................................................... COLLEGE NEWS ................................................... USDA FUNDS IOWA WATERSHED PROJECT Iowa State’s Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) team has received a U.S. Department of Agriculture grant of $645,000 to evaluate economics of conservation practices in three watersheds in Iowa. The project was one of four that will study the environmental benefits of federal conservation programs on agricultural land and will improve understanding of the effects of conservation practices on water quality. The Iowa CEAP team is led by Cathy Kling, economics, and includes Mahdi Al-kaisi and Matt Helmers, agricultural and biosystems engineering; Tom Isenhart, natural resource ecology and management; Phil Gassman, Center for Agricultural and Rural Development, and Bill Simpkins, geological and atmospheric sciences. The team includes collaborators at the National Soil Tilth Lab and the Iowa Geological Survey. ALUMNI AWARDS TO BE PRESENTED FRIDAY The Alumni Association will give out its annual awards Friday, Oct. 8, at its 125th Anniversary Gala. Daryll Ray, holder of the Blasingame Chair of Excellence in Agricultural Economics at the University of Tennessee, will receive the Floyd Andre Award, which is given to alumni for their contributions to agriculture. D.L. “Hank” Harris, animal science, will receive the Henry Wallace Award, which is presented to alumni who contribute to national or international agriculture through teaching, research or leadership. WORLD FOOD PRIZE EVENTS SET FOR CAMPUS This year’s World Food Prize co-winner Yuan Longping will speak on campus Oct. 12. Yuan is the director-general of the China National Hybrid Rice Research and Development Center. He and Monty Jones of Sierra Leone will share the 2004 World Food Prize, receiving the honor Oct. 14 at the World Food Prize activities in Des Moines. Yuan's seminar is titled, “Super Rice Research.” It will begin at 3:30 p.m. in 1414 Molecular Biology Building. Refreshments will be available prior to the seminar at 3 p.m. in the Molecular Biology Building Atrium. Also on Oct. 12, John Niederhauser, World Food Prize laureate, will present a food and crop biosecurity seminar, titled, “International Agricultural Development: A Personal History,” at 4:10 p.m. in 210 Bessey. On Oct. 13, Catherine Bertini, 2003 World Food Prize Laureate and United Nations under-secretary-general for management, will deliver the 2004 Borlaug Lecture, “How We Made a Difference with Food Aid,” at 8 p.m. in the Sun Room, Memorial Union. On Oct. 15, the 21st annual World Food Day teleconference, "Politics of Hunger: What's at Stake," will examine the decision-making process involved in developing food policies. Werner Kiene, World Food Program representative to the Bretton Woods Institutions, will be the featured speaker. There also will be a live uplink with the World Food Prize ceremonies in Des Moines. The teleconference will be down-linked from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 15 in Room 1141 of the Extension and 4-H Youth Building. Register: Joyce Greving at 4-3079 or jagrevin@iastate.edu. NEWSLETTER FEATURES DEWITT’S PHOTOS The North Central IPM Center’s Connection newsletter featured the photographs of Jerry Dewitt, entomology, in its September issue. The article, titled, “Bringing Rural America to Life,” mentioned Dewitt’s work as the Iowa State Extension IPM coordinator as well as his photography. IOWA ORGANIC CONFERENCE NOV. 1 The Iowa State Organic Agriculture Program, in the agronomy and horticulture departments, will hold its fourth annual Iowa Organic Conference on Nov. 1 in the Scheman Building. This year's keynote speaker will be Chuck Hassebrook, executive director, Center for Rural Affairs. Featured speakers include Fred Kirschenmann, Leopold Center; George Bird, Michigan State University, Lewis Jett, University of Missouri; and Kathleen Delate, Iowa State. Student registration fees may be offset by providing help at the conference, contact 4-5116. More: http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/organicag/. RURAL HEALTH FORUM TO FOCUS ON CREATING PARTNERSHIPS Iowa’s Center for Agricultural Safety and Health, the Great Plains Center for Agricultural Health and the Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa will sponsor the Midwest Rural and Agricultural Safety and Health Forum Nov. 18-19. The focus of the forum is creating