CALS Online and Dean’s Message
Sept. 23, 2024
Dean’s Message
Hello CALS – Welcome to the work week, and hope you had a great weekend. This week, on Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 3:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall, we'll recognize people receiving University Awards… Also this week, on Thursday, Sept. 26, is the Paul L. Errington Memorial Lecture by Dr. Serra Hoagland, USDA Forest Service Research & Development. The lecture will begin at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall. And don't forget about CALS Week… More
Top Stories
Celebrating CALS Week
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Student Council is celebrating CALS Week, Sept. 22-27. Activities include the following. See a full list of events on the CALS Week webpage.
CALS Week: Mr. CALS Competition, Sept. 23
Sigma Alpha, the professional agriculture sorority, is hosting its annual Mr. CALS competition today, Sept. 23, at 7 p.m. in the Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center. Tickets are $5 (cash only). Contestants represent student organizations within the college and in this year’s Rock ‘N’ from Farm to Fame event, will be competing for four titles: Grand Champion Mr. CALS, Reserve Grand Champion Mr. CALS, Top Fundraiser and Mr. Congeniality. Proceeds go to SHOP, the student run food pantry at Iowa State. More
CALS Week: ISU Local Food Festival, Sept. 25
The annual ISU Local Food Festival is Wednesday, Sept. 25, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on central campus. The event offers the Iowa State community an opportunity to source local products and meet the producers; engage around topics such as local food systems, health, wellness and sustainability; and learn about the initiatives of various organizations and departments. Booths will offer a variety of samples, products for purchase, informational flyers and giveaways. More
CALS Week: Block & Bridle Hunger Fight, Sept. 25
The Block & Bridle Club’s annual Hunger Fight is Wednesday, Sept. 25, from noon to 7 p.m. in the Iowa Farm Bureau Pavilion, Kildee Hall. Everyone is welcome to volunteer. The club works with Meals for the Heartland on this project.
CALS Week: Dance Away Hunger, Sept. 25
Dance Away Hunger is hosted by the Country Swing Club and the Line Dancing Club on Wednesday, Sept. 25, from 7-9 p.m. on the Memorial Union terraces. Eli Alger and the Faster Horses from Nashville will provide live music. The $5 entry fee will go to the SHOP, the student run food pantry at Iowa State.
CALS Week: Study Abroad Fair, Sept. 26
CALS will hold its annual study abroad fair on Thursday, Sept. 26, from 2-4 p.m. on central campus. Program directors will be available to talk with students interested in a study abroad (international) or Study USA (domestic) travel course. Attendees can explore international clubs and organizations available in the college, chat with student travel consultants and gather information on financial aid. More
CALS Week: CALS Connect, Sept. 26
CALS Connect is an industry mixer on Thursday, Sept. 26, from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Student Innovation Center atrium. Students are invited to connect with industry professionals and enjoy CALS themed refreshments.
Research
Research Study Looks at Farming Soybeans after Soybeans
Few Iowa farmers repeatedly plant soybeans on the same land. But economic factors could lead to increased interest in growing continuous soybeans. So, an Iowa State research team led by Sotirios Archontoulis, agronomy, is studying the system to have answers ready when questions come. More
Teaching and Students
CALS Career Day Set for Oct. 8
The fall CALS Career Day is Oct. 8 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Lied Recreation Athletic Center. More than 1,500 students annually attend the career day in search of jobs and internships. The student co-chairs have put together 10 tips to help prepare for the event. More
CALS Students Serve as Iowa FFA Officers
Eight of the nine 2024-2025 state officers for Iowa FFA are CALS students: Collin Bauer, president, agricultural education; Chloe Zittergruen, state secretary, agricultural communication and horticulture; Kadence Boender, state reporter, animal science and agricultural education; Brooke Booth, southwest vice president, animal science; Cody Messer, southeast vice president, animal science and agricultural communication; Tucker Rohrig, south central vice president, animal science; Colton Pepin, northwest vice president, animal science; and Creed Monroe, northeast vice president, agricultural business. More
Oatman Heading Abroad via Fulbright Program
Arilyn Oatman (’24 global resource systems) leaves today, Sept. 23, for a Fulbright U.S. Student Program experience in Thies, Senegal. She will spend nine months teaching adults and college students the English language along the west African coast. More
Extension and Outreach
Landowner Education Graduates Improve Knowledge of Conservation and Communication
Two dozen Iowans recently graduated from the first Landowner Education Program, an effort to educate Iowa landowners about resources and opportunities. The program was presented by ISU Extension and Outreach and multiple state partners. More
Around the College
Change in Leadership at the BioCentury Research Farm
This month, Andy Suby, assistant director of research administration at the BioCentury Research Farm, will transition to a new, part-time role as a process engineer with the university. Rob Hartmann will step into the assistant director position at the facility. More
CALS Faculty, Staff to Receive Top University Awards
Several CALS faculty and staff are among the recipients of the university’s most distinguished awards, to be given at the ISU Faculty and Staff Awards Ceremony on Wednesday, Sept. 25, at 3:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall. The following individuals from CALS departments and centers are recognized. More
- Kan Wang, agronomy – Distinguished Professor
- Robert Wallace, ecology, evolution and organismal biology – Regents Award for Faculty Excellence
- Jason Ross, animal science – Award for Early Achievement in Departmental Leadership
- James Dickson, animal science – International Service Award
- Dipali Sashital, biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology – Margaret Ellen White Graduate Faculty Award
- Amy Andreotti, biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology – Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research
- Jianming Yu, agronomy – Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research
- Yang Yang, biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology – Award for Early Achievement in Research
- RegenPGC Team – Interdisciplinary Team Research Award: Daniel Andersen, Amy Kaleita, Anne Kinzel and Raj Raman, agricultural and biosystems engineering; Cynthia Bartel, Susana Goggi, Thomas Lübberstedt, Marshall McDaniel and Ken Moore, agronomy; Amani Elobeid, economics; and Shuizhang Fei, horticulture
- Brian Gelder, agricultural and biosystems engineering – P&S Research Award
- Thomas Lübberstedt and Ursula Frei, agronomy – Award for Achievement in Intellectual Property
- Shelley Taylor, CALS Global Engagement – P&S Excellence Award
- Brett Ramirez, agricultural and biosystems engineering – Award for Early Achievement in Extension or Professional Practice
CALS Hosts U.S. Farm Report’s College Roadshow
The U.S. Farm Report’s College Roadshow stopped at Curtiss Hall last week to interview Bobby Martens, agricultural supply chain specialist, and Rabail Chandio, extension economist, for its Sept. 21 broadcast (8:49). Tyne Morgan, host, also featured Dirk Maier and the Iowa State University Kent Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex (20:57); Kelly Visser, America’s Cultivation Corridor, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and CALS Dean Daniel Robison on the Next Gen Innovation Impact Study Program (32:40); and Kevin Kimle and the Start Something CALS program (37:30). The full report is available online.
