College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
Oct. 12, 2015 – No. 871
Top Stories
2015 World Food Prize Focuses on Fundamentals of Global Food Security
The 2015 World Food Prize Borlaug Dialogue, Oct. 14-16 in Des Moines, will gather international leaders, experts and scientists for Borlaug 101, a three-day “course” on the fundamentals of global food security. Events related to the World Food Prize taking place on campus or involving ISU faculty and staff are listed below. An agenda and list of side events are available at the World Food Prize website.
World Food Prize: Sir Fazle Hasan Abed Presents Borlaug Lecture, Oct. 12
Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, the 2015 World Food Prize Laureate and founder and chairperson of BRAC, the world’s largest anti-poverty organization, will present the Norman Borlaug Lecture on Monday, Oct. 12, at 8 p.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall. A reception and student poster display will precede the lecture from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Memorial Union South Ballroom. Posters will address world food issues and are submitted by undergraduate and graduate students. More
World Food Prize: Iowa Hunger Summit, Oct. 13
The ninth annual Iowa Hunger Summit will be held at the downtown Des Moines Marriott on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Liesl Eathington, economics, is part of a panel discussion on the state of hunger in Iowa. More
World Food Prize: Global Education Consortium, Oct. 14
The One Agriculture-One Science Global Education Consortium will be held Wednesday, Oct. 14, 11:45 a.m. to 12:55 p.m. at the Des Moines Marriott. Manjit Misra, director of the Seed Science Center, and Guntuku Dileepkumar, global program leader of the Seed Science Center will be speaking. More
World Food Prize: CALS Alum and U.S. State Department Official to Present NREM Seminar, Oct. 14
Marcella Szymanski, Deputy Director for Agricultural Policy, U.S. Department of State, will present an NREM seminar, “OMG, It’s a GMO: The Intersection of Policy, Science, Food Security and Trade.” The seminar is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 14, from 1:10 to 2:10 p.m. in Room 233 Science II. Szymanski works on trade policy, food security and development issues related to agricultural biotechnology with a regional focus on South and Central America. She received her Ph.D. degree in forest economics from ISU.
World Food Prize: Wageningen President to Speak at Agronomy Seminar, Oct. 15
Louise Fresco, president of Wageningen University and Research in The Netherlands, will present “Hamburgers in Paradise: Food and Agriculture in the 21st Century” on Thursday, Oct. 15, at noon in 1951 Food Sciences Building. A former United Nations director, contributor to think tanks and an advisor to academies in Europe and the U.S., Fresco speaks on how social unrest is made worse by hunger, poverty, environmental problems and modernization. The lecture is co-sponsored by the Department of Agronomy, CALS, the World Food Prize Foundation and the Committee on Lectures.
Research
Agronomist Explores Genetics of Hybrid Sorghum Plants
Jianming Yu, associate professor of agronomy and the Pioneer Distinguished Chair in Maize Breeding, has helped uncover the genetic mechanisms in sorghum plants that allow hybrids to perform better than parent varieties, a process known as heterosis. More
Monarch Conservation Consortium’s Beginning Marked by Collaborations
Collaborations marked efforts to increase the number of monarch butterflies as the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium got underway this year. The consortium was created in March by farmer, rancher and conservation organizations, state agencies, companies and Iowa State to enhance monarch butterfly reproduction through collaborative and coordinated efforts. More
Teaching and Students
Research by Graduate Students on USDA-CAP Project Summarized in New Booklet
Summaries of research on The Sustainable Corn research projects conducted by graduate students and post-doctoral students at ISU and participating universities, are available online. Prepared for a poster symposium in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 15-16, the booklet contains 31 research summaries describing the work of the next generation of climate and agriculture scientists involved with the Cropping Systems Coordinated Agricultural Project, commonly known as the Sustainable Corn Project. Lois Wright Morton, sociology, is director of the $20 million USDA NIFA-funded research project, involving 10 Midwestern land-grant universities and a USDA agricultural research station. More
CALS Students Honored with Fred Foreman Scholarship
Sixty student leaders in CALS have been honored for receiving the CALS Fred Foreman Scholarship for Growth in Leadership Participation. The Foreman Scholarship is awarded to top students who serve the college through leadership roles as peer mentors, club officers and competitive teams with a preference for students in activities that assist in recruiting prospective students. More
CALS Students Share Stories through Video
Students in an advanced communications class in CALS were asked to produce a video about their relationship with agriculture. Slade Faris, who graduated in May with an agricultural studies degree, shared this story. More
Bacon Lovers Leave Expo Satisfied
More than 1,000 attended the third annual ISU Bacon Expo on Saturday. The sold-out event offered a selection of bacon from 16 vendors including bacon gelato, corn cobb smoked bacon and chocolate-dipped bacon. In an article for the Oct. 10 issue of the Ames Tribune, Lexi Marek, junior in public service and administration in agriculture and one of the event’s chairs, said, “Bacon Expo is all about promoting the Iowa pork industry. Come for the bacon and leave educated.”
