College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
Feb. 25, 2019
Top Stories
Dean Robison’s Message of Welcome to Students on CALS Website
Endowed Dean Robison’s new welcome message on the college’s website touches on the CALS advantage for students, students as the number-one priority, providing world-class mentors and the outstanding careers that students can look forward to. “I want you to know: You’re in the right place at the right time to make a difference in the world,” writes Endowed Dean Robison. “In the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, you’ll engage your purpose and passion to understand the world around you, make it more productive and improve the condition of people, communities, economies and landscapes wherever they are.” (Photo by Christopher Gannon) More
Research
Iowa Nutrient Research Center Leaders Update Legislature
The Iowa Nutrient Research Center researchers presented to Iowa House Agriculture Committee members and interested citizens at the Capitol on Feb. 19. Four speakers whose projects have received support from the INRC represented Iowa’s three partnering regents’ universities. Presenters from ISU were Matt Helmers, center director and agricultural and biosystems engineering, who provided an overview of the center’s efforts during its first five years, and Alison Robertson, plant pathology and microbiology, who discussed research to enhance success with cover crops. From the University of Iowa – IIHR Hydroscience and Engineering, Keith Schilling spoke about INRC-supported studies on the nutrient filtering capacity of oxbows and road ditches. From the University of Northern Iowa, Laura Jackson, director of the Tallgrass Prairie Center, discussed research looking at economic and management factors related to planting prairie for water quality and other conservation purposes. More
Teaching and Students
CALS International Dinner Rescheduled for Feb. 26
The International Agriculture Club has rescheduled its third annual CALS International Dinner for Tuesday, Feb. 26, 6 to 8 p.m. in the Molecular Biology Building Atrium. The dinner is free of charge and open to all international, domestic, undergraduate and graduate students in the college. RSVP online.
CALS Students Recognized as Seed Leaders and Awarded Scholarships
Ten CALS students received scholarships at the 2019 Iowa Agribusiness Showcase and Conference on Feb. 13 in Des Moines. Iowa Seed Association Scholarships of $1,000 each were awarded to: Karli Buckmeier, senior in agricultural systems technology; Caryn Dawson, junior in global resource systems and horticulture; Daniel Korhonen, senior in agronomy and seed science; Chee Gang Ngui, senior in horticulture and seed science; Rachel Nordhoff, junior in agricultural studies and agronomy; Regan Pleggenkuhle, sophomore in agronomy and seed science; Tucker Gabriel, senior in agricultural engineering; and Michael Geissinger, senior in agronomy and animal science. Geissinger also was named the Manjit Misra Outstanding Senior Scholar. Eric Heick, a junior in agronomy and seed science, received the Bill Latham Memorial Scholarship; and Yee Shuan Lai, senior in ecology, was named the Lisa Shepherd Jenkins Scholar. More
Landscape Club Members Offer Design Sessions for Homeowners
The Landscape Club will host its third Student Design Sessions on Sunday, March 3, noon to 6 p.m. in Horticulture Hall. Club members will consult with homeowners to give landscape design advice and plant recommendations, and draw rough elevation sketches over the top of photos of a home. The hour-long sessions are $60 by appointment only; email iastatelandscape@gmail.com or phone 294-6375 to schedule a session or get more information. The event is a fundraiser for the club's spring break trip to the National Collegiate Landscape Competition at Colorado State University, Fort Collins.
