COLLEGE NEWS
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COLLEGE ALUMNI MAKE UP MOST OF ONE FAMILY OF THE YEAR
One family chosen as 2006 ISU Families of the Year for the Family Weekend this weekend, Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, has several College of Agriculture alumni. Jim Halbur and his wife Barb of Carroll are Iowa State graduates. He earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural studies in 1979. Three of their sons have maintained the Halbur-ISU connection: Brian graduated in 2003 with a bachelor's degree in agricultural studies; Scott graduated in 2005 with a degree in agricultural business and economics and now is a graduate student in accounting; and Jay, a junior studying agricultural business and accounting. Two other Halbur children, Chad and Bridget, are attending Kuemper Catholic High School and have applied to Iowa State. The Halburs and the Shook-Trumbo family of Des Moines will be honored during the weekend at several events.
COLLEGE TO HOST FAMILY WEEKEND RECEPTION
The College of Agriculture will host a Family Weekend reception for alumni and friends Saturday, Sept. 30. It will take place from 9:30 to 11 a.m. in 220-240 Scheman, with a program at 10 a.m. Dean Wintersteen will welcome the group including representatives from departments, agriculture ambassadors and agriculture council. Door prizes and refreshments will be available.
DRAWING SET FOR UNITED WAY FUNDRAISER
In association with this year's Iowa State United Way campaign, the College of Agriculture is holding a drawing to give away a football autographed by Dan McCarney or a voucher for four men's basketball tickets (good for any home game except Kansas). To enter, donate nonperishable items (food and toiletries) or a cash donation (suggested amount of $3 or more). Items will be delivered to the Mid-Iowa Community Action Food Pantry and the cash collected will be given as a lump sum to United Way from the College of Agriculture. One entry per person. The drawing will take place on Oct. 23. You can donate at the following sites: 2101 Agronomy Hall, 253 Bessey Hall, 138 Curtiss Hall, 201 Curtiss Hall, 102 Davidson Hall, 107 East Hall, 2312 Food Sciences, 260 Heady Hall, 106 Horticulture Hall, 109 Insectary, 1221 Kildee Hall, 1210 Molecular Biology Building, 3212 NSRIC, 339 Science II, 102 Seed Science. Contact Carla Persaud, 4-1823 or cpersaud@iastate.edu.
PROFESSOR AND STUDENTS HELP WITH EXTREME MAKEOVER SHOW
Agricultural biosystems and engineering students pitched in when the television show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition built a house for the Kibe family near Gladbrook. The family lost its home to a fire a few days before Christmas last year and they sold the last of their calves to pay rent on a trailer to live in. As part of the show, Extreme Makeover producers wanted to renovate one barn and build another so they turned to the department for advice. Before building started, Jay Harmon, agricultural and biological engineering professor, and students from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers Club, helped develop the layout of the barnyard as well as plan some of the barn's renovations. Once construction began, several members of club helped after classes with the barn and putting in a new pasture fence. The program will air in October or November.
STUDY ON ECONOMIC VALUES OF ETHANOL PRODUCTION
What does a new ethanol plant mean to a local economy? A new study by two Iowa State economists provides answers to that question. Details: http://www.iastate.edu/~nscentral/news/2006/sep/ethanoljobs.shtml
BRONC RIDING, ROPING AND TYING AT CYCLONE STAMPEDE RODEO
College rodeo teams from a six-state region will come to Ames for two nights to compete in the Cyclone Stampede Rodeo at 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Sept. 28 and 29, at the Iowa State Rodeo Grounds south of the Iowa State campus. Learn more: http://www.iastate.edu/~nscentral/news/2006/sep/rodeo.shtml
CARD DIRECTOR ADVISES HOUSE SUBCOMMITTEE ON FARM BILL
Bruce Babcock, director of the Center for Agricultural and Rural Development and professor of economics, testified before a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee on Sept. 21. Read Babcock's statement here:
http://www.card.iastate.edu/presentations/babcock_statement_9_21_06.pdf
EXTENSION OPENS NEW ONLINE COMMUNICATION OPTIONS
Iowans have more ways to communicate with ISU Extension online. One is a new Web log by Jack Payne, vice president for extension and outreach. Learn more: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2006/sep/122101.htm
NEW VERSION OF ESTRUS SYNCH SOFTWARE AVAILABLE
The Iowa Beef Center has a new and improved software program to assist producers in making choices in estrus synchronization of their beef herds. The 'Synch06' edition of the Estrus Synchronization Planner has several new features. Learn more: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2006/sep/061801.htm
DEADLINE & REMINDERS
Sept. 25: Deadline for entries, Fifth Annual Norman Borlaug Lectureship Poster Competition, contact: Patricia Murphy, pmurphy@iastate.edu
Sept. 25: Think Tank on Animal Agriculture, 6 p.m. social time, dinner at 6:30 p.m. and program at 7 p.m., Campanile Room, Memorial Union
