College News
Pork Checkoff Honors McKean with Distinguished Service Award
James McKean, University Professor of animal science and extension swine veterinarian, has been named the winner of the Pork Checkoff's Distinguished Service Award. The announcement came during the 2008 National Pork Industry Forum in St. Louis last week. This annual award recognizes the lifelong contribution to the pork industry by an outstanding leader. McKean also is Associate Director of the Iowa Pork Industry Center.
Turkey Report Shows Production has Room to Grow
Iowa turkey production increased between 1996 and 2006 and has the potential for more growth, according to a report on the industry produced by the Iowa State economics department.
Dairy Science Seniors Ag Man and Woman
Dairy science seniors Jessica Tekippe of Manchester and Matt Jaschen of Tripoli were picked as the Ag Woman and Man for 2008 by the Agricultural and Life Sciences Student Council. The honor is based on participation in College and campus activities, academic achievement, internships and volunteer work.
Research and Demonstration Farms Featured in Points of Pride
Several Research and Demonstration Farms make up the Points of Pride on the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences sesquicentennial website this week. The Northeast, Northern, Armstrong, McNay and Allee farms are featured. Next week Points of Pride will take off for spring break.
Catlett's Sesquicnetennial Lecture Can be Seen Online
ISU alumnus Lowell Catlett's speech for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Sesquicentennial Lecture is on the College website. There are video and audio versions of the hour-long speech and video of the following question session.
Lawrence to Speak at Research Farm Annual Meetings
John Lawrence, extension livestock economist, will speak on the economics of livestock production in the ethanol boom at the March 19 annual meeting of the Northeast Iowa Agricultural Experimental Association.
Alum Manager of Olfactometry Lab
Alumna Katie Heathcote is the new manager of the Olfactometry Lab in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. She graduated with a degree in animal ecology in 2004.
Deadlines and Reminders
April 4: Promotion and tenure workshop on the definition of scholarship, 3:10 to 5 p.m., CCUR auditorium, 1951 Food Sciences building
April 10: 44th Annual Paul L. Errington Memorial Lecture, 7:30 p.m., 1414 Molecular Biology
April 18: Promotion and tenure workshop on portfolio development, 3:10 to 5 p.m., CCUR auditorium, 1951 Food Sciences building
April 30: Promotion and tenure workshop for associate professors, 3:10 to 5 p.m., CCUR auditorium, 1951 Food Sciences building
Communications Kiosk
Put Your E-Mail Inbox on a Diet
The Chronicle of Higher Education interviewed Warren Arbogast, an academic technology consultant, on e-mail management for its Feb. 1 issue. Arbogast suggested an e-mail diet that includes: Limiting access during the day, with no e-mail before or after work. Turning off the computer. Bringing the e-mail box down to zero and deleting e-mail messages that you know you won't get to. Do an e-mail-free day; you might find that the situations you would have had to deal with will have taken care of themselves by the time you get back. Don't be afraid to stop an e-mail conversation early by picking up the phone. Cancel subscriptions to listservs and subscription services that you aren't reading.
Infograzing
Nutrition Tips and Healthy Snacks Set for Wednesday
Students with the Nutrition Clinic for Employee Wellness will lead a lunch-and-learn session Wednesday, March 12, on the topic of "Diet-free Nutrition" in Room 9 Curtiss Hall. The session is from noon to 1 p.m. Healthy snacks will be served. Reserve a spot by e-mailing Sally Barclay at barclay@iastate.edu.
Alumni Association Seeks Events for New Calendar
The Alumni Association is asking for events to be included in the Iowa State 2008-2009 Calendar of Events listing. Events set for Aug. 1, 2008 to Aug. 31, 2009 may be submitted to AshLea Anderson by April 3. You can fax information to her at 4-9402 or by e-mail at aanderson@alumni.iastate.edu. You may contact her if there are upcoming events that are not scheduled by April 3 to see if she can make arrangements for late additions. Due to space limitations, not all events will be included, the association reports, but every attempt will be made to cover a variety of campus activities.
ISU Advance Workshop April 1
The ISU ADVANCE Program is sponsoring the "ADVANCE Collaborative Transformation Synthesis Report Workshop," April 1. The workshop will focus on the ISU ADVANCE Program's Collaborative Transformation initiative including an overview of the overall ADVANCE project goal, findings from the first three focal departments, ways the findings can be used to enhance departmental workplace climate for faculty and an overview of some of the next steps in the Collaborative Transformation component. Everyone is invited. It will take place from noon to 2 p.m. in the Pioneer Room, Memorial Union. If you would like to reserve a lunch, RSVP by March 25advance@iastate.edu or call 4-6151.
External Voices
Teaching Agriculture, Teaching About the World
"With the attention that colleges are paying to local foods and to sustainability, perhaps more institutions should offer basic lessons in agricultural skills -- as a way to make students familiar with an important American industry, if not to make farmers out of them. And amid recent worries that young people are disconnected from nature, why not let students carve out a corner of the campus to start a community garden or small farm? ... Indeed, teaching agriculture can mean teaching about the world. Modern agriculture touches on nearly all of the pressing environmental and social issues facing America today - in water, energy, immigration, biodiversity, public health, rural poverty, urban sprawl, climate change, and even religion and ethics. ... As a society, we seem to cycle back to agricultural roots when anxieties about modern living bubble up. The last time environmental issues and oil prices became major public concerns, society saw a back-to-the-land movement - in which many people moved out to the country and fell flat on their faces, in part because they had forgotten (or, rather, never learned) the basic skills of agricultural living. Colleges deliver basic skills of all kinds. If higher education is really in the business of preserving and passing down knowledge, should agricultural knowledge be part of the mix?" --Scott Carlson, The Chronicle of Higher Education Buildings and Grounds Blogger, March 6
Marginalia
Ag Studies Senior Plays Final Regular Game as Cyclone
Agricultural studies senior Mike Smith played his last regular season game for the ISU Cyclones men's basketball team on Saturday. The Runnells forward played 15 games since transferring from Iowa Central Community College in 2006. He was interviewed in the Ames Tribune and revealed who his favorite professor was: Tom Baas, animal science. (Ames Tribune, March 8)
Students to Spend Spring Break on Service Project in Mexico
This spring break, agronomy students Sara Linn and Sarah Baune will be traveling to Mexico. While many students would dream of warm beaches and parties, these two won't be enroute to a getaway destination. Instead, they will be traveling to Juarez to work at an orphanage as part of the Navigators Christian ministry, which has a chapter at Iowa State. They'll be helping with construction projects and interacting with children through sports, Bible stories, crafts and games.
Ag and Life Sciences Online
Editor
Ed Adcock, edadcock@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-5616
Website: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/
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