COLLEGE NEWS
- Legacy of George Washington Carver display available
- ISU organizes ag tech workshops in China
- Swine farm renamed for Lauren Christian
- Register for NRI grants workshop in Kansas City
- Grants will support ties to 1890 and 1994 colleges
- Four honored at ISU Ag Alumni Weekend
- Ag Comm sessions for the coming year
- Brenton Center series continues in October
- Soybean research preproposals due Oct. 30
- Ag systems technology program honored
- Deadlines & Reminders
COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
- Reserve exhibit equipment in Ag Information office
INFOGRAZING
- Report: Many of world’s tree species threatened
- World Food Day telecast on campus Oct. 16
EXTERNAL VOICES
- Proposal addresses water quality and livestock
MARGINALIA
- New wedding rite gives scientists the butterflies
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C O L L E G E N E W S
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LEGACY OF GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER DISPLAY AVAILABLE
A College of Agriculture display on the legacy of George Washington Carver is available for use by college departments and centers. The display, a smaller version of the display at this year’s Iowa State Fair, fits on a nine-foot exhibit board and attaches with Velcro. Ag Information has floor-standing exhibits to reserve that will accommodate the display (see "Communications Kiosk" item below). To reserve the Carver display: Marty Behrens, 4-5616 or behrens@iastate.edu.
ISU ORGANIZES AG TECH WORKSHOPS IN CHINA
Workshops coordinated by ISU began this week at agricultural universities in China. The workshops continue the work of the late M.E. Ensminger, an internationally known animal scientist who had worked with the College of Agriculture to hold his international schools. The Ensminger-ISU International Agricultural Technology Workshops were held this week at Zhejiang Agricultural University and Huazhong Agricultural University. Next week, another will be held at the China Agricultural University, Beijing. Faculty from University of Missouri, Purdue University, University of Wisconsin and Auburn University have joined ISU faculty and staff to deliver sessions on livestock production, biotechnology, meat quality, animal-waste handling, farm management and rural development. Many also will participate in a feed research institute next week sponsored by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
SWINE FARM RENAMED FOR LAUREN CHRISTIAN
More than 140 people attended the renaming of ISU’s Southwest Swine Farm near Atlantic on Thursday, Sept. 17. The farm was renamed the Lauren Christian Swine Research and Demonstration Farm in honor of the ISU distinguished professor of animal science. Family members, including Christian’s parents, and his former students were among those attending.
REGISTER FOR NRI GRANTS WORKSHOP IN KANSAS CITY
The Experiment Station will cover the costs for sending two ag faculty members from each department to the North Central Regional workshop for the USDA National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program. The workshop, to be held Nov. 4 in Kansas City, will allow researchers to interact with key NRI program staff. Nomination forms will be provided to each department, and are due Oct. 8. For more information: Shirley Riney, 4-4544 or sriney@iastate.edu. Or check the workshop's website.
GRANTS WILL SUPPORT TIES TO 1890 AND 1994 COLLEGES
The Experiment Station has awarded six fall-semester grants to strengthen research and teaching ties between ISU faculty/staff and their counterparts at historically black land-grant (1890) colleges and tribal (1994) colleges. Receiving grants were: Parag Chitnis, biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology, and Paul Scott, agronomy, for work with Tuskegee University; Joe Morris, animal ecology, with Kentucky State University; Michael Bell and Peter Korsching, sociology, with Tennessee State University; Linda Wild, interdepartmental genetics, with Lincoln University; and Ramesh Kanwar, ag & biosystems engineering, with University of Maryland-Eastern Shore.
FOUR HONORED AT ISU AG ALUMNI WEEKEND
The College of Agriculture Alumni Society honored four ISU graduates for their work in agriculture during the Ag Alumni Weekend, Sept. 4-5. Pete Hermanson of Story City (ag business) received the Production Agriculture Award; John Cotton of Spencer (ag business), the Professional Agribusiness Award; Kay Connelly of Cedar Falls (farm operations), the Innovators in Agriculture Award; and Roger Bruene of Ames (agronomy), the Meritorious Award in Agriculture.
AG COMM SESSIONS FOR THE COMING YEAR
Five Ag Comm sessions are planned through the rest of the academic year. They all begin at noon, end at 1:30 p.m. and take place in 8 Curtiss. A light lunch will be served. Dates and topics: Oct. 20, implementing peer appraisals that work with communication assignments and activities; Nov. 17, bridging the gap between assignment planning and assignment evaluation; Feb. 16, the Ag Comm website; March 16, lessons from research on distance education and Ag Comm; April 20, distance education teaching and learning and implication for Ag Comm. RSVP to Norma Hensley, 4-6614 or nhensley@iastate.edu. For more information: Robert Martin, 4-0896, or Rebecca Burnett, 4-5654.
