CALS Online and Dean’s Message
January 30, 2023
Dean’s Message
Greetings CALS – This week I have the truly great privilege of dedicating with others our satellite campus on the island of St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands, named The Fork in the Road Station… Like all of the destinations we visit for our Study Abroad and Study USA programs, we learn about where we've gone, and we learn even more about where we're from. There is no doubt that the people and landscapes of Iowa benefit from the new perspectives we gain when we travel and then return… More
Top Stories
Celebrate George Washington Carver Day on Wednesday, Feb. 1
Iowa State University will celebrate the state of Iowa’s first George Washington Carver Day on Wednesday, Feb. 1, with a program featuring speakers from three states, student readings and Carver-inspired foods. The program, which is free and open to the public, will be held in the Memorial Union Great Hall, with a pre-program reception at 5 p.m. and program at 5:30 p.m. The event also will be livestreamed. Free posters and buttons marking the inaugural Carver Day in Iowa will be given away at the event. More
Research
Reduced Funding for Agricultural Research Impacting Fight against Climate Change
Gwyn Beattie, plant pathology, entomology and microbiology, talks about a USDA grant she received to study drought resiliency in crops on a Jan. 22 episode on National Public Radio. The episode focused on the decrease in federal funding for agricultural research and how that is impacting the fight against climate change. More
Teaching and Students
Students Conceptualize Benefits for the Egg Industry
Richard Gates, director of the Egg Industry Center and professor of animal science and agricultural and biosystems engineering, worked with a team of four seniors in ABE on a capstone project to develop a heated perch for laying hen housing. Throughout the fall 2022 semester, the students designed, built and tested a heated perch prototype. More
Culinary Science Club to Host Cake Decorating Workshop
The Culinary Science Club is hosting a Cake Decorating Workshop on Feb. 23 from 6-7:30 p.m. in 2379 Food Sciences Building. Participants will learn decorating techniques and receive a cake and cupcakes to decorate and take home. Registration fee is $30 and seating is limited to 40. The workshop is open to faculty, staff, students and community members. More
Extension and Outreach
Rising Egg Prices Lead to Increased Interest in Backyard Chickens
As recent outbreaks of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza continue to cause an increase in egg prices, consumers may consider starting a backyard poultry flock. A recent article in ISU Extension and Outreach’s Acreage Living Newsletter highlights best practices for raising a backyard flock. More
Iowans Being Surveyed about Wine Quality
Aude Watrelot, food science and human nutrition and wine specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach, is surveying Iowa consumers to learn more about their habits and preferences – from the time they purchase wines to the time of consumption. More
Organic Agriculture Program Releases No-Till Publication Guide
ISU Extension and Outreach has released “Organic No-Till Production,” a guidebook for organic producers looking to increase benefits from a no-till system. More
Prairie Establishment Guide Recognized Nationally
A publication that provides farmers and landowners with practical advice on establishing prairie vegetation has been recognized nationally by the American Society of Agronomy. ISU Extension and Outreach and the Conservation Learning Group produced the guide. More
Around the College
Interview Set for CALS Associate Dean for Facilities and Operations
The interview for the CALS Associate Dean for Facilities and Operations candidate is Thursday and Friday, Feb. 2-3. There will be a public seminar and open forum on Thursday, Feb. 2, at 9:30 a.m. in 142 Curtiss Hall, followed by an open forum. (Please note the change in location.) These will also be livestreamed. Candidate information, position description and feedback survey are available online. The position replaces the associate dean of operation, held by Mark Honeyman.
CALS Spaces Available in Student Innovation Center
The college has two Collaborative Learning Labs available in the Student Innovation Center for student engagement and collaboration, including capstone projects, student team or club meetings, presentations or recruiting. Learning Lab 4227 seats 26 and Learning Lab 4229 seats 16. Both rooms have moveable tables and AV-65” monitors with HDMI cable and cameras for virtual meeting capabilities. To reserve classroom space for fall 2023, contact Marcy Cheville (marcyc@iastate.edu). Scheduling monitors outside the rooms in the SIC can be used to book a room for that day only. To reserve a room on your own through Outlook, contact Ben Boecker (bboecker@iastate.edu) to receive access to the SIC 4227 and 4229 calendars.
In Memoriam: Mark Hagley
Mark Hagley, academic advisor in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice, died on Jan. 20. He was 60. Hagley earned a master's degree in sociology from Iowa State and spent his career working as an academic advisor in the department. A gathering for friends and family is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 5, from, 1-3 p.m. at The Parlor, 119 Washington Ave., Ames. More
Calendar
Feb. 1: Iowa Learning Farms Webinar
An agricultural scientist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station will speak about her efforts to promote monarch butterfly conservation during the Iowa Learning Farms webinar on Wednesday, Feb. 1, at noon. Kelsey Fisher’s research focuses on insect movement ecology and its relationships to animal movement behavior and spatial configuration of resources. More
Feb. 2: Temple Grandin Lecture
Temple Grandin will deliver a lecture titled “Let’s Talk About Pets” in the Memorial Union Great Hall on Thursday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m. Grandin is a professor of animal science at Colorado State University who has consulted on both livestock handling equipment design and animal welfare. Grandin is also a leading author on the topic of autism. More
Feb. 9: Can Beavers Be Water Quality Superheroes?
Iowa Learning Farms, in partnership with the Iowa Nutrient Research Center and Conservation Learning Group, is hosting a free virtual field day on Feb. 9 at 1 p.m. Billy Beck and graduate research assistant Andrew Rupiper, natural resources ecology and management, will discuss their work to quantify hydrologic impacts of beaver dams in the stream system and their effect on nutrients and sediment to determine the influence, positive or negative, these ecosystem engineers have within their watershed. More
Infograzing
“Straight Talk” Workshop Series for Faculty Begins in February
Straight Talk is a three-part workshop series designed to demystify faculty pathways and cultivate satisfaction and success. Presenters with different lenses and expertise will offer straight talk, present clear guidance and provide information about promotion, tenure and advancement. The workshops will be held in person in the Memorial Union Sun Room and online via WebEx. Aspiring Leaders and Administrators is scheduled for Feb. 13 from 1-2:30 p.m. Thriving Term Faculty is scheduled for March 7 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Flourishing Tenure-Eligible and Tenured Faculty is scheduled for April 6 from 9-10:30 a.m. More
Marginalia
Supply of Native Seeds Insufficient for Restoration Projects
A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine says the insufficient supply of seeds from native plants is a major barrier to ecological restoration and other revegetation projects across the United States. The report calls for concerted action to build a more robust native seed supply and industry, especially as climate change increases the possibility of extreme weather events that often damage natural areas. 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.