Issue: 944

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
March 27, 2017 


Top Stories

John Lawrence, CALS associate dean for extension programs and outreach and director of agriculture and natural resources extension, has been named interim vice president of ISU Extension and Outreach.

 

Lawrence Named Interim Vice President for Extension and Outreach
John Lawrence, CALS associate dean for extension programs and outreach and director of agriculture and natural resources extension, has been named interim vice president of ISU Extension and Outreach. Lawrence will succeed Cathann Kress, who is leaving to become vice president of agricultural administration and dean of the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University. Lawrence will become the acting vice president on March 31 and assume the interim role April 29.

Lawrence Testifies Before U.S. House of Representatives
John Lawrence, CALS associate dean for extension programs and outreach and director of agriculture and natural resources extension, spent March 23 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. talking about the future of family farms. Lawrence testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Small Business Committee, speaking about the link between family farms, local communities and global markets, as well as the challenges facing family farms and the role of land-grant universities.

Friday is Deadline to Provide Input into New CALS Strategic Plan
A website is available to provide input online to the new CALS strategic plan. Comments may be submitted under six different tabs – mission and vision, four priorities and other comments. The deadline for submitting input online is noon Friday, March 31. Ruth MacDonald, food science and human nutrition, is chairing the CALS Strategic Plan Committee that will be drafting the college’s new plan.


Research

Smith Co-Authors CAST Paper on Plant Breeding and Genetics
The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology has released the first paper in a series that connects science and technology to agriculture. “Plant Breeding and Genetics” focuses on the critical importance of innovation in plant breeding to meet the challenge of providing food and nutritional security to humankind. Stephen Smith, agronomy, is a co-author.


Teaching and Students

CALS Undergraduates Showcase Research at Annual Capitol Event
ISU undergraduates will present their research to legislators and others during the annual Research in the Capitol event, Tuesday, March 28, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the rotunda of the State Capitol building in Des Moines. Below are the CALS students that will be presenting.

  • Andrea Colton, biology – “Patterns of Woody Encroachment Establishment in Restored Prairies”
  • Logan Crees, environmental science – “Moth Diversity of the Grand River Grasslands of South Central Iowa”
  • Kaylee Hahn, nutritional science; Caitlyn Coonts, dietetics; Carter Reed, kinesiology and health – “Whole Egg Consumption Attenuates Weight Gain in Obese Type 2 Diabetic Rats”
  • Jacob Hill, environmental science and biology – “Nitrogen Composition of Cup Plant Changes with Growth Stage and Differs from Neighboring Species in Response to Varying Plant Community Diversity”
  • Rebecca Johnson, agronomy and horticulture – “Improving Soil Conservation and Crop Performance through Reduced Tillage and Cover-Crop-Based Rotations in Organic Squash Production”
  • Jordan Kersey, environmental science and biology – “CropRotation Diversity to Improve Water Quality and Incrase Soil Health”
  • Sarah Kurtz, biology and horticulture – “Hydroponic Testing of Iron Deficiency Chlorosis in Soybeans”
  • Kaitlyn Murphy and Jessica Meseck, biology – “Trophozoite Killing Assays for Tritrichomonas foetus Parasites”
  • Emily Southard, agriculture and society and global resource systems – “Midwestern Soybean Farmer’s Perceptions and Management of Glyphosate Resistant Weeds”
  • Dan Stroud, genetics – “Biocompatible Polymer Microfibers Promote Adult Neural Stem Cell Proliferation and Differentiation”
  • Emily Tinguely, nutritional science – “Visual Estimation of Dietary Intake during School Lunch for Iowan Students”

AST Club Offers Lawnmower Service Days, March 31-April 1
The Agriculture Systems Technology Club will hold its annual Lawnmower Service Days on Friday, March 31, from 1 to 6 p.m. and Saturday, April 1, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Sukup Hall on the west side of campus. Cost for routine maintenance is $35 for a push mower, $50 for a riding mower and $15 for a weed eater. Pick-up and delivery are available for Ames only; $15 for push mowers and $20 for riding mowers.

