COLLEGE NEWS
- Myers to become new BBMB chair on Sept. 1
- Storms damage crops at ISU’S Armstrong Farm
- State fair begins Aug. 10 with ISU Day
- Finalist for Plant Sciences Institute to visit Aug. 9-11
- Scanes to speak on GMOs at Royal Agricultural Society
- How to teach on the Web course offered by Project BIO
- Iowa Food Industry Day set for Aug. 31
- Vision 2020 Expo planned for Oct. 10
- Symposium on improving biotech education in October
- BBMB plans seventh annual symposium in November
- Deadlines & Reminders
COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
- Updated College of Agriculture directory available
INFOGRAZING
- Agricultural communications document database
- 1905 document argues for ag journalism at Iowa State
EXTERNAL VOICES
- Churchill on learning and being taught
MARGINALIA
- Charlie, a prickly sort, finds a home at ISU farm
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C O L L E G E N E W S
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MYERS TO BECOME NEW BBMB CHAIR ON SEPT. 1
Alan Myers has been named chair of the biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology department, effective Sept. 1. Myers has been on the faculty since 1986. His research areas include molecular mechanisms of cellular morphogenesis and mechanisms of starch biogenesis. He succeeds Marit Nilsen-Hamilton, who served as chair for more than five years. She will return to research and teaching in the department.
STORMS DAMAGE CROPS AT ISU’S ARMSTRONG FARM
Severe thunderstorms blew through southwest Iowa on July 26, damaging crop fields at ISU’s Armstrong Research and Demonstration Farm near Lewis. The storm produced high winds, hail the size of golf balls and tennis balls, and one-and-three-quarters-inches of rain. Crop damage was widespread, with an 80-acre tract north of Highway 6 sustaining the most damage. Areas of corn, soybeans and hay were flattened and leaves were stripped from the field crops. Some trees were damaged, but no farm buildings were hurt. At other nearby ISU farms, the storms were less intense. The Lauren Christian Swine Farm near Atlantic experienced pea-sized hail and minor crop damage. No damage was reported at the Neely-Kinyon Farm near Greenfield, which received one-and-a-quarter inches of rain.
STATE FAIR BEGINS AUG. 10 WITH ISU DAY
The Iowa State Fair begins Aug. 10 with Iowa State University Day. Tents containing ISU displays will be set up on the Grand Concourse. A College of Agriculture tent will have displays on social and behavioral research, water quality, forestry and entomology. During the fair the College of Agriculture exhibit in the Agriculture Building will focus on food safety and food science. In a related display the Iowa Cattlemen's Association will give away samples of irradiated beef products.
FINALIST FOR PLANT SCIENCES INSTITUTE TO VISIT AUG. 9-11
Lee Pratt, research professor of botany and former director of the Center for Plant Cellular and Molecular Biology at the University of Georgia, is a finalist for the position of director of the Plant Sciences Institute. He will visit campus Aug. 9-11. Pratt will participate in an open forum at 3:30 p.m., Aug. 9, 1414 Molecular Biology. He will present a research seminar at 11 a.m., Aug. 10, 1652 Gilman. The schedule for Pratt's visit is posted online. His vita is available online.
SCANES TO SPEAK ON GMOS AT ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY
Colin Scanes, interim director of the Plant Sciences Institute and associate dean of the College of Agriculture, will speak on genetically modified organisms to the Royal Agricultural Society of England on Aug. 14 at the Royal Agricultural Center, Warwickshire, England. The Royal Agricultural Society is an independent charity devoted to the advancement of British agriculture through science and the stewardship of land, animals and people.
HOW TO TEACH ON THE WEB COURSE OFFERED BY PROJECT BIO
Do you want to put a course online but don't know how or where to begin? A two-day workshop, "How to Teach a Course on the World Wide Web," will be held Aug. 14 in the Instructional Technology Center. It will be jointly conducted by faculty and staff from Project BIO, ITC and the Center for Teaching Excellence. Topics will include: best practices for teaching and learning and how these relate to distance education and online instruction; instructional design models for on-line courses; experiencing an online course as a student; and intellectual property rights issues. Registration deadline is Aug. 7. The fee is $50. For more information: Mary Nims, 4-0321 or mnims@iastate.edu.
IOWA FOOD INDUSTRY DAY SET FOR AUG. 31
The Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition’s annual Iowa Food Industry Day will be held Aug. 31 in 1951 Food Sciences. Representatives from Iowa’s food industries will be invited to this update on food processing issues, including value-added agriculture, irradiation, organic foods, food labeling and more. They also will learn how ISU faculty, staff, and facilities may be of help to their work. Faculty, staff and students are welcome to attend. If you plan to attend, contact Connie Hardy, 4-3394 or chardy@iastate.edu, by Aug. 25.
VISION 2020 EXPO PLANNED FOR OCT. 10
Vision 2020’s "Expo 2000: Connecting Iowa State and Iowa" will be held at 11 a.m., Oct. 10 south of the campanile. A program will review highlights of Vision 2020’s six-year run, followed by a free lunch featuring Iowa-grown foods. In case of rain, the event will be held in the Great Hall, Memorial Union. For more information: 4-2092.
