AG AND LIFE SCIENCES ONLINE
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The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Newsletter
Iowa State University
May 7, 2012 No. 699
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COLLEGE NEWS
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COMMENCEMENT: FIRST CLASS OF GLOBAL RESOURCE SYSTEMS STUDENTS GRADUATE
Sam Bird, Sagar Chawla and Nate Looker graduated on May 5 with a bachelor's degree in Global Resource Systems. The major was first offered in the fall of 2009 and these men are its first graduates. The program currently has 85 students enrolled. More: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/1015/
NUTRITION AND WELNESS RESEARCH CENTER SYMPOSIUM, MAY 16-18
The Nutrition and Wellness Research Center presents its 2012 Symposium on May 16-18 at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center. The central theme of the symposium is about sustainability of health in a world facing climate change, population explosion and diminishing resources. More: http://nwrc.iastate.edu/symposium/
CARD RECEIVES COMPETITIVE GRANT FROM USDA
The Center for Agricultural and Rural Development has received a $768,000 competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support the center's work in policy analysis. The grant will fund analysis focused on farm and agriculture; the environment; rural economies; and consumer, food and nutrition. More: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/1016/
SUPER SCIENTIST POWER"¦ACTIVATE!
Scientists from ISU's Plant Sciences Institute have created a comic book and characters that capture the sense of wonder that their plant sciences-centered research teams generate. "Astonishing Tales of the New Biology" was unveiled at the Science Center of Iowa on May 5. Scientists on hand to discuss this unique project were: Bill Beavis, interim director of the Plant Sciences Institute; Adam Bogdanove, plant pathology and microbiology; Diane Bassham, genetics, development and cell biology; Matt O'Neal, entomology; and Diane Birt, food science and human nutrition. More: http://www.sciowa.org/event-calendar/?day=2012-05-05&id_category=3&view_...
STORM DAMAGE AT BEEF NUTRITION FARM
Storms last week caused damage at the Beef Nutrition Farm, located about five miles northwest of the ISU campus. Sheet metal and debris from the portable calf shed were found in the road and in the pasture. An automatic waterer broke off from the concrete pad and caused some damage to fencing. A hoop building was also damaged. A section of windbreak was blown down, causing damage to the fence line. Minor tree damage at the Horticulture Station was the only other damage reported.
CALS STUDENT ELECTED IOWA FFA PRESIDENT
Steven Brockshus, a freshman in agricultural and life sciences education, is the new state FFA president, elected at last week's FFA Leadership Conference in Ames. Brockshus is a member of Sibley-Ocheyedan FFA at Sibley and was northwest state vice president for the past year. More: http://www.agrinews.com/new/president/feels/blessed/and/humbled/to/be/pa...
CALS FACULTY PROMOTION LIST
The state Board of Regents have approved promotions and/or tenure for 68 ISU faculty members for 2012-13. CALS faculty promoted to professor who are already tenured: Mahdi Al-Kaisi, agronomy; Brian Steward, agricultural and biosystems engineering; and Steve Whitham, plant pathology and microbiology. CALS faculty promoted to associate professor with tenure: Chad Hart, economics; Leonor Leandro, plant pathology and microbioloigy; Michael Retallick, agricultural education and studies; and Timothy Stewart, natural resource ecology and management. More: http://www.inside.iastate.edu/article/2012/05/03/regents
DEADLINES AND REMINDERS
June 28: Iowa Swine Day, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., http://www.extension.iastate.edu/article/iowa-swine-day-returns-iowa-sta...
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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
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OSPA TO STAY ON REGULAR HOURS FOR SUMMER
The OSPA office will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (regular hours) from May 7-Aug. 17, and beyond.
INTERANAL COMPETITION FOR NEW NSF IGERT-CIF21 SOLICITATION
A new NSF Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program-CIF21 Track has been created to address the training and education needs in computational and data enabled science and engineering and cyberinfrastructure research. Proposals must describe integrative, research-based, graduate education and training activities in emerging areas of science and engineering, and must address the training and education needs in CDS&E and cyberinfrastructure research. Institutions are allowed to submit at most one proposal in response to this IGERT-CIF21 track solicitation. Individuals interested in this funding opportunity should submit preproposals to the Office of VPR/ED by Monday, May 21. A review committee will choose the project to be forwarded to NSF. More: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/research/fundingResources/node/122
MAY CAYUSE 424 TRAINING WEBINARS
In an effort to help train new hires in Cayuse 424 before summer deadlines, Cayuse is offering three training webinars in May. Topics of the webinars are Getting Started with Cayuse 424, Detailed Budgeting in Cayuse 424, and Developing, Importing, Exporting and Managing Subcontracts in Cayuse 424. The webinars are provided at no charge. More: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/research/fundingResources/node/123
FUNDING INFORMATION, OPPORTUNITIES AND DEADLINE REMINDERS
Dates listed are application deadlines. Contact: Roxanne Clemens, rclemens@iastate.edu
Additional information is posted at CALS Funding Resources, http://www.ag.iastate.edu/research/fundingResources/
June 6: USAID Resilience and Economic Growth in the Arid Lands-Improving Resilience in Kenya; $49 million, one award. More: http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&oppId=168393
June 7: DOE Small Scale Coal-Biomass to Liquids Production and Feasibility Study of a Commercial Scale CBTL Facility. More: http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=168173
June 15: USAID Vietnam Forest and Deltas Program. More:
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=167813
June 15: SBIR Phase I Commercialization Assistance Program. More: http://www.nifa.usda.gov/funding/sbir/sbir.html
June 15: Farm Bench Management and Benchmarking Competitive Grants Program; $200,000 per objective. More: http://goo.gl/YrWuw
July 20 (preproposal): NSF Belmont Forum - G8 Multilateral International Opportunities Fund Initiative. More: http://www.igfagcr.org/iof-home-page
Aug. 22: NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates. More: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5517&WT.mc_ev=click
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COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
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SEVEN STEPS TO SUMMER WRITING
Summer time is almost here. For many people in higher education this means time spent hunched over a keyboard revising an article or finishing a book. The Chronicle of Higher Education offers the following seven steps to summer writing:
* Have a writing plan.
