CALS Online and Dean’s Message
Feb. 10, 2025
Dean’s Message
Hello CALS – I hope you all had a great weekend. This week, on Thursday, Feb. 13, from 2:30-3:30 p.m., join the CALS Staff Council in Harl Commons for hot chocolate and sugar cookies - all are welcome. Please come out and enjoy some collegiality with the college's outstanding staff. And thanks to Staff Council President Michael Kaiser and his team for organizing this. Last Monday evening, the college led the university's annual George Washington Carver Day celebration! It was a great event…
Top Stories
Building Bridges to Connect Genetics Classroom, Lab Lessons
What role does gene expression play in predicting whether someone prefers salty over sweet snacks or tends to be more of a night owl than an early riser? That is just one of the topics students explore in Jelena Kraft’s Biology 3130(L): Principles of Genetics class and lab. Kraft, genetics, development and cell biology, has taught the course and lab for several years. During the past year, she modified her sections thanks to funding received through participation in the CALS Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows program. Now, students in Kraft’s lab section collect their DNA data (among other hands-on activities), which is then used for discussions in class related to molecular genetics, genomics-based approaches to analyzing DNA, population genetics and more. (Photo by Whitney Baxter, CALS Communications)
Research
InsectNet Technology Identifies Insects around the World
Iowa State researchers including Baskar Ganapathysubramanian, mechanical engineering, and Arti Singh, agronomy, led development of InsectNet to help farmers around the world. The application – which is backed by a dataset of 12 million insect images, including many collected by citizen-scientists – provides identification and predictions for more than 2,500 insect species at more than 96% accuracy.
Teaching and Students
Horticulture Club Selling Valentine’s Bouquets
The Horticulture Club is selling Valentine's bouquets Thursday and Friday, Feb. 13-14 (9 a.m.-3 p.m. daily while supplies last) at the Union Drive Community Center lobby. Cash, checks and credit cards are accepted payment.
Extension and Outreach
Join Cover Crop Webinar Week, Feb 10-14
Iowa Learning Farms and the Midwest Cover Crop Council are teaming up to produce a weeklong series of webinars covering multiple topics regarding implementation and management of cover crops on row crop farms in the Midwest. The webinars are noon to 1 p.m. Feb. 10-14.
Judges Sought for Science and Technology Fair
ISU Extension and Outreach is seeking judges for the State Science and Technology Fair of Iowa. Students in grades 6-12 will participate in the exhibition on March 27-28 at Hilton Coliseum in Ames.
Around the College
Warm Up with CALS Staff Council
Join the CALS Staff Council for hot chocolate and sugar cookies on Thursday, Feb. 13, from 2:30-3:30 p.m. at Harl Commons, Curtiss Hall.
Second Annual TrAC Day Scheduled for April 16
The Translational AI Center is holding its second annual TrAC Day on April 16 at 2 p.m. in the Student Innovation Center atrium. Faculty experts from the college working with the center include Arti Singh and Asheesh “Danny” Singh, agronomy; Dan Nettleton, statistics; James Koltes and Karl Kerns, animal science; Janette Thompson, natural resource ecology and management; and Shawn Dorius, sociology and criminal justice.
Calendar
Feb. 12: INRC Spring Seminar Series
The Iowa Nutrient Research Center will hold its first seminar in the spring series on Wednesday, Feb. 12, from 3:10-4 p.m. The hybrid seminar will be presented online and in person at 1306 Elings Hall.
Feb. 21: CALS Chat with the Dean
Dean Robison will host a CALS Chat on Feb. 21, from 12:30-1:30 p.m. in 220 Science II. The informal, drop-in event will be an opportunity for casual conversation.
March 11: Save the Date
The CALS Spring Awards Program, honoring faculty and staff achievements, is March 11 at 4:10 p.m. in Dolezal Auditorium, 127 Curtiss Hall. The program will include brief comments from Dean Robison and recognition of the 2024 CALS faculty and staff award recipients. A reception in Harl Commons will follow the program.
Communications Kiosk
Notable vs. Noticeable vs. Noteworthy
Notable, or readily noticed, applies both to physical things and to qualities (notable sense of humor). Noticeable means detectable with physical senses (a noticeable limp). Noteworthy means remarkable or deserving attention (a noteworthy act of kindness). (The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th edition, pg. 343)
Infograzing
New VPR Website Provides Updates on Federal Funding Changes
The Office of the Vice President for Research has a new federal funding page on its website to provide guidance, updates and links to relevant resources to help Iowa State's research community navigate the evolving landscape for federal funding. Researchers are encouraged to check this page frequently in the weeks ahead. Changes potentially could impact both awarded projects and those awaiting funding from federal agencies or sponsors.
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.
Marginalia
Preservation Lab Keeps Past Alive for Future Generations
Lisa Muccigrosso leads a team that straddles a line between the past and future in the preservation lab on the fourth floor of Parks Library. On the same day, her staff might work on a centuries-old sword in special collections and transfer brittle newspaper pages into the latest digital technology. Students doing a research project, professors assigning readings from a rare text and library visitors viewing Jack Trice's "I Will" letter all benefit from the lab's work. "At a basic level, we are making the past available to the future," Muccigrosso, interim head of preservation, said. "We serve as stewards, not owners."
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.