CARL VONDRA

Class of 1952
​Inducted in 2010

Dr. Carl F. Vondra was inducted into the SHSAA Hall of Fame in 2010.

Dr. Vondra received his bachelor's, master's and doctorate degrees in Geology from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.  He was a Captain in the U.S. Army Reserves, Corps of Engineers.  During his career as a geology professor at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, he received numerous honors, Chairs, Fellowships, Distinguished Service Awards and designations and Advisory Council memberships.  In 2007 the ISU Geology Field Station in Shell, Wyoming was renamed the Carl F. Vondra Geology Field Station.  Dr. Vondra is a volunteer lecturer and instructor, and led several safaris for the ISU Alumni Association.  

He also led many international geology student excursions.  His community service includes Kiwanis Club, and the Order of the Knoll Campanile Society.  He established the Georgia and Carl Vondra fellowship at ISU in 2000.  He received  a Distinguished Alumnus Award from UNL and an Honorary Alumnus Award from ISU.  He has held numerous offices in various professional societies and has been widely published.  

He has taught several hundred undergraduate students, directed education and research  of 55 MS and PhD students, and carried out research in the United States, Africa, Europe and Asia.  Dr. Vondra is a Distinguished Emeritus Professor of Geology in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at ISU.