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COLLEGE NEWS
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GERALD MILLER TO STEP DOWN JANUARY 2010
Gerald Miller will step down on Jan. 31, 2010, as the Associate Dean for Extension Programs and Outreach and the Director of Extension to Agriculture and Natural Resources in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. He has served as associate dean since 1998 and ANR Extension Director since 2004. Miller's plans are to complete several significant projects and then to retire from Iowa State University on March 31, 2010. An internal search will be conducted to fill the Associate Dean and ANR Extension Director position. More information will be announced in the near future.
2009 WORLD FOOD PRIZE RECIPIENT TO SPEAK OCT. 12
World Food Prize recipient Gebisa Ejeta will speak today, Monday, Oct. 12, at 8 p.m. in the Sun Room, Memorial Union. Ejeta of Ethiopia is the recipient of the 2009 World Food Prize for his work developing sorghum hybrids resistant to drought and the devastating Striga weed, or witchweed.
INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON UGANDA PROJECT OCT. 13
The second seminar in the international seminar series, Feeding the World: Are We Making Progress, will be held Tuesday, Oct. 13, from noon to 1 p.m. in the Ensminger Room, 1204 Kildee Hall. Henry Kizito Musoke, executive director of Volunteer Efforts for Development Concerns - Uganda, will present “Realities of Feeding the World: The ISU CRSL/VEDCO Contribution.” The series is sponsored by the M.E. Ensminger International Chair in Animal Science, Raymond and Mary Baker Chair in Global Agriculture and the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods.
COMPOST FACILITY OPEN HOUSE OCT. 13
The ISU Compost Facility open house is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 13. It will begin at 1:30 p.m. with comments by Dean Wendy Wintersteen, followed by explanatory tours of the composting process. To get to the composting facility from Lincoln Way, turn south on State Street, go three miles to 260th Street, turn east and the facility is on the south side of the road. For more information: Steve Jonas, 460-0581.
FACULTY FORUM ON ECONOMIC RECOVERY OCT. 13
Peter Orazem and David Frankel, economics, and David Peters, sociology, will address national economic recovery at a faculty forum on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 8 p.m. in the Great Hall, Memorial Union. GianCarlo Moschini, chair of economics, will moderate the discussion and provide brief comments on the economics of scientific research and development activities and the impact of new technologies.
ERRINGTON LECTURE: BIOLOGIST SPEAKS ON COASTAL TUNDRA OCT. 15
Conservation biologist Robert Rockwell will speak on “The Early Bear Gets the Goose: Polar Bears, Snow Geese and Climate Change” at the 2009 Paul L. Errington Lecture on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 7 p.m. in the Great Hall, Memorial Union. Rockwell is the director of animal research at La Perouse Bay Tundra Biology Station.
DEPUTY SECRETARY OF AG TO VISIT ISU OCT. 20
U.S. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Kathleen Merrigan will speak on “The Future of American Agriculture on Oct. 20, at 8 p.m. in the Sun Room, Memorial Union. Her lecture, which is free and open to the public, is part of the National Affairs Series. More: http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2009/oct/MerriganLecture
ANDERSON/DYAS PRAIRIE DEDICATION OCT. 21
The Anderson/Dyas Prairie will be dedicated Oct. 21 at 3 p.m. The prairie is a rare native fragment on Webster soils that ISU acquired in 2005 as part of the land for the new dairy farm. The prairie is named for Marvin Anderson, former dean of ISU extension who used the prairie fragment in his master's research thesis, and Robert Dyas, professor of landscape architecture who used the native prairie in classes. There will be comments by Jerry Miller, associate dean of agriculture and life sciences, and Paul Anderson and Gary Hightshoe, professors of landscape architecture. The prairie is located one-half mile south of the intersection of 260th Street and 520th Street (State Ave.).
FARMINARS TARGET BEGINNING FARMERS AND FAMILY FARMS IN A GENERATION TRANSITION
ISU's Beginning Farmer Center and Practical Farmers of Iowa will broadcast eight webinars this fall to assist existing and beginning farmers in planning out farm strategies. The focus will be on the succession of farm businesses with the transfer of agricultural assets to the next generation and planning for beginning new enterprises. The Farminars will take place Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in November and December. To register: http://www.practicalfarmers.org/farminars
TACKLING THE SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGE
The 2009 Bio eConference, "Growing the Bioeconomy: Solutions for Sustainability," is a 12-state alliance of simultaneous state conferences on Dec. 1. The co-host sites, including the College, will be sharing content through high-speed communication systems to promote agriculturally-based sustainable solutions to global climate change and energy supply. More
SOYBEAN RUST EXPERTS TO PRESENT NEW RESEARCH
Steve Whitham and Leonor Leandro, plant pathology, will present at the 2009 National Soybean Rust Symposium, Dec. 9-11, in New Orleans. This symposium is a national forum in which knowledge acquired during the first five years of soybean rust research will be discussed and strategic plans for research and response in future years will be defined.
