College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
Sept. 26, 2016 – No. 919
Top Stories
CALS Student Receives Carver Spirit of Innovation and Service Award
CALS student Estefany Argueta, a senior in animal ecology, was one of five undergraduate students in the U.S. to receive the inaugural George Washington Carver Spirit of Innovation and Service Award on Sept. 20 in St. Louis. Argueta credits ISU’s Science Bound program for helping her pursue a college education. More
Research
Hufford’s Exploration of Corn Adaptations could Help Plant Breeders
Matthew Hufford, ecology, evolution and organismal biology, is exploring the adaptations that have allowed corn to be cultivated in a wide range of elevations and environments across the Americas. This could help plant breeders develop varieties more resistant to environmental stresses. More
Keener Combines Science with Practice to Bring Increased Value to Bio-Based Economy
Kevin Keener, a professor in food science and human nutrition, serves as director of CALS’ Center for Crops Utilization Research and BioCentury Research Farm. Like many faculty, Keener focuses on applied research in a laboratory setting. But Keener has a 35,000 square foot laboratory in which to work, all housed in a pilot plant located in the Food Sciences Building. As Keener searches for new solutions to economic challenges, he gives undergraduate students the ability to conduct applied research. He believes this trifecta of talent – faculty, students and equipment – puts ISU at the leading edge.
Iowa Soybean Association Directors Tour ISU
Over the last few decades, the Iowa Soybean Association has invested millions in soybean research conducted at ISU. Recently, a group of directors toured ISU to see the benefit of their checkoff investment. The group heard from 15 researchers through the day on topics ranging from soybean breeding to digital agriculture. A tour of the Seed Science Center, presentations on multiple research farms, a welcome by President Leath and a visit from Cy were also on the itinerary.
Teaching and Students
CALS Week: Planting Excellence, Harvesting Success
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Student Council is celebrating “Planting Excellence, Harvesting Success” for 2016 CALS week, Oct. 1-8. Activities include the Cyclone Stampede Rodeo over the weekend, activities on campus next week and the Bacon Expo at the Hansen Learning Center on Oct. 8. More
Cyclone Stampede Rodeo to be held Oct. 1 and 2
The 54th annual Cyclone Stampede, one of the few student run rodeos in the nation, will be held at the Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center on Oct. 1 and 2. Performances will be held at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday and at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets sold at the door are $15 for adults, $10 for ISU students with a school ID, $5 children 6-12 years old and kids five and under free. More
Agriculture Weekend Experience Scheduled for Oct. 7-9
CALS and the ISU Agricultural Endowment are hosting an Agriculture Weekend Experience on Oct. 7-9 in Albion and State Center. The AWE program is for students studying agriculture who do not have a background in farming. Participants have the opportunity to meet with members of the agricultural community and take part in hands-on learning while staying at a family farm. Contact Mikayla Dolch, mldolch@iastate.edu, AWE coordinator, with questions. More
Extension and Outreach
Produce Food Safety Team Partners with IDALS on Federal Regulation Compliance
The ISU Produce Food Safety Team will partner with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship in an effort to help fruit and vegetable growers and processors comply with new federal regulations. ISU was awarded a five-year, $1,118,900 subcontract grant to assist with assessment of the needs of producer growers directly affected by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Rule and to provide education and technical assistance to those affected by the rule. Angela Shaw, food science and human nutrition, will lead the team.
ISU Experts Available to Comment on 2016 Harvest
ISU agriculture experts are available to comment on the storylines that will shape the 2016 harvest, including commodity market trends, weather and grain quality. Contacts include Chad Hart, economics, on grain markets; Elwynn Taylor, agronomy, on weather and climate; Mark Licht, agronomy, on grain quality and yield; and Charles Hurburgh, agricultural and biosystems engineering, on grain quality and rapid drying. More
Iowa Grain Quality Initiative Releases Harvest-Related Publications
A series of training materials related to grain-handling and processing has been developed by ISU’s Iowa Grain Quality Initiative and partners. The publications and related video modules are available at no charge through ISU Extension and Outreach. Charles Hurburgh, agricultural and biosystems engineering, is professor-in-charge of the initiative. More
Micronutrients Play Large Role in Keeping Plants Healthy
Micronutrients and their function in the soil is the subject of a new ISU Extension and Outreach publication, “Suggested Soil Micronutrient Levels and Sampling Procedures for Vegetable Crops.” Ajay Nair, horticulture and extension vegetable production specialist, encourages growers to test soils regularly – preferably in the fall. More
Around the College
Faculty, Staff Receive University Awards Today, Sept. 26
Faculty and staff recipients of the university’s most distinguished awards will be honored today, Sept. 26, at 3:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall. Individuals from CALS being recognized include the following. More
- Gene Takle, agronomy, Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in Agriculture and Life Sciences.
- Jan Thompson, natural resource ecology and management, Morrill Professor.
