College of Endowed Chairs

 

These endowed chairs and professors do vital work for the College of Agriculture, Iowa State University and the state of Iowa. These chairholders specialize in areas of study identified by the donors who created the endowments. Endowed funds are managed through the ISU Foundation, for the benefit of the College.

Ensminger International Chair
David Topel, animal science
This endowed chair is a continuing appointment. Income from the Ensminger Endowment is to be used to fund the Ensminger/Iowa State Ag-Tech International Stockman’s Schools and develop materials to maintain publication of the Ensminger series of textbooks.

Pioneer Hi-Bred Chair in Agribusiness
Dermot Hayes, economics and finance
The purpose of the chair is to encourage research on agribusiness topics of relevance to large seed companies, such as Pioneer. Funds are primarily used to sponsor students working on a master's degree in business administration specializing in agribusiness. Some current projects include work on the welfare impact of biotechnology on the U.S. grain sector and intellectual property rights on the seed sector. Other work focuses on the use of option pricing techniques to solve risk management problems faced by grain and livestock producers. The fund is a renewable five-year appointment under the control of the dean of the College of Business.

Pioneer Hi-Bred Chair in Molecular Biology of Maize (Pioneer Hi-Bred Chair in Maize Genetics)
Thomas Peterson, genetics, development and cell biology and agronomy
This endowment is to be used to establish a nationally recognized program of research and graduate education in plant genetics and to provide leadership in developing programs in plant genetics at Iowa State. It is a continuous appointment.

Pioneer Hi-Bred Chair in Science and Technology Policy
GianCarlo Moschini, economics
This chair is to provide economic research and leadership in the evolving policy debate on new agricultural science and technology and help define appropriate roles for the public and private sectors. Current research programs supported by the Chair include the economic analysis of biotechnology innovations in agriculture, the analysis of intellectual property rights and the role of public policy and market institutions in fostering innovation and economic growth. The Chair has a renewable five-year term.

Pioneer Hi-Bred Agronomy Professorship
Lee Burras, agronomy
This professor is expected to provide excellence and visibility in an area of scholarship critically important to the department, the College of Agriculture, Iowa State University and the citizens of Iowa. Term is for three years.

Pioneer Hi-Bred Distinguished Chair in Maize Breeding
Kendall Lamkey, agronomy
This chair is to promote Iowa State's maize breeding program, conduct multidisiplinary and field-oriented research and develop germplasm for regional agricultural systems and lead a research program that emphasizes quantitative and population genetics, selection theory and breeding methodology. The position is for the dual benefit of the Department of Agronomy in the College of Agriculture and the Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding in the Plant Science Institute. Term is for five years, but may be renewed.

Henry A. Wallace Endowed Chair for Sustainable Agriculture
Lorna Michael Butler, administration
The Henry A. Wallace Endowed Chair for Sustainable Agriculture was established in 1997 to promote the philosophical and practical ideas of Henry A. Wallace, specifically his commitment to the wise use of science and public policy to protect natural resources and farmland, enhance vibrant and enduring rural communities and alleviate global poverty and hunger. The position is a flexible, rotating three-to-five-year term with an option for the dean of agriculture to extend the appointment for an additional three years, to a maximum of eight years.

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
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