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COLLEGE NEWS
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AG ONLINE TAKES A WEEK OFF
The next issue of Ag Online will be sent on March 24. Have a good spring break.
NEARLY $3 MILLION IN AWARDS AWARDED TO COLLEGE FACULTY AND STAFF
Forty-nine sponsored funding awards worth $2,736,837 were received in January. The largest single source was the federal government, with $1.77 million coming in 10 awards from the Department of Agriculture, National Science Foundation, the Department of Health and Human Services/National Institutes of Health and NASA. Grants from universities and colleges amounted to the second highest value with about $354,000, followed by foundations at about $255,000. The most awards came from businesses, with 24 awards valued at nearly $230,000. The list of awards by principal investigator is available online.
LEGISLATORS GET LOOK AT NEW INITIATIVES INVOLVING COLLEGE
Three new ISU initiatives involving the College of Agriculture were highlighted at a March 5 breakfast for legislators held in the Iowa Statehouse. More than 50 legislators attended to learn more about the Bioeconomy Initiative, the Center for Integrated Animal Genomics and the Institute for Food Safety and Security. Faculty and staff involved with the initiatives were on hand to answer questions. The Provost's Office, the College of Agriculture and ISU Extension organized the event.
PROGRAM PUTS PROFESSORS IN IOWA SCHOOLS
Faculty participating in the college’s Visiting Professors Program have delivered an average of 75 presentations a year the past five years. The program, sponsored by the college's Office of Academic Programs, provides presentations to school classes at no cost. Last year there were 37 professors involved in the program that gave 70 presentations at 22 schools around the state. The program began in 1990. If you are interested in being a visiting professor, contact Vanessa Stoffel at 4-8653 or vlutz@iastate.edu. The next item has an example of a recent visit.
VISITING PROFESSORS PUT THE FUN IN FUNGI
Last month, Greg Tylka and Paula Flynn from plant pathology visited Le Mars to give several presentations to several classes. They discussed plants and the some diseases they get with a 10th grade vo-ag class, two separate fifth-grade science classes and two combined second-grade classes. Specimens of diseased plants as well as microscopes with video cameras and monitors to show the students about the various types of plant diseases illustrated the presentations. Comments in thank-you notes from fifth graders at Franklin Elementary included: “All of the diseases were cool. I liked the nematodes. They looked cool,” “… when I grow up I want to be a plant pathologist just like you guys,” and “Ugh, that fungi was real gross!”
SIGMA ALPHA TO AUCTION BASKETS AS FUNDRAISER
Baskets donated by clubs in the College of Agriculture, the Delta Chapter of Sigma Alpha and its members will be auctioned beginning today, March 10, to raise money for the chapter’s philanthropic activities. Online bidding will end at noon April 10. Baskets will be on display online, in Curtiss Hall from March 10-28 and in the Memorial Union from April 6-12. Baskets are arranged by themes, including Cyclone Spirit, SPAM and Horticulture Cornucopia. Contact: Alicia Martin at aamarti@iastate.edu.
AGRISCIENCE DAY PIQUES CHILDREN'S INTEREST
Last week 500 Ames fifth-graders participated in the third annual College of Agriculture's AgriScience Day. Carrie Fritz, the event's advisor and lecturer in agricultural education and studies, said AgriScience Day has three main objectives: increase awareness of agriculture, bring children to Iowa State and give fifth-graders some real-world experience. The students participated in seven hands-on events. The learning stations included an illustration on the uses of soybeans in everyday life, a five-day old calf and a look inside of a cow's stomach. The student-run event was organized by agricultural education and studies students Laura Dierickx, Brianne Tabke and Beth Mowrer.
JOURNAL-PAPER COST SHARING FUNDS GONE FOR THIS YEAR
Special-request funds for journal papers have been expended for this fiscal year. No more funding requests will be taken. The Experiment Station had set aside $20,000 to fund special requests from departments for support of journal-paper publishing. A decision on whether special funds will again be available for FY04 will be made this spring. The Experiment Station still provides financial assistance to departments that had negotiated costs for papers with the Agriculture Communications Service prior to June 30, 2002.
