CALS Online and Dean’s Message
Dec. 20, 2021
Dean’s Message
Greetings, CALS Colleagues – Thank you all very much for another great semester. I’m so proud of how we all persevered and successfully completed our fourth regular semester in these COVID-ian times. Your work and devotion to the missions and purposes of the university, the college and your departments and units is remarkable… This past weekend we had CALS Convocation on Friday, and University commencments Friday evening and Saturday afternoon…
Top Stories
CALS Students Travel to Costa Rica and United Arab Emirates over Fall Break
With passports in hand and suitcases in tow, two groups of students from CALS boarded planes to study abroad during Iowa State’s fall break. The first group traveled to Costa Rica on a trip directed by Lee Burras, agronomy. Twenty-six students representing six different majors spent 10 days visiting farms in various regions to learn about different kinds of crop production. The second group of students traveled to Dubai on a trip led by Ebby Lugava and Amani Elobied, economics, and Jean-Pierre Taoutel, world languages and cultures. The United Arab Emirates has the second-largest economy in the Arab world, which readily attracts foreign investment. The students were introduced to banking and financial institutions in the country to understand how business and trade are impacted by cultural diversity.
Research
Researchers Discover New Approach to Fight Salmonella in Poultry
A new study shows potential to fight Salmonella using natural interactions between the chickens’ nervous and immune systems, which coalesce in the gut. The work, led by Melha Mellata, food science and human nutrition, and Graham Redweik, recent doctoral student in the Interdepartmental Microbiology Graduate Program, was recently reported in Nature: Communications Biology.
Keep Piglets Warm this Winter with State-of-the-Art Technology
Ben Smith, Brett Ramirez and Steve Hoff, agricultural and biosystems engineering, have been researching a heating structure (microclimate) that will keep piglets warm at a rate that is healthy and efficient. Their work was recently published in the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute AgriEngineering journal.
Teaching and Students
Students Gain Perspective for Projects in Ghana
Dirk Maier, agricultural and biosystems engineering, and Joseph Akowuah, senior lecturer in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana, have been working with students in their respective chapters of Engineers Without Borders on projects in Northern Ghana. Akowuah just completed his first visit to Iowa State, which allowed him to connect with the students in person.
Cyclone Balances School, Life and Football
Derek Schweiger, Iowa State football’s starting right tackle, wants future students to know that balancing a demanding academic schedule while a starting athlete can be accomplished, especially if one really wants it and is willing to ask for help to accomplish their goals. Schweiger graduated this winter with a master’s degree in food science and technology, building on his bachelor’s degree in food science in 2019.
CALS Convocation Photo Album Available Online
Congratulations to the fall 2021 CALS graduating students. An online photo album is available from CALS Convocation, held Dec. 17.
Extension and Outreach
Iowa Farmland at Historic High – Until Adjusted for Inflation
After several years of modest gains and losses, the average value of an acre of Iowa farmland rose 29% in 2021. The nominal value of an acre of farmland is now higher than at any point since Iowa State University and ISU Extension and Outreach began surveying values in 1941, and is 12% higher than the previous peak in 2013; although the current value in inflation-adjusted terms is still lower than that for 2012 and 2013.
Recording Available of Live Q&A with Iowa Concern Line
Watch a recording of the LIVE Q&A with Tammy Jacobs from Iowa Concern Line to learn how Iowans can receive 24/7 help from trained staff, including legal education, financial tips, stress counseling, disaster and crisis resources, and referrals. Iowa Concern is a free, confidential program through ISU Extension and Outreach and a provider for COVID Recovery Iowa.
In-person Learning Returned to Research Farm 2021 Field Days
Following a year of cancellations and remote learning, field days at Iowa State’s research farms were mostly back to normal in 2021. The return to in-person events was welcomed by educators and farmers alike, allowing for the visual demonstrations and learning opportunities on which producers depend.
Around the College
Professor Emeritus Elected to Chinese Academy of Sciences
Song Xi Chen, professor emeritus in the statistics department, was elected as an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. His main research directions are ultra-high-dimensional big data statistical analysis, environmental statistics and non-parametric statistical methods.
Hofmann and VanDerZanden Included in 2022 Women Impacting ISU Calendar
The 2022 Women Impacting ISU calendar will be unveiled during a reception recognizing the 12 honorees on Jan. 25, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the Memorial Union Sun Room. Heike Hofmann, statistics, and Ann Marie VanDerZanden, horticulture and associate provost for academic programs, are two of six faculty selected for this year’s calendar, which is published by the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics.
Sociology Alum Follows in Mentors’ Footsteps
Iowa is more than 5,600 miles from Diego Thompson’s native Uruguay, but through the relationships he developed while earning advanced degrees at Iowa State, he considers Ames his home away from home. His mentors at Iowa State were his major professor Cornelia Flora, distinguished professor emeritus of sociology, and Jan Flora, professor emeritus of sociology. Today, Thompson is an assistant professor of sociology at Mississippi State University, where he teaches everything from introductory sociology courses for undergraduates to specialized seminars for graduate students. Like the Floras, his research focuses on how communities adapt to environmental problems in the U.S. and in Latin America, primarily Uruguay.
CALS Online: Next Issue Jan. 10
CALS Online will not be published for the next two weeks. It will resume Monday, Jan. 10. Happy holidays.
Calendar
Jan. 12: Dean Robison to Host CALS Chat
Dean Robison will host a CALS Chat on Jan. 12, from 10 to 11 a.m. in the Horticulture Hall Atrium. The informal, drop-in event will be an opportunity for casual conversation. Hot chocolate and snacks will be available.
Communications Kiosk
Change Your Voicemail and Email Messages for Winter Break
If your department is closing over winter break, discuss how to handle incoming phone calls. One option is to direct all departmental calls to one voicemail box to be checked periodically by designated employees during the break. Also change your personal voicemail and email messages. Consider stating the dates you will be absent and if you will be checking your messages. If necessary, include an off-campus number where you can be reached. Also consider posting holiday hours on your department’s website. More information on a partial closing can be found in Inside Iowa State, along with an out-of-office energy checklist.
Infograzing
Taking Swine Medicine Education into the Virtual World
Iowa State veterinarians are finding innovative ways to expand the use of telehealth technology in veterinary medicine. The pandemic provided a shot in the arm to the effort, and ISU vets see the technology as a means of expanding diagnostic capabilities, as well as training students.
Food Pantry Seeks Volunteers for December, January Shifts
The SHOP student food pantry is asking university employees to volunteer during prep week, finals week and over winter break to help keep the pantry open three times a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday) for students who remain in Ames. The food pantry, located in 1306 Beyer, will not be open on university holidays. Volunteers may select their shifts at an online sign-up site, and more information will be sent automatically in an email after signing up. Direct questions to SHOP advisor Breanna Wetzler (bwetzler@iastate.edu, 294-4875).
Workday Changes Coming January 10
Beginning Jan. 10, 2022, Workday will have a new look. There will be a Global Navigation Menu, located on the upper-left side of the screen, where users can quickly access their Workday applications. The Workday homepage will highlight tasks awaiting action, and enhancements are coming to Workday’s search function. A video provides a sneak peek of Workday Assistant, a new chatbot feature.
Marginalia
Extension Oral History Project Available Online
The Extension and Outreach Oral History Project is now available online. It features interviews with staff members who have served more than 40 years at Iowa State.
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.