Issue: 723

................................................... AG AND LIFE SCIENCES ONLINE ................................................... The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Newsletter Iowa State University Oct. 22, 2012 No. 723 ................................................... COLLEGE NEWS ................................................... SCULPTING HOURS FOR BUTTER CY BEGINS TODAY, OCT. 22 CALS has commissioned the Iowa State Fair's butter cow sculptor to create a life-size butter Cy to celebrate the university's 100th Homecoming "CYtennial," Oct. 22-27. Viewing will take place in Kildee Hall through a window into an ISU Meat Laboratory cooler. Sculpting hours are today through Friday, Oct. 22 to 26, 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The ISU Dairy Science Club and CALS Ambassadors will be present from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day greeting guests, selling homemade ice cream and handing out "I saw Butter Cy" stickers. Sculpting progress can also be followed on the Butter Cy Webcam. ASSISTANT DEAN FOR DIVERSITY INTERVIEWS CONTINUE OCT. 25 Three candidates are interviewing for the CALS Assistant Dean for Diversity position. Candidate information and open seminar dates are available online. The open seminar for Evangeline Grant, director of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs at the University of Michigan, will be held Oct. 25 at 1:30 p.m. in 8 Curtiss Hall. WENDEL RECEIVES AWARD FOR COTTON RESEARCH Jonathan Wendel, distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, received the 2012 International Cotton Genome Initiative Award for Outstanding Contributions to Cotton Research at the initiative's conference in October in Raleigh, N.C. SCHALINSKE TO RECEIVE BOARD ON HUMAN SCIENCES AWARD Kevin Schalinske, food science and human nutrition, will receive the Board on Human Sciences Undergraduate Research Mentor award at the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities annual meeting on Nov. 12 in Denver. The award seeks to advance undergraduate student development and a national undergraduate research agenda for the human sciences. Schalinske will be recognized for his contribution in developing the next generation of scholars. WISE BRINGS BARLEY INTO THE GENOMICS AGE Roger Wise, USDA Agricultural Research Service collaborator and professor in the Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, is part of an international research effort that has resulted in an integrated physical, genetic and functional sequence assembly of the barley genome. The research was published recently in the journal Nature. ISU RESEARCHERS PART OF TEAM REPORTING SOYBEAN BREAKTHROUGH IN 'NATURE' ISU scientists are part of a research team that has published breakthrough results on how soybeans fight off nematode pests. The research has been supported by USDA and NSF grants as well as national and state groups, including the Iowa Soybean Association. The team, led by University of Missouri and Southern Illinois University researchers, discovered a soybean cyst nematode resistance gene that points to a new mechanism of plant resistance to pathogens. Soybean cyst nematode is the most economically important pathogen of soybeans. The work was published last week in the journal Nature. Co-authors on the paper were John Hill, Thomas Baum and Steve Whitham, professors in ISU's Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology; Chunling Yang, assistant scientist in plant pathology and microbiology; Parijat Juvale, a postdoctoral researcher in plant pathology and microbiology; and Sylvia Cianzio, professor of agronomy. More: http://munews.missouri.edu/news-releases/2012/1015-mystery-of-nematode-…. The Nature article: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vnfv/ncurrent/full/nature11651.html. ALGAL PRODUCTION FACILITY NEARS COMPLETION An algal production facility located at the BioCentury Research Farm will be operational by November. This is the first facility at ISU that can produce large amounts of algal biomass. Researchers will use the various production systems to quickly grow algal biomass for various research purposes including the production of renewable fuels, food or animal feed. CALS and the Bioeconomy Institute provided partial funding for the facility. STUDENTS GATHER NUTRITIONAL DATA FOR UNITED NATIONS CALS students recently published an article about information they added to a food composition database developed for the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome. Students enrolled in the Dean's Global Agriculture and Food Leadership Program took a spring semester plus one month this summer to analyze, evaluate and document scientific literature regarding breed and production of beef. ORDERS FOR HOLIDAY HAMS DUE NOV. 9 AND DEC. 7 The Meat Science Club is selling semi-boneless hams for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Club members trim and prepare each semi-boneless ham for the curing, smoking and cooking process. They are injected with salt, sugar, spices and cure for flavor, smoked for more than two hours with natural hardwood smoke and vacuum packaged for a long refrigerated shelf life. Whole hams (12-15 pounds) are $3.50 a pound and half hams (7-9 pounds) are $4 a pound. Place an order by calling 4-8294, emailing ISU.Meat.Science.Club@gmail.com or by filling out an order form at the Meat Lab Sales Counter or in 2371 Kildee Hall. The deadline for Thanksgiving hams is Nov. 9 and the deadline for Christmas hams is Dec. 7, or until sold out. Hams will be available to pick up at the Meat Lab Sales counter, located at the north corner of the Kildee Hall