Extension and Outreach
Military Community Invited to Iowa State Symposium
Iowa’s veterans, active-duty military and the professionals who serve them are invited to learn about educational opportunities from ISU Extension and Outreach and its partners at an event on May 8, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Sun Room. The symposium is a statewide event and open to anyone interested, including the military community at ISU, local veterans groups, agencies and individuals who support the military community, county veterans service officers, and ISU Extension and Outreach faculty, specialists and county staff. More
Seed Business Management Short Course a Success
The Graduate Program in Seed Technology and Business just wrapped up the second Seed Business Management short course, held Feb. 4-8. It focused on the state of the seed industry, research management, leadership, marketing, supply chain and teamwork building. The week-long short course, a companion course to the Seed Science and Technology short course scheduled for November, was attended by seed industry professionals from all over the world. More
Around the College
Munkvold Chosen as Fulbright Specialist
Gary Munkvold, plant pathology and microbiology, is working on soybean disease research in Argentina for five weeks this semester as a Fulbright specialist, operated by the U.S. Department of State. He is serving at the National University of Northwest Buenos Aires, Pergamino. More
Ramirez Featured as Change Agent
Hugo Ramirez, animal science, uses ear tags and collars on dairy cows at the ISU Dairy Farm to track a wide range of metrics related to the nutrition and performance of the cows. Ramirez is the latest change agent featured in a series of articles about ISU faculty and scientists whose work is changing the world for the better. More
Soupir Named COE Equity Advisor
Michelle Soupir, agricultural and biosystems engineering, has been named equity advisor for the College of Engineering. In this position, she will support the recruitment and advancement of women and faculty of color, and disseminate information and best practices to departments. Soupir also will be engaged with ADVANCE activities at the university and college levels. More
Nominations for Gamma Sigma Delta due March 22
The Iowa chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the honor society of agriculture, is accepting nominations for membership and awards. Nomination forms for faculty, staff and alumni membership and awards are available online and are due March 22. More
Hoerner, Former ABE and Ag Ed Professor, Dies at 84
Thomas Hoerner, professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering and agricultural education and studies, died Feb. 18. He was 84. Hoerner was one of the organizers and the first superintendent of the National Future Farmers of American Agricultural Mechanics Contest at Kansas City, 1972-1975. He served as an editor of John Deere Publications, contributed numerous articles in his field to professional journals and authored or co-authored more than 25 educational books and references in the agricultural mechanics field. Funeral services were Feb. 23. More
Calendar
Feb. 26: Lecture by Author Robin DiAngelo
Robin DiAngelo, University of Washington, will present a public lecture on “White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism?” in Stephens Auditorium on Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m. DiAngelo wrote a book with the same name and has facilitated trainings on racial and social justice issues for more than 20 years. More
March 1: ISCORE Conference
The annual Thomas L. Hill Iowa State Conference on Race and Ethnicity is scheduled for Friday, March 1, from 8:15 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Memorial Union. ISCORE provides a forum to bring awareness to racial and ethnic issues on campus, in the community and across the country, and foster dialogue on diverse ideas and experiences in a safe, inclusive learning environment. The opening address will be given by Theressa Cooper, CALS assistant dean for diversity. In the afternoon, CALS faculty, staff and students will also contribute to several breakout sessions. Elizabeth Martinez-Podolsky, CALS Multicultural Liaison Officer, will offer a break-out session on the college’s LEAD IT Collective (Leaders Enhancing Agriculture, Diversity, Inclusion and Trust) that will include a student panel. Angela Shaw, food science and human nutrition, is one of the speakers at a break-out session on the Black Faculty and Staff Association. Several CALS undergraduate students also will be involved in a break-out session on walking in someone else’s shoes, which will be a modified Privilege Walk. More
March 22-23: Iowa Aquaculture Conference
The North Central Regional Aquaculture Center and ISU are co-sponsors of the 2019 Iowa Aquaculture Conference, scheduled for March 22-23 in Ames. Day one will focus on business planning; day two on fish health and water quality. More
April 16-17: Egg Industry Forum
Registration is open for the 2019 Egg Industry Issues Forum, scheduled for April 16-17 in Kansas City. The forum is an annual education and outreach event organized and facilitated by the Egg Industry Center to update or increase producer and allied-industry awareness on the latest developments and priority issues concerning the U.S. egg industry. More
Infograzing
SoAR Launches Redesigned Website
The Supporters of Agricultural Research Foundation have launched a newly redesigned website. Features include a story bank of USDA AFRI research projects, latest news and announcements, and an ever-growing list of reasons to support public agricultural research. The goal was to provide a simple way to discover the value of public investment in agricultural research and create engaging content that can be shared with stakeholders. More
Undergraduate Research Opportunity Applications Due Feb. 27
Penn State, in partnership with Project Drawdown, has worked with researchers from across the world and identified, researched and modeled the 100 most substantive, existing solutions to address climate change. They are now recruiting 40 undergraduate scholars to support Drawdown through modeling, feasibility analysis and curriculum development. Students will spend eight weeks in an in-depth research experience with Penn State’s faculty and staff from units across the university. Applications are due Wednesday, Feb. 27. More
Marginalia
Surprising Facts about George Washington Carver — Including Iowa State Ties
In honor of Black History Month, the National Peanut Board has published 16 “surprising facts” about George Washington Carver. One of the “surprising facts”: Carver was the first African American to enroll at Iowa State University, and later received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from there. (He also was Iowa State’s first African American faculty member.) 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.