College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
Dec. 11, 2017
Top Stories
College Convocation to Honor Graduates – Dec. 16
CALS will hold its fall convocation for graduating seniors Saturday, Dec. 16, in C.Y. Stephens Auditorium at 9:30 a.m. The doors will open at 8:30 a.m. for a reception for graduates, families, friends and faculty in the upper lobby. The CALS Student Council will present awards to: Paige Cannella, agricultural studies, for outstanding senior; Lauren Sendelbach, agricultural business, for leadership excellence; Merritt Polomsky, genetics, for academic achievement; Taylor Wilkins, agricultural and life sciences education teacher certification, for outstanding ambassador of agriculture and life sciences; and Allison Jaeger, food science and human nutrition, for distinguished service. Miguel Rangel, industrial technology, will be the commencement speaker. Ana del Pilar Collazo Martinez, genetics and nutritional science, will be the CALS student marshal at the university commencement in the afternoon. More
CALS Releases 2017-2022 Strategic Plan
Interim Endowed Dean Joe Colletti released the 2017-2022 CALS Strategic Plan on Dec. 8 in a message to faculty and staff. The college’s mission is to educate future leaders, conduct innovative research in agriculture and life sciences, and share knowledge that advances the well-being of Iowans and people worldwide. Colletti thanked the strategic plan committee for their work, and encouraged those in the college “…to review our priorities and goals that will help guide us through the upcoming years.” More
Report on First Year of CALS Sustainability Task Force Posted
Paul Lasley, chair of the CALS Sustainability Task Force, has prepared a report of the group’s first year of activities that includes plans for its next steps. The 17-member task force was created in 2016 by former Endowed Dean Wendy Wintersteen. Its accomplishments include sponsoring a symposium in April, bringing five speakers to campus and completing an inventory of CALS sustainability efforts. More
Research
CCUR Fermentation Facility Featured in Biofuels Journal
The Center for Crops Utilization Research’s Fermentation Facility was featured in the fourth quarter issue of the Biofuels Journal (pg. 46). The CCUR facility has two labs, one in the Food Sciences Building and one at the BioCentury Research Farm. The Fermentation Facility has equipment and staff and offers a variety of services for ISU researchers and for private companies. More
New Online Database Brings the Genome into Focus Using Molecular Structure
An online database built by ISU scientists, including Walter Moss, biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology, provides a new tool with which researchers can study human biology. The database is freely accessible to anyone on the web, where it allows scientists to study the functions and structure of RNA with greater speed and ease than in the past. More
Alliance Highlights Rural Sociology’s "Shrink-Smart" Communities
The Dec. 7 Alliance for Iowa State message highlighted a new report from David Peters, sociology, that looks at Iowa towns that have improved quality of life while populations have dwindled. The report draws on census and survey data to identify 12 "shrink-smart" communities in Iowa. More
Teaching and Students
Career Services Releases 2017 Summer Internship Survey
CALS Career Services has released results of its 2017 summer internship survey, with nearly 1,100 student responses. Almost 93 percent of those with internships were paid experiences. Results showed a 4.2 percent increase in average overall hourly wage and positive wage increases at all classification levels (freshman 5.4 percent, sophomore 1.0 percent and junior 4.8 percent).
Biorenewables Research Poster Symposium to be held Today, Dec. 11
The Biorenewables Research Poster Symposium will be held today, Dec. 11, 2:15 to 4:15 p.m. in the Sukup Atrium. The symposium will feature graduate and undergraduate student posters on research related to biorenewables. The symposium is presented by the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering and the Bioeconomy Institute.