atrium. Pick up times are Nov. 13 and 15 from 4 to 6 p.m. for Thanksgiving hams and Dec. 11 and 13 from 4 to 6 p.m. for Christmas hams. FARMERS' MARKET FOOD SAFETY WORKSHOP SERIES ANNOUNCED A new program for farmers' market growers and those interested in growing food products for direct or wholesale sales is being offered by the Farm Food Safety Team with ISU Extension and Outreach. According to Angela Shaw, food science and human nutrition, the program is designed to provide on-farm food safety training for every size fruit and vegetable producer. CURRICULUM EDUCATES YOUTH ON VALUE-ADDED AG The Agricultural Marketing Resource Center is offering a new, free curriculum to educate youth on opportunities for rural development through value-added agriculture. The curriculum, located on the AgMRC website, provided instructors with full lesson plans on agritourism, aquaculture, livestock, biomass and renewable energy. Ray Hansen, director of AgMRC, says the goal is to continue to promote and advance opportunities within value-added agriculture. FATHER AND SON PART OF RECORD BREAKING ENROLLMENT CLASS Kevin Lauver and his son, Jacob, have both been part of record-breaking enrollment classes "“ 35 years apart. Kevin was a freshman in the fall of 1977 studying agricultural business, when undergraduate enrollment was 3,623. Jacob is a freshman in agricultural studies this fall, with a record-breaking enrollment of 3,900 students. CAREER DAY DRAWS MORE THAN 1,800 STUDENTS Mike Gaul, director of CALS career services, reports that 208 companies were represented at this year's career fair, held last Tuesday, Oct. 16. There were 1,876 student visitors representing 78 ISU majors and 16 other schools. Interview activity on Wednesday through Friday consisted of 758 individual interviews. CCUR NEWSLETTER ONLINE The September/October 2012 issue of the Center for Crops Utilization Research Bulletin is available online. INTEGRATED CROP MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE, NOV. 28-29 The ISU Integrated Crop Management Conference will be held Nov. 28-29 on campus. The agenda includes 40 different workshops provided by ISU faculty and staff, and invited Midwest speakers. PORKBRIDGE EDUCATIONAL SERIES RETURNS IN DECEMBER PorkBridge, a distance education series for pork producers and industry professionals, begins Dec. 6. PorkBridge reaches an audience across the country and around the world in an every other month series of six sessions. Participants must register by Nov. 12 to assure receipt of materials for the Dec. 6 program. ISU's Iowa Pork Industry Center coordinates all program details. DEADLINES AND REMINDERS Oct. 25: Dan Otto Retirement Reception, 2 to 3:30 p.m., 368A Heady Hall. Oct. 29: Erle Ellis speaks at 2012 Pesek Colloquium on Sustainable Agriculture, 8 p.m., Memorial Union Great Hall Nov. 2-3: Snow Blower Service Days, Agriculture Systems Technology Club, astservicedays@gmail.com, (515) 708-8672. ................................................... FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES ................................................... CONSORTIUM FOR PLANT BIOTECH RESEARCH ANNOUNCES 2014 COMPETITION The Consortium for Plant Biotechnology Research, Inc. seeks preproposals for the CPBR 2014 Research Grants Competition, "Bioenergy and Biomass Conversion from Plant-Based Research to Prototype Bio-materials." Iowa State researchers are eligible to be principal investigators. Notices of intent are due by Nov. 16. Contact: W. Corey Pittman, CPBR Research Grants Coordinator: cpittman@cpbr.org FINAL FORUM FOR PRESIDENTIAL INITIATIVE, OCT. 26 The final forum to provide information and answer questions regarding the Presidential Initiative for Interdisciplinary Research is scheduled for Oct. 26, 11 a.m. to noon, Memorial Union Campanile Room. White papers are due Dec. 1. The review form with evaluation criteria is available on the Initiative website. More: http://www.inside.iastate.edu/article/2012/09/27/prezinitiative 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/ Nov. 13-19: NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program. More: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=6201&WT.mc_id Nov. 15: NSF Mathematical Biology. More: http://nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5690 Nov. 28: USDA NIFA Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program; ISU investigators can be co-PIs. Nov. 29: DOI Neotropical Migratory Bird Conservation Grants. Dec. 14 (letter of intent): NIH Dynamics of Host-Associated Microbial Communities (R01). More: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-GM-14-001.html Jan. 8, 2013 (letter of intent): NSF Small Business Technology Transfer Program Phase I Solicitation FY-2013 (STTR) Release 2; universities can be collaborators. More: http://nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=504857 Jan. 18, 2013 (preliminary proposals): NSF Division of Integrative Organismal Systems; 200 awards, $55 million total anticipated funding. More: http://nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503623 Feb. 28, 2013: NIH Mentored Research Scientist Development Award in Metabolomics (K01). More: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RM-12-025.html March 21, 2013: NIH Shared Instrumentation Grant Program (S10); up to $600,000 per award. More: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-13-008.html ................................................... COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK ................................................... PLACEMENT OF ADVERBS The adverb should generally be placed as near as possible to the word it is intended to modify. For example, in "the marathoners submitted their applications to compete immediately," what does "immediately" modify"”compete or submitted? Placing the adverb with the word it modifies makes the meaning clear"”for instance, "the marathoners immediately submitted their applications to compete." A misplaced adverb can completely change a sentence's meaning. For example, "we nearly lost all our camping equipment" states that the equipment was saved; "we lost nearly all our camping equipment" states that almost everything was lost. The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th ed., 2010 ................................................... INFOGRAZING ................................................... 