The Student Health Center will be renamed this weekend in honor of a retired ISU employee, Thomas B. Thielen.

Thielen, former vice president of student affairs, will be recognized for his determination in creating the Student Health Center, which opened in the spring of 1997, said Paula Gmelch, events coordinator for the Challenging Students to Become Their Best committee.

“This is a tribute to his never-ending commitment and dedication to the students of Iowa State University,” Gmelch said.

The naming of the Thomas B. Thielen Student Health Center will take place 10 a.m. Saturday at the center.

Gmelch said Thielen, who also was a professor of educational leadership and policy studies, spent a lot time challenging students to become leaders and working with the student body to get a new student health center built.

“Thielen put student welfare as his highest priority,” she said.

She said he didn’t feel the old health center was adequate for the ISU community.

The recommendation of naming the health center after Thielen came from student body leadership, which passed it on to the committee on the naming of buildings and streets. From there, the process went through the president and was approved by the Board of Regents.

Speakers at the event will include President Gregory Geoffroy, Board of Regents President Owen Newlin, Director of the Student Health Center Jim Nelson, Vice President for Student Affairs Tom Hill and President of the Health Center Student Advisory Committee Brooke Johnson, senior in dietetics.

Thielen also will be speaking at the event, and he will receive a plaque for the honor.

Nelson said he is excited for this ceremony to take place.

“The Student Health Center is one of the best-kept secrets on campus,” he said. “Most people don’t understand what we have here.”

Nelson said the staff at the health center will give tours throughout the day. He said he hopes the event will help educate staff and students about the facility.

“We are very pleased to have his name on our building,” Nelson said. “He was a driving force for making this building happen.”