College News

FALL 2021 GRADUATING STUDENTS CELEBRATED

The fall 2021 CALS Convocation took place Dec. 17 in Hilton Coliseum, where 106 graduating undergraduate students walked across the stage to celebrate their accomplishments. Stefany Naranjo (global resource systems, ag and life sciences education - communication option) was the CALS Convocation speaker. Emilie Tamblyn (animal science) was the CALS student marshal at the university's undergraduate commencement Dec. 18, also in Hilton Coliseum. Find convocation photos here.

Six graduating seniors were presented awards by the CALS Student Council:

• Paul Johnson (ag systems technology) - Outstanding Senior Award
• Haley Stahl (agronomy) - Leadership Excellence Award
• Maia Lawson (microbiology, genetics) - Academic Achievement Award
• Ellen Reed (horticulture, global resource systems) - Distinguished Service Award
• Mikayla McKenna (ag and life sciences education - communication option, international ag) - Outstanding Ambassador of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Stefany Naranjo - Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion Award

GRADUATING SENIOR CONTINUES TO SURPRISE HERSELF

Alyssa Nishijima, culinary food science, has had quite the adventure at Iowa State. As a freshman, she and her fellow classmates entered and won first place at a food product development contest. She was a member of the CALS Dean’s Student Advisory Committee and a Foreman Scholar, to name a few of her honors. Reflecting on her experience at Iowa State, she is quick to say none of the things she’s accomplished or participated in were planned. More

BALANCING SCHOOL, LIFE AND FOOTBALL - WITH A SIDE OF ICE CREAM

For nearly all collegiate athletes, the balance between school and athletics is a delicate one. Iowa State University football’s starting right tackle Derek Schweiger, food science, knows this delicate dance well and likens his position to having a full-time job as a student. While playing in front of 40,000-plus people every weekend isn’t a “job” in the traditional sense, as an athlete on scholarship, it is the next closest thing. More

IOWA FARMLAND VALUES UP 29%

After several years of modest gains and losses, the average value of an acre of Iowa farmland skyrocketed 29% in 2021. The nominal value of an acre of farmland is now higher than at any point since Iowa State began surveying values in 1941, and is 12% higher than the previous peak in 2013; although the current value in inflation-adjusted terms is still lower than that for 2012 and 2013. More

IOWA LAKE RECREATION DRIVES $1 BILLION IN SPENDING

A new study by Iowa State economists Yongjie Ji and Wendong Zhang, Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, found that lake recreation activities in Iowa drove more than $1 billion in spending in the state in 2019. The study provides a critical update to the Iowa Lakes Valuation Project, taking into consideration attitudes toward water quality measures and economic development. More

MAKING SPRAY APPLICATION MORE COST-EFFECTIVE, SUSTAINABLE

Mark Gleason, plant pathology and microbiology, and his team of researchers at Iowa State have collaborated with researchers at The Ohio State University and the USDA Agricultural Research Service to find ways to decrease the amount of chemicals applied to an orchard, while maintaining the orchard’s health. Progress on their three-year research project was recently published in the scientific journal Scientia. More

PLANNING GRANT WILL ADDRESS LOW URBAN TREE DIVERSITY

Grant Thompson ('07 horticulture, landscape architecture), horticulture, is leading a national effort to address low tree diversity in urban areas. Conversations will take place to identify the root causes of why the same tree species always seem to be planted in cities across the country. Funding for the project is being provided by a national USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative planning grant. More

RESEARCHERS DISCOVER NEW APPROACH TO FIGHT SALMONELLA

Researchers have discovered an innovative approach to fight bacteria and their antimicrobial resistance in poultry by exploiting linkages between the gut neurochemical and immune systems. The research was led by Melha Mellata, food science and human nutrition, and Graham Redweik (’21 PhD microbiology), postdoctoral associate at the University of Colorado-Boulder. More

NATURAL RESOURCES STEWARDSHIP DIRECTORY AVAILABLE ONLINE

The Natural Resources Extension Team has compiled a list of local professionals who can help with everything from dealing with nuisance or injured wildlife to protecting soil and water resources and managing urban trees and rural woodlands. More

EXTENSION ORAL HISTORY PROJECT AVAILABLE

The Extension and Outreach Oral History Project features interviews with staff members who have served more than 40 years at Iowa State. Those with CALS ties include Joel DeJong ('80 ag business, '88 professional ag), Russ Euken ('79 animal science, '88 professional ag) and Paul Lasley, sociology. More

ISU EXTENSION AND OUTREACH RESOURCES, EVENTS

• Farm couple getaways return to Iowa in February
• Preventive controls for animal food course offered for feed industry individuals
• Forestry videos show the steps involved with timber harvest
• Iowa Specialty Producers Conference is Feb. 9-10
• SowBridge educational series to be held online

These are just a few of the many new and updated resources and upcoming events from ISU Extension and Outreach - Agriculture and Natural Resources. See more.

Alumni News

JOHNSON ELECTED IOWA FARM BUREAU PRESIDENT

Brent Johnson ('95 agronomy) was elected the 14th president of the Iowa Farm Bureau. Johnson farms in Manson, Iowa, with his wife, LuAnn, son Matt and daughter-in-law Rebekah. He and LuAnn also have a daughter, Kaeli, and two grandchildren. Johnson previously served as IFBF District 4 director, first elected in 2016. Johnson grows corn and soybeans, raises beef cattle and owns an independent precision ag company specializing in GPS soil sampling, precision ag equipment, data management and the deployment of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for data analysis.

HORA NAMED TO FORBES 30 UNDER 30 LIST

Less than five years after graduating from Iowa State, Mitchell Hora ('17 agronomy, ag systems technology) has successfully started and grown a business that helps farmers take a holistic approach to improving soil health. His notable efforts earned him a spot on the 2022 Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the social impact category.

RUBIN DELIVERS PUPPY TO NEW YORK FIRE DEPARTMENT

Sara Rubin ('15 animal science) grew up around Dalmatian dogs and is continuing her family's business of raising and selling them out of her rural Perry, Iowa, home. Earlier this year, she delivered one of the puppies to Ladder Company 20 in lower Manhattan, New York. "I think my favorite part about the trip was literally just seeing the big, burly firemen just being like, 'oh my God, look at the baby!'" Video

THOMPSON FOLLOWED IN HIS MENTORS' FOOTSTEPS

Iowa is more than 5,600 miles from Diego Thompson's ('10 MS sustainable ag, sociology, '14 DMJ sustainable ag, '14 PhD sociology) native Uruguay, but through the relationships he developed while earning advanced degrees at Iowa State, he considers Ames his home away from home. Two individuals who profoundly impacted Thompson while he attended Iowa State were his major professor Cornelia Flora, Distinguished Professor emeritus of sociology, and Jan Flora, professor emeritus of sociology.

Young Alum of the Month

Emma Troyer ('20 biology) is in her second year of medical school at A.T. Still University, Kirksville College of Medicine. She is enjoying being able to learn how fascinating and detailed the human body is, and how she'll someday use what she is learning to help people heal and feel better. "I like that I am learning new information daily that will be used in my future and can be put to use in everyday life," she says.

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