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, ...

, 3 time All-American wrestler;

1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and also known as London 1948) were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, England, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus ca ...

Gold Medalist in freestyle wrestling *

Dan Gable Danny Mack Gable (born October 25, 1948) is an American former folkstyle and freestyle wrestler and coach. Considered to be one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, Gable is a two-time NCAA Division I national champion, a world gold medalist, ...

, Lost only one collegiate wrestling match; 1972 Olympic gold medalist and 1971 World Wrestling Champion, became top wrestling coach in the country at the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...

Kevin Jackson Kevin Andre Jackson (born November 25, 1964 in Highland Falls, New York) is an American retired freestyle and folkstyle wrestler, and mixed martial artist. Following his competitive career, Jackson would become a wrestling coach. During his i ...

, 1992 Olympic Freestyle Wrestling Champion, former

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...

, former head coach for ISU Cyclone Wrestling *

Nawal El Moutawakel Nawal El Moutawakel (Amazigh: ⵏⴰⵡⴰⵍ ⵍⵎⵓⵜⴰⵡⴰⵇⵇⵉⵍ ; ar, نوال المتوكل; born 15 April 1962) is a Moroccan former hurdler, who won the inaugural women's 400 metres hurdles event at the 1984 Summer Olympics, ...

, first African woman and first Muslim woman to earn Olympic gold *

Ben Peterson Benjamin Lee "Ben" Peterson (born June 27, 1950) is a retired American freestyle wrestler. He competed at the 1972 and 1976 Olympics and won a gold and a silver medal, respectively. As a college wrestler, Peterson was a two-time NCAA champion at ...

, 2 time NCAA Champion wrestler at Iowa State; 1972 & 1976 Olympic gold and silver medalist respectfully *

Cael Sanderson Cael Norman Sanderson ( ; born June 20, 1979) is an American former folkstyle and freestyle wrestler who is the current head coach of Penn State University's wrestling team. As a wrestler, he won an Olympic Gold medal and was undefeated in four ...

, 4 time NCAA undefeated wrestling champion (159–0) and 2004 Summer Olympics gold medalist, head coach of the Penn State wrestling team *

Jake Varner Jacob Stephen "Jake" Varner (born March 24, 1986) is an American wrestler. Varner won the gold medal in the 96 kg category at the 2012 Summer Olympics in freestyle wrestling. Varner wrestled collegiately for the Iowa State University Cyc ...

, 2012 Summer Olympics Gold Medalist

Track

Yobes Ondieki Yobes Ondieki (born February 21, 1961, in Kisii, Nyanza) is a Kenyan former 5000 m runner, who won the World Championships' gold medal in Tokyo 1991. In the same year he set a temporary Kenyan 5000 m record of 13:01.82 in Zurich. He partic ...

, 10000-meter world record-holder, 1993.

Cross country

Lisa Uhl Lisa Uhl (née Koll) (born August 31, 1987, Fort Dodge, Iowa) is an American runner. She is a four-time NCAA Division One champion, current NCAA record holder in the 10,000 meters, and the sixth fastest American woman to ever cover that distan ...

, four-time NCAA Division One champion, current NCAA record holder in the 10,000 meters

Wrestling

* Darryl Peterson, NCAA all American and former professional wrestler * Trevor Smith, ISU wrestler; professional

currently competing in the

UFC The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

's Middleweight Division *

Justin Wren Justin Christopher Wren (born April 27, 1987) is an American humanitarian worker and a professional mixed martial artist, currently competing in the heavyweight division of Bellator MMA. A professional competitor since 2006, Wren has also forme ...

(attended), originally had a wrestling scholarship but had an injury, professional fighter currently for Bellator MMA

Ultramarathon

* Pete Kostelnick, 2015 1st Place Badwater 135 Ultramarathon, 23hr 27min 10sec

Notable faculty and staff

Nobel Prize 2011-Press Conference KVA-DSC 7721

Nobel laureates

Dan Shechtman Dan Shechtman ( he, דן שכטמן; born January 24, 1941)Dan Shechtman
. (PDF). Retri ...

, (2011,

Nobel Prize in Chemistry ) , image = Nobel Prize.png , alt = A golden medallion with an embossed image of a bearded man facing left in profile. To the left of the man is the text "ALFR•" then "NOBEL", and on the right, the text (smaller) "NAT•" then "M ...

), for ''"the discovery of quasicrystals"'' *

Theodore Schultz Theodore William Schultz (; 30 April 1902 – 26 February 1998) was an American Agricultural economist and chairman of the University of Chicago Department of Economics. Schultz rose to national prominence after winning the 1979 Nobel Memorial ...

, (1979, Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics), for ''"pioneering research into economic development research with particular consideration of the problems of developing countries""'' *

Leonid Hurwicz Leonid Hurwicz (; August 21, 1917 – June 24, 2008) was a Polish-American economist and mathematician, known for his work in game theory and mechanism design. He originated the concept of incentive compatibility, and showed how desired outcome ...

