................................................... COLLEGE NEWS ................................................... EMPLOYER INTEREST PROMPTS SPRING AG CAREER DAY ON FEB. 14 The College is hosting a special career day Feb. 14 in the Memorial Union because of strong demand from job recruiters. At least 85 employers already are committed to the career fair and about 100 are expected, said Mike Gaul, career services director. The event could become a regular event, he added. More: http://www.career.ag.iastate.edu/ CANDIDATES TO INTERVIEW FOR ENTOMOLOGY DEPARTMENT CHAIR The schedules have been set for seminars for candidates to fill the entomology department chair and extension entomologist opening. Gary Hein, professor of entomology, University of Nebraska, Panhandle Research and Extension Center, Scottsbluff, will present his seminar Thursday, Jan. 24, at 1:30 p.m. in the Ensminger Room, 1204 Kildee. Tom Royer, associate professor, entomology and plant pathology department, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, will present Feb. 4 at 3:30 p.m. in E164 Lagomarcino Hall. Leon Higley, professor, entomology department, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, will present Feb. 11 at 3:30 p.m. in E164 Lagomarcino Hall. 25-YEAR CLUB INDUCTS COLLEGE FACULTY AND STAFF Several College faculty and staff will be honored Feb. 21 at the annual 25-Year Club banquet. New members of the 25-Year Club are: Sylvia Anderson and Steve Mickelson, agricultural and biosystems engineering; Mary Davis, Micheal Owen and David Sundberg, agronomy; Ted Huiatt, Dan Loy, Steve Nissen and Gregory Palas, animal science; Marit Nilsen-Hamilton, biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology; Carol Elliott, economics; Ken Holscher, entomology; Loren Stephens, horticulture; Janice Berhow and Lyn Van De Pol, natural resource ecology and management; Charlotte Bronson, provost office (plant pathology); and Mike Stahr, Seed Science Center. Those from the College to be honored for 35 years of service include: Beth Weiser, development; P. Jeffrey Berger, Tom Sandve and John Simonson; animal science; Richard Robson, biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology; Diana McLaughlin, economics; Jerald Dewitt, Leopold Center (entomology); Arlen Patrick, horticulture; Gary Jacobs, research and demonstration farms; and John Hill, plant pathology. PANEL DISCUSSION ON AGRICULTURE'S FUTURE FEB. 12 A panel discussion titled “The Future of Agriculture in Iowa” is set for Feb. 12 at 7 p.m. in the Curtiss Hall Auditorium. Panelists will include Bill Northey, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture; Jerry DeWitt, Leopold Center director; Aaron Putze, director of the Coalition to Support Iowa's Farmers; and Kevin Miskell, vice president of the Iowa Farmers Union. Jerry Perkins, Des Moines Register Farm Editor, will moderate the discussion. The Sustainable Agriculture Student Association and the Committee on Lectures will sponsor the event. RESEARCHERS UNMASK HOW SOYBEAN PARASITES OPERATE Work by scientists at Iowa State and the University of Missouri on how nematodes damage soybeans is featured on the cover of the March issue of the journal Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions. Thomas Baum, plant pathology, and Dan Nettleton, statistics, took part in the research at Iowa State. Researchers examined the molecular mechanisms that allow the nematodes to reprogram soybean plant cells to support their feeding. The results from their studies may lead to more effective management tools to combat the agricultural pest and protect this vital U.S. crop. CSREES funded the research. More: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/newsroom/impact/2008/nri/01081_nematode_soybe... ANIMAL SCIENTISTS TO PRESENT AT THINK TANK JAN. 28 The next Think Tank on Animal Agriculture will take place Jan. 28 with presentations from Jack Dekkers, animal science, and Dorian Garrick, Jay Lush Endowed Chair in Animal Breeding and Genetics. The program will begin at 7 p.m. in the Cardinal Room, Memorial Union, after a 6 p.m. social time and 6:30 p.m. dinner. The program's title is “On the eve of a revolution in the livestock breeding industry.” Register your attendance by emailing Julie Roberts, jrober@iastate.edu, on or before noon Friday, Jan. 25. Cost of the buffet is $18, payable at the door. EXTENSION SPECIALISTS PART OF SOYBEAN MANAGEMENT WEBCASTS Extension specialists Greg Tylka, plant pathology, and Palle Pedersen, agronomy, assisted in developing a series of soybean-related webcasts for the Plant Management Network, a nonprofit publishing organization. Its Focus on Soybean web portal is for growers, crop consultants and researchers seeking information on producing soybean crops. Tylka's webcast is “Soybean Cyst Nematode: Biology, Scouting and Management” and Pedersen's is “Choosing Specialty Soybeans for the Right Niche Markets.” More: http://www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/infocenter/topic/focusonsoybean/ GRAPE AND WINE SCIENCE COURSE OFFERED THIS SPRING Gail Nonnecke, horticulture, Murli Dharmadhikari and Cheryll Reitmeier, food science and human nutrition, are teaching “Understanding Grape and Wine Science” this spring semester. The three-credit course is a scientific introduction to viticulture (grape-growing) and enology (wine-making). Topics include grape species and cultivars, fruit quality, geography, history, principles