CALS Online and Dean’s Message
April 18, 2022
Dean’s Message
Greetings CALS – Last week we hosted a BBQ for Iowa FFA members who were in Ames for the 94th Iowa FFA Leadership Conference. It was great seeing so many blue corduroy jackets pack the arena of the Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center to enjoy good food and fellowship. Great job to all who made the BBQ a success! More
Top Stories
IGNITE Innovation Showcase, April 18-22
The annual IGNITE Innovation Showcase is taking place this week, April 18-22, at the Student Innovation Center. Iowa State’s culture of innovation that includes, motivates and inspires students from every college, department and organization will be celebrated.
Innovate: Symposium on Undergraduate Research
Iowa State’s 16th annual Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression will be held Wednesday, April 20, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. More than 200 students will present the results of their research collaborations with ISU faculty research teams.
Innovate: Feed the World
Events on Thursday, April 21, will focus on Feed the World. Challenge presentations and judging will take place during the afternoon. Colin Hurd (’13 agricultural studies), business development manager for Raven Industries, will provide a keynote address at 5 p.m. Alison Van Eenennaam, extension specialist with the Animal Genomics and Biotechnology Laboratory at the University of California, Davis, and recipient of the 2014 Borlaug CAST Communication Award, will speak at 6 p.m. Award presentations and a reception will follow.
Innovate: Food Fusion Challenge
The $10,000 Food Fusion Challenge consists of 10 student teams fusing two or more culturally distinct flavors into one unique dish live in the Student Innovation Center’s Culinary Creation Lab on Thursday, April 21. The awards ceremony will take place that evening at 6:45 p.m.
Innovate: Feed the World Challenge
Sponsored by Kent Corp and the CALS Science with Practice Program, the $15,000 Feed the World Challenge seeks projects by teams of faculty and students to address global problems and innovation for producing and distributing healthy food, improving food technologies and securing the food source. Presentations will take place Thursday, April 21, from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. The awards ceremony will take place that evening at 6:55 p.m.
Research
Unconventional Methods Help Boost Rural Quality of Life
Unconventional methods that can boost the social capital of small towns are explored in the NSF-funded Rural Shrink Smart Project, which highlights an interdisciplinary team including David Peters, sociology and criminal justice, and Heike Hofmann and Zhengyuan Zhu, statistics.
Teaching and Students
Basket Sale Benefits Ugandan Artists
The Workspace, with the Uganda Alliance Club, is hosting a basket sale through April 23. Baskets were created by members of the Tusubila ("hope") Crafts Group in Kamuli, Uganda, and sell for $10-$25 each. The Uganda Alliance Club was started by students studying abroad through ISU's Uganda program who witnessed a limited market for the baskets locally. More
Extension and Outreach
ISU Extension and Outreach Week Celebrates Volunteers
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Week is April 18-23. Iowa’s 100 county extension offices will host activities throughout the week to thank volunteers who contribute their time to extension education efforts throughout the state. More
Publications Offer Advice for Growing Perennials and Annuals
Several updated publications from ISU Extension and Outreach horticulture specialist Cynthia Haynes offer advice for optimal success in growing perennials and annuals. Publications are available at the ISU Extension Store. More
Around the College
Exemplary Faculty Mentors Honored
Four CALS faculty members received the 2022 Exemplary Faculty Mentor Award and were honored at a March 23 ceremony: Elisabeth Huff-Lonergan, Aileen Keating and Joseph Sebranek, animal science; and Leonor Leandro, plant pathology and microbiology. More
Five Questions for a Morrill Professor
Lee Burras, Morrill Professor in agronomy, was featured in the April 14 issue of Inside Iowa State. He finds satisfaction in helping his agronomy students discover their passion. More
Calendar
April 18: Gunderson Memorial Lecture
The Harold Gunderson Memorial Lecture will be held April 18 from 4:10 to 5 p.m. in Room 220 of Science II. Jeff Bradshaw, associate professor of entomology and extension specialist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will present.
April 22: Carbon Removal Forum
This year’s Carbon Removal Forum, to be held virtually on Friday, April 22, from 9 a.m. to noon, is focused on measuring soil carbon. Attendance is free, but registration is required. The forum is organized by the Bioeconomy Institute and the Department of Agronomy, with support by Iowa Farm Bureau and Renewable Energy Group. More
May 19: CALS Faculty and Staff Picnic
CALS faculty and staff are invited to celebrate the end of the semester at a picnic on May 19 from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at Moore Memorial Park, Big Bluestem Shelter. Dinner, live music and games will be provided. Family and guests are welcome to attend. RSVP by May 12.
May 25: Wine Tasting Proficiency Training
The Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute is holding an Intensive Tasting Proficiency Event on May 25 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Food Sciences Building. The fee is $75 and registration is limited to 25 people.
Infograzing
Sustainability Becoming Increasingly Important to Students
Merry Rankin, director of sustainability at Iowa State, will hold a CELT workshop on “Make Every Day Earth Day: Connecting With Your Students” on Tuesday, April 19, from 11:10 to noon at 3204 Student Innovation Center. In this workshop, participants will explore how reflecting on sustainability in their learning environments encourages students to go beyond simply absorbing information to integrating these applications in their own lives and their community. More
Learn about The Conversation’s Diversity Initiative
Faculty interested in learning more about The Conversation's diversity initiative are invited to a virtual information session on April 28 from noon to 1 p.m. Editors will give a short introduction to The Conversation's model, including how they work with academics to produce stories. In 2021, 98 stories published by Iowa State scholars on The Conversation website received more than 1.5 million total reads. More
Marginalia
Historic 1942 Achievement at ISU Resonates Today
In a guest column for the April 17 issue of the Ames Tribune, President Wendy Wintersteen talks about how a historic achievement at Iowa State resonates today. “Eighty years ago, the world was at war… During this time, the United States formed the Manhattan Project to try and create an atomic bomb before the Germans managed to do so. From the beginning, one very significant scientific hurdle stood out among the many to be overcome. An atomic bomb would require pure uranium, a feat of processing and production that had eluded eminent scientists… At this crucial moment in time, an Iowa State-trained chemistry professor, Harley Wilhelm, and his team quietly took on the task of creating pure uranium. I believe Harley Wilhelm’s story is relevant to Iowa State University’s focus today on innovation that addresses the most pressing challenges we face,” said Wintersteen. 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 Thursday.