CALS Online and Dean’s Message
June 2, 2025
Dean’s Message
Hello CALS – Really feels like summer now - enjoy and be careful out there. Today marks the first day of June's orientation season, during which fall 2025 incoming students and their families will be on campus throughout the month. Please offer these visitors a welcoming smile and help navigating campus, as needed. Recently, I've had a number of excellent discussions with the leadership of various stakeholder groups of our college about the work we do on behalf of the state and its people, communities and industries. It's invigorating to hear how much they value our work…
Top Stories
Heuchelin Selected as Next Director of Seed Science Center
Scott Heuchelin is returning to his alma mater to serve as the next director of the Seed Science Center and a professor in the Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology, effective July 15. The Seed Science Center is housed in CALS. Heuchelin (’92 MS plant pathology, ‘97 PhD) has spent the past 22 years with Corteva Agriscience (formerly DuPont Pioneer), working as a plant pathologist in the plant breeding organization. Currently, he is the senior scientist – global phytosanitary risk mitigation lead. His global regulatory and seed advocacy experience has involved working with scientists, government officials and international seed associations to deal with disease issues of seeds and drafting quarantine, seed testing and inspection policies for the global seed sector.
Research
Ecologist Studying Water Treatment Wetlands to Optimize Benefits
A research project led by Charlie Loewen, ecology, evolution and organismal biology, is trying to better understand the ecology of water treatment wetlands, their benefits and potential unintended consequences, with support from the Iowa Nutrient Research Center.
Many Farmers ‘Aren’t Sure’ about Conservation Practices
A new policy brief released by Iowa Learning Farms and the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development shares findings on farmers’ level of understanding and attitudes toward edge-of-field conservation practices. Detailing unique data and insights on consistently low adoption rates of EOF practices as well as barriers to adoption, the report features responses from 774 Iowa farmers and landowners across five different HUC-8 watersheds in the Des Moines Lobe and provides recommendations for increasing the adoption of three EOF practices: saturated buffers, bioreactors and water enhancement wetlands.
Iowa Nutrient Research Center Releases 2024 Annual Review
The Iowa Nutrient Research Center has released its 2024 Annual Review. The four-page report highlights activities and funded projects over the last year, when $1.31 million was awarded to nine new research projects.
Teaching and Students
Brown Graduate Fellowship Recipients Announced
Four Iowa State graduate students have been selected to receive a total of $40,000 in Brown Graduate Fellowship Program funding supporting strategic university research for the 2025-2026 academic year. Two of the recipients have ties to CALS: Sabrena Rutledge, bioinformatics and computational biology, and Michael Rohde, wildlife ecology.
Where are Students Traveling this Summer
The CALS Study Abroad office reports there are 128 students participating in CALS faculty-led or partner programs this summer, and eight students on Global Resource Systems international internships. Where are they traveling? Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Uganda, the United Kingdom, California, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Student Club Spotlight: Agricultural Business Club
The Agricultural Business Club is dedicated to "Forming Tomorrow's Leaders in Agriculture Today." Their mission is to provide students with opportunities to explore careers in the agricultural industry through internships, job shadowing, full-time jobs and a mentorship program.
Extension and Outreach
New Food Safety Specialist Joins ISU Extension and Outreach
Hannah Hansen has joined the ISU Extension and Outreach Farm, Food and Enterprise Development team as a food safety extension specialist. She is working on a Food Innovation and Business Hub, which aims to meet the business and compliancy needs of Iowa’s small and mid-sized food businesses with in-person trainings, regulatory guidance and hands-on support.
Five Considerations for On-Farm Timber Harvest
Iowans sell $20-35 million of standing timber from their woodlands each year. The value-added products resulting from this material, in turn, support approximately $5 billion in annual regional economic output. For a harvest to benefit both the economic and ecological aspects of a farm enterprise, there are five important considerations.
Southeast Research Farm to Hold Summer Field Day
ISU Extension and Outreach and the Southeast Iowa Agricultural Research Association are holding the annual summer field day at the Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm in Crawfordsville on June 17 at 1 p.m. The event will combine traditional field day stops with a farm tour highlighting ongoing research projects.
Ag Secretary Naig to Speak at Northeast Farm Field Day
The annual spring field day at Iowa State's Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm in Nashua is June 18 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mike Naig, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, will speak on accelerating conservation through partnerships and cost-share. A complimentary meal will be served at noon. Please RSVP by June 16.
