CALS Online and Dean’s Message
August 18, 2025
Dean’s Message
Hello CALS – Classes are about to start, and the football season, too. The rains and the heat continue, the crops look good, and you be the judge on prices (see below…) The past 11 days have brought us the great Iowa State Fair – by all accounts, the best show in any town! See pictures below… This week, there are a host of departmental and college retreats, and I wish you all a final great last week of our academic summer! – Dan
Top Stories
From the Back Yard to the Back Forty, Simple Steps for Helping Wildlife
ISU Extension and Outreach has published its “4 Things for Wildlife” series, offering readers practical ideas for supporting wildlife through land management actions. According to Adam Janke, publication author and natural resource ecology and management wildlife extension specialist, creating habitat, ensuring biodiversity, maintaining connectivity and collaborating with local experts are critical factors needed for wildlife. In addition to the primary resource, the series features tips for benefiting wildlife across various landscapes:
- 4 Things for Wildlife on Every Farm
- 4 Things for Wildlife in Every Yard
- 4 Things for Wildlife in Every Forest
- 4 Things for Wildlife in Every Pasture
- 4 Things for Wildlife Everywhere
Research
BioCentury Research Farm Site of New Fermentation Facility
A new bioindustrial manufacturing scale-up facility will help advance innovative biobased solutions and products from the lab to commercialization. BioMADE, a U.S. Department of Defense Manufacturing Innovation Institute, is partnering with the ISU Research Park and Iowa State University on this collaborative initiative to install a multi-use fermentation facility at the BioCentury Research Farm.
Cracking the Case on Sunflower Head Rot
The Seed Science Center is part of a global collaboration to address the persistent and destructive threat of sunflower head rot. Charles Block, seed health testing coordinator at the Seed Science Center, is a co-author on a series of recently published diagnostic guides detailing the biology, epidemiology and management of the major sunflower head rot diseases.
Education Has Causal Effects on Marriage
Marriage rates have now reached historic lows in the United States, especially among young people. At the same time, college education levels have increased considerably. Are these trends related? New research from John Winters, economics, has identified a causal link between education and marriage – but it's a nuanced one.
Teaching and Students
Students Gain Feed Safety Knowledge at the Feed Mill
Students in TSM 4570: Feed Safety, Ingredient Quality and Analytics have the unique opportunity to put on the hard hats of feed technicians and experience the ins and outs of commercial feed production at the Iowa State University Kent Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex. Gretchen Mosher, agricultural and biosystems engineering and instructor of TSM 4570, said the class offers students the chance to put their textbook skills to the test.
Extension and Outreach
Organic Field Day Set for Aug 26
Iowa State’s Organic Ag Program is holding a field day on Aug. 26 from 4-6 p.m. at the Neely-Kinyon Memorial Research and Demonstration Farm near Greenfield. Researchers from Iowa State and USDA’s Agricultural Research Service will discuss fertilization, weed management and the use of different crop rotations in organic systems. The field day will include a light meal featuring local and organic foods.
Corn Diseases to be Highlighted at Nashua Field Day
The annual fall field day at Iowa State’s Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm in Nashua is Aug. 29 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Borlaug Learning Center. Ethan Thies, extension conservation field specialist, will present on cover crops, including implementation, species selection and best management practices. Dan Anderson, extension agriculture engineering specialist, will share insights on the differences between fall vs. spring manure application, along with best management practices for nutrient use. Alison Robertson, extension field crops pathologist, will discuss managing southern rust and other corn diseases of concern for the 2025 growing season.
Barn of Tomorrow Webinar Series Scheduled for September
The ISU Extension and Outreach agriculture and biosystems engineering team will hold the "Barn of Tomorrow" webinar series in September. The five-week series will explore cutting-edge advancements in livestock housing, precision technologies and strategies to enhance efficiency, sustainability and animal welfare. The series begins Sept. 2 and will occur every Tuesday at noon. Each webinar is available at no cost, but online registration is required.
Around the College
CALS Opens Search for Assistant Director of Career Services
CALS is seeking an assistant director of Career Services to lead a dynamic, student-focused office that connects students and alums with employers in agriculture, natural resources and life sciences. The role provides strategic leadership for career development programs, fosters strong employer partnerships, and delivers high-quality advising and professional development opportunities for students from recruitment through graduation and beyond. The application deadline is Sunday, Aug. 24.
