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ISU, CALS COVID-19 RESPONSE |
ISU is actively working to minimize the risk of COVID-19 infection and mitigate the impact on the university community and local health care system. The decisions to move to online instruction, cancel events, restrict travel and accommodate remote work arrangements are driven by guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Iowa Department of Public Health. Check the university’s COVID-19 webpage for regular updates on this fast-developing issue. CALS-specific information and updates for faculty, staff and students can be found here. Most ISU Extension and Outreach events have been canceled or moved to virtual events - check with local county extension offices for details. More |
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CORONAVIRUS CREATES TRADE DEAL UNCERTAINTY |
News of the coronavirus has farmers wondering what to expect in the marketplace and how it might impact the recently announced phase one trade deal with China. According to the deal, China has agreed to buy $12.5 billion in U.S. agricultural products in 2020, and $19.5 billion more in 2021. Recent world events have caused uncertainty. More |
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TOGETHER WE ARE #CYCLONESTRONG AID TO ADDRESS COVID-19 IMPACT |
The ISU Foundation has launched a fundraising campaign, “Together we are #CycloneStrong” to raise money for supporting students, faculty, staff and programs that are adversely affected by unforeseen circumstances during the COVID-19 pandemic. More
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LIVESTOCK, POULTRY SAFE FROM COVID-19 |
Jim Roth, veterinary microbiology and preventive medicine, is reaffirming that there’s no evidence the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans can sicken livestock and poultry. Meat, milk and eggs remain safe to eat, offering consumers some stability even as the outbreak brings many everyday activities to a halt. More |
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ROBISON: FIND THE GOOD AND SHARE IT |
In a recent message from Daniel J. Robison, holder of the Endowed Dean's Chair in CALS, he encouraged college faculty and staff to share extraordinary efforts happening in their departments and units as the ISU community addresses the COVID-19 outbreak. For example:
- The ISU Research Farms team moved 8,000 layer chicks into the new Robert T. Hamilton Poultry Teaching and Research Farm – in less than an hour and in keeping with social distancing and special disinfecting measures.
- Amy Kaleita, agricultural and biosystems engineering, put together a teaching workshop to help her fellow faculty prepare for online teaching.
- Arti and Danny Singh, agronomy, crafted new protocols to continue their plant breeding research while keeping their staff and students safe.
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Read more on the innovative and collaborative efforts of CALS faculty and staff.
“Let’s seek out the good and share it,” wrote Robison. If you notice ways CALS faculty, staff, students or alumni are rising to address the challenges of these uncertain times, please send your examples, thoughts and stories via email to stories@iastate.edu.
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AG, BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING STANDS ALONE AT NO. 1 |
U.S. News and World Report magazine is out with its latest rankings of graduate programs and Iowa State's department of agricultural and biosystems engineering is No. 1. Last year's rankings of biological/agricultural engineering had Iowa State and Purdue University tied for first overall. That's no longer the case. What made the difference? More |
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VIRTUAL TOUR OF NEW HAMILTON POULTRY FARM |
ISU dedicated the new Robert T. Hamilton Poultry Teaching and Research Farm south of Ames on March 5. The new facility includes dedicated spaces for teaching and research, and a welcome area where visitors can see first-hand examples of Iowa egg production systems. The nearly $7 million facility was made possible solely through private funding. Take a peek inside the new facility in this video. |
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EXPLORING PLANT-MICROBE RELATIONSHIPS FOR DROUGHT RESILIENCY |
ISU researchers are working to better understand how soybeans interact with the community of microbes living around their roots, and how these relationships may enhance the crop’s resiliency in the face of drought and other stresses. More |
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MEASURING NITROGEN NEEDS WITH GREATER ACCURACY |
ISU scientists helped develop a new test to measure nitrogen levels that yields more accurate results than standard chemical tests. Lead researcher Marshall McDaniel, assistant professor of agronomy, said it could result in economic and environmental benefits. More |
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CORN, SOYBEAN YIELDS NOT AFFECTED BY COVER CROPS
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Iowa Learning Farms and Practical Farmers of Iowa have published the final results of their 10-year, field-scale study of the effects of winter rye cover crops on corn and soybean yields. The final report notes no significant improvement or decline in cash crop yields are attributable to the use of cover crops. More |
