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C O N T E N T S
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COLLEGE NEWS
- New: brown-bag lunches and letusknow@iastate.edu
- Judge begins Water Resources Institute’s fall seminars
- Kirschenmann to speak on vision for Leopold Center
- Duffy rejoins Leopold Center as associate director
- Field day on free-range chicken on Sept. 12
- ISU farm an outdoor classroom for sixth graders
- Take home a pet from Insect Horror Film Fest
- Conjugated linoleic acid mini-symposium on Sept. 18
- One finalist withdraws from agronomy search
- Stern named interim director of bioinformatics center
- Huffman on NRC committee to evaluate USDA research
- Meat Lab harvests champion animals; hosts FFA contest
- Boosting camaraderie among off-campus students
- Bud Ewing on Petersen’s dairy mural
- Sande McNabb on Carver’s food feats
- Dean’s international research grant deadline Oct. 15
- Lauren Christian Endowment receives contributions
- Vision 2020 to sponsor speakers bureau
- Deadlines & Reminders
COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
- Who’s covering agriculture for the ISU Daily?
- Be heard: use a portable PA from Ag Communications
INFOGRAZING
- Survey of ag graduates shows 81 percent employed
EXTERNAL VOICES
- Dyson on glory and a better way to live
- Keller on great and noble tasks
MARGINALIA
- It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s an arachnid
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C O L L E G E N E W S
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NEW: BROWN-BAG LUNCHES AND LETUSKNOW@IASTATE.EDU
At last week’s college convocation, Dean Richard Ross initiated two new internal communication efforts. The first is a monthly brown-bag lunch for college faculty, staff and students. The first two lunches are scheduled for Sept. 20 and Oct. 25. Topics of these sessions will be announced soon. Faculty and staff may suggest topics for upcoming lunches by contacting Joyce Shiers, 4-2518 or jshiers@iastate.edu. The second effort is an easy e-mail connection to Curtiss Hall administrators. "If you have an interesting talk with a constituent, or have accomplished something that makes you feel good, or have learned something that we might like to know, write to letusknow@iastate.edu. The more we know, the better we'll do as we work to support and represent you," Ross said.
JUDGE BEGINS WATER RESOURCES INSTITUTE’S FALL SEMINARS
On Sept. 11, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Patty Judge will kick-off a fall-semester seminar series on water quality issues organized by the Iowa State Water Resources Research Institute. Judge will speak on her vision for Iowa’s agriculture and water resources at 4:10 p.m. in the National Swine Research and Information Center’s auditorium (Room 1131). The second seminar in the series will be presented by Fred Kirschenmann, Leopold Center, on Sept. 18. Future speakers will include program leaders from the Iowa Hydraulics Research Institute, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, EPA and USDA. The Iowa State Water Resources Research Institute cooperates in water-related research at the three Iowa regent universities. For more information: Ramesh Kanwar, institute director, 4-4913 or rskanwar@iastate.edu.
KIRSCHENMANN TO SPEAK ON VISION FOR LEOPOLD CENTER
Fred Kirschenmann, the new director of the Leopold Center, will talk about his vision for the center and for sustainable agriculture at a presentation Sept. 12. The presentation will be part of the Shivvers Lectureship, sponsored by Gamma Sigma Delta, the Honor Society of Agriculture. It begins at 7 p.m., after a 6:15 p.m. reception, in the Sun Room, Memorial Union. A college reception for Kirschenmann will be held at 3:30 p.m. that day in the Campanile Room.
DUFFY REJOINS LEOPOLD CENTER AS ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Michael Duffy, economics, has been named the half-time associate director for the Leopold Center. The three-year appointment begins today (Sept. 1). Duffy was the center’s associate director from 1991 to 1999, when he resigned from the position. As associate director, he will be responsible for overseeing research initiatives on organic crop production and hooped hog structures. He also will conduct research on the economics of sustainable agriculture. Duffy also is professor-in-charge of the Beginning Farmer Center.
