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  • Ellie Moser

    Aspiring entrepreneur joins budding businesses through Start Something CALS internships

    Moser’s experience through the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Start Something CALS entrepreneurial internship program showed her that she, too, can play a vital role in forging Iowa’s economic future. As an intern for  LMB Consulting, senior Elisabeth Moser explored a different side of the agricultural business. Working with founder and Iowa State alumna Lexi Beeler, Moser created marketing materials and operated social media for client organizations shaping the industry's future.

  • Jackie Miller

    Next Gen Innovation Impact Study intern making her mark

     A native of Maquoketa, Iowa, Miller said she “took her own path” as an Iowa State student in terms of classes and student organization involvement. She spent the 2023-24 academic year studying at Oklahoma State University through Iowa State’s National Student Exchange Program. Miller said she appreciated the networking opportunities and different perspectives on agriculture gained through the experience.

  • McGarry picture

    Long-delayed degree puts dairy farm dream within reach for Iowa State graduate

    Matt McGarry grew up on a farm near DeWitt eastern Iowa where his family raised hogs, cattle, and even peacocks but his interest was in dairy. His path to Iowa State University is unique and highlights McGarry's passion for the agriculture and dairy industry while showcasing his resilience to overcome challenges along the way. 

  • Culinary Bootcamp

    Culinary Boot Camp equips students for a healthier future

    Iowa State University students had the opportunity to enroll in Culinary Boot Camp, FSHN 4930, where they were able to gain valuable food safety, meal prepping and grocery shopping tips and tricks. Erica Beirman, a teaching professor of food science and human nutrition, is involved in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows where she was able to propose the idea in efforts to teach college students culinary and nutrition skills. 

  • Presentation

    Next Gen Innovation Impact Study Internship Making an Impact

    Eight Iowa State University students have spent the semester conducting in-depth research and exploring innovative strategies to advance sustainability in the agricultural sector. Their efforts are part of the America’s Cultivation Corridor Next Gen Innovation Impact Study internship, where they are contributing to the development of cutting-edge solutions for the industry.

  • Eight Next Gen Innovation Impact Study Interns with program leaders and guest speakers

    2024 Next Gen Innovation Impact Study Program Underway

    During the first session, Innovation Interns heard from leaders in agriculture and academia on the exciting opportunities ahead to grow an innovation mindset and play a role in shaping innovation and sustainability in the food and agriculture ecosystem.

  • Karl Kerns, assistant professor of animal science, and Ian Shofner, a graduate student in animal science, have been working this summer on creating a new AI tutoring program. Kerns and Tom Brumm, professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering, hope to implement the program into two of their classes during the spring 2025 semester.

    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.

  • Gavin Tindle, owner of Boer Certified

    Young entrepreneur addressing demand for goat meat

    A leaner option than beef, chicken or pork, goat meat is a product Gavin Tindle wants to make more people aware of through his new business. Just two months after launching, he is already seeing high demand.

  • Fally Masambuka-Kanchewa, assistant professor of agricultural education and studies, introduces a topic of discussion to students in her Communicating Contemporary Issues in Agriculture class last semester. The students' final project in the class was to create podcast episodes, during which they discussed controversial agriculture topics of their choosing.

    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.

  • Megan Decker, senior in agricultural and rural policy studies, and international agriculture, encourages students to find other who encourage their curiosity.

    Decker recognized for outstanding achievements

    Megan Decker, senior in agricultural and rural policy studies, and international agriculture, credits her success at Iowa State University to the peers and mentors she had to lean on and draw inspiration from.

  • Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows 2024 cohort includes: Erica Bierman, Steven Bell, Elnaz Ebrahimi, Kate Gilbert, Dior Kelley, Dawn Koltes, Jelena Kraft, Scott Nelson, Joshua Peschel, Timothy Stewart, and Catherine Swoboda

    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.

  • Cultivation Corridor interns pose for a picture on an industry tour. The cohort of interns spent time touring agricultural businesses.

    Ag internship on tour

    America's Cultivation Corridor is a public private partnership working to advance agriculture innovation in the state of Iowa. Iowa has a high concentration of agricultural industries, which allows a program such as the Next Gen Innovation internship to show students opportunities for after graduation.

  • Cheyanne Ohlhauser, senior in food science, left, and Maeve Vandiver, junior in mechanical engineering, center, rotate cheese curds soaking in wine under the guidance of Stephanie Clark, professor of food science and human nutrition.

    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. 

  • Walter Suza, adjunct associate professor in agronomy (second from left), was recognized as one of Iowa State's first Innovation and Entrepreneurship Faculty Fellows at an event in spring 2023. With him, from left, are: Daniel Robison, holder of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Endowed Dean's Chair; Kevin Kimle, Rastetter Chair for Agricultural Entrepreneurship and director of Start Something College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; and Carmen Bain, CALS Associate Dean of Academic Innovation.

    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.

  • The 2023 CySI team consisted of nine students from across the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Human Sciences and Design, working together to solve problems impacting Iowa State's campus.

    Cyclone Science Innovators make their mark on campus

    The Cyclone Science Innovators, otherwise known as CySI for short, is a group of multi-disciplinary students working to hone their innovation skills and make life on campus a little brighter.

  • Stephanie Paris, Professor Amy Toth, Erika Ibarra-Garibay, and Denisse Camarena pause for a photo at a field site near Dubuque, Iowa

    Innovation and Entrepreneurship: The Bee & Wasp Squad

    Students may join the Iowa State University Bee & Wasp Squad with little background knowledge about the pollinator insects, but chances are, after spending a summer conducting field and lab work, they’ll walk away not only knowing more about bees and wasps, but more about themselves, as well.

  • Benjamin Freiberg, Rebekah Petersen, and Johnathon Lujan, work on a bionic hand

    Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Students 'nerd out' as they build bionic hand

    What do you get when you combine students from life sciences and engineering majors at Iowa State University? A collection of great minds eager to tackle innovative projects in class.

  • Steven Brockshus, Iowa State University and Start Something - Agriculture Program alumnus, is the American Farm Bureau Federation’s 2019 Entrepreneur of the Year with his business FarmlandFinder. Brockshus won the Ag Innovation Challenge on January 13 over three other teams from across the nation in a live competition. The competition took place at American Farm Bureau's 100th Annual Convention.

    FarmlandFinder, founded by Brockshus while a student at Iowa State, aims to make the world’s farmland-availability information accessible, took home a total of $30,000 in prize money as Farm Bureau Rural Entrepreneur of the Year.

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