CALS Online and Dean’s Message
July 22, 2024
Dean’s Message
Hello CALS – Happy mid-summer to each of you. This time of year, like every time of year, our Iowa landscapes are beautiful! I think of this time of year as the time when the corn is finally high enough that you can’t see over it. To me, that fundamentally changes the viewscape… The other day I was driving across the state, and talking about corn, and was asked to explain the basic economics of corn production. This is not a topic area I am an expert in. But I can work through the basic numbers if you’ll allow me… There are lots of other mitigating aspects of this simple math… But it is a tough business right now on the ~13 million acres of Iowa corn… More
Top Stories
ISU Team Fights a ‘Forever’ Problem
Keith Vorst wishes he could shout it from the stage at a Taylor Swift concert so people would care: Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, the class of compounds known collectively as PFAS and informally as forever chemicals, are a health risk that’s never, ever, ever going away naturally. The synthetic chemicals became ubiquitous after their invention in the late 1930s. Capable of repelling water and oil, PFAS have been widely used in products as disparate as nonstick cookware, stain-resistant fabrics and firefighting foam. Scientists thought because PFAS are inert, they would pass through humans harmlessly. They were wrong. Vorst, food science and human nutrition, is director of Iowa State’s Polymer and Food Protection Consortium, one of the leading U.S. laboratories working on the pervasive problem. The summer issue of the Iowa Stater features researchers Greg Curtzwiler, Vorst and Mark Early and their work to improve methods for the detection and destruction of PFAS. More
Research
Iowa State Research Sets Funding Record
Iowa State researchers attracted a record $346.2 million in external funding for the fiscal year that ended June 30. That’s the third straight year of record research funding. Two examples of CALS research projects that received external support during fiscal year 2024 follow. More
- Ajay Nair, professor and chair of horticulture, is leading a multidisciplinary study of agrivoltaics – using solar farms to harvest energy and crops. Researchers are raising bees and growing vegetables, fruits and pollinator habitats within the 10-acre Alliant Energy Solar Farm at Iowa State University. The U.S. Department of Energy is supporting the project with a four-year, $1.8 million grant.
- Lisa Schulte Moore, a professor of natural resource ecology and management, a co-director of Iowa State’s Bioeconomy Institute and a 2021 MacArthur Fellow, is the Iowa State leader of a project encouraging more farmers to plant cover crops and perennial prairie grass. A potential incentive is demonstrating how harvested winter-hearty crops and grass can be processed into renewable natural gas. Roeslein Alternative Energy, an industry partner based in St. Louis, is supporting Iowa State’s studies with an award of nearly $10.6 million.
Cultivation Corridor Marks 10th Anniversary
America’s Cultivation Corridor, affiliated with Iowa State University, is celebrating its first decade of building momentum, elevating innovation and connecting businesses to leading research, capital and talent resources in Iowa. A new set of web pages feature stories of relevant accomplishments, focusing on themes such as animal health, food safety, environmental sustainability and renewable energy. More
GDCB’s Aung Selected for NSF Early Career Development Program
Kyaw Aung, genetics, development and cell biology, is one of 13 Iowa State researchers selected to receive Faculty Early Career Development Program awards from the National Science Foundation. Aung will receive $830,000 for a project to focus on investigating plasmodesmata as a model to understand the regulation of cell-to-cell communication in multicellular organisms. The broader impacts of the project include potentially improving crop production. The educational component of the project will include integrating findings into undergraduate-level coursework and collaborating with Iowa State’s Science Bound program. More
Teaching and Students
Young Alum of the Month: Anna Wilcox
In the middle of her residency program at Genesis Health System in Davenport, Dr. Anna Wilcox (’17 nutritional science, global resource systems) recently reflected on her pathway to becoming a family medicine general practitioner. While other pre-medical students may select biology or chemistry as their undergraduate major, Dr. Wilcox chose the nutritional science program at Iowa State because it “was more interesting.” She remembers taking classes alongside dietetics students and learning to talk about medicine and medical conditions in a way her future patients could understand. More
Extension and Outreach
Magalhaes Brings Innovation, Science and Excitement to Pork Center
Edison Magalhaes has joined the animal science department as an innovative swine systems extension faculty member. He began the position July 1 and is housed in the Iowa Pork Industry Center. More
Conservation Leaders Praise Iowa Learning Farms for 20 Years of Success
Iowa Learning Farms, a conservation program with ISU Extension and Outreach, hosted state, local and regional conservation professionals and farmer partners on July 10 to commemorate 20 years of promoting and implementing conservation and water quality efforts throughout the state. More
Enjoy Sweet Corn Season with Some Practical Tips
Dan Fillius, field specialist for horticulture and commercial vegetables with ISU Extension and Outreach, shares his insight on some basic sweet corn questions. More
