College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
October 5, 2020
Top Stories
Using Video to Virtually Teach Animal Handling
Anna Johnson, animal science, has focused on video production to give her students a high quality education through their computer screens. Working with the Brenton Center, she has created virtual labs and other online content focused on animal behavior and welfare from the Beef Teaching Farm and the Dairy Farm. One lab, called Designing the Environment, allows students to see a farm through the eyes of cattle. More
Iowa State’s Response to Quarantine Update
The Iowa Department of Public Health announced quarantine is no longer recommended if both the individual with COVID-19 and their close contacts were wearing face coverings consistently and correctly during their contact. A campus letter was sent on Sept. 30 explaining what the changes mean for Iowa State.
Research
Wen Part of Research Study to Convert Paper and Plastic Waste into Food
Zhiyou Wen, food science and human nutrition and director of the Center for Crops Utilization Research, is part of a research study looking to provide a portable system to convert plastic and paper waste into food. Iowa State is leading the effort to develop the technology with a $2.7 million cooperative agreement from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Robert Brown, director of the Bioeconomy Institute, is the project’s principle investigator. More
BBMB Researcher Part of Team Working to Stop COVID-19’s Spread
Early findings by Scripps researchers working with Walter Moss, biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology, to develop RNA-targeting compounds that disable the coronavirus’ replication engine were featured in the Sept. 30 issue of SciTechDaily. More
Three Research Projects Selected for Soybean Research Funding
The Iowa Soybean Research Center awarded more than $250,000 to three soybean research projects at Iowa State University. The researchers and their selected proposals are: Thomas Baum, plant pathology and microbiology, “Mechanisms of defense suppression by cyst nematode effectors;” Leonor Leandro, plant pathology and microbiology, “Time of disease onset as an early indicator of soybean resistance to SDS;” and Lie Tang, agricultural and biosystems engineering, “In-field soybean seed pod analysis on harvest stocks using 3D imaging and machine learning.” More
Teaching and Students
CALS Study Abroad Fair Scheduled for Oct. 6
The CALS Study Abroad office will be hosting a virtual study abroad fair from 4 to 6 p.m. on Oct. 6. The fair will be held within a Canvas module and will include break-out sessions during the 2-hour program. More
CALS Virtual Career Fair Set for Oct. 13-14
CALS will host a virtual two-day career fair on Oct. 13-14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Students will have the opportunity to interact with companies and employers online through a virtual event hosted by CareerEco. Registration is required and students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the platform prior to the event. More
Extension and Outreach
Jauron’s Retirement is the End of an Era
Richard Jauron, the most recognizable voice behind Iowa State’s consumer horticulture effort, retired Sept. 30 after more than 36 years of service. From answering more than 165,000 calls on the popular Hortline telephone service, to his regular spot on Iowa Public Radio’s “Talk of Iowa: Horticulture Day” radio program, Jauron has helped countless Iowans. An extensive amount of horticulture information is available on the ISU Extension and Outreach website, and the Yard and Garden column and Iowa Public Radio program will continue, but the Hortline phone and email service will no longer be available. More
Soil Health Assessment Videos Available Online
A new series of videos on performing visual soil health assessments is now available on the ISU Extension and Outreach Agriculture and Natural Resources YouTube channel. Brian Dougherty, extension agricultural engineer, narrates the nine videos and explains the basic tools needed for assessing soil. More
Identify and Prevent Common Wine Faults with New Guide
To help winemakers and the industry better understand common faults, ISU Extension and Outreach enology specialists Aude Watrelot and Jennie Savits recently published a series of publications that help with identification, prevention and management of common wine faults. More
ANR Extension Staff Spotlight: Kristine Tidgren
Kristine Tidgren is director of the Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation, which seeks to educate producers and agricultural businesses, inform policymakers about legal and tax matters, as well as provide continuing education for tax professionals and attorneys. Tidgren holds the Leonard Dolezal Assistant Professorship in Agricultural Law and is an adjunct assistant professor in the Agricultural Education and Studies Department. More
Around the College
Video: Robison on United Way Campaign
Consider contributing to the 2020 United Way Campaign. Contributions may be made via payroll deduction in Workday; as a one-time credit card transaction through the United Way of Story County; or via check, payable to the United Way of Story County (please mail to 315 Clark Ave., Ames, IA 50010 and include “Iowa State University CALS” in the memo line). Thank you to CALS faculty and staff who have collectively donated nearly $41,500 to the 2021 campaign! The college’s goal for contributions is $60,000. To supplement college faculty and staff donations, CALS is hosting an online auction Oct. 12-15. If you have items to donate to the auction or would like to visit 138 Curtiss to view auction items, please contact Carla Persaud (cpersaud@iastate.edu). This year’s auction contributions include art work, CALS-branded clothing, ISU Creamery ice cream, jewelry and more. Contact Haley Cook (hcook@iastate.edu), CALS United Way campaign chair, for more information. Thanks for your support of the United Way of Story County.
