CALS Online and Dean’s Message
July 27, 2026
Dean’s Message
Hello CALS – It is always surprising how fast the month of July goes by! The campus has been quieter than usual… Last week, we were fortunate to host President and Dr. Cook on a tour of the Iowa State University Kent Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex… We learned this week that our partnership with the American Farm School University in Thessaloniki, Greece, has been formally approved by the Greek Ministry of Education…
Top Stories
Finding What it Takes to Make a White Blood Cell Could Lead to New Cancer Treatment
New findings by a research team led by Raquel Espin Palazon, genetics, development and cell biology, identified two essential components – a pervasive protein and a crucial cellular signaling pathway – needed to make some types of blood cells, a discovery that could lead to a new treatment for leukemia. The study, published last month in Cell Reports, sprang from the researchers’ interest in progranulin, a protein found throughout most plants and animal bodies that plays a role in cell growth, tissue repair and inflammation. (Photo courtesy of Raquel Espin Palazon/Iowa State University)
Research
Several Iowa State Research Projects Selected for Genesis Mission
Iowa State University is the lead institution in four research projects, and university faculty are collaborators on four additional projects that are part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s sweeping Genesis Mission. CALS faculty and department involvement includes Maria Salas-Fernandez, agronomy, and Pulong Ma, statistics.
USDA Funds Collaboration to Study, Support Rural Well-Water Users
A new grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture is supporting work to engage rural households in Iowa who depend on private wells to understand drinking water quality and address potential problems. Leaders on the grant are Jacqueline Comito, Iowa Learning Farms, and Gabriel Lade, The Ohio State University. Other collaborators are Catherine DeLong, ISU Extension and Outreach, and David Keiser, Yale School of the Environment. The research and education project builds on an earlier Iowa Rural Drinking Water Initiative led by Comito, Lade and Keiser.
The Agronomics of Relay Cropping Soybean into Winter Small Grains
Relay intercropping is generating growing interest among farmers and conservation professionals because it offers the potential to combine profitable crop production with soil and water conservation benefits. In its simplest form, relay intercropping involves growing two crops simultaneously in the same field, but with different planting and harvest dates. Mark Licht, agronomy, explains more in a July 15 blog post for the Conservation Learning Group.
ISRC Researcher Spotlight: Rabail Chandio
Rabail Chandio, an Iowa Soybean Research Center faculty research affiliate, is an assistant professor of economics and an extension economist. Her research interests include studying the trends in the U.S. farmland market and examining the role of agricultural policy in driving farmers’ choices and financial outcomes.
Teaching and Students
CALS Welcomes University of Costa Rica Students to Iowa
From July 21–31, CALS is hosting 12 University of Costa Rica students and two faculty members for a 10-day program coordinated by Barb Clawson, horticulture, and Erin Hodgson, plant pathology, entomology and microbiology. Participants will explore Iowa’s diverse agricultural systems through tours of industry leaders such as Syngenta Seeds, Kemin Industries and John Deere Des Moines Works, along with visits to local farms, orchards, vineyards and greenhouses.
CALS Students, Faculty and Staff Now Have Free Access to EcoJobs
CALS students, alums, faculty or staff can sign up for free accounts to EcoJobs under the CALS Career Services subscription, providing access to hundreds of jobs posted. For access to the Career Services sign-up link and group code, contact Eric Anderson, ericand@iastate.edu.
Post-Graduation Outcomes Open for Summer 2026 Class
CALS Career Services encourages instructors and advisors to remind students graduating this summer to add their post-graduation plans in CyHire. On their homepage in CyHire, students will see a tab called Outcomes – select “+ Report Experience.” Students that submit an outcome will be entered into a chance to win a $75 Amazon gift card. Contact Eric Anderson (ericand@iastate.edu) in Career Services with questions.
CALS Study Abroad Provides Year of Global Impact
During the 2025–2026 academic year, 333 CALS students participated in study abroad experiences, traveling to 37 countries across 70 programs. The CALS Study Abroad Office awarded 298 scholarships totaling $275,370 to increase access to international experiences. Since its launch in 2021, the Study USA program has continued offering domestic experiential learning opportunities. During the 2025–2026 academic year, 22 students participated in two programs.
