College News
Tree Planting Commemorates Natural Resources Education Project
This morning, May 22, a tree was planted near the front steps of Curtiss Hall to recognize five years of work and partnership between Iowa State and seven other land-grant tribal colleges and state universities. Led by ISU, the USDA-funded Natural Resources Education project enhanced natural resource academic and community programs. Similar commemorative tree-planting ceremonies will be held at each of the other partner institutions in the project. Accomplishments of the project have been many, but the most important, said Harold Crawford, agricultural education and studies and co-director, have been in building trust and relationships among the partnering institutions. Also providing remarks at the ceremony were Associate Dean Gerald Miller, project co-director; Henry Miller, natural resources instructor at Nebraska Indian Community College; Mary de Baca, project manager; and Dean Wendy Wintersteen. (See related item in "Marginalia.")
News Conference June 9 - U.S. Pork Center of Excellence
The U.S. Pork Center of Excellence will host a news conference June 9 at the World Pork Expo. The event will begin at 10:15 a.m. in the Media Center at the World Pork Expo, which is June 8-10 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines.
Vice Provost for Extension Jack Payne to Visit College
Jack Payne, vice provost for Extension, will visit the College of Agriculture on June 12. He will make a short presentation to faculty and staff followed by a question-answer session at an open forum from 3:10 to 3:55 pm in 1951 Food Sciences Building. Payne will meet with the College administrative team and department chairs preceding the forum.
Dickson to Serve as College's Administrative Intern
Jim Dickson, professor in animal science and professor-in-charge of the Food Safety Consortium, will serve as the administrative intern in the College of Agriculture. Dickson will be involved in one or more priority areas for academic programs including: student recruitment, marketing, curriculum and student advising. Dickson will also develop specific academic projects in conjunction with the College of Agriculture. The half-time position will be for the 2006-2007 academic year and is available to tenured faculty members in the college.
Chinese Agriculture Officials Visit Campus
Larry Johnson, Center for Crops Utilization Research; Roger Ginder, economics; and Robert Brown, Office of Biorenewables Programs, presented rural development information to Chinese agriculture officials on campus May 15. Ying Wang, deputy director general of finance of the Ministry of Agriculture and Jinquang Chen, ministry deputy division director, learned about cooperative finance, crop utilization research and biorenewables at the sessions. The pair also visited the Iowa Department of Agriculture, USDA Rural Development office and the Iowa Farm Bureau.
Martin Named Fellow by American Association for Agricultural Eduction
Robert Martin, agricultural education and studies chair, was elected a fellow of the American Association for Agricultural Education at its annual meeting last week in Charlotte, N.C. Several agricultural education and studies faculty members presented research papers: Mike Retallick, Greg Miller, Paula Teig, Wade Miller, and Chuck Steiner. Awards were presented to Levon Esters for first-place outstanding research poster, and Greg Miller and former graduate student Chancy Williams for second-place outstanding research poster; and Mike Retallick and Chuck Steiner for third-place outstanding innovative idea poster.
Jones Presides Over Association's Annual meeting
Lynn Jones, agricultural education and studies, finished his term as president by leading the annual meeting of the Association for International Agricultural Education and Extension (AIAEE) held last week in Clearwater, Fla. Mona Othman and Difei Shen, agricultural education and studies graduate students, presented papers at the conference. Graduate student Aurelio Curbelo was elected as the only student board member serving on the association's leadership team. During the meeting the editorial board for the Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education named a paper written by Difei Shen, graduate student, and Jones as journal article of the year.
College Faculty and Staff on Provost Search Committee
Max Rothschild, Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in Agriculture, and Catherine Good, College administration and Professional and Scientific Council, are on the 18-member committee to conduct the search for Iowa State's executive vice president and provost. President Geoffroy said the goal is to name a new executive vice president and provost before Thanksgiving.
2006 Association for Communication Excellence Award Winners
The Association for Communications Excellence (ACE) will recognize several Iowa State staff members at its international awards program in Quebec on June 4. Elaine Edwards will receive the Media Relations Award of Excellence. Micki Nelson and Elaine Edwards will receive a gold award in graphic design and print advertisement for a promotional piece developed for the Iowa State Spirit Rally at the Wells Fargo arena. Barb McBreen, Beth Foreman and Scott Helms will receive the silver award in graphic design for the cover of "The Road to Success" recruitment folder. Peter Gudlewski and Colleen Rogers will receive a bronze award in the publishing and direct mail campaign for "The Legacy of Mentors Invitation" package. Ann Bugler will receive the Pioneer Award for her leadership, technical skills and contributions to ACE. Other Iowa ACE members receiving awards included Julie Mangels, owner of Juls Design in Ankeny, who received the outstanding professional skill award for the Leopold Center's 2003-04 annual report.
