College News
Opera to Highlight George Washington Carver's Life Today
OPERA Iowa will perform "A Dream Fulfilled: The Saga of George Washington Carver" at 8 p.m. today, Feb. 2, in the Great Hall, Memorial Union. The event is free and open to the public. A reception follows the performance.
Video Highlights Research on Iowa's Cilmate
Gene Takle, professor of agricultural meteorology, discusses his research on the use of atmospheric models to study regional climate changes in the latest College research video. Takle is the director of the Climate Science Initiative. The research videos highlight the role Iowa State plays in scientific and technological advances in agriculture, life sciences and related fields.
Researchers Develop Technique for Quick Detection of Salmonella
Food science and human nutrition researchers Byron Brehm-Stecher and Bledar Bisha have developed a technique for testing for the presence of salmonella that may give investigators better, faster answers. The process can tell investigators if the produce is contaminated with salmonella in about two hours compared to current methods of detecting salmonella that take one to seven days.
Sociologist Charts 20-Year Poverty Trends
David Peters, sociology, reports what communities did between 1980-2000 to reduce poverty across the nation. Communities reduced poverty rates by undergoing industrial restructuring, creating new professional jobs and investing in education.
Iowa State Economists Assess Iowa Economy
Liesl Eathington, director of ISU's Regional Capacity Analysis Program, says when she watches indicators -- such as the level of unemployment or the rate of foreclosures -- compared to national averages, Iowa doesn't look as bad as other parts of the nation.
Cattle and Embryos Sold at Animal Science Sale
Cattle and embryos were sold Jan. 31 at the Tradition of Excellence Sale reflecting the work of students in the Animal Science 490, merchandising class. The event was attended by about 150 buyers, alumni, faculty, staff and students at the Animal Science Beef Teaching Center. Some 36 head of cattle were sold for $54,175, average price of $1,505, and four embryo lots sold for $4,800, average price of $400 per embryo. Marshall Ruble and Brad Skaar, animal science, coordinated the sale with the help of students.
Student Named Champion Sheep Shearer
Dairy science senior Mark Hoogendoorn of Rock Rapids was named the intermediate champion shearer in the National Western Stock Show Sheep Shearing Contest. Contestants are judged on time, condition of fleece, absence of second cuts in fleece, sheep handling, absence of cuts on sheep and appearance of shorn sheep. The event was held Jan. 10 in Denver, Co.
SCN Resistant Soyvean Variety Trials Report Released
The 2008 SCN Resistant Soybean Variety Trials Report is available on-line. The SCN Variety Trails are conducted to assist growers with SCN resistant soybean variety selection by providing them with information about SCN resistant soybeans, including yield and in field SCN reproduction data. More: http://www.isuscntrials.info
"River of Milk" Mural Installed at Iowa State Dairy Farm
An etched glass mural titled "River of Milk" has been installed at the Dairy Farm's visitor's center. Glasswork architect Michaela Mahady from Pegasus Studio of Minneapolis was the artist.
Economist Appointed to Biomass Research Committee
Dermot Hayes has been named to the Biomass Research and Development Technical Advisory Committee, jointly administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Energy.
PSA Senior to Receive Leadership Award
Nicole Cortum, senior in public service and administration in agriculture, was recently honored with Iowa State's David W. and Ellen J. Raisbeck Leadership Award. It is one of the President's Leadership Initiative Awards, which will be presented April 5.
De Baca Presented Diversity Award
Mary de Baca, director of diversity programs for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, was presented the university's Advancing One Community Award for faculty and staff. She was honored during the campus' Martin Luther King Jr. celebration Jan. 22. Iowa State's MANNRS (Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences) chapter nominated de Baca for the award.
College Receives Four Case Awards
The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District VI institutional awards program was held in Kansas City Jan. 26. Barb McBreen, communications service, received an excellence in multimedia silver award for "A Legacy of Excellence: 150 years" DVD and an excellence in writing bronze award for the DVD script. Andy Zehr, student services, received a silver in graphic design for the college's recruitment web site "I'm Interested in ..." He also received a silver in graphic design for the "I'm Interested in..." display, which is used at recruitment events. Iowa State was awarded a total of 15 awards.
Deadlines and Reminders
Feb. 4: Ag Career Day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Great Hall, Memorial Union
Feb. 7: Beginning Farmer Network annual conference, Gateway Hotel and Conference Center, http://www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/beginningfarmer/home.html
Feb. 16: College's Spring convocation, 4 p.m., 127 Curtiss Hall (Curtiss auditorium)
Feb. 19: Agriculture and Life Sciences Distinguished Lecture, Michael Boehlje, distinguished professor at Purdue University, 7:30 p.m., Sun Room, Memorial Union
Feb. 25: Staniforth Lecture, 4:15 p.m., 2050 Agronomy
Communications Kiosk
Omit Needless Words
A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell. Many expressions in common use violate this principle. Examples:
- Replace "the question as to whether" with "whether."
- Replace "there is no doubt but that" with "no doubt"
- Replace "used for fuel purposes" with "used for fuel"
- Replace "he is a man who" with "he"
- Replace "in a hasty manner" with "hastily"
- Replace "this is a subject which" with "this subject"
- Replace "his story is a strange one" with "his story is strange."
- Eliminate "the fact that" out of every sentence.
More: http://www.bartleby.com/141/ (The Elements of Style, William Strunk, Jr., 1918; Bartleby.com, 1999.)
Infograzing
Judges Needed for Science Fair March 27 and 28
The State Science and Technology Fair of Iowa March 27 and 28 is seeking 400 judges to review entries from middle and high school students. It will be held at Hilton Coliseum and Scheman Center. Those with degrees or pursuing degrees in science, engineering and math related fields or science education are welcome to volunteer. Middle school judging will be March 27 and high school judging will be done on March 28.
Cast Releases Carcass Disposal Issue Paper
The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology has released a new issue paper, Ruminant Carcass Disposal Options for Routine and Catastrophic Mortality. It is the third in a CAST three-part series on poultry and livestock carcass disposal. More: http://www.cast-science.org/
Pollinator Group to Host First National Meeting
National agriculture and conservation leaders are gathering this month for the first time to explore ways to protect and increase native pollinator populations that contribute to a $20 billion fruit, nut, vegetable and field crop production industry in the United States. The Native Pollinators in Agriculture Work Group, a panel of more than 30 growers, academics, government officials and conservationists, will host the National Agriculture Pollinator Forum Feb. 24-25 in Arlington, Va.
External Voices
Reporter Calls Science and Democracy Twins
"If there is anything democracy requires and thrives on, it is the willingness to embrace debate and respect one another and the freedom to shun received wisdom. Science and democracy have always been twins. ... If we are not practicing good science, we probably aren't practicing good democracy. And vice versa."
--Dennis Overbye, New York Times science reporter, in the essay "Elevating Science, Elevating Democracy" (New York Times, Jan. 26, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/27/science/27essa.html)
Marginalia
Crop Residue Part of Carbon Sequestration Research
Putting 30 percent of the world's crop residues into bales and sinking them deep in the ocean could reduce the build up of global carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by up to 15 percent a year, according to recently published calculations. Stuart Strand, a University of Washington research professor, said the advantages include using existing technology to sequester the carbon in seafloor sediments and deep ocean waters annually for thousands of years. Strand is the lead author of a paper on the subject in the journal Environmental Science & Technology, published by the American Chemical Society. He devised a formula to measure the carbon-sequestration efficiency of this process and others using crop residues for the first time. (Science Daily, Jan. 29, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090128212809.htm)
Ag and Life Sciences Online
Editor
Ed Adcock, edadcock@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-5616
Website: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/
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