The Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics is pleased to recognize the accomplishments and activities of its faculty, staff, students, alumni and supporters:
Special guests and outreach: On April 16, Iowa State President David Cook visited the Catt Center to learn about its programs and activities. Center personnel emphasized student engagement through internships and Legacy of Heroines scholarships. On May 1, Marya Grundy, who plays Carrie Chapman Catt in “Suffs,” visited the Catt Center to share her experiences on stage as Catt and to learn about the Catt Center, Catt Hall and the Catt Girlhood Home in Charles City. Grundy was accompanied by Janet Cassons, coordinator of community engagement, inclusion and belonging at the Des Moines Civic Center. The Catt Center staffed an informational table during the run of “Suffs” at the Civic Center, where staff members interacted with about 4,000 guests during the show’s six-day run.
Madeline Becker, a 2024 political science (B.A.) and economics (B.A./M.A.) alumna, has committed to attending the University of Virginia School of Law in the fall. Becker was a graduate research assistant with the Catt Center in the Fall 2024 semester, researching the history of women county supervisors in Iowa.
Dianne Bystrom, director emerita, recently gave presentations on voting rights, television ads in 2025 gubernatorial campaigns, the upcoming 2026 midterm elections and the women’s suffrage movement.
On April 15, she presented “We the People: The Evolution of Voting Rights in the United States” to students at Nebraska City High School. The talk – sponsored by Humanities Nebraska as part of the city’s America 250 celebration – was also open to the public.
Bystrom gave two presentations at the Central States Communication Association’s annual convention held in Minneapolis, Minnesota. On April 18, she presented “Gender and Political Advertising: An Analysis of Two 2025 Gubernatorial Campaigns” as part of a panel on “Translating Gender in Politics: Examining Voters and Politicians Across Communication Channels.” This study, conducted with Mary Christine Banwart of the University of Kansas, focused on the television ads in the 2025 gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia that featured three female and one male candidate. Women won both races. Also on April 18, Bystrom gave a presentation as part of a panel discussion on “Political Communication and the 2026 Midterm Elections” and chaired a panel on “Democracy on the Line: An Assessment Since the 2024 Presidential Election.”
In May, Bystrom gave presentations on the women’s suffrage movement – both nationally and in Nebraska – before two performances of the musical “Suffs” at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln. On May 5, she was among those speaking on “Votes, Voices and Vision” at the Sheldon Museum of Art in Lincoln. Sponsored by Women Investing in Nebraska, Bystrom focused her remarks on the women’s suffrage movement in Nebraska.
On May 8, Bystrom participated in a panel discussion sponsored by Hilgers PLLC, the country’s largest woman-owned law firm located in Lincoln. On the panel, she discussed the national and Nebraska women’s suffrage movements, including the roles of Carrie Chapman Catt and Doris Stevens, who are both portrayed in the musical “Suffs.” Catt, who was raised in Charles City, Iowa, was president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association in 1900-1904 and 1915-1920. Stevens, who was born in Omaha, Nebraska, was a member of Alice Paul’s National Woman’s Party and its Silent Sentinels, who picketed the White House in 1917-1919.
Two Legacy of Heroines scholars presented their honors research at the Spring 2026 Honors Program Poster Presentation at the Memorial Union on May 6. Undral Erdenebat, a senior in biology and biochemistry and a Dr. Lauren S. Hughes Legacy of Heroines scholar, presented “Developing a Proxy Virus for an Aptamer-Based Biosensor.” Brooke Friese, a senior in kinesiology and health and an Elizabeth Hoffman and Brian R. Binger Legacy of Heroines scholar, presented “The Effect of Fatigue on Lower-Body Landing Mechanics.”
Delaney Graef, a junior in forestry and a CyclonesVote intern with the Catt Center, and other members of the Student Government’s Sustainability Committee recently launched the Campus Land Stewardship website. The website allows Iowa State Students to report invasive plant species on campus, find natural spaces on campus (and add more to the list), and submit campus areas in conservation need. Graef, who served as senator for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, also received the 2026 Student Government Empowerment Award, recognizing her efforts to uplift and empower students by helping them succeed and connecting them with valuable resources.
Claire Hartley, a junior majoring in political science and Spanish with minors in international studies and sociology, was elected as speaker of the Senate for Student Government at their April 8 meeting. Hartley is a 2025-2026 Political Science Alumni Legacy of Heroines scholar.
Karen M. Kedrowski, center director, was interviewed on March 30 by Maciej Czarnecki from the Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza about the U.S. midterm election and toxic masculinity displayed by the Trump administration. On March 31, Kedrowski presented a professional development webinar with the Iowa Department of Education on the life of Carrie Chapman Catt. On April 1, she discussed civil discourse strategies in Dr. Joanna Schroeder’s journalism course, JLMC 1010: Mass Media and Society. On April 2, she was interviewed by Olivia Grace of the Drake Political Review regarding President Trump’s campaign promises going in the 2026 elections. On April 6, Kedrowski gave the keynote address, “Civic Education as a National Movement: How the Center for Cyclone Civics Fits In,” at the annual meeting of the League of Women Voters of Ames & Story County, held at Prairie Moon Winery in Ames. On April 25, Kedrowski presented a paper coauthored by graduate student Allan Bubna on their research about women county supervisors at the Midwest Political Science Association Meeting in Chicago. On May 2, she spoke on Carrie Chapman Catt and the women’s suffrage movement before a performance of “Suffs” at the Des Moines Civic Center.
Keith Maloney, a junior in public relations and a public relations/event planning intern with the Catt Center, has started a new role as a communications part-time student at John Deere TechWorks in Ames. He will be supporting internal communications and contributing to campus outreach initiatives.
Asleigh O’Brien, a 2023 alumna in women’s and gender studies, was selected by Beyond the Ballot to join their volunteer research committee as a policy and advocacy research associate. She will be conducting legislative tracking on candidates in the 2026 midterm election to help Beyond the Ballot educate young people on community-centered organizing. O’Brien was an intern at the Catt Center and a participant in its multi-year undergraduate research project.
Kelly Shaw, teaching professor of political science and co-director of the Center for Cyclone Civics, led six Iowa State University political science students to the Midwest Model European Union simulation at Indiana University – Bloomington from April 10–12. The three-day simulation is modeled on the institutional workings of the European Union and requires students to write, introduce, debate and pass legislation that benefits not only their assigned member state but also the broader EU population. Participants apply classroom knowledge while developing critical thinking, networking, and other professional skills in a collaborative environment that included 27 universities. This year, Iowa State University represented Denmark. On June 6, Shaw will be the guest speaker at the League of Women Voters of Iowa biennial council for all league chapters, to be held at Iowa State University’s Reiman Gardens.
Elizabeth Topf, a junior in biochemistry and a Dr. Deborah Turner Legacy of Heroines scholar, was initiated into Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and most prestigious academic honor society in the United States, during a ceremony on April 19.
Campbell Valline, a senior in political science, is a finalist in the Washington Media Scholars Foundation’s 2026 Media Plan Case Competition. For the competition, students were challenged to tackle a real-world issue at the intersection of media, policy, and public health. In partnership with Responsibility.org, the teams developed strategic campaigns focused on expanding the adoption of Alcohol 101+ across South Carolina’s public higher education system. Valline and her teammate, Tess Meggison of Drake University, will travel to Washington, D.C. in June for the final round of the competition. Valline is a Kedrowski and Fitzgerald Family Legacy of Heroines scholar and a former student voter engagement intern with the center.