College News
Cargill Commits $600,000 to Prepare ISU Students for Bioeconomy
Cargill has invested $600,000 in ISU's Bioeconomy Initiative to help prepare ISU students to enter the rapidly growing biorenewable industry. With the support from Cargill, the Bioeconomy Initiative will offer four new areas for students: freshmen experiences in biorenewables; common laboratory in biobased technologies; course work in biobased technologies; and international experiences in biorenewables.
Food Science Team Captures 2nd in National Competition
A team of students from Iowa State's food science and human nutrition department placed second in the Institute of Food Technologists Student Association's Knowledge Bowl national championship competition in Orlando, Fla., June 26. The team's placing earned a $750 prize for the Food Science Club. This is the highest finish any Iowa State team has ever earned at the annual contest. The team, which has qualified for the national competition three of the past six years, was coached by FSHN faculty members Tony Pometto and Mark Love.
Card Initiates Biorenewables Policy Division
The Center for Agricultural and Rural Development has launched a new Biorenewables Policy Division. The new research division will focus on policy questions surrounding expansion of biorenewables in the United States and the shifting playing field this creates for Midwestern producers.
EEOB's Janzen Leads Students in Annual Turtle Camp
The following excerpt is adapted from an article that appeared in "Along the River," an annual publication of the Rock Island District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The article also is online, http://www.mvr.usace.army.mil/missriver/CampingPage/TurtleCamp.htm. "For the last 17 years, right around June 1 at the Thomson Causeway Recreation Area, Thomson, Ill., a migration starts that transforms the campground for about 6 weeks. It is the annual arrival of the residents of Turtle Camp, a group of students from all over the country that converge on the park under the direction of Dr. Fred Janzen, Iowa State University professor of ecology, evolution and organismal biology. They tent camp in the park, while they live, eat and sleep among the 'critters' that they study. Their main species is the painted turtle, but they also encounter many other amphibians and reptiles. Over the years, Dr. Janzen and his students have endured mosquitoes, heat and humidity, storms, blown-away tents, mud, floods and even more mosquitoes to accomplish their work. They spend hours out in the hot sun tracking turtle nests and marking their locations with orange flags and GPS, sometimes turning portions of the park into flag forests." (The Rock Island District, U.S. Corps of Engineers, operates and maintains 25 public recreation areas along a 314-mile stretch of the river from Guttenberg to Saverton, Mo.)
Lauren Christian Golf Event and Fundraiser July 11
Today (July 3) is the registration deadline for the Lauren L. Christian Pork Chop Open, to be held July 11. The benefit auction will take place on the evening of July 11, after the day's golf event and dinner. Proceeds support the Lauren L. Christian Endowment, which funds swine research through fellowship grants, scholarships and program enhancements.
Sixth Annual Joint Bioinformatics Symposium July 13-14
Iowa State will host the sixth annual Joint Bioinformatics Symposium, July 13-14. This year's conference will focus on systems biology. ISU's interdepartmental graduate program in bioinformatics and computational biology involves 60 students and 81 faculty in 16 academic departments.
Jim Dinsmore Receives American Birding Association Honor
James Dinsmore, professor emeritus in natural resource ecology and management, has received the American Birding Association Ludlow Griscom Award for Outstanding Contributions in Regional Ornithology. The honor was presented to Dinsmore on June 23 at the association's convention in Bangor, Maine. The ABA Ludlow Griscom Award is given to those who have dramatically advanced the state of ornithological knowledge for a particular region. Dinsmore retired from ISU in 2002 after more than 25 years of service. He is author or co-author of several Iowa bird books, including "Iowa Birds," "A Country So Full of Game," "Iowa Wildlife Viewing Guide" and "The Iowa Breeding Bird Atlas." He chairs the Iowa Audubon IBA Technical Committee, is a fellow of the Iowa Academy of Sciences and was a board member for The Nature Conservancy and Iowa Audubon.
