College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Online
Aug. 21, 2017
Top Stories
Annual CALS Alumni BBQ Registrations due Today, Aug. 21
CALS faculty, staff and guests are invited to join the college at the annual barbecue on Sept. 2, 3 to 6 p.m. at the Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center prior to the ISU vs. UNI football game at 7 p.m. BBQ attendees will enjoy complimentary Hickory Park BBQ and Dairy Science Club ice cream, networking with CALS alumni and friends, and hands-on activities from CALS student organizations. Shuttle service will be provided to and from the stadium. Register to attend by today, Aug. 21. More
Volunteers Needed for Annual CALS Alumni BBQ
Similar to previous years, faculty and staff may volunteer in various roles to welcome guests to the BBQ. Approximately 500 CALS alumni and friends are expected to attend. Register to volunteer by today, Aug. 21.
- Registration (2:30-4 p.m. or 4-5:30 p.m.)
- Greeting (2:30-4 p.m. or 4-5:30 p.m.)
- Beverage service—(2:30-4 p.m. or 4-5:30 p.m.)
- Tear down (5:30-6:30 p.m.)
Research
CALS Scientists Studying Viruses and Aphids that Help Crops
Allen Miller and Steve Whitham, plant pathology and microbiology, are contributing to a multi-institutional effort to help corn stand up to stress brought on by drought and disease by using viruses and aphids to activate desirable traits. It’s speculative research that could yield new insight into how viruses, insects and plants interact. More
Teaching and Students
Science With Practice Fall Program Open until Sept. 1
Participation in the Science With Practice program for the fall 2017 semester is open until Sept. 1. Science With Practice is a CALS experiential learning and work program for undergraduate students in agriculture. Registration forms are available online, or contact the SWP director, Misty Lambert, lambert4@iastate.edu.
Lambert Leads Science With Practice Program
Misty Lambert, agricultural education and studies, joined ISU this month as an associate professor and is the new director of the CALS Science With Practice program. Lambert spent the last seven years as a faculty member at Oregon State University where she provided leadership for Agricultural Education Teacher Certification. She is a native of North Carolina, with a bachelor’s and master’s degree from North Carolina State University and a Ph.D. in agricultural education from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Impressive Starting Salaries for Recent Graduates in Agriculture, Related Areas
CALS Career Services has released the annual entry-level salary summary for December 2016 and May 2017 graduates earning bachelor’s degrees. The report is the largest ever, with 20 universities participating and more than 3,600 data points. According to Mike Gaul, career services director, the top earning majors include technology, agricultural economics/business, agronomy, food science and horticulture. A regional report and a CALS summary are available online.
Turning a Student Into a Scientist
Rosemary Galdamez, an incoming senior at North High School in Des Moines, was one of 19 interns this year with the George Washington Carver Summer Research Internship Program. She completed a research project with mentor Thomas Isenhart, natural resource ecology and management. “Mentoring interns such as Rosemary, along with the undergraduate and graduate students, is an important and rewarding part of the research enterprise,” said Isenhart. More
Extension and Outreach
Farmers Learn about Biochar Research at Demonstration Farm
Ajay Nair, horticulture, held up a jar of biochar during a wagon tour of the Muscatine Island Research and Demonstration Farm on Aug. 15. Nair is testing biochar on crops so farmers don’t have to experiment with their own fields. It is just one of the projects the farmers learned about during the field day. More
Around the College
Dean Wintersteen – Letter for Faculty and Staff
In a welcome back to campus letter to the college, Dean Wintersteen urges faculty and staff to make this academic year an exceptional one for all students, founded on ISU’s Principles of Community. “For years the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences has been ranked as one of the very best colleges in the world…I ask for your help in continuing our level of excellence with a firm, unbending commitment to overcome biases and hate and to eliminate incidents of bigotry, racism, disrespect and misunderstanding.”
