AG AND LIFE SCIENCES ONLINE
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The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Newsletter
Iowa State University
March 14, 2011 No. 642
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COLLEGE NEWS
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CALS UNDERGRADUATE PLACEMENT RATE: 98.2 PERCENT
Overall placement rate for CALS undergraduates from fall 2009 through summer 2010 is 98.2 percent. Placement includes students that have assumed employment, further education or military obligations. Mike Gaul, director of career services, says the college is doing its part to minimize the brain drain out of Iowa, with 75.8 percent of graduates staying in Iowa for their first employment opportunity. Individual departmental numbers can be viewed via the composite summary, http://www.career.ag.iastate.edu/files/PlacementSummary200910.pdf
COMMENTARY EXAMINES ROLE OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH
Wallace Huffman, economics, chaired a task force of scientists and researchers to provide insights into the state of U.S. investments in public agricultural research. The work has been compiled into a commentary from the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology titled "Investing in a better Future through Public Agricultural Research." This report is directed to Congress for funding, the administration for initiatives and the public for insight. More: http://www.cast-science.org/
UNDERGRADUATES SHOWCASE RESEARCH AT CAPITOL, MARCH 22
Undergraduates will present their research to legislators and others during the sixth annual "Research in the Capitol," on March 22, 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the rotunda of the State Capitol building in Des Moines. CALS students consist of: Madeline Tomka, agronomy; Kimberly Brown, agronomy and kinesiology; Raeann Shimak, biochemistry and genetics; Cynthia Salas, biochemistry; Hana Yoon, biology; Pavel Brodskiy, chemical engineering and biology; Andrew Paxson, environmental science; Jordon Pace and Alan Moss, biology; Jay Hoch, genetics; Quincy Law, horticulture; and Wesley Klejch, microbiology. More: http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2011/mar/ResearchCapitol
DES MOINES POVERTY RATES CAN BE MISLEADING
Official poverty numbers for the Des Moines metropolitan area show rates that are much lower than the rest of Iowa and better than nationwide numbers. But David Peters, sociology, has found neighborhoods of extreme poverty often a short distance from neighborhoods of extreme wealth. More: http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2011/mar/petersdsm2011
TICKETS AVAILABLE FOR DNA DINNER, MARCH 25
Tickets are available for the DNA Dinner, scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. on March 25 in the Molecular Biology Atrium. The evening is presented by the Undergraduate Microbiology Club and the Genetics Club. The evening will begin with a presentation by Matthias Machner of the National Institutes of Health, followed by a catered dinner. Games will round out the evening as faculty and students compete for prizes. A ticket is required for the event; tickets are available for a minimum donation of $5 for students and $10 for faculty and the public. More: Ben Janson, isu.microclub@gmail.com or bjjanson@iastate.edu.
LAWNMOWER SERVICE DAYS, MARCH 25-26
The Agriculture Systems Technology Club will hold its annual Lawnmower Service Days on March 25 from 1 to 6 p.m. and March 26 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Industrial Education II building, west of the ISU horse barns. Cost is $35 for a push mower and $40 for a riding mower. Pick-up and delivery is available for Ames only; $15 for push mowers and $20 for riding mowers. More: astservicedays@gmail.com, (515) 708-5476.
THINK TANK ON ANIMAL AGRICULTURE: IOWA'S ANIMAL INDUSTRY
"Iowa's Animal Industry Through the Eyes of the Animal Commodity Groups" is the title of this month's Think Tank on Animal Agriculture, scheduled for March 28 at the Iowa Cattlemen's Association building. Personnel from the Iowa Beef Industry Council, Midwest Dairy Association, Iowa Egg Council, Iowa Pork Producers Association, Iowa Sheep Industry Association and Iowa Turkey Federation will lead the discussion. Please register your attendance by noon on March 25 with Jane Linn at jlinn@iastate.edu. The cost is $5 payable at the door.
