College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
May 28, 2019
Top Stories
Student Program Celebrates 10 Years of Working with the United Nations in Rome
For the past 10 years, ISU students have worked with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome as part of the Dean’s Global Agriculture and Food Leadership program. It offers students a unique, client-based international experience in analyzing and evaluating complex international issues in the area of food security, world hunger and sustainable resource development and policy. Including the nine students above currently in Rome working with the FAO, 89 students have participated in the program since 2009. More
Teaching and Students
Power Pullers Set to Compete with Newly Built Tractor
ISU students will enter a quarter-scale tractor they designed and built into an international competition on May 30. The articulated, four-wheel-drive machine will compete in a range of categories, including performance, safety and manufacturability. The team also submits a written report and an oral presentation. More
Extension and Outreach
Iowa Farmers Face Planting Decisions and Deadlines
Crop producers who are wondering what they should do about late and prevented planting were given a variety of resources and calculators during a special webinar May 24, presented by ISU Extension and Outreach field agronomists and farm management specialists. More
Iowa Farm Rental Rates Decline, But Not as Much as Commodities
Cash rental rates for Iowa farmland are down about 19 percent since the historic high in 2013. Meanwhile, corn and soybean prices have dropped 50 percent and 45 percent, respectively, since mid-2013, according to Alejandro Plastina, economics. ISU Extension and Outreach have published “Cash Rental Rates for Iowa 2019 Survey” in the May issue of Ag Decision Maker. More
Southeast Iowa Research Farm Plans Spring Field Day
Farmers and farm businesses in southeastern Iowa can learn about the latest crop production research and trends during the Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm spring field day June 20. More
Around the College
Seed Science Center Film Receives Telly Awards
A film showcasing the science and beauty of seeds received a Silver Telly award in the non-broadcast documentary series category. Manjit Misra, director of ISU’s Seed Science Center, provided leadership for Seeds! Diversity of Wonder, working with the production company Pierce Mill Media. A Day Without Seeds, one of six parts of the film, won a Bronze Telly in the general education category. The film is scheduled for a public viewing at Reiman Gardens on June 16 at 6 p.m.
Learning Community Awards Presented to CALS Faculty, Staff
CALS faculty and staff were honored at the 21st annual Learning Communities Institute on May 13. Also, many learning community coordinators were recognized for years of service to the program.
- Howard Tyler, CALS Student Services – Corly Brooke Learning Community Advocate Award
- Global Resource Systems learning community – Learning Community Collaborator Award
- Nate Dobbels, agricultural education and studies – Early Achievement in Learning Community Coordination
- Amy Brandau, agricultural business – 5 years
- Ben McCarty, agricultural and biosystems engineering – 5 years
- Lauren Ramos, Biology Education Success Teams – 5 years
- Lois Girton, genetics, development and cell biology – 10 years
- Nancy Boury, microbiology – 20 years
- John Burnett, natural resource ecology and management – 20 years
Dean Robison Shares his Vision with Iowa Farm Bureau Readers
Dean Daniel Robison recently spoke with Iowa Farm Bureau’s Dirck Steimel about his new position leading CALS, his educational philosophy, the ways that the college can help farmers and rural communities in a challenging economy and other issues. Excerpts of the interview were published in the May 22 issue of the Spokesman. More
In Memoriam: Paul Doak, Economics
Paul Doak, emeritus associate professor in economics, died May 12. He was 90. Doak taught in the economics department from 1962 to 1992. This emphasis of his professional career was on teaching and advising students majoring in agricultural business. He served as advisor of the Ag Business Club. More The Paul Doak Agricultural Business Recruiting Scholarship was established in 2009. An article in the fall 2015 issue of STORIES visits with some of the scholarship recipients.
Calendar
June 16: Public Viewing of Seed Science Center Film
A film showcasing the science and beauty of seeds is scheduled for a public viewing at Reiman Gardens on June 16 at 6 p.m. Manjit Misra, director of ISU’s Seed Science Center, provided leadership for Seeds! Diversity of Wonder. More
Communications Kiosk
Avoid Excessive Personalization of Inanimate Objects
There is no blanket rule against creating a possessive form for an inanimate object, particularly if the object is treated in a personified sense: death’s call, the wind’s murmur. In general, however, avoid excessive personalization of inanimate objects, and give preference to an “of” construction when it fits the makeup of the sentence. For example, mathematics’ rules and measles’ effects would be better as the rules of mathematics and the effects of measles. (Associated Press Stylebook, 2018 edition, pg. 229)
Infograzing
Applications Due May 30 for I-Corps Summer Cohort
Faculty, postdocs and graduate students who wish to explore the commercial potential of their research are encouraged to apply for ISU’s National Science Foundation Innovation Corps summer cohort. The I-Corps program is an initiative to transition NSF-funded research from the laboratory to a product in the marketplace. Applications are due by May 30.
Attention Plant Scientists – Call for Papers
PLOS ONE and PLOS Biology have released a call for papers on the theme of future crops. Submissions should contribute to progress towards the goal of resilient, climate-smart crops and cropping systems for the 21st century. Deadline for submissions is Sept. 13. More
Leadership Academy Available for Underrepresented Leaders in STEM
Applications are due June 3 for the IAspire Leadership Academy, a national leadership development opportunity for underrepresented leaders in STEM. The one-year leadership program is funded by the National Science Foundation. More
U.S. Must Increase Commitment to Research and Innovation
Peter McPherson, president of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, wrote an op-ed for the May 20 edition of USA Today examining China’s challenge to U.S. research and innovation dominance. The piece notes that even if all trade issues between the two countries were resolved tomorrow, China has still dramatically ramped up investments in scientific research that leads to revolutionary new technologies and advancements. This is placing the U.S. in a challenging position and one that requires redoubling our own commitment to research and innovation. More
Marginalia
Setting Records for Late Planting
As of May 19, a record was set for the least amount of corn planted in the U.S. since 1992 – 49 percent. For the week ending May 19, Iowa had 22 percent planted. By comparison, 75 percent of corn in the U.S. had been planted by this time in 2014. U.S. soybean planting is proceeding at the slowest pace since 1996. Numbers were provided by Dennis Todey, director of the Midwest Climate Hub.
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
Julie Stewart, Editor
jstewart@iastate.edu, (515) 294-5616
http://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.