College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
July 17, 2017
Top Stories
Entomology Student Named Fulbright-National Geographic Storytelling Fellow
Ruben Isai Madriz, Ph.D. candidate and research assistant in entomology, was selected as a 2017-2018 Fulbright-National Geographic Digital Storytelling Fellow. Madriz will travel to Chile to hike, bikepack and packraft to unexplored areas and secluded fjords in search of some of the rarest insects on the planet, telling the story of deglaciation in the Northern Patagonia Ice Field. The fellowship is a partnership between the U.S. Department of State and the National Geographic Society. More
ISU Breaks External Funding Record; CALS-AES Faculty Bring in Over $51 Million
Iowa State University broke its previous record for external funding after receiving $503.6 million in the fiscal year that ended June 30. Research funding totaled $243.7 million, which supports research that has a direct impact on our daily lives, from cyberattacks to Parkinson’s disease to crop management. Faculty supported by CALS and the Agriculture Experiment Station successfully received more than $51.5 million in external funding in the last fiscal year. Over the past five years, CALS and the Ag Experiment Station have received more than $271 million in external funding.
Research
GDCB Scientist Explores Balance between Plant Growth and Drought Response
Yanhai Yin, genetics, development and cell biology, and colleagues are untangling the complex genetic mechanisms that control growth and stress response in plants. A recently published paper identifies a group of proteins that may be of interest to plant breeders eager for crop varieties that will withstand dry conditions. More
Recent Patents for CALS Researchers in ABE, Animal Science
Matt Darr and Robert McNaull, agricultural and biosystems engineering, were recently issued a patent titled “Calibration of Grain Mass Measurement.” Hank Harris, animal science, was issued a patent titled “Identification of Protective Antigenic Determinants of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus and Uses Thereof.”
Teaching and Students
Donation Funds Food Science Teaching Lab Renovation
A newly renovated food science teaching laboratory, made possible by a charitable contribution from Mary A. Kelleher Nelson and R.W. Nelson and Kemin Industries, was dedicated July 12. The donation included funds for the lab renovation and new instrumentation to update the teaching capacity. The new facility will be used for undergraduate food chemistry and food analysis lab classes and food microbiology lab classes. More
FSHN Graduate Student Earns Enology Student Poster Award
Erin Norton, graduate student in food science and human nutrition, earned the Enology Student Poster award at the American Society for Enology and Viticulture Eastern Section conference in Charlottesville, Va., on July 10-12. Norton is the Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute education and outreach coordinator. More
Extension and Outreach
Twitter Campaign Encourages Farmers to Tweet Corn and Soybean Diseases
Farmers, agronomists, crop consultants and specialists are being asked to upload photos of crop diseases as they show up across the country during this growing season. The Twitter campaign is part of the Integrated Pest Information Platform for Education and Extension. Daren Mueller, plant pathology and microbiology and extension plant pathology specialist, said the information “will be used to help predict trends in crop diseases and allow experts to provide the necessary management tools and information to farmers.” More
Easy Access to Wildlife Experts Available with Extension Online Tool
An online tool provides Iowans with easy access to wildlife experts in general regional wildlife information, wildlife conflict resolution, wildlife habitat programs and consultation and wildlife rehabilitation. Adam Janke, natural resource ecology and management, said the new application provides a comprehensive county-by-county resource to assist Iowans in finding relevant and timely information. More
500 Attend Iowa Swine Day
About 500 people representing producers, industry leaders and academia from across the U.S. attended Iowa Swine Day on June 29. John Patience and Jason Ross, animal science, were co-chairs. Brent Pringnitz, ANR Extension, Jay Harmon, CALS interim associate dean for extension, Ken Stalder, animal science, Chris Rademacher, veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine, and Drew Mogler, Iowa Pork Producers Association, organized the event. Nationally recognized speakers addressed misconceptions about the use of science in agriculture; how packing capacity on the horizon will provide opportunities and challenges for producers; global commodity and national consumer trends; and environmental and animal science issues. The conference was hosted by CALS, the Iowa Pork Industry Center and the Iowa Pork Producers Association.
Around the College
Graves and VanDerZanden Named to Academic Leadership Positions
Bill Graves, horticulture, has been named the dean of the Graduate College and Ann Marie VanDerZanden, horticulture, has been named the associate provost for academic programs. The full-time appointments are effective July 17 and July 19, respectively. Both roles were previously held by Dave Holger, who retired last month after 43 years. More
Woteki Joins Food Science and Human Nutrition Faculty
Catherine Woteki, who served six years as undersecretary for research, education and economics and chief scientist for USDA, has joined the faculty of the department of food science and human nutrition. Woteki, a member of the National Academy of Medicine, will return to ISU where she served as dean of CALS and director of the Agriculture Experiment Station from 2002 to 2005. Her appointment was effective July 1. More
Dharmadhikari Presented with Distinguished Service Award
Murli Dharmadhikari, food science and human nutrition, received the Distinguished Service Award at the American Society for Enology and Viticulture Eastern Section conference in Charlottesville, Va., on July 10-12. Dharmadhikari developed the Midwest Grape and Wine Industry Institute in CALS in 2006 and served as its director until his retirement last January.
