CALS Online and Dean’s Message
Jan. 27, 2025
Dean’s Message
Hello CALS and Happy Monday – Last week I was in Florida, missing the deep cold (my apologies!), visiting with alums and donors who support our programs in so many ways. This is an annual January trip I make along with members of our development team. It’s a great week spent connecting with people who have graced our hallways and are paying it back and paying it forward… The generosity of spirit and financial support is extraordinary…
Top Stories
Kickoff Event for Pathways Program Feb. 4
The CALS Pathways to Innovation and Leadership program is kickstarting the semester on Feb. 4 from 4:30-6 p.m. in Harl Commons, Curtiss Hall. The Pathways program aims to help CALS students develop, improve and polish their innovation, leadership and other practical skills needed for career and life-long success. Participants can join a cohort of other students, earn digital badges at their own pace, get involved in hands-on learning and receive mentoring. The kickoff event will include innovation and leadership micro-credential workshop awards presented by Dean Robison. RSVP’s requested by Tuesday, Jan. 28.
Research
INRC Spring 2025 Seminar Series Begins Feb. 12
The spring 2025 Iowa Nutrient Research Center seminar series will showcase “Insights from Next Gen Water Researchers” with presentations by current and recent Iowa State graduate students about studies they are or have been involved with and how water quality research is helping inform their careers. The presentations are scheduled for the second Wednesday of each month, Feb. 12 through May 14, from 3:10-4 p.m. The hybrid seminars will be presented online and in-person at 1306 Elings Hall.
Teaching and Students
Visit the Crosspollinating Art and Science Exhibit in Dean’s Gallery
Dior Kelley, genetics, development and cell biology, asked the Iowa State community to create works of art that reflected the theme “Crosspollinating Art and Science” as part of her Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows project. She was inspired by the artwork featured on the fourth floor of the Student Innovation Center: “Harvest of Knowledge: Innovation and Inspiration” and “Swarm” by Reinaldo Correa Díaz. All the art pieces entered in the exhibition are on display in the Dean’s Gallery on the first floor of Curtiss Hall.
CALS Seeks Donations for Business Attire Pop-Up Shop
CALS is seeking new or gently used business attire to share with students in preparation for the spring career fairs. With the cold weather, the college also is looking for winter coats and accessories for those in need. Donations can be dropped off outside the CALS student services office (20 Curtiss Hall) today, Jan. 27, through Friday, Jan. 31, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Student Club Taking Fudge Orders Now for Valentine's Day
The Food Science Club is making and selling 250 pounds of fudge to celebrate Valentine's Day. Pre-orders from the university community are accepted through Friday, Jan. 31, or until sold out. The club offers six flavors in half-pound containers: chocolate, peanut butter, cookies 'n cream, Cardinal and Gold (formerly known as Cyclone), chocolate mint and orange cream. The price is $7 for one container, and $6 each for two or more containers. The online order form is on the club's website. Orders can be picked up Feb. 12-13 (10 a.m. to 3 p.m. outside of 206 MacKay). Funds raised will be used to cover regular club expenses and industry trips.
Student Entrepreneurs Sought for College Pitch Off Competition
The Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, in conjunction with Iowa State’s seven colleges, is hosting its annual College-by-College Pitch Off. Students deliver a 90-second pitch about an idea or business they are working on to a panel of judges for cash prizes. Registration is open to 25 students in each college. CALS students will present on Feb. 19.
CALS Student Named Rising Star by Seed World
Liza Van der Laan has been named a Rising Seed Star by Seed World Magazine. Van der Laan is a doctoral student in plant breeding.
Extension and Outreach
Learn Successful Marketing Tips through Urban Ag Webinar
ISU Extension and Outreach will host the latest webinar in the Urban Agriculture Catalyst Project series: “Marketing Strategies for Urban and Small Farms,” on Tuesday, Jan. 28, from 1-2 p.m. Shaffer Ridgeway, operator of Southern Goods in Waterloo, will join as a guest speaker.
Webinar to Discuss Use of Robots in Conservation Practices
The Iowa Learning Farms conservation webinar on Wednesday, Jan. 29, at noon will feature Joshua Peschel, agricultural and biosystems engineering. In “Practical Robotics in Conservation,” Peschel will illustrate the use of personal robotics and automation to monitor and manage natural resources in the implementation of conservation practices.
Farm Transitions Conference Scheduled for Early February
The 2025 Farm Transitions Conference is Feb. 6-7 in Ames. Over two days, participants will have the opportunity to learn and stay up to date on current tax laws, farm succession planning strategies, agricultural market updates and more. A virtual option is available as well.
Around the College
College Announces Three Candidates for Chair of Agronomy
Three candidates for chair of the Department of Agronomy will provide a public seminar on their “Vision for the Future of Agronomy at ISU as a Land-Grant University.” All seminars will take place from 9-9:50 a.m. A faculty forum will follow from 10-10:50 a.m. in the same room. The seminars will be recorded and posted in CyBox. Candidate information will be released a week before their interview.
