COLLEGE NEWS
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GROUND BROKEN FOR ISU'S NEW DAIRY FARM
Ground was broken Saturday, April 22, for the ISU Dairy/Animal Science Education and Discovery Facility south of Ames. The new dairy farm is expected to be completed by the fall of 2007. About 75 guests attended the ceremony, including students, state dairy industry representatives, faculty and administrators, local neighbors and news media. Remarks were given by President Geoffroy, Dean Wintersteen, Department of Animal Science Chair Maynard Hogberg, Dairy Science Club President Kayla Hotvedt and Shodel Farms owner and 1969 dairy science alum Larry Shover of Delhi. The Committee for Agricultural Development was recognized for its assistance in purchasing the farmland, which is now owned by the university, and for its $1 million grant to support development of the farm. Pictures of the groundbreaking are online at: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/dairyfarm.html
ALUM HONORS PRESIDENT, DEAN WITH NATIONAL DAIRY SHRINE MEMBERSHIP
At Saturday's groundbreaking ceremony for the new dairy farm, Carl Zurborg of Davenport, a 1952 dairy industry alum and president of the National Dairy Shrine, presented Shrine life memberships to President Geoffroy and Dean Wintersteen. Founded in 1948, the National Dairy Shrine brings together dairy producers, scientists, students, educators, marketers and others who share a desire to preserve dairy heritage and keep the dairy industry strong. It has more than 17,000 members. The National Dairy Shrine honors past and present dairy leaders and provides student scholarships and support for dairy education and events.
DISTANCE EDUCATION TASK FORCE POSTS FORUM TRANSCRIPT
The College’s Incentives for Distance Education Task Force held a distance education forum in March seeking input on several topics, including: development of a strategic vision to function under a new university budget model; educational strategies; support from the Brenton Center; and marketing and evaluation of programs. Feedback from the 40 faculty and staff participants has been compiled into a forum transcript. A new College distance education strategic plan also has been developed. More: http://www.brenton.iastate.edu/deplan.htm
DISTANCE EDUCATION AWARD TO MASTER OF SCIENCE IN AGRONOMY
The Master of Science in Agronomy Distance Education Program will receive the 2006 Innovator's Award from the Iowa Distance Learning Association. The program began development in 1995 and the first courses were offered in fall 1998. The award will be presented at the IDLA spring conference this Thursday and Friday, April 27 and 28, in Cedar Rapids. More: http://www.idla.org/
SKAAR WINS VEISHEA-SPONSORED AWARDS
Brad Skaar, animal science, received this year’s Veishea Faculty Recognition Award for the College. Skaar also won the Veishea Faculty Barbecue Cook-off.
NAMA CHAPTER BRINGS HOME THREE AWARDS
For the first time in at least a decade, ISU’s National Agri-Marketing Association's (NAMA) Student Marketing Team advanced to the final round in the annual NAMA Marketing competition. The 11-member team competed against 26 other colleges in the United States and Canada. The team created a marketing campaign for an Iowa soy-based cleaning product. The NAMA Student Chapter also was named the third best chapter in the nation. Joe Sperfslage, freshman in animal science, was awarded a national NAMA scholarship. JoeyJames Giustino, agricultural education graduate assistant, served as NAMA team adviser and many others in the College served as practice judges.
ISU HELPS ORGANIZE INTERNATIONAL PLANT BREEDING SYMPOSIUM
The College of Agriculture is one of the organizers for the International Plant Breeding Symposium in Mexico City, Aug. 20-25. The symposium will be a global science forum on current, field-based breeding topics that will cover the major row crops and world regions with a particular emphasis on cultivar development methodologies. The symposium will deliver an in-depth review of current and emerging plant breeding methodologies. Invited speakers will give oral presentations. Other participants may present posters. Invited talks will be published in a proceedings produced by Crop Science. Abstracts of all presentations and posters will be published in a book of abstracts distributed at the Symposium. In 2003, the symposium honored the work of ISU's Arnel Hallauer, agronomy. This year, the symposium will honor John Dudley of the University of Illinois for his 49 years of plant breeding work. More than 250 scientists from 45 countries already have registered. For more information, including online registration: http://www.intlplantbreeding.com/. Early-bird registration is available until April 30.
