CALS Online and Dean’s Message
July 29, 2024
Dean’s Message
Hello CALS – A short note today to wish you a great week. Last week, I had a terrific trip to northeast Iowa with Jamie Stowe from our CALS Development Office to meet with alums and partners along the way… My most important conclusion is that we are a place that has inspired confidence and appreciation for generations. And that all of us are part of continuing that tradition of excellence… More
Top Stories
Economics Graduate Student Selected as Outstanding Student Leader of the Year
Albulena Basha's efforts to advocate for and build community among fellow students earned her the Outstanding Student Leader of the Year Award for 2024. Presented by Iowa State's Office of Student Engagement, the award recognizes one student each year who is active in a student organization, inspires growth in others, enriches the future of their community and organization, and goes above and beyond their duties. Basha, a doctoral student in agricultural economics, previously served as the vice president of the Economics Graduate Student Association. She will assume the role of president of the organization this fall. She also is a senator representing economics graduate students on the Graduate and Professional Student Senate. More
Research
Studies Explore Potential of Grass-Powered Energy Production
Two recent studies by Iowa State researchers, including Lisa Schulte Moore, natural resource ecology and management, modeled the impact of using anaerobic digestion to produce renewable natural gas from grassy biomass in different settings and from varying perspectives, analysis that helps flesh out the system’s potential. More
Drainage Research Forum Planned for Sept. 5
A one-day Drainage Research Forum will bring experts from the upper Midwest to Ames on Sept. 5 to discuss agricultural drainage research projects and related issues. The forum is jointly sponsored by Iowa State University and the Iowa Nutrient Research Center, the University of Minnesota and South Dakota State University. More
International Workshop Includes Competition, Cash Prizes
The Sixth International Workshop on Machine Learning for Cyber-Agricultural Systems is Oct. 7 at the Nebraska Innovation Campus in Lincoln, Nebraska. Four Iowa State faculty members are part of the organizing committee, and the Plant Sciences Institute is one of the sponsors. The workshop also will include an MLCAS Corn Yield Prediction Using Satellite Data competition with cash prizes. More
Teaching and Students
Industrial Tech Student Uses Her Experience to Enhance Curriculum
Rochelle Thys, a junior in industrial technology, was an undergraduate teaching assistant for TSM 2160: Advanced Technical Graphics – one semester after she had taken the course herself. Bailey Adams, agricultural and biosystems engineering and course instructor, said Thys’ connection to the course content and passion for helping others made her perfect for the role. More
Extension and Outreach
Cover Crop Fact Sheets Explain Options to Farmers
ISU Extension and Outreach and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service are collaborating on a series of cover crop fact sheets for Iowa farmers interested in adopting the practice or trying new cover crops to achieve specific goals on their operation. More
Training for Cottage Foods-Based Processors Begins in September
The Small Food Processing Cohort is being organized by the Small Farm Sustainability team with ISU Extension and Outreach. The 11-session course is intended for business owners in the beginning phases of selling cottage-based foods, whether selling from the home directly, online or at farmers markets. More
Around the College
Peschel Receives NSF CAREER Award
The National Science Foundation has selected Josh Peschel, agricultural and biosystems engineering, for a Faculty Early Career Development Program award for his project on “Foundational Interaction Research for Manipulating Drones.” Over the next five years, Peschel will receive nearly $600,000 to develop and execute his project and do local outreach. More
Wolc Receives Poultry Science Association Award
Anna Wolc, animal science, received the American Egg Board Research Award from the Poultry Science Association at its annual meeting in Louisville, Kentucky, July 15-18. More
Masambuka-Kanchewa Receives Research Poster Award
Fally Masambuka-Kanchewa, agricultural education and studies, recently received the Distinguished Research Poster Award from the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education for her work on understanding agricultural students' perceptions of mainstream media portrayals of the animal livestock industry. The findings of this qualitative study highlighted the need to enhance agricultural students' ability to discern fact-based information from emotionally charged messaging strategies about animal agriculture. Co-authors included Shuyang Qu and Mike Retallick from Iowa State’s AGEDS department. More
CALS Faculty Part of Team Receiving AAAE Award
At the 2024 American Association for Agricultural Education National Conference, the Journal of Agricultural Education Article of the Year was awarded to Samuel Ikendi, AGEDS alum now at the University of California, Merced; Mike Retallick, agricultural education and studies; Gail Nonnecke, global resource systems; and Donald Kugonza, Makerere University in Uganda. 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 Friday, 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.
In Memoriam: Erwin Klaas
Erwin (Erv) Klaas, professor emeritus of animal ecology and former director of the Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Unit at Iowa State, died July 6. He was 88. More
Calendar
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 Thursday, Aug. 1, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Horticulture Research Station. 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. More
Aug. 8: Conservation Field Day
Agronomists with ISU Extension and Outreach are partnering with Cargill to hold a half-day conservation event on Aug. 8 at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids. More
Communications Kiosk
Farther vs. Further
The traditional distinction is to use farther for a physical distance (we drove farther north to see the autumn foliage) and further for a figurative distance (let’s examine this further, look no further). (The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition, pg. 330)
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.