Honors and awards
May 2025
Learning Communities Awards recipients announced
Iowa State's 2025 Learning Communities Awards were presented on May 19. This year's recipients are:
- Learning Communities Champion Award: Arne Hallam, economics department and associate dean for finance and operations in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Learning Community Advocate Award: Karen Zunkel, retired executive director of Institutional Research
- Exemplary Service to Learning Communities Award: Kurt Earnest, associate director of residence life, student engagement and academic excellence and Gail Nonnecke, University and Morrill Professor of horticulture and global professor and faculty coordinator of the global resource systems program
- Early Achievement in Learning Community Coordination: Andrew Albaugh, coordinator of the aerospace engineering first-year and upper-division learning communities
- Learning Community Partner Award: English Links faculty team (Kristin Stoner, Brenna Dixon, Candy Miller, Stacie Schaefer and Jenny Aune) and Office of the Registrar Tuition and Fees Learning Communities Team
Ivy marketing team captures multiple creative awards
The marketing and communications services team in the Ivy College of Business recently received four awards and one honorable mention in the 2025 Hermes Creative Awards international competition for creative professionals. Hermes Creative Awards is one of the oldest and largest creative competitions in the world. Winners range from individuals to media conglomerates and Fortune 500 companies. Team members are: Michele Appelgate, director; Emily Bowman, graphic designer; Spencer Feinberg, social media specialist; Suzanne Lyndon, event planner; and Cindy Robertson, web manager. 2025 Hermes Awards to the Ivy team are:
- Platinum: "Ivy" magazine, spring 2024 edition.
- Platinum: Magazine article, "Miracle on the Hudson" feature with alumnus Craig Black.
- Gold: Magazine article, "Experience Before Ivy," featuring the career of Ryan Bhattacharyya, professor of practice in the department of management and entrepreneurship.
- Gold: Event, 40th anniversary of the college.
- Honorable Mention: News release announcing a new partnership with Trinity Health.
Appelgate named marketing executive of the year
Michele Appelgate, director of marketing and communications in the Ivy College of Business, has received the "Marketing Executive of the Year" award from the Iowa chapter of the American Marketing Association. The award honors an individual in a director-level or above position who "inspires, leads and achieves excellence in the field of marketing and has helped to build and transform their marketing community." Appelgate collaborates with more than 300 professionals across the college's departments to showcase Ivy's programs and successes. Notable marketing achievements have been in the areas of record enrollment, national visibility and recognition via awards.
Ehlers elected delegate to regional executive council
Isaac Ehlers, senior assistant director, office of student financial aid, was elected to serve a two-year term as a delegate on the executive council of the nine-state Midwest Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.