FAREWELL RECEPTION FOR RICH PIROG, MARCH 30
A farewell reception for Rich Pirog will be held on March 30 at 2 to 3:30 p.m., with a program at 2:45, in the Hunziker House at Reiman Gardens. Pirog, associate director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, has accepted a position at Michigan State University.
JAMES BOREL TO PRESENT HERTZ LECTURE, APRIL 6
James Borel, executive vice president of DuPont, will present the 2011 Carl and Marjory Hertz Lecture on Emerging Issues in Agriculture on April 6 at 8 p.m. in the Memorial Union Sun Room. Borel will present "How Agricultural Innovation and Collaboration Will Shape the Future of the World." Borel is an ISU agricultural business alum. More: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/922/
PROPOSALS FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FUNDS DUE APRIL 13
The College's Technology Advancement Committee has issued its annual request for proposals inviting applications for funds for computer-based instructional support and general IT needs of students. Approximately $80,000 will be available for 2011-12. The funding comes from computer fees paid by students so all projects must show direct benefit to students. The RFP is available at: http://www.anslab.iastate.edu/tac/10-11/2011%20COA%20RFP.pdf. Proposals are due April 13. More: Philip Spike, plspike@iastate.edu, 4-6030.
AGDISCOVERY PROGRAM SEEKS TEENS, APPLY BY APRIL 15
ISU and the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service invite youth interested in studying animals to apply for the AgDiscovery program. The ISU program is scheduled for July 17-30 and will explore the interconnection among wildlife biology and conservation, laboratory technology and diagnostics, animal science and veterinary medicine. Application deadline is April 15. More: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/921/
SPRING SESSION FOCUSES ON NEW SODIUM RECOMMENDATIONS
The spring 2011 Current Issues in Nutrition session is "Shake the Salt: New Sodium Recommendations and Implications." The newly released sodium recommendations from the Institute of Medicine and the 2010 Dietary Guidelines have initiated much discussion among the general public, health care professionals and food industry. How can the public achieve a daily sodium intake of 1,500 milligrams? What prompted this lower recommendation? How is industry responding? More: http://www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/cin/home.html
MABRY RECEIVES DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD
John Mabry, animal science and director of ISU's Iowa Pork Industry Center, received the Distinguished Service Award during the national Pork Industry Forum held March 3-5 in Phoenix. The award is given to recognize the lifelong contributions to the pork industry of an outstanding leader.
VANDERZANDEN RECEIVES INLA MERIT AWARD
Ann Marie VanDerZanden, horticulture, received the Iowa Nursery and Landscape Association's Merit Award during the organization's annual trade show and conference, held Feb. 23-25. VanDerZanden developed a 20-module online training program to assist Iowa nursery professionals in preparing for the Iowa Certified Nursery Professional exam and she established a series of webinars for INLA members to keep updated on the latest information in the industry.
STROHBEHN RECEIVES HALL OF FAME AWARD
Daryl Strohbehn, professor emeritus of animal science, received the Iowa Cattlemen's Association Hall of Fame Award. He was recognized for his leadership to the beef industry in two forms: first, leadership to extension programs for the Iowa beef cow sector; and second, leadership to the development, publishing and use of educational materials, computer software and production methods sought by producers and educators.
KANWAR SPEAKS AT INDO-US WORKSHOP
Ramesh Kanwar, agricultural and biosystems engineering, spoke at the Indo-US Workshop on the Critical Global Challenge: Managing Water Resources for Food Security and Sustainability, held March 4-6 in Chennai, India. Kanwar's session explored issues related to managing water for agricultural use and the ecosystem services it provides. The workshop was organized by the M.S. Swaminathan Foundation and the University of Nebraska Water for Food Institute, and sponsored by Indo-U.S. Science & Technology Forum. More: http://waterforfood.nebraska.edu/wfi-in-the-news/institute-co-organizes-...
