Alumni Newsletter: Spring 2026

Welcome to our Spring 2026 Newsletter!

We have so many exciting things to share with you.

Forever True Day 2026: Make a Gift to Make a Difference on April 1-2!

Will you help us achieve our goal on Iowa State’s annual day of giving? Let’s make a difference together for Communication Studies on Forever True Day! The Communication Studies faculty and staff are issuing a special challenge this year, connected to Dr. Jenks’ upcoming retirement from ISU after 22 years with Communication Studies. We invite you to make a donation in a multiple of 22: $22, $220, $2200, or whatever multiple works best for you. In addition, we have a special challenge from our faculty: when 22 donors make a gift to Communication Studies on Forever True Day, a special donation of $2200 from the Communication Studies faculty and staff will be unlocked for the Communication Studies Excellence Fund! Help us equip our students with communication skills that are so crucial and beneficial in life. Gifts of all sizes are welcome! Remember, all it takes is 22 givers to the Communication Studies Excellence Fund on Forever True Day to unlock the faculty and staff challenge donation of $2200!  

Casey’s Tour for Two Students from Communication Studies

One of our latest initiatives involves linking our alumni with current students, so that our alumni may pass on insights into organizational communication and career wisdom. Recently, our alumnus Shane Cooney, a Casey’s employee, hosted a tour of the Casey’s headquarters in Ankeny where Shane works. Elena Heerema and Madison Lewis visited the Casey’s Store Support Center and spent a few hours with Shane to learn about communication at Casey’s and to receive Shane’s career advice. To learn more about this special tour, and to hear how you can host a tour for current students at your organization, read the full article here. 

Leaders Assemble!

Students in Leadership Communication Theories study theories on leaders and their communication and then apply these theories to their own leadership roles. The class recently learned about the style approach to leadership. First, students heard a presentation on the theory and each of the leadership styles included in it, as well as the communication components of each specific style. Students then assembled in small groups to discuss the different styles of leadership and to apply the theory to an analysis of The Avengers. The small groups were tasked with determining which team member of The Avengers best depicts each style of leadership.  

Rocco Becht, COMST Alumnus (2025): Special Update!

My name is Rocco Becht and I’m from Wesley Chapel, Florida. After four years at Iowa State, I graduated with a degree in Communication Studies (December 2025). Recently, I have transferred to Penn State University to complete my last year of college football eligibility. This transition was not easy by any means. Yes, I originally committed to Iowa State out of high school to play football for Coach Matt Campbell, and at first, that’s all that I thought was there for me. Over time I realized how special Iowa State University is, as well as the whole city of Ames. No one can ever take away the memories that were built over the past four years. I gave all I had for Iowa State University, but sure enough did they give WAY more to me: the people, the football program, and of course, The Communication Studies Program!  

Over the past couple weeks, as I have settled in at State College, Pennsylvania, I’ve realized how many people care about me. This transition was made easy because of my family, friends and coaches who followed me to Penn State. I’m excited about this new journey because I know that God has a plan set in stone for me and I won’t waver. I will miss playing in Jack Trice Stadium as well as walking around campus seeing all of the Cyclone student body, but I’m also excited for this next step in my life which is attending school at Penn State University.  

Thank You, 

Rocco Becht 

Note from the Editor: As a graduate of The Communication Studies Program at Iowa State University, we are proud to number Rocco (ISU QB #3) among our alumni family forevermore. This fall let’s cheer for Rocco, and his teammates and coaches, at Penn State! After all, they are not our rivals in the Big 12, but as members of the Big 10, they are aligned with us against those heinous Hawks! 

Come Hear Our Students Share Their Applied Communication Research Studies!

We warmly invite our alumni to come hear our current students showcase their senior capstone research into communication in local organizations! Prior to graduation, our majors are required to conduct an applied communication research study in COMST 4040: Research Seminar.  Students study concepts they have learned through their 3000-level Communication Studies courses in an organization of their choosing.  Students collect and analyze survey, interview, observation, and/or textual data and present their results in a final paper and presentation.  

