College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
Aug. 29, 2016 – No. 915
Top Stories
Warm Welcome for New Students
The CALS Student Council hosted a barbecue to welcome new students on Aug. 25. Mariah Schmitt, a senior in dairy science, and Edan Lambert, a junior in animal science, were co-chairs for the event. New students were invited to share free pork burgers, brats, chips and cookies. Representatives from 26 clubs were at the event to showcase their activities. The barbecue was held at the Iowa Farm Bureau Pavilion in Kildee Hall. More
Chet Britt, Chair of Sociology, Enters Hospice in Ames
On Aug. 16, Chet Britt, professor and chair of the Department of Sociology, was stung by a wasp while jogging and experienced a severe reaction. After several days in critical condition in intensive care, Dr. Britt was moved to the Israel Family Hospice House in Ames on Aug. 24. Those who wish to visit are asked to call the hospice facility first to determine whether it is an appropriate time, (515) 956-6000. This has been a devastating time for family, friends and colleagues. The family is planning a gathering to be held at 1 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 3; more details will be forthcoming. Paul Lasley is serving as acting chair of the sociology department.
Research
Baum Researching Ways to Disrupt Feeding Habits of SCN
ISU researchers, including Thomas Baum, chair of the plant pathology and microbiology department, are testing more than 60 transgenic soybean lines that have been genetically altered to disrupt the feeding habits of soybean cyst nematode, the leading yield-robbing pathogen in the Midwest. More
Tyndall Seeks Feedback for Online Conservation Cost Tool
John Tyndall, natural resource ecology and management, is using an online tool to better understand the costs of implementing nutrient management and soil conservation practices. He is seeking feedback form Iowa farmers willing to test an early version. More
New FSHN Professor Examines Impact of Exercise on the Brain
Peter Clark, a new assistant professor in nutritional science in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, studies the impact of healthful food and physical activity on the brain. He comes to ISU as the department puts new emphasis on behavioral neuroscience – and expands its focus to include how nutritional, physical and physiological changes in the brain impact behavior. More
Teaching and Students
Nutter Wins Excellence in Teaching Award
Forrest Nutter, plant pathology and microbiology, received the Excellence in Teaching award at the annual American Phytopathological Society meeting, held July 30 to Aug. 3 in Tampa. Nutter has taught a graduate course in plant disease epidemiology for more than 30 years and has developed online interactive computer programs to teach principles of plant disease epidemiology and disease management. More
Appetizers Created by FSHN Students Showcased at Expo
Grain Processing Corporation showcased appetizers created by ISU food science and human nutrition students at the Institute of Food Technologists 2016 Expo. The product development experience was offered through the new GPC Ingredient Application Challenge. Kate Gilbert, lecturer in FSHN, said the challenge was an ideal collaboration between industry and students. More
Dairy Science Club Receives ADSA Awards
The ISU Dairy Science Club received third place in the scrapbook competition and third place in the yearbook competition from the American Dairy Science Association Student Affiliate Division. More
WHO-TV Highlights Dietetic Intern’s Work as Virtual Nutrition Coach
Emily Wisecup, a dietetic internship program participant, is one of 14 interns training to be a virtual nutrition coach. Wisecup spoke with WHO-TV about the training. The goal is to help families make better choices while providing interns like Wisecup a chance to practice valuable skills. More
Extension and Outreach
Bacterial Leaf Streak Confirmed in Iowa
Bacterial leaf streak in corn was recently identified in Iowa. The disease has been found on field corn, seed corn, popcorn and sweet corn. To date, ISU has confirmed the disease in six counties in north central and northeast Iowa. More
Corn and Soybean Field Guides Now Combined
