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COLLEGE NEWS
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AG WEEK: AG STUDY ABROAD BARBECUE, OCT. 8
An Ag Study Abroad Barbecue will be held Thursday, Oct. 8, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Kildee Pavilion as part of Ag Week, which runs Oct. 3-9. Ag Week is sponsored by the Agriculture and Life Sciences Student Council. A chili cook off and a softball tournament also are scheduled.
AG WEEK: AGRONOMY CLUB PRESENTS MONSANTO'S MOBILE TECHNOLOGY
The Agronomy Club has partnered with Monsanto to bring its Mobile Technology Unit to Iowa State during Ag Week. The MTU, a unique showcase of agricultural science and innovation, will host tours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday through Thursday, Oct. 6-8, for students interested in learning more about careers in agriculture, as well as ag youth and the general public. The event is located west of Fredriksen Court in Lot 120A on the north side of campus.
AG ETIQUETTE DINNER TO HELP PREPARE STUDENTS
Forty-eight College students will take part in the sixth annual Ag Etiquette Dinner, Thursday, Oct. 8. A program will include a presentation by Callista Gould, certified etiquette instructor, Culture and Manners Institute of West Des Moines. Associate deans David Acker and Joe Colletti will join faculty and staff members Mary Wiedenhoeft, agronomy; LeQuetia Ancar, agricultural and biosystems engineering; Leo Timms and Diane Spurlock, animal science; and Paul Lasley, sociology; and industry representatives from Dow AgroSciences, M2P2, Lab Support, Hamilton Group, Land O'Lakes, Bader Rutter and U.S. Department of Agriculture Market News. The dinner is sponsored by Agriculture and Life Sciences Career Services and Sigma Alpha. Paul Lasley and the Guys will provide social hour entertainment.
SUSTAINABLE ENERGY INNOVATION PANEL TO INCLUDE BIOCENTURY RESEARCH FARM
A brief update on work to be done at the new BioCentury Research Farm will be provided by Larry Johnson, director of the farm and the Center for Crops Utilization Research, on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 8 p.m. in the Great Hall, Memorial Union. A reception and student research poster display will precede the lecture from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Oak Room, Memorial Union.
FALL AG ENTREPRENEURS ROUNDTABLE SET FOR OCT. 14
The Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative will host an Ag Entrepreneurs Roundtable Oct. 14 for students showcasing five agricultural entrepreneurs. The keynote speaker will be Harry Stine, founder of Stine Seeds. Other entrepreneurs participating include: Weston Wunder, Landscapes by Design; Lyle Kesl, Veterinary Resources Inc.; Roger Montag, Montag Manufacturing; and Ron Mortensen, Advantage Agricultural Strategies, Ltd. The event will begin with a free buffet dinner served at 6 p.m. at the Scheman Center, with the program to follow. Registration is free to students by e-mailing Stacey Noe, snoe@iastate.edu. Registration deadline is Friday, Oct. 9.
RESEARCHER UNCOVERS POTENTIAL KEY TO CURING TUBERCULOSIS
Researchers have identified an enzyme that helps make tuberculosis resistant to a human's natural defense system. Researchers also have found a method to possibly neutralize that enzyme. Reuben Peters, associate professor in the biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology department, is leading the team of scientists. More: http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2009/oct/PetersTB
2009 WORLD FOOD PRIZE WINNER TO PRESENT BORLAUG LECTURE OCT. 12
Gebisa Ejeta, the 2009 World Food Prize recipient, will present the eighth annual Norman Borlaug Lecture at Iowa State Oct. 12. Ejeta's presentation will be at 8 p.m. in the Memorial Union Sun Room. More: http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2009/sep/BorlaugLecture
RESEARCHERS LOOK FOR CATALYST THAT ALLOWS PLANTS TO PRODUCE HYDROCARBONS
Iowa State researchers, including Basil Nikolau, Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, are working to understand how a catalyst allows certain plants and algae to create simple hydrocarbons that could be a new source of liquid fuels. The project is supported by a four-year, $2 million grant from the National Science Foundation's Office of Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation. More: http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2009/oct/biohydrocarbons
LOCAL FOODS COULD BRING JOBS TO SOUTHEAST IOWA
Small changes can bring modest improvements in a regional economy, at least when it comes to local foods. That's what the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture found in a new economic analysis conducted by Iowa State economist David Swenson for six counties in southeast Iowa. Details: http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/newsreleases/2009/092909_seiowa.html
COLLEGE FACULTY NAMED IOWANS OF INFLUENCE
Iowa Farmer Today staff members and readers collaborated on composing a list of the 25 most influential people in Iowa agriculture over the past 25 years. Seven faculty from the College of Agriculture of Life Sciences were named as Iowans of Influence:
-- Alfred Blackmer, who died in 2006, an agronomy professor and developer of a late-spring nitrogen soil test that allowed farmers to better understand and refine fertilizer application.
