CALS Online and Dean’s Message
November 6, 2023
Dean’s Message
Hello CALS – In the annual run-up toward the holidays, it seems like we always get busier and busier. I hope you are all doing well and managing the work as the semester and the seasons surge forward. Last week, we celebrated the college’s highest external award recipients. The people receiving these awards are really wonderful representatives of who we are and the things we and our alumni and friends strive to do… This week, we have the Anaerobic Digestion Conference on campus, more interviews for the agronomy and horticulture department chair positions, and everyone racing toward the end of the semester…
Top Stories
Snow Blower Service Days Scheduled for Nov. 10-11
The Agricultural Systems Technology Club will hold its annual snow blower service days Friday, Nov. 10 (1-6 p.m.), and Saturday, Nov. 11 (8 a.m. to 1 p.m.), at Sukup Hall. The $25 cost includes an oil change, a new spark plug and a power wash. Pickup and delivery (Ames zip code only) is available for an additional $25; send an email request to astservicedays@gmail.com. Proceeds support club trips and meeting expenses.
Online Orders for Horticulture Club Poinsettias due Nov. 20
The Horticulture Club is holding its annual poinsettia sale. Plants may be ordered online by Nov. 20, or purchased at these campus locations on a first come, first served basis:
- Nov. 29 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.), Curtiss Hall
- Nov. 30 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.), Beardshear Hall
- Dec. 1 (9 a.m. to 3 p.m.), UDCC Lobby
- Dec. 2 (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.), Reiman Gardens
Pot sizes are 4.5, 6 and 10 inches; prices vary from $10 to $40. Two-inch pots will be available for $8 during the walk-up sale. The poinsettias are grown by club members in the Horticulture Hall greenhouses. Funds raised are used for club activities, traveling expenses and student enrichment.
Forestry Club’s Christmas Tree Sale Begins Nov. 25
The Forestry Club is holding its annual Christmas tree fundraiser at the Reiman Gardens parking lot. Trees will be for sale Nov. 25-26, Dec. 1-3 and Dec. 8-10. Hours are Fridays, 3-6 p.m., Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The club will have Korean fir, balsam fir, Canaan fir and white pine, as well as wreaths. Proceeds go toward club activities and student development.
Agronomy Club Popcorn Orders due Nov. 30
The Agronomy Club is holding its annual holiday popcorn sale. Orders are due to Tyler Atkinson (tyatkins@iastate.edu) or Wyatt Bailey (wjbailey@iastate.edu) by Nov. 30. Boxes sell for $10.
Research
Arbuckle Appointed First Social Science Research Co-Editor for JSWC
The Soil and Water Conservation Society has appointed J. Arbuckle, sociology and criminal justice, the first social science research co-editor of the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation in its 78-year history. He will oversee the journal’s coverage of social science research, a subject area that is attracting increased submissions and readership.
Teaching and Students
Opportunity for Funding Study Abroad Programming in Support of U.S. Foreign Policy Goals
The U.S. Department of State’s IDEAS Program has announced the launch of its 2024 grant competition, which assists U.S. colleges and universities in creating, diversifying and/or expanding their study abroad programming in support of U.S. foreign policy goals. Funding for the Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students Program is provided by the U.S. Government and implementation is supported by World Learning. Only one proposal can be submitted from each college. Those interested in pursuing this opportunity should contact Jodi Cornell (jcornell@iastate.edu).
When in Rome…Students Research, Explore Different Culture
GLOBE 497: Dean's Global Agriculture and Food Leadership Program to Rome, takes students to Italy for the summer, where they collaborate with scientists at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to research globally relevant topics. During the spring semester leading up to their time in Rome, students learn about the complexity of these topics and enhance their leadership skills in the GLOBE 495 course. Shelley Taylor, director of global programs, said the students' work in the classroom helps prepare them for their international experiences.
Culinary Science Club Holding Sushi Workshop
The Culinary Science Club is holding a sushi workshop on Friday, Nov. 10, from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Culinary Discovery Lab, 2379 Food Sciences Building. Participants will learn how to make fresh sushi rolls with rice and vegetables. The event is open to the public with limited seating. Registration is $30 per person.
Spectators Welcome at the Cyclone Acres Sheep Dog Trial
Iowa State is hosting the Cyclone Acres Sheep Dog Trial on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 11-12, using the PolyPay flock at the Sheep Teaching Farm in Ames. The event is open to the public, where attendees can learn about the use of stock dogs in efficient and safe livestock handling. The trial is sanctioned by the Show Me Stock Dog League and the United States Border Collie Handler’s Association.
