Iowa State University Department of Agronomy

Internship profile: Liam Ryan, Junior in Agronomy and Environmental Science from Davenport, IA is interning with River Valley Co-op in Davenport, IA.

He is crop scouting numerous fields in eastern Iowa and western Illinois. Liam identifies w**ds and uneven growth, and work with his supervisor to develop solutions for herbicide and fungicide applications.

Liam says he enjoys, "being able to be outside and putting smiles on farmer's faces!"

Have a great summer, Liam!

Tomorrow is the day! The Iowa State Fair W**d ID Contest! Join the fun on Friday, August 14 anytime between 9 – 11:30 am outside the ag building to compete! Compete with the best at the Iowa State Fair W**d Identification Contest!

Meaghan Anderson ('12 Agronomy, '14 Crop production and Physiology) spends her days supporting Iowa farmers. Read more here: https://www.inside.iastate.edu/article/2026/08/05/day-life-field-agronomist-providing-frontline-support-iowa-farmers.

Join us at the Iowa State Fair this Thursday for the annual w**d ID contest, organized by Meaghan!

Internship profile: Sophia Louden, Junior in Agronomy from Grinnell, IA is working at the Iowa State University Soil Nitrogen Lab with Dr. Mike Castellano in Ames, IA.

She is exploring the world of nitrogen, working hands on with soil and water samples throughout the growing season. She measures nitrous oxide emissions using high tech equipment and get to follow each sample from field collection all the way to running tests in the lab. Sophia is excited to see how nitrogen moves through agricultural systems and to experience both the fieldwork and the science behind it.

Sophia says, "I’m excited about this internship because I get to do work I genuinely enjoy. Some days I’m out in the field getting dirty, and other days I’m in the lab learning more about the processing step. I love that every day feels different, and that constant change keeps me curious and learning."

Have a great summer, Sophia!

Internship profile: Cael Miller, Junior in Agronomy from Estherville, IA is spending his summer as an intern for Stateline Co-op in Ringsted, IA.

He is spending his summer crop scouting and comparing treated and untreated soybeans. Cael says, "I love meeting with farmers and getting to know about their fields. Also, I love getting to know these chemicals and fertilizers!"

Have a great summer, Cael!

Internship profile: Leah Parker from Mapleton, Iowa is interning with Bayer Crop Science located in SW Missouri this summer.

Leah is representing the DEKALB and Asgrow seed brands and spends her time working alongside sales representatives, building relationships with growers, and learning how seed recommendations are made to help farmers maximize their operations. Through field visits, plot evaluations, and customer interactions, she is gaining firsthand experience in the sales process while learning more about the agronomic and business decisions that drive agriculture.

Leah says, " What excites me most is the opportunity to work with retailers and dealers to improve the experience and customer service we provide to farmers. I enjoy building relationships and connecting with people, so being able to work closely with growers and industry partners has been one of the most rewarding parts of the internship. Growing up on a farm and studying Agronomy at Iowa State has given me a strong appreciation for agriculture, and this experience allows me to see how strong relationships and trusted partnerships help farmers make important decisions for their operations."

Enjoy your summer, Leah!

Think you know your w**ds? Compete with the best at the Iowa State Fair W**d Identification Contest! Join the fun on Friday, August 14 anytime between 9 – 11:30am outside the ag building to compete!

Congratulations to Evy Heidt (Agronomy '22) for being selected as an inaugural member of the Alumni Ambassador Program by the World Food Prize Foundation!

Four ISU Alumni Named Inaugural World Food Prize Alumni Ambassadors April 27, 2026 Morgan Smith, currently a microbiology laboratory teaching specialist in PPEM and an ISU Alumni in Microbiology. Iowa State University (ISU) College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) continues to make its mark on the global stage, with four alumni selected for the inaugural Alum...

We had the best time meeting our incoming freshman class at OnCyte orientation this past month! We’ve got about 45 awesome new students joining us from all over the country, and it was so fun getting to know them and their families.

We’re already counting down the days until our Learning Community field trip in August! See you all soon! 🚌✨

Students in AGRON 1810 recently studied the environmental influences on plant transpiration. The students were asked to hypothesize which environments would cause more plant transpiration. In order to visualize the influence each student was given two white carnations and a bottle of food coloring. Each student selected two different locations/environments in their dorm room or apartment that would give the greatest difference in the amount of transpiration that would take place. What a beautiful way to learn!