COLLEGE NEWS
- Full day of events for ISU's Ag Day, March 23
- Extension's commodity leaders forum April 6
- Deadline nears for Leopold Center conference proposals
- Deadlines & Reminders
SPRING BREAK
- A sampling of spring break in the college
- Ruins and rain forests in Central America
- Life under the sea near Honduras
- Mexican agriculture and a library gift
- Coffee, sugar and volcanoes in Costa Rica
- Agriculture and forestry in Yucatan
- Corn genetics in Wisconsin
- Gulf Coast biology tour
MARGINALIA
- Careers in agriculture -- fun jobs!
C O L L E G E N E W S
FULL DAY OF EVENTS FOR ISU'S AG DAY, MARCH 23
Ag Day at ISU is Monday, March 23. A barbecue starts at noon west
of Kildee Hall. The cost is $2 for agriculture faculty, staff
and students (bring fee card and ID). During the meal, WHO radio
will broadcast and the student-nominated 1998 Ag Man and Woman
of the Year will be announced. In the afternoon, the Novartis
Tech Van Tour, a showcase of new ag products and technology, will
be set up outside Kildee. At 5 p.m., there will be a tour of the
Kildee-Meat Lab expansion. A panel discussion on ag careers with
agribusiness representatives will begin at 6 p.m. in 2050 Agronomy.
At 8 p.m., a best butts contest will be held at Hunky Dory's.
The $3 cover charge will benefit Farm Safety for Just Kids.
EXTENSION'S COMMODITY LEADERS FORUM APRIL 6
The Iowa members of the National Association of County Agricultural
Agents and the ISU Extension to Agriculture and Natural Resources
Program are sponsoring a commodity leaders forum, 4-6:30 p.m.,
April 6, at the Scheman Building. The purpose is to discuss with
commodity leaders areas of mutual cooperation and concern; introduce
Gerald Miller, the new associate dean of extension; and help extension
staff better understand the goals and programs of commodity and
farm organizations. For more information: Julie Honeick, 4-7801.
DEADLINE NEARS FOR LEOPOLD CONFERENCE PROPOSALS
The deadline is March 27 for second-quarter proposals for the
Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture's Conference and Workshop
Support Program. For more information: Rich Pirog, 4-1854 or rspirog@iastate.edu.
Check the web page: www.leopold.iastate.edu
DEADLINES & REMINDERS
March 24: Presentation Skills: Preparing Students to Be Effective
Presenters, AgComm workshop, 8 Curtiss, 4-0896.
March 27: Deadline, Leopold Center conference and workshop support
proposals, 4-1854.
March 30: Animal Agriculture Career Day at ISU, 4-7235.
April 2-4: MANRRS National Conference, Des Moines and Ames, 4-8574.
April 17: Preregistration deadline, Is It Ethical to Increase
World Food Production - Bioethics Symposium on April 25, 4-0343.
S P R I N G B R E A K
A SAMPLING OF SPRING BREAK IN THE COLLEGE
The following items detail some spring break activities of faculty,
staff and students in the College of Agriculture.
RUINS AND RAIN FORESTS IN CENTRAL AMERICA
Professor Bill Franklin and animal ecology students are in central
America for an honors course in tropical and coral reef ecology.
The trip provides students with a hands-on experiential learning
environment. They will visit Mayan ruins in Guatemala, hike and
spelunk in the rain forest in Belize and scuba dive at the Cayes.
Students will present seminars during the trip.
LIFE UNDER THE SEA NEAR HONDURAS
Don Sakaguchi and Kathleen Flickinger, zoology and genetics, are
leading 11 undergraduate students on a marine biology field trip
to the Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences, Roatan Island, Honduras.
The students are enrolled in the international field trips in
biology course. They will hear from local experts and have extensive
scuba diving and snorkeling activities in several marine habitats.
Students have been in seminar this semester to prepare for the
trip.
MEXICAN AGRICULTURE AND A LIBRARY GIFT
Greg Miller and Ana Carr, agricultural education and studies,
and 24 students are studying agriculture in the state of Jalisco
in Mexico. They will get acquainted with students and programs
at the University of Guadalajara's College of Agriculture. The
ISU study-abroad students are bringing almost 300 documents to
donate to the college's library.
COFFEE, SUGAR AND VOLCANOES IN COSTA RICA
Russ Mullen, agronomy, William Edwards, economics, and Lisa Breja,
agricultural education and studies, are in Costa Rica with 36
students as part of a study-abroad course on agricultural production
and marketing in the Central American country. The students will
learn about the country's history, culture, geography and economy;
observe tropical agriculture production and marketing; study ecological
variability; and learn about the role of agricultural trade and
international business. They will visit ornamental, coffee and
sugar farms and processors, a farmers' market and an active volcano.
They'll meet with ISU alumni at the University of Costa Rica.
AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY IN YUCATAN
Patricia Negreros-Castillo, forestry, is leading an agroforestry
study-abroad program in which six students will spend time with
farm families in Yucatan and visit a research station.
CORN GENETICS IN WISCONSIN
Students and researchers in the lab of Phil Becraft, zoology and
genetics, are attending the 40th annual Maize Genetics Conference,
Lake Geneva, WI.
GULF COAST BIOLOGY TOUR
The Biology, Zoology and Genetics Club is touring the Gulf Coast
Research Station, Ocean Springs, MS. They'll also visit other
sites of interest to biologists in New Orleans and Memphis.
M A R G I N A L I A
CAREERS IN AGRICULTURE -- FUN JOBS!
For National Agriculture Week, March 15-21, Texas A&M University
set up a web site on "Careers in Agriculture -- Fun Jobs!"
The site, geared to K-12 students, includes video clips, games,
quizzes and information on agricultural careers.