AG AND LIFE SCIENCES ONLINE
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The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Newsletter
Iowa State University
Aug. 27, 2012 No. 715
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COLLEGE NEWS
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CURTISS HALL CLOSED TUESDAY; HOW TO REACH KEY PEOPLE IN COLLEGE
To accommodate President Obama's visit to central campus on Tuesday, Aug. 28, Curtiss Hall will be closed. Mail services to Curtiss Hall will resume on Wednesday; any special or overnight deliveries will be redirected to Room 1581 or 1583 in Food Sciences Building. The list below identifies ways to reach key staff in College of Agriculture and Life Sciences' administrative offices on Tuesday:
* Dean's Office/Experiment Station "“ Senior Associate Dean Joe Colletti will work from Room 1581, Food Sciences Building, phone 4-9425, or email; calls to Carla Persaud (4-1823) will be forwarded to 4-9425. Associate Dean David Acker will work from Room 105A Horticulture, contact by email. Roxanne Clemens will work from Room 1583m, Food Sciences Building, phone 4-3431, or email.
* Student Services "“ The main office number, 4-2766, will forward to Tim Carey, who will work from Room 105B, Horticulture Hall. Tom Polito will work from Room 1126K, Agronomy Hall; contact him by email.
* Career Services "“ Mike Gaul will work from Room 3505, Memorial Union. Contact by cell (515) 231-6974 or email.
* Brenton Center and CALS IT "“ Gaylan Scofield and Joel Higgins will work via remote connection off-campus. College servers will be available for remote access. Email will be the best way to contact staff.
* Communications Service "“ Brian Meyer will work from Room 1571, Food Sciences Building; contact by cell, (515) 291-0526 or email. Email will be the best way to contact other staff.
AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS CLUB NAMED TOP IN U.S.
The ISU Agricultural Business Club won two major awards at the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association conference in Seattle earlier this month. The club was named National Outstanding Chapter for the seventh consecutive year and ISU students also won the Academic Quiz Bowl for the first time in the club's history. More: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/1036/
PLACEMENT NUMBERS MAKE AG BUSINESS A BANKABLE MAJOR
A 100 percent placement rate is unusual for any major, but that was the number for ISU's agricultural business major (spring 2012 graduates). Mike Gaul, director of CALS Career Services, said a recent regional report on annual salaries for graduates earning bachelor's degrees in agriculture and related fields found top-earning majors included agricultural business as well as technology, food science and agronomy. More: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/1035/
ISU IN MANY AREAS OF FARM PROGRESS SHOW, AUG. 28-30
ISU will be integrated into different aspects of the Farm Progress Show, scheduled for Aug. 28-30 at the intersection of Highways 17 and 30 east of Boone. There will be displays in the permanent hoop building and agricultural tours to nearby research projects and facilities. Look for ISU banners around the show grounds to locate Iowa State experts and exhibits. More: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/article/iowa-state-university-many-area...
AUG. 29 ARTWALK IS IN NEW CURTISS HALL GALLERY
ISU Museum's Nancy Girard will share the story of the new Dean's Gallery of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences on the first floor of Curtiss Hall during an Artwalk, Aug. 29, noon to 1 p.m. (meet outside the Curtiss west entrance). The gallery features Christian Petersen sculptures and several new paintings that reflect the college's mission.
INFLUENZA STRAIN AMONG PIGS AND HUMANS APPEARS MILD
Increasing reports this month of humans infected by influenza after close contact with pigs at county and state fairs shouldn't send pork producers "“ or anyone else, for that matter "“ scrambling for the panic button, veterinary and animal science experts at ISU said this week. The H3N2 variant likely won't become a cause for major concern for consumers or producers. More: http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2012/08/20/h3n2v
NEW BIOTECHNOLOGY COUNCIL MEMBERS NAMED
Aaron Gassmann, entomology; Kristen Johansen, biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology; and Jeanne Serb, ecology, evolution and organismal biology, have been selected to serve three-year terms on ISU's Biotechnology Council. The council makes recommendations to the Office of Biotechnology on program activities supporting biotechnology research, education and outreach. More: http://www.biotech.iastate.edu/news/120821.html
OWNER OF GRASS TENNIS COURT TO SPEAK ON CAMPUS, AUG. 29
Mark Kuhn, a farmer and ISU alum, will share his recent experience as a Wimbledon intern on Aug. 29, at 6 p.m. in 118 Horticulture Hall, at a meeting of ISU's Turfgrass Club. Kuhn, of Charles City, is the owner and caretaker of Iowa's only grass tennis court. More: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/1037/
LEOPOLD CENTER HOLDS WELCOME RECEPTION FOR RASMUSSEN, SEPT. 6
The Leopold Center will hold a welcome reception for its new director, Mark Rasmussen, on Sept. 6, 3:30 to 5 p.m. (with a program at 4) in the Memorial Union Campanile Room.
