Supporting students in honor of renowned professor

Elliana FaheyWhat’s Happening 

The endowed Dr. Neil E. Harl Opportunity Scholarship honors the legacy of Harl and supports students who demonstrate academic potential and financial need. The scholarship, established by Harl’s family through the Iowa State University Foundation, can cover the equivalent of in-state tuition, housing and dining for a student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences for four years. The scholarship will be awarded to one incoming freshman every year.

Dr. Neil Harl attended then-named Iowa State College on a scholarship, earning a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and life sciences education in 1955. He later graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law and returned to Iowa State, where he completed a doctorate in economics in 1965 and was recruited by his department to serve on its faculty after graduation. Dr. Harl was the youngest faculty member to be named a Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor at Iowa State and became a leading figure in agricultural law and economics nationally and internationally.

The inaugural recipient of the Dr. Neil E. Harl Opportunity Scholarship is Elliana Fahey of Belle Paine, Minnesota. Fahey, a freshman in genetics, hopes to pursue a career in biomedical research and work in a lab to find solutions to genetic diseases in humans.

CALS Team

  • Sarah Roelfs, Agriculture and Life Sciences Development
  • Andy Zehr, associate director of student recruitment, Agriculture and Life Sciences Administration

Other Partners

  • Iowa State University Foundation
  • Agriculture and Life Sciences Development


Learn more about the 2022 Dr. Neil E. Harl Opportunity Scholarship

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