CALS Online and Dean’s Message
Oct. 28, 2024
Dean’s Message
Hello CALS and Happy Monday – This is one of the big weeks for agriculture in Iowa, notwithstanding that every day, every year, it’s important. This is World Food Prize week, and all around the globe people turn their interest to Iowa. Part of the tradition of this week, each year, is an advanced version of the Laureate presentations right here at Iowa State. Today, Monday, Oct. 28, at 5:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union’s Great Hall, we will be honored and inspired by the 2024 Norman Borlaug Lecture, presented by this year's recipients of the prize, Cary Fowler and Geoffrey Hawtin…
Top Stories
2024 World Food Prize Focuses on Seeds of Opportunity
The 2024 World Food Prize Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue, taking place Oct. 29-31 in Des Moines, will focus on Seeds of Opportunity: Bridging Generations and Cultivating Diplomacy. Events related to the World Food Prize taking place on campus, involving CALS or Iowa State faculty and staff, or of particular interest are listed below. An agenda and full list of side events are available on the World Food Prize website.
World Food Prize: Norman Borlaug Lecture, Oct. 28
The 2024 World Food Prize Laureates, Geoffrey Hawtin and Cary Fowler, will deliver the Norman Borlaug lecture tonight, Oct. 28, at 5:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall. Hawtin is founding director and executive board member at the Global Crop Diversity Trust, and Fowler is the U.S. Special Envoy for Global Food Security. They played key roles in establishing the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, which today holds 1.25 million seed samples of more than 6,000 plant species in an underground facility in the Arctic Circle. They will present “So Our Children Can Eat: Conserving and Protecting Crop Biodiversity.”
World Food Prize: Borlaug Poster Competition, Oct. 28
The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and the Nutritional Sciences Council present the 21st Annual Norman Borlaug Lectureship Poster Competition for Graduate and Undergraduate Students today, Oct. 28, in the Memorial Union Sun Room/South Ballroom. The poster session and judging will take place from 3:30-5:30 p.m. The Norman Borlaug Lecture featuring 2024 World Food Prize Laureates Geoffrey Hawtin and Cary Fowler begins at 5:30 p.m. Poster winners will be announced at 6:30 p.m. along with a book signing by the Laureates.
World Food Prize: Horticulture Seminar, Oct. 29
Aditi Mukherji, director of the Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Impact Action Platform at CGIAR, is presenting “Climate Change and Water: Five Things We Must Know” on Tuesday, Oct. 29, from 9:30-10:45 a.m. in 138 Horticulture Hall. Interested students and faculty are welcome to attend.
World Food Prize: CSRL Side Event, Oct. 29
The Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods is holding a side event at the World Food Prize International Borlaug Dialogue on Tuesday, Oct. 29, from 6-8 p.m. in room 302-303 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. The evening will consist of a 15-minute video commemorating the center’s 20th anniversary and a panel discussion with the CSRL team moderated by Dean Robison. Author Roger Thurow will share an excerpt from his book “Against the Grain” along with photos taken by Anne Thurow. The program will be followed with a networking reception.
World Food Prize: Livestock Side Event, Oct. 29
Iowa State is co-sponsoring a side event at the World Food Prize International Borlaug Dialogue on Tuesday, Oct. 29, from 6-8 p.m. in room 307-308 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. Curtis Youngs, animal science, will provide closing remarks for “Unlocking Sustainable Livestock’s Potential through Science and Partnership that Bridge Continents and Generations.”
World Food Prize: Top Agri-Food Pioneers, Oct. 30
Walter Suza, agronomy, and Lisa Schulte Moore, natural resource ecology and management, will be recognized as Top Agri-Food Pioneers by the World Food Prize Foundation on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 10:50 a.m. on the fourth floor of the Iowa Events Center. They are among 38 global innovators selected for their transformative food systems work in recognition of the World Food Prize Foundation’s 38th anniversary.
World Food Prize: David Lambert Scholarship, Oct. 31
Manjit Misra, director of USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, will announce the recipient of the David Lambert “Hunger Fighter” Scholarship on Thursday, Oct. 31, at 2:20 p.m. on the fourth floor of the Iowa Events Center. Iowa State’s Seed Science Center awards the $1,000 scholarship to a sophomore or junior in CALS who demonstrates a strong commitment to seed science, global food security and childhood nutrition.
World Food Prize: Cultivating Next Generation Leaders, Oct. 31
Wendy Wintersteen, member of the World Food Prize Foundation Council of Advisors and president at Iowa State University, will be part of a Global Discussion on Cultivating the Next Generation of Food and Agricultural Leaders on Thursday, Oct. 31, at 2:25 p.m. on the fourth floor of the Iowa Events Center.
Teaching and Students
Application Deadline for Dean's Leadership Program is Nov. 1
The application deadline for the 2025 Dean's Global Agriculture and Food Leadership Program is Friday, Nov. 1. Faculty and advisors are encouraged to share this opportunity with students. The college-wide leadership program consists of a two-credit course in the spring where students develop a project focusing on global issues in partnership with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. Students complete an additional three credit hours in the summer by living and working in Rome focusing on their FAO project and discovering Rome and the Italian countryside as a group. For the 2025 program, Shawn Dorius, sociology and criminal justice, and Smaranda Andrews, food science and human nutrition, will be joining Carmen Bain, associate dean of academic innovation, and Shelley Taylor, director of the CALS Office for Global Engagement, as faculty program directors. Faculty interested in serving as faculty program directors in the future should contact Carmen Bain.
