Iowa State University’s College of Engineering has established the Greenwood
Department Chair in Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering. This prestigious
position will further enhance the college’s reputation as an academic leader in educating
future engineers. This gift was made possible by Donald and Sharon Greenwood who elevated
previous donations to the $2 million level required to fund an endowed department chair.
Endowed leadership positions are used to leverage human and financial resources to intensify
the impact of their unit and programs. The earnings may be used on a variety of projects,
programs and emerging priorities. The inaugural appointment of the Greenwood Department
Chair will occur after fiscal year 2015. This will be the third named endowed department chair
in the College of Engineering.
“We wish to promote the excellence of the civil, construction and environmental engineering
department, and creating this opportunity is a way to call attention and focus to a world-class
program,” said Don Greenwood, president of the construction division of Burns & McDonnell
– an international engineering, architecture and consulting firm based in Kansas City, Mo. “I’ve
had a rewarding career in engineering and construction, and we hope this gift will help others
succeed in the same manner.”
Don Greenwood, a native of Cedar Rapids, is a 1976 civil engineering graduate of Iowa State
and an ISU Foundation governor. In 2003 he received the professional achievement citation
in engineering from the College of Engineering. Sharon Greenwood, also from Cedar Rapids,
graduated in 1975 from Iowa State with a major in family environment. She works in inside
sales at Midtec Associates in Lenexa, Kansas.
“The Greenwood Department Chair provides a great opportunity to recruit and retain future
generations of engineering leadership at Iowa State,” said Mufit Akinc, interim dean and
James and Katherine Melsa Professor in Engineering. “We are very grateful to the Greenwoods
for their long-term commitment to the civil, construction and environmental engineering
department.”