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COLLEGE NEWS
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AG 450 FARM COORDINATES AREA CLEAN UP
The Ag 450 Farm coordinated a clean-up of its surrounding area by College students on Saturday, according to farm operator Greg Vogel. The Community Betterment Clean-up Day worked to clean up six to eight miles of road ditches and access areas around the farm. Members of several clubs in the College took part from noon to 5 p.m. with a social time and evening meal at Ag 450 Farm. Agricultural education and studies faculty and staff Tom Paulsen, Gary Clark and Wade Miller also worked at the event.
BIOCENTURY RESEARCH FARM DEDICATION TUESDAY
The BioCentury Research Farm will be dedicated Tuesday, Sept. 22. A program will begin at 1:30 p.m. at the farm, which is located at 1327 U Ave., a quarter of a mile south of Highway 30, about 5 miles east of Boone. The program is scheduled to conclude at 2:15 p.m. with a ribbon-cutting and tours of the facility.
AG CAREER DAY OCT. 13 AT NEW LOCATION
The annual job fair hosted by the College is on track to equal the number of employers participating last year. Ag Career Day will be Oct. 13 at the Lied Recreation Center, a new location with more room.
DENIM DAY FOR UNITED WAY SET FOR WEDNESDAY
The College, in conjunction with the College of Human Sciences, will participate in the “Denim Day for United Way” on Wednesday, Sept. 23. A suggested $5 donation is your pass to wear jeans to work that day. For those who wish to participate look for the posted signs in participating departments to receive a sticker that reads “I'm wearing Denim for the United Way” or see Carla Persaud, 138 Curtiss Hall. The ISU/United Way Campaign's officially began Sept. 18 and is scheduled to end Oct. 23. Envelopes have been sent by campus mail. The College's goal is $58,400 and the ISU goal is $295,500.
CENTER FOR BIORENEWABLE CHEMICALS BUILDS BRIDGES
A five-year, $18.5 million grant from the National Science Foundation one year ago established the NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals at Iowa State. College faculty member Basil Nikolau, the center's deputy director and the Frances M. Craig Professor in the departments of biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology and food science and human nutrition, said the center has made good progress in its first year. The center's 24 researchers from nine academic institutions are working toward a goal of transforming the chemical industry from one based on petroleum to one based on biorenewable resources. More: http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2009/sep/CBiRC
RESEARCHERS STUDY INSECTICIDE-FREE CONTROL OF SOYBEAN APHIDS
Two Iowa State researchers are examining a new method of controlling soybean aphids without the use of chemical pesticides. Bryony Bonning, professor of entomology, and Allen Miller, professor of plant pathology and director of the Center for Plant Responses to Environmental Stresses, are looking at a way to genetically modify soybeans to prevent damage from aphids. More: http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2009/sep/GIVFAphids
DEADLINE APPROACHING FOR NEW CONSERVATION PROGRAM
Farm operators are facing a sign-up deadline of Sept. 30 for the new federal Conservation Stewardship Program, according to agricultural economist Mike Duffy. The new program is available statewide and will offer a farm operator payments based on additional conservation measures they adopt for at least five years.
EXTENSION ECONOMIST: 2009 CROP YEAR A MIRROR IMAGE OF '08
The parallels between the 2009 crop season and the 2008 crop season are striking, said Chad Hart, assistant professor of economics and extension economist.
STUDY CONSIDERS STOVER HARVEST EFFECTS ON YIELD, SOIL, CLIMATE
In recent years, the stalk, leaf and cob residue of corn plants left in fields after harvest has found a new market as a potential source for cellulosic ethanol production. But harvesting the stover could have unintended consequences, from lowering the fertility of fields to affecting productivity, soil and water quality and even climate. A new study by Iowa State agronomy researchers may shed light on these questions.
ANR EXTENSION AWARD WINNERS RECOGNIZED AT CONVOCATION
Twenty Iowa State University faculty and staff who received an award from ISU Extension in 2009 were recognized Sept. 16 at the College's fall convocation. At the convocation Dean Wendy Wintersteen kicked off the semester with several announcements and welcomed new faculty and staff.
ORGANIC PROGRAM LAUNCHES WATER QUALITY PROJECT
The ISU Organic Program has received a $599,000 USDA grant to set up a water quality monitoring project of organic and conventional plots in Story and Jefferson counties.
MALE VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT FOR TASTE PERCEPTION STUDY
Researchers in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition are looking for men willing to participate in a study to investigate the influence of taste perception on physiology related to the absorption and metabolism of foods. Men aged 18 to 40 years old who are nonsmokers and no food allergies or sensitivities
DEADLINES AND REMINDERS
Sept. 22: Feeding the World: Are We Making Progress seminar featuring Greg BeVier of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, noon to 1 p.m. in the Ensminger Room
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EXTERNAL FUNDING
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GRANT WRITING CONSULTANTS UNDER CONTRACT BY ISU
The office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development has contracted with three grant writing consulting groups -- Maberry Consulting, Partners for Educational Development Inc. and Sunshine Consultants, International -- that ISU faculty and staff can use to assist with grant preparation. Information about the consulting groups and the process for engaging them is being distributed to College departments this week. Questions and requests to hire a consultant will be handled by Chitra Rajan, rajanc@istate.edu, associate vice president for research.
