College News
Collegiate FFA Pancake Breakfast Tomorrow
Faculty and staff are invited to the Collegiate FFA's third annual pancake breakfast Tuesday, Feb. 20. The free breakfast provides all-you-can eat pancakes, eggs, sausage and milk or orange juice. It will be from 7 to 9 a.m. in the Kildee Hall Farm Bureau Pavilion. Celebrity chefs include associate deans David Acker and Joe Colletti, and Emily Jensen, president of the Government of the Student Body.
Soybean Association and College Celebrate Partnership
The Iowa Soybean Association celebrated its 35-year research partnership with the College of Agriculture on campus Feb. 12. Iowa soybean producers, through the soybean check-off, pledged their intent to build on this partnership by presenting Vice President and Provost Betsy Hoffman with a check for $1,865,592, the association's 2007 contribution to ISU research. This brings ISA's total contribution for the past 35 years to $33,111,343. The Iowa Soybean Association also announced a new scholarship for the College named in honor of John Pesek. Pesek is a Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor of Agriculture in agronomy. The Iowa Soybean Association's John Pesek Agriculture Scholarship will annually benefit a student studying in the College.
College Name Change Presentation on Web
About 20 faculty, staff and students participated in a discussion on the College's proposed name change to “College of Agriculture and Life Sciences” at an open forum on Feb. 14. Dean Wendy Wintersteen made brief remarks followed by questions and comments. Her presentation is available on the College website.
Communication Skills in Large Classes Topic of Workshop
The next AgComm workshop will be held from noon to 1:15 p.m., Feb. 28, in Room 8 Curtiss Hall. The topic for discussion will be "Integrating Communication Skills Development into Large/Lecture Classes." Faculty members in the College will share their experience with teaching large course sections and facilitating the development of communication skills. RSVP to Cheryl Abrams, 4-5872 or cabrams@iastate.edu if you plan to attend. Lunch will be provided.
Think Tank on Animal Agriculture Set for Feb. 26
Eugene Takle, professor of agronomy and geological and atmospheric sciences, will discuss "Climate Change and Animal Agriculture: Thinking Beyond the Spherical Steer" at the next Think Tank on Animal Agriculture. It will begin at 6 p.m., Feb. 26, with social time, then dinner at 6:30 p.m. and the presentation at 7 p.m. in the Cardinal Room, Memorial Union. To register, contact Julie Roberts, jrober@iastate.edu, by noon Friday, Feb. 23. Cost of the buffet will be $18, which is payable at the door.
Students Recognized at ISU Alumni Association Luncheon
Several College students received honors at the 2007 Student Recognition Luncheon organized by the ISU Alumni Association. John Gill, agronomy freshman, received the Sandra Chandler Memorial Scholarship given by the ISUAA Club of Kansas City. Nathan Katzer, senior in public service and administration in agriculture, and Eric Peterson, senior in agricultural business, were honored with the ISU Homecoming Cardinal Court 2006. Katzer also was honored by the Society of Veishea Alumni and Friends. Ken Larson, emeritus agronomy professor, was honored by the Society of Cardinal Key and Mortar Board Alumni. Also, Brad Bishop, senior in industrial engineering who served in a six-month mentoring program in the College's Development Office, was awarded the ISUAA Wallace E. Barron All-University Senior Award.
Summit on Agricultural Education to Discuss Teacher Shortage
The Governor's Council on Agricultural Education will hold its Summit on Agricultural Education in Iowa March 8 in part to discuss ways to counter a shortage of teachers in the state. Robert Martin, agricultural education and studies, is chair of the Governor's Council.
