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AG AND LIFE SCIENCES ONLINE
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The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Newsletter
Iowa State University
Feb. 7, 2011 No. 637
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COLLEGE NEWS
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SPRING CONVOCATION TODAY, FEB. 7
The CALS Spring Convocation is today, Feb. 7, at 4 p.m. in the Memorial Union Sun Room. The program includes brief comments from Dean Wintersteen and college award presentations. Refreshments will follow the ceremony.
IOWA POVERTY INCREASING, BUT REMAINS BELOW NATIONAL AVERAGE
David Peters, sociology, has been examining recent poverty data collected by the U.S. Census Bureau and comparing those figures with data going back to 1969. While Iowa has had lower poverty levels than the rest of the nation for nearly four decades, trends for the past 10 years show that Iowa is losing ground. In the past decade, Iowa's poverty rate has gone from 9.13 to 11.37 percent. More: http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2011/feb/peters2011
CONSERVATION STATION ACCEPTING REQUESTS FOR 2011
The Iowa Learning Farms' Conservation Station is a mobile learning center that encourages all Iowans to help protect and improve soil and water quality. More than 4,000 people visited the Conservation Station at 50 different events in 2010, including county fairs, festivals, farmers' markets, field days and student educational events. Requests are now being accepted for 2011 events.
AG BUSINESS SENIOR SHARES EXPERIENCE AS A STUDENT PEER MENTOR
Mentoring fellow students in a learning community is among the most rewarding experiences Carly Cummings has had at ISU. Cummings, an agricultural business senior from Pleasantville, is one of more than 300 students who mentor their peers in Iowa State's 84 learning communities. She shared her experiences at the Learning Communities Institute on Jan. 28. More: http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2011/jan/LCPeerMentors
CALS SEEKING ASSISTANT DEAN FOR DIVERSITY AND GRADUATE PROGRAMS
CALS is seeking internal applicants for the position of assistant dean for diversity and graduate programs. The assistant dean will play a key leadership role in ensuring excellence in the college's diversity programs for undergraduate and graduate students. Applications are due March 1. Under faculty, see posting titled "Assistant Dean for Diversity and Graduate Programs," vacancy #110022
DEMONSTRATION OF NEW ADOBE CONNECT 8, FEB. 23
The Brenton Center will be demonstrating the new Adobe Connect 8 on Feb. 23 at 1 p.m. in 13 Curtiss Hall. Adobe Connect is an enterprise web conferencing solution for online meetings, eLearning and webinars. Bring a laptop for a brief "hands-on with Connect" session following the demonstration.
More: Todd Vens, trvens@iastate.edu
COMPUTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE CALL FOR PROPOSALS
The Computation Advisory Committee is searching for projects that will have a broad impact on student computing and represent innovative uses of information technology for instruction at ISU. Student involvement in the development of proposals is encouraged. Proposals are due in CALS on Feb. 28. Submit to David Acker, dacker@iastate.edu.
`BUGGUIDE' DEVELOPER ANSWERS FIVE QUESTIONS
ISU systems analyst John VanDyk provides IT services to several departments, including entomology, the department that garnered Internet fame for its insect photo gallery. BugGuide.net, an encyclopedia of insects and spiders, had more than 809 million hits in 2010.
CORNBELT COW-CALF CONFERENCE CELEBRATES 40TH ANNIVERSARY
The Cornbelt Cow-Calf Conference will celebrate its 40th anniversary on Feb. 26 in the Bridge View Center in Ottumwa. The conference is an opportunity for producers, researchers and industry representatives to come together to explore current topics and issues. Financial support for the conference is provided in part by the Iowa Beef Center and ISU Extension.
LEOPOLD CENTER'S QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER ONLINE
The Leopold Center"˜s quarterly newsletter is now available online. This issue recaps the 10th anniversary of the Iowa Organic Conference, and discusses how people and organizations create innovations on the landscape.
DONATION BOXES FOR THE SHOP IN CURTISS HALL
The Anthropology Learning Community is supporting the new student run food pantry on campus, Students Helping Our Peers (SHOP), by hosting an International Food Drive. Through Feb. 14, boxes will be available on the first, second and third floors of Curtiss Hall for non-perishable donations. More: Jennifer Lambert, jlambert@iastate.edu
DEADLINES AND REMINDERS
Feb. 12: Beginning Farmers Conference
Feb. 15: ISU Aphid Research Symposium, Dai Nguyen, dna112@iastate.edu
Feb. 23: Proposals due for ISU On-Farm Research and Demonstration Grant Program, http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/newsreleases/2011/010711_onfarmgran…
March 7-8: Iowa Water Conference
April 1: Application deadline for CALS P&S Exceptional Performance Pay requests
April 6-7: Egg Industry Issues Forum
April 19-20: BIGMAP Food and Fuel Symposium, Gateway Conference Center
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EXTERNAL FUNDING
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CREATE A BLEMISH-FREE GRANT APPLICATION
A recent article in the NIH New Investigator Series focuses on how to create an appealing grant application and what mistakes to avoid. Most of the concepts are applicable to any grant application.
