Philanthropy Talks Video Archive


Each spring and fall, an Iowa alum or friend returns to the University of Iowa to share their story about how they give back and empower others. These programs inspire students and the broader campus community to incorporate philanthropy into their lives. Learn about other student philanthropy opportunities available on campus.

Hawkeyes Give Back: Children's Medicine Champion Featuring Jerre Stead

Jerre Stead (65BBA, 11LHD) is a visionary business leader whose transformational support helped build University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. Learn about how he and his family are connected to the Hawkeye Wave and give back through philanthropy, volunteering, and leadership.

Hawkeyes Give Back: Combating Climate Change

Through research, education, and advocacy, Hawkeyes are responding to a growing environmental crisis. Watch the video of this previously recorded virtual event to hear how University of Iowa professors Gregory Carmichael and Jerald Schnoor are giving back to combat climate change.

Hawkeyes Give Back: Philanthropy for Social Change

Hear how community engagement manager Brett Burk (14BA), social impact executive Jonathan Chaparro (08BA), underserved populations program supervisor RaQuishia Harrington (05BS), and political activist and writer Stacey Walker (10BA) are using philanthropy for social change.

Fran and Margaret McCaffery

Iowa men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery and his wife, Margaret, want to help find a cure for cancer. Learn more about their work with the American Cancer Society and Coaches vs. Cancer—and their role in creating a new cancer center for adolescents and young adults at Iowa. Watch their fall 2019 lecture.

Dave Dierks

Dave Dierks (70BA) is one of the most influential members of Iowa’s philanthropy community. Dierks began his career at the University of Iowa Foundation (now the University of Iowa Center for Advancement), where he has worked to garner support for Iowa for more than 45 years. Watch his spring 2019 lecture.

Kathy Dore

Media industry innovator Kathy Dore (72BA, 84MBA) is the senior advisor of vision and strategy for consulting firm Proteus Inc. Dore previously served as president of broadcasting at Canwest Media and president of entertainment networks for Rainbow Media, overseeing cable networks AMC, IFC, WE, and Bravo. She is vice chair for University of Iowa Center for Advancement Board of Directors and has given back to the University of Iowa’s Department of Communication Studies and the Henry B. Tippie College of Business. Watch her fall 2018 lecture.

Mark Kaufman

Entrepreneur and philanthropist Mark Kaufman (86BS) is the founder and president/CEO of Athletico, one of the largest physical therapy franchises in the nation. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training and Physical Education from the University of Iowa in 1986. After earning secondary degrees from the University of Arizona and Northwestern University, Mark opened the first Athletico clinic in August 1991. Watch his spring 2018 lecture.

Andy Code

Entrepreneur Andy Code (80BBA, 81MBA) is the founder and chairman of Promus Capital and Promus Equity Partners, a multifamily office created in 2008, with a concentration in alternative assets such as private equity, impact investing, hedge funds, managed futures, and real estate. He also established CHS Capital—a $2.9 billion private equity fund—in 1988 and was a partner there for 24 years. Watch his fall 2017 lecture.

Sheri Salata

Media powerhouse Sheri Salata (80BBA) is the former executive producer of The Oprah Winfrey Show and the former president of Harpo Studios and the Oprah Winfrey Network. Salata’s latest professional venture is the launching of STORY, a media company that produces print, television, film, and digital content. Watch her spring 2017 lecture.

Ted Waitt

Sioux City native Ted Waitt (17LHD) is the founder and chairman of the Waitt Foundation. At 22, he co-founded Gateway 2000 Inc., where he helped revolutionize the direct marketing of personal computers, and he became a Fortune 500 CEO and member of the Forbes 400 by the time he was 30. Since his retirement from Gateway in 2004, he has gone on to form multiple business and philanthropic enterprises. Watch his talk from fall 2016.

P. Sue Beckwith, M.D.

Renowned physician and philanthropist P. Sue Beckwith (80BS, 84MD, 15MBA) shared her personal and professional journey and spoke about why she is deeply committed to supporting the University of Iowa. Watch her talk from spring 2016.

John Pappajohn

John Pappajohn (52BSC, 10LHD) is a leading philanthropist and nationally celebrated entrepreneur and business leader. He and his wife, Mary, have contributed millions of dollars to state, educational, and fine-arts endeavors in Iowa and beyond. Among the Pappajohns’ many significant Iowa contributions include naming gifts for the Pappajohn Business Building, the Pappajohn Pavilion at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, the John and Mary Pappajohn Clinical Cancer Center, the John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center, and the Pappajohn Biomedical Institute in the John and Mary Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building. Watch his fall 2015 talk.

Jerre Stead

Jerre Stead (65BBA) is a visionary business leader who has enjoyed a long and illustrious career leading high-tech and information companies. A native of Maquoketa, Iowa, he started out in the business world with the Honeywell Corporation and, during his 21 years with the company, rose from production control planner to head of the firm’s Homes and Buildings Worldwide group. In 1987, Stead left Honeywell for the Square D Company, where he ultimately became chairman, president, and CEO. Watch his spring 2015 lecture.

