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AG ONLINE
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The College of Agriculture Faculty/Staff Newsletter
Iowa State University
January 22, 2002 No. 187
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COLLEGE NEWS
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DEWITT TAKES USDA INTERIM POST
Jerry DeWitt has been named Interim National Program Leader,
Sustainable Agriculture, for CSREES-USDA in Washington, D.C. His new
duties began Jan. 7 and will end Aug. 31. DeWitt is working half time
for CSREES-USDA and will continue his responsibilities in ISU’s
entomology department and extension. The national SARE program,
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program, provides
sustainable agriculture resources for research and extension
activities nationwide through four regional centers. DeWitt will
oversee the program, the four centers, and their investments and
interactions with land grants, nonprofit organizations, federal and
state partners, and farmers and ranchers.
DICKSON CHAIRS NAS STUDY
SUBCOMMITTEE
Jim Dickson has been named chair of the meat and poultry
sub-committee of the Committee to Review the Use of Scientific
Criteria and Performance Standards for Safe Foods by the National
Academy of Science. Dickson, chair of the Department of Microbiology,
said two sub-committees plan to study problems encountered during the
1998 implementation of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point
(HAACP) in the meat and poultry, fish and seafood, produce and dairy
industries. The committees will conduct a 14-month study to evaluate
the scientific basis for existing USDA or FDA microbiological
performance standards and recommend improvements.
CARVER TO RECEIVE IOWA AWARD
The Iowa Award, the state’s highest citizen recognition, will be
presented in honor of alumnus George Washington Carver at a campus
ceremony Feb. 13. The Iowa Award was created in 1951 to honor an Iowa
citizen who has had a nationwide impact. It will be presented to
Ronke Lattemore Tapp, a student of Carver’s who received
Carver’s honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from Iowa
State in 1994. The award ceremony begins at 11 a.m. in the Sun Room,
Memorial Union. A one-act play about Carver’s life will be
performed in the afternoon, along with a discussion of the meaning of
Carver’s life and work beginning at 3:20 p.m., both in the Sun
Room.
TRADE THE THEME FOR 2002 AG FORUM
The March 1 session sponsored by the Center for Agricultural and
Rural Development will explore international trade agreements and
their impact on farm programs. The Agricultural Forum 2002 focuses on
U.S. farm policy in the context of commitments to limit
trade-distorting policies for the betterment of each World Trade
Organization member nation. Program information is available by
calling 56257 or visiting:http://www.agforum.org
INAUGURAL CONFERENCE PRECEDES AG
FORUM
The Global Agricultural Science and Policy Institute will be hosting
its inaugural conference, Growing Ambitions: Prospects for Global
Grain and Meat Demand on Feb. 28. The conference, at the Scheman
Building, will gather experts from around the world to examine the
foreseeable supply and demand balance for grain and meat products. On
hand will be science and policy experts, representatives from food
industry, and hunger relief organizations. More information about the
conference or the institute is located at:http://www.agron.iastate.edu/initiatives/gaspi/
MINORITY INTERNSHIP DEADLINE
EXTENDED
Feb. 15 is the new deadline for submitting applications to the
College of Agriculture Summer Minority Internship 2002. The program
runs from June 9 to Aug. 3 for high school and undergraduate interns.
Faculty willing to serve as mentors are asked to contact Nina Grant
at 23 Curtiss ornina1@iastate.edu.
More information about the internship is available at:
http://www.ag.iastate.edu/student/minority.html
COMPUTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE SEEKS
PROPOSALS
Proposals for information technology-based instructional support for
students are due by March 1. Proposals may originate from students,
faculty or staff and must be connected to an administrative unit of
the university. Proposals will be reviewed and ranked within the
college and should be submitted to Dean Hoiberg's office. The
Computation Advisory Committee (CAC) call for proposals is on the Web
at:http://www.public.iastate.edu/~cac_info/proposals/proposals.html
NRCS POSTER FEATURES BUFFER STRIP
PROJECT
The Bear Creek buffer strip is the subject of a poster created by the
National Resources Conservation Service in Des Moines. "Lessons
Learned from Bear Creek" is the title of the poster that highlights
benefits discovered at the riparian buffer established in 1990 by
scientists in the college and the Leopold Center’s Agroecology
Issues Team. Copies of the poster are available by contacting Tom
Isenhart in forestry at 4-8056 or isenhart@iastate.edu.
COLLEGE SPRING-SEMESTER CONVOCATION ON
FEB. 7
The College of Agriculture’s spring-semester convocation will be
held Feb. 7 in the Sun Room, Memorial Union. College awards will be
presented and faculty and staff will be recognized for other awards
received during the past year. Retirees also will be recognized. The
event begins with a 3:30 p.m. social time, with the program beginning
at 4 p.m.
