College News
Ag Council Elects New Officers
The Agricultural Student Council has elected officers for the coming year. Klaire O'Rourke will become president at the start of the spring semester. She is a junior in agricultural business from Earlham. Joining her on the slate of new officers are: Meagan Sheehan, junior in dairy science from Prior Lake, Minn., vice president; Mary Irlbeck, sophomore in animal science of Dedham, secretary; and Adam Kleiss, junior in agricultural systems technology of Fredericksburg, treasurer.
Alum Elected to National Biodeisal Board
College alumnus Ed Ulch, a director for the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) from Solon, has been elected treasurer of the National Biodiesel Board. Ulch represents the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) on the National Biodiesel Board (NBB). He has served on NBB's governing board for three years and was a director for the Iowa Soybean Promotion Board from 2000-2005. He has been an ISA director since 2005. Ulch earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural business in 1968.
College Senior Helps Kick-Off Expanded Winterfest
Emily Arentson, agricultural biochemistry senior, is co-chair of the five-student committee coordinating Winterfest that starts Wednesday, Nov. 29. The event is growing to three days as an experiment.
Agricultural Education Club Sells Soy Candles
The Agricultural Education Club is selling soy candles as a fundraiser. The 4-oz. candles are made in Iowa in four scents: Slices of Fruit, Amber Romance, Rain and Vanilla. They are made from 98 percent soy and 2 percent vegetable wax which helps them burn longer and cleaner than a paraffin wax candle. Prices are $8 for one candle and $20 for three. Order from Rachel McCulloh, rmac@iastate.edu or (563) 249-0384. Club members will deliver candles on campus. Orders by Dec. 13 will ensure delivery by Dec. 15, when students leave for break. The candles also will be available during spring semester.
Insect Zoo Takes Bugs on the Road
What happens when Iowa State's Insect Zoo hits the road to an area elementary school? You can see from a video of a recent visit to a second grade class John F. Lawson Elementary School in Johnston. Susan Silveira, natural resource ecology and management graduate student, brought in beetles, meal worms and hissing cockroaches.
Workshop Topics Needed for 4-H Youth Conference
Faculty and staff are invited to propose workshop topics for this summer's Iowa 4-H Youth Conference. One of the goals for the conference, to be held June 26-28 on campus, is to showcase the university and help recruit students. Workshop proposals are due Jan. 5. Contact: Brenda Allen, bsallen@iastate.edu or 4-1567.
Plant Pathology to be Represented at Soybean Rust Meeting
Several ISU scientists plan to attend the 2006 Soybean Rust Symposium in St. Louis, Wednesday to Friday, Nov. 29 to Dec. 1. The symposium will review the soybean rust situation in 2006, discuss what has been learned through research and experience over the past few years and provide a forum for networking and visioning. In addition to poster presentations, the symposium will offer a technical program with sessions on biology of soybean rust; economics policy; epidemiology; host response; application technology; disease assessment; forecasting; monitoring; and control. Planning to participate from ISU's Department of Plant Pathology include: X.B. Yang, who is co-author of an invited presentation; Yang doctoral students Ana Paula and Linus Li, who will present posters and Yang post-doctoral scientist Paul Esker; Gary Munkvold, Seed Science Endowed Chair, who will deliver an invited presentation; post-doctoral scientist Martinus van de Mortel authored two posters; and department extension program specialist Daren Mueller and faculty member Leonor Leandro will be attending.
Meat Judging Team Competes at Two Contests
The Meat Judging Team finished third in lambs at the Cargill High Plains Meat Judging Contest on Oct. 29 in Plainview, Texas. Ben Olson tied for fifth in specifications, was eighth in reasons and in total beef. Team members were Ben Olson of Vinton, Jana Matthiesen of Bryant, Brandon Goehring of Lowell, Wis., and Dan Determan of Early. At the International Meat Judging Contest Nov. 12 in Dakota City, Neb., Jana Matthiesen was third in pork judging, fifth in lamb judging and received the Rachel Hamilton Spirit Award. Brandon Goehring was eighth in beef judging. The team was eighth overall in a field of 15 teams.
Livestock Judging Team Ninth at Contest
The Livestock Judging Team recently concluded its season at the North American International Livestock Exposition in Louisville, Ky. The team finished ninth out of 30 universities, and team members, Justin Lain of Corydon and Kyle Schulte of Norway, were selected as members of the All-American Livestock Judging Team.
Travel Fellowship Goes to Animal Science Senior
Animal science senior Abbey Avery of Rowan recently received the International Stockmen's Educational Foundation Travel Fellowship to the 2007 International Livestock Congress. The travel fellowship was awarded to 25 students representing 21 universities from nine countries. The congress will take place Jan. 9 in Denver.
