Issue: 661

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AG AND LIFE SCIENCES ONLINE
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The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Newsletter
Iowa State University
July 25, 2011 No. 661

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COLLEGE NEWS
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BLODGETT NAMED ENTOMOLOGY AND NREM CHAIR
Sue Blodgett has been named chair of the departments of entomology and of natural resource ecology and management, effective Sept. 19. Blodgett is currently head of the plant science department at South Dakota State University. Joel Coats, entomology, is serving as interim chair of the two departments this summer until Blodgett arrives. The chair position for the two departments was developed in response to state budget pressures. Les Lewis, who retired in 2010, was previously chair of entomology. Steve Jungst had served as interim chair of NREM.

AGRONOMY STUDENT CHOSEN AS NATIONAL FFA STAR FINALIST
The National FFA Organization has selected Vivian Bernau, a senior in agronomy, as a finalist for the American Star in Agriscience award. These awards recognize students who have developed outstanding agricultural skill and competency through their career development programs, demonstrated outstanding management skills, earned the American FFA Degree, and met other agricultural education, scholarship and leadership requirements

ISU ALUM CHARLES MANATT DIES
Charles Manatt, former U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic, died July 22. He was 75. Manatt was raised on a farm near Audubon and earned a bachelor's degree in rural sociology from ISU in 1958. He founded First Los Angeles Bank. He was elected chair of the Democratic National Committee in 1981. In 1992, he was co-chair of the Clinton-Gore presidential campaign, and in 1999 President Clinton appointed Manatt as the U.S. Ambassador to the Dominican Republic. Manatt and his wife, Kathleen, along with Jack and Marilyn Rossmann, established the Rossmann Manatt Faculty Development Award at ISU to recognize a CALS or College of Human Sciences faculty member who has demonstrated a truly exceptional level of creativity and productivity in scholarship, teaching and service, and who shows great promise of continuing and teaching. Visitation will be Wednesday, July 27, 5 to 8 p.m. at the Kessler Funeral Home in Audubon. The funeral will be Thursday, July 28, at 2 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Audubon.

WENDEL'S NSF RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTED AT RESEARCH.GOV
Jonathan Wendel, ecology, evolution and organismal biology, studied comparative evolutionary genomics of cotton as part of a National Science Foundation award. The project is being highlighted at Research.gov.

VEGETABLE WASH STATION DESIGNS PUBLISHED ONLINE
A new online tool to help vegetable growers construct efficient wash stations has been developed by the Fruit and Vegetable Working Group. The designs offer a low-cost option for small farmers to improve the safety and quality of their produce. More: http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/newsreleases/2011/072011_washstation...

NEW STUDENT PROFILE: FROM MICROBES TO MEDICAL SCHOOL 
Jennifer Blaser is a new student featured on the college's web banner. Blaser, a microbiology graduate, will begin medical school this fall. Blaser served as president of the Microbiology Club, vice president of membership for the Alpha Phi Omega National Service Organization, vice president of selections for Cardinal Key Honorary and vice president of the Pre-medical Club. She also served as an admissions representative taking prospective students and parents on campus tours. Go to http://www.ag.iastate.edu to view this profile and other students. If you want to suggest a student to highlight on the web page, contact Barb McBreen at 4-0707 or barbmc@iastate.edu.

eCARLY: CALS STUDENT FUELS UP FOR FUTURE THROUGH INTERNSHIP
Kim Jordan, a junior in agricultural education, has a summer internship at the Iowa Biodiesel Board. Learn more about her internship and what she is learning at eCarly@CALS, written by Carly Martin, intern in the CALS communications office.

STUDENTS REBUILD TRACTOR AND SELL AT AUCTION AUG. 13
The ISU Antique Tractor Club has restored a 1946 Minneapolis Moline ZTU that was found on a farm near Stanhope. The tractor will be auctioned off Aug. 13 during the Minneapolis Moline Collectors Association Show. Wade Miller, agricultural education and studies, is the club advisor.
 
U.N. ENVOY TO HAITI TO SPEAK AT STEPHENS AUDITORIUM AUG. 25
Paul Farmer, United Nations Deputy Special Envoy for Haiti and chair of the department of global health and social medicine at Harvard Medical School, will present "Haiti After the Earthquake" on Aug. 25 at 7 p.m., Stephens Auditorium. CALS is a sponsor.