2013 EDITION OF SERVICE FACILITIES FOR RESEARCH IN BIOTECHNOLOGY AVAILABLE ONLINE The Office of Biotechnology, in cooperation with the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Economic Development, has released the 2013 edition of "Service Facilities for Research in Biotechnology," available online and in hard copy. It contains information on the 33 facilities that house the biotechnology-related research equipment available for use on the ISU campus. This resource is available online or provided free to those who request copies by sending an email to camstock@iastate.edu. ................................................... INTERNAL VOICES ................................................... KRESS: DROUGHT IS "SUPER SLOW-MOTION DISASTER" Cathann Kress, ISU vice president for Extension and Outreach, told the Legislature's Fiscal Committee on Oct. 18 that the drought gripping Iowa is "a super slow-motion disaster" that may take several years before the negative effects on farmers, ag-related businesses, small towns, consumers and others are fully understood. "You can't accurately predict what the full impact of a drought will be while you're in the midst of it," Kress said. More: http://globegazette.com/news/iowa/drought-called-super-slow-motion-disa… LEWIS: STINK BUGS CONFIRMED IN IOWA Insect specialists are warning Iowans about a destructive pest that's moving into the state. Donald Lewis, entomology, says that aside from the foul odor, the brown marmorated stink bug is known for its ability to destroy plants. "And when I say plants, it's all of them," Lewis said. "It'll be trees, shrubs, vegetables, fruits, corn, soybeans and other field crops. Damage"¦will happen later on as the populations build up." More: http://www.radioiowa.com/2012/10/20/smelly-destructive-bug-entering-iow…. Also: "Invasive Stink Bug Confirmed in Iowa," http://www.extension.iastate.edu/article/invasive-stink-bug-confirmed-i… ................................................... EXTERNAL VOICES ................................................... NONTRADITIONAL STUDENTS A GROWING PERCENTAGE OF THOSE IN COLLEGE What we used to call nontraditional students"”older, working, married and maybe still living at home"”now constitute a large and growing percentage of those attending college in the United States. Rob Jenkins, an associate professor of English at Georgia Perimeter College and contributor to The Chronicle of Higher Education's community-college column, suggests recognizing the special needs of these students when designing courses, planning lessons and approaching teaching. "Nontraditional students often have legitimate issues and concerns that differ from those of full-time students age 18-21"¦ Many are married with children (or unmarried with children). Many work long hours to support themselves and their families and to afford tuition and books"”and still barely stay about water financially. In some cases, they might not have attended school for a decade or two. Their study skills may well have eroded. They may have forgotten much of what they learned. They may be unfamiliar with new technologies." More: http://chronicle.com/article/The-New-Traditional-on/135012/?cid=at&utm_… ................................................... MARGINALIA ................................................... ISU COMPOSTING FACILITY TURNS AUTUMN LEAVES INTO ENRICHED SOIL On campus, autumn means beautiful fall colors and falling leaves. Lots of leaves. Steve Jonas, manager of the University Composting Facility, reports that one or two truckloads of leaves arrive from campus daily this time of year. Last year about 1,000 tons of yard and greenhouse waste came from campus. The leaves and campus waste are mixed with manure from the ISU Dairy Farm, biomass wastes (cornstalks) and ISU Dining food waste to make compost. Last year the Compost Facility received 7,800 tons of inputs and generated 3,500 tons of compost and amended soil. The compost is returned to campus as enriched soil after construction projects are completed. The largest most recent example is the new athletic fields east of the Towers residence halls. ........................................................ AG AND LIFE SCIENCES ONLINE ........................................................ EDITOR Julie Stewart jstewart@iastate.edu, (515) 294-5616 http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/ SUBSCRIBE 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 jstewart@iastate.edu. To unsubscribe, send "Ag and Life Sciences Online unsubscribe." Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/IowaStateU.AgLifeSciences Twitter: http://twitter.com/iastate_cals Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, ethnicity, religion, national origin, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran. Inquiries can be directed to the Interim Assistant Director of Equal Opportunity and Compliance, 3280 Beardshear Hall, (515) 294-7612.