College News
College Convocation to Honor Graduates Saturday
Faculty and staff are invited to recognize more than 425 spring and summer graduating seniors at the College convocation Saturday in C.Y. Stephens Auditorium. Doors open at 8 a.m. with coffee, milk and juice served. The convocation program begins at 9 a.m. Cliff Dolbeare, who is graduating with a bachelor's degree in agriculture education with a communications emphasis, will give the speech to his fellow graduates. The Ag and Life Science Council will present awards to graduates, including: Correy Rahn, agricultural business, for academic achievement; Adam Ebert, agricultural business, for distinguished service; Josie Rudolphi, agriculture and life sciences education, outstanding ambassador of agriculture; Jessica Shifflett, agriculture and life sciences education, leadership excellence; and Mary Irlbeck, animal science, outstanding senior.
Student Puts on the Miles for Degree
Ben Parrott's agronomy degree has taken him 35,000 miles so far. That's about how many miles he's put on his car commuting to campus from Carroll -- an average of four days a week for two years. The 32-year-old Parrott, has a business management degree from Northwest Missouri State and works full time. But he decided to go back to school for a degree that would allow him to pursue his passion for the sciences without leaving Carroll. About that time, he and his wife had their second child. Despite the sleep deprivation that comes with a newborn, he worked 40 hours per week in Carroll and carried a full class load at Iowa State. For Parrott, drive time was study time. He digitally recorded his lectures, burned them to CDs and listened during his daily commute. His hard work is paying off: Parrott landed a job as manager and marketing director for Mobile Analysis Lab, a business venture of Mohr Pork, LLC. He'll be in charge of the lab that runs tests on soil, manure, plant tissue and grains.
Crops and Agribusiness Teams do Well at Contest
The Crops and Agribusiness Management teams placed second and third at the recent North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA) Judging Contest. The Crops team garnered top-three finishes in each of the four components of the crop judging contest. Agronomy senior Ryan Van Roekel placed fifth individually overall, earning top 10 finishes in three contest categories. Agricultural business senior Correy Rahn placed first individually in the lab practical exam portion and 10th in the plant/seed identification portion. Agronomy senior Will Cornelius also placed in the top 10 overall. Agronomy seniors Chuck Hrubes and Emma Flemmig contributed to the team's second-place finish. The third-place Agribusiness Management team earned top three finishes in both components of their contest. Rahn was the top individual finisher overall, with first places in the knowledge exam and problem solving portions of the contest. Agronomy junior Ryan Oltmans placed eighth overall, and the team was helped by high scores from agricultural studies sophomore Megan Seys and agronomy sophomore Grace Lockard.
Agronomy Alum Presented Research Award
Amber Anderson Mba, who graduated with a master's degree in sustainable agriculture in 2008, was presented with the Graduate Program in Sustainable Agriculture's Interdisciplinary Research Award at its Research Symposium on April 29. The award was developed by the founding GPSA faculty to reward students who achieved the highest level of systems thinking and analysis, integration of multiple disciplines and addressing significant issues through problem-solving in their research.
HIgh School Students Win Scholarships for Essays
Three high school sophomores won an essay contest sponsored by the Iowa State chapter of Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow. The contest was open to all high school freshmen and sophomore students to write essays on the topic: "What Agriculture Means to Me: My Family." Alec Paup, sophomore at Creston High School won the contest earning a scholarship in the amount of $500 to use in furthering his education after high school. Brett Timmins, a sophomore at Southeast Polk Senior High, earned second place and a scholarship in the
amount of $300. Kiley Baerg, a sophomore at Oelwein High School, earned third place in the contest and a $200 scholarship. The scholarships will be held until the recipient enters Iowa State's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Pictures Picked for Study Abroad Photo Contest
The four winning photos of the Ag Study Abroad Photo Contest are on display at http://www.agstudyabroad.iastate.edu. The contest was open to College students who studied abroad in winter 2008 and spring 2009, and non-CALS students who studied abroad through CALS programs, in winter 2008 and spring 2009. There were 24 pictures submitted in three categories: cross culture, ISU around the world and scenic/artistic quality. Winners are: Holly Wilkens, animal ecology junior; Melinda Bechtel, dairy science senior; Will Cornelius, agronomy senior; and Darrin VanderPlas, health and human performance senior. Students, faculty and staff voted for their favorite photo during Ag day of Veishea. Joe Colletti, senior associate dean, and Brian Meyer, program director, ag and life sciences communications, served as guest judges.
