College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
March 23, 2015 – No. 842
Top Stories
Study Abroad Spans Seven Continents
Students in the CALS study abroad program have studied in 61 countries during the past five years. More than 400 students have learned about other cultures and are using their experiences to become global citizens. Listen to a few of their stories in a CALS video.
Research
Undergraduate Students Showcase their Research at the Capitol
Twenty-one ISU undergraduates will present their research to legislators and others during the annual “Research in the Capitol” from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24, in the Rotunda of the State Capitol building in Des Moines. The event highlights the importance of research to the undergraduate learning experience. CALS students that will be presenting at the capitol and their mentors are listed below. More
- Morgan Bobb, senior in genetics and global resource systems (Donald Sakaguchi, genetics, development and cell biology)
- Kendra Clark, senior in biology, and Megan Trautmiller, junior in biology (Julie Kuhlman, genetics, development and cell biology)
- Rianka Macwan, sophomore in animal science (Craig Chase, Leopold Center)
- Tyler Meseke, senior in biology and anthropology (Pooja Gupta-Saraf, veterinary microbiology and preventive medicine)
- Giselle Narvaez Rivera, senior in animal ecology (Amy Toth and Adam Dolezal, ecology, evolution and organismal biology)
- Kevin Quinteros, senior in animal ecology and biology (Fredric Janzen, ecology, evolution and organismal biology)
- Shumao Ye, senior in dietetics (Manju Reddy, food science and human nutrition)
Teaching and Students
CALS Student Part of Cy Squad
Despite the smile permanently plastered across his beak, portraying Cy, the ISU mascot who celebrated his 60th birthday in October, is harder than it looks. In an article for the March 18 issue of the Des Moines Register, John Michael Collins, a senior in industrial technology and one of five students who inhabit Cy, said “My most favorite thing about being Cy is seeing the smiles on people’s faces when they see Cy.” More
Extension and Outreach
Professional Development Meeting Scheduled for ANR Extension
A professional development meeting for ANR Extension and Outreach is scheduled for April 1-2. In addition to sessions on being a more effective extension professional, there will be examples of program development and delivery, a panel discussion on work-life balance and hands-on learning of technologies and tools to help better connect with clients and colleagues. Updates on research, programming and current events impacting Iowa agriculture will be provided in three different tracks on the second day, as well as an opportunity to engage with the Futuring ’15 Task Force and discuss the future of ANR Extension and Outreach.
Breuer Named Dairy Specialist for Northwest Iowa
Ryan Breuer joins ISU Extension and Outreach as dairy specialist for northwest Iowa. He will work from the Sioux County Extension Office in Orange City.
Leopold Center Adds “International Year of Soils” Page to Website
The Leopold Center has added a page to its website highlighting the 2015 International Year of Soils. Additional information includes Leopold Center research specific to soil, soil-related presentations and papers.
Water Rocks! Team Presents Program to EPA in Kansas City
The Water Rocks! Team presented the program to educators and outreach professionals in Kansas City on Feb. 24-25. The summit was in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Agency at the EPA Region 7 headquarters. Water Rocks! is an ISU Extension and Outreach statewide youth campaign to bring awareness and an appreciation of water to K-12 students. Steve Kovac, EPA branch manager for Watershed Planning and Implementation, referred to Water Rocks! as one of its premiere outreach and education programs.
Calendar
April 1: Hertz Lecture on Emerging Issues in Agriculture
Ted Crosbie, retired vice president of Monsanto Co., will present the 2015 Carl and Marjory Hertz Lecture on Emerging Issues in Agriculture on April 1 at 7 p.m. in the Dolezal Auditorium in Curtiss Hall. Crosbie will present “Applying an Iowa State Education to Life: A Tribute to My Teachers.” More
April 7-8: Egg Industry Issues Forum
Registration is open for the 7th annual Egg Industry Issues Forum, scheduled for April 7-8 in downtown Des Moines.
April 8: New York Chef to Present Shivvers Lecture
Dan Barber, co-owner and executive chef of Manhattan’s Blue Hill restaurant and Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, N.Y., will present “Beyond Farm-to-Table: The Future of Food” on April 8 at 7 p.m. in the Memorial Union Sun Room. His talk is the 2015 Shivvers Memorial Lecture coordinated by the Leopold Center.
April 22: Assistant Professor P&T Workshop
A promotion and tenure workshop for assistant professors with an appointment in CALS will be held April 22, 4:10 to 5:30 p.m. in 1951 Food Sciences Building. Dean Wendy Wintersteen will discuss P&T expectation and the definition of scholarship. Josh Selsby, animal science, will discuss portfolio preparation and the faculty experience. Associate Deans David Acker, John Lawrence and Joe Colletti will discuss teaching and learning; extension and outreach; and research and discovery respectively in relation to portfolio resources and development.
April 24: Retirement Reception Honoring Larry Johnson
A retirement reception honoring Larry Johnson will be held April 24, 1:30 to 4 p.m. in the Memorial Union Campanile Room. Johnson, a professor in the department of food science and human nutrition and director of the Center for Crops Utilization Research, has served ISU for 30 years. There will be a program at 2 p.m.
Funding Opportunities
Iowa Soybean Association Accepting Research Proposals
The Iowa Soybean Association is accepting research proposals for 2015-16 funding. The ISA Board will fund projects that address its goals to increase soybean farmer competitiveness, especially through improved productivity and profitability while improving environmental stewardship. The ISA will consider both applied and basic research that will provide short- and long-term practical benefits to Iowa’s soybean farmers. Applications are due May 15. For application materials, contact Kristin Doerder (kjandrsn@iastate.edu), Iowa Soybean Research Center.