Kirschenmann Named Wholesome Harvest Advisor of the Year
Fred Kirschenmann was named the Wholesome Harvest's Adviser of the Year for 2006. Kirschenmann, a distinguished fellow with the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, was recognized by the Wholesome Harvest Organic Meats based in Colo.
SETA Offers User-Friendly "Paper of the Week"
Economic statistical analysis is often a key tool in making sound business decisions. Iowa State's Office of Social and Economic Trend Analysis (SETA) makes data as easy to find -- and read -- as the click of a mouse through its "Iowa Research Paper of the Week."
Deadlines and Reminders
June 19: Research and Demonstration Farm Field Days begin, Horticulture Station, near Ames, more: https://farms.cals.iastate.edu/research-farms-field-days-and-meetings
July 11: Lauren Christian Pork Chop Open, Veenker Memorial Golf Course
Communications Kiosk
Remembering What Memorial Day Means
Memorial Day was originally known as Decoration Day because it was a time set aside to honor the nation's Civil War dead by decorating their graves. It was first widely observed on May 30, 1868, to commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers, by proclamation of General John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of former sailors and soldiers. During the first celebration of Decoration Day, General James Garfield made a speech at Arlington National Cemetery, after which 5,000 participants helped to decorate the graves of the more than 20,000 Union and Confederate soldiers buried in the cemetery.
Infograzing
ISU Guide for Taking Research to Commercial Enterprises
The Office for the Vice Provost for Research has a faculty/staff startup guide for technology-based businesses to help make the transition from research to a commercial enterprise. The guide aims to help ISU faculty and staff members who are considering starting a business based on technology developed during the course of their research. ISU has several programs to assist faculty and staff in making the transition. The guide is divided into four sections in the process of starting a business: Business Development, Technology Development, Intellectual Property and Administrative Issues/Conflict of Interest.
Nominations Open for Seaman Knapp Lecturer
The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service requests nominations for the 2006 Seaman A. Knapp Lecture. This lecture will be presented at the 119th annual meeting of the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges to be held Nov. 12-14 in Houston. The lecture honors Seaman A. Knapp, the father of the Cooperative Extension concept and former head of agriculture at Iowa State. Recommendations should include the name of the nominee, title, address, telephone number and e-mail address and topic that could be discussed. They are due by June 30. Send to: Jim Spurling, assistant administrator for public liaison at jspurling@csrees.usda.gov.
Report on First Decade of Genetically Engineered Crops
This U.S. Department of Agriculture-Economic Research Service report marks 10 years of genetically engineered (GE) crops focusing on their adoption in the United States. It examines the major stakeholders of agricultural biotechnology, the pace of R&D activity by producers of GE seed, farmers who have benefited from GE adoption and consumer concerns about foods that contain GE ingredients.
External Voices
This Generation Knows Less About Food
"It's amazing how curious kids are. They've seen the advertising for fast food and junk all their lives, and they're curious about what goes on behind the counter. But this generation knows less about food than any other. One hundred years ago, kids might have grown up on a farm or on a block near a butcher. They helped with the harvest or the preparation of dinner. Kids today don't realize that the fast-food industry has only been around for 20 to 30 years in its current form. I'm not telling them what to eat. I'm telling them what they're eating. They can keep eating it or not. But it should be an informed decision and a conscious choice, and not just a response to marketing." --Eric Schlosser, author of Chew on This and Fast Food Nation, (Forbes, May 16)
Marginalia
Triumph Elm is Symbolic of Trust Built with Tribal Colleges
A Triumph elm tree was planted this morning, May 22, near Curtiss Hall to commemorate a five-year project led by ISU to partner with tribal colleges and other state land-grant universiities to enhance natural resource education. (See item in "College News.") The Triumph elm is a hybrid with resistance to Dutch elm and other diseases, will have yellow leaves in the fall and will grow to 40 feet or more. The importance of tree planting was often mentioned during the "talking circles" (similar to focus groups or listening sessions) held with leaders in tribal college communities at the beginning of the project. In his remarks at today's tree planting, Harold Crawford, agricultural education and studies and project co-director, said the elm is symbolic because it will provide diversity to the trees of campus; it will branch out and establish roots just as other College of Agriculture programs are doing; and it will be a signpost to remind people of the partnerships nurtured with the tribal colleges, which also are serving their communities in the land-grant tradition. Next issue: May 30
Ag Online
Editor: Ed Adcock, edadcock@iastate.edu
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