Horse Judging Team Competes in Texas Shows
The Horse Judging Team had a successful pair of contests last month in Texas. The team consisted of Andrea Beatty, agricultural studies junior; Ashley Mutschler, animal science senior; Krystal Ranes, animal science senior; Kole Schwarte, animal science junior; Sheila Tuftee, animal science freshman; and McKenzie Wallace, agricultural and life sciences education senior. The team finished fourth out of 10 teams at the National Reining Breeders Classic on April 18, and first in the written exam and the oral reasons divisions of the contest. The second contest, hosted by the American Paint Horse Association April 21, saw the team, place fourth in reasons out of 32 colleges. Beatty was 15th in reasons (out of 118 individuals) and Wallace placed third in the Performance Horse Division.
Meat Judging Team Second and Sixth in Competitions
The Meat Judging Team competed at the 2009 Southeastern Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contest held at Ohio State University and the University of Kentucky April 24 and 25. Team members included: Taylor Johnson, animal science junior; Jessie Juarez, animal science senior; Cameron Luedtke, animal science sophomore; Taylor Lysne, animal science sophomore; Joshua Manternach, animal science sophomore; Daniel Meyer, animal science sophomore; Brooke Peppmeier, agricultural and life sciences education senior; Michelle Semler, animal science sophomore; and Joshua White, animal science junior. The team finished in second place and sixth place overall in the field of 12 teams. Additional results included: first and second in total placing, overall beef and beef judging; second and fifth in lamb judging; third and ninth in pork judging; third and seventh in total reasons; fourth and eighth in beef grading; seventh and eighth in specifications. Individual awards included: Johnson, second in beef judging and seventh in total placing; Juarez, third overall individual, first in reasons, second in pork judging, third in lamb judging, fourth in beef judging and total placing and ninth in overall beef; Lysne, 10th in total placing; Manternach, seventh in beef grading; Meyer, ninth overall contest individual, third in beef judging, fifth in total placing, sixth in overall beef, eighth in lamb judging; Peppmeier, ninth in beef judging, seventh in overall beef; and White, 10th in specifications.
Animal Disease Research Initiative Symposium May 14
A symposium to develop research collaborations for the Wildlife and Domestic Animal Disease Research Initiative will be May 14 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Brenton Center, Room 8, Curtiss Hall. Pre-registration is required by May 8. To sign up for the symposium or for information about the research initiative, contact Sue Fairbanks, suef@iastate.edu or 4-7315, or Roxanne Clemens, rclemens@iastate.edu or 4-8842.
Pigs, People May Soon Eat THeir Way to Flu Resistance
A team of researchers from Iowa State is putting vaccines into the genetic makeup of corn, which may someday allow pigs and humans to get a flu vaccination simply by eating corn or corn products.
Ag and Biological Engineering Graduate Program Ranked Third
Iowa State's graduate program in agricultural and biological engineering was ranked third in the nation in the latest rankings by U.S. News & World Report. The program moved up to third place from ninth place in the magazine's previous ranking.
Workshop Designed to Enhance Culinary, Nutrition Skills
People interested in increasing their culinary and nutrition skills can do so this summer at a workshop at Iowa State. "Enhance Your Iowa Plate" will be held in Ames July 30-31.
Symposium to Address Vaccines, Immunity
New research frontiers in vaccines and the immune system will be the focus of the third annual symposium May 18 and 19 by Iowa State's Nutrition and Wellness Research Center. The event also will explore the role of biotechnology in vaccine design, the effect of nutrition on immunity, and how physical exercise and psychosocial behaviors impact vaccine effectiveness.
