College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
Sept. 28, 2015 – No. 869
Top Stories
Dickson and Al-Kaisi Receive Kolmer Applied Research Award
Dean Wendy Wintersteen presented the Dean Lee R. Kolmer Award for Excellence in Applied Research to Jim Dickson, animal science, and Mahdi Al-Kaisi, agronomy, at the CALS fall convocation on Sept. 22. Dickson was recognized for his work to improve the safety of food with research focused on foodborne pathogens primarily in meat and poultry systems. Al-Kaisi’s research is focused on building soil resources for farmers and agronomists in Iowa and the Midwest. More
Medallions Presented and New Faculty and Staff Welcomed at College Convocation
Dean Wendy Wintersteen welcomed about 100 faculty and staff to the CALS fall convocation on Sept. 22. Two agronomy faculty members with named positions were honored with medallion ceremonies led by Dean Wintersteen and Kendall Lamkey, agronomy chair. Jianming Yu was honored as the Pioneer Hi-Bred Distinguished Chair in Maize Breeding. Gene Takle was honored as the Pioneer Hi-Bred Agronomy Professor. Faculty and staff who have joined CALS in the last year were recognized in a special convocation booklet. More
Research
Food Scientist to Lead CCUR and BCRF
The new director of the Center for Crops Utilization Research and the BioCentury Research Farm at ISU will be Kevin Keener, most recently a professor of food science and agricultural and biological engineering at Purdue University. Keener is scheduled to join ISU in November. He succeeds Lawrence Johnson, who retired this year after leading CCUR for 30 years and the research farm since its creation in 2009. More
EEOB Research: Human Activity Affects Microbes in Soil
New research from Kirsten Hofmockel, ecology, evolution and organismal biology, and other scientists associated with the Nutrient Network, shows that agricultural inputs such as nitrogen and phosphorous alter soil microbial communities, which may have unintended environmental consequences. The Nutrient Network is a global grid of scientists who investigate ecological responses in grasslands around the world. More
ISU Partners in Multistate Land-grant Effort Working on Sustainable Fruit Tree Production
Nearly 30 land-grant institutions, including ISU, are working together to increase the productivity of temperate-zone fruit trees by developing better rootstocks. Diana Cochran, horticulture, is a member of the Multistate Research Project NC-140, Improving Sustainability in Fruit Tree Production through Changes in Rootstock Use. More
Teaching and Students
Cargill Strengthens Partnership with Global Resource Systems Program
Last week, a team from Cargill was on campus to meet with college officials and faculty, staff and students to discuss opportunities to strengthen the global resource systems major, with its unique focus on addressing world challenges through intense study and hands-on internship experiences. At a reception in the Harl Commons, President Leath and Dean Wintersteen announced a Cargill gift of $485,500 to enhance student recruitment into the GRS program, support faculty involved in the GRS program and award four new Cargill GRS Scholarships. This fall 105 students (majors and double majors) are involved with GRS. More than 400 ISU alumni currently work for Cargill worldwide.
Horticulture Students Create Floral Arrangements for Brunnier Celebration
Horticulture students had the opportunity to contribute to the Brunnier Art Museum’s 40th Anniversary celebration on Sept. 19. With guidance and assistance from Barb Clawson and alumnus Dan Brabec, students Lexie Boyens, Lexie Cook, Angela Sperfslage, Marcus Jansen, Bay Boysen and Brooke Jerie designed and installed all of the floral arrangements and displays for the gala. More
Extension and Outreach
Survey Shows Farmers Use Information Technology for Decision-making
“Farmers are increasing their use of information technology devices, and for those who use them, they tend to access information to help with farming decisions,” said J. Gordon Arbuckle Jr., sociology. These findings are included in the Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll 2014 Summary Report. More
Extension Publication Offers Tips to Attract Garden Insects
“Gardening for Butterflies and Pollinators” is a new publication for home gardeners available to download from the ISU Extension and Outreach Store. The publication was prepared by Laura Jesse, director and insect diagnostician in the Plant and Insect Diagnostic Clinic; Nathan Brockman, curator for the Butterfly Wing at Reiman Gardens; and Donald Lewis, extension entomologist. More
Around the College
CALS Diversity Programs Begins Cultural Competency Series, Oct. 2
The CALS Office for Diversity Programs is hosting a series of discussions to examine the dynamics of race, bias, inclusivity and privilege in higher education through the lens of cultural competency. The first Cultural Competency Lunch and Learn will be Oct. 2, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in 142 Curtiss Hall. The session will examine the concepts of privilege and bias found in the work of Peggy McIntosh, “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.” http://ted.coe.wayne.edu/ele3600/mcintosh.html Lunch will be provided. Please RSVP by 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 28, to Theressa Cooper, assistant dean for diversity, tncooper@iastate.edu.
