Iowa State researcher Steven Cannon was recognized by President Barack Obama, along with 101 other national researchers, with the Presidential Early Career Award.

The prize is the highest award honored by the president within scientific research in a researcher’s early career. Cannon believes it is kind of ironic that he received an early career award, being that he is 48 years old.

Cannon, assistant professor of agronomy said, “I am honored by the award, but I also feel a little uncomfortable because my fellow researchers should be recognized as well. Research is a team effort.”

Research is Cannon’s third career. His journey began in the technology field, and it soon transferred to biology. Cannon’s research combines the two, which he enjoys.

Cannon has been involved in multiple research projects while he has been at Iowa State.

One of the projects that he is currently working on involves legumes. There are 20,000 species of legumes. Individually, they have abilities to work in ways that other plants do not. To conduct research on the legumes includes trying to understand how those abilities evolved.     

Throughout Cannon’s career, he has experienced quite a variety of projects. 

Cannon does not directly teach in a classroom, but he shares the knowledge that he learns through research appointments with the USDA and through conferences. Students with their doctorates and master’s have worked under Cannon to help learn about certain projects.

Computer technology started in the 1970s and has evolved greatly from that point. Cannon began working on another project, “The Oregon Trail,” a game that simulates pioneer life, in 1995.

“I was enrolled in the project to help determine when and why players were effected by certain things, like a wagon wheel falling off, or an ox tipping over,” Cannon said.

Climate change has created many opportunities for his research, too. New varieties in plants need to be created to help withstand a multitude of temperatures, flooding and drought.

A new project that Cannon is currently working on involves domesticating a new crop — namely the APIOS bean, or commonly known as the potato bean. Domestication is a timely process that starts with collecting material from the wild. Once the plant is grown, crossing species is possible, and the next step is to select the best fit variety for domestication.

The researchers Cannon works with are mainly different for each individual project, but some may overlap. Cannon is the head of a local research group that has ten members. 

Cannon has many future goals as he continues to learn and study biology, believing there is much more research to be conducted.