CALS Online and Dean’s Message
August 7, 2023
Dean’s Message
Happy Monday CALS – It is truly a beautiful day, and with more than 2 inches of rain over the weekend (but not everywhere), you can almost hear the crops, lawns and flowers in the Ames area breathing a sigh of relief! But there are plenty of acres of curled corn leaves all around us still. Last week, I had the opportunity to attend the Office of the Vice President for Research's annual summer retreat. The key topics were… More
Top Stories
Cyclone Science Innovators Make their Mark on Campus
The Cyclone Science Innovators, known as CySI for short, is a group of multi-disciplinary students working to hone their innovation skills and make life on campus a little brighter. The inaugural CySI team was comprised of nine students from across the Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Human Sciences and Design. Claudia Lemper-Manahl, associate teaching professor in plant pathology, entomology and microbiology, recruited and mentored the students as they selected and planned projects they were passionate about. Funding for the CySI group came from Lemper-Manahl’s participation in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows Program sponsored by CALS and Start Something CALS. More
Research
Agronomists Win Grant to Further Research on Genetic Mutations to Accelerate Crop Breeding
Siddique Aboobucker and Thomas Lübberstedt, agronomy, have received a three-year grant from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to investigate genetic mechanisms that could be used to improve doubled haploid processes to create pure genetic lines for breeding corn and, eventually, other crops. More
Teaching and Students
Dairy Science Club to Host “I Milked a Cow” at State Fair
Students in Iowa State’s Dairy Science Club will host the annual “I Milked A Cow” program at the Iowa State Fair, Aug. 10-20, in the Cattle Barn, from 9-11 a.m., 1-3 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. Club members lead parlor talks to educate visitors on dairy production, and for $3, the public can learn how to milk a cow by hand. They can also see how today’s farmers use mechanical milking equipment in the modern milking parlor directly across from the Livestock Pavilion. The event serves as a fundraiser for the club.
Student Entrepreneurs Featured on Pappajohn Website
The Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship has begun a 15-part series highlighting student entrepreneurs in the summer 2023 CYstarters cohort, including CALS students Blake Price, a graduating senior in agriculture studies with a minor in horticulture, and Sydney Friest, a graduating senior in graphic design and environmental studies.
Extension and Outreach
New Report Unveils Iowa’s Changing Urban and Rural Populations
A new report from the ISU Extension and Outreach Indicators Program uncovers important demographic shifts across Iowa's counties. "Census 2020: Urban and Rural Population in Iowa’s Counties, 1940-2020" delivers key insights, backed by data, for use by policymakers, businesses and residents alike, according to Sandra Burke, a sociologist and research scientist with ISU Extension and Outreach. More
County Agricultural Agents Headed to Iowa
The National Association of County Agricultural Agents will hold its annual conference in Iowa from Aug. 12-17. More than 1,100 agricultural extension educators and specialists from 48 states and two U.S. territories will gather in Des Moines for the organization’s 108th meeting. Specialists with ISU Extension and Outreach are organizing this year's event, which will visit Iowa for the first time. More
Iowa Nitrogen Initiative to Host Summer Field Days
On-farm nitrogen rate trial research and nutrient management will be featured at four field days across Iowa in August and September as part of the Iowa Nitrogen Initiative’s summer 2023 Field Day Series. The INI, which is a partnership between Iowa State, agricultural service providers and Iowa farmers, leverages the latest advances in precision agriculture and cropping systems modeling to improve nitrogen fertilizer recommendations for Iowa farmers. More
Around the College
Plant Introduction Station Observes 75th Anniversary
The North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station, which began operations in Ames in 1948, will observe its 75th anniversary with a celebration on Aug. 15 that will include a free public open house in the afternoon at the NCRPIS facility, 1305 State Ave. in Ames, from 2-6 p.m. A formal, by-invitation only event will be held earlier that day. More
Master’s in Agronomy Program Marks 25th Anniversary
A discussion over cups of coffee in 1995 about how students were commuting to Ames for master’s degree programs resulted in the formation of a program that would lead the way in distance education at Iowa State. The Master of Science in Agronomy program celebrates its 25th anniversary this summer. Offered as a distance education program, it stemmed from an identified need to provide a master’s degree option that would better align with working professionals’ schedules. More
An Impactful Way to Celebrate Soybeans
The Iowa Soybean Research Center kicked off Soybean Month in Iowa by hosting a Meals from the Heartland food packaging event Aug. 2. More than 50 student, faculty and staff volunteers packaged 38,000 meals at the Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center. It was the center's third annual event, all made possible by a Cargill donation to cover the cost of the ingredients for Taco Mac meals, which include soy protein flour, enriched pasta and a vitamin- and mineral-fortified cheese mix. More
College Alumni BBQ Sept. 2 – Call for Volunteers and Invitation to Attend
Faculty and staff volunteers are needed for the annual CALS BBQ, to be held Sept. 2 at the Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center. Approximately 400 CALS alumni and friends are expected to attend this year’s event, which will run from 9-11:30 a.m., prior to the ISU vs. UNI football game (kick-off is 1 p.m.). Complimentary breakfast, parking and shuttle to the stadium will be provided. Volunteers who register will receive a CALS BBQ T-shirt in appreciation for their service. Register to volunteer online. For questions, contact Angie Weeks (amweeks@iastate.edu). Volunteer opportunities include:
- Registration/Greeter (8:30-10 a.m., 10-11:30 a.m.)