CALS STUDENTS WIN ENTREPRENEURSHIP SCHOLARSHIPS
Three students involved in the college's Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative's program have been awarded scholarships. Darrin Rahn, a junior in agricultural business and marketing from Mt. Carroll, and Ellen Weiss, a sophomore in agricultural studies from Ames, were awarded the 2011 Bob Jolly Entrepreneurship Scholarship. Carly Cumings, a junior majoring in agricultural business from Pleasantville, has been awarded the 2011 Ryan Pellett Family Scholarship. More: http://www.entrepreneurship.ag.iastate.edu/undergrads.html
CALS ACTIVITIES PROMOTE RECYCLING, SUSTAINABILITY
CALS faculty, staff and students have been increasing efforts to help reduce energy usage and promote a culture of sustainability throughout the college. Departments have posted adhesive switch plate decals and signs to increase energy-conscious use of lighting, growth chambers, fume hoods in labs and elevators. Additional bins for recycling newsprint and redeemable beverage containers, new collection points for recycling corrugated cardboard, and a drop-box for collecting used rechargeable batteries and cell phones are now in place. And, students are participating in research projects to measure the carbon footprint of the ISU campus and Research and Demonstration Farms and assisting with several of the ISU recycling programs.
DEADLINES AND REMINDERS
April 6-7: Egg Industry Issues Forum, http://www.ans.iastate.edu/EIC/?pg=2011forum
April 19-20: BIGMAP Symposium, http://www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/bigmap/home.html
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EXTERNAL FUNDING
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SP@ISU BROADER IMPACTS PRESENTATIONS ONLINE
The presentations for the NSF Broader Impacts Workshop: K-12 Education and Education Research held on March 2 are available on the SP@ISU website. More: http://www.spisu.iastate.edu/events/view/id/9
PSI SOLICITS PROPOSALS FOR TRANSDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH PROGRAM
The Plant Sciences Institute is soliciting proposals for Phases I and II of the FY12 Transdisciplinary Research Program to pursue grand challenge projects involving plant science. Phase I team-building awards of up to $40,000 promote the formation of teams. Phase II team-enabling grants of up to $250,000 per year fund development of functional teams from existing teams. Applications are due June 1 and June 15, respectively. Contact: Deanne Brill, dbrill@iastate.edu, 4-5255.
TRAVEL SUPPORT FOR 2011 NIH GRANTS SEMINARS
CALS will provide $800 each for up to five faculty members to attend the 2011 NIH Regional Seminar on Program Funding and Grants Administration. Participants will interact with NIH policy officials, grants management staff, program and review staff, and eRA Commons experts. The seminar is offered April 27-29 in Scottsdale, Ariz., and June 22-24 in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Preference will be given to new/early career faculty and then to mid-career faculty. Individuals who receive support will be asked to share new knowledge within the college. Interested faculty should contact Joe Colletti, colletti@iastate.edu. More: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/seminars.htm
FUNDING INFORMATION, OPPORTUNITIES AND DEADLINE REMINDERS
Dates listed are application deadlines. Contact: Roxanne Clemens, rclemens@iastate.edu
April 22: EPA Pesticide Registration Improvement Renewal Act (PRIA 2) Partnership Grants; four awards, $250,000 for two years. More: http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=77273
April 27 (letter of intent): Partnerships for Biodefense (R01). More: http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-AI-11-014.html
April 29: Saving Lives at Birth: A Grand Challenge for Development; 25 seed grants $250,000, five transition grants $2 million. More: http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=77438
April 29 (concept papers): Biodiversity Conservation Program (USAID El Salvador); $10 million over five years. More: http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=78214
May 5: New Connections: Increasing Diversity of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Programming; $75,000 per award. More: Junior investigators - http://www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=21344, mid-career investigators - http://www.rwjf.org/applications/solicited/cfp.jsp?ID=21343
May 5, May 16 (letter of intent): Economics of Retirement; (R01) http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-11-138.html, (R03) http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-11-139.html, (R21) http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-11-140.html
May 10 (preliminary proposals): Assembling, Visualizing, and Analyzing the Tree of Life. More: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503629
May 10: Women and Minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Fields Program, $75,000 to $300,000. More: http://nifa.usda.gov/funding/rfas/pdfs/11_wams.pdf
May 13: WaterSMART Grants to Develop Climate Analysis Tools for FY 2011; two to six awards up to $200,000 each, 50% cost share required.
