CALS Online and Dean’s Message
November 13, 2023
Dean’s Message
Hello CALS – This week I travel to Washington, D.C. to participate in the AAAS-Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation events that happen each year, and that Iowa State has had a role in for many years. I am serving as the president of the RMF, and pleased that on Nov. 15, we’ll have the keynote speaker be Joe Cornelius from Gates Ag One Innovation… The lecture is available online and in-person – please considering attending one way or the other – and registering! The next morning, Nov. 16, there will be a policy roundtable, also available online, and that should be an interesting conversation, too. The current state of the Farm Bill and the importance of federal support for agriculture research and development will be a focus of the session. Please register for that as well…
Top Stories
Researchers Hunt for Hard-to-Spot Genetic Links
When a hurricane-like derecho knocked down corn plants across Iowa in August 2020, it was devastating for farmers. But it also presented a natural experiment for an Iowa State research team. Advanced statistical analysis can help mine the expanding volumes of data collected by crop and livestock breeders for hard-to-spot relationships between genetic code and complex traits that matter. The interdisciplinary research team, which includes Pat Schnable, agronomy, and Jack Dekkers, animal science, will use a three-year, $1.1 million federal grant to comb through existing data sets in a hunt for previously unseen links that will make the food supply more productive and resilient.
Research
ISRC Grant Supports New Studies to Promote Cropping Resilience
Seed Science Center researcher Silvina Arias has received back-to-back grants totaling close to $225,000 from the Iowa Soybean Research Center. The funding will be used to study two different issues with soybeans in an effort to promote sustainable and resilient cropping systems. Co-investigators on the two grants include Leonor Leandro, plant pathology, entomology and microbiology, and Mark Licht and Jamie O’Rourke, agronomy.
Teaching and Students
GIS Day and Mapping Competition, Nov. 15
The ISU Geographic Information Systems Support and Research Facility along with Parks Library will be hosting GIS Day 2023 on Wednesday, Nov. 15, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in The Catalyst at Parks Library (Room 199). This is a come-and-go event for everyone from the GIS curious to the GIS user. There will be speakers throughout the day sharing their research from around campus, information about GIS opportunities and programs on campus, GIS swag, free food and a Mapping Masterminds competition with prizes.
Teacher in Residence Program Brings Students Glimpse of the Future
Michael Haden (’08 agricultural business, ’10 MS agricultural and life sciences education) has spent the last 13 years teaching students about agriculture at Independence High School in Independence, Iowa. Through the variety of classes he teaches, Haden is impacting the lives of his students through his love for agriculture and teaching. Haden was on Iowa State’s campus Oct. 18-19, participating in the Department of Agricultural Education and Studies’ Teacher in Residence Program. Made possible by a gift from Jane and Richard (’76 PhD agricultural and life sciences education) Carter, the program aims to connect Iowa agricultural education instructors with current students, faculty and staff in the department.
Student Organization Contributes 2 Tons of Produce to SHOP
For the past two years, Good Earth Student Farm has been donating various fruits and vegetables grown by its student members to SHOP (Students Helping Our Peers), Iowa State’s on-campus food pantry. The donated produce has amounted to 4,000 pounds, or 2 tons.
A Summer in Kosovo
Ashley Hipnar, senior in environmental science, Natalie Young, senior in global resource systems, and Jayna Misra, senior in environmental science and global resource systems, spent their summer interning in Kosovo. During their experiences, they put into practice the skills they are learning in their classes and enhanced their understanding of other cultures.
Culinary Science Club Hosts First-Ever Sushi Workshop
The Culinary Science Club hosted a sushi workshop on Nov. 10 for the Iowa State and Ames community. After learning about the history and origins of sushi and watching a brief tutorial, visitors to the workshop were encouraged to begin making their own sushi rolls. Erica Beirman, club advisor, said they do two workshops each semester and pick workshop topics based on what participants want. The Culinary Science Club will have a charcuterie workshop next semester. They will also host a pairings workshop, where they plan to create mocktails to go with certain dishes.