USAID BHEARD Opportunity to Train Doctoral Candidates from Kenya and Rwanda
The Borlaug Higher Education Agricultural Research and Development program at Michigan State University has issued a request for expressions of interest from U.S. universities for training students from Kenya and Rwanda for doctoral degrees. Areas of research interest for the Kenyan candidates include advanced survey analysis, agricultural economics, horticulture, plant pathology and veterinary virology. Areas of research interest for the Rwandan candidates include agricultural economics, agricultural engineering, biostatistics, horticulture, plant breeding and veterinary medicine. Expressions of interest are due by April 7 for the Kenyan candidates and by April 10 for the Rwandan candidates. Contact Denise Bjelland (bjelland@iastate.edu) for information about the applicants and submission materials.
USDA-FAS U.S.-China Scientific Cooperation Exchange Program
The USDA Foreign Agricultural Service is seeking U.S. organizations to organize training programs through the U.S.-China Scientific Cooperation Exchange Program. The program supports exchanges of U.S. and Chinese research teams to visit the partner country for up to 14 days to transfer knowledge and technology in agriculture. The program facilitates training in agricultural trade and policy; agribusiness development; animal, plant and food sciences; and extension services. Participants come from both the public and private sectors of China. Applications are due April 6. Contact Denise Bjelland (bjelland@iastate.edu) for information.
New NSF Public Access Plan: Today’s Data, Tomorrow’s Discoveries
On March 18, the National Science Foundation released its plan for increasing access to the results of research funded by the foundation. A two-page executive summary also is available. Full Plan. Executive Summary.
NIFA Centers of Excellence Webinar Available Online
The March 12 webinar on FY15 implementation of the Centers of Excellence provision from the 2014 Farm Bill has been posted online.
CALS Travel Support to Attend NSF Regional Grants Conference
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences will provide travel support for up to six CALS faculty members to attend the National Science Foundation Regional Grants Conference on June 1-2. Interested CALS faculty should contact Joe Colletti (colletti@iastate.edu) no later than March 25. More
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.
Continuous submissions: NSF Climate and Large-Scale Dynamics. More
April 15: USAID Broad Area Announcement for Climate Smart Agriculture – Identifying Opportunities for Action on Private Sector Engagement in Climate Smart Agriculture. More
May 1 (letter of intent): NIH Summer Institute for Research Education in Biostatistics (R25). More
May 14: USDA Federal-State Marketing Improvement Program.
May 27: NSF Plant Genome Research Program. More
July 5: NIH Advancing Translational and Clinical Probiotic/Prebiotic and Human Microbiome Research (R01). More
July 5: NIH Advancing Mechanistic Probiotic/Prebiotic and Human Microbiome Research (R01). More
Aug. 14: FDA Minor Use Minor Species Development of Drugs; Research Project Grant (R01); $450,000. More
Oct. 16: NIH Small Research Grant Program (Parent R03); $100,000 direct costs. More
Dec. 1 (Step-1 proposal): NASA NSPIRES ROSES 2015 Land Cover/Land-Use Change; $750,000. More
Jan. 31, 2016: DOD 2015 BAA U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center. More
Mar. 31, 2016 (rolling submissions): NASA NSPIRES ROSES 2015 Rapid Response and Novel Research in Earth Science. More
Communications Kiosk
Use Hyphen with Compound Modifiers that Precede a Noun
When a compound modifier -- two or more words that express a single concept -- precedes a noun, use hyphens to link all the words in the compound except the adverb "very" and all adverbs that end in "-ly." For example: a first-quarter touchdown, a full-time job, an easily remembered rule. Many combinations that are hyphenated before a noun are not hyphenated when they occur after a noun: The team scored in the first quarter. She works full time. (2014 Associated Press Stylebook, pg. 293)
Infograzing
OIPTT Offers New Flexible Solution Option for Sponsored Research
ISU’s Office of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer has many business-oriented approaches to assist faculty when working with industry for sponsored research projects. OIPTT’s newest offering is Flexible Solution B. For more information, contact industry-contracts@iastate.edu, 4-4740.
Family Farms Focus of New Agriculture Census Data
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service reports that family-owned farms remain the backbone of the agriculture industry. The latest data come from the Census of Agriculture farm typology report and help shine light on the question, “What is a family farm?” More
Brunnier in Bloom, March 27-29
University Museum’s seventh annual Brunnier in Bloom will be held this weekend, March 27-29, at the Brunnier Art Museum. Central Iowa florists, garden clubs and students are challenged to create arrangements inspired by art from the current exhibition. All activities during the weekend are free and open to the public.
Marginalia
Family Peach Farm Became Symbol of the Food Revolution
Mas Masumoto grew up on his family farm southeast of Fresno, California. His 1987 essay "Epitaph for A Peach," in which he bemoaned the loss of heirloom flavors, captured his changing philosophy as a farmer. It also helped turn his farm into a landmark in the local-food movement. Yet the Masumoto farm's story isn't just one of saving peaches. It's become a father-daughter saga of claiming, abandoning and then re-claiming a piece of America's agricultural heritage. More
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
Julie Stewart, Editor
jstewart@iastate.edu, (515) 294-5616
https://www.cals.iastate.edu/news/agonline
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online, the newsletter for faculty and staff in Iowa State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is published by email every Monday. The deadline for submitting content is 12 p.m. on Friday.
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