Science Bound Served as the Springboard for Biology Grad's Adventure
Grace Ansah, first-generation college student, will graduate from Iowa State on Saturday with a bachelor's degree in biology. Ansah discovered Science Bound in eighth grade and visited Iowa State for the first time. "I felt like I was at home," she said. More
Register for Part Two of Short Course for Emerging Seed Leaders
The ISU Graduate Program in Seed Technology and Business is accepting registrations for part two of a short course that addresses the rapidly changing advancements in agriculture from a seed technology and business perspective. Seed Business Management will be held on Feb. 5-9. Participants in the February session will hear from seed industry experts and faculty from the College of Business. More
Board of Regents Approve Dietetics Graduate Degree
The state Board of Regents approved a Master of Professional Practice in Dietetics, a non-thesis, online graduate degree in the food science and human nutrition department, at its Dec. 6 meeting. Demand for the MPPD program is high among current dietetic internship graduate certificate students. More
Ice Cream Contest Winner Announced
Cyscream, a rich, peanut butter ice cream with a fudge cyclone swirl and chocolate-covered rice crisps was the winner of the ISU Signature Ice Cream Contest, announced Dec. 8. It was created by Team PB Crisp, which is composed of Mikaela Galdonik, Tim Lott, Evan McCoy and Geena Whalen, all seniors in food science. In a promotional video created by the team, they explained the flavoring of the ice cream pays homage to influential people and concepts at Iowa State.
Three Ag Entrepreneurship Groups Provide Updates
The Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative hosted its Fall Preview Night on Dec. 4. Three sections of AgEI – the Student Leadership Team, the National Agri-Marketing Association and the Student Incubator – updated peers and CALS colleagues on their work this past semester. The Student Leadership Team acts as a liaison between NAMA and the Student Incubator team. They also plan all the events that AgEI participates in. NAMA is a marketing team composed of students interested in developing agri-business and marketing skills. This year’s team is researching the marketing opportunities in the chestnut industry and will bring their plan to a national competition in April. The Student Incubator Team consists of 13 students who brainstorm business ideas, and perform research and market analysis to start implementing their business concepts. Ideas this year range from a website that sells socks with the profits providing meals for children during school breaks, to raising crickets by feeding them restaurant food waste and then selling them for human consumption.
Ag Business Club Donates to Bliss Cancer Center
The Agricultural Business Club has donated $3,100 to the Bliss Cancer Center in Ames in the name of Georgeanne Artz, assistant professor of economics and co-adviser of the club. Artz was diagnosed with melanoma cancer in August. More
Graduating CALS Ambassadors Recognized by Cabinet
Graduating seniors who served as CALS Ambassadors were recognized for their efforts in recruitment and other support for the college on Dec. 1 at the college’s cabinet meeting. They were: Reed Burres, agricultural business; Casey Campbell, agronomy; and Kassadie Davis, agriculture and life sciences education, teacher certification option.
Extension and Outreach
Egg Industry Center Expands Research, Issues Coverage
The Egg Industry Center has launched an initiative to expand its research and issues coverage to the egg industry nationwide. The center will summarize research and industry topics for egg farmers and farm staff that might otherwise be overlooked. More
Around the College
Archontoulis Receives National New Innovator Award
Sotirios Archontoulis, agronomy, received a New Innovator Award grant from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research. He will lead a team of scientists focusing on water and how it interacts with the cropping system. During his time in D.C. for the award announcement, Archontoulis visited Capitol Hill. He discussed the award’s research project and the existing Forecast and Assessment of Cropping Systems tool with the offices of Congressman Steve King, Senator Joni Ernst and Senator Pat Roberts, chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. More
Timms Honored with Iowa Beef Quality Assurance Award
Leo Timms, animal science, received the 2017 Iowa Beef Quality Assurance Educator Award during the Iowa Cattle Industry Leadership Summit held on Dec. 7 in Ames. Timms has hosted educational presentations and workshops for producers to share the Beef Quality Assurance program, which has had a substantial impact on the industry.
Memorial Service for Glenda McIntire Dec. 19
A memorial service for former staff member Glenda McIntire will be held Dec. 19 at 6:30 p.m. at First United Methodist Church in Nevada. McIntire died Nov. 22 in West Des Moines. She was 74. McIntire worked on campus as an administrative specialist from 1977 to 2001 in four different offices, including animal science and CALS research farms.
