College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
September 24, 2018
Top Stories
Open Forum with Third Dean Finalist this Thursday
The third finalist for the next endowed Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Director of the Iowa Agricultural and Home Economics Experiment Station at Iowa State University will be announced tomorrow and on campus Wednesday through Friday, Sept. 26-28. The candidate will meet with students, faculty, staff and stakeholders during the interview, and hold an open forum on Sept. 27 at 3 to 4 p.m. in the Memorial Union Pioneer Room. The curriculum vitae and interview itinerary will be available on the Provost’s Office search page. More
Research
Helmers Named Director of Iowa Nutrient Research Center
Matt Helmers, agricultural and biosystems engineering, has been named the new director of the Iowa Nutrient Research Center. “Dr. Helmers is well-known among Iowa farmers and water quality researchers as an exceptional scientist and a trusted source of information about nutrient management,” said Joe Colletti, interim dean of CALS. “His leadership of the Iowa Nutrient Research Center is a significant new chapter in addressing the goals set forth in the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy.” More
CARD Releases Report on Impact of 2018 Trade Disruptions
The Center for Agricultural and Rural Development has posted a report on “The Impact of the 2018 Trade Disruptions on the Iowa Economy.” The results of the study offer calculations of overall losses in Iowa’s gross state product, soybean industry, corn industry, pork/hog industry, ethanol prices, labor income and tax revenue. More
Delate to Study Best Practices for No-Till Organic Grain Production
Kathleen Delate, horticulture, is part of a multistate grant to assess current technologies that could be used in no-till organic systems and determine which practices will help farmers protect soil health in their fields. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (project lead), ISU and the Rodale Institute are working on the project, funded through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. More
Teaching and Students
Student Organized Bacon Expo Set for Oct. 6
The sixth annual Bacon Expo will be held Oct. 6, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center. Organized by CALS students, the Bacon Expo is a family focused event where participants can sample creative bacon treats and enjoy live entertainment and education displays about the pork industry. This year’s chairs are Reece Rieken, agricultural and life sciences education; Gracie Russell, agricultural business; and Harvard Williams, animal science. More
CALS Student Named to Farm Strong Squad
Zach Timm, junior in agronomy, is one of 16 ISU student athletes named to the 2018-2019 Farm Strong Squad, a partnership between the Iowa Farm Bureau and the Iowa State Athletics Department. The program recognizes the values of hard work, commitment and integrity embraced by farmers and student-athletes. More
CALS Students Win Awards at Iowa Physiological Society Conference
Three CALS students won awards for presenting their work at the Iowa Physiological Society conference held in Des Moines on Sept. 15. Audrey Uridil, junior in nutritional science, placed first for undergraduate poster presentations with Jurnie Hinde, sophomore in biochemistry. Behnia Shirazi, sophomore in biology, placed third for undergraduate poster presentations and was invited to an oral presentation. Hannah Spaulding, graduate student in animal science, placed third for graduate student poster presentations and was invited to an oral presentation.
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
Extension and Outreach
Rademacher Named Associate Director for IPIC
Chris Rademacher has been named associate director for the Iowa Pork Industry Center. A clinical associate professor in the College of Veterinary Medicine, Rademacher works with veterinarians and scientists who are working on the cutting edge of new technologies related to animal health. The opportunity to develop new conduits of information from ISU to pork producers drew him to the position at IPIC.