-- Lauren Christian, who died in 1998, an international leader in swine genetics and a professor of animal science for 33 years. Christian was the first director of the Iowa Pork Industry Center.
-- Mike Duffy, longtime extension agricultural economist and director of the Beginning Farmer Center, instrumental in helping farmers refine their operations to become more efficient.
-- Neil Harl, professor emeritus of agricultural economics, a leader in areas of estate planning and farm finance.
-- Paul Lasley, longtime professor of sociology, instrumental in development of the Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll.
-- John Lawrence, extension livestock marketing economist since 1991 and director of the Iowa Beef Center since 1998, has worked to make producers understand cost of production and other tools to make their operations more efficient.
-- Bob Wisner spent more than 40 years as an Extension grain marketing economist at ISU before retiring in 2007.
AGRONOMY CLUB PIZZA FUNDRAISER FOR UNITED WAY
The Agronomy Club will be selling Happy Joe's Pizza to raise money for the United Way Campaign. Pizza will be on sale from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. the next three Tuesdays through Oct. 20 at the Agronomy Hall commons (near 2101 Agronomy Hall). The cost is $1.50 a slice.
JOHN DEERE DONATES TRACTOR FOR ABE PROGRAMS
John Deere has donated a new 8R Series tractor for the teaching and research programs of the Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department. The ABE department trains the largest group of engineering and technology students in the U.S. focused on the engineering, testing, manufacturing and safety of advanced machinery systems like those represented by the Deere tractor.
DEADLINES AND REMINDERS
Oct. 13: Ag Career Day, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Lied Recreation Center
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EXTERNAL FUNDING
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FUNDING INFORMATION, OPPORTUNITIES AND DEADLINE REMINDERS
Dates listed are application deadlines. Contact: Roxanne Clemens, rclemens@iastate.edu
Oct. 1: Wildlife Without Borders - Mexico; 20 awards, $50,000 per award, $600,000 total anticipated funding.
Nov. 5 (preapplications, required): Computational Biology and Bioinformatic Methods to Enable a Systems Biology Knowledgebase; 15 awards, $100,000 to $500,000 a year for up to three years, $5 million total anticipated funding in FY2010.
Dec. 10: 2010 Academic Year EPA Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Fellowships for Undergraduate Environmental Study (junior and senior year of undergraduate study and internship at an EPA facility); 30 awards, $46,500 per award, $1.395 million total anticipated funding.
Jan. 10: Disaster Resilience for Rural Communities (funded by NSF and USDA/CSREES for research, education, extension and integrated grants); unspecified number of awards, $2 million total anticipated funding.
Jan. 15: USDA Secondary Education, Two-Year Postsecondary Education and Agriculture in the K-12 Classroom Challenge Grants; $35,000 to $50,000, $1 million total anticipated funding.
Jan. 26: NSF Plant Genome Project; 25 awards, $100,000 to $10 million per award, $20 million total anticipated funding.
