CALS Online and Dean’s Message
October 17, 2022
Dean’s Message
Hello CALS Colleagues – Another beautiful autumn day with brilliant colors everywhere and a pretty good cold wind too. Of course, by March this will feel like a gentle breeze and a heat wave. This week is dominated for some of us by the World Food Prize meetings, and I hope many of you might tune in to those as well… More
Top Stories
2022 World Food Prize Focuses on Feeding a Fragile World
The 2022 World Food Prize Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue, taking place Oct. 18-20 in Des Moines, will focus on Feeding a Fragile World. Events related to the World Food Prize taking place on campus, involving CALS or Iowa State faculty and staff, or of particular interest are listed below. An agenda and full list of side events are available on the World Food Prize website.
World Food Prize: Norman Borlaug Lecture, Oct. 17
The 2022 World Food Prize laureate, Cynthia Rosenzweig, will deliver the Norman Borlaug lecture tonight, Oct. 17, at 8 p.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall. Rosenzweig is a senior research scientist and head of the Climate Impacts Group at the Goddard Institute for Space Studies. She will present “Moonshot Science for Climate Change and Food.” More
World Food Prize: Borlaug Poster Competition, Oct. 17
The 19th Annual Norman Borlaug Lectureship Poster Competition for Graduate and Undergraduate Students will take place Oct. 17 in the Memorial Union Great Hall. Poster set-up and judging will take place from 5:45-7:45 p.m. Posters will be displayed during a reception from 7-8 p.m. The Norman Borlaug Lecture featuring 2022 World Food Prize Laureate Cynthia Rosenzweig begins at 8 p.m. Winners of the poster competition will be announced immediately following the lecture. More
World Food Prize: Sustainable Rural Livelihoods, Oct. 18
CALS is hosting a breakout session on Sustainable Rural Livelihoods in Practice in Uganda on Tuesday, Oct. 18, from 11 a.m. to noon. Dean Robison will moderate a panel of individuals from Iowa State and Uganda as they share their model for sustainably building capacity of local communities. More
World Food Prize: Preparing the Next Norman Borlaug, Oct. 18
A panel of CALS faculty, staff and students will share three different, time-tested models of youth development focused on preparing the next generation of hunger fighters, global problem solvers and international development specialists at a side event on Tuesday, Oct. 18, at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. The panel will run 5:15-6:15 p.m., followed by a networking reception hosted by Dean Robison. There is no cost to attend. Registration is not required, but preferred.
World Food Prize: African Food Systems, Oct. 18
Iowa State is co-hosting a side event on Tuesday, Oct. 18, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on “Opportunities for Africa to Feed Itself by the End of this Decade.” Speakers from Iowa State are Peter Dorhout and Dinah Ngonyuaa, Office of the Vice President for Research, and Curtis Youngs, animal science. More
Research
Designing a Plant Cuticle in the Lab Could Yield Many Benefits
A cross-disciplinary team of scientists led by Marna Yandeau-Nelson, genetics, development and cell biology, are working to bioengineer a common defense mechanism that most plants develop naturally to protect against drought, insects and other environmental stresses. The goal is to identify the genetic structure of a plant cuticle and create a roadmap for breeding plants with designer cuticles that can respond to changing climates. More
Global Hunger, Carbon Emissions Could Spike if War Limits Grain Exports
If Russia’s invasion and the ensuing war significantly reduce Ukrainian grain exports, surging prices could increase food insecurity and carbon dioxide emissions, as marginal land is pushed into crop production. That’s the chain reaction predicted by modeling from a research team that includes Amani Elobeid, economics. More
ISRC Funds Two New Research Projects
The Iowa Soybean Research Center has awarded $300,000 in support of two soybean research projects at Iowa State, reaching a $2 million milestone in soybean research funding by the center. The new awards support work by Sotirios Archontoulis, agronomy, and Gary Munkvold, plant pathology, entomology and microbiology. More
Food Scientists Turn Waste into Something Useful
The Polymer and Food Protection Consortium at Iowa State creates new uses for waste materials that would otherwise be sent to landfills. That includes single-use plastics and food and agricultural wastes as diverse as rice hulls, chaff from roasted coffee beans and corn cobs. The consortium’s team includes Keith Vorst, director, and Greg Curtzwiler, food science and human nutrition. More
Teaching and Students
FSHN Offering New Study USA Course, Travel to California