Pirog Named Leopold Center Associate Director
The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture named a new associate director, Rich Pirog, who has been with the Center since 1990. The appointment was announced by Jerry DeWitt, director, who praised Pirog for his leadership of the Center's successful Marketing and Food Systems Initiative and the Value Chain Partnerships project. More: http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/newsreleases/2007/pirog_021607.htm
Minner and Andresen Honored for Work with Turf
The Iowa Golf Course Superintendents Association has presented its Distinguished Service Award to David Minner, horticulture, for his dedication to supporting superintendents through extension and research work. Minner travels extensively across Iowa supporting turfgrass managers at golf courses, sports fields and other properties. The Iowa Turfgrass Institute named Mike Andresen, athletic turf manager for Iowa State Athletics, as the 2007 recipient of the Meritorious Service Award during the 73rd Iowa Turfgrass Conference. Andresen works closely with Minner and many turfgrass students in the horticulture department.
Livestock Judging Team Third in Contest
The Livestock Judging team finished third over the weekend at the Iowa Beef Expo Judging Contest. Team members Logan Wallace, Aaron Gallagher and Scott Greiner finished in the top 10 in individual rankings. Three other students finished within the top 20. Wallace was the high individual in placings.
Farm Operation Students Score at Competition
Several Farm Operation Club students received honors at the Iowa Postsecondary Agricultural Student Organization Leadership Conference held at Hawkeye Community College on Feb. 7-9. Students competed in agricultural skills contests and attended leadership seminars and agricultural workshops. Recognized for their accomplishments were: Alex Johnk and Gavin Burgess were the second-place team in ornamental horticulture and Johnk was ranked first-place individual; Jessica Tekippe, Troy Meyer, Davin Rankin and Matt Jaschen made up the second-place team in the dairy specialist contest and Tekippe was the second-place individual; Eric Dial, Gavin Burgess, Cole Burrack, Troy Meyer and Tim Smuck were the third-place team in the College Bowl; Gavin Burgess was first-place individual in the landscaping/nursery management job interview; Jessica Tekippe was first-place individual in the dairy job interview; Sarah Cordes was second-place individual in the agribusiness adminstration job interview; Cole Burrack, Tim Smuck and Caren Schulte were the second-place team in the livestock specialist career program area and Cole Burrack was second-place individual. Several of the students have qualified to compete in these events at the National PAS Conference in Idaho Falls in March.
Soybean Association Meeting on Animal Agriculture
The Iowa Soybean Association will hold an animal agriculture tour and meeting Feb. 27 with tours to the National Animal Disease Center and the Biomass Energy Conversion Center. John Lawrence, economics, will provide a livestock industry update to the group.
Deadlines & Reminders
Feb. 23: Administrative deadline for Computation Advisory Committee proposals
Feb. 28: John Pesek Colloquium on Sustainable Agriculture, "Climate Change and Agriculture: Learning Lessons/Proposing Solutions," 7 p.m., Sun Room, Memorial Union
March 1: Nomination deadline for Gamma Sigma Delta awards and membership
April 1: Last day of Reiman Gardens Conservatory display "Stream of Passion: Plant Lovers of ISU," College of Agriculture faculty and staff and their children under age 17 receive free admission to the display by identifying themselves as College employees at the front desk of Reiman Gardens, spouses and friends are $5 each.
April 5: College promotion and tenure workshop, 3:30 p.m., CCUR Theater, 1951 Food Science
April 10: College promotion and tenure workshop, 3:10 p.m., CCUR Theater, 1951 Food Science
Communications Kiosk
Presidents Day
Presidents Day was not adopted by the federal government as the official name of Washington's Birthday holiday. However, some federal agencies, states and local governments use the term. (The Associated Press Stylebook, 39th ed., 2004)
Infograzing
Grant Workshops Set for This Week and Next
The Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development will host a series of grant development workshops for faculty, staff, postdocs and senior graduate students. Two workshops in the series of Getting To Know The Funding Agencies will be held this month. The National Science Foundation version will be 3 to 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 22 in 1210 LeBaron. The Department of Energy workshop will 3 to 5 p.m. Feb. 26 in 270 Town Engineering. In this series of workshops, ISU faculty serve as panelists and talk about their experiences: what worked, what did not work; what reviewers expect; and what faculty could do to enhance their chances of success. More: http://www.vpresearch.iastate.edu/
Carver Virtual Exhibit Recognized
The George Washington Carver virtual exhibit in the ISU Library's Special Collections has been named an Encyclopaedia Britannica iGuide site.
