Virgil S. Lagomarcino Laureate Award 

Matthew Thompson
’03 History, PhD ’10 Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
Ottumwa, Iowa

Matthew Thompson has built his career on the foundation of his Iowa State doctoral work in education leadership and policy studies with an emphasis in community college leadership. Now president of Indian Hills Community College (IHCC) in Ottumwa, Iowa, he has nearly two decades of executive experience in the community college space.

Known for his integrity, honesty, and transparency, Thompson keeps an open door for his students and leads by example. Like Virgil Lagomarcino, who served as director of junior colleges in the Iowa Department of Education before joining Iowa State’s faculty, Thompson is deeply committed to excellence, hard work, family, and the advancement of education. His leadership reflects the same student-centered values that Lagomarcino upheld throughout his career.

Since becoming president of IHCC in 2020, he has raised over $14 million in private funding to support facilities projects, completed the state-of-the-art Irma W. Winslow Education Center, championed the establishment of the Criminal Justice Training Center, and initiated a new Student Wellness Facility.

Thompson secured federal funding to expand a college-career transition counselor initiative that helps students across Iowa navigate the path from high school to college and careers. He has built strong relationships within IHCC’s 10-county region, engaging superintendents and community leaders to bring career academies to rural schools.

He currently serves on the President’s Advisory Council of the American Association of Community College Trustees and is a member of both the Iowa Business Council and the Iowa Community College Council. He previously received the College of Health and Human Sciences’ Outstanding Young Professional Award in 2013.

Helen LeBaron Hilton Award

Barbara J. Stoecker
PhD ’70 Nutrition
Stillwater, Oklahoma

After earning her doctorate from Iowa State University, Barbara Stoecker launched a distinguished international career in improving health outcomes and quality of life through research and education.

She spent four years working in Bangkok, Thailand, where she investigated issues of childhood malnutrition. After returning to the United States, Stoecker joined the faculty at Texas Tech University and, later, Oklahoma State University. In more than 30 years at Oklahoma State, she earned multiple honors for research and leadership, was named a regents professor in 2002, and was inducted into the Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame in 2016.

A prolific scholar, Stoecker has authored or coauthored over 150 publications and 17 funded grants.

Her international work continued at Oklahoma State with research on children’s health and micronutrients in China, Uganda, Madagascar, and Ethiopia. In Ethiopia, she helped create a master’s program at Hawassa University in Applied Human Nutrition. For her contributions, she received an honorary doctorate from Hawassa University and recognition from the Ethiopian Public Health Institute.

Beyond her research, she has been passionate about helping students further their education, including helping graduate students in Ethiopia secure funding to attend Oklahoma State. Her work and research have greatly benefitted the next generation of nutritional scientists.

Stoecker is a member of the Iowa State University Alumni Association.

Alumni Achievement Award

Darryl C. Hill
’85 Occupational Health and Safety
Southfield, Michigan

Darryl Hill’s career in environmental health and safety spans nearly four decades, marked by leadership in the private sector, higher education, and professional organizations. He has played a key role in strengthening safety cultures and reducing risk.

Hill is a dedicated mentor and a strong advocate for lifelong learning and continuous professional development. His time at Iowa State shaped his values of scholarship, perseverance, and service, and instilled a deep commitment to volunteerism and helping humanity.

From 2017 to 2025, he served as senior vice president of safety and security at First Student, Inc., the largest school bus transportation solutions provider. He oversaw safety operations for 1,800 contracts across 650 locations, ensuring the wellbeing of passengers and employees. He also fostered lasting partnerships with school district, municipality, and transportation clients.

In addition, Hill is the director of the environmental health and safety program at Oakland University, where he leads program administration, supports student success, and teaches courses. To further support future safety professionals, he has established several endowed scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students.

Hill has authored or coauthored numerous publications, held leadership roles in major safety organizations, and received many national and global safety awards. As a delegation leader for the People-to-People Ambassador Program in Brazil, he helped facilitate collaboration among safety professionals to advance workplace safety standards and reduce injuries worldwide.

An engaged Iowa State alumnus, Hill serves on the Iowa State University Alumni Association Board of Directors and is an Order of the Knoll member and a Sustaining Donor.

Alumni Achievement Award

Kathleen Pertzborn
’85 Dietetics
Ankeny, Iowa

Kathleen Pertzborn dedicated her 40-year career to improving the nutritional outcomes of everyone around her, building on the foundation of her Iowa State education.

She began working at UnityPoint Health in Des Moines in 1985, and from 1994 until her retirement in 2025, she served as a pediatric nutrition support specialist dietitian. Known for her deep compassion and clinical skill, Pertzborn managed complex pediatric cases and provided evidence-based, practical nutrition care tailored to each patient’s needs.

A recognized leader with a wealth of knowledge in the field of nutrition and dietetics, Pertzborn has trained local physicians, residents, pharmacists, dietitians, and students in the areas of pediatric nutrition support, metabolic disease, food allergies, gastrointestinal disorders, disordered eating, and related areas. Her dedication to her field has improved the lives of many Iowans.

Committed to lifelong learning, she has been a member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics since her time at Iowa State and holds a certification from the American Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. She has also served in officer positions for the Iowa Dietetics Association and the local Central Iowa District Dietetics Association.

During her tenure at UnityPoint Health, Pertzborn received multiple honors, including a Pediatric Recognition Award and two Always Committed to Excellence Awards.

She has remained connected to Iowa State, serving as a guest lecturer in the Master of Professional Practice in Dietetics program and contributing her expertise to published literature.

Outstanding Young Professional Award

Megan Burt
’10 Kinesiology/Exercise Science, Psychology Minor
Ames, Iowa

Megan Burt has always been passionate about exercise science and human movement. Her time at Iowa State, especially her experience in the Motor Control Lab, helped turn that passion into a fulfilling and impactful career.

After graduating from Iowa State, Burt earned a Doctorate of Physical Therapy at Des Moines University. In clinical practice, she saw opportunities to better integrate care across disciplines. This led her to found first Ames Performance Physical Therapy and then United Movement, a multidisciplinary clinic in Ames that brings together physical therapy, chiropractic, massage, Pilates, and personal training. The innovative clinic-gym model fosters collaboration among healthcare and movement specialists and ensures patients receive comprehensive care focused on movement quality, injury prevention, and long-term wellness.

Burt uplifts the next generation of professionals by mentoring Iowa State exercise science students at her clinic.

Dedicated to improving health beyond the clinic-gym, Burt co-founded the Safe in the Sun Run, a 5K and 10K event in Ames that has raised over $40,000 to support sun safety initiatives and melanoma research.