* Create a physical space for writing.
* Limit your distractions while writing.
* Create an emotional space for writing.
* Collect appropriate writing tools.
* Make writing social if this will help your productivity.
* But most importantly, just write.
More: http://chronicle.com/blogs/profhacker/writers-bootcamp-summer-writing-ed...
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INFOGRAZING
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WORLD PORK EXPO AT IOWA STATE FAIRGROUNDS, JUNE 6-8
The 2012 World Pork Expo will be held June 6-8 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. Along with browsing the nearly 500 trade show exhibits, attendees can take part in seminars covering a wide range of pork industry topics including animal well-being, business and environmental management, production efficiencies and more. More: https://www.worldpork.org/
2012 BEEF PRODUCER BUS TOUR PLANNED
A three-day, three-state beef production bus tour is being planned for July 16-18. ISU Extension and Outreach beef program specialist Joe Sellers is working with Iowa agribusinesses to plan and host the trip. More: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/article/2012-beef-producer-bus-tour-pla...
IOWA ENERGY CENTER REVAMPS WEBSITE
The Iowa Energy Center has launched a new website. Highlighted is a new program called the Learning Institute, which coordinates Iowa Energy Center education and outreach activities to reach Iowans interested in learning more about energy efficiency and renewable energy. The Iowa Energy Center was created in 1990 and is administered through ISU. More: http://www.iowaenergycenter.org/
YOUTUBE CHANNEL FEATURES FARMERS
The Center for Food Integrity has launched "Meet America's Farmers," a YouTube channel of videos featuring today's farmers, http://www.youtube.com/MeetAmericasFarmers. The channel was developed to offer consumers the opportunity to observe the commitment of today's farmers to raising safe, healthy and affordable food.
More: http://www.foodintegrity.org/media-room/press
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INTERNAL VOICES
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SEDUM USED ON MIDWEST ROOFTOPS
"We were interested in having a dramatic change, going from blank and boring one day to completely vegetated the next." Jennifer Bousselot, horticulture, on using the firm Roof Top Sedums for the green roof recently installed on the Memorial Union. See a video of this project on the CALS website, http://www.ag.iastate.edu/video/v/Horticulture_Student_Designs_Memorial_.... Teresa Nelson, ISU horticulture alum, established Roof Top Sedums with her sister and they have provided plants for about 35 projects. More: http://qctimes.com/business/sedum-business-aims-for-midwest-rooftops/art...
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EXTERNAL VOICES
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LANG TELL GRADUATES: STRIVE TO MAKE EVERYONE'S FOOTSTEPS LIGHTER
"Each and every one of you have a responsibility to start the next chapter of life by helping one another conquer the needs of our world. We live in a world that seems so polarized around issues and policies that are incredibly important to life and sustainability. It doesn't have to be this way. Armed with your education, solve our world's problems and strive to make everyone's footsteps lighter and more productive." Craig Lang of Brooklyn, and ISU alumnus and recently re-elected president of the State Board of Regents, gave this May 5 commencement address to 3,000-plus graduates in Hilton Coliseum. More: http://www.inside.iastate.edu/article/2012/05/05/lang
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MARGINALIA
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COMMENCEMENT: CALS STUDENT WALKS TO GRADUATION
Cedar Rapids resident Sonia Kendrick walked across the stage Saturday to collect her diploma in agronomy from ISU. But before enjoying that pomp and circumstance, Kendrick spent four days walking from Cedar Rapids to Ames to raise awareness about hunger in Iowa and for her nonprofit organization, Feed Iowa First. More: http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Cedar-Rapids-Woman-Walks-to-ISU-Graduatio...
COMMENCEMENT: CALS' NEW GRADUATES SHARE PLANS FOR THE FUTURE
At the CALS convocation on May 5, several students used the opportunity to share their plans for the future or some final thoughts. Here are selected examples of the comments:
* Interning at the Philadelphia Zoo.
* Going into the Peace Corps doing agriculture extension.
* The sixth generation to return to the family farm that was established in 1852.
* I loved my time at Iowa State and hope to keep learning for the rest of my life.
* Second assistant superintendent at Des Moines Gold and Country Club.
* Attending ISU's vet school in the fall.
* Pursue a career in law enforcement with the intention of becoming a conservation officer.
* Finished college in four years.
* Working for the National Pork Producers Council in Washington, D.C. in the International Trade Department.
* Dietetic internship at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines.
* My favorite microbe is Deinococcus radiodurans because it can survive one thousand times the amount of radiation that could kill a human.
* Black-tailed deer field technician in western Washington.
* Industrial engineer with Hormel.
* Attending University of Iowa medical school in the fall.
* Teaching agriculture courses at the high school level.
* Six years and four colleges later will be employed at Crop Production Services in Wall Lake.
* Horticultural internship working with permacultural practices on the island of Trinidad.
* Working for the National Park Service.
* Attending University of Minnesota School of Dentistry in the fall.
* Floral designer at Hy-Vee in Cedar Rapids.
* Marketing representative for Caterpillar in North Carolina.
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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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