Oct. 1: Deadline for entries from students in the Agriculture Study Abroad experience competition, Contact: Difei Shen, dfshen@iastate.edu or 111 Curtiss Hall
Oct. 16: 2006 Norman Borlaug Lecture, Margaret Catley-Carlson, chair of the Global Water Partnership, 8 p.m., Sun Room
Oct. 19-20: Agricultural Entrepreneurship Institute, Reiman Gardens, contact: Stacey Noe, 4-4945, more: http://www.entrepreneurship.ag.iastate.edu/Institute.html
Oct. 19-20: World Food Prize Symposium, more: http://worldfoodprize.org/symposium/2006.htm
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COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
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COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE STRATEGIC PLAN ON THE WEB
The College's 2005-2010 strategic plan has been revised, aligning it with the university's plan. It is available on the Web and as a PDF, at: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/agcoll/05-10sp.html
USE WHITE PAPERS TO EDUCATE AND PERSUADE
Cross a magazine article with a soft-sell brochure and you get a white paper. A white paper is a five to 12-page tool whose goals is to educate and persuade, according to Michael Stelzner. The tone should be similar to articles found in business magazines. Stelzner points out any white paper should include a compelling message, focus on solving problems and provide a call to action. Stelzner also emphasizes writing a compelling title for the paper. A bland title such as, "Web Application Vulnerabilities and Security," won't cut it. A better choice: "Securing Your Enterprise: 10 things You Need to Know Now." Readers are drawn to white papers that tell them why they should choose solution A over solution B. (Writing That Works, September 2006)
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INFOGRAZING
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PANDEMIC FLU WEBCAST FRIDAY
A pandemic flu preparedness satellite broadcast and Webcast will be aired 1 to 2 p.m., Friday, Sept. 29. It is for public health leaders, managers, and professionals from local and state health departments, boards of health, hospitals, public and private clinics, community-based health organizations, academic institutions, federal agencies and others who wish to learn more about pandemic influenza and strategies for community preparedness. The program will examine the case of California's Santa Clara County, where the community is preparing for a pandemic that will challenge their public health system and affect every aspect of daily life. Webcast viewing is available at: http://www.publichealthgrandrounds.unc.edu. Contact: Lisa Morris, (919) 843-9261
USDA RELEASES FINAL PAPER IN FARM BILL SERIES
The final in a series of analysis papers related to production agriculture has been released by the USDA. "Strengthening the Foundation for Future Growth in U.S. Agriculture" is intended to provide an analysis of the state of U.S. agriculture and to present issues and alternatives for public consideration as policymakers begin discussions of a new farm bill. More: http://www.usda.gov/documents/Farmbill07foundationssumf.pdf
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INTERNAL VOICES
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SIGH OF RELIEF OVER ASIAN SOYBEAN RUST
“We are completing our second crop season since Asian soybean rust (ASR) was found in the United States. We can breathe a sigh of relief and give thanks that ASR did not make its way to Iowa. Indeed, this potentially devastating disease has not plagued the entire north-central United States. Had conditions been favorable for this disease, we were ready to give producers fair warning. The USDA and North Central Soybean Research Project funded the establishment of sentinel plots in Iowa and across the midwestern and southeastern United States. ... We are sincerely grateful to those who assisted in putting out Iowa's 21 sentinel plots [including 11 at ISU research farms and 10 at farmer or agribusiness sites]. ... Researchers continue to monitor spore traps and some late planted long maturity group soybeans to learn whether any spores reach Iowa this fall.”
-- X.B. Yang, plant pathology, and Ralph von Qualen, independent plant pathologist, from an article in ISU Extension's Integrated Crop Management Sept. 18 newsletter
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MARGINALIA
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PEASE VISITING SCHOLAR AT TAIWAN UNIVERSITY
Jim Pease, natural resource ecology and management, reports that an “extraordinary opportunity” has taken him to Taiwan for six weeks. He was invited to be a visiting scholar at the Graduate Institute for Environmental Education at National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei, a university with whom Iowa State has had cooperative exchange agreements. He is teaching classes and working with graduate students and staff in national parks. Pease is due to return Oct. 27.
Next issue: Oct. 2
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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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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."
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