College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
Jan. 23, 2017
Top Stories
CALS Sustainability Website Goes Live
Dean Wendy Wintersteen appointed the CALS Sustainability Task Force last year to begin a college-wide dialogue on sustainability and to consider how the college can focus and more fully engage in sustainability across its teaching, research and extension missions. Invited speakers have presented on the topic of sustainability and a Sustainability Symposium is planned for April 13. A task force website has been created to keep you informed about its activities. It includes upcoming events, videos of the members talking about sustainability and an FAQ of members’ views of common sustainability-related questions. More
Save the Date: CALS Sustainability Symposium Scheduled April 13
CALS faculty, staff and students are encouraged to attend a day-long CALS Sustainability Symposium on April 13 in the Scheman Buildling. CALS will celebrate ways it encourages sustainability and propose new efforts in the area. Catherine Woteki, former undersecretary of USDA’s Research, Education and Economics mission area and a past CALS dean, will present on sustainability efforts at the federal level. A poster session will highlight how sustainability is being implemented in CALS teaching, research and extension activities. Also planned are panel discussions on future sustainability efforts. Information for registration and a call for posters will be available soon.
Research
Tang Developing Plant-measuring Robots
To apply data-driven science to crop science, it is necessary to capture large amounts of data about how crop plants grow. ISU researchers including Lie Tang, agricultural and biosystems engineering, are developing PhenoNet, an integrated network of autonomous plant-measuring robots for field-based studies of genotype and environment interactions. With the data collected by the PhenoNet, scientists can better address the issue of feeding a growing world population.
Rasmussen Paper Most-Read Article for Soil and Water Journal in 2016
A study co-authored by Mark Rasmussen, director of the Leopold Center, and published in the March/April 2016 issue of the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, was the journal’s most-read article in 2016; it was accessed more than 10,500 times. The study found that integrating more cattle production into Iowa’s agricultural portfolio may cut the state’s greenhouse gas emissions and lead to other environmental benefits. More
Teaching and Students
CALS Spring Career Day Set for Feb. 1
The CALS spring career day is scheduled for Feb. 1, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall. A list of the 101 organizations participating is available online. “The spring event is a great opportunity for our students still looking to secure summer and full-time employment,” said Mike Gaul, director of CALS Career Services. More
Brenton Center Accepting Classroom Reservations
The Brenton Center is accepting classroom reservations for summer and fall 2017. Room technology has been upgraded to HD digital quality capture. Classrooms 8 and 9 seat 35 each; classroom 13 seats 56. First preference will be given to CALS Online courses that require a live capture for online delivery to distance students or faculty recording their lectures using the new format for distance delivery. Contact Gaylan Scofield, ggs@iastate.edu, with questions or requests by Feb. 15.
Food Science Club Taking Pre-Orders for Fudge
The Food Science Club is selling fudge for Valentine’s Day. Flavors include chocolate, peanut butter, cookies ‘n cream and Cyclone. Fudge will be sold by pre-orders only until Jan. 28. Cost is $6 for one half-pound box or $10 for two half-pound boxes. Orders will be ready for pickup on Feb. 10, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in 206 MacKay Hall. More
Extension and Outreach
CALS Faculty and Staff Present at Iowa Pork Congress
The Iowa Pork Congress will be held Jan. 25-26 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines. ISU faculty and staff will be available in booth 1940. CALS faculty and staff presenting seminars includes: Dan Anderson, agricultural and biosystems engineering; Nick Gabler and Colin Johnson, animal science; William Edwards, economics; and Mark Storlie and Dave Stender, Extension to Agriculture. More
Publication Series to Help Tenants and Landowners Discuss Conservation Practices
Iowa Learning Farms created a new publication series with talking points and relevant research findings about conservation practices. The intent is to help begin a conversation between tenants and landowners about implementing conservation practices into their management plans.
Study Shows Iowa Farm Incomes Strong Despite Economic Downtown
David Peters, sociology, compares income and debt for all types of Iowa farms in a new study released through ISU Extension and Outreach. “Income Trends for Iowa Farms and Farm Families 2003-2015” is available through the Extension Store. More
Around the College
CALS Names Alum Carlson Emerging Iowa Leader
CALS has named Stephanie Carlson the 2017 Emerging Iowa Leader. Carlson is producer outreach and federal policy director with the Iowa Pork Producers Association. She received a bachelor’s degree in animal science in 2013. The award was presented at center court of Hilton Coliseum during the CALS sponsored Cyclone Women’s Basketball game on Jan. 21. More
Nominations for Gamma Sigma Delta due March 24
The Iowa Beta Chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the honor society of agriculture, will hold its annual initiation and awards ceremony on April 20, 5 p.m. in the Dolezal Auditorium, 127 Curtiss Hall. Nomination forms for membership and awards are available online and are due March 24 by 5 p.m. More
Morton Speaks to Regional Conservation District Leaders
Lois Wright Morton, sociology, recently spoke with the National Association of Conservation Districts North Central Region Board of Directors in St. Louis. Her presentation, based on her social science research with farmers, detailed how increasing weather variability and other challenges affect farming operations and soil and water resources.
