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AG ONLINE
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The College of Agriculture Faculty/Staff Newsletter
Iowa State University
July 21, 2000 No. 150
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C O N T E N T S
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COLLEGE NEWS
- Dean Ross gets OK from Board of Regents
- Regents approve sustainable ag graduate program
- Honorary degree to visiting professor in animal science
- Food safety and irradiation featured at State Fair
- Orientation for Iowa State Fair volunteer set for Aug. 1
- Aug. 10 is Iowa State University Day at the State Fair
- Pometto named acting director of NASA center
- Two new assistant directors for Experiment Station
- Taiwanese animal scientist receives college award
- Costa Rican exchange group to visit ISU
- Beef industry leader honored at Rhodes Farm
- Ag fall convocation and barbecue on Aug. 24
- ISU soy oil is a "Grand Selection" at Hy-Vee
- Ag faculty and staff needed for study-abroad programs
- Animal Waste Management Center requests proposals
- Ag 450 Farm students selling sweet corn
- Golf, dinner and auction will benefit Christian fund
- Good Iowa food and ISU football: Commodity Classic Sept. 2
- Deadlines & Reminders
COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
- No fear of being shushed in this library
INFOGRAZING
- Carbon conference to explore benefits to farmers
EXTERNAL VOICES
- Gussow: Attention must be paid to save agriculture
- Yu: Helping poor rural areas, with ISU’s support
MARGINALIA
- ISU’s Christian Petersen to be sculpted in butter
- Impress friends at your next party: Guess the bale weight
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C O L L E G E N E W S
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DEAN ROSS GETS OK FROM BOARD OF REGENTS
This week the Board of Regents, State of Iowa approved the two-year appointment of Richard Ross as dean of the College of Agriculture.
REGENTS APPROVE SUSTAINABLE AG GRADUATE PROGRAM
A new master’s and Ph.D. program in sustainable agriculture was approved by the Board of Regents, State of Iowa this week. The comprehensive, interdisciplinary program is believed to be the first of its kind in the country. Departments involved in delivering the program will be agricultural and biosystems engineering, agronomy, animal science, anthropology, entomology, horticulture, plant pathology and sociology. Over the next year, students will be admitted to the program, which is slated to begin in the fall of 2001. A program brochure and Web site are planned. For more information: Matt Liebman, 4-7486 or mliebman@iastate.edu.
HONORARY DEGREE TO VISITING PROFESSOR IN ANIMAL SCIENCE
This week the Board of Regents, State of Iowa approved a proposal to bestow an honorary degree on Morris Soller, professor of applied genetics at Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The honorary doctorate of science will be presented during the Aug. 5 commencement ceremonies in Hilton Coliseum. Soller is the Cotswold Visiting Scientist in the animal science department. He is considered a world leader in the study and application of molecular markers in plant and animal breeding and genetics. The Cotswold Visiting Scientist Fellowship was established last year in the animal science department with support from Cotswold Limited, an international swine breeding firm. The program brings top international scientists to ISU to research problems in swine genetics.
FOOD SAFETY AND IRRADIATION FEATURED AT STATE FAIR
The College of Agriculture exhibit in the Agriculture Building at the Iowa State Fair, Aug. 10-20, will focus on food safety and food science. Visitors can see what food-borne bacteria and pathogens look like under a microscope; watch a simulation of new food safety technology called electronic pasteurization or irradiation; and search for information in a food safety database. The Iowa Cattlemen's Association booth will have free samples of irradiated beef products in a complementary display, also in the Agriculture Building. The college's exhibit also will include a food-safety learning activity for children and a daily drawing for prizes from Iowa commodity groups, including certificates for meat.
ORIENTATION FOR IOWA STATE FAIR VOLUNTEER SET FOR AUG. 1
Faculty and staff who have volunteered to staff the college’s Iowa State Fair display are invited to an informational meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 1, 8:15 to 9:30 a.m., in 15 Curtiss. Volunteers will have a chance to ask questions, get a sneak preview of this year's display and pick up their shirts. Donuts, rolls, bagels, juice and coffee will be served. If you haven't volunteered yet, there are still shifts available. The fair runs from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20. Contact Marty Behrens, 4-5616 or behrens@iastate.edu.
AUG. 10 IS IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY DAY AT THE STATE FAIR
Iowa State will sponsor the opening day of the Iowa State Fair on Aug. 10 as its kickoff to the all-university "Strengthening Families to Become the Best" celebration. The highlight will be the Grand Concourse, which will feature more than 35 displays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. focusing on ISU programs. The displays will include several from the College of Agriculture, including the stream table, which demonstrates the importance of riparian buffer zones; an Iowa wood identification exhibit; and a children’s activity related to agriculture. An ISU spirit rally will be at 5 p.m. on the Grand Concourse Stage.
POMETTO NAMED ACTING DIRECTOR OF NASA CENTER
Tony Pometto has been named the acting director of the NASA Food Technology Commercial Space Center, effective July 6. Pometto is expected to be appointed director, pending approval by NASA. Pometto, a professor of food science and human nutrition, succeeds Dennis Olson, who resigned to take a position with Titan Surebeam.
