College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
September 10, 2018
Top Stories
CALS Fall Enrollment the Fifth Highest in History
CALS fall 2018 enrollment (both undergraduate and graduate) is 5,083 — 4,397 undergraduates and 686 graduate students. That’s the fifth largest enrollment in college history, with undergraduate enrollment 43 percent higher than 10 years ago. This fall, women make up 54 percent of the CALS undergraduate student body — the fourth straight year the number of women enrolled has exceeded men. Sixty-nine percent of CALS undergraduates are Iowans; 29 percent are nonresidents; and 2 percent are international. The top five undergraduate majors in enrollment are animal science (968), agricultural business (470), animal ecology (414), agricultural studies (331) and biology (296). University-wide enrollment for fall 2018 is nearly 35,000, the fourth-largest in school history. More
CALS Retention Numbers Lead Campus
The one-year undergraduate retention rate for CALS for the 2017 cohort leads the university at a 90.4 percent retention rate. Also, 82.7 percent of our retained students remained in a CALS major, which also leads the university.
Teaching and Students
Register for Ag450 Farm Anniversary Celebration by Sept. 14
The Ag 450 Farm, operated by students enrolled in the course “Agricultural Farm Management and Operations 450,” is celebrating its 75th anniversary. Student farm managers are planning a celebration that includes a banquet on Sept. 21 at the Jeff and Deb Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center and an open house located at the farm on Sept. 22. Registration is requested by Sept. 14. More
CALS to Host Unconscious Bias Workshop for Students
The college is hosting an Unconscious Bias Workshop for all CALS students on Sept. 28, 9 a.m. to noon in 368a Heady Hall. The workshop will help participants to identify their biases and to provide them with practical strategies for using that understanding to improve performance when working across cultures. Registration ends Sept. 20. Students needing a class excuse letter may indicate so on the registration form.
Students Invited to Submit Poster Abstracts for Borlaug Competition
Abstracts are being accepted for the Norman Borlaug Lectureship Poster Competition and display preceding the Borlaug Lecture, scheduled for Oct. 15 in the Memorial Union Great Hall. Abstracts should describe work in the general area of world food issues. To be considered, complete the Borlaug Student Poster Competition Submission survey by Sept. 28. You will be notified by Oct. 8 if your abstract has been selected for the poster competition. The Borlaug Poster Competition is coordinated by ISU’s Nutritional Sciences Council. More
CALS Technology Advancement Committee Call for Proposals
The CALS Technology Advancement Committee is accepting proposals from faculty, staff and students for improving technology that benefits student learning. Contact Gaylan Scofield, TAC chair, for proposal guidelines (ggs@iastate.edu). Proposals are due by 1 p.m. on Sept. 18.
Extension and Outreach
Hart Urges Cost Containment and Patience for Farmers
As harvest approaches, Chad Hart, economics, urged farmers to watch their costs and be patient as they face a difficult market for corn and soybeans. USDA August reports project Iowa corn return hovering just below breakeven, while soybean returns remain well below zero. More
IPIC Offers Online Resources for African Swine Fever
The Iowa Pork Industry Center has created a webpage devoted to resources related to the African swine fever virus – a serious, highly contagious, viral disease. Recently, several case of ASF have been confirmed in numerous Chinese provinces. ASF cannot be transmitted to humans, so it is not a public health or food safety concern. However, it can spread rapidly in pig populations by direct or indirect contact, and there is currently no vaccine or treatment. U.S. swine industry organizations are working continuously on prevention and response to help keep ASF out of U.S. pig farms. More
Webinar to Highlight the Benefits of Conservation Planning
Iowa Learning Farms will host a webinar on Sept. 19 at 12 p.m. highlighting the benefits of conservation planning for farmers and landowners. Conservation planning optimizes the use of conservation practices, saves time and money, and improves water and soil quality. More
Monarch and Pollinator Field Day Set for Sept. 26
ISU Extension and Outreach and Pheasants Forever will host a monarch and pollinator field day Sept. 26, 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., near Winterset. The field day is designed for landowners and families who want to learn more about planting monarch and pollinator habitat. More
Publication Addresses Value of Cereal Rye for Cow-Calf Producers
Understanding how to grow cereal rye and best use of the crop is the focus of a new ISU Extension and Outreach publication, “Grazing Opportunities with Cereal Rye.” Beth Doran, beef specialist, is the author. More
ANR Extension Staff Spotlight: Paul Lasley
Paul Lasley, sociology, is featured in the latest ANR Extension Staff Spotlight. After joining ISU in 1981, Lasley created the Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll, providing timely and relevant information on agriculture and rural life that is still in place today. He also helped create courses within the sociology program that focus on ethics and changes in agriculture.
