IOWA Magazine | 10-28-2024
Six Hawkeye Veterans Honored for Service to Country, Community
By Josh O'Leary
3 minute read
The University of Iowa celebrates distinguished military members ahead of Veterans Day.
TIM SCHOON/UI OFFICE OF STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION
For the recipients of this year’s University of Iowa Distinguished Veterans Awards, loyalty to the black and gold is matched only by a dedication to the red, white, and blue.
The UI honored four alumni, a former ROTC faculty member, and a student veteran in a November ceremony at the Iowa Memorial Union ahead of Veterans Day. Hawkeye fans applauded the recipients when they were introduced during the military appreciation football game against Wisconsin at Kinnick Stadium.
Col. Edwin “Andy” Anderson
U.S. ArmyA former assistant professor of military science for the UI’s ROTC program, Anderson established the UI’s Ranger Challenge team, which won a national championship in 1987. During his decorated 30-year Army career, Anderson mentored officers who graduated from Iowa and were commissioned through the ROTC program. In retirement, Anderson has helped lead many veteran support organizations, including the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, and was instrumental in the project to build the America’s Response Monument that honors U.S. Army Special Forces at Ground Zero in New York.
Lt. Howard Cowen (76DDS, 95MS)
U.S. NavyCowen began his dental career in the Navy, serving for four years before returning to Iowa City in 1983 to join the College of Dentistry faculty. Currently a clinical professor, Cowen has led Iowa’s geriatric and special needs oral health care program for more than 40 years. As a student mentor and an advocate for providing oral health care to vulnerable populations, Cowen was named the Iowa Dental Alumni Association’s Educator of the Year in 2001 and Dental Service Awardee of the Year in 2016. He also received the Dentaquest Health Equity Hero Award in 2022.
Master Sgt. Dave Dierks (70BA)
U.S. ArmyA non-commissioned officer who provided combat medic training for enlisted personnel, Dierks served 28 years in the military with the Army, National Guard of Illinois, and 109th Medical Battalion of the Iowa National Guard. Dierks devoted his professional career to his alma mater, working for more than 50 years at the UI Center for Advancement (formerly the UI Foundation), where he established a planned and major gifts program and became the principal gifts officer. Dierks is an advocate for veteran programs at Iowa and has helped them secure philanthropic support.
Capt. John H. Fraser (96MBA)
U.S. NavyFraser served seven years of active duty, including two Vietnam deployments with Helicopter Combat Support Squadron One, then served 18 years in the Naval Air Reserve, where he was commanding officer of Helicopter Anti-Submarine Warfare Squadron 85 at Alameda Naval Air Station in California. At Iowa, Fraser was director of the Tippie College of Business’ executive MBA program for 14 years and an adjunct lecturer for 12 years. After retiring, he served as a faculty member and mentor to the Washington Mandela Fellows Program and established the John Fraser Iowa Veterans Tippie Scholarship.
Col. Robert Hedgepeth (89BSE)
U.S. ArmyA UI College of Engineering and ROTC alumnus, Hedgepeth spent more than 30 years in the Iowa Army National Guard, where he served as commander of the 671st Troop Command. In 2014, he was a founding member of the Mighty Hawkeye Battalion Alumni Association, guiding the group as it established an endowed fund to support current cadets. He serves as the adjutant for American Legion Post 728, is a board member for Safeguard Iowa, and serves on the advisory board for the UI-based Iowa Technology Institute.
Capt. Zachary Graham
U.S. ArmyThe recipient of this year’s Larry Lockwood Student Award, Graham was a military intelligence officer with the U.S. Army in Germany before enrolling in the UI College of Dentistry. Graham served as a veteran academic counselor at Iowa, helping ease the transition of student veterans into academic life. Graham also has held positions in the American Student Dental Association and the Iowa American Student Dental Association, served as president of the Tau Sigma Military Dental Club, and co-founded the Pediatric Smiles Fund, which raises money to support dental care for under/uninsured pediatric patients.
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