partnerships for agricultural health and safety policy. Chuck Fluharty, director of the Rural Policy Research Institute, will give the keynote address titled “Community-based Rural Policy.” Details at: http://www.public-health.uiowa.edu/icash/. HELPING STUDENTS MAKE THE MOST OF INTERNSHIPS Career counselors and prospective employers agree — students who do internships have a better chance of landing their dream job after college graduation. A joint project between Iowa State and the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education in Mexico is developing techniques for making internships more valuable. Learn more in "Agriculture in Action." RESEARCH SHOWS POULTRY MANURE BOOSTS YIELDS, PROTECTS WATER Researchers in the agricultural and biosystems engineering department have found the manure generated by an increasing number of Iowa poultry operations is an effective, environmentally friendly fertilizer. A six-year study was initiated to determine the impact of poultry manure applications on nutrient uptake by crops, and on surface and groundwater quality. BEEF SEEDSTOCK CONFERENCE COMING TO AMES Several industry associations and affiliates have come together to host a one-day Beef Seedstock Conference in Ames Dec. 2, featuring national experts and the latest information on beef genetics. The event will bring together seedstock producers and industry experts. Learn more: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/newsrel/2004/oct04/oct0401.html. OCT. 15 DEADLINE FOR FALL FACULTY RESEARCH EXCHANGE APPLICATIONS The Faculty Research Exchange, supported by the Experiment Station, provides funds for faculty to strengthen contact with colleagues at Minority Serving Institutions (MSI). Up to $1,000 is available through competitive proposals to either make a visit to a MSI or to invite faculty from Hispanic-serving, 1994 Tribal colleges/universities or 1890 traditionally black colleges and universities to come to Iowa State. Proposals are due Oct. 15 for fall and Feb. 15 for spring semester. Applications and a list of minority serving land-grant institutions are available online. Contact: Mary M. de Baca at 4-8574 or mmdb@iastate.edu. BUTLER AND BEITZ IN NEW POSITIONS AT CAST Donald Beitz, animal science, has been elected president-elect and Lorna Michael Butler has been elected to a three-year term on the board of directors of the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST). At its fall meeting the CAST board elected Stanley Fletcher, University of Georgia, president. HORTICULTURE CLUB PLANS TO HOST SALE DESPITE VEISHEA CANCELLATION With the cancellation of VEISHEA, many clubs are looking for alternative ways to raise funds. The Horticulture Club's main fundraising activity is the plant sale held each year during VEISHEA, which generates several thousand dollars from sales of annuals, perennials and vegetables. The club still plans to hold the plant sale, despite the cancellation of VIESHEA. "We hope that our customers will still come, despite the lack of other VEISHEA festivities," said Jenny Petersen, Hort Club president. NEW LOOK AND PUBLICATION SCHEDULE FOR AGCOMM NEWSLETTER Beginning with the first fall issue, the AgComm newsletter will be published monthly during the academic year. The newsletter is part of AgComm, the College of Agriculture’s nationally acclaimed communication-across-the-curriculum program that helps faculty integrate communication into their courses. The redesigned newsletter includes feature articles corresponding to monthly AgComm workshops, suggestions for communication-related assignments and interviews with faculty and industry professionals. Contact: co-directors Robert Martin, agriculture education and studies, drmartin@iastate.edu and Rebecca Burnett, English, rburnett@iastate.edu. AG ALUM NAMED NEW DIRECTOR OF DAIRY FOUNDATION The Northeast Iowa Community-Based Dairy Foundation in Calmar has named Mark Hotvedt as its new director. The newly created position, funded by a grant through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will be responsible for the coordination, oversight and implementation of the foundation’s strategic plan and goals. Hotvedt earned a dairy science degree from Iowa State and has spent 20 years working in the financial services field. DEADLINES AND REMINDERS Oct. 5: Ag Comm workshop on presentation delivery systems, noon, 8 Curtiss, RSVP to Cheryl Abrams at 4-5872 or cabrams@iastate.edu