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C O N T E N T S
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COLLEGE NEWS
- Leopold Center director plans to retire
- Next week: spring convocation and Jischke forum
- Deadline Jan. 25 for Faculty Research Exchange Support
- Deadline Jan. 26 for Grant Writers Workshop
- Sixty-one off-campus students enrolled in agriculture
- BBMB spring symposium on cellular differentiation
- Water issues the focus of March conference
- Tours of northwest Iowa community colleges Feb. 11-12
- Deadlines & Reminders
COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
- Know your ag acronyms: check the web
INFOGRAZING
- Ag students weigh in on university topics
EXTERNAL VOICES
- Beyond traditional agricultural research
MARGINALIA
- Green thumbs, golden results
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C O L L E G E N E W S
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LEOPOLD CENTER DIRECTOR PLANS TO RETIRE
Dennis Keeney is stepping down as director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Keeney, the first and only director of the center since it was created by the 1987 Iowa Groundwater Protection Act, will retire this fall. He will continue as director until a successor is named. Keeney, a professor of agronomy and agricultural and biosystems engineering, also has been director of the Iowa State Water Resources Institute and is past president of the American Society of Agronomy and the Soil Science Society of America. During Keeney's tenure, the Leopold Center has awarded nearly $8.1 million in competitive grants to support 174 research, demonstration and education projects throughout Iowa.
NEXT WEEK: SPRING CONVOCATION AND JISCHKE FORUM
The College of Agriculture’s spring-semester convocation will be held at 4 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 26, in Lush Auditorium, Kildee Hall. Refreshments will be available in the lobby at 3:30 p.m. After the convocation, a reception will be held in the new atrium of Kildee. On Thursday, Jan. 28, President Jischke will hold an 11 a.m. open forum for agriculture faculty and staff in 1951 Food Sciences.
DEADLINE JAN. 25 FOR FACULTY RESEARCH EXCHANGE SUPPORT
Deadline is Monday, Jan. 25, for applying for spring-semester support for Experiment Station Faculty Research Exchange Visits. The program strengthens research and teaching linkages between ISU and 1890 land-grant universities and 1994 tribal colleges. For more information: Mary de Baca, 4-8574 or mmdb@iastate.edu.
DEADLINE JAN. 26 FOR GRANT WRITERS PROGRAM
Nominations for faculty wanting to take part in the Grant Writers Workshop are due Tuesday, Jan. 26. The program runs from May through November. Participants will prepare a proposal that will be submitted to a federal agency, such as USDA, NSF and NIH, with grants due November 1999 through February 2000. Nomination forms are available from DEOs and Deanne Brill, 4-2517.
SIXTY-ONE OFF-CAMPUS STUDENTS ENROLLED IN AGRICULTURE
During the fall semester, the College of Agriculture had 61 off-campus students working toward degrees -- 27 undergraduates and 34 graduates. ISU had a total of 652 off-campus students enrolled. (ISU Annual Statistical Report, Fall 1998)
BBMB SPRING SYMPOSIUM ON CELLULAR DIFFERENTIATION
Cellular differentiation is the theme of the Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology’s fifth annual spring symposium, Feb. 19-20, Molecular Biology Building. Scientists from Syracuse University, UCLA, Cornell University Medical College and Johns Hopkins University will speak. Oral and poster presentations will be given by students and postdoctoral associates. Registration deadline is Feb. 1. For more information: 4-6116 or biochem@iastate.edu.
WATER ISSUES THE FOCUS OF MARCH CONFERENCE
ISU is one of the sponsors of an upcoming conference addressing critical issues affecting water resources. "From the Heartland to the World: The Importance of Clean Water" will be held March 24-26 in the Scheman Building. The first day will be the ISU Provost’s Workshop, highlighting how ISU is contributing to knowledge of water issues. The conference will highlight research in agriculture and human health from state, regional and international perspectives. For more information: Ramesh Kanwar, 4-4913, or Sorrel Brown, 4-8802.
TOUR OF NORTHWEST IOWA COMMUNITY COLLEGES FEB. 11-12
Vision 2020 is hosting a bus tour that will visit three northwest Iowa community colleges on Feb. 11-12. Stops will include Iowa Lakes Community College, Northwest Iowa Community College and Western Iowa Tech Community College. For more information: Roger Swafford, 4-2698 or swafford@iastate.edu.
DEADLINES & REMINDERS
Jan. 25: "The Changing Structure of Agriculture: Any Room for Ethics?", Bernard Evans, St. Johns University, Sun Room, Memorial Union, 8 p.m.
Jan. 25: Deadline, proposals, Experiment Station Research Exchange Visits Program, 4-8574.
Jan. 26: College of Agriculture convocation, Lush Auditorium, Kildee, 4 p.m.
Jan. 26: Deadline, Grant Writers Workshop sign-up, 4-2517.
Jan. 28: Open forum with President Jischke, 11 a.m., 1951 Food Sciences.
Feb. 1: Deadline, applications, College of Agriculture Summer Research Internships for Minority Students Program, 4-1701.
Feb. 11-12: Vision 2020 tour of northwest Iowa community colleges, 4-2698.
Feb. 15: Deadline, Dean of Agriculture’s International Research Grants, 4-8493.
Feb. 19-20: Cellular Differentiation: 5th Annual Spring Symposium, Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, 4-6116.
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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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KNOW YOUR AG ACRONYMS: CHECK THE WEB
The Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST) has added a list of agricultural science and policy acronyms to its Web site. From AAAE (American Association for Agricultural Education) to WTO (World Trade Organization), the acronyms are explained and include links to the organizations listed. Agricultural terms used as acronyms also are translated. You can find the list at: http://www.cast-science.org/acronyms/acronyms.htm
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I N F O G R A Z I N G
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AG STUDENTS WEIGH IN ON UNIVERSITY TOPICS
The following responses from College of Agriculture students were included in results of a spring 1998 opinion survey of ISU undergraduates. Students were asked to rank topics on a scale of one to five, with five meaning very satisfied or strongly agree, and one meaning very dissatisfied or disagree strongly. (Office of Institutional Research report, December)
4.0 for university in general
3.85 on quality of instruction (2nd highest among ISU colleges)
3.81 on availability of computers
4.06 on variety of courses offered (highest among ISU colleges)
3.84 on academic advising services (highest among ISU colleges)
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E X T E R N A L V O I C E S
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BEYOND TRADITIONAL AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH
"Agricultural research needs to be recognized as going beyond the traditional food, feed and fiber approaches. There will also be tremendous new opportunities for agricultural producers who would not be limited to growing just corn, soybeans or wheat, for example, but will have options for growing a much more diverse set of products." Ralph W.F. Hardy, president of the National Agricultural Biotechnology Council, speaking at Texas A&M University.
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M A R G I N A L I A
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GREEN THUMBS, GOLDEN RESULTS
Scientists in New Zealand have found a way to turn plants into gold — not by spinning straw, as in the children's fairy tale, but by coaxing Chinese mustard plants to collect gold from ore in the soil. They do this by treating the soil around the plants with ammonium thiocyanate, a compound often used in mining operations to make gold soluble. The plants then accumulate gold in their tissues. The researchers hope that by farming soil rich in gold ore, their biomining technique will prove financially lucrative. (Scientific American, December)