, (2007, Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics), for having laid the foundations of

mechanism design theory Mechanism design is a field in economics and game theory that takes an objectives-first approach to designing economic mechanisms or incentives, toward desired objectives, in strategic settings, where players act rationally. Because it starts a ...

George Stigler George Joseph Stigler (; January 17, 1911 – December 1, 1991) was an American economist. He was the 1982 laureate in Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences and is considered a key leader of the Chicago school of economics. Early life and e ...

, (1982, Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics), for his contribution on capture theory

Pulitzer Prize

Jane Smiley Jane Smiley (born September 26, 1949) is an American novelist. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1992 for her novel ''A Thousand Acres'' (1991). Biography Born in Los Angeles, California, Smiley grew up in Webster Groves, Missouri, a s ...

, recipient of the 1992 Pulitzer Prize for fiction

Government and politics

James Wilson James Wilson may refer to: Politicians and government officials Canada *James Wilson (Upper Canada politician) (1770–1847), English-born farmer and political figure in Upper Canada * James Crocket Wilson (1841–1899), Canadian MP from Quebe ...

(1835–1920), professor who later became

, Dean of Agriculture and director of the agricultural experiment station from 1890 to 1897.

Arts

Literature

* Charlotte H. Bruner, scholar and translator of African women's literature *

Fern Kupfer Fern Lee Kupfer is an American author and retired professor of creative writing at Iowa State University. She has written several novels and as well as memoirs reflecting on her life experiences, the discovery that she is a carrier of the BRCA mut ...

, novelist *

Joseph Geha Joseph Geha (born 1944, Zahle, Lebanon), professor-emeritus at Iowa State University, is the author of two books, ''Through and Through: Toledo Stories,'' one of the first books of modern Arab-American fiction, and ''Lebanese Blonde,'' a novel. H ...

, award winning author

Visual arts

* Christian Petersen, sculptor, whose works appear around campus * Priscilla Kepner Sage, textile artist

Science and technology

Agriculture sciences, plant sciences, and food science

* Raymond Arritt,

agricultural meteorology Meteorology is a branch of the atmospheric sciences (which include atmospheric chemistry and physics) with a major focus on weather forecasting. The study of meteorology dates back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not ...

1993 to 2018 * Jay L. Lush, pioneer of modern

animal breeding Animal breeding is a branch of animal science that addresses the evaluation (using best linear unbiased prediction and other methods) of the genetic value (estimated breeding value, EBV) of livestock. Selecting for breeding animals with superior E ...

* Albert M. Ten Eyck, President of the

American Society of Agronomy The American Society of Agronomy (ASA) is a scientific and professional society of agronomists and scientists of related disciplines, principally in the United States but with many non-U.S. members as well. About It was founded December 13, 190 ...

* J. (Hans) van Leeuwen, emeritus professor of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering at ISU, and developer of MycoMeal fungal feed and purified alcohol

Chemistry and biochemistry

* John B. Balinsky, biochemist, physiologist, chair of zoology * L. K. Doraiswamy, Chemical engineer, proponent of Organic synthesis engineering and

Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 January 1954, the award is given for "distinguished service ...

winner *

Henry Gilman Henry Gilman (May 9, 1893 – November 7, 1986) was an American organic chemist known as the father of organometallic chemistry, the field within which his most notable work was done. He discovered the Gilman reagent, which bears his name. Earl ...

, known as the "father of organometallic chemistry" * Nellie May Naylor (1885–1992), An influential chemistry professor at Iowa State University, one of the earliest female chemistry professors at ISU, teaching between 1908 until 1955. *

Frank Spedding Frank Harold Spedding (22 October 1902 – 15 December 1984) was a Canadian American chemist. He was a renowned expert on rare earth elements, and on extraction of metals from minerals. The uranium extraction process helped make it possible for ...

, noted

Ames Laboratory Ames National Laboratory, formerly Ames Laboratory, is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory located in Ames, Iowa, and affiliated with Iowa State University. It is a top-level national laboratory for research on national sec ...

chemist, namesake of ''Spedding Prize''

Computer science and engineering

(1903–1995), ISU Math M.S. 1926, (see also Atanasoff–Berry Computer), inventor of the first electronic digital computer * Mary Clem (1905–1979), mathematician, and human computer; she led the computing lab at ISU. *

Carolina Cruz-Neira Carolina Cruz-Neira is a Spanish- Venezuelan- American computer engineer, researcher, designer, educator, and a pioneer of virtual reality (VR). She is known for inventing the cave automatic virtual environment (CAVE). She previously worked at Io ...

, a pioneer of virtual reality (VR) technology, former ISU faculty and 2002 co-founder of the

Virtual Reality Applications Center The Virtual Reality Applications Center (VRAC) is a research center within the Engineering Teaching and Research Complex (ETRC) at Iowa State University (ISU) and is involved in advanced research of virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), ...

