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AG AND LIFE SCIENCES ONLINE
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The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Newsletter
Iowa State University
July 6, 2010 No. 609
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COLLEGE NEWS
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CHANGING CLIMATE COULD ALTER MEADOWS' ECOSYSTEMS
Diane Debinski, ecology, evolution and organismal biology, has been studying the meadows in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem of the Rocky Mountains since 1992. She has found that if the area's climate becomes drier as the earth's temperature climbs, it could lead to a change in the types of plants and animals that live there. More: http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2010/jul/debinski
ANDERSON HOPING TO DEVELOP LONG-TERM FLOOD FORECASTS
Chris Anderson, agronomy and assistant director of the Climate Science Initiative, is trying to develop tools that will help identify specific locations where there's a flood risk and what economic damage might occur. With flood events occurring more frequently over the past two decades, Anderson suggests it's important to develop new systems for gauging the potential for flooding as the old 100-year and 500-year flood models may be outdated. More: http://www.radioiowa.com/2010/07/06/isu-researcher-hoping-to-develop-lo…
RECENT GRADUATES START AN AMES BIOENERGY COMPANY
Three recent ISU graduates are building a startup company, Avello Bioenergy Inc., on technology they helped develop at Iowa State. The company's focus will be to produce bio-oils that can be used to replace petroleum-based materials in asphalt, can be processed into various renewable chemicals and can be used as renewable industrial fuels. The company is based at the BioCentury Research Farm. More: http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2010/jul/avello
ASABE INTERNATIONAL MEETING HONORS FOR STUDENTS, FACULTY AND ALUMNI
A number of awards were given to Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering undergraduate students, faculty, staff and alumni at the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers International meeting in June. Faculty and staff recipients were Steve Hoff, Jay Harmon, Charles Schwab, Raj Raman and Kathy Walker.
WEB PROFILE: ASHLEE HESPEN SHARES HER STUDY ABROAD EXPERIENCE
Ashlee Hespen is featured on the college's home page sharing her travel abroad experiences. She is a junior in public service and administration in agriculture from Conrad. She also is a 2008 Hixson Scholar who traveled to Bulgaria last semester; there she visited Rome and several spots in Europe. To view her profile and other student profiles, go to http://www.ag.iastate.edu and refresh the page to see different stories. If you know students you think should be featured, contact Barb McBreen, barbmc@istate.edu, 4-0707.
IOWA DRAINAGE SCHOOL, JULY 27-29
The 2010 Iowa Drainage School will be held July 27-29 at the Borlaug Learning Center on the Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm in Nashua. The school provides hand-on training on sub-surface drainage design, concepts and considerations. ISU Extension sponsors the school and the Agribusiness Education Program handles registration. More: http://www.aep.iastate.edu/ids/homepage.html
ISU CROP FIELD GUIDES HAVE HIGH VALUE TO AGRIBUSINESS
In 2008-2009, the Corn and Soybean Initiative staff collaborated with the Iowa Soybean Association, CALS faculty and staff and Extension to create a series of field guides"”Soybean Disease and Pest Management Field Guide, Soybean Aphid Management Field Guide, Soybean Cyst Nematode Management Field Guide and Corn Field Guide. More than 250,000 copies of the field guides have been produced. In March agribusiness personnel were surveyed to assess their experiences with the field guides. Results mirror what has been heard anecdotally; these guides are useful resources for corn and soybean growers and people who advise them. More: Greg Tylka, gltylka@iastate.edu, 4-3021.
DEADLINES AND REMINDERS
July 9: Deadline to submit abstracts for the RNA in Motion Conference
July 23: Retirement reception for Linda Schultz, 9:30 to 11 a.m., 142 Curtiss Hall
July 23-24: BBMB 50th Anniversary Celebration, http://www.bbmb.iastate.edu/
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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
July 15: USDA Small Business Innovation Research Phase I Commercialization Assistance Program; two years, $100,000 total.
July 31: Physics of Living Systems. More: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=6673&WT.mc_id=USNSF_39
Aug. 13: Triple Bottom Line Accounting Competition: A Method for Identifying Impacts of Economic Development Initiatives on Regional Economies; one award, $500,000 for one year, cost sharing required.
Aug. 13 (preapplication required): DOE Early Career Research Program; 50 awards, $6 million total anticipated funding.
Aug. 16 (preproposals): Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Summer 2010 Request for Preproposals.
Aug. 16: EPA Forum on Environmental Measurement, Support to Develop Measurement Tools, Accreditation Standards and Technical Support; one award, $750,000 for up to five years.
Aug. 27: New York Stem Cell foundation Early Career Investigator Awards for Innovative and Translational Stem Cell Studies; $300,000 per year for up to five years.
Sept. 28: EPA Cooperative Training Partnership in Aquatic Toxicology and Ecosystem Research; $400,000 per award, $1.8 million total anticipated funding.
Oct. 5: NIFA Fellowships Grant Program; two-year awards, $75,000 for pre-docs, $130,000 for post-docs.
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COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
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IMPLIES VS. INFERS
The writer or speaker "implies" (hints, suggests). The reader or listener "infers" (deduces). The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., 2003.
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INFOGRAZING
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READ ABOUT WETLANDS THIS SUMMER
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Wetlands Division offers a comprehensive online wetland reading list for children, teenagers and young adults. Themes in the books help readers learn about the roles that wetlands play in our environment and the significant benefits they provide. The list includes more than 100 books of all types"”fiction, non-fiction and picture books. Entries are listed alphabetically by grade level.
IOWA GRAZING CONFERENCE, AUG. 23-24
The Iowa Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative will conduct a grazing conference Aug. 23-24 in West Des Moines at the Iowa Farm Bureau headquarters. ISU speakers include Steve Barnhart, agronomy, and Erin Herbold, Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation. Sponsors include the Iowa Beef Center and the Leopold Center.
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INTERNAL VOICES
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ISU RESEARCH FARM CELEBRATES 75TH ANNIVERSARY
"That's why we're here. We try things, and if it doesn't work, we tell you about it so you don't make the same mistake." Vince Lawson, superintendent of the Muscatine Island Research and Demonstration Farm in Fruitland. About 60 visitors turned out on June 29 to celebrate the farm's 75-year partnership with Iowa State University. More: http://www.muscatinejournal.com/news/local/article_dbabfbe4-83f6-11df-b…
JUNE SHOWERS BRING"¦BUGS!
Earwigs, wiggly bugs with long antennae and pincers on the back, and millipedes, which come in a variety of lengths and colors and have a lot of legs, might be vile to look at and disgusting to deal with, said Donald Lewis, entomology, but "they don't carry diseases, they don't bite, they don't sting, they don't eat your house, and they don't attack your home's contents." More: http://qctimes.com/news/local/article_6b80081a-87e8-11df-88bc-001cc4c00…
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MARGINALIA
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DISPOSABLE BAG FEE PROMPTS SHOPPERS TO CHANGE HABITS
The District of Columbia is among the nation's leaders in efforts to reduce the number of disposable plastic bags that end up as litter in waterways. Beginning in January 2010, all businesses that sell food or alcohol in the District of Columbia are required to charge five cents for each disposable paper or plastic bag sold at the register. The effort appears to be influencing people's bag use"”businesses report that disposable bag use dropped by up to 80 percent in the first month after the fee went into effect.
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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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