Foundation Focus
From achieving milestones in the Our Tomorrow: The Campaign for UNI to new opportunities with the announcement of the fourth endowed professorship -- ever -- for the College of Education, it has been another year of goals achieved, friendships made and support shared with our many benefactors.
Thank you.
A Wish Fulfilled
New endowed professorship honors Corning native and alum
In 1950, a young woman named Averyle Westphal from Corning, Iowa, earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from the Iowa State Teachers College. Upon graduation, she taught kindergarten, first in Cedar Rapids and then in Maryland where, after her marriage to Roy Ehrle, they had moved to the U.S. Army post where he was newly stationed.
Eventually they returned to Des Moines, Iowa, where she taught for a few more years before focusing on her home, family and community, as well as continuing her love of teaching through leading Sunday school at their church. Her husband finished his career as vice chairman of the
Principal Financial Group. In 1996, as they enjoyed their early retirement years, they began looking forward and made a decision. They chose to create a charitable trust which would support the University of Northern Iowa and, in the long-term, fund an endowed professorship to supplement a faculty position in the College of Education.
For nearly 30 years, their initial donation of $250,000 continued to grow. Now, both age 96, the Ehrles are witnessing the result of their generosity. In July, they met Dawn Mollenkopf, the newly named Averyle Westphal Ehrle Distinguished Professor in Early Childhood Education. She joined UNI in August after previously serving as a professor of early childhood education at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
“This is only the fourth endowed professorship for the College of Education,” says Dean Colleen Mulholland. “A gift like this will be instrumental in our commitment to continue preparing future and current teachers to provide a strong, foundational start to a child’s education through robust early childhood education. The Ehrles’ generosity and vision make this possible. We’re thrilled and thankful.”
The Ehrles’ commitment demonstrates the value different options in giving can provide. “This shows how the gift of time as
well as money can come together in a way that will have lasting impact,” says Andrea Elliott, senior director of corporate relations, UNI Foundation.
As a student, Averyle read children’s stories over the radio to a vast audience of children listening over the airwaves, thanks to the encouragement and support of a professor. She says simply: “I loved the children.”
From those early connections to a choice made 28 years ago, Averyle Westphal Ehrle and Roy Ehrle will leave their imprint on the college and early childhood teacher preparation for years to come.
A Brighter Tomorrow
Since we last connected via Premier, something wonderful happened.
Two and a half years early, the Our Tomorrow: The Campaign for UNI achieved an incredible milestone by surpassing the initial goal of $250 million for a brighter tomorrow.
As we enter the final phase of the campaign, the UNI Foundation has set a stretch goal of $300 million by 2026. From more support for student scholarships to launching our nursing program and creating a new home for Panther Wrestling, these additional initiatives are essential to building the UNI that tomorrow needs.
Many of you are among the more than 28,000 (and counting) alumni and friends who have said “yes” to Our Tomorrow. Here are just a few examples of how your support continues to help the College of Education achieve beyond what we thought possible:
- Professional development for hundreds of students, faculty and practitioners of various backgrounds through multiple events, including our donor-funded Social and Emotional Learning Conference, Bill and Linda Tubbs Teaching Connections and Carlton-Mellichamp Lecture in Education.
- Participation in the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education’s Holmes Scholars Institute and support for UNI’s first two Holmes Scholars.
- Resources to recruit world-class candidates and expand our teaching and scholarship in areas like literacy education, early childhood education and educational leadership.
As we continue to look forward through this campaign and beyond, Dean Colleen Mulholland and the college are intently focused on providing
more student teaching support, increasing endowed professorships, and leading the charge in rural education – extensions of our campaign goals to increase student scholarships, enhance research and teaching, strengthen community partnerships and innovate in academic programming.
As I have traveled and met with so many of you this past year, your sincere commitment to the University of Northern Iowa always touches me. I love that our alumni reflect on their experiences, share their stories and wish to leave their legacy on campus. We are incredibly grateful and cannot
thank you enough for all you do to support the College of Education students, faculty, staff and programs!
Contact Sunni Kegebein at sunni.kegebein@uni.edu or 319-273-7319.
Donor Honor Roll
Thank you to the following donors who made cash contributions to the college between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024. Names with (*) indicate
Dean’s Inner Circle members, who gave $1,000 or more to the Dean’s Fund for Excellence. Names in bold indicate UNI Legacy Society members who
have named UNI in their estate plans.
