College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
Nov. 6, 2017
Top Stories
Mellata Featured in National Report on Need for Increased Food, Ag Research Funding
Melha Mellata, food science and human nutrition, outlines efforts to protect the health of the nation’s poultry flocks and, in turn, prevent foodborne illnesses in the nation’s consumers in a new report released by the Supporters of Agricultural Research Foundation. “Retaking the Field – Empowering Agricultural Sciences for Health” explores the success of research projects funded by USDA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative. More
Research
MacDonald, Litchfield Clarify the Consequences of Eating “Clean”
Eating “clean” is all about avoiding foods with additives, preservatives or other chemicals on the label, but Ruth MacDonald and Ruth Litchfield, food science and human nutrition, clarify the consequences in terms of food waste, safety and cost. More
Recent U.S. Patents for Research Awarded to BBMB, ABE Scientists
Guru Rao, associate vice president for research and Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, was recently issued a patent titled “Peptide Domains that Bind Small Molecules.” Matthew Darr and Robert McNaull, agricultural and biosystems engineering, were recently issued a patent titled “Grain Mass Flow Estimation.”
Teaching and Students
CALS Awards 2,250 Scholarships
CALS has awarded more than 2,250 scholarships to students for this academic year. The college and its departments award more than $3 million in scholarships each year. Students interested in applying can find more information and deadlines online. More
CALS Student Council Seeks Nominations for Senior Honors, Including New Diversity Award
The CALS Student Council is seeking nominations to recognize outstanding fall 2017 graduates for their lasting impact at Iowa State. Students can self-nominate or a nomination can be filled out by a peer, advisor or ISU staff member for any of the six awards. New this year is the Commitment to Diversity Award, recognizing a student who has fostered an environment to encourage diversity with CALS and ISU. Online nominations will be accepted until Nov. 19 at 11:59 p.m.
Women’s Leadership Workshop for CALS Graduate Students Nov. 7
The next session in the Women’s Leadership Workshop series for graduate students and post-docs across CALS is scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 7, at 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in 1306 Elings Hall. Rita Mumm, professor emerita at the University of Illinois and principal of GeneMax Services, will present “Preparing to Succeed: Gaining Confidence and Embracing Calculated Risk for Career Advancement.” Please register and indicate if you would be interested in childcare. The workshop series is organized by faculty and graduate students in the department of agronomy, with funding from the department, the CALS Advance program and the vice president of diversity and inclusion.
Holiday Cheer: Block and Bridle Club’s Summer Sausage and Cheese
An online form is available for the Block and Bridle Club’s annual holiday summer sausage and cheese sale. The summer sausage is made on campus in the Meats Laboratory and the cheese (cheddar, Colby jack and pepper jack) is from Bongards Creamery in Minnesota. Money raised will be used for club trips, and shows and scholarships hosted by the club. Contact isussandc@gmail.com with questions.
Holiday Cheer: Hort Club’s Poinsettia Preorders Due Nov. 13
Preorders for the Horticulture Club’s annual poinsettia sale are due Nov. 13. The order form is available online. Retail sales will take place Nov. 29, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Curtiss Hall; Nov. 30, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Beardshear Hall; Dec. 1, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Memorial Union; and Dec. 2, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Reiman Gardens. The poinsettias are grown by club members in the Horticulture Greenhouses. Funds raised will be used for covering club activities, contest expenses and student enrichment.
Holiday Cheer: Forestry Club’s Christmas Trees at Reiman Gardens
The Forestry Club is holding its annual Christmas tree fundraiser at the Reiman Gardens Parking Lot. Trees will be for sale Nov. 25-26, Dec. 1-3 and Dec. 8-10. Hours are Fridays, 3 to 6 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sundays, 12 to 5 p.m. The club will have Fraser fir, balsam fir, and white and Scotch pine, as well as balsam fir wreaths. Proceeds go towards club activities and student development.
Around the College
CALS Alumni Honored at ISU Alumni Association Ceremony
CALS and the ISU Alumni Association presented awards at the annual Honors and Awards Ceremony on Oct. 27. More
- Todd Hall (’82 animal science) received the Floyd Andre Award.
- Gerald Klonglan received the George Washington Carver Distinguished Service Award.
- Catherine Woteki received the Henry A. Wallace Award.
- Dawn Refsell (’01 agronomy, ’03 MS crop production and physiology) received the Outstanding Young Professional Award.
- Kyle Flander (’03 industrial technology) and Claire Masker (’05 animal science and agriculture and life sciences education, ’08 MS agriculture and life sciences education) received the ISUAA James A. Hopson Volunteer Service Award.
Video: Sarah Francis Helps Iowans Choose Healthy
Sarah Francis describes her work with nutrition programs for older adults and underserved audiences in a video produced by the College of Human Sciences. Francis is an associate professor in food science and human nutrition. She also serves as an Iowa State Extension state specialist and promotes both the "Taste of Summer" and "The Life" programs. Both programs serve Iowans with a focus on improving health. More
Shaw, FSHN, One of Faculty Raising Awareness to Bring Change in School District
ISU faculty members are working with Ames students, teachers and administrators to help the school district address academic achievement gaps and other racial disparities – creating a more inclusive environment through research, conservations, training and awareness. ISU faculty members including Angela Shaw, food science and human nutrition, and member of the Ames Youth and School Action Team have also dedicated some of their free time to bring students and teachers of color together to speak before the Ames school board and advocate for change.
