College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
May 15, 2017
Top Stories
Leopold Center Spared from Elimination, but Without State Funding
On Friday, May 12, the Governor signed Senate File 510, a bill that removed state funding from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture and that included language to eliminate the center. The Governor vetoed the language of elimination, allowing the university to retain the center, but without state funding. Mark Rasmussen, center director, sent a message to stakeholders on the decision. Options for the future of the center will be explored and opportunities for support through private philanthropy. The ability to retain the name of the center is meaningful in that it continues the name recognition and reputation so important to recruiting prospective graduate students in sustainable agriculture. It also is meaningful to many alumni, center partners and stakeholders who have been impacted during the three decades the Leopold Center has been operating.
Research
ISU a Partner to Create Seed Research Center in India
ISU has signed an agreement to partner with the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh to create a seed research center. As part of the project, ISU will work with the Andhra Pradesh state government, Acharya N.G. Ranga Agricultural University and other state agencies to achieve and ensure continued seed security through science-led innovation, policies and public-private partnerships. “By signing this agreement, we will work together to enhance the production of, and access to, quality seeds to benefit smallholders across the state of Andhra Pradesh,” said Manjit Misra, director of the Seed Science Center. More
Food Scientists Receive National Innovation Award
The technology developed by Tong Wang, food science and human nutrition, and postdoctoral research associate Tao Fei, was selected for the National Innovation Award given at the TechConnect World Innovation Conference and Expo in Washington, D.C. The technology is a vegetable oil-based material that can serve as a substitute for carnauba wax.
Study Casts New Light on Likelihood of Coextinction among Plants and Animals
Newly published research from Evan Fricke and Haldre Rogers, ecology, evolution and organismal biology, shows many species may not be as susceptible to coextinction events as once thought. This new understanding hinges on how dependent individual species are on their mutualist relationships. More
Teaching and Students
CALS Student Named Cargill Global Scholar
Cargill and the Institute of International Education announced that Katrina McCarty, sophomore in agriculture and life sciences education, has been selected as a Cargill Global Scholar in the fifth year of the program. The Cargill Global Scholars program provides financial support and leadership development opportunity to undergraduate students from around the world. More
Agronomy Distance Ed Student Travels from Argentina to Accept Degree
Juliana Albertengo traveled from San Jorge, Argentina, to attend Iowa State’s Graduate College Commencement ceremony on May 4. As a master of science in agronomy distance student, Albertengo earned her degree while working full-time and helping on her family farm in Argentina. More
Extension and Outreach
Farmers Surveyed on Efforts to Stop Monarch Butterfly Decline
The 2016 Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll examined ways farmers might help reverse the decline in North America’s monarch butterfly population through habitat restoration. The survey’s questions examined farmer awareness, concern and willingness to support monarch habitat improvement. J. Gordon Arbuckle, sociology, is director of the Farm Poll.
CALS Student and Faculty to Speak at World Pork Expo, June 7-9
The World Pork Expo will be held June 7-9 at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. On the agenda from CALS are Wes Schweer, graduate student in animal science, speaking on sub-therapeutic growth promotion antibiotic alternatives, and Dermot Hayes, economics, speaking on U.S. exports and international trade. More
Around the College
College Websites Receive University Marketing Awards
Each year at its Spring Summit, the Office of University Marketing honors up to three examples of excellence in applying marketing techniques to achieve goals. On May 10, two CALS websites received the Outstanding Marketing Practice award: the redesign of CALS Online Education, the Brenton Center for Agricultural Instruction and Technology Transfer’s online learning website; and the student-centered stories on the Global Resource Systems website.
Former FSHN Chair, Earl Hammond, Dies
Earl Hammond, former chair of the food sciences and human nutrition department and emeritus university professor, died on May 10. He was 90. Hammond joined Iowa State College in 1953 where he taught cheesemaking and food chemistry, and did research on fats, oils and lipids for the next 50 years. His work resulted in more than 30 patents and is used in several commercial products. He officially retired in 2003, but continued to do research and work with students until 2014. Visitation will be today, May 15, 5 to 7 p.m. at Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care in Ames. Memorial services will be Tuesday, May 16, 11 a.m. at First Baptist Church in Ames. More
Calendar
May 24: Retirement Reception for Susan Carpenter
A retirement reception will be held for Susan Carpenter, animal science, on May 24, 1 to 2 p.m. in the Kildee Hall atrium. Carpenter joined ISU in 1988 as a faculty member in the College of Veterinary Medicine for 17 years. She returned to Iowa State in the animal science department in 2009. Recent research efforts examined host-virus interactions at the genomic level.
