College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
Oct. 28, 2019
Top Stories
Students Get First-hand Look at Iowa Agriculture
Three CALS freshman participated in the Agricultural Weekend Experience program on Oct. 12. Clair Cunningham, animal science, grew up in Connecticut; Nathan Scott, agricultural business, grew up near Los Angeles; and Beatrice Maule, agricultural business, is from Italy. The purpose of the AWE program is to introduce students who have no experience in agriculture to farmers and professionals in ag related industries. The students made four stops in central Iowa, and all farm operators emphasized the importance of water quality, energy efficiency and caring for livestock. The AWE program began 14 years ago and was originally an idea from the board of trustees of ISU Agricultural Endowment. Photo: Joe Sweeney (’13 ag business), gave Alyssa McMichael (CALS Communications Service intern), Cunningham, Scott and Maule a tour of his fish farm near Ellsworth, Iowa. More
Research
Agronomist Receives Research Grant from ISRC
The Iowa Soybean Research Center at ISU has awarded a $120,000 grant to Prashant Jha, agronomy, for a two-year project titled “Hyperspectral Imaging for Early Detection of Herbicide-Resistant Weeds in Soybean.” Jha’s research will focus on identifying herbicide-resistant weeds through images captured by ground-based and drone-based platforms and use the information to develop maps of the weeds to improve weed management. More
Teaching and Students
CALS Student Receives Farm Journal Scholarship
Madeline McGarry, senior in agricultural and life sciences education, was awarded a $1,500 Sonja Hillgren Memorial Scholarship from Farm Journal. The experiential scholarship program offers professional development opportunities and mentoring from Farm Journal editorial staff, as well as the potential for their work to be published online and in Farm Journal brand publications. More
Leopold Center Offering Scholarships for Undergraduates
Junior and senior undergraduates at Iowa four-year colleges and universities are invited to submit proposals to a new sustainability scholarship program sponsored by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Awards of up to $1,000 will be provided to selected proposals to support planned learning and participation experiences for students interested in the broad area of sustainability. The program is made possible by private donor funds supporting the Leopold Center. Additional scholarships will be provided by private donor funds supporting CALS; scholarships from these funds will be awarded to eligible juniors and seniors from among the 25 majors in CALS. The deadline for submission is Wednesday, Oct. 30. More
Extension and Outreach
High Tunnels Focus of Upcoming Short Course
A high tunnel short course will be held at Reiman Gardens on Nov. 4 from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is the third year for the course, according to Ajay Nair, horticulture and extension vegetable specialist. It is designed to highlight production and management of several high tunnel crops, while providing information on economics and marketing aspects of high tunnel crop production. More
Proposals Due Nov. 8 for Community Food Systems Event
Proposals are due Nov. 8 for presentations or posters at the Community Food Systems annual event on Jan. 9-10 in West Des Moines. The 2020 theme is food entrepreneurship and inclusive partnerships. Community Food Systems is a joint program of ISU Extension and Outreach's Farm, Food and Enterprise Development program and the Community and Economic Development program. More
Riparian Buffers Can Make Good Pollinator Habitat
Farmers and landowners who want to increase pollinator habitat while also improving water quality should consider the benefits of saturated riparian buffers enhanced with native wildflowers. Establishing and Managing Pollinator Habitat on Saturated Riparian Buffers is a new publication that helps landowners identify the best sites for buffers, the steps to establish a buffer with pollinator habitat and the programs available to help with funding and technical information. The publication was co-authored by Dana Schweitzer, Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium, Tom Isenhart, natural resource ecology and management, and Steve Bradbury, entomology. More
Bug Catchers Can Master Their Craft with New Field Guide
ISU Extension and Outreach has released a new publication for bug enthusiasts of all ages to become experts at identifying and collecting some of Iowa’s many insects. Be a Bug Catcher: Learn to Collect, Identify and Preserve Insects, includes nine chapters, covering topics like the importance of insects, insect biology and anatomy, collecting supplies and techniques, preserving insects and a list of useful insect terminology and references. Co-authors are Erin Hodgson, entomology, and Adam Sisson, extension specialist for the Integrated Pest Management program at ISU. More
Around the College
Two Finalists for Chair of Animal Science on Campus this Week
Two finalists for chair of the department of animal science will be on campus this week. Michael Orth, chair and professor of the department of animal and food sciences at Texas Tech University, will speak at a one-hour public seminar today, Oct. 28, at 2 p.m. in the Ensminger Room, 1204 Kildee Hall. Richard Coffey, chair of the department of animal and food sciences at the University of Kentucky, will hold a public seminar on Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 2 p.m. in the Ensminger Room.
