Hello CALS colleagues,
A short note today as the summer zooms to a finish. The Iowa State Fair is upon us, lots of us are enjoying vacations, there is plenty of prep work underway as the semester looms, and some of us have an uneasy feeling of what’s next with the pandemic (keep safe!). That's more than enough to fill our days and minds. Given all the disruptions of the past 18 months, you may not have had the chance to do the following on campus - and let me suggest you find a time to try these out:
- Stop by the ISU Creamery in 2953 Food Sciences Building and get some tasty ice cream or cheese to take home.
- Walk over to the Student Innovation Center and wander around - see the CALS display in the main lobby; check out the Innovate 1858 store and treat yourself to their best-seller, our CALS honey; peek into the glass blowing studio and maybe catch some action; go up to the fourth floor and see the CALS rooms and get a latte or snack at SPARKS Café; and if the room is not being used, check out the view from the Launch Lab Conference Room overlooking the Water Tower on the fourth floor.
- Take a drive south along State Avenue and see the new Kent Corporation Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex taking shape on the southwest corner of Highway 30, and further down the road, the new Turkey Teaching and Research Facility under construction.
- Walk around your building and say "hi" to friends and colleagues you may not have seen in person for more than a year and chat a bit!
If you haven't done so already, sign up by this Friday, Aug. 6, to be a volunteer at the CALS BBQ. The annual gathering will take place Saturday, Sept. 4, from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Jeff and Deb Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center, prior to the ISU vs. UNI football game. The first 20 volunteers who register will receive a CALS BBQ t-shirt in thanks for their service. Register to volunteer online or by contacting Haley Cook (hcook@iastate.edu) or Marcie Fahn (marcies@iastate.edu) by Aug. 6. Volunteer opportunities include:
- Registration/Greeting (10:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m., 12:15 p.m. – 2 p.m.)
- Beverage service (10:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m., 12:15 p.m. – 2 p.m.)
- Tear down (2-3 p.m.)
CALS faculty, staff and guests are also invited to attend the BBQ as guests. Details available on the CALS BBQ webpage. Registration to attend as guests is required by Aug. 23.
Have a great week. My best - Dan
Nature in Focus
Dan Nettleton, distinguished professor and chair of statistics, submitted this photo of Loch Vale in Rocky Mountain National Park, where he vacationed recently.
Greg Schoenbaum, research scientist in agronomy, was surprised to find this tree frog on a corn plant on which he was about to remove the tassel.
Please keep sharing your photos with me via email!
