Drs. J. Gordon Arbuckle, Amani Elobeid, Hongli Feng, and Jian Chen all received awards at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Spring Awards Program on March 11.
J. Arbuckle received the Dean Lee R. Kolmer Award for Excellence in Applied Research, which recognizes faculty or staff members who make significant contributions to improving the welfare of people of Iowa through applied research. Among other duties, Arbuckle is responsible for the Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll, an annual, statewide survey of approximately 2,000 farm operators that largely focuses on the well-being of Iowa farmers over time. Arbuckle is also currently a member of the Science-based Trials of Row crops Integrated with Prairie Strips (STRIPS) team. He also participated in Governor Reynolds' Carbon Sequestration Task Force in 2021. Follow this link to read more about J.'s nomination and his work with Iowa State.
Amani Elobeid received the Outstanding Achievement in Research Award, which recognizes a faculty member who demonstrates outstanding accomplishments and career achievements in research and/or creative activity. Elobeid has produced more than 30 peer-reviewed publications while researching topics such as the impacts of WTO trade agreements, trade disputes, and food insecurity. In addition to her research, Amani is a teaching professor in economics and coordinates the Principles of Economics sequence, a critical set of courses for the Department of Economics. She also serves as the faculty advisor for the Agricultural Business Club. You can follow this link to read more about Amani's nomination and her work at Iowa State.
Hongli Feng and Jian Chen a part of the Agrivoltaics team, which received the Dean’s Citation for Extraordinary Contributions to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Funded by a $1.8 million, four-year grant from the US Department of Energy, the Agrivoltaics team is studying the concept of using the land around and under solar power sites for agricultural purposes. The goal is to help communities create additional value for the land solar panels are located. Their research is conducted at the 10-acre Alliant Energy Solar Farm, where the team raises vegetables, fruits, and a pollinator habitat within the solar farm. You can follow this link to more about the team's nomination and their work at Iowa State.