This has been a year of transition and complete opposites for Kae Wild, whose love for being a mom brought her to the greek community at Iowa State.

After spending 15 years as a sorority housing director at the University of Iowa, Wild has made her way to Iowa State as the house mother at Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, 407 Welch Ave.

“At the time of my divorce, I had been a house wife for 29 years,” she said. “I tried to get other jobs, but you have to peddle what you do, and motherhood was my selling point.”

Wild, who is the mother of three boys herself, said she has always wanted to be a fraternity housing director.

“The University of Iowa only has one house with a live-in house mother, so the option wasn’t really available,” she said.

Wild still has ties to the University of Iowa, and the men of Pi Kappa Phi are not afraid to remind her that she is now in Cyclone Country.

“I still bleed black and gold, and the guys like to tease me about that,” she said.

Wild has kept her townhouse in Coralville, which serves as home to her two cats, Joffrey and Napalm. She returns to the Iowa City area during the summer and on her days off. Wild spends her breaks visiting her three sons, two in Phoenix and the other in Chicago. She is the grandmother of a set of twins, and has another set of grandchildren on the way.

So, what is it like to live in one house with 68 college-aged men?

“At my age, it’s fabulous,” Wild said. “How lucky can an old lady be?”

While she said her living quarters are isolated from the rest of the house, her maternal instinct doesn’t let a lot slip by.

“I usually find out what is going on,” she said. “Your mother always knows what you are doing.”

Despite the occasional loud music and parties, Wild said noise really isn’t an issue.

“I can sleep through a tornado, and the guys are very considerate,” she said.

At the University of Iowa, Wild was the housing director for Delta Zeta sorority for nine years and Kappa Kappa Gamma for six years. She said one of the best things about being a housing director are the friendships she has made and maintained.

“I still hear from the girls. I get invited to their weddings, and they send me pictures of their children,” Wild said. “This is like an extended family. When your family is all grown up and gone, you have a family here.”

While Wild said she treasures the time she spent at Iowa, she enjoys the differences that come with Iowa State and Pi Kappa Phi.

“Iowa State is like a family, and when the guys have a gripe with you, they’ll let you know right away,” she said. “Girls tend to keep it bottled up inside.”

Because she is new to the community, Wild said it is comforting to know she always has an escort around Ames.

“The men open doors for me and help me in the car,” she said.

If that isn’t enough, Wild also said there is always a management information systems major around the house to help her with computer problems. And the appreciation is mutual.

“Mom Wild has been a great addition to the house,” said Jay Lettow, sophomore in graphic design. “I was very impressed the first time that I met her, and she got to know everyone very quickly.”

Wild said she keeps her door open most of the day.

“The guys come to visit about their families, their girlfriends or their lack of girlfriends,” she said.

Wild said the housing director of each chapter house on campus negotiates their own contract on an annual basis. Her contract includes room and board, five days off per month, Internet access and cable. Her living quarters, completely furnished, consist of a living area, bedroom and private bath.

Brian Tenclinger, assistant dean of students for greek affairs, said the house mother concept is rare across the nation, but very prominent among Midwestern and Southern sororities. He also said the popularity is growing at Iowa State because of the benefits a house mother provides to the chapter.

House moms are found in 17 of Iowa State’s 29 fraternities and 14 of its 15 sororities, Tenclinger said. The benefits of their 24-hour presence include immediate crisis management, programming help and a constant connection for parents and alumni, he said.

While the power to create operational rules is left up to the alumni-based corporation board, Wild does enforce certain items of etiquette. Every time a member uses inappropriate language, puts his feet on the table or wears his hat on the first floor, he must pay “Mom Wild” a quarter, which she donates to the chapter’s national philanthropy, Push America.

Wild is required to teach a dinner etiquette class, and the men are given the opportunity to fine-tune their skills at a formal dinner once a month.

Wild also writes the men’s parents once or twice a year and helps them plan for parents weekend.

“She is very open, and is always there for support when we need someone to talk to that isn’t a chapter brother,” Lettow said.

Wild said she loves to keep busy and hopes to become more involved in the community as she becomes more acclimated to Iowa State and the Ames community. She enjoys playing bridge and the preservation of antiques, and she already has joined the University Women’s Club.

“I absolutely love it here, and I love what I do,” Wild said. “The greatest reward is seeing how these young people grow from freshmen to seniors and into their careers.”