................................................... COLLEGE NEWS ................................................... COLLEGE ENJOYS THIRD BEST YEAR IN ALUMNI FUNDRAISING In 2003-04, agriculture alumni designated gifts of more than $9.7 million to the College of Agriculture, the third highest total in annual private support. The number of alumni who gave outright gifts or deferred commitments was 2,284, an increase of 54 percent over the previous year. College of Agriculture alumni also gave generously to other areas of the university, including athletics, the library and general university funds. Add all the agriculture alumni who gave gifts to the College and university last year and the total was 5,822, an increase of 32 percent from the previous year. For 2004-05, the College has established a fundraising goal of $12.5 million, targeting $6 million for faculty endowments, $3 million in support for programs, $2.5 million in capital projects and $1 million in scholarship support. EXAMPLES OF ALUMNI GENEROSITY TO THE COLLEGE Here are examples of gifts given by alumni to the College of Agriculture in 2003-04: - more than $1.5 million to endow the Jay Lush Chair in Animal Breeding and Genetics - $1.3 million from the estate of Jeanette Kennedy to support undergraduate scholarships - $900,000 to establish the Sustainable Rural Livelihoods Program - a nearly $500,000 deferred commitment to establish the Leonard Dolezal Professorship in Agricultural Law - $433,700 added to the Harmon Family Professorship in Forestry - $350,000 to endow the ISU-Ukraine Exchange Program - $160,000 for Department of Horticulture scholarships - a $100,000 deferred commitment to support the Department of Agricultural Education and Studies - $95,000 to fund research on Brown Swiss dairy cows BRAZILIAN SOYBEAN RUST EXPERTS TO VISIT CAMPUS AUG. 24 A leading expert on Asian soybean rust will be one of 16 Brazilian scientists to visit Iowa State on Tuesday, Aug. 24. Tadashi Yorinori represents EMBRAPA-Soja, which is the Brazilian equivalent to the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service. The scientists also represent the Mato Grasso Foundation, which is similar to the Iowa Soybean Promotion Board. Yorinori will present a seminar from 4:10 to 5 p.m. in 210 Bessey on Tuesday. It is open to the public. CHECK THE WEB FOR IMPORTANT COLLEGE DATES Important dates and deadlines for the College of Agriculture’s academic year have been updated on the Web. FOOD SAFETY WORK AT IOWA STATE MAKES NEWS A bacteriophage developed and recently patented by food safety researchers at Iowa State is the first to control the spread of salmonella in swine. More at http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/506613/. Also, Food Safety Consortium researchers at the USDA, Iowa State and the University of Arkansas found that vitamin E improved the ability of turkeys to fight the growth of listeria. The findings could help other meat industries. CIANCIO MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUN RUN/WALK SET A fun run and walk will be held Sept. 25 to benefit the Alison Ciancio Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded to ISU dairy science undergraduates. It will begin at 9:30 a.m. for the run and 9:45 a.m. for the walk at the ISU Cross Country Course. A pancake breakfast will be served from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Registration for the run and walk is $20; tickets for the breakfast only are $5. LAMONT PORTRAIT TO BE ADDED IN KILDEE HALL A portrait of Sue Lamont, animal science, will be unveiled Oct. 5 to honor her tenure as department chair. The portrait will be added to the department’s collection in a ceremony in the Kildee Hall atrium, beginning at 3 p.m. REPORT ON 20 YEARS OF IOWA FARMLAND OWNERSHIP RELEASED An Iowa State study shows that more than 48 percent of Iowa farmland was owned by persons 65 years and older in 2002. That's up from 42 percent in 1992 and 29 percent in 1982. Mike Duffy, economics, led the new report, "Farmland Ownership and Tenure in Iowa 1982-2002: A Twenty-Year Perspective." IOWA STATE RESEARCH FARMS SCHEDULE LATE-SUMMER FIELD DAYS The 50th anniversary celebration of the Northwest Research and Demonstration Farm will continue Aug. 25 as Iowa State late-summer field days get underway. Field days take place rain or shine. The latest information on the late-summer field day schedule is available at: https://farms.cals.iastate.edu/research-farms-field-days-and-meetings or by calling (515) 294-5045. USING MANURE AS A RESOURCE IS GOAL OF ISU SCIENTISTS A four-year demonstration project conducted by Iowa State scientists has shown that corn responds well to liquid swine manure nitrogen and phosphorus and that manure applied using sound methods can successfully provide needed crop nutrients. Details in "Agriculture in Action." JOINT ISU-NEBRASKA SWINE EXTENSION PROGRAM LAUNCHED Iowa State and the University of Nebraska are joining forces to improve swine extension programming. In what could be a step toward a regional swine extension program in the Midwest, the arrangement will allow the sharing of swine extension personnel and their expertise across state borders. Details: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/newsrel/2004/aug04/aug0415.html FORESTRY FIELD DAYS SCHEDULED ISU Extension and the Bureau of Forestry in the Iowa Department of Natural Resources are