Hi, CALS colleagues,
For those of you who took off and enjoyed the wonderful week we call spring break - welcome back! For the others who worked through the week - many thanks for sticking it out and catching some time off at another time. This week will bring our students back for the final push toward the end of the semester, and we'll all gather up our determination to move toward commencement and the many things in research and extension that'll pick up speed as spring arrives and we move toward summer. Remind yourselves, everyone, to enjoy the annual rhythm of the academic year and the seasons.
Last week, I was in Washington, D.C., for the annual CARET meetings and Capitol Hill visits with our Iowa Congressional delegation. I was there with Carolyn Lawrence-Dill, Andy Zehr and Angie Weeks from the college, along with Sophia Magill and Haley Moon from the ISU Office of Federal Relations, and the four members of our CARET delegation who donate their time to supporting the land grant missions overall, and the federal support that enables our work. The four people who represent us this way are Don Latham, Bob Petrzelka, Katie Stutsman and Kevin Ross.
This group had CARET meetings for two days, then Capitol Hill visits to the offices of each of our congressional delegations (including with Senators Grassley and Ernst personally), and in between a CALS and ANR Extension reception with about 50 people attending from the D.C. area. At the reception we had special guest ISU alum and USDA Under Secretary Alexis Taylor make remarks.
Also last week, the ISU Professional Agricultural Student (PAS) chapter had great success at the National PAS Conference in Ankeny. Nine students representing Iowa State took part in the competition, taking home several top placings in the individual, team and college bowl competitions (see complete results on the chapter's Facebook page). On top of that, the chapter's advisor, Nate Dobbels, was elected to the National Board of Directors and received the Outstanding Advisor Award. Congratulations to all!
Have a great week in CALS. - Dan
Scenes from CALS
Congratulations to all CALS faculty and staff who were honored at the CALS Spring Awards Program on March 7! In addition to the teaching, research and extension awards, two Dean's Citation for Extraordinary Contributions to CALS awards were presented to:
- Iowa AgSTATE - John Miranowski and Susan Thompson
- CALS Communications, Marketing and Recruitment offices
- Communications - Andy Zehr, Whitney Baxter, Marcie Fahn, Julie Stewart, Ann Robinson, Angie Weeks
- Marketing and Recruiting offices - Andy Zehr, Katy Heineman, Beth Foreman, Breanna Wetzler, Craig McEnany
We also had a special guest speak during the awards program - Joseph Stritzel, who earned his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in agronomy from Iowa State in 1949, 1953 and 1958, respectively. He was presented the Dean's Award for Sustained Excellence.
Lastly, International Women's Day was earlier this month (March 8). Lois H. Tiffany, who earned a degree in botany in 1945 from Iowa State College, serves as an example of a true pioneer to celebrate and inspire us all. She was among the first women at Iowa State to hold faculty and leadership positions that were traditionally held by men. A quiet, humble, and effective “glass ceiling shatterer,” as well as a widely respected mycologist and teacher. It is fitting that this year's International Women's Day fell on what would have been her 99th birthday. Read more about her legacy below.