BRENTON CENTER SERIES CONTINUES IN OCTOBER
The Brenton Center's professional development series continues with an Oct. 21 session on teaching at a distance. Topics include guidelines for graphics, dress considerations, presentation techniques, budgets and management tips. Other sessions will focus on enhancing PowerPoint presentations on Nov. 18 and an overview of the Iowa Communications Network on Dec. 16. All sessions are held at 4:10 to 5 p.m. in 8 Curtiss.
SOYBEAN RESEARCH PREPROPOSALS DUE OCT. 30
Research preproposals for the Iowa Soybean Promotion Board are due Oct. 30 in 111 Curtiss. Find more information on the college’s request for proposals homepage. For a printed copy: Carla Persaud, 4-9376 or cpersaud@iastate.edu.
AG SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM HONORED
ISU’s agricultural systems technology program received "ASAE Recognition" at the International ASAE Conference this past summer. ASAE is the Society for Engineering in Agriculture, Food and Biological Systems. ASAE Recognition follows a review of the total program, including curriculum, student club activities, facilities and faculty. The recognition states the curriculum met standards for math, physical and biological sciences; technical agriculture; management sciences; agricultural systems technology and management; human and social sciences; composition and communication; and approved electives. The curriculum is administered by the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering.
DEADLINES & REMINDERS
Sept. 24: Ag Council Steak Fry (for DEOs, club advisers, club reps, Ag Council members), Maple Shelter, Brookside Park. RSVP by Sept. 21, 4-6614.
Sept. 26: Family-Parent Weekend reception, Scheman Bldg.
Sept. 28: Faculty improvement leave applications due, 138 Curtiss.
Oct. 1: Consulting reports due for A, B and P staff, 138 Curtiss.
Oct. 3: International faculty exchange applications due, 138 Curtiss.
Oct. 16: Proposal deadline, Dean of Agriculture’s International Research Grants Program, 4-8493.
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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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RESERVE EXHIBIT EQUIPMENT IN AG INFORMATION OFFICE
Ag Information Service, 304 Curtiss, provides exhibits and related equipment to college faculty, staff and ag student groups. A new Web page details the exhibit equipment and includes pictures. Reserve an exhibit by calling Marty Behrens, 4-5616 or behrens@iastate.edu. The exhibit Web page can be found from the Ag Info homepage.
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I N F O G R A Z I N G
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WORLD FOOD DAY TELECAST ON CAMPUS OCT. 16
"Food for All: Right or Goal," will be the topic of the 15th annual World Food Day satellite teleconference on Oct. 16, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., in the Administrative Services Building. The program will review the 50-year history of the struggle for food security in the household, community and the world. Faculty, staff and students are invited to attend. There is no registration fee, but pre-registration is requested. Contact Kim Greder, 4-5906 or x1greder@exnet.iastate.edu.
REPORT: MANY OF WORLD’S TREE SPECIES THREATENED
Of the 80,000 to 100,000 species of trees once on the planet, nearly 100 have become extinct and more than 8,600 are headed that way, says the first status report on the world's trees. The World Conservation Union states that 95 species already are extinct in the wild, though 18 survive under human care. The countries with the most threatened species are Malaysia, Indonesia and Brazil. The USA was 12th on the list, with 259 threatened species. Scientists said even people who aren't "tree-huggers" should be concerned. Trees purify water, prevent soil erosion and cleanse the air. A paper in last year's Nature estimated that forests provide $5 trillion in benefits to humans annually, from timber to nuts to absorbing carbon dioxide that otherwise would contribute to global warming. (USA Today, Aug. 25)
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E X T E R N A L V O I C E S
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PROPOSAL ADDRESSES WATER QUALITY AND LIVESTOCK
Environmental Protection Agency Director Carol Browner and USDA Secretary Dan Glickman releases a draft of a proposed USDA-EPA Unified National Strategy for Animal Feeding Operations on Sept. 16. "This draft plan is the most aggressive strategy ever proposed to address this problem and protect our nation's rivers, lakes and streams," Browner said. Glickman added, "This comment period provides the public with an excellent opportunity to let us know how we can work with livestock producers to improve the quality of our nation's water, while keeping the livestock industry strong and protecting the quality of life in rural communities."
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M A R G I N A L I A
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NEW WEDDING RITE GIVES SCIENTISTS THE BUTTERFLIES
First there was rice, then confetti, balloons and birdseed. Now, butterfly releases are the latest fashion at weddings (and at memorial services, grand openings, etc.). But while some view the release of butterflies as a celebration of natural beauty, many others see it as a misguided practice that poses serious risks to wild butterfly populations and compromises scientists' ability to study phenomena like the annual migration of the monarch butterfly. "It's really a disgusting development," said Jeffrey Glassberg, president, North American Butterfly Association. "Environmentally, it's the worst thing you could do at your wedding." About 60 companies are now in operation. (New York Times, Sept. 14)