College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
Feb. 12, 2018
Top Stories
CALS Co-Sponsors “Farmers for America” Screening and Panel Discussion
A screening and panel discussion of the documentary, Farmers for America, will be held Feb. 20, 6 to 9 p.m. at the ISU Alumni Center. The documentary was created to celebrate, inspire and support young farmers. The event is co-sponsored by CALS, the ISU Beginning Farmers Network, Beginning Farmers Center, Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative and Practical Farmers of Iowa. The event is free, but please register online by Friday, Feb. 16. More
Research
Research Uses Light to Determine Milk Contents
ISU researchers have found that fluorescence spectroscopy is a simple, inexpensive way to identify milk from grass-fed cows. The team – from the Department of Chemistry, Ames Lab and Mark Rasmussen of the Leopold Center, measured the amount of chlorophyll metabolites, which is greater from cows eating grass compared with those fed grain and silage. Milk from grass-fed dairy cows is of interest to consumers due in part to its high omega-3 fatty acid content. The study, which was funded by the Leopold Center in 2016, was published last week in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
New Research Provides Insight on Nine Native Milkweed Species
Recent research by Victoria Pocius, graduate student in ecology, evolution and organismal biology, took a look at monarch butterfly oviposition on nine different milkweed species, all of which are native to Iowa. “The results highlight the importance of including a diversity of milkweed species in monarch habitat restorations,” said Pocius. More
Teaching and Students
Women’s Leadership Workshop for CALS Graduate Students Feb. 13
The next session in the Women’s Leadership Workshop series for graduate students and post-docs across CALS is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 5:40 to 7:40 p.m. in 1306 Elings Hall.
Catherine Kling, economics and member of the National Academy of Sciences, will present “Build Productive and Powerful Teams.” 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.
CALS Hosting Graduate Student Recruitment Weekend
The CALS Graduate Education Advisory Committee has organized its annual graduate student recruitment weekend for Friday and Saturday, Feb. 16-17. The program includes a discussion about housing and the Ames community by a local real estate broker, a panel discussion with current graduate students, a dinner with recent graduates to discuss how their studies propelled them in their careers, and a bus tour of the campus and Ames community.
Canvas Roundtable Scheduled for Feb. 19
The Brenton Center instructional development team will hold a Canvas Roundtable on Feb. 19, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. in 8 Curtiss Hall. The roundtable will be a discussion format for peers to provide hints or tips, share concerns, exchange ideas and demonstrate what works in Canvas, which is ISU’s new learning management system. Enrollment is limited to 20 people. Contact Tina Carter (ccarter1@iastate.edu) to register.
CALS Biology Student Among Those Finding Path to Medical School
ISU has a strong support system for pre-med and pre-health students, even without a college of human medicine or pre-health committee. Advisers and students, including Cole Wesselman, a CALS junior in biology, say the opportunities in coursework, activities, research and study abroad inspire students to continue on a path to medicine. More
Extension and Outreach
New Soybean Disease Identification Resource for 2018
ISU Extension and Outreach has released an updated version of the Soybean Diseases publication to help farmers and other professionals in the agriculture industry identify and scout for disease threats to soybean production in Iowa. Authors include Daren Mueller, plant pathology and microbiology, and Adam Sisson, Integrated Pest Management program. More
Workshop Scheduled to Inform Smaller Farmers about Big Data Resources
Big Data for (Sm)all Farmers workshop is scheduled for Feb. 26-27 at the Scheman Center in Ames. The workshop will inform farmers of small- and medium-sized operations about current and future big data research, resources and technologies. Sponsors include CALS, ISU Extension and Outreach and the Leopold Center. More
Registration Open for Iowa Water Conference
The Iowa Water Center is accepting registrations for the 2018 Iowa Water Conference, scheduled for March 21-22 in Ames. “Our Watershed, Our Community” participants will explore current trends across water resource management in both urban and rural landscapes, with a particular emphasis on the interconnected nature of our water resources and the opportunities this offers for collaboration. More
Survey Shows Farmers Concerned about Spread, Management of Weeds
The 2017 Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll shows a growing concern among Iowa farmers about herbicide resistance. According to J. Gordon Arbuckle, sociology and director of the poll, the survey found 22 percent of respondents believed they had weeds that were resistant to a family of herbicides called PPO inhibitors in their fields, up substantially from 3 percent in 2013. More
Changes in Iowa Highlighted in Sociology Publication
David Peters, sociology, has released a publication, “Rural Iowa at a Glance,” detailing Iowa’s demographic, cultural and social makeup changes over the last decade. The largest and most concerning trend is a drop in farm income. More
Around the College
MacDonald, Cooper to Represent CALS at Big Data Conference at Tuskegee
“Serving Small-Scale, Limited Resource and Underserved Farmers through Data and Knowledge Sharing Platforms: Bridging the Big Data Divide,” is the next installment of the George Washington Carver Lecture Series at Tuskegee University, scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 13-14.. Ruth MacDonald, interim senior associate dean, and Theressa Cooper, assistant dean for diversity, will represent CALS at the conference, along with five Iowa farmers. CALS will host a companion conference on Big Data for farmers of small- and medium-sized farms Feb. 26-27 in Ames. More
Former Super Bowl Champ Speaks to Econ 313
Adam Timmerman, former NFL offensive lineman and a Cherokee, Iowa, native, recently spoke with Ron Deiter’s Economics of Sports class about his 12-year professional football career. Timmerman has an agribusiness degree from South Dakota State University. After retiring from the St. Louis Rams in 2007, he and his family returned to Cherokee where he farms with his brother and nephews. More
Beekeeping Interest on the Rise in Western Iowa
The Sioux City Journal recently reported on increased interest in beekeeping classes in western Iowa, and a recent session led by Dordt College agriculture professor Duane Bajema. Publicity surrounding the vandalism of commercial hives in Sioux City last December was one of the factors cited for a spike in attendance at the session. Bajema’s series of beekeeping classes were supported by the Leopold Center.
