CALS Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows
The Dean's Office for Academic Innovation and Start Something College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) developed the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows (IEFF) program to foster and expand a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in CALS faculty across each of our departments. To advance this goal, the Dean's office provides funds to support faculty seeking to incorporate innovation within teaching, research or extension activities.
Faculty fellows are organized as a cohort and provided with funding, training and professional development in innovation and entrepreneurship. Fellows serve for two years with an expectation that each fellow will continue to be engaged in building a network and culture of innovation and entrepreneurship within their departments and across the college.
To learn more about the program, contact Carmen Bain (cbain@iastate.edu) or Kevin Kimle (kimle@iastate.edu).
Being an Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellow has allowed me to think beyond my immediate research program, leading to novel ways to incorporate undergraduate teaching. Meeting with the other fellows has been interesting, and, at times, comforting hearing how they overcome challenges in changing their research, teaching, and extension to meet the growing needs of our students, stakeholders, and citizens. - Dr. Matthew O'Neal

Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows. Celebration Reception, Launch Pad, Student Innovation Center. May 5, 2023
2024 Cohort
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Teaching Professor
Department of Food Science and Human NutritionCollege students, fresh out of dorm life with dining hall meal plans, face a culinary conundrum. The creation of the Culinary Boot Camp Workshop aims to provide students the tools and knowledge they need to create healthy well balanced meals.
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Teaching Professor
Department of Agricultural and Biosystems EngineeringSteven Bell will infuse opportunities for students to develop an entrepreneurial mindset in two technology systems management (TSM) courses. Additions will include the exploration of entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship and deepening industry connections.
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Assistant Teaching Professor
Department of AgronomyElnaz Ebrahimi wants to bring a unique opportunity for undergraduate students to engage in hands-on learning and exploration of smart agricultural practices. By implementing Smart-Rhizoboxes, Ebrahimi is enabling students to explore the complexities of plant-soil interactions.
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Associate Teaching Professor
Department of Food Science and Human NutritionKate Gilbert is focused on helping students in her senior food product development capstone course, FSHN 412, increase through creativity through new ideation strategies. FSHN 412 will present students with valuable skills and experiences that they can use later in their career.
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Assistant Professor
Department of Genetics, Development, and Cell BiologyThe intersection between art and science is evident in our everyday lives. In CALS, our students are creating art inspired by science. My project will focus on making these art-science connections more visible to inspire our community.
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Assistant Professor
Department of Animal ScienceWith Iowa as a leader in the poultry industry, Dawn Koltes wants to increase student knowledge and perspective through a 400-level poultry management course and study abroad course. These opportunities will allow students to explore new career opportunities and industry innovation.
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Assistant Teaching Professor
Department of Genetics, Development, and Cell BiologyJelena Kraft is developing a project that connects lab data from genetics students to classroom analysis, helping them understand DNA analysis, gene expression, and genetic inheritance through real data. This builds problem-solving skills and links lab work with course concepts.
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Associate Professor
Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Molecular BiologyScott Nelson wants to grow the experiences for students to isolate wild yeast for craft beer production. Working in conjunction with a craft brewery, students will collect and isolate yeast samples, learn about marketing, and determine potential for commercial use.
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Associate Professor
Department of Agricultural and Biosystems EngineeringGenerative AI is a growing technology that will enable students to create and innovate within the agriculture industry. Joshua Peschel is bringing hands-on activities to show students how AI can help create software solutions for the future.
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Associate Professor
Department of Natural Resource Ecology and ManagementTimothy Stewart is working to provide undergraduate students with training and experience in teaching ecology while also engaging elementary students in outdoor, scientific activities.
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Associate Teaching Professor
Department of HorticultureGlobal Resource System students will have the opportunity to expand their innovation and leadership skills through Catherine Swoboda's Leadership Academy (GLOBE 493) course with a new unit called Leading for Innovation.
2022 Cohort
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Professor
Department of Food Science and Human NutritionStephanie Clark developed a new course allowing students to explore innovations in beer, wine and cheese called Science and Practice of Cheesemaking.
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Associate Professor
Department of Sociology and Criminal JusticeShawn Dorius designed and implemented a new undergraduate course in social and civic innovation. Students are introduced to the ideas and methods used by social scientists, entrepreneurs, and product developers to solve pressing local and global challenges.
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Teaching Professor
Department of Genetics, Development, and Cell BiologyKarri Haen Whitmer mentored students as they developed an adaptable electronics kit to increase the utility and dexterity of 3D printed prosthetics hands.
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Assistant Professor
Department of Animal ScienceKarl Kerns is integrating entrepreneurship into activities and curriculum within the Department of Animal Science, from an introductory course to special projects for students to get hands-on experience in animal science-related entrepreneurship opportunities.
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Associate Teaching Professor
Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology, and MicrobiologyCyclone Science Innovators (CySI) and the Innovation Grand Challenges were developed by Claudia Lemper-Manahl to challenge teams of students in scientific discovery, problem solving, entrepreneurial thinking, and more.
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Assistant Teaching Professor
Department of Agricultural Education and StudiesFally Masambuka-Kanchewa created Communicating Contemporary Issues in Agriculture, a course teaching students about agricultural issues and how to communicate with various stakeholders and experts about them.
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Professor
Department of Plant Pathology, Entomology, and MicrobiologyLeveraging grant funding, current research efforts, and the ISU apiary, Matthew O'Neal is developing a new course to help students learn about commercial beekeeping and how to produce honey sustainably through efforts like prairie strips.
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Adjunct Associate Professor
Department of AgronomyWalter Suza is creating open educational resources (OER) for use in AGRON 320 to customize and curate the necessary genetics and biotechnology texts, lectures, and learning activities to achieve the desired outcomes relevant to agriculture systems.
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Professor
Department of Ecology, Evolutional, and Organismal BiologyThrough the Bee and Wasp Squad, Amy Toth developed a program for undergraduate students to participate in meaningful, hands-on research experiences centered around the bees and wasps' behavior, health, and conservation.
Press Links
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August 19, 2024
AI tutor being developed to help Iowa State students find success
Coming soon: the AI tutor - a computerized personal assistant that can go over lessons, tailor study sessions based on students' needs and quiz students on what they have learned in class.
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January 19, 2024
Empowering students to communicate more effectively about contemporary issues in agriculture
Conversations about contemporary issues in agriculture can be intimidating for students, especially when they involve controversial topics.
An important goal for Fally Masambuka-Kanchewa is to empower her students to feel more confident addressing and communicating about such issues before they graduate.
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December 1, 2023
New Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows cohort announced
Projects using artificial intelligence to solve agricultural problems, cultivating Iowa's wild yeast, and enhancing a food product development class are just a sampling of what faculty will be working on this coming year.
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November 27, 2023
Cheesemaking class to culminate in tasting event
The smell of cheese and wine fills the air in the corner of the pilot plant inside the Food Sciences Building. Students cut hunks of cheddar cheese into thumb-sized pieces (cheese curds) before placing them in a large, clear plastic tub to soak in wine. The curds will be pressed in towers, sliced into wheels, then vacuum-sealed in bags. The goal is that after several weeks of aging, the wine-soaked cheese will be a delectable treat.
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August 10, 2023
CALS Entrepreneurship Fellow innovates to deliver engaging course material and save students money
Walter Suza is making plant genetics educational materials more engaging and accessible for students on campus and far away.