CALS Online and Dean’s Message
December 22, 2025
Dean’s Message
Hello CALS! Happiest holidays and a totally great New Year to all of you! Many thanks for all the great work and accomplishments through this fall semester...
Top Stories
Seven Faculty Members Join 2026 IEFF Cohort
Teaching about world food issues, forging partnerships between environmental health and safety and discovering the secrets of the marshes are among the projects selected for the 2026 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows program. A group of seven faculty across five departments in CALS will receive funding to support their proposed IEFF projects. Carmen Bain, CALS associate dean for academic innovation, said she was impressed by the quality and depth of this year’s proposals. “The committee was excited by the thoughtfulness of the proposals aimed at helping undergraduates think creatively and act entrepreneurially, skills that will serve them well as future problem solvers. I look forward to seeing their ideas come to life,” Bain said.
Research
Water Quality Research Available in Digital Repository
As of December 2025, more than 100 publications are available in the Iowa Nutrient Research Center’s digital repository, documenting findings from studies completed over the last decade. The authors represent Iowa State, the University of Iowa, the University of Northern Iowa and other collaborators in nonprofits, agencies and private businesses. Their work highlights advances in knowledge that often guide future implementation of conservation practices and technologies.
Teaching and Students
Ag Studies Graduate Turns Adversity into Opportunity
It was only one year ago when Cal Clucas wasn’t sure he’d ever walk again. Last week, he strode across the stage to receive his degree from Iowa State University. “When things would bring most people to their breaking point, Cal always has a smile on his face, a positive outlook on life and an attitude that is appreciative of everything he has,” said his academic advisor, Nate Dobbels.
CALS Students Gain Global Agriculture Experiences in New Zealand
As part of the CALS Agricultural Systems of New Zealand fall break course, students and faculty traveled across both islands to study livestock production, crop and horticulture systems, cultural history and global market influences shaping New Zealand agriculture. Highlights of the trip and differences between New Zealand and U.S. agriculture are featured in an article published in the Dec. 10 issue of the Iowa State Daily.
Extension and Outreach
Master Gardener Home Gardening Series Begins in January
The ISU Extension and Outreach Master Gardener program will again host its annual Home Gardening Webinar Series, beginning in January 2026 and ending in March 2026. Sessions will take place every Thursday from 6–7 p.m., ending March 12, 2026. Designed for anyone interested in gardening or horticulture, the series aims to inspire and educate.
Garden Academy to be Offered Spring and Fall 2026
The ISU Extension and Outreach Master Gardener Program will provide its statewide horticulture training in the spring and fall of 2026. Garden Academy, previously known as Iowa Master Gardener training, offers a comprehensive approach to consumer horticulture education. Interested participants can choose the Iowa Master Gardener Volunteer track or Iowa Home Gardener track. Applications for the spring session will be open from Jan. 5-30, 2026.
Around the College
Young Farmers from Bolivia and Brazil Visit CALS
In early December, the International Farmers Aid Association held a portion of their Midwest Winter Seminar in collaboration with the CALS Office for Global Engagement. Four young farmers from Bolivia and Brazil spent a few days learning about agriculture, technology and research at Iowa State.
Women Impacting ISU Calendar Honorees Announced
The 2026 Women Impacting ISU calendar will be a special 20th anniversary commemorative edition featuring women who had left Iowa State before the publication of the first calendar in 2007. Honorees with CALS connections are: Rowena Edson Stevens (1873 agriculture) and Kate (Nelson) Terrell (’02 horticulture). The 2026 calendar will be officially unveiled during a reception on Jan. 23, 2026, from 3:30-5 p.m. (program at 4 p.m.) in the Memorial Union Sun Room.
Nominations for Professorship Awards Due Jan. 15
Nominations for Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor, University Professor and Morrill Professor are due to CALS by Jan. 15, 2026. Use the online submissions portal under Nominating Instructions and Form on the CALS Honors and Awards website. Contact Alicia Hauser (ahauser@iastate.edu) with questions.
Compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines Required
Following a federal ruling by the U.S. Department of Justice under the Americans with Disabilities Act, all public entities are required to comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 at the AA level by April 24, 2026. This means all content, both public-facing and internal, must meet those accessibility requirements. Iowa State’s Digital Accessibility Team offers training and resources to help ensure digital materials are accessible. What you should do:
- Read Inside Iowa State's "What to know about the digital accessibility initiative" article
- Faculty: Complete the Core Digital Accessibility Training for Faculty in Workday by May 15, 2026
- Staff: Complete the Core Digital Accessibility Training for Staff in Workday by May 15, 2026
CALS Online: Next Issue Jan. 12, 2026
CALS Online will not be published for the next two weeks. It will resume Jan. 12, 2026. Happy holidays.
Calendar
Feb. 2, 2026: Save the Date
Iowa State will celebrate the annual George Washington Carver Day of Recognition on Feb. 2, 2026, from 5-7:30 p.m. in the Durham Great Hall, Memorial Union. Amanda Williams, visual artist and architect, will present how Carver invented and patented a way to create a famous blue pigment from clay and how she used his process and pigment for a renewal project in New Orleans and other art experiments.
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.
Infograzing
Design Students Reimagine Future of Boone Parks and Recreation Spaces
An advanced landscape architecture studio class teamed up with the Boone City Park Commission to turn classroom concepts into actionable plans for parks and recreation spaces. Students were challenged to help with the ongoing strategic planning process, including walking and biking trails, natural park areas, conservation practices, community gardens, art installations and more.
Keep Your Workspace Protected in Cold Weather
The time between the end of fall semester and the beginning of the spring term sees a campus population in flux. Some faculty and staff use vacation time; others are teaching remotely during winter session. It's important to protect buildings that may see little use as the weather turns colder. Everyone doing their part before they depart their office for an extended time can make a big difference.
Marginalia
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was a Very Shiny Marketing Tool
According to the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of American History, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer first appeared in 1939 when Montgomery Ward department store asked one of its copywriters, 34-year-old Robert May, to create a Christmas story the store could give away to shoppers as a promotional gimmick. In the first year of publication, 2.4 million copies of Rudolph’s story were distributed, and a classic was born. Ten years later, May’s brother-in-law, songwriter Johnny Marks, set it to music. In 1949, Gene Autry recorded Marks’ musical version of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.” In 1964, Rankin/Bass Productions produced the first animated version of the story for television.
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.