College News

$7 MILLION GRANT TO ADVANCE ULTRA-PRECISION AG

Iowa State agronomists Arti Singh and Asheesh (Danny) Singh are part of an interdisciplinary, multi-state team applying and integrating technology with the ultimate goal of replacing farmers’ reliance on heavy machinery and broadcast spraying. They earned a five-year, $7 million Cyber-Physical Systems Frontier award jointly funded by the National Science Foundation and USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. More

DINSMORE TO CHAIR NATURAL RESOURCE ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT

Stephen J. Dinsmore has been named chair of the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management. Dinsmore (’90 wildlife and fisheries biology) will begin a five-year term as chair effective June 1. He has served as interim chair of the department since 2019. The Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management was formed in 2002 through the merger of the wildlife ecology and forestry departments at Iowa State. It offers majors in forestry, wildlife ecology and fisheries and aquatic sciences. More

NAME CHANGE FOR SOCIOLOGY DEPARTMENT

Iowa State’s Department of Sociology is changing its name to better reflect students’ interest in criminal justice studies and to align with departments at the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa. Beginning July 1, the department will become the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice. More

MAPPING IOWA'S SOIL TOPOGRAPHY

Bradley Miller ('00 environmental science, '06 MS water resources, soil science), assistant professor of agronomy, is developing new computer models of soil erosion and topography changes in Iowa. The National Science Foundation recently awarded him an early career development grant to support the research. More

HABITAT NEAR CROP FIELDS BENEFITS MONARCHS

New research on monarchs by Iowa State scientists offers important insights to those trying to boost populations by planting habitat close to corn and soybean fields. The research indicates maximum increases in Iowa monarch populations are expected if habitat is established near crop fields. More

CLASS OF 2021 CELEBRATES AT JACK TRICE

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences honored 787 spring and summer graduates during Iowa State's graduation celebrations on May 8. The university offered in-person, college-specific celebrations in Jack Trice Stadium, where 652 agriculture and life sciences graduates participated. Graduates unable to join for the in-person celebration were celebrated virtually. Watch a recording of the ceremony, as well as videos and stories highlighting this semester's seniors on the CALS graduation website. Or check out a brief video "postcard from campus" to take in the sights and sounds of the celebration. Photos from the ceremony are available on the college Facebook page. More

CALS SPEAKER URGES CLASS TO CELEBRATE DIVERSITY

When graduation speaker Lexie O’Brien offered congratulations to her fellow graduating seniors this spring, she encouraged them to celebrate the strengths gained from their diverse experiences. More

STUDENT MARSHAL RADIATES LEADERSHIP

Megan Behrends’ desire to educate others about agriculture and where their food comes from led her to major in agricultural and life sciences education - communication option. More

STUDENT REGENT EARNS SENIOR HONORS

Zackery Leist held several leadership roles on campus including serving as the student regent on the Iowa Board of Regents. He was named a Wallace E. Barron All-University Senior Award winner by the ISU Alumni Association. More

FACING FARM STRESS, MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS

Families who make their living on farms often are exposed to situations beyond their control, causing them to experience exhaustion and distress. Unexpected circumstances may make farm living difficult. If you would like to be better prepared to help someone in need, ISU Extension and Outreach offers training. More

STORM RECOVERY CAN LEAD TO MORE RESILIENT FORESTS

The derecho that swept across Iowa in August 2020 caused extensive damage to forests and woodlots. Billy Beck ('18 PhD environmental science), natural resource ecology and management and extension forestry specialist, has put together a series of YouTube videos that explain how woodland owners can recover and make their forests more resilient than before. More

SUMMER FIELD DAY PLANNED AT RESEARCH FARM NEAR KANAWHA

Micronutrients for soybean production, soybean cyst nematode management and white mold of soybean will highlight the summer field day at the Iowa State University Northern Research and Demonstration Farm near Kanawha on June 23. Registration will start at 8:45 a.m. and the field day will begin at 9 a.m. More

CORN STOVER HARVEST WORKSHOPS AVAILABLE IN JUNE

ISU Extension and Outreach will host workshops in June to address emerging opportunities related to corn stover harvesting for the biomass feedstock needs of local industries. Stover harvesting can impact economic, agronomic and water quality production factors. The workshops are designed for crop producers, landowners, crop consultants, agronomists, service providers and others with an interest in stover harvest and its removal from farm fields. These workshops are a collaborative effort between Iowa Corn Growers Association, Verbio North America and ISU Extension and Outreach. Pre-registration is required to attend. More

ISU EXTENSION AND OUTREACH RESOURCES, EVENTS

• Women Managing Farm Finances
• Iowa Swine Day June 24

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

CALS COUNCIL HONORS CLASS OF 2021

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Student Council honored six new college alumni with their bi-annual senior awards. Award nominations were submitted by college faculty, staff and students and selected by a panel of faculty and staff. The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Student Council honors graduating seniors with these awards each semester. More

• Outstanding Senior: Erin Chalupa ('21 animal science)
• Leadership Excellence: Hans Riensche ('21 ag business)
• Academic Achievement: Alyssa Swehla ('21 agronomy, global resource systems)
• Distinguished Service: Madelyn Main ('21 ag business)
• Outstanding Ambassador of Agriculture and Life Sciences: Brianna Gorham ('21 ag business, economics, international ag)
• Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion: Esperanza Moothart ('21 global resource systems)

JOHNSON NAMED FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR

Jacob Boyd Johnson (’17 biology, ’21 MS toxicology), former graduate student in toxicology, has been named a Fulbright Scholar for the 2021-2022 academic year. His Fulbright research will take place at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, where he will study particular chemicals in water and whether they are harmful to fish and the people who eat fish. More

HOWELL FEATURED FOR WORK AT ISU RESEARCH STATION

Nick Howell ('85 horticulture, '15 MS professional ag) was recently featured for his unique role as superintendent of the ISU Horticulture Research Station. The station is home to more than 100 projects annually. Current projects include growing the turf for next year's Cyclone football season at MidAmerican Energy Field in Jack Trice Stadium, providing produce to ISU Dining and research ranging from lettuce to viticulture, to honey bees and more. More

Plan to join the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences for our CALS BBQ on Saturday, September 4, 2021 at the Iowa State Jeff and Deb Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center. Similar to past years, the event will take place three hours prior to the Iowa State vs. University of Northern Iowa football game (time TBA). Canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19, this annual event welcomes all CALS alumni and friends to enjoy fellowship and learn about new college initiatives. BBQ invitations will be sent electronically this summer as more details become available.

Young Alum of the Month

Kyle Lafrenz (’19 agronomy), aftermarket services representative for John Deere Company, works with product lines to create maintenance and service packages. He also collaborates with dealers to author machine inspections to be used by North American service technicians. Lafrenz’s role allows him to stay connected to dealers, customers and machinery. More

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Email editor Melea Reicks Licht at mreicks@iastate.edu.