AG AMBASSADOR LEADERS ATTEND NATIONAL
CONFERENCE
College students Mike Taylor and Holly Kasperbauer last week attended
a national conference for ag ambassador-type programs at California
Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo Calif. They are
co-chairs of the college’s ag ambassador group that enlists
current college students to help recruit students from high schools
in Iowa and surrounding states.
ISU SPECIALISTS PRESENT AT PORK
CONGRESS
Twenty Iowa State University swine specialists will present a variety
of seminars at the 2002 Iowa Pork Congress, Jan. 23-24, in Des
Moines. Seminar topics include on-farm phytase research, disease
trends and surveillance at the ISU diagnostic lab, economic effects
of an antibiotic ban and instrumental methods of air quality
assessment. Presenters are from ISU Extension and Iowa State colleges
of agriculture, engineering and veterinary medicine.
GEOFFROY VISITS ARIZONA ALUMNI
President Geoffroy began hosting alumni receptions in the Phoenix
area and Tucson last Sunday. Alumni were invited to a reception at
the Wyndham Buttes Resort in Tempe Jan. 20 and the Arizona Inn in
Tucson Wednesday. A brief program including a university update is
scheduled.
PLANT SCIENCE INSTITUTE FORESIGHT
RECOGNIZED
Animal science professors David Topel and Colin Scanes were honored
this month by the Iowa Corn Growers Association’s (ICGA) for
their contributions to Iowa’s corn industry as leaders in the
creation of Iowa State’s Plant Science Institute. "These
individuals were the first at ISU to recognize the importance of a
Plant Science Institute," said Dave Boettger, ICGA president.
"In 1997 Dr. Scanes and Dr. Topel began to formulate their vision for
a world class center that focused on the improvement of plants." At
that time Topel served as dean of the College of Agriculture and
Scanes was executive associate dean.
JAPANESE SUSTAINABLE FARMER TO VISIT
CAMPUS
Takao Furuno, Japanese farmer who developed the Aigamo method of
raising ducks and rice and author of "The Power of Duck" will talk
about his work Feb. 5. Discuss how the principles of Furuno's
integrated rice and duck farming could be applied in other production
systems and environments at a session set for 2 to 3:30 p.m. in 3140
Agronomy. At 4 p.m. Feb. 5 in 2050 Agronomy he will present the
seminar titled "One Bird Ten Thousand Treasures: Integrated Rice and
Duck Farming in Sustainable Japanese Agriculture" with a reception
following in Agronomy Commons. Both events are sponsored by the
Leopold Center.
STORAGE AVAILABLE FOR UNIVERSITY
USE
Research and Demonstration Farms is offering storage space to college
researchers in a building it constructed on South Dakota Avenue at
the Bennett Farm. There are nine bays available for rent ranging in
size from 5 by 10 feet to 20 by 30 feet. The space is for university
use. Contact Kent Berns, 4-6103 orkrberns@iastate.edu,
if interested in renting space.
DEADLINE JAN. 31 FOR FACULTY RESEARCH
EXCHANGE GRANTS
College of Agriculture faculty should apply by Jan. 31 for the
Experiment Station’s Faculty Research Exchange Visit grants. The
grants aim to strengthen linkages with historically black land-grant
colleges (1890 institutions) and Tuskegee University; tribal colleges
(1994 institutions); and Hispanic-serving institutions. Up to $1,000
per grant is available to travel or to host faculty members to work
on collaborative projects. For more information: Mary de Baca, 4-8574
or mmdb@iastate.edu.
GRANT WRITERS’ WORKSHOP DEADLINE
FEB. 1
The deadline for submitting nominations and applications for the
Research Grant Writers' Workshop has been extended to Feb. 1. For
more information or questions, contact Elena Polouchkina at 4-8493,
elenap@iastate.edu
WATER QUALITY CONFERENCE SET FOR
MARCH
The annual Agriculture and the Environment conference will take place
March 4-6 in Scheman Center. The conference web site has registration
and poster information at:http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/aged/water_quality/MainWQ/wqm.htm
EPA AND NSF SEEK ENVIRONMENTAL
PROPOSALS
The Environmental Protection Agency and the National Science
Foundation are jointly soliciting grant applications that focus on
the Decision-Making and Valuation for Environmental Policy research.
The application proposal due date is May 15. More information:
http://es.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/02dmvep.html
DEADLINES & REMINDERS
Jan. 23: Seminar, Mark Paster of the Department of Energy, on the
department’s work in biobased products and bioenergy, Room 305
Spedding Hall, 1:10 p.m.
Jan. 28: "Agroterrorism," Think Tank on Animal Agriculture with
Norman Cheville, dean of veterinary medicine, RSVP by Jan. 25 to Don
Beitz, 4-5626 or dcbeitz@iastate.edu
Jan. 31: Deadline, Experiment Station Faculty Research Exchange Visit
grants
Feb. 7: College of Agriculture spring-semester convocation, Sun Room,
Memorial Union, 3:30