Food science and human nutrition is offering a new Study USA course this spring on Comparing Food Systems – Iowa vs. California. The course will review food systems frameworks and considerations, focusing on food supply chains, and will include tours of Iowa food production to assist in comparing and contrasting regional food systems in Iowa and California. Students will then spend two weeks in California in May, touring wineries, almond orchards, Hunt’s tomato processing, dairy farms and more. A detailed program itinerary for the two weeks in California is available online. There is an information session today, Oct. 17, from 5-5:45 p.m. in 2379 Food Sciences Building. More
Encourage Students to Attend CALS Study Abroad Fair
CALS will hold its annual study abroad fair on Wednesday, Oct. 19, from 4-6 p.m. in the Iowa Farm Bureau Pavilion, Kildee Hall. Program directors will be available to talk with students interested in a study abroad (international) or Study USA (domestic) travel course, and will have information on other resources like student travel consultants and financial aid. Students attending the event can also learn about international clubs and student organizations available in the college. Dairy Science Club ice cream will be served. More
CAST Scholarship Deadline Extended to Oct. 19
The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology is calling for nominations for the 2022 CAST Science Communication Scholarship Award. Each year they recognize current students enrolled as graduate or professional students at the institution hosting the CAST Annual meeting for their efforts to communicate their work and science beyond their peers and area of research. Up to 10 students from Iowa State will be recognized as they celebrate 50 years of CAST where the work began in Ames. The nomination deadline has been extended to Wednesday, Oct. 19. More
Nominations for Senior Awards Due Oct. 22
The CALS Student Council is seeking nominations for fall 2022 senior awards. Every fall and spring semester, CALS Council recognizes graduating seniors through six different awards: outstanding senior, leadership excellence, academic achievement, distinguished service, outstanding ambassador of agriculture and life sciences, and commitment to diversity. Nominations are due Saturday, Oct. 22.
Landscape Club to Hold Design Session Oct. 23
The Landscape Club is holding a design session on Sunday, Oct. 23, from noon to 5 p.m. Sessions include a basic site overview, possible plant recommendations and an elevation design sketch. The event is a fundraiser to support their participation in the 2023 National Collegiate Landscape Competition at Mississippi State University. Contact iastatelandscape@gmail.com to schedule an appointment.
Scholarship Recipient Aspires to become Biomedical Researcher
Elliana Fahey, a freshman in genetics from Belle Plaine, Minnesota, was selected earlier this year as the inaugural recipient of the Dr. Neil E. Harl Opportunity Scholarship offered to incoming Iowa State freshmen. The scholarship fully covers the equivalent of in-state tuition, as well as the cost of housing and dining, for four years for students who wish to attend CALS. The broad range of research opportunities available to undergraduate students at Iowa State is what drew Fahey to Ames. Her dream is to work in a lab focused on finding treatments and cures for genetic diseases. More
Extension and Outreach
Land Stewardship Leadership Academy Holds Inaugural Graduation
Twenty natural resource professionals from across Iowa were part of the first Land Stewardship Leadership Academy graduation ceremony held Oct. 13. The nine-month program helped early and mid-career professionals build stronger relationships with farmers and landowners, while advancing conservation practices that balance environmental stewardship with profitability and resiliency. Iowa State and ISU Extension and Outreach provided instruction. More
Iowans Recognized with Water Quality Awards
The Conservation Learning Group recognized 15 Iowans as New Voices in Water Quality in Iowa during a luncheon held at Reiman Gardens on Oct. 4. In addition, four college-age individuals were named Emerging Voices in Water Quality in recognition of their ongoing advocacy and action regarding water and the future of Iowa. More
Around the College
CALS Career Day the Largest Ever: 289 Employers
Approximately 1,700 students attended the CALS Career Day last week, and employers conducted more than 400 interviews with students on campus on Wednesday. The job fair attracted 289 organizations, the most ever, with about 50 of those employers attending Iowa State’s Career Day for the first time. “The day went extremely well,” said Mike Gaul, director of CALS Career Services. “Great weather and amazing students always help.”