Martin Named Fellow of American Association of Ag Education
Robert Martin, chair of the Department of Agricultural Education and Studies, has been elected a Fellow of the American Association for Agricultural Education. Martin has been a member of the ISU faculty for 23 years and has served as department chair since 1998. He serves as co-director of AgComm; program leader for the international agriculture secondary major and minor; and chair of the Iowa Governor's Council on Agricultural Education.
ISU Alum Named President-Elect of Soil Science Society
ISU alumnus Gary Peterson, head of the soil and crop sciences department at Colorado State University, has been named president-elect of the Soil Science Society of America. Peterson will take office at the 2006 annual meetings Nov. 12-16 in Indianapolis. Peterson earned his Ph.D. in soil fertility from the Department of Agronomy in 1967.
ISU Student Promotes Beekeeping in Role as National Honey Princess
This summer, Teresa Jurchen, senior in agricultural education and international agriculture, is making appearances around the country as the 2006 American Honey Princess. Jurchen, who served as the 2005 Iowa Honey Queen for the Iowa Honey Producers Association, was selected for the national position in January at the American Beekeeping Federation's convention. Jurchen is attending different summer events to promote the beekeeping industry, including the Iowa State Fair. The Cumberland, Iowa, native also will participate in library programs and youth day camps. "I'm very excited to be teaching about the amazing ways, such as pollination, that bees contribute to agriculture," she says. Jurchen's travels include stops in Indiana, Nebraska, Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, Florida and Massachusetts.
ISU Extension Offers Tree Steward Program
ISU's third annual Community Tree Steward Workshop will be held Aug. 7. The program is open to the public and will be held at Pioneer Hi-Bred International Inc. in Johnston.
Leopold Center Seeks New Research Proposals for 2007
Iowans with research and demonstration ideas for the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture are invited to submit their pre-proposals by Aug. 14. Leopold Center director Jerry DeWitt says, "We are especially interested in pre-proposals across our three initiative areas that will help enhance Iowa's water quality and protect the state's water resources. The center places a high value on research that will help us move toward these goals." Investigators representing Iowa nonprofit organizations, agencies and educational institutions may submit pre-proposals. Learn more: http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/newsreleases/2006/rfp_062606.htm
Manure Management Clinic to Focus on Open Feedlot Issues
The Iowa Manure Management Action Group, in cooperation with ISU Extension and the College of Agriculture, is sponsoring a two-day Manure Management Clinic, Aug. 22-23. The purpose is to train service providers, commodity partners, agency personnel and ISU Extension field staff in issues related to manure management for open feedlots in Iowa.
Practical Farmers Study Grass-Based Meat Marketing
With a grant from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, the Practical Farmers of Iowa recently completed a project to help Iowa operations better market their grass-fed meat products. The project included consumer surveys and focus groups to determine optimal messages and communication strategies. A consultant then helped three Iowa operations develop marketing materials. Resources from the project are posted on the Leopold Center website and available on CD from PFI while supplies last.
PFI Field Day Includes Focus on ISU Soybean Aphid Research
A Practical Farmers of Iowa field day on July 11 will highlight soybean aphid management research led by ISU entomologist Matt O'Neal. The work, supported by the Leopold Center, studies the use of living mulches to control soybean aphids.
Communications Kiosk
A Person's Name is More Welcome in the E-Mail 'From' Line
Research shows that people are more likely to open an e-mail if the "from" line contains the name of a person rather than the name of a company. Dianna Huff says a pharmaceutical company proved this by asking its sales representatives to send the company's marketing e-newsletter to their own customers in an e-mail that included their photo. Response rates went through the roof because the e-mail didn't look like spam. Huff, president of DH Communications, was interviewed for an article in the May 2006 issue of the Writing that Works newsletter.
