E-News - December 2024

Coe mourns the loss of Kent "Doc" Herron

It is with profound sorrow that Coe College shares the passing of Kent “Doc” Herron, a cherished member of the Coe community whose dedication and influence spanned more than five decades. Arriving at Coe in 1968, Doc served as an educator, mentor and unwavering supporter of generations of Kohawks, shaping the lives of countless students and leaving an indelible mark on the institution.

Doc's contributions to Coe extended well beyond his role as a distinguished educator. In 1972, he began his tenure as advisor to Coe’s chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon, a position he held with great enthusiasm and dedication throughout his life. From 1977 to 2003, Doc led January Term trips to Aspen, where he taught students the art of skiing. This unique tradition fostered enduring bonds among alumni, culminating in a 2022 reunion attended by nearly 60 former participants. A devoted supporter of Coe Athletics, Doc could frequently be found on the football sidelines, enthusiastically cheering on the Kohawks from his iconic spot.

His dedication to Coe was also reflected in his tireless efforts to enhance the campus environment. Working as a painter during the summers, he employed numerous students on paint crews and took pride in having painted many of the residence halls and campus houses at least once.

Doc's extraordinary commitment to Coe College earned him several prestigious honors, including the Kesler Outstanding Service Award (2011) and the Distinguished Service Award (2017). His legacy is further reflected in several tributes across campus, including the establishment of an endowed chair in his name in 1997, the dedication of an office within the Athletic & Recreation Complex and the significant addition to and renovation of Hickok Hall in 2017 — a building where Doc taught for many years. These honors and dedications serve as enduring testaments to his profound impact on the Coe community.

To countless Kohawks, Doc was far more than an instructor; he was a trusted mentor, devoted friend and constant source of encouragement. Reflecting on his profound connection to Coe, Doc once shared:

Well, Coe means everything to me … If I think of the many, many good friends that I have in my life - and I’m lucky to have maybe more than my fair share - they’re virtually all Coe alumni or spouses of Coe alumni. So Coe is, in a real sense, my family. I have my own wonderful family, too, but the Coe family that I have is absolutely central to my being.

A celebration of Kent Herron’s remarkable life and contributions to Coe College will be held the afternoon of Saturday, February 1, 2025 in Sinclair Auditorium with a reception to follow on campus. Further details regarding the time, location and additional arrangements will be shared with the Coe community in the coming weeks.

The legacy of Kent “Doc” Herron is deeply woven into the fabric of Coe College and he will be profoundly missed by all whose lives he touched.

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Inaugural Thankful Thursday was a success!

Coe College's first annual Thankful Thursday campaign, replacing Giving Tuesday, was an incredible success, showcasing the power of gratitude and generosity within our Kohawk community. Thanks to the efforts of 21 digital ambassadors and the support of alumni, student supporters and friends, we grew the day by 38% compared to last year's Giving Tuesday. Together, we raised an impressive $98,665.91 through 95 gifts, ensuring today’s students thrive while celebrating the spirit of connection that makes Coe so special. Thank you to everyone who made this new tradition an unforgettable celebration!

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Nominations are open for the Coe College Alumni Awards!

Do you know an alumni who deserves to be recognized for their achievements, dedication and impact? Nominate an alum today for one of the awards below, to be awarded at Coe Homecoming 2025. Each year, the Coe College Alumni Council recognizes alumni for their achievements in their career fields, stewardship to Coe through service and/or financial contributions and impact in their communities. 

While nominations are accepted year-round, only those submitted by January 31 will be considered for awarding at that year's Homecoming celebration.The Coe Alumni Council evaluates nominees based on the weighted criteria specific to each award. Links to the nomination form for each award are listed below in addition to each award’s page where the eligibility and judging criteria can also be found.

All-Alumni Awards

Alumni Award of Merit Nominations 

The Alumni Award of Merit is an honor the college bestows on alumni who achieve outstanding success and are game changers in their career fields.

Distinguished Service Award Nominations ​​​

The Distinguished Service Award is a lifetime achievement honor for alumni or friends of the college who display exceptional stewardship to Coe through their service and/or financial contributions.

