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College News
CONGRATS TO NEW CALS ALUMNI
BLOOM, GROW AND SOW
Abrah Meyer, agricultural business and supply chain management, gave the address at the CALS Convocation in Hilton Coliseum on May 10. She encouraged the 800-plus CALS graduates to bloom where panted, grow always and sow seeds. The Agriculture and Life Sciences Student Council presented awards to the following graduates (pictured left to right with Dean Daniel J. Robison at left and Associate Dean David Acker at right): Aimee Schulz, genetics and agronomy, for academic achievement; Amanda Crow, agricultural and life sciences education communications option, for outstanding ambassador of agriculture and life sciences; Megan Kemp, agronomy and global resource systems, for commitment to diversity; Payton Wise, animal science, for distinguished service; Brandon Hanson, agricultural business, for outstanding senior; and Alex Brand, agricultural business, for leadership excellence. The college’s student marshal at the university undergraduate commencement ceremony on May 11 was Elizabeth Garzon, global resource systems and environmental science. View photos from CALS Convocation.
TWINNING: DOUBLE THE ADVENTURE IN AG BUSINESS
Four sets of twins majoring in agricultural business graduated this spring. The students come from agricultural backgrounds and have strong bonds with their twin siblings. The students took time to reflect on their experiences in CALS and share their future plans in this feature. The students include Ashley and Taylor (standing) Uthe from Riceville, Iowa; Isaac and Aric (standing) Luzum from Decorah, Iowa; Reid and Reese (standing) Drenth from Decorah, Iowa; and Taylor and Austin (standing) Thul from Denison, Iowa. More
CELEBRATE BEEF MONTH WITH EXTENSION RESOURCES
Ranked fourth for cattle and calves on feed, and 10th for the number of beef cows, Iowa’s beef industry plays a major role in the state’s economy. The state’s beef industry contributes more than $6.3 billion annually to the state’s economy and supports more than 32,000 jobs, according to a May Beef Month proclamation signed by Gov. Kim Reynolds. Many producers are facing the challenges of a cool, wet spring, and being profitable amid high feed and input costs. To help, the Iowa Beef Center and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach have published a number of resources addressing flooding and grain storage, pasture management, pasture renovation and grazing and silage options. More
BUILT CALS TOUGH:
POWER PULLERS DEBUT NEW DESIGN
ISU students will enter a quarter-scale tractor they designed and built into an international competition on May 30. The articulated, four-wheel-drive machine will compete in a range of categories, including performance, safety and manufacturability. The team also submits a written report and an oral presentation. The team hopes to improve on a fifth-place overall finish in last year’s competition. More
NAVIGATING PLANTING DECISIONS AND DEADLINES
Crop producers wondering what to do about late and prevented planting due to wet conditions can access resources from ISU Extension and Outreach field agronomists and farm management specialists. With 70% of the state’s corn planted, and 27% of soybeans, Iowa is actually well ahead of some other Midwest states, including Indiana, which has only 14% of corn planted, and Ohio, which stands at just 9% of corn planted. More
JOIN CALS, ISU ALUMNI AT ZOO BREW JUNE 5 FOR HOPS 101
Cyclones everywhere will color Des Moines’ Blank Park Zoo cardinal and gold as the ISU Alumni Association presents Iowa State Alumni Night at Zoo Brew on June 5. Join College of Agriculture and Life Sciences alumni relations staff at the Blank Park Zoo Pavilion from 5:30-9 p.m. for networking with your fellow Cyclones, activities, prizes and giveaways. Assistant professor of horticulture and hops expert Diana Cochran will be offering a quick lesson on “Hops 101” at the CALS table in the pavilion. Get tickets online.
