COLLEGE NEWS
- Graduates to be recognized at college convocation
- Proposals due June 30 for research exchange visits
- CAST's 25th anniversary reception on May 13
- Educational transformation theme for Vision 2020 Expo
- Schedule fall classes now in the Brenton Center
- Russian group the first for agribusiness program
- Virtual tour of Reiman Gardens now on Web
- Animal waste preproposals due Monday, May 12
- Deadlines & Reminders
COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
- Let us know when a reporter calls
INFOGRAZING
- New student survey: Transferring to ISU
- Keep an eye on your laptop; thefts on the rise
- NRC recommends full access to scientific information
- Heritage recommends consolidation of USDA agencies
EXTERNAL VOICES
- Education is not accessing information
MARGINALIA
- You can't spell tenderest without TNT
C O L L E G E N E W S
GRADUATES TO BE RECOGNIZED AT COLLEGE CONVOCATION
About 225 of the college's 370 spring and summer graduates are
expected to participate in Saturday's College of Agriculture convocation
at C.Y. Stephens Auditorium. Graduate Alan Beck, ag systems technology
and ag business, will speak. The Ag Student Council will present
awards to: Joanna Stookey, horticulture, academic achievement;
Heidi Conner, ag business and ag extension education, leadership
excellence; Susan Eivins, horticulture and agronomy, distinguished
service; and Matthew Schuiteman, agronomy, outstanding senior.
Animal ecology professor John Downing will present a diploma posthumously
to Kerri-Beth Shaneberger, who died in a car accident in February.
A reception begins at 8:15 a.m., followed by the program at 9
a.m. Faculty and staff are welcome to attend.
PROPOSALS DUE JUNE 30 FOR RESEARCH EXCHANGE VISITS
The Experiment Station sponsors the Research Exchange Visit Program,
a competitive grants program to strengthen research and teaching
linkages between ISU faculty and their counterparts at the historically
black land grant colleges and tribal colleges. Grants from the
program support exchanges between ISU faculty and faculty from
those institutions. Deadline for proposals is June 30. Contact:
Carla Persaud, 4-9376 or cpersaud@iastate.edu.
CAST'S 25TH ANNIVERSARY RECEPTION ON MAY 13
Faculty and staff are invited to a 25th anniversary reception
for the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST),
3 to 5 p.m., Tuesday, May 13, in the courtyard of the Food Sciences
Building. (Rain location: second floor of Food Sciences.) There
will be a brief presentation at 3:30 p.m. Free publications on
food, fiber, agricultural and environmental issues will be available.
For information about CAST, check its website.
EDUCATIONAL TRANSFORMATION THEME OF VISION 2020 EXPO
Vision 2020 Expo 1997, a workshop for faculty/staff, will be held
Wednesday, May 14, at the Holiday Inn Gateway Center, 9:30 a.m.
- 4 p.m. Participants will learn about ways to involve students,
educators and employers in bringing about transformation of the
educational system. Lunch will be provided. Registration is needed
by May 12. For more information: 4-2496 or amps@iastate.edu.
SCHEDULE FALL CLASSES NOW IN THE BRENTON CENTER
The Brenton Center is ready to schedule classes for the fall semester.
College of Agriculture faculty have the first opportunity to schedule
classes. After May 30,the faculty will be made available to other
colleges. Class request forms are due May 16. For more information:
Wade Miller, 4-0895 or wwmiller@iastate.edu.
RUSSIAN GROUP THE FIRST FOR AGRIBUSINESS PROGRAM
The first participants in the International Agribusiness Training
Program arrived this week. The program brings people to ISU from
the NIS (Newly Independent States, the countries of the former
Soviet Union) to learn about agriculture and agribusiness. The
first exchange involves a group from Russia, and is funded by
SABA, a company that distributes John Deere equipment in the NIS.
The program was developed by International Agriculture Programs
and Carl Anderson, ag & biosystems engineering. For more information:
Victor Udin, 4-8971 or vaudin@iastate.edu.
VIRTUAL TOUR OF REIMAN GARDENS NOW ON WEB
You can let your fingers do the walking through the Reiman Gardens
by clicking on a virtual tour available now online.
ANIMAL WASTE PREPROPOSALS DUE MONDAY, MAY 12
Monday, May 12, is the deadline for research preproposals for
the Multi-state Consortium on Animal Waste. For more information:
Colin Scanes, 4-1823, or the website.
DEADLINES & REMINDERS
May 10: College of Agriculture Convocation, C.Y. Stephens, 9 a.m.
May 12: Preproposal deadline, Multi-state Consortium-Animal Waste,
4-1823
May 13: CAST reception, Food Sciences Bldg. courtyard, 3-5 p.m.
May 14: Vision 2020 Expo '97, Holiday Inn Gateway Center, 9:30
a.m.-4 p.m. (4-2496)
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C O M M U N I C A T I O N S K I O S K
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LET US KNOW WHEN A REPORTER CALLS
It's news to us when news reporters call you for information.
Report your media contacts to Ag Information, 4-5616 (or send
e-mail to Ed Adcock, edadcock@iatate.edu; Susan Anderson, sander@iastate.edu;
or Brian Meyer, bmeyer@iastate.edu). The media contacts are forwarded
each day to University Relations, which shares them with administrators
and campus communicators. For tips on responding to reporters,
ask for a copy of Ag Information's When a Reporter Calls"
brochure by calling 4-5616. Or check the college's website.
I N F O G R A Z I N G
NEW-STUDENT SURVEY: TRANSFERRING TO ISU
(More results from last fall's survey of 540 new students in the
College of Agriculture.)
Percentage who are transfer students: 23
Percentage who came from community colleges: 51
Percentage who said they attended another school first because
it was more economical: 59
Percent who were satisfied or very satisfied with number of transfer
credits: 72
E X T E R N A L V O I C E S
EDUCATION IS NOT ACCESSING INFORMATION
David Shenk, author of "Data Smog," says be skeptical
about the idea of wiring schools to improve education. "Education
is not the same as accessing information. We don't have a problem
accessing information easily and cheaply in this country. We've
had great libraries and even adequate school libraries for a long
time. Education is actually the limiting of information. You have
a teacher who lets in a little information each day in each class
that fits in with what you already know and puts it in context.
A child adds a building block per class to help formulate knowledge
and wisdom. Then they're able to go out and access information
and learn more themselves." (Investor's Business Daily, April
30)
M A R G I N A L I A
YOU CAN'T SPELL TENDEREST WITHOUT TNT
A USDA meat scientist and a former CIA weapons specialist have
developed a machine that uses explosions to tenderize meat without
blowing it to bits. The hydrodyne is a large, round-bottomed steel
kettle filled with water. Meat is lowered to the bottom and an
explosion is set off in the water, sending a shock wave through
the liquid. The kettle's round bottom reflects the wave back toward
the meat, exposing it to a double dose of tenderizing. (The Furrow,
March)