Ag and Life Sciences Online
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Newsletter
Iowa State University
Feb. 14, 2011 No. 638
College News
Pirog Accepts New Position at Michigan State
Rich Pirog, associate director of the Leopold Center, will become senior associate director of the Center for Sustainable Food Systems at Michigan State University beginning May 23. He will lead the new center's efforts in the socioeconomic aspects of food systems, including production, marketing and economic development.
ISU Earns Professional Landcare Network Accreditation
ISU has recently earned accreditation status with the Professional Landcare Network. PLANET's accreditation program is driven by the needs of the landscape industry, and is the only nationally recognized endorsement offered to colleges and universities with landscape and horticulture curricula.
Downing Receives Aquatic Science Award
The American Society of Limnology and Oceanography have honored John Downing, ecology, evolution and organismal biology. Downing was presented the society's Ruth Patrick Award "for enhancing scientific and popular understanding of the economic and environmental impact of eutrophication through his outstanding contributions in aquatic ecology, eutrophication research and environmental education."
CALS Presents Awards to Faculty, Staff
CALS presented annual awards to faculty and staff at its spring semester convocation on Feb. 7.
Student Team Wins Ninth Turf Bowl Title in 10 Years
The ISU Turf Club won first place at the 2011 Collegiate Turf Bowl Competition at the annual Golf Course Superintendents Association of America Education Conference on Feb. 10 in Orlando. This is the ninth time an ISU team has won the competition over the past 10 years. Winning team members, who are all seniors with horticulture majors, are Zach Simons, Quincy, Ill.; Quincy Law, Clear Lake; Jason Van Engen, Primghar; and Nick Dunlap, North Liberty.
Animal Science Student Wins Free Room and Board
Dana Buer, a freshman in animal science, won free room and board for her freshman year for participating in the residence department's MAP-Works initiative. MAP-Works is an online assessment tool that helps first-year ISU students make a successful transition to the university.
Horticulture Alum Named ICN Pro of the Year
Lindsay Pietsch Sager, 2005 horticulture graduate, has been named the Illinois Certified Nursery Professional of the year. Sager works at Chalet in Wilmette, Ill., in the landscaping division.
Demonstration of New Adobe Connect 8, Feb. 23
The Brenton Center will be demonstrating the new Adobe Connect 8 on Feb. 23 at 1 p.m. in 13 Curtiss Hall. Adobe Connect is an enterprise web conferencing solution for online meetings, eLearning and webinars. Bring a laptop for a brief "hands-on with Connect" session following the demonstration.
CALS Seeking Assistant Dean for Diversity and Graduate Programs
CALS is seeking internal applicants for the position of assistant dean for diversity and graduate programs. The assistant dean will play a key leadership role in ensuring excellence in the college's diversity programs for undergraduate and graduate students. Applications are due March 1. Under faculty, see posting titled "Assistant Dean for Diversity and Graduate Programs," vacancy #110022
ISU Hosts Climate Prediction Applications Science Workshop, March 1-4
ISU will host the ninth annual Climate Prediction Applications Science Workshop in Des Moines on March 1-4. The workshop will highlight uses of seasonal to centennial outlooks, identify climate information gaps and discuss approaches for effective information delivery for agriculture, fish and wildlife management, hydrology, urban adaptation and human health.
CALS Joins With Oxfam to Host International Event, March 3
CALS will join with Oxfam America and others to host an interactive meal where attendees will meet Jacqueline Morette, a Haitian woman and farmer, and learn how women are feeding the world. The Oxfam America Hunger Banquet will be held March 3, 6 to 8 p.m. in the Knapp-Storms Dining Complex. The event is free and open to the public. To RSVP contact Stephen Lauer.
NREM Co-Sponsors Forest Stewardship Conference, March 12
NREM is co-sponsoring the 2011 Tri-State Forest Stewardship Conference on March 12 at Sinsinawa Mound Center in Wisconsin, just a few miles east of Dubuque. This is the 17th year for the conference, which annually draws 550 woodland landowners from Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin.
8th Annual BIGMAP Symposium, April 19-20
ISU is hosting the 8th annual BIGMAP Symposium on April 19-20 at the Gateway Hotel in Ames. This year's event is titled "Co-existence, Choice and Sustainability for Crop Production."
Entomology Chair Les Lewis Retires
Les Lewis, entomology, retired in December. He had served as chair of the entomology department since fall 2008. Prior to that he was a research leader and scientist with the USDA Agricultural Research Service. Steven Jungst, NREM, is serving as interim chair.
Symposium Held in Honor of Tollefson
Jon Tollefson's career and accomplishments were celebrated at the 58th Annual Entomological Society of America meeting in San Diego. On Dec. 14 a Plant-Insect Ecosystems Section Symposium was held titled "Jon Tollefson vs. Corn Rootworms -- Celebrating the Legacy of an Exemplary Land Grant Scientist."