Stupka Symposium Scheduled for April 6
The 12th annual Stupka Symposium will be held April 6 in the Molecular Biology Building. The event is organized and run by undergraduate students in biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology, and designed to encourage the interaction between students and faculty over research topics in biological and chemical sciences. Registration is free and open to all.

Xi Sigma Pi to Host Maple Syrup Day on April 8
Xi Sigma Pi is hosting its annual Maple Syrup Day on April 8, 8 to 11:30 a.m. at the Iowa Arboretum. Activities include a timber sports demonstration, a nature walk with foresters and all you can eat pancakes for $8.

Block and Bridle Club to Host Animal Learning Day on April 8
The ISU Block and Bridle Club will host an animal learning day on April 8, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center. The event is free and provides an opportunity for the public to learn about animals in agriculture. There will be activities for all ages, including a Taste of Iowa segment.

CCUR, BCRF Plan Poster Competition to Highlight Student Research
The Center for Crops Utilization and the BioCentury Research Farm are hosting a poster competition for ISU undergraduate and graduate students engaged in food, feed or biorenewables research activities. The competition will be held on April 20 from 1-3 p.m. in the Food Sciences Building. Poster registrations are due April 14.

GPSA Research Symposium Scheduled for April 19
The Graduate Program in Sustainable Agriculture Research Symposium will be held Wednesday, April 19, 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Memorial Union South Ballroom. Karl Zimmerer, professor of environment and society geography and director of the GeoSyntheSES Lab at Pennsylvania State University, will present “Strengthening the Sustainability of Agricultural Biodiversity.” The evening will begin with a poster session featuring current research from GPSA students and faculty. A reception will follow the presentation.

Animal Science Students Place Second in Academic Quadrathlon
Animal science students Brady Goetz, Holly Brown, Tymbrie Snobl and Breyer Ott placed second out of 13 teams at the Midwest Regional Academic Quadrathlon on March 12-13 in Omaha. The competition was part of the Midwest Regional meetings of the American Society of Animal Science and the American Dairy Science Association.


Extension and Outreach

2016 Numbers Indicate Heavily Used ANR Extension Programs
Information submitted by agriculture and natural resource faculty and staff for 2016 show another busy year of ANR extension programming. There were 209,543 contacts at 2,600 presentations at meetings, workshops and field days. (Note that the numbers represent contacts and connections rather than individuals.) There were 4,353,477 downloads of webinars, podcasts and presentations, and 331,681 print publications distributed and downloaded. “Importantly, and not surprisingly, the number of individual contacts in person (6,861) and by phone and email (45,790) are steady and higher, respectively,” said John Lawrence, CALS associate dean and director of ANR Extension. “People still want to talk to people. That continues to be our strength.”

Maier Leads Iowa Grain Quality Initiative on Grain Research in Rwanda
ISU Extension and Outreach’s Iowa Grain Quality Initiative is embarking on a project in Rwanda assessing the impact of mycotoxins – toxic chemicals produced by fungi found in food crops. Dirk Maier, grain handling and storage specialist, in principal investigator on this project.

Extension Specialists Honored by Wallaces Farmer and Iowa Master Farmers
Steve Johnson and Clarke McGrath received the Iowa Master Farmer Exceptional Service Award by Wallaces Farmer and Iowa Master Farmers at the Master Farmer Awards Program March 16 in Des Moines. Johnson is an extension farm management field specialist. McGrath is an extension field agronomist.


Around the College

Kinze Fellowship Awarded to ABE Professor
Matt Darr, agricultural and biosystems engineering, received the Kinze Manufacturing Fellowship in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, recently created by the founders and owners of KINZE Manufacturing Inc. in Williamsburg. The fellowship will be used to enhance teaching methods and further research in precision agriculture, said Darr.

Darr Featured as ISU Change Agent
Matt Darr, agricultural and biosystems engineering, is the latest feature in ISU’s Change Agent series, articles telling the personal stories of ISU faculty and scientists whose work is changing the world for the better.

