CALS Online and Dean’s Message
October 10, 2022
Dean’s Message
Hello CALS Colleagues – Last week I shared with you one of my favorite poems for the season, and maybe you have one to share back... Poetry, like any art form, can inspire and offer insights to the world around us… We are so lucky to have a campus that embraces this part of our psyche, and that so much of it relates, in some fashion, to landscapes and agricultural things… More
Top Stories
Grain Quality Lab Provides Specialized Results for Industry
Plant breeders and genetic companies, ethanol producers, livestock feed companies and some human food processors rely on the Grain Quality Lab’s services for testing. The lab is part of the Iowa Grain Quality Initiative with ISU Extension and Outreach. Charlie Hurburgh is professor in charge of the Iowa Grain Quality Initiative and manages the lab alongside Connie Hardy, Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources program specialist. The lab is also used for research related to grain quality and grain quality testing, and maintains an extensive library of grain samples that grows with each test. It’s what Hurburgh calls “integrated extension and research.” More
Research
Moving Toward a Resilient Food Supply
For more than a century, Iowa State’s plant breeding programs have improved the productivity and quality of crops for farmers. Today, researchers including Asheesh Singh, agronomy, and Patrick Schnable, director of the Plant Sciences Institute, are using the latest technologies to usher in a new era of plant breeding, one that maximizes agricultural productivity at the critical intersection of sustainable agriculture, bioenergy and food security. More
Research Helps Develop Remote Sensing as Tool for Conservation Implementation
Improving remote sensing protocols for conservation tracking and planning has been a long-time focus for Brian Gelder, agricultural and biosystems engineering, and a team of scientists he’s working with at Iowa State and the USDA Agricultural Research Service. More
Teaching and Students
Animal Science Adds Virtual Anatomy Technology to Classroom
Students in animal science have access to new 3D virtual technology in the ANS 214 lab on domestic animal anatomy and physiology. “We are the first animal science program in the nation, possibly the world, to incorporate this state-of-the-art, cutting-edge virtual anatomy and physiology dissection table technology in the classroom by Anatomage,” said instructor Karl Kerns. More
Nominate Students for CAST Scholarship
The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology is calling for nominations for the 2022 CAST Science Communication Scholarship Award. Each year they recognize current students enrolled as graduate or professional students at the institution hosting the CAST Annual meeting for their efforts to communicate their work and science beyond their peers and area of research. They hope to recognize 6-10 students from Iowa State this year as they celebrate 50 years of CAST where the work began in Ames. Nominations are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 14. More
CALS Students to Hold Annual Bacon Expo Saturday, Oct. 15
The annual Bacon Expo is Saturday, Oct. 15, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center. Organized by CALS students, the Bacon Expo is a family focused event where participants can sample creative bacon treats and enjoy live entertainment and educational displays about the pork industry. More
Encourage Students to Attend CALS Study Abroad Fair
CALS will hold its annual study abroad fair on Oct. 19 from 4-6 p.m. in the Iowa Farm Bureau Pavilion, Kildee Hall. Program directors will be available to talk with students interested in a study abroad (international) or Study USA (domestic) travel course, and will have information on other resources like student travel consultants and financial aid. Students attending the event can also learn about international clubs and student organizations available in the college. Dairy Science Club ice cream will be served. More
Graduate Student Club Holding Meat Raffle as Fundraiser
Members of the Association of Graduate Animal Scientists are selling meat bundle raffle tickets for their annual fundraiser. Two winners will receive more than 50 pounds of pork and beef valued at $300. Tickets are $10 each or five for $40. The drawing will be on Nov. 8. Proceeds will support travel scholarships for AGAS members. More
Block and Bridle Summer Sausage and Cheese Sale Begins
The Block and Bridle Club’s annual holiday summer sausage and cheese sale is open through Oct. 28. Orders will be available for pick-up on Nov. 7-9 and will be shipped by Nov. 14. The summer sausage is from the Meats Laboratory and the cheese is from Fareway. The fundraiser helps support scholarships, events and activities for the club. More
Agger Fries Scheduled for this Thursday, Oct. 13
Alpha Gamma Rho, the agriculture fraternity, will hold its annual philanthropy, Agger Fries, on Thursday, Oct. 13, from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Alpha Gamma Rho House, 201 Gray Ave., Ames. They will be serving fried cheese curds, fried Oreos, fried pickles and potato fries. Tickets are $5. Proceeds go to the American Cancer Society.
