This citation honors College of Agriculture and Life Sciences alumni who have taken on significant leadership roles early in their careers in bettering agriculture and life sciences in Iowa through communications, education, relationship-building, engagement, and are providing outstanding alumni service. Honorees must be age 40 or younger at the time of nomination, live or work in Iowa, and demonstrate high potential for future professional growth. Selection is made by the Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
This award was established in 2015 and is presented at the annual CALS Alumni BBQ in September each year.
The 2025 Emerging Iowa Leader Award was presented to Jake Swanson ('14 global resource systems), founder and principal of High Yield Strategies, during the CALS Alumni BBQ Aug. 30, 2025, at the Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center.
Past Recipients
- 2024 - Sara Kvidera ('17 PhD nutritional sciences)
- 2023 – Martha Smith (’04 ag business, international ag)
- 2022 – Katie Stutsman (’09 ag business, economics)
- 2020 – Jacob Handsaker (’04 ag studies)
- 2019 – Elizabeth Burns-Thompson (’11 ag business, international ag)
- 2018 – Jacob Hunter (’11 ag and life sciences education)
- 2017 – Stephanie Carlson (’13 animal science)
- 2016 – Andrew Lauver (’12 ag studies)
- 2015 – Jacob Thomsen (‘06 agronomy)