Dear CALS alums and friends,
We are thrilled to introduce the revival of STORIES magazine – a new chapter in our communications with the CALS community. We are excited to connect with you through the pages of this and future issues.
Dear alumni and friends,
Dear alumni and friends,
This has been an incredible year — one of tremendous achievement in teaching, research and extension amid a global pandemic, civic stress, drought and wind here in Iowa and the recent election.
Greetings alumni and friends!
I have been entrusted with something very special — this world-class College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. It’s truly an awesome responsibility.
Nearly 125 years ago, George Washington Carver earned his bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Iowa State—November 14, 1894. Carver was about 30 years old at that time.
It was a proud and humbling moment last fall when our former dean, now President Wendy Wintersteen, handed me the reins of our great College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
When you open this issue of STORIES, I will have spent the first few weeks in my new job as president of the best land-grant university in the country.
When you talk about Iowa’s economy, our state agriculture is a prime topic of conversation. It’s often ranked first in the nation.
Speaking with students in our award-winning Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative immediately brings to mind the powerful growth potential in their creativity.
On consecutive weeks this spring, we hosted the 88th annual Iowa FFA Leadership Conference and the 22nd year of the World Food Prize Foundation Iowa Youth Institute.
The main sessions of both events were held in Hilton Coliseum.
This fall I was reappointed to my third term as dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. I welcome the opportunity to continue to lead one of the world’s very best agricultural and life sciences colleges.
Can you guess what the largest piece of public artwork is on Iowa State’s campus? It’s the Farm House Museum. The museum recently completed a significant restoration and the result is simply beautiful.
This fall you don’t need to look far to see difference makers among our students, faculty and staff for our community, state and planet.
I was born and raised in Kansas, but Iowa is my home. I’ve come to know Iowa as a very special place. It’s where I’ve spent much of my life and career.
Some may know less about the other title I hold, linked to an agricultural research program that has served Iowa for 125 years.
This Spring, at a ceremony honoring ISU’s top seniors, the father of one of the students came up to greet me. He recognized me from my extension field specialist days.
Over the summer, I spent an enjoyable evening at the Iowa Turkey Federation’s summer meeting, which had a baseball theme. To fit the theme, I spoke to the audience about recent success stories, or “home runs,” in the college.
Several times a semester, I meet with a student advisory group to listen what’s on their minds and let them know what’s on my mind.
