College News
President, Provost to Visit College Oct. 5
President Geoffroy and Provost Allen will make their annual visit to the College of Agriculture from 2 to 4 p.m. Oct. 5. An open forum for faculty and staff will be held from 3:15 to 4 p.m. in Room 1131 National Swine Research Information Center (auditorium). Earlier in the afternoon, the president and provost will tour air quality/livestock odor research labs in the National Swine Research Information Center.
Bronson Named Associate Vice Provost for Research
Charlotte Bronson, currently the chair of the plant pathology department, will be the university's associate vice provost for research. Bronson's appointment is effective Oct. 1. An interim chair will be named soon. Learn more: http://www.iastate.edu/~nscentral/news/2005/sep/bronson.shtml
Woteki Portrait Hanging Scheduled for Oct. 12
Former Dean Catherine Woteki will return to campus Oct. 12 for the hanging of her portrait in 142 Curtiss. It will begin at 3:30 p.m. More details to come. Woteki also will moderate the World Food Prize Symposium Oct. 12-14 in Des Moines with 2003 World Food Prize Laureate Catherine Bertinia.
Research Explores Grazing and Water Quality
A team of Iowa State animal scientists is evaluating how to improve the water quality of Iowa's farm streams through livestock grazing practices. Jim Russell, animal science, and his team are trying to determine how cattle grazing management practices may reduce phosphorus and sediment levels in pasture creeks. Seventy-five people attended a field day at the ISU Rhodes Farm in Marshall County in September to learn more about the team's findings.
USDA Funds Organic Research for Soybean Rust Management
Iowa State, Michigan State University, University of Florida and the Rodale Institute have received $480,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to evaluate strategies for management of soybean rust in organic systems.
Wisner Presented Farm Management Society Honor
The Iowa Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers recently presented Bob Wisner, university professor of economics, its Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award. The award was for outstanding leadership in grain marketing and service to Iowa agriculture and to the organization through educational meetings, written articles and radio broadcasts on grain marketing and market outlook forecasts.
Today's Convocation to Recognized College Faculty, Staff
Several College faculty and staff will be honored at Iowa State's convocation this afternoon beginning at 3:15 p.m. in the Sun Room, Memorial Union. University Professor Carl Bern, agricultural and biosystems engineering, will receive the Iowa State University Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching; GianCarlo Moschini, economics, and Pioneer Chair in Science and Technology Policy, will be presented the Iowa State University Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research; Christopher Feeley, natural resource ecology and management, will be presented the Iowa State University Foundation Award for Early Achievement in Extension or Professional Practice; Steve Mickelson, agricultural and biosystems engineering, will be presented the Iowa State University Foundation Award for Excellence in Academic Advising; Jack Girton, biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology, and Gail Nonnecke, horticulture; will be presented the Regents Award for Faculty Excellence; and D. Bruce Fulton, biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology will be presented Regents Award for Staff Excellence.
Run/Walk Raises Money for Ciancio Scholarship
More than $800 was raised during the Hoofin it for Alison 5K/10K Race Sept. 10. Nearly 50 runners took part in the annual event at the ISU Cross Country course. The Dairy Science Club and animal science faculty members served up an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast to raise funds for the Alison Ciancio Memorial scholarship. All participants also received a t-shirt and cash prizes were awarded. Ciancio, an animal science sophomore and dairy science club member, was killed by a drunk driver in 2002. Cianco's parents, Nick and Susan, of Havertown, Pa., took part in the race-day activities.
Shivvers Lecture Set for Oct. 19
University of Northern Iowa biology professor Laura Jackson will explore the idea of farms coexisting with natural habitat when she presents the 2005 Shivvers Memorial Lecture Oct. 19 at Iowa State. The lecture will be 7 p.m. in the College of Business auditorium, 1148 Gerdin. The series is sponsored by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, the ISU chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta Honorary Society for Agriculture and the ISU Committee on Lectures funded by GSB. More: http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/newsreleases/2005/jackson_092005.htm
College to Host Reception for Food Prize Laureate
The College will host a reception for World Food Prize Laureate Modadugu Vijay Gupta following his Oct. 11 seminar on campus, "The Blue Revolution: Helping to End Hunger in Southeast Asia." The presentation will be at 2 p.m. in Lebaron Auditorium 1210, followed by the reception in the Lebaron atrium. Dean Wintersteen will introduce Gupta.
Cyclose Stampede Rodeo this Weekend
Contestants from 13 schools in five Midwestern states will compete in the annual Cyclone Stampede rodeo this weekend, Oct. 1 and 2, hosted by the ISU Rodeo Club. Performances start at 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday, and 1 p.m. Sunday. The rodeo arena is on State Avenue, about two miles south of campus. More: http://www.iastate.edu/Inside/2005/0923/rodeo.shtml
Patent Premium Topic of Seminar
Ashish Arora, professor of economics and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University, will present, "R&D and the Patent Premium," at the Economics of Innovation and Science Policy Lecture Oct. 3. The seminar will examine the effect of patenting on research and development. It will begin at 4:10 p.m. in 368A Heady Hall.
