................................................... COLLEGE NEWS ................................................... AG EDUCATION AND STUDIES SUITE TO BE NAMED FOR CRAWFORDS Harold Crawford, emeritus professsor of agricultural education and studies, and his wife, Rachel, were honored Saturday at a College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Donor & Scholarship Recognition Reception. In the future renovation of Curtiss Hall, a suite consisting of a classroom, library, conference room and office space will be created under the name “Dr. Harold and Rachel Crawford Agricultural Education and Studies Suite.” Donations for the suite have come from more than 75 people, including alumnus Murray Wise, chairman and CEO of the Westchester Group, Inc., who spoke at Saturday’s event. Once the renovations to Curtiss Hall are complete, a plaque will mark the Crawford Suite. CARVER SCULPTURE TO BE UNVEILED AT SEED SCIENCE CENTER A life-sized sculpture of George Washington Carver will be dedicated at a ceremony outside Iowa State’s Seed Science Center at noon Tuesday, Nov. 18. Learn more: http://www.public.iastate.edu/~nscentral/news/2008/nov/gwc.shtml RESEARCHER DEVELOPS BIOFRIENDLY CANDLE WAX Tong Wang, associate professor in food science and human nutrition, has developed advanced methods to produce candle wax made from soybeans that replaces both traditional petroleum paraffin and beeswax-based candles. The new soy wax burns cleaner and produces smoke that is nontoxic. Details: http://www.public.iastate.edu/~nscentral/news/2008/nov/soywax.shtml RODALE CEO TO SPEAK ON ORGANIC AGRICULTURE, GLOBAL WARMING Organic agriculture can help reduce global warming, according to Tim LaSalle, CEO of the Rodale Institute. LaSalle will speak at Iowa State at 4 p.m. Nov. 23 in 179 Scheman. Learn more: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2008/nov/161701.htm BORLAUG SCHOLAR INTERNSHIP APPLICATIONS DUE DEC. 12 Applications are sought for the Borlaug Scholar Award and Internship set for summer 2009 at the Borlaug Birthplace Farm, near Cresco. There will be two awards for College sophomores or juniors. Duties include historic farm site development, landscaping, gardening, structures restoration, development of displays, leading tours for visitors to the historic site and speaking to local groups and media. The program is sponsored by the Iowa State University Agricultural Endowment. Applicants are asked to submit a letter of interest, resume and names of three references by Dec. 12 to Associate Dean David Acker, 134 Curtiss Hall or dacker@iastate.edu. Contacts: Mark Honeyman, 4-4621 or honeyman@iastate.edu, or David Acker, 4-6614 or dacker@iastate.edu. MONSANTO DONATES TO BORLAUG LEARNING CENTER The Northeast Iowa Agricultural Experimental Association, owner of the Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm, has received a $15,000 donation from the Monsanto Fund. The private foundation and philanthropic arm of the Monsanto Co. gave the money for the Borlaug Learning Center under construction on the research farm. When completed, the center will serve as a research and ISU Extension education center. More: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/northeastarea/news/Borlaug+Monsanto+Gif... IOWA STATE SURPASSES UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN GOAL Iowa State has surpassed its United Way goal of $287,000 by collecting $290,900. The College collected $58,254, about 94 percent of its $62,000 goal. If anyone still wishes to contribute, envelopes can be sent to 184 General Services Building Stop #22. More: http://www.public.iastate.edu/~uw/08/ SURVEY FINDS HIGH SATISFACTION AMONG CALS FACULTY At the Nov. 4 meeting of Iowa State’s Faculty Senate, Elizabeth Hoffman, executive vice president and provost, presented results from a faculty satisfaction survey conducted in January by the American Association of Universities Data Exchange. Hoffman reported, in general, Iowa State’s faculty are pretty satisfied. She said overall satisfaction was highest among agriculture and life sciences faculty. The topics surveyed included overall satisfaction, faculty resources, work environment, tenure and promotion, hiring and retention and care of others. The entire report will be posted online when final data is compiled. APHID RESEARCH SUBJECT OF JANUARY SYMPOSIUM The second Aphid Research Symposium will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Jan. 16 in the Ensminger Room, 1204 Kildee Hall. The symposium will enhance awareness of aphid-related research conducted on campus, to share knowledge, exchange ideas and establish new collaborations. Keynote speaker Fiona Goggin of the University of Arkansas will speak on dissecting the molecular and physiological bases for plant defenses against aphids. The symposium is supported by the Office of Biotechnology, the Center for Plant Responses to Environmental Stresses and the Iowa Soybean Association. Contact Dai Nguyen, dna112@iastate.edu, for a registration form. ALUM TO BECOME ASSOCIATE DEAN AT TEXAS A&M Animal science alumnus Chris Skaggs has been named associate dean for undergraduate programs for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Texas A&M University, effective Dec. 1. Skaggs, an animal science professor at Texas A&M, will manage and coordinate student development activities for the college, serve as the college’s liaison to the university organizations and associations and teach a freshmen-level introductory agriculture and some animal science courses. He earned a doctorate in animal science from Iowa State in 1992. DEADLINES AND REMINDERS Nov. 17: Think Tank on Animal Agriculture, 6 p.m., Cardinal Room, Memorial Union Nov. 18: George Washington Carver sculpture dedication, noon, Seed Science Building