COLLEGE NEWS
- Update on searches for new department leaders
- College welcomes 17 summer minority interns
- Kirschenmann replaces Borlaug as Nashua speaker
- India officials visit campus to talk research
- New funds for ag scholarships tops development list
- Visiting professors made 86 presentations last year
- ABE department hosts FFA ag mechanics event
- Volunteer for the Iowa State Fair
- Retirement for Norma Hensley on July 6
- Deadlines & Reminders
COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
- A starting point for finding photos on the Web
INFOGRAZING
- College scholarships awarded last year and so far this year
- Eating in, eating out: Yearly food spending in households
EXTERNAL VOICES
- The theory of the disappearing universe
MARGINALIA
- Facts are flowing like ketchup on a bun
...................................................
C O L L E G E N E W S
...................................................
UPDATE ON SEARCHES FOR NEW DEPARTMENT LEADERS
Several search committees have been interviewing internal candidates to lead departments in the college. An update:
- Agricultural and biosystems engineering interviewed Bill Batchelor on June 8 and will interview Manjit Misra on June 28 and Ramesh Kanwar on July 2. The search committee is led by Warren DeVries, mechanical engineering.
- Animal science has interviewed Lee Kilmer, Dan Morrical and Colin Scanes, and will interview Jim Dickson on June 25. The search is led by Alan Myers, biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology.
- Horticulture interviewed Jeff Iles on June 10. The search is led by Tom Loynachan, agronomy.
COLLEGE WELCOMES 17 SUMMER MINORITY INTERNS
This summer 17 minority students are working with college faculty members on research internships. A reception to welcome the students will be held from 2 to 4 p.m., June 27, in the Gold Room, Memorial Union. Six are high school students (from schools in Des Moines, Chicago, California and Kentucky) and 11 are undergraduates (from colleges and universities in Kansas, Maryland, Florida, New York, California, Washington, Indiana, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Alabama). They are working on projects in animal ecology, animal science, food science and human nutrition, human development and family studies, agricultural and biosystems engineering, plant pathology, veterinary medicine, entomology, soil tilth, horticulture/sustainable agriculture, statistics/economics and statistics/sociology.
KIRSCHENMANN REPLACES BORLAUG AS NASHUA SPEAKER
Leopold Center Director Fred Kirschenmann will give the keynote address at the 25th anniversary event for ISU’s Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm near Nashua on Tuesday, June 26. Kirschenmann is filling in for Nobel Prize laureate Norman Borlaug, who is recuperating from pneumonia. The celebration will begin at 10 a.m. with displays and booths of the farm's history and milestones. The keynote address is set for 11 a.m. The farm is located 1 mile south and 1.5 miles west of Nashua.
INDIA OFFICIALS VISIT CAMPUS TO TALK RESEARCH
This week two officials from India visited campus as part of a cooperative research agreement between ISU and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). The visit was sponsored by the National Agricultural Technology Project funded by the World Bank for ICAR. The two officials are studying the research, extension and development infrastructure of U.S. land-grant schools and how U.S. institutions are preparing themselves for emerging challenges facing world agriculture. They met with several college and university administrators and faculty members, and toured ISU agricultural facilities. One of the India officials presented a seminar Thursday on opportunities for cooperative research between ISU and ICAR.
NEW FUNDS FOR AG SCHOLARSHIPS TOPS DEVELOPMENT LIST
Raising money for new scholarships is the College of Agriculture's number-one development goal. Richard Bundy, the college's director of development, told alumni during ISU Alumni Days that a goal of $3 million in new endowed scholarship support has been set for the new fiscal year. If that goal is reached, the endowment could provide about $150,000 each year for new scholarships. Last year the college awarded about $444,000 in scholarships for needy and talented students (see item in "Infograzing"). Additional priorities for development include funding for the Wallace Chair in Sustainable Agriculture, endowed faculty support and the Forestry Alumni Centennial Fund.
VISITING PROFESSORS MADE 86 PRESENTATIONS LAST YEAR
In 2000-2001, 26 faculty participated in the college's Visiting Professor Program, making 86 presentations in 22 Iowa high schools. Since the program began in 1990, there have been 646 presentations made by the "visiting professors."
ABE DEPARTMENT HOSTS FFA AG MECHANICS EVENT
The Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering hosted the 2001 Iowa FFA Agricultural Mechanics Career Development Event on June 7. Twenty-nine FFA chapters, including 104 high school students, participated in the event, which tests students’ knowledge and skills in ag mechanics. The Nashua-Plainfield FFA Chapter was the top team. Tom Brumm was the event coordinator.