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ISU RESEARCH FARMS RICH WITH CONSERVATION |
ISU’s Research and Demonstration Farms across the state reflect a long history of conservation leadership dating back to the earliest days of the Iowa State Agriculture College founded in 1858. Activities on the farms are based on local soil types, landforms and the needs and interests of local farmers and communities. More |
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GATES NAMED IOWA EGG COUNCIL ENDOWED PROFESSOR |
Richard Gates, director of the Egg Industry Center at ISU, has been named the Iowa Egg Council Endowed Professor. Gates was presented with the professorship at a March 5 medallion ceremony. He began his duties as director of the Egg Industry Center on Jan. 1. More |
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CRESPI DIRECTOR FOR CENTER FOR AGRICULTURAL AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT |
John Crespi has been named director of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) at ISU. Crespi, a professor of economics, joined the faculty in 2015 and has served as the interim director of CARD since September 2018. More
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VIDEO: CALS ALUMS AND NATIONAL AG DAY BRINGING EVERYONE TO THE TABLE |
National Ag Day, March 24, to be celebrated during National Ag Week March 22-26, celebrates how “Food Brings Everyone to the Table.” This year’s theme encourages us to recognize the diverse and talented people working hard to advance our food supply chain. There is no greater time to celebrate the abundance provided by American agriculture. We are #CALSproud of all the CALS graduates who produce, process and deliver our food. Thanks to these CALS graduates featured in the college’s Ag Day 2020 video: Shane Behrendsen (’06 agronomy), Lee Matteson ('03 horticulture), Rose Schick ('95 horticulture, '99 MS), Jeramie Strickland (MS ’08 ecology and evolutionary biology), Jim (’80 farm operations) and Julie Christensen, Wes (’13 ag studies) and Jackie (’12 marketing) Christensen and Mark (’10 ag business) and Lee (’10 animal science) Pierce. Video |
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KRAMER 2020 INTERNATIONAL CROP ADVISER OF THE YEAR |
Adam Kramer (’05 ag studies), owner of Black Sand Granary, has been named the 2020 International Crop Adviser of the Year by the American Society of Agronomy. The award recognizes exceptional customer service, innovation, leadership and contributions the transfer of agronomic knowledge. More |
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HARL HONORED BY NATIONAL FARMERS UNION |
Neil Harl ('56 ag and life sciences education, '65 PhD economics), retired Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in Agriculture and Life Sciences, was awarded with the Meritorious Service Award to Farmers Union and to American Agriculture, the highest honor of the National Farmers Union. More |
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GOLDMON LEADS NATIONAL BLACK GROWERS COUNCIL |
Dewayne L. Goldmon ('91 PhD agronomy) has been selected as executive director of the National Black Growers Council, headquartered in Washington, D.C. Goldmon, outreach lead with Bayer, has over 30 years of experience in the agricultural chemical and seed industry and also is a farmer in southeast Arkansas. The USDA recently featured Goldmon in this video about his conservation efforts. More |
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GROSS NAMED 2020 NEAL SMITH ENTREPRENEUR OF THE YEAR |
Martin Gross ('11 biology, '13 MS food science and technology, '15 PhD ag and biosystems engineering, food science and technology) received the 2020 Neal Smith Entrepreneur of the Year Award from America’s Small Business Development Center Iowa. Gross is president and co-founder of Gross-Wen Technologies, Inc. – a cohort member of the ISU Startup Factory and an Ag Startup Engine company. More |
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DC AREA EVENT RALLIES CALS GRADS |
CALS and ISU Extension and Outreach hosted a reception for alumni and friends on March 3 at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, D.C. The reception coincided with the Council for Agriculture, Research, Extension and Teaching (CARET) meetings CALS administration participates in annually. From left: John Lawrence ('84 animal science, '86 MS), vice present of ISU Extension and Outreach; Ken Isley ('84 ag and life sciences education), administrator, USDA Foreign Agricultural Service; Scott Hutchins ('87 PhD entomology), deputy under secretary, USDA Research, Education, and Economics; Bill Northey ('81 ag business), USDA under secretary for farm production and conservation and Daniel J. Robison, holder of the Endowed Dean's Chair in CALS. Photos |
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The CALS alumni and friends gathering scheduled for April 3 in Minneapolis as part of the Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) national conference has been canceled.
See a complete list of CALS related event cancellations and a full list of campus changes and closures.
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Want to share career news or accomplishments with fellow alumni and friends? Email editor Melea Reicks Licht at mreicks@iastate.edu. |
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