College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
March 21, 2016 – No. 892
Top Stories
Munkvold Co-Editor of New Corn Disease Compendium
Gary Munkvold, plant pathology and microbiology, is co-editor of the fourth edition of the Compendium of Corn Diseases, just released by the American Phytopathological Society. It includes more than 300 color images, peer-reviewed management recommendations and diagnostic advice for nearly 90 diseases and disorders of corn found in the field and in storage. The compendium is one of APS’ bestselling titles of all time.
CALS Student Panel Featured at Cultural Competency Seminar, March 29
The next CALS Cultural Competency Seminar will be held March 29, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in 368A Heady Hall. Students will speak from their personal experiences to topics from previous seminars, including race, power, privilege, bias and microaggression. Please RSVP by noon on Wednesday, March 23, to Theressa Cooper, tncooper@iastate.edu. Lunch will be served.
CALS Cultural Competency Seminar Series Available Online
Video of previous seminars are available online: Microagression, Macroaggression and Bias, Jan. 29, and Power and Privilege, Part II, March 1.
Research
EEOB Researcher Contributes to International Project on Climate Change
Methane and nitrous oxide emissions that result from human activity make the terrestrial biosphere a net contributor of greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new study published in "Nature." Chaoqun Lu, ecology, evolution and organismal biology, is co-author of the study and one of 23 scientists that contributed to the international project. More
Researchers Studying Corn Yield after Planting Cover Crop Rye
Alison Robertson, plant pathology and microbiology, leads a team of researchers at ISU in investigating why there may be an occasional decrease in corn yield after planting winter rye as a cover crop. The project is funded by the Iowa Nutrient Research Center. More
2016 ISU Animal Industry Report Available Online
The 2016 ISU Animal Industry Report, developed by the animal science department, is now available online. The report features animal agriculture-related research that was supported by the Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station. More
Teaching and Students
Poultry Interest Group Hosts Spring Egg Hunt, March 23
The ISU Block and Bridle Poultry Interest Group is hosting the sixth annual Spring Egg Hunt on March 23 in the Lagomarcino Courtyard. Check in for children 2 to 12 is at 5:30 p.m. with the hunt beginning at 6 p.m. Additional activities include egg dying and decorating, and spring-themed coloring. More
Registration Deadline for Stupka Symposium, April 4
The 11th annual Stupka Symposium will be held April 7. The event is organized and run by undergraduate students in biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology, and designed to encourage the interaction between students and faculty over research topics in biological and chemical sciences. Registration deadline is April 4. More
FSHN Students Receive First Place in Pork Producers Competition
Four students from the Department of Food Science and Human nutrition received first place in the annual Student Taste of Elegance competition hosted by the Iowa Pork Producers Association. Sam Wiesenfeld, senior in culinary science; Toluwani Awokoya, freshman in nutritional science; Brian Klopf, senior in food science; and Casey Halder, senior in culinary science, competed against 13 teams, five of which were from culinary schools. More
Extension and Outreach
Farm Poll Shows Farmers Taking Steps to Improve Soil Health
Farmers’ perspectives on soil health was a focus of the 2015 Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll. “Understanding what farmers know and think about soil health can help guide the development of research and extension programs on the topic,” said J. Gordon Arbuckle Jr., sociology and co-director of the Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll.
Around the College
ABE Graduate Program Ranked Number Two Nationally
ISU's agricultural and biosystems engineering program is ranked number two in U.S. News and World Report's national graduate school rankings released March 16. More
CALS Staff Receive CYtation Awards
Fifteen individuals and five teams from across the ISU community were presented with Professional and Scientific Council CYtation Awards on March 10. Below are the honorees from CALS.
- Tamara Martin, program assistant, Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods
- Virgil Schmitt, extension field specialist in agriculture
- Lesa Vold, communications specialist, Egg Industry Center
- Iowa Learning Farms/Water Rocks! Team – Carol Brown, communications specialist, Leopold Center; Jacqueline Comito, program director, agricultural and biosystems engineering; Matt Helmers, professor, ABE; Elizabeth Juchems, extension program specialist, ABE; Ann Staudt, program coordinator, ABE; and Nathan Stevenson, extension program specialist, ABE.
Nominations for Gamma Sigma Delta due March 30
The Iowa Beta Chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the honor society of agriculture, will hold its annual initiation and awards ceremony on April 21, 5 p.m. in the Dolezal Auditorium, 127 Curtiss Hall. A reception will be held in the Harl Commons immediately following the ceremony. Nominations are due March 30 by 5 p.m. For more information contact Ryan Anderson, GSD president (randrsn@iastate.edu), Don Beitz, awards committee chair (dcbeitz@iastate.edu); or Barb Clawson, membership committee chair (bclawson@iastate.edu).
Lamont: Mentoring for Success
Sue Lamont, animal science, was recognized by CALS with its 2016 Diversity Enhancement Award. Learn more about Lamont’s career at ISU and her involvement as a STEM mentor and advisor, in an article by Allie Rossman, student intern for the CALS Communications Service. More
Calendar
April 6: Beal Lecture
The Beal Lecture in Rural Sociology will be April 6 at 7 p.m. in the Dolezal Auditorium, 127 Curtiss Hall. Linda Labao, professor of rural sociology at The Ohio State University, will present “The Geography of Inequality: Local Governments and Community Well-Being across America.” More
April 8-9: Economic Theory Conference
The Economics Department is hosting Global Games in Ames, a conference in economic theory, on April 8-9 in 368A Heady Hall. Global Games is an approach to using economic theory to make predictions in collective action problems. For more detailed information or to register, contact econadmin@iastate.edu by March 23.
