Welcome to Food for Thought
This week in our Food for Thought roundup, we’re spotlighting a CSU undergraduate whose work on equine reproduction research could have implications far beyond the barn. We’re also honoring CSU faculty and alumni, exploring research priorities for future climate assessments, hearing from CAS filmmakers on The Next 150 podcast, and sharing expert perspectives on water conservation, entrepreneurship and food safety. Plus, we look at how Gloria Steinem’s legacy continues to influence women in rural America.
Yea or neigh: Can drugs support pregnancy imperiled by the immune system?
Jocelyn Howard, an equine science major in the Department of Animal Sciences, is helping lead a clinical drug trial on medication that could prevent persistent breeding-induced endometritis in mares, a condition that can stop a successful pregnancy. This experience has inspired Howard to pursue a career as an equine veterinarian, focusing on theriogenology, the study of reproduction.
Howard’s mentor, Carleigh Fedorka, is a reproductive immunologist whose lab studies how the immune system and reproduction are connected. This research could one day help humans experiencing unexplained infertility.
“We’re trying to utilize this information to help improve subfertility in all species – including horses, livestock and, yes, humans,” says Fedorka.
Lori Catalano named Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects
Lori Cockerham Catalano, associate professor of landscape architecture in the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, has been named a 2026 Fellow of the American Society of Landscape Architects, one of the profession’s highest honors. Catalano is the second faculty member in CSU’s landscape architecture program to be named to the ASLA Council of Fellows. Also joining the 2026 class is CSU alumna Jessica Canfield, now a professor at Kansas State University. CSU alumnus Kenneth R. Brooks, emeritus professor at Arizona State University, earned the ASLA Jot D. Carpenter Teaching Medal for his distinguished career in landscape architecture education.
See our post about the event here!
The Next 150: John Barnhardt and Boyan Bashovski
John Barnhardt and Boyan Bashovski from Barnfly Productions joined CSU President Amy Parsons on her podcast, The Next 150, to discuss filmmaking, agriculture, and how their paths led them back to CSU.
“Every day I walk down that Oval with an immense amount of gratitude that I’m back at CSU, passing along to someone like Boyan who is going to pass it on to someone when he’s my age. That’s how it works,” says Barnhardt of his mission to empower and teach students like Bashovski.
John is the director of multimedia production and storytelling in CAS, and Boyan is a filmmaker, multimedia storyteller, and soon-to-be CSU graduate.
Jan Leach co-authors commentary outlining research priorities for robust U.S. climate assessments
Jan Leach, University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Agricultural Biology, is among 175 scientists who co-authored a recently published commentary outlining research priorities needed to strengthen future climate assessments across the U.S. Published in Earth’s Future and the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, the paper, “Research Priorities for Robust Climate Assessments in the United States,” brings together experts from a wide range of disciplines to identify scientific knowledge gaps and opportunities that can help communities, institutions, and decision-makers respond to evolving climate risks.
The publication highlights the importance of working across disciplines to address complex climate challenges and reflects CSU’s ongoing leadership in advancing science that benefits communities, agriculture, and the environment.
CSU Distinguished Alumni Awards
Ed Eggers (B.S., agricultural business, ’78) has received the College of Agricultural Sciences College Honor Award for his entrepreneurial leadership, global impact, and commitment to service. After earning his bachelor’s degree in agricultural business in 1978, Eggers spent two decades with DEKALB Genetics, eventually overseeing international operations in more than 50 countries. He later co-owned Sunfield Seeds alongside his wife, Vicki, and built it into a global leader in hybrid sunflower seed production.
Since returning to Colorado, Eggers has strengthened his ties to CSU through philanthropy, industry engagement, and student support, including a scholarship benefiting agricultural sciences students. Congratulations, Ed!
Gloria Steinem’s entrepreneurial legacy for women and communities
The legacy of Gloria Steinem, who passed away earlier in September at age 92, lives on in the lives of women in rural America. In these communities, women’s motivations for entrepreneurship differ: in higher-income regions, startups are often driven by opportunity, while in lower-income areas, women frequently turn to entrepreneurship out of economic need and a desire for greater prosperity.
“In either case, the early work of Steinem to assure women had access to credit, educational and technical trade skill opportunities and autonomy to contribute more fully in the economy lowered the significant barriers faced by rural women aspiring to start their own enterprise,” writes Dawn Thilmany, professor of agricultural and resource economics.
Modern irrigation tech saves water, but adoption faces barriers
In an Asked & Answered feature in Kansas Farmer, Perry Cabot, CSU extension professor, answered questions from some of Colorado’s farmers and water stakeholders about center pivot systems associated with precision irrigation. “A center pivot system by its very nature is a more efficient system,” says Cabot.
One of the biggest factors leading center pivot adoption in the state is reducing labor costs. “There are fewer people farming, and it’s just easier to use a center pivot system. Even in water-short states like Colorado, labor is probably the No. 1 reason why people still adopt pivots, even though water efficiency is also a critical concern,” he says.
Nationwide recall of a popular frozen dessert has FDA warning people they could be eating stones, not nuts
On September 15, Danone USA voluntarily recalled certain batches of So Delicious Dairy Free Salted Caramel Cluster Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert because of concerns about “small stones and other hard objects” mixed in with cashews. You might be wondering – how could this happen?
Rocks can end up in food production as crops move from the field to processing facilities. Most of the time, foreign objects are found as modern technology has improved, but still, “they’re going to miss things,” Keith Belk, professor of animal sciences, told the Associated Press in 2023.
An expert settles the debate: this is actually the best way to keep potatoes from sprouting
If you’ve ever looked forward to making potatoes for dinner, only to find they’ve sprouted or even rotted, you may have heard that storing them with apples and bananas, which produce ethylene gas, might help.
While this is technically true, preventing sprouting depends on several other factors, including air ethylene concentration, potato type, and storage conditions. Storing potatoes alongside apples and bananas won’t hurt, but Sastry Jayanty, professor and extension specialist at the San Luis Valley Research Center’s potato program, says there are other ways to extend freshness. He recommends storing potatoes in a dark, dry, well-ventilated place, keeping them away from onions and refrigeration, and any potatoes that are already rotting.
Applause, upcoming events, and announcements 🎉
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Extension interns worked on applied research projects across Colorado this summer. Meet the interns and mentors, hear about their experiences, and learn about the Extension Internship Program’s impact at the Extension Intern Poster Session on Wednesday, October 7, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Lory Student Center Theatre.
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Join Dean Carolyn Lawrence-Dill for Dean’s Office Hours, an opportunity to ask questions, share ideas, or simply connect. October’s hours will be held on Monday, October 12 from 4 -5 p.m., and Friday, October 30 from 9 -10 a.m. See the CAS calendar for more information.
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AgNext invites you to the Animals, Landscapes and Communities: Building Engaged Grazing Research Capacity seminar series at Colorado State University. Dr. Nathan Sayre from the University of California, Berkeley will speak on October 14 at 10 a.m. Register here!
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Join Associate Dean Kellie Enns for a CAS/AES Town Hall on Wednesday, October 28. The Town Hall will focus on updates about faculty and student success, priorities, and future plans. Kellie will share remarks, then open the floor for questions and discussion. The Town Hall runs from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Knowledge Well (Nutrien 140).
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