Several U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) sites across Iowa State and Ames were impacted by federal government layoffs in the last few days, including a former student employee of the year.

“There’s so much uncertainty with my future and my ability to continue to do research or public service, which is what I’m passionate about,” Logan Conner, former student employee of the year, said. “That being impacted is just something that hurts.”

As a student, Conner worked over two and a half years for the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and received the 2022 USDA-ARS-National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment (NLAE) student employee of the year award.

Conner graduated from Iowa State in 2024 and began working on campus as an agricultural science research technician at the USDA’s NLAE in December. He received an email on Valentine’s Day informing him of his removal from his position, which is 17 months before his lease expires.

“The agency finds, based on your performance, that you have not demonstrated that your further employment at the agency would be in the public interest,” the email stated.

“It’s just hard to fully grasp it yet,” Conner said. “I don’t know if I’ve fully come to terms with the idea that I’m not going to work [and that] this isn’t anything anymore.”

The USDA appears to be one of the latest agencies impacted by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) run by Elon Musk. Gov. Kim Reynolds signed an executive order to enact an Iowa “DOGE” earlier this month.

“Agency Heads shall promptly undertake preparations to initiate large-scale reductions in force (RIFs), consistent with applicable law,” the DOGE order stated.

Thousands of federal probationary workers, typically those who have served less than one year, were laid off Thursday at the Forest Service, Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Energy. 

“It was completely out of the blue,” Conner said of his situation. “No one at the building had any say or jurisdiction over who got fired [or] when — it was all just probationary employees.”

In addition to those who have served less than a year, “some scientist positions” are under a three-year probationary period, according to Conner. 

The Daily could not reach employees in federal offices to discuss details of the layoffs Monday because they were closed for President’s Day. The extent of the layoffs at USDA sites in Ames is unknown. 

It is also unclear whether the Ames National Laboratory, which operates under the Department of Energy, was affected. 

The more than 600 combined employees at the National Animal Disease Center, 1920 Dayton Ave, and the NLAE listed before Friday have vanished from USDA directory pages. The pages state that they were updated Sunday. 

The National Centers for Animal Health, which includes the disease center, employs over 700 people, according to the Ames Economic Alliance.

As of the publication of this article, there are no employees listed under any USDA ARS location on their website.

The action to lay off USDA employees was one of many on Secretary Brooke Rollins’ first full day in office. While speaking at the agency’s headquarters Friday, Rollins said DOGE had been at the USDA for “a couple of weeks” and issued a press release that stated, “This is just the beginning.”

“USDA is pursuing an aggressive plan to optimize its workforce by eliminating positions that are no longer necessary,” the agency press release stated Friday.

A DOGE USDA account on X – a platform Musk owns in addition to operating DOGE – was created Monday evening.

If you or someone you know has been affected by federal layoffs, let us know by emailing cleo.westin@iowastatedaily.com or filling out the submit news form.