TWO NEW ASSISTANT DIRECTORS FOR EXPERIMENT STATION
The Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station has two new assistant directors. Mary Winter, associate dean for research and graduate education in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences and a professor of human development and family studies, will be assistant director for home economics and social sciences. Donald Reynolds, associate dean for research and graduate studies in the College of Veterinary Medicine and a professor of veterinary microbiology and preventive medicine, will be assistant director for veterinary medicine and biological sciences. Winter’s research includes work on family businesses and the impact of the community on families and their businesses. Reynolds’s expertise is in avian medicine. The two Experiment Station positions previously were held by Carol Meeks, dean of family and consumer sciences, and Prem Paul, associate director of the Veterinary Medical Research Institute.
TAIWANESE ANIMAL SCIENTIST RECEIVES COLLEGE AWARD
On July 10 the College of Agriculture presented Thomas Ju-Tong Yu with the World Professor of Agriculture award. The award was given in honor of Yu’s excellence in international education and production agriculture. For more than 30 years, Yu, a native of Taiwan, has collaborated with ISU researchers to improve the swine industry in several Asian countries. Yu, who established a swine division for the C.P. Group in Thailand, helped to develop an exchange program for students and faculty at ISU and Kasetsart University in Thailand. (See item in "External Voices.")
COSTA RICAN EXCHANGE GROUP TO VISIT ISU
A group of students and faculty from University of Costa Rica will visit campus July 27 to Aug. 4. The university and ISU have a long history of exchanges and cooperative research and educational programs. Mark Gleason, plant pathology, is coordinating the visit. The group will tour farms, agribusiness facilities and ISU sites. The group is interested in learning more about integrated pest management of crops, horticulture, agronomy and entomology.
BEEF INDUSTRY LEADER HONORED AT RHODES FARM
At a ceremony during the Rhodes Research and Demonstration Farm field day on July 11, John Airy was honored for his contributions to the beef cattle industry and for a gift he is giving to ISU that will improve the farm’s headquarters building. Airy, who earned a bachelor’s degree in agronomy at ISU in 1938, established a beef cattle breeding program for Pioneer Hi-Bred International in the 1950s. That program was based at the Rhodes farm until 1973, when it was transferred from Pioneer to Iowa State. The gift from Airy will fund an addition to the farm’s main building, which will include a new meeting room. The gift also will establish the John Airy Beef Cattle Genetics Seminar in the Department of Animal Science. The seminar will be held every other year.
AG FALL CONVOCATION AND BARBECUE ON AUG. 24
The College of Agriculture fall convocation will be held Thursday, Aug. 24, in the Sun Room, Memorial Union. A social time begins at 3:30 p.m., with a program at 4 p.m. At 5 p.m., faculty and staff are encouraged to go to the Agronomy Courtyard for a barbecue to welcome new college freshmen and transfer students. The barbecue is sponsored by the college and the Ag Student Council.
ISU SOY OIL IS A ‘GRAND SELECTION’ AT HY-VEE
A low-saturated-fat soybean oil developed at ISU has earned a place among the "Grand Selections" product line at Hy-Vee. The Grand Selections label is reserved for products of premium quality sold in Hy-Vee’s 185 supermarkets across the Midwest. Grand Selections Low Saturated Soybean Oil tastes and performs the same as traditional vegetable oil with only half the saturated fat, one gram per serving. The oil, developed by ISU researchers Walter Fehr and Earl Hammond, is produced from a Pioneer brand soybean. The oil is available in Michigan grocery stores under the Spartan brand. In Japan, it is distributed by Maruetsu. The oil is available for foodservice use in Iowa under the Martin Bros. label and is approved for use in the USDA’s School Lunch Program.
AG FACULTY AND STAFF NEEDED FOR STUDY-ABROAD PROGRAMS
Agriculture faculty and staff are needed to lead study-abroad programs. With the goal of having 40 percent of the graduating class of 2004 participate in international experience, the college will be adding many new study-abroad opportunities. If you’re interested, contact the study-abroad office, 4-5393. Logistical support and funding are available for initial site visit costs and group leaders.
ANIMAL WASTE MANAGEMENT CENTER REQUESTS PROPOSALS
The Animal and Poultry Waste Management Center is requesting research proposals for 2000-01. The objective is to support research, development and demonstration initiatives that address needs in animal waste management. Proposal deadline is Sept. 15. For more information: Colin Scanes, 4-5267 or cscanes@iastate.edu.
AG 450 FARM STUDENTS SELLING SWEET CORN
Students working with the Ag 450 farm are taking orders for sweet corn. To place orders, contact Scott Mickelsen, 4-0047 or srmick@iastate.edu. Also, starting July 24, students will be selling sweet corn on the east side of Curtiss Hall (parking lot) on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons, 3 to 6 p.m. The cost is $2 per dozen ears.