Recent Graduate Benefits from Hands-on Eggs-perience
Though growing up around chickens in Mexico inspired Yalitza Curiel’s interest in poultry, Iowa State gave it flight through support aimed at providing more equitable access to college and promising career paths for students who have been historically underrepresented. The 2022 animal science graduate worked in the Robert T. Hamilton Poultry Teaching and Research Facility as a student, where she had direct experience with many aspects of egg production. More
Family Documents Farm Life on YouTube
Whether it’s a tractor tour, a harvest ride-along or a demonstration of an instrument panel, the Mann Family Farms YouTube channel gives viewers a glimpse into the inner workings of a family farm in central Iowa. The channel, which features brothers Decker (’21 agricultural business), Devon (’20 agronomy), Derek and their father, Duane, began in March 2021 and has garnered more than 14,000 subscribers and 1.4 million views. More
Calendar
Oct. 19: Conversations about Carbon
Brent Sohngen, professor of environmental and resource economics at The Ohio State University, is the featured guest for Conversations about Carbon, scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 19, from noon to 12:50 p.m. The series is hosted by the ISU Bioeconomy Institute in association with CALS. More
Oct. 20: Virtual Field Day on Pumped Bioreactor Systems
Exploring a Pumped Bioreactor System for Improved Water Quality will be the focus of a virtual field day, hosted by Iowa Learning Farms, the Iowa Nutrient Research Center and the Conservation Learning Group, on Thursday, Oct. 20, at 1 p.m. The live conversation will feature Lindsey Hartfiel, Michelle Soupir and Natasha Hoover, agricultural and biosystems engineering. More
Oct. 27: Current Issues in Ag Policy
Bill Northey, CEO of the Agribusiness Association of Iowa, is the speaker for “Public Talk: Current Issues in Ag Policy” on Oct. 27 at 3:30 p.m. in Dolezal Auditorium, 127 Curtiss Hall. Northey served as Iowa Secretary of Agriculture from 2007-2018, and as USDA Under Secretary from 2018-2021. The event is sponsored by the Agricultural and Rural Policy Studies Club. More
Oct. 27: Lessons in Leadership and Life
Jim Knuth, senior vice president of Farm Credit Services of America, will present “Lessons in Leadership and Life” on Oct. 27 from 6-8 p.m. in 125 Kildee Hall. The event is sponsored by the Agricultural Business Club. More
Nov. 8-9: Egg Industry Issues Forum
The Egg Industry Center is holding its 14th annual Egg Industry Issues Forum Nov. 8-9 at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center in Ames. To be held in-person for the first time in two years, the forum will focus on sustainability, cyber security, markets and research. More
Infograzing
Vet Med Celebrates Legacy and Impact of Alumnus
The College of Veterinary Medicine is celebrating 100 years since Frederick Douglass Patterson earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. Patterson went on to lead Tuskegee University for 20 years, started its College of Veterinary Medicine and founded the United Negro College Fund, among other accomplishments. The college’s plans include a monthly spirit award to recognize inclusivity efforts among employees and students, and a campaign to endow a $1 million fund to support special projects in innovation, leadership, equity and humanity.
Marginalia
Belgian Researchers Study Pigs’ Response to Music
Scientists in Belgium are investigating a farmer’s claim that different styles of music affect the behavior of his pigs. In a Reuters article, farmer Piet Paesmans said, "Jolly dance songs are the biggest hits. They really start wagging their tails, and when it's really dynamic they even start dancing around and frolicking. Rock music is too strong, they don't like it." 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.