CALS Online and Dean’s Message
Sept. 20, 2021
Dean’s Message
Happy Monday CALS Colleagues – It was a beautiful weekend and I hope you had a chance to get out and enjoy it. This past week I had three occasions to interact and speak with students… The wonderful thing about all those visits was the clear energy and enthusiasm of the young people.
Top Stories
NSF Award Supports Plant Research, Learning Opportunities
A new three-year, $985,450 award from the National Science Foundation is supporting research by Dior Kelley (right), genetics, development and cell biology, and Olga Zabotina, biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology, exploring fundamental questions about how hormones regulate cell wall properties during plant development. In the process, they will engage college students and Iowa’s youngest learners.
Research
Flood-tolerant Crops a Better Choice for Farmed Potholes
Increases in weather variability, especially more intense, frequent spring rainfall, are likely to adversely impact crop yields in areas susceptible to flooding and ponding. Recent research by a team led by Andy VanLoocke and Patrick Edmonds, agronomy, shows miscanthus, a grass species known for its high biomass production, is likely to have better survival and yields and could be more profitable in those water-logged areas.
Sociologist Receives Grant to Address Disaster Response
David Peters, sociology and criminal justice, is part of a team of five Iowa State researchers selected to receive the 2021 Bridging the Divide seed grant. The $25,000 award will be used to investigate methods of expediting post-disaster safety assessments of structures.
Teaching and Students
Career Services Releases Salary Report
CALS Career Services has released the annual entry-level salary summary for December 2020 and May 2021 graduates earning bachelor’s degrees. Twenty-two schools participated with 2,766 data points. According to Mike Gaul, career services director, starting salaries remained flat overall, with six of the nine sectors showing an average increase of 2.1%. The top five earning sectors were technology ($60,251), agricultural economics and business ($51,425), food science ($49,604), agronomy ($48,525) and agricultural education and studies ($42,417). The annual summary is coordinated and produced by the CALS Career Services office at Iowa State.
CALS Study Abroad Fair Scheduled for Sept. 28
CALS will hold its Study Abroad Fair on Sept. 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. on central campus. Program directors will be available to talk with students interested in a study abroad (international) or Study USA (domestic) travel course. Students attending the event can also learn about international clubs and student organizations available within CALS.
Collaborative Learning Labs Available in SIC
CALS has two new collaborative learning labs available in the Student Innovation Center. Rooms may be reserved for classes, capstone projects, student group work, club meetings, presentations and recruiting. To learn more about the space or take a tour contact Sam Peters (swpeters@iastate.edu). To reserve a room contact Marcy Cheville (marcyc@iastate.edu, 4-2766).
Extension and Outreach
Iowa Farmers Pursuing Actions in Response to Changing Weather
A new study shows Iowa farmers are pursuing action in response to changing weather. Changes in five major adaptive management practices were examined. Lead author is Suraj Upadhaya, post-doc research associate in natural resource ecology and management. Co-author is J. Arbuckle, sociology and criminal justice.
Iowa Dairy Industry Survey Results Now Available
A group of dairy producers in Iowa were surveyed in 2020 as part of a research effort coordinated by ISU Extension and Outreach dairy specialists. Results provide insight on the current state of the dairy industry in Iowa and will be summarized through reports for educators, industry collaborators, elected officials and the general public.
Hartmann New Agricultural Education Extension Specialist
Katie Hartmann has joined the agricultural education and studies department and will also serve as an agricultural education extension specialist. She also teaches in the Science with Practice program.
Around the College
Proposals Sought for New College Fellowship Program
The Dean’s Office of Academic Innovation and the Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative are seeking proposals from CALS faculty for the first cohort of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows. Funds will be provided to support faculty seeking to incorporate innovation within teaching, research or extension activities. Priority will be given to proposals that engage students, especially undergraduates, in innovative learning experiences and/or entrepreneurial activities. Faculty recipients of IEFF awards will be organized into a cohort where they will be provided with training and professional development, opportunities for networking, and work with the Dean’s office and other fellows to promote the program within their departments and across the college. All CALS faculty, regardless of rank, are eligible to apply. Up to six fellowships will be awarded each year. Proposal are due to Carmen Bain cbain@iastate.edu by midnight, Nov. 5.