Calendar
Dec. 13: Retirement Reception for Joan Aiton
A retirement reception for Joan Aiton, administrative specialist and account manager in animal science, will be held Wednesday, Dec. 13, 3 to 4 p.m. Aiton joined ISU in 1993. She worked in food science and human nutrition for almost five years, and has been with the animal science department for the last 20 years.
Research Development Announcements and Funding Opportunities
NSF CAREER Grant Lunch and Learn Workshop, Dec. 18
CALS will host a two-hour Lunch and Learn Workshop for the NSF Faculty Early Career Development grant program on Dec. 18, from noon to 2 p.m. in 142 Curtiss Hall. Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP to Carla Persaud (cpersaud@iastate.edu) by Dec. 14 if you plan to attend. Submission deadlines for the next two rounds of NSF CAREER proposals are July 18-20, 2018, and July 17-19, 2019. All eligible faculty members who are considering applying for either deadline are encouraged to attend the workshop. More
Iowa Innovation Corporation SBIR/STTR Matching Financial Assistance Grants
The Iowa Innovation Corporation’s matching financial assistance program provides commitment to match grants for Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I proposals. Phase I awards will be matched at 50 percent up to $50,000. Applications are reviewed for funding decisions on an ongoing basis. A funding decision will be made within two weeks of receipt of a complete application.
FFAR to Open Nominations for 2018 New Innovator Awards this Week
The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research has announced that nominations for the New Innovator in Food and Agriculture Research Award will open this week. The New Innovator award is designed to provide the early investment needed to launch new faculty members into successful scientific careers in food and agriculture. Investing a substantial amount in faculty members within the first three years of their careers will allow them to pursue innovative and transformational ideas uninhibited by the pressure of identifying their next grant. 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.
Jan 8: (pre-application): DOE Systems Biology of Bioenergy-Relevant Microbes to Enable Production of Next-Generation Biofuels and Bioproducts. More
Jan. 8 (letter of intent): DOE Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer Release 2. More
Feb. 5, June 5: NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01). More
Feb. 7: DOD Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer.
Feb. 16, June 16: NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (Parent R21). More
Communications Kiosk
Dec. 15 Webinar Features ISU Web Accessibility Coordinator
The Association for Communications Excellence publishing and graphic design learning community is hosting a webinar on Friday, Dec. 15 at 12:15 p.m. (ISU location is 9 Curtiss Hall, Brenton Center). Zayira Jordan, ISU’s web accessibility coordinator, will describe some Universal Design principles and methodology related to accessibility. More
Infograzing
Data Symposium to Address Closing the Achievement Gap at ISU
Closing the Achievement Gap at Iowa State University will be held Feb. 5 at noon to 4:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall. This inaugural data symposium will underscore Iowa State’s commitment to student success, with a special focus on leveraging best practices across the university to close the gaps in persistence and completion among underrepresented students.
RSVP by Jan. 15. The symposium is a collaborative effort between the Divisions of Academic and Student Affairs, sponsored by the Iowa State Student Success Council and Iowa State’s University Innovation Alliance team. More
Marginalia
Four CALS Limericks for the End of the Fall Semester
We wish you the best of the season.
Dress warm and make sure you’re not freezin.’
From all of your pals
In the college called CALS
Have fun! Celebrate! (Within reason.)
When the winter wind cuts like a knife
And Dead Week and finals bring strife.
Stay strong and recall
What Cy tells us all:
You cannot spell CALS without “life.”
Central campus gets cold in December.
But here is one thing to remember:
In Curtiss you’ll find
Harl Commons’ sublime.
It’s warm and in our club you’re a member!
You may travel to many locales
And make yourself plenty of pals.
But for intimate knowledge
Of ag, life and college
You’ll find that there’s no place like CALS!
(Courtesy of CALS Communications Service.)
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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