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COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
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USE OF 'OVER' TO MEAN 'MORE THAN' CALLED WIDESPREAD AND ACCEPTED
For years editors have been changing phrases like "over $100" to "more than $100," without giving it much thought. Those who have done some checking report that it is a rule of dubious validity that were nevertheless vigorously enforced by certain grade-school English teachers. Authorities point out that use of "over" in the sense of "in excess of" has been widespread and accepted since Middle English. For more: http://topics.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/18/sorry-miss-thistlebottom/ Notes from the newsroom on grammar, usage and style. Philip B. Corbett, NY Times, Aug. 19, 2009.
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INFOGRAZING
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ISU WEB SITE CREATED ON H1N1 FLU
The university has created a web site to provide information on the H1N1 flu. It includes frequently asked questions about protecting yourself and university preparation for the flu. Seasonal flu shot for employees will be available through Sept. 28 or until the vaccine is gone. There is no cost to eligible ISU employees. The clinic will operate weekdays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at 205 TASF.
HEALTHY EATING PRESENTATION WEDNESDAY IN CURTISS
A “Healthy Eating 101” presentation will be given Wednesday, Sept. 23, at noon in Room 13, Curtiss Hall. To register, call 4-9625 or e-mail Sally Barclay at barclay@iastate.edu. Every Wednesday Wellness Walks begin at 11:30 a.m. inside the east/main door of Beardshear Hall for a 20-minute campus walk led by a student.
LEARN HOW TO START A LEARNING COMMUNITY OCT. 6
Doug Gruenewald and Steve Mickelson, co-directors of learning communities, will discuss starting a new learning community, including the funding application process, during an information session Oct. 6 from 4 to 5 p.m., 2030 Morrill Hall. To register, contact Jen Leptien, jenl@iastate.edu. More: http://www.lc.iastate.edu
AGRICULTURAL SYMPOSIUM PART OF CELEBRATION OF POPE'S VISIT
The Catholic Diocese of Des Moines, the National Catholic Rural Life Conference and Living History Farms will sponsor an agriculture symposium Oct. 2 and 3 in celebration of the 30th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's visit to Iowa. Agriculture experts, policy experts, social justice advocates and farmers will meet to examine the pope's message about taking care of the land. The event will take place at Dowling Catholic High School. Speakers include Archbishop Celestino Migliore, the pope's representative to the United Nations; Kenneth Quinn, president of the World Food Prize Foundation; Sen. Michael Johanns, former Nebraska governor and former USDA Secretary; and Bill Northey, Iowa's Secretary of Agriculture, and others.
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INTERNAL VOICES
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DEAN WINTERSTEEN ON BORLAUG: A GREAT MIND, A GREATER HEART
“Throughout his life, Borlaug was concerned about unabated population growth around the globe. To keep hunger and disaster at bay, he believed the world would need to produce more food in the next 50 years than it has in the last 10,000. That's why the last words he spoke were so meaningful: “Get it to the farmer.” He'd been mentoring a graduate student on a device to measure nitrogen in crops. Borlaug's dying advice should be a rallying cry for the young agricultural scientists now beginning their adventure in labs and classrooms at Iowa State and around the world.”
--Endowed Dean Wendy Wintersteen opinion piece in the Sioux City Journal (Sept. 20, http://www.siouxcityjournal.com/articles/2009/09/20/news_opinion/other_…)
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EXTERNAL VOICES
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MORE SCIENTISTS LIKE NORMAN BORLAUG NEEDED
“We face the daunting task of bridging a global agricultural productivity gap - that is the difference between the historic rate of productivity growth and the pace required to address future needs. In short, we must double agricultural output while at the same time protecting our land and water resources for future generations. Some say we need a new green revolution. Quite frankly, we need an ever-green revolution if we're to realistically meet ever-growing global demands for agricultural products. And we'll need more people like Borlaug to help meet the challenge.”
--William Lesher, executive director of the Global Harvest Initiative, opinion piece in the Houston Chronicle (Prepare to feed the world to honor Borlaug's legacy, Sept. 15, http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/editorial/outlook/6620713.html)
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MARGINALIA
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ENTOMOLOGY RESEARCHER STARS IN COMEDY FILM
Entomology department research associate Brendan Dunphy, who earned a bachelor's degrees in zoology, animal ecology and entomology in 2007, stars in the new feature film, "16 to Life," which earned rave reviews when it debuted at Iowa City's Landlocked Film Festival last month. Dunphy is part of ISU's mosquito surveillance program, studying West Nile Virus and malaria. But he has also acted in the films "The Offering" and "The Yin of Gary Fischer's Life." He also is setting up a Des Moines-based theater company, Mooncoin Entertainment, where he is producing a series of five plays on the works of Irish playwright Martin McDonagh. "16 to Life" was shot on location in McGregor.
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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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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."
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