CALS Online and Dean’s Message
Oct. 11, 2021
Dean’s Message
Hello CALS Colleagues – Happy Monday, and I hope all is very well. Last week was full, and the coming week too, no doubt. A couple quick thoughts on last week, including my thanks to those of you who were able to attend the CALS Town Hall on Friday afternoon. It was great to have you there. We covered a lot of ground… More
Top Story
Researchers Break New Ground with Perennial Cover Crops
A diverse team of scientists including D. Raj Raman (above left), agricultural and biosystems engineering, and Kenneth Moore, agronomy, received a five-year, $10 million grant from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to study the potential environmental benefits afforded by perennial grasses between rows of cash crops. Developing new approaches to cover crops that incorporate perennial groundcovers could break down barriers keeping farmers from more widely adopting the use of cover crops. More
Research
Researchers Developing New Genetic Lines for Organic Corn Production
Iowa State scientists, including Thomas Lübberstedt, agronomy, and Kathleen Delate, horticulture, are leading an effort to improve efficiency and genetics in organic corn production, a fast-growing sector of the agricultural world since the beginning of 2020. They recently received a $1.4 million grant from USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to apply genetic tools to the development of organic sweet corn and varieties of corn for specialty uses, such as popcorn and tortillas. More
ISRC to Host Soy for Plant-based Protein Convening
The Iowa Soybean Research Center is seeking stakeholders in food science, human nutrition, economics, engineering and the food system to address using soybean in plant-based diets and to develop public-private partnerships and research projects that will move the industry forward. They are hosting an Iowa Soy for Plant-based Protein Convening on Oct. 27 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the ISU Alumni Center. Registration is free, but required. More
Teaching and Students
Students Invited to “Meat Your Future”
Students are invited to hear from industry professionals about opportunities in their companies at a “Meat Your Future” event today, Oct. 11, from 6 to 8 p.m. in 2050 Agronomy Hall. Dinner will follow in the Farm Bureau Pavilion. More
CALS Career Day Set for Oct. 12
The fall CALS Career Day will be held Tuesday, Oct. 12, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lied Recreation Center. About 190 organizations will be present and many companies will remain on campus for interviews Oct. 13-14. The college will also host a virtual career day on Oct. 19 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. More
Graduate Student Club Holding Hog Raffle as Fundraiser
The Association of Graduate Animal Scientists is selling raffle tickets for two halves of a hog as a fundraiser to benefit the graduate students in the Department of Animal Science. The funds will be used to help with graduation fees, travel scholarships and general club operations. The hog was raised at the Iowa State Swine Teaching Farm and will be harvested and processed at the Iowa State Meat Laboratory. Each winner will take home approximately 70-75 pounds of pork. Graduate students will be selling tickets until Oct. 25. More
Block and Bridle Summer Sausage and Cheese Sale Begins
The Block and Bridle Club’s annual holiday summer sausage and cheese sale is open through Nov. 13. Orders will be available for pick-up on Nov. 16-17 and will be shipped on Nov. 17. The summer sausage is made by students and staff on campus in the Meats Laboratory and the cheese is from Bongards Premium Cheese in Minnesota. New this year is the opportunity to purchase Iowa State Creamery cheese and place orders online. The fundraiser helps support scholarships, events and activities for the club.
Extension and Outreach
Free Webinar Series Offered for Seed Science and Technology
The Graduate Program in Seed Technology and Business has created a series of webinars addressing current topics in seed science and technology led by seed industry leaders and educators. They are scheduled for 11 a.m. to noon on Oct. 25-29. Registration is free.
Soybean Cyst Nematode Management Involves Good Soil Sampling
A publication that explains testing soil for soybean cyst nematode and how to interpret the results has been updated by ISU Extension and Outreach. Greg Tylka, plant pathology and microbiology, said the nematode is the most economically significant pest of soybeans in Iowa. Interpreting SCN Soil Sample Results is available as a free download through the Extension Store. More
Iowa Organic Conference is Nov. 28-29
The 21st annual Iowa Organic Conference will be held Nov. 28-29 at the University of Iowa. Producers and experts from across the country will share tips for transitioning into organic production and methods to enhance organic operations. The conference, a joint effort between Iowa State and the University of Iowa, is the largest university-sponsored organic conference in the country, said Kathleen Delate, horticulture and agronomy. More
Around the College
Report Highlights Diversity and Inclusion Efforts at Iowa State
The FY2021 Academic Affairs Diversity and Inclusion Report has been released by the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost. The report highlights numerous initiatives taking place in the colleges, departments and academic support units, as well as collaborations with colleagues across campus.
CALS Award Nomination Deadline Nov. 16
Nominations for annual awards presented by CALS are due Nov. 16. The list of college awards and nominating guidelines are available online. Nominations will be reviewed by the college faculty and staff award committees in December and presented during the annual CALS Awards Program, scheduled for March 10, 2022. Nominations for most awards presented by ISU need to be submitted to the college first. The college deadline for university award nominations is Nov. 16. The college award committees 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.
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony Held for Hydrotreater Pilot Plant
Ames-based biofuels producer, Renewable Energy Group, joined Iowa State University at the BioCentury Research Farm for a ribbon cutting ceremony on Oct. 4 to celebrate the start of a new hydrotreater pilot plant. The project is the result of a three-year collaboration between REG and the ISU Bioeconomy Institute. More
Deal Lecture by Chris Cornelius Available Online
Chris Cornelius, co-owner of Cornelius Seed, presented the 2021 William K. Deal Endowed Leadership Lecture Sept. 28 at Iowa State. A video of the full lecture, “Be the Glue: The Business of Being a Family in a Family Business,” is available online.
Calendar
Oct. 12: Celebration for Lisa Schulte Moore
A celebration for Lisa Schulte Moore, natural resource ecology and management, being named Iowa State’s first MacArthur Fellow will be held Tuesday, Oct. 12, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on the Curtiss Hall East Patio (informal remarks at 3:15 p.m.). Light appetizers, refreshments and ISU Creamery ice cream will be served.
Oct. 13: IDALS Wetland Funding Ready to Go
The Iowa Learning Farms conservation webinar taking place Oct. 13 at noon will feature Jake Hansen, water resources bureau chief, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Hansen will discuss IDALS programs and projects in the Iowa Water Quality Initiative, including in-field management practices, edge-of-field practices, and wetland construction and restoration efforts.
Oct. 14: Beal Lecture
The Beal Distinguished Lecture in Rural Sociology will be held Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Union Sun Room. Heith Copes, professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, will present “Good Bad People: A Photo-Ethnography of Methamphetamine Use in Rural Alabama.” More
Infograzing
Pappajohn Center Celebrates 25 Year Anniversary
Isaac Bradford, a sophomore in agricultural engineering, had planned to start a business after graduating from Iowa State, but after connecting with the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, he realized now was the time to launch his startup. The Pappajohn Center is celebrating 25 years of helping students develop an entrepreneurial mindset. More
Marginalia
Drake Neighborhood Marker Tells Story of Wallace and Carver
A historic marker at the corner of 38th Street and Cottage Grove Avenue in Des Moines tells the story of a young Henry A. Wallace and George Washington Carver. Grace United Methodist Church now stands on the site of what was once the Wallace home. In the Oct. 5 issue of the Des Moines Register, Bill Steiden clears up a few errant facts on the plaque. 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 Thursday.