FACULTY NEWS, Spring 2011

KLING APPOINTED TO INTERNATIONAL FOOD POLICY RESEARCH INSTITUTE BOARD

Catherine Kling, professor of economics, began serving a three-year term in January on the Board of Trustees of the International Food Policy Research Institute.  IFPR I is an international agricultural research organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with a mission of providing policy solutions that reduce poverty and end hunger and malnutrition worldwide.

HONEYMAN ADDS NEW DUTIES WITH BIOCENTURY FARM, LEOPOLD CENTER

Mark Honeyman, professor of animal science and coordinator of ISU Research and Demonstration Farms, has been named associate director of the BioCentury Research Farm where he will integrate biomass field research within the farm’s operations and help ensure compatibility of the farm’s activities with other ISU research farms.  Honeyman also has assumed responsibilities of interim director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture.  Former interim director Lois Wright Morton, sociology, stepped down to lead a regional research project on climate and agriculture.  Honeyman has coordinated ISU’s Research and Demonstration Farms network for 26 years.  He served on the original task force that helped define the Leopold Center in the 1980s.

HEARTY HELLOS

Nick Dolce joined the college development office as a director of development.  Dolce comes from the University of Illinois at Springfield where he was associate director of development and assistant athletic director for development.  Joe Hannan was named the ISU Extension commercial horticulture specialist for central and western Iowa.  Hannan, who is housed in the Dallas County Extension office, is responsible for providing commercial growers with educational resources and will conduct research at the Iowa State Horticulture Farm near Gilbert and the Armstrong Research Farm near Lewis.

FOND FAREWELLS

Rich Bundy, vice president of development at the ISU Foundation and former college development team leader, accepted a leadership position at the University of Vermont as vice president of development and alumni relations and CEO of the University of Vermont Foundation.

Rich Pirog, associate director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, became senior associate director of the Center for Sustainable Food Systems at Michigan State University in May. He will lead the new center’s efforts in the socioeconomic aspects of food systems, including production, marketing and economic development.

Les Lewis, chair of the entomology department, retired in December. He had served as chair since 2008. Prior to that he was a research leader and scientist with the USD A Agricultural Research Service.

FACULTY NAMED FELLOWS OF NATIONAL SOCIETIES

• Maynard Hogberg, animal science, chair and professor, American Society of Animal Science
• Bryony Bonning, entomology professor, American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Steven Fales, agronomy professor, American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Patrick Schnable, agronomy professor, American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Jonathan Wendel, ecology, evolution and organismal biology chair and professor, American Association for the Advancement of Science

FEHR HONORED BY AMERICAN SOYBEAN ASSOCIATION

Charles F. Distinguished Professor of Agronomy Walt Fehr is the recipient of the 2011 American Soybean Association Special Meritorious Service Award.  Fehr was recognized for his “innovative plant breeding program utilizing traditional plant breeding methods along with biotechnology to enhance the genetic traits of soybeans.”  Fehr’s research has produced more than 200 food grade soybean varieties grown throughout the United States, and he was the first to develop heart-healthy soybeans free of trans fat.

KENEALY RECEIVES INTERNATIONAL ANIMAL AGRICULTURE AWARD

Douglas Kenealy, the Harman Professor for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in the Department of Animal Science, received the Bouffault International Animal Agriculture Award from the American Society of Animal Science.  Kenealy has led five international travel courses and mentored students from 11 countries on ISU exchange programs.  Kenealy is a University Professor, professor-in-charge of the dairy science curriculum and section leader for animal science instruction. He is shown at right (in red) planting trees with ISU students while visiting Trakia University in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria.

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT NEWS, Spring 2011

FOOD PANTRY FOR STUDENTS, BY STUDENTS OPENS ITS DOORS

As part of a class assignment, students in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition Transfer and Major Change Learning Community were asked to think about ways to help support food assistance needs in the community.  The result was planning an on-campus food pantry.  The SHOP (Students Helping Our Peers) opened in February in the Food Sciences Building.  Pictured are the organization’s officers (front to back) Andrew Pugh, Sarah Schwanebeck, Hailey Boudreau, Melissa Van Norden, Kelsey Webb, Kara Moss, Amanda Haffarnan and Tania Lee.  The opening of the SHOP garnered national television coverage and a spot in an Inside Higher Ed article.