Video: Jennifer Elliott Shares CALS Week Experience
Jennifer Elliott, senior in agricultural and life sciences education and president of CALS Student Council, shares her experience on video with CALS Week, held Oct. 5-9. The student-organized event included free lunches, games, packaging meals for the hungry and a concert. More
CALS Week: Block and Bridle Hunger Fight Prepares 100,000 Meals
More than 600 students volunteered at the Block and Bridle club’s annual Hunger Fight held Oct. 7. More than 100,000 meals containing rice, vitamins and dried vegetables were packaged. The club teamed up with Meals for the Heartland for the project, an organization that will ship the meals across the globe.
Extension and Outreach
Animal Science Hosts 4-H Beef Blast
The Department of Animal Science hosted 4-H members from Tama County on Sept. 30 for a day-long beef nutrition program. Dan Loy, professor and director of the Iowa Beef Center, taught students about feeding and ration formulation at the beef teaching farm. Jon DeClerck, lecturer and team coach for livestock judging, taught the basics of judging and how to determine finish in a beef animal at the Zumwalt Station beef farm. Patrick Gunn, assistant professor, and Erika Lundy, extension program specialist, taught the basics of ruminant anatomy. More
Save the Date – Soil Health Conference, Feb. 2-3
ISU Extension and Outreach and USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service are hosting a Soil Health Conference on Feb. 2-3, 2016, at the Scheman Building. The goal of the conference is to increase awareness and understanding of soil health as pivotal to sustainable agriculture and environmental quality in Iowa and the Midwest. Early registration is now open. More
Around the College
CALS ADVANCE Offering Assistance to Attend “Way Up” Conference
The CALS ADVANCE program is offering to reimburse the cost of early registration (prior to Oct. 24) and one night’s hotel room for CALS faculty to attend the Way Up conference, Nov. 5-6 in Des Moines. This year’s theme is Inspiring Excellence for Women in Higher Education. More
CALS Diversity Programs Continues Cultural Competency Series, Oct. 19
The CALS Office for Diversity Programs is hosting a series of discussions to examine the dynamics of race, bias, inclusivity and privilege in higher education through the lens of cultural competency. The second Cultural Competency Lunch and Learn will be Oct. 19, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the John Deere Classroom, 13 Curtiss Hall. Robin Kelley, ISU’s director of the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX Coordinator, will facilitate a discussion on bias. The discussion will focus on building awareness, understanding and empathy. Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP by noon on Wednesday, Oct. 14, to Theressa Cooper, assistant dean for diversity, tncooper@iastate.edu.
United Way Update: CALS at 61 Percent of Goal
Several CALS sponsored events took place last week to raise money for the 2015 ISU/United Way Campaign. The bake sale raised $359, the pizza sale raised $175 and the auction raised $1,886. CALS has raised $41,666 to date, 61 percent of its goal.
Calendar
Oct. 20: Agriculture and Life Sciences Career Day
The college’s Agriculture and Life Sciences Career Day is scheduled for Oct 20, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lied Recreation Athletic Center. More
Oct. 23: Feed Efficiency Symposium Speakers at ISU
Several researchers speaking at the Feed Efficiency Symposium in Omaha on Oct. 20-22 will continue on to ISU for a workshop on Oct. 23, 8:30 a.m. to noon in the Iowa Farm Bureau Pavilion in Kildee Hall. Speakers include Haja Kadarmideen, professor and group leader of animal breeding, quantitative genetics and systems biology at the University of Copehnagen in Denmark; Wendy Rauw, INIA in Spain; Susanne Hermesch University of New England in Australia; and Helene Gilbert, French National Institute for Agricultural Research.
Oct. 28: Retirement Reception for Laura Miller
A retirement reception for Laura Miller will be held on Oct. 28, 4:30 to 6 p.m. in the Curtiss Hall Harl Commons. Miller has been at ISU for 25 years, including 17 as communications specialist for the Leopold Center.
