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COLLEGE NEWS
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DE BACA RECALLS KHRUSHCHEV’S VISIT TO CAMPUS
The many events marking Nikita Khrushchev’s visit to Iowa 50 years ago reminded Mary de Baca, diversity programs, of her experience meeting him as a graduate student in Dean Helen LaBaron’s graduate seminar. De Baca recalled that Khrushchev visited the class, along with his wife and entourage, because he was interested in the College of Home Economics. De Baca recalls that Khrushchev gave no prepared talk, but he asked several questions, including what students would do when they graduated with a degree in home economics. She added that the class had to stay in session so that the Soviet group could visit, and the students didn’t get to see the “parade” of dignitaries through campus.
AG DECISION MAKER WEB SITE JUDGED OUTSTANDING
Ag Decision Maker, an electronic newsletter and online library of information files, recently was named the Outstanding Extension Web site for 2009 by the Extension Section of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association. Ag Decision Maker covers a wide range of topics in farm management, agricultural marketing, new business development and renewable energy. It is coordinated by ISU Extension economists in the economics department and extension field specialists.
ISU ECONOMICS RESEARCH MENTIONED IN NATURE
Leigh Tesfatsion, economics, was quoted in a article in the August issue of Nature on agent-based modelling of economic behavior. The article, titled “Meltdown modeling,” mentions the ongoing agent-based computational research in the ISU economics department. Tesfatsion has led the development of an open-source agent-based model known as the AMES Wholesale Power Market Test Bed. More: http://www.nature.com/news/2009/090805/full/460680a.html
ANEX CONTRIBUTES TO JOURNAL SERIES ON CORN ETHANOL
A set of articles on the carbon impacts of corn grain ethanol have recently been published in the Journal of Industrial Ecology. The series includes a scientific debate involving an alternate method of measuring greenhouse gases from fuel use developed at the University of Nebraska. It estimates about 50 percent lower greenhouse gas emissions for corn ethanol than gasoline — a larger reduction than reported in some previous studies. The scientific debate is put in context by an editorial co-written by Rob Anex, agricultural and biosystems engineering, who is associate editor of the journal. The articles are available for free download.
TIFFANY, NUTTER HONORED BY AMERICAN PHYTOPATHOLOGICAL SOCIETY
Lois Tiffany, professor emeritus, was presented an Honorary Career Award at the 62nd meeting of the North Central Division of the American Phytopathological Society. The award was for her service and dedication in teaching graduate courses in mycology for more than 50 years at Iowa State. The award was presented by former students Charles Block of the Plant Introduction Station and Leonor Leandro, plant pathology. Also at the meeting, hosted by Iowa State, Forrest Nutter, plant pathology, was presented the Distinguished Service Award, the North Central Division’s highest honor. He serves as the North Central Division president. The meeting, held at Reiman Gardens, attracted nearly 200 participants.
NURSERYMAN’S GROUP DONATES TO HORT GREENHOUSES
The Iowa Nurseryman’s Research Corp. has contributed $100,000 to a new greenhouse complex for the Department of Horticulture. The $6 million complex will replace the existing, aging greenhouse structure. More: http://www.foundation.iastate.edu/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8912
CORN & SOYBEAN INITIATIVE EVENT BRINGS AG PARTNERS TO CAMPUS
The Corn and Soybean Initiative brought agriculture industry and media partners together with campus faculty and field specialists for research presentations and hands-on learning at its fifth annual Research Roundtable Aug. 25. Participants visited Agronomy Hall and the Seed Science Building for talks on research into crop disease issues, and a successful on-going collaboration between soil fertility specialist Antonio Mallarino and initiative partners statewide to study in-field potassium variability. The event concluded with an afternoon session at the ISU Field Extension Education Laboratory to practice soybean aphid speed scouting.
BORLAUG POSTER COMPETITION SUBMISSIONS DUE SEPT. 18
The eighth annual Borlaug Poster Competitions for world food issues for graduate and undergraduate students will be Oct 12. The deadline for abstract entries is Sept. 18 submitted by e-mail to Patricia Murphy, food science and human nutrition (pmurphy@iastate.edu). Students are encouraged to enter poster abstracts in the general area of world food issues. Submissions should include the poster title and an abstract or summary (250 word limit). The abstract evaluation criteria include title; content and organization including overall content, logical presentation, clarity of expression, punctuation; quality and importance of research to world food issues including techniques & experimental design if appropriate, if topic is current, innovative and provides better understanding; presentation and explanation of materials and methods; presentation and explanation of results; conclusions including soundness, supported by results. Gebisa Ejeta of Ethiopia, the 2009 World Food Prize laureate, will give the Borlaug Lecture at 8 p.m. Oct. 12 in the Sun Room, and will present poster winners with their awards.
