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AG AND LIFE SCIENCES ONLINE
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The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Newsletter
Iowa State University
June 28, 2010 No. 608
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COLLEGE NEWS
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BOBIK DEVELOPS GREEN, BIO-BASED PROCESS FOR PRODUCING FUEL ADDITIVE
A new green, bio-based method for producing a much-used fuel additive and industrial chemical that is made from petroleum products has been developed by Thomas Bobik, biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology. Once more research is completed, Bobik believes there could be huge benefits to the biofuels industry. More: http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2010/jun/bobik
FIELD PEAS A PARTIAL SUBSTITUTE IN SWINE DIETS
Recent research at ISU has demonstrated that field peas can be used as a partial substitute for soybean meal or corn in swine diets. Coordinated by Jim Fawcett, field agronomist with ISU Extension, the research was conducted through an NCR-SARE Research and Education Grant.
CALS SPONSORS FELLOWSHIP PICNIC AND RECOGNITION PROGRAM AT IAAE CONFERENCE
CALS will sponsor a fellowship picnic and recognition program at the annual Iowa Association of Agricultural Educators Professional Development Summer Conference, held in Ankeny and Ames today through Thursday, June 28 to July 1. The conference is for all agricultural educators at the secondary level and at community colleges in Iowa. More: Barb Lemmer, blemmer@linnmar.k12.ia.us.
TAYLOR AND SAEUGLING APPEAR ON MARKET TO MARKET
Elwynn Taylor, climatologist in the agronomy department, and Aaron Saeugling, field agronomist at the Armstrong Research and Demonstration Farm, appeared on Iowa Public Television's Market to Market on June 25. They discussed the role El Nino and La Nina play in shaping U.S. weather conditions and what that means for farmers in the Corn Belt. More: http://www.iptv.org/mtom/story.cfm/feature/597
WALNUT CREEK WATERSHED EVENT IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY JULY 7
The Iowa Learning Farm and the Montgomery and East Pottawattamie Soil and Water Conservation Districts are co-hosting a watershed meeting on July 7 beginning at 6 p.m. The event includes a complimentary supper and will focus on watershed improvement practices. The event is free and the public is invited. Families are encouraged to attend and see the Iowa Learning Farm's new Conservation Station mobile learning center.
RETIREMENT RECEPTION FOR LINDA SCHULTZ, JULY 23
A retirement reception will be held for Linda Schultz on July 23 at 9:30 to 11 a.m. in 142 Curtiss Hall.
ENTOMOLOGY ALUM RECEIVES DESIGNING GREENER CHEMICALS AWARD
John Clarke, entomology alum and president of Clarke Mosquito in Roselle, Ill., received the 2010 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award for their new natural mosquito larvicide. This is the 15th year that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recognized pioneering chemical technologies developed by leading researchers and industrial innovators who are making significant contributions to pollution prevention in the United States.
ANIMAL SCIENCE GRADUATES RECEIVE AWARDS AT AMSA CONFERENCE
Spring 2010 animal science graduates Garrett Skaar, Lee Christensen and Justine Hosch received the Undergraduate Travel Award at the American Meat Science Association Reciprocal Meat Conference held June 20-23 at Texas Tech University. Alumni Kevin Ladwig and Tim Schnell received the Meat Processing Award and Achievement Award respectively.
DEADLINES AND REMINDERS
June 30: BBMB 50th Anniversary Celebration registration deadline, http://www.bbmb.iastate.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&i…
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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
No date: NSF Dear Colleague Letter for Social, Behavioral and Economic Research Related to the Gulf Oil Spill and Other Disasters; Social Behavioral and Economic Studies Directorate for fall 2010 or spring 2011 competitions. More: http://www.nsf.gov/publications/pub_summ.jsp?ods_key=nsf10063
July 15: Southern Rural Development Center 2010 RIDGE Center for Targeted Studies; grants up to $35,000.
Aug. 31: Pathobiology of Emerging Pathogens in Laboratory Animals (R01); five awards, up to four years, $2.5 million (direct costs) total anticipate funding. More: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RR-10-005.html. See also (R21) solicitation at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-RR-10-004.html
Sept. 30 (letter of intent): Outstanding New Environmental Scientist Award (R01); six new grants, up to $1.6 million over five years, $2.4 million (direct costs) total anticipated funding. More: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-ES-10-004.html
Oct. 1: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation RFA for Health and Society Scholars Program; 18 awards, $89,000 per year, two years of post doc support.
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COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
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PERCENTAGES ALWAYS GIVEN IN NUMERALS
Percentages are always given in numerals. In humanistic copy the word "percent" is used; in scientific and statistical copy, or in humanistic copy that includes numerous percentage figures, the symbol "%" is more appropriate.
* Only 45 percent of the electorate voted.
* Only 20% of the ants were observed to react to the stimulus.
Note that "percent" is not interchangeable with the noun "percentage," and that no space appears between the numeral and the symbol %. The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., 2003.
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INFOGRAZING
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SUMMER CARILLON CONCERT SERIES BEGINS JUNE 29
The music department will host a summer carillon concert series, the fourth since 2001. A guest carillonneur will perform during June, July and August. ISU carillonneur and associate professor of music Tin-Shi Tam will conclude the series Sept. 12 when she is joined by the ISU percussion ensemble and brass quintet. The first concert is Tuesday, June 29, at 7 p.m., with Amy Johansen, university organist and honorary carillonneur at the University of Sydney, Australia. More: http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2010/jun/carillon
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INTERNAL VOICES
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AL-KAISI ON CORN RESIDUE'S EFFECT ON SOIL
"In the old days of hand-picking, the stalks were left upright. They would gradually topple over in winter after the snow came and would decay into the soil. The difference is that those big stalks wouldn't blow away or be washing away in rain or snow runoff. We're worried that the smaller pieces aren't getting into the soil." Mahdi Al-Kaisi, agronomy, is leading a research project to understand how the residue from corn can be used and still replenish the soil.
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EXTERNAL VOICES
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WHAT MAKES A GOOD BOOK
At the annual meeting of the Association of American University Presses, Bill Germano, dean and professor of English literature at the Cooper Union, former publishing director at Routledge, and before that, editor-in-chief at Columbia University Press, urged scholars to imagine their work as something beyond the "exquisite calibration of their research." Authors should ask themselves: "What do you want to happen after the reader has finished your book?"
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MARGINALIA
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FORMER AGRICULTURAL HISTORY GRAD STUDENT WINS RESEARCH AWARD
Adam Ebert, a 2009 graduate of the agricultural history and rural studies doctoral program at ISU, won the Gilbert C. Fite Award for the best dissertation in agricultural history from the Agricultural History Society. The name of the dissertation is "Hive Society: The Popularization of Science and Beekeeping in the British Isles, 1609-1913." It is believed to be the first time a student writing on a non-U.S. history topic has won the award. Ebert, who also has a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from ISU, is an assistant professor of history at Mount Mercy College, Cedar Rapids.
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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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