Communications
August 25, 2025
Welcome to the start of a new academic year at Iowa State University!
Our history of sincerely welcoming each student is as old as ISU itself. I hope everyone will reach out to our new and continuing students — from all 99 counties in Iowa, all 50 states and more than 100 countries — and help to make them feel at home here in Ames.
One way we do that is Cyclone Welcome Weekend and Destination Iowa State. This past weekend was a huge success! Cyclone Welcome Weekend and Destination Iowa State encouraged our new, larger first-year class to join us in a host of activities, including food, games, contests, music, an ISU women’s exhibition volleyball game and a Hilton Coliseum game watch of the internationally broadcast Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland. Congratulations to the Cyclone football team on beating Kansas State!
Iowa State is so pleased to welcome all of the new “Cyclones in the Making” to our campus community.
The new academic year is always an exciting start for new friendships and for the opening of new doors of learning. I feel particularly happy watching the first students enter the brand-new Turk and Joyce Therkildsen Industrial Engineering building on the west side of campus. The Therkildsens’ extraordinary generosity provided this new home for the Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering — 80,000 square feet of modern classrooms and labs to train the next generation of ISU industrial engineers.
We are Iowa State University of Science and Technology and, like all other research-intensive universities, are working to navigate a changing federal funding landscape. We are actively engaging with elected officials, higher education partners and others to tell our story on the vital importance of research to Iowa and our world. The Office of the Vice President for Research is doing an excellent job providing updates to assist our researchers in navigating changes, or proposed changes, in federal funding.
While the university research landscape remains unsettled, ISU continues to make progress with record funding from three federal agencies in FY25: U.S. Department of Energy for university projects and the Ames National Laboratory ($125.2 million); National Science Foundation ($45.3 million); and U.S. Department of Transportation ($10.1 million). Collectively, university researchers attracted $329.9 million as part of our total $549.3 million in external funding. This is a success story made possible by the hard work and devotion of our faculty and staff to advancing science and technology for the public good.
Finally, as many of you know, this is the final semester that I get to welcome you back to our beautiful campus. On January 2, 2026, I will retire from Iowa State after eight years as president and after a 46-year career at this world-class institution. It’s been a distinct honor to lead the state of Iowa’s land-grant university and a privilege to serve our students, faculty and staff, and the people of Iowa.
During the coming months, the Presidential Search Committee will begin vetting candidates applying to serve as the next president. The schedule outlines a final set of candidates visiting campus by mid-November and then the Iowa Board of Regents making the decision on who will be the 17th president to serve ISU. Please join me in welcoming each candidate and assisting in every way possible in making a smooth and successful transition to the next president.
Best wishes to each and every one of you for a successful semester.
Wendy Wintersteen, President
August 21, 2025
Dear Colleagues,
As we begin a new academic year, I want to remind you of our shared responsibility as Iowa State employees to comply with state and federal laws and Iowa Board of Regents policies.
DEI laws and directives. SF2435 (now known as Iowa Code Chapter 261J) took effect July 1, 2025. The law prohibits diversity, equity and inclusion offices at the regent universities as broadly defined by the law and with limited exceptions. It also prohibits individuals from doing the work of a DEI office. Additionally, over the past two years, the Board of Regents has adopted DEI directives and policies.
Iowa State University has taken actions to comply with these laws and directives and will continue to monitor and take action when necessary to ensure continued compliance. Iowa State has the responsibility and intent to be fully compliant with these laws and directives. University employees are expected to follow all guidelines and policies related to these compliance obligations and efforts.
Political Advocacy. As a state institution, Iowa State University is required to remain politically neutral. Advocacy efforts on behalf of the institution are led by the Iowa Board of Regents in coordination with the President’s Office.
Iowa State University employees have full rights to engage in the political process on their own behalf and using their personal time and resources. Employees who speak or write on political issues should take care to note they are doing so as individual citizens, and their views are not the views of the university. University resources and equipment (e.g., university email, telephone, letterhead, social media channels, etc.) cannot be used for political advocacy.
Political topics may be discussed in the classroom as long as they are germane to the course curriculum. Faculty and instructors should take care to foster a learning environment where all students feel free to express their views in an appropriate manner.
Additional guidelines and policies are available on the Federal and State Relations webpage.
Code of Business and Fiduciary Conduct. Please review the Iowa Board of Regents Code of Business and Fiduciary Conduct and use the principles to guide your actions as you carry out your work on behalf of Iowa State University.
As stated in the Code, each person conducting the business affairs of Iowa State University has a responsibility to do so with fairness, integrity and respect. This is especially important for those who make and implement policy for the university. We take this responsibility very seriously because it is the right thing to do. It fosters an environment of trust that is essential to accomplishing our mission.
The ISU Policy Library links to the Code and provides a list of key university policies that support the Code.
Welcoming and Respectful Campus: Iowa State University strives to have a welcoming and respectful environment for all students, faculty and staff. Thank you for doing your part to advance this goal.
Wendy Wintersteen, President
May 16, 2025
Dear Iowa State University faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends,
I have had the good fortune of serving Iowa State University for forty-six years with the last eight as President. It’s been a fascinating journey. In these past years, Iowa State University has reached new heights of research and teaching excellence, continued improvements in student outcomes and national recognition for innovative and entrepreneurial achievements.
I am writing today to announce that I have asked the Iowa Board of Regents to begin a search for the next President of this great university. My hope is that the search process will begin very soon, and the new President will assume the role in January of 2026, whereupon I will retire. I will truly miss our ISU students and their creativity, excitement and potential.
My husband, Robert and I want to express our deep gratitude for all the faculty and staff who have helped and continue to help Iowa State University achieve and excel in its land-grant mission of education, research and Extension/outreach. Your energy and enthusiasm for our ISU students, our research endeavors and the “Iowa State way” of creating success shines brightly.
Robert and I also want to share our profound gratitude for the countless alumni, supporters and donors who have established scholarships, endowments and incredible opportunities for our Iowa State students, faculty and staff. Your generosity transforms the lives of so many. We will miss seeing you at university events, but it is time for us to begin the next chapter in our lives.
Finally, I want to especially thank my leadership team. During the past eight years, we have navigated a dynamic period of challenges, surprises and growth. Together, we have continued to move Iowa State forward on numerous fronts to the best of our ability. I know that our future President will find in them a collegial and dedicated set of leaders to continue that process.
Again, my sincere and deep thanks to all of you for the trust that you have placed in me to serve Iowa State University. It has been an honor.
Wendy
Wendy Wintersteen, President