Baum and Munkvold Named APS Fellows
Thomas Baum and Gary Munkvold, plant pathology and microbiology, were named Fellows at the 2017 American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting, held Aug. 5-9 in San Antonio. Baum, distinguished professor and department chair, was recognized for his scholarly contributions to molecular nematology, as well as his commitment to undergraduate and graduate education through his teaching activities and the development of award-winning teaching tools and mentoring the next generation of scientists. More Munkvold was recognized for his robust research programs, his leadership in guiding hybrid development priorities in a major corn seed company, for chairing a one-of-a-kind online graduate program in seed technology and business, and for his national leadership in phytosanitary issues through the U.S. National Seed Health System. More
Hogberg Receives Livestock Publications Council Award
The Livestock Publications Council presented its Headliner Award to Maynard Hogberg, animal science professor emeritus and former department chair, last month at the Agricultural Media Summit. The award recognizes those outside of the publishing industry for actions that have produced a positive change in livestock production and marketing. The news release announcing the award noted: “Hogberg shaped a generation of animal scientists, extension specialists and industry leaders through his mentoring of students, faculty and staff and academia and industry colleagues.” More
Marek’s Work on Wild Sunflower Seeds Featured in Modern Farmer
Laura Marek, agronomy and plant physiologist with USDA’s Plant Introduction Station in Ames, has spent the last 11 years in search of wild sunflowers, a plant native to North America. Marek’s work on harnessing the genetics of this wild species to create hybrids for future uncertain growing conditions was featured in the Aug. 7 issue of Modern Farmer. More
ISU Researchers Tour Iowa Farms
Iowa’s countryside became a classroom for several ISU faculty members and researchers last month when they toured two farms to learn more about farming. The Iowa Soybean Research Center at ISU, in cooperation with the Iowa Soybean Association, sponsored the tour. “One of the goals of the farm visits is to have ISU personnel see how modern corn and soybean farming is done in Iowa and to gain a perspective of how complicated farming can be,” said Greg Tylka, plant pathology and microbiology and director of the Center. The article, written by CALS communications specialist Ed Adcock, was published in the Aug. 11 issue of Wallaces Farmer. More
Robert Moorman, Extension Wildlife Conservationist, Dies
Robert Moorman, former extension wildlife conservationist, died March 9. He was 100. During his 30 years at ISU, Moorman authored numerous Extension bulletins, gave conservation education programs to school children of all ages, worked with farmers developing farm pond projects and taught them methods for increasing conservation habitat for wildlife on their land. He received all three of his academic degrees from Iowa State College.
Calendar
Aug. 25: Cultural Competency Lunch and Learn Series
The CALS Office for Diversity Programs is continuing its cultural competency series on Friday, Aug. 25, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in 368A Heady Hall. Antoine Alston (2000 Ph.D.), associate dean for academic studies in the College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at NC A&T State University, will speak on understanding the persistence and grit of at-risk student populations. Please RSVP by Wednesday, Aug. 23, to Theressa Cooper, assistant dean for diversity, tncooper@iastate.edu. Lunch will be provided.
Aug. 28: Celebration of Collaborative Conservation in America’s Heartland
Steve Bradbury, natural resource ecology and management and a workgroup leader with the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium, will be part of a panel session at the Celebration of Collaborative Conservation in America’s Heartland on Aug. 28, 1 to 3 p.m. at the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden. The discussion will focus on how working in partnership is the most effective way to support conservation and farm resiliency. More
Sept. 16: Horticulture Research Station Celebrates 50 Years
The Horticulture Research Station will celebrate its 50th anniversary on Sept. 16 at 12:30 p.m. Alumni and friends are invited for farm tours, apple demonstrations, kids’ games, and a special program hosted by Jeff Iles, horticulture chair, and Charity Nebbe, Iowa Public Radio.
Sept. 19: Listening Session on Future of Leopold Center
A listening session to gather input on the future of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture will be held Sept. 19, 6 to 8 p.m. at Dordt College in Sioux Center. This is one of several listening sessions scheduled around the state. For more information, contact Mark Rasmussen, markras@iastate.edu.
