College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
June 22, 2015 - No. 855
Top Stories
President Leath: Investment in U.S. Agricultural Research Must Increase
ISU President Steven Leath took to the national stage June 16 at the 2015 AAAS Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Lecture in Washington, D.C., to make a simple but important point: If the world is to have a fighting chance to feed the globe's projected 9.5 billion people in 2050, Congress must increase spending on U.S. agricultural research now. "We are going to have 9.5 billion people in the world by 2050," Leath said. "That's a huge increase over the 7 billion we have now. How are we going to feed them and provide fuel? The demand to produce more on less land is going to be huge."
New Report Summarizes Discussion among University Leaders on Common Ground for Developing a Unifying Message on Ag Research
The Charles Valentine Riley Memorial Foundation (RMF) released a new report June 16 on a university perspective for making the case that agricultural research should be a higher national priority. The report, ìPursuing a Unifying Message: Elevating Food, Agricultural and Natural Resources Research as a National Priority. A University Perspective,î summarizes an April 2015 discussion among 23 leaders of universities, university associations and others on the need for reversing an alarming lack of federal investment in food, agricultural and natural resources research. The discussion was organized by a task force that includes CALS Dean Wendy Wintersteen, who currently serves as RMF president. Other task force members are from Mississippi State University, Soil and Water Conservation Society, Texas Tech University, Colorado State University, National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation.
Research
The Ever-Expanding Field of Genomic Research
Jeff Essner, genetics, development and cell biology, and Anne Bronikowski, ecology, evolution and organismal biology, were guests on Iowa Public Radioís June 15 issue of River to River. Host Ben Kieffer focused on cutting-edge genetics research. More
Canadian Gift Will Help Fund Avian Influenza Research
Egg Farmers of Canada has committed $500,000 for avian influenza research to be awarded to and administered by the Egg Industry Center at ISU. Egg Farmers of Canada is the national not-for-profit organization that represents Canadaís more than 1,000 egg farms. The destructive disease has been found in 15 states and has affected parts of Canada in the past and two Canadian provinces in the last six months. More
Companies Donate Grain-Storage System to Research Farm
The ISU Northwest Research and Demonstration Farm near Sutherland got its first grain storage system thanks to GSI and its local dealer, C-S Agrow Service. The new bin will enable the farm, based in OíBrien County, to harvest, store and dry corn more efficiently than transporting it to a nearby commercial elevator. The 30-foot bin was donated by GSI and C-S Agrow donated the installation and provided grain bin accessories to Iowa State at cost.
Al-Kaisi Makes Case for No-Till in Farm Journal Editorial
Mahdi Al-Kaisi, agronomy, makes a case for no-till in a conservation expert guest editorial for Farm Journal. His research and Extension activities focus on developing sustainable management practices that improve production and the environment. Information for the editorial was provided by a grant from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation.
Teaching and Students
30 Students Participating in CALS Carver Summer Research Internship Program
This summer, nine high school students and 21 undergraduates are participating in the collegeís George Washington Carver Summer Research Internship Program, which provides mentoring from renowned ISU faculty and hands-on experience with modern scientific research. The students come from Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, New Mexico, New York and Puerto Rico. When theyíre not in the lab or field, the interns participate in seminars, agricultural tours and cultural activities. More
Extension and Outreach
A Pride Point for ISU: Helping Iowa's Food Manufacturers
At a recent national Manufacturing Extension Partnership meeting, ISU was held up as an example of understanding and reaching clients in food manufacturing. The Center for Industrial Research and Service in the College of Engineering, Meat Science Extension in CALS and the Center for Crops Utilization Research have partnered to help Iowa food manufacturers improve their businesses, deliver safe foods and deploy the latest technology. Over the past five years, this partnership has served more than 40 percent of food manufacturers in Iowa, resulting in more than 1,800 jobs added or retained and creating a financial impact of more than $300 million to Iowa's economy. At the MEP meeting, ISU was noted as having worked with a higher percentage of its stateís food manufacturers and having the highest number of projects with food companies in the nation in recent years.
