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AG AND LIFE SCIENCES ONLINE
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The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Newsletter
Iowa State University
Aug. 16, 2010 No. 615
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COLLEGE NEWS
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RESEARCH FARMS SUPPLY WATER FOR ANIMALS
During the Ames city water restrictions last week, ISU Research and Demonstration Farms provided 1,000-gallon water wagons to the College of Veterinary Medicine and ISU Laboratory Animal Resources to supply potable water to their animals. Water was hauled from the Dairy Farm and the Agricultural Engineering and Agronomy Research Farms that have rural water systems.
CALS STUDENTS INTERACT WITH BELUGAS, POLAR BEARS AND MORE
Interacting with beluga whales, polar bears, manatees and dolphins were part of the summer's daily routine for Paul Fenton and Breanna King, both juniors in biology who spent the summer as camp counselors for the Adventure Camps at SeaWorld in Orlando.
SEED SCIENCE CENTER HOSTS SEMINAR, AUG. 17
Alan Taylor, a horticulture professor at Cornell University, will be speaking on "Seed Treatments: Technology and Physiology" at a seminar on Tuesday, Aug. 17, 12 to 1 p.m. in 191 Seed Science Building, hosted by the ISU Seed Science Center. Taylor is a leader in the development of seed coating, controlled release systems, and other technologies to enhance germination and extend pest protection.
SWITCHGRASS LESSENS SOIL NITRATE LOSS INTO WATERWAYS
By planting switchgrass and using certain agronomic practices, farmers can significantly reduce the amount of nitrogen and nitrates that leach into the soil, according to Matt Helmers, agricultural and biosystems engineering, and Antionio Mallarino, agronomy. More: http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2010/aug/helmers
ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT HAS STRONG PRESENCE AT AAEA CENTENNIAL MEETING
The Agricultural and Applied Economics Association celebrated its 100th anniversary at its annual meeting July 25-27 in Denver. Rural economists who were attending the Iowa State College Summer Graduate School founded the association in Ames in July 1910. The ISU Department of Economics had the following honors and awards given during the 2010 meeting.
* David Hennessy, AAEA Fellow
* John Lawrence, Distinguished Extension Program Award
* Greg Colson, honorable mention for Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award
* Ag Business Club, Outstanding Chapter Award and Creative Club Award
* Cathy Kling, AAEA Fellows address
* GianCarlo Moschini, elected to AAEA Board of Directors
* Several faculty and graduate students presented papers and posters and organized sessions.
RESEARCHERS RECEIVE MOST CITED PAPER AWARD
The Society of Animal Genetics has given the most cited paper award to Shuhong Zhang, biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology; Travis Knight, animal science; and Jim Reecy and Don Beitz, animal science and Center for Integrated Animal Genomics, for "DNA polymorphisms in bovine fatty acid synthase are associated with beef fatty acid composition," published in Animal Genetics, February 2008. More: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2052.2007.01681.x/abs…
VANSICKLE RETIREMENT RECEPTION, AUG. 26
A retirement reception will be held for June VanSickle on Aug. 26 at 2 p.m. in 110 Horticulture. VanSickle has worked in the Department of Horticulture for 17 years and for Iowa State for nearly 33 years.
IOWA LEARNING FARMS FIELD DAY, AUG. 26
Iowa Learning Farms and Practical Farmers of Iowa will co-sponsor a field day focusing on cover crops at the Iowa Lakes Community College student farm on Aug. 26 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Attendees will see the new Conservation Station mobile learning center.
VIEW PHOTOS FROM ALL HORTICULTURE FIELD DAY
More than 200 people attended the All Horticulture Field Day on July 29 at the ISU Horticulture Research Station near Gilbert. Researchers shared tips and information about weeds, vineyards, fruits, vegetables and turf grass.
DEADLINES AND REMINDERS
Aug. 25: Register for ISU tours to be held during Farm Progress Show
Sept. 7: CALS Fall Convocation, 4 p.m. in the Sun Room, Memorial Union.