Suza on Fighting Hunger for Children
In a guest column for the Iowa State Daily on Oct. 21, Walter Suza, agronomy, wrote that one in seven children in Iowa experiences hunger. To address this issue, he talked about the need to speak out against the stigma associated with the hungry, to design solutions to reduce food waste and redirect the resources to feed the hungry in our communities, to advocate for more federal support and to educate the next generation of American hunger fighters. More
CALS Award Nomination Deadline Nov. 19
Nominations for awards presented by CALS are due Nov. 19. The list of college awards and nominating guidelines are available online. They will be reviewed by the CALS Awards Committee during December and presented during the annual CALS Awards Ceremony, scheduled for March 24. Nominations for most awards presented by ISU need to be submitted to the college first. The college deadline for university award nominations is Nov. 19. The CALS Awards Committee will review and forward the best two to three nominations for each award. The list of university awards and nominating guidelines are available online. University awards are presented at the ISU Fall Convocation in September. The award page on the CALS website provides a complete list of awards available, frequently asked questions and a list of past recipients. Contact your departmental awards committee for additional information.
Calendar
Oct. 31: Coffee Talk – CALS P&S Awards
The CALS P&S Council Awards Committee is hosting a coffee on Thursday, Oct. 31, at 10 to 11 a.m. in 1204 Kildee Hall, Ensminger Room. Bring coffee or a beverage of choice for an informal conversation about the additional staff awards announced earlier this month. P&S staff are now eligible for 11 awards and the restriction limiting P&S staff to one award during their career at ISU has been eliminated. Faculty and staff are encouraged to nominate P&S peers and colleagues to their departmental awards committee. More
Oct. 31: Feeding the World Seminar Series
The Feeding the World seminar series concludes Thursday, Oct. 31, at 3:40 to 5 p.m. in 1204 Kildee Hall, Ensminger Room. The session will consist of student reflections and wrap-up.
Communications Kiosk
Principal vs. Principle
“Principal” is a noun and adjective meaning someone or something first in rank, authority, importance or degree: She is the school principal. He was the principal player in the trade. Money is the principal problem. “Principle” is a noun that means a fundamental truth, law, doctrine or motivating force: They fought for the principle of self-determination. In a business context, “principal” refers to the amount of money that is borrowed in a loan, as distinct from interest that is paid. (Associated Press Stylebook, 2019 edition, pg. 230)
Infograzing
Second Part of Salary Increase in October Paycheck
The back half of a two-part salary increase approved this summer took effect Oct. 1. Faculty, P&S staff, postdocs and contract employees who had satisfactory performance in fiscal year 2019 will see the 1 percent salary increase in October’s paycheck. Employees should confirm their salary increase is recorded in Workday. The June 30 salary was used to calculate the Oct. 1 salary increase. More
Lecture to Address Environmental Martyrs on the Fate of the Forest
Rob Nixon, Barron Family Professor in Humanities and the Environment at Princeton University, will present “Environmental Martyrs and the Fate of the Forest” tonight, Oct. 28, at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Union Sun Room. The talk will offer an international perspective on the value of the planet’s inhabited forests and the threats to their viability. More
ISU Veterans Center Hosting Community Supper, Nov. 13
The ISU Veterans Center is hosting its annual Community Supper on Nov. 13 at 5 to 7:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall. The event is free and open to the public. It is designed to bring together students, faculty, staff, administrators and community members in honor of the service and sacrifice of veterans and family members. RSVP for the meal by Nov. 6.
Marginalia
ISU Student Develops the Modern Milkman
Lauren Jones, a junior in entrepreneurship, was accepted to the 2019 CYstarters cohort at ISU. She developed the Modern Milkman, a food truck-style grocery subscription service that targets communities without an accessible grocery store, delivering select perishables such as bread, milk, butter, eggs and some produce. Jones was featured in the Oct. 10 issue of innovationIOWA published by the Des Moines Business Record. 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.