Borlaug Poster Competition Scheduled for Oct. 17
The 19th Annual Norman Borlaug Lectureship Poster Competition for Graduate and Undergraduate Students will take place Oct. 17 in the Memorial Union Great Hall. Poster set-up and judging will take place from 5:45-7:45 p.m. Posters will be displayed during a reception from 7-8 p.m. The Norman Borlaug Lecture featuring 2022 World Food Prize Laureate Cynthia Rosenzweig begins at 8 p.m. More
Extension and Outreach
Whole Farm Conservation Best Practices Manual Updated
The second edition of the Whole Farm Conservation Best Practices Manual expands the range of practices and decision guides contained in the manual and incorporates feedback from those who have used the manual since 2020. The Conservation Learning Group made the updates. The manual is available free-of-charge for download or in hard copy. More
Research and Winemaking Webinar Series to Return this Fall
ISU Extension and Outreach and the University of Minnesota will be offering three research and winemaking webinars again this fall, the first on Oct. 18 at 3 p.m. All three webinars are free and currently open for registration. More
2023 Garden Calendar Tackles Popular Garden Myths
The 2023 garden calendar from ISU Extension and Outreach is now available. “Garden Lore,” prepared by Cindy Haynes and Aaron Steil, horticulture, aims to distinguish gardening fact from gardening fiction. It includes important gardening tips as well as information regarding extension resources, and is available for purchase through the ISU Extension Store. More
Tips on Coping with Higher Beef Prices
The higher price of beef is the result of higher input costs up and down the beef supply chain, explains Beth Doran, ISU Extension and Outreach beef specialist. Doran recently conducted a small survey in a local extension program about consumers’ beef buying habits amid the rising costs – roughly 31% had no changes to their shopping habits; roughly 33% were buying the same type but fewer packages; and almost 42% were buying different cuts, switching to ground beef because it costs less per pound. More
Iowa Youth Experiment with Growing Crops on the Moon
Thanks to collaboration between the Iowa Space Grant Consortium, Iowa 4-H and the ISU Integrated Pest Management Program, Iowa youth will participate in a global research effort to grow crops on the moon. The 2022-23 Plant the Moon and Plant Mars Challenge begins this spring. More
Around the College
University Honors Jack Trice with Year-long Centennial Commemoration
Over the next year, Iowa State will commemorate Jack Trice, the university’s first Black athlete who aspired to use his education to help Black farmers in the South. Trice was an animal husbandry student and member of the Cyclone football and track and field teams. He suffered severe injuries in his second collegiate football game and died in Ames on Oct. 8, 1923. More
CALS Supports Jack Trice Art Installation
A concrete and bronze sculpture, “Breaking Barriers,” by Ivan Toth Depeña of Charlotte, North Carolina, will be installed in the Albaugh Family Plaza just outside Jack Trice Stadium later this month. University Museums commissioned the sculpture with support from the University Museums’ Joyce Tomlinson Brewer Fund for Art Acquisition, the Office of the President, CALS and the Athletics Department. Amy Kaleita, chair of agricultural and biosystems engineering, was a member of the public art committee that worked with Depeña from concept to finalization to ensure the work of art memorializes Jack Trice. More
CALS Award Nomination Deadline Nov. 15
Nominations for annual awards presented to faculty and staff by CALS are due Nov. 15. The list of college awards and nominating guidelines are available online. Nominations will be reviewed by the college faculty and staff award committees in December and presented during the annual CALS Awards Program, scheduled for March 21, 2023, at 4:10 p.m. Nominations for most awards presented by Iowa State need to be submitted to the college first. The college deadline for university award nominations also is Nov. 15. The college award committees will review and forward the best two to three nominations for each award. The list of university awards and nominating guidelines are available online. University awards are presented at the Iowa State Fall Convocation, held annually in September. The award page on the CALS website provides a complete list of awards available, frequently asked questions and a list of past recipients. Contact your departmental awards committee for additional information.
