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COLLEGE NEWS
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WATER MAIN BREAK FLOODS REIMAN GARDENS
A city water main break near Reiman Gardens caused extensive damage to the gardens Sunday. Hundreds of gallons of water flooded gardens, washed out walking paths, left the Marge Hunziker House with standing water and sent mulch, soil and silt into “Lake Helen.” Reiman Gardens Director Teresa McLaughlin said some of the damage won’t be known until spring. An e-mailed report of the damage said that despite the harm to the southwest part of the garden, Reiman Gardens will be open for business as usual. Hazel’s Kitchen, the conservatory and Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing, gift shop and the 3-D Fall Mum Display weren’t affected. All of Reiman Gardens' holiday events, including the "Blossoms of Light" celebration, will go on as planned.
COLLEGE SEEKS INPUT FROM IOWANS ON RESEARCH PRIORITIES
The college will be taking ideas on future directions of its agricultural research program and related extension activities Thursday, Nov. 20, at an ICN session. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m., hosted by Dean Catherine Woteki. The dean will provide an overview of Experiment Station research. Twenty sites around Iowa will carry the meeting, including N147 Lagomarcino Hall.
FACULTY/STAFF FORUM ON RESEARCH PRIORITIES SET DEC. 10
College of Agriculture faculty and staff are invited to share their thoughts on College of Agriculture research priorities at an open forum with Dean Woteki at 4:10 p.m. Dec. 10 in the Gallery, Memorial Union.
AGRICULTURE’S ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE THEME OF LECTURE THURSDAY
Arne Hallam, economics department chair, will deliver the next Issues in Agriculture lecture. The lecture series, sponsored by the College of Agriculture, is part of the Seasons of Agriculture celebration at Reiman Gardens. Hallam’s presentation is titled, “The Importance of Agriculture to Iowa’s Economy,” and will begin at 7 p.m. in the Hughes Auditorium at the Reiman Gardens. The lecture is free.
GIFT TO ENHANCE EXCELLENCE IN AGRICULTURE SCHOLARSHIPS
A $1.3 million estate gift from Jeanette Kennedy will establish the F.W. Schiele Excellence in Agriculture Scholarship. The donation will increase the value of the College of Agriculture’s Excellence in Agriculture endowed scholarship portfolio by nearly 25 percent.
AG COUNCIL SELECTS OFFICERS FOR NEW YEAR
The newly elected president of the Ag Student Council is Scott Beenken, a junior in agricultural studies from Buckingham. Beenken and the rest of the executive team that will take their offices Dec. 3. The other officers are: Jason Haegele, vice-president, a junior in agricultural engineering from Davenport; Todd VerHeecke, secretary, a senior in agricultural systems technology from Geneseo, Ill.; and Jeff DeWall, treasurer, a junior in agronomy from Pocahontas.
BIOTERRORISM SEMINAR TO DEAL WITH DIAGNOSTIC CENTERS’ ROLE
Extension program specialists Barbara Ambruzs and Paula Flynn of the Plant Disease Diagnostic Laboratory will present the next seminar in the “Issues Related to Crop Bioterrorism and Food Security” series. They will talk about the role of university and regional diagnostic centers in countering agricultural bioterrorism. The session will begin at 4:10 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 18, in 210 Bessey.
SAUSAGE AND CHEESE SALES AT LUSH THIS WEEK
Block and Bridle Club members will be selling sausage and cheese packs in the foyer outside of Lush Auditorium through Thursday, Nov. 17 to 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Walk-in orders are being taken at the club office in 120 Kildee. And order forms are available online.
POTLUCK AND SILENT AUCTION SET FOR WEDNESDAY
The Iowa State Food Science Club and Nutrition Club will hold a silent auction and potluck from 5-7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19, in the Joan Bice Underwood Tearoom. Items to be auctioned include baked goods, a chili supper for eight, clothing and hand-knit items. The full list can be viewed online. Proceeds from the auction will go to local organizations, such as Healthy Food Vouchers, Hunger and Nutrition Coalition of Story County, Food Bank of Iowa and Practical Farmers of Iowa. Everyone is welcome to share in the potluck and bid on the items. The clubs will provide coffee, lemonade and table service.