offering nine forestry field days this fall. The educational programs demonstrate management techniques for Iowa's woodlands and forests. Learn more: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/newsrel/2004/aug04/aug0418.html DEADLINES AND REMINDERS Aug. 23: Registration deadline for the 13th annual Growth Factor and Signal Transduction Conference Sept. 16-19, Scheman Building Aug. 24: Deadline for the Leopold Center's Marketing and Food Systems Initiative Request for Preproposals Aug. 24: On-Farm Conservation and Water Quality Field Day Swine Nutrition Farm, 9 a.m., near Ames, more: https://farms.cals.iastate.edu/research-farms-field-days-and-meetings Aug. 24: Western Research and Demonstration Farm field day, 1 p.m., near Castana, more: https://farms.cals.iastate.edu/research-farms-field-days-and-meetings Aug. 25: Northwest Research and Demonstration Farm 50th anniversary celebration, 9 a.m., near Doon Aug. 26-28: Farm & Field Fest, near Boone Aug. 31-Sept. 2: Farm Progress Show, near Alleman Sept. 8: Armstrong Research and Demonstration Farm field day, 9:30 a.m., near Lewis, more: https://farms.cals.iastate.edu/research-farms-field-days-and-meetings Sept. 9: Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm field day, 1:30 p.m., near Nashua, more: https://farms.cals.iastate.edu/research-farms-field-days-and-meetings Sept. 15: Southeast Research and Demonstration Farm field day, 1 p.m., near Crawfordsville, more: https://farms.cals.iastate.edu/research-farms-field-days-and-meetings Sept. 24: Deadline for online registration, Third Biennial All-Iowa Virology Symposium to be held Oct. 22-23, Reiman Gardens ................................................... COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK ................................................... IN FORMAL WRITING USE “MAY” INSTEAD OF “CAN” In colloquial English, “can” expresses a request for permission: Can I go to the movies? This usage isn’t recommended in formal writing. Use “may” instead. “May” suggests possibility or permission: The class may have a pop quiz tomorrow; you may borrow my car. Denying permission is properly phrased in formal writing with “may not” or “cannot” or “can't”: You can't use the computer tonight. (The Chicago Manual of Style, 2003, 15th edition) ........................................................ INFOGRAZING ........................................................ FACULTY ORIENTATION ON RESEARCH FUNDING SEPT. 7 AND 8 The university will hold its annual orientation program for new faculty on research funding, industry collaboration and technology transfer Sept. 7 and 8. The sessions will cover internal seed funding, external research funding, compliance issues, management of intellectual property and working with industry. The sessions will be from 5 to 7 p.m., Sept. 7 (reception at 4:30 p.m.), in the Gallery, Memorial Union, and from 4 to 6 p.m., Sept. 8 (reception at 3:30 p.m.), in the Pioneer Room, Memorial Union. E-COMMERCE EXTENSION INITIATIVE E-NEWS LAUNCHED The Rural E-Commerce Extension Initiative has released the first edition of "e-News," the initiative's electronic update and news on issues surrounding the development of rural e-commerce. In fall 2003, the Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC), located at Mississippi State University, received a grant through the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service to support a national e-commerce demonstration project. Its goal is to expand and strengthen e-commerce programming by cooperative extension educators throughout the United States. NATIONAL OBESITY PREVENTION CONFERENCE THIS OCTOBER The first National Obesity Prevention Conference is scheduled for Oct. 25-27 in Washington D.C. The conference will focus on research needs for preventing obesity. CSREES, the Center for Nutrition Policy, the Economic Research Service, the Agricultural Research Service, and the Food and Nutrition Service are sponsoring the conference. ........................................................ EXTERNAL VOICES ........................................................ TEACHERS COPE WITH INSTANT MESSAGING IN CLASS "I'll try to cover topics in five- to 10-minute chunks. [Anything longer and] there is more of a chance that they'll lose what you're talking about and will turn to IM-ing their friends." Eric Hudson, assistant professor of physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, quoted in “When Gadgets Get in the Way,” New York Times, Aug. 19. ........................................................ MARGINALIA ........................................................ STUPENDOUS CANTALOUPE, GROWN IN ALASKA? Scott Robb has produced what appears to be a world-record muskmelon in Alaska, during a summer hotter and drier than usual. The current world-record cantaloupe belongs to a grower in North Carolina. Robb, a perennial winner of giant produce competitions, started his cantaloupe in a greenhouse in April. The official weight of his melon was 1.3 pounds over the current Guinness World Record. (Associated Press, Aug. 18) Next issue: Aug. 30 ........................................................ AG ONLINE ........................................................ 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 Equal Opportunity and Diversity, 3680 Beardshear Hall, (515) 294-7612.
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