Deal Lecture by Ernie Shea Available Online
Ernie Shea, president of Solutions from the Land, presented the 2022 William K. Deal Endowed Leadership Lecture Sept. 28 at Iowa State. A video of the full lecture, “21st Century Agricultural Renaissance: Solutions from the Land,” is available online.
Calendar
Oct. 10: CALS Town Hall
Please join Dean Robison for a Town Hall meeting today, Oct. 10, at 2:15 p.m. in 2050 Agronomy Hall. Information will be presented on the college strategic planning effort underway.
Oct. 11: Fall Career Day
The Agriculture and Life Sciences Career Day is Tuesday, Oct. 11, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lied Recreation Athletic Center. It is the largest event to date, with 289 organizations registered. This includes nearly 50 organizations that will be attending for the first time, said Mike Gaul, director of CALS Career Services. Career Day is the official kick-off to the recruitment season and many companies will remain on campus for interviews Oct. 12 and Oct. 13. More
Oct. 12: Iowa Learning Farms Webinar
Laura Alt, a postdoctoral researcher in agricultural and biosystems engineering, will discuss antimicrobial resistance and its relationship with agricultural production during the Iowa Learning Farms conservation webinar on Wednesday, Oct. 12, at noon. More
Oct. 12: INRC Seminar Series
The Iowa Nutrient Research Center will hold a seminar on water monitoring and remote sensing on Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 3:10 p.m. in 1306 Elings Hall (and online). The seminar series, which will continue through spring 2023, is highlighting outcomes and impacts from a decade of research. More
Oct. 13: Feeding the World Seminar Series
The fall 2022 Feeding the World seminar series concludes Thursday, Oct. 13, from 3:40-4:55 p.m. in 1204 Kildee Hall, Ensminger Room. Gideon Nadiope and Yvette Nikuze will present on livestock production in Uganda. More
Oct. 13: Errington Memorial Lecture
The 58th annual Paul L. Errington Memorial Lecture is Thursday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall. Christopher Schell, University of California-Berkeley, will present “Exploring the Impacts of Social-Ecological Heterogeneity on Urban Coyote Movement and Behavior.”
Communications Kiosk
Is it Autumn or Fall?
Autumn and fall are used interchangeably as words for the season between summer and winter. Both are used in American and British English, but fall occurs more often in American English. Autumn is considered the more formal name for the season. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, autumn is the older of the two words, first coming into English in the 1300s. The “autumn” sense of fall wasn’t entered into a dictionary until 1755. More
Infograzing
Lecture to Address Perception of Asian Americans as Model Minority
Ellen Wu, director of the Asian American Studies program at Indiana University, Bloomington, will present “The Color of Success: Assimilation and Perception of Asian Americans as the Model Minority” today, Oct. 10, at 6 p.m. in the Memorial Union Sun Room. More
The Conversation Takes on Breaking News
The next conference call with The Conversation’s editors is Wednesday, Oct. 12, from noon to 1 p.m. It will address breaking news, a newer area of coverage for them. More
Save the Date: ISCORE 2023
The 2023 Thomas L. Hill Iowa State Conference on Race and Ethnicity will be held March 1 and 3. The forum on issues of race and ethnicity is free and open to the Iowa State community. Proposals to present are due by Dec. 2. More
Marginalia
Students Harvesting Pumpkins have their Futures Shaped on the Farm
It’s starting to look like fall at the Iowa State Horticulture Research Station. There, a small group of students is harvesting thousands of pumpkins. And it’s more than just a great workout. They’re learning a lot about the fruits and vegetables grown at the research farm, and that knowledge is shaping some of these students’ futures. Kira Rieck, agronomy and global resource systems, wanted more hands-on experience working in the fields. She hopes to take her knowledge back to communities in Africa where she’s spent time volunteering. Katherine Sutter discovered a real passion for growing plants while working at the farm. She’s now changed her major to horticulture, with hopes of starting her own small farm in the future. 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.