CALS Opens Search for Two Associate Deans
CALS has opened a search for two associate dean positions. The Associate Dean for Global Engagement will oversee the Office for Global Engagement, serve as director of the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods and manage the Fork in the Road Station in the Virgin Islands. The position requires domestic and international travel. This is a national search and internal candidates are welcome to apply. Applicants must have a Ph.D. and be qualified for tenure at the rank of professor in a CALS department by the time of application. Applications are due by Oct. 13. The Associate Dean for Research and Discovery will oversee the research mission of the college and serve as associate director of the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station. The position will manage the CARES team and support graduate education across the college. This is an internal search and accessible through the ISU Internal Careers link in Workday. Applicants must have a Ph.D. and be qualified for tenure at the rank of professor in a CALS department by the time of application. Applications are due by Oct. 13. For more information on either position, contact Alison Parker, aparker@iastate.edu.
In Memoriam: Roy Reiman
Roy Reiman (’57 agricultural journalism) passed away Sept. 16. He founded Reiman Publications in 1965 and throughout his career was known for publications like Taste of Home and Our Iowa. Through the years, Reiman’s passion for Iowa State University was demonstrated through his time spent engaging with students, through his storytelling, and in the generosity he and his wife, Bobbi, demonstrated time and again in helping the university create landmarks like Reiman Gardens, the alumni center and the completion of the Jack Trice Stadium endzone. More
Calendar
Sept. 24: FFAR 10th Anniversary Webinar
Matthew Helmers, agricultural and biosystems engineering and director of the Iowa Nutrient Research Center, is one of three featured presenters for a national webinar on Tuesday, Sept. 24, at 11 a.m. “The Power of Collaborative Agricultural Research” is hosted by the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research to mark its 10-year anniversary. More
Sept. 26: Feeding the World Seminar Series
The Feeding the World seminar series continues Thursday, Sept. 26, from 3:40-4:55 p.m. in 1204 Kildee Hall, Ensminger Room. David Acker, associate dean for Global Engagement and Raymond and Mary Baker Chair in Global Agriculture, will provide a video presentation on the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods, Uganda Program.
Sept. 26: CALS Chat with the Dean
Dean Robison will host a CALS Chat on Sept. 26, from 4-5:30 p.m. on the fourth floor of the Student Innovation Center. The informal, drop-in event will be an opportunity for casual conversation and to view the new artwork. Wine and cheese will be provided.
Sept. 26: Paul Errington Memorial Lecture
The Paul L. Errington Memorial Lecture is Thursday, Sept. 26, at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall. Serra Hoagland, national program leader for tribal research with the USDA Forest Service, will present “Tribal Land Management: Balancing the Triple Bottom Line of Environmental Stewardship.” More
Communications Kiosk
When to Hyphenate Compound Adjectives Before a Noun
(1 of 4) A compound adjective that begins with an adverb such as better, best, ill, lower, little or well is hyphenated when it comes before a noun (ill-prepared student, well-earned applause). The same type of compound is unhyphenated when it appears after the noun it modifies (the flowers were well arranged). (Modern Language Association Handbook, 9th edition, pg. 28)
Infograzing
Ames Seed Library Hosts Seed Exchange on Campus
The Ames Seed Library is hosting a seed exchange on Thursday, Sept. 26, from noon to 1 p.m. in the Anderson Sculpture Garden. Learn about collecting seeds and take home pre-packaged seeds from the Seed Library. More
Secretary Naig Urges Iowans to be Safe this Harvest Season
With harvest season beginning across the state, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig is urging Iowans to keep safety top of mind in the field, around the farm and on the road. He has provided some safety tips for both farmers and drivers, as well as resources for Iowans needing mental health support. More
CropX Acquires EnGeniousAg Nitrate Sensor
CropX, a digital agronomic solutions company, has acquired EnGeniousAg, a startup focused on advanced nitrogen sensing applications for agriculture. EnGeniousAg was co-founded by Michael Castellano, agronomy; Patrick Schnable, agronomy and director of the Plant Sciences Institute; Liang Dong, electrical and computer engineering; and James Schnable, professor of agronomy at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. More
Marginalia
Refugees Turn to Farming for Income and Taste of Home
It’s harvest time in central New Hampshire, and one farm there appears to have been transplanted from a distant continent. A Sept. 19 Associated Press article reports that most workers at this farm are refugees who have escaped wars and persecution. Farming provides them with both an income and a taste of home. 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.