GOLF, DINNER AND AUCTION WILL BENEFIT CHRISTIAN FUND
About 100 people are set to take part in Saturday's animal science golf scramble, dinner and auction to benefit the Lauren L. Christian Endowment. The endowment honors the memory of the late animal science professor and researcher. Many items related to Iowa State have been donated for an auction after the dinner. Former Dean David Topel will discuss the endowment as part of the program.
GOOD IOWA FOOD AND ISU FOOTBALL: COMMODITY CLASSIC SEPT. 2
Help kick off the Cyclones football season by taking part in the Iowa Commodity Classic and Taste of Iowa on Sept. 2. The College of Agriculture has teamed up with the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, the Department of Athletics and the Iowa Department of Economic Development to sponsor what may become an annual event. Iowa commodity groups will be selling food before and during the Cyclones’ game against the Ohio University Bobcats. Gates open an hour earlier than normal, at 9:30 a.m., and game time is 11:30 a.m. Besides selling food, commodity groups and food companies will be providing information about their products. The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship and IDED will staff tents promoting the Taste of Iowa and the state's food industry.
DEADLINES & REMINDERS
July 22: Animal Science golf scramble, auction and dinner for Lauren Christian Endowment, 1 p.m., Veenker Memorial Golf Course
Aug. 10-20: Iowa State Fair
Aug. 18: Deadline, Brenton Center Instructor Assistance Program, 4-0045
Aug. 22: ISU Fall Convocation, 3:15 p.m., Sun Room, Memorial Union
Aug. 24: College of Agriculture Fall Convocation, 4 p.m., Sun Room, Memorial Union
Aug. 24: College of Agriculture barbecue for freshmen/transfer students, 5 p.m., Agronomy Courtyard
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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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NO FEAR OF BEING SHUSHED IN THIS LIBRARY
A large collection of reference materials can be found on the Web at LibrarySpot.com (http://www.libraryspot.com). It calls itself "a virtual library resource center for educators and students, librarians and their patrons, families, businesses and just about anyone exploring the Web for valuable research information." From the site, you can tour some of the world’s largest libraries. Examples of its reference categories include acronym finders, almanacs, associations, biographies, business information, calculators, calendars, country information, current events, dictionaries and encyclopedias.
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I N F O G R A Z I N G
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CARBON CONFERENCE TO EXPLORE BENEFITS TO FARMERS
"Carbon: Exploring the Benefits to Farmers and Society" will be held Aug. 29-31 at the Polk County Convention Complex, Des Moines. The conference will present the agricultural perspective on emerging policies and technologies involving carbon management and sequestration as well as other greenhouse gases. For more information: Jim Cooper, coordinator, Chariton Valley RC&D, (515) 437-4376 or jcooper@cvrcd.org. Or check the Web: http://www.cvrcd.org/carbon.htm
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E X T E R N A L V O I C E S
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GUSSOW: ATTENTION MUST BE PAID TO SAVE AGRICULTURE
"I have become convinced that the only way to save this planet is to save agriculture, and the only way to save agriculture is to pay attention to it, and to do that, consumers need to know what they're eating." Joan Dye Gussow, professor emeritus of nutrition and education at Columbia University, who was on campus this week to meet with the Leopold Center’s advisory board and staff. About 35 people attended an informal discussion with her in the Memorial Union on Thursday. She is author of a book that explores the sustainability of our current food system and is working on another book on eating locally grown foods.
YU: HELPING POOR RURAL AREAS, WITH ISU’S SUPPORT
"One of the important ideas that I have learned from ISU is how to link teaching, research and extension education together and apply the agricultural knowledge to rural areas . . . Helping poor farmers to improve their lives is my lifetime commitment. If I have made some changes in any poor rural areas, I could not have done it without [ISU’s] help and support." Thomas Ju-Tong Yu, who received the World Professor of Agriculture award from the college earlier this month. (See item in "College News.")
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M A R G I N A L I A
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ISU’S CHRISTIAN PETERSEN TO BE SCULPTED IN BUTTER
As part of her annual butter sculpting tradition at the Iowa State fair, Duffy Lyon will create a butter sculpture of Christian Petersen sculpting his famous work, "The Gentle Doctor." Petersen was an artist-in-residence at ISU from 1934 to 1955. His work will be the subject of a major exhibit at University Museums this fall. Lyon, an ISU agriculture alumna, was a student of Petersen’s.
IMPRESS FRIENDS AT YOUR NEXT PARTY: GUESS THE BALE WEIGHT
At this month’s field day at the Rhodes Research and Demonstration Farm, ISU agronomy’s Steve Barnhart, a forage specialist, held a contest for visitors to guess the weight of a large round hay bale. The bale weighed 2,070 pounds. The closest guess was 2,100 pounds. Although Barnhart admitted there’s no fool-proof formula, he did give some advice on guessing bale weight: "The most logical approach is the geometry of the bale. The longer and larger in diameter, the more weight -- modified somewhat by the type of baler used and the relative wetness or dryness of the hay. If it has sat outside, uncovered, it may also take on some excess precipitation moisture weight. Most producers overestimate the weight of their own bales. For this contest, nearly all underestimated the weight."
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AG ONLINE
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