Ag and Life Sciences Online
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Newsletter
Iowa State University
Aug. 8, 2011 No. 663
College News
Agriculture and Agricultural Sciences Key to U.S. Economic Growth
A new report makes the case that agriculture and agricultural sciences are poised to drive economic growth and job creation to new heights--with the essential research and extension support of land-grant universities like ISU.
Sociologist Expects Renewed 9/11 Remembrance on Its Anniversary
Brian Monahan, sociology and author of a book on the media coverage of 9/11, anticipates the 10th anniversary of the tragedy will stir Americans' emotions and bring renewed interest in remembrances of the event.
Media Invited to Tour Biocentury Research Farm
Biofuel supporters have decided to do some educational outreach this year to the estimated 600-plus media representatives who will come to Iowa for the Aug. 13 straw poll in Ames. Reporters have been invited to tour some local facilities on Friday, including ISU's BioCentury Research Farm.
Strip-Tillage and Precision Ag Technology Focus on Aug. 25 Field Day
Iowa Learning Farms, ISU Research and Demonstration Farms and ISU Extension are hosting a field day at the Agricultural Engineering and Agronomy Farm near Ames on Aug. 25, 9 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. The field day will feature strip-tillage and precision agriculture technology.
Save the Date: Biocentury Research Farm Open House Sept. 23
The BioCentury Research Farm will hold an open house Sept. 23, 1 to 4 p.m. Guests will have an opportunity to see the work being conducted since the facility opened two years ago. At 2 p.m., Larry Johnson, director, will offer a presentation for faculty on how to partner with the BioCentury Research Farm
Farm Progress Reports Available Online
The 2010 progress reports from the Research and Demonstration Farms are available on the CALS website.
Leopold Center Reports on Seven Completed Projects
The Leopold Center website is featuring results from seven recently completed projects. The Center provides support for research, education and demonstration projects to help Iowa farmers at all levels with production and marketing issues.
Animal Science Graduate Student Receives USDA-NIFA Award
Elane Wright, a graduate student in animal science, received the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture National Research Initiative Merit Award at the annual Society for the Study of Reproduction meeting held in Portland, Oregon, last week.
August Notes from the Leopold Center Online
The August issue of Notes from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture is now available online.
Deadlines and Reminders
Aug. 10: CELT/CALS -- A Quick Refresher to your Online Course for CALS Faculty, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 240 Bessey. Register through AccessPlus.
Aug. 25: Paul Farmer, U.N. Envoy to Haiti, 7 p.m., Stephens Auditorium
Sept. 15: Deadline for spring 2012 distance education course development awards
Sept. 21: CALS Fall Convocation, 4 p.m., Memorial Union Sun Room.
External Funding
2011 Fall Grant Writing Workshop Series, Sept. 19-23
The VPR/ED's office has announced plans for a series of grant writing workshops to be led by Joe and Lynn Jelinski of Sunshine Consultants, International. A general session, "Fundamentals of Grant Writing Seminar: How to Write a Winning Grant Proposal," will be held Sept. 19 and is open to all. Workshops on preparing proposals for NSF (Sept. 20) and NIH (Sept. 21) and one-on-one sessions with the Jelinskis (Sept. 22-23) will also be offered, with limitations on the number of participants.
Funding Information, Opportunities and Deadline Reminders
Dates listed are application deadlines. Contact: Roxanne Clemens
Additional information is posted at CALS Funding Resources
Sept. 2: Critical Agricultural Materials; two awards, $1 million total funding.
Sept. 9, Dec. 15: Innovation Corps Program (I-Corps); requires previous NSF award.
Sept. 25: NIH Bridges to the Doctorate.
Oct. 1 (preproposals): ConocoPhillips SPIRIT of Conservation Migratory Bird Program; $25,000 to $200,000.
Oct. 12: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Scholars in Health Policy Research Program.
Dec. 1: SeaWorld & Busch Gardens Conservation Fund; $5,000 to $25,000.
Communications Kiosk
Can I Use That Photo?
If you're planning to use photos as news (that is, for the purpose of reporting on what happened at your event in newspapers, magazines or websites), permission isn't necessary. However, if you intend to use photos in promotional or commercial materials, you need written permission from all individuals who can be identified in the photos. And even though the public art collection at ISU belongs to ISU, public work of art or object copyright may be retained by artists. Publishing the art of a living artist on a web page, newsletter or brochure requires the artist and University Museums' permission. These and other questions related to "Can I use that photo?" are answered by University experts.
Infograzing
ISU State Fair Exhibit Hits Home
Visitors to ISU's exhibit at the Iowa State Fair on Aug. 11-21 are invited to take a walk down an air-conditioned Main Street in the Varied Industries Building. Guests can experience a streetscape that sequences from rural to urban Iowa, and focuses on Iowa State's contributions to the bioeconomy and Iowa communities.
CAST Launches Redesigned Website
The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology has launched an updated website featuring simpler navigation and search functions, a shopping cart, capabilities for password-protected pages with members-only accessible information, a donation option and easier administrative manageability.
External Voices
A Summer Attempt at Escaping Higher Education, Thwarted
"Once again, I find myself writing about higher education, an abstract and bland term. It is easy to forget that the central force behind it is the power of asking simple questions, of understanding the forces of history, of creating new knowledge, then storing it and passing it on." David Wheeler, managing editor of Chronicle International.
Marginalia
Historian Meets Canada's Farmers on Their Own Soil
John Varty, a Canadian historian, is driving a tractor from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, to Vancouver, British Columbia, stopping along the way to document the changing state of farms and the people who work on them as the world struggles to feed a burgeoning population. Varty has been a fellow in agrarian studies at Yale University, and most recently, an assistant professor of Canadian history at McMaster University.
Ag and Life Sciences Online
Editor
Julie Stewart, jstewart@iastate.edu
(515) 294-5616
https://www.cals.iastate.edu/cals-online
Subscribe
Ag and Life Sciences Online, the newsletter for faculty and staff in Iowa State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is e-mailed every Monday. To subscribe, send your name, e-mail address and the message "Ag and Life Sciences Online subscribe" to jstewart@iastate.edu. To unsubscribe, send "Ag and Life Sciences Online unsubscribe."