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Connect with more Iowa State University Agriculture and Natural Resource Extension and Outreach faculty and staff experts online. 

Events

• Aug. 22, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. - Veterans in Agriculture Conference, Memorial Union Great Hall, Registration required. 
• Aug. 27, 11 a.m.-3 p.m ISU’s Insect Zoo hosts Bug Chef, Village, Atrium of Molecular Biology, Free and open to all ages. 
• Aug. 30 – Sept. 1 – Farm Progress Show, Tickets required.
• ​Sept. 1-2 - Iowa State Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative's Water Innovation Challenge, Scheman Building, Registration required.
• Sept. 3, 3-6 p.m. – Annual CALS BBQ, Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center, RSVPs requested.
• Sept. 8, 4-6 p.m. – CyHawk Rivalry with a Heart Pep Rally and Food Drive, Western Gateway Park, Downtown Des Moines. 
• More upcoming CALS events 

GALARZA CONTRERAS NAMED ENVIRONMENT MINISTER

Elsa Galarza Contreras ('90 MS economics) has been appointed environment minister of Peru. Galarza Contreras is the fourth minister of the sector and the first woman to hold the position. Prior to her current role, she served as the director of the Research Center of the University of the Pacific. Her research included the economics of production, forestry, fisheries and aquaculture. Galarza Contreras has served as advisor to public agencies and held several positions within Peru's government. More 

SHOWERS HONORED WITH LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

William Showers (’70 PhD entomology), retired professor of entomology, has been honored with the Entomological Society of America Plant-Insect Ecosystems Lifetime Achievement Award. Showers, a 30-year veteran in the industry, served as an entomologist for the USDA-Ag Research Service prior to joining the faculty at Iowa State.

PERSINGER HONORED FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

Harlen Persinger (’67 dairy science, ’72 ag journalism) received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Agircultural Editors Association at the organization’s national meeting in July. Persinger is the first photojournalist and freelancer to have won the award. More

BEERMANN HONORED WITH INDUSTRY FELLOW AWARD

Donald Beermann (’71 animal science), professor and chair of animal science, was honored with the American Society of Animal Science Fellow Award in the administration category. More

PAULSEN RECEIVES NATIONAL TEACHING AWARD 

Tom Paulsen (’01 MS ag and life sciences education, ’11 PhD), chair of the Regina Roth Applied Ag and Food Studies Program at Morningside College in Sioux City, was recently honored with the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture Education Award. Paulsen formally served as an assistant professor of ag education and studies at Iowa State University. More

SWANSON FAMILY NAMED ISU 2016 FAMILY OF THE YEAR

The Ronald ('61 farm operations) and Florine Swanson ('64 home economics) family has been selected as Iowa State University’s 2016 Family of the Year.  Nominated by their granddaughter, Adelai (’16 ag business and public relations), the Swanson family considers Iowa State their “home away from home”. Adelai and her dad Stuart (’90 ag business) were recently featured in STORIES magazine. Check out a complete list of Swanson ISU graduates and learn more about Family Weekend. More

ALUMS APPOINTED TO ISU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION LEADERSHIP

Three CALS alumni have been named to Iowa State Alumni Association advisory boards. Duane Fisher (’73 ag and life sciences education, ’80 MS), retired agricultural educator at Vinton-Shellsburg Community Schools has been elected to the Alumni Association Board of Directors. Elizabeth Burns-Thompson (’11 ag business), government relations manager for the Iowa Corn Growers Association, and Ryan Helling (’13 public service and administration in ag, sociology), development coordinator at Harvard Graduate School of Education, have been appointed to the Association’s Young Alumni Council. More 

BLAIRS FEATURED FOR CONSERVATION PRACTICES

A.J. (’03 ag business) and Kellie Blair (’06 forestry, agronomy), farmers near Dayton, were featured for conservation practices on their farming operation in the Alliance for Iowa State. The Blairs raise hogs and cattle and operate a cropping system integrating cover crops and no-till corn and soybeans. Their efforts have earned them an Iowa Environmental Leader Award from the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship in 2014 and the Iowa Cattlemen’s Association Environmental Stewardship Award in 2016. More

VOICES: MASKER ON HER CHANCE TO STUDY ABROAD

Claire Masker (’05 ag and life sciences education and animal science, MS ’08 ag and life sciences education), director of public relations with National Pork Board, accompanied a group of Iowa State students on a study abroad trip to China and Japan in May. Together, with ISU faculty and staff, they explored diverse pork production systems and learned about U.S. pork export opportunities. Masker shares her thoughts on the 18-day experience in this Voices article.

GARDENS IN BLOOM AT ISU HORT, ISU AA EVENT

More than 150 Iowa State University alumni and friends attended Iowa State Night at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Gardens July 28. Sponsored by the Des Moines Botanical Gardens, the Department of Horticulture and Iowa State University Alumni Association, the event included remarks from director of horticulture Kelly Norris (’08 horticulture, MS ’11),(center), chair of the Iowa State horticulture department Jeff Iles (’93 PhD horticulture) (right) and Alumni Association president Jeff Johnson. See photos from the event.

Young Alum of the Month

Simon Shumao Ye

Title: Graduate student in biochemical and molecular nutrition, Tufts University

Hometown: Wenzhou, China

Degree: ‘15 Dietetics

Major Responsibilities: Investigating the roles of two dietary fatty acids on the risk of cardiovascular disease.

RSVP by Aug. 22 for CALS BBQ

Register today for the annual CALS BBQ Sept. 3 at the Jeff and Deb Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center, prior to the ISU vs. UNI football game! Registration requested by Aug. 22. Check out photos from last year’s event which drew more than 460 alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students. More

Class Notes

Did you land a new job? Receive an honor or award? Reach a milestone? We’d like to know! Submit your class note via e-mail stories@iastate.edu.