Extension and Outreach
Chandio Named New Extension Economist
Rabail Chandio has joined ISU Extension and Outreach as an assistant professor and extension economist. She will oversee popular land valuation programs, including the Iowa Land Value Survey and the annual Soil Management and Land Valuation Conference held in May, as well as the Iowa Farmland Ownership and Tenure Survey, conducted every five years.
Around the College
Woteki to Moderate AAAS-RMF Policy Roundtable
The American Association for the Advancement of Science, in partnership with the Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation and the World Food Prize Foundation, are holding the 2023 AAAS-RMF Policy Breakfast and Roundtable on Thursday, Nov. 16, both in person and virtually. Catherine Woteki, food science and human nutrition, will moderate the panel discussion.
Budnik Named New ICIA Director
Ryan Budnik has been named director of the Iowa Crop Improvement Association, the official seed certifying agency in Iowa. The nonprofit organization works with CALS to test and disseminate information regarding crop cultivar adaptation and performance.
Iowa State University Winery Accepting Orders
The Iowa State University Winery is now accepting pre-orders for its award-winning wines made from grapes grown at the Iowa State Horticulture Research Station. Pre-orders can be placed at any time for purchase and pick-up at the Iowa State University Meat Lab, located inside Kildee Hall, on the following Fridays – Nov. 17, Dec. 1, Dec. 8 and Dec. 15 – from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Meat Lab Offering Holiday Hams
The Iowa State Meat Lab is offering whole hams, half hams and ham hocks for purchase, with pre-orders closing on Tuesday, Nov. 14. Pick-up from the Meat Lab sales room in the Kildee Hall Atrium will take place on the following Fridays – Nov. 17, Dec. 1, Dec. 8 and Dec. 15 – from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Special holiday hours are scheduled for Nov. 16 and Dec. 14, 4-6 p.m. Hams will also be available for walk-in purchase during normal sales hours while supplies last.
In Memoriam: Richard Gates
Richard Gates, director of the Egg Industry Center at Iowa State, died on Nov. 8 of pancreatic cancer. He was 67. Gates held the Iowa Egg Council Endowed Professorship at Iowa State and was a professor in the Departments of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering and Animal Science. His work encompassed research, teaching and extension. He mentored and influenced more than 110 students during their journey toward master’s and doctoral degrees. A private celebration of life will be held on a later date.
CALS Online: Next Issue Nov. 27
CALS Online will not be published on Nov. 20, the week of Thanksgiving. The newsletter will resume Monday, Nov. 27.
Calendar
Nov. 22: Iowa Learning Farms Webinar
The Iowa Learning Farms webinar on Nov. 22 at noon will feature Matt Helmers, Iowa Nutrient Research Center. He will present “Impact of 100 Years of Agricultural Practice Changes on Sediment and Nutrient Loss from One Farm in Osceola County, IA.”
Dec. 4: CALS Holiday Party
Dean Robison and the CALS leadership team are hosting a holiday party on Dec. 4 from 4-6 p.m. in the Sukup Atrium. There will be brief remarks at 4:30 p.m. Enjoy food and refreshments along with music by Kaiser Jazz. RSVP by Nov. 27.
Infograzing
Council Holds Second Annual Food Drive for SHOP
The Iowa State Professional and Scientific Council is holding its second annual SHOP food drive from Nov. 1 to Dec. 1. The food and product goal is 2 tons, or 4,000 pounds. The monetary goal is $1,000. Drop off locations can be found all around campus.
Marginalia
Video: Student-Run Farm Celebrates 80 Years at Iowa State
Since 1943, students majoring in agricultural studies have had the chance to apply the science they’ve learned in the classroom to a real-world farm setting. The Ag 450 Farm started on just 187 acres, and has grown and evolved over time. Now more than 600 acres, the farm grows corn and soybeans and custom feeds pigs. The students focus on the day-to-day work on the farm, but also learn how to manage finances, market commodities and how to plan their operations. Students in the Ag 450 course manage and run the farm, not just for today, but for the future as well.
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.