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AG AND LIFE SCIENCES ONLINE
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The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Newsletter
Iowa State University
August 19, 2013 No. 763
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COLLEGE NEWS
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GIFT FOR CURTISS HALL RENOVATION WILL NAME AUDITORIUM
A $2 million gift commitment from a retired Linn County farmer will support the renovation of Curtiss Hall. CALS will recognize the philanthropy of Leonard Dolezal of Cedar Rapids by naming the building's auditorium in honor of him and his late wife, Evelyn. More: http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2013/08/15/curtissauditorium
IMPRESSIVE SALARIES FOR RECENT CALS GRADUATES
CALS Career Services has released the annual salary summary for December 2012 and May 2013 graduates earning bachelor’s degrees. The report is the largest ever, with 16 universities participating and more than 1,550 salary data points. There was a positive increase in eight of the nine categories, with the average being 5.34 percent. The agricultural education/communications/studies sector had the largest increase of 10 percent. Mike Gaul, career services director, attributes some of this to an increase in starting salaries of high school agricultural education teachers. Top earning majors include technology, agricultural business and economics, agronomy and food science.
CALS SEEKS COMMENTS ON GUIDELINES FOR WORK IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
CALS is seeking comments and input on a draft set of guidelines for the work of faculty, staff and students in agricultural development activities in developing countries. Deadline for submitting comments is Sept. 1. All comments should be emailed to cals@iastate.edu.
FEEDING THE WORLD SEMINAR SERIES BEGINS SEPT. 5
The fall 2013 seminar series, “Feeding the World: Are We Making Progress,” begins Sept. 5 at 3:40 p.m. in the Ensminger Room, 1204 Kildee Hall. Gerald Klonglan, professor emeritus in the Department of Sociology, will present “Rural Development in Tanzania.” The annual seminar series is sponsored by the M.E. Ensminger International Chair in Animal Agriculture and the Raymond and Mary Baker Chair in Global Agriculture.
NUTRIENT REDUCTION STRATEGY PRESENTED AT AUG. 21 WEBINAR
Information about the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy will be presented at the Iowa Learning Farms monthly webinar on Wednesday, Aug. 21, at 11:30 a.m. Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship staff members Jim Gillespie and Shawn Richmond are featured speakers.
GEOLOGIST TO SPEAK AT PESEK COLLOQUIUM, SEPT. 23
A solution-oriented approach to the problem of global soil erosion will be the focus of the 2013 Pesek Colloquium on Sustainable Agriculture on Sept. 23 at 8 p.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall. David Montgomery, professor of earth and space sciences at the University of Washington, will present “Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations.” Sponsors include the Wallace Chair for Sustainable Agriculture, Department of Agronomy, Department of Ecology Evolution and Organismal Biology and the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture.
DOWNING AWARDED NAUMANN-THIENEMANN MEDAL
John Downing, ecology, evolution and organismal biology and agricultural and biosystems engineering, was awarded the Naumann-Thienemann medal at the International Society of Limnology meeting in Budapest Aug. 4-9. The award is the highest honor that can be bestowed internationally for outstanding scientific contributions to limnology.
BABCOCK HONORED AS 2013 AAEA FELLOW
Bruce Babcock, professor of economics and director of the Biobased Industry Center, joins the 2013 Class of the Agricultural & Applied Economics Association Fellows. The Fellow award is the highest honor bestowed by the AAEA. More: http://www.econ.iastate.edu/about-department/announce/news/33-2013-babc…
MacDONALD ON PANEL DISCUSSING BIOTECHNOLOGY AND YOUR FOOD
What impact do GMOs have on the environment and long-term health? What role does science play when addressing issues tied to food, including health concerns, drought and feeding a growing population? Ruth MacDonald was part of a panel providing answers to these questions at The Food Dialogues: Ohio on Aug. 15. View Panel 1 – Biotechnology (GMOs) and Your Food online.
LI AWARDED LYON SCHOLARSHIP FOR CO-OP RESEARCH
Ziran Li is a second-year graduate student in the Department of Economics and the recent recipient of the Barbara and Thomas Lyon Scholarship for the Study of Agricultural Cooperatives. Li will receive $2,500 to partially fund his graduate studies in both agricultural and environmental, and financial economics. More: http://www.econ.iastate.edu/about-department/announce/news/31-2013-li-a…
RIMI AWARDED HEADY FELLOWSHIP
Tamanna Rimi is a second-year graduate student in the Department of Economics and the recent recipient of the Earl Heady Graduate Fellowship. Rimi will receive $7,500 to partially fund her graduate studies in agricultural economics. More: http://www.econ.iastate.edu/about-department/announce/news/24-2013-rimi…
INTERNATIONAL VISITS HIGHLIGHT CURRENT RESEARCH AND ISSUES
This summer, poultry professionals from Italy and India visited the Egg Industry Center at ISU. The groups, hosted by Hy-Line International, like to meet with interdisciplinary teams of professors from agricultural and biosystems engineering, animal science, and food science and human nutrition.
HAYNES: SHOWING FOLKS WHAT WORKED, WHAT DIDN'T IN GARDENS
Avid gardeners gathered at ISU's Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm in Nashua on Aug. 10 to learn the latest trends and methods in gardening. Cynthia Haynes, horticulture, said in an article for the Aug. 15 issue of the New Hampton Tribune; "It is a great time to show folks what worked, what didn't and why."
