Student Resources

Growing up, Megan Kemp just wanted to fit in with her peers in Durango, Iowa. At Iowa State University the junior in agronomy and global resource systems, says she found a place where she feels comfortable embracing and celebrating her differences.

“My mom is Filipino,” says Kemp. “She and my dad met as pen pals while he was serving in the military. He went to visit her in the Philippines, and that’s where they fell in love. It’s honestly the stuff movies are made of.”

Kemp’s extended family are involved in dairy and beef operations in northeastern Iowa. While she lived on a dairy farm, she didn’t do chores.

“My mom’s heritage instilled very traditional ideals about gender roles,” says Kemp. “So I spent more time in the kitchen.”

In 1989, Jaci Severson was hired as a secretary in the main office of Agronomy. She spent five years working for the Iowa Crop Improvement Association when Dr. Ron Cantrell, department chair at the time, came to her with a question.

"He said I could stay with Iowa Crop or move to the teaching office," said Severson. "I thought about it and told him I wanted to stay with Iowa Crop, but he told me I really didn't have a choice - either go to the teaching office or transition out of the department. It was the best move I could have ever made."

Jaci started revamping the teaching office in 1996. Since then she has ushered 952 graduate students through our doors and into their careers. They are, without a doubt, the highlight of her career.

Honors students pursue individualized programs designed to enrich their educational experiences. As a part of their program, each Honors student plans, develops and completes an individual project. The results of those efforts were put on display at the Spring 2018 poster presentation of Honors projects held April 25. Participating students from Agronomy included:

Savanah Jones: Stress tolerance gene identification in Arabidopsis

Brittany Kirsch: Performance of a small, field-scale wetland

Samantha Reicks: Sulfur fertility in soybeans

Aimee Schulz: Inbreeding depression in wild maize populations subject to habitat degradation in southwest Mexico

On April 11, the Graduate and Professional Student Senate held a Research Conference. Various students were recognized for their contributions. Our Maria Betsabe Mantilla, graduate student with Dr. Maria Salas, received one of five Research Awards across the University. (Photo: Maria, third from left)

Graduate student Kevin Falk with Dr. Asheesh (Danny) Singh recieved Best Oral Presentation. 

Kelli Roush, sophomore in agronomy, took first place individual at the National Soils Contest hosted by the University of Tennessee at Martin. She, along with the 7 other top 8 place individual finishers, will travel to Brazil in August to compete in the International Soils Contest prior to the World Congress of Soil Science.