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AG AND LIFE SCIENCES ONLINE
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The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Newsletter
Iowa State University
May 5, 2014 No. 797
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COLLEGE NEWS
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GUIDELINES FOR ENGAGEMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES POSTED ONLINE
Guidelines to help inform decisions in the college on engagement in developing countries are now posted on the CALS Policy & Best Practices website and on the CALS Global Programs website, http://www.global.ag.iastate.edu/. The guidelines were developed from an extensive literature review and incorporating the values that have guided the college's Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods since its inception. They also were developed from input received from a 2012 seminar on guiding principles in international agricultural development, a 2013 open comment period on a review draft and a review by the Dean's Global Advisory Committee, which is made up of faculty and staff with broad international experience, an undergraduate student and a graduate student. Members of the committee are J. Arbuckle, Denise Bjelland, Tom Brumm, Matt Kerns, Ruth MacDonald, Gail Nonnecke, Mike Retallick, Max Rothschild, Richard Schultz and Sharon Tusiime. The Dean's Global Advisory Committee will review the guidelines each year. It also will review proposed college-level activities in international development and advise the Dean on adherence to the guidelines. The guidelines will be incorporated into the college's annual new faculty orientation.
COLLEGE CONVOCATION TO HONOR GRADUATES SATURDAY
Faculty and staff are invited to recognize graduating seniors at the College convocation Saturday, May 10, in C.Y. Stephens Auditorium. Doors open at 8 a.m. for a reception. The convocation begins at 9 a.m. Bethany Olson, agricultural education and international agriculture, is the convocation speaker. Jake Swanson, global resource systems, is the college’s student marshal. The Ag and Life Sciences Student Council will present awards to the following graduates: Megan Weems, microbiology, for academic achievement; Trisha Collins, animal science, for distinguished service; Sterling Schnepf, animal science, for outstanding ambassador of agriculture; Karl Kerns, animal science, for leadership excellence; and Swanson, for outstanding senior.
CALS GRADUATE’S EIGHT SEMESTERS COULD CHANGE THE WORLD
As a freshman, CALS student Deepak Premkumar was a promising leader destined for distinction at Iowa State and beyond. Except for one thing: He didn't have a clue what he wanted to do. A mere eight semesters later, he is graduating magna cum laude with three majors and two bachelor's degrees. And he's headed to the economics doctoral program at the University of California, Berkeley. So how did he figure out what he wanted to do? More: http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2014/05/05/deepak-grad
CRUSE, GRAD STUDENTS CO-AUTHORS OF APLU ROADMAP FOR NATURAL RESOURCES
The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities today released “Science, Education, and Outreach Roadmap for Natural Resources,” which details six grand challenges facing the U.S. in the areas of sustainability, water, climate change, agriculture, energy and education. The report recommends a series of research, education and outreach activities to meet these challenges over the next decade. A team of 35 scientists, including Richard Cruse, agronomy, authored the roadmap. Cruse led the report’s section on sustainability and two graduate students – Karl Gesch and Victoria Scott – also made major contributions.
STUDENTS CREATE NEW FOOD PRODUCTS FOR INDUSTRY
ISU students will spend hours throughout the semester chopping, blending and baking, carefully recording every modification in their lab books. By the end of the semester, they will have formulated a product, tested its shelf life and consumer appeal, and developed packaging and nutrition labels to get the product ready for store shelves. Ken Prusa and Lester Wilson, food science and human nutrition, have taught the food product development class for more than 10 years. More: http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2014/04/30/dyscovryfoods
HEIFER DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES AVAILABLE ONLINE
The Iowa Beef Center has created a series of YouTube videos and links to additional resources highlighting best management practices for successfully developing a heifer to breeding age.
NAMA PLACES SECOND IN NATIONAL COMPETITION
The ISU student National Agri-Marketing Association chapter placed second in the Student Marketing Team Competition. The ISU chapter also received first place honors in the John Deere Signature Award for overall points accrued for student participation, involvement in the national competition, scholarship awards and its annual report. Team coaches are Stacey Noe, Agricultural Entrepreneurial Initiative program coordinator, and Carly Cummings, program assistant. More: https://www.cals.iastate.edu/news/releases/iowa-state-chapter-places-se…
RESULTS RELEASED OF FIVE-YEAR COVER CROP STUDY
Cereal rye cover crops added to a corn-soybean rotation seem to have little effect on yield, according to a five-year study conducted by Iowa Learning Farms and Practical Farmers of Iowa. Ten Iowa farmers have devoted part of their acres to conduct the study.
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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
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REMINDER: VPR OPEN FORUMS ON PRE- AND POST-AWARD PROCESSES
The Vice President for Research will host open forums to obtain input and suggestions for improving research support. An open forum meeting for research faculty and staff on May 7 will focus on pre- and post-award processes. Department- and college-level grant coordinators are invited to attend meetings on May 14.