Iowa Concern: Serving Iowans in Crisis for 30 Years
Iowa Concern, administered by ISU Extension and Outreach, originated during a statewide farm crisis 30 years ago. Iowans can call counselors 24 hours a day, seven days a week to discuss tough issues facing their communities, their families or themselves. It has served the stateís citizens through numerous crises including the Great Floods of 1993, the Missouri River floods of 2008, drought, the H1N1 crisis and the current avian flu crisis. It has grown to include stress counselors, a website and live chat features. However, as Iowa Concern marks its 30th anniversary, its main goal remains the same: to assist Iowans in distress and explain options.
Around the College
Memorial Service for Dairy Nutritionist to be Held June 26
A memorial service for distinguished professor emeritus Norman Jacobson will begin at 11 a.m. on Friday, June 26, at Collegiate Presbyterian Church, 159 Sheldon Ave. Jacobson, 96, passed away on May 14 in Eugene, Oregon. He retired from Iowa State in 1989 after serving in two departments, animal science and food science and human nutrition; and as both an associate dean and dean in the graduate college. Lance Baumgard, animal science, holds the Jacobson Endowed Professorship. More
CALS Staff Receive National Awards from ACE in Communications, Marketing
CALS communication efforts and initiatives were honored with top awards this month during the Association for Communications Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Life and Human Sciences annual conference in Charleston. CALS was presented five awards:
- Lynn Laws, sociology and CALS Communications, received the Gold Award for publishingótechnical publications for the "Resilient Agriculture" magazine of the USDA-CAP climate/corn systems grant.
- Melea Licht, CALS Communications, received the Silver Award for publishingómagazines and periodicals for "STORIES in Agriculture and Life Sciences," the college's alumni magazine.
- Barb McBreen, CALS Communications, received the Gold Award for posters for the George Washington Carver exterior banners on Curtiss Hall.
- McBreen also received the Bronze Award for informational or noncredit educational video production for the George Washington Carver Life and Legacy Celebration video.
- Haley Cook and Melea Licht, CALS Communications, and Andy Zehr, CALS Student Services, received the Bronze Award for promotional writing for an invitation to the Curtiss League, the college's young alumni program.
CALS Staff Receive National Awards from NAADA in Communications, Marketing
CALS communication efforts and initiatives were honored at the National Agriculture Alumni and Development Association annual conference in College Station, Texas. CALS was presented three awards by NAADA:
- Haley Cook and Melea Licht, CALS Communications, and Andy Zehr, CALS Student Services, received first place in the society programming division for Curtiss League.
- Cook, Licht and Zehr received first place in the multimedia and promotional materials division for specialty items with the Curtiss League "foam-fingers" provided to guests of the CALS Growing Leaders Women's Basketball event in January.
- Licht received first place for "STORIES in Agriculture and Life Sciences" magazine in the print media division for magazine produced by college or outside agency.
Funding Opportunities
KSU Accepting Sustainable Intensification Concept Notes
As the Management Entity for the USAID Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Sustainable Intensification, Kansas State University is accepting concept notes for research sub-awards supporting Sustainable Intensification in West Africa, East Africa and Asia. Six to eight projects will be funded in the range of $750,000 to $1 million each. Concept notes are due July 26.
NSF Vizzies - Visualization Challenge
The Vizzies aim to recognize some of the most beautiful visualizations from the worlds of science and engineering.†The challenge is cosponsored by the National Science Foundation and the journal Popular Science. Participants can submit entries in five categories: photography, video, illustration, posters and graphics, and interactive.†Each category will award The Expertsí Choice prize of $2,500, and a Peopleís Choice prize of $500.†Entries are due Sept. 15.
Office of VPR Maintains List of Limited Submission Funding Opportunities
The ISU Office of the Vice President for Research coordinates internal selection of applicants for funding opportunities with limited submission requirements. Information about the internal competition process and a year-round list of limited submission funding opportunities can be found on the VPR website.
DARPA Proposers Day Event Scheduled for July 21-22
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Defense Sciences Office is sponsoring a Proposers Day event to provide information to potential proposers on the objectives of an anticipated DSO Office-wide Broad Agency Announcement. The event will be held on July 21-22 at the DARPA Conference Center in Arlington, Va. A live webcast will be broadcast for participants to connect remotely. Registration is mandatory for every individual intending to view the webcast. Refer to DARPA-SN-15-41 Defense Sciences Office Proposers Day on the Federal Business Opportunities website for registration information. More
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.
