CALS Online
Oct. 5, 2026
Top Stories
New Study to Fill Gaps in Monarch Migration Research
Every fall, monarch butterflies fuel up on nectar from Iowa’s fall-blooming wildflowers before embarking on a migration from North America to Mexico. But the pathways they take and how their travel is affected by weather and other factors have largely remained a mystery. Now, researchers are using advances in wildlife tracking technology to fill those gaps. A team of conservation scientists and ecology experts at Iowa State is using BluMorpho tags, the lightest tracking devices available, to monitor 100 monarchs they’ve raised, or reared, over the summer. Team members include John Pleasants, ecology, evolution and organismal biology; Mykayla Hagaman and Katherine Kral-O’Brien, natural resource ecology and management; and Nathan Brockman, Reiman Gardens.
Research
From Research to Real-World Learning
Since beginning research collaborations in Peru in 2010, Maria Wurzinger, animal science, has focused on improving the sustainability and productivity of alpaca and llama production in the Andes. The research is made possible through long-standing collaborations with local universities, industry leaders and farming communities. These partnerships paved the way for the “Alpaca Textile Industry in Peru: From the Farm to the Store” study abroad program. Eight students participated in the first program in spring 2026.
ISRC Holding Fall Field Tour for Researchers
The Iowa Soybean Research Center is holding a fall field tour on Nov. 12, departing Iowa State at 7:45 a.m. and returning to campus at 3:15 p.m. The tour will include visits to Kinze Manufacturing (heavy-duty farm equipment) in Williamsburg and Incotec (seed enhancement technologies) in Urbandale. ISRC field tours provide researchers with an opportunity to explore and learn about agricultural industries and farming operations that exist outside their lab experiences. The tour is open to graduate students, postdocs, research staff and faculty. Register before Nov. 3.
ISRC Funds Three New Research Projects
The Iowa Soybean Research Center has funded three new soybean research projects:
- Thomas Baum, plant pathology, entomology and microbiology – A two-component resistance system against the soybean cyst nematode
- Wesley Everman, agronomy – Genetic mapping of waterhemp to combat herbicide resistance and weed competition with soybean
- Alison Robertson and Clarice Schmidt, plant pathology, entomology and microbiology – Updating the soybean differential set used to characterize populations of Phytophthora Sojae and support integration of Rps genes into commercial germplasm
Teaching and Students
Staudt Turns Classroom Idea into a Startup
With support from CYstarters, Mary Staudt, a senior in agricultural business and entrepreneurship, is turning a classroom idea into a startup. She recently launched CultivAIte, an AI-powered app that helps home gardeners create personalized garden plans based on their location, growing conditions and goals.
CALS Students Part of First Cohort of Provost Scholars
Iowa State has named 25 undergraduate students to the first cohort of Provost Scholars. The pilot program, sponsored by the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost and administered by the Office of Student Financial Aid, pairs each scholar with a faculty or staff mentor for paid, hands-on research.
- Sophie Buhman, junior in wildlife and fisheries conservation and ecology. Faculty mentor is Clyde Campbell, genetics, development and cell biology.
- Ceira Current, senior in environmental science. Faculty mentor is Wenjuan Huang, ecology, evolution and organismal biology.
- Oluwanifemi Ngene, junior in animal science. Faculty mentor is Silvia Carnaccini, veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine.
- Claire Rucker, junior in biology. Faculty mentor is Kan Wang, agronomy.
- Andrea Sphongsai, senior in biochemistry. Faculty mentor is Kristen Johansen, biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology.
- Konstantin Titarenko, senior in environmental science and climate science. Faculty mentor is Monica Haddad, urban planning and development.
- Lucas Weather, first-year in genetics. Faculty mentor is Dior Kelley, genetics, development and cell biology.
Students Encouraged to Submit Abstracts for 2026 Borlaug Poster Competition
Poster abstracts are now being accepted for the 23rd annual Norman Borlaug Lecture Poster Competition for Graduate and Undergraduate Students. The competition will take place on Oct. 20 in the Memorial Union South Ballroom, prior to the Norman Borlaug Lecture featuring 2026 Borlaug Field Award recipient Pamela Afokpe. Submitted poster abstracts should describe work or projects in the general area of world issues, including food, agriculture, climate, nutrition, economies, technology and more. To submit a poster abstract, complete the Borlaug Poster Competition submission form by Monday, Oct. 5, at 11:59 p.m.