FREE SOFTWARE FROM IPIC IN DEMAND
The Iowa Pork Industry Center continues to get requests from around the U.S. and world for the free Sow Longevity spreadsheets designed by Ken Stalder, animal science, and Curt Lacey from the University of Georgia. The latest came from a producer in Botswana. The spreadsheets are available in English and metric measurements for breed-to-wean and farrow-to-finish operations, and in metric-only measurements for both operation types in Chinese and Portuguese. The center also offers software for a fee. More: http://www.ipic.iastate.edu/software.html
NEW IOWA DAIRY PRINCESS PLANS TO ATTEND ISU
Katie Adams of Waucoma was crowned the 56th State Iowa Dairy Princess Aug. 12. The title allows her to serve as the official goodwill ambassador for nearly 2,000 Iowa dairy farmers during the coming year. She is the daughter of Scott and Jeanie Adams and plans to attend Iowa State to pursue a degree in dairy science.
FAMILY AND FRIENDS SEEK TO REMEMBER ALBRIGHT, STUPKA
Andrew Albright and Rob Stupka, both students who died in accidents in 2005, are the subject of a story in the Iowa State University Foundation’s news update. Albright was a sophomore majoring in ag studies and Stupka was a biochemistry senior. The memories of both have been honored on campus by family and friends. More: http://www.foundation.iastate.edu/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8921
FORMER ENTOMOLOGY PROFESSORS NAMED FELLOWS
Former Iowa State entomology professors Thomas Baker and William Showers were recently selected as fellows of the Entomological Society of America. The selection of fellow reflects outstanding contributions in one or more of the following: research, teaching, extension or administration. Showers is an emeritus professor and retired research entomologist for the USDA-ARS, and an alumnus who earned his doctorate in entomology in 1970. Baker served as department chair from 1992 to 1999. The 2009 fellows will be recognized during the 2009 ESA annual meeting, to be held Dec. 13-16 in Indianapolis.
DEADLINES AND REMINDERS
Sept. 2: Borlaug Learning Center dedication at the Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm near Nashua, 4:30 p.m., free meal will be served after 5 p.m. dedication ceremony
Sept. 16: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Fall Convocation, 4:15 p.m., Curtiss Auditorium, 127 Curtiss Hall
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EXTERNAL FUNDING
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FUNDING INFORMATION, OPPORTUNITIES AND DEADLINE REMINDERS
Dates listed are application deadlines. Contact: Roxanne Clemens, rclemens@iastate.edu
Oct. 2: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health and Society Scholars (postdocs at six universities); 18 awards, $181,000 over two years.
Oct. 8: Modeling the Scientific Workforce (U01); three projects, $200,000 (direct costs), $1 million total anticipated funding. More: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-GM-10-003.html
Oct. 20: 2010 NIH Director’s Pioneer Award Program (DP1); seven awards up to $500,000 for five years, $6 million anticipated total funding. More: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-09-010.html
Oct. 22 (letter of intent): Nutrition Obesity Research Centers (P30); four grants of $750,000 per year for five years, $4 million anticipated total funding, expecting proposals from three existing centers. More: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DK-09-006.html
Dec. 1: 2010 Julie Martin Mid-Career Award in Aging Research (biological gerontology); two four-year awards of $500,000 each.
Dec. 15: American Federation for Aging Research Grants; researchers within first four years of junior faculty appointment, 15 grants of $75,000 for one or two years.
Jan. 4: Seventh Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (for teams of graduate and undergraduate students); 40 awards of $10,000 for Phase I, six awards of $75,000 for Phase II, $400,000 anticipated total funding.
REGISTRATION CLOSES FOR NSF WORKSHOP
Registration has closed for the Oct. 8 workshop the National Science Foundation and the University of Iowa are conducting.
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INFOGRAZING
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WORKSHOP TO EXPLORE SERVICE-LEARNING COURSES
A biweekly workshop will provide the opportunity to explore service learning as a teaching strategy. It will include the basics of service learning, using it in the scholarship of teaching and integrating service learning into existing courses. Time and day of the meetings will be based on the schedule of the registrants. The sessions will be 50 minutes and biweekly from Sept. 7 to Dec. 14. Contact: Jennifer Garrett, garrett1@iastate.edu or 4-4354.
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INTERNAL VOICES
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OTTO ON ECONOMIC IMPACT OF IOWA AGRICULTURE
An economic analysis of agriculture’s impact on the state has been completed by the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers. “What impresses me," says Dan Otto, Iowa State University Extension economist who helped prepare the study, “is that when you consider the growth and diversification of Iowa's economy over recent years, agriculture is still a very dominant player. For certain counties, it is the dominant industry. The diversification of farming has made agriculture the leading industry in more than a quarter of the counties in our state,” he adds. “One could say that this study shows Iowa is as dependent on farming as Detroit is on car manufacturing.” (Wallaces Farmer, Aug. 28)
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MARGINALIA
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HUNGARIAN RESEARCHER SEEKS ISU INFORMATION ON BIOREACTORS
The technology that filters nitrates in runoff coming from Iowa’s tile-drained crop fields might help improve water quality in Hungary. At least that’s what an associate professor at the University of Pannonia hopes will happen. He recently contacted Alok Bhandari, agricultural biosystems and engineering, who leads a project funded by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture on the design and effectiveness of denitrifying bioreactors. The Hungarian scientist wants to see whether bioreactors could prevent nitrate leaching into one of his country’s largest freshwater lakes from the site of a new golf course under construction.
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AG AND LIFE SCIENCES ONLINE
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EDITOR
Ed Adcock, edadcock@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-5616 Web site: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/
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