Congrats to Our Winners!
College of Human Sciences
Virgil S. Lagomarcino Laureate
Shouan Pan
Ph.D. ‘93 Higher Education Administration
Seattle, Washington
Shouan Pan is an outstanding academic leader best known for strategic, innovative, and transparent leadership delivered with integrity. He is a change agent who has advanced several major urban community colleges to improve the lives and skills of hundreds of thousands of students, who in turn enliven their communities.
Pan’s leadership shines as he draws together disparate groups to embrace a common vision, mission, and values. He has earned respect and admiration from college, industry, government, and community partners throughout his career in higher education, whether guiding student life at Community College of Philadelphia, elevating academics as provost at the Florida State College Jackson campus, presiding over Mesa Community College in Arizona, or currently serving as chancellor and CEO of the Community College of Seattle — the largest community college system in Washington state.
He is a national trendsetter in promoting rigorous applied baccalaureate degrees offered by community colleges to provide low-cost, flexible options for students who would not traditionally have ready access to four-year degrees. He was chosen from among the most influential, resourceful, and dynamic community college leaders in the world to serve on the board of the League for Innovation in the Community College. He has also served on the executive board of the American Association of Community Colleges, and chaired the AACC-affiliated National Asian Pacific Islander Council.
Pan is an ISU Alumni Association annual member.
College of Human Sciences
Helen LeBaron Hilton Award
Nancy Armbrust
’73 Food and Nutrition
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Nancy Armbrust is the accomplished retired vice president for education and community relations of Schreiber Foods, the largest employee-owned customer brand dairy company in the world, where she serves as director emeritus. The company recognized her astounding influence by establishing the Nancy Armbrust Impact Award, which is given annually to recognize a woman who, like Armbrust, has left an indelible impact on the community.
Armbrust is also an enthusiastic volunteer advocate for the development and education of children and their families. She puts her vision into action by pairing leadership and expertise in community engagement with insightful analyses of needs and resources.
Continually strengthening the fabric of her community, she has garnered the Community Builder Award from NeighborWorks Green Bay, Unity Award from the Oral Health Partnership, Community Impact Award from United Way of Brown County (Wisconsin), and the Friends of Education Governor’s Award from the state of Wisconsin.
Extolling Iowa State and promoting the opportunities it extends to others, Armbrust has served on the Iowa State University Foundation Board of Governors since 2012, recently as chair. She has also served on the Human Sciences and Veterinary Medicine dean’s advisory councils and the Greek Advisory Council. She is a member of the Order of the Knoll W.M. Beardshear Society and Campanile Society and a life member of the Alumni Association.
College of Human Sciences
Alumni Achievement Award
Marsha Anderson Goetting
Ph.D. ’96 Family Resource Management
Bozeman, Montana
In the national arena, Marsha Anderson Goetting is Cooperative Extension’s top go-to expert on estate planning. As a professor and extension family economics specialist at Montana State University, she has superbly developed and delivered estate planning and family financial education workshops that have reached more than 45,000 Montanans in every county and reservation. The workshops, 75 peer reviewed fact sheets, and other educational pieces she developed have resulted in transformational change — especially for women, families, and indigenous people — in Montana, the West, and across the U.S.
She collaborates with a wide of cross-disciplinary colleagues from across the nation. Through visionary leadership – and excellence in reliable, practical, and effective programming that has had crucial effects on constituents – Goetting has garnered more than 50 awards. She has received top honors from groups ranging from USDA Cooperative Extension to the National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, the Montana Gerontology Society, and the State Bar of Montana.
College of Human Sciences
Alumni Achievement Award
Theron J. Schutte
Ph.D. ’03 Education Administration
Marshalltown, Iowa
Theron Schutte is a premier educational leader whose work enriches the lives of children and their families, and people throughout the state.
