Iowa
UI honors 2024 Hawkeye Distinguished Veterans Award recipients
Six members of the University of Iowa community who served their country in the United States Army and United States Navy are being honored with the 2024 Hawkeye Distinguished Veterans Award.
Veterans Week events
To honor military Veterans of the United States Armed Forces, the University of Iowa has planned events taking place from Nov. 10 — Nov. 17.
Visit this webpage to see more details, including what will be taking place on Veterans Day on Nov. 11.
Criteria for the award — which was established in 2015 — include a strong UI connection, honorable service to the U.S., military accomplishment or contributions, and service to the community.
Hawkeye Distinguished Veterans Award recipients will be honored in a ceremony at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1, in the Richey Ballroom at the Iowa Memorial Union. All are welcome to attend the ceremony.
The 2024 Hawkeye Distinguished Veterans Award recipients are:
Edwin “Andy” Anderson, United States Army
Howard Cowen, United States Navy
David Dierks, United States Army
John H. Fraser, United States Navy
Robert Hedgepeth, United States Army
Zachary Graham, United States Army. Graham will receive the Hawkeye Distinguished Veterans “Larry Lockwood” Student Award.
Read more about the honorees.
Colonel Edwin “Andy” Anderson served in the United States Army for 30 years, including 23 years as a Green Beret. During his service, he earned the Special Forces Tab, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge, and numerous foreign Jump Wings. After retirement, Anderson served on the Board of Directors for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation for 14 years; co-founded the Soldier, Family, and Command Support Association; and serves as an ambassador for the World War II Foundation. Anderson served four years as UI assistant professor of military science with Army ROTC and established the UI’s Army ROTC inaugural “Ranger Challenge” team.
Lieutenant Howard Cowen served eight years in the United States Navy. As an Iowa City resident, Cowen has served as commissioner for the Iowa City Human Rights Council and the Johnson County Health Improvement Planning Committee, as well as a consultant for the Emergency Housing Project. Cowen graduated from Iowa with a Doctor of Dental Surgery in 1976 and a Master of Science in dental public health in 1995. He has served as a College of Dentistry faculty member for more than 40 years.
Master Sergeant David Dierks served 28 years in the United States Army. For his service, he was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, and Army Achievement Medal. During his 50 years at the UI Center for Advancement, Dierks raised awareness and philanthropic support to meet the needs of Veterans in the UI community. Within the community, he served on the boards for the Iowa City Free Lunch Program and the Hoover Presidential Foundation. Dierks received a Bachelor of Arts in journalism and mass communication from Iowa in 1970.
Captain John H. Fraser served in the United States Navy on active duty for seven years, followed by 18 years in the Naval Air Reserve. He was awarded the Air Medal, Navy Achievement Medal, and two Vietnam Service Medals. Fraser has been a member of the Iowa City Noon Rotary Club since 2012 and is a past chair and current member of Iowa City’s Iowa Climate Action Commission. Fraser graduated from Iowa in 1996 with a Master of Business Administration. He served as the Henry B. Tippie School of Management Executive MBA Program director from 1997 to 2011 and is a current board member of the Tippie College of Business Institute for International Business.
Colonel Robert Hedgepeth served in the United States Army for 30 years. His awards include the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal, Army and Air Force Commendation Medals, and the Iowa National Guard’s Medal of Merit. Hedgepeth serves on the board of directors for Safeguard Iowa, a public private partnership for disaster response and recovery, and helped found the Army ROTC’s Mighty Hawkeye Battalion Alumni Association. He recently served on the advisory board for the university’s Iowa Technology Institute. Hedgepeth graduated from Iowa with a Bachelor of Science in engineering in 1989.
Captain Zachary Graham served four years in the United States Army. For his service, he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal and Army Achievement Medal and earned the Pathfinder and Air Assault badges. Within his community, Graham has served as president of the Tau Sigma Military Dental Club, which organizes fundraisers for dental treatments for low-income Veterans. He co-founded the Pediatric Smiles Fund, which raises money to support dental care for underinsured pediatric patients. Graham is a fourth-year student in the College of Dentistry.
The mass exodus of Iowa State football players from within the program now includes a number of former Iowa high school football standouts.
Gabe Burkle from Cedar Rapids Prairie High School, Will Tompkins from Cedar Falls High School and Caleb Bacon of Lake Mills High School have joined the likes of Rocco Becht, Carson Hanson, Jontez Williams, Jeremiah Cooper and Ben Brahmer in the transfer portal.
All of this started when Matt Campbell left as head coach of the Cyclones for the same position at Penn State.
Burkle, a 6-foot-6 redshirt junior tight end, was a three-star recruit coming out of high school who picked Iowa State over offers from Kansas State, Michigan State and Indiana. He was an all-stater, catching 23 passes for 324 yards as a senior.
He is coming off a season in which he caught 26 passes for 302 yards with a touchdown for the Cyclones, including a four-catch, 85-yard performance vs. South Dakota where he scored his lone touchdown of the season.
Tompkins, a 6-foot-6 freshman offensive lineman, was ranked as the No. 34 offensive tackle in his class coming out of high school, making all-state honors while helping block for a Cedar Falls offense that had over 1,900 yards rushing and 1,600 yards passing.
Tennessee, Nebraska, Wisconsin, USC, MInnesota, Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State and even Penn State offered Tompkins, but he selected Campbell and the Cyclones.
