Good morning, CALS,
While it always seems routine to call out the weather, I think you’ll all agree that a sheet of ice for days and days was pretty awful. Glad that’s over for us – but it's wild to watch the news and see winter weather impacts everywhere around the country, let alone around the globe. Stay safe.
This past weekend, we had the sad news that Iowa State industrial engineering alumnus Jim Balloun (Atlanta, Georgia) passed away unexpectedly. He was the son of our former animal science professor Stanley Balloun, who with a team 50 years ago figured out how to feed soybeans to monogastrics (animals with single-compartmented stomachs) and changed the nature and future of how our landscapes are used, how feed is produced, and how livestock and poultry are fed. Amazing, positive impact on so many. Jim was a very successful alumnus in his own right in the world of finance and business consulting and was a substantial contributor to the College of Engineering. Most recently, he and his family gave his Dad’s name, with a lead and most generous gift, to our new Stanley L. Balloun Turkey Teaching and Research Farm. Another example of the amazing legacy of the Balloun family, and an inspiration to last and last. Jim was a terrific, creative, engaging, focused and wonderful person. We will miss him.
Over the weekend, I was also able to spend a couple great hours at the FarmHouse fraternity with Michelle Blair and Carol Elliott from our CALS Development Team, and FarmHouse member Colton Moore and their leadership team, along with a great group of CALS/FarmHouse alumni, including Paul Kassel (retired from ANR Extension), Bill Northey, Tim Smith, Randy Hertz and many others, all to launch an effort to raise scholarships for CALS students engaged with the FarmHouse. It was a terrific event and discussion, and they are off to a great start. With your CALS Development team, we are doing this with a variety of CALS student affinity groups and gaining terrific momentum in those efforts.
This week, we have the ISCORE conference, the celebration dinner for Iowa State employees with 25 or more years (at five-year increments) of service, and so much more.
Then next week, on March 7, we'll honor a great number of our colleagues here in the college by presenting them with CALS faculty and staff awards. Please join us at 4:10 p.m. in 0127 Curtiss Hall (Dolezal Auditorium) as we celebrate their accomplishments during the CALS Spring Awards Program. Check out this week's special awards edition of CALS Online to learn more about this year's honorees. A wine and cheese reception will be held immediately following the ceremony.
We’re finally about to the part of spring semester where spring is actually approaching – so hang in there with your students and your work – spring will not be denied! My best for a great week - Dan
Nature in Focus
This was a common scene the last half of last week following the ice storm that impacted central Iowa - ice covered trees.
