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College News
EXPLORING THE BALANCE BETWEEN PLANT GROWTH AND DROUGHT RESPONSE
Dry weather forces plants to save energy by reducing their growth rate, but it’s not as if a plant can consult a rain gauge or weather report. So how do they know when to ease up on growth? Iowa State University scientists are untangling the complex genetic mechanisms that control growth and stress response in plants. More
UNDERSTANDING IMPACT OF COVER CROPS ON SOIL LOSS, PHOSPHORUS
A multidisciplinary team of scientists has confirmed cover crops reduce soil loss with tillage or no-till. Results of the long-term field study show fields managed using tillage with a cover crop reduced phosphorus loss. But, it is not clear if no-tillage used with a cover crop reduced phosphorus loss. The team, led by agronomy professor Antonio Mallarino, will continue to collect and analyze data to better understand the impacts of cover crops on nutrient loss with surface runoff. More
ISU TOPS EXTERNAL FUNDING RECORD, CALS AT $51.5 MILLION
Iowa State University broke its previous record for external funding after receiving $503.6 million last fiscal year. Research funding totaled $243.7 million, which supports research ranging from cyberattacks to Parkinson’s disease to crop management. Faculty supported by CALS and the Agriculture Experiment Station received more than $51.5 million in external funding last year. More
ISU PARTNER IN NEW DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY BIOENERGY CENTER
Iowa State University is a partner institution in a new, $104 million research center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Led by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the project will study the next generation of plant-based, sustainable, cost-effective biofuels and bioproducts.The DOE grant will form the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, one of only four in the nation. More
Q&A ON SATURATED BUFFERS
Saturated buffers are a new edge-of-field practice included in the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy. They were developed in Iowa to remove nitrate from water draining out of field tiles before it enters streams and rivers. Dan Jaynes, scientist with the USDA-ARS National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment located on the ISU campus, answers questions about his study on the establishment and monitoring of saturated buffers. More
MONARCH CONSERVATION IN IOWA LAYING FOUNDATION FOR MIDWEST
A new U.S. Geological Survey study highlights multiple options for restoring monarch breeding habitat in the Midwest to support recovery of the monarch butterfly. The study outlines a challenging goal, but it’s one that the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium and the monarch research team at Iowa State University are addressing. More
ENTOMOLOGY STUDENT NAMED FULBRIGHT-NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC STORYTELLING FELLOW
Ruben Isai Madriz, Ph.D. candidate and research assistant in entomology, was selected as a 2017-2018 Fulbright-National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellow. Madriz will travel to Chile to hike, bikepack and packraft to unexplored areas and secluded fjords in search of some of the rarest insects on the planet, telling the story of deglaciation in the Northern Patagonia Ice Field. The fellowship is a partnership between the U.S. Department of State and the National Geographic Society. (Photo by: G.R. Curler) More
NEW DEGREE TO ADVANCE SKILLS OF NURSES
The Iowa Board of Regents has approved plans for a new bachelor of science in nursing degree in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. The RN-BSN is a continuation program designed for registered nurses – those working in the field as well as recent graduates of approved nursing programs – who want to earn their bachelor’s degree. The program will begin in fall 2018. More
FORMER USDA UNDERSECRETARY JOINS FOOD SCIENCE AND HUMAN NUTRITION FACULTY
 Catherine Woteki, who served six years as undersecretary for research, education and economics and chief scientist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has joined the faculty of Iowa State University’s Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. Woteki, a member of the National Academy of Medicine, will return to Iowa State where she served as dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and director of the Agriculture Experiment Station from 2002 to 2005. Her appointment began July 1. More
REDUCING FOOD WASTE AT HOME
Nearly 40 percent of the food produced in the U.S. goes to waste. According to a 2012 study, 44 percent of food going into landfills comes from the home, followed by 33 percent from the food service industry. ISU experts, including Ruth Litchfield, food science and human nutrition, have tips for reducing waste at home, and look at how the food service industry is working to do the same. More
CELEBRATING 85 YEARS OF COLLABORATION IN FISH AND WILDLIFE RESEARCH