Animal Science Announces New Associate Chair Position
Jason Ross, animal science and director of the Iowa Pork Industry Center, will serve a four-year appointment as the department’s associate chair for industry engagement. This new role will help promote Iowa State’s animal science programming both locally and globally through stakeholder relationships and external engagement for public and private partnerships.
Animal Science Announces Fundraising Campaign
The Department of Animal Science has announced the creation of the Dr. John Patience Animal Nutrition faculty position honoring John Patience, professor emeritus and global leader in swine nutrition education and research. A fundraising campaign to fully fund the faculty position has been launched through the ISU Foundation.
Volunteers Needed for United Way Day of Caring
In support of the United Way Day of Caring, CALS will be working with Youth and Shelter Services on Friday, Sept. 24. Volunteers are needed to work with YSS staff to clean out spaces and organize files from 9 a.m. to noon. The work will require signing a confidentiality form, could be dusty and may involve lifting items. To volunteer, contact Ruth MacDonald (ruthmacd@iastate.edu) by Wednesday, Sept. 22, and indicate times that you are able to work.
Calendar
Sept. 20: CALS Chat with Dean Robison
Dean Robison will be hosting a CALS Chat on Sept. 20 from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Food Sciences Building Courtyard. The informal, drop-in event will be an opportunity for casual conversation. Pre-packaged ISU Creamery ice cream will be served.
Sept. 22: Building Inclusive Communities Webinar Series
Theressa Cooper, assistant dean, is launching a webinar series titled CALS Alumni Conversations: Building Inclusive Communities. The one-hour webinars will provide an opportunity to hear, engage and ask questions of the alumni scholars and professionals within the food and agricultural systems industry as the college seeks to build a more inclusive and welcoming CALS community. The first Zoom webinar is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 22, from noon to 1 p.m. Keith King (’11 agronomy) will present Black Farmers and the America Rescue Plan.
September 23: Exploring the Impact of Prairie Strips and Pollinators
A virtual field day discussing the impact of prairie STRIPS will feature presenters Randall Cass, bee extension specialist, Amy Toth, entomology and ecology, evolution and organismal biology, and graduate student Kate Borchardt, EEOB. The event, scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 23, at 1 p.m., is hosted by Iowa Learning Farms, the Iowa Nutrient Research Center and the Conservation Learning Group.
Sept. 28: Deal Lecture
The William K. Deal Leadership Lecture will be held Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. in the Dolezal Auditorium, 127 Curtiss Hall. Chris Cornelius, co-owner of Cornelius Seed located near Bellevue, Iowa, will present “Be the Glue: The Business of Being a Family in a Family Business.”
Communications Kiosk
Scientists Aim for Clearer Messages on Global Warming
A recent study found that some of the most common terms in climate science are confusing to the general public. The study tested words frequently used in international climate reports and concluded that the most confusing terms were mitigation, carbon neutral and unprecedented transition. Wändi Bruine de Bruin, University of Southern California and lead author of the study, said the main message is to avoid jargon.
Infograzing
Student Food Pantry Celebrates 10 Years
SHOP – Students Helping Our Peers, the student organization and student food pantry – will celebrate 10 years of service to the Iowa State student body on Wednesday, Sept. 22, from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in 1306 Beyer Hall. Last August, it relocated to a west campus location three times the size of its initial pantry. This summer, it upgraded that new space and officially became a partner agency of the Food Bank of Iowa network. The COVID-19 pandemic “pulled back the curtain on food security,” making it not only more visible, but more understood, said Breanna Wetzler, CALS Student Services and SHOP’s advisor.
Survey Estimates Trees Damaged, Destroyed by Derecho
According to results from a recently-completed survey conducted by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the derecho in August 2020 damaged or destroyed an estimated 7 million rural and urban trees along its path in primarily central and east central Iowa.
Summer 2021 Comparable to Dust Bowl Summer for Hottest on Record
Summer 2021 was the hottest on record for the contiguous United States, according to the latest monthly U.S. climate report released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The average temperature during the meteorological summer – June through August – technically exceeded the record heat of the 1936 Dust Bowl Summer, but the difference is extremely small.
Marginalia
Open a Book, Open the World
The Library of Congress is hosting its 2021 National Book Festival on Sept. 17-26. This year’s theme is “Open a Book, Open the World.” An introduction to the festival and its lineup of authors, poets and writers were featured in a one-hour special from PBS, available online.
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
Julie Stewart, Editor
jstewart@iastate.edu, (515) 294-5616
https://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 Thursday.