Deadlines and Reminders
Sept. 26: Think Tank on Animal Agriculture meeting, 6 p.m., Cardinal Room, Memorial Union, register by contacting Julie Roberts at jrober@iastate.edu by noon Sept. 23
Sept. 26-28: Workshop on hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico and other water quality issues, campus
Sept. 30: Norman Borlaug Lectureship Poster Competition entry deadline, contact: Patricia Murphy, pmurphy@iastate.edu
Oct. 7: Center for Integrated Animal Genomics grant proposal deadline.
Oct. 8: Centennial celebration for the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Oct. 11: World Food Prize Laureate Modadugu Vijay Gupta lecture, 2 p.m., Lebaron Auditorium 1210
Oct. 13-15: Breaking The Creative Barriers: The Arts and Sciences in Collaboration, Center for Excellence in the Arts and Humanities symposium, Memorial Union
Oct. 15: Deadline for submitting applications to the College's Grants for Distance Education: Expanding Quality Asynchronous Distance Education Offerings program
Oct. 28-29: Affiliates Workshop on Overarching Issues in Risk Analysis
Communications Kiosk
Inflammable is Flammable
Flammable was invented as an alternative to the synonymous word inflammable, which some people misunderstood, with potentially dangerous consequences, as meaning "not combustible." Today flammable is the standard term. (Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition)
Infograzing
Center for Designing Foods Invites Applications
The Center for Designing Foods to Improve Nutrition (CDFIN) is requesting applications for inclusion in its U.S. Department of Agriculture/CDFIN Center Grant. The center was established to conduct and foster interdisciplinary research to improve human nutrition and promote good health through new and traditional foods. In addition to this mission the overall program/grant objective is to assess dietary strategies for improving human health through nutrition. This program encourages applications that focus on obesity and aging. The guidelines for proposal submissions is on the Web at: http://www.cdfin.iastate.edu/proposal1.htm. Send a notice of your intent to apply, including all anticipated co-investigators, by Oct. 17 to Paul Flakoll at: flakollp@iastate.edu.
Computing Grant Applications Sought
The Vice Provost for Research seeks applications for High Performance Computing (HPC) grants. The purpose of these grants is to provide computation time on Academic Information Technologies' Alpha Cluster to perform research or scholarship that is expected to continue developing and to attract funding from other sources. Collaborative projects, especially those involving more than one discipline, are encouraged. HPC grants are open to full-time tenured and tenure-track ISU faculty members and staff. Preference will be given to tenure-track faculty members. More: http://www.vpresearch.iastate.edu/guidelines/hpcg.html.
CSREES Seeks Students for Internships
The Cooperative State, Research, Education and Extension Service is looking for senior and graduate level college and university students to work in its overseas offices to promote U.S. agricultural interests through the International Agricultural Internship Program. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service, one of the four U.S. government foreign service agencies, needs about 10 students each semester with excellent analysis, marketing, writing, language and organizational skills and experience to work on international agricultural trade policy issues, commodity and market analysis and organizing trade events during a 10-16 week paid internship. U.S. Citizen students who are majoring in a business or science related agricultural field are eligible. Online registration begins Oct. 10 and closes Oct. 24.
USAID Asks for Comment on Priorities
The U.S. Agency for International Development seeks public comment on a proposed portfolio of Collaborative Research and Capacity Building for Development (CRCBD) programs. The comments will be used to help set agency research and capacity building priorities related to agriculture and natural resources management. The proposed programs may be accessed at: http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/agriculture. Send comments to: research.feedback@usaid.gov by Oct. 2.
External Voices
We Love Iowa State Students
"We love Iowa State students. It's the first place for us to recruit. Students coming out of Iowa State have great work ethics and great cultural values. ... The number one thing we look for in our employees is strong communications skills, both written and verbal. ... Iowa State is a great place for research, but please remember your first job is to teach students. So give them your best teachers."
--Don Van Houweling, founder and owner of the Van Wall Group, speaking to College faculty visiting his Perry store Sept. 20 as part of a "Connect with Iowa" community visit. Van Houweling is a 1968 ISU graduate in industrial administration. Van Wall is the Midwest's largest John Deere dealer with 250 employees at 13 locations.
Marginalia
Food Safety Network Blogs Want Personal Stories
barfblog.com and kitchenconfessional.com are two new blogs hosted on the redesigned Food Safety Network website, launched Sept. 19 at the University of Guelph in Canada. "We are continually trying to explore new ways to compel everyone in the farm-to-fork food safety system to take this stuff seriously," said Douglas Powell, scientific director of the Food Safety network and an associate professor in the department of plant agriculture at the University of Guelph. "Everyone I've met has their own personal greatest story of suffering through foodborne illness. We hope to capture these and inform others." Christian Battista, a research associate with the network, explains that barfblog.com is aimed at "Internet savvy users who enjoy gross-out-type humor." (Institute of Food Technologists Weekly Newsletter, Sept. 21)
Next issue: Oct. 3
Ag Online
Editor: Ed Adcock, edadcock@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-5616
Web site: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/
Subscribe: Ag Online, the newsletter for faculty and staff in Iowa State University's College of Agriculture, is e-mailed every Monday. To subscribe, send your name, e-mail address and the message "Ag Online subscribe" to edadcock@iastate.edu. To unsubscribe, send "Ag Online unsubscribe."
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