CALS Experts Available to Comment on 2018 Harvest
The following agricultural experts are available to news media to comment on trends, field conditions and market considerations that will shape the 2018 harvest: Chard Hart, economics; Mark Licht, agronomy; and Charles Hurburgh, agricultural and biosystems engineering. More
Around the College
Becraft Named Associate Chair of GDCB
Phil Becraft has been named associate chair of the Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, with a focus on teaching. He recently returned to ISU following a 16-month appointment at the National Science Foundation where he served as a program director for Developmental Systems in the Integrative Organismal Systems Division. More
Faculty Receive Miller Grants to Support Better Course Materials
The inaugural Miller Open Education Mini-Grants awarded this summer are helping ISU faculty develop, adapt and share instructional materials that save students money while enriching their classroom experiences. Faculty who received grants are required to place their materials in the library's digital repository, making them available to instructors anywhere, and complete a report and a panel presentation on their project. Winning proposals from CALS departments include the following. More
- Boris Javonovic, natural resource ecology and management, and Evrim Baran, School of Education – Aquatic Toxicology
- Dennis Lavrov, ecology, evolution and organismal biology – Molecular Phylogenetics
- John Haughery, agricultural and biosystems engineering – Electric Power and Electronics for Agriculture and Industry
- Peter Moore, natural resource ecology and management – Quantitative Problem-Solving in Natural Resources
MacDonald Speaks on Food Labeling at Iowa Ideas Forum
Ruth MacDonald, CALS interim senior associate dean, was part of a panel at the Gazette Iowa Ideas forum in Cedar Rapids on Sept. 20. The panel addressed Nutrition Facts: Food Labeling and Healthy Consumer Choices. Panelists consisted of experts who can separate nutritional fact from fiction, discuss the impacts on producers and help consumers make informed decisions. More
Donations Needed for CALS United Way Online Auction
Donations are being accepted for the ninth CALS United Way online auction, which will run Oct. 8-11. Contact Carla Persaud (4-1823, cpersaud@iastate.edu) with a description and picture of the item. The auction website is being developed and details will be sent at a later date. Proceeds will go to the ISU 2018 United Way Campaign.
Calendar
Sept. 27: Feeding the World Seminar Series
The Feeding the World seminar series will continue on Thursday, Sept. 27, 3:40 to 5 p.m. in 13 Curtiss Hall. Uma Valeti, MD, CEO and co-founder of Memphis Meats, will present via Zoom.
Oct. 4-5: CALS United Way Book Sale
The ninth annual CALS United Way book sale is scheduled for Oct. 4, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the ground floor rotunda of Curtiss Hall and in the Molecular Biology Building Atrium. Books and CDs will be sold for $1 each or six for $5. DVDs will be sold for $2 each. On Oct. 5, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., the remaining items will be sold at the Curtiss Hall rotunda location for a free will donation. All proceeds will go to the 2018 ISU United Way Campaign. Donations will be accepted through Oct. 3 at 138 Curtiss Hall and 1210 Molecular Biology Building. Contact Carla Persaud at cpersaud@iastate.edu or 4-1823 with questions.
Oct. 11: CALS Study Abroad Fair
The CALS Study Abroad Fair will be held Oct. 11, 4 to 6 p.m. in the Iowa Farm Bureau Pavilion in Kildee Hall. Program directors will have information on spring and summer programs, exchange opportunities and semester long opportunities, as well as other resources like student travel consultants and financial aid. Dairy Science Club ice cream will be served. More
Communications Kiosk
Always Dress for Safety in Lab Photos
When taking photos of faculty, staff and students in a laboratory, ensure they depict appropriate lab safety. Everyone must wear appropriate personal protective equipment in all images, including glasses, gloves, coats and closed toe shoes. Regulatory agencies charged with safety compliance pay attention to published media. If you don’t want the subject wearing personal protective equipment, take the photo outside of the lab setting. The importance of safety in press photos is the topic of an ISU Department of Environmental Health and Safety presentation. For more information, contact Bill Diesslin, EH&S, wmdiess@iastate.edu, 4-2105.
Infograzing
ISU Workshop to Address Inclusion at a Land-Grant Institution
Reg Stewart, vice president for diversity and inclusion, and Jose Rosa, faculty fellow for diversity and inclusion, will lead a workshop for all faculty, "Mission Not-Impossible: Inclusion at a Land-Grant Institution," on Wednesday, Sept. 26, 10 a.m. to noon in the Memorial Union Cardinal Room. It is intended to help faculty identify sources of bias -- explicit and implicit -- in their interactions with students, colleagues and community members, and develop mechanisms for addressing unintended bias. Participation requires an electronic device (phone, tablet, laptop) that can connect to the internet. Light refreshments will be served. Register online via Learn@ISU.
Marginalia
Adam Janke on Lady Liberty’s Vision for Land
“It takes a special view of liberty to work for land,” wrote Adam Janke, natural resource ecology and management, in a Sept. 20 blog post for Iowa Learning Farms. “One that acknowledges individual rights while also recognizing the stakes of a whole community of downstream and yet unborn beneficiaries of common pool resources like water, air, soil and wildlife.” Janke shares his vision for the land in the words cast in bronze on the Statue of Liberty. More
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.