ISU alumni and members of several Iowa communities will have the chance to meet Richard Ross, the dean of the College of Agriculture, during several dinners this month.

The dinners will be in November and December, with the first dinner in Hartley on Nov. 21.

The other four dinners will be in Elkader, West Des Moines, Clarinda and Mount Pleasant.

“We try to hit different areas of the state, so each visit is a little different from the areas of the past visits,” said Mike Telford, director of external affairs for the College of Agriculture. “The Ag Alumni Society started four years ago and has an ongoing effort to communicate with alumni and industry.”

During the dinners, Ross said he will highlight the agriculture program of the past year and the department’s future goals on public issues.

“The remarks also include progress and research programs and work being done to help rural communities be competitive,” he said. “We will be addressing issues concerning rural communities, environmental issues and agriculture sustainability.”

The purpose of the dinners is for the Ag Alumni Society to meet with local community members to discuss the agriculture field in their community and Iowa State, Telford said.

“There are a great deal of alumni involved, and we hope to inform them of the activities in agriculture,” he said. “We also want to see if we are in tune with trends and issues they are facing.”

The program will ask for participants to inform local young people about opportunities available at Iowa State and in agricultural careers. Proceeding each dinner will be an information session for alumni interested in becoming agricultural ambassadors for Iowa State.

“Communication with the public and support for the [Board of] Regents is required for financial support for agriculture,” Ross said. ” There is a request for full support for fuller salaries to help limit requirements for tuition increases. Funding helps attract outstanding faculty and staff and helps attract outstanding students.”