Infograzing
'Growing the Bioeconomy' Theme for 2006 Biobased Industry Conference
Registration is open for ISU's 2006 Biobased Industry Outlook Conference, Aug. 28-29. The theme is "Growing the Bioeconomy: Reimagining Agriculture for National Energy Security." Last year the conference attracted more than 420 industry and community leaders, academicians and government-agency officials from around the Midwest to learn and share information about manufacturing, distributing and marketing biobased products. This year's conference will feature sessions focusing on the financial, scientific, equipment and educational investments needed in order for U.S. agriculture to supply a significant portion of the nation's energy needs, while maintaining production of food, feed and fiber. Speakers include James Woolsey, former director of the CIA; Lee Lynd, professor of engineering, Dartmouth College; Vinod Khosla, founding CEO of Sun Microsystems; and Bob Egerton, commercial agribusiness division manager, Co-Bank. The conference is organized by the Office of Biorenewables Programs and ISU Extension's Center for Industrial Research and Service. More information and to register
Vet Med Seeking Input July 7 and 28 on Plains for BL3 Facility
The College of Veterinary Medicine is developing plans for new biosafety level 3 (BL3) facility. The College is examining different design options, exploring funding and assessing needs and potential usage. The College is seeking input on its plans so far. The College has scheduled two "user group" meetings for interested ISU faculty and staff. The first will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, July 7, in 2532 Vet Med. The second will be held at noon, Friday, July 28, in 2532 Vet Med. For more information: Donald Reynolds, 4-9348 or dlr@iastate.edu.
EPA Funding Biomarker Research Opportunity
The Environmental Protection Agency's National Center for Environmental Research announces of a new funding opportunity in "Interpretation of Biomarkers Using Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Modeling (PBPK)." Proposed models, methods, tools and data should contribute to providing a better scientific understanding of biomarker data and how to interpret it.
External Voices
Wanted: Inspiring Ways to Teach Science
"The United States could easily fall from its privileged perch in the global economy unless it does something about the horrendous state of science education at both the public school and university levels. That means finding ways to enliven a dry and dispiriting style of science instruction that leads as many as half of the country's aspiring scientists to quit the field before they leave college. The emerging consensus among educators is that students need early, engaging experiences in the lab -- and much more mentoring than most of them receive now -- to maintain their interest and inspire them to take up careers in the sciences. Some universities have already realized the need for better ways of teaching. But this means revising an incentive system that has historically rewarded scientists for making discoveries and publishing academic papers, not for nurturing the next generation of great minds. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the country's largest private supporter of science education, is well ahead of the curve, and has been pushing universities in this direction for several years under the leadership of Thomas Cech, a Nobel laureate ... These programs send a powerful message at a time when the country needs to be paying attention to remaking science education. Congress, which has been casting for ways to address this problem, would do well to emulate them." ("How to Educate Young Scientists," an op-ed in The New York Times, July 3)
Marginalia
College Bass Anglers Hope to Lure More to Fishing Competition
This spring the Collegiate Bass Anglers Association announced a partnership with the Bass Federation that will give college fishing teams a chance to enter more national fishing tournaments. Twenty-three institutions have some sort of recognized bass-fishing group (including ISU, see item below), but Troy Heckaman, founder of the association, dreams of building a sanctioned intercollegiate sport, complete with spectators, boosters and scholarships. (Chronicle of Higher Education, May 26)
ISU'a Bass Anglers Include Several Agriculture Students
Iowa State has its own student fishing club, the ISU Bass Anglers, which is a member of ISU's Sports Club Council. The ISU Bass Angler officers include several College of Agriculture students, including vice president Jeff Hartwig, forestry; treasurer Julie Collins, animal science; and secretary/Web master Adam Batschele, agricultural business. Club advisers are Max Rothschild, animal science, and James Koltes, graduate student in genetics/animal science. A story on the club appeared in March in the ISU Daily.
Next issue: July 10
Ag Online
Editor: Ed Adcock, edadcock@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-5616
Web site: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/
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