College News
Lauren Christian Symposium Set for Oct. 18
The Lauren Christian Symposium and Year of the Pig Celebration is scheduled for Oct. 18 in the Ensminger Room, 1204 Kildee Hall. David Topel, Max Rothschild and Dale Miller will make presentations related to Christian starting at 2:45 p.m. Jean-Pierre Bidanel of France's Institute for National Research in Agriculture and Ken Stalder, one of Christian's former students, will make keynote presentations beginning at 3:30 p.m. followed by discussion and questions. A reception will follow at 5:15 p.m. It will be preceded by a poster viewing from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in the Kildee Hall Atrium. Space is limited. RSVP to Jane Runnels, 4-4103 or janerun@iastate.edu. The event is associated with the 150th celebration of the founding of Iowa State University and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
United Way Bake Sale Today and Wednesday
A bake sale for the 2007 ISU/United Way of Story County Campaign will take place today, Oct. 8, and Wednesday, Oct. 10, sponsored by the College. Treats will be offered from 9 a.m. until sold out today in the lobby between Heady and East halls and the Curtiss Hall rotunda on the ground and first floors; and from 8:45 to 10 a.m. Wednesday at the west entryway of the Food Sciences Building and after 10 a.m. in 2253 Food Sciences. This year's campaign pledge envelopes are due Friday, Oct. 12, the last day of the campaign.
NREM Memorial Service for Recent Grad Oct. 13
The department of Natural Resource and Ecology Management will hold a memorial service this Saturday at 8:30 a.m. for Melissa Fender, a May 2007 forestry graduate who also received a B.L.S. in May 2005 in Spanish and environmental studies. Fender was a member of the ISU swim team. The service will consist of a tree planting and dedication between Beyer Hall and the neighboring basketball court. A reception in the lobby of Science II will follow. Friends are invited to send photos and memories of Fender to Jeff Wallace at mephisto@iastate.edu for use at the service.
Geoffroy Visit Highlights Biofuels Research at Agronomy Research and Demo Farms
President Gregory Geoffroy toured the agronomy research and demonstration farms in west Ames on Sept. 27 to get an update on the various research projects being implemented. Agronomy department chair Kendall Lamkey organized and facilitated the tour. Faculty briefings highlighted agronomy's research efforts on biofuels. More: http://www.agron.iastate.edu/news.
Nobel Laureate to Speak Thursday
Nobel Laureate James J. Heckman will deliver the economics department's T.W. Schultz Lecture Thursday, Oct. 11. Heckman is the Henry Schultz Distinguished Service Professor of Economics at the University of Chicago. The title of his lecture is, "The Economics of Investing in Children: The Role of Cognitive and Non-Cognitive Skills." It will take place at 8 p.m. in the Sun Room, Memorial Union.
Former World Food Prize Winner to Speak Oct. 15
Monty Jones will deliver the 2007 Norman Borlaug Lecture Oct. 15 at 8 p.m. in the Sun Room, Memorial Union. He is the executive secretary of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), based in Ghana and received the 2004 World Food Prize for creating a new rice variety specifically bred for the ecological and agricultural conditions in Africa. Prior to the lecture, there will be a reception and student poster display from 7 to 8 p.m. in the South Ballroom, Memorial Union.
Kunstler Lecture on Global Oil and Climate Change Oct. 10
A guest of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, James Howard Kunstler, a best-selling author, social critic and journalist, will present "The Long Emergency: The Coming Global Oil Crisis and Climate Change" at 7 p.m. in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union on Oct. 10. ISU students and faculty also are welcome to join Kunstler earlier in the day at the GPSA Colloquium, 3:10-5 p.m., 1204 Kildee Hall. Co-sponsors include the Center for Energy and Environmental Education at the University of Northern Iowa, the ISU Departments of English and Creative Writing, Landscape Architecture, and Community and Regional Planning; the Institute for Design Research and Outreach; ISU Bioethics Program; ISU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Miller Lecture Fund, and the ISU Lectures Program funded by GSB.
Financial Planning Workshop for Students Oct. 9
Agriculture and Life Sciences Career Services will sponsor a financial planning workshop for College students at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9, in the Curtiss Auditorium. B.J. Hellyer, financial representative with Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, will be the guest speaker. Contact: Mike Gaul, 4-4725 or mikegaul@iastate.edu.
World Food Prize Symposium Discount for College Students
The World Food Prize Foundation has extended a discounted rate of $99 for any College student attending the World Food Prize Symposium on Oct. 18 and 19 at the Des Moines Marriott. The title of the symposium is "Biofuels and Biofoods: The Global Challenges of Emerging Technologies." The required special registration form is available from Maureen Stohlmeyer, mstohlme@iastate.edu.
College Promotion and Tenure Information Online
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has created a Promotion and Tenure Resources webpage. It includes several presentations that were presented at faculty workshops conducted by the College in April 2007.
Iowa Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit Celebrates Anniversary
The Iowa Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit celebrated its 75th anniversary Oct. 6. It was founded in 1932 largely through the perseverance of Des Moines Register political cartoonist Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling. The coop unit became the first of 43 fish and wildlife units in 40 states. A banquet in Ames included former and current staff and graduate students; faculty cooperators; Iowa State, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and federal administrators and DNR biologists. David Otis, natural resource ecology and management, is the unit's leader.