Extension and Outreach
Iowa Farm Income Fell 53% Over Three Years, New ISU Report Says
Net farm income in Iowa fell by 53% from 2022 to 2024, according to a report released by the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, titled “2026 Iowa Agricultural Outlook: The Pressure is Rising.” Following the post-COVID-19 economic boom, corn and soybean prices have retreated while input prices have remained high. Net farm income, a U.S. Department of Agriculture measure of farm profitability, declined year-over-year in Iowa in 2023 and 2024 as row crop farmers bear the brunt of low revenues and high costs. While this has not triggered a collapse on the scale of the 1980s farm crisis, the steady tightening is straining Iowa farm businesses and the industries and rural communities tied to them.
Help Your Trees Feel Oak-kay Again
Due to storms and severe weather, tree limbs are down while tree stress is up. But there are ways to help the timber in your area and keep damage from happening. In the July 10 Garden Variety podcast, Jeff Iles, horticulture, talks about helping trees with storm damage, as well as preventative measures to consider before the next round of severe weather.
Two New Production Guides Released to Support Midwest Growers
Midwest commercial vegetable growers can access two new resources on napa cabbage and eggplant production from ISU Extension and Outreach. The publications provide research-backed guidance on cultivation, pest management and post-harvest handling for the specialty crops and are available for download at no cost from the Iowa State Extension Store.
IMCC Website Now Includes Information on Funding Opportunities for Establishing Monarch and Pollinator Habitat
There are many federal, state and local programs that provide funding for establishing monarch and pollinator habitat both in agricultural and urban areas. To help people better access these financial incentives, the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium has created two new dashboards covering financial opportunities that help off-set establishment costs, provide cost-share options or free materials for habitat establishment.
ANR Extension Spotlight: Traci Knight
Traci Knight, communications manager for the Agriculture and Natural Resources Communications team, keeps projects on track and ensures quality, on-brand and accessible communications to serve the needs of ANR specialists and connect Iowans with resources to help them succeed. One part of the job she's looking forward to? The biennial Farm Progress Show in Iowa.
Around the College
New Report Highlights Farmers’ Circular Innovations
Two Ugandan farmers, Ngonzi Tape and Bangi Robert, working for programs offered by the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods, are featured on pages 12-13 of a new report released by Solutions from the Land in partnership with the Circular Bioeconomy Systems Institute. “Voices of Farmers Around the World: Circular Approaches for Scaling Bioeconomies” includes first-hand accounts from farmers across the globe who are transforming agricultural systems through practical, circular approaches.
Lamont Receives WPSA Research Award
Susan Lamont, distinguished professor emerita in animal science, received the Paul B. Siegel Research Award from the World’s Poultry Science Association at the World’s Poultry Congress, July 13-17 in Toronto.
Schalinske Named ASN Distinguished Fellow
Kevin Schalinske, food science and human nutrition, was inducted into the Class of 2026 Distinguished Fellows by the American Society for Nutrition and the ASN Foundation at its annual meeting on July 25-28 in Washington, D.C.
Kelley Receives Excellence in Education Award
Dior Kelley, genetics, development and cell biology, received the Excellence in Education Award from the American Society of Plant Biologists at the Plant Biology 2026 meeting July 18-22 on Ottawa, Canada.
Hjelmaas Joins CALT to Support Legal and Tax Education
Joshua Hjelmaas has joined the Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation as its new agricultural law research specialist. In this role, he will research legal issues affecting Iowa agriculture and share that information through CALT’s Ag Docket Blog.
Manz, Most Named to Interim Positions of Biology and Genetics Undergraduate Programs
Carly Manz, genetics, development and cell biology, has been named interim director of the interdepartmental Biology and Genetics Programs effective June 1 for a three-year period. Corinna Most, ecology, evolution and organismal biology, will serve as interim associate director of the programs. Manz and Most succeed Don Sakaguchi, GDCB, who retired June 30.
STORIES Magazine 2026: Sneak Peak
Quite a few keepsakes were submitted in response to the question, “What do you still have from your Iowa State days?” See the collection in STORIES magazine, arriving in mailboxes in August. Didn’t get your keepsakes submitted? You can still send them to stories@iastate.edu.