COLLEGE DISTANCE EDUCATION COURSES HAVE 708 ENROLLED
There are 48 College distance education courses offered this semester through the Brenton Center with 708 students enrolled. Last year 767 students were enrolled in 48 courses. The top three programs providing distance education courses are: agronomy, with 25 courses and 353 students; community development (an interdisciplinary program across the university), with 21 courses and 148 students; and agriculture education and studies, with 19 courses and 159 students.
ESSAY WINS FARM FOUNDATION 30-YEAR POLICY COMPETITION
An essay titled “The Embedded Carbon Valuation System: A Policy Concept to Address Climate Change,” by Dermot Hayes, economics, Tristan Brown, CARD, and Robert Brown, mechanical engineering, was selected as a winning entry in the Farm Foundation's 30-Year Challenge Policy Competition. The competition sought innovative and promising public policy options to address the agriculture and food system challenges outlined in Farm Foundation's report The 30-Year Challenge: Agriculture's Strategic Role in Feeding and Fueling a Growing World. More: http://www.farmfoundation.org/webcontent/Farm-Foundations-30-Year-Challe...
MATERIALS BEING DEVELOPED TO BOOST FARMERS' ENERGY LITERACY
A new generation of educational materials is being developed to build awareness about all aspects of energy use on the farm and boost farmers' energy literacy. According to Paul Brown, assistant director of ISU Extension to Agriculture and Natural Resources, the goal is to help Iowa's agricultural producers make better decisions about managing energy inputs in the farm business and make choices that are sustainable long-term and good for their farm's bottom line. This effort is part of the new statewide Farm Energy Conservation and Efficiency educational initiative.
TWENTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL SOIL JUDGING CONTEST HOSTED BY ISU
The Montezuma FFA Chapter topped 25 other high school teams to win the 2009 FFA State Soil Judging Contest October 10. This year's event marked the 28th year the soil judging contest was hosted by Iowa State. The second through fifth place teams were: Paullina, Sully, Preston and Spencer. The top five teams are eligible to represent Iowa at the International Land Judging Contest next May in Oklahoma. The contest was coordinated by Gerald Miller, associate dean for extension and outreach programs, and Alan Spencer, Iowa Department of Education. Iowa State faculty and staff who helped with the contest included Tom Fenton, Angela Rieck-Hinz, Brent Pringnitz and Brad Miller, agronomy; Richard Pope, entomology; Virgil Schmitt and Mark Wuebker, Extension Field Agronomists. Jessica Veenstra, Ph.D. candidate and coach of the 2009 ISU collegiate soil judging team, Tom Lawler and Tyler Reimers, undergraduate students in agronomy, assisted with the contest. Sponsors included the Iowa Corn Promotion Board, the Professional Soil Classifiers of Iowa, the Iowa FFA Foundation, the Iowa Department of Education, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the agronomy department, the College and ISU Extension.
HOUSE FOR RENT ON CAD FARMLAND
The Committee for Agricultural Development, a nonprofit corporation affiliated with ISU, has a house for rent 10 miles southwest of Ames in a country setting. CAD prefers to rent to university faculty or staff. The house is a brick ranch with three upstairs bedrooms and two more on a lower level, an attached two-car garage and central air. No pets are allowed. The house rents for $800 a month and is available Dec. 1. For more information call 292-3497 or 291-0507.
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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NEW NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
TO OVERSEE USDA COMPETITIVE GRANTS PROGRAM
On Oct. 8, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the launch of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to support the nation's food, fuel and fiber production systems and provide innovative solutions to critical issues facing rural communities. Established in the 2008 Farm Bill, the new agency will oversee the USDA's competitive grants program and the integration of research discoveries with education and extension. According to Vilsack, “It is no exaggeration to say that NIFA will be a research 'start-up' company - we will be rebuilding our competitive grants program from the ground up to generate real results for the American people.” NIFA is comprised of four institutes (food production and sustainability; bioenergy, climate and environment; food safety and nutrition; and youth and community development) and one center (international programs) and will be led by Dr. Roger Beachy. NIFA replaces the USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service.
FUNDING INFORMATION, OPPORTUNITIES AND DEADLINE REMINDERS
Dates listed are application deadlines. Contact: Roxanne Clemens, rclemens@iastate.edu
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.