AgComm Program Opens Help Center for Students
The College's AgComm program has created a help center to assist students with their communication skills. Services include reviewing papers and presentations, suggesting ways to improve to communication skills and providing additional resources. Agricultural education and studies graduate student Amy Burmeister will staff the center in 223B Curtiss Mondays from 1 to 4 p.m. and 9 a.m. to noon Tuesdays through Fridays or by appointment. She also is available for class presentations on the help center. Contact: Amy Burmeister, 4-4349 or aburmei@iastate.edu.
National Air Emissions Conference to Be Held in Iowa in 2008
Planning is underway for a national conference in 2008 on ways to reduce air emissions from livestock production facilities. The conference, which will be May 19-21 at the Hotel Fort Des Moines, is being coordinated and hosted by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and Iowa State University Extension.
Agricultural Engineering in the 150 Points of Pride Spotlight
As part of Iowa State's sesquicentennial celebration, 150 points of pride related to the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are being posted online to coincide with 150 days of the 2007-2008 academic year. This week learn about the early days of what is now the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering.
Corn and Soybean Performance Test Results Available
Seed companies and producers can get early results from the Iowa Crop Improvement Association's 2007 corn and soybean crop performance tests. Maps showing testing locations for corn and soybeans are available. As each site is harvested, links to the data from that site will be added.
Sociology Alumnus, Pioneer in Modern Survey Methods to Speak Oct. 15
Don Dillman, pioneer of modern mail, telephone and Internet survey methods, will present "Rural Social Science: Now, More Important than Ever" Oct. 15 at 3 p.m. in 1951 Food Science. As part of the Iowa State Sesquicentennial Celebration, Dillman will reflect on his observations about the nature of rural social change and opportunities for rural social scientists. Dillman is a Regents Professor and the Thomas S. Foley Distinguished Professor of Government and Public Policy in the Departments of Sociology and Community and Rural Sociology at Washington State University. He received the Distinguished Achievement Citation from the ISU Alumni Association in 2001. He earned three degrees from Iowa State (B.S. agronomy, 1964; M.S. rural sociology, 1966; Ph.D. sociology, 1969). The seminar is sponsored by the Department of Sociology.
Keeney Distinguished Lecture Oct. 22
Physician, environmental researcher and human rights advocate Robert Lawrence will explore the linkages between health, agriculture and U.S. farm policy when he speaks at on campus Oct. 22. Dr. Robert Lawrence will present, "The Agriculture-Public Health Connection," at 7 p.m. in the Curtiss Hall Auditorium. His speech is the Keeney Distinguished Lecture honoring Dennis Keeney, who directed the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture from 1988 to 1999. The lecture is part of the Center's 20th anniversary commemoration as well as ISU's Sesquicentennial celebration.
Deadlines and Reminders
Oct. 15: Borlaug Lecture, Monty Jones, executive secretary of the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa and the 2004 World Food Prize winner, 8 p.m., Sun Room, Memorial Union
Oct. 16: World Food Prize laureate Philip Nelson forum and reception, 2:40 to 4 p.m., 1951 Food Science
Oct. 23: Ag Career Day, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Great Hall and Campanile Room, Memorial Union
Oct. 23: College United Way drawing, enter by donating nonperishable items (food and toiletries) or a cash donation with a suggested value of $3 or more, contact: Carla Persaud, 4-1823 or cpersaud@iastate.edu.
Oct. 24: "Listening to the Still Small Voice: The Life of George Washington Carver," 8 p.m., Great Hall, Memorial Union
Nov. 5-6: Bio-based Industry Outlook Conference, More
Nov. 20: Deadline for award nominations for the College and most University awards
Communications Kiosk
When to Use While
"While" may substitute for although or whereas, especially if a conversational tone is desired, as in, "while many readers may disagree, the scientific community has overwhelmingly adopted the conclusion presented." Yet because while can denote either time or contrast, the word is occasionally ambiguous; when a real ambiguity exists, although or whereas is the better choice. (The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., 2003)
Infograzing
Funds Available to Faculty for ISU Biotech Events
The Office of Biotechnology is providing funds for biotechnology-related conferences, symposia and workshops organized by faculty members and held on campus. Applications are due by Nov. 1 for events proposed in 2008. Contact: 4-9818
Plant Sciences Institute Research Center Changes Name
The Plant Sciences Institute has changed the name and expanded the research scope of one of its centers. The newly named Center for Metabolic Biology was formerly known as the Center for Designer Crops. The center's goal is to conduct research leading to an understanding about small molecules and their natural biochemical syntheses.
External Voices
Iowa State Called Statistics Juggernaut
"... ISU has been a juggernaut in statistics seemingly forever, starting from its land-grant roots of agricultural research." --Steve Miller, co-founder of a Chicago-based business intelligence services firm OpenBI LLC, discussing a statistics conference held at Iowa State in August, "Frank Harrell, Iowa State and useR!2007" (DMR Review, Sept. 21)
Marginalia
Luck of the Draw Determines Latest Scholarship Recipient
The Office of the Dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences awarded a $500 scholarship to Zack Olthoff, a senior from Lakota, Iowa today. Olthoff entered to win the scholarship at the college's booth at the Clay County Fair in September and his name was randomly drawn as the winning entry this morning. The college partnered with ISU Extension to provide an informational booth throughout the duration of the fair at which several Ag and Life Sciences Ambassadors and staff discussed the college and opportunities in agriculture and life sciences with students, parents, teachers and other interested visitors.
Ag and Life Sciences Online
Editor: Ed Adcock, edadcock@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-5616
Web site: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/
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