ALUMNI OF EXCELLENCE SEMINAR SERIES
Jeramie Strickland will present the first of four seminars in the college's "Alumni of Excellence" seminar series on Sept. 7 at 11 a.m. in room 2256 of the Multicultural Center at the Memorial Union. Strickland will speak on "Life As a Wildlife Biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service". Strickland received his master's degree in ecology and evolutionary biology at ISU in 2008. More: http://www.career.ag.iastate.edu/young-alum/jeramie-t-strickland. The seminar series is supported by an ISU Women's and Diversity Committee grant to Sue Lamont, CALS Equity Advisor, and Aurelio Curbelo, CALS Multicultural Liaison Officer.
CALS COLLECTING BOOKS FOR ISU/UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN FUNDRAISER
CALS is collecting books for an ISU/United Way Campaign fundraising event this fall. Donations of paperback and hardcover books (not textbooks), comic books and DVDs are being collected in 111 Curtiss Hall (Carla Persaud) and 2102 Molecular Biology Building (Linda Wild). Last year's college book sale raised more than $900. Sale dates are to be determined.
DEADLINES AND REMINDERS
Sept. 4: CALS Convocation, 4:10 p.m., Memorial Union Sun Room.
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SPECIAL SECTION: WHAT I DID LAST SUMMER
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INTRODUCTION
We recently asked departments in CALS to submit examples of faculty and staff summer activities. This section highlights some of those activities.
STEVE MICKELSON: Working on 2+2 Degree Program in China
"I had the opportunity to travel to Dalian, China, to work with Dalian Polytechnic University faculty on a 2+2 undergraduate degree program focused on food engineering. The students will take their first two years at DPU and then transfer to ISU to complete their degree in biological systems engineering. The food and the hospitality were excellent. Dalian is a beautiful city." Steve Mickelson, chair, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering.
HONGWEI XIN: Quantifying Advancements in the Egg Industry
"I helped coordinate the First International Symposium on Egg Industry jointly organized by the Chinese National Center of Research and Development in Egg Processing (Beijing), China Ministry of Agriculture, USDA Foreign Ag Service, Egg Industry Center at ISU, and Beijing DQY Company. I delivered a keynote speech on "˜Toward Sustainable Development of Egg Industry' at the symposium in Beijing. Also, the Egg Industry Center initiated a national study that quantifies the impact of technological advancements over the past 60 years on the U.S. egg industry regarding environmental (carbon, water, land) footprint, bird performance and production efficiency." Hongwei Xin, director, Egg Industry Center. Â
CARMEN BAIN: Experiencing New Cultures
"This past summer I was fortunate to have the opportunity to travel to three different countries for my work. In early May, I travelled to Merida, Mexico, in the Yucatan Peninsula to participate in a workshop that brought together scholars working on bioenergy from across the Pan-American region. In June, I travelled to Paris, to participate in a workshop organized by the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation. The workshop brought together policy makers and researchers to discuss the role of renewable energy in rural development. In July, I travelled to Lisbon, Portugal, where I presented two research papers at the XIII World Congress of Rural Sociology. Each of these cities was unique and I loved having the opportunity to meet new people, try new foods and experience new cultures!" Carmen Bain, assistant professor, Department of Sociology.
