College News
College Convocation Saturday to Honor Graduating Seniors
About 405 College students will be graduating this spring and summer. The College convocation Saturday, May 5, will honor graduating seniors with a program beginning at 9 a.m. in C.Y. Stephens Auditorium. Faculty and staff are invited to help recognize the students. Doors open at 8 a.m. with a reception and refreshments. Nathaniel Johansen, an agricultural business major from Hampton, will give the address to fellow students. Awards will be presented by Ag Council to: Garret Moenk, animal science major of Monticello, for Academic Achievement; Jamie Harpenau, agricultural systems technology major of Remsen, for Distinguished Service; Douglas Bear, animal science major of Russell, for Leadership Excellence; and Kate Dion, animal science major of Columbus Junction, for Outstanding Senior. Melissa Nasers, with a double major in agricultural education and international agriculture will serve as the student marshal. Her faculty escort will be Mike Retallick, agricultural education and studies.
Dean Wintersteen Presents on College Research
Dean Wendy Wintersteen delivered a presentation about the College of Agriculture at the President's Council meeting on April 27. The presentation is titled, "The College of Agriculture: Making Breakthroughs Happen," and features research successes.
Soil Judging Team Wins National Contest
A team of Iowa State students won the 2007 American Society of Agronomy National Collegiate Soil Judging Contest, hosted by Utah State University April 15-20. Twenty-one universities participated in the contest. Nick Ihde, a junior in agricultural business from Prairie du Chien, Wis. was the first-place individual overall, and Jana Matthiesen, a senior in agricultural studies from Bryant, finished sixth out of 83 students in the individual competition. Other team members included John Hammerly, a senior in agronomy from Newton; David Laubenthal, a junior in agronomy from Wesley; Curtis Maeder, a sophomore in agricultural engineering from Creston; Grant Nelson, a junior in agronomy from Greenfield; Adam Peterson, a senior in agronomy from Boone; and Ashley Raes, a sophomore in agronomy from Johnston. Jon Sandor, agronomy, and Amber Anderson, an agronomy graduate student, coach the team.
Wallace Endowed Chair Public Forums Features Four Candidates
Public forums of the four candidates for the Henry A. Wallace Endowed Chair for Sustainable Agriculture begin today. Candidate CV's are posted on the Wallace Chair homepage. There will be approximately 30 to 45 minutes for questions and answers. The schedule is: Catherine Kling, economics, 3:10 to 4:30 p.m. Monday, April 30, Room 1951 Food Science Building; Matt Liebman, agronomy, 3:10 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 2, Room 1951 Food Science Building; William Hargrove, Kansas State University, 3:10 to 4:30 p.m. May 7, Room 202 Carver Hall; and Frederick Magdoff, University of Vermont, 3:10 to 4:30 p.m. May 9, Room 202 Carver Hall.
INTERNATIONAL POLLINATION SYMPOSIUM SET FOR JUNE
The Ninth International Pollination Symposium will be June 24 to 28 at the Scheman Building. The symposium is expected to attract about 300 participants worldwide. It is being held by the International Commission for Plant-Bee Relationships. Reid Palmer, USDA ARS geneticist and agronomy professor, and Candice Gardner, USDA ARS collaborator and agronomy assistant professor, are the co-chairs. A session on the Honey Bee Colony Collapse Disorder has been added to the seminars scheduled on pollination topics. More: http://www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/plantbee/home.html.
Agronomy Meteorologist Named National Environmental Hero
Daryl Herzmann, a meteorologist in the Iowa State agronomy department, was honored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) with its Environmental Hero Award. Herzmann was among 10 individuals and groups recognized by NOAA April 20 for their efforts to preserve and protect the environment.
Alum Presented Research Award
Alumnus James Drackley received the Faculty Award for Excellence in Research from the University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences April 23. He is a professor in the university's animal science department. Drackley earned a doctorate in animal science from Iowa State in 1989.
Plant Pathology Emeritus Professor Dead at 84
Don Carlos Norton, an emeritus faculty member in plant pathology, died April 18 of ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease) in Nevada, according to the Ames Tribune. He was 84. Norton joined Iowa State in 1959 and specialized in corn nematode research. He retired in 1989. No public services were scheduled.
Iowa State Agronomy Students Win National Competitions
A team of agronomy students finished first and second in three North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) contests held in Hutchinson, Kan. April 19-21. The team won the Ag Knowledge Quiz Bowl and the Ag Computers Contest and placed second in the Crops Contest.
You Have Soybean Questions, ISU Extension has Answers
Palle Pedersen, extension soybean agronomist, and his team are ready to answer questions about soybean production. Questions can be submitted through the Web. The service is available to farmers and crop consultants with questions about in any topic related to soybean management.
Deadlines & Reminders
May 10: ISU ADVANCE retreat, "First Steps Toward Institutional Transformation: A Focus on ACTION," 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Scheman Building, contact: Susan Masters, 4-6151 or susanma@iastate.edu
May 21-23: Spring Research Conference on Statistics in Industry and Technology, Scheman Building, more: http://www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/src/home.html
Communications Kiosk
Using Anywhere or Any Place
"Anywhere" is preferred for an indefinite location, as in, "My keys could be anywhere." "Any place," always two words, is narrower when you mean any location, as in, "They couldn't find any place to sit down and rest." Avoid the one-word anyplace. (The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., 2003)
Infograzing
Undergraduate Learning Workshop May 16-18
"Student Learning ... Strategies for Assessment, Outcomes and Program Improvement" is the theme of an instructional leadership workshop organized by the North Central Region of Academic Programs May 16 to 18. It is being held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and downtown Lincoln.
Recruitment and Retention Open Forum May 3
"Recruitment and Retention--It's Everyone's Business" will be presented Thursday, May 3, by the Professional and Scientific Council's Retention and Recruitment Committee. This forum will showcase several of the more innovative and successful retention and recruitment programs funded this year. Invited grant recipients will present their programs via poster presentations. The forum will also feature a panel discussion by several university faculty and staff members who will share their knowledge and experience regarding retention. It will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Hixson-Lied Student Success Center, rooms 0060/0020. Light refreshments will be served; feel free to bring a sack lunch. Door prizes will be awarded.
External Voices
Conoco Phillips, Tyson Foods Collaborate on Biofuels
"This strategic alliance is a big win for the entire agricultural sector because it paves the way for greater participation of fats and oils in renewable fuels." -- Tyson president and CEO Richard Bond Oil giant ConocoPhillips and meat producer Tyson Foods are collaborating on a project to produce and market a renewable diesel fuel made from rendered animal fat. ConocoPhillips says the technology was developed at a plant in Ireland, where last year it began commercial production of renewable diesel using soybean oil. The rising cost of soybean and other oils has initiated a shift to animal fat, which is cheaper and more plentiful than vegetable fats. Biofuels are seen as a key component of the country's emission reduction goals and efforts to wean consumers off fossil fuels. (AP/Washington Post, April 16)
Marginalia
Animal Science Faculty 'Chefs' Honor New Graduates
Animal science faculty will be cooking omelets Saturday, May 5, for new department graduates and their families, a celebration they've held since 2002. As many as 400 people are typically fed. The event is held in the Farm Bureau Pavilion in Kildee Hall.
Ag Online
Editor: Ed Adcock, edadcock@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-5616
Web site: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/
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