Henry B. Tippie

Henry B. Tippie (49BSC, 09LHD) is one of the University of Iowa’s most accomplished and generous alumni. Throughout the years, he and his wife, Patricia, have supported important university programs and made a tremendous impact on the university, its students, and faculty. In 1999, in recognition of the Tippies’ visionary giving, Iowa renamed its business college the Henry B. Tippie College of Business. Watch his spring 2014 lecture.

Janice Ellig

Janice Ellig (68BBA) is the co-CEO of Chadick Ellig Executive Search Advisors in New York City and co-author of two books. She also serves as chair of the University of Iowa Center for Advancement Board of Directors. Watch her spring 2013 talk.

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Thanks to a network of Lions Club volunteers, the University of Iowa-based program identifies eye problems early in toddlers and preschoolers. PHOTO COURTESY WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION From left, Lori Short, program manager of Iowa KidSight; Leon, Brady, and Heather Hospodarsky; and Doug Mechaelsen, director of operations at Whirlpool-Amana Division, are pictured at the annual Whirlpool Suppliers Golf Tournament earlier this year in Amana. The fundraising tournament raised more than $23,000 for Iowa KidSight. Heather and Leon Hospodarsky?s son, Brady, was 2 years old when he brought home a manila envelope from daycare. Inside were the results of a vision screening conducted by local Lions Club volunteers through Iowa KidSight, a statewide program based at the University of Iowa.? The test identified a potential deficiency in Brady?s vision and recommended a follow-up with an eye care professional. A local eye doctor soon confirmed their son had amblyopia, a condition commonly known as ?lazy eye,? which can occur in young children when their neural pathways fail to develop.? Brady was legally blind in his left eye, limiting his depth perception and peripheral vision. Yet his parents were unaware until the KidSight screening. For the next several years, Brady?s doctor had him wear a patch periodically over his stronger eye to force his left eye to strengthen.? PHOTO COURTESY IOWA KIDSIGHT Ellie Naaf of Fort Dodge is among the many Iowa children who have been benefited from a vision screening by Iowa KidSight, which led to her new pair of eyeglasses. The Fort Dodge Lions Club is home to some of Iowa KidSight?s most active volunteers, who screen thousands of children each year across three counties. ?With amblyopia, you have a window of time to correct the vision while the nerve pathways are developing,? Heather Hospodarsky says. ?Brady was given time to correct his vision through KidSight that he wouldn?t have had otherwise.?? Since 2000, Iowa KidSight volunteers have helped thousands of children like Brady in each of the state?s 99 counties through a partnership between Lions Club of Iowa and the UI Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences. Lions Club volunteers visit local daycares and preschools where they perform the free, voluntary vision screenings using specialized digital cameras. The images are then interpreted by a UI ophthalmology specialist for issues like farsightedness, nearsightedness, cataracts, muscle imbalances, and astigmatisms.?? Of the 50,000 Iowa children that KidSight screens on average per year, about 5 percent are flagged for potential vision problems and referred to an eye doctor. The program has identified nearly 40,000 children with vision issues over the past 22 years. In some cases, it has detected problems that?if left untreated?could result in permanent vision loss, says Lori Short, program manager for Iowa KidSight.? ?The great thing about this program is that it helps asymptomatic kids,? says Short. ?Almost every single letter we get back from parents starts with, ?I had no idea that my kid wasn?t seeing that well.??? John Stoll, an Iowa City Noon Lions Club member who coordinates the KidSight program for Johnson County, estimates he?s screened nearly 10,000 children to date. One of the first kids he tested was his own grandson at a daycare in North Liberty. ?That?s all they needed to do to get me hooked on it,? says Stoll, a retired loan officer who jokes that he now works for high fives and hugs from the kids.? Stoll still remembers one combative boy whom he chased around a daycare room during a screening with his camera. When the boy hid under a table, Stoll laid on the floor to snap a quick image. He was glad he did?the results showed that the child?s vision was poor, and he was eventually fitted for glasses. The next year when Stoll returned to the daycare, the director told him the difference in the boy?s behavior was night and day.? ?They were literally days away from kicking the kid out of daycare because they couldn?t control him,? Stoll says. ?He couldn?t see anything without putting it to his face?that?s the reason he was fighting anybody and everybody. He got his glasses and became the model daycare child.?? The Hospodarskys likewise count themselves among KidSight?s many success stories thanks to early intervention. Today, Brady is a high school freshman who, with the help of his contacts, has near-perfect vision. He enjoys golfing with his father and grandpa, and he plans to play for his high school golf team this spring in Alburnett, Iowa. This past fall, the family participated in the annual Whirlpool Suppliers Tournament in Amana?a golf fundraiser that brought in more than $23,000 for Iowa KidSight.? ?We?re incredibly grateful for the KidSight program, the volunteers who make it happen, and those who contribute financially,? Heather Hospodarsky says. ?We want to help give back too and spread the word about the program.?

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