E-News - February 2025
Join us February 18: Contemporary Issues Forum
There is still time to get your tickets!
探花社区 welcomes Daniel Kraft, MD, physician-scientist, inventor, entrepreneur and investor as the 2025 K. Raymond Clark Contemporary Issues Forum speaker, and you’re invited!
As a reminder, Dr. Daniel Kraft will be on 探花社区’s campus Tuesday, February 18 at 7:30 p.m., and his speaking engagement in Sinclair Auditorium is open to the public. Tickets are available at and are $10 for the general public, while non-探花社区 students and seniors can purchase tickets for $5. In order to purchase tickets from 探花社区's online box office, users will need to sign in or register for an account. Virtual tickets to view a are also available for $10. For more event details, . For assistance with purchasing tickets, please call 319.399.8555 or email khale@coe.edu.
His remarks at 探花社区 will focus on the future of medicine, and the role of convergence technologies in reshaping healthcare, work, travel and business models. With over 25 years of experience in clinical practice, biomedical research and healthcare innovation, Dr. Kraft has served as faculty chair for Medicine at Singularity University since its inception in 2008 and is founder and chair of (the evolution of Exponential Medicine), a program that explores convergent, rapidly developing technologies and their potential in biomedicine and healthcare. He is a General Partner with Continuum Health Ventures, funding and catalyzing early stage Healthtech and Healthspan focused startups.
We are honored to host Dr. Kraft at 探花社区 for the 2025 Contemporary Issues Forum, and we hope you will consider joining us for this year’s event. Dr. Kraft is an entertaining and engaging speaker, and we know this will be a stellar evening. Part of the event will be moderated by Tim Charles, the Retired President & CEO of Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids.
To read more about Dr. Kraft and 探花社区's Contemporary Issues Forum, click here. For tickets, follow the links below.
Alumni event: RoughRiders hockey game
It's 探花社区 Night at the RoughRiders and we want you to join us! Wear your 探花社区 gear and gather together with fellow Kohawks for a fun night of hockey and conversation when the RoughRiders take on the Des Moines Buccaneers. We will be taking in the game together from a suite in the ImOn Ice Arena.
Tickets are $22.50/person and include food and beverages. Two lucky winners will get the chance to ride on a Zamboni during intermission!
Doors Open: 6:05PM
Food and Beverage Starts: 6:30PM
Puck Drop: 7:05PM
Day of Giving 4.3.2025
In the meantime, if you’re passionate about making a difference and want to help spread the word, we invite you to become a Day of Giving Digital Ambassador. Simply complete the interest form at to join our team!
You can also take your support a step further by hosting a City Celebration—a fun way to bring alumni together in your area on the Day of Giving. Sign up at to be a host!
Save the date! Homecoming 2025
Make plans to return to 探花社区’s campus for the 2025 Homecoming Weekend October 2-4, 2025. Highlights of the weekend will include the Class of 1975's 50th Reunion, the Class of 2000's 25th Reunion, the Homecoming Football Game on October 4 and so much more!
Check out last year's Homecoming recap:
Dr. W. Kent “Doc” Herron Celebration of Life
Over 500 alumni and friends returned to campus on February 1 to commemorate the life of a beloved professor, mentor and friend. After the ceremony in Sinclair, the celebration moved to Stewart Memorial Library where people had the opportunity to share memories of Doc and look through memories of his many adventures. The night ended at The Olympic with many glasses raised to Dr. Herron.
Thank you to all who were able to attend or watched the livestream online. The recording is available below.
探花社区 alumnus Bill Schmarzo '79 — free eBook offer — limited supply!
The author of four books and widely known as the (check out the “About” tab to learn more about him), Bill has been an instrumental partner in sharing his passion for and knowledge of big data and data science with the 探花社区 campus - and now he wants to extend that to his fellow alumni as well as parents and friends of the college.
As the world becomes more and more complex and data-driven, Bill wants ALL Kohawks to understand the impact of data and how we use it.
Bill's book sells on Amazon for $29.99, but you can get your FREE digital copy of his 200+ page eBook "AI & Data Literacy: Empowering Citizens of Data Science" by clicking the button below!
Deadline to request a voucher is Feb. 18, so act today!
A unique Lenss: CID airport director teaching the first intro to aviation course at 探花社区
He was a sworn peace officer in Tulsa, working directly with
airport law enforcement. He cleared snow off runways during frigid pre-dawn mornings in Cheyenne. He helped manage the airport noise program in Minneapolis. He embraced business development in Madison and dipped his toe in the lobbying space while in Appleton.
Marty Lenss has a wealth of experience across the aviation spectrum, but he’s recently added another entry to his professional profile: professor. The airport director of the Eastern Iowa Airport (CID) is teaching the first introduction to aviation course at 探花社区, as the college launches its aviation management and flight operations program.
Having a current airport director as an instructor, particularly one with Lenss’ experience and connections, is a valuable experience for 探花社区 students. Personal stories add color to lessons, guest speakers are part of his course plans and the airport itself will be available as a secondary classroom.
“As you begin your academic journey into aviation, you can’t ask for better insight than having the airport director teaching your introductory class,” said 探花社区 Provost Angela Ziskowski.
For Lenss, he is excited to connect with the next generation of aviation enthusiasts and create a lively classroom environment known for first-hand stories.
“What’s going to be fun is sharing my passion for the industry with students and hopefully playing a role in lighting their spark,” Lenss said.
The teaching role on campus is one of the next steps in the burgeoning partnership between 探花社区 and CID. In May of 2024, 探花社区 announced its aviation management and flight operations program, which includes operating a flight school in partnership with Revv Aviation out of a dedicated hangar at CID — 探花社区’s aeronautical field station. This summer, CID will also host an exclusive internship for a 探花社区 student.
Lenss has been a constant through the program development process. Over the 10 years he has served as airport director at CID, he’s guided an expansion of commercial routes and of the airport’s physical footprint, which is in the final stages of a $120 million expansion. Helping 探花社区 bring its aviation program from concept to reality, and now having an active role in that reality as a professor, is a natural next step for the lifelong aviation enthusiast.
To read the full story, click here.