CALS Online
Oct. 19, 2026
Top Stories
2026 World Food Prize Focuses on ‘Before Hunger Wins’
The 2026 Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue, taking place Tuesday through Thursday, Oct. 20-22, in Des Moines, will focus on “Before Hunger Wins,” highlighting that hunger presses forward, extending its reach across global landscapes shaped by intensifying conflict, climate volatility and deepening inequality. This year honors the 40th anniversary of the World Food Prize. Events related to this taking place on campus and involving CALS or Iowa State faculty and staff are listed below. An agenda and full list of side events are available on the World Food Prize website.
World Food Prize: David Lambert Scholarship, Oct. 20
Manjit Misra, University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture, will announce the recipient of the David Lambert “Hunger Fighter” Scholarship on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 10:40 a.m. on the main stage of the Iowa Events Center. Iowa State’s Seed Science Center awards the $1,000 scholarship to a sophomore or junior in CALS who demonstrates a strong commitment to seed science, global food security and childhood nutrition.
World Food Prize: Youngs Named Top Agri-food Pioneer, Oct. 20
Curt Youngs, animal science, has been named a 2026 Top Agri-Food Pioneer by the World Food Prize Foundation. He is among 40 global innovators from 30 countries selected for their transformative food systems work that is driving change in agriculture and global food security. TAP honorees will be recognized at the Borlaug Dialogue on Tuesday, October 20, at 10:50 a.m. on the main stage of the Iowa Events Center.
World Food Prize: Borlaug Poster Competition, Oct. 20
Iowa State’s Nutritional Sciences Council is holding the 23rd Annual Norman Borlaug Lecture Poster Competition for Graduate and Undergraduate Students Tuesday, Oct. 20, in the Memorial Union South Ballroom. The poster session and judging will take place from 4-5:45 p.m., prior to the Norman Borlaug Lecture. President Cook and Dr. Cook will host a reception in conjunction with the event.
World Food Prize: Norman Borlaug Lecture, Oct. 20
Pamela Afokpe, the 2026 recipient of the Norman E. Borlaug Award for Field Research and Application, will deliver the Norman Borlaug lecture on Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 6 p.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall. Afokpe, a plant breeder and product development specialist at East-West Seed International, is recognized for work developing climate-resistant vegetables in West Africa that have improved food and nutrition security across the region. In a conversation with Iowa State President David Cook, she will present “From the Seed Up: Transforming Indigenous African Vegetables to Improve Outcomes and Nutrition.”
World Food Prize: Changing the Livestock Conversation, Oct. 21
Livestock keep an estimated 1.7 billion people fed, employed or both. Yet in most conversations about ending hunger, livestock shows up only as a caveat: something to offset, scale back or work around. Iowa State University (Curt Youngs, animal science), the International Livestock Research Institute and the University of California, Davis will make the case in two sessions at this year's Borlaug Dialogue, focusing on how changes in livestock systems can help combat hunger worldwide while also protecting the planet.
- Deep Dive: “Can We Change the Livestock Conversation?” Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2:15 p.m., main stage of the Iowa Events Center.
- Side Event: “Deploying Livestock Solutions for Nutrition, Climate and Sustainable Development.” Wednesday, Oct. 21, 6:15 p.m., rooms 319-320, third floor of the Iowa Events Center.
World Food Prize: Seminar with 2024 Laureate, Oct. 23
The Department of Horticulture and the Global Resource Systems major will host 2024 World Food Prize Laureate Cary Fowler for a seminar on Friday, Oct. 23, at 3:10 p.m. in 118 Horticulture Hall. Fowler’s seminar, “Food Insecurity: From Current Causes and Persistent Problems to Sustainable Solutions” will be immediately followed by Q&A and a reception. The seminar and reception are open to all.
