College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
July 24, 2017
Top Stories
Jo Anne Powell-Coffman: Understanding the Diversity of Life
Jo Anne Powell-Coffman is chair of the Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology. The department, co-administered by CALS and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, excels in biological discovery and making it relevant to undergraduate and graduate education. “With the incredible amount of data we’re able to generate, we now have the ability to analyze and truly begin to understand the diversity of life,” said Powell-Coffman, in a feature article in the latest issue of STORIES. More
Research
ISU Named Partner in Department of Energy Bioenergy Research Center
ISU is a partner institution in a new, $104 million research center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. Led by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the project will study the next generation of plant-based, sustainable, cost-effective biofuels and bioproducts. Members of the Iowa State team include Emily Heaton and Andy Van Loocke, agronomy, and Adina Howe, agricultural and biosystems engineering. More
Entomology Student Tracking Monarch Butterflies
Kelsey Fisher, a doctorate student in entomology, is tracking monarch butterflies to see how they find food. Fisher talks about her research with WHO-TV during the July 18 Agribusiness Report. More
Egg Industry Center Releases Final Results from Two Research Studies
Final results from two research studies funded by the Egg Industry Center are available online. The first is Identifying Genetic Basis for Resistance to Avian Influenza in Commercial Egg Layer Chickens. The second is The Role of Terrestrial Wild Birds, Rodents and Insects in Spreading Avian Influenza Virus to Commercial Layer Operations. More
Teaching and Students
CALS Students Selected for Pork Checkoff Student Social Forces Team
The Pork Checkoff has selected 12 college students to represent the #RealPigFarming Student Social Forces team this year, active from July to December. Three CALS students are part of the team: Brooke Sieren, junior in agricultural business; Edan Lambert, senior in animal science; and Amy Lund, senior in agricultural and life sciences education.
Two ISU Students Look Forward to Working with Swine
Zoe Kiefer (’16 animal science) and Emily Pratt, senior in animal science, participated in a research internship this summer for Reicks View Farms, a fifth generation family farm in northeast Iowa. Their project was to introduce Tonisity PX into the piglets’ diet. Kiefer’s main interest was the research, which she is planning to expand on in her graduate studies. Pratt’s future plan is to become a swine veterinarian. More
CALS Students Reflect on Study Abroad Experiences
Study abroad opportunities this summer included learning about animal and dairy science in the Netherlands, exploring ethical challenges of leadership in Poland and Germany, fruit and vegetable crop production in Germany, global food and agriculture in China, the Dean’s Global Agriculture and Food Leadership Program in Rome and safe and nutritious food in France. CALS students that participated in these programs reflect on their experiences in the July-August 2017 Global Programs newsletter.
Extension and Outreach
Annual Fruit and Vegetable Field Day Set for Aug. 7
ISU’s annual Fruit and Vegetable Field Day, scheduled for Aug. 7, 2 to 6:30 p.m. at the Horticulture Research Station, will feature research and demonstration projects on fruit and vegetable production for commercial growers, extension personnel, nonprofit organizations and master gardeners. More
Muscatine Island Research Farm Field Day Set for Aug. 15
Research on corn, soybeans and vegetables will be featured Aug. 15, 1 to 4 p.m. during a field day at ISU’s Muscatine Island Research and Demonstration Farm. More
Acreage Living Newsletter Provides Security Tips
Safety on an acreage is featured in July’s issue of Acreage Living Newsletter, published by ISU Extension and Outreach. Shawn Shouse, agricultural engineering specialist, said minimizing risk begins with having a plan. More
Around the College
The Importance of Business Succession for Rural Communities
The vitality of rural economies depends as much on maintaining existing small businesses as attracting new ones, said ISU economic and small business experts, including Georgeanne Artz and Peter Orazem, economics. Even though resources are available to assist with business succession, several factors can complicate plans to sell or pass on the business to an heir. More
Calendar
Save the Date: Egg Industry Issues Forum
The Egg Industry Issues Forum will be celebrating its 10-year anniversary on April 16-18, 2018 in Scottsdale, Arizona. More
Funding Opportunities
Limited Submission: USDA NIFA Partnership Awards, Due July 24
The Office of the VPR is accepting expressions of interest for the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Partnership Awards Program. The program recognizes outstanding contributions from a team or individual in support of the NIFA mission. Nominations must be related to projects that have been in place for at least three of the last five calendar years. Nominations are limited to two per institution. Contact Sue Shipitalo (sueship@iastate.edu) by July 24 to express interest.