Small Grain Performance Data Available
Results of the 2006 Iowa Crop Performance Test for barley, oat, triticale and winter wheat are available online. Published bulletins may be requested by contacting Iowa Crop Improvement Association (ICIA) at (515) 294-6921 or the Iowa State Extension Distribution Center at (515) 294-5247.
Statistics Annual Report on the Web
The latest annual report of the Iowa State Statistical Laboratory and Department of Statistics is available on the Web. The report covers the period from July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005.The department has cut back on the number of copies mailed and is posting it on the department web site for viewing and personal printing.
Deadlines & Reminders
Nov. 27: Think Tank on Animal Agriculture, "Issues in livestock and wildlife: Compatible or not," 6 p.m., Campanile Room, Memorial Union, register by e-mailing Julie Roberts, at jrober@iastate.edu, by noon Nov. 24
Nov. 28: "A Call to Action Summit: Ensuring Iowa's Leadership in the Bioeconomy," Scheman Building
Nov. 28: "Multi-disciplinary Perspectives on Sustainable Livelihoods, Kamuli district, Uganda," Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods special seminar, 10 a.m., Room 9, Curtiss Hall
Nov. 29-30: 18th Annual Integrated Crop Management Conference and the Agribusiness Association of Iowa Agribusiness Expo, campus
Dec. 1: Forestry Club's Christmas tree sale, 3 to 6 p.m., Reiman Gardens' Maintenance Shed, 1407 Elwood Drive
Dec. 2: Forestry Club's Christmas tree sale, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Reiman Gardens' Maintenance Shed, 1407 Elwood Drive
Dec. 3: Forestry Club's Christmas tree sale, noon to 6 p.m., Reiman Gardens' Maintenance Shed, 1407 Elwood Drive
Dec. 8: Forestry Club's Christmas tree sale, 3 to 6 p.m., Reiman Gardens' Maintenance Shed, 1407 Elwood Drive
Dec. 9: Forestry Club's Christmas tree sale, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Reiman Gardens' Maintenance Shed, 1407 Elwood Drive
Dec. 10: Forestry Club's Christmas tree sale, noon to 6 p.m., Reiman Gardens' Maintenance Shed, 1407 Elwood Drive
Dec. 15: Deadline for Center for Integrated Animal Genomics grant proposals
Communications Kiosk
Crops on the Collective Farm
Words such as group, committee and variety that denote collections of people still generally take singular verbs and pronouns in American English. But the rules aren't as rigid as they used to be. The trend has been for the sense of the sentence to determine the choice, with the decision depending on whether unity or diversity is being stressed, as in: The variety of employees underscores the company's global character. With words like variety, number and total, a rule of thumb is to use a singular verb when the article "the" precedes the noun, and a plural verb when the article "a" is used, as in the previous examples. That rule can logically be extended to other collectives: A crop of programs are springing up around the country; the crop of programs is the basis for new legislation. More: Copy Editor, December 2006/January 2007.
Infograzing
Students Sought for Foreign Agricultural Service Internships
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Foreign Agricultural Service seeks college students for its International Agricultural Internship and Summer Internship in Washington, D.C. programs. The deadlines are Dec. 15 and Feb. 17, respectively.
External Voices
Leadership is Key Factor for Land Grant System
"Today, the responsibility of maintaining the integrity of the Land Grant System heritage that Justin Morrill, Seaman Knapp and others established rests upon those of us who follow in their footsteps. Leadership is unquestionably the key factor in determining whether our Land Grant System with its Research and Extension components will be capable of developing a clear and specific vision for the future. This future success will be based on our ability to synthesize the impacts of genomics, environmental programs and other great scientific discoveries with changes in demographics, technology, world issues and human needs." -- Chester Fehlis, associate vice chancellor of the agriculture program at Texas A&M University and deputy director of the Texas Agricultural Extension Service, delivering the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC) 2006 Knapp lecture, named for former Iowa State College of Agriculture Dean Seaman Knapp.
Marginalia
Weekend America Listens in on Floyd Farmers' Harvest
American Public Media's Weekend America visited fifth-generation farmers Pam and Maurice Johnson of Floyd to see what they listened to while harvesting this fall. Turns out they tuned in the markets, country music and National Public Radio. They are parents of Iowa State alum Ben, who earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural studies in 1999. He farms with his parents and was referred to in the story, but wasn't interviewed about his radio preferences. Pam Johnson also serves on the advisory council for the Center for Crops Utilization Research. Next issue: Dec. 4
Ag Online
Editor: Ed Adcock, edadcock@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-5616
Web site: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/
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