Swine Geneticist Joins Animal Science Department
Nick Serao joined the animal science department on March 9 as an assistant professor in swine genetics. He has a 55 percent research, 45 percent teaching appointment. His research will concentrate on genetic and genomic characterization of economically important traits in pigs, as well as in the development and evaluation of statistical methods for genomic analyses. Serao is also looking forward to working with students. “Training students is the real motivation to our work as faculty members,” he said.

Bain Elected to Faculty Senate
Carmen Bain, sociology, was elected as a CALS at-large senator on the Faculty Senate. Bain has served the Senate for three years as a member of the Faculty Development and Administrative Relations Council.

P&S Staff Receive CYtation Awards
Nick Van Berkum, sociology, received the 2016 Outstanding New Professional and Scientific Council Member CYtation Award at the annual ceremony held March 23. Dawn Miller, agronomy, received a 2016 P&S Council CYtation Award.

Iowa Artist to Paint 13 More Portraits on Campus
Iowa artist Rose Frantzen, who painted 19 portraits at the State Fair last August, is coming to campus next week to continue her work. During a nine-day residency beginning Wednesday, March 29, in the Christian Petersen Art Museum, Frantzen will paint the portraits of 13 more Iowa Staters, including Larry Ebbers (’62, ’68 ag and life sciences education), retired University Professor in higher education, and Alicia Carriquiry, distinguished professor of statistics. The full group of portraits will make up the “Faces of Iowa State” touring exhibition, which will launch at the Brunnier Art Museum in late August 2017. Her work sessions are open to the public.

CALS Co-Sponsor of Leslie Odom, Jr. Presentation, “Hamilton and the Road to Success”
Tony award winner Leslie Odom, Jr. will present “Hamilton and the Road to Success: In Words and Music” on Wednesday, March 29, 7 p.m. at Stephens Auditorium. Hamilton is the Broadway musical that told the story of a founding father through the language and rhythms of hip-hop and R&B. CALS is a co-sponsor of the event.


Calendar

March 27: Retirement Reception for Lois Wright Morton
A retirement reception will be held for Lois Wright Morton, sociology, today, March 27, 5 p.m. in the Harl Commons, Curtiss Hall. A short program will begin at 5:15 p.m. Morton has been with the department since 1999.

March 28: Shivvers Memorial Lecture
“The Leopold Center at 30 and Beyond” is the theme of this year’s Shivvers Memorial Lecture on Tuesday, March 28, at 7 p.m. in the Richard and Joan Stark Lecture Hall, 1148 Gerdin Business Building. Three former Iowa legislators – Paul Johnson, Ralph Rosenberg and David Osterberg – will discuss the 1987 Iowa Groundwater Protection Act and establishment of the Leopold Center, and share their thoughts on the past, present and future as the Center commemorates its 30 anniversary.

March 30: CALS Sustainability Lecture
Deborah Arcoleo, director of Product Transparency for the Hershey Co., will give the next presentation in the CALS Sustainability Lecture Series on Thursday, March 30, at 4:10 p.m. in the Leonard and Evelyn Dolezal Auditorium, Curtiss Hall. Her speech is titled:  The Changing Consumer and the Transparency Imperative. Arcoleo is responsible for leading the company's efforts to meet consumers’ and other audiences’ demands for product information. She earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Indiana University and a master’s degree in organization design and effectiveness from Fielding Graduate University.

April 5: Deadline to Register for CALS Sustainability Symposium
CALS faculty, staff and students are encouraged to attend a day-long CALS Sustainability Symposium on April 13 in the Scheman Building. 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.

April 11: Hertz Lecture on Emerging Issues in Agriculture
Alan Barkema will present the 2017 Carl and Marjory Hertz Lecture on Emerging Issues in Agriculture on April 11 at 8 p.m. in the Richard and Joan Stark Lecture Hall, 1148 Gerdin Business Building. Retired senior vice president for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Barkema will present “Pursuing Questions: Prospects for the Economy in Agriculture.” The Hertz Lecture is co-sponsored by CALS.