Young Alum Award Nominations

The Young Alum Award is an honor the college bestows on its alumni who have achieved a high level of success within 15 years of graduating from Coe.

 

Athletic Hall of Fame

The Athletic Hall of Fame was created to recognize former Coe athletes who have achieved success at an elite level and led a responsible life.

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Engineering physics major profiled by KCRG-TV9 for Working Iowa series

One of Coe’s newest academic programs continues to create waves throughout the local community. The introduction of engineering physics has been lauded as a needle-mover for Eastern Iowa manufacturers and businesses. Coe worked closely with local companies to ensure the program would meet the evolving needs of industries reliant on engineers. KCRG-TV9 recently profiled the engineering physics program in its Working Iowa series and noted the new major is a “win for local employers.” Visit KCRG's website to watch the broadcast and learn more.

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Coe’s C3: Creativity, Careers, Community hosts Fireside Chats

It's one thing to tell students that their time on campus is a journey of finding themselves, their meaning and their purpose. It’s an entirely different thing to show them. Enter Fireside Chats.

The C3: Creativity, Careers, Community team at Coe, in collaboration with the college’s Entrepreneur-in-Residence David Tominsky '98 and economics professor, Ryan Baranowski '08, hosted its inaugural Fireside Chat series this fall. The series comes out of the Creativity and Innovation component of C3.

The team invited entrepreneurs, CEOs and executive directors to campus for informal chats with Tominsky. Our guests were in one word…amazing.

• Chloe Elise '17, CEO and founder of Deeper than Money; 

• Tom Pientok '85, president and CEO of Timberline Manufacturing in Cedar Rapids;

• Charity Tyler '96, executive director of the Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation.

Our Fireside Chat series speakers delivered compelling stories about their time on campus, their passion for our shared college and where their journey’s path led them after Coe. The conversations showcased our guests’ stories of successes and failures, shared a variety of perspectives on what it means to be an entrepreneur and innovator and provided networking opportunities for our students.

The small group and intimate setting allowed for our students to hear how they can be innovators, creators and entrepreneurs, and to highlight the idea that stories unfold in so many different ways and they are often not as linear as we think they'll be. This effort augments the work happening on campus through Coe’s Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE) grants which help infuse conversations and questions of meaning and purpose into the work that faculty and staff do with students on a daily basis. 

Entrepreneurship and innovation are not my background; and yet, I’ve found it really helpful and intriguing in my work with C3 to learn from leaders in a variety of areas and to hear their stories. I have found much of what people have shared is relevant and applicable to my own life and work. Students across campus can benefit from hearing these different perspectives.

-Sam Brown, Psychology professor and Faculty Co-Director of C3

Cameron Lay '25, senior economics and business administration major, attended all three chats. "Fireside chats have influenced me to dig deeper into what it means to graduate and then succeed as a Kohawk. Chloe inspired me to not wait for opportunities to have perfect timing, Tom showed the importance of our emotions and Charity conveyed how learning hands-on produces wonderful results. Thank you to all who conversed with us! These are impactful lessons I’ve taken to heart as I search for early career development programs."

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Contemporary Issues Forum to welcome Dr. Daniel Kraft

Save the Date for Coe’s 2025 Contemporary Issues Forum to be held on February 18, 2025 in Sinclair Auditorium at 7:30 PM. Established by the late K. Raymond Clark '30, the Coe College Contemporary Issues Forum presents the views of distinguished leaders whose work has received national or international recognition.  

Our 2025 speaker will be Stanford- and Harvard-trained physician-scientist, inventor, entrepreneur and innovator, Daniel Kraft, MD. His remarks at Coe will focus on the future of medicine, and the role of convergence technologies in reshaping healthcare, work, travel and business models. To learn more about Daniel Kraft, MD and his breadth of knowledge and experience, from medicine to NASA, please click here for his full bio. 

Ticket information, including a livestream for our out of town alumni and friends, will be shared after the New Year. For questions, please contact Kris Hale at khale@coe.edu or 319-399-8555. 

