Congratulations to Ned Bowden!

https://clas.uiowa.edu/news/two-clas-professors-named-newest-members-national-academy-inventors

Ned Bowden was invited to join the Iowa NAI as a result of his agricultural start-up, which involves the development and commercialization of a sulfur-based fertilizer known as SUPRGrow. 

“I was very honored to receive the invitation,” says Bowden, who has worked at CLAS for 22 years. “Being an entrepreneur and creating a start-up company is a lot of work, so it’s nice to get recognition.” 

Bowden’s inspiration for his company comes from the research he conducted that first resulted in the specialized fertilizer back in 2017. Supplemented by a $750,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, Bowden developed this idea alongside business partner Mike Saunders. 

“After the grant ended in 2022, Mike and I created the startup company Harvest Increase Agriculture, LLC, or HI Ag,” Bowden adds. “HI Ag was launched to commercialize SUPRGrow, which has gone through four strong years of field trial results. We are working to get it in the hands of as many farmers as possible.” 

Both Prineas and Bowden wish to express their gratitude for CLAS, crediting its dedication to research as a major help with their work. 

“Conducting research requires a lot of specialized equipment, and the college has provided lots of resources and support in that area,” says Prineas. “I think it’s so great that the university has created an atmosphere to support entrepreneurship.” 

Bowden is also excited about the future of the college’s involvement in entrepreneurship, saying, “We have a lot of potential here at Iowa for startups that impact the state. I’m looking forward to seeing how the NAI can propel us to be better entrepreneurs on campus.”