- Beverage service (8:30-10 a.m., 10-11:30 a.m.)
- Tear down (11:30 a.m. to noon)
CALS faculty, staff and guests are also invited to attend the event. Details are available on the CALS BBQ webpage. Registration required by Aug. 23.
Calendar
Aug. 14: Remarks and Roundtable with Manjit Misra
A roundtable will be held on Aug. 14 from 10-11:30 a.m. in 142 Curtiss Hall. Manjit Misra, director of USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, will discuss NIFA programs and priorities, followed by Q&A. If there are more people in attendance than will fit in 142 Curtiss Hall, the roundtable will be moved to Dolezal Auditorium, 127 Curtiss Hall.
Aug. 17: Seminar with the King of Busoga, Uganda
CALS is hosting His Majesty William Wilberforce Gabula Nadiope IV, King of Busoga, Uganda, on Aug. 17 from 4:30-5:30 p.m. in 142 Curtiss Hall (Dean’s Conference Room). The King and members of his delegation will share their experiences in improving livelihoods in Eastern Uganda. More
Aug. 18: CALS Faculty and Staff Ice Cream Social
Dean Robison is hosting an ice cream social on Aug. 18 from 11:30 a.m. to noon on the patio behind Curtiss Hall. CALS faculty and staff are invited to celebrate the new school year. In the event of inclement weather, the gathering will take place inside Harl Commons.
Communications Kiosk
Observance vs. Observation
Observance means obedience to a rule or custom (the family’s observance of Passover). Observation means either the watching of something or a remark based on watching or studying something (a keen observation about the defense strategy). Each term is sometimes used when the other would be the better word. (The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition, pg. 344)
Infograzing
Iowa State to Bring Jack Trice’s Legacy to the Iowa State Fair
The story of Jack Trice will take center stage at Iowa State’s exhibit at the 2023 Iowa State Fair, Aug. 10-20 in Des Moines. Titled “Breaking Barriers: The Story of Jack Trice,” the exhibit highlights the life and legacy of Iowa State’s first Black athlete, as part of the university’s commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Trice’s death due to injuries suffered during a football game against the University of Minnesota. The exhibit will be open to fairgoers in the Varied Industries Building from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day of the fair. More
Iowa State Provides Veterinary Care at State Fair
Many of the Iowa State Fair’s most iconic and longstanding traditions involve animals. Overseeing their health and wellbeing takes a small army of clinicians and students from Iowa State’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Iowa State veterinarians and veterinary students also will help with the farrowing display at the state fair. More
Grooms and Henderson Celebrity Showman for Steer Show
Dr. Dan Grooms, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine, and Jason Henderson, vice president of ISU Extension and Outreach, will participate in the annual Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer Show on Saturday, Aug. 12, at 4:30 p.m. in the Pioneer Livestock Pavilion at the Iowa State Fair. (Livestream also available beginning at 4 p.m.) Following the show, the steers will be sold at auction with proceeds going to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Iowa. Since its inception in 1983, the Iowa Governor’s Charity Steer Show has raised more than $4.9 million for Ronald McDonald Houses of Iowa. More
Marginalia
Hull Historical Museum Debuts Birthplace of Extension Exhibit
The Hull Historical Museum in Hull, Iowa, is featuring a new local exhibit, a tribute to former northwest Iowa farmers who had a hand in establishing the Extension Service – what we know today as ISU Extension and Outreach. In 1858, Iowa Agricultural College was established, and in 1862, the Morrill Act provided each state a grant of federal land to lease or fund a university providing knowledge for the people. In 1903, Hull farmers inquired if the Ames-based college’s research applied to crops and farming practices in northwest Iowa. The rest, as they say, is history. 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.