AGCOMM WORKSHOP POSTPONED
The AgComm Workshop scheduled for Nov. 13 has been postponed to Feb. 10. The program will focus on communications skills development in technical courses in agriculture. The meeting will be from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Room 8 Curtiss Hall.
SPANISH STUDY-ABROAD MEETING SET FOR DEC. 3
An informational meeting is scheduled for Dec. 3 for a Global Agriculture Programs study-abroad program in Spain this summer. Agriculture students will be able to take classes in European agriculture policy, agronomy, horticulture, animal production, environmental sciences, food industry and agribusiness. Classes in Spanish language, history and culture also will be taught during this time. Students will earn 12 credits. The informational meeting will be in 9 Curtiss. Contact: Eduarda Becerra, 4- 3972 or ebecerra@iastate.edu.
NREM FACULTY MEMBERS ELECTED FELLOWS
Louis Best and Bonnie Bowen, faculty members in the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, were recently elected as fellows of the American Ornithologists' Union. The union is the largest and oldest ornithological society in North America. They were elected at the union’s 121st annual meeting in August.
FACULTY AND STAFF PRESENTED EXCELLENCE AWARDS FOR OUTREACH PROJECTS
The American Society of Agronomy recently presented two extension education awards to Iowa State faculty and staff during its annual conference in Denver. Mahdi Al-Kaisi, Mark Licht and Xinhua Yin, agronomy; Mark Hanna, ag and biosystems engineering; and ISU Extension were presented the Excellence in Extension Education Award for publications for the “Resources Conservation Practices” series of publications developed last year. Mahdi Al-Kaisi, Mark Licht and Melea Reicks-Licht, agronomy; Mark Hanna, ag and biosystems engineering; and ISU Extension were presented the Excellence in Extension Education Award for Web pages on “Soil Management and Conservation Practices” developed last year. The work was funded by Iowa’s Natural Resource Conservation Service office.
ISU PROF SPENDS SUMMER STUDYING SOYBEANS FOR SPACE
An Iowa State researcher who is internationally known for his work on tofu processing turned his attention recently to a loftier audience -- space travelers. Lester Wilson, food science and human nutrition, spent 10 weeks this summer at the Johnson Space Center. Learn more in "Agriculture in Action."
SOYBEAN OIL ELIMINATES NEED FOR HYDROGENATION
New soybean varieties developed at Iowa State hold promise for food manufacturers scrambling to remove unhealthy trans fats from their products. The new soybeans produce oil that doesn't need to be hydrogenated.
ISU CROP ADVISER INSTITUTE WINS AWARDS
Iowa State’s Crop Adviser Institute won the top two awards for its software applications at the American Society of Agronomy annual meeting.
CHINA COMMITTED TO BUYING MORE U.S. PRODUCTS
Large Chinese purchases of U.S. soybeans and cotton have boosted prices for those crops and led to the most volatile prices since the mid-1990s. Robert Wisner, ISU Extension economist, says anticipation that China may also make sizable purchases of U.S. wheat and reduce its corn exports also has strengthened corn and wheat prices. Details: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/newsrel/2003/nov03/nov0317.html
TEACHERS, STUDENTS RECRUITED FOR ISU BIOSECURITY WORKSHOP
High school science and agriculture teachers and their students are being recruited for a workshop that will showcase the wide array of academic disciplines in the Iowa State University College of Agriculture. BioSecurity Investigations is the title of the one-day workshop planned for April 21.