Military technology

* James Millikin Bevans,

U.S. Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army Sign ...

Major General *

James Lorraine Geddes James Lorraine Geddes (March 19, 1827 – February 21, 1887) was a soldier in India, a brigade commander in the Western Theater of the American Civil War, college administrator and professor, and military songwriter. Biography Geddes was b ...

(1827–1887), American Civil War general; Acting University President in 1875–77. * Roy L. Kline, Brigadier general,

USMC The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for conducting expeditionary and amphibious operations through co ...

Mathematics

* Wayne Arthur Fuller, statistician noted for his textbooks on

econometrics Econometrics is the application of statistical methods to economic data in order to give empirical content to economic relationships. M. Hashem Pesaran (1987). "Econometrics," '' The New Palgrave: A Dictionary of Economics'', v. 2, p. 8 p. 8 ...

and

survey sampling In statistics, survey sampling describes the process of selecting a sample of elements from a target population to conduct a survey. The term " survey" may refer to many different types or techniques of observation. In survey sampling it most ofte ...

Oscar Kempthorne Oscar Kempthorne (January 31, 1919 – November 15, 2000) was a British statistician and geneticist known for his research on randomization-analysis and the design of experiments, which had wide influence on research in agriculture, genetics, ...

, a statistician and

geneticist A geneticist is a biologist or physician who studies genetics, the science of genes, heredity, and variation of organisms. A geneticist can be employed as a scientist or a lecturer. Geneticists may perform general research on genetic processes ...

, and Distinguished Professor of Science and Humanities at

George W. Snedecor George Waddel Snedecor (October 20, 1881 – February 15, 1974) was an American mathematician and statistician. He contributed to the foundations of analysis of variance, data analysis, experimental design, and statistical methodology. Snedecor ...

, statistician and pioneer of modern applied statistics in the U.S., namesake of Snedecor Award

Medicine

Elsa Murano Elsa Alina Murano (' Casales; born August 14, 1959) is the former President of Texas A&M University. Dr. Murano currently serves as Director of the Norman E. Borlaug Institute for International Agriculture & Development at Texas A&M University's ...

, former Iowa State University assistant professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Preventative Medicine; 23rd President of Texas A&M University

Physics

Allan Mackintosh Allan Roy Mackintosh, FRS (22 January 1936 – 20 December 1995) was a prominent Danish physicist and a leading authority on magnetism and neutron scattering, especially in the rare-earth metals. Mackintosh was known for his key role in st ...

, noted

solid-state physicist Solid-state physics is the study of rigid matter, or solids, through methods such as quantum mechanics, crystallography, electromagnetism, and metallurgy. It is the largest branch of condensed matter physics. Solid-state physics studies how th ...

, director of

Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics The Nordic Institute for Theoretical Physics, or NORDITA, or Nordita ( da, Nordisk Institut for Teoretisk Fysik), is an international organisation for research in theoretical physics. It was established as Nordisk Institut for Teoretisk Atomfys ...

Sports

Basketball

Larry Eustachy Larry Robert Eustachy (born December 1, 1955) is an American college basketball coach, most recently the head coach of the Colorado State Rams He was previously the head coach at Idaho and Eustachy was the AP Coach of the Year in 2000 af ...

, former men's basketball coach, 2000 NCAA National Coach of the Year *

Tim Floyd Tim Floyd (born February 25, 1954) is a former American college basketball coach, most recently the head coach at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). He was formerly the head coach of several teams in the NCAA and the NBA. Floyd is also k ...

, former men's basketball coach with 81–49 record and first coach with three consecutive 20-win seasons. * Johnny Orr, the most successful coach in Iowa State and Michigan men's basketball history

Football

* Mack Brown, head coach at

University of Texas The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...

(at Iowa State 1979–1982) *

Pete Carroll Peter Clay Carroll (born September 15, 1951) is an American football coach who is the head coach and executive vice president for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He was previously the head football coach at USC from ...

, head coach of the Seattle Seahawks, former coach at

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

(at Iowa State 1978) *

Tom Herman Thomas Herman III (born June 2, 1975) is an American football coach and head coach of the Florida Atlantic Owls. He was the head football coach for the Texas Longhorns at the University of Texas at Austin from 2017 to 2020. Prior to that, he se ...

, head coach at University of Texas (at Iowa State 2009–2011) *

Johnny Majors John Terrill Majors (May 21, 1935June 3, 2020) was an American professional football player and college coach. A standout halfback at the University of Tennessee, he was an All-American in 1956 and a two-time winner of the Southeastern Confe ...

, renowned football head coach (at Iowa State 1968–1972)

Martial arts

Yong Chin Pak Yong Chin Pak is a 6th ''dan'' judo, 9th ''dan'' hapkido, and 8th ''dan'' taekwondo master and adjunct instructor in Exercise Sport Science and instructed students in the martial arts (hapkido, judo, and taekwondo) at Iowa State University from ...

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