of fermentation and aging, wine classification, appreciation, evaluation, storage and service, regulations and wine as food. SUMMER INTERNSHIPS OPPORTUNITIES AT IOWA STATE The Interdepartmental Genetics program is maintaining and advertising a website of summer internships at Iowa State. If you would like to include a summer internship program on this site, contact Linda Wild at genetics@iastate.edu. The site is advertised in a variety of life science-related areas, not just genetics, such as with Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences and the Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science and have advertised in Science magazine. More: http://www.genetics.iastate.edu/summerinternships.html DEADLINES AND REMINDERS Jan. 26: Beginning Farmers Conference, Gateway Hotel and Conference Center, more: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/news_detail.php?var1=389 Feb. 15: College convocation, 4:15 p.m., Curtiss Hall Auditorium, 127 Curtiss ................................................... COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK ................................................... WHEN TO USE ENSURE, INSURE OR ASSURE “Ensure” is the general term meaning to make sure that something will, or won't, happen. In best usage, “insure” is reserved for underwriting financial risk. For example, we ensure that we can get time off for a vacation, and insure our car against an accident on the trip. We ensure events and insure things. But we “assure” people that their concerns are being addressed. (The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., 2003) ................................................... INFOGRAZING ................................................... HONORS PROGRAM SEMINAR PROPOSALS DUE FEB. 8 The University Honors Program seeks proposals for honors seminars in 2008-09. Honors seminars are open to honors students only. These one- or two-credit seminars are limited to 15 students and examine topics of current or special interest. They are offered on a satisfactory-fail basis. Faculty interested in submitting a proposals or want more information should contact Gene Takle, agronomy, gstakle@iastate.edu or 4-4372. The deadline is Feb. 8. REGISTRATION OPEN FOR SARE'S 20TH ANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE Registration has opened for the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education's (SARE) 20th Anniversary New American Farm Conference, March 25-27 in Kansas City. The complete schedule, including details on breakout sessions and tours, along with a link to online registration is available on the conference Web site. More: http://www.sare.org/2008Conference/ NATIONAL WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE EDUCATORS CONFERENCE The 2008 National Women in Agriculture Educators Conference is set for April 1 and 2 in Oklahoma City with a pre-conference seminar scheduled for March 31. The number of women either taking over as the principal operator or beginning new farming and ranching enterprises continues to increase. Educators are seeing a demand for specialized farm management and risk management training focusing on the woman owner/operator. More: http://www.agrisk.umn.edu/wia/Conferences/WIA2008/default.aspx ................................................... EXTERNAL VOICES ................................................... MARKETERS MULL PRODUCTS FROM CLONED LIVESTOCK "Companies will try to grab profit and market share by saying their products aren't cloned, when actually most of the products in the marketplace won't be cloned.” -- Christine Bruhn, University of California-Davis food science marketing specialist, on the Food and Drug Administration's approval of cloned livestock, “A cloned cheeseburger? Don't fire up the coals yet,” Los Angeles Times, Jan. 16 ................................................... MARGINALIA ................................................... NUMEROUS POSSIBILITIES FROM AN ACRE OF IOWA CORN (This list of products from one acre of Iowa corn was included in an Iowa Corn Growers Association and Iowa Corn Promotion Board information packet recently sent to newspaper editors.) One acre of Iowa corn can become: 3,937 hamburgers 79,800 bowls of cereal 555 gallons of E85 plus 1.6 tons of livestock feed 9,100 pork chops 56,700 cans of soda plus 240 quarts of corn oil and 1.4 tons of livestock feed Two tons of compostable plastic (plus corn oil and livestock feed) 5,512 pounds of starch for use in paper, textiles, adhesives and food (plus corn oil and livestock feed) ........................................................ AG AND LIFE SCIENCES ONLINE ........................................................ EDITOR Ed Adcock, edadcock@iastate.edu Phone: (515) 294-5616 Web site: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/ SUBSCRIBE Ag and Life Sciences Online, the newsletter for faculty and staff in Iowa State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is e-mailed every Monday. To subscribe, send your name, e-mail address and the message "Ag and Life Sciences Online subscribe" to edadcock@iastate.edu. To unsubscribe, send "Ag and Life Sciences Online unsubscribe." Iowa State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, sex, marital status, disability, or status as a U.S. veteran. Inquiries can be directed to the Director of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, 3210 Beardshear Hall, (515) 294-7612.