Research
CALS Faculty Involved in Five RIR Projects
CALS faculty are principle investigators, co-PIs and team members on five of the six projects selected for funding from the spring 2026 Research and Innovation Roundtable, focused on Leveraging AI to Advance Life Sciences and Agriculture:
- Steve Whitham, plant pathology, entomology and microbiology
- Matthew Hufford, Marna Yandeau-Nelson and Corrine Grover, ecology, evolution and organismal biology; and Keting Chen, genetics, development and cell biology
- Juan Steibel, David Rosero, James Koltes, Dawn Koltes, Elizabeth Bobeck, Anna Johnson, Anna Wolc and Edison Magalhaes, animal science
- Ajay Nair, horticulture
- Zhengyuan Zhu, statistics; Brian Gelder, agricultural and biosystems engineering; and Robert Gunzenhauser, agronomy
ISRC Faculty Research Affiliates Involved in Six Projects Funded by NCSRP
The North Central Soybean Research Program approved $3.5 million in funding for continued research in fiscal year 2027 to support 11 university-based projects. Iowa Soybean Research Center faculty research affiliates are involved in six of those projects.
Article by Singh et al. Documents WeedNet’s Value as Global Model
“WeedNet: a foundation model-based global-to-local AI approach for weed species identification and classification," was recently published in Nature Communications by Arti Singh and collaborators in CALS, the College of Engineering and other institutions. WeedNet uses a citizen-sourced image repository (iNaturalist) with more than 14 million images representing 1,593 weed species across categories such as invasive, poisonous, noxious and conserved plants. A recent ISU News Service article features Singh’s work with partners at Iowa State and globally to use AI tools to help farmers in Iowa and around the world identify and manage threats to their crops, including weeds, insects and diseases.
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.
Teaching and Students
Study Abroad Trip Leads to Llama Research Project
Makenna Hansen, a sophomore in animal science, is one of 12 students selected for the inaugural Michele Griswold Agricultural Scholars award, which seeks to engage undergraduate students in research opportunities. Following a study abroad trip to Peru, Hansen is now part of a research project with Maria Wurzinger, animal science, studying llamas to better understand how Midwesterners use their wool.
CALS Students to Hold Annual Bacon Expo Oct. 24
The annual Bacon Expo is Saturday, Oct. 24, from 9 a.m. to noon at the Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center. The event includes sizzling bacon, hands-on agricultural education and activities for all ages. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students.
Learning the Language of Global Agriculture
Dairy science students Bianka Ronnebaum, junior, and Haley Ronnebaum, senior, joined staff at Chitale Dairy in India for hands-on experience caring for water buffalo and Indian dairy cows. In addition to assisting with livestock, students explored a major commercial dairy processing plant, a farm-based veterinary diagnostic laboratory, and farmer education services for residents in the surrounding rural area. Students also witnessed how Chitale Dairy honored government regulations influenced by the continent’s major religious beliefs.
Extension and Outreach
Super El Niño Could Affect Timing of Fall Fertilizer Applications
A super El Niño – an unusually strong variant of the cyclical weather pattern driven by heightened warmth in the Pacific Ocean – is expected to bring a wetter and warmer fall. Two experts in nutrient management – Mike Castellano, agronomy, and Dan Andersen, agricultural and biosystems engineering – say that may pose challenges for fall fertilizer applications.
Digital Ag and Terraplex Ag to Host Drone Pilot Exam Prep Course
The Digital Ag Innovation Lab and Terraplex Ag will host a two-day, in-person FAA Part 107 Test Prep Course on Nov. 30-Dec. 1 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. The course is designed to help participants prepare for the FAA Remote Pilot exam and pursue certification to operate drones commercially. The early bird registration fee is $449 through Nov. 13. Enrollment is limited to 10-30 participants.
ILF Releases Report on Monarchs as Catalyst for Pollinator Conservation
A new report, “The Butterfly Effect: Can Monarchs Make a Difference for Pollinator Habitat in Iowa?,” is a detailed examination of the potential for monarch butterflies to serve as a flagship symbol for the protection, management and expansion of pollinator habitat in Iowa. The project was led by Jacqueline Comito and Elizabeth Ripley, Iowa Learning Farms, with assistance from Katherine Kral-O’Brien and Mykayla Hagaman, Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium. The report and accompanying infographics are available for download from the ILF website.
