A European university is forming connections with Iowa State by recognizing two ISU faculty members.

Provost Rollin Richmond and Rameshwar Kanwar, director of the ISU Water Resource Research Institute, were presented honorary doctorate degrees from Georgian State Agrarian University in the small Eastern European country of Georgia.

The awards were presented to Richmond and Kanwar for achievements in their fields of study during a week long visit.

Richmond said an honorary degree does not entail the technicalities that a formal doctorate degree does.

“A formal doctorate degree usually takes a researcher three to 10 years to attain,” he said. “The works of a formal degree are then published as scholastic material. My honorary doctorate degree is based more solely upon the past achievements in life.”

Richmond said his achievements in research and commitment to the genetics fields may have attributed to this honorary degree.

“The key reason for this award was to promote relations between the Georgian State Agrarian University and Iowa State,” he said.

Richmond said the award really goes to the whole university.

“This award was in recognition of Iowa State, not necessarily in recognition of me,” he said.

Richmond said the European university is looking forward to working with Iowa State.

“Iowa State was recognized because of its willingness to assist other land-grant colleges,” he said.

Richmond said he and Kanwar, professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering, were selected to take the visit because of their involvement in creating and strengthening ties with the Georgian university. He said their trip will be followed by an exchange visit from the president and provost of the Georgian State University to the ISU campus in July of 2001.

“The two men are on a trip to a conference in California, and they will be stopping at Iowa State on their way through,” he said.

Kanwar was not available for comment due to travel, but his wife, Anju Ramesh, said he is very happy with his award and the budding relationship with the agrarian university.

“My husband enjoys this duties here at Iowa State and appreciated his invitation and honor to the beautiful country of Georgia,” she said.