The Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering (CCEE) is excited to welcome Linda Dainty. With her background in the Arts, she excels in bringing her own flair and creativity to all the work she does.
Read more to see our interview with Linda and how she’s working to highlight our alumni below.
Q: What do you do as an Outreach Specialist for alumni?
I develop and manage events involving alumni, from recent graduates to those who graduated 50+ years ago and get them involved in the current CCEE department events and activities. I engage alumni by creating fun events, picking locations, setting menus, sending out guest invites, and creating promotional materials.
Q: What are some of the biggest events you work on?
Award ceremonies! Each year, we celebrate our accomplished alumni with Hall of Fame and Distinguished Alumni recognitions (Nomination closes August 3rd). We also have various tailgates with alumni and family. Most recently, alumni got together in Des Moines for the GOLD Bike and Brew to try some of Iowa’s finest breweries and bike the area.
Q: What is your favorite part about working at Iowa State with our alumni in this role?
Just being on campus brings back such fond memories of my time as a student here. There is something about this campus, it’s just so beautiful.
I love this role because it allows me to do a lot of different things. No day is ever the same and there is never a dull moment. I am extremely grateful to use my background in the arts to think creatively. Some examples of where I get to do this are when designing logos, center pieces for events, buttons, flyers, badges and other promotional materials.
Q: What advice would you give to young professionals?
The best advice I can give someone is that as you graduate college, you might start off in a role that makes sense with your major, but later, you may find yourself in something that doesn’t necessarily relate, if that happens, give yourself the grace to explore new roles to learn and grow. You will learn something in each job that could inspire you to try something else.
Also, update your LinkedIn profiles with all the amazing stuff you are doing. Your experiences are valuable!