Name:  Kendra Spier

Hometown:  Cambridge, WI

Major and Graduation Date:  Dairy Science and Global Resource Systems; Fall 2020

Favorite ISU class:  AnS 337 Lactation

Job Title & Company:  Global Development Education Coordinator for URUS

Name: Jared Diehl

Hometown: Dayton, VA

Major and Graduation Date: Culinary Food Science, Spring 2018

Favorite ISU Class:  I really enjoyed our Food Product Development Class.  Since I wanted to pursue a career in food product development this class made me really excited to graduate and pursue a career in research and development.  Learning how to produce a food product from Ideation to Commercialization was very interesting and helped to strengthen my love for food and food product development.

Job title and Company:  Innovation and Design Lead, Buddy’s Kitchen

Name:  Emma Troyer

Hometown:  Kalona, IA

Major and Graduation Date: Biology: May, 2020

Favorite ISU Class:  Molecular and Cellular Biology of Human Diseases (BIOL 328).  This class really showed me how much I enjoy learning about diseases of the human body that would be actually taught to me again in medical school!  I believe this was the first class that I took that was specific toward humans which was awesome.  It was a very exciting and well taught class.

Job Title and company: Second-year Medical Student at A.T. Still University, Kirksville College of Medicine

Name:  Sarah Heiller

Hometown:  Boone, IA

Major(s) and graduation date Animal Science and Spanish, May 2020

Favorite ISU class? AN S 214L, Domestic Animal Anatomy and Physiology Lab.  I am a visual learner, so the weekly dissections in this class helped me visualize everything I was learning in my other animal science classes.  Seeing the anatomy while we learned about physiology made the science feel real; it was no longer just concepts I memorized out of a textbook.

Job Title & Company: Spanish Field Liaison, Partners for Production Agriculture

Name:  Lauren Mellenthin

Hometown:  Naperville, Illinois (IL)

Major and graduation date:  Animal Ecology, with minor in Environmental Studies, May 2019

Favorite ISU class:  Vertebrate Biology (Biol 365/A Ecl 365) taught by Dr. Dean Adams was my favorite class.  I was able to view animal biology from a new perspective of evolution, which turned everything I thought I knew about animal biology on its head.  Another one of my favorite aspects of the class was how enthusiastic Dr. Adams was in teaching the material and engaging with students.  This inspired me to continue learning beyond this class and in my current research!

Name: .Elizabeth Christenson

Hometown:  Sheboygan Falls, WI

Major and Graduation Date:  Agronomy & Animal Science, May 2018

Favorite ISU class:   Agronomy 392 was my favorite class because I was able to take all of the knowledge, information, and skills learned over the first 3.5 years of college and apply it to actual farm scenarios.  Another one of my favorite parts of the class was learning in depth about all of the nutrient cycles on the farm. I also enjoyed developing critical thinking skills directly related to on farm scenarios during the course. 

Name: Kyle Lafrenz

Hometown: Durant, IA

Major and Graduation Date: Agricultural Systems Technology; Minor: Agronomy; May 2019

Favorite ISU Class: TSM 433 – Precision Ag. This class was a lot of fun for me as I was a part-time student worker for John Deere at the time.  I was making How-To videos for their precision ag equipment (in-cab displays, GPS receivers, AutoTrac™ technology, etc.).  I carried so much value from this class into my day-to-day duties.

Job Title & Company: Aftermarket Services Rep for John Deere Company

Name:  Maddie Weathers

Hometown:  Hastings, MN

Major and Graduation Date: Agricultural Studies, Minors: Agronomy & General Business; May 2019

Name:  Hannah Pagel

Hometown:  Sumner, IA

Major and Graduation Date: Agriculture and Life Sciences Education with Biology endorsement, December 2018

Favorite ISU Class: Hort 131--Floral Design and Agriculture Entrepreneurship Initiative’s CRISPR travel course

Job Title & Employer: Associate Editor for Agri-Pulse Communications in Washington, DC

Major Job/Position Responsibilities: I write the weekly Farm Hands on the Potomac section of our newsletter, which covers job changes, promotions, and retirements in the DC and agriculture industry.

Name:  Jenna Lansing

Hometown:  Worthington, IA

Major and Graduation Date:  Agricultural Business, Minor in Animal Science, May 2016

Favorite ISU Classes:  Econ 334: Entrepreneurship in Ag; AnSci 426: Advanced Beef Management

Job Title and Employer:  Agri-Food WatchDesk Manager at Aimpoint Research

Name:  Kristen McEvoy

Hometown: Dysart, Iowa

Major and Graduation Date: Public Relations and Agriculture & Society, Agronomy minor -- Fall 2018.

Favorite ISU Class: ECON 334: Entrepreneurship in Agriculture

Job Title & Employer: Account Manager, CornerPost Marketing

Major Job & Position Responsibilities: CornerPost is a creative agriculture-based marketing agency.  In my role, I am a liaison between our clients and our internal team.  I manage multiple clients’ marketing and communication projects, and assist the team with writing, designing, event planning and website management.

Name:  Lane Hacker

Hometown: Pleasant Hill, Iowa

Major and Graduation Date: Microbiology with Food Safety Minor - Fall 2018

Favorite Class: AN S 270/L: Foods of Animal Origin

Job Title and Employer: QA Specialist for Distribution, Saputo Dairy USA

Major Job & Position Responsibilities:  Monitor and maintain logs of hold product at distribution facilities nationwide, investigate transportation incidents and evaluate product involved for food safety and quality concerns,  Ensure distribution facility compliance with internal, regulatory, and third-party QA standards by participating in audits and providing training. 

Name: Ja’Markkus Evans

Hometown: Waterloo, Iowa

Major: Industrial Technology w/ emphasis in Occupational Safety

Favorite ISU Class: TSM 415/416, Technology Capstone  

Employer: L3Harris Technologies - Space & Airborne Systems

Position: EHS Engineer

Name: Aaron Butler

Hometown:  Lincoln, IL

Major & Graduation Date: Horticulture w/ emphasis in Turfgrass Management, Fall 2018

Favorite ISU Class: HORT 351 - Turfgrass Management & Establishment

Job Title & Employer: Assistant Superintendent, Onwentsia Club, Lake Forest, IL

Major Job & Position Responsibilities: Scheduling and management of 20 staff members to maintain the golf course. Training and supervising of newly hired staff members. Chemical/fertilizer applications, and proper moisture management on all playing surfaces. Assist the Superintendent in planning for future projects/budgeting.

Name:  Rachel Pierce

Hometown:  Columbus Junction, IA

Major(s) and Graduation Date:  Global Resource Systems, Environmental Studies, 2015

Favorite ISU class?  All of the Globe classes! Coming from a small town, I really enjoyed learning about various topics and issues from a global perspective. My Globe classes also helped prepare me for graduate school (University College Dublin, MSc in International Development).

Job Title and Employer:  Admission Counselor, University of Iowa