- Elisabeth Huff Lonergan, animal science, Regents Award for Faculty Excellence
- Kevin Schalinske, food science and human nutrition, Regents Award for Faculty Excellence.
- Steven Lonergan, animal science, ISU Award for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching.
- Lisa Orgler, horticulture, ISU Award for Early Achievement in Teaching.
- Basil Nikolau, biochemistry, biophysics and molecular biology, Margaret Ellen White Graduate Faculty Award.
- Dorothy Masinde, horticulture, International Service Award.
- Howard Tyler, CALS Student Services, ISU Award for Academic Advising Impact.
- Bryony Bonning, entomology, ISU Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research.
- Anna Johnson, animal science, ISU Award for Mid-Career Achievement in Research.
- Stephanie Hansen, animal science, ISU Award for Early Achievement in Research.
- Zhiliang Hu, animal science, Professional and Scientific Research Award
- Matt Darr, agricultural and biosystems engineering, ISU Award for Achievement in Intellectual Property.
- Kevin Kimle, economics, ISU Award for Achievement in Economic Development in Iowa.
- Dan Morrical, animal science, ISU Award for Outstanding Achievement in Extension or Professional Practice.
Andreotti Named to Endowed Chair in BBMB
The Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust of Muscatine has committed $1 million to ISU to establish the Roy J. Carver Chair in Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology. Amy Andreotti, director of the department’s Initiative in Biomolecular Structure, has been appointed as the first chair holder. Her areas of expertise include nuclear magnetic resonance and macromolecular structure and recognition. A medallion ceremony for Andreotti was held Sept. 22. More
Rick Hall, Natural Resource Ecology and Management Professor, Dies
Rick Hall, natural resource ecology and management professor, died on Sept. 21 of acute myeloid leukemia. He was 69 years old. Hall joined ISU’s forestry department (now NREM) in 1974. He served as interim chair of NREM from 2008 to 2009. He held the Arthur and Frances Wallace Endowed Professorship in forestry from 2004 to 2010. Recently, he was involved in selection of genetically improved cottonwoods, aspens and other tree species for use in the biofuels and new products industries. A celebration of life program will be held Oct. 9 at 10:30 a.m. at the ISU Alumni Center. NREM also is making plans for a tree planting on campus in Hall’s honor. More
George Ladd, Retired Economics Distinguished Professor, Dies
George Ladd, retired economics faculty member, died on May 22. He was 91 years old. Ladd taught economics from 1955 to 1992 and retired as a Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in Agriculture. During his time at Iowa State, he mentored more than 60 graduate students. He was named a fellow of the American Agricultural Economics Association in 1987. More
CALS United Way Book Sale Schedule for Oct. 4-5
The seventh annual CALS United Way book sale is scheduled for Oct. 4-5 in the ground floor rotunda of Curtiss Hall. On Oct. 4, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., books, CDs and DVDs will be sold for $1 each or six for $5. On Oct. 5, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., the remaining items will be sold throughout the day for a free will donation. All proceeds will go to the 2016 ISU United Way Campaign. Contact Carla Persaud at cpersaud@iastate.edu or 4-1823 with questions.
CALS Sustainability Lecture Series: Keith Paustian to Speak Oct. 10
Keith Paustian, Colorado State University, will present the next lecture in the CALS Sustainability Lecture Series on Oct. 10, 3:10 p.m. in 2432 Food Sciences Building. Paustian is a professor in the Department of Soil and Crop Sciences and senior research scientist at the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory. He will speak on “Climate-Smart Soils: Bringing Pie in the Sky Down to Earth.” A reception will follow at 4:30 p.m. in the Agronomy Hall Commons. More
Video of Mark Grey, CALS Cultural Competency Seminar, Available Online
Video of the recent CALS Cultural Competency Seminar, held Sept. 14, is available online. Mark Grey, professor of anthropology and director of the Iowa Center for Immigrant Leadership and Integration at the University of Northern Iowa, spoke on “Supporting International Students and Scholars and Addressing Xenophobia and Nativism.”
Calendar
Sept. 28: Modern View of Nutrition Lecture
Andrea Hutchins, associate professor in the Department of Health Sciences at the University of Colorado, will present “Pulses and Glycemic Response in Type 2 Diabetes” for the Modern View of Nutrition Lecture on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 12:10 to 1 p.m. in 1204 Kildee Hall, Ensminger Room.
Sept. 29: Feeding the World Seminar Series
The Feeding the World seminar series continues on Thursday, Sept. 29 at 3:40 p.m. in 1204 Kildee Hall, Ensminger Room. Student participants in the Uganda Service Learning and School Gardens will present.