Anderson Receives Supplementary Materials Award
Amber Anderson, agronomy, received a 2025 Iowa Open Educational Resources Supplementary Materials Award. She was honored for developing additional learning materials targeting high school soil judging. As the state contest organizer, she wanted to provide additional interactive and high-quality materials to help high schoolers and their instructors better understand soil features. She has also written an introductory soil science textbook for her course, AGRON 1820, and collaborates with other faculty in agronomy to curate and develop original OER.
Press Check? Done – STORIES Magazine is at the Printer
STORIES, the college-wide alum magazine, is at the printer and will be arriving in mailboxes by the end of the month. While readers will notice much of the same content they’ve come to love, some fun, new additions have been added. Follow #CALSstories on social media for the latest updates and opt-in to receive the print or digital version of the magazine.
Calendar
Aug. 21: Registration Deadline for Egg Industry Forum
Thursday, Aug. 21, is the deadline to register for this year's Egg Industry Issues Forum, co-hosted by the Egg Industry Center and Hy-Line North America. The 2025 Egg Forum is co-located with the Ohio Poultry Association's Industry Celebration in Westerville, Ohio, running from Sept. 10-12.
Aug. 27: SoyFest
The Iowa Soybean Research Center is hosting SoyFest on Aug. 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on central campus near Parks Library and Marston Hall. The event will feature numerous soy-related exhibitors, Iowa State research labs and student clubs highlighting the importance of soy and its many uses in everyday life from food to new and innovative products. SoyFest will feature grilled pork, turkey and soy-veggie burgers, soy-related snacks, robotic and other technological demonstrations, soy-themed prize giveaways, carnival games, soy-based ice cream and a visit by Cy.
Aug. 29: CALS Ice Cream Social
CALS faculty and staff are invited to an ice cream social on Aug. 29 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the Harl Commons patio behind Curtiss Hall.
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
Back to School for Academic Degrees
If mention of degrees is necessary to establish someone’s credentials, the preferred form is to avoid an abbreviation and use instead a phrase such as: Fatima Kader, who has a doctorate in psychology. Use an apostrophe in bachelor’s degree, a master’s, etc., but there is no possessive in Bachelor of Arts or Master of Science. Use such abbreviations as B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. only when the need to identify many individuals by degree on first reference would make the preferred form cumbersome. Use these abbreviations only after a full name – never after just a last name. When used after a name, an academic abbreviation is set off by commas: John Snow, Ph.D., spoke. (Associated Press Stylebook, 2024-2026 edition, pg. 2)
Infograzing
Innovation Lunch Club Meets Aug. 22
The August edition of the Innovation Impact Lunch Club will feature several "superstar" ag startup tenants in the ISU Research Park. The club will meet on Friday, Aug. 22, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (lunch at 11:15 a.m.) in the board room at the ISU Economic Development Core Facility in the research park. RSVP to mndooley@iastate.edu.
Encourage Students to Attend Cyclone Welcome Weekend
Year four of Cyclone Welcome Weekend is Friday and Saturday, Aug. 22-23. On Saturday there will be a G.O.A.T. Breakfast outside of Hilton Coliseum from 7:30-10:30 a.m. and an Aer Lingus College Football Classic Student-Only Game Watch in Hilton Coliseum with kickoff at 11 a.m. Faculty and staff can volunteer to help with the event. Sign up is available online.
Learn about Titans of Iowa State during Art Walk
Throughout Iowa State’s history, several figures have stood tall in their research, leadership and achievements to the university. Explore the art that honors their legacies on Aug. 27 from noon to 1 p.m., beginning at the north courtyard of Carver Hall.
Graduate School Application Workshops Scheduled for September
The Honors Program, Graduate College and Academic Success Center are offering a series of four workshops in September for students who are considering or actively applying to graduate programs. The workshops will take place from 5-7 p.m. in the Student Innovation Center and focus on What is Graduate School? (Sept. 9), Building your CV or Resume (Sept. 16), Demystifying the Statement of Purpose (Sept. 23) and Navigating the Interview and Campus Visit (Sept. 30). Students are asked to register for the workshops so organizers can plan for space and snacks.
Marginalia
How to Drink Ice Water
Nothing beats an ice-cold drink on a hot summer day, but during the 19th century, ice was a rare luxury. In an Aug. 11 blog post on Fishwrap, the official blog of Newspapers.com, Jenny Ashcraft talks about the ice trade that transformed that luxury into a booming global industry. As ice became increasingly popular, Americans were introduced to new foods and drinks that were not previously available. An 1870 newspaper clipping gave instructions on how to drink ice water. "...The warmer and more thirsty the drinker, the slower he should drink. The swallows should be taken at sufficient intervals to allow the stomach to gradually accommodate itself to the great change of temperature."
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.