SYMPOSIUM ON IMPROVING BIOTECH EDUCATION IN OCTOBER
In October ISU will host a national symposium for educators and administrators to explore how biotechnology education can be improved. The Oct. 8-10 symposium, "Engaged Institutions’ Role in Biotechnology Education," is designed for educators in K-12 schools, community colleges and four-year universities, and extension personnel. The symposium is organized by ISU Extension and ISU Office of Biotechnology and supported by USDA-CSREES. There are special registration rates for ISU faculty, staff and students. For more information: http://www.biotech.iastate.edu.
BBMB PLANS SEVENTH ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM IN NOVEMBER
The seventh annual Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology symposium, Nov. 10-11, will examine molecular aspects of biotic plant stress responses. Several scientists will speak on current research. Workshops and lab sessions will cover a variety of biochemical and molecular biology techniques. Poster and oral sessions also are part of the program. Registration and abstract deadline is Oct. 1.
DEADLINES & REMINDERS
Aug. 10-20: Iowa State Fair
Aug. 18: Deadline, Brenton Center Instructor Assistance Program, 4-0045
Aug. 22: ISU Fall Convocation, 3:15 p.m., Sun Room
Aug. 24: College of Agriculture Fall Convocation, 4 p.m., Sun Room
Aug. 24: College of Agriculture barbecue for freshmen/transfer students, 5 p.m., Agronomy Courtyard
Aug. 29-31: Carbon: Exploring the Benefits to Farmers and Society Conference, Polk County Convention Complex, http://www.cvrcd.org/carbon.htm
Sept. 2: Iowa Commodity Classic and Taste of Iowa, before Cyclones football game
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C O M M U N I C A T I O N S K I O S K
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UPDATED COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE DIRECTORY READY
Agriculture Communications recently updated the college’s desk directory to help you keep up with who’s who. It fits on a letter-sized piece of paper and covers college administration, departments, centers and some university offices. Either download the directory PDF from the web. For a hard copy, contact Marty Behrens, 4-5616 or behrens@iastate.edu.
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I N F O G R A Z I N G
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AGRICULTURAL COMMUNICATIONS DOCUMENT DATABASE
Nearly 20,000 documents related to communications in agriculture are located at the University of Illinois’ Agricultural Communications Documentation Center. The files emphasize the human and social dimensions of agriculture, not the physical or technical aspects. You can search a database or have center staff perform custom searches. Items include books, journal articles, conference proceedings, theses and dissertations, class reports, opinion pieces, audio recordings, extension studies, proposals, letters and unpublished materials.
1905 DOCUMENT ARGUES FOR AG JOURNALISM AT IOWA STATE
Recently the University of Illinois’ Agricultural Communications Documentation Center deposited into its collection an historic document that planted the seed for today’s college curricula in agricultural journalism and agricultural communications. "The Plough and the Book" was an address by John Clay of the Clay, Robinson Co., on the subject of agricultural journalism before the agricultural students of Iowa State College on May 30, 1905. Clay argued that the plough and the book "must be more closely associated. We need it in our daily press. We can improve it in our agricultural papers. It is almost absent in our magazine literature. They tell us with great truth that they can find few practical writers of ability, that there is a dearth of experts in this line." Clay proposed founding a Chair of Journalism at Iowa State. His remarks, now preserved on frayed, yellowed pages, helped spark the establishment of a pioneering program in agricultural journalism education.
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E X T E R N A L V O I C E S
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CHURCHILL ON LEARNING AND BEING TAUGHT
"Personally, I'm always ready to learn, although I do not always like being taught." Winston Churchill.
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M A R G I N A L I A
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CHARLIE, A PRICKLY SORT, FINDS A HOME AT ISU FARM
The following caption accompanied a photo that recently appeared in the Kanawha Reporter newspaper. The photo shows two workers at ISU’s Northern Research and Demonstration Farm standing on either side of a large potted cactus. "FIND CHARLIE - Somewhere in this photo is Charlie! Seen on the left is Tom Hartwig, field lab technician, and seen on the right is Ben Lang, summer worker. Both are employees at ISU’s Northern Iowa Research Farm here. Seen between Tom and Ben is Charlie. Charlie is a giant cactus and a longtime resident of Kanawha. Charlie used to live at Ray and Barb Ansel’s tavern. When Ray and Barb moved to Clarion, Charlie stayed behind. The Ansels gave him to the Experiment Farm where he spends the summer on the sunny side of the big steel machine shed. Charlie spends his winters in the workshop of the machine shed. While Charlie must certainly miss the Ansels, he seems to be surviving at his new home with his new family."
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AG ONLINE
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NEXT ISSUE: Aug. 18 DEADLINE: Aug. 16
EDITORS
Brian Meyer, bmeyer@iastate.edu, and Ed Adcock, edadcock@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-5616 Web site: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/
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Ag Online, the newsletter for faculty and staff in Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture, is e-mailed every other Friday. To subscribe, send your name, e-mail address and the message "Ag Online subscribe" to bmeyer@iastate.edu. To unsubscribe, send "Ag Online unsubscribe."
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