College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
Aug. 5, 2019
Top Stories
Pitching Competition at Iowa State Fair to Highlight ISU Entrepreneurs
More than 150 ISU entrepreneurs will pitch their ideas to visitors at the university’s exhibit during the Iowa State Fair, Aug. 8-18. The exhibit, “The Great Iowa State Pitch Off. STANDING InnOVATION!” will be in the Varied Industries Building. The theme of this year’s fair exhibit is part of an ongoing university initiative to nurture a campuswide culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, and to provide resources and support for students, faculty and staff to turn their ideas into reality. CALS and Vet Med entrepreneurs will pitch on Friday, Aug. 9, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Seven winning pitches will be announced at 1 p.m. on Aug. 18. ISU President Wendy Wintersteen and Senior Vice President and Provost Jonathan Wickert will present awards to the winners. “Best in show” will receive a $5,000 award. More
Dean Robison Showing Steer at Governor’s Charity Steer Show
The 2019 Governor’s Charity Steer Show will take place Saturday, Aug. 10, at 4 p.m. in the Pioneer Livestock Pavilion at the Iowa State Fair. CALS Dean Daniel Robison is one of the celebrities that will lead 25 steers around the ring. Immediately following, the steers will be sold at auction with proceeds going to the Ronald McDonald House. Since its inception in 1983, the Iowa beef industry has raised $3.5 million to help families who use the Ronald McDonald House. More
Department of Animal Science at the Iowa State Fair
Faculty, staff and student clubs from the Department of Animal Science will be working the 2019 Iowa State Fair, Aug. 8-18. A list of dates and locations are available online. More
Research
Climate Change Outpacing Species’ Ability to Adapt
Many species are adapting to climate change, but those adaptations aren’t occurring fast enough to guarantee their long-term survival, according to a recent study that analyzed 10,000 published scientific papers. Fredric Janzen, ecology, evolution and organismal biology, contributed to the international research team. More
Research Shows Cover Crops’ Value as Cattle Feed
A new study with support from the Iowa Nutrient Research Center and the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture is assessing the value and viability of cover crop feedstock for Iowa’s cattle industry. Researchers include Dan Loy, director of the Iowa Beef Center, Erika Lundy, extension beef specialist, and Rebecca Vittetoe, extension field agronomist. More
Researchers Study How Trees Affect Building Temperatures, Air Flow
Researchers at ISU, including Janette Thompson, natural resource ecology and management, have developed a model to test how shading and air flow can improve indoor temperatures during the sweltering heat of Midwest summers. A $50,000 National Science Foundation grant will allow the team to host a workshop on Aug. 12-13 in Ames on “Redesigning the Urban-Rural Interface along the Mississippi Watershed.” More
Teaching and Students
Dean Robison Encourages Review of Student Wellness Resources
Dean Daniel Robison reached out to college faculty and staff today via email encouraging everyone to review the student wellness website prior to the new academic year starting later this month. Support services are available to students who may feel too much stress at some time during their academic career. Howard Tyler, assistant dean of student services, and his office are also available to assist and refer.
Extension and Outreach
Event to Demonstrate Using Drones for Agriculture
ISU’s Field Extension Education Lab will host “Drone Uses for Agriculture Roadshow” on Aug. 13. The event will include a discussion on current and future uses of drones for agriculture, and demonstrations of large-area and real-time mapping, subsampling and aerial application using popular models of drones. The roadshow is funded by the National Science Foundation’s “Midwest Big Data Hub: Digital Agriculture Spoke.” More
Organic Field Day Planned at Neely-Kinyon Research Farm
The Neely-Kinyon Memorial Research and Demonstration Farm will host a field day on Aug. 20 from 4 to 7 p.m. Participants will get an update on organic crops, cover crops, soil and water quality and no-till. More
Ag Engineering and Agronomy Farm to Host Field Day
The Ag Engineering and Agronomy Farm near Boone will host its annual field day on Aug. 28, 8:30 a.m. to noon. Soil compaction and long-term effects of wet weather patterns will highlight this year’s event, with opportunities for visitors to see equipment in action. More
Around the College
MacDonald and Iles Reappointed as Department Chairs
Ruth MacDonald, food science and human nutrition, and Jeff Iles, horticulture, have been reappointed to another term as chair of their respective departments.
Calendar
Sept. 23-24: Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation Seminars
The Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation will host its annual September seminars, “Helping Agricultural Clients Thrive in the Midst of Change,” at the Courtyard by Marriott in Ankeny. The Agricultural Law Seminar will be held Sept. 23. The Agricultural Tax Workshop will take place Sept. 24. More
Infograzing
Student Accessibility Services Updated
This fall, Student Accessibility Services will provide electronic access to Notification Letters through Accommodate, the student management system. Both student and instructor will receive an email with a link to access the NL within Accommodate. It will be the students’ responsibility to meet with instructors to discuss the implementation of the indicated accommodations and each will need to digitally sign the NL. More
Marginalia
New Fair Foods Announced
From foods-on-a-stick to fried food concoctions, the Iowa State Fair is known for fun and interesting food. A list of more than 50 new foods being dished up during the 2019 fair has been released. The Iowa State Fair begins Thursday, Aug. 8. More
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
Julie Stewart, Editor
jstewart@iastate.edu, (515) 294-5616
http://www.cals.iastate.edu/news/agonline
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online, the newsletter for faculty and staff in Iowa State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is published by email every Monday. The deadline for submitting content is 12 p.m. on Friday.