Many students and staff are anticipating the three-week break from Iowa State, but one professor is looking forward to a more permanent vacation from his 35-year career in education.

Victor Bekkum has been a professor in the agricultural and biosystems engineering department at ISU for more than 23 years, and he is retiring at the end of the semester.

“The department will miss him greatly,” said Duane Mangold, professor emeritus of agricultural and biosystems engineering.

Since Bekkum was hired in 1976 as an instructor, his assignment has been 100 percent teaching. Mangold said the teaching assignment allowed Bekkum to make many contributions to the university.

“[Bekkum] served as the chair of the curriculum committee for [Agriculture Systems Technology],” Mangold said.

Bekkum also was adviser to the AST Club for 23 years and coordinator of the Iowa State FFA Agriculture Mechanics Event Contest.

“The Iowa team placed second at the national competition this year,” said Dee VanDePol, Bekkum’s secretary since he’s been at ISU. “That was great for Dr. Bekkum.”

As for his retirement, Bekkum said he’s going to “take advantage of my good health.”

“I’ve got lots to do. This seems like a good time for me,” he said.

VanDePol elaborated on those plans. “After his retirement, he will be going home to Cumberland, Wis., where he and his wife, Kathy, have a farm,” she said.

Both VanDePol and Mangold described Bekkum as a caring and understanding adviser, educator and friend.

“He’s a very down-to-earth person — students notice that,” VanDePol said. “They think he teaches in a very fundamental way.”

Bekkum said he enjoys working with students.

“At the college level, maturity, interest and motivation make it challenging for me and for them,” he said.

Bekkum received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Wisconsin at River Falls. In 1978, he earned his doctorate in agricultural education from ISU.

Some of Bekkum’s honors include a 20-year service award from the Iowa Vocational Agriculture Teachers, a VIP citation from the National FFA and the Mission Award for Teaching from the Iowa chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta.

A retirement party in Bekkum’s honor will be held Friday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Reiman Gardens, with coffee and snacks at his request, VanDePol said.

“The gathering will be very informal; that’s the type of guy he is,” she said.