CALS Online and Dean’s Message
August 25, 2025
Dean’s Message
Hi CALS, and Welcome to the Semester – … Last week was full of departmental and college retreats all across the campus. True, too, in CALS. I held two - one with all the department chairs and one with the dean’s office staff. I also stopped in at a few others to make some remarks, take questions and listen. It was a good week… This week, there are more departmental meetings to help launch the semester, the start of classes and more. Somehow I have no less than 32 meetings on my calendar for this week – yikes!
Top Stories
Revival of STORIES Magazine – Stories of Connections
The college is pleased to introduce the revived STORIES magazine – a new chapter in communications with the CALS community. Centered around “Stories of Connections,” this edition focuses on how faculty, staff, students, alums and partners work and engage with each other. “We are a community of committed people, from local to global, striving to enable our communities, science and landscapes to thrive,” said Daniel J. Robison, endowed dean’s chair in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “This is best achieved through meaningful relationships that result in innovative ideas, shared knowledge and collaborations with positive impact. We hope the stories you’ll read will inspire you, leave you feeling connected to this outstanding college and confirm our relevance, impact and success.”
Video: It just hit us…
STORIES magazine will be in your hands soon. Watch your mailboxes this week for the magazine’s arrival.
Research
INRC to Co-Host Regional Drainage Research Forum
The Iowa Nutrient Research Center is co-hosting the 2025 Tri-State Drainage Research Forum Sept. 9-10 in Brookings, South Dakota. Speakers from around the region will discuss agricultural drainage research projects, drainage permitting, wetland banking and related issues.
Teaching and Students
Undergraduate Researchers to Present pi-Minute Thesis
The 11 students in this year’s BBMB Summer Undergraduate Research Program will share their takeaways in ~3.14-minute, one-slide talks (pi-minute thesis) on Sept. 4 from 3:40-5:30 p.m. in 1414 Molecular Biology Building. The presentations were developed with the general public and first-year science majors in mind. The event is co-hosted by the Stupka Undergraduate Research Symposium.
New Student BBQ Scheduled for Sept. 5
The CALS Student Council is hosting its annual new student barbecue on Sept. 4 from 5:30-7 p.m. in the Iowa Farm Bureau Pavilion in Kildee Hall. Attendees can explore all the student clubs and organizations offered through the college.
New Faces, Same Level of Support in CALS Career Services Office
The CALS Career Services office is staffed and ready to support students as they pursue internship and job opportunities and prepare to attend the CALS Career Day this fall. Long-time CALS Career Services employees Mike Gaul and Lois Benning retired in June. Efforts are underway to hire a new assistant director for the office. In the meantime, a dedicated team has stepped up to lead the office through this transition period.
Extension and Outreach
Corn Diseases Highlighted at Northeast Farm Field Day
The Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm by Nashua will hold its annual fall field day on Friday, Aug. 29, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Topics will include southern rust, cover crops and manure management. The field day is available to all at no cost. Please RSVP by today, Aug. 25, for a meal count.
Fall Field Day Scheduled at Northern Farm
The Northern Research and Demonstration Farm in Kanawha will host its Fall Field Day on Sept. 4 beginning at 8:30 a.m. The program will feature topics affecting crops this growing season and research being conducted at the farm. The field day is available to all at no cost, but attendees are encouraged to pre-register by Sept. 2 for a meal count.
Windbreak School Offered at Southeast Farm
ISU Extension and Outreach is holding two separate events at the Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm near Crawfordsville on Sept. 4. Windbreak School will run from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., followed by the research farm’s fall field day beginning at 1:30 p.m. Online pre-registration for the Windbreak School is required by Friday. Aug. 29.
Drone University to Explore the Power of Aerial Technology in Agriculture
ISU Extension and Outreach, in collaboration with the ISU Digital Ag Innovation Lab, will host Drone University on Sept. 11 at the Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm near Nashua. Designed as an introductory course, the workshop will provide foundational knowledge on the effective use of imagery drones for improved decision-making in crop management. Participants will also gain insight into the emerging role of spray drones in modern agriculture.
Dairy Webinar to Discuss Immigration Enforcement
The ISU Extension and Outreach Dairy Team will continue its monthly webinar series on Sept. 12 from noon to 1 p.m. Kristiana Coutu, director of the Beginning Farmer Center and counsel for the Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation, will discuss common reasons why federal immigration officials may contact agricultural employers or visit farms.
