Hello, CALS,
I hope you had a great weekend. This week we have the opportunity to enjoy and learn from the World Food Prize events in Des Moines, and at the annual Norman Borlaug Lecture, presented by the World Food Prize Laureate, Heidi Kühn, in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union, tonight, Oct. 23, at 8 p.m. Please come out for that and help us fill the house! Kühn will discuss her humanitarian efforts to turn land haunted by the specter of war and violence into productive agricultural land.
Prior to the lecture, many students, including some from CALS, will be presenting their research posters about work they've done related to world issues. This is part of the annual Norman Borlaug Lectureship Poster Competition for Graduate and Undergraduate Students. Stop by and interact with these students from 7-8 p.m. in the Great Hall.
There are also many side events during WFP week, including other visits to Iowa State. On Tuesday, we’ll have the Director General of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization with us on campus, and then lots of others during the week, here and in Des Moines, to interact with people from the college.
This week is also the annual Egg Industry Forum in Indianapolis. This is the key scientific and professional meeting put on each year by the Egg Industry Center that has a North American overlay, and is directed by Rich Gates, professor in agricultural and biosystems engineering and animal science. It’s a great effort and helps us lead the egg industry forward, especially since Iowa is the nation’s leading producer of eggs.
Coming up soon will be the interview seminars for new department chairs in horticulture and agronomy. These are open to the entire college – please come out see them. Candidate information for the horticulture chair can be found on this webpage. A link to the agronomy chair candidate webpage will be shared later on.
- Candidate #1 for horticulture chair - Seminar: Monday, Oct. 30, 9-10 a.m. in 3022 Agronomy Hall
- Candidate #2 for horticulture chair - Seminar: Monday, Nov. 6, 9-10 a.m. in 3022 Agronomy Hall
- Candidate for the agronomy chair - Seminar: Thursday, Nov. 9, 9-10 a.m. in 3022 Agronomy Hall
Lots of great pictures this week, below. Enjoy! My best - Dan
Scenes from CALS
We had a great turnout for the ribbon cutting dedication of the Alliant Energy Solar Farm at Iowa State University last Thursday morning, Oct. 19. Next year, the site will be buzzing with activity that will include research related to bees and how well fruits and vegetables will grow beneath the solar panels. Learn more about the project.
At the Science II Prairie's 50th birthday party last Friday, Oct. 20, one of the animal ecology students wrote an illustrated poem to celebrate the occasion:
“Dear Science II Prairie,” by Linnae Topf, 10-20-23
There are friends who are hairy
and friends eating berries
all living in – all golden grass
Some of us are scaley
but we're not scary
we're all living in the prairie!
Happy Birthday Science II Prairie!
Finally, earlier this fall, Bob Klaver in NREM shared this image of the August blue moon and super moon peaking out behind the Iowa State University Kent Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex.