south entrance Nov. 18: College deadline for university award nominations, http://www.ag.iastate.edu/agcoll/awards.php Nov. 29: Forestry Club Christmas tree and wreath sale, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Reiman Gardens parking area Nov. 30: Forestry Club Christmas tree and wreath sale, noon to 6 p.m., Reiman Gardens parking area Dec. 5: Forestry Club Christmas tree and wreath sale, 3 to 8 p.m., Reiman Gardens parking area Dec. 6: Forestry Club Christmas tree and wreath sale, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Reiman Gardens parking area Dec. 7: Forestry Club Christmas tree and wreath sale, noon to 6 p.m., Reiman Gardens parking area Dec. 10-11: Iowa State Integrated Crop Management Conference and the Agribusiness Association of Iowa Agribusiness Expo, http://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2008/oct/061501.htm Dec. 12: Block and Bridle Club sausage and cheese sale order deadline, http://www.ans.iastate.edu/clubs/bbclub/?pg=15 Dec. 12: Forestry Club Christmas tree and wreath sale, 3 to 6 p.m., Reiman Gardens parking area Dec. 13: Forestry Club Christmas tree and wreath sale, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Reiman Gardens parking area Dec. 14: Forestry Club Christmas tree and wreath sale, noon to 6 p.m., Reiman Gardens parking area ................................................... COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK ................................................... OXFORD'S 2008 WORD OF THE YEAR: HYPERMILING The New Oxford American Dictionary’s 2008 Word of the Year is “hypermiling.” Do you keep the tires on your car properly inflated to maximize your gas mileage? Have you removed the roof rack from your vehicle to streamline the car and reduce drag? Do you turn your engine off rather than idle at long stoplights? If you said yes to any of these questions, you might be a "hypermiler." "Hypermiling" or "to hypermile" is to attempt to maximize gas mileage by making fuel-conserving adjustments to one's car and one's driving techniques. Rather than aiming for good mileage or even great mileage, hypermilers seek to push their gas tanks to the limit and achieve hypermileage, exceeding EPA ratings for miles per gallon. More: http://blog.oup.com/2008/11/hypermiling/ ................................................... INFOGRAZING ................................................... IOWA STATE ALUM PART OF AGRICULTURAL OUTLOOK FORUM The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 85th annual Agricultural Outlook Forum, "Global Agriculture & Rural America in Transition," will be Feb. 26 and 27 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott Hotel in Arlington, Va. Iowa State journalism and mass communications alumna Sara Wyant, president of Agri-Pulse Communications Inc., will moderate a panel titled "Food & Energy: Expectations & Realities." More: http://www.usda.gov/oce/forum DIABETES INFORMATIONAL WALK SET FOR WEDNESDAY The postponed Dodge Diabetes Walk will be held Wednesday, Nov. 19, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. with an indoor location. The walk will begin in the lower lobby of Hoover Hall in the northeast part of the building. There will be a 20-30 minute walk through the hallways and skywalk of Hoover and Howe halls with stations for diabetes prevention materials along the route. LUNCH AND LEARN NUTRITIONAL SESSIONS SCHEDULED The next Lunch and Learn nutrition informational session will be Wednesday, Nov. 12, with the title, “Love your Lungs - Lung Health Awareness.” It is scheduled for noon to 1 p.m. in Room 9 Curtiss Hall. Future sessions include Dec. 12, noon to 1 p.m., on “Holiday Spices - Flavorful and Healthy” in 0331 Palmer Building and Jan. 22, noon to 1 p.m. on “How to Curb Mindless Eating” in 0331 Palmer Building. Contact Sally Barclay, 4-9625 or barclay@iastate.edu, to reserve a seat. ................................................... EXTERNAL VOICES ................................................... SUBJECT-SPECIFIC WRITING COURSES SHOULD BE OFFERED “First-year composition is only indirectly preparatory to writing in other disciplines: What a student will learn is somewhat applicable to writing a history or psychology paper, but significant gaps in preparation will remain . . . Academics who would like their students to become effective writers must work with professors of rhetoric and composition not only to design effective writing assignments and writing instruction within their own courses, but also to create discipline-specific versions of advanced composition courses and require, or at least urge, their majors to take those courses.” -Mark Richardson, assistant professor of writing and linguistics at Georgia Southern University (Writing Is Not Just a Basic Skill, Nov. 7, Chronicle of Higher Education, http://chronicle.com/weekly/v55/i11/11a04701.htm?utm_source=at&utm_mediu...) ................................................... MARGINALIA ................................................... SYLVAN RUNKEL’S PAPERS AVAILABLE IN ISU SPECIAL COLLECTIONS The Iowa State Special Collections Department has made available the papers of ISU alumnus Sylvan Runkel, an Iowa naturalist, educator and author. He earned a bachelor’s degree in forestry in 1930. He retired from the United States Soil Conservation Service in 1972 and Runkel's name became known for conservation in Iowa after he promoted conservation for many years by assisting numerous groups with talks, nature walks, slide programs, workshops and developing a wildlife series for the Iowa Public Television Network. He died in 1995. More: http://www.lib.iastate.edu/news-article/2025/100337 ........................................................ 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.