NSF BROADER IMPACTS WORKSHOP: K-12 ED AND EDUCATION RESEARCH MARCH 2
The Office of the VPR/ED and Strengthening the Professoriate at Iowa State will hold a workshop focusing on the broader impacts portion of NSF proposals. Representatives from campus programs that promote K-12 education and education research will discuss ways their programs can partner with faculty to develop successful broader impacts plans. The workshop will be March 2, 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the Memorial Union Pioneer Room. All faculty, postdocs and advanced graduate students are invited. Sign-up is not required. This is the first of two broader impacts workshops; the second will be held March 8. Contact: SP@ISU office, spisu@iastate.edu, 4-8061.
SYMBI PROGRAM ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS
Symbi, Iowa's NSF GK-12 Program, is accepting applications for nine fellowships for doctoral students for 2011-12. Applicants must be doctoral students (post-prelim) whose major professor is associated with the Bioeconomy Institute, NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals or Plant Sciences Institute. Applicants must hold U.S. citizenship or permanent residency. Applications are due March 1. Contact: Lindsey Long, lindseyl@iastate.edu, 294-8582.
NIST FY2011 CONSTRUCTION GRANT PROGRAM COMPETITION
The National Institute for Standards and Technology has announced an FY2011 competition for construction grants for research science buildings or facilities whose purpose is for the conduct of scientific research, including laboratories, test facilities, measurement facilities, research computing facilities and observatories. ISU is allowed to submit two proposals. Concept papers are due to Dorothy Pimlott, dpimlott@iastate.edu, by Feb. 24.
FUNDING INFORMATION, OPPORTUNITIES AND DEADLINE REMINDERS
Dates listed are application deadlines. Contact: Roxanne Clemens, rclemens@iastate.edu
March 7 (letter of intent): NIMHD Exploratory Centers of Excellence (P20); 16 to 18 awards, $950,000 per year up to five years. More: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MD-11-002.html
March 28: EPA Pollution Prevention (P2); $20,000 to $180,000, 50 percent match required.
April 4: FY 2011 USDA Food Assistance and Nutrition Research Program; eight awards, $100,000 to $300,000.
June 5: Ancillary Studies to the NIDDK Intestinal Stem Cell Consortium (R01). More: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-11-107.html
July 5: Research Coordination Networks; 15 to 35 awards, $50,000 to $500,000. More: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2010/nsf10566/nsf10566.pdf
Sept. 5 (letter of intent): Improving Diet and Physical Activity Assessment (R01). More: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-09-224.html
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COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
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ENSURE, INSURE, ASSURE
Use "ensure" to mean guarantee: Steps were taken to ensure accuracy.
Use "insure" for references to insurance: The policy insures his life.
Use "assure" to mean to make sure or give confidence: She assured us the statement was accurate.
(The Associated Press Stylebook, 45th ed., 2010)
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INFOGRAZING
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REGISTRATION FOR SUSTAINABILITY SYMPOSIUM CLOSES FEB. 15
Online registration for ISU's third annual Symposium on Sustainability closes on Feb. 15. The symposium, scheduled for Feb. 21-22 at the Memorial Union, provides the platform for students, faculty and staff to take ownership in determining their specific interests, opportunities and commitment to a sustainable future for ISU through interactive sustainability visioning sessions and a number of education and awareness building presentations and panel discussions.
REIMAN GARDENS ASKING FOR YOUR VOTE
Popular vote is the basis for Reiman Gardens receiving a $5,000 grant to install a rain garden. You may vote once per day. The Rainbird Intelligent Use of Water Awards is an interactive grant program that awards funds to water conservation and environmental sustainability projects that promote green spaces. Voting ends on March 22. To vote: http://www.iuowawards.com/Projects.aspx#search
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INTERNAL VOICES
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FSHN STUDENT ON SHELVING HUNGER
Lots of college students don't eat well, but some don't eat much at all. "We understand as college students, college isn't as affordable right now, so we need to find other ways to cut back." Hailey Boudreau, a sophomore in dietetics, in Inside Higher Ed last week about an ISU campus food pantry she helped set up called The SHOP (Students Helping Our Peers).
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EXTERNAL VOICES
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DEPUTY SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE ON BIOBASED PRODUCT LABEL
"Today's consumers are increasingly interested in making educated purchasing choices for their families. This label will make those decisions easier by identifying products as biobased. Increasing the purchase of biobased products brings value to America by continuing to boost demand for renewable commodities; by helping to secure our nation's energy security and by creating jobs, investment and income." Kathleen Merrigan, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, on the launch of USDA's BioPreferred labeling program. ISU's Center for Industrial Research and Service is manager of the program and will identify biobased products, investigate and analyze potential designation items, provide industry perspective and act as a conduit between business and government.
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MARGINALIA
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HEARTLAND VIEWS ON EXHIBIT
"Heartland Views: Photography" by Michael D. Sherer is on exhibit in the Memorial Union Gallery Feb. 12 to March 29. Sherer is a photographer and film professor at the University of Nebraska, Omaha.
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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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