BARB MCBREEN: Helping with Curtiss Hall's New Look
"Putting the final touches on the ground floor display areas in the Monsanto Student Services Wing was an opportunity that took teamwork and tons of planning. I spent quite a bit of time coordinating photo shoots with students and Dan McClanahan, an Ames photographer who has gained national attention. The communications service staff contributed ideas and we met with PUSH designers Scott Helms and Jill Thomasson to coordinate the images with CALS messages. Most of the photos in the Monsanto Wing were taken on 100+ degree days and the students were wonderfully accommodating. I'm proud to play a small part in helping with Curtiss Hall's new look that will impress parents, prospective students and alums." Barb McBreen, communications specialist, CALS Communications Service.
BASIL NIKOLAU: Record Year for Research Interns
"The 2012 summer was a record year for the inclusion of high school teachers, undergraduate and high school student interns into our research group. We hosted 11 interns in the research activities of the laboratory. I also attended the 20th International Symposium on Plant Lipids in Seville, Spain. My invited lecture focused on the development of new technology to image the spatial distribution of metabolites within individual plant cells using mass-spectroscopy." Basil Nikolau, Frances M. Craig Professor, deputy director of the Center for Biorenewable Chemicals, Roy J. Carver Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology.
SHERRY HOYER: 13 Days at the State Fair
"My favorite part of attending the Iowa State Fair involves 4-H. This summer I served as a department superintendent during pre-fair judging, to led daily communication judges orientation, evaluated working exhibits and worked with industry partners in the interview portion of the premier swine exhibitor scholarship competition. I met great young people, their families and 4-H program supporters. The most noteworthy thing about my experience this summer? By fair's end, I'd received half a dozen Facebook friend requests from young people affiliated with the 4-H program." Sherry Hoyer, communications specialist, Iowa Pork Industry Center and Iowa Beef Center.
EDUARDA BECERRA: Coordinating Scientific Exchange Workshop
"I had the opportunity to travel to Buea, Cameroon, as the lead coordinator for the USDA Scientific Exchange Workshop on Post-Harvest Loss Management and Food Processing. Carl Bern of the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering mentored a Borlaug Fellow from Cameroon and he was one of the speakers in the workshop as well as other Borlaug Fellows in the region (Ghana and Nigeria). More than 50 researchers (ministry and university), producers and representatives of NGOs from different cities in Cameroon participated." Eduarda Becerra, program coordinator, Global Programs, CALS.
LESTER WILSON: Encouraging EU-US Food Safety Regulations
"I traveled to Bucharest, Romania, with Angela Shaw, Byron Brehm-Stecher and graduate student Merike Seaman, for the next phase of our TU_BE_Safe project (turning, bachelor education, safety food). This project is aimed at increasing the understanding of and encouraging harmonization of EU-US food safety regulations and curriculum. Partners in the project include Cornell University; Dunarea de Jos University, Galati, Romania; and University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia." Lester Wilson, University Professor, the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition.
WADE MILLER: Training Future Scientists in Climate Camp
"In an effort to train future scientists and raise awareness regarding climate change adaption and mitigation, Matt Schulz and I planned and carried out the Climate Camp at ISU, June 9-17. Eighteen high school and college students spent nine days learning about the methods, purposes and initial findings of the diverse studies that are a part of the Cropping Systems Coordinated Agricultural Project. Activities included classroom presentations, field and laboratory demonstrations, and hands-on experiences." Wade Miller, interim chair, Department of Agricultural Education and Studies.
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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
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PURSUIT FUNDING PROPOSALS DUE SEPT. 21
The ISU Health Research Initiative and the Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development are accepting proposals for pursuit funding. The purpose of pursuit funding is to support the expansion or formation of multidisciplinary faculty teams who can then pursue large-scale extramural grants in the areas of animal, human, plant and environmental health. Proposals are due Sept. 21. More: http://www.biotech.iastate.edu/ISU-HRI/
CONCEPT PAPERS SOUGHT FOR BURROUGHS WELLCOME FUND
The Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development requests concept papers for submissions to the Burroughs Wellcome Fund"”Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Disease. Grants are $500,000 over five years. Concept papers should be submitted to Chitra Rajan (rajanc@iastate.edu) by Sept. 17. For full details about preparing concept papers, contact Roxanne Clemens, rclemens@iastate.edu. More: http://www.bwfund.org/pages/75/Infectious-Diseases/
NARDeP CENTER CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR POLICY BRIEFS
The National Agricultural & Rural Development Policy Center, funded by USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, is soliciting policy briefs. Desired topics include the impact of drought-related crop failure on rural communities and improving rural export performance in non-commodity markets. The list of topics also includes agricultural or rural development issues broadly related to the farm and agricultural sectors; the environment; rural families, households and economies; and consumers, food and nutrition. The funding mechanism is a personal services contract. Budgets are limited to $2,000 per brief (no indirect costs allowed). Proposals are due by Sept. 15. More: http://wrdc.usu.edu/htm/news/articleID=18091 Â
UPDATE: NCR-SARE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION PREPROPOSALS?
