College News
Reecy Named Director of the Office of Biotechnology
James Reecy, animal science, will become director of the university's Office of Biotechnology on July 1. Reecy will transition into the position by becoming the associate director on April 1.
Vanderzanden Named CELT Associate Director
Ann Marie VanDerZanden, associate professor of horticulture, has been named associate director of the Center for Excellence Learning and Teaching effective July 1. VanDerZanden will start part-time on April 1 to learn the responsibilities of the position. She replaces Susan Yager as associate director.
Clemens to Assist With Coordinating College Research Efforts
Roxanne Clemens has been named research coordinator for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Clemens will assist the Senior Associate Dean Joe Colletti in coordinating research efforts that enhance grant success across all research emphasis areas, with a focus on team research, multi-disciplinary approaches and the integration of research, education and extension/outreach. Clemens has worked within the College for 24 years, most recently as managing director of MATRIC in the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development.
Curbelo to Present at P&S Council Open Forum
Aurelio Curbelo, College multicultural liaison officer, will speak at the P&S Council's Recruitment and Diversity Open Forum Thursday, April 2. He will discuss Recruiting Efforts with Latino Students in Iowa at 12:10 p.m. in the Gallery, Memorial Union.
College Students Excel in Crop and Soils Competition
College students competed in the crops and soils contests at the 2009 National Postsecondary Agricultural Student Organization Conference March 11 to 14 in Hershey, PA. The team of Brian Anderson, agriculture and life sciences education senior, and Will Cornelius, senior in agronomy, placed first in the competition with Cornelius finishing first individually and Anderson placing second. The soils team of Zach Klaver, junior in agronomy, and Ross Enslin, agricultural studies senior, placed third overall, with Enslin placing second individually.
College Awards Eight $500 Scholarships at Science and Technology Fair
Students at the State Science and Technology Fair of Iowa demonstrated everything from testing the age of deer to alternative energy sources on March 27 at the Iowa State Center. A total of 423 projects were presented at the fair. The college's judges included Nancy Boury, Jim Holtz, Andy Zehr and CALS Ambassadors Darrin Rahn, Ashley Radcliff and Sam McConaughy. The judges reviewed projects related to the college's majors. Those projects were judged on appearance, creativity, enthusiasm, knowledge, goals, scientific method, thoroughness, accuracy of results and communications skills.
Grant to Provide Service Learning Project on Cancer Prevention
Ruth MacDonald, food science and human nutrition, has been awarded a $50,000 grant from the American Cancer Society 2009 Community Based Participatory Research Grants Program for a service learning project designed to better educate community members on the benefits of diet and exercise in relation to cancer.
National Awards Announced for ABE Faculty
The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers announced awards to several agricultural and biosystems engineering faculty: Ramesh Kanwar, John Deere Gold Medal Award; Matthew Helmers, the Nolan Mitchell Young Extension Worker Award; Robert Burns, the G.B. Gunlogson Countryside Engineering Award; Charles Schwab, the NAMIC Engineering Safety Award; and Matt Darr, the Gale A. Holloway Professional Development Award. The awards will be presented June 24 at the society's annual meeting.
Survey Finds Nearly All Graduates with Job or at School
A survey of College students earning bachelor's degrees in 2007 to 2008 found that 98 percent were employed or pursuing further education. Of the 543 responding to the survey, out of 550 graduates, 16.4 percent went on to further education and 95 percent were employed. The top two employers of the graduates were the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Pioneer Hi-bred International Inc.
Several Groups Networking on Facebook
There are several groups on the social networking Web site, Facebook related to College students, programs and alumni. Millions use the Web service daily to share information including photographs, videos and Web links. The service is free, but users are required to create a log-in and profile. A few College-related groups are listed below. If you're aware of others, please e-mail Melea Reicks Licht at mreicks@iastate.edu. The College plans to provide links to the groups on its Web site.
- Agricultural Education Club (AG.ED. Club) http://www.facebook.com/group.phpsid=95352b45119d89786ec8bb47f547a725&gid=33738058859
- Alumni http://www.facebook.com/group.php?sid=95352b45119d89786ec8bb47f547a725&gid=17682253617
- Ambassador Alumni http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=63455375925
- Future Agronomy Students http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4184099027
- Graduate Program in Sustainable Agriculture (ISU GPSA) http://www.facebook.com/group.phpsid=95352b45119d89786ec8bb47f547a725&gid=30201633786
- International Agriculture Club http://www.facebook.com/group.php?sid=95352b45119d89786ec8bb47f547a725&gid=18497769638
- ISU Food Science Club http://www.facebook.com/group.php?sid=95352b45119d89786ec8bb47f547a725&…
Learning Communities Receive National Recognition
The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators honored Iowa State's learning communities program with the Promising Practices Award for 2009. The award recognizes colleges and universities for their outstanding partnerships between student affairs professionals and academic affairs. Last fall more than 86 percent of the College of Agriculure and Life Sciences' incoming freshmen participated in learning communities. For his contributions in this success, David Acker, associate dean-academic and global programs, received the Corly Brooke Learning Community Advocate Award in 2008.
