Joe Marchesani

Joe Marchesani went above and beyond to help generations of students over his 50 years at the University of Northern Iowa. 

Joe moved from the East Coast in 1972 with his pregnant wife and young son to Iowa to take a position at UNI as coordinator of television services and assistant professor. They only planned to stay for a few years but ended up enjoying their life in Cedar Falls and made lifelong connections at the university.

Joe worked in several roles at UNI, such as assistant professor, coordinator of television services and coordinator of information technology services. He took pride in his work and several generations of students and staff benefited from his conscientious guidance and dedicated service.

He instilled a passion for the university within the family, with his wife, Joan, earning her bachelor’s degree from UNI, as well as his children, David and Kristi, who also went on to get their master’s degrees from the institution. Both children have held leadership positions at the university. Four out of five of his grandchildren are also UNI alums.

“From athletics to lectures to music performances and even faculty senate meetings, no matter what, Joe always did it in a hard-working way with unconditional dedication and care to each project that he takes on,” said his son Dave, the director of Academic Advising, in his retirement video.

“I know that growing up UNI was such a big part of our life, attending events here, being fans of UNI Athletics, he really instilled in us a love for the university,” said his daughter, Kristi, who led international recruitment and admissions for more than 25 years.

Joe’s impact on the university was clear when generations of students made a 30-minute video telling him how he impacted their lives and careers. 

“After graduation, when I was actively looking for employment, he went out of his way to not only write a letter of recommendation, but showed up with a box of ties for me to choose from,” said UNI alum Seth Vickers when nominating Joe.

He also received appreciation from the UNI Volleyball team for his yearly work producing their season video while also being their number one fan.

“I can’t think of a more special way to capture what we do every year and our student athletes have been so fortunate to be able to have that as a remembrance not just for the season but for our seniors to be able to go back and look at where they started and how they ended,” said Bobbi Peterson, UNI volleyball head coach. “I know you will always be a part of our Panther volleyball team.”

Joe retired in 2022 after 50 years of service, but still comes back to work on special projects and is often spotted biking through campus. 

“The heart of UNI and what makes it special is people like Joe,” Kristi said. “He committed almost his entire professional career to the university and gave everything he could to assist students and to fulfill his duties with a level of perfection that is rarely seen.”