A Passion for Science and a Legacy to Remember

Reprinted from Traditions, Winter 2021-22
April 4, 2022

Rob Stupka III ’02 loved science from the time he was a little kid. He was a passionate biochemistry major at Iowa State when he was fatally struck by a bus on his way to the lab in November 2005. Ever since, his parents, Bob ’73 and Diane Stupka, have been committed to carrying on his legacy.

“Rob was just wicked smart. When he was in maybe second grade, he drew a picture of this machine he was going to invent called Virus-be-Gone, which was going to cure people with cancer. That’s what he was thinking about back then,” reflected Bob.

Today, as the world grapples with COVID-19, the Stupkas know Rob would have been involved in finding solutions. “Going through this pandemic, we know it would have been right in Rob’s wheelhouse — he would have been part of figuring out what’s going on with this virus and what we can do to get out of it. We’re lucky that there’s a lot of ‘Robs’ all over the world, and hopefully there will be a lot more of them at CDH when they hear his story.”

At CDH, he had a chance to take a study hall his senior year but he opted to take a second science class instead. His love of science continued at Iowa State, where he found his passion: biochemistry.

At the time of the fatal accident, Rob was working on organizing the Inaugural Undergraduate Research Symposium at Iowa State which was planned for spring 2006. After losing Rob, the Stupkas continued their support of this symposium, which has been held each of the last 15 years, and is known as the Stupka Symposium. The event brings together students and alumni and encourages the pursuit of knowledge through science.

Rob’s parents want CDH students to have a similar opportunity and worked with STEAM Coordinator Ellen Schafer ’10 to organize a Rob Stupka STEAM Week at CDH.

“The Stupkas’ mission for 16 years has been to inspire the next generation, to provide opportunities for students and get them excited,” Schafer said. “That’s exactly what we want to do with this new Ryan STEM Center at CDH.”

The Rob Stupka STEAM Week will be an annual event, with the first being held this week, April 4-7. It will include speakers, hands-on activities, demonstrations, and more. It will give students a chance to learn about topics that they may not have been introduced to yet in class, and learn more about the wide variety of topics covered by STEAM. The Stupkas are also planning to provide support for a biology lab to be named in Rob's memory. 

“We want to use Rob’s story to give CDH students a little bit of inspiration, to jump on board, and pursue those careers in science and use that knowledge to make the world a better place,” Bob said.