Gardening Programs Provide Timely Resources for Growers
When gardeners have questions, they can get answers thanks to two popular gardening resources offered by ISU Extension and Outreach and Iowa Public Radio. The Garden Variety program and an accompanying Garden Variety Newsletter were recognized nationally in July with a silver award from GardenComm, an organization of professional communicators in the green and garden industry. More
Around the College
Wintersteen Recognized for Statewide Innovation Impact
The Digital Ag Innovation Lab is one way to measure the impact of innovation at Iowa State. Through collaboration and industry partnerships, the lab holds nearly a dozen patents and has 32 products sold globally that were developed from Iowa State research. This is just one example that illustrates why President Wendy Wintersteen was honored on July 11 as the innovationENTREPRENEUR of the Year by the Des Moines Business Record. More
Macintosh Appointed to Interim Dean Position in LAS
Gustavo Macintosh, biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology, was appointed interim associate dean for graduate studies and faculty development in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. More
Pollinator Champion Jamie Beyer Receives Spencer Award
Jamie Beyer, an advocate for bees and conservation, is the 2024 recipient of the Spencer Award, presented by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. The Spencer Award recognizes farmers, researchers, teachers or other individuals who have contributed significantly to the environmental and economic stability of Iowa agriculture and farming communities. More
ISU Creamery Announces Winning Ice Cream Flavor
The ISU Creamery announced that Mint Chocolate Dough is the winner of a contest where children 12 years and younger were invited to “color” a new ice cream flavor. The mint ice cream with chocolate flakes and chocolate chip cookie dough is available for sale beginning Saturday, July 27, while supplies last. More
CALS Alumni BBQ Aug. 31 – Call for Volunteers and Invitation to Attend
Faculty and staff volunteers are needed for the annual CALS barbecue, to be held Aug. 31 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 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., prior to the Iowa State vs. North Dakota football game (kick-off is 2:30 p.m.). Complimentary lunch, parking and a shuttle to the stadium will be provided. Volunteers who register will receive a CALS barbecue T-shirt in appreciation of their service. Register to volunteer online by Aug. 2. For questions, contact Angie Weeks (amweeks@iastate.edu). Volunteer opportunities include:
- Registration/Greeter (11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
- Beverage service (11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m.)
CALS faculty, staff and guests are also invited to attend the barbecue as guests. Details are available on the CALS barbecue webpage. Event registration is required by Aug. 23.
Calendar
July 24: Iowa Learning Farms Webinar
Iowa climatologist Justin Glisan will discuss weather and climate extremes for the Iowa Learning Farms webinar on Wednesday, July 24, at noon. More
Aug. 1: Wine Grape Field Day
The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and the Department of Horticulture will host the 2024 Wine Grape Field Day on Aug. 1 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Horticulture Research Station. The field day will feature research and demonstrations on grapevine management including trellis systems, canopy management, pest and disease management, and evaluation of grape maturity depending on grape cultivars. More
Aug. 6: Fruit and Vegetable Field Day
The horticulture team with ISU Extension and Outreach will hold the 2024 Fruit and Vegetable Field Day on Aug. 6 from 2-5:30 p.m. at the Horticulture Research Station. The annual event will feature research and demonstration projects on fruit and vegetable production for commercial growers, extension personnel, nonprofit organizations and master gardeners. More
Communications Kiosk
AP Releases 2024 Paris Games Topical Guide
Olympics or Olympic Games are always capitalized. The year always precedes the host city and Olympics: 2024 Paris Olympics, 2024 Paris Games. The Paris Olympics are July 26-Aug. 11, and there are 32 sports and 45 disciplines under the official program. The Associated Press has compiled an editorial style guide of essential terms, spellings and definitions. More
Infograzing
Iowa Hunger Summit Open to the Public
The 2024 Iowa Hunger Summit is July 31 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Norman E. Borlaug Hall of Laureates in Des Moines. It is open to the public at no cost, but registration is required and space is limited.
NIFA Publishes Weekly Newsletter
USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture publishes a weekly e-newsletter. Faculty and staff interested in keeping track of programs and opportunities can subscribe to the NIFA Update online. More
Marginalia
A Piece of the Eiffel Tower in Every Medal
To celebrate the return of the Olympic Games to France, each Olympic medal is embellished with an piece of the original Eiffel Tower. Built between 1887 and 1889, the Eiffel Tower has undergone numerous renovations. Certain metallic elements have been permanently removed and conserved in this process. For the 2024 Paris Games, the Eiffel Tower Operating Company is allowing these genuine pieces of Parisian and French history to be used. More
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
Julie Stewart, Editor
jstewart@iastate.edu, (515) 294-5616
https://www.cals.iastate.edu/cals-online
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.