DOE RFI: INPUT ON BIOFUEL PATHWAYS
The Department of Energy seeks stakeholder input regarding the eight representative biofuel pathways selected by the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s Bioenergy Technologies Office to guide its research and development strategy in the near-term. DOE also seeks input on other pre-commercial pathways that should be considered in the near- to long-term. Responses must be submitted electronically by May 30. More: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/
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/
May 9: NASA Technology Advancing Partnerships Challenge; $75,000 over 12 months. More: http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary.do?method=ini…{CC6243D4-8B02-E3EC-D927-384D1FC4D3EE}&path=open
May 15: RIDGE Center Doctoral Dissertation Research Grants.
May 30 (notice of intent): USDA ERS Center for Behavioral Economics and Healthy Food Choice Research; $1.9 million over three years.
June 2 (letter of intent): NIH Centers of Excellence in Genomic Science (RM1); up to $2 million. More: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-14-195.html
June 2: USDA Smith-Lever Special Needs Competitive Grants Program; $30,000 to $120,000.
June 5: CDC Economic Studies of Vaccines and Immunization Policies, Programs and Practices for Adults; one award, $150,000. More: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=254407
June 6: USAID Improving Post Harvest Loss through Household Seed Storage Models for Vulnerable Populations in Jamaica. More: http://www.grants.gov/view-opportunity.html?oppId=254627
June 11: USAID EPT-2, One Health Workforce; one award, $50 million, zoonotic diseases. More: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=254529
June 13: USAID Center for Advanced Studies – Pakistan; $8 to $10 million Food Security/Agriculture and Water CAS partnership, $16-$18 million for the Energy partnership, 5 percent cost share. More: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=253368
June 17: EPA Integrated Atmospheric Deposition Network; $6 million over five years.
June 27: USDA NIFA Critical Agricultural Materials; one or two projects, development and field demonstration of products, $1 million total funding.
July 3: USDA National Integrated Water Quality Program; $600,000 to $750,000 maximum awards.
April 30, 2015: DARPA Biological Technologies. More: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/view-opportunity.html?oppId=254566
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COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
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THE IMPORTANCE OF PARALLELISM
Authorities on writing style often stress the importance of parallelism – the use of parallel grammar to arrange parallel ideas and elements. For example: “The performance was lazy, shrill and a disaster.” Three elements are used to describe the performance, but two are adjectives and the third is a noun phrase. “The performance was lazy, shrill and disastrous.” More on the April 28 MacMillan Dictionary blog: http://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/parallelism-precision-and-pedant…
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INFOGRAZING
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REGISTER FOR GOLD MEDAL BANQUET BY MAY 7
ISU Alumni Associations Gold Medal Banquet and medal presentation will be held May 16, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center. The Class of 1964 will be officially inducted into the Gold Medal Club. Registration is due May 7. More: http://www.isualum.org/en/events/alumni_days/alumni_days_2014/
TWO SESSIONS TO ADDRESS BENEFITS CHANGE FOR POSTDOCS
The ISU Benefits office will be holding educational sessions for post-doctorial associates to explain the group insurance will they will transition to on Aug. 1. Space is limited to reservations must be made to attend through Access Plus. The first two sessions will be held in 127 Curtiss Hall – May 14, 9 to 11 a.m. and May 15, 9 to 11 a.m. in 127 Curtiss Hall. Eight additional sessions will be held around campus in June.
CAST PAPER LOOKS AT GE FOOD LABELING DEBATE
The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology has released a new paper on "The Potential Impacts of Mandatory Labeling for Genetically Engineered Food in the United States." The paper examines arguments for and against labels, the costs involved with labeling, and experiences in countries that use mandatory labeling. More: http://www.cast-science.org/news/?to_label_or_not_to_label&show=news&ne…
2012 CENSUS OF AGRICULTURE REVEALS NEW TRENDS IN FARMING
There are now 3.2 million farmers operating 2.1 million farms on 914.5 million acres of farmland across the United States, according to the 2012 Census of Agriculture, released May 2 by USDA. The agriculture census presents more than six million pieces of information, which provide a detailed look at the U.S. farm sector at the national, state and county levels. More: http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Newsroom/2014/05_02_2014.php
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EXTERNAL VOICES
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EXTENSION DIRECTOR: HUMAN CONNECTIVITY AND INDIVIDUAL IMPACT
Doug Steele, extension director at Texas A&M University, gave an example of human connectivity and individual impact to undergraduates in the soil and crop sciences department at a student recognition banquet this spring. Norman Borlaug has been credited with saving the lives of more than one billion people through his short-statured wheat cultivars. But Steele asked if the credit should also go to connections traced to Henry Wallace and to George Washington Carver. “The truth is, who really knows whose single action saved a billion people from starvation? How far back could we go? And how far into the future could we go to show how many lives you will touch?” said Steele.
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MARGINALIA
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INDOOR FARMERS MARKET COMING TO MERLE HAY MALL
Dana Greenwood ticks off four reasons why a farmers market will be a good addition to Merle Hay Mall: It’s always 72 degrees, and it offers clean restrooms, ample parking and available electrical outlets. Greenwood is organizer of the Greenwood Market that will debut May 28 in the Merle Hay Mall food court. More: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/money/business/new-business/2014…
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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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