The Corn and Soybean Field Guide, produced by ISU Extension and Outreach, combines the Corn Field Guide 2nd Edition and the Soybean Field Guide 2nd Edition into one publication for a more efficient version. Daren Mueller, plant pathology and microbiology and Integrated Pest Management program coordinator, said the two publications were combined to make it easier for those scouting the two most common crops grown in Iowa and to streamline the integrated pest management resources offered by extension. More
ISU to Share Research with Farm Progress Show Visitors
ISU faculty, extension specialists and students will engage visitors in demonstrations and conversations to connect them with current research at the 2016 Farm Progress Show, Tuesday, Aug. 30, to Thursday, Sept. 1, at the showgrounds near Boone. CALS Dean Wendy Wintersteen will be speaking at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 31. Digital agriculture, healthy soil, water quality, monarchs and more are included in the Iowa State exhibit. A complete line up of speakers and experts available at the show can be found online. Information will be available for alumni and prospective students as well. More
Around the College
Tylka Named Fellow of Society of Nematologists
Greg Tylka, plant pathology and microbiology and director of the Iowa Soybean Research Center, was named a fellow of the Society of Nematologists at their 2016 annual meeting held July 17-21 in Montreal. Tylka has been at ISU since 1990, where he has led a research and extension program focused on the biology and management of the soybean cyst nematode. More
Biotechnology Council has Three New Members
David Grewell, agricultural and biosystems engineering, Paul Plummer, veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine, and Nicole Valenzuela, ecology, evolution and organismal biology, were selected to serve three-year terms on the university’s Biotechnology Council. The council, with representatives from the five colleges involved in biotechnology research, makes recommendations to the Officer of Biotechnology on program activities supporting biotechnology research, education and outreach. More
Calendar
Sept. 1: Feeding the World Seminar Series
The Feeding the World seminar series will begin on Wednesday, Sept. 1, at 3:40 p.m. in 1204 Kildee Hall. Global Resource Systems interns will speak on their projects.
Sept. 8: My Favorite Things Tour
Dean Wendy Wintersteen will conduct a “My Favorite Things” tour in the Dean’s Gallery, first floor Curtiss Hall, on Sept. 8, 1 to 2 p.m. The tour brings some of the more public figures of the ISU community into the museums to discuss their favorite works of art in the collection. More
Sept. 8: CALS Fall Convocation
The CALS Fall Convocation is scheduled for Sept. 8 at 4:10 p.m. in the Memorial Union Sun Room. The program will include brief comments from Dean Wendy Wintersteen and recognition for the College’s new faculty and staff since last fall. CALS award recipients will be honored during the program. (The CALS Spring Awards Program, originally scheduled in February, was cancelled due to the weather.) A reception will follow.
Sept. 13: Local Food Festival
The Local Food Festival: An Adventure in Eating, will be held Sept. 13 from 9:30 a.m.to 1:30 p.m. on central campus. The event will celebrate local food with educational displays, food samples, local food recipes developed by ISU Dining chefs, and locally grown and produced items for sale by vendors and ISU student clubs. More
Funding Opportunities
U.S.-Israel BARD Fund Calls for Proposals
The U.S.-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund has issued several new funding opportunities. The BARD Research Grant Program funds up to $310,000 total for three-year projects conducted cooperatively by U.S. and Israeli scientists. The application deadline for research proposals is Sept. 14. Applications for the Vaadia BARD Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, Senior Research Fellowship Program, BARD Graduate Student Fellowship and BARD International Workshop grants are due Jan. 16. More
CALS Travel Support for NSF Regional Grants Conference
CALS will provide up to $800 each, for up to six CALS faculty members to attend the National Science Foundation Regional Grants Conference on Nov. 14-15, in Pittsburgh. Interested CALS faculty should contact Joe Colletti (colletti@iastate.edu) by Friday, Sept. 2. Travel support will be provided on a first-come-first-served basis, with preference given to individuals who have not recently received CALS travel assistance for a grantsmanship conference or workshop. Participants will submit a short report on tips/best practices learned from the conference. More
