Hello, CALS,
Welcome to a sunny Monday!
Good news came in this morning that the B.S. in Agriculture and Society has now been formally approved as changed to a B.S. in Agricultural and Rural Policy Studies. Congratulations to Leana Bouffard and David Peters and their colleagues in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice for shepherding this through the system.
This morning, as well, was the launch of key meetings and conversations to update the Iowa Pest Resistance Management Plan, led by Steve Bradbury from the Department of Entomology, with more than 60 people attending from across the state and from every kind of stakeholder group. This effort, co-led by CALS and ISU Extension and Outreach, with IDALS, is for a prospective update of the Plan from 2015 that former CALS Dean Wendy Wintersteen and IDALS Secretary Bill Northey inspired. It is very important work, for sure.
I hope you all had a chance to enjoy the Faculty and Staff Appreciation Week events offered last week. You certainly earned these fun activities, given all we've been through the past two years. I am so grateful for everything you do to help make our college and students so successful!
A special congratulations goes out to eight CALS students who were among 22 honored yesterday (April 3) at the university's Student Leadership Awards Ceremony. They were:
- Paola Rodriguez, animal science
- Sydney Paris, animal science, microbiology
- Nathan Behrends, agricultural studies
- Eric Keller, animal science
- Jordan Rindels, animal science
- Javelis Marin Castro, animal ecology
- Belinda Hoffman, dietetics, global resource systems
- Paiton McDonald, biochemistry
The incidence and impact of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) continues to expand across our state’s turkey and poultry industries and flocks, with the impacts being felt now in the price of eggs in the grocery store, and no doubt all the way into commercially baked goods and meats. The disease hits hard, as well, on the growers and investors in this sector. Many in our college and extension are engaged above-and-beyond across the state to assist with its management.
Here in the college we are preparing for an early May ribbon cutting at the new Stanley L. Balloun Turkey Teaching and Research Facility on State Avenue, and HPAI will be on everyone’s mind at that otherwise happy celebration. Have a drive down State Avenue south of Highway 30 and check out the project (between the swine farm facilities and the new Hamilton Poultry Teaching and Research Facility). On the way down, no doubt you’ll see the terrific progress on the new Kent Corporation Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex! Turn the corner to the east on 260th Street and you might see over at the Ag450 Farm a new swine teaching facility under construction, as well.
We all continue to monitor the terrible unfolding events in Ukraine, and elsewhere around the world, and are on-watch about what’s happening with the pandemic near and far. Thanks for all you do every day to make this college so impactful, and to care for and enable our wonderful students.
Very best - Dan
Scenes from CALS
Encourage your students to register for courses to be held at the Rod & Connie French Conservation Education Camp this summer and fall. Pictured are students from last summer's NREM 311: Field Ecology in Montana course, enjoying the surroundings of Iowa State's beautiful Montana field station. Registration is open now! Instruct your students to contact Jennifer Schieltz to sign up (jms3@iastate.edu).
