CALS Online and Dean’s Message
August 28, 2023
Dean’s Message
Hello CALS and Happy Monday – Week two begins, and despite the stress of losing air conditioning for a day on campus last week and intense heat for a few days, I am certain that everyone is glad to be back at it and have the rhythm of campus life re-established… Last week and over the weekend were some great, unique CALS events, from SoyFest… to Bug Village '23… to Collegiate Edu-Nation… More
Top Stories
Suza Named George Washington Carver Endowed Chair
Walter Suza, agronomy, is the new George Washington Carver Endowed Chair. He wants to do what George Washington Carver did — feed the hungry. In his roles with the World Food Program in Angola and UNICEF in Zimbabwe in the 1990s, Suza worked in food security assessment, mapping vulnerable households and coordinating food aid to households affected by civil war and drought, areas that were critical to achieving his goal of feeding the hungry. He came to Iowa State in 2011 to develop courses for the Distance Master's in Plant Breeding program. He went on to serve as director of the Plant Breeding e-Learning in Africa Program for eight years. Suza teaches courses on genetics and crop physiology for agronomy majors. He is also increasing access to free educational resources for both Iowa State students and the rest of the world. More
Teaching and Students
New Student BBQ Scheduled for Aug. 29
The CALS Student Council is hosting its annual freshman and transfer student barbecue on Tuesday, Aug. 29, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Iowa Farm Bureau Pavilion in Kildee Hall. Booths will be set up to learn about and join CALS clubs.
SICTR Holds Fall Open House
Students, faculty and staff are invited to activate their imaginations at the Student Innovation Center’s fall open house on Thursday, Aug. 31, from 3-6 p.m. Tour the Makerspaces, play innovation games on each floor, collect house-made giveaways and enjoy tasty treats. Stop by the CALS Collaborative Learning Labs on the fourth floor (rooms 4227 and 4229) to visit with representatives from CALS clubs and organizations. More
Extension and Outreach
Learn How Drought and Smoke have Impacted Crops
The annual fall field day at Iowa State’s Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm will feature presentations on how drought and smoke have impacted crops, corn rootworm and short stature corn. The event is Thursday, Aug. 31, beginning with a complimentary meal at noon, sponsored by the Iowa Soybean Association, and running until 4:30 p.m. More
Forestry Field Days Planned Across Iowa
Fall forestry field days offered by ISU Extension and Outreach will provide the latest in forestry management and improvement. Five field days will be held from August through October, featuring private and public forests, with presentations from state specialists and landowners. More
Around the College
Groundbreaking Scheduled for Sept. 13
A groundbreaking ceremony for the Alliant Energy Agriculture Innovation Lab is scheduled for Sept. 13 at 4 p.m. at 3600 University Blvd. in Ames. Brief remarks and refreshments will be held under the tent.
INRC Seminar Series to ‘Focus on the Future’
The Iowa Nutrient Research Center’s fall 2023 seminar series will feature current students and recent graduates discussing their perspectives on water quality research. Each seminar will consist of two speakers and topics. Participate in person (Elings Hall) or online the second Wednesday of each month from 3:10-4 p.m., September through December. More
CALS Online: Next Issue Sept. 11
CALS Online will not be published on Sept. 4. The newsletter will resume Monday, Sept. 11.
Calendar
Sept. 1: Horticulture Seminar
The Department of Horticulture is holding an online seminar on Friday, Sept. 1, from 12:05-12:55 p.m. Abra Lee will present “Conquer the Soil: Black America and the Untold Stories of Our Country's Gardeners, Farmers and Growers.” To Join
Sept. 5: Greg Miller Lecture, Retirement Reception
Greg Miller, agricultural education and studies, is retiring Sept. 5 after 31 years of service to Iowa State. He will present a final lecture at 3 p.m. in 0013 Curtiss, followed by a reception (4-5 p.m.) in Harl Commons, Curtiss Hall. More
Sept. 7: BBMB Summer Undergraduate Research Program Showcase
Catch up on a whole summer of research, three minutes at a time, during the BBMB Summer Undergraduate Research Program’s 2023 Research Showcase Sept. 7, from 3:40-5:30 p.m. in 1414 Molecular Biology Building. The 13 undergraduate students who took part in the program will present 3-Minute Thesis-style lightning talks. More
Sept. 7: FSHN Fall Kick-Off Picnic
The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition is hosting its Fall Kick-Off Picnic Sept. 7 from 4:30-6 p.m. in the Food Sciences Building courtyard. Affiliated student clubs will have displays set up.
Sept. 7: The Economics of Artificial Intelligence
The Department of Economics is co-sponsoring a lecture, “The Economics of Artificial Intelligence,” on Sept. 7 at 6 p.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall. Tyler Cowen, economist at George Mason University and the Center for the Study of Public Choice, will present. More
Infograzing
Fall ClubFest this Wednesday, Aug. 30
Fall ClubFest is Wednesday, Aug. 30, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Memorial Union. It is an opportunity for students to browse through clubs and organizations at Iowa State and learn how to get involved on campus. More
Marginalia
Don’t Be Afraid to Sing to Your Plants
In the Aug. 22 edition of “The Undergrowth,” Sebastian Bartholomew speaks with Chelsea Harbach, a plant disease diagnostician at ISU Extension and Outreach’s Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic. Bartholomew, aka Adam Sisson, is an industry extension specialist with the Integrated Pest Management program. 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.