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AG ONLINE
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The College of Agriculture Newsletter
Iowa State University
Dec. 16, 2002 No. 229
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COLLEGE NEWS
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OPEN FORUM WITH PRESIDENT AND PROVOST ON TUESDAY
Make plans to attend the College of Agriculture faculty/staff open forum with President Gregory Geoffrey and Provost Ben Allen at 4:10 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 17, in 1951 Food Sciences Building. The president and provost also will visit with college administrators, faculty and students in the afternoon, and will tour the Seed Science Center.
FACULTY AND STAFF ENCOURAGED TO HONOR GRADUATES
About 200 college seniors are expected to graduate Saturday. Faculty and staff are invited to honor their achievements at the College of Agriculture convocation at 9:30 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 21, in C.Y. Stephens Auditorium. Refreshments will be served at 8:30 a.m. in the lobby. Horticulture senior Tom Hughes will deliver the address to fellow seniors. He was named outstanding senior by the Student Agriculture Council. Also receiving senior awards: Stephanie Hansen, animal science, for academic achievement; April Ross, zoology, for distinguished service; and Richard Prestegard, agricultural business, for leadership excellence.
ALUMS TO SPEAK AT COMMENCEMENT AND RECEIVE HONORARY DEGREE
Animal science alumnus Tom Sutherland will speak at Saturday’s commencement ceremony, which is set for 1:30 p.m. in Hilton Coliseum. Sutherland graduated with a master's in 1956 and doctorate in 1958 in animal breeding. The Scotland native was dean of agricultural and food sciences at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon in 1985 when he was kidnapped and held hostage for more than six years by the Islamic Jihad. M. Daniel Lane, a professor at Johns Hopkins University, will receive an honorary doctorate of humane letters during the undergraduate ceremony. Lane is internationally known for his groundbreaking work in the fields of biochemistry and nutrition. He earned a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in animal science in 1951 and 1953, respectively.
SWINE IMPROVEMENT FEDERATION HONORS TWO FROM ISU
An animal science faculty member and a graduate student were recognized earlier this month at the National Swine Improvement Federation’s annual meeting. John Mabry, director of the Iowa Pork Industry Center, received the Charles Stanislaw Memorial Distinguished Service Award and graduate student David Casey received the Lauren Christian Memorial Graduate Student Award.
PLANT SCIENCES INSTITUTE SYMPOSIUM SET NEXT JUNE
The fifth Plant Sciences Institute Symposium will be held June 5-8 on the topic of “Transposition, Recombination and Application to Plant Genomics.” It will be held in the Scheman Building, sponsored by the Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology and the Plant Sciences Institute. The deadline for abstracts is April 4. ISU registration deadline is May 12.
WEALTH OF WEATHER INFORMATION IS ONLINE
Iowans spend a lot of time talking about the weather. Because of our fascination with weather, it's no surprise that one of the most comprehensive networks of weather-related data in the country is in Iowa. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet (IEM) collects data from nearly 500 sites each day, which is compared, disseminated and archived for use by people in the public and private sectors. Learn more in "Agriculture in Action."
CROP ADVANTAGE SERIES OFFERED BY EXTENSION
The 2003 Crop Advantage Series, offered by Iowa State University Extension, offers nine conferences in January and February. The workshops offer producers and agribusiness professionals an opportunity to learn more about major issues facing agriculture and collect unbiased, research-based information to help them make better business decisions. The keynote topics are "Impact of the 2002 Farm Bill on Crop Management Decisions" and "Bean Leaf Beetle & Bean Pod Mottle Virus: Double Trouble for Soybean." Details: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/newsrel/2002/dec02/dec0212.html
2002 SOYBEAN CROP PERFORMANCE DATA AVAILABLE
Results of the 2002 Iowa Crop Performance Test for soybean are now available on the Iowa Crop Improvement Association Web site. The 2002 test evaluated 690 entries from 48 seed companies and Iowa State.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS: AG ONLINE WILL BE BACK JAN. 6
Ag Online will not be distributed the next two weeks during the holiday break. It will return on Jan. 6. Have a good break.
DEADLINES AND REMINDERS
Dec. 21: College convocation for graduates, 9:30 a.m., C.Y. Stephens Auditorium
Jan. 22: Strategies for Successful Collaboration with Agricultural and Social Scientists in China workshop series begins, 3:30 p.m., Room 150/154 Scheman, contact Bob Jolly at 4-6267 or rjolly@iastate.edu or Shen Difei at dfshen@iastate.edu to register
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COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
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MOST IS HANDY WORD WHEN USED CORRECTLY
The word “most” comes in handy, well, most of the time. Its use is questionable, however, when it modifies words that do not need modification. Unique, for example, indicates an outstanding, one-of-a-kind item. Therefore, the phrase "most unique" is unnecessary. “Up-to-date” is another phrase that doesn’t need modification, although "most up-to-date" is commonly used. Something is either up-to-date or it’s not.
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INFOGRAZING
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ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION OF FEDERAL GRANT APPLICATIONS COMING
A federal requirement to provide electronic grant administration services to partner institutions has led the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) to join the government’s electronic application and reporting system. A new website called Grants.gov will act as the electronic storefront for federal grants. Starting in October 2003, the site will feature E-Apply to submit applications.
SCIENCE.GOV CONNECTS TO FEDERAL RESEARCH AGENCIES
A new federal website (http://www.science.gov) will make scientific information gathered by different agencies more accessible to the public. It was developed from Firstgov.gov (http://www.firstgov.gov/), and contains information from the federal agencies that perform scientific research.
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EXTERNAL VOICES
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GLADNESS IN UNEXPECTED SPARKS
“Pleasure is very seldom found where it is sought; our brightest blazes of gladness are commonly kindled by unexpected sparks.”
- Samuel Johnson, 18th-century English essayist
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MARGINALIA
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BIG FOOD PORTIONS: LET’S EAT!
Penn State researchers studying adult food response recently found that bigger portions mean people eat more. The study showed that on average, participants -- men and women between the ages of 21 and 30 -- ate 30 percent more from a five-cup portion of macaroni and cheese than from one half its size without reporting feeling any fuller after eating.
Next issue: Jan. 6 Deadline: Jan. 3
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AG ONLINE
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EDITORS
Ed Adcock, edadcock@iastate.edu, and Brian Meyer, bmeyer@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-5616 Web site: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/
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