Calendar
March 28-29: CALS Speakers at Iowa Invasive Species Conference
The Iowa Invasive Species Conference will be held March 28-29 at the Honey Creek Resort State Park near Moravia. Speakers from ISU include: Aaron Matthews and Michael Weber, NREM, speaking on invasive aquatic animals; Raymond Hansen, value added agriculture extension, using animals to find and control invasive plants; Bob Hartzler, agronomy, and Meaghan Anderson, agricultural extension specialist, biology and management of invasive plants; Lois Wright Morton, sociology, local invasive species programs and community engagement; Mark Shour, entomology, management strategies for the emerald ash borer; and Lina Rodriguez Salamanca, plant pathology and microbiology, forest insect and pest challenges and management strategies. Gene Takle, agronomy, will speak on changes in climate that impact invasive species for the plenary presentation. More
Funding Opportunities
USDA and DOE to Issue Joint FY17 BRDI Requests for Applications
The USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Energy have released a notice of intent to issue a joint request for applications for the Fiscal Year 17 Biomass Research and Development Initiative. Proposals must address feedstock development, biofuels and biobased products development, and/or biofuels development analysis. The RFA will be released in mid-February. More
ISU Publication Subvention Grants Available
ISU Publication Subvention Grants are available to support the publication of scholarly writings and other worthy productions of ISU faculty and staff, and manuscripts by other individuals on topics related to Iowa and the surrounding region. The primary intent of these grants is to support low-volume scholarly projects that are not expected to be commercially viable without assistance. Applications are also accepted for series of publications edited by ISU faculty, staff or centers and institutes. Individual grants of up to $10,000 are available for print media and up to $1,250 for digital media. The 2017 deadlines for applications are April 3 and Oct. 2.
ISU Training: Navigating the Research Compliance Process, Jan. 25
The ISU Office of the Vice President for Research is hosting a training event, “Navigating the Research Compliance Process 101,” to provide an overview of regulations that must be followed to conduct research ethically and responsibly. Presenters for this training are Sarah Kaatz, director of the Office for Responsible Research; Brooke Langlitz, director of the Office for Research Integrity; Mary Sauer, ISU Attending Veterinarian; and Rob Shipley, director of Laboratory Animal Resources. This event will be most beneficial for faculty and staff who are new to ISU or who have moved into a new lab, position or area of research, and to new principal investigators. The event will take place on Jan. 25, 1:30 to 3 p.m. in the Memorial Union Campanile Room. Pre-registration is requested. More
NSF RFI: Future Needs for Advanced Cyberinfrastructure
The National Science Foundation has issued a Request for Information on Future Needs for Advanced Cyberinfrastructure to Support Science and Engineering Research (NSF CI 2030). The RFI encourages researchers from all fields of science, engineering and education to contribute their ideas concerning the exploration, development and deployment of an advanced cyberinfrastructure for the next decade. Responses must be submitted by April 5. More
NIH: Updated Font Guidelines for Grant Applications
The National Institutes of Health and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality have released new font guidelines for grant applications with due dates on or after Jan. 25. Applications that do not conform to the minimum requirements listed in the new guidelines will not be considered. 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.
Feb. 2: NCRCRD FY17 Multistate Rural Development Research or Extension Projects; $25,000. More
Feb. 17: SBA Boots to Business: From Service to Start-up Training Program; entrepreneurship training for veterans. More
Mar. 10: USDA NIFA Potato Breeding Research. More
Mar. 10: Dept. of State U.S.-Australia Conference on 21st Century Alliances; $250,000. More
Apr. 27 (letter of intent): NIH and USDA Food Specific Molecular Profiles and Biomarkers of Food and Nutrient Intake and Dietary Exposure (R01). More
May 31: USDA NRCS 2017 Iowa Conservation Collaboration Grants.
Sept. 30 (letter of intent): NIH Novel Genomic Technology Development. More (R01), (R21)
Communications Kiosk
When to Use Ensure, Insure and Assure
Use “ensure” to mean guarantee: Steps were taken to ensure accuracy. Use “insure” for references to insurance: The policy insures his life. Use “assure” to mean to make sure or give confidence: She assured us the statement was accurate. (Associated Press Stylebook, 2016 edition, pg. 96)
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.