CALS Online and Dean's Message
Dec. 13, 2021
Dean's Message
Hello CALS – Last week was full for all of us. For me, that included the annual meeting of the ISU CALS Agriculture Endowment led by Carmen Bain as its executive director. Carmen was recently passed this torch by Mark Honeyman after more than a decade in leadership of the endowment, and 30 years on its board or in its leadership – thanks, Mark!
Top Stories
CALS Convocation to Honor Graduating Seniors, Dec. 17
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences will hold its fall convocation on Friday, Dec. 17, at 10 a.m. in Hilton Coliseum. Doors open at 9 a.m. The event will also be livestreamed, starting at 10 a.m. The CALS Student Council will present its senior awards (see award winners below). Stefany Naranjo, global resource systems and agricultural and life sciences education (communication option), is the convocation speaker. Emilie Tamblyn, animal science, is the CALS student marshal at the university undergraduate commencement ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 18, at 1:30 p.m. in Hilton Coliseum. The graduate commencement ceremony will take place Friday, Dec. 17, at 7 p.m. in Hilton Coliseum.
Senior Award Winner: Paul Johnson
Paul Johnson, agricultural systems technology, is the fall 2021 recipient of the Outstanding Senior Award given by CALS Student Council. For his capstone project, Johnson is designing and building a modular produce cart to increase efficiency and opportunity for farmers.
Senior Award Winner: Haley Stahl
Haley Stahl, agronomy, is the fall 2021 recipient of the Leadership Excellence Award given by CALS Student Council. She was involved with and held leadership roles in various clubs and organizations on campus. "What made my time so memorable was the amazing people I met through these organizations and the experiences we had," said Stahl.
Senior Award Winner: Maia Lawson
Maia Lawson, microbiology and genetics, is the fall 2021 recipient of the Academic Achievement Award given by CALS Student Council. She has been involved in various research projects during her time at Iowa State, received the Lab Science Internship in Molecular Genetics and earned a Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture undergraduate research scholarship.
Senior Award Winner: Ellen Reed
Ellen Reed, horticulture and global resource systems, is the fall 2021 recipient of the Distinguished Service Award given by CALS Student Council. During her time at Iowa State, she has kept busy participating in diverse activities that advance food security, sustainability and community on campus and beyond.
Senior Award Winner: Mikayla McKenna
Mikayla McKenna, agricultural and life sciences education (communication option) and international agriculture, is the fall 2021 recipient of the Outstanding Ambassador of Agriculture and Life Sciences Award given by CALS Student Council. She has a passion for sharing agriculture with others.
Class of 2021: Alyssa Nishijima
Alyssa Nishijima, culinary food science, has had quite the adventure at Iowa State. As a freshman, she and her fellow classmates entered and won first place at a food product development contest. She was a member of the CALS Dean's Student Advisory Committee and a Foreman Scholar, to name a few of her honors. Reflecting on her experience at Iowa State, she is quick to say none of the things she's accomplished or participated in were planned. In fact, her resume comes as quite a surprise to her.
Research
Nitrous Oxide Emission Research Highlighted in PNAS
A new article in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences presents findings that mitigation of nitrous oxide will require widespread agricultural management change, as opposed to targeting emissions hotspots or adopting field-edge practices. Authors are Nathaniel Lawrence, Carlos Tenesaca and Steven Hall, ecology, evolution and organismal biology; and Andy VanLoocke, agronomy.
Grant Addresses Low Urban Tree Diversity
Grant Thompson, horticulture, is leading a national effort to address the causes and solutions for low urban tree diversity. Funding is provided by a national USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative planning grant.
Iowa Lake Recreation Drives $1 Billion in Spending
A new study by Iowa State economists Yongjie Ji and Wendong Zhang, Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, found that lake recreation activities in Iowa drove more than $1 billion in spending in the state in 2019.
Teaching and Students
Career Services Releases 2021 Summer Internship Survey
CALS Career Services released the results of its 2021 summer internship survey, with nearly 700 student responses. Ten percent of students with a structured internship experience indicated their internship was affected by COVID-19 (canceled, shortened, virtual, hybrid, etc.) – down from 50% last year. There was a significant increase in the number of internships accepted later in the academic year versus the fall recruitment season. "This likely reflects the uncertainty that existed amongst companies and their corresponding ability to host internship programs," said Mike Gaul, director of CALS Career Services.
Extension and Outreach
Hands-on Manual for Farmers Awarded Certificate of Excellence
The American Society of Agronomy awarded a Certificate of Excellence to the Conservation Learning Group for its Whole Farm Conservation Best Practices Manual. The award was announced at the organization's annual meeting in Salt Lake City on Nov. 7-10.
Natural Resources Stewardship Directory Available Online
The Natural Resources Extension Team has compiled a list of local professionals who can help with everything from dealing with nuisance or injured wildlife to protecting soil and water resources and managing urban trees and rural woodlands. The Natural Resources Stewardship Directory is available online.
ANR Extension Spotlight: Brandon Kleinke
Brandon Kleinke is a media production specialist with Iowa State's Integrated Pest Management program. He works as a producer to create and develop content for social media and the IPM YouTube channel, as well as a camera operator, editor and sound producer.
Around the College
Land Value Survey News Conference to be held Dec. 14
A news conference will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 14, at 10 a.m. in 0009 Curtiss Hall to announce the results of the 2021 Iowa Land Value Survey conducted by the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development and ISU Extension and Outreach. A livestream will be available on YouTube as well.
Calendar
Dec. 15: Iowa Learning Farms Webinar
The emerging bioeconomy and combating carbon levels is the topic of the Iowa Learning Farms conservation webinar on Wednesday, Dec. 15, at noon. Tom Richard, Penn State University, will present.
Infograzing
CAST Entering 50th Anniversary Year
Since 1972, the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology has provided science-based information about food and agriculture to policymakers, the media, the private sector and the public. A 50th-anniversary publication is available online. During the coming year, related information and presentations about the occasion will be available.
Marginalia
Animal- and Scientist-shaped Stress Relievers Spreading Smiles
What do you do with 30,000 animal- and scientist-shaped stress relievers? You hand them out to college students during finals prep week, of course! Claudia Lemper-Manahl, plant pathology and microbiology, recently came into possession of approximately 30,000 fun-shaped, squeeze toy stress relievers. The supply belonged to the Ag Discovery Program, a partnership between Iowa State University and USDA. Lemper-Manahl is the Iowa State coordinator of the program, and her husband is the USDA Ag Discovery Director. Last week, Lemper-Manahl loaded some in bags and distributed them to offices in Science Hall I, ATRB and Kildee Hall, as well as student clubs in the college.
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.