Go Fund Me: Help BugGuide, Ag Comm Grow
Two Go Fund Me opportunities are currently underway in CALS. The BugGuide is an online community of naturalists who enjoy learning about and sharing observations of insects and related creatures. The Department of Entomology is raising funds for a new mobile-friendly website, identification recommendations based on artificial intelligence and integration with projects with similar goals. More Enrollment in the agricultural communications program in the Department of Agricultural Education and Studies has increased 43 percent over the past five years. College alumni are raising support to provide undergraduates in this major with professional development opportunities such as Ag Media Summit, industry tours, meetings and conferences. More
Calendar
Nov. 7: Staniforth Memorial Lecture
The 2017 David W. Staniforth Memorial Lecture will be held Tuesday, Nov. 7, at 4:10 p.m. in 2432 Food Sciences. Paul Neve, weed biologist and smart crop protection leader with Rothamsted Research in England, will present “Weed Science: Running to Stand Still?” More
Nov. 8: Bringing Technology to the Marketplace Panel
A panel of Iowa entrepreneurs will share their stories about bringing technology to the marketplace at the Center for Crops Utilization Research and BioCentury Research Farm affiliates meeting on Nov. 8, 1 to 2:30 p.m. in the CCUR Technology Transfer Theatre, 1951 Food Sciences Building. Due to limited seating, RSVP to Karla Long (kylong@iastate.edu) by Nov. 6. More
Nov. 11: Puerto Rican Cultural Night
Puerto Rican Cultural Night is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 11, at 6 p.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall. The event is designed to promote cultural understanding and offer a taste of Puerto Rican traditions in the Midwest, including live music, dancing, ethnic food, a guest speaker and additional activities. CALS is a co-sponsor of the event, which is free and open to the public.
Nov. 15: Leopold Center Listening Session
Calmar, in northeast Iowa, will be the site of the last listening session to help guide the future of the Leopold Center. The listening session, which is free and open to the public, will be held on Nov. 15, at 5:30 p.m. in the Wilder Rooms 104-105 at the Northeast Iowa Community College. More
Research Development Announcements and Funding Opportunities
Internal Competition: NSF Research Traineeship Pre-Proposals Due Nov. 13
The NSF Research Traineeship Program encourages the development and implementation of bold, new and potentially transformative models for STEM graduate education training. FY 2018 proposals are requested in any interdisciplinary research theme of national priority, with special emphasis on two high-priority areas: Harnessing the Data Revolution and Innovations at the Nexus of Food, Energy, and Water Systems. The NRT program addresses both workforce development and institutional capacity building needs in graduate education. Strategic collaborations with non-academic organizations are encouraged. Submissions are limited to two per institution. More
Internal Competition: NSF Partnerships for Innovation Pre-Proposals Due Dec. 11
The NSF Partnerships for Innovation Program offers researchers the opportunity to transform new knowledge into societal benefits through translational research and technology development efforts that catalyze partnerships to accelerate innovations. The PFI Technology Translation track offers the opportunity to advance prior NSF-funded research results toward developing technological innovations with promising commercial potential and societal impact. The PFI Research Partnerships track provides an opportunity to support technology development activities through a multi-organization collaboration. Submissions are limited to two per institutions. 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.
DOD Armed Forces Pest Management Board Broad Agency Announcement FY 18; $300,000. More
Dec. 19: EPA Small Business Innovation Research Phase I. More
Dec. 29 (pre-applications): NIST Public Safety Innovation Accelerator Program – User Interface; technologies and capabilities through use of AR/VR for first responders. More
Dec. 31: Allen Foundation; human nutrition education, training and research, contact ISU Foundation (cfr@foundation.iastate.edu) to express interest. More
Jan. 30: NSF Campus Cyberinfrastructure. More
Jan. 30: NSF Research Coordination Networks in Undergraduate Biology Education (RCN-UBE). More
Feb. 5: NIH Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics Approaches for Nutrition Research (R01). More
Communications Kiosk
Faulty Parallelism One of Five Common Grammatical Errors
Faulty parallelism is one of five common grammatical errors discussed in a recent MacMillan Dictionary blog post. Parallel structure helps readers make sense of the material. For example, you could write that parallelism is important because:
- makes reading more efficient
- it improves clarity
- because it enhances logic
- courtesy to readers.
This list is legible but awkward, because the points are not structured in a parallel way. Instead, you could write that parallelism is important because it:
- makes reading more efficient
- improves clarity
- enhances logic
- is a courtesy to readers.
Infograzing
The Netherlands: A Glimpse of the Future of Farming, Fueled by Ag Research
The Netherlands has become an agricultural giant by showing what the future of farming could look like. A story in the September 2017 issue of National Geographic magazine describes the Netherlands as a fragmented patchwork of intensely cultivated fields and climate-controlled greenhouse complexes punctuated by bustling cities and suburbs. The brain trust behind this is Wageningen University and Research, widely regarded as the world’s top agricultural research institution. More
Marginalia
CALS Provides Relief Funds to Students Impacted by Recent Hurricanes
CALS has made available emergency financial support to students whose lives or home communities were impacted by the recent devastating hurricanes in Puerto Rico, Florida and Texas. Eighteen students received support; the assistance averaged about $640 each. “Words cannot describe how much I appreciate you doing this,” wrote one student. “These are very hard times for my family and friends and this support is very valued.”
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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