Curtiss Hall’s newest gathering space will play host to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ fall convocation.

The event will be on Sept. 10, in the Harl Commons in the basement of Curtiss Hall at 4:10 p.m.

The College of Agriculture previously had its fall convocation in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union. The decision was made to move the convocation to the Harl Commons as a convenient way to introduce the new space to the public way.

“This year, because we just opened the Harl Commons and have gone through a lot of renovations with the building, we decided it would be the perfect place to hold our program,” said Brian Meyer, program director of agriculture communications.

The event will be a kickoff for the fall semester. Wendy Wintersteen, dean of the Colleg of Agriculture, will welcome the college’s faculty and staff back to campus, as well as point out future events and programs to attend. The new faculty members will be recognized as a group too.

“Now that we’re in the groove again with the semester, it’s a way to get people together and meet the new faces in the faculty and staff in a fun and informal way,” Meyer said.

At least three awards will be given out at the convocation.

The Rossmann Mannatt Faculty Development Award will be presented to Susan Carpenter, professor of animal science. Carpenter was chosen through demonstration of immense contributions to scholarship, teaching and service. Carpenter also aids both undergraduate and graduate students through research mentoring.

The Kolmer Award for applied research, an annual honor named after Lee Kolmer, the dean of agriculture during the farm crisis of the mid-1980s, will be presented to Mark Honeyman, professor and coordinator for Iowa State Research Farms.

Honeyman’s work with alternative livestock production systems for pigs and beef cattle, as well as his coordination efforts on research farms around the state for the past 30 years, earned him the award. His pioneering on the development of hoop barns for livestock played a role as well.

Honeyman studied as an undergraduate and a graduate under Kolmer. 

“I’m honored. I remember [Kolmer] as a true leader in Iowa agriculture and our college,” Honeyman said on being the recipient. “He was a big proponent of taking research out to the state and farmers, too. The award is more about him than me.”

The recipients of the third honor, the Dean’s Citation, will remain a surprise until the convocation. Depending on Wintersteen’s decision, the annual award could have more than one recipient. The award honors those who have demonstrated exceptional contributions to the college in the past year.

Wintersteen will act as presenter for all the awards.