Ag Deans Meet at Farm Foundation Roundtable
Top executives from agricultural colleges around the country attended the Farm Foundation NFP Roundtable in Atlanta in January. The deans gathered for a photo which can be seen on page 8 of the January/February edition of AgriMarketing Digital.
Entomology's Alumni Newsletter Available Online
Entomology's annual alumni newsletter is available online.
Deadlines and Reminders
Feb. 15: ISU Aphid Research Symposium, Dai Nguyen
Feb. 23: Proposals due for ISU On-Farm Research and Demonstration Grant Program
Feb. 28: Deadline for Computation Advisory Committee call for proposals
March 7-8: Iowa Water Conference
April 1: Application deadline for CALS P&S Exceptional Performance Pay requests
April 6-7: Egg Industry Issues Forum
External Funding
NSF Broader Impacts Workshop: Partnerships With Campus Programs March 8
The Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development and Strengthening the Professoriate at Iowa State will hold the second of two workshops focusing on the broader impacts portion of NSF proposals. Representatives from campus programs who work in various areas of the broader impacts criterion will present ways their programs can partner with faculty to develop successful broader impact plans. The workshop will be held March 8, 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. in the Memorial Union Pioneer Room. All faculty, postdocs and advanced graduate students are invited. Sign-up is not required.
February Live Green Newsletter
The February Live Green newsletter is available online. Comments and ideas for future issues are welcome.
Bailey Award Applications Due March 1
Bailey Award applications are due March 1 and should be sent electronically to Joe Colletti and to the applicant's department chair. Faculty split between two colleges should submit to the college in which they are tenured. Applicants are asked to provide the names of two or three possible internal reviewers (from any department). Please note that the signature page does not need to be completed for the March 1 submission.
Funding Information, Opportunities and Deadline Reminders
Dates listed are application deadlines. Contact: Roxanne Clemens
March 4: National Programs to Improve the Health and Educational Outcomes of Young People; 25 awards of $150,000 to $350,000.
March 11: Transforming STEM Learning.
March 11 (letter of intent): Innovative Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers.
March 21 (letter of intent): Dietary Influence on the Human Health Effects of Environmental Exposures (R21); $150,000 per award.
March 29: Extension Integrated Pest Management Coordination and Support Program.
May 13: Metabolomics for a Low Carbon Society, joint NSF/JST program; four awards.
June 1: Hydrologic Sciences Grant; 30 to 40 awards, $7.9 million total anticipated funding.
Communications Kiosk
What to do When Speaking to the Media
Speaking to journalists is not something faculty members do every day. Brian Croxall, CLIR postdoctoral fellow and emerging technologies librarian at Emory University, recently attended media training and provides key points from this training in a Chronicle of Higher Education article.
Infograzing
Registration for Sustainability Sympsium Closes Feb. 15
Online registration for ISU's third annual Symposium on Sustainability closes on Feb. 15. The symposium will be held Feb. 21-22 at the Memorial Union.
Sigma Xi Lecture on DNA at the Dinnertable, Feb. 24
Lisa Weasel, associate professor of biology at Portland Sate University, will present the Sigma Xi Lecture on Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. in the Memorial Union Sun Room. She will speak on "DNA at the Dinnertable: The Global Politics of Genetically Modified Food." Weasel is author of "Food Fray: Inside the Controversy over Genetically Modified Food."
Garst-Khrushchev Dialogue Comes Alive
An original two-man play based on the historic relation between Iowa farmer Roswell Garst and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, titled "Peace through Corn," is being offered to audiences across Iowa. Upcoming performances include Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. in Indianola and Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. in Perry.
New Award Available for Women Student Leaders
A new award for women student leaders, the Kappa Alpha Theta High Flyer award, is available for the 2011-2012 academic year. A gift has been provided to establish this award and invest in a woman student leader who has demonstrated exemplary leadership skills through involvement in university student organizations, professional organizations and/or community service. Women with a minimum GPA of 3.5 who will be seniors as of fall 2011 are eligible to apply. The recipient will receive $10,000.
Internal Voices
Iles on Turf Club Winning Collegiate Turg Bowl Competition
"This is a very difficult competition to win, and to do it repeatedly is an amazing achievement. Our students enjoy their status as being the team to beat, and it's a point of pride for our department and for CALS. But most importantly, the students who represent us are outstanding people. The entire campus can take pride in their victory and in the way they wear the cardinal and gold." Jeffery Iles, horticulture, on the ISU Turf Club winning first place in the 2011 Collegiate Turf Bowl Competition.
External Voices
Grandin on the Need for Objective Applied Research
Temple Grandin, internationally renowned animal scientist, is concerned about the eroding support for research at institutions of higher education and, particularly, the applied research that takes place at the nation's land-grant university. "This kind of research must be objective and not completely dependent on industry for funding." Grandin, department of animal science at Colorado State University, addressed agriculture students and faculty at the Louisiana State University AgCenter on Jan. 26.
Ag and Life Sciences Online
Editor
Julie Stewart, jstewart@iastate.edu
(515) 294-5616
https://www.cals.iastate.edu/cals-online
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