Donation from Houston Couple Establishes Departmental Chair in Geology Department

May 4, 2009

Contacts:
Carl Jacobson, Geological & Atmospheric Sciences, 515.294.1837
Steve Jones, College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Communications, 515.294.0461
Dave Gieseke, ISU Foundation Communications, 515.294.7263

AMES, Iowa--A new gift from Tom and Evonne Smith has the opportunity to transform the department of geological and atmospheric sciences in Iowa State University’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS).

The Houston couple has established the Smith Family Foundation Departmental Chair in Geology to further enhance the mission of the department through a $2 million endowment.

Tom and Evonne Smith

"This gift will provide us with unprecedented opportunities to advance the teaching and research missions of the department," said Carl Jacobson, professor and chair of the department of geological and atmospheric sciences. Jacobson will serve as the Smith Family Foundation Departmental Chair in Geology.

The endowed department chair will provide annual earnings that will be used by the chair to support activities within the department. The Smith Family Foundation Departmental Chair in Geology is just the second such endowed position at Iowa State. The funds will be used for such items as supporting cutting-edge research, recruitment of world-renowned faculty and attracting top students.

"During my years at Iowa State I formed life-long friendships and to be in close proximity to outstanding faculty members was a wonderful, unique opportunity," said Tom Smith. "Evonne and I hope that this gift will help establish the department as a world-class center of learning in the geological sciences."

"We’re extremely grateful for Tom and Evonne’s commitment to create this first endowed department chair position in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences," said LAS Dean Michael Whiteford. "Their appreciation for the education Tom received as a student at Iowa State speaks highly of the quality instruction offered then and today."

Tom Smith holds both bachelor’s (1968) and master’s (1971) degrees in geology from Iowa State. The Smiths were the founders and former owners of Seismic Micro-Technology in Houston. The couple has previously provided $370,000 for improvements at the Carl F. Vondra Geology Field Camp near Shell, Wyo. Tom Smith is also a member of the LAS Dean’s Advisory Council and a past recipient of the Citation of Merit Award, the college’s top alumni honor.

The Smith gift will generate additional funding for items the department was unable to fund in previous years.

"One of the great benefits of the new gift from the Smiths is that the distributions can be used broadly for faculty and student support," Jacobson said. "We should be able to bring in distinguished scientists as part of our seminar series and expose them to our outstanding department.

Jacobson has worked with the department’s faculty members to outline additional opportunities including lab equipment, graduate student scholarships and matching funds for national research grants.

The gift creating the Smith Family Foundation Departmental Chair in Geology is part of Campaign Iowa State: With Pride and Purpose, the university’s $800 million fundraising effort. More than $670 million in gifts and future commitments for facilities and student, faculty and programmatic support have been made to Campaign Iowa State.