The Robert and Virginia Wheeler Faculty Fellowship in Engineering was established in 2003 through a gift to The University of Iowa Foundation from the estate of Robert Wheeler, a graduate of the College of Engineering, and his wife, Virginia. The Robert and Virginia Faculty Fellowship Fund establishes a permanent endowment with annual spendable earnings used to support the College's academic and research pursuits.
Robert Wheeler was born in New York in 1922. He graduated from The University of Iowa, earning a BS degree in 1948, an MS degree in 1949, and a PhD degree in 1958 -- all in civil engineering. He was among the first to earn a doctorate in civil engineering at the University. From 1953-1958, Dr. Wheeler was an instructor in civil engineering and served as assistant professor from 1958-1961. He also taught at Macalester College, Michigan Technical University, and the University of Akron. He retired from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Missouri-Columbia. During his career, he also was a land developer in Denver, Colorado, and helped design emergency medical transportation systems in New York and Missouri.Dr. Wheeler served in the U. S. Army and was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S.
Virginia R. Wheeler, a native of Sioux County, Iowa, married Dr. Wheeler in 1946 in Iowa City. She served as a supervisor for the Brown Shoe Company, St. Louis.
College of Engineering recipients: Ibrahim Demir, Edward Sander