Calendar
Feb. 13: Farewell Reception for Darren Jarboe
An farewell reception for Darren Jarboe, program manager at the Center for Crops Utilization Research, will be held Feb. 13, 2 to 4 p.m. in 1041 Food Sciences Building atrium. Jarboe will be joining the faculty at the University of Maryland.
Feb. 16: Mike Owen Retirement Reception
A retirement reception for Mike Owen, agronomy, will be held Feb. 16, 3 to 5 p.m. in the Memorial Union Pioneer Room. Owen has been a professor at ISU for 35 years. His research covered weed seedbank population dynamics, the genetic and physiological control of weed seed dormancy, the genetics and physiology of herbicide resistance in weeds, and the herbicide research/demonstration project.
Feb. 27: Retirement Reception for Peggy Best
A retirement reception for Peggy Best, Center for Crops Utilization Research, will be held Feb. 27, 2 to 4 p.m. in the Food Sciences Building atrium. A program will begin at 2:30 p.m. Best has been at ISU for 34 years.
March 8: CALS Spring Awards Program
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Spring Awards Program, honoring faculty and staff achievements, is scheduled for March 8 at 4:10 p.m. in the Memorial Union Sun Room.
April 18: Save the Date
The 14th Annual Sustainable Agriculture Research Symposium will take place April 18 at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Union Ballroom/Sun Room. A poster session will begin at 5:30 p.m. More
Research Development Announcements and Funding Opportunities
Limited Submission: USDA Women and Minorities in STEM Fields
The USDA NIFA Women and Minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Fields Program supports research, education and teaching, and extension projects that increase participation by women and underrepresented minorities from rural areas in STEM. Projects should address broadly defined areas of food, agriculture, natural resources and human sciences. WAMS-funded projects should improve the economic health and viability of rural communities by developing research and extension initiatives that focus on new and emerging employment opportunities in STEM occupations. Submissions are limited to one per institution. Internal pre-proposals are due Feb. 21. Contact Sue Shipitalo (sueship@iastate.edu). More
2018 Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is accepting applications for competitive grant funding for the Monarch Butterfly and Pollinators Conservation Fund. Grants of $50,000 to $150,000 per project will be awarded in habitat improvement and outreach and organizational coordination. Matching funds of 1:1 in non-federal funds are required. An informational webinar will be held on Thursday, Feb. 15. Pre-proposals are due March 14.
USDA Opportunities for International Engagement and Research Cooperation
The webinar FAS and NIFA: USDA Opportunities for International Engagement and Research Cooperation is scheduled for March 6 at 1 p.m. The webinar will focus on funding opportunities to conduct cooperative research, host and mentor foreign scientists, and train foreign agricultural officials, faculty and policy makers.
ISU Research Day 2018: Discover. Create. Together.
Iowa State Research Day is an opportunity for researchers of all disciplines to discover their campus peers' research interests. This convergence may potentially form teams through similar interests and complementary strengths. Researchers and scholars are encouraged to give lightning talks about their research focal areas, present a poster or creative expression to exhibit their research interests, network with each other, discover campus research services at the resource fair, and listen to stories of real-life research and scholarship experiences. Keynote speaker Gregory Petsko will discuss how science and the arts/humanities are a marriage made in heaven.
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.
Feb. 22: NASA Marshall Faculty Fellowship Program.
April 12, Aug. 12: NIH Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings (Parent R13).
April 23: USAID Seed Systems Support Activity; $20,790,000 over five years plus associate buy-ins. More
May 1: USDA NIFA Agriculture in the Classroom; limited submission, one application per institution.
May 1: Alternatives Research and Development Foundation Annual Open Grant Program - Research on Non-Animal Lab Testing; $40,000. More
May 9: NSF Computer Science for All Researcher Practitioner Partnerships. More
June 20: NIH Revolutionizing Innovative, Visionary Environmental Health Research (R35); $600,000 direct costs.
Communications Kiosk
A Crash Course in Crisis Communication
A commentary in the Feb. 5 issue of the Chronicle of Higher Education provides a crash course in crisis communication. One key point: Know when to go public and when to keep it private. Crisis communication is not conducted solely by press release. Sometimes what needs to happen first is internal crisis-mode communication. Author David Perlmutter is dean of the College of Media and Communication at Texas Tech University. More
Infograzing
Iowa State Research Day Scheduled for March 27
The Office of the Vice President for Research is hosting Iowa State Research Day on March 27, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Memorial Union. During this event, researchers and scholars are encouraged to give lightning talks about their research focal areas, present a poster or creative expression to exhibit their research interests, network with other researchers, discover campus research services at the resource fair, and listen to stories of real-life research and scholarship experiences.
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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