STUDENT JUDGING TEAMS RANK HIGH

• Turf Club, first place, Collegiate Turf Bowl Competition Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (ninth win in 10 years)
• Intercollegiate Dairy Judging Team, first place, Accelerated Genetics Intercollegiate Dairy Judging Contest
• Livestock Judging Team, high team overall Northern Lights Contest, high team honors Sioux Empire Farm Show, and second high team overall at Aksarben
• Crops Judging Team, first place Ag Knowledge Bowl, second place Crops Contest North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture
• Soil Judging Team, first place, American Society of Agronomy Region 5 Collegiate Soil Judging Contest
• Dairy Products Evaluation Team, second in team all-product at the 89th National Collegiate Dairy Products Evaluation Contest
• Food Product Development Team, fourth in the American Association of Cereal Chemists product development contest

AG AND LIFE SCIENCES MAN AND WOMAN OF THE YEAR

Elizabeth Baudler, senior in animal science, and Jacob Hunter, senior in agricultural and life sciences education, were named the 2011 College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Ag Woman and Ag Man of the Year as part of the Ag Day celebration in March.  Awardees are selected by their peers on the college student council based on “recognizing a true ambassador of agriculture that positively promotes agriculture through college clubs and industry relations and shows a passion for the agricultural and life sciences industry.”

HAIL TO THE CHIEF

Dakota Hoben (left), senior in agricultural business, was elected president of the Government of the Student Body in March.  He and Vice President Jared Knight, junior in political science, won the executive slate with a platform focused on “The Three ‘Cs’: clubs, classroom and community.”

IOWA STATE PROF HELPS FIRST GRADERS LEARN “CORN IS COOL”

Tyler Teske in the Agronomy Department recently shared the below via staff newsletter, and it seemed a perfect example of how our faculty and staff often go above and beyond to make a personal connection with students whether on campus or, as in this case, in an elementary school thousands of miles away. Sometimes a story comes along that really illustrates the personality the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, and this is one of them.

In February, a group of first graders from Parkland, Fla. wrote a note to Iowa State University asking about corn they were growing in their garden. Some of their corn plants had mysteriously developed an ear in the tassel. The note worked its way through the college to the department. A response was sent, along with a few other items, including some I’m An Agronomist gear.

This week, the teacher of the students sent a letter to the editor at the Des Moines Register in regard to the interaction with the department, which is reprinted below.

All of the letters and photos from the class, as well as the response from the department, are on display in the Agronomy main office.

Iowa Pride

The act of kindness shown to my South Florida students affirms my Iowa Pride. Having grown up in Des Moines, I grow a garden with my first grade class every year. When our corn grew in an unusual manner this year, we turned to Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture for answers. Students wrote a letter and enclosed pictures showing the ears growing out of the top of the plant where the tassels should have been. Going above and beyond, Mr. Kendall Lamkey, Chair of the Department of Agronomy responded.

Not only did he explain the possible reasons for this strange growth in a letter, he also sent a package. Packages are VERY exciting in first grade! In addition to the letter was a book on Corn Growth and Development and an “I’m (going to be) an Agronomist” t-shirt for each student!

Aside from the lessons regarding corn growth and learning to use available resources for inquiries, my class learned that sometimes people take time to make a difference. Each day my students wore their t-shirts to school with Iowa State University printed on the back, I was reminded of the “good people” of Iowa. Who knows, maybe a few of these Florida kids will be future Cyclones!

Kristi Hibbs Giuffreda

First grade teacher

Riverglades Elementary School

Parkland Florida

CURBELO RECEIVES LEADERSHIP AWARD

Aurelio Curbelo (’02 ag and life sciences education, MS ’06), is the director of the multicultural programs office in the college. He received the 2010 Veishea Leadership Award for Excellence awarded to those who have been instrumental in improving leadership on campus. Curbelo works with students to promote diversity, facilitate internship opportunities and encourage research experiences in agriculture, science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Visit the college’s Office of Multicultural Programs for more information.