FIELD DAY ON FREE-RANGE CHICKEN SEPT. 12
ISU’s Allee Research and Demonstration Farm near Newell will host a field day Sept. 12 on free-range organic chicken. Visitors can tour the farm and learn about the process of raising certified organic livestock. They’ll also see how the "chicken tractor" works. The tractor moves the birds’ pen to different areas of the pasture. Farm staff will share rate-of-gain and feed information on the flock. Visitors also can check out the organic garden and the Allee Mansion. The field day begins at 7:30 p.m.
ISU FARM AN OUTDOOR CLASSROOM FOR SIXTH GRADERS
On Sept. 12 ISU faculty, staff and students will participate in the 33rd annual Outdoor Classroom sponsored by the O'Brien County Soil and Water Conservation District at ISU’s Northwest Research and Demonstration Farm. The event helps sixth graders in O'Brien County become more familiar with soil conservation and the rural environment. More than 275 students from seven schools will learn about the ISU farm’s computerized weather station and insects. They’ll also get to check out ISU’s Prism solar car.
TAKE HOME A PET FROM INSECT HORROR FILM FEST
Get an inside look at a bug's life and taste palatable pests at ISU’s Insect Horror Film Festival on Sept. 15. Visitors can view the film "Micro Cosmo," get up close and personal with insects in the Insect Petting Zoo, watch the butterflies in the Butterfly Tent and taste movie munchies made with insect ingredients. Exhibits will display various insects, including honeybees. A few lucky visitors will walk away with a new pet -- a Madagascar hissing cockroach. About 50 of the large, chatty cockroaches will be given away. The event will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. in the South Ballroom, Memorial Union. It’s sponsored by the Entomology Club, the Committee on Lectures and the Student Union Board.
CONJUGATED LINOLEIC ACID MINI-SYMPOSIUM ON SEPT. 18
The third annual mini-symposium on conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) research will be held Sept. 18 beginning at 8 a.m. in the Ensminger Conference Room, 1204 Kildee. Speakers from ISU, USDA, University of Wisconsin, Purdue University and University of Maryland will discuss recent CLA developments. Animal scientists have been working to increase the content of CLA in meat, milk and eggs. Studies have shown potential health benefits of eating foods containing CLA. No registration is needed. The public is welcome to attend. For more information: F.C. Parrish, 4-3280 or fparrish@iastate.edu.
ONE FINALIST WITHDRAWS FROM AGRONOMY SEARCH
Ronald Turco, professor of agronomy and director of the Environmental Sciences and Engineering Institute at Purdue University, has withdrawn from the search for a new head of ISU’s agronomy department. Five other finalists remain, including Joseph Stucki, University of Illinois, who visited campus last week. Upcoming open forums (all begin at 8:30 a.m., 3140 Agronomy) for the other four finalists are: Sept. 12, James Germida, professor and head, Department of Soil Science, University of Saskatchewan; Sept. 18, Steven Fales, professor and head, Department of Agronomy, Pennsylvania State University; Sept. 20, Kenneth Cassman, professor and head, Department of Agronomy, University of Nebraska; Sept. 27, Donald Sparks, professor and chair, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Delaware.
STERN NAMED INTERIM DIRECTOR OF BIOINFORMATICS CENTER
Hal Stern, statistics, has been named interim director of the Laurence H. Baker Center for Bioinformatics and Biological Statistics, a center of the Plant Sciences Institute. Stern succeeds James Cornette, mathematics, who retired in May. Stern joined the statistics faculty in 1994. A national search for a director for the center will begin this fall.
HUFFMAN ON NRC COMMITTEE TO EVALUATE USDA RESEARCH
Wallace Huffman, economics, has been appointed to the National Research Council’s Oversight Committee on Opportunities in Agriculture. The 15-member committee will undertake a two-and-a-half year congressionally funded project to evaluate the quality of research conducted by USDA as well as research funded by the USDA. The committee will make recommendations for future research opportunities and directions.
