It was an exciting year at Central College. What were you most interested in? Take a look back with us — our most popular stories of 2015, based on your interaction on Facebook and Twitter.
Building a House, One Scrap at a Time
Amy Andrews and Ethan Van Kooten had no money. How could they build a house?
After these environmental studies majors built a small, sustainable house for $489, their story traveled around the world. You can watch a video tour on KCCI and WHOtv or read about the project in the Des Moines Register, USA Today, Mother Nature Network, The Blaze, Apartment Therapy, EcoWatch, Country Living, Curbed and more.
International corporations support new engineering major with Central College
Central College and three Pella companies have partnered to support a Bachelor of Science in Engineering program, the college’s first B.S. degree.
We announced our new engineering program in March, hired new faculty members in August and received a $400,000 grant from Vermeer Charitable Foundation in October. It’s one of our most attractive majors to prospective students, and Pella’s international corporations add to Central’s assets.
Read the release and feature in Civitas.
Molly Ward dreamed of driving the Wienermobile for more than a decade.
On the road for Oscar Mayer, 2015 grad Molly Ward ’15 is living her dream. After winning the highly coveted position, she made a stop at Central in October and took Des Moines reporters for a ride in November. Through summer 2016, she’s driving the Wienermobile across the U.S.
Central named among America’s most underrated colleges
Central College is among the 50 most underrated colleges in America, according to a recent analysis by Business Insider.
The only Iowa college or university included, Central made this list based on comparison between U.S. News rankings and PayScale’s 2013-14 College Salary Report. The PayScale report listed Central graduates’ average starting salary at $42,900, with an average mid-career salary of $85,100. Among liberal arts colleges, Central’s salary ranking was No. 1 in Iowa.
Arthur Johnson retires after 46 years
Arthur Johnson is putting away his red pen.
When our long-time English professor Art Johnson retired, notes poured in from friends and former students (Johnson’s daughter presented them as a gift for his December birthday). While many found him intimidating, students also learned “the joy of writing well and clearly” from Johnson’s detailed criticism. “I always try to give students their money’s worth, whether they want it or not,” he said.
