Greetings, CALS colleagues, and welcome to the holiday season!
Thank you all very much for another great semester. I'm so very proud of how we all persevered and successfully completed our fourth regular semester in these COVID-ian times. Your work and devotion to the missions and purposes of the university, the college and your departments and units is remarkable. It shows every day in the accomplishments of our undergraduate and graduate students, and the learning, science and outreach that comes from your individual and collective work.
This past weekend we had CALS Convocation on Friday, and University commencements Friday evening and Saturday afternoon. They were terrific and a chance to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of our students. THEY are our university, and YOU each make it possible.
Special thanks to Mary Clancy and the entire Academic Innovation and Communications teams for making our convocation so special and smoothly run! Our very own Lisa Schulte Moore, professor of NREM, was the speaker at the university graduate student commencement, and at the university undergraduate commencement, Al Myers, founder and president of Ag Leader Technology in Ames, was the honorary degree recipient.
I am sorry we had to cancel our holiday party last Wednesday when the big wind storm came through. But more importantly, I'm so glad everyone was able to keep safe.
Wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season and all good things all through the New Year! Thank you for all you do.
My best - Dan
Nature in Focus
Last Wednesday's strong winds were no match for this 80'x140' fabric covered, metal framed hoop structure at the University Compost Facility south of campus. One of eight such structures on site, Tim Goode, manager of the ISU Research and Demonstration Farms, said it was being used for composting organic waste material from ISU Farms and campus. Similar damage occurred to a different hoop structure during the August 2020 derecho.
And the winds deposited topsoil from western locations onto the roof of the Food Sciences Building. John Crespi, director of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development and professor of economics, captured this image from his office in Heady Hall. He said he has never seen mud on top of the building before.
