CALS Online and Dean’s Message
May 18, 2026
Dean’s Message
Hello CALS Colleagues – Our academic summer has arrived, and graduation exercises are in the rear-view window! CALS Convocation and the university commencements (grad and undergrad) were terrific, as always, and the happy smiling faces of our most recent alums were vibrant proof of that…
Top Stories
Exploring Conifers’ Potential as Bioreactor Wood Chip Source
Hardwood tree species have traditionally been used as a source of wood chips for bioreactors, but could conifers be used, as well? Cesar Martinez, a senior in forestry, posed this question to Billy Beck, natural resource ecology and management, last summer at a conference. Martinez was specifically interested in exploring eastern redcedar’s potential as a bioreactor wood chip source, since some consider the species invasive.
Research
Two Research Teams Receive 2026 Bridging the Divide Grants
Maria Wurzinger and Gustavo Gutiérrez, animal science, are principal investigators on one of two 2026 Bridging the Divide seed grants. Titled “Mapping Iowa’s Animal Fiber Economy to Unlock New Value,” they will take an in-depth look at Iowa’s animal fiber system: what works, what doesn’t and money that may be left on the table.
CARD Launches Long-Term Agricultural Outlook
The Center for Agricultural and Rural Development has released the Long-Term Agricultural Outlook 2026, a renewed effort to provide transparent, model-based projections of possible long-run developments in global agriculture, food markets, land use, livestock production and biofuels.
The Science Protecting Soybeans from Sudden Death
For Daren Mueller, plant pathology, entomology and microbiology, research is not confined to the lab. His work studying sudden death syndrome in soybeans bridges scientific discovery and real-world decision making, helping farmers navigate uncertainty in increasingly complex production systems.
Teaching and Students
Agronomy Graduate Student Receives Crop Science Award
Venkata Naresh Boddepalli, a graduate student in plant breeding, received one of this year's Gerald O. Mott Meritorious Graduate Student Award in Crop Science. Presented by the Crop Science Society of America, the award recognizes students like Naresh Boddepalli who demonstrate exceptional potential as future leaders in crop science.
CALS Students Selected for Borlaug-Ruan International Internship
Two CALS students were selected by the World Food Prize Foundation for the Borlaug-Ruan International Internship. Lily Ferguson, a senior in global resource systems, and Payton Moore, a sophomore in animal science, will explore issues related to global food security and sustainability during eight-week internships in India and Kenya respectively.
Pathways Program Helps Students Prepare for the Future
Students, faculty, advisors and alumni gathered at the Student Innovation Center on May 7 for the Pathways to Innovation and Leadership Showcase, an event celebrating student growth, professional development and the impact of the Pathways program within CALS.
FFA Students Explore Microbiology at Iowa State
Iowa State welcomed more than 7,000 students for the Iowa FFA Leadership Conference, and for one group, the experience included a hands-on dive into the invisible world of microbes. Melha Mellata, food science and human nutrition, and her graduate student, Caleb Skow, hosted a microbiology outreach event to connect classroom science with real-world agriculture and food safety.
Extension and Outreach
Beginning Farmer Center Introduces Podcast
The Beginning Farmer Center with ISU Extension and Outreach introduced a new podcast – County Roads. In the first episode, Kristiana Coutu, director of the Beginning Farmer Center, and Tim Christensen, farm management specialist, take a broad look at farm succession planning and the dynamics shaping transitions on today’s family farms.
Around the College
Dinsmore Reappointed as NREM Department Chair
Stephen Dinsmore has been reappointed to another five-year term as chair of the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management. Looking ahead, he’d like to leverage NREM expertise in campus partnerships to enhance learning opportunities for students. He also hopes to form an external advisory council to help guide the department on how to better prepare students to meet industry needs.
Agriculture Honor Society Presents Awards
Gamma Sigma Delta, the Iowa Beta Chapter of the Honor Society of Agriculture, held its annual award ceremony on April 16. Forty-seven undergraduate students, 41 graduate and veterinary medicine students, and three faculty and staff members were initiated into the honor society. The following CALS faculty, staff, students and alums were presented awards at the ceremony:
- Research Mission Award – Anna Johnson, animal science
- Teaching Mission Award – Quincy Law, horticulture
- International Agriculture Mission Award – Christen Burgett, animal science
- Extension Mission Award – Rabail Chandio, economics
- Alumni Award of Merit – Brian McCulloh (’81 animal science), Woodhill Farms
- Distinguished Achievement in Agriculture Award – Robert Riley, Jr., Riley Resource Group
- Senior Scholarship – Katerina Casas Solis, animal science
- Sophomore Scholarship – Joshua Fenwich, animal science
CALS Online: Next Issue June 1
CALS Online will not be published on May 25. The newsletter will resume Monday, June 1.
Calendar
May 20: Debra Hop Retirement Reception
A retirement reception for Debra Hop, budget and finance specialist in the agronomy department, will be held Wednesday, May 20, from 2:30-4 p.m. (program at 3 p.m.) in the Agronomy Hall commons. Hop is retiring after 30 years of service to the university.
May 29: Glenn Wiedenhoeft Retirement Reception
A retirement reception for Glenn Wiedenhoeft, instructional support specialist in the agronomy department, will be held May 29 at 10 a.m. in the Agronomy Hall commons.
June 9: Central Iowa Resilient Systems Field Day
A field day on Central Iowa Resilient Systems is June 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Beef Teaching Farm. The field day will feature hands-on demonstrations focused on improving resilience in forage and livestock systems under increasing weather variability. Registration is $20/person and space is limited.
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
Healthcare, Daycare, Childcare
The Associated Press has changed its style guidelines from health care to healthcare – one word, no hyphen, in all cases. This style change also applies to daycare and childcare.
Infograzing
ISU Memorial Day Remembrance is May 20
Iowa State’s annual Memorial Day ceremony, hosted by the ISU Retirees Association to honor retirees and spouses or partners who died in the past year, is Wednesday, May 20, at 9:30 a.m. Attendees can join online via Zoom or in-person at the ISU Alumni Center.
New App Could Change How Institutions Care for Invertebrates
A new digital tool being developed through a collaboration between Reiman Gardens’ entomology department and students at Iowa State is poised to transform how zoos and institutions care for some of their smallest – and often overlooked – residents. Dubbed “Hive Minds,” the project is the result of a yearlong senior capstone effort by a team of seven software engineering students.
Student Food Pantry Needs Summer Shift Volunteers
SHOP, the food pantry in Beyer Hall serving Iowa State students, is seeking volunteers for open-hours shifts, deliveries and pick-ups during summer session, May 18-Aug. 21.
Marginalia
Poppies Honor the Fallen and Support the Living
The iconic Memorial Day poppy symbol dates to World War I, when the red flower flourished in Europe. Scientists attributed its growth to the soils in France and Belgium becoming enriched with lime from the rubble left by war. The poppy grew out from destruction, seeming to represent the blood shed during battle. In May, American Legion Auxiliary members and volunteers nationwide hand out poppies in exchange for a donation that goes directly to support the future of Veterans, active-duty military personnel and their families with medical and financial needs.
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.