Students Visit Philadelphia and New York with Study USA Program
Aaron Steil and Cynthia Haynes, horticulture, led students to Philadelphia and New York on Oct. 7-15 to experience gardens, landmarks, metropolitan cities and historic sites. “Diverse Gardens and Landscapes of Philadelphia and New York” was a Study USA program.
CALS Students – Where are They Going and Where are They From
Sixty-eight CALS students are traveling abroad during the fall semester – 52 students are participating in one of four travel courses offered by the CALS Study Abroad office, and 14 are spending the fall semester abroad. At the same time, there are 64 undergraduate and 157 graduate students from 52 countries enrolled in CALS this fall. The college also welcomed 10 exchange students from partner universities abroad.
Extension and Outreach
Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training Courses Planned
The ISU Extension and Outreach Safe Produce Program will host four Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training course events starting in November and concluding in April 2024. The training events provide an opportunity for commercial fruit and vegetable growers, home produce gardeners and other produce enthusiasts to learn and understand produce safety as defined in the Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule and Good Agricultural Practices standards.
ICM Conference Scheduled for Dec. 4-5
ISU Extension and Outreach’s 34th Integrated Crop Management Conference is Dec. 4-5 at Prairie Meadows Racetrack, Casino and Hotel in Altoona. Early registration is due Nov. 17.
Online Training Offered for Home-based Kitchen Operators
Iowans who produce and sell goods from their homes are known as home-based kitchen operators. ISU Extension and Outreach offers online training to help them produce food safely and align with state rules and regulations.
Around the College
Agronomy Chair Candidate to Interview this Week
Katherine Rainey, Purdue University, is the candidate for agronomy department chair and will present a seminar Thursday, Nov. 9, from 9-10 a.m. in 3022 Agronomy Hall as part of the interview process. The seminar will be recorded and made available online, along with her application materials and an electronic feedback survey.
New Campus Group Inspires Women in Agriculture and AI
Arti Singh, agronomy, is internationally recognized for her work exploring Artificial Intelligence’s potential for agriculture, and she is encouraging students at Iowa State to take leadership in AI technologies for the future through Women in Agriculture and Artificial Intelligence.
CALS Award Nominations Due Nov. 21
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences recognizes the excellence and dedication of its faculty and staff through the conferring of college awards. Visit the redesigned website for award descriptions and nomination guidelines. Nominations are due to the college by Nov. 21 and must be submitted through the online submission portal.
Calendar
Nov. 6: Lecture on Methane Reduction
Marcelo Mena-Carrasco, Global Methane Hub, will present “Methane Reduction: The Fastest Way to Reduce Global Warming” today, Nov. 6, at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Union Sun Room. Mena-Carrasco’s lecture is part of the Anaerobic Digestion on the Farm conference, hosted at Iowa State Nov. 6-8.
Nov. 8: Iowa Learning Farms Webinar
Katherine Dentzman, sociology and criminal justice, will discuss current pesticide management practices and opportunities to improve outcomes at the Iowa Learning Farms webinar, Wednesday, Nov. 8, at noon.
Nov. 8: INRC Water Quality Research Seminar
The Iowa Nutrient Research Center’s next “Focus on the Future” water quality research seminar is Wednesday, Nov. 8, at 3:10 p.m. in 1306 Elings Hall and online. Graduate research assistant Andrew Rupiper, natural resource ecology and management, will discuss sediment and nutrient dynamics of beaver dam complexes. Tyler Groh, former postdoc in agricultural and biosystems engineering, will discuss his work on saturated riparian buffer designs.
Nov. 9: How Five Elements Changed the Earth
Stephen Porder, Brown University, will present “Elemental: How Five Elements Changed Earth’s Past and Will Shape Our Future” at a lecture on Thursday, Nov. 9, at 6 p.m. in 2630 Memorial Union. Co-sponsors include the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology; the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management; the Graduate Program in Sustainable Agriculture; the environmental science program; and the Bioeconomy Institute.
Nov. 10: Horticulture Seminar – Fields of Devotion
Lara Brindisi, Cornell University, will virtually present “Fields of Devotion” on Friday, Nov. 10, from 12:05-12:55 p.m.
Nov. 10: George Fuller Memorial Lecture
The Department of Economics is holding its George Fuller Memorial Lecture on Friday, Nov. 10, from 3:40-5 p.m. in 368A Heady Hall. Jing Cai, University of Maryland, will present “Effect of Referring Business Partners on Firm Networks and Performance.”
Infograzing
Lecture to Discuss Midwestern Lakes and Mars
The fall 2023 LAS Dean’s Lecture is Tuesday, Nov. 7, at 6 p.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall. Elizabeth Swanner, geological and atmospheric sciences, will present “They Contain Depths: What Midwestern Lakes Tell Us about Early Earth and Mars.”
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.