DOE RFI: Cellulosic Sugar and Lignin Production Capabilities
The U.S. Department of Energy has issued a request for information to identify existing capabilities and develop a comprehensive list of suppliers who are willing and able to produce and sell cellulosic sugars and/or lignin for use by the research community. Responses must be submitted by Sept. 9. 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. 8, Feb. 24: DOE Joint Genome Institute - Small-scale Microbial/Metagenome Program. More
Sept.15 (letter of intent): National Pork Board – Human Nutrition Research. More
Sept. 19 (concept note): USAID Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Collaborative Research on Horticulture - Integrated Animal-Horticulture Systems; $750,000 total over three years, focus in Cambodia, Nepal, Rwanda. More
Sept. 19 (final deadline for concept paper): Millennium Challenge Corporation - Data-Driven Communities Project (Tanzania). More
Sept. 30 (concept paper): DOE ARPA-E Innovative Development in Energy-Related Applied Sciences; $500,000 for one year. More
Oct. 1: Elsa U. Pardee Foundation- Cancer Research Projects; detection, treatment or cure. More
Oct.5 (letter of intent): Robert Wood Johnson Foundation- Enhancing Coastal Community Resilience and Well-being in the Gulf of Mexico Region. More
Oct. 14 (letter of intent): NSF Partnerships for Innovation: Building Innovation Capacity; $1 million over three years. Nov. 2 (internal pre-proposal): NSF Partnerships for Innovation: Building Innovation Capacity; up to $1 million, two proposals per organization, contact sueship@iastate.edu to express interest. More
Oct. 27: NCR-SARE Partnership Grant Program; $30,000. More
Oct. 30: Jeanie Borlaug Laube Women in Triticum Early Career Award Borlaug Global Rust Initiative; funding to attend workshop and training at CIMMYT. More
Nov. 16: NSF Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases; $500,000 to $2.5 million. More
Jan. 1 (concept application): The Conservation, Food and Health Foundation; $25,000, focus in developing world, one proposal per organization, contact sueship@iastate.edu to express interest. More
Communications Kiosk
Choosing “A” or “An”
When choosing between the articles “a” or “an,” it depends on the sound of the word it precedes. Use the article “a” before consonant sounds: a historic event, a one-year term (sounds as if it begins with a w), a united stand (sounds like you). Use the article “an” before vowel sounds: an energy crisis, an honorable man (the h is silent), an 1890s celebration. (Associated Press Stylebook, 2015 edition, pg. 1)
Infograzing
Celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the Fountain of the Four Seasons
The 75th anniversary of artist Christian Petersen’s Fountain of the Four Seasons and the Memorial Union’s recent plaza renovation will be celebrated on Wednesday, Aug. 31, from 12 to 2 p.m. at the north entrance of the Union. President Steven Leath will speak at 12:30 p.m. More
Nominations Open for Women Impacting ISU Calendar
Nominations for the Catt Center’s 2017 Women Impacting ISU calendar are due Sept. 30. Any woman who currently is a student or an employee at Iowa State may be nominated. Twelve will be selected by a committee and announced at a public reception in January. More
ISU Police Address Faculty and Staff about Campus Safety
Aaron DeLashmutt, interim assistant vice president and chief of police at ISU, communicated with faculty and staff last week about taking steps to be better prepared in the event of an active shooter or other emergency event on campus. Faculty and staff were asked to become familiar with safety concepts summarized in two videos: From Iowa State’s Emergency Response Guide and the Department of Homeland Security’s Active Shooter Video.
Marginalia
Museums Celebrating Art and Agriculture
American artists have long been drawn to agrarian subjects in their work. This fall, museums around the country will celebrate when art meets agriculture. A post to the Smithsonian Magazine website on Aug. 22 highlights five museums. More
National Parks Service Centennial Focus of Photo Contest
In honor of the 100th anniversary of the National Parks Service, the Smithsonian photo contest community submitted their best national parks shots. 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.