PAULSEN RECEIVES TEACHING AWARD
Thomas Paulsen, agricultural education and studies, received a Graduate Student Teaching Award from the North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture at the association's annual conference in June. The award recognizes Paulsen's commitment to, and excellence in, college teaching and the scholarship of teaching and learning.

POULTRY SCIENCE AWARDS TO ISU
At the Poultry Science Association annual meeting in July, Dong Ahn, animal science, received the Evonik Degussa Award for Achievement in Poultry Science. Derrick Coble, a graduate student in animal science, won the award for best student presentation in the immunology section.

DEADLINES AND REMINDERS
July 26: Research and Demonstration Farms garden field days begin
Aug. 10: CELT/CALS "“ A Quick Refresher to your Online Course for CALS Faculty, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 240 Bessey. Register through AccessPlus.
Sept. 15: Deadline for spring 2012 distance education course development awards
Sept. 21: CALS Fall Convocation, 4 p.m., Memorial Union Sun Room.

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EXTERNAL FUNDING
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USDA SPECIALTY CROP COMMITTEE SEEKS STAKEHOLDER INPUT
The USDA Specialty Crop Committee seeks stakeholder input from industry, national organizations, producers, researchers, extension educators and other interested groups. Comments are sought on measures to improve the efficiency, productivity, profitability and economic stability of specialty crop producers; on data or information needed by the industry to evaluate its competitive position; and on measures to improve the competitiveness of research, extension and economics programs. Specialty crops are defined as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits and nursery crops, including floriculture.  The deadline for comments is Aug. 2. More: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-07-18/html/2011-17982.htm

NIFA SYSTEMS SCIENCE GRANTSMANSHIP WORKSHOP, AUG. 9
The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture will hold a Systems Science grantsmanship workshop at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The workshop was developed for programs that require applicants to use a systems approach, including the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program, the Specialty Crop Research Initiative, the Organic Research and Extension Initiative, and the Organic Transitions Program. However, NIFA staff indicate that much of the information is also applicable to preparing proposals for USDA's large, interdisciplinary Coordinated Agricultural Projects. The Aug. 9 workshop can be attended in-person or via a live Webcast, which will be archived for later viewing.

GRADUATE COLLEGE OFFERS RECRUIT GRANTS
The Graduate College's new RECRUIT Grants program provides grants of up to $2,000 each to increase efforts to recruit underrepresented graduate students. Faculty from any academic or interdisciplinary department may apply. Applications are due July 31. Program and application details are available online.

NEW IRB POLICY FOR LETTERS OF COOPERATION
As of July 13, 2011, letters of cooperation/approval will only be required during the Institutional Review Board review process for research conducted in prisons and in unusual cases where the IRB determines that obtaining permission is needed to ensure participants are protected. Letters of cooperation/approval from schools, other colleges and universities, medical institutions, etc., generally no longer need to be submitted as part of the IRB review process. Investigators are still responsible for ensuring that adequate permission is obtained from each institution in which their research will occur, in accordance with that institution's policies and procedures. Investigators are encouraged to maintain documentation of permission in their study files. Contact: Kerry Agnitsch, kagnitsc@iastate.edu

RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT OF RESEARCH - FALL 2011 COURSE FOR GRAD STUDENTS
A one-credit course, Professional Practices in Science and Engineering - Responsible Conduct of Research, will be offered for graduate students during fall semester. The course is approved to meet NSF and NIH requirements for RCR training and is cross-listed as 565A in AGRON, BCB, HORT, VMPM and MICRO. Section 1 will emphasize RCR in the life sciences (Instructor: Mark Gleason, mgleason@iastate.edu; Tuesdays, 11 to 11:50 a.m., 208 Curtiss Hall). Section 2 will emphasize RCR for engineering (Instructor: Chuck Glatz, cglatz@iastate.edu; Wednesdays, 11 to 11:50 a.m., 1120 Sweeney Hall). Both sections are appropriate for graduate students in any science, social science or engineering discipline.

RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT OF RESEARCH - FALL 2011 SEMINAR FOR POSTDOCS
Professional Practices in Science and Engineering - Responsible Conduct of Research will be offered as a non-credit seminar for postdoctoral scientists during fall semester. Cross-listed as 565F in AGRON, BCB, HORT, VMPM and MICRO, this seminar is approved to meet NSF and NIH requirements for RCR training in any science or engineering discipline. Participants will receive a signed certificate of completion. Instructor: Judy Vance, jmvance@iastate.edu; Wednesdays, 4:10 to 5 p.m., 1322 Hoover Hall.