- Candidate #1 Seminar – Thursday, Jan. 30 – 2020 Agronomy Hall
- Candidate #2 Seminar – Wednesday, Feb. 5 – 3022 Agronomy Hall
- Candidate #3 Seminar – Thursday, Feb. 27 – 2020 Agronomy Hall
ISU Hosting North America Meat Competition
This week, the Meats Laboratory will host more than 30 processors -- and their 630 sausage and ham products -- from the U.S. and Canada for the American Association of Meat Processors competition on Monday through Thursday, Jan. 27-30, in the Kildee Hall atrium. Faculty, staff and students are welcome to stop by; samples will be available.
Youngs Inducted into Minnesota FFA Hall of Fame
Curtis Youngs, animal science, has been named to the Minnesota FFA Hall of Fame Class of 2025. A member of the Winona FFA Chapter and Minnesota FFA State Treasurer in 1978-79, Youngs is a dedicated supporter of FFA. He endowed the Sheep Proficiency Award in honor of his parents and supports FFA through the Minnesota FFA Foundation, sponsoring the Conduct of Chapter Meetings competition as well as state conferences.
Annual Carver Celebration also will Honor Patterson
The university community is invited to celebrate two accomplished alumni, George Washington Carver and Frederick Douglass Patterson, on Feb. 3 during the third annual George Washington Carver Day event. The 75-minute program begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall (registration opens at 5 p.m.), followed by an ice cream reception in the South Ballroom. Jewel Bronaugh, president and CEO of the 1890 Universities Foundation, is the keynote speaker.
Submit Story Ideas for STORIES Magazine
STORIES magazine is being revived! Targeted at alums, friends and partners of the college, this first edition of the magazine will be all about stories of connections. Send your story ideas to Whitney Baxter, wjsager@iastate.edu, by Friday, Jan. 31. See Dean Robison’s Jan. 13 email for additional details about the magazine and the type of stories being sought.
Calendar
Feb. 4: Pollinator Habitats with Dr. Toth
University Museums is hosting “Winter Bee Nesting: Pollinator Habitats with Dr. Amy Toth” on Feb. 4, 1:30-2:30 p.m. in the Christian Petersen Art Museum, 0003 Morrill Hall. Amy Toth, ecology, evolution and organismal biology, will talk about bees and their foraging and nesting habits.
Feb. 5: Finding My Purpose in an Untamed World
A lecture titled “Wild Life: Finding My Purpose in an Untamed World,” is Feb. 5 at 5:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Sun Room. The speaker is Rae Wynn-Grant, University of California at Santa Barbara, a wildlife ecologist who researches how human activity influences the behavior of wild animals. Co-sponsors of the lecture include EEOB and NREM.
Feb. 5: Shivvers Lecture
The Shivvers Memorial Lecture is Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Sun Room. Jonathan Lundgren, executive director of Ecdysis Foundation and CEO of Blue Dasher Farm, Estilline, South Dakota, will present. The lecture is hosted by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, the Graduate Program in Sustainable Agriculture and the Sustainable Agriculture Student Association.
Feb. 6: The Secret Life of Bears
A lecture titled “The Secret Life of Bears,” is Feb. 6 at 6 p.m. in the Memorial Union Sun Room. The speaker is Rae Wynn-Grant, University of California at Santa Barbara, a wildlife ecologist who researches how human activity influences the behavior of wild animals. Co-sponsors of the lecture include EEOB and NREM.
Infograzing
Reminder to University Employees about Political Advocacy
As the 2025 Iowa legislative session got underway last week, President Wendy Wintersteen shared Iowa State's policies about political advocacy with the campus community. Advocacy efforts on behalf of the university are led by the Iowa Board of Regents in coordination with the president's office. As citizens, all university employees may participate in the political process on their own behalf, using personal time and personal resources. Employees who advocate for political issues (for example, through letters to the editor, opinion articles or social media posts) should take care to note they are speaking as an individual citizen, and their views are not the views of the university.
Faculty and Staff Encouraged to Read Inside Iowa State
Inside Iowa State, a weekly newsletter for faculty and staff, is an official communication mechanism of the university and contains information from the university that all faculty and staff are encouraged to read on a regular basis. The most recent issue was published on Jan. 23. Contact inside@iastate.edu if you are not receiving the newsletter each Thursday.
Nominations Open for 2025 Riley Memorial Lecture
Nominations are now open for the 2025 AAAS Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Lecture, scheduled for fall 2025. This is an opportunity to recognize and showcase an individual who has made outstanding scientific contributions or significant policy accomplishments with tangible societal impact. Nominations are due Feb. 17.
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.