Research Development Announcements and Funding Opportunities
BARD Research Program and Feasibility Proposals Due Sept. 13
The U.S.-Israel Binational Agricultural Research and Development Fund Research Grant Program funds three-year projects conducted cooperatively by U.S. and Israeli scientists. Proposals are expected to deal with an agricultural issue or problem and yield tangible results that could be implemented within a reasonable time after project completion. Projects can cover any phase of agricultural research and development, including strategic or applied research. The outcomes of BARD funded research must be accessible to the public. Applicants should note BARD’s new on-line submission process and format requirements. Applications are due by Sept. 13. More
Internal Competition: PIRS Applications Due Oct. 31
The ISU Presidential Interdisciplinary Research Seed Grants are intended to support the initial stages of innovative, high-risk and high-reward projects that have an interdisciplinary focus and strong potential for external funding. Projects may include performing preliminary work and facilitating collaboration, with the expectation that a sizeable competitive proposal will be submitted to an external funding agency within one year of completion of the PIRS project. Tenure-eligible faculty and senior lecturers/clinicians from all disciplines and career stages are eligible to apply. PIRS awards are typically $30,000 (maximum $50,000) total over a two-year period. Proposals are due to the Office of the VPR by Oct. 31.
Internal Competition: ISU COSRIF Applications Due Oct. 31
The ISU Cost Sharing ? Research Instrumentation Funding program provides faculty and core facilities with cost?sharing funds to purchase new equipment, replace or add new components to existing research instruments, or de novo assemble an integrated new instrument. The program considers requests whose costs fall out of the range of federal major instrumentation grants or are not permitted in typical individual federal research proposals. All ISU faculty, departments and units are eligible to apply. Each proposal can request up to $300,000 from ISU funds, with a maximum of one-third contributed by the Office of the VPR.
ISU Publication Subvention Grant Applications Now Reviewed Monthly
ISU Publication Subvention Grants defray the costs of publications in two forms: articles targeted for high-quality, peer-reviewed open access journals when other funds are not available, and meritorious scholarly writings and worthy original works. Any full-time faculty member or any P&S staff member at the rank of P37 or above may apply for this award through his/her academic unit. Anyone outside of the university may apply by working directly with the Office of the VPR. Requests are considered for funding by the Office of the VPR on a monthly basis. More
ISU Research Development Workshop and Training Events
The Office of the VPR has posted the schedule of 2017-18 research development events. The events cover a wide array of research development issues and skills, from responding to agency-specific requests for proposals to research integrity to writing a winning grant proposal. All ISU researchers are welcome to attend. Contact: Amy Harris-Tehan (ajotehan@iastate.edu).
ISU Boot Camp for NIH and NSF Responsible Conduct Of Research, Sept. 7-8
Faculty, staff and postdocs who receive funding through NSF or certain NIH grants can participate in a two-day workshop that will satisfy NIH and NSF requirements for training in the Responsible Conduct of Research. Participants will be asked to do some reading prior to attending. The workshop will be held on Sept. 7-8 from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in the Memorial Union Gold Room. A light breakfast will be provided each day. More
Contact: Roxanne Clemens, rclemens@iastate.edu. Additional information is posted at CALS Pre-Award Resources.
Infograzing
NIFA Announces I-FAST Prize Competition
USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture has announced the I-FAST prize competition to develop and implement the Innovations in Food and Agricultural Science and Technology program. NIFA will partner with the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps to provide entrepreneurship training to grantees under this pilot program. The goals are to identify valuable product opportunities than can emerge from NIFA supported academic research. More
Marginalia
Attend Today’s Faces of Iowa State Exhibit at Brunnier Museum
The Faces of Iowa State portrait exhibition will open at the Brunnier Art Museum today, Aug. 21. Faculty and staff are invited to a welcome reception from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Iowa artist Rose Frantzen painted 19 portraits at the Iowa State Fair last August and 13 more portraits in March during a nine-day residency on campus. The portraits make up the Faces of Iowa State exhibition. Portraits sponsored by CALS are: Grace Obata Amemiya, Marcia Borel, Joe Lyon, Paxton Williams and JaneAnn Stout. The Vice President for Research also sponsored a portrait of Stephanie Hansen in animal science. 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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