Schutte is esteemed for building community relationships. As superintendent of Marshalltown Schools, he cultivates partnerships to implement transformational, cross-sector reforms that improve opportunities for historically underserved students. An integral member of the Marshalltown Business-Education Alliance, he has raised funds to enhance Marshalltown’s STEM education programs. He led formation of a Junior Achievement program and creation of the Bobcat Pride campaign that promotes student and alumni success. Under his leadership, the district became the first in Iowa to graduate students with a Career and College Readiness certificate and offer Seal of Biliteracy certification. Both the iconic Marshalltown Roundhouse community center and a promising summer school program were expanded. The progress of the district has even drawn more highly-qualified individuals to the school board.
He has earned several statewide honors for educational vision and leadership. He served as president of the School Administrators of Iowa in 2009-2010, where he helped grow the organization’s capacity to influence educational decision-making. He is an integral contributor to Science Bound, Iowa State’s program that partners with schools to ready underserved students for success in STEM college studies and careers. While serving on the executive committee of the American Association of School Administrators from 2016-2018, he helped redefine, redesign, and reimagine public education. As evidence of his growing influence, Schutte is one of three candidates up for consideration to become president-elect of AASA, the national superintendents association. Schutte is an ISU Alumni Association member.
College of Human Sciences
Outstanding Young Professional Award
Jennifer Suchan
Ph.D. ’16 Higher Education Administration
Ankeny, Iowa
Only 10 years after she began working in higher education, Jennifer Suchan was named registrar of Iowa State University in December 2019. She has reached this level of complex leadership responsibility at a large, renowned research university at an exceptionally early age.
She blends a deep understanding of higher education with sophisticated data analysis and creativity to lead innovations that improve student success.
Although registrars are sometimes viewed as silos who focus on registration, transcripts, and policies, Suchan’s vision is wide-ranging. She sees the campus as a whole and partners with colleges to support each student’s unique college adventure. She leads collaborations that concentrate support for those who need it most, resolving issues specific to at-risk students, including students who are first-generation, transfers, or military veterans.
She stands out among her peers as an exceptionally insightful and knowledgeable advisor to the Board of Regents, State of Iowa, on national trends and policy matters. She held the inaugural meeting of regent commencement coordinators, which led to all three universities sharing ideas that recognize achievement, save money, improve efficiency, and benefit the state. The group has since extended an invitation to other colleges. With her regent partners, she has also shared innovative commencement practices with colleagues from other states and Canada.
Suchan is an ISU Alumni Association annual member.
Iowa State University Alumni Association
Alumni Medal
Martha Anderson and George Burnet
’48 Home Management
Ames, Iowa
Martha Anderson inherited her passion for Iowa State from her father, Mervin Coover, the namesake for Coover Hall. Following her graduation, she lived in Pennsylvania for 40 years, culminating with her serving as director of a pre-school and head start program. In 1989, she retired and returned to Ames.
She inherited her passion for Iowa State from her father, Mervin Coover, the namesake for Coover Hall. Following her graduation, she lived in Pennsylvania for 40 years, culminating with her serving as director of a pre-school and head start program. In 1989, she retired and returned to Ames.
Anderson met George Burnet (chemical engineering B.S. ’48, M.S. ‘49, Ph.D. ’51) while living at G t Green Hills Retirement Community in Ames. After discovering their shared enthusiasm for Iowa State women’s basketball games, their friendship blossomed into marriage.
Prior to the pandemic, Burnet and Anderson made a point to attend events held by the College of Human Sciences and College of Engineering, the Iowa State University Alumni Association, and the Iowa State University Foundation. They found time to gather with other alumni and globetrotted with the Iowa State University Alumni Association Traveling Cyclones program and are consistent participants in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
Throughout their lives, Burnet and Anderson have enjoyed philanthropy and have supported many Iowa State initiatives. Some of their favorite causes include scholarships, ISU Athletics, the Iowa State University Varsity Marching Band, and the Greek community.
Today, Burnet and Anderson live together at Green Hills Retirement Community in Ames, Iowa. They are both life members of the Iowa State University Alumni Association, belong to the Order of the Knoll W.M. Beardshear Society and Campanile Society, and are Cyclone Club members.