FSHN and Culinary Science Club to Present Cake Decorating Workshop
The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and the Culinary Science Club are holding a Cake Decorating Workshop on Nov. 6 at 6 p.m. in 117 MacKay Hall. Participants will learn decorating and frosting techniques and practice on a small cake that they can take home. The workshop fee is $50.
Extension and Outreach
Extension Releases New Interactive Map
ISU Extension and Outreach has released the Iowa Conservation Professionals Map, an online resource that helps farmers and landowners connect with conservation professionals working in their local area.
New Infographics Released in Advanced Cover Crop Series
Four new infographics in the Beyond the Basics: Advanced Cover Crops Series are available on the Iowa Learning Farms website. The new infographics cover the impacts of the C:N ratio on nutrient cycling, weed suppression, grazing and soil health.
Around the College
Iowa State University Signs MOU with Chitale Dairy
Iowa State and M/s B. G. Chitale of Maharashtra, India, have signed a five-year Memorandum of Cooperation and Understanding to promote collaboration in teaching, research, outreach and academic exchange. Curtis Youngs, animal science, is the Iowa State coordinator. Vishvas Chitale, an Iowa State alumnus and partner at M/s B. G. Chitale, will serve as the coordinator for the Indian organization.
Video: Mesonet Featured on U.S. Farm Report College Roadshow
As part of the U.S. Farm Report’s College Roadshow at Iowa State on Sept. 9, the Iowa Environmental Mesonet was featured. It is giving farmers hyper-local weather and soil data while building a 25-year record of changing conditions. See how this powerful network helps farmers track soil temperatures, moisture, weather risks and more.
Calendar
Oct. 6: PPEM Seminar Series
The plant pathology, entomology and microbiology fall seminar series continues Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 3:10 p.m. in 1330 ATRB. Marcelo Dimase, Cornell University, will present “Integrating Resistance Management into IPM: A Pathway to Sustainability.”
Oct. 7: Farmland Markets in the Midwest
“Farmland Markets in the Midwest: Recent Trends, Drivers and Outlook,” is the topic of the Iowa Learning Farms webinar on Wednesday, Oct. 7, at noon. Rabail Chandio, economics, will provide an overview of recent developments in Midwestern farmland markets, including trends in land values, cash rents and sales activity.
Oct. 8: Feeding the World Seminar Series
The Feeding the World seminar series continues Thursday, Oct. 8, from 3:40-4:55 p.m. in the Ensminger Room, 1204 Kildee Hall. Patty Yoder, executive director of Food at First in Ames, will present “Addressing Food Security at the Local Level.”
Oct. 8: Errington Memorial Lecture
The Paul L. Errington Memorial Lecture is Thursday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Union Sun Room. Kay Holekamp, a behavioral ecologist, will present “A Hyena's Tale: 35 Years of On-the-Ground Research.”
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
Is it Autumn or Fall?
Autumn and fall are used interchangeably as words for the season between summer and winter. Both are used in American and British English, but fall occurs more often in American English. Autumn is considered the more formal name for the season. (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)
Infograzing
President Cook Lays Out Priorities during Installation
David Cook was installed as the 17th president of Iowa State during an Oct. 1 ceremony at Stephens Auditorium. Laying out his goals during the ceremony, Cook said he wants Iowa State to be a top 20 land-grant university with an annual economic impact of $8 billion by 2032. To achieve the "moonshot" ambitions, he addressed four priorities.
Marginalia
Top Five Contenders for Iowa's Best Breaded Pork Tenderloin Revealed
Iowa’s iconic breaded pork tenderloin sandwich is back in the spotlight. After diners evaluated restaurants across the state, the Iowa Pork Producers Association narrowed its 2026 contest to five contenders, in alphabetical order:
- Friends Hide-A-Way – Underwood
- Landmark Grill & Grind – Williamsburg
- Sasquatch Jacks Hideaway Barroom & Grill – Waverly
- Tin Roost – North Liberty
- Wasted Grain – Carroll
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.