The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and the Nutritional Sciences Council  are pleased to present the 20th Annual Norman Borlaug Lectureship Poster Competition for Graduate and Undergraduate Students.

Submitting a Poster

Students are encouraged to enter poster abstracts related to world issues which could include food, agriculture, climate, nutrition, economics, technology, and more. Submit your poster title and an abstract (250 word limit) by completing the Norman Borlaug Poster Competition submission form by 11:59 p.m., Monday, Sept. 25, 2023, to be considered for this competition.

NOTE: You cannot save the survey and return to finish it at a later date. Therefore, please have your abstract completed, as well as the answer to this: “In 150 words or less, explain how the research project described in your abstract relates to world issues,” before starting the survey.

To be considered for this competition, your abstract must contain:

  • Title
  • Your name
  • Name of faculty mentor(s) and their departments

The abstract should include the following and not exceed 250 words total:

  • hypothesis and objectives of project;
  • methods, results, discussion, conclusion

Poster judging at the event on Monday, Oct. 23, will consider:

  • content and organization including overall content, logical presentation, clarity of expression, punctuation
  • quality of presented research or study and relevance to world food issues including techniques and experimental design if appropriate, if topic is current, innovative and provides better understanding
  • presentation and explanation of materials and methods
  • presentation and explanation of results that are scientifically sound to explain results
  • conclusions including soundness, supported by results, concise, precise, adequate and appropriate
  • oral presentation skills in discussing your work and the relationship of the project to world food issues with the judges

You may use a poster prepared for another event. Your poster should be able to fit on a board no more than 40″ wide and 36″ tall. If you need a poster printed, please contact your project mentors.

You will be notified by October 9, 2023, whether or not your poster has been selected for the competition.

Schedule of Events

Monday, October 23, 2023

Great Hall, Memorial Union

Poster set up: 5:00-5:30 p.m.

Poster judging: 5:45-7:45 p.m.

Poster display: 7:00-8:00 p.m. during reception

Lecture: 8:00-9:00 p.m.

Hold the Date

Join a conversation with the 2023 World Food Prize Laureate, Heidi Kuhn, founder of the non-profit Roots and Peace, Monday, Oct. 23, at 8 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union.

A reception and student poster display will precede the lecture from 7-8 p.m. in the South Ballroom, Memorial Union. Posters will address world issues and are submitted by undergraduate and graduate students.

Kühn has spent more than 25 years restoring agriculture in former conflict zones. She founded the nonprofit Roots of Peace in 1997 to replace the remnants of war with farmland. The organization also trains farmers in modern agricultural practices, from planting and harvesting to marketing through international exports. Kühn’s work has supported de-mining partners in Afghanistan, Angola, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Croatia, Israel, Iraq, Palestinian areas, and Vietnam, allowing local farmers safe access to irrigation canals and arable land for cultivation. 

Norman Borlaug Lecture

Dr. Norman Borlaug (1914-2009) was a Cresco, Iowa, native whose discoveries sparked the Green Revolution. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his contribution to world peace through his wheat research and production that saved millions of lives worldwide. He founded the World Food Prize in 1986 to recognize the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world.

Contact Ajay Nair, nairajay@iastate.edu (515-294-7080) or Dorothy Masinde, 515-294-0029, masinde@iastate.edu with questions or if you need additional information.