June 30 (executive summary): U.S.-Israel BIRD Energy; up to $1 million per award, 100 percent cost share. More
July 15 (pre-proposal): Burroughs Wellcome Fund Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease; $500,000 over five years, contact ISU Foundation (cfr@foundation.iastate.edu). More
July 16: DOE Joint Genome Institute DNA Synthesis Community Science Program.
July 17 (concept paper): USAID and UK DFID - New Alliance ICT Extension Challenge Fund Country Award in Mozambique; information and communications technology, $1.7 million over three years. More
July 23 (pre-proposal): National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Acres for America; 1:1 match, June 25 webinar. More
July 27: USDA Rural Cooperative Development Grant Program; up to $200,000, 25 percent match. More
July 31 (pre-proposal): Dairy Research Institute Listeria Consortium Research.
Aug. 1 (letter of intent): McKnight Foundation Mississippi River Program; $25,000 to $225,000, contact ISU Foundation (cfr@foundation.iastate.edu) with interest. More
Aug. 3: U.S. 2016-17 Fulbright Scholar Program Core Competition.
Sept. 1: Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America Foundation Research Starter Grants; $100,000, contact ISU Foundation (cfr@foundation.iastate.edu).
Sept. 15: Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Sloan Research Fellowships; $50,000 for two years, three applications per department, contact department chair with interest. More
Communications Kiosk
Four Questions to Ask Before Launching a New Platform
Jonathan Gabriel, senior communications specialist at the University of Central Floridaís College of Business Administration, asks three questions before launching a new social media platform:
- Do we have the time/bandwidth for creating content for a new platform?
- Does this new tool help me achieve our broader institutional goals?
- Has it attracted a significant portion of our target audience?
Dana Howard, social media manager at Murray State University in Kentucky, also asks how her audience would view her institution on the new platform. In an article for the June 2015 issue of BriefCASE, published by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, Howard says she has nixed platforms because students "don't want us there."
Infograzing
Farm House Museum Hosts Old Fashioned 4th of July
University Museums is hosting an old fashioned 4th of July celebration at the Farm House Museum on July 4, noon to 4 p.m. The Onion Creek Cloggers and Band will perform from 1:30 to 3 p.m. The Gilbert Tractor Club will be showing historic tractors and balers. At 2 p.m. a time capsule created in the early days of the Farm House as a museum will be opened. The Farm House is 155 years old and was the first building on the ISU campus. The event is free and open to the public and the Farm House Museum will be available for touring.
Marginalia
CALS Faculty and Staff Positively Influence Studentsí Sense of Belonging
The ISU Office of Multicultural Student Affairs asked students this spring to share experiences related to their sense of belonging at Iowa State. As part of the survey, CALS faculty and staff members identified as positively influencing their sense of belonging include:
- Theressa Cooper, CALS Administration
- Elizabeth Foreman, CALS Administration
- Andrew Zehr, CALS Administration
- Lee Burras, Agronomy
- Samuel Rathke, Agronomy
- Gretchen Zdorkowski, Agronomy
- Nancy Boury, Animal Science
- Joan Cunnick, Animal Science
- Matthew Ellinwood, Animal Science
- Cheryl Morris, Animal Science
- Kelly Schulz, Animal Science
- Curtis Youngs, Animal Science
- Terry Alexander, Economics
- Sonya Huffman, Economics
- Aubrey Mendonca, Food Science and Human Nutrition
- Kevin Schalinske, Food Science and Human Nutrition
- Jeffrey Essner, Genetics, Development and Cell Biology
- Steven Rodermel, Genetics, Development and Cell Biology
- Barbara Clawson, Horticulture
- Dorothy Masinde, Horticulture
- Marti Steelman, Natural Resources Ecology and Management
- Cassandra Nunez, Natural Resources Ecology and Management
- Richard Schultz, Natural Resources Ecology and Management
- Claudia Lemper, Plant Pathology and Microbiology
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
Julie Stewart, Editor
jstewart@iastate.edu, (515) 294-5616
https://www.cals.iastate.edu/news/agonline
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online, the newsletter for faculty and staff in Iowa State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is published by email every Monday. The deadline for submitting content is 12 p.m. on Friday.