ROAD DITCHES PLAY POWERFUL NUTRIENT REDUCTION ROLE
New research suggests that road ditches play a role in nutrient reduction. Researchers were not surprised to find soil and groundwater conditions within the ditches favorable for denitrification. They were surprised, though, to see the extent of the ditches' processing capacity. More
IOWA FARM RENTAL RATES DECLINE
Cash rental rates for Iowa farmland are down about 19 percent since the historic high in 2013. Meanwhile, corn and soybean prices have dropped 50 percent and 45 percent, respectively, since mid-2013, according to Iowa State University Extension and Outreach’s Cash Rental Rates survey. The data, collected from farmers, landowners, agricultural lenders and professional farm managers, provide typical cash rental rates for high, medium, and low quality cropland, as well as land devoted to hay production, oats, pasture, and cornstalk grazing. More
VIEW AWARD-WINNING SEED FILM JUNE 16
A film showcasing the science and beauty of seeds received a Silver Telly award in the non-broadcast documentary series category. Manjit Misra, director of ISU’s Seed Science Center, provided leadership for “Seeds! Diversity of Wonder.” The film takes viewers to locations including India and Africa, as well as Iowa State campus, the World Food Prize in Des Moines and Iowa farms. A Day Without Seeds, one of six parts of the film, won a Bronze Telly in the general education category. The film is scheduled for a public viewing at Reiman Gardens on June 16 at 6 p.m. More
CPM DONATES $2.6 MILLION TO FEED MILL PROJECT
California Pellet Mill, a supplier of animal feed processing equipment, is donating nearly $2.6 million in equipment to a new educational and research facility for feed milling and grain science at ISU. The gift is the latest contribution to the $21.2 million feed mill and grain science complex. More
CALS STUDENTS ADVOCATE VIA VIDEO IN CAPSTONE
Students in the courses Ag Advocacy through Video Storytelling and Survey of Agriculture and Life Sciences Communications create videos as part of their capstone projects. The courses, taught in the Department of Agricultural Education and Studies, bolster communications skills and are open to majors from across campus. Agricultural education and studies communications option seniors Kristi Goedken and Katie Decker were among those who produced short films. Goedken produced a piece about her Uganda Service Learning Trip (right), and Decker a video titled, “From Seed to Shelf: Diversifying the Family Farm” (left).
DETROY GREEN’S LEGACY HONORED WITH INSPIRATION AWARD
Detroy Green, a member of the agronomy faculty from 1964 to 1995 and the college’s associate dean for academic programs, was named posthumously a recipient of the ISU Alumni Association Faculty-Staff Inspiration Award at a ceremony on May 17. Green died in 2010, but his legacy lives on. More
MORE COLLEGE NEWS
- Iowa State, Hy-Line Scientist Uses Genomics to Transform Poultry Breeding
- Syngenta Joins Partnership with Iowa Soybean Research Center at Iowa State University
- Iowa State, Iowa Soybean Association Offer New Way to View On-Farm Research Data
- Agriculture Honor Society Presents Awards to Iowa State Alumni, Faculty and Students
Alumni News
RETALLICK NAMED FELLOW OF AAAE
Mike Retallick (’05 PhD ag and life sciences education), professor and chair of the Iowa State University Department of Agricultural Education and Studies, was named fellow of the American Association for Agricultural Education. Retallick was honored for his exceptional and sustained contributions to the profession throughout his career. More
THELLMAN NAMED KANSAS YOUNG FARMER, RANCHER OF THE YEAR
 The Kansas Farm Bureau recognized Scott Thellman (’14 agricultural business), owner of Juniper Hill Farms, LLC, as its Young Farmer and Rancher of the Year in January at the organization’s annual Young Farmer and Ranchers conference. Thellman, a first-generation farmer, was featured in STORIES magazine in 2013. He manages over 150 acres of USDA Certified Organic land and raises more than 50 acres of vegetables. Other crops grown at the farm include hay, alfalfa, small grains and row crops. More
TAYLOR NAMED IOWA AG EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR BY NATIONWIDE
Brad Taylor (’78 ag and life sciences education, ’00 MS professional ag), an agriculture teacher at Roland-Story High School in Story City, Iowa, was named the 2018-2019 Iowa Ag Educator of the Year with the inaugural Golden Owl Award. Nationwide honored Taylor’s substantial contributions to future industry leaders of agriculture education. Nationwide established the Golden Owl Award to honor teachers and support them with additional resources to assist their continued educational efforts. More
ROBES HONORED WITH CARDINAL AND GOLD AWARD
Dana Robes (’67 dairy science) and Martha Robes (’15 honorary) received the 2019 ISU Foundation Order of the Knoll Cardinal and Gold Award. Dana began his career in animal nutrition and went on to start Dana Robes Woodcraftsmen, a successful furniture business that he and Martha owned for 22 years. The award recognizes the extraordinary, longtime support of an individual or couple who has had a significant and inspiring impact on Iowa State. The Robes have generously invested in Iowa State University over the years with gifts of time and treasure. More
CALS ALUMNI RECEIVE BARRON ALL-UNIVERSITY SENIOR AWARD
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences recent alumni have been honored with the ISU Alumni Association 2019 Wallace E. Barron All-University Senior Awards. Recipients include Brandon Hanson (’19 agricultural business, economics, international agriculture), Rachael Barnes (’19 global resource systems, biological systems engineering) and Joi Latson (’18 global resource systems). More
CALS ALUMNI CELEBRATE DEAN’S ROME PROGRAM 10TH ANNIVERSARY
For the past 10 years, the Dean’s Global Agriculture and Food Leadership Program has taken a team of students to Rome to work with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The teams address globally challenging and important issues, and each year the projects are implemented by the FAO. Former students gathered to celebrate the program’s success on April 29 and a video was created to illustrate the impact of the program. See photos from the reunion. Watch the video.
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