Come learn about the results our students have uncovered and their recommendations for improving communication in the organizations they have explored.  In addition, we invite you to dialogue with our students by asking questions about their research. 

This semester’s presentations will take place May 7, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., in the Cardinal Room of the Memorial Union (2nd floor). We would love for you to join us! 

Wanted:  Internships!

Help us help you — and your organization, too! As a graduate of our program, you know that Communication Studies has the very best students: hard-working, intelligent, and equipped with essential skills in communication! Today’s students are seeking internships to help them gain the on-the-job skills that will benefit them in their future employment. Do you need an intern in your organization? Wouldn’t you love to have an intern who has skills in communication? If your organization has an internship that you would like us to advertise to our students, please reach out and let us know. We’d love to share the information with our students! You can contact our director, Dr. Stacy Tye-Williams: styewill@iastate.edu 

Alumni Gathering 2026

Alumni and families are invited to join us for our Communication Studies Alumni Gathering 2026. This year’s gathering will look a little different than the Homecoming Tailgates. But we have something fun planned. Stay tuned for more details! 

Alumni: Please Share Your Updates

We invite you to share an update with your fellow alumni from Communication Studies! Our alumni have let us know that they love reading updates from other alumni. We faculty love reading updates from our alumni as well! We’d especially like to hear your updates in two areas: your current career news and your memories of our academic program. Updates may be edited for length.  

Career News:

Do you have a new job? Have you been given a promotion? Have you been honored with an award? What skills or experiences acquired in your courses contribute to your career today? Please share these updates with us to share with your fellow alumni (let us know your new job title, employer and location).  

Memories of Communication Studies:

Do you have a special memory of your time in our program? It could be a class activity, a project you worked on or a presentation you made, or something you learned in a class that has stuck with you and helped you. Please share your memories of Communication Studies and its impact with us to share with your fellow alumni.  

Where to send your update:

Please send your update to our alumni coordinator, Dr. Todd Jenks, drjenks@iastate.edu, and we’ll work to have your update included in a future edition of this newsletter. Updates may be edited for length. 

Retirement Update from Dr. Todd Jenks

Hey everybody! I have now been with Communication Studies for 22 years. It has been a very strange feeling progressing from being The Communication Studies Program’s newest faculty member to being the longest-serving faculty member following the retirements of Dr. Redmond and Dr. Vrchota. How time flies! Now, my time has come to follow in their retirement footsteps. I am retiring from Iowa State this summer. 

It has truly been a great joy not only to teach so many of you, but just as much, to get to know you and support you. Our program launched our alumni initiatives – including numerous opportunities for our alumni to help our current students, as well as our alumni awards, alumni newsletter, and alumni Homecoming gathering – because each one of you, our alumni, is a truly special person. You have so many talents, such great personal qualities, and you possess so much wisdom to share. We want to stay connected with you! 

One of the many things that is so special about The Communication Studies Program is that we connect with our students. We care about you not only in our classroom, but in life. Numerous students have told us that the bond they build with the caring committed Communication Studies team is a true blessing, through all the support and encouragement provided by our professors and staff. 

Although I am retiring from this program, I will still be around. I would love to hear from you! It is my hope to help the program in the future, as I am able – especially through giving. The Communication Studies Excellence Fund always welcomes gifts of any size. Donations to this fund help our program equip students with the most essential skills in life – effective communication competencies. The value of excellent communication is often overlooked, but cannot be overemphasized.  

If you believe in this program and the benefits it provides students like I do, I want to challenge you to join me in giving. There is now a new option to become a sponsor of The Communication Studies program on an ongoing basis: recurring gifts, set at an increment of your choosing. This recurring option is in addition to the option of making a one-time donation. I will be a donor to the program, and I challenge you to be one too! To give, click here. 

I have said many times that communication is the glue that connects people together. In our program, we teach you how to use that glue wisely and effectively! I wish each of you ongoing success as you use what you learned from us to build better bonds in your life – in your workplace, your relationships, your community, and our society.  

Wishing you tremendous success in all your endeavors, now and forever,  

Dr. Todd Jenks, drjenks@iastate.edu, Teaching Professor (soon to be Emeritus)