Calendar
July 24: Monarch Conservation Field Day
The Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium is hosting a monarch conservation field day July 24 at the Field Extension Education Laboratory near Boone. More
Funding Opportunities
Nominations for NAS Prize in Food and Agriculture Due Oct. 2
The National Academy of Sciences Prize in Food and Agriculture Sciences recognizes research by a mid-career scientist (up to 20 years since completion of Ph.D.) who has made an extraordinary contribution to agriculture or to the understanding of the biology of a species fundamentally important to agriculture or food production. Areas of science with applications to agriculture include plant and animal sciences, microbiology, nutrition and food science, soil science, entomology, veterinary medicine and agricultural economics. The recipient will receive a medal and a $100,000 prize. The prize is endowed through gifts from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. More
Internal Competition: Research Experiences for Teachers Pre-proposals Due Aug. 10
The National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Teachers in Engineering and Computer Science Supplements and Sites program supports active long-term collaborative partnerships between K-12 science, technology, engineering, computer and information science, and mathematics teachers and community college and university faculty and students to bring knowledge and technological innovation to pre-college/community college classrooms. Contact Sue Shipitalo (sueship@istate.edu) for pre-proposal guidelines. Submissions are limited to three site proposals, with no more than two in engineering. More
Internal Competition: Advancing Informal STEM Learning Pre-proposals Due Aug. 14
The National Science Foundation Advancing Informal STEM Learning program seeks to advance new approaches to and evidence-based understanding of the design and development of STEM learning opportunities for the public in informal environments; provide multiple pathways for broadening access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences; advance innovative research on and assessment of STEM learning in informal environments; and engage the public of all ages in learning STEM in informal environments. Submissions are limited to three per institution. Pre-proposals are due Aug. 14. Contact Sue Shipitalo (sueship@istate.edu) for pre-proposal guidelines. More
Needs Assessment on Tea and Ginger Value Chains in Nepal Due Aug. 8
The USDA Foreign Agriculture Service has issued a funding opportunity for “Nepal Tea and Ginger Value Chains Sanitary and Phyto-Sanitary and Technical Barriers to Trade Needs Assessment for Trade.” The institution selected will provide technical, logistical and administrative support and should have demonstrated experience in the implementation of related technical assistance programs in Nepal or other relevant countries/regions. This work may be undertaken in concert with other land-grant universities and research institutions, Nepalese institutions, including universities and research institutions. USDA intends to provide up to $175,000 for the project period Aug. 2017 to Jan. 2018. Applications are due Aug. 8. Contact Roxanne Clemens (rclemens@iastate.edu) for guidelines.
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.
July 30: D-Prize; $20,000 awards to individual entrepreneurs increasing access to proven poverty interventions, topics in agriculture, global health, energy and others. More
Notice of intent to request proposals: USDA/USDOI Joint Fire Science Program beginning about Sept. 8 and remaining open through Nov. 16 or Dec. 14 depending on program. More
Deadlines vary by program: NSF Computational and Data-Enabled Science and Engineering. More
Sept. 22: NOAA FY18 Cooperative Research Program; fundamental fisheries information in support of management and regulatory options including socio-economic studies; average grant $150,000. More
Oct. 1: Constellation E2 Energy to Educate Grants; $50,000. More
Oct. 5: NIH Nutrigenetics and Nutrigenomics Approaches for Nutrition Research (R01). More
Oct. 5: NIH Research to Advance Vaccine Safety (R01). More
Nov. 15: NSF Ecology and Evolution of Infectious Diseases. More
Communications Kiosk
Tips for Taking Better Photos of Garden and Wildlife
It’s easy these days to pull out a phone and take pictures, but a little time and thought can produce better garden and wildlife photos. “There’s a big difference between that for-the-record shot that preserves a memory and getting a really nice image,” says Brenda Tharp, author of the new book “Expressive Nature Photography.” In the July 12 issue of The Washington Post, Tharp and other nature photographers offer tips. More
Infograzing
Nusser Discusses State of Science with National Media
Sarah Nusser, ISU Vice President for Research, joined other higher education leaders in Washington, D.C. on July 12 to discuss with national media the state of science and continued federal investment in research. More
Marginalia
Green Roofs Blossoming Around Campus
Iowa State built its first green roof in 2009, on the King Pavilion, an addition to the College of Design building. Since then, the inventory of campus buildings topped with vegetation has flourished, growing to a dozen separate spaces on nine structures with two more in the works. There are plants covering portions of the State Gym addition, Troxel Hall, Memorial Union, Horticulture Hall, Biorenewables Research Laboratory, Sukup Hall, Elings Hall and even a CyRide shelter. 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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