AMES, Iowa – A donation honoring the legacy of a late Iowa State University alumna will provide a first-generation doctoral candidate with regalia for this weekend’s spring commencement.

The First Scholars Office created the Regalia Legacy Award to help first-generation students celebrate their achievements by removing the financial barrier of buying or renting regalia (gown, hood and tam). The award was inspired by the late Lyn Ann Brodersen Cochran, whose mother donated the regalia in honor of her daughter’s commitment to uplifting others in higher education (more detail below). 

Savannah Schultz, a Ph.D. candidate in gerontology with a graduate minor in political science, received the inaugural award. Schultz was in awe after learning about Brodersen Cochran’s story and is honored to be connected to her legacy. 

“What resonated most with me is her interdisciplinary path and her commitment to supporting others and her community. I see parallels in my own journey. I’ve often felt ‘in between’ fields, grounded in nutrition but working across aging, policy and community systems. Her story affirmed that there is value in bringing different perspectives together,” Schultz said.

Schultz is one of 891 first-generation students completing their degrees this spring. Overall, an estimated 4,932 students are graduating, that includes 4,121 undergraduate students, 528 master’s students, 128 Ph.D. candidates and 155 veterinary medicine candidates. Iowa State will hold five commencement ceremonies from May 14-16: 

• Graduate College, 7 p.m. May 14, at Hilton Coliseum
• Veterinary Medicine, 1 p.m. May 15, at Stephens Auditorium
• Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Business, 9 a.m. May 16, at Hilton
• Colleges of Design, Engineering, 2 p.m. May 16, at Hilton
• Colleges of Health and Human Sciences, Liberal Arts and Sciences, 7 p.m. May 16, at Hilton

Guests are encouraged to arrive early and use the north, south and lower west entrances of Hilton and the north and southwest entrances at Stephens. Details about security measures and a clear bag policy are available in this FAQ. For family and friends who are unable to attend, the university also offers a livestream for each ceremony.

Commencement speakers

An invitation to speak at the evening commencement ceremony has brought back a lot of memories for Kent Lucken. Forty years ago, the Iowa State alumnus spoke at commencement as senior class president. Lucken says his career path – from international diplomacy to private equity and banking – is a testament to the impact of an Iowa State education. It’s a message he plans to share with graduates.

“What was so special about my time at Iowa State is that it really prepared me to engage in the world in the broadest sense. A well-rounded liberal arts education enabled me to step into the world and ultimately to switch careers from diplomacy to banking. This is where the enduring impact of an ISU education has so much relevance for me and for today’s students,” Lucken said.

Featured speakers for the other commencement ceremonies include (full speaker bios):  

• Director of Ames National Laboratory Karl Mueller will speak at the Graduate College ceremony. At Ames National Lab, Mueller is leading the team to build core strengths in chemistry, critical minerals and materials science to advance artificial intelligence, fusion energy and quantum information sciences. 
• Dr. Steve Carlson, and associate professor of molecular pharmacology, will speak at the College of Veterinary Medicine ceremony. Before returning to Iowa State, Carlson was in private practice and worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture where he solved a problem regarding antibiotic resistant salmonella with enhanced disease-causing capabilities. 
• Patient advocate and life sciences leader Christi Shaw will speak at the morning commencement ceremony. Shaw, an Iowa State alumna, is executive chair of Kyverna Therapeutics and co-founder of an organization providing grants to help people access oncology clinical trials for potentially life-saving treatment.  
• Corporate leader, innovator and alumnus David Slump will speak at the afternoon commencement ceremony. Slump serves as executive director of the Marelli Board of Directors and is active at Iowa State helping students gain hands-on experience in solving real-world problems.

More celebrations

The six undergraduate colleges will honor graduating students at convocations and receptions on Friday or Saturday morning. Click on the college name for a link to the event livestream or reception details.

• College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, 9 a.m. May 15, Hilton Coliseum
• College of Health and Human Sciences, 1 p.m. May 15, Hilton
• Ivy College of Business, 4 p.m. May 15, Hilton
• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, 7 p.m. May 15, Hilton
• College of Design, 9:30 a.m. May 16, Stephens Auditorium
• College of Engineering, link includes times, locations for departmental receptions

Regalia Legacy Award

The award was inspired by Lyn Ann Brodersen Cochran, who graduated from Iowa State in 2008 with a Ph.D. in educational leadership. Brodersen Cochran’s career was defined by service, academic leadership and commitment to others. She held several leadership roles in higher education and was serving as president of Scott Community College in Davenport when she died in 2021.

Members of Iowa State’s 2025-26 Emerging Leaders Academy class partnered with the First Scholars Office to establish the award and recognition of first-generation students. Schultz and three first-generation undergraduates were celebrated for their achievements at a ceremony in late April. The goal is to expand the program to honor graduates earning master’s, Ed.D. and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees. If you’d like to support this effort, you can make a donation through the First Scholars Office FundISU page.

Parking, Highway 30 construction

Parking is available between Hilton Coliseum and Jack Trice Stadium and in the lots north of Hilton and the Scheman Building. Additional parking is available at Jack Trice Stadium and Maple Willow Larch (click here for parking maps). Handicap parking is available in lot C2, directly south of Hilton.

Guests traveling to campus for commencement should allow extra time or find an alternate route to avoid construction along Highway 30. The Iowa Department of Transportation is reconstructing the bridge in the eastbound lanes between South Duff Ave. and South Dayton Ave. As a result, there’s more traffic on South Duff and longer wait times at red lights, which is required to keep the Highway 30 off-ramps clear. 

Celebrating student success