This month the U.S. Geological Survey Iowa Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit at Iowa State University celebrates its 85th anniversary. Established in 1932 by J.N. "Ding" Darling as a joint venture among Iowa State College (Iowa State University) and the Iowa Fish and Game Commission, the Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit in Iowa was the first in the nation. With the authorization of the Cooperative Units Act by Congress in 1960, 43 cooperative units have since been created at land-grant universities in 40 states. More
NEW LEADERSHIP IN BIOCHEM, BIOPHYSICS, MOLECULAR BIO
Kristen Johansen has been named chair of the Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology (BBMB) effective July 1. She has been serving as interim department chair since February 2016. The department, jointly administered by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, offers majors in biochemistry, biophysics and agricultural biochemistry. BBMB also offers master’s and doctorate degree programs. More
Make plans to attend the college’s annual BBQ on Sept. 2 at the Jeff and Deb Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center, prior to the ISU vs. UNI football game! Visit fellow alums, students, faculty and friends from 3 - 6 p.m. with a program by Dean Wendy Wintersteen at 4:30 p.m. Bring your family and enjoy fun for all ages including hands-on activities from CALS student organizations, balloon animals, a Hickory Park meal and more! Registration requested by Aug. 21. A free will donation (suggested $5 per person) to help defray meal costs will be accepted at the door. Check out photos from last year’s event which drew more than 460 alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students. More
MORE COLLEGE NEWS
- Celebrating 30 Years of Turtle Camp
- Traditional Forms of Communication Preferred by Iowa Farmers
- Monarch Butterfly Research on Program July 20 at Iowa State University Research Farm Field Day
- Monarch Conservation Field Day July 24 at Iowa State University
- Horticulture Focus of Iowa State University’s Fruit and Vegetable Field Day Aug. 7
Social Media Spotlight
Farmers, agronomists, crop consultants and specialists now have a place to collectively document and track corn and soybean diseases this growing season. The Twitter accounts @corndisease and
@soydisease will be used to upload photos of crop diseases as they show up across the country. This effort is part of the Integrated Pest Information Platform for Education and Extension. More
Alumni News
NICKERSON HONORED AS 2017 NAMA MARKETER OF THE YEAR
 Bader Rutter CEO Greg Nickerson (’81 ag journalism), second from left, was honored as the 2017 NAMA Marketer of the Year. This award is presented to an active member of the association to recognize outstanding accomplishments in the field of agri-marketing and is sponsored by Agri Marketing magazine represented by publisher and editorial director Lynn Henderson ('74 ag journalism), right. Nickerson has helped Bader Rutter become the country’s largest agricultural marketing agency. More
BROWN HONORED WITH DOANE AWARD BY FARM MANAGERS,
 APPRAISERS
Loyd Brown ('69 ag business), former president of Hertz Farm Management in Nevada, Iowa, received the D. Howard Doane Award from the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers (ASFMRA) during the organization’s 2016 annual meeting in November. The award recipient is selected for his or her outstanding qualities and contributions in the field of agriculture with emphasis on farm management and rural appraisal. Brown retired from Hertz Farm Management in March. More
AUSEN INDUCTED TO IOWA GOLF HALL OF FAME
John Ausen, retired golf superintendent at Hyperion Field Club in Johnston, was inducted in to the Iowa Golf Association’s Iowa Golf Hall of Fame. Ausen (’73 horticulture) served as golf superintendent at Hyperion Field Club for 32 years. During his tenure, Ausen served the industry on the board of directors for the Iowa Alliance for Environmental Concerns and the Iowa Golf Course Superintendent’s Association. More
ISU CORN BREEDING SCHOLARSHIP NAMED FOR TED CROSBIE
 A gift from Monsanto Company will establish a scholarship in corn breeding at Iowa State to honor the memory of Theodore Crosbie (’73 ag and life sciences education, ’76 MS plant breeding, ’78 PhD), world-renowned plant breeder, agriculture visionary and CALS alumnus. The Ted Crosbie Monsanto Graduate Scholarship in Corn Breeding was announced June 22 at a dedication event honoring Crosbie at the Monsanto Learning Center near Huxley. More
CALS ALUMNI MENTOR CARVER INTERNS
Iowa State alumni participated in a retreat for interns in the George Washington Carver summer internship program July 7-9. Anastasia Bodnar ('11 PhD genetics), Dedrick D. Davis ('03 soil science, '05 MS, '12 PhD soil science and environmental science), Jacqueline McGrew ('11 biology) and Darrin Rahn (’14 agricultural business, marketing) rounded out the ProTeam of industry and career professionals who shared career experiences and participated in dynamic, fast-paced activities with interns. The program hosted 29 interns from across the U.S. – 22 undergraduates and seven high school students. More
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