................................................... COLLEGE NEWS ................................................... ACKER TO PRESENT ON EDUCATION AT UN OFFICE IN ROME David Acker, associate dean for Academic and Global Programs, will speak next week at an international seminar on the topic of “Education for Rural People.” The seminar will take place at the Rome headquarters of the United Nation's International Fund for Agricultural Development. His presentation is based on an article published with Lavinia Gasperini of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization. CORN POLLINATION DELAYED BY COOL SPRING The cool spring in Iowa has pushed back expected silking dates about 12 days later than usual, according to Extension corn specialist Roger Elmore. Current weather forecasts call for normal conditions and precipitation over the next few weeks, which would be good news for farmers since corn-friendly temperatures and rainfall are critical during silking. More: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/news_detail.php?var1=659 STATISTICS FACULTY TO BE NAMED FELLOWS Dan Nettleton and Yongzhao Shao, faculty members of Iowa State's statistics department, will be named fellows of the American Statistical Association in August at that organization's annual meeting in Denver. Both professors are being honored for their work biosciences projects. More: http://www.public.iastate.edu/~nscentral/news/2008/jul/stats.shtml KLEIN NAMED LEAD DEVELOPMENT OFFICER Ray Klein will serve as the lead development officer for the College, effective immediately. Klein joined the ISU Foundation six years ago when he became associate director of development for the College. He has been personally involved in securing nearly $12 million in new gift commitments, has been instrumental in the formation of the Egg Industry Center, was the lead force behind a successful $1 million endowment fundraising effort for the animal science judging teams and has been actively involved in the development and execution of a college-wide marketing and recruitment strategy. WURSTFEST CONCLUDES SAUSAGE AND PROCESSED MEATS SHORT COURSE More than 200 people attended the 30th annual Wurstfest event, presented by the Iowa State University Meat Lab July 17. Guests were served 64 different products made during the sausage and processed meats short course. "It takes lots of creativity," said wurstmacher Klaus Kreibig, who has traveled from Germany for more than 20 years for the event. GRAD STUDENT WINS CHEMOMETRICS SHOOTOUT Industrial and agricultural technology graduate student Benoit Igne won the chemometrics “shootout” competition at the Chemometrics in Analytical Chemistry conference in France earlier this month. He correctly classified unknown samples of olive oil using data in the near infrared, mid infrared and gas chromatography. There were 25 university researchers, professional consultants and other students in the competition. Chemometrics uses statistics to extract information from chemical or spectroscopic readings. In work at the Grain Quality Laboratory, with Charles Hurburgh, he uses chemometrics to predict from the collection of an absorption spectrum (by near infrared spectroscopy) of a corn or soybean sample, its moisture, protein, oil and starch/fiber contents without sample destruction and expensive chemical analysis. GRASS-BASED LIVESTOCK WORKING GROUP FORMED The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture has made a three-year commitment to support a new Grass-Based Livestock Working Group coordinated by Andy Larson, extension's new small farms specialist. Learn more: http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/newsreleases/2008/071808_GBLWG.html FIND WHERE YOUR FRUITS AND VEGGIES WERE GROWN Consumers who want to know where their apple or bunch of broccoli might have been grown can check out a new online resource that tracks the origins of 95 fresh fruits and vegetables. The new website tool was developed by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture and the Center for Transportation Research and Education at Iowa State. More: http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/newsreleases/2008/071508_produce.html MAKEOVER OF ICM NEWS PROVIDING TIMELY INFORMATION A makeover of extension's Integrated Crop Management (ICM) Newsletter for the 2008 crop season is proving to be a boon to Iowa farmers and service providers as they look for advice on how to deal with this year's unusual growing conditions. The newsletter was converted from print format to electronic delivery in March. Details: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2008/jul/061401.htm DEADLINES AND REMINDERS July 21: A Life Cycle Perspective on Food System Sustainability: Lessons from the Field, Leopold Center seminar, 3 p.m. in 2019 Morrill Hall ................................................... COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK ................................................... KRUG'S WEB USABILITY ADVICE: DON'T MAKE ME THINK Steve Krug, web usability consultant, outlines a common sense approach to web usability: "People often ask me: 'What's the most important thing I should do if I want to make sure my Web site is easy to use?' The answer is simple. It's not 'Nothing important should ever be more than two clicks away,' or 'Speak the user's language,' or even 'Be consistent.' It's don't make me think!' I've been telling people for years that this is my first law of usability. And the more Web pages I look at, the more convinced I become." For more on the book and Krug's advice, go to http://www.sensible.com/. (Don't Make Me Think: A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability, second edition 2006) ................................................... INFOGRAZING ................................................... VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT FOR ISU CHOLESTEROL STUDY Do you have high blood cholesterol? Are you a man 40-65 years of age or woman 50-65 years of age and no more than 5 years post-menopause? Are you not currently taking medication for high cholesterol or high blood pressure? If your answer to these questions is “Yes” and you are interested in participating in a three-month study of the effects of flaxseed components called lignans on your blood cholesterol. During this study, you will take daily supplement tablets, give several small blood samples, have your blood pressure, height and weight measured and answer questions periodically. Compensation is available. Contact Kailing Kong, 4-1990, kailing@iastate.edu, or Suzanne Hendrich, 4-4272, shendric@iastate.edu, at the Iowa State Nutrition Wellness Research Center (http://www.nwrc.iastate.edu/). ................................................... EXTERNAL VOICES ................................................... ALUM TAKES HER DREAM JOB “My schoolwork was tough and I had my doubts a few times. The people at Iowa State were fantastic in helping me through my program. They provided tutors free of charge and gave me all kinds of help. You can't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.” -- Mary Jo Burkgren, who earned a bachelor's degree in animal ecology in 2004, in a story about being hired as the naturalist by the Mitchell County Conservation Board (Mason City Globe Gazette, July 19, http://www.globegazette.com/articles/2008/07/19/news/latest/doc488168e3f...) ................................................... MARGINALIA ................................................... STUDENT UNCOVERS TIES TO SCHOLARSHIP HE'S AWARDED When Andy Pringnitz of Spirit Lake applied for a scholarship to the College, he was uncovering a little family history, according to the Campaign Iowa State newsletter. Pringnitz was awarded the Kline Family Scholarship putting him closer to his goal of graduating from college debt free. His mom, though, recognized the name of Allan Kline, in whose memory the scholarship is made. “I think that's a friend of Grandpa Hill's,” she said. She checked with her mother, Margaret Hill Northey, and sure enough, Allan B. Kline was a longtime friend and colleague of Andy's great-grandfather, E. Howard Hill. More: http://www.foundation.iastate.edu/site/PageServer?pagename=ACCESS_2008_0... ........................................................ 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.