CALS Equity Advisor Available to Meet with Faculty
Susan Lamont, animal science, is the equity advisor for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. In addition to serving as liaison with the ISU ADVANCE program, she works with college leadership, diversity committees and department chairs to pursue initiatives to enhance faculty success and job satisfaction. Lamont is available to meet with individual faculty, groups and department chairs regarding matters of equity and related issues.
New Apiary Offers Sweet Success
Honey from Iowa State’s new apiary is now available through the Horticulture Research Station website and will soon be available at Reiman Gardens and other locations. Since the 20 cardinal and gold hives were assembled at the apiary in April, more than 700 pounds of honey have been harvested. Fifty undergraduate students engage with the hives through the new Honey Bee Biology and Management class. Four biological and premedical illustration students are being hosted as interns by the apiary to create extension resources, signage and web content about honey bees. Also, 15 veterinary medicine students visited apiary hives to learn about honey bees veterinary feed directives. More
Infograzing
Norton to Present Free Speech Program
Mike Norton, University Counsel, will present a Zoom program for faculty, staff and administrators on Oct. 13 from 11 a.m. to noon. In “Navigating the Public Classroom,” he will review timely free speech and academic freedom issues, which continue to be topics of conversation across higher education. Norton will review the current environment and its implications for freedom of speech and academic freedom. Register through Learn@ISU.
Conversation on Intellectual Property Scheduled for Oct. 16
The Student Innovation Center and the Iowa State University Library are sponsoring a two-hour session on intellectual property on Oct. 16 at 3 p.m. Intellectual property rights are legal rights that protect an innovator’s inventions, products, service, artistic works, scientific developments and discoveries. Registration is available online.
October is Green Dot Action Month
As part of Green Dot Action Month in October, Student Wellness is asking faculty, staff and students to lead their offices or student organizations in promoting Green Dot, the university's personal violence prevention initiative. Choose a date in October to participate and use the online sign-up sheet to select a proactive Green Dot action. More
What’s the Green Dot Represent?
Launched at ISU in 2017, Green Dot is a national violence prevention program that focuses on awareness and bystander training. A green dot is anything done to make the Iowa State community safer – any choice, behavior, word or attitude that promotes safety for everyone and communicates utter intolerance for power-based personal violence.
ISU ADVANCE Offering Promotion Workshop Series
ISU ADVANCE is offering a two-part workshop series on advancing from associate professor to professor. Part one will be held Oct. 19 from 12 to 2 p.m. (registration by Oct. 8 encouraged). Part two will be held Nov. 4 from 10 a.m. to noon (registration by Oct. 23 encouraged). More
Marginalia
Reconstructing Meals from the Past
A research team led by UC Berkeley archaeologists has discovered unglazed ceramic cookware can retain the residue of not just the last supper cooked, but potentially, earlier dishes cooked across a pot’s lifetime, according to an article in the Sept. 14 issue of SciTechDaily. The findings, reported in the journal Scientific Reports, suggest gastronomic practices going back millennia can be reconstructed by analyzing the chemical compounds adhering to and absorbed by the earthenware in which they were prepared. 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.