Takle to Present First High Performance Computing Lecture, Oct. 8
Gene Takle, agronomy, will present the first lecture in the ISU High Performance Computing Lecture Series on Oct. 8 from 3:10 to 4 p.m. in 1115 Pearson Hall. The lecture will include a summary of global carbon emissions and Earth’s energy balance, a discussion on how climate models work and why they require high performance computing, and applications of climate modeling to bridge design, U.S. food security and other long-term planning decisions. The lecture will conclude with a discussion of climate engineering as an option for avoiding dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system without requiring society to give up its addition to fossil fuels. All ISU faculty, staff and students are invited to attend.
Animal Science Teaching Farms Celebrate 50th Anniversary
More than 270 people celebrated the 50th anniversary of the ISU animal science teaching farms on Sept. 26. Animal science alumni, faculty and staff attended the celebration at the farms south of Ames. The event was held at the ISU Beef, Sheep and Swine Teaching Farms and included self-guided tours, lunch and presentations. More
ISU Northeast Research Farm Near Nashua Celebrates 40 Years
ISU’s Northeast Research and Demonstration Farm on 260 acres near Nashua, celebrates 40 years of operation. Ken Pecinovsky, the facility’s superintendent for the last 20 years, oversees as many as 60 to 70 research plots each year, as he and colleagues look at new ways to produce better corn and soybean crops, study soil fertility and management and monitor water quality. “What you’re seeing at this research facility, along with our other research farms, is this is the one place where farmers are involved in our research,” said Chad Hart, ISU Extension and Outreach grain economist, in an article in the Sept. 20 issue of the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier. “They’re part of the process. They help support it. They help do it. They help fund it. They own it. They can see what we’re doing, how we’re doing it and how it applies to their farm. That’s very crucial, if you look at our research farm structure here in Iowa.” More
Calendar
Oct 5-7: Four-Nation Agricultural Biodiversity Conference
CALS is hosting a Four-Nation Agricultural Biodiversity Conference on campus during the week of Oct. 5. Participants include professors, lecturers and graduate students from Yeungnam University (South Korea), Hokkaido University (Japan), Yunnan Agricultural University (China) and ISU. The conference is organized jointly by Global Programs (Denise Bjelland and Shelley Taylor), NREM (Richard Schultz and Thomas Isenhart), Entomology and Graduate Programs in Sustainable Agriculture (Matt O’Neal).
- Oct. 5, 4:10 to 5 p.m., E164 Lagomarcino Hall (hosted by the Entomology Department)
- Oct. 6, 4:10 to 5 p.m., 233 Science II (hosted by the NREM Department)
- Oct. 7, 3:30 to 4:20 p.m., Ensminger Room, Kildee Hall (hosted by the Graduate Program in Sustainable Agriculture)
- Oct. 7, 1 to 3:15 p.m., poster session in Kildee Hall Atrium outside the Ensminger Room
Please contact Denise Bjelland at bjelland@iastate.edu, 4-2883, for additional information.
Oct. 7: Roasterie Coffee Founder to Present Leadership Lecture
Danny O’Neill, owner and founder of The Roasterie Coffee, Inc., will present the 2015 William K. Deal Endowed Leadership Lecture on Oct. 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the Leonard and Evelyn Dolezal Auditorium, 127 Curtiss Hall. O’Neill will present, “How Baling Hay Prepared Me to Become the Coffee ‘Bean Baron’.” The event is free and open to the public. More
Oct 12: Sir Fazle Hasan Abed Presents Norman Borlaug Lecture
Sir Fazle Hasan Abed, the 2015 World Food Prize Laureate and founder and chairperson of BRAC, the world’s largest anti-poverty organization, will present the Norman Borlaug Lecture on Oct. 12 at 8 p.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall. Through BRAC, known originally as the Bangladesh Rehabilitation Assistance Committee, Sir Fazle pioneered a new approach to development that addresses the connection between hunger and poverty. A reception and student poster display will precede the lecture from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Memorial Union South Ballroom. Posters will address world food issues and are submitted by undergraduate and graduate students. More
Oct. 14: CAMTech Sponsors Event with Agricultural Industry Representatives
Three representatives from the agricultural industry sector will be presenting and answering questions on Oct. 14, 1 to 3 p.m. in the Memorial Union Campanile Room. John Dorsch leads the Insect Molecular Genetics Team for Global Insecticide Research at BASF; Razvan Dumitru is program leader of Hemiptera Control-Trait Research with Bayer CropScience; and Amit Sethi leads the Insect Resistant Management Science Team for DuPont Pioneer. The event is sponsored by the Center for Arthropod Management Technologies at ISU. More
Funding Opportunities
Save the Date: Working with Industry 101 Lunch and Learn Workshop, Nov. 10
A lunch and learn workshop, Working with Industry 101, is open to CALS faculty who want to develop research-related relationships with industry and learn about the ISU services and procedures available to develop these relationships. Speakers include Joe Colletti, CALS Senior Associate Dean; Michael Crum, ISU V.P. for Economic Development and Business Engagement; Lisa Lorenzen, Executive Director, ISU Research Foundation and OIPTT; and David Freeman, ISU-Cedar Rapids Bio-Based Industry Liaison. The workshop will be held Nov. 10 from noon to 1 p.m. in 142 Curtiss Hall. Lunch will be provided. RSVP to Carla Persaud (cpersaud@iastate.edu).
