Iowa State will lose three deans this year. Walter Gmelch, James Melsa and Norman Cheville are moving on to retirement or new environments, leaving new buildings and empty chairs in their place.

The three heads of colleges say they will pack up memories of Iowa State, its students and their achievements as Finals Week draws to a close and their last year at Iowa State ends.

Big differences

When Gmelch, dean of the College of Education, came to Iowa State six years ago, he noticed a difference. After 18 years at Washington State University, the personality of the Midwest hit him hard. Students at Iowa State were ethical and community based.

“There’s a big difference between Iowa State and Washington State. The students in the Midwest have good values,” Gmelch said.

Gmelch received his bachelor’s degree from Stanford University in political science, a master’s in business from University of California-Berkeley and his doctorate from University of California-Santa Barbara in educational executive programs.

“That’s the formal education. Informal education occurs every day,” he said.

Small and large milestones

Melsa, dean of the College of Engineering, has had a few crowning moments.

“The dedication of Hoover Hall marked a milestone in what we tried to accomplish,” he said.

Melsa said the Engineering Teaching and Research Complex, which is part of Hoover Hall, will blend teaching and research with industry, keeping ISU engineering programs competitive.

“Hoover Hall prepared a physical embodiment to reach for the top, to move Iowa State into the top 20 engineering schools,” he said.

A smaller achievement for Melsa was leading the Veishea parade this year.

“I was grand marshal at the parade, possibly the last parade,” he said with a smile.

Retirement for Melsa is a new chapter, a time to do the things he has always wanted outside of the college.

“I’m getting old, and there is never a perfect time to leave. I want to do it when I am in good health and can enjoy life,” he said.

“I’ll do more relaxed traveling. I’ll be able to spend more time with my family.”

Stepping away

After nine years at Iowa State and four years as dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, Cheville is taking a step away from vaccines and stepping toward flyfishing and a new edition of his book.

“I’m 70 years old; it’s time for new ideas and concepts,” he said.

Before coming to Iowa State in 1995 as the head of the pathology department, Cheville worked with the National Animal Disease Center. He was the head of a team that developed a vaccine for Brucellosis in cattle, a serum that has worldwide use.

Since his promotion to dean in 2000, he said he has enjoyed seeing the school progress to one of the top veterinary schools in the nation.

“We’ve been able to recruit high-quality faculty in the past four years that have moved the college into the top rankings in the country,” he said.

Cheville is not totally leaving his chosen profession.

He has a commitment with the National Academy of Science and will sit on a panel of national experts studying national research needs in veterinary science.

But these commitments won’t be much compared to seeing students learn under his guidance.

“Daily interaction on a range of issues is inspiring,” he said.