Iowa State University’s College of Engineering has received a gift commitment from Don and Sharon Greenwood of Olathe, Kan., which will ultimately establish an endowed chair in the department of civil, construction and environmental engineering.
The Greenwoods are currently funding the position as a professorship and have made a pledge to upgrade the named faculty position to an endowed chair in construction engineering over the next few years. The couple’s total gift commitment to the named faculty position is $1.5 million.
The Donald F. and Sharon A. Greenwood Professorship in Construction Engineering allowed the College of Engineering to recruit Douglas Gransberg, a high-profile construction engineering faculty member, to Iowa State later this academic year.
“We’re particularly engaged in preserving and promoting the excellence of the faculty in the construction engineering program,” said Don Greenwood, president of the construction division of Burns & McDonnell, an international engineering, architecture and consulting firm based in Kansas City.
“I’ve had a successful and rewarding career with Burns and McDonnell, a firm which has also enjoyed a strong working relationship with Iowa State’s College of Engineering,” Greenwood continued. “Sharon and I hope this gift will encourage that partnership to thrive and prosper for many years to come.”
Don Greenwood is a 1976 civil engineering graduate of Iowa State. He is an Iowa State University Foundation Governor and in 2003 received the Professional Achievement Citation in Engineering from the College of Engineering.
Sharon Greenwood graduated in 1975 from Iowa State with a major in family environment and works with Midtech Associates in Lenexa, Kan.
Gransberg was previously the Harold W. Connor Professor of Construction Science at the University of Oklahoma and held a faculty position at Texas Tech University. He holds degrees from Oregon State University, with a Ph.D. in civil engineering from the University of Colorado.
Prior to joining academia, Gransberg spent over 20 years in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In his final posting, he was the Europe District’s Area Engineer stationed in Turkey, where he managed an annual design and construction program that exceeded $200 million.
While at Oklahoma, he served on the Governor’s Task Force on Construction Law and helped develop legislation authorizing innovative project delivery practice for public building projects in that state. He is also an active design-build consultant with such clients as the Federal Highway Administration, the U.S. Agency for International Development, transit authorities in New York City and Washington, D.C., and several state departments of transportation.
“The Greenwood Professorship has provided yet another tremendous opportunity for the College of Engineering to recruit a world-class faculty member and researcher, such as Douglas Gransberg to Iowa State,” said Jonathan Wickert, dean of the College of Engineering. “We are extremely appreciative of the Greenwoods’ long-term commitment to civil, construction and environmental engineering at Iowa State.”
The gift is part of Campaign Iowa State: With Pride and Purpose, the university’s $800 million fundraising effort.
Contacts:
Eric Dieterle, College of Engineering, 515.294.488
Dave Gieseke, ISU Foundation Communications, 515.294.7263