The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University is a welcoming place for students, faculty, and staff dedicated to improving our understanding and use of agriculture, natural resources, and the life sciences toward helping people, protecting the planet, preparing future workforce and enhancing economic development.

Our mission is to empower people with the skills and knowledge to improve global food security, protect the planet’s resources and agricultural capacity, and navigate a broad array of challenges to the benefit of Iowa, the nation, and the world. We achieve this mission by translating discoveries and innovations into hands-on teaching and training for our students, the people of Iowa, and beyond.

Because the challenges we face are complex, their solutions rest at the intersection of science, technology, policy, and society. By design, all these approaches exist in CALS, and we are empowered to work together with stakeholders to achieve our vision for the future, where resources are sustainably managed and people achieve fulfilling lives and livelihoods, locally and globally.

Changing the world for the better takes teamwork in the form of focused commitment and shared goals. The CALS community includes people from many disciplines and perspectives working together in the context of the ISU principles of community in pursuit of excellence, relevance and impact.