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College News
HARMON LEADS AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES EXTENSION
Jay Harmon has been named the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences associate dean for extension and outreach programs and director of Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension, effective Jan. 1. Harmon has served as interim since April 2017 when John Lawrence was named the interim vice president of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach. More
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY AWARDED BORLAUG MEDALLION
The World Food Prize Foundation recently honored Iowa State University with the Norman E. Borlaug Medallion. The award recognizes world leaders and exceptional institutions for their impact on issues of global food security that benefit humankind. More
DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL PROGRAMS REFLECTS IN RETIREMENT
Denise Bjelland, director of the college’s Global Agriculture Programs, retired this month after 47 years at Iowa State University. She was a part of the global programs office since 1991, serving as office director and director of the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods among other roles. More
THOMSON NAMED CHAIR OF ANIMAL SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
 Daniel Thomson ('90 animal science, '00 DVM) has been named chair of the Department of Animal Science. Thomson has been serving as the Jones Professor of Production Medicine and Epidemiology at Kansas State University and founded the Beef Cattle Institute in Kansas State’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Thomson will begin his new duties on April 6. He succeeds Donald Beerman, who served as chair of the department since 2015 and retired Jan. 7. John Patience, a professor of animal science at Iowa State, will serve as interim chair. More
MEATS LABORATORY WELCOMES NEW LEADER
Terry Houser (’01 MS meat science/food science and technology, ’04 PhD) has been named professor-in-charge of the Iowa State University Meats Laboratory. He succeeds Joe Cordray ('71 animal science), who retired Jan. 3. The ISU Meats Laboratory is a federally inspected facility. Most of the animals processed are from the university's farms and are harvested for teaching, research and extension purposes. More
RESEARCH HELPS PRAIRIE STRIPS MAKE FEDERAL CONSERVATION PROGRAM
Prairie strips are now an eligible and recognized practice under the federal Conservation Reserve Program, which grants farmers a yearly rental payment for taking environmentally sensitive acres out of production and establishing conservation practices on the land. Iowa State University scientists, who pioneered much of the research on prairie strips over the last decade, helped develop the USDA policy. More
INTEGRATING ORGANIC CROP AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION YIELDS BENEFITS
The integration of crop and livestock production on organic farms could yield benefits for producers and doesn’t appear to pose substantial food safety risks according to an Iowa State University study. Experiments involving the integration of cattle into crop rotations in organic food production showed such systems performed well in keeping pathogens out of meat. More
FRUIT FLY DISCOVERY COULD IMPROVE HUMAN HEART HEALTH
CALS researchers have found a way to restore the strength and regularity in the cardiac muscle fibers of fruit flies (pictured). The genetic complex identified in the research could lead to new treatments for humans with heart disease. More
DIVERSE CROPPING SYSTEMS DO NOT INCREASE CARBON STORAGE
Diversified crop rotations protect water quality and have other environmental benefits, but recent experiments show that farms can’t rely on such rotations to improve carbon storage in the soil. The findings contradict widely held expectations that the extensive root systems of perennials and cover crops would deposit carbon in soils. More
INTERNS RECEIVE NATIONAL AWARD FOR CREATING LANDUS COOPERATIVE APP
What started as a summer internship project building a smartphone app for a local cooperative turned into a globally recognized accomplishment for several CALS students. An employee-facing app launched by Landus Cooperative and designed by four of its interns from Iowa State, was recognized as a “Highest Return on Investment” project in the OutSystems 2019 Low-Code Innovation Awards. More
FUNDISU: NAMA TO COMPETE AT MARKETING CONFERENCE
A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to support the National Agri-Marketing Association student chapter at Iowa State University. Their student marketing team is asking for support to cover travel expenses to compete at the National Agri-Marketing Conference in San Diego this April. The project ends on Feb. 14. More
MY CALS ADVANTAGE FEATURED IN STORIES MAGAZINE
The latest STOR IES magazine arrives in mailboxes this week. This issue highlights how CALS students build their unique CALS Advantage by becoming experts in their areas of study; advocating for their beliefs; excelling in innovation and entrepreneurism; and shining as leaders. As you read this issue, consider sharing what made your Iowa State adventure so special by e-mailing stories@iastate.edu or posting on social media using #CALSstories. More
MORE COLLEGE NEWS
Alumni News
HARRIS NAMED FELLOW OF WISCONSIN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
 Hallet “Bud” Harris (’65 MS fisheries and wildlife biology, ’69 MS), emeritus professor at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay, has been honored with the 2020 Academy of Fellows Award from the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters. Harris is known for dedicating his career and life’s work to scientific solutions to Great Lakes issues. He joined UW–Green Bay in 1969, retiring in 1999. Harris serves in a science advisory capacity for four environmental organizations. More
BRUGMAN FINALIST IN FARM BUREAU AG INNOVATION CHALLENGE
B.J. Brugman ('12 ag business) was a top-10 semi-finalist for the 2020 American Farm Bureau Ag Innovation Challenge business with his business SwineSentinel. SwineSentinel combines artificial intelligence and computer vision to accurately track animal inventory in real-time and connects this key information to production teams. More
OLSON BREWS UP NEW USE FOR AG SYSTEMS TECH DEGREE 
Bringing people together over good beer is a motto for the owners of Limestone Brewers in Osage, Iowa. Co-founder Josh Olson (’99 ag systems technology) was recently featured in the College of Engineering podcast Factor Analysis. Check out the podcast, or this online feature to learn how Olson, an insurance salesperson and volunteer firefighter, is building his hobby into a business as part of the booming craft beer industry. More
Connecting with CALS
EACH ADVENTURE AT IOWA STATE IS UNIQUE
We would love to show you the people and places that will help your prospective student build their CALS Advantage. Visit campus this spring semester to sit-in on a class, meet current students, connect with an adviser and tour our world-class facilities. Schedule now to secure the best dates for spring. More
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