Three College Staff Members Elected to P&S Council
College staff members are among the 10 new representatives and seven incumbents elected to the P&S Council. Lisa Mayberry, agronomy, and Tom Hillson, agriculture experiment station, are new members and Pam Owenson, agricultural education and studies, returns to the council. The newly-elected members will officially become members of the council at its meeting in June and will join 20 carry-over members whose terms did not expire this year. Council terms are for three years.
Deadlines and Reminders
March 27: Agriculture Weekend Experience applications deadline, contact: Laura Rosenbohm, 4-4319 or laurar@iastate.edu
April 13: Brenton Center for Agricultural Instruction and Technology Transfer reception for distance ed faculty, 4:10 p.m., Curtiss Hall Auditorium, RSVP by April 6 to Carrie Brus, cbrus@iastate.edu
April 20: Deadline for proposals for information technology projects to support instructional programs within the College
April 30: "Theirs and Ours; Implication of How Today's Students Process Information Into Knowledge and the Impacts on Classroom Dynamics" seminar on teaching in the digital age, 3 p.m., Ensminger Room, 1204 Kildee Hall
External Funding
New Section to Highlight Funding Opportunities
Ag and Life Sciences Online today will begin including funding information, opportunities and deadline reminders. Dates listed are application deadlines.
April 13: Plant Biosecurity (Letter of Intent), $1 million per award; $4.3 million available.
April 20: Biology of Weedy and Invasive Species in Agroecosystems (Letter of Intent), $500,000 per award; $4.6 million available.
April 25: Sustainable Agroecosystems Science Long-Term Agroecosystem Program: Proof of Concept, $200,000 per award; $1 million available.
May 13: Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, $300,000 per award; $17.28 million available.
May 15: Agribusiness Markets and Trade, $400,000 per award; $4.6 million available.
May 26: Enhancing Ecosystem Services from Agricultural Lands: Management, Quantification and Developing Decision Support Tools, USDA: $500,000 per award; $3.5 million available from USDA and $1 million available from EPA.
Communications Kiosk
What is Data Rot?
Dag Spicer, curator of the Computer History Museum in Silicon Valley, says data rot refers mainly to problems with the medium on which information is stored. Over time, things like temperature, humidity, exposure to light, being stored in poor conditions, like moldy basements, make the information difficult to read. The second aspect of data rot is finding machines to read the information, which is an increasing problem. Archivists at the museum can read tapes that are 50 years old, but if information on a CD or a DVD is lost, it's not recoverable. The internet isn't an option because companies can go out of business. (Circuits column, March 26, N.Y. Times) More: http://www.nytimes.com/indexes/2009/03/26/technology/circuitsemail/inde…
Infograzing
Community of Educational Technology Support Schedules Symposium
The newly formed Community of Educational Technology Support (ComETS) will conduct a symposium 1 to 5 p.m. April 14 in Howe Hall. There is no charge for this event, but registration is requested. The symposium will include a keynote address by George Siemens, University of Manitoba, titled "The Impact of Connectivism and Networked Learning." Contact: Brian Hornbuckle, bkh@iastate.edu or 4-9868.
Monsanto Poster Day to View Student Research
Monsanto representatives will be viewing student research Tuesday, March 31, at the Monsanto Poster Day in the Great Hall, Memorial Union. The purpose of the event will be to exchange information, generate new areas of collaboration and identify of potential interns and employees. Areas of interest include precision farming, molecular breeding tools, sustainable farming, future agriculture market opportunities and bioenergy. The office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development helped organize the event.
Marginalia
Borlaug Celebrates 95th Birthday with Monsanto Grant
Norman Borlaug, the Iowa native and Nobel laureate, celebrated his 95th birthday in Dallas March 25. Borlaug, a researcher and plant breeder, was honored by friends, relatives, colleagues and dignitaries at the Northwood Country Club for his lifetime commitment to fighting world hunger. In his name, the Monsanto Co. of St. Louis committed a $10 million grant over five years -- the Beachell-Borlaug International Scholars Program -- to identify and support scientists interested in improving research and production through wheat and rice breeding, company officials said. The grant also is named after Henry Beachell, a Borlaug contemporary and pioneer plant breeder who died in 2006.
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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Ag and Life Sciences Online, the newsletter for faculty and staff in Iowa State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is e-mailed every Monday. To subscribe, send your name, e-mail address and the message "Ag and Life Sciences Online subscribe" to edadcock@iastate.edu. To unsubscribe, send "Ag and Life Sciences Online unsubscribe."