Horticulture Hosts Inaugural Program at 4-H Annual Conference
The Department of Horticulture hosted the inaugural Horticulture Track at the Iowa 4-H Youth Conference in late June, introducing high school students from across Iowa to the breadth of career paths in horticulture through hands-on activities, educational demonstrations and experiential learning opportunities.
State Scotcharoo is Winning Ice Cream Flavor
The ISU Creamery’s Children’s Coloring Contest winning flavor, State Scotcharoo, was released on July 25. It features butterscotch ice cream with chocolate chunks and chocolate swirls. It is a limited-time flavor and will be sold while supplies last.
In Memoriam: Wayne Rowley
Wayne Rowley, professor emeritus in plant pathology, entomology and microbiology, died July 4. He was 92. Rowley led medical entomology efforts in the Department of Entomology from 1967 to his retirement in 2002. A celebration of life was held July 12.
Calendar
July 29: Iowa Learning Farms Conservation Webinar
Richard Roth, agronomy and extension nutrient management specialist, will present the Iowa Learning Farms conservation webinar on Wednesday, July 29, at noon. In “The Nitrogen Toolbox: From Cycling to Rate Tools to Late-Season Decisions,” Roth will provide an overview of the nitrogen cycle as a foundation for discussing how N behaves within Iowa cropping systems.
July 29: Fruit and Vegetable Field Day
The horticulture team with ISU Extension and Outreach will hold the 2026 Fruit and Vegetable Field Day on Wednesday, July 29, from 2-5 p.m. at the Horticulture Research Station. Participation is available at no cost.
July 30: Conservation on Tap
Iowa Learning Farms will host a “Conservation On Tap” event with the Iowa State Brew Lab on Thursday, July 30, from 5:30-7 p.m. in 1951 Food Sciences Building. The event, which is available at no cost, includes complimentary food and samples of beverages from the ISU Brew Lab for attendees 21 or older who RSVP ahead of the event. Submit your RSVP by today, Monday, July 27, to ilf@iastate.edu or 294-5429.
Aug. 7: Solar Farm Open House
Iowa State is holding a series of open house events at the Alliant Energy Solar Farm at Iowa State University south of Ames. Participants will tour the farm and learn about agrivoltaics – the integration of solar energy and agriculture. Five open houses remain through September, with the next scheduled for Aug. 7. This opportunity is available at no cost to participants, but pre-registration is required online to attend.
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
Do you 'Say your Piece' or 'Hold your Peace'?
Say your piece and hold your peace are separate idioms. Say your piece refers to stating your opinion, or your "piece" or "part" of the conversation. This is often confused with hold your peace, which refers to remaining silent and peaceful. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)
Infograzing
Iowa State's FY26 External Funding Support Sees Slight Decline
Iowa State University raised $487.9 million in external funding for the fiscal year that ended June 30. That's an 11.2% drop from the previous year. Part of the decline reflects a drop in federal research support.
Global Hunger Levels Ease as Regional Disparities Persist
Global hunger declined for a third consecutive year in 2025, demonstrating that progress is possible. However, the improvements remain fragile and unevenly distributed, according to The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2026 report, released by five United Nations specialized agencies. The new report identifies affordability as one of the world’s biggest food security challenges. While food production continues to grow, roughly a third of the global population still can’t afford a healthy diet.
Library Art Walk Features Grant Wood
University Museums is hosting an Art Walk on Wednesday, July 29, from noon to 1 p.m. in Parks Library, home of the largest works of art designed by American Regionalist artist Grant Wood. The tour explores his 1930s murals, created through the Public Works of Art Project.
Marginalia
Iowa’s Tallest Ear of Corn Dedicated
Hawkeye Point in Osceola County is Iowa’s highest elevation at 1,670 feet. The newest addition to the roadside attraction is a grain silo painted as an ear of corn. KCAU-TV in Sioux City reported on the “Iowa’s Tallest Ear of Corn” dedication on July 11. Joining the celebration was Dave Covill, president of the Highpointers Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to preserving, maintaining and improving the highest point in each of the 50 states. "This is the flattest high point in America… They have made it a treasure,” he said (2:41).
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.