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COLLEGE NEWS
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ATTEND THE COLLEGE CONVOCATION ON THURSDAY
College of Agriculture awards will be presented, recent retirees honored and new faculty members introduced at the college convocation on Thursday, Jan. 16. College faculty and staff are encouraged to attend the event in the Sun Room, Memorial Union. A reception with refreshments will begin at 3:30 p.m., with the program at 4 p.m.
CHINA THE FOCUS OF SEMINAR SERIES
“Understanding China” is a series of five free seminars to be presented this semester to provide a better understanding of the challenges facing Chinese agriculture and rural economy and what it means for American agriculture. All seminars will be held from 3:30 to 5 p.m., 150/154 Scheman. They begin on Jan. 22 with an overview, and sessions are scheduled for Feb. 19 on China’s food systems; March 13 on farming systems; April 23 on sustainability; and April 28 on strategies for collaboration. For more information: Bob Jolly, 4-6267 or rjolly@iastate.edu, or Shen Difei, dfshen@iastate.edu.
KIRSCHENMANN TO SPEAK AT THINK TANK ON ANIMAL AGRICULTURE
Fred Kirschenmann, director of the Leopold Center, will speak on sustainable animal agriculture in Iowa at the Jan. 27 Think Tank on Animal Agriculture meeting. It begins at 6 p.m. in the Campanile Room, Memorial Union. Dinner is set for 6:30 p.m. with discussion scheduled for 7 p.m. RSVP before noon Jan. 24 to Julie Roberts, jrober@iastate.edu. Cost of the buffet dinner is $12, payable at the door.
AGCOMM WORKSHOPS BEGIN JAN. 28
Short communication assignments will be featured at the Jan. 28 AgComm workshop. The session will be from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Room 8, Brenton Center. A light lunch will be provided. Other upcoming AgComm workshops this semester include communication portfolios on Feb. 18 and best classroom communication practices on March 25. RSVP by calling Cheryl Abrams, 4-5872.
RESEARCH FORUM ON SQUAW CREEK WATERSHED JAN. 28
“A Collaborative Research and Education Opportunities in the Squaw Creek Watershed Forum” is scheduled for 3:15 to 5 p.m., Jan. 28, in 1951 Food Sciences. The forum will provide faculty and staff with information about opportunities to be involved in the Squaw Creek Watershed activities and potential funding for watershed research and educational programs. The forum is sponsored by the College of Agriculture, ISU Extension and Prairie Rivers Resource Conservation & Development.
SPANISH SHORT COURSE BEGINS FEB. 18
A beginning Spanish short course for College of Agriculture faculty and staff will be offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays, from Feb. 18 to April 10. The courses will be held from 4:30 to 6 p.m. in Room 19, Curtiss. For more information: Eduarda Becerra, 4-3972 or ebecerra@iastate.edu.
AGRICULTURE AND THE ENVIRONMENT COLLOQUIUM IN MARCH
On March 7, “Agriculture and the Environment: Research and Technology Update for Water and Air Quality Colloquium” will focus on current research and technology in watersheds and air quality. Concurrent workshops will include discussions on air quality research, a watershed case study that addresses phosphorus, nitrogen management and open feedlot technology. Poster displays are sought for the colloquium, which will be held from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. at the Scheman Building. It is sponsored by the College of Agriculture, ISU Extension and Iowa State Water Resources Research Institute. More information and poster registration is available
ANIMAL GENOMICS IS FOCUS OF NEW ISU CENTER
A new center at Iowa State is dedicated to identifying, mapping and understanding genes to improve both animal and human health. The Center for Integrated Animal Genomics is offering three new programs this spring to foster faculty development and collaborative research. Learn more in "Agriculture in Action."
