Neppl named inaugural Tahira K. Hira Professor

Pictured (left to right): Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen; Tricia Neppl; Laura Jolly, dean’s chair of the College of Health and Human Sciences; and Labh Hira, husband of Tahira Hira and emeritus dean and professor in the Ivy College of Business.

Ceremony celebrated Hira’s legacy and Neppl’s scholarship

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State University professor of human development and family studies Tricia Neppl was named the inaugural Tahira K. Hira Professor. A September ceremony at The Knoll celebrated both Neppl’s nationally recognized scholarship and the enduring legacy of Tahira K. Hira.

The professorship was established in memory of Hira. She was a trailblazing professor of personal finance and consumer economics at Iowa State University for over three decades. She founded the university’s Financial Counseling Clinic, the first research and teaching lab of its kind in the nation. Hira was also an instrumental campus leader, serving as associate vice provost of extension and outreach and senior policy advisor to the ISU president. Hira’s influence extended to Washington, D.C. where she was named to President George W. Bush’s Advisory Council on Financial Literacy. Hira passed away in December 2024.

Neppl’s appointment reflects her continued leadership in research on the intergenerational transmission of risk and resilience, particularly in families facing economic stress. The endowed professorship will support her ongoing work in teaching, research and mentoring where she will continue empowering families through knowledge and support.

“It is an honor to be appointed the inaugural holder of the Tahira K. Hira Professorship in the College of Health and Human Sciences,” said Neppl. “Tahira’s work in family financial literacy aligns well with my research in the area of family economic stress, and this endowed professorship allows me to continue this important line of work.”

The ceremony honored two scholars whose work continues to shape the lives of students, families and communities in Iowa and beyond.

Pictured (left to right): Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen; Tricia Neppl; Laura Jolly, dean’s chair of the College of Health and Human Sciences; and Labh Hira, husband of Tahira Hira and emeritus dean and professor in the Ivy College of Business.