Internal Voices
Agriculture Students Recognized for National Honors
At the January President's Council meeting, Liz Beck, interim director of the University Honors Program, recognized four outstanding students who were awarded national scholarships in the past year. Two were the College of Agriculture students: Amber Herman and Rachel Smith. Below are excerpts from the remarks Beck made about each student.
Truman Scholar Amber Herman: a Passion to End Hunger
"Amber Herman is our 2006 Truman Scholar. The Harry S. Truman Scholarship awards up to $30,000 for graduate or professional school and focuses on students who plan to pursue careers in government or elsewhere in public service. The Truman Scholarship is one of the most highly sought after U.S. scholarships awarded to undergraduate students. Only 70 students are selected, and the representation is spread across the 50 states and U.S. territories. Amber Herman graduated this past fall with a major in public service and administration in agriculture. In 2005, she represented Oxfam America at the G8 Summit in Edinburgh, Scotland, and at the 2005 United Nations Youth Assembly. In 2003, Amber was a keynote speaker on the North American Take Action Tour, where she spoke to 24,000 students about international poverty and youth empowerment. Amber has volunteered in rural Kenya and is conducting research on youth farmers in Uganda. Amber is waiting acceptance into the Congressional Hunger Center Fellowship program, which begins next fall. The fellowship would allow her to work in a local community to address hunger and then work in Washington, D.C., to develop food and agricultural policy. Amber will most likely attend graduate school at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. Amber has stated that her two passions are ending hunger and training youth to make a difference in the lives around them."
Goldwater Scholar Rachel Smith: Pursuit of Molecular Answers
"Rachel Smith, an agricultural biochemistry student, is our 2006 Goldwater Scholar. The Goldwater Scholarship is one of the most prestigious scholarships in the U.S. and targets outstanding students who have exceptional potential and expect to pursue careers in mathematics, natural sciences or engineering. Over 1,000 students were nominated by their colleges and universities and 323 were selected. The scholarship gives preference to students who intend to complete their Ph.D. The scholarship provides up to $7,500 a year to cover tuition, fees, books and room and board. Rachel was one of 15 students who were awarded the scholarship for two years, so she has $15,000 of support. Rachel began her research when she participated in the ISU Freshman Honors Mentor Program her second semester on campus. Because of her abilities, she was awarded a 2005 Honors Summer Research Grant to continue her research. Working with her mentor, W. Allen Miller in the Department of Plant Pathology, Rachel's research involves collecting and sequencing isolates of barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) and introducing BYDV resistance into small grain cereal crops. Rachel will finish her undergraduate career with Miller's research lab, but is considering switching her graduate study from experimentalism to theory ... I do expect that as she pursues this path of study, Rachel will find the answers and a whole lot more questions. Exactly the reason why the Goldwater Scholarship Committee selected Rachel for a two-year scholarship."
Marginalia
ISU Ag Alum's Firm Invests in Brazil Biodiesel
A U.S. farmland investment group headed by a College alumnus was reported to be investing in Brazil's biodiesel industry. Global Ag Investments LLC is getting in on the biodiesel fever in Brazil by investing $35 million in a biodiesel plant targeting the European alternative fuels markets, according to Dow Jones Newswires. Tyler Bruch, president and chief executive of Global Ag Investments, said the facility will be capable of producing 28 million gallons of biodiesel from soy and sunflower oils. Global Ag Investments is a fund that manages some 4,500 hectares in the Bahia, a state in northeast Brazil. Bruch earned a bachelor's degree in agricultural studies in 2004. Next issue: Feb. 26
Ag Online
Editor: Ed Adcock, edadcock@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-5616
Web site: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/
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