College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
October 19, 2020
Top Stories
Seed Science Center Receives Two Capacity Building Grants
Iowa State’s Seed Science Center has been awarded two grants to strengthen the capacities of national seed and biosafety authorities in the Philippines and Africa. A two-year grant from USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service is to develop seed systems and encourage agricultural biotechnical applications. A five-year grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development aims to foster an enabling policy climate for the introduction of new crops developed using new breeding technologies. More
Research
Scientists Advance Plant Breeding for Organic Industry
Iowa State scientists and collaborators, including Paul Scott and Thomas Lubberstedt, agronomy, received a four-year $1,996,500 federal grant to develop improved seed corn tailored to the needs of the rapidly growing organic industry. The grant is from USDA’s Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative. More
Teaching and Students
Wilgenbusch Places in Food Systems Dashboard Competition
Riley Wilgenbusch, senior in agronomy and global resource systems, earned second place in the Food Systems Dashboard Competition offered through the World Food Prize. Wilgenbusch has been using the new Food Systems Dashboard to create a presentation for Roland-Story Elementary School second grade students to teach them about food insecurity prior to the students' Meals from the Heartland meal packing event. This is an extension of the presentation he gave to the students last year about his internship in Uganda, since the meals packed by the students last year went to East Africa. Wilgenbusch provided a brief presentation about his project at the World Food Prize Borlaug Symposium on Oct. 14.
CALS Community Feature: Antonio Rodriguez
Learning how people around the world are similar and different is what Antonio Rodriguez, junior in global resource systems and animal science, appreciated about his study abroad experience in The Netherlands and Uganda. Learn more about Rodriguez in the latest CALS Community Feature. More
Fall Sale a Success for the ISU Equine Program
Students in Animal Science 317B, Fundamentals of Equine Behavior and Training for Yearlings, presented their class horses at the Iowa Thoroughbred Breeders and Owners Association sale on Oct. 8 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. Hop To It sold for $60,000, making it the highest priced yearling sold by Iowa State to date. More
Extension and Outreach
Extension to Develop National Food Systems Curriculum Web Portal
A new cooperative agreement between ISU Extension and Outreach’s Farm, Food and Enterprise Development team and USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service supports development of a web portal to highlight existing curricula, resources and tools to support food systems practitioners across the country. More
Around the College
World Food Prize Film Festival Features Seed Science Center Documentary
The Faces of Hunger Film Festival at the World Food Prize featured one episode of a six-part film produced by Iowa State’s Seed Science Center. “Let Seed be Thy Medicine” took viewers to Zambia where white maize is eaten in every meal. More
U.S. Farm Report’s College Road Show at Iowa State
U.S. Farm Report’s 2020 College Road Show once again stopped at Iowa State on Oct. 10-11. Host Tyne Morgan talked market reports with Chad Hart and Lee Schulz, economics (10:30 and 25:42), derecho damage with Mark Licht, agronomy (20:55), dairy education and the recently re-opened Iowa State Creamery with Ruth MacDonald, food science and human nutrition (30:14), and student experience with Riley Wilgenbusch, senior in agronomy and global resource systems, Madelyn Main, senior in agricultural business, and Antonio Rodriguez, junior in global resource systems and animal science (37:40). More
FundISU: COVID Relief and Rehabilitation in Uganda
The Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods worked with the ISU Foundation to launch a FundISU campaign to raise funds to help citizens of rural Uganda impacted by the global pandemic and flooding that has occurred during 2020. The campaign began Oct. 16 and closes on Dec. 1. More The ISU-Uganda Program administered by CSRL in the college, is in a unique position to respond. Efforts to date include organizing special deliveries of grain and flour to help feed vulnerable households and supporting job skill development and education while making face coverings. More
George Washington Carver Recipient of Inaugural IFT Award
The Institute of Food Technologists has added a new honor to its awards program. The Include Award recognizes the work of an individual, group of people or an organization advancing equity, inclusion and diversity in the science of food. The first recipient of IFT’s Include Award is George Washington Carver, an early pioneer in the profession for advancing social equity and the science of food. More
Central Stores is the Source for COVID-19 Supplies
Departments and units are to order COVID-19 supplies through Central Stores. Face coverings, disinfectants and sanitizer supplies — approved by Environmental Health and Safety for infection control — are in stock for same-day order fulfillment and delivery. Include the department detail number (DD11790) for central COVID-19 expense tracking. Items ordered through cyBuy or by using a P-Card may not meet minimum health and safety requirements for campus use. More points on the importance of using Central Stores for these supplies are found online.
Calendar
Oct. 20-21: Gene Editing in Agriculture and Food
Iowa State is co-sponsor of a virtual conference on “Gene Editing in Agriculture and Food: Social Concerns, Public Engagement and Governance,” scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 20-21, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The conference will present research and insights from social scientists and other scholars regarding social concerns and public engagement on gene editing in agriculture and food. Carmen Bain, associate dean for academic innovation and professor of sociology, will present. The conference is free and open to all, but registration is required. More
Oct. 22: Errington Memorial Lecture
The 2020 Errington Memorial Lecture will be held Thursday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. Drew Lanham, birder, naturalist, author and educator, will present “Coloring the Conservation Message.” The online event is free and open to all. More
Nov. 2-6: Seed Science and Technology Webinars
The Graduate Program in Seed Technology and Business is holding targeted webinars addressing current topics in seed science and technology on Nov. 2-6. The webinar series is free and one registration provides access to the entire week of sessions. More
Infograzing
Research Day Activities Kick Off with Comedian
A virtual presentation by science comedian Brian Malow is the informal kickoff to Iowa State’s Research Day activities for the academic year. Mallow will present “Rational Comedy for an Irrational Planet” on Oct. 30 from noon to 1 p.m. Registration is available online; the number of participants is limited. The full program for Research Days 2021 will be held during the week of March 22.
Marginalia
Video: CALS Proud on National Farmers Day
The college wishes CALS alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends a safe and healthy 2020 harvest. A video in recognition of National Farmers Day shows we are CALS Proud of the work done to provide food, fiber and fuel to the world. 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.