College News
Alums Share Memories During Alumni Days
You can listen to some of the memories graduates from the Class of 1959 shared during last month's Alumni Days. The College hosted tours and a reception at the Iowa State Dairy Farm on May 15.
Book Advocates Education as Key to Reducing Poverty and Hunger
Reducing and eliminating global hunger must include education as a top priority, according to David Acker, co-author of a new book, "Education for Rural People: The Role of Education, Training and Capacity Development in Poverty Reduction and Food Security."
Animal Science Staff Member Honored as Volunteer
Matt Wenger, animal science, was named university Volunteer of the Year at Special Olympics held on campus May 21-23. The award honors individuals who have given time annually to contribute to the success of the event.
Koziel Receives Presentation Award
Jacek Koziel, agricultural and biosystems engineering, received the Wolfgang Göpel Memorial Award, sponsored by the Göpel family and the Institute of Physical Chemistry of Germany's University of Tübingen. The honor was for presenting the best of 200 presentations at the 2009 International Symposium on Olfaction and Electronic Nose (ISOEN) in Brescia, Italy. Koziel's presentation was on sample recovery of odorous compounds from various sampling media.
Anex Named to EPA Board of Scientific Counselors
Rob Anex, agricultural and biosystems engineering, has been named to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Board of Scientific Counselors. He will serve a one-year term providing expertise on life-cycle analysis of biorenewable and biobased product systems, the conversion of biomass to energy, industrial ecology and other matters.
Student Chapter Receives Service Award for Third Year
The Iowa State student chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) has received the Outstanding Service Award from the national organization. This is the third consecutive year the chapter received the award. Nir Keren is faculty advisor to the chapter.
Bike Loan Puts Faculty and Staff in the Saddle
Several in the College took part in a test of electric-assisted bikes provided by X-Treme Scooters of Newton. More than a hundred university faculty and staff used the bikes provided with the intent to be used to ride to work. The bikes were on loan, with the option of being purchased by the riders at a discount.
Podcast Features Spalding's Microalgae Research
Martin Spalding, genetics, development and cell biology department, recently talked to GENcast Network, a Web site that specializes in genetic engineering and biotechnology news. Spalding was interviewed about his research that could accelerate the use of microalgae in the production of biofuels.
Deadlines and Reminders
June 1: Spencer Award for Sustainable Agriculture deadline
June 3-5: 75th anniversary celebration of Iowa State statistics
June 9-10: Agricultural and Food Traceability Conference, Renaissance Savery Hotel, Des Moines, http://www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/traceability/home.html
June 21-23: North Central Division American Phytopathological Society meeting, Reiman Gardens
External Funding
Funding Information, Opportunities and Deadline Reminders
Dates listed are application deadlines. Contact: Roxanne Clemens, rclemens@iastate.edu
- June 4 (final proposal Aug. 20): Math and Science Partnership; $35 million available. Limited submission - contact Dorothy Pimlott (dpimlott@iastate.edu) by June 4 if interested in this program. More: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2009/nsf09507/nsf09507.htm
- June 15: Doctoral fellowship in South Africa. Full-time study in rural livelihoods, sustainability, and environment at the University of the Witwatersrand. For more information, contact Roxanne Clemens (rclemens@iastate.edu).
- July 7: Rangeland Research Program; $350,000 to $500,000, $940,000 available.
- July 13: NIST Recovery Act Measurement Science and Engineering Research Grants Program: Providing the Technology Infrastructure to Address National Priorities (energy, environment and climate change, information technology/cybersecurity, biosciences/healthcare, manufacturing, and physical infrastructure); $500,000 to $1.5 million per award, 20 to 60 awards, $35 million available.
- July 27: Recovery Act Measurement Science and Engineering Fellowship Program; one to five awards, up to three years, $20 million available.
- July 15: Environmental Finance Center Grant Program; up to $4 million per award, 10 awards, $24 million available.
- Sept. 30: Recovery Act - Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program (habitat restoration for high-priority wetland, upland, or riparian habitats in selected geographic areas); $25,000, 40 grants, $9 million available.
Communications Kiosk
Keep it Simple
The Chicago Manual of Style recommends several phrases that should not be used or should be edited down to keep your text clear and concise. A few of those include:
- "As yet" or "as of yet" - stilted and redundant, use yet, still, so far, or some other equivalent
- "As per" - considered nonstandard. Instead of as per your request, write as you requested
- "Alright" - use two words, all right
- "Equally as" - faulty phrasing, delete as
- "Feel" - this verb is weak when used as a substitute for think or believe
- "In actual fact" - redundant, try actually instead or omit
- "In as much as" - because or since is a better choice
- "In regard to" - use the words about, regarding or concerning
- "Irregardless" - an error, use regardless
- "In the near future" - use shortly or soon
- "In the event of" - a long way of saying if
- "In the affirmative" - a pompous way of saying yes
- "In the negative" - a pompous way of saying no
(The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., 2003)
Infograzing
Iowa Learning Farm Schedules Field Day
The Iowa Learning Farm along with the Woodbury and Plymouth Soil and Water Conservation Districts will co-host a field day at the Lewis Byers farm near Pierson. The field day will be 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. June 11, and will focus on cover crop usage. More: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/ilf/
External Voices
WatchingAnimals Called Human Pursuit
"The pleasure of watching animals can of course also be selfish and stupid, tainted by the prospect of getting dinner, and the fear of being gotten for dinner. ... But there's more to it than that. Watching animals fills some larger, less purposeful appetite in much the way that reading poetry does, or listening to music. ... Animals are built to watch other animals, and for animals like us, otherwise separated from the natural world, there's consolation in it. Television is in truth a poor substitute."
--Richard Conniff, wildlife writer, New York Times blog The Consolation of Animals (New York Times, May 27)
Marginalia
Allee Demonstration Farm Hosts Field Day for Youth
Every third grader in Buena Vista County, about 300 students, visited the Allee Demonstration Farm on April 29 for an ISU Extension "Agciting" field day. The event helped the youth learn more about agriculture. The students were given information about soil erosion, wind power, gardening, corn, food and animals, including pigs, goats, calves and rabbits.
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."