Oct. 5: Sue Lamont portrait unveiling, 3-4 p.m., program at 3:30 p.m., Kildee Hall atrium October 14-15: 2004 World Food Prize International Symposium, Des Moines Marriott Hotel Oct. 15: Deadline, Dean of Agriculture's Global Research Grants Program and 2004-05 International Funding for Graduate Students and Postdocs. Contact Shelley Taylor, 4-5393 or sztaylor@iastate.edu ................................................... COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK ................................................... WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? A phobiaphile has created a site devoted to information about our fears, some you probably didn't even know existed, such as: -- Agyrophobia -- fear of streets or crossing the street -- Bufonophobia -- fear of toads -- Chaetophobia -- fear of hair -- Deipnophobia -- fear of dining or dinner conversations -- Euphobia -- fear of hearing good news -- Frigophobia -- fear of cold, cold things -- Glossophobia -- fear of speaking in public or of trying to speak -- Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia -- fear of long words -- Iatrophobia -- fear of going to the doctor or of doctors For a list of hundreds of phobias (with definitions), go to http://www.phobialist.com. ........................................................ INFOGRAZING ........................................................ FUNDS AVAILABLE TO FACULTY FOR BIOTECH EVENTS The Office of Biotechnology provides funds for biotechnology-related conferences, symposia and workshops that are organized by faculty members and held on campus. Applications are due by Nov. 1, for events proposed for 2005. Contact Teri Peterson, 4-4779 or tlpeters@iastate.edu. ELECTRONIC LITERACY SESSION SET FOR OCT. 14 Linked Workshops on Communication Literacies is the title of the Oct. 14 Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching workshop. Diana Shonrock, library associate professor, will explore the role of electronic literacy on today's campus and the role of the library faculty subject specialists in enhancing electronic literacy. The session will be from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the Pioneer Room, Memorial Union. It is intended for faculty, staff and graduate students. Register by Oct. 13 by contacting: Marlys Carlson at 4-5357 or celt@iastate.edu. USDA/CSREES COMPETITIVE GRANTS WORKSHOP DEC. 6 The Western Association of Agricultural Experiment Station Directors (WAAESD) and the University of Arizona, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences will host a workshop on CSREES, USDA Funding Opportunities. The workshop will emphasize the National Research Initiative Competitive Grants Program and Higher Education Programs and is designed for researchers, extension specialists and administrators. ........................................................ EXTERNAL VOICES ........................................................ AN EXERCISE IN CREATIVE THINKING "Great ideas originate in the muscles." -- Thomas Alva Edison ........................................................ MARGINALIA ........................................................ CATTLE HERDING MOVES INTO 21ST CENTURY Researchers at Dartmouth College is developing technology that could enable cowboys to herd their cattle from the comfort of the bunk house. Using techniques from robot-motion planning, the team is developing software that transmits certain GPS coordinates to collars that the cattle wear. The collars, which are equipped with a Wi-Fi networking card, a Zaurus PDA, an eTrex GPS unit and a loudspeaker, emit natural sounds when the cows are moseying in the right direction. But when they stray the collars project sounds such as hissing snakes, roaring tigers and barking dogs, which usually convince the wayward cattle to head back the other way. Preliminary testing on a Vermont farm shows that the technology works, but the negative stimulus merely slows the cows rather than stopping them. The research team is considering augmenting the threatening sounds with a small electrical shock and are also considering adding sensors to the collars that could monitor the cows' health and radio that data back to the central server. (Pervasive Computing Jul-Sep 2004) Next issue: Oct. 11 ........................................................ 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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