MEAT LAB HARVESTS CHAMPION ANIMALS; HOSTS FFA CONTEST
For many years the Meat Laboratory has harvested the champion 4-H and FFA livestock from the Iowa State Fair. This year, on Aug. 22, the lab harvested five beef cattle, four lambs and six hogs. All were either champions or reserve champions in 4-H or FFA contests. The Meat Lab hosted a viewing of the champion carcasses that was attended by many from Iowa’s livestock and food industries. The Meat Lab will further process the carcasses into retail cuts for the buyers of the animals. On Aug. 26, the Meat Lab hosted the 2000 State FFA Meats Contest. A hundred FFA members on 25 teams competed. The 2000 Iowa State Fair champion carcasses were evaluated along with other beef, pork and lamb carcasses harvested at the Meat Laboratory, plus other beef carcasses and wholesale loins purchased from an outside vendor.
BOOSTING CAMARADERIE AMONG OFF-CAMPUS STUDENTS
Learning communities have become a popular way for college students to study together and encourage each other. The College of Agriculture wants to test the concept with students who never come to campus. In September two pilot groups will begin meeting in Cedar Rapids to get to know more about ISU’s off-campus agriculture programs. The groups will be made up of 20 persons working in agricultural or other careers in eastern Iowa, and who are interested in earning either a bachelor’s or a master’s degree in professional agriculture. Most will begin taking courses this fall or next spring. ISU will partner with Kirkwood Community College to deliver the programs. For more information: Richard Carter, 4-6950 or ricarter@iastate.edu, or Wade Miller, 4-0895, or wwmiller@iastate.edu.
BUD EWING ON PETERSEN’S DAIRY MURAL
On Sept. 20, go to the Food Sciences Courtyard to hear Solon "Bud" Ewing, professor emeritus of animal science, talk about Christian Petersen’s first sculpture on campus, the mural on the history of dairying. The talk is one of this fall’s Wednesday Walks sponsored by the University Museums’ Art on Campus Program.
SANDE MCNABB ON CARVER’S FOOD FEATS
On Aug. 16 Sande McNabb, professor emeritus of plant pathology/forestry, spoke about George Washington Carver at the annual luncheon of the African-American Food Association in Los Angeles. The association awards a freshmen scholarship in honor of Carver. McNabb also will serve as an advisor to the group as it plans a Rose Bowl Parade float honoring Carver and his work with new food products. Plans call for the float to appear in the 2001 or 2002 parade.
DEAN’S INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH GRANT DEADLINE OCT. 15
International Agriculture Programs is seeking proposals for the 2000-2001 Dean of Agriculture's International Research Grants Program. The RFP is available online. The grants are meant to expand international research collaboration on problems of mutual interest to Iowa and cooperating countries. Proposals are due Oct. 15. For more information: Elena Polouchkina, 4-8493, elenap@iastate.edu.
LAUREN CHRISTIAN ENDOWMENT RECEIVES CONTRIBUTIONS
The Iowa Pork Producers Association has contributed $100,000 to the Lauren L. Christian Endowment. The funds will be used for fellowships, scholarships and swine-related programs. "The association recognizes that Dr. Christian’s research led to many advances in meat quality enjoyed by today’s consumers of pork," said Rodney Dykstra, IPPA president. Christian, a distinguished professor of animal science, died in 1998. Another $5,000 was raised for the endowment at a recent golf tournament, dinner and silent auction attended by more than 100 people. During the dinner, Youssef Asar, George Washington Carver Artist-in-Residence, displayed a mural on Christian’s life. Asar still is working on the mural.
VISION 2020 TO SPONSOR SPEAKERS BUREAU
Vision 2020 is sponsoring a speakers bureau featuring presentations by participants from the projects and partnerships the program has funded over the past six years. A catalog will be available next week both online and in print. Vision 2020 has worked with Iowa’s community colleges and many other organizations to examine how food-systems education programs must be redefined for the 21st century. For more information: Shellie Orngard, 4-2698, sorngard@iastate.edu.