April 20-22: Egg Industry Issues Forum
ISU’s Egg Industry Center will hold its 2016 Egg Industry Issues Forum on April 20-21 in Chicago. Presentations include a global protein update, lessons learned from moving an industry to cage-free production and considerations in building the facilities of the future. More
Funding Opportunities
Proposals for Animal and Plant Phenomics and Microbiomes
The National Science Foundation and the USDA National Institute for Food and Agriculture have established a joint funding opportunity to support the development of transformative plant and animal phenomics and microbiome technologies. This joint activity is soliciting Early Concept Grants for Exploratory Research proposals to support development of innovative approaches for phenotyping and microbiome characterizations, and for elucidating the role of microbiomes in plants and animals. Awards will be up to $300,000 total for two years. Proposals are due May 12. More
FY2017 Regents Innovation Fund Grants Competition
The Office of Economic Development and Industry Relations is accepting applications for grants designed to expand the commercialization of ISU technology. The program is supported by an Iowa economic development appropriation to the Board of Regents. Phase II proposals for projects funded during FY2015 or FY2016 are due May 31. Phase I applications will be accepted and reviewed on an ad hoc basis beginning in August 2016. One-to-one matching is required. Proposals should be submitted to industry@iastate.edu by May 31. Contact: Kris Johansen (kajohans@iastate.edu)
NAS Webinar: Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research
The National Academy of Sciences will host a webinar featuring Sally Rockey, executive director of the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research. Rockey will discuss the FFAR’s programs and how its mission advances government-university-industry collaborations in the food and agriculture sector. The webinar is scheduled for noon on March 24. More
Workshop: NSF SBIR/STTR Phase 1 Proposal Writing Workshop
The National Science Foundation, Iowa Innovation Corporation and ISU Office of Economic Development and Industry Relations are hosting an NSF SBIR/STTR Phase 1 proposal writing workshop on March 28, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the ISU Research Park. Registration is free and lunch is included. More
RFI: USAID in Peru Securing Water Supply in the Context of Climate Change
The U.S. Agency for International Development - Peru has issued a request for information regarding a potential project that will address water security in the context of climate change adaptation. The purpose of the project would be to secure water supply for urban populations, agriculture and other productive sectors that are vulnerable to climate change impacts to Andean hydrology. Responses are due March 28. 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.
Apr. 4 (internal expression of interest): NIH Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (R25); one application per institution, submit expression of interest to fundingopps@iastate.edu. More
Apr. 8 (letter of intent): NIH Antimicrobial Use and Resistance Data Collection (U01); animal agriculture. More
Apr. 11 (internal competition pre-proposal): The Conservation, Food and Health Foundation; $25,000, one application per institution, contact Sue Shipitalo (sueship@iastate.edu).
May 1 (applications accepted quarterly): The McKnight Foundation Mississippi River Program; contact ISU Foundation (cfr@foundation.iastate.edu).
May 2 (letter of intent): NASA ROSES Applied Sciences – Water Resources; $275,000 to $550,000. More
May 9: EPA Environmental Education Training Program; $6,525,000 over three years, one submission per institution, contact Sue Shipitalo (sueship@iastate.edu) to express interest. More
May 10: USDA NRCS Conservation Innovation Grants 2016; water quality and conservation finance, $2 million, 1:1 match, must involve EQIP-eligible producers. More
May 12: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Local Food Promotion Program; $25,000 to $500,000, 25 percent match. More
May 12: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program; normal range - $25,000 to $135,000, 1:1 match. More
June 5: NIH Advancing Mechanistic Probiotic/Prebiotic and Human Microbiome Research (R01). More
June 6: NSF-USDA Plant-Biotic Interactions, typically $50,000 to $300,000 per year for two to four years. More
June 29: NSF Trans-Atlantic Platform Digging into Data; up to $200,000. More
Communications Kiosk
Entries for ISU Alumni Calendar of Events due April 1
Entries for the 2016-2017 ISU Alumni Calendar of Events are due to Angie Schaper (aschaper@iastate.edu) by April 1. The alumni calendar covers a wide range of campus activities taking place between Aug. 1, 2016 and July 31, 2017.
Infograzing
Workshop on Writing NSF CAREER Grant Applications, March 29
Recent National Science Foundation CAREER grant awardees will talk about their experiences in developing their proposals in a workshop scheduled for March 29, 9:30 a.m. in the Kildee Hall Ensminger Room. Speakers, including Yehua Li, statistics, and Maria Salas-Fernandez, agronomy, will discuss their plans for broader impacts, evaluation and other requirements of the CAREER program. Registration
Student AMS Chapter to Host Science Fair
ISU’s student chapter of the American Meteorological Society will host its second annual Science Fair on April 9 in the Molecular Biology Building. First through fifth graders may submit a presentation or poster. Projects do not have to be weather-related.
Harrisvaccines Receives Leader Award
Harrisvaccines, founded in 2005 by Hank Harris, professor emeritus of animal science, received one of 11 Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Leader Awards for its progress, innovative solutions and commitment to serving Iowa communities through collaboration and hard work. More
Marginalia
Ag Communications Video: Five Generations of Farming
Nate Lenz, senior in agricultural education and studies, produced a film titled “Lenz Farms: Five Generations in the Making” for an agricultural communications class. His film starts with an ancestor who emigrated from Poland in 1865. Following graduation, Lenz, a first-generation college student from Kellogg, plans to return to what he loves most – farming with his father. More
Ag Communications Video: This Is Where I Come From
Alex Heckman, senior in agricultural systems technology, produced a film titled “This Is Where I Come From” for an agricultural communications class. His parents were not full-time farmers and the video explains how his family has balanced farming while working full-time jobs. Heckman has accepted a position as a rotational engineer with HNI Corporation and will continue the tradition of also working on the family farm. More
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.