PROMOTING BIORENEWABLES IS NEW JOB FOR AGRONOMY’S FALES
Steve Fales serves as the College of Agriculture's Bioeconomy Initiative coordinator. The university-wide Bioeconomy Initiative is focused on developing technologies for converting crops and plant materials into chemicals, fuels, fibers and energy. Details: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/news/2006releases/fales.html
STUDENTS ORGANIZE CONFERENCE ON INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURE
Two Iowa State University students organized a national conference to encourage involvement in an international organization for students in agriculture and related sciences. More: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/news/2006releases/intlag.html
NEWS TIPS COVER VARIETY OF RESEARCH AND EXTENSION PROJECTS
The demand for goat meat, the Illinois bundleflower’s crop potential, culinary tourism and impact of rural developments on Iowa’s secondary roads were the Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine News tips sent to media last week. More: http://www.iastate.edu/~nscentral/news/2006/apr/agtips.shtml
DEADLINES AND REMINDERS
April 24: Think Tank on Animal Agriculture, 6 p.m., Cardinal Room, Memorial Union
April 25: 2006 Staniforth Lecture in Weed Science, 4:10 p.m., 2050 Agronomy Hall, more: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/news/2006releases/staniforth.html
April 28: Spencer Award nominations due, more: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., ISU Research Park http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/newsreleases/2006/spencer_022706.htm
May 9: Ag Entrepreneur “Cooks Tour” workshop, contact: Steve Nissen, nissen@iastate.edu
June 19: Research and Demonstration Farm Field Days begin, Horticulture Station, near Ames, more: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/farms/fielddays.html
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COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
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RAISING FUNDS? SPELL IT CORRECTLY
According to the Associated Press Stylebook, here are correct usages for fund raising, fund-raising and fund-raiser:
- Fund raising is difficult.
- They planned a fund-raising campaign.
- A fund-raiser was hired.
- The organization is planning a fund-raiser.
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INFOGRAZING
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ISU’S BROWN TO TESTIFY ON BIOFUELS TO SENATE COMMITTEE
This week Robert Brown of ISU’s Office of Biorenewables Programs will tell a U.S. Senate committee that converting corn to ethanol is a pathway to larger goals of reduced dependence on imported petroleum and improved environmental quality. The hearing will be 10 a.m., Wednesday, April 26, in Washington, D.C. Brown's invited testimony will be posted to the Iowa State Web site at that time. More: http://www.iastate.edu/~nscentral/news/2006/apr/senate.shtml
PEANUT BOARD TO GIVE ANNUAL CARVER AWARD
The National Peanut Board is taking applications through June 2 for the fifth annual George Washington Carver Award. Open to undergraduate and graduate students, the winner receives a $1,000 prize with a matching amount going to the winner’s college for peanut research. More: http://www.nationalpeanutboard.org/files/pdfs/GWC_Award_Application_2006...
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EXTERNAL VOICES
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PUTTING PEOPLE IN THE BEST LIGHT
"We must be courteous to a man as we are to a picture, which we are willing to give the advantage of a good light."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803-82
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MARGINALIA
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FIRST CORN UP AT ISU RESEARCH FARMS
Corn plants began to emerge last week, according to staff reports from the McNay and Southeast research and demonstration farms. The corn was planted on April 5 and 6 as the first date in a time of planting study directed by Roger Elmore, agronomy.
BLANG: THE NEW LANGUAGE FOR HIGH-TECH TIMES
It’s called "Blang," as in "Web language," which is spoken by "Web wraiths" — Tolkienesque creatures who feel chained to their computers day and night, according to an April 23 column in the New York Times. Other Blang words:
- cybermoment: the confusion that arises when one person closes an instant-messaging window and the other person keeps “talking”
- stripped: the opposite of wired
- schoogle: the pastime that consists of Googling the names of old classmates.
(Coming to Terms With a Wired Age, Part 2, New York Times, April 24, http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/23/jobs/23wcol.html?th&emc=th)
Next issue: May 1
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AG ONLINE
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EDITOR
Ed Adcock, edadcock@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-5616 Web site: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/
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