Around the College
Schnable to Receive McClintock Prize in Plant Genetics and Genomics
Patrick Schnable, agronomy, has been selected to receive the 2027 Barbara McClintock Prize for Plant Genetics and Genome Studies. The prestigious McClintock Prize and medal will be conferred during a ceremony in Chicago as part of the 2027 Maize Genetics Meeting being held in March 2027, where he will present a plenary address.
Maier Receives ASABE Kishida International Award
Dirk Maier, agricultural and biosystems engineering and director of the Iowa State University Kent Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex, was awarded the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers’ 2026 Kishida International Award at their international meeting in Indianapolis in July. The award “recognizes outstanding contributions to engineering, mechanization and technology related programs of education, research, development, consultation or technology transfer that have resulted in improved food production, living conditions and/or education for people living outside the United States.”
Iowa State and BOKU University Sign Erasmus+ Exchange Partnership
CALS and BOKU University (University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria) have signed a new Erasmus+ inter-institutional agreement covering the 2026-2027 academic year. The partnership supports international mobility for students and faculty through the European Union's Erasmus+ KA171 program. Under the agreement, the universities will continue collaborating on academic exchange opportunities, with a focus on agriculture and life sciences.
Coats Finds the Future of Pest Management in Nature
After 43 years at Iowa State as an insect toxicologist, Joel Coats officially retired five years ago. But he continues to attend conferences, stay connected with former students and colleagues, follow developments in agricultural chemistry and contribute to pest management research. His latest project is, “Green Chemistry for Pest Management,” a new volume published through the Royal Society of Chemistry. As one of the book’s editors, Coats brought together researchers from around the world to examine new approaches to pest management using natural products and green chemistry.
Award Nominations Due in One Month, Nov. 17
Nominations for the 2027 awards cycle are due to the college by Nov. 17 through the online submission portal. Award descriptions and nomination guidelines are found on the college website. Of special note: the Rossmann Manatt Faculty Development Award recipient will be from CALS this year. Contact your departmental awards committee chair or Julie Stewart (jstewart@iastate.edu) for additional information.
Meat Lab Taking Orders for Holiday Hams
The Iowa State Meats Lab is taking pre-orders for whole hams and half hams through Nov. 12.
Pick-up options are Fridays Nov. 20, Dec. 4, Dec. 11 and Dec. 18 between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the Meats Lab sales room in Kildee Hall. Hams will also be available for walk-in purchase during normal sales hours while supplies last. Credit cards, check or cash are accepted for payment.
Calendar
Oct. 20: GDCB Seminar
The genetics, development and cell biology seminar series continues Tuesday, Oct. 20, at 1 p.m. in 1414 Molecular Biology Building. Fengrong Wang, biomedical sciences, will present “Protein Translation Control in the Parasite Toxoplasma gondii.”
Oct. 30: Deal Leadership Lecture
The 2026 William K. Deal Leadership Lecture is Oct. 30 at 3:30 p.m. in Dolezal Auditorium, 127 Curtiss Hall. Craig Morris (’92 animal science), president of Keyport, LLC, a family-owned business headquartered in Edmonds, Washington, and the nation’s largest processor and distributor of Alaska crab, will present “Earning the Right to Lead Someone Else’s Legacy.” The event is free and open to the public.
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.
Marginalia
How Oktoberfest Became a September Tradition
Oktoberfest began as a five-day wedding celebration that started on Oct. 12, 1810. The festivities honored the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, the future King Ludwig I, and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. The celebration was so popular that it became an annual festival, retaining the name associated with its original October celebration. Oktoberfest was held in October until 1871. The next year, the festival moved to September to take advantage of the month’s longer days and warmer weather. Oktoberfest events are now held around the world, but the original, and most famous, festival is in Munich.
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.