Oct. 5: Deal Leadership Lecture
Jim Collins, executive vice president of DuPont, will present the 2016 William K. Deal Endowed Leadership Lecture on Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. in the Richard and Joan Stark Lecture Hall, 1148 Gerdin Business Building. Collins will speak on “Growth Comes When You Least Expect It.” The event is free and open to the public. More
Oct. 8: Bacon Expo
The fourth annual Bacon Expo will be held Oct. 8 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center. Organized by CALS students, Bacon Expo is a family friendly event where participants can sample creative bacon treats and enjoy live entertainment and education displays about the pork industry. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door. This year’s co-chairs are Tayler Etzel, senior in agricultural business, and John Armstrong, junior in agricultural studies. More
Oct. 10: Norman Borlaug Lecture
The 2016 World Food Prize Laureates will present the Norman Borlaug Lecture on Oct. 10 at 8 p.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall. Maria Andrade, Robert Mwanga and Jan Low, International Potato Center, and Howarth Bouis, HarvestPlus, will speak on “Leading the Fight against Malnutrition and Hidden Hunger.” A reception and student poster display will precede the lecture at 7 p.m. in the South Ballroom.
Funding Opportunities
Webcast: DARPA Young Faculty Award Proposers Day, Oct. 3
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Defense Sciences Office is sponsoring a Proposers Day webcast on Oct. 3 from 2 to 5 p.m. The webcast will provide information on the objectives of an anticipated research announcement for the young faculty award program. Registration will close on Sept. 28 or when capacity is reached. More
ISU Workshop: Finding Funding with Pivot, Oct. 13
The Office of the Vice President for Research has scheduled a series of fall research development events. “Finding Funding with Pivot,” will be held Oct. 13 in 301 Spedding Hall. Pivot Representative Kristen Culp will lead the workshop. A session for researchers will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. A session for grant coordinators and administrative staff will be held from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.
ISU Symposium: The Microbiome in Health and Disease, Oct. 20
The Office of the Vice President for Research will host the symposium “Genie in a Bottle: The Microbiome in Health and Disease” on Oct. 20 from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Prominent experts in the microbiome and antimicrobial resistance, spanning human, animal and plant sciences, will discuss the current state of the field. Registration for the symposium is available online. Individuals wishing to present a poster should submit a title and an abstract by Oct. 10. More
NSF Division of Materials Research Program Submission Window Changes
The proposal submission window for the topical materials research programs in the Division of Materials Research has changed. The submission window for biomaterials, polymers and four other programs is now Oct. 1-31 annually. 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.
Continuous: Richard P. Kimmel and Laurine Kimmel Charitable Foundation; $25,000, agriculture with horticulture focus, contact the ISU Foundation cfr@foundation.iastate.edu to express interest. More
Oct. 12: NIH NIAID Career Transition Award (K22). More
Oct. 28 (letter of intent): NIH Innovative Adaptations to Simplify Existing Technologies for Manipulation and Analysis of Glycans (U01); $200,000 direct cost per year for up to three years. More
Oct. 28 (letter of intent): NIH Novel and Innovative Tools to Facilitate Identification, Tracking, Manipulation and Analysis of Glycans and their Functions (U01); $400,000 direct costs per year for up to three years. More
Oct. 28 (letter of intent): NIH Data Integration and Analysis Tools: Accessible Resources for Integration and Analysis of Carbohydrate and Glycoconjugate Data in the Context of Comparable Gene, Protein and Lipid Data (U01); $1.5 million per year for up to five years. More
Nov. 1 (letter of intent): NIH Big Data to Knowledge Enhancing the Efficiency and Effectiveness of Digital Curation for Biomedical Big Data (U01); $350,000 direct costs for up to four years. More
Nov. 15: NSF Dynamics of Coupled Natural and Human Systems (CNH). More
Dec. 19: NSF NIH ANR BMBF BSF Collaborative Research in Computational Neuroscience; $100,000 to $250,000 direct costs per year for five years. More
Jan. 14 (letter of intent): NIH High Impact Neuroscience Research Resource Grants (R24); $700,000 direct costs for up to four years. More
Jan. 25, May 25: NIH Support of Competitive Research Pilot Project Award (SC2); $100,000 direct costs per year for up to three years. More
April 11 (letter of intent): NIH Centers of Excellence in Genomic Science; $1.75 million direct costs per year for five years. More
Communications Kiosk
Punctuation Rules for Possessives
For plural nouns not ending in s, add apostrophe s (the alumni’s contribution). For plural nouns that do end in s, add only an apostrophe (the horses’ food). For nouns plural in form but singular in meaning, add only an apostrophe (measles’ effects). Apply the same principle when a plural word occurs in the formal name of a singular entity (General Motors’ profits). For nouns that are the same in singular and plural form, treat them the same as plurals, even if the meaning is singular (one corps’ location, the two deer’s tracks). (Part 1 - Associated Press Stylebook, 2015 edition, pg. 212)
Marginalia
Cherry Pies for Sale Today during Human Sciences Week
Cherry pies are for sale today, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (or while supplies last), in the Joan Bice Underwood Tearoom, 23 MacKay Hall. The baking and selling of cherry pies to raise money for the Home Economics club began in the early 1920s and continued every year for more than eight decades. This year’s sale is part of the second annual College of Human Sciences celebration week, Sept. 26-30. 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.