Land Stewardship Leadership Academy Holds Graduation
Twenty-four natural resource professionals from across Iowa were part of the Land Stewardship Leadership Academy graduation ceremony held May 22 at the Iowa State University Alumni Center. The goal of the program, now in its third year, is to help early and mid-career professionals build stronger relationships with farmers and landowners, while advancing conservation practices that balance environmental stewardship with profitability and resiliency.
Around the College
Faculty, Staff Recognized for Service to Learning Communities
Gail Nonnecke, horticulture and global resource systems, received the Blahnik and Gruenewald Learning Community Exemplary Service Award during Iowa State’s Learning Communities Institute on May 19. Also, several coordinators were recognized for years of service to learning communities:
- Alison Esser (5), genetics and bioinformatics learning community
- Jennifer Bundy (10), animal science/dairy science/pre-vet learning community
- Clark Coffman (10), The Sky is the Limit: LC for Students Interested in the Life Sciences learning community
- Ben Chamberlain (15), agricultural education and studies learning community
Fostering Connections Among Young Ag Professionals
Marta Grant, study abroad advisor for CALS Global Engagement, has grown her social network and learned more about the agriculture industry through her involvement in Young Professionals in Agriculture. YPiA members gather monthly to participate in industry tours, social events or community service opportunities. Anyone 40 years of age or younger who works in an ag-related profession is welcome to join.
Calendar
June 24-25: ISU James D. McKean Swine Disease Conference
The James D. McKean Conference will take place on June 25 at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center in Ames. Featured topics include swine recruitment and retention of recent graduates, the economics of the swine industry, and an overview of the Danish experience with PRRS control and eradication efforts. Two pre-conference workshops will take place on June 24 at the ISU College of Veterinary Medicine campus: the International Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae Eradication Workshop, co-sponsored by Zoetis and ISU Field Epidemiology, will be held in the morning, and the International PRRS Management Workshop, sponsored by Boehringer Ingelheim, will be held in the afternoon.
June 26: Iowa Swine Day
The 14th annual Iowa Swine Day, hosted by the Iowa Pork Industry Center, is June 26 at Fisher Theater and the Scheman Building. It offers current information on critical emerging topics by pork industry speakers. A pre-conference networking social will be June 25 from 5:30-7 p.m. at the Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center.
More Events Listed on CALS Website
Find more events on the CALS Events webpage. Submit events for inclusion on this list to madelyno@iastate.edu or jstewart@iastate.edu.
Communications Kiosk
Seasons
Lowercase spring, summer, fall, winter and derivatives such as springtime unless part of a formal name: Dartmouth Winter Carnival, Winter Olympics, Summer Olympics. (Associated Press Stylebook, 2024-2026 edition, pg. 213)
Infograzing
Wintersteen Signs Statement Calling for National Investment in R&D
President Wendy Wintersteen has joined universities, companies and other organizations across the U.S. in calling for national investment in research and development. She signed a written statement penned by the Council on Competitiveness, a nonprofit organization with the mission of enhancing U.S. competitiveness in the global marketplace. The statement includes recommendations for transforming American innovation by investing in research and new technologies, strengthening partnerships and attracting global talent. Iowa State spokesperson Angie Hunt said Wintersteen decided to sign the statement to support investment in research and development.
Learn about Christian Petersen and the Public Works of Art Project
As part of its 50th anniversary, University Museums is highlighting some of the earliest and most vital works in the Art on Campus Collection. Join University Museums on June 15 from 2-3 p.m. for a tour of Christian Petersen’s first public art for Iowa State at the Food Science Building, with the History of Dairying murals and entry bas reliefs. The tour starts at the west entrance of the Food Sciences Building.
Marginalia
Meteorological vs. Astronomical Seasons
Did summer officially begin yesterday, June 1, or does it begin later this month, on June 20? Meteorologists and climatologists break the seasons down into groupings of three months based on the annual temperature cycle as well as the calendar. In the Northern Hemisphere, meteorological summer consists of June, July and August. The natural rotation of Earth around the sun forms the basis for the astronomical calendar, in which seasons are defined with two solstices and two equinoxes. For 2025, the summer solstice is June 20. Also, there is a lag between the longest day of the year and the warmest average temperatures for most mid- and high-latitude locations. The maximum daily temperature typically occurs in mid-July, nearly three weeks after the summer solstice. This lag is due to the time required for ground and water to heat up.
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.