CAMTASIA RELAY SOFTWARE AVAILABLE FOR CALS FACULTY AND STAFF
Camtasia Relay is an easy-to-use, cross-platform software program that allows users to capture a presentation including the image on the screen, the audio and webcam video. Common uses of Relay include recording lectures, presentations, guest presenters, student presentations and tutorials. Relay is available to CALS faculty and staff, but it is necessary to request a Relay account prior to using the program. To set up an account, contact Todd Vens, trvens@iastate.edu.
HUMAN MENOPAUSE UNIQUE AMONG PRIMATES
A new study from Anne Bronikowski, ecology, evolution and organismal biology, shows that menopause in mid-life is a uniquely human phenomenon among primates. The study found that female representatives of other primate species remain fertile throughout their lifespan, while human women typically experience declining fertility and reproductive cessation during their 40s and 50s. More: http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2013/08/15/primatemenopause
DEADLINES AND REMINDERS
Aug. 30: Field Day on Cover Crops and Corn, 9 a.m. to noon, https://www.cals.iastate.edu/news/releases/field-day-iowa-state-univers…
Sept. 10: CALS Convocation, 4:10 p.m., Harl Commons in Curtiss Hall
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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
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INTERNAL COMPETITION FOR PARTNERSHIPS FOR INNOVATION
The NSF Partnerships for Innovation: Building Innovation Capacity program supports academe-industry partnerships, led by an interdisciplinary academic research team with a least one industry partner, to collaborate in building technological and human innovation capacity. Partnerships are expected both to develop new technology and to foster the development of human capital that embraces a culture of change, nurtures the generation of new ideas and considers feedback an integral part of the innovation processes. ISU can submit two proposals. Pre-proposals should be sent to Chitra Rajan (rajanc@iastate.edu) by Oct. 30 at 5 p.m.
ISU 2013-14 PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS FOR RESEARCHERS
The Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development has planned six professional development programs for 2013-14. Registration is now open for the full-day grant-writing workshop, Writing Winning Grant Proposals, scheduled for Oct. 3 (http://iowastategrants.eventbrite.com/). New faculty can register for the new faculty orientation session, Lunch with the Vice President for Research and Staff, scheduled for Oct. 16 (http://vprednewfaculty.eventbrite.com/). Two workshops - Developing Research Projects Around Specific Themes and Doing Science and Doing Good - will be held in October. A workshop on writing successful NSF CAREER grant proposals and a workshop on building interdisciplinary research teams will be held spring during 2014.
USDA FAS SEEKS MENTORS FOR SCIENTIFIC EXCHANGE SCHOLARS
USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service is seeking university hosts for English-speaking agricultural scientists from Egypt under the USDA Scientific Exchange Scholars Program. These scholars are competitively selected based on research priorities, academic and work accomplishments, commitment to SESP goals and leadership qualities. USDA will fund approximately 10 SESP scholarships of $25,000 to $32,000 each. Expressions of interest are due Sept. 9.
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/
NSF Dear Colleague Letter: Forensic Sciences - Opportunity for Breakthroughs in Fundamental and Basic Research and Education. More: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2013/nsf13120/nsf13120.jsp?WT.mc_ev=click
Sept. 3 (letter of intent): DOE FY 2014 Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology SBIR/STTR Phase I Release 1. More: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=239826
Sept. 3: EPA National Pesticide Information Center; $1 million per year five years.
Sept. 10 (letters of intent): NOAA Climate Program Office FY 2014 Competitions. More: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=239854
Sept. 12: NCRCRD FY 2013-14 Policy Projects; $15,000. Full call for proposals available from rclemens@iastate.edu
Oct. 29: NSF Biotechnology, Biochemical and Biomass Engineering. More: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=501024
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COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
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COMMUNICATING CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS IN AGRICULTURE
Another in a series of the “Communicating Controversial Topics in Agriculture” ANR at Noon webinars will take place Friday, Aug. 23, at 12 p.m. Ruth MacDonald, professor and chair of the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, will speak about GMOs – Consumers Perspectives and Concerns.” More: https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/anr
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INFOGRAZING
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RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT OF RESEARCH TRAINING FOR POST-DOCS
A training seminar on responsible conduct of research for post-doctoral associates will meet Tuesdays at 11 a.m. in 1071 Black Engineering Building beginning Aug. 27. The semester-long seminar, Introduction to the Responsible Conduct of Research, is approved to meet NSF, NIH and USDA-NIFA requirements for RCR training for post-docs supported on NSF and certain NIH and USDA funds. The seminar is appropriate for postdocs in the life sciences, engineering and social sciences. Enrollment is limited. For more information or to sign up for the course, contact Judy Vance, jmvance@iastate.edu.
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MARGINALIA
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IOWA DAIRY PRINCESS: EXCITED TO PROMOTE THE DAIRY INDUSTRY
Mariah Schmitt of Fort Atkinson was crowned the 60th Iowa Dairy Princess during an evening ceremony on Aug. 7 at the state fairgrounds. "I'm so excited to get out there and promote the dairy industry. It has made me the person that I am today," said Schmitt in an article in the Aug. 15 issue of the Rochester Post Bulletin. She will attend ISU this fall majoring in dairy science and public service and administration in agriculture. Celina Young of Waverly was named Alternate Iowa Dairy Princess. "One of my favorite things to do and what I want to do as a career path is agricultural communications," Young said. "I love getting out in public and talking to people about this wonderful agricultural industry..." She will also attend ISU this fall to study agriculture business and communications. More: http://www.postbulletin.com/archives/mariah-schmitt-is-iowa-dairy-princ…
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AG AND LIFE SCIENCES ONLINE
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EDITOR
Julie Stewart
jstewart@iastate.edu, (515) 294-5616
https://www.cals.iastate.edu/news/agonline
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