COLLEGE NEWS
- College’s spring convocation scheduled for Jan. 26
- Project LEA/RN workshop set in March
- Get a head start on Project LEA/RN
- Dickson named chair of microbiology
- Dean of Ag International Grant proposals due Feb. 15
- Grad students, post-docs: Apply for international funds
- Ag forum with President Jischke on Jan. 28
- Farm income tax schools attract 1,400
- Global agriculture meeting planned for Midwest
- Nine merit and achievement scholars in college
- Top ten undergrad majors in the college, fall 1998
- Deadlines & Reminders
COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
- Think big (type) about presentations
INFOGRAZING
- Eighty-nine Hixson scholars enrolled in college
- What’s hot in R&D in 1999
EXTERNAL VOICES
- Nations ‘misled’ on genetically modified products
MARGINALIA
- A word for the wordy
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C O L L E G E N E W S
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COLLEGE’S SPRING CONVOCATION SCHEDULED FOR JAN. 26
The College of Agriculture’s spring-semester convocation will be held at 4 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 26, in Lush Auditorium, Kildee Hall. Faculty and staff who received awards during 1998 will be recognized. Retirees also will be recognized. Refreshments will be available in the lobby at 3:30 p.m., with a reception in the new atrium of Kildee following at 5 p.m.
PROJECT LEA/RN WORKSHOP SET IN MARCH
The Project LEA/RN introductory workshop for agriculture faculty, originally scheduled for January, has been rescheduled for March 13-16 in the Scheman Building. The workshop helps faculty to improve their skills in helping students learn. A second, advanced workshop will be held in later in the summer. All workshop expenses are paid for by a USDA grant. To make a reservation: Ann Holtz, 4-1167, or caholtz@iastate.edu. For other information: Steve Jungst, 4-1587 or sejungst@iastate.edu.
GET A HEAD START ON PROJECT LEA/RN
If you want to get a head start on the Project LEA/RN workshop in March, you can join a LEA/RN group now. The groups, which meet every other week for two hours, are a way to develop a support network among educators on campus. The groups discuss effective, research-based teaching techniques and share ideas and experiences. For more information: Carla Schimelfenig, 4-4782 or prolearn@iastate.edu.
DICKSON NAMED CHAIR OF MICROBIOLOGY
James Dickson was named chair of the Department of Microbiology in December. He had served as interim chair since 1997. Dickson also is the professor-in-charge of the Food Safety Consortium at ISU.
DEAN OF AG INTERNATIONAL GRANT PROPOSALS DUE FEB. 15
Proposals are due Feb. 15 for another round of support from the Dean of Agriculture’s International Research Grants Program. Funds awarded will enable agriculture faculty and staff to work with international collaborators to develop research proposals for external funding. Last fall the grants program awarded 15 projects totaling more than $40,000. For more information: Elena Polouchkina, 4-8493 or elenap@iastate.edu.
GRAD STUDENTS, POST-DOCS: APPLY FOR INTERNATIONAL FUNDS
The College of Agriculture will award grants to graduate students and post-doctoral fellows for international research and education projects. Approximately 15 grants of $1,000 or less will be given. Deadline for a letter of application and resume is Feb. 22. For more information: Elena Polouchkina, 4-8493 or elenap@iastate.edu.
AG FORUM WITH PRESIDENT JISCHKE ON JAN. 28
The Jan. 28 open forum with President Jischke will be held in 1951 Food Sciences (Center for Crops Utilization Research Theatre), 11 a.m. to noon. The forum is open to all agriculture faculty and staff. Also that day, President Jischke will meet with college and department administrators, the Student Ag Council, and faculty and staff of the plant pathology department. He also will visit with Youssef Asar, the George Washington Carver artist-in-residence who is working in the basement of Curtiss Hall.
FARM INCOME TAX SCHOOLS ATTRACT 1,400
The last in the 1998 series of farm income tax schools was completed in December. A total of 1,400 attorneys, CPAs, accountants and other tax practitioners attended the eight two-day schools held in eight cities. This was the 25th year for the schools, which are conducted by the Center for International Agricultural Finance.
UPCOMING BRENTON CENTER SERIES AND WORKSHOP
The Brenton Center is offering a professional development series this semester for college faculty and staff. The first session, "Making Technology Work for You in Grant Applications," will be held Wednesday, Jan. 13, 12:10 to 1 p.m. in 8 Curtiss. No advance registration is needed. The center also will hold hands-on workshops on PowerPoint presentations and WebCt. Workshop registration deadline is Jan. 13 or until the sessions are filled. There is no charge for the workshops. For more information: Terry Dannatt, 4-1862 or tdannatt@iastate.edu.
