College News
College Invites New Program Concept Papers
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, in collaboration with the College Curriculum Committee, encourages individuals and groups of faculty to prepare and submit short concept papers describing an idea for a new undergraduate certificate, minor or major. Oct. 1 is the deadline for submitting 1- to 2-page concept papers describing the next generation of undergraduate academic programs for the College. In consultation with faculty leadership, Dean Wintersteen will invite the development of up to five concepts and will provide development grants of $10,000 for new majors and $7,500 for new certificates and minors. Contact: David Acker, Associate Dean, Academic and Global Programs, at dacker@iastate.edu.
Conservation Partnership to be Celebrated Sept. 18 ISU
Research in the Bear Creek Watershed north of Ames will be highlighted at an event Sept. 18, celebrating 10 years of collaboration by Trees Forever, Syngenta and the Iowa Farm Bureau. The significance of the research on water quality will be outlined. The event begins with lunch at McFarland Park and comments by Richard Schultz, professor, Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, and Jerry DeWitt, director, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. The group then will travel to the Bear Creek National Demonstration and Research site, with additional comments from representatives of the three sponsoring groups and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey. A tour of the Bear Creek site will include educational stations and a boom truck will be available for viewing the area from the air. For more information, or to RSVP attendance for the lunch and/or tour, contact Lora Bopp, lbopp@tressforever.org or 1-800-369-1260.
Web Feature: Meat Experts Gather For ISU Short Course
This summer, ISU Extension offered its annual Sausage and Processed Meats Short Course to meat processing professionals from around the world. Plant managers, chefs and research and development technicians in the meat processing industry were among the participants. Animal science professor Joe Cordray has been leading the course since 1995. This year, 75 participants from six countries joined 27 instructors for the 2007 course. Animal science professor Bob Rust held the first short course in 1979.
RAO Named Chair of BBMB Department
Guru Rao has been named interim chair of the Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, effective Sept. 1. Rao, professor of biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology, joined the department in 2006.
Garrick Named to Jay Lush Endowed Chair
A native of New Zealand is the first person to hold the Jay Lush Endowed Chair in Animal Breeding and Genetics at Iowa State. Dorian Garrick has been on campus since Aug. 15, moving to Iowa after five years as professor of animal breeding and genetics at Colorado State University.
Curbelo Named Interim Minority Liaison Officer
Aurelio Curbelo has been named interim minority liaison officer for the College, effective Sept. 1. Curbelo will act as an advocate and a resource for minority students and students of color. He earned bachelor's and master's degrees in agricultural education from ISU in 2004 and 2006, and is working on a doctorate.
National Farm Transition Network at ISU Goes Global
The National Farm Transition Network, coordinated from Iowa State, has recently broadened its circle to include members from around the world. Under its new name, the International Farm Transition Network will continue to assist farm succession organizations and hold annual conferences to provide international forums for member organizations.
Researcher Studies Sustainability of Bioeconomy
Robert Anex, agricultural and biosystems engineering and associate director of Iowa State's Office of Biorenewables Programs, is working to answer questions about the transition to an agriculture that produces biomass as well as food and fiber.
Borlaug Poster Competition Abstracts Due Sept. 21
Sept. 21 is the deadline for entries to the Sixth Annual Norman Borlaug Lectureship Poster Competition. Graduate and undergraduate students are encouraged to enter poster abstracts in the general area of world food issues to Patricia Murphy, pmurphy@iastate.edu. Winners will be announced Oct. 15 after the Borlaug Lecture, which features Monty Jones, executive secretary of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa and the 2004 World Food Prize winner.
Kenealy Named Honorary Proffessor, Trakia University
Doug Kenealy, animal science, has been named an honorary professor with the College of Agriculture, Trakia National Agrarian University, Stara Zagora, Bulgaria. Dean Ivan Stankov made the award to Kenealy during his visit to Iowa State to discuss continuing cooperative activities with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Kenealy has been co-leader of a USDA capacity-building project with Eldon Uhlenhopp, veterinary medicine, for four years. The project involves Armenia, Bulgaria and Serbia. ISU has hosted professors from Trakia for fall-semester educational development activities for three years.
Think Tank Meeting Features Hoffman
Executive Vice President and Provost Elizabeth Hoffman will be the speaker at the Sept. 24 Think Tank on Animal Agriculture. Social time begins at 6 p.m. with dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the presentation at 7 p.m. at the Pioneer Room, Memorial Union. Register by contacting Julie Roberts at jrober@iastate.edu by noon on Sept. 21. Cost of the buffet will be $18, which is payable to Don Beitz at the door.
Deadlines and Reminders
Sept. 11: Seminar on reading students' signals, 4 p.m., 142 Curtiss
Sept. 12: College convocation, 4:15 p.m., 127 Curtiss Hall
Sept. 14: Open forum with President Geoffroy and Vice President/Provost Hoffman, 4:10 p.m. 127 Curtiss Hall
Sept. 17-18: Agricultural Entrepreneurship Institute, Gateway Hotel & Convention Center, more: http://www.entrepreneurship.ag.iastate.edu/2007_Institute/index.html
COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
College's 150 Points of Pride: More Entries Online
Horticulture is in the spotlight for the latest in a series of 150 Points of Pride being posted online as part of the College's sesquicentennial celebration. Profiles of Suel Foster, George Washington Carver, Joseph Budd, Charles Bessey and Griffith Buck are available online.
Infograzing
Faculty Invited to Multicultural Student Welcome Event
ISU's Multicultural Student Affairs office is asking for faculty members to participate in its welcome convocation Thursday, Sept. 6. Faculty are sought from 8 to 9 p.m. The format will be similar to speed dating, with students rotating and chatting informally with the faculty members for a few minutes. The goal is to help multicultural students recognize that faculty members are approachable. Interested faculty are asked to sign up by contacting Judy Peter at japeter@iastate.edu.
External Voices
Religions Affect Food Choices
"The religious movement is a huge force. Already, religious institutions oversee the production of $250 billion per year in food if you bundle together halal, kosher and institutional buying. Religious leaders have been giving dietary advice for decades and centuries, telling us to eat fish on Friday or to keep kosher in your home. What we are seeing now are contemporary concerns like the fair treatment of farm workers, humane treatment of animals and respect for the environment being integrated into the dietary advice given by the churches." --Arlin S. Wasserman, the founder of Changing Tastes, a consulting firm in St. Paul that advises food companies and philanthropic organizations on trends in food and agriculture. (Of Church and Steak: Farming for the Soul, New York Times, Aug. 22)
Ag and Life Sciences Online
Editor: Ed Adcock, edadcock@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-5616 Web site: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/
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