HALLAUER TO BE HONORED AT INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM IN AUGUST
Iowa State and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) will host the Arnel R. Hallauer International Symposium on Plant Breeding Aug. 17-22 in Mexico City. Plant scientists from around the world are invited to discuss plant breeding and honor Hallauer, a retired distinguished professor at Iowa State, a member of the National Academy of Science and a member of the USDA Agricultural Research Service Hall of Fame. A special ceremony will honor Hallauer, who is retiring after 42 years of professional service. In addition to presentations by invited speakers, there will be posters on symposium topics and seminars on stress breeding and participatory breeding. Register at: https://www.cimmyt.org/news/symposium-at-cimmyt-for-wheat-yield-consortium/. Contact: Kendall Lamkey, 4-7826 or krlamkey@iastate.edu.
UNDERSTANDING CHINA IS FIRST STEP IN THE PROCESS
With China's recent entry into the World Trade Organization, there is potential for increased sales of U.S. agricultural commodities into that country. A workshop series at Iowa State University this spring is providing a better understanding of the challenges China faces in transforming its agricultural sector and rural economy, and what these changes might mean for U.S. agriculture. Details in "Agriculture in Action."
FAPRI PROJECTS WORLD FOOD SUPPLY WILL OUTPACE DEMAND
Recent strength in crop prices will not be sustained for long, according to a report of the Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute (FAPRI) presented to Congress March 6. Two years of drought in many grain-growing regions and planted-acreage reductions attributable to low crop prices in the late 1990s are the cause of the recent run-up in prices. However, a return to normal weather and an acreage response by producers to the price rebound will keep a cap on prices over the next 10 years.
JOURNAL-PAPER REMINDERS
Faculty are strongly encouraged to inform department and college leaders on plans to publish findings they believe to be unique, groundbreaking or that have the potential for high visibility. Early notification will enhance public communications on the work's significance and better prepare university leaders to address questions that may arise. If researchers seek editing for journal papers, Agriculture Communications has provided a list of local freelance editors to all departments that wish to use these services for journal paper editing. Contact the person in your department in charge of journal paper information.
NATIONAL PORK BOARD HONORS AL CHRISTIAN
Al Christian, manager of the Swine Teaching Farm, was presented the 2003 Distinguished Service Award March 8 by the National Pork Board at its National Pork Industry Forum in Dallas, Texas. The award is made annually by pork producers to recognize outstanding contributions that better the industry.
UNDERSTANDING CHINA WORKSHOP SET FOR THURSDAY
The next workshop in the Understanding China series is titled China's Changing Farming Systems, a look at how China's agricultural production methods are changing for both crops and livestock. Sue Jarboe, who has a doctorate in plant breeding from Iowa State and formerly worked for Pioneer, will look at changes in China’s crop production. Jay Fabiosa, who does FAPRI's international livestock analysis, will talk about his research on the changes in China's livestock production systems. The workshop will be from 3:30 - 5:00 p.m. Thursday, March 13, in 150/154 Scheman. Registration is not necessary. Contact: Bob Jolly, 4-6267 or rjolly@iastate.edu
DEADLINES AND REMINDERS
March 13: Block & Bridle Club Cake Auction, 5:30 p.m., Iowa Farm Bureau Pavilion and 2310 Kildee Hall
March 17-21: Spring Break
March 21: National Ag Day
March 25: Application deadline Center for Integrated Animal Genomics Competitive Grants Program
March 31: Deadline for 2003 Spencer Award for Sustainable Agriculture nominations, http://www.leopold.iastate.edu
April 4: Deadline for abstracts, Plant Sciences Institute Symposium on Transposition, Recombination and Application to Plant Genomics to be held June 5-8
April 7-8: Iowa FFA Leadership Conference, Ames
April 22: Science in Agriculture Day
May 12: Iowa State registration deadline, Plant Sciences Institute Symposium on Transposition, Recombination and Application to Plant Genomics to be held June 5-8
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COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
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VIDEO CAN ENLIVEN MEETINGS
Sometimes video may make more sense than a presentation in getting across your points. These tips on using video came from Harvard Business School’s Working Knowledge publication (February 2003):
1. Remember that shorter is better. Go too long and put too much into the video, and you muddy the message and bore the audience.
2. Define an objective and fulfill it. Decide what the audience should think, feel, know or do after viewing the program.
3. Determine the budget. Begin by asking yourself two questions: What's the program's probable shelf life? How many people will see it? A program that's only going to be used at one meeting for a small group should probably be done inexpensively. If the group is composed of decision makers, it may be worth a greater investment. Think about how long the program will be used and when it should be updated.
4. Decide how to quantify the results. There are ways to measure success for nearly every program, whether the objective is to improve morale or increase sales.
