Editor’s Note: Campus Findings is a weekly column about things on campus that trigger the curiosity of the Iowa State community. Carrie Sutton, junior in journalism and mass communication, will investigate the inquires each week and post her findings. Submit inquires to [email protected].

Iowa State President Martin Jischke is a well-known figure on campus, but few people know him well.

Jischke was born in Chicago on Aug. 7, 1941 and was the oldest of six children. He graduated from Proviso High School in Maywood, a Chicago suburb.

“I received a very good education,” Jischke said.

He studied physics at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago and graduated with honors in 1963.

Jischke said he enjoyed science and engineering and studied physics because it “seemed general,” and because he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do.

Jischke said he decided to focus on something “a bit more practical” when he chose aeronautics and astronautics as his area of study for his master’s and doctorate degrees.

He attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass., and received his master’s degree in 1964 and his Ph.D. in 1968.

Jischke said he chose aeronautics and astronautics because he was interested in the space program; the time era was “post-Sputnik,” and the United States was trying to put a man on the moon.

“I enjoyed it,” Jischke said. “It was a very exciting and very important area of study.”

After graduate school, Jischke joined the faculty at the University of Oklahoma in 1968 and remained there for 17 years. During his time at Oklahoma, Jischke served as dean of the College of Engineering, director and professor in the School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering and the interim president for one year.

Jischke went to the University of Missouri-Rolla in 1986 and served as chancellor until he came to ISU in 1991.

Jischke said the reason he became the president of ISU was simple: “They offered me the job, and I took it.”

He said he thought ISU was “a fine university,” and his family — wife Patty and two children — was excited about moving to Iowa.

“Iowa valued education deeply, and I liked being a part of that,” he said.

Jischke said his time as president of ISU has reinforced his feeling about the importance of education.

“I’ve come to be grateful that I made the choice to become a teacher and an educator. It has led to a career that’s satisfying and challenging,” he said.

Jischke said as ISU’s president, he provides administrative and academic leadership for the university, represents the university to others, budgets and develops resources, recruits faculty, staff and students and gives advice and recommendations to the Board of Regents as to how to govern the university.

Jischke said there is no typical day for him, but on Oct. 13, he woke up “relatively early” at 6:30 a.m., drove to Des Moines to speak, drove back to ISU and finished some paperwork (the stack of papers can be 12 inches to two feet high), was interviewed, participated in a conference call, left the office at 4 or 5 p.m. to speak at an outreach event in Mason City and flew to Washington, D.C., for a meeting the next day.

Jischke said he travels frequently to represent the university. He said he drives to nearby events in a car provided by the ISU Foundation and flies commercial airlines for long destinations such as his trip to Paris two weeks ago to speak at a world conference on education. He said he gives 200 to 250 speeches a year.

Jischke also travels to participate in organizations associated with higher education. He is director and chairman of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges, director of the Bankers Trust Company and director of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

He also is a member of the American Council on Competitiveness, Rotary International, The Des Moines Club and many others.

Jischke was featured in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in Engineering. He has authored and co-authored 31 archival journal publications, 21 major technical reports and was co-editor of one book.

Jischke said he does not have one favorite thing that he enjoys doing as president.

“There are lots of things I enjoy — not just one,” he said.

Jischke said he enjoys telling others about the successes of the university, working with and getting to know students, planning and strategizing and “being associated with lots of talented people.”

“It’s fun to be around smart people,” he said.

Jischke said he also enjoys fund raising and attending ISU celebrations, such as games and concerts.

Most of all, Jischke said he takes great pleasure in being involved in education.

“I get great satisfaction being involved in important work — education is very important,” he said.

“I’ve enjoyed [my time at ISU] enormously. I’m proud and honored to be associated with it,” Jischke said. “I enjoy what I do, and I think it’s important.”

Another perk of the job, Jischke said, is getting the opportunity to meet people whom he might not have met if he was not the president of ISU.

“I’ve met all the leaders of [Iowa], the president of the United States and the vice president, Nobel prize winners, ambassadors, Bill Cosby and Itzhak Perlman,” he said. “I’ve met astonishing people.

“Iowa State attracts talented people — students, staff and remarkable individuals,” he said. “It’s a great place to be.”