College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
November 16, 2020
Top Stories
CALS Awards Program Wednesday, Nov. 18
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences virtual awards program is Wednesday, Nov. 18, at noon via WebEx (meeting number: 120 510 8284, password: aNTKmF2UQ89). The program will include a presentation of the Dean Lee R. Kolmer Award for Excellence in Applied Research and recognition of faculty and staff honorees from the 2020 awards program and professors newly named to existing endowed professorships.
CALS Awards Deadline Extended
The nomination deadline for annual awards presented by CALS has been extended to Dec. 1. The list of college awards and nominating guidelines are available online. Of special note: CALS nominations are open this year for the Rossmann Manatt Faculty Development Award, which recognizes a tenured faculty member who has demonstrated a truly exceptional level of creativity and productivity in scholarship, teaching and service, and who shows great promise of continuing such achievement.
Research
Crop Diversification Can Improve Environmental Outcomes without Sacrificing Yields
A new study shows diversifying agricultural systems beyond a narrow selection of crops leads to a range of ecosystem improvements while also maintaining or improving yields. An international team of researchers, including Matt Liebman, agronomy, carried out the meta-analysis, published recently in Science Advances. More
Maier Edits Book on Curtailing Postharvest Loss of Cereal and Grains
Dirk Maier, agriculture and biosystems engineering and director of the Consortium for Innovation in Post-Harvest Loss and Food Waste Reduction, is editor of a new book, Advances in Postharvest Management of Cereals and Grains, released by Burleigh-Dodds Science Publishing, that provides a comprehensive review of the latest research on postharvest cereal loss causes and mitigation strategies. More
Teaching and Students
Kaitlin Diggins Highlighted in Latest CALS Community Feature
Learn more about Kaitlin Diggins, junior in environmental science, in the latest CALS Community Feature. Highlights of her Iowa State adventure include a study abroad trip to Australia, conducting undergraduate research through the First-year Honors Mentor Program, and participating in the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science organization. More
Meat Science Club Holds Holiday Ham Fundraiser
The Meat Science Club is holding their annual holiday ham fundraiser. Whole hams (12-15 lbs.) are $3.50/lb. and half hams (7-9 lbs.) are $4/lb. Orders are being collected with a Google Form. Curbside pick-up at the Kildee Dock will take place on Saturday, Nov. 21 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. More
Agronomy Club Popcorn Orders due Nov. 18
The Agronomy Club is holding its annual holiday popcorn sale. Orders are due to Erin Stichter (stichter@iastate.edu) by Wednesday, Nov. 18. Boxes sell for $5 and will be available Nov. 19 and 20 for pick-up in the Agronomy Club Reading Room or delivery to an office on campus.
Forestry Club’s Christmas Tree Sale Begins Nov. 28
The Forestry Club is holding its annual Christmas tree fundraiser at the Reiman Gardens parking lot. Trees will be for sale Nov. 28-29, Dec. 4-6 and Dec. 11-13. Hours are Fridays, 3 to 6 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sundays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The club will have white pine, Korean fir and balsam fir, as well as balsam fir wreaths. Proceeds go towards club activities and student development.
Extension and Outreach
Master Gardener Donations Make Big Impact During Difficult Year
In a year with many challenges and setbacks, volunteers with the Master Gardener program at ISU Extension and Outreach continued to serve their communities with donated produce. This year’s Growing Together Mini Grant recipients grew and donated more than 80,000 pounds of produce despite the impacts of COVID-19 and the derecho in August. More
Around the College
CALS Creates Anonymous Feedback Form
In response to an idea generated by the college’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, an anonymous feedback form has been created. “You are always welcome to reach out to me directly to share your thoughts – I encourage it!” said Dean Robison in his Nov. 13 letter to faculty and staff. “However, I understand you may prefer a less direct route to sharing your feedback.” Comments will be directed to appropriate channels and available for Dean Robison to review.
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 closes 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
CALS Online: Next Full Issue Nov. 30
CALS Online will not be publishing a full issue on Nov. 23, the week of Thanksgiving. It will resume Monday, Nov. 30.
Calendar
Nov. 18: INRC Water Research Seminar Series
“Evaluating flood mitigation strategies in an agricultural watershed in Iowa using process-based hydrologic modeling” is the focus of the Iowa Nutrient Research Center’s next water research seminar on Wednesday, Nov. 18, from 3-4 p.m. The presenter is Antonio Arenas Amado, associate research engineer with IIHR Hydroscience and Engineering at the University of Iowa. More
Infograzing
APLU Recognizes Iowa State for Innovation
Iowa State University received the 2020 Innovation and Economic Prosperity Innovation award from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. The award recognizes exemplary initiatives spurring innovation, entrepreneurship and technology-based economic development, like Iowa State’s effort to ramp up production of face shields when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The award also recognized the opportunities for innovation and collaboration through the new Student Innovation Center and the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, as well as support for startups from the Office of Economic Development and Industry Relations. More
Wintersteen Honored with National Leadership Award
President Wendy Wintersteen is the recipient of the 2020 Food Systems Leadership Award from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. The award is the highest recognition bestowed by APLU for a leader in the food system. More
Riley Memorial Lecture Scheduled for Nov. 19
The 2020 Riley Memorial Lecture is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 19, from 1:30 to 3 p.m. via Zoom. This year’s lecture will focus on the transformation of global food systems to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and feature a keynote address by Evan DeLucia, professor of biology at the University of Illinois and founding director of the program in ecology and evolutionary biology. The lecture is sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, in partnership with The World Food Prize and The Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation.
SHOP Student Leaders Seeking Volunteers
Student volunteers of the Students Helping Our Peers food pantry will soon be preparing for and taking final exams and SHOP student leaders are asking ISU employees to volunteer to help keep the food pantry open. Sign up for a shift using the online form. Also, for the first time, SHOP will be open over winter break to help students staying in town. Sign up to volunteer for shifts Tuesdays and Fridays throughout break, excluding university holidays, using the online form. SHOP student leaders are also collecting contact information for those who would like to be contacted for future opportunities.
SIC Offers Teaching Gen-Z Workshop, Dec. 4
The Student Innovation Center is offering an Innovation Leadership and Mindset Workshop on Dec. 4 at 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sara Marcketti, Morrill Professor and director of the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, will present Gen-Z: Teaching in the Classroom and Beyond.
Marginalia
Leopold Center Receives New Table from Historic Leopold Tree
The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture has a new conference table made from a large red oak tree. The tree was planted by Charles and Marie Starker to celebrate the birth of their first grandchild, Aldo Leopold. Aldo grew up to become famous for writing the 1949 conservation classic, A Sand County Almanac, and founding the field of wildlife management. 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.