Procter and Gamble Higher Education Grant Applications, Due Sept. 1
The Procter and Gamble Higher Education Grant Program awards up to $10,000 each for college curriculum programs that prepare students for success in business. Areas of interest include improving curriculum, fostering and enabling leadership, creating learning environments that encourage innovation and creativity, and strengthening diversity. Several ISU programs have received funding through this program, with the greatest success in STEM projects. Applications are limited to two per discipline. Contact Jill Dykoff (jdykhoff@foundation.iastate.edu) or Katie Princehouse (kprince@iastate.edu) at the ISU Foundation for information. The ISU Foundation must receive applications by Sept. 1.
OECD CRP International Research Fellowships Applications, Due Sept. 10
The Co-operative Research Programme of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is accepting applications for research fellowship grants from research scientists working in agriculture, forestry or fisheries. The fellowships are intended to strengthen the international exchange of ideas and increase international mobility and cooperation among scientists working in these areas. Projects should fit one of three research themes: managing natural capital for the future, managing risks in a connected world, or transformational technologies and innovation. Applications are due Sept. 10. More
New FFAR Tipping Points Program, Letters of Intent Due Sept. 13
The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research is accepting applications for the new Tipping Points program. Applications should propose projects for developing and testing existing approaches in conjunction with computational and mathematical approaches to deepen our understanding of the complex relationship between the food system, health and the environment. Teams should include members from local nonprofit organizations already working within the local food system, and members with expertise in behavioral or social sciences as well as in computational and systems modeling. FFAR will award up to $1 million per project for up to four projects. Applicants must provide matching support and can suggest potential partners for matching support to leverage existing resources already being spent in selected communities or regions.
NSF Dear Colleague Letter: Effort to Expand INCLUDES National Network
The National Science Foundation’s Inclusion across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science is one of the foundation’s Ten Big Ideas for Future NSF Investment. NSF is interested in increasing the percentage of women in fields where they are currently underrepresented; enhancing student persistence among underrepresented minority groups; increasing the representation of NSF-funded principal investigators at minority-serving institutions and community colleges; increasing the number of individuals from underrepresented groups in faculty positions that support research and education; and furthering the evidence-based research that illustrates the efficacy of the various approaches to increasing diversity in STEM. NSF welcomes EAGER proposals, conference proposals and supplemental funding requests. All types of requests can be submitted by Nov. 13 and April 16. 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.
Aug. 8 (concept paper): DOE EERE Advanced Manufacturing Graduate-Level Traineeships; $1.25 million to $2.5 million. More
Sept. 10: OECD CRP International Conference Support. More
Sept. 29 (letter of intent): NSF Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation 2018; Chromatin and Epigenetic Engineering. More
Oct. 20: Dear Colleague Letter: NSF/NSFC Joint Research on Environmental Sustainability Challenges; research proposals from joint U.S. - China teams in the environmental sustainability theme of Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy and Water Systems. More
Nov. 15: NSF Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases. More
Dec. 4: NSF Discovery Research K-12. More
Jan. 11: NSF CISE Research Infrastructure. More
Communications Kiosk
Use a Comma with Conjunctions
As a rule of thumb, use a comma with conjunctions if the subject of each clause is expressly stated: We are visiting Washington, and we also plan a side trip to Williamsburg. Do not use a comma when the subject of the two clauses is the same and is not repeated in the second: We are visiting Washington and plan to see the White House. (Associated Press Stylebook, 2016 edition, pg. 418)
Infograzing
NASEM Announces Scientific Opportunities Project
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine have announced Science Breakthroughs 2030: A Strategy for Food and Agricultural Research, a new study to identify ambitious scientific opportunities in food and agriculture made possible by incorporating knowledge and tools from across the science and engineering spectrum. The year-long project will involve the scientific community in describing research directions with high potential to open new frontiers for food and agriculture science. The public is invited to contribute to the Breakthroughs discussions.
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.
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