WORKSHOP FOR USDA SPECIALTY CROP RESEARCH INITIATIVE APPLICATIONS
Jerry DeWitt, Leopold Center director, will present "The USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative: Preparing A Successful Grant Application," Tuesday, Oct. 6 from 3:10 to 4 p.m. in 138 Horticulture Building. DeWitt has served as panel manager for the specialty crop initiative for the past two years and will present a reviewer's perspective of the application process and the elements of successful applications. Interested faculty and staff are invited to attend. The presentation is sponsored by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
NSF AND NIH CAREER AWARDS FOCUS OF VPR/ED WORKSHOP ON OCT. 7
Career Awards at the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health are the focus of a workshop on Wednesday, Oct. 7, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Gallery of the Memorial Union. The workshop is the third in the faculty orientation and development series sponsored by the Office of the VPR/ED. Lunch will be served, and all interested faculty and staff are welcome to attend. To register, contact Laurie Engleen (lengleen@iastate.edu).
ENERGY FOCUS OF VPR/ED WORKSHOP ON OCT. 12
Energy is the focus of an orientation workshop being held on Oct. 12 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Cardinal Room, Memorial Union. The workshop will cover the competitive grant process at the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation, and include presentations about Ames Lab, the Institute for Physical Research and Technology and the Iowa Energy Center. The workshop is the fourth in the faculty orientation and development series sponsored by the Office of the VPR/ED. Lunch will be served, and all interested faculty and staff are welcome to attend. To register, contact Laurie Engleen (lengleen@iastate.edu).
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COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
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EDITOR TRANSITION FOR AG AND LIFE SCIENCES ONLINE
Julie Stewart, communications specialist with Ag and Life Sciences Communications Service, is the new editor for Ag and Life Sciences Online. Stewart joined the College Communications Service this summer after working as communications specialist for the North Central Regional Center for Rural Development for 20 years. Ed Adcock has served as editor since 2002, soon before it became a weekly newsletter. If you have news to include, please send the information to Stewart, 4-5616 or jstewart@iastate.edu.
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INFOGRAZING
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CELT FACULTY FORUM: PEER EVALUATION OF TEACHING
In spring 2009 members of the CELT Advisory Board completed a report titled Summative Peer Evaluation of Teaching: Literature Review and Best Practices. The goal of this report is to provide faculty members and administrators at Iowa State with a statement of best practices for the Peer Evaluation of Teaching in cases where it plays a role in personnel decisions such as promotion and the granting of tenure. The faculty forum will be held Thursday, Oct. 8, 12:10 to 1:30 p.m. in the Cardinal Room, Memorial Union.
BORLAUG'S WORLD MEDALS ON VIEW
People who attend memorial services for Norman E. Borlaug on Oct. 6 can view a rare collection of medals. Borlaug was one of only five people ever to have won the Nobel Peace Prize, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. When he was granted the congressional medal in 2007, he joined Martin Luther King Jr., Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela and Elie Wiesel as winners of all three prestigious honors. Those three medals, along with Mexico's Order of the Aztec Eagle, will be on display in Texas A&M University's Rudder Tower on Tuesday, Oct. 6 from 9:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The memorial service will begin at 11 a.m. It is free and open to the public. Those who are unable to attend the celebration of Borlaug's life may view the service live online by going to http://kamu.tamu.edu and click on "Watch Now" beginning at 11 a.m. Oct. 6.
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EXTERNAL VOICES
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Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself.
--John Dewey, American psychologist, philosopher, educator, social critic and political activist, 1859-1952
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MARGINALIA
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GREAT PLAINS: AMERICA'S LINGERING WILD
Through photographs, essays, historical images and maps, a new book, Great Plains: America's Lingering Wild, by Michael Forsberg, gets beneath the surface of the Plains, revealing the lingering wild that still survives and whose diverse natural communities, native creatures, migratory traditions and natural systems together create one vast and extraordinary whole.
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AG AND LIFE SCIENCES ONLINE
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EDITOR
Julie Stewart, jstewart@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 jstewart@iastate.edu. To unsubscribe, send "Ag and Life Sciences Online unsubscribe."
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