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INFOGRAZING
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SEARCH FOR GRANTS FOR CONFERENCE AND TRAVEL FEES
Graduate students and researchers can search for grant funds for travel to professional and society conferences at the Community of Science web site. The COS Funding Opportunities. The main search form allows you to search for funding types such as "meeting or conference or seminar" and "travel,” or you can combine searches with other factors such as keyword or amount. For assistance, contact Sreeparna Mitra at 4-1538 or mitra@iastate.edu or Diane Meyer at 4-4567 or meyerd@iastate.edu.
MORRILL HALL INFORMATION SESSIONS SCHEDULED
Wednesday is the deadline to sign up for an information session and tour of Morrill Hall. The Morrill Hall Faculty and Staff Committee is sponsoring a series of sessions to make the campus community aware of the planned renovation. Sessions will begin in the Grant Wood Lobby of Parks Library. Choose a first, second or third choice for the session you would like to attend and email them to: fsmorril@iastate.edu. Space is limited for each session and preference will be given on a first-come, first-served basis.
The scheduled times are:
Session 1: March 18 12:30-1:30 p.m.
Session 2: Wednesday, March 26 3-4 p.m.
Session 3: Tuesday, April 1 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Session 4: Monday, April 7 12-1 p.m.
REIMAN GARDENS ON IOWA PUBLIC TELEVISION
Reiman Gardens will be in the spotlight Sunday, March 16, on IPTV. The program, "Iowa's Favorite Gardens" hosted by Lucinda Mays, will feature the gardens and the new Conservatory and Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing. You can tune in at 5:30 to 7 p.m.
GARDENS MEMBERSHIPS OFFERED TO ISU DEPARTMENTS
Reiman Gardens has begun offering memberships to Iowa State departments. For a $100 membership fee, an ISU department will receive 50 guest passes to Reiman Gardens, a $250 value. Memberships are purchased by calendar year, expiring at the end of December. Intramurals can be used to pay. Contact Lee Bassanini, 4-2710 or leebass@iastate.edu, for more information.
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INTERNAL VOICES
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DISCOVERING THE CAPACITY FOR CONNECTION AND SHARING
“We act believing that the problem of world hunger is scarcity and we only can solve that complex problem ‘by dissection,’ piece by piece. We consider ourselves selfish beings, and so we need to accept blindly the invisible hand of the market or let the experts take the decisions. Furthermore, we believe that solving some problems is impossible, so we don’t even try. But Frances invited us to start walking on a new path. Realizing the abundance rather than scarcity. Solving ‘for pattern’ and not ‘by dissection.’ Discovering our capacity for connection and sharing. Drawing values boundaries for market and science. We can then develop hope to address and solve our world’s problems.” Graduate student Valentín Picasso, during discussion after Frances Moore Lappe’s presentation at last week’s John Pesek Colloquium on Sustainable Agriculture.
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EXTERNAL VOICES
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THE QUALITIES OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE: THEY’RE NOT ALL BAD
“A study of history reminds one that mankind has its ups and downs and during the ups has accomplished many brave and beautiful things, exerted stupendous endeavors, explored and conquered oceans and wilderness, achieved marvels of beauty in the creative arts and marvels of science and social progress; has loved liberty with a passion that throughout history has led men to fight and die for it over and over again; has pursued knowledge, exercised reason, enjoyed laughter and pleasures, played games with zest, shown courage, heroism, altruism, honor, and decency; experienced love; known comfort, contentment, and occasionally happiness. All these qualities have been part of human experience, and if they have not had as important notice as the negatives nor exerted as wide and persistent as influence as the evils as we do, they nevertheless deserve attention, for they are currently all but forgotten." Barbara Tuchman, "Practicing History: Selected Essays" (Ballantine Books, 1991)
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MARGINALIA
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RICH MILK FOR CHEESE BRINGS WATER BUFFALOES TO U.S.
Water buffaloes are replacing cows on a Vermont dairy farm, reports the Boston Globe. Entrepreneurs say other countries have taken advantage of the buffaloes’ milk that is higher in butterfat to make pricier cheeses and yogurts. Italy exports mozzarella di bufala to the United States which some claim is the only authentic mozzarella. A producer received a low-interest loan from the state of Vermont to bring in the animals to help counter a decline in the dairy industry brought on by low milk prices. (Boston Globe, Feb. 13)
Next issue: March 24 Deadline: March 24
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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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