Janice Ann Beran

"Jan is... a great ambassador for the state of Iowa and those causes she believes in. She has brought honor to her family, profession, [Iowa State] University, the state, and to women." —Barbara E. Forker, 1998

Janice Ann Beran of Ames, emerita professor of health and human performance, is a leading educator who advocates for international understanding and equal opportunities for all. During the 18 years she served on the Iowa State University faculty, Beran was a master teacher who brought topics to life through dramatizations, reenactment of historical events, and classroom conference calls with leaders in the field. Beran is widely recognized for her work in Women's sports and physical education and has written a book on the history of Iowa girls' basketball. Her extensive cross-cultural interests led to international teaching as a missionary educator in the Philippines for 13 years and as a visiting professor/lecturer in Japan, China, Taiwan, and Nigeria. In 1984, she served as the United States delegate to the Olympic Academy in Greece. Beran is also a community and church leader, having served as president of the League of Women Voters of Ames; the League of Women Voters of Iowa; Iowa-Yucatan Partners of the Americans; and the Iowa Association for Physical Education, Health, Recreation and Dance; and as Synod Moderator in the Presbyterian Church. Beran and her husband have three adult children and six grandchildren, and have served as foster parents to 42 troubled and disadvantaged teens. Beran was inducted into the Iowa Women's Hall of Fame in 1998.