Funding Opportunities
National Pork Board Requests for Proposals
The National Pork Board has issued two requests for proposals: a General Call 2016 and a joint call by NPB’s Swine Health Committee and the Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Disease at Kansas State University. Proposals submitted to the joint call must include a collaborator affiliated with Kansas State University. Proposals are due Nov. 17. More
USAID Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research Program Annual Solicitation
The USAID Partnerships for Enhanced Engagement in Research program invites scientists in developing countries to apply for competitive grants to support research and capacity-building activities. PEER applicants are required to partner with a U.S.-based researcher supported by one of the following U.S. government agencies: NASA, NIH, NOAA, NSF, Smithsonian Institution, USDA or USGS. The role of the U.S. partner is to provide complementary expertise and skills to the PEER project. Areas of interest include climate change, renewable energy, infectious disease and other topics. The PEER program is implemented by the National Academy of Sciences. Pre-proposals are due Jan. 15. More
Grants Hub Workshop: Budget Development, Oct. 20
Registration is now open for the Grants Hub Series Workshop on Budget Development. Participants are asked to bring a laptop or tablet to learn about basic components and budget categories during this hands-on session. The workshop will be held in the Memorial Union Pioneer Room on Oct. 20 from 10 to 11 a.m.
NIAID Announces Concepts for Potential Opportunities
NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has announced concepts for potential opportunities representing early planning stages for initiatives. Concepts announced in September are available for Division of AIDS; Division of Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation; and Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. More
Reminder: New NIH Biosketch Requirements
The National Institutes of Health reminds investigators of the new biosketch format to be used for applications submitted to NIH and to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality after May 25, 2015. One of the changes is a page limit increase from four to five pages. The Science Experts Network Curriculum Vitae, which serves as an interagency system designed to create biosketches for multiple federal agencies, will be updated by the end of December to support the new biosketch format and to address some issues found in testing. More
Cayuse 424 Training Webinars in October
The Cayuse 424 product support team has scheduled training webinars for October. Topics include getting started, budgeting FAQs and subawards. The webinars are sent to everyone who registers, which allows access at a later date for individuals who cannot participate at the stated times. More
Funding Information, Opportunities and Deadline Reminders
Dates listed are application deadlines. Contact: Roxanne Clemens, rclemens@iastate.edu. Additional information is posted at CALS Pre-Award Resources.
Nov. 3 (pre-application): DOE Atmospheric System Research Program; $50,000 to $300,000 per year. More
Nov. 16 (step-1 proposal): NASA NSPIRES USAID SERVIR Applied Sciences Team; $600,000 over three years. More
Dec. 1 (concept paper): Gerber Foundation Pediatric Research Awards; $350,000 over three years, contact ISU Foundation (cfr@foundation.iastate.edu) to express interest.
Dec. 1 (letter of intent): McKnight Foundation – 2016 Technological Innovation in Neuroscience; $200,000, contact ISU Foundation (cfr@foundation.iastate.edu) to express interest.
Dec. 1: Smithsonian Environmental Research Center Fellowships; research-in-residence for senior scholars, post-docs, pre-docs and graduate students.
Dec. 8: EPA 13th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet; $15,000 Phase I, $75,000 Phase II.
Dec. 16: USDA NIFA Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive; universities eligible as partners.
Jan. 25: NIH Animal and Biological Material Resource Centers (P40). More
Feb. 5: NIH Translational Research to Improve Diabetes and Obesity Outcomes (R01). More
Sept. 30, 2016 (concept papers accepted anytime up to deadline): DOE ARPA-E Innovative Development in Energy-Related Applied Sciences; $500,000 for one year. More
Communications Kiosk
Punctuation Guide – Colon
The most frequent use of a colon is at the end of a sentence to introduce lists, tabulations and texts. Capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence. For example, “He promised this: The company will make good all the losses.” But: “There were three considerations: expense, time and feasibility.” (Associated Press Stylebook, 2014 edition, pg. 289)
Marginalia
New Curtiss Hall Displays Highlight ISU Research Farms and Communications Services
New display cases on the first and third floors of Curtiss Hall highlight the Research and Demonstration Farms and the CALS Communications Service. The research farms display on first floor has a plexi wall map illustrating Iowa’s topographical features and indicating the locations of Iowa State’s research farms throughout the state. The display next to it highlights a sculptured corn plant and information about the farms. The communications service displays on third floor provides information on how to improve your communications skills and highlights covers of the college’s alumni magazine, STORIES.
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.