DEADLINES AND REMINDERS
Nov. 17: Iowa Organic Conference, Scheman Building, more: http://www.ucs.iastate.edu/1103/organic.htm
Nov. 17: Think Tank on Animal Agriculture, 6 p.m., Cardinal Room, Memorial Union, contact Julie Roberts, 4-2353 or jrober@iastate.edu
Nov. 18-19: 2003 Beef Feedlot Conference, Hotel at Gateway Center, more: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/newsrel/2003/oct03/oct0310.html
Nov. 19: How to Work with the Leopold Center and its New Initiatives, 4 to 6:30 p.m., 2050 Agronomy
Nov. 20: ICN meeting to seek comments on future directions of its agricultural research program and related extension activities, 20 sites around Iowa including N147 Lagomarcino Hall
Nov. 21: Deadline for nominating faculty and staff for College and ISU Foundation awards
Nov. 21: Ag-Link Conference, Hotel at Gateway Center, more: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/bfc/Aglink/
Nov. 21: Deadline for scheduling off-campus courses for summer semester, contact: Richard Carter, 4-6950 or ricarter@iastate.edu, or Neena Bentley, 4-1862 or nbentley@iastate.edu
Dec. 4: Promotion and Tenure Workshop Series, 3:10 to 5 p.m. in 1204 Kildee Hall
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COMMUNICATION KIOSK
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BUDGET TERMS THAT CAN BE CONFUSING: FISCAL VS. MONETARY
Fiscal applies to budgetary matters.
Monetary applies to money supply.
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INFOGRAZING
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NATIONAL RESEARCH INITIATIVE APPLICATIONS SOUGHT
The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) is seeking applications for the 2004 National Research Initiative (NRI) Competitive Grants Program. Deadlines are set by program area listed in the FY2004 Request for Applications (RFA). The purpose of the NRI Program is to support research, extension, and education grants that address key problems of national, regional, and multi-state importance in sustaining all components of agriculture. The U.S. Department of Agriculture anticipates approximately $120-150 million (depending on the action of congress) will be available for new awards for the FY 2004 award cycle.
USDA WEB SITE HAS STATES' MARKETING INFORMATION
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has launched a Web site that provides marketing profiles for all 50 states. The site includes in-depth statistical information on farms, including size, market value, cropland, livestock inventories and commodities. Demographic and food consumption statistics for the major metropolitan areas in each state are included. The site was developed by USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service.
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INTERNAL VOICES
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GEOFFROY: THINK OF TUITION AS A WISE INVESTMENT
"Higher-education tuition should not be thought of as an expense. It's a very wise investment. Over a working lifetime, someone with a four-year college degree will earn, on average, nearly $1 million more than someone with a high school diploma ... . With a combination of savings, loans, scholarships, part-time jobs and other resources, a public university education in Iowa is still within reach of most people."
-- ISU President Gregory Geoffroy, writing in today's Des Moines Register (Nov. 17)
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EXTERNAL VOICES
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FINDING A WAY TO FULFILL STATE COLLEGES' MISSION
"Too many poor and working-class students no longer go to college at all, so they are locked out of jobs where a college diploma has become the minimum requirement. State colleges must find a way to fulfill the mission they were created to perform. Since the government has taken to starving them, their best hope is to increase tuition for those who can afford to pay."
- New York Times editorial (Nov. 13)
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MARGINALIA
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TRANSMITTERS HELP SCIENTISTS TRACK MORMON CRICKETS
The Agricultural Research Service has reported that its researchers fitted Mormon crickets with mini-radio transmitters this summer to study an outbreak of the flightless insect that looks more like a grasshopper. The transmitters, which weighed about one-quarter of the insect's weight, were glued to individual crickets. The transmitters sent signals so the research team could track their movements in bands of millions of crickets. They found that one cricket walked more than one-and-a-quarter miles across steep hills and valleys. The project's goal is to predict where migrating cricket bands will move so land managers can pinpoint pesticide applications, reducing exposure of nontarget species.
Next issue: Nov. 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/
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."
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