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=77593
May 13: Iowa Specialty Crop Block Grant; $24,000 over three years. More: http://www.iowaagriculture.gov/Horticulture_and_FarmersMarkets/specialty...
July 5, July 16: Impact of Health Communication Strategies on Dietary Behaviors. More: (R01) http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-08-239.html, (R21) http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-08-240.html
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COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
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NOTABLE VS. NOTICEABLE VS. NOTEWORTHY
* Notable (readily noticed) applies both to physical things and to qualities "“ notable sense of humor.
* Noticeable means detectable with the physical senses "“ a noticeable limp.
* Noteworthy means remarkable "“ a noteworthy act of kindness.
The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., 2003.
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INFOGRAZING
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A SCIENCE WRITER'S EXPERIENCES TALKING WITH SCIENTISTS
Freelance science writer Douglas Fox will be on campus March 21 and 22 to provide insight into his experience writing about science. Fox has written articles for numerous publications including Science, Discover, National Geographic and The Christian Science Monitor. Fox will give a talk at 1 p.m. on March 22 in 3140 Agronomy Hall, titled "A Science Writer's Experiences Talking with Scientists." More: http://www.event.iastate.edu/event/24612/?sy=2011&sm=03&sd=07
STASH THE TRASH EVENT, MARCH 26
Join volunteers from ISU and the Ames community for VEISHEA Service Day/Stash the Trash on March 26. Activities range from cleaning up campus and Ames parks, to building houses, painting and helping organize donations. A free lunch will be provided and each volunteer will receive free admission to Reiman Gardens. More: www.veishea.iastate.edu/service
DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT ASSISTORS AVAILABLE
The university has designated several offices to provide assistance through persons designated as assistors to help anyone who believes she or he may have been subjected to discrimination and harassment or who wishes to make an inquiry concerning discrimination and harassment. Assistors have information about university policies and procedures and about options available for the resolution of complaints. For a current list of all designated assistors on the ISU campus: http://www.hrs.iastate.edu/AAO/assistors.shtml
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EXTERNAL VOICES
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BOREL CALLS AGRICULTURE THE "OPTIMISTIC SCIENCE"
"We can feed ourselves and we can fuel renewable energy to meet the demands of 2050," says James Borel, executive vice president of DuPont. But, he added, that is possible only if governments support open markets and competition, and only if farmers, policymakers and agricultural industry officials all work together to innovate. More: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011103130321
Borel, an ISU agricultural business alum, will present the 2011 Carl and Marjory Hertz Lecture on Emerging Issues in Agriculture on April 6, 8 p.m., in the Memorial Union Sun Room. More: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/922/
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MARGINALIA
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"SOY SISTAS" WIN FIRST PLACE IN SOY COOKING CONTEST
"Soy Sistas" team members Amanda Pudlik, Elise Fiscus and Cassie Miller, all seniors in culinary science, received first place in the "Soy You Think You Can Cook" competition, sponsored by Soyfoods Council, ISU Dining and Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. Their recipes were a sweet and savory Monte Cristo sandwich that included soy cheese, soy cream cheese and vanilla soy milk, and a creamy winter squash and apple soup that included soy milk and soft tofu.
ANIMAL SCIENCE STUDENT TRAINS DOG TO ASSIST BLIND
Christopher Byrd, a senior in animal science, has trained an eight-month-old labrador named Murphy in preparation for Leader Dogs for the Blind. Byrd is one of two ISU students currently raising puppies for the organization. More: http://www.iowastatedaily.com/news/article_603a6cd6-4820-11e0-a982-001cc...
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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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