Iowa State University Professor Reappointed to USDA Air Quality Task Force

AMES, Iowa — Hongwei Xin, professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering and director of the Egg Industry Center at Iowa State University, has been reappointed to a two-year term on the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Air Quality Task Force. The task force, which consists of leaders in farming, industry, health and science, was created by Congress in the 1990s to assist the USDA on issues related to agriculture's impact on air quality and the environment. Xin's research and extension programs have focused extensively on air quality in animal feed operations with emphasis on the measurement and mitigation of air emissions. "I am certainly honored to be reappointed as a member of the USDA Agricultural Air Quality Task Force," said Xin. "It provides a unique platform for sharing our technical experiences and visions toward addressing a diverse range of issues related to agricultural air quality. Being engaged in the task force reflects Iowa State's continued strong commitment to the land-grant mission of serving constituents through the application of science with practice." Chris Petersen, president of the Iowa Farmers Union, also was reappointed to serve on the 25-member USDA Agricultural Air Quality Task Force.