CALS Online and Dean’s Message
Nov. 11, 2024
Dean’s Message
Hello CALS – A short note this week as I am at our campus in Kamuli, Uganda, where our Mpirigiti Rural Training Center is located that supports our Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods programming there. This week, nearly 40 people are gathered here from our local staff and leadership in Uganda and from Ames, through a special gift, to engage in strategic planning for this work over the next five years…
Top Stories
Former College Students to be Honored in Gold Star Hall Ceremony
Three former Iowa State students will be recognized for their military service, and their ultimate sacrifice, at the annual Gold Star Hall ceremony on Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 4:15 p.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall. Two of those former students fall within CALS. Army 1st Lt. Sidney Peterson attended Iowa State in 1938-39 majoring in forestry. He served in World War II and died after taking on anti-aircraft fire aboard a B-26 Marauder. Air Force Capt. James Wayne Herrick Jr. graduated from Iowa State in 1967 with a degree in animal husbandry. In 1969, his plane was lost near the North Vietnam border during a reconnaissance flight. On Nov. 21, 1977, he was declared killed in action. (Photo by Christopher Gannon/Iowa State University)
College Thanks Current Students for their Service
Derek Jensen was on active duty in the U.S. Air Force from 2009-2012 as an F-15 Avionics Technician. During his three-year service period, he was stationed at Mountain Home AFB in Idaho, and Kadena AGB in Okinawa, Japan. He worked side by side with Boeing and helped install new technology in the F-15 Aircraft. Jensen was unfortunately injured, cutting short his enlistment. He is now an Iowa State senior in animal science. Jensen is a student employee at the ISU Book Store and was featured in its Oct. 29 newsletter. The college thanks all students who are veterans or are currently enlisted for their service.
Research
Partnership to Save Threatened Iowa Turtles to be Highlighted Sunday at the Zoo
Iowa State students are working with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines to give a group of Iowa’s Blanding’s turtles a better chance for survival. Their project will be featured at one of the zoo's "Discover the Wild" events on Sunday, Nov. 17, from 1-2 p.m.
Teaching and Students
Exploring Innovations, Sustainability in Food and Agriculture
Eight Iowa State students have spent this semester conducting research and exploring innovations to uncover potential sustainability practices to apply in the agriculture industry. All this has been done through their participation in the America’s Cultivation Corridor Next Gen Innovation Impact Study internship.
Students Create Engaging Lesson Plans for Elementary Students
Offering college students opportunities to enhance their skills in lesson planning and teaching while engaging elementary students in scientific exploration are two goals Tim Stewart has for the new Field Ecology Teaching course. Stewart, natural resource ecology and management, is one of the 2024 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows.
Submissions Due Nov. 22 for Crosspollinating Art and Science Competition
CALS is hosting an exhibition featuring original artwork created by CALS students that reflects a concept of crosspollination between art and science. Students may submit artwork of any media for display in a juried exhibit on Dec. 12 in the Student Innovation Center. The deadline for submission is Nov. 22.
Sigma Alpha Holding Candle Fundraiser
Sigma Alpha, the professional agriculture sorority, is holding a Dirt Road Candle fundraiser. Orders are accepted through Nov. 29.
Extension and Outreach
2025 Garden Calendar Features Perennials
For many Iowa gardeners, herbaceous perennials are some of the most colorful and beautiful additions to the landscape. The theme of the ISU Extension and Outreach 2025 Garden Calendar is “Perennial Beauty,” which features these garden favorites. The calendar is available for $9 from the Extension Store.
Women in Ag Come Together to Cultivate Confidence, Harvest Happiness
The ISU Extension and Outreach Women in Ag Leadership Conference is Dec. 4-5 in Ames. This year’s theme is “Breaking Ground, Seeding Success.” The conference focuses on career advancement, leadership development and trending topics in agriculture.