Around the College
Bioeconomy Institute Names New Leadership
Iowa State’s Bioeconomy Institute is entering a new era with the appointment of director Lisa Schulte Moore, natural resource ecology and management, who has served as co-director with Robert Brown since 2022, and three associate directors – Xianglan Bai, mechanical engineering, Mark Mba Wright, mechanical engineering, and Andy VanLoocke, agronomy.
Landowners and Public Asked to Track Monarch Roosting Sites
The Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium is asking for help from Iowa landowners to document sites where monarchs roost on their property -- or from community members if they observe roosting monarchs on public lands. Identifying roosting locations provides critical data on migration pathways and helps scientists and conservationists protect and restore key habitats.
Vold Inducted into Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame
Lesa Vold, Egg Industry Center, and her husband, Earl, have been inducted into the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame. They have been volunteers in the Hamilton County 4-H program since 2004, especially within the horse project area.
CALS Online: Next Issue Sept. 8
CALS Online will not be published on Sept. 1. The newsletter will resume Monday, Sept 8.
Calendar
Aug. 27: SoyFest
The Iowa Soybean Research Center is hosting SoyFest on Wednesday, 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. There will be 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. 27: Webinar Features Farm Estate Planning
Mason Burkhart, legal counsel for Iowa State’s Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation, will discuss farm estate and succession planning for the Iowa Learning Farms conservation webinar on Wednesday, Aug. 27, at noon.
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.
Sept. 2: CALS Career Services Meet and Greet
Meet the CALS Career Services interim team on Sept. 2 from 9-11 a.m. in 0015 Curtiss Hall. Coffee, juice and a light breakfast will be provided.
Sept. 4: CALS Harvesting Innovation Open House During EXCITE!
Stop by the CALS Harvesting Innovation booths during the Student Innovation Center EXCITE! Open House Sept. 4 from 2-6 p.m. in the CALS Collaboration Labs, SICTR 4227 and 4229. Visit the Pathways Program, Start Something CALS, the AI Institute Innovation Project, Wildlife Wonders and Culinary Bootcamp, and sample some fresh pressed grape juice from the ISU Winery.
Sept. 5: CALS Staff Council Tailgate
The CALS Staff Council is hosting a tailgate on Sept. 5 from 10 a.m. to noon outside of Harl Commons, Curtiss Hall. Attendees are encouraged to wear Cyclone gear while enjoying snacks, cornhole and a chance to win a tailgate basket.
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
Using Quotations Marks with Unfamiliar Terms
A word or words being introduced to readers may be placed in quotation marks on first reference. (Broadcast frequencies are measured in “kilohertz.”) Do not put subsequent references to kilohertz in quotation marks. (Associated Press Stylebook, 2024-2026 edition, pg. 403)
Infograzing
Students Encouraged to Attend WelcomeFest
WelcomeFest is Wednesday, Aug. 27, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Durham Great Hall. It attracts thousands of students and more than 100 businesses and departments. The event gives vendors the opportunity to welcome students to the community and promote their products, services and employment opportunities.
Grow and Give Program Donates Fresh Produce
This summer, Reiman Gardens’ Grow & Give program has seen hundreds of hours of hands-on work fighting food insecurity in the community. Partners and volunteers have turned garden beds into baskets of fresh produce for local families. The 2025 season isn’t over yet, but the program has already donated 10,258 pounds of produce to 13 local food pantries.
Family-Owned Farms Account for 95% of U.S. Farms
Family farms comprise 95% of all U.S. farms, according to the 2022 Census of Agriculture Farm Typology report released Aug. 19 by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The farm typology report primarily focuses on the “family farm,” defined as any farm where the majority of the business is owned by the producer and individuals related to the producer. The report classifies all farms into unique categories based on two criteria: who owns the operation and gross cash farm income.
Marginalia
Pillars Tell the Story of Iowa’s Topsoil Loss Over Time
As a pioneer in agriculture, both here in Iowa and the national arena, Henry Wallace’s vision for Iowa is depicted in many parts of the Iowa Department of Transportation’s rest area on Interstate 80 eastbound in Adair County (milepost 81). Outside, pillars constructed to look like soil core samples give visitors a glimpse of the loss of Iowa prairie and topsoil over time (from 1850 to today). The information on each pillar includes the strata of each soil type and documentation to take the traveler on a journey through time periods of differing tillage methods and their effects on topsoil levels.
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.