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Submit your photos for a new mural in the James H. Randall Intercultural Center

The Student Senate DEI Committee is excited to announce a special project celebrating the diversity, unity and spirit of Coe College — a mosaic mural that will feature photos representing our vibrant school community. 

We invite you to submit photos that capture the essence of Coe — whether it's a favorite campus memory, a meaningful event or a moment that reflects the values and experiences we all share. These photos will be compiled into a stunning mosaic to be displayed in the James H. Randall Intercultural Center. 

Submission Details: 

• Deadline: the submission portal will be closed in early January 

• Submission: click on this link and upload as many photos as you would like!

• Guidelines: Photos should be school-appropriate and high-quality if possible. Images of people, campus landmarks, events or creative interpretations of school are all welcome! 

This is your chance to leave a lasting mark and contribute to a project that showcases the shared experiences and unique stories that make our community special. Attached below is a mock-up of what the finished mosaic would look like, zoom in to see the magic behind each picture, and submit your photos to be included in this magnificent showcase of community!

We look forward to seeing your submissions and unveiling a mosaic that represents us all. Thank you for helping us bring this vision to life!

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Upcoming alumni athletic events

In January, Coe will host alumni athletic events for cross country, track and field and basketball! All men’s and women’s cross country and track and field alumni and friends are invited to join us on January 11, 2025 and all men’s and women’s basketball alumni and friends are invited to join us on January 25, 2025. More details on each event including registration links can be found below.

XCTF Alumni Meet - 1/11/2025

Lace up your running shoes and join us for the 2025 alumni cross-country and track & field meet! Mingle with current members of the Coe cross country and track & field teams while taking part in some fun competition. 

Register here for the 4th Annual Coe XCTF Alumni Meet

Meet schedule:

3:00 PM - Shot Put and Long Jump

3:30 PM - 60m Dash

4:00 PM - Mile

4:20 PM - 200m

4:40 PM - Alana Littleton Memorial 60m Kids Dash (age 6 and under)

4:50 PM - 200m Kids dash (age 7+) (add a parent for a 2 x 200m child-parent relay)

Medals given to all kids who participate

5:00 PM - Thank you's and group photo

5:30 PM - 4 x 400m Relay

Following the meet, please join us at The Pines restaurant for a social gathering courtesy of Coe alum Jeff Beer '86.

Alumni Basketball Games - 1/25/2025

Alumni are once again invited to join us on the hardwood for some hoops and fun. The schedule for the day is below. Sign-up includes a commemorative 2025 alumni basketball game t-shirt. 

Register here for the 2025 Alumni Basketball games at Coe

Event schedule:

10:00 AM - Women's alumnae game, Kohawk Arena (Photo at 9:50 AM)

11:30 AM - Men's alumni game, Kohawk Arena (Photo at 11:20 AM)

2:00 PM - Coe vs. Buena Vista women's basketball game

4:00 PM - Coe vs. Buena Vista men's basketball game

After the varsity games, everyone is invited to join us at Home Port for drinks and hors d'oeuvres.

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Last chance! Discover the archaeology of Greece

Explore the ruins and legends of ancient Greece with a classical archaeologist and the provost of Coe College, Angela Ziskowski. In addition to archaeological sites, the trip will include numerous famous museums in Greece, private tours of sites and collections not available to most of the public, shopping opportunities, free time to explore and memorable Mediterranean dining!

• Parthenon of Athens

• Shops of the Plaka

• Theatre of Dionysus

• Day trip to Mount Parnassus

• So much more!

This trip will occur October 11-22, 2025. Spend 11 nights across Greece: five in Athens, two in Santorini and four in Nafplio. Cost is $8500 (single occupancy) or $8000 (double occupancy). This does not include airfare. RSVP by December 13 to secure your spot for this unforgettable trip! Click here to learn more and view the entire tentative itinerary.

Questions: If you have trip-related questions or want to reserve your spot, please email aziskowski@coe.edu.

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