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COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
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CALS TWITTER OFFERS ANOTHER WAY TO KEEP IN TOUCH
An automatic way to keep tabs on what's going on in the College (besides reading Ag and Life Sciences Online) is to join the College's Twitter account. The social media service sends you "tweets," or short announcements, when news releases are sent and the homepage is updated with new items. Signing up with Twitter is free.
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INFOGRAZING
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OFFICE OF BIOTECHNOLOGY PROVIDES FUNDS FOR BIOTECH EVENTS
The Office of Biotechnology is providing funds for biotechnology-related conferences, symposia and workshops that are held on campus and are organized by faculty members or jointly by a faculty advisor and graduate students. Applications are due by Nov. 2 for proposed events for the remainder of 2009 and the 2010 calendar year. For more information, contact Glenda Webber, 4-4749, gwebber@iastate.edu, or see the news release online.
OWENSON PROFILE FEATURED ON WORK/LIFE WEB SITE
Pam Owenson, administrative specialist in the agricultural education and studies department, is featured on the Provost's Work/Life at Iowa State University web site. The university has a strong set of policies and programs designed to support members of the ISU community in their multiple professional and personal roles.
OCTOBER IS NATIONAL WORK AND FAMILY MONTH
On Oct. 21, Iowa State's Work/Life committee will host a brown-bag discussion in honor of National Work and Family Month. Virginia Blackburn will be presenting a short noon workshop in the Pioneer Room of the Memorial Union titled “Finding Purpose and Direction in Your Life.”
WEDNESDAY WELLNESS WALKS
Wednesday Wellness Walks are a 20- to 25-minute student led walk on campus each Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. Meet inside the main door of Beardshear Hall, the inside door at the top of the outside steps. If the weather is bad, the walk will be indoors. Those participating in three walks with earn a pedometer.
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INTERNAL VOICES
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BIOCENTURY RESEARCH FARM SERVES AS NATIONAL MODEL
During the Sustainable Energy Innovation Panel last week, Larry Johnson, director of the BioCentury Research Farm, said ISU is the first university to integrate components of biomass production and processing. “We believe this will serve as a national model,” Johnson said. “Other universities have pieces, but nobody brings those pieces together like we are doing at the BioCentury Research Farm.” (Ames Tribune, Oct. 7, Three ISU Researchers Present their Work in Sustainable Energy)
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EXTERNAL VOICES
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AG BUSINESS PROGRAM SUCCESSFUL WITH JOB PLACEMENT
“Iowa State University is the number one supplier of talent for entry level and internships for Growmark,” says Mike Mitchell, a university relations specialist with Growmark. “The key element for that major is a very good blend or chemistry between business course work and ag course work.” Mitchell spends his days building relationships with ag schools and finds job and internship placement with his company. (The Prairie Star, Oct. 8, Ag Business Grads Buck Downturn)
FORMER DEAN WOTEKI ON STUDY OF HUMAN-ANIMAL INTERACTION
The Waltham Center for Pet Nutrition in England, a division of the Mars candy and pet food company, for several years has been funding research into “the interaction between humans and animals.” In particular, it is looking for studies on how these interactions affect typical development and health and whether they have therapeutic and public-health benefits, according to a story in the New York Times. Former College dean Catherine Woteki, global director of scientific affairs for Mars Inc., said the center was expanding its own research to do some small studies about human-animal interaction. “We are a pet food company and pet care company, and we're interested in seeing that that relationship stays a strong one,” she said. (New York Times, Oct. 5, Exploring the Health Benefits of Pets)
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MARGINALIA
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BEEF INDUSTRY PROMOTION OPPORTUNITY
Brad Skaar, animal science, is organizing volunteers to help with a beef industry promotion opportunity. The Iowa Beef Industry Council has teamed up with Living History Farms, Fitness Sports and the Machine Shed Restaurant to sponsor a beef meal during the annual Living History Farms Annual Cross Country Run, Nov. 21, 8 a.m. to noon. For more information, contact Skaar, skaar@iastate.edu.
AG EDUCATOR TRAVELS WITH MONSANTO MOBILE TECH UNIT
Last week Allan Ciha, agronomy, led many visitors through the Monsanto Mobile Technology Unit, a custom-made 18-wheeler showcasing innovation in plant breeding and biotechnology. Ciha is a lecturer and advisor for the Master of Science in Agronomy distance education program. He also serves as an ag educator for Monsanto and travels with the Mobile Technology Unit, which has hosted more than 36,000 visitors over the past two and a half years.
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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/
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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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