VOLUNTEER FOR THE IOWA STATE FAIR
Volunteer to help staff the College of Agriculture exhibit at the Iowa State Fair, Aug. 9-19. This year’s theme is "2001: A Space Food Odyssey," with the focus on the work of the NASA Food Technology Commercial Space Center. Volunteers have a choice of three shifts: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. They receive free admission and parking passes. To sign up: Marty Behrens, 4-5616 or behrens@iastate.edu.
RETIREMENT FOR NORMA HENSLEY ON JULY 6
A retirement reception for Norma Hensley, program assistant for associate dean Eric Hoiberg, will be held from 3 to 5 p.m., July 6, in the Campanile Room, Memorial Union. A program will begin at 4 p.m. Hensley has worked for the College of Agriculture for 41 years.
DEADLINES & REMINDERS
June 21-24: "Functions and Actions of Retinoids and Carotenoids: Building on the Vision of James A. Olson," symposium, Scheman Building.
June 26: Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm’s 25th Anniversary Celebration, Nashua, 10 a.m.
June 27: Farms, Food and the Future Conference, Polk County Convention Center, Des Moines.
June 29: Retirement reception, Janie Lohnes, Student Services, and Karen Klaiber, Career Services, Dairy Industry Courtyard, 3-5 p.m.
July 6: Retirement reception, Norma Hensley, Ag Administration, Campanile Room, Memorial Union, 3-5 p.m.
July 12-14: Global Consortium of Higher Education and Research in Agriculture 2001 Conference, San Francisco.
.......................................................................
C O M M U N I C A T I O N S K I O S K
.......................................................................
A STARTING POINT FOR FINDING PHOTOS ON THE WEB
If a picture is worth a thousand words, the value of the images scattered around the Web must be in the trillions. The problem is finding the right one and whether it’s available to use. A good place to begin is Library Spot's image directory, http://libraryspot.com/images.htm?news. The links include searchable collections, such as the Library of Congress and the United Nations, news photos, image exhibits, clip art and images by theme. Guidelines for use vary according to the site.
...................................................
I N F O G R A Z I N G
...................................................
COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED LAST YEAR AND SO FAR THIS YEAR
Last year, 2000-2001, the College of Agriculture awarded 342 scholarships totaling almost $440,000. The scholarships included 73 for freshmen; 139 for upperclassmen; 18 for transfer students; 57 for international activities; 34 for off-campus students; 19 for merit students; and two for graduate students. For the upcoming academic year, the college already has awarded all but the international and off-campus scholarships, which are given during the fall semester. For 2001-2002, the college has awarded 239 scholarships totaling almost $418,000 -- 64 for freshmen, 140 for upperclassmen, 16 for transfer students, 15 for merit students and four for graduate students. The departments in the college also award scholarships.
EATING IN, EATING OUT: YEARLY FOOD SPENDING IN HOUSEHOLDS
The U.S. Department of Labor reports that average yearly expenditures on food in urban households remained constant between 1997 and 1998. In 1998, the typical household spent $1,773 per person versus $1,767 the previous year. Of this amount, $1,094 was spent on food consumed at home and $679 on food consumed away from home. In 1997, slightly more was spent on food at home, $1,126, and slightly less on food consumed away from home, $641. The data are from the Consumer Expenditure Diary Surveys prepared by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
...................................................
E X T E R N A L V O I C E S
...................................................
THE THEORY OF THE DISAPPEARING UNIVERSE
"There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened."
- Douglas Adams, author
...................................................
M A R G I N A L I A
...................................................
FACTS ARE FLOWING LIKE KETCHUP ON A BUN
Tomatoes are vegetables, according to a 1893 decision by the U.S Supreme Court. At the time, fruits could be brought into the country tax-free, but importers had to pay taxes on vegetables. The court noted that tomatoes were not eaten as dessert. Other tomato-related facts: The average Swede spends $4 (U.S.) on ketchup each year, the most in the world. They like it with pasta. Australia is second, $2.50 per capita. The United States and Canada tie for third place at $2.20 per capita. And finally, for ketchup on pizza, Eastern Europe is a good place to go. (Courtesy of Marty Hair, garden writer with the Detroit Free Press)
........................................................
AG ONLINE
........................................................
NEXT ISSUE: July 6 DEADLINE: July 5
EDITORS
Brian Meyer, bmeyer@iastate.edu, and Ed Adcock, edadcock@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-5616 Web site: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/
SUBSCRIBE
Ag Online, the newsletter for faculty and staff in Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture, is e-mailed every other Friday. To subscribe, send your name, e-mail address and the message "Ag Online subscribe" to bmeyer@iastate.edu. To unsubscribe, send "Ag Online unsubscribe."
Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, sex, marital status, disability or status as a U.S. Vietnam Era Veteran. Any persons having inquiries concerning this may contact the Director of Affirmative Action, 1031 Wallace Road Office Building, Room 101, (515) 294-7612.