Deadlines and Reminders
June 9-10: Agricultural and Food Traceability Conference, Renaissance Savery Hotel, Des Moines, http://www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/traceability/home.html
External Funding
Funding Information, Opportunities and Deadline Reminders
Dates listed are application deadlines. Contact: Roxanne Clemens, rclemens@iastate.edu
- May 15: FY 2009 Iowa Conservation Innovation Grants; $75,000 per award, $300,000 available.
- May 26: Enhancing Ecosystem Services from Agricultural Lands: Management, Quantification, and Developing Decision Support Tools (modification); $4.5 million available to fund nine awards. June 2: Recovery Act - Advanced Research Projects Agency - Energy (ARPA-E); $500,000 to $20 million per award.
- June 12: Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP) Regional Grants; $500,000 to fund 10 awards.
- June 12: Ghana Focus Region Health Project, $40 million.
- June 12: Ghana Behavior Change Support Project; $20 million.
- July 1 and Nov. 2: Planning Grants for Translational Research for the Prevention and Control of Diabetes and Obesity (R34); up to $300,000 in direct costs for two years. More: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-09-177.html
Communications Kiosk
When Spell-Check Can't Help: Repeat Offenders
As often as it happens, and as often as we slap our foreheads in dismay, there are some words we just can't stop mixing up. Here's a smattering of recent examples of common offenders. Don't assume you're immune -- when you run across one of these words, take an extra moment to make sure you're using the one you want. Effect or affect, most often, "effect" is used as a noun and "affect" as a verb. But not always -- so stop and think, and if you have to look it up, there's no shame in that either. "Principal" and "principle" are often confused but have no meanings in common. "Principle" is only a noun and usually refers to a rule or standard. "Principal" is both a noun and an adjective. As a noun, it has specialized meanings in law and finance, but in general usage it refers to a person who holds a high position or plays an important role, as in "a meeting among all the principals in the transaction." As an adjective it has the sense of chief or leading, as in, "The coach's principal concern is the quarterback's health." (New York Times, After Deadline, March 31 http://topics.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/31/words-to-watch-2/)
Infograzing
ISU Extension Plans to Restructure
A plan to restructure ISU Extension was announced last week that will streamline the organization to address state budget cuts. The plan will consolidate Extension's field administration and encourage investment in program services, moving Extension from a geographically based structure to an issue-based model.
External Voices
Cow Genome Map May Advance Human Science
"We chose to study the cow genome because these animals are of such immense importance to humans. We found that cows are much more similar to us than rodents are. This is because rodents are evolving much faster. And it tells us aspects of human biology that we could actually study in cows. ... [This map] will transform how dairy and beef cattle are bred. Genetic tools are already being developed and proving useful to the dairy industry, and we predict they will be applied to improve the beef industry. We hope the information will also be used to come up with innovative ways to reduce the environmental impact of cattle, such as greenhouse gases released by herds."
--Richard Gibbs, Baylor College of Medicine's Human Genome Sequencing Center, a leading contributor to the project that mapped the genome of a Hereford cow. (BBC News, April 23, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8014598.stm)
Marginalia
Consumer Survey Finds Favorable Attitudes Toward Agriculture
A survey of consumer views on U.S. agriculture conducted with funding from the United Soybean Board and soybean checkoff found generally favorable attitudes. The results of the survey, called the 2009 National Agricultural Image Survey, provided information on seven main issues, including: the image of U.S. poultry and livestock producers; a farmer attribute analysis; and consumer attitudes on confinement, food prices, confinement legislation, biobased products and biodiesel. Some findings included: nearly 90 percent of consumers do not see farmers as a major reason for increases in food prices; consumers see energy security as the most important benefit of biobased products; and top positive farmer attributes among consumers are that farm families know about protecting air and water quality and that most farmers take good care of their animals. The study took place in February with a survey a random sample of 1,000 registered voters with characteristics representative of the U.S. population.
Ag and Life Sciences Online
Editor
Ed Adcock, edadcock@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-5616
Website: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/
Subscribe
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."