Horticulture Hall’s Green Roof Gets a Makeover
In less than two hours, Ben Moss, a senior in horticulture, and one of his friends planted 220 new grasses and perennial sedum on the roof of Horticulture Hall, transforming the space students pass by daily. “I wanted a hands-on, real-life project where I could put into practice what I was learning in my classes,” Moss said.
Uganda Alliance: The Power of Partnership
The Uganda Alliance student organization at Iowa State has spent five years improving revenue and awareness opportunities for Ugandan people, one basket or craft item at a time. Partnering with the Tusubila Craft Group, located in the Kamuli District of Uganda, is an important component of the Uganda Alliance. It provides group members with an opportunity to sell their products and assists the student club in generating awareness about Ugandan culture throughout campus. This semester's final craft sale is Friday, Nov. 1, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. outside Parks Library on campus.
Block and Bridle Summer Sausage and Cheese Sale Ends Friday
The Block and Bridle Club’s annual summer sausage and cheese sale is accepting orders through Friday, Nov. 1. Orders will be available for pick-up during the weeks of Nov. 18 and Dec. 2 (orders will also ship these two weeks). The summer sausage is made in the Meats Laboratory. Cheese curds and cheese blocks are sourced from Homestead Dairy in Waukon, Iowa. Profits from the fundraiser help fund events put on by the club and interest group industry tours.
Snow Blower Service Days Scheduled for Nov. 8-9
The Agricultural Systems Technology Club will hold its annual snow blower service days Nov. 8 (1-6 p.m.), and Nov. 9 (8 a.m. to 1 p.m.), at Sukup Hall. The $30 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.
Extension and Outreach
Webinar Covers Plant Pest and Pathogen Trends Statewide
As temperatures drop and plant pest and pathogen problems become less prominent statewide, the ISU Extension and Outreach Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic will provide a webinar summarizing trends and interesting cases from throughout the year. The webinar will be held online via Zoom on Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. Attendance is free, but registration is required.
Cybersecurity Resources Help Keep Farmers and Agribusinesses Safe Online
October is nationally recognized as Cybersecurity Awareness Month, but according to experts, staying cyber-safe is a year-round responsibility. Farmers and agribusinesses can learn how to practice better cybersecurity from a series of educational videos found on the Ag Decision Maker website from ISU Extension and Outreach.
Around the College
Interviews Set for CALS Associate Dean for Research and Discovery
Three internal candidates have been identified for the position of CALS Associate Dean for Research and Discovery (previously held by Carolyn Lawrence-Dill). As part of the interview process, each candidate will present a public seminar on the “Vision for the CALS Research and Discovery Enterprise: Short- and Long-term Goals and Strategies in a Land Grant Context,” followed by an open forum. Candidates’ names will be released online one day before their interview. Seminars will be recorded and posted after all candidates have presented. Seminars will not be live-streamed. A feedback survey will also be available.
- Nov. 4 – 9 a.m. public seminar, 10-10:45 a.m. open forum – CCUR Auditorium, 1951 Food Sciences Building
- Nov. 6 – 9 a.m. public seminar, 10-10:45 a.m. open forum – CCUR Auditorium, 1951 Food Sciences Building
- Nov. 7 – 9 a.m. public seminar, 10-10:45 a.m. open forum – 0008 Curtiss Hall
Holiday Season Wine Sales Open for Pre-Orders
The Iowa State University Winery has launched pre-orders for its 2022 La Crescent, 2023 Marquette and 2023 Rosé wines. Pick-up and purchase will be on the following Fridays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Meat Lab in Kildee Hall: Nov. 1, Nov. 22, Dec. 6, Dec. 13 and Dec. 20. Sales will continue until winter break.
CALS Award Nominations Due Nov. 19
CALS recognizes the excellence and dedication of its faculty and staff through the conferring of college awards. Award descriptions and nomination guidelines are found on the college awards website. Of special note: the Rossmann Manatt Faculty Development Award recipient will be from CALS this year. Nominations are due to the college by Nov. 19 through the online submission portal.
Deal Lecture by Larry Nielsen Available Online
Larry Nielsen, professor emeritus of natural resources at North Carolina State University, presented the 2024 William K. Deal Endowed Leadership Lecture Oct. 8 at Iowa State. A video of the full lecture, “Fowl, Fish and Forest – Leadership Lessons from Great Conservationists,” is available online.
Calendar
Oct. 29: Fall Into CALS
The CALS Staff Council is hosting a social on Tuesday, Oct. 29, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. in Harl Commons, Curtiss Hall. Enjoy apple cider donuts and beverages while visiting with co-workers.
Nov. 4: Beal Lecture in Rural Sociology
The George M. Beal Distinguished Lectureship in Rural Sociology is Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Sun Room. Ryanne Pilgerim, regenerative economies manager for The Wilderness Society, will present “Extractive Industry, Historic Disinvestment and the Future of Rural Communities.”
Infograzing
Ten Things to Know from the Digital Accessibility Update
Cyndi Wiley, digital accessibility lead for Information Technology Services, emphasized compliance and the deadline of April 24, 2026, during an Oct. 21 webinar updating Iowa State's digital accessibility efforts. Earlier this year, the U.S. Department of Justice updated regulations in the Americans with Disabilities Act that ensure people with disabilities can successfully navigate entities' web content and mobile apps. As a public university, Iowa State must comply by the 2026 deadline.
Iowa State Celebrates Homecoming 2024
The ISU Alumni Association’s Homecoming 2024: Cy Around the World, began yesterday, Oct. 27, and runs this week through Saturday, Nov. 2. Activities include lunch on central campus and the alumni awards program. There are also virtual events throughout the week.
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.