GLOBAL AGRICULTURE MEETING PLANNED FOR MIDWEST
The college and ISU Extension are organizing a conference on international economic opportunities for Midwestern agriculture and agribusinesses. "Global Agriculture and the American Midwest: A Win-Win Exchange" will be held March 18-19 at the Iowa State Center. The U.S. Agency for International Development is supporting the meeting. For more information: David Acker, 4-8854 or dacker@iastate.edu.
NINE MERIT AND ACHIEVEMENT SCHOLARS IN COLLEGE
The College of Agriculture enrolled nine national merit and achievement scholars in the fall of 1998, compared with three in 1997. ISU had 112 merit and achievement scholars, compared with 113 in 1997.
TOP TEN UNDERGRAD MAJORS IN THE COLLEGE, FALL 1998
The top College of Agriculture areas of undergraduate study in the fall of 1998 were: animal science (420 students); agricultural business (357); horticulture (288); agricultural studies (273); animal ecology (270); agronomy (206); animal science/pre-vet (191); agricultural systems technology (139); forestry (127); and microbiology (108). Source: ISU Annual Statistical Report, Fall 1998.
DEADLINES & REMINDERS
Jan. 14: International Opportunities Fair, ground floor, Curtiss Hall, 3 p.m., 4-3972.
Jan. 15: Deadline, conference/workshop proposals, Leopold Center, 4-3711.
Jan. 26: College of Agriculture convocation, Lush Auditorium, Kildee, 4 p.m.
Jan. 28: College of Agriculture open forum with President Jischke, 11 a.m., 1951 Food Sciences.
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C O M M U N I C A T I O N S K I O S K
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THINK BIG (TYPE) ABOUT PRESENTATIONS
When designing a presentation, larger text is better, says Audrey Thompson in Adobe Magazine. Make titles at least 24 to 36 points, 22 to 28 points for the rest of the text and no smaller than 18 points for labels. If using serif fonts, use even larger sizes. She suggests easily readable fonts, such as Helvetica, Futura, Frutiger or Myriad. To test how readable the fonts are combined with the background, stand 10 feet from your computer monitor and view the slides. That will simulate how comfortable it is for an audience to read the text.
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I N F O G R A Z I N G
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EIGHTY-NINE HIXSON SCHOLARS ENROLLED IN COLLEGE
In the fall of 1998, there were 89 Hixson scholars in the college -- 22 from 1995; 20 from 1996; 24 from 1997; and 23 from 1998. The Christina Hixson Opportunity Award is a grant of $10,000 ($2,500 per year for four years) to be used at ISU. One hundred Iowa high school seniors receive the award each year.
WHAT’S HOT IN R&D FOR 1999
The six fields of research likely to dominate R&D in 1999 are: maturing research -- how certain enzymes, hormones and cellular structures mold the aging process; bioterrorism defense -- how to combat germ warfare; crystal power -- building optical fibers based on crystals, which promise to carry light pulses farther without losing the signal; finding the "missing sink" -- using modeling software to determine which terrestrial plants best absorb carbon dioxide, staving off greenhouse warming; allergy abatement -- trials for DNA vaccines and antibodies that block allergic reactions are set to begin in 1999; and climatic modeling -- tying together climate records from oceans, lakes and glacial ice to discover the global nature of cyclical climate changes. (Science, Dec. 18)
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E X T E R N A L V O I C E S
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NATIONS ‘MISLED’ ON GENETICALLY MODIFIED PRODUCTS
"Imagine a country placing such rigid restrictions on imports that people could not get vaccines and insulin. And imagine those same restrictions being placed on food products as well as on laundry detergent and paper. As far-fetched as it sounds, many developing countries and some industrialized ones may do just that (in 1999). They are being misled into thinking that genetically modified organisms, everything from seeds to livestock, and products made from them are potential threats to the public health and the environment." Former President Jimmy Carter, reacting to import proposals restricting genetically modified products that are being drafted under the auspices of the 1992 biodiversity treaty. Carter's entire statement can be found at: http://progressivefarmer.com/fence/1198/mythoughts/index.html (Progressive Farmer, November 1998)
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M A R G I N A L I A
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A WORD FOR THE WORDY
Circumlocution, n. A literary trick whereby the writer who has nothing to say breaks it gently to the reader. - Ambrose Bierce.