News

Five seniors honored during fall 2025 convocation

Each semester, seniors who have gone above and beyond while attending Iowa State University can be nominated to receive one of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Student Council senior awards. This semester, five seniors will be honored at the Dec. 19 CALS Convocation.

Prairie strips can rapidly improve soil health

Prairie strips can improve measures of soil health faster than expected, according to new research by Iowa State University scientists working in cooperation with the Soil Health Institute. Earlier studies have shown that prairie strips established in approximately 10% of a field can significantly increase biodiversity and pollinator habitat, reduce erosion and improve water quality. However, strips’ impacts on soil health have remained largely unexamined until now. Findings published recently in the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation showed that prairie strips improved a number of soil health measures within 10-12 years. 

Testing new skills for future success

It’s no coincidence that first-year students in the Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology and Microbiology take Microbiology 1150: Phage Discovery Lab as their very first class. The department intentionally schedules it this way so that students kick off their Iowa State adventure in an exploratory lab offering real-world opportunities to build their skillset and get an early introduction to research. 

Exploring blueberry pathogens, building research skills

Emma Alstott, senior in global resource systems and horticulture, is working to address an issue that blueberry growers in southern Iowa brought to her Science with Practice mentor, Suzanne Slack.

Refining poinsettia tree production through hands-on research

Rachel Becker, a senior in horticulture, used her Science with Practice involvement to dive into poinsettia tree production, all while discovering a side of research she didn’t know existed. 

Shedding light on shifting land markets

Caroline Strawhacker, a junior in agricultural business, agronomy and economics, used her Science with Practice involvement to help people navigate changes in the land market, drawing from her agricultural background and economic passion.

Science with Practice: ‘A doorway into the world of scientific curiosity’

Twenty years ago, at a time when student debt was at an all-time high and the university faced stiff state and federal funding cuts, the Science with Practice program launched to provide experiential learning opportunities for students and pay them for their work. Since then, nearly 800 CALS students have enrolled in the program and course (AGEDS 3120).

Serving up culinary history in new cookbook

Ellie Recker, Hadley Shatek and Ben Starling have tested and modified more than 100 recipes this semester that will go into a cookbook being developed by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach’s Farm Food and Enterprise Development (FFED) unit. The students are learning valuable skills along the way and earning independent study credits.

Destructive maize weevil inspires student’s research journey

Under the supervision of Carl Bern, emeritus university professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering, Keith Urmie was tasked with quantifying how much maize weevils could eat per day under ideal growth conditions. He completed the research for his Honors program capstone project during his undergraduate studies in agricultural engineering at Iowa State University.

Bloom shares successes, life lessons with future ag teachers

Melanie Bloom’s superpower as an agriculture teacher is knowing what questions to ask and when to ask them. She encourages aspiring ag teachers to do the same and identify great teachers to learn from.

CALS student club spotlight: Swine Production Advocates

Learn about the Swine Production Advocates club and see if it's a good fit for you!

Investing in the longevity of food science

With a focus on innovation and ideation, Kate Gilbert has dedicated her College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows (IEFF) project to enhance FSHN 4120 Food Product Development, a three-credit capstone course for food science and culinary food science seniors. The course challenges students to develop a new food product using the knowledge they have gained from prerequisite courses. 

Irwin will share her purpose-driven leadership approach during Deal Lecture Dec. 3

Gretta Irwin, executive director and home economist with the Iowa Turkey Federation, will present the 2025 William K. Deal Leadership Lecture Dec. 3, at Iowa State University.

Soil Machine Dynamics Lab solves problems in outer space and Iowa fields