Request for Information: USAID/Jordan Water Conservation Activity
USAID Mission in Jordan has issued a Request for Information to gauge potential partners’ understanding of its Water Conservation Activity and requirements. Responses will determine whether a pre-application conference will be held. Responses are due Sept. 29. More
Grants.gov Monthly Maintenance Schedules
The Grants.gov Program Management Office website includes a calendar of upcoming scheduled outages for server maintenance and system enhancements. Routine system maintenance occurs on the third weekend of every month. More
Funding Information, Opportunities and Deadline Reminders
Dates listed are application deadlines. Contact: Roxanne Clemens, rclemens@iastate.edu. Additional information is posted at CALS Pre-Award Resources.
Sept. 28 (expression of interest): NIOSH CDC Centers for Agricultural Safety and Health (U54); one application per institution, send expression of interest to Sue Shipitalo (sueship@iastate.edu) by noon on Sept. 28. More
Oct. 15 (internal pre-proposal): EPA Urban Waters Small Grants; $40,000 to $60,000, $4,000 match, one proposal per applicant, contact Sue Shipitalo (sueship@iastate.edu) for pre-proposal requirements. More
Oct. 15 (concept paper): DOE High Performance Computing for Manufacturing Program Collaborations for U.S. Manufacturers Phase I Projects; up to $300,000 to support compute cycles and work performed by national lab partners, industry partner provides 20 percent match. More
Nov. 2 (internal pre-proposal): NSF Partnerships for Innovation: Building Innovation Capacity; up to $1 million, two proposals per organization, contact Sue Shipitalo (sueship@iastate.edu) for pre-proposal requirements. More
Nov. 10 (letter of intent): NIH Time-Sensitive Obesity Policy and Program Evaluation (R01). More
Nov. 16: USDA NIFA North Central Extension Risk Management Education 2016 Grants Program; maximum $50,000. More
Nov. 20: USDA FSA Outreach and Education, Technical Assistance and Financial Education for FSA Programs, Functions and Activities; $20,000 to $100,000. More
Dec. 15 (letter of intent): American Federation for Aging Research Research Grants for Junior Faculty; $100,000, contact Donna Van Pelt (dvanpelt@foundation.iastate.edu) with interest. More
Jan. 15: NIH FDA Scientific Conference Grant Program (R13/U13); $50,000. More
Jan. 25 (pre-proposal): NSF Division of Environmental Biology (Core Programs). More
Communications Kiosk
Three Tricks to Make Presentations More Memorable
What makes a presentation memorable isn’t the speaker’s jokes or clever opening story – it’s how the information is embedded in listeners’ minds, writes Art Markman, professor of psychology and marketing at the University of Texas at Austin. According to Markman, speakers should keep in mind three principles about the way our brains process information.
- Put the key facts up front. Humans remember best the first item presented in a sequence, followed by the last item; the middle is the least well remembered.
- Make connections. Presenters should link the key ideas in their presentation.
- Challenge listeners. “The more deeply that your audience thinks about the points you make, the more likely they are to remember what you told them later,” Markman writes.
Published in the Sept. 28 issue of Advancement Weekly by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.
Infograzing
CALS to Lead ADVANCE Portfolio Development Workshop, Oct. 27
ISU ADVANCE is offering a workshop on “Portfolio Development for Associate to Full Professor” on Oct. 27, 9:30 to 11 a.m. in the Memorial Union Campanile Room. David Acker, Joe Colletti, Susan Lamont and Elisabeth Lonergan from CALS will provide an overview of the process, talk about preparing all components of faculty’s position responsibility statements in their portfolios, and answer questions. The workshop is available for associate professors in all colleges.
Marginalia
Ask an Archivist on Oct. 1
On Oct. 1, archivists at ISU’s Special Collections and University Archives will be joining colleagues around the country on Twitter to answer question about any and all things archives. The day-long event, sponsored by the Society of American Archivists, will provide an opportunity to connect directly with an archivist to ask questions and get information. 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.