Funding Opportunities

NSF Spokes to Advance Big Data Applications, Pre-proposals Due April 21
The Office of the VPR is accepting pre-proposals for the NSF funding opportunity, Big Data Regional Innovation Hubs: Establishing Spokes to Advance Big Data Applications. The activities of a Spoke will be guided by the following broad themes: accelerating progress towards addressing societal grand challenges relevant to the regional and national priority areas defined by the Big Data Hubs; helping automate the Big Data lifecycle; and enabling access to and spurring the use of important and valuable available data assets, including international data sets where relevant. Small (up to $500,000) and medium (up to $1 million) projects will be funded. Submissions are limited to one per institution. Internal pre-proposals are due by April 21.
 
ISU Publication Subvention Grants, Proposals Due April 3
ISU Publication Subvention Grants support the publication of the scholarly writings and other worthy productions of ISU faculty and staff, and manuscripts by other individuals on topics related to the State of 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 publication series edited by ISU faculty, staff or centers/institutes. Grants of up to $10,000 are available for print media and up to $1,250 for digital media. Applications for the spring 2017 cycle are due April 3.

Water for Food Production Systems Challenge Area, LOIs Due May 17
The USDA FY 2017 Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Water for Food Production Systems Challenge Area combines the former Food Security and Water for Agriculture Challenge Areas. Proposals will be accepted only for integrated Coordinated Agricultural Projects. Projects must be transdisciplinary and draw on broad multi-stakeholder input and expertise throughout proposal development. The program anticipates making seven new awards with total budgets not to exceed $5.2 million and project periods up to five years. Letters of intent are due May 17.

North Central Soybean Research Program Seeks Proposals, Due May 22
The North Central Soybean Research Program is seeking collaborative multistate soybean research project renewal requests and new proposals for 2017/2018 funding. The NCSRP will fund research projects that address their goals of increasing soybean grower productivity and profitability while improving environmental stewardship. The NCSRP will fund both applied and basic research, and the communication of research results, to provide short- and long-term practical benefit to Midwestern soybean producers. An electronic copy and five original hard copies of proposals are due by May 22. Application materials are available from Jill Cornelis (cornelis@iastate.edu), Iowa Soybean Research Center.

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

April 14 (internal expressions of interest): NIH Research Education: Bridges to the Doctorate (R25); one application as lead institution; submit expressions of interest to fundingopps@iastate.edu.

May 1: USDA NIFA Minor Crop Pest Management Program Interregional Research Project #4 (IR-4).

May 31: USDA NRCS 2017 Iowa Conservation Collaboration Grants.

June 21: USDA AFRI Food Safety Challenge Area; mitigation strategies for antimicrobial resistance, $1.2 million over four years.

July 3: American Diabetes Association Pathway to Stop Diabetes®, $115,000 per year for up to three years, three different grant programs.

Aug. 3: NSF Science, Technology and Society. 


Communications Kiosk

Are We a Citizen or a Resident?
A citizen is a person who has acquired the full civil rights of a nation either by birth or naturalization. Cities and states in the U.S. do not confer citizenship. To avoid confusion, use resident, not citizen, in referring to inhabitants of states and cities. National is applied to a person residing away from the nation of which he or she is a citizen, or to a person under the protection of a specified nation. Native is the term denoting that an individual was born in a given location. (Associated Press Stylebook, 2016 edition, pg. 51)


Infograzing

Office of the Registrar Posts FAQs on Differential Tuition
The Office of the Registrar has posted frequently asked questions about differential tuition. Tuition and mandatory fees are approved by the University and Board of Regents, State of Iowa.

Graduate College Implements Annual Review Process for Postdoctoral Scholars
The Graduate College has been working with the PostDoc Association to put in place an annual review process for postdoctoral scholars. The review between postdoctoral scholars and their principal investigators will begin this spring and provide documentation for annual stipend adjustment decisions.


Marginalia

Photo Contest Winners Announced in NREM’s Field Notes
The 2017 edition of “Field Notes,” the graduate student magazine published by the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, is available online. Results of the annual photo contest are available on page 22.


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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