DEADLINES AND REMINDERS
Jan. 16: College convocation, 4 p.m., Sun Room, Memorial Union
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
Jan. 24: Practical Farmers of Iowa Annual Conference, Gateway Center, Ames
Feb. 3: Application deadline, Center for Integrated Animal Genomics Genomics Scholar and Fellows Program
Feb. 4: Concentration in Agriculture conference, Benton Auditorium, Scheman Building
Feb. 17: Application deadline, Center for Integrated Animal Genomics Genomics Symposia and Workshops Program
Feb. 17-19: Seed Science Center’s 25th Annual Seed Technology Conference
Feb. 25: Visual Thinking Process in Design: From the Viewpoint of a Person with Autism, Temple Grandin, associate professor of animal science at Colorado State University, 8 p.m., Sun Room, Memorial Union
March 25: Application deadline, Center for Integrated Animal Genomics Competitive Grants Program
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COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
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CLIMB OUT OF THAT SEARCH ENGINE RUT
No matter how good your favorite search engine, you might do better by trying something different. Mark Shainblum of Airborne Entertainment in Montreal suggests varying your web search diet. He recommends trying altheweb.com, which turns up hits from more than two billion Web pages, two million MP3s and 15 million PDF files. It supports 49 languages. If you need old information, use one of the older search engines, such as Lycos, http://www.lycos.com. For information on specialty areas, try http://www.about.com. To find out how something works, try http://www.howstuffworks.com, which includes information from books and videos. (Writing that Works, December 2002)
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INFOGRAZING
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COMPUTER-BASED INSTRUCTION PROPOSALS DUE MARCH 15
The ISU Computation Advisory Committee seeks proposals that address university needs for computer-based instructional support. Approximately $500,000 is available for projects. All proposals should address campus needs for student computing. University-wide initiatives and innovative projects will receive priority in the review process. Proposals are due March 15.
SPONSORED PROGRAMS ADMINISTRATIVE SESSION THIS MONTH
The Office of Sponsored Programs Administration and the controller's department is offering a two-part workshop Jan. 28 and 30 on the fundamentals of sponsored programs administration. The workshop is meant for administrative and support staff who are new to sponsored programs administration. Registration is available through Access Plus, https://accessplus.iastate.edu/frontdoor/login.jsp.
AAAS ANNOUNCES INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE PROGRAM
The American Association for the Advancement of Science seeks proposals for its Women's International Science Collaboration Program. Men and women scientists who have their doctorate or equivalent research experience are eligible to apply. Deadlines are Wednesday, Jan. 15, and July 15. Graduate students (doctoral candidates) also are eligible if they will be conducting research in an established program and will be traveling with their advisers and will serve as co-PI on future proposals. More information on fields eligible for funding is available online.
NEW PBS SERIES FEATURES CHEFS, LOCAL FARMERS
"Chefs A' Field: Culinary Adventures That Begin on the Farm," is a new half-hour cooking demonstration show on public television that emphasizes sustainable food production and close relationships between chefs and local farmers. Partly supported by USDA-CSREES' Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program, it features the some of the nation's most acclaimed chefs and the farmers they rely upon. The series will begin airing on most PBS stations this month, although it has yet to be scheduled on Iowa Public Television.
NSF TO HOLD GRANTS CONFERENCE MARCH 24 AND 25
The second National Science Foundation Regional Grants Conference will be held March 24-25 in Albuquerque, hosted by the University of New Mexico. Workshops and presentations by NSF staff will cover its funding and directions; cross-disciplinary and special interest programs; break-out sessions by discipline; proposal preparation; merit review process; and grant award and administration.
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EXTERNAL VOICES
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BARZUN ON A SCHOOL’S PURPOSE: TO REMOVE IGNORANCE
“Everybody, I hope, would agree that a school is a place where teaching and learning go on, steadily and systematically. That is its function. Its purpose is something else: to remove ignorance. A school can do several other good things at the same time, but it has one purpose only: to remove ignorance. This distinction is important because these definitions serve as a standard by which to judge what is done and what is proposed in the name of schooling.” Historian Jacques Barzun, What Is a School? (essay), 2002
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MARGINALIA
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PROGRAM GIVES PEOPLE CHANCE TO HAVE A COW
Tens of thousands of people have "adopted" dairy cows at the Stonyfield Farm in New Hampshire since the company's "Have-A-Cow" educational program began in 1989. People receive a photo of a cow that produces milk for the company, the animal's biography and seasonal updates from "their" cow. Making people aware of life on a farm and some of the problems farmers face, the company says it "hopes to cultivate an appreciation for healthy soil and a healthy planet -- the ultimate source of our sustenance."
Next issue: Jan. 21 Deadline: Jan. 17
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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/
SUBSCRIBE
Ag Online, the newsletter for faculty and staff in Iowa State University's College of Agriculture, is e-mailed every Monday. To subscribe, send your name, e-mail address and the message "Ag Online subscribe" to edadcock@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.