The North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program released a 2013 call for preproposals for the Research and Education Grant Program. Preproposals are due Nov. 9. Please note that SARE does not allow funds for graduate tuition. In cases where a full proposal is invited and the full budget includes Research Assistant funds, the PI must seek approval from the college/experiment station for the college to cover the tuition costs prior to submission of the full proposal. More: http://goo.gl/1PvAE
FALL GRANT-WRITING WORKSHOPS
The Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Development is offering professional development workshops to help faculty build strong research programs and write successful grant proposals. Workshops will be held in September and November. Topics include introductory strategies for writing successful proposals; writing proposals for NSF, NIH and DOE grants; and career development grants for doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows. Registration is required. More: http://www.biorenew.iastate.edu/profdev/
GRANTS.GOV ENFORCING VALID ATTACHMENT FILE NAMES
Effective Aug. 15, the names of attachments submitted through the Grants.gov system must use only valid characters. Valid file names are limited to the following UTF-8 characters: A-Z, a-z, 0-9, underscore ( _ ), hyphen (-), space, period. If applicants use any other characters when naming their attachment files, their applications will be rejected. More: http://grants.gov/aboutgrants/technical_alerts.jsp
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/
Oct. 15 (online funding inquiry): John Templeton Foundation - Meanings of Evolutionary Convergence; $200,000 to $1 million. More: http://goo.gl/uW6Up
Oct. 19 (letter of intent): NIH TaRGET I: Chromatin Structure, Genomics and Transcriptional Responses to the Environment (R01); up to $400,000 in direct costs for up to four years. More: http://goo.gl/FXjQm
Nov. 19 (letter of intent):Â NIH Transgenerational Inheritance in Mammals after Environmental Exposure (RO1); up to $500,000 in direct costs per year for up to five years. More:Â http://goo.gl/MzQwe
Nov. 21: Environmental Education Regional Grants; 25 percent match required, $216,000 per grant, one grant per region. More: http://www.epa.gov/education/pdf/solNotice2012.htm ?
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COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
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MUCH vs. VERY
"Much" generally intensifies past-participial adjectives (much obliged, much encouraged) and some comparatives (much more, much worse, much too soon). "Very" intensifies adverbs and most adjectives (very carefully, very bad), including past-participial adjectives that have more adjectival than verbal force (very bored).
The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th ed., 2010
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INFOGRAZING
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PUBLIC INVITED TO LEATH'S FORMAL WELCOME, SEPT. 14
The presidential installation ceremony welcoming Steven Leath, ISU's 15th president, is set for Sept. 14 at 10 a.m. in Stephens Auditorium. The public is invited to the event. More: http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2012/08/24/installation
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MARGINALIA
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A LANGUAGE LIMERICK TO CLOSE OUT THE SUMMER
Allan Metcalf, a professor of English at MacMurray College and a Lingua Franca blogger for The Chronicle of Higher Education, issued a challenge to readers during the dog days of August "“ a language limerick. The following limerick by Charlie MacFayden received an honorable mention.
Between you and I, I'll confess,
You're grammars a bit of a mess.
If I was a scholar,
I'd probably holler,
But as it is, I could care less.
More: http://chronicle.com/blogs/linguafranca/2012/08/22/lingua-francas-winnin...
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AG AND LIFE SCIENCES ONLINE
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EDITOR
Julie Stewart
jstewart@iastate.edu, (515) 294-5616
http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/
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