Check out more about Phil here: www.uifoundation.org/facultystaff

It has been both an honor and a pleasure to be a co-head of the We Are Phil faculty and staff campaign at the University of Iowa. I’ve been able to share my passion for the university and support the philanthropic efforts that contribute to making Iowa a premier institution in higher education.

What motivates me to serve in this capacity and give to the university is simple. I am a lifelong Iowa resident, and I give back because I recognize how important a resource this university is to the entire state. I completed my undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Iowa, during which time I had access to the very best facilities, professors, and mentors that you can imagine. In 1997, I had the opportunity to return to the UI as a staff member in the Department of Family Medicine and have since moved to my current role as interim assistant vice president in University Human Resources. 

I’ve experienced the university as both a student and staff member. I’ve been on the receiving end of many opportunities, as have a number of colleagues. Giving back to the UI is a satisfying way to “pay it forward” and support the kinds of opportunities for future generations of students and staff that were made available to me — and to others.

We all have an opportunity to be “Phil” through our philanthropy. The annual faculty/staff campaign is about participation, no matter what the size of the gift. It’s about identifying something that you feel passionate about on campus and giving whatever makes sense for you. Your passion may focus on the health field (for example, our world-class health science colleges or UI Hospitals and Clinics) or perhaps education is where you want to make difference through student scholarships.

That’s the beauty of the annual We Are Phil campaign — you can make a difference in an area that’s important to you.

This week and every fall, we ask UI faculty and staff to consider giving back to support the institution that has given us so much. We also look forward to Phil’s Day in the spring, when we celebrate the impact of philanthropy (“Phil”) by tagging locations all over campus to show where private giving has had an impact. It’s an amazing sight to see the magnitude and diversity of these efforts. I believe it’s one of the things that makes the university such a great place to learn, work, and live.

If you are a UI employee, I encourage you to consider what inspires you most about the University of Iowa and make a gift this year to support what matters most to you. All of us can make a difference in some way, whether our gifts are large or small. Thank you.

Joni Troester

Interim Assistant Vice President

UI Human Resources