FUNDING INFORMATION, OPPORTUNITIES AND DEADLINE REMINDERS
Dates listed are application deadlines. Contact: Roxanne Clemens, rclemens@iastate.edu
Additional information is posted at CALS Funding Resources, http://www.ag.iastate.edu/research/fundingResources/

Aug. 15 "“ Oct. 15: SBE Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants; deadlines vary by discipline. More: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=13453&WT.mc_id=USNSF_39&...

Aug. 15 (concept application): Sociological Initiatives Foundation Grants to Further Social Change; $10,000 to $20,000.

Aug. 17: Ashoka's Changemakers and Boehringer Ingelheim Global Health Solutions Competition; unrestricted cash prizes of $10,000.

Aug. 18: NSF Economics. More: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5437&WT.mc_id=USNSF_39&W...

Aug. 23 (letter of intent): NIH Biomedical/Biobehavioral Research Administration Development Award [G11]. More: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-11-270.html

Aug. 24: NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates. More: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5517&WT.mc_id=USNSF_39&W...

Sept. 1 (preapplication): DOE Early Career Research Program. More: http://science.energy.gov/early-career/

Sept. 15 (white papers): Office of Naval Research Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative Grant.

Oct. 5: NIH Research Project Grant (R01). More: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-11-260.html

Oct. 12: RWJF Scholars in Health Policy Research Fellowships; $89,000 annual stipend.

Oct. 16: NIH Small Research Grant Program (R03); $100,000 over two years. More: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-11-262.html

Oct. 31 (letter of intent): Host-Targeted Interventions as Therapeutics for Infectious Diseases (R21/R33). More: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AI-11-032.html

Nov. 2 (letter of intent): Centers for Agricultural Disease and Injury Research, Education, and Prevention (U54). More: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-11-022.html

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COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
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FOREGO vs. FORGO
To "forego" is to go before (the foregoing paragraph). The word appears most commonly in the phrase foregone conclusion. To "forgo," by contrast, is to do without or renounce (they decided to forgo that opportunity).
The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., 2003.

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INFOGRAZING
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ISU PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH COMMITTEE SEEKS NOMINATIONS
The ISU Presidential Search committee is soliciting names of potential candidates. John Lawrence, associate dean for Extension Programs and Outreach and director of Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension, is the CALS representative on the search committee. Send names to Lawrence or directly to the search firm. More: http://www.presidentsearch.iastate.edu/

REPORT OFFERS NEW FRAMEWORK TO GUIDE K-12 SCIENCE EDUCATION
A report released by the National Research Council presents a new framework for K-12 science education that identifies the key scientific ideas and practices all students should learn by the end of high school. More: http://www8.nationalacademies.org/onpinews/newsitem.aspx?RecordID=13165

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INTERNAL VOICES
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KRESS ON MISSION DRIFT
"We have to stay true to our mission, our purpose "“ helping Iowans make positive changes in their lives. Otherwise we'll drift. The Democracy Cell Project says mission drift occurs when external or internal events cause the organization to depart from purpose and core values, often in the interest of survival." Cathann Kress, vice president for extension and outreach, on "See You There," a blog for ISU Extension staff and county council members.

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EXTERNAL VOICES
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THE RISE OF THE TV METEOROLOGIST
"The weather is more extreme, the floods are wetter and the droughts are drier. That's going to have real implications on society, and it elevates the need for more information and a need for those on-air personalities. It's beyond what to wear for the day or do I need to carry an umbrella." Chris Vaccaro, a spokesman for the National Weather Service, on TV forecasters. More: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/19/us/19weatherman.html?_r=1&nl=todayshea...

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MARGINALIA
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HORT ALUM BUYS FAMILY'S FORMER FARMSTEAD
Chandler Nunnikhoven, 24, has brought his family's farmstead east of Knoxville back into the family fold and aims to restore it to its rural splendor "“ one brushstroke of red barn paint at a time. Nunnikhoven graduated from ISU in 2010 with a degree in horticulture. His day job is managing a staff of nine workers for the city of Pella.

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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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