Bacon, a redshirt senior linebacker, was a two-time all-state selection at Lake Mills and a two-time district player of the year. He led all of Class A in Iowa high school football as a senior with 103 tackles, including 90 solo stops.
This past fall, Bacon, who was a walk-on to the Cyclones, recorded 68 tackles with 9.5 for loss.
Iowa State has received confirmation of players returning to the program under new head coach Jimmy Rogers, including a handful of former Iowa high school football standouts.
Connor Moberly, who led Southeast Polk High School to multiple Class 5A state football championships, has confirmed he will return to the Cyclones as a quarterback candidate in 2026. Kicker Kyle Konrardy of Dubuque Senior has done the same, along with Jack Limbaugh from Algona High School.
Moberly has been a backup behind Becht while Konrardy has been a multi-time Big 12 Conference Special Teams Player of the Week selection. He has kicked several game-winners for Iowa State. Limbaugh was a true freshman this past fall.
Bryce Anderson, who played at West Des Moines Valley High School, has announced he is entering the transfer portal following the season at Memphis.
Anderson, a 6-foot-5 redshirt sophomore tight end, played at Iowa Central Community College where he caught 29 passes for 303 yards and six touchdowns in 12 games.
He had 12 catches for 101 yards for the Tigers this past season, including six receptions in his final three games.
Video: Iowa National Guard members killed in Syria
Hear from Gov. Kim Reynolds and Maj. Gen. Stephen Osborn after reports that Iowa National Guard members were killed in Syria.
Funeral arrangements have been announced for the two Iowa National Guard members killed earlier this month while on duty in Syria.
Staff Sgts. William Nathaniel “Nate” Howard, Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar and a civilian interpreter, Ayad Mansoor Sakat, of Michigan, were killed Dec. 13 by an attacker who targeted a convoy of American and Syrian forces before being shot dead. The Associated Press reported the gunman stormed a meeting between U.S. and Syrian security officials in Palmyra, Syria, and opened fire after clashing with Syrian guards.
Their bodies arrived back in Iowa at 1 p.m. Dec. 24 in a private ceremony. Blue Star Mothers of America – Iowa Chapter asked supporters to line Fleur Drive from the Des Moines International Airport to Interstate 235 to welcome the soldiers home.
The soldiers’ funerals are open to the public.
When is Sgt. Nate Howard’s funeral?
Visitation and funeral services for Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, will be Saturday, Dec. 27 at the Marshalltown High School Roundhouse, 1602 S. Second Ave., with visitation beginning at 9 a.m.
Further details on funeral services is available on the Mitchell Family Funeral Home website.
After arriving in Des Moines on Wednesday, a procession carrying Howard’s body will go through Des Moines on Fleur Drive to Interstate 235 and north to Interstate 35 to Ames. From there, the procession will head east on U.S. Highway 30 to Marshalltown then north on Center Street/Highway 14 to Iowa Avenue and on to the funeral home.
The procession will be led by the Des Moines Police Department, Iowa State Highway Patrol, Marshall County Sheriff’s Department, Meskwaki police and the Tama Police Department.
Howard is survived by his wife, Arianna Howard; his father, Brian and wife, Andrea; his mother, Misty Bunn and husband, Jeff; his brother, SSgt James Roelsgard; stepbrothers, Josh Bunn and wife, Modestie, and Travis Bunn; as well as his grandparents: William Eugene and Pat Neville, Vicki Brindle, and Martin and Ruth Roelsgard.
When is Sgt. Edgar Torres-Tovar’s funeral?
Visitation for Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines will be Sunday, Dec. 28 with funeral services and burial on Monday, Dec. 29. Final arrangements will be announced by Hamilton’s Southtown Funeral Home.
Torres-Tovar is survived by his parents, Hugo Torres and Isabel Tovar; brothers, Samuel Torres and Daniel Torres; sister, Krystal Torres and her children, Castiel and Christopher; paternal grandparents, Jose Torres and Rita Garcia; girlfriend, Yareli Duran; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins.
Kevin Baskins covers jobs and the economy for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at kbaskins@registermedia.com.
Iowa State running back Carson Hansen speaks to the media after win
Iowa State running back Carson Hansen speaks to the media after win over Arizona
Iowa State football running back Carson Hansen announced on Dec. 23 that he “will be pursuing new opportunities with my last year of eligibility.”
Hansen is the latest Cyclones star to indicate that he will transfer to another school in the wake of coach Matt Campbell’s departure to Penn State. Quarterback Rocco Becht and cornerbacks Jeremiah Cooper and Jontez Williams are among the other Iowa State standouts leaving Ames.
Hansen, a native of Lakeville, Minn., rushed for 952 yards on 188 carries during his junior season with the Cyclones. In three years with Iowa State, he compiled 1,771 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground.
Hansen was the Cyclones’ leading rusher in 2024 and 2025.
“My three years here at Iowa State have been a life changing experience because of the people who make up Ames …” Hansen wrote on Twitter/X. “Thank you to the fans that shook Jack Trice every Saturday and for your belief in this football team.”
Campbell announced on Dec. 5 that he was leaving Iowa State after 10 years as the Cyclones’ head coach. He was quickly succeeded by Washington State’s Jimmy Rogers, who has a big job in front of him to replace the exodus of talent transferring out of Ames.
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