50,000+
Frederick and Marion Schindler
$10,000 - $49,999
Pamela Breithaupt
Patty and Kenneth Budke
James and Brenda Clancy
Kathleen Dockter
Rodney L. Duroe
JoLeen Eiklenborg
Joan Gill*
Harman Family Charitable Trust
Judy Hart
Jorgen and Camilla Heidemann
Jeri and Rick Levi
Janet Lynn Nielsen
M. Patrick and Lois O’Rourke
James L. and Bonnie L. Raasch
Richard and Judith Rue
Kevin and Terri Saville
Marilyn Sill
Charles J. Walker
Waterloo Schools Foundation
Dianne and Doug Whittle
$5,000- $9,999
Holly and John Becker
Susan Bescher
Nan Brenholdt
Marie and James Burke
Karen Dole
Marilyn Dudley
Audrey Ercolini
John Deere Corporation
Sandra and Lawrence Klosterman
Darlene and John Nelson
Dr. Richard J. Rosonke
$1,000 - $4,999
Deborah Anderson*
Alan and Patricia Arends*
Richard and Maribelle Betterton
Rose and Jeff Blank
Robert J. Brown*
Donna and Richard Butikofer*
Brenda D. Burke
Patrick W. Carley*
Janice and John Chrystal
Karilyn and Tom Claude*
Delta Kappa Gamma Tau Chapter
Allen and Nancy DeWalle*
Sharon DuBois
Gail and Craight Eichstadt*
Judith and Dick Ela
Fleming Sisters Fund
Stephen Fortgang
Len and Gail Froyen
Carol Glass and Jerry Rewerts
Ramona and John Hall
Pat Jessen
Mary Kaiser-Smith
Jeanne McLain Harms Educational Foundation*
Adam Harrer*
Shirley Hewlett
Steve and Glenda Howard
Bradley and Loree Huntington
Dexter and Sandra Hyde
Randy Ingram and Kathy Tanner-Ingram*
Stephanee Sickles-Jordan and Joseph Jordan*
James Kelly
Spencer and Tracy Mathews
Drew McLellan
Colleen and Jarvis Mulholland*
David and Rebecca Nation
Maren Nielsen
Beverly Olofson*
Susan Pagel
Sonja and Gary Peyton*
Craig and Natalie Schumacher
Marilyn Sill
Arlo and Sue Sime*
Anna M. Spengler*
Keith and Sandra Stamp*
Linda and William Tubbs
Karen Ultis
Mike and Rita Waggoner
Barry and Jane Wilson
Judy and Richard Yerian*
$500 to $999
Maryls and Simeon Austin
Phil and Ann Beckman
Rachel S. Benton
Jim and Carol Brannon
Ardelle Brown
Brandon M. Brown
Brett and Lisa Carson
Cyndy and Brad Clement
Donald H. Goering
Gerald and Mary Hoard
Julie and Carl Huetteman
Betty Kingery
Lois Lackore
Christine McKenna
Janet and Dave Moeller
Alex and Hillery Oberle
Thomas George Pearson
Diane and Bruce Perry
Patricia and Jeff Seinwill
John and Nancy Sonka
Nancy and K. Douglas Streeper
$250 - $499
Bonnie L. Anderson
Lee Anderson
Betty Augspurger
Larry R. Bakerink
Darlene Biggers
Sheryl Cope
Deonna and Dean Knudsen
Jeffrey and Zuleide Dietzenbach
Dennis and Grace Ferreter
Benjamin Forsyth
Donna Frerichs
Angela and David Fuller
Lois and Timothy Fulton
Shirley Gibbs
Nicholas and Glenda Hellenthal
Todd and Aimee Hospodarsky
Linda Langin Hugh
Charles and Jackie Hughes
Eric and Jen Johnson
LeRoy and Susan Kester
Joye Kohl
Doug and Rosie Lindaman
Annette and Todd Michaels
Miscellaneous Donors
Dorothy and Elvin Nahnsen
Louise Odle
Michael Phelan
Judith Pritchard
Joyce and Richard Rath
Tracy and Michelle Richmond
Roberta and Randy Rickey
John and Linda Rowland
Joy and Russell Sanner
Peggy Shea and David Traeger
Catherine Smith
Mary and Larry Streyffeler
Genny Van Dorn
David and Marilyn Voorhis
Rebecca and Travis Wilson
Randall and Carol Winkey
Dale Wulf
Karen and David Zwanziger