College News
College and University Award Nominations Due Nov. 21
College of Agriculture faculty and staff award nominations and the ISU award nominations to be reviewed by the College are due Nov. 21 in Room 130 Curtiss.
Snowblower Service Days Friday and Saturday
The Agricultural Systems Technology Club and the Student Branch of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers will have their annual snow blower service days on Friday and Saturday Nov. 10 and 11. The hours are 1 to 5 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Service costs $25 and includes changing the oil, sparkplug, putting in fresh gas and cleaning the air filter. Snowblowers may be dropped off in the Davidson Hall Courtyard during the service hours. Pickup and delivery is available for a $15 fee. Call Jake Miller at 450-0011 or Sylvia Anderson, 4-1434 by 2 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 9, to sign up for delivery. Contact: jkmiller@iastate.edu.
Internet Auction to Benefit Scholarship
The Dairy Science Club's fifth annual internet auction for the Alison Ciancio Memorial Scholarship begins today, Nov. 6, and runs through Nov. 17. The scholarship is awarded annually to a member of the Dairy Science Club who most exemplifies the selfless and caring qualities of Ciancio. She was killed in 2002 in a head-on collision with a drunk driver. This year, the auction includes art, crafts and collectibles, and historic agricultural books.
Alum to Head Cattlemen's Group
Alumnus Bruce Berven will become the new Iowa Cattlemen's Association executive vice president Tuesday, Nov. 7. He will also be executive vice president of the Iowa Cattlemen's Foundation, Inc. Berven is returning to the top job at ICA having held the position from 1978 to 1984, after serving for eight years as an Iowa State county extension director and area livestock specialist. He earned a bachelor's and master's degrees in animal science in 1970 and 1973 from ISU.
Award Goes to Agricultural Education and Studies Team
Nancy Grudens-Schuck, agricultural education and studies, and doctoral student Jean Eells won a team award for Excellence in Evaluation Training for their work with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and environmental educators, as well as outcomes assessment training in Iowa as part of the Nonprofit Management Academy. The award was presented by the Extension Education Evaluation Topical Interest Group at the American Evaluation Association held last week in Portland.
Tips on Learning in Developing Countries
Jim Pease, natural resource ecology and management, and Andrew Manu, agronomy, will talk about "Making the Most of Learning in Developing Countries" Thursday, Nov. 9. The seminar will be from noon to 1 p.m. in 142 Curtiss.
BBMB Scientist Receives Biotech Funds
Gururaj Rao; biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology, is one of eight faculty members to receive Office of Biotechnology funds to establish their research programs at Iowa State. This year $751,000 was awarded of to newly hired biotechnology faculty members. Rao will conduct research in proteins and their biological functions, including protein engineering.
Iowa State Center Honored with Economic Development Award
The University Economic Development Association has presented Iowa State with its Economic Development Research award for targeted industrial research in southeastern Iowa.
Summit to Generate Biorenewables Recommendations
Iowa State is inviting state, industry, government and university leaders to develop policy and investment recommendations that would maintain Iowa's leadership in the bioeconomy. "A Call to Action Summit: Ensuring Iowa's Leadership in the Bioeconomy" will be Nov. 28 in the Scheman Building.
ICM Conference and Agribusiness Expo Nov. 29-30
The 18th Annual Integrated Crop Management Conference and the Agribusiness Association of Iowa Agribusiness Expo will be held Nov. 29 and 30 on the Iowa State campus.
Spencer Award for Sustainable Agriculture to Farm Family
A Shelby County family has been honored with one of the state's largest awards in sustainable agriculture. Ron and Maria Vakulskas Rosmann, along with their sons David, Daniel and Mark, will receive the 2006 Spencer Award for Sustainable Agriculture during the Iowa Organic Conference Nov. 20 in Ames. Daniel earned a bachelor's degree in agronomy in 2005 from ISU, and has joined the family operation. David earned a bachelor's degree in public service administration in agriculture from ISU, and is a rural organizer for Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement. Mark is a junior in agronomy and history at ISU. Learn more: http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/newsreleases/2006/spencer_110306.htm
Deadlines & Reminders
Nov. 13: "Perspectives on Present and Future Corn-Based Ethanol Industry," 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., pre-registration is required
Nov. 15: Deadline for Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship grant opportunity, contact: Stacey Noe, 4-4945 or snoe@iastate.edu, more: http://www.entrepreneurship.ag.iastate.edu/
Nov. 15: Deadline for Distance Education Grant proposals, more: http://www.brenton.iastate.edu
Nov. 20: Iowa Organic Conference, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Scheman Building, more: http://www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/organic06/home.html
Dec. 15: Deadline for Center for Integrated Animal Genomics grant proposals
Communications Kiosk
The Difference Between Consequent and Subsequent
The first denotes causation; the second does not. Consequent and subsequent refer to following events, but a subsequent event is not necessarily caused by the prior one. (The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., 2003.)
Infograzing
Budget Model Report Comments Sought by Jan. 18
University administration is seeking comments on the Oct. 31 report from the Budget Model Review and Implementation Committee (BMRIC). Feedback and advice on the report and the committee's recommendation are due by Jan. 18. The report is available online.
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching Events Scheduled
The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching presents Interpersonal Divide on a Residential Campus, Wednesday, Nov. 8, noon to 1:30 p.m.; Campanile Room, Memorial Union. Michael Bugeja, Greenlee School, will talk about his research on the interpersonal divide that occurs between teacher and student due to technology. On Nov. 29 CELT will showcase recent Miller Faculty Fellowship projects with the fellows on hand to discuss projects and the results of their work. It will be from noon to 1:30 p.m. in the Cardinal Room, Memorial Union. This week CELT workshops will be held on WebCT GOLD 101: Overview and fundamentals, at 2-3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7, in 1230 Communications; and WebCT Fundamentals, at 10-11:30 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 9, in 1230 Communications. To register for CELT events, contact celt@iastate.edu or 4-5357 and specify event title and date, your name, position, department and phone number.
Report Predicts Growth in Online Education
A new Eduventures report sees growth for online education. Its survey of 2,000 people who are planning to enroll in college, found that 19 percent were interested in an online-only program, 18 percent in mostly online programs and 14 percent in programs that offer equal time online and face-to-face. The data show that students just out of high school are most interested in a traditional college experience, but as age increases, up to the 35-55 range, students are more interested in online education, reflecting working adults' need for the convenience of online classes. Online education has failed to remove geography as a factor in educational choices. Even when considering online education, most students express a preference for a local campus, at least one that is in the state where they live. (Chronicle of Higher Education, Nov. 1)
External Voices
Franklin on Education
"Genius without education is like silver in the mine."
--Benjamin Franklin
Marginalia
Research Finds Parasitic Plant Targets Hosts
The dodder weed, also known as "strangleweed" for the way it wraps around other plants, is a parasitic plant. It attaches to a host plant and lives on its nutrients. That makes it difficult to control without killing the host. Pennsylvania State University researchers recently discovered that the weed actually targets its host. As published in the journal Science, they found that dodder seedlings can target a tomato plant and grow towards it 80 percent of the time. Previously, researchers thought that the weed grew randomly until it found another plant. The scientists suspect that the weed is using chemical signals to pinpoint its meal. (Science Central, Oct. 26)
Next issue: Nov. 6
Ag Online
Editor: Ed Adcock, edadcock@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-5616 Web site: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/
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