Produce Safety Training Begins Dec. 13
The ISU Extension and Outreach Safe Produce Program will host produce safety training for fruit and vegetable farmers beginning in December and concluding in April 2025. Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training is a U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved produce safety education program for farmers growing and harvesting fruits and vegetables for human consumption with intent to enter the commercial market or public distribution.
Around the College
Interviews Set for CALS Associate Dean for Global Engagement
Four candidates have been identified for the position of CALS Associate Dean for Global Engagement (currently held by David Acker). As part of the interview process, each candidate will present a public seminar on the “Vision for a Globally Engaged Land Grant College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University” (9 a.m.), followed by an open forum (10-10:45 a.m.). 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. Dates and locations are as follows:
- Dec. 3 – CCUR Auditorium, 1951 Food Sciences Building
- Dec. 4 – CCUR Auditorium, 1951 Food Sciences Building
- Dec. 5 – 0163 Hamilton Hall
- Dec. 9 – CCUR Auditorium, 1951 Food Sciences Building
Rosenbloom Appointed to NSF SBE Advisory Committee
Joshua Rosenbloom, chair of the economics department, has been appointed to the National Science Foundation’s Advisory Committee for Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences.
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.
Calendar
Nov. 13: INRC Water Research Seminar
The Iowa Nutrient Research Center’s next seminar will focus on “Nutrient and Sediment Loads Measured from the Chesapeake Bay River Input Monitoring Network.” Jimmy Webber, hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey, will present. The hybrid session will be held online and in-person Wednesday, Nov. 13, at 3:10 p.m. in 1306 Elings Hall.
Nov. 14: Jim Knuth Lecture
Mike Naig, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, will present the Jim Knuth Lessons in Leadership and Life Lecture on Thursday, Nov. 14, at 6:30 p.m. in 2155 Marston Hall (refreshments at 6 p.m.). The event, sponsored by the Deiter Endowed Chair and the Agricultural Business Club, is open to the public.
Nov. 18: Native American Cuisine
Chef Freddie Bitsoie (bit-sue-ee) will discuss the cultural progression of foods in the Western Hemisphere, and how native foods of the Western Hemisphere have been claimed, misused, appropriated and overlooked for centuries in a lecture on Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall. Bitsoie is the former executive chef at Mitsitam Native Foods Café at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian. Co-sponsors include the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and the Culinary Science Club.
Dec. 5: Save the Date
A ribbon cutting and open house for the Digital Ag Innovation Center in the Iowa State University Research Park is Dec. 5 from 3-6 p.m.
Dec. 10: CALS Holiday Party
Dean Robison and the CALS leadership team are hosting a holiday party on Dec. 10 from 4:30-6:30 p.m. in the Sukup Atrium, Elings Hall. There will be brief remarks at 5 p.m. Enjoy food, drink and live music. RSVP by Dec. 3.
Infograzing
AAAS Riley Memorial Lecture and Policy Roundtable Nov. 20, 21
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 2024 AAAS Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Lecture on Nov. 20, both in person and virtually. Channapatna Prakash, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Tuskegee University, will present “From Wild Grains to CRISPR: The Journey of Agricultural Innovation and its Role in Global Food Security.” The 2024 AAAS-RMF Policy Breakfast and Roundtable is Nov. 21, both in person and virtually. The panel will address “Global Agriculture and Food Trade and Needs.”
Council Hosts November Drive for Student Food Pantry
To support Iowa State students during the university winter break, the Professional and Scientific Council is holding a donation drive for the SHOP food pantry through Nov. 29. The final pick-up will be Dec. 2. SHOP's list of needed food items is online, as is the council's list of drop-off locations for this drive.
Help Keep SHOP Pantry Open during Fall Break
The SHOP food pantry in Beyer Hall needs faculty and staff volunteers to maintain its regular service hours during fall break (Monday-Tuesday, Nov. 25-26). The sign-up form is online; volunteers will receive an email with instructions.
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.