Faculty News And Service—Fall 2011

Paulsen Receives Teaching Award

Thomas Paulsen, assistant professor of agricultural education and studies, was honored for his commitment to, and excellence in, college teaching and the scholarship of teaching and learning by the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture at the association’s annual conference in June.

For Florida First Graders – Corn is Cool!

“Dear Mr. Lamkey – Thank you for taking the time from your job to make our day! We learned a lot from your letter and the book you sent us. Corn is cool! The t-shirts are awesome! It was so nice of you to give them to us. Some of us even want to be agronomists when we grow up! Maybe some of us might choose to go to college at Iowa State!” – First grade students in Kristi Hibbs Giuffreda’s class at Riverglades Elementary School in Parkland, Fla.

The students wrote a note to Iowa State asking about corn they were growing in their garden that had developed an ear in the tassel. Agronomy department chair Kendall Lamkey responded with answers and “I’m an Agronomist” gifts.  Read more

Faculty Serve On National Science Committees

Rothschild Named Jefferson Science Fellow

Max Rothschild, distinguished professor in animal science, has been selected for a Jefferson Science Fellowship with the U.S. Department of State. Each fellow spends one year at the Department of State or the U.S. Agency for International Development for an on-site assignment in Washington, D.C.

Babcock Named to Food, Ag Policy Research Committee

Bruce Babcock, Cargill Endowed Chair in Energy Economics, director of the ISU Biobased Industry Center and professor of economics, has been named a member of the research committee of AGree, a new initiative to transform food and agricultural policy. AGree was created by eight foundations to meet pressing challenges in food and agriculture policy by working across the academic and political spectrum.

Xin Reappointed to USDA Air Quality Task Force

Hongwei Xin, professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering and director of the Egg Industry Center, has been reappointed to a two-year term on USDA’s Agricultural Air Quality Task Force. Xin’s research and extension programs have focused extensively on air quality in animal feed operations.

Hearty Hellos

• Chris Mondak has been named ANR Extension assistant director. Prior to starting this position on July 6, Mondak served as the ISU Extension dairy specialist in northwest Iowa; a position she held since 2000.
• Cathy Kling has been named interim director of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development. Kling, an economics professor, was division head of the Center’s Resource and Environmental Policy Division.
• Sue Blodgett has been named chair of the departments of entomology and of natural resource ecology and management, effective Sept. 19. Blodgett was formerly head of the plant science department at South Dakota State University.
• Steve Mickelson, inaugural recipient of the Charles R. and Jane F. Olsen Professorship in Engineering, has been named chair of the agricultural and biosystems engineering department. He was formerly associate chair of the department, director of the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching and co-director of Learning Communities.

Fond Farewells

• Lloyd Anderson (’57 animal science, ’61 PHD animal reproduction), distinguished professor in animal science, retired in June after nearly 50 years at Iowa State University.
• Steven Jungst (’69 forestry, ’76 MS, ’78 PHD), professor, interim chair of natural resource ecology and management and interim chair of entomology, retired in June. He was a member of the forestry faculty at Iowa State since 1974.
• Gerald Miller (’71 MS soil science, ’74 PHD), interim vice president for extension and outreach, retired in June. He has been at Iowa State University for almost 40 years as a professor in agronomy and an extension agronomist, and most recently as an associate dean for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
• Patricia Murphy, university professor in food science and human nutrition, retired in June after approximately 30 years at Iowa State University.