2018 State Champions Named in 4-H Meat Judging Competition
The 2018 state 4-H meat judging contest was held at ISU Meat Laboratory on Aug. 25. The Animal Science Department holds the contest to determine Iowa’s representative to the National 4-H Contest held during the American Royal, Kansas City, in October. “Meat judging is a very practical contest, teaching youth how to identify meat and choose the best cut based on quality, trimness and muscling. It also teaches decision making, critical thinking and public speaking skills,” said Amy Powell, ISU Extension and Outreach youth animal science STEM specialist. More
Around the College
Darr and Sawyer Receive Kolmer Applied Research Award
Matt Darr, agricultural and biosystems engineering, and John Sawyer, agronomy, received the Dean Lee R. Kolmer Award for Excellence in Applied Research at the college’s fall convocation on Sept. 4. The Kolmer Award honors faculty or staff who have made significant contributions to improving the welfare of Iowans through the application of their research. More
Research Farm Organizes Surplus Machinery and Equipment Auction, Sept. 19
A surplus machinery and equipment auction for all ISU Research and Demonstration Farms will be held Sept. 19, at 10 a.m. at the Curtiss Farm, 2219 State Ave., Ames. Contact Tim Goode (641-751-0280, trgoode@iastate.edu) with questions. View the sale bill online.
CALS Communications Service Welcomes New Science Writer
Ann Robinson has joined the CALS Communications Service office as a science writer for CALS and for the Iowa Nutrient Research Center. Her prior work has been in ag and natural resource program management and communications for nonprofits, Iowa state government and University of Missouri Extension. She hails from a century farm in northeast Missouri and has degrees from the University of Wisconsin and the University of Missouri. Contact Robinson at ayr@iastate.edu or 4-3066.
CALS Welcomed More Than 450 at College Barbecue
The college welcomed more than 450 alumni, friends, faculty and staff to the annual CALS BBQ, Sept. 1 at the Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center. Interim Endowed Dean Joe Colletti and Bill Northey (’81 ag business), U.S. Department of Agriculture Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation, offered comments during the program. Photos of the event are available on the college’s Facebook page.
Joan Stadler, Genetics Emeritus Professor, Died July 26
Joan Stadler, emeritus professor of the former zoology and genetics department, died July 26 in Sugar Land, Texas. She joined ISU in 1972, was named a University Professor in 1994 and retired in 1996. Stadler was founder of the Interdepartmental Genetics Graduate Program in 1991 (now the Interdepartmental Genetics and Genomics Graduate Program). The family is planning a memorial service on Oct. 6 in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
Calendar
Sept. 20-21: Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation Seminars
The Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation will host its annual September seminars, “Keeping Up with Change,” on Sept. 20-21 at Quality Inn & Suites in Ames. The Agricultural Law Seminar, co-sponsored with Iowa Farm Bureau and the Agricultural Law Section of the Iowa Bar Association, will take place Sept. 20. CALT’s Farm Tax Workshop will take place Sept. 21. More
Oct. 2: Deal Lecture
The William K. Deal Endowed Leadership Lecture will be held Oct. 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Sun Room. Sara Wyant, president and founder of Agri-Pulse Communications Inc., will present “Unlocking Your Inner Entrepreneur: How one of the luckiest days of my life was when I got fired from a job I loved.” More
Oct. 4: Ice Cream Social and Raffle
The CALS Professional and Scientific Council is hosting an ice cream social and raffle on Oct. 4 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. in the Kildee Hall Pavilion. You are invited to meet your representatives on the newly-formed, college-specific P&S council. Jeff Hartwig, animal science and manager of the Swine Teaching and Research Farms, is president; Susan DeBlieck, horticulture, is past president; and Barb McBreen, CALS Communications Service, is secretary. Committees include communications, networking and social events, professional development and mentoring, and recognition and awards. Ex-officio members are the CALS representative to the university P&S Council (Casey Smith) and CALS Interim Senior Associate Dean (Ruth MacDonald).
Oct. 4: Pierre Memorial Lecture in Soil Science
The William H. Pierre Memorial Lecture in Soil Science will be held Oct. 4 at 4:10 to 5 p.m. in 2050 Agronomy Hall. William Schlesinger, president emeritus of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, will present “Soil Carbon Sequestration for Climate Change Mitigation: What We Can Expect.” The lecture is sponsored by the agronomy department, the ecology, evolution and organismal biology department, and the Leopold Center.
Communications Kiosk
Because vs. Since
Use “because” to denote a specific cause-effect relationship: He went because he was told. “Since” is acceptable in a causal sense when the first event in a sequence led logically to the second but was not its direct cause: They went to the game, since they had been given the tickets. (Associated Press Stylebook, 2018 edition, pg. 31)
Infograzing
New Video Highlights ISU’s Principles of Community
ISU’s Principles of Community are highlighted in a new video prepared by the Division of Student Affairs. The video, which also emphasizes the importance of free speech on campus, was shown at Destination Iowa State as part of the welcome for new students. More
Marginalia
National Trails and Wild and Scenic Rivers Acts Celebrate 50 Years
The National Park Service is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the National Trails System and Wild and Scenic Rivers acts in 2018. The National Trails System Act of 1968, as amended, calls for establishing trails in both urban and rural settings for people of all ages, interests, skills and physical abilities. The act promotes the enjoyment and appreciation of trails while encouraging greater public access. The National Wild and Scenic Rivers System was created by Congress in 1968 to preserve certain rivers with outstanding natural, cultural and recreational values in a free-flowing condition for the enjoyment of present and future generations. The act is notable for safeguarding the special character of these rivers, while also recognizing the potential for their appropriate use and development.
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
Julie Stewart, Editor
jstewart@iastate.edu, (515) 294-5616
http://www.cals.iastate.edu/news/agonline
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 Friday.