Hello, CALS,
Here we are at the end of the spring semester with Graduate College Commencement Thursday at 7 p.m. in Hilton Coliseum, CALS Convocation (please come out for it!) on Friday at 9 a.m. in Hilton Coliseum, and the Undergraduate Commencement on Saturday at 9 a.m., also in Hilton Coliseum. These are such wonderful, happy events! Do you remember your own graduations?!
If you are planning to attend the CALS Convocation, please arrive by 8:45 a.m. and proceed to section 113 on the Hilton floor. There you can join others from your department to help congratulate your graduates.
This week, Wednesday, May 8, from 4:30-6:30 p.m., we have our CALS Picnic (thanks to Alison Parker and Angie Weeks for making it happen!) behind Curtiss Hall. (In prior years, we’ve had this in Moore Park, but this year we thought we’d try something closer to “home.") Please come out and bring your families with you if you can. It should be a great time, including because of the terrific music we’ll have from Mark Hargrove and the Iowa No Mountain Boys! They’ve written a song/lyrics about a little known dean of a truly great college – and you might find it fun to hear! The dean truly had no clue they were going to do this, nor has he a clue that the lyrics will be! But the dean does know they play truly great music!
Last week, we learned of the extraordinary recognitions of some of our CALS people:
- Thomas Lubberstedt and Ursula Frei (agronomy) – ISU 2024 Achievement in Intellectual Property Award
- Jason Ross (animal science) – ISU 2024 Early Departmental Leadership Award
- Dipali Sahital (BBMB) – 2024 ISU Margaret Ellen White Graduate Faculty Award
- Brian Gelder (ABE) – 2024 ISU Staff Research Achievement Award
- Jianming Yu (agronomy) – 2024 ISU Outstanding Achievement Research Award
- Shelley Taylor (Global Engagement) – 2024 ISU Staff Excellence Award
- Jim Dickson (animal science) – 2024 ISU International Service Award
- Dan Nettleton (statistics) – 2023-2024 LAS Achievement in Outstanding Departmental Leadership Award (with support from CALS)
Please reach out and help me congratulate these fine folks!
Also last week, a couple CALS folks were featured as part of Science Friday's special visit to Ames. Listen as NPR's Ira Flatow interviews EEOB's Lynn Clark and Deb Lewis about the Ada Hayden Herbarium and PPEM's Laura Iles about the emerging broods of cicadas. There also was a taping of Science Friday Live in Stephens Auditorium Saturday evening, during which agronomy's Arti Singh and Patrick Schnable, and Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute's Erin Norton were guest speakers. A recording of the show will be made available in the future.
Some other interesting things and recognitions can be found in the captions and photos below.
Have a terrific week. Best - Dan
Scenes from CALS
On May 1, I had the pleasure of celebrating with Shelley Taylor the induction of alumnus and college supporter extraordinaire, Roger Underwood ('80 agricultural business), into the Iowa Business Hall of Fame! This is a truly high honor in all of Iowa, and the list of recipients is a who's who of Iowans making a difference. Iowa State President Wintersteen, College of Human Sciences Dean Laura Jolly, ISU Foundation President Larissa Holtmyer Jones and others were there to help applaud Roger.
Jeff Iles received the Department of Horticulture Outstanding Alumni Glass Apple Award during a recent departmental picnic. The award also was in recognition of his 23 years as department chair. Iles will turn over chair responsibilities to Ajay Nair on July 1, remaining active in the department as a faculty member.
