Hello, CALS,
I hope you had a great weekend. Be careful out there – cases of COVID-19, as well as influenza/common cold are increasing nationwide, according to CDC data. We’re not done with the pandemic, and all the usual things that can make us sick are still out there, too. While there is never a time to be sick, it’s especially true during the holidays.
Last week, I had the pleasure of attending the Faculty Appreciation Dinner at the Alpha Gamma Rho House, along with many other faculty, staff and leadership from the college. It was a great event, hosted by members of the house and their elected leader, CALS senior Nathan Behrends. Nathan and the AGR'ers are all around great contributors to the college! Then I spent two days in Washington, D.C. (for me, the first visit since immediately pre-COVID) with Carolyn Lawrence-Dill, Lisa Schulte-Moore and Sophia Magill. We visited four members/staff of our Iowa Congressional delegation to inform them about the work of the college, and made a National Science Foundation and two USDA visits to do the same and inquire about programs.
During the trip, we also attended the AAAS-C.V. Riley Memorial Foundation (RMF) distinguished lecture on agricultural pest management and landscape design (by Doug Landis from Michigan State University) and panel (Fred Gould - North Carolina State University, Linda Kinkel - University of Minnesota, Megan Fritz - University of Maryland and our very own Steve Bradbury - ISU CALS). We also attended the RMF leadership breakfast roundtable on federal support for agriculture research and development (American Seed Trade Association CEO Andy LaVigne - RMF Board, Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra, USDA Under Secretary Robert Bonnie and David Ganger - National Fish and Wildlife Foundation). I am currently serving as the president of RMF, a post held in the past by former CALS dean Cathie Woteki. Some great connections were made and ideas generated.
Tonight (Monday), I am giving remarks at the monthly Think Tank Roundtable organized by Don Beitz, on the topic of, “Sustainability: A moral, an ethic, POET, PISTOL and LLC,” (ask me for more information). Then Tuesday evening beginning at 4:30 p.m. we have our annual CALS Holiday Party in the Sukup Atrium – BE THERE! On Wednesday, Carmen Bain will lead the Board meeting of the CALS Agriculture Endowment. Then we prepare for convocation and commencements next week!
I'm happy to report that as the United Way campaign for the year comes to a close, here in CALS we raised $58,856 - 98% of our goal. University-wide the total giving reached $394,760 - 99% of the goal! Well done, all!
Have a great week. - Dan
Scenes from CALS
In October, students enrolled in NREM 380: Field Ecology Research and Teaching led a field lesson with first grade students from the Gilbert Community School District at Ada Hayden Heritage Park in north Ames. In the first image below, Iowa State students Sophia Rauen, junior in geology, Kamryn Wittkop, senior in animal ecology, and Kade Nordman, senior in animal ecology, summarize an aquatic ecology exercise with a group of first graders. In the second photo, Iowa State students Luke Mullen, junior in animal ecology, and Alejandro Gomez, senior in animal ecology, lead a lesson about the habitat requirements of woodland and prairie mammals. Photo credit goes to Troy Benning, Gilbert Community School District's director of community engagement.
Remember the image of the cement triangle that is located near the main flagpole on central campus, shared in my Nov. 7 message? Mickie Deaton in the Registrar's office did some investigating and discovered what Mark Honeyman believed to be true - those cement triangles once served to hold stacked cannon balls!