May 25: Farewell Reception for Patrick Gunn
A farewell reception will be held for Patrick Gunn on May 25, 3 to 4 p.m. in the Kildee Hall atrium. As an assistant professor of animal science he conducted applied research and co-instructed the senior-level beef systems management course. As an extension beef specialist, his primary responsibility was beef cow-calf extension.
June 1: Retirement Reception for Steve Mahoney
A retirement reception will be held for Steve Mahoney, ecology, evolution and organismal biology, on June 1, 2 to 4 p.m. (with a program at 2:30) in the Memorial Union Gallery Room. Mahoney, who manages the Bessey Hall rooftop greenhouse, is retiring after 37 years of service to the university.
Funding Opportunities
Webinar: USDA NIFA Competitive Funding Opportunities, May 25
The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture will host a Competitive Funding Opportunity Webinar to discuss NIFA grant programs and offer helpful tips to all institutions, including those underrepresented in NIFA grant programs. The webinar objectives are to increase knowledge of USDA NIFA competitive funding opportunities, increase comprehension of grant award types and the grants submission process, increase knowledge of the peer review process, and identify approaches shared by successful grantees. The two-part webinar is scheduled for May 25 from 10 to 11 a.m. and 12 to 1 p.m. Central time. Participants are encouraged to attend in groups if possible. More
NSF Seeks Nominations for Directorate and Office Advisory Committee Members
The National Science Foundation is accepting nominations for membership on its scientific and technical advisory committees. Each committee typically meets twice a year to discuss current issues and to review and provide advice on program management and the impact of policies, programs and activities. NSF also has committees that provide advice and recommendations on specific topics, including environmental research and education, equal opportunities in science and engineering, cyberinfrastructure, and international science and engineering, among others. 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.
June 9: Department of State Regional Environment, Science, Technology and Health Program for Northeast and Southeast Asia; $24,999, awards cannot fund research. More
June 10: Department of State U.S. Mission to India - Public Diplomacy Grants Program - Videos for Empowerment; $44,000. More
June 23: Department of Commerce FY 2017 Regional Innovation Strategies Program; $500,000. More
July 7: Department of State U.S. Mission to India - Green Hackathon; $25,000. More
July 10: USDA Risk Management Education Partnership Program; $75,000. More
July 10: USDA Renewable Resources Extension Act-National Focus Fund Projects. More
July 25, Nov. 25 (letter of intent): NIH Genomic Community Resources (U24). More
Oct. 30: NSF Semiconductor Synthetic Biology for Information Processing and Storage Technologies. More
Oct. 31: NIH NIDDK Central Repositories Non-renewable Sample Access (X01); access to non-renewable samples, no funds awarded. More
Communications Kiosk
Van Berkum Presents Webinar on Design
Nick Van Berkum, communication specialist and designer in the sociology department, will share tips for stretching your creativity and approaching every assignment with fresh eyes at a webinar on Wednesday, May 17, at noon. To participate in person, come to the Brenton Center in Curtiss Hall, room 9. The webinar is hosted by the Association for Communications Excellence Publishing and Graphic Design Learning Community. Melea Reicks Licht, CALS Communications Service, is chair of ACE’s Graphic Design LC. More
Marginalia
New Exhibit Highlights ISU’s Role in Early Years of Iowa’s State Park System
The library’s special collections and university archives department announces a summer exhibition, “This Movement for a More Beautiful Iowa.” Iowa State played a central role in establishing the state park system and the state of Iowa soon became a leader in the effort to form a similar organization nationwide. The exhibition, a look at the early years of Iowa’s state park system, opens on Wednesday, May 17, and will run through the summer on the fourth floor of Parks Library.
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.