DEADLINES & REMINDERS
Sept. 2: Iowa Commodity Classic/Taste of Iowa, before Cyclones football game
Sept. 5: Leopold Center preproposals due, 209 Curtiss
Sept. 8: Foreign travel grant applications due, 138 Curtiss
Sept. 12: Reception, Fred Kirschenmann, Leopold Center director, 3:30 p.m., Campanile Room, Memorial Union
Sept. 12: Gamma Sigma Delta fall lecture, Fred Kirschenmann, 7 p.m.
Sept. 22: Faculty professional development assignment applications due, 138 Curtiss
Oct. 6: 4-H Breakfast, Curtiss Hall
Oct. 6-8: ISU Family Weekend
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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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WHO’S COVERING AGRICULTURE FOR THE ISU DAILY?
The ISU Daily has three reporters who are covering the agriculture beat this fall. They are: Jacqui Becker, a sophomore in journalism and mass communication, 572-1290 or jabecker@iastate.ed; Connie Pettinger, a junior in journalism and mass communication, 233-3826 or cpetting@iastate.edu; and Stephanie Veldman, a senior in agricultural education, 296-2495 or sveldman@iastate.edu. They welcome story ideas, including events and awards.
BE HEARD: USE A PORTABLE PA FROM AG COMMUNICATIONS
Add volume to your presentation with a cordless, portable PA system available from Agriculture Communications Service, 304 Curtiss. The system can be loaned at no charge to College of Agriculture faculty and staff, ag student groups and ag students participating in professional meetings. A cordless transmitter and microphone attach to the presenter's clothing and a separate wireless amplifier can be plugged in or operated on batteries. To reserve the system: Marty Behrens, 4-5616 or behrens@iastate.edu.
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I N F O G R A Z I N G
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81 PERCENT OF AG GRADS EMPLOYED, 16 PERCENT BACK IN SCHOOL
The following figures are from a survey of College of Agriculture graduates who earned their bachelor’s degrees in fall 1998, spring 1999 and summer 1999. The surveys were conducted by Agriculture Career Services within six months after graduation. The response rate was almost 98 percent (584 of 597 responded).
Percentage of graduates employed: 81
Percentage of graduates employed in Iowa: 72
Percentage of ag graduates pursuing further education: 16
Number of the 584 respondents who were seeking jobs: 4
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E X T E R N A L V O I C E S
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DYSON ON GLORY AND A BETTER WAY TO LIVE
"I like people who are working on practical things and who are working in teams. It's not so important to get the glory. It's much more important to get something that works. It's a better way to live. If you are trying to solve the big problems by pure thought, it's very solitary and very competitive and the people who don't succeed are mostly unhappy." Freeman Dyson, theoretical physicist, astrophysicist and author, from an interview in the Aug. 1 New York Times.
KELLER ON GREAT AND NOBLE TASKS
"I long to accomplish a great and noble task; but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble." Helen Keller.
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M A R G I N A L I A
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IT’S A BIRD, IT’S A PLANE, IT’S AN ARACHNID
An excerpt from a book review in the Aug. 20 Boston Globe of "Buzzwords: A Scientist Muses on Sex, Bugs and Rock ‘n’ Roll," written by University of Illinois entomologist May Berenbaum: "Berenbaum makes the arresting observation that though there are many superheroes modeled after invertebrates, ‘arachnids far outnumber insects.’ They ‘include in their ranks the Scarlet Scorpion, the Scorpion, the Spider Queen, the Black Spider, the Black Widow, Spider, Spider Man,’ and more. Second most often represented among comic-book crime fighters, Berenbaum notes, is the family comprising bees, wasps and ants, followed by the beetle clan, then the lepidoptera."
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AG ONLINE
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NEXT ISSUE: Sept. 15 DEADLINE: Sept. 13
EDITORS
Brian Meyer, bmeyer@iastate.edu, and Ed Adcock, edadcock@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-5616 Web site: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/
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Ag Online, the newsletter for faculty and staff in Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture, is e-mailed every other Friday. To subscribe, send your name, e-mail address and the message "Ag Online subscribe" to bmeyer@iastate.edu. To unsubscribe, send "Ag Online unsubscribe."
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