AMES, Iowa -- Bonnie Bowen, a member of the Iowa State University faculty since 1995, has been named executive director/director of academics and research at Iowa Lakeside Laboratory, Milford. Her appointment was approved by the Board of Regents, State of Iowa.
Iowa Lakeside Laboratory is an educational facility on 140 acres on West Lake Okoboji. It is operated cooperatively by the three Regents universities -- Iowa State, the University of Iowa, and the University of Northern Iowa. Drake University and Iowa Lakes Community College participate in the Lakeside Lab consortium, which offers university courses.
In addition to her new role, Bowen will remain on the faculty in ISU's departments of ecology, evolution and organismal biology and natural resource ecology and management. She received her bachelor's degree from Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y., in 1972 and a doctorate in genetics from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1978.
"Dr. Bowen has a strong background as a field biologist and enjoys an outstanding reputation among her peers," said Gary Steinke, acting executive director of the Board of Regents, State of Iowa. "We look forward to seeing Iowa Lakeside Laboratory emerge as a premier center of education, research and outreach."
Each year, Iowa Lakeside Laboratory offers 15, four-credit courses in archaeology, biology, ecology, environmental science and geology. These small, full-immersion field courses meet all day for a few weeks.
Bowen says her primary goal is to continue and strengthen Lakeside Laboratory's tradition of teaching, research and outreach. That includes making sure that undergraduate and graduate students are aware of the unique opportunities available there. It's a learning experience that can't be found on a typical college campus, she says.
"Students are exposed to a rich biodiversity and habitats that are incredibly rare in Iowa," Bowen said. "Lakeside classes offer a very intense, immersion experience for groups of six to 10 students. They are able to experience new things and investigate science questions in depth."
Biology students are a primary audience for the Lakeside Laboratory classes, but Bowen says other majors are welcome, and many of the classes do not require extensive pre-requisites.
Bowen also wants to enhance the year-round outreach efforts that are important to the community and K-12 learners. She will work with the Friends of Lakeside Lab to enhance the value of the lab to the nearby community.
"This is a resource not just for Iowa, but for the surrounding areas of South Dakota and Minnesota as well," she said.
For more information about Iowa Lakeside Laboratory, go to: http://www.lakesidelab.org.