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EXTERNAL FUNDING
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NSF/SBE INVITES WHITE PAPERS ON GRAND CHALLENGES
The Directorate for the Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences of the National Science Foundation seeks to frame innovative research for 2020 and beyond. As a first step in this process, individuals and groups are invited to contribute white papers outlining grand challenge questions that are both foundational and transformative. Papers should explain the challenge question, capability to be created, or scientific strategy; provide context in terms of recent research results and standing questions in the field; suggest the range of disciplines that may contribute; and indicate the implications for future research within and across disciplines. More: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2010/nsf10069/nsf10069.jsp?WT.mc_id=USNSF_80
FUNDING INFORMATION, OPPORTUNITIES AND DEADLINE REMINDERS
Dates listed are application deadlines. Contact: Roxanne Clemens, rclemens@iastate.edu
Sept. 10 (deadline extended for preproposals): 2010 North Central Sun Grant Center Competitive Grants Program; Optimizing Lignocellulosic Feedstock Production Across a Landscape: Production, Economic and Environmental Feasibility. $80,000 to $700,000.
Sept. 27: Integrated Nutrition Program, Nepal; one award, $46 million.
Sept. 28 (letter of intent): Economics of Prevention (R21); eight awards, $275,000 direct costs per year for two years, $1.2 million total anticipated funding. More: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-10-015.html
Oct. 2 (letter of intent): Global Infectious Disease Research Training Program (D43); new awards up to $200,000 direct costs per year for five years. More: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-10-260.html
Oct. 8: Peoples Garden School Pilot Program; one award, $1 million.
Nov. 10: East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students; 215 awards, $2.15 million total anticipated funding.
Dec. 6 (letter of intent): Basic Research in Self-Regulation (R21); six to eight new awards, $275,000 direct costs per year for two years; $1.9 million total anticipated funding. More: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AG-11-010.html
Jan. 2 (letter of intent): Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers Program; eight awards, up to $200,000 per award, $10 million total anticipated funding.
April 1 (letter of intent): Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation; 14 awards, $2 million per award, $31 million total anticipated funding.
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COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
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MAY VS. MIGHT
"May" expresses what is possible, is factual or could be factual (I may have turned off the stove, but I can't recall doing it). "Might" suggests something that is uncertain, hypothetical or contrary to fact (I might have won the marathon if I had entered). The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., 2003.
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INFOGRAZING
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ARS SEEKS TO COMMERCIALIZE RESEARCH IN THE MIDWEST
The USDA Agricultural Research Service has signed an agreement with the Center for Innovative Food Technology to help commercialize ARS-developed technologies and promote research opportunities with businesses and universities in the Midwest. More: http://www.ars.usda.gov/News/docs.htm?docid=1261
ISU TO HOST NATIONAL URBAN EXTENSION CONFERENCE IN 2011
ISU Extension is hosting the 2011 National Urban Extension Conference on May 2-5 in Des Moines. Professionals from all aspects of Extension, the university system and partnering agencies are invited to submit abstracts for oral, paper and poster presentations.
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INTERNAL VOICES
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CALS SENIOR ON THE MAGIC OF AN IOWA COUNTY FAIR
"Although the words county fair may seem redneck or uncouth to some, it is truly a celebration of the youth who are learning to take over the reins"”the reins that control food, fiber and fuel production in this great nation." Rita Cook, senior in agricultural business and intern with the Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers, in an editorial for the Iowa Farm Bureau Spokesman, July 28.
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MARGINALIA
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"FRESH FOTOS" ON DISPLAY AT MEMORIAL UNION THROUGH OCT. 3
Eleven freshmen at ISU, including agricultural business major Jennifer Cunningham, were given digital cameras when they arrived on campus during the fall of 2009 and were asked to document their first year of college. They took photos in class, residence halls and sporting events, and chose their favorites for an exhibition that opened earlier this month and remains on display through Oct. 3 at the Memorial Union.
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AG AND LIFE SCIENCES ONLINE
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EDITOR
Julie Stewart, jstewart@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-5616 Web site: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/
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