For some, being involved in the community is more than a hobby . . . it’s a duty. For Chris Deal ('08 mechanical engineering), being an active citizen is second nature.
Chris was named the Iowa State Alumni Association's 2021 Outstanding Young Alum. This award recognizes ISU alumni, age 40 and under, who have excelled in their professions and provided service to their communities.
After receiving his bachelor’s degree, Chris was awarded a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship, which provides funds for students to receive a master’s degree from an international university as long as they complete a service project. Chris chose to study in Uganda, where he led a program that distributed mosquito nets to prevent the spread of malaria. His volunteerism didn’t stop there. Upon returning to the U.S., Chris joined Teach for America and taught high school math and science to refugees from Somalia and Burma living in Kansas City.
In 2011 Chris moved back to central Iowa and joined Modus Engineering, a small consulting firm. For the last five years he has been active in spearheading change in his hometown of Jefferson, where he now lives. From efforts to build a new high school and establish a career academy, to attracting new business interests, to advocating for affordable housing, Chris has been central to the revitalization of the community.
Chris has also been active with the Honors Program, serving a 3-year term on the Alumni Board of Directors.
It’s Chris's willingness to step up, prioritize the community, and move projects forward that helped him earn the Iowa State University Alumni Association's Distinguished Young Alum Award for 2021. As his former mentor Liz Beck wrote in her letter of nomination, "[Chris] is a people person who is committed to making the lives around him better. He is a champion of ideas and possibilities, and he has the energy and optimism to bring many to fruition." Congratulations, Chris!