2010s

Kelsey Carlson (’16 MS meat science) received the Master of Science Division Research Award from the American Meat Science Association at the 2016 Reciprocal Meat Conference in San Angelo, Texas. 

Haley Banwart (’15 ag and life sciences education) was featured in an Iowa Public Radio article discussing gender roles on family farms.

Kayla Greiner (’14 ag and life sciences education) has taken a position as faith formation/youth ministry coordinator at Church of the Sacred Heart in Waseca, Minnesota.

Marcie Stevenson (’14 ag business, international ag) is the new program assistant for the college’s student services unit.

Jacob Hunter (’12 ag and life sciences education) is the new agricultural educator at North Scott Community Schools.

Carly Cummings (’11 ag business) is the new events and merchandise manager for FarmHer.

Ryan Jardon (’10 ag systems technology) received his master’s of business administration from the University of Iowa.

2000s

Jennifer Alexander (‘04 horticulture and journalism and mass communications, MS ’06 ag and life sciences education) was named director of Extension and Experiment Station Communications at Oregon State University. 

Casey Brown (’09 ag and life sciences education), ag educator and FFA advisor at Indianola Community Schools, was featured in an agriculture.com article about encouraging students to seek careers in agriculture.

Rachael Cox (’09 agronomy and international ag, MS ’12 crop production and physiology) has accepted a new position as a project manager with Feed the Future USAID at the International Potato Center in Kigali, Rwanda. 

Nathan Meyers (’09 ag systems technology) has been named ag engineering manager at the Iowa State Agricultural Engineering and Agronomy Research and Demonstration Farm.

Kyle Schulte (’07 ag studies, ’10 MS animal science) accepted a swine nutritionist position with Ralco. 

Adam Thoms (’06 horticulture) is the new turfgrass specialist for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

Lindsey Haley (’04 public service and administration in ag) has been named membership coordinator for the Iowa Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Steve Rachut ('04 ag business)  and his business, Steve's Sweet Corn and Produce, was recently featured in Iowa Farmer Today.

Kevin Ross (’03 ag studies) was elected to a second three-year term on the National Corn Growers Association Board of Directors.

Huaijun Zhou (’02 PhD animal science, animal breeding, genetics), associate professor and chancellor’s fellow at the University of California-Davis, received the Poultry Science Association’s Evonik Degussa Award for Achievement in Poultry Science.

Mark Licht (’00 agronomy, ag extension education, ’03 MS soil science, ’15 PhD crop production and physiology) has been hired as an assistant professor in the department of agronomy focusing on integrated cropping systems extension. His work will focus on improving crop productivity and profitability and stewarding natural resources.

1990s

Joe Byrum (’99 PhD agronomy, plant breeding), senior research and development and strategic marketing executive in Life Sciences-Global Product Development, Innovation and Delivery at Syngenta, wrote an article for Fast Company magazine’s website, fastcoexist.com, about using mathematical techniques and technologies in global food security.

Mike Fiscus (’93 ag studies), has been appointed superintendent of the Iowa State Agricultural Engineering and Agronomy Research and Demonstration Farm near Boone. Fiscus served as co-manager of the farm since 2003.

1980s

Janet Fulton (’89 PhD immunobiology), molecular biologist at Hy-Line International, received the USPOULTRY Distinguished Poultry Industry Career Award from the Poultry Science Association.

Paul Maass (’88 ag business) has been named chief executive of Scoular Company in Omaha.

Peter Ferket (’87 PhD animal science), extension specialist and nutritionist at North Carolina State University, has received the National Turkey Federation Research Award from the Poultry Science Association.

Chris Edgington (’84 animal science), a farmer near St. Ansgar, was elected to a three-year term on the National Corn Growers Association Board of Directors.

C. Roselina Angel (’84 animal science, ’87 MS, ’90 PhD), professor of animal and avian sciences at the University of Maryland, has been named Fellow of the Poultry Science Association.

1970s

Richard VanDePol (’76 ag mechanization) retired as superintendent of the Iowa State Ag Engineering and Agronomy Farm. VanDePol has worked on the farm since 1984.

William Larson (’75 outdoor recreation resources), superintendent of the Iowa State Poultry Farm, received the Tyson Foods, Inc., Support Personnel Award from the Poultry Science Association.

1960s

Tom Loynachan (’68 farm operation, ’72 MS agronomy), professor of agronomy, retired in July.

John Miranowski (’66 ag business), professor of economics, has been selected as a 2016 Fellow of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

In Memoriam

Jill King Webster (’97 PhD ag and life sciences education), 50, of Tucson, Arizona, died August 21, 2011.

Harold Harrison, II (’83 ag business), 55, of Boone, died July 27.

David Christians ('73 ag business), 65, of Loveland, Colorado, died January 30.

Ted Crosbie (’73 ag and life sciences education, ’76 MS, ’78 PhD plant breeding, cytogenetics), 65, of Earlham, died July 23. View video of Crosbie's 2015 Hertz Lecture "Applying an ISU education to life: A tribute to my teachers"

David McClintic (’65 ag business), 73, of West Columbia, South Carolina, died February 11.

Tom Sutherland (’56 MS animal science, ’58 PhD), 85, of Fort Collins, Colorado, died July 22.

Darald Reed (’53 agronomy), 86, of Frederick County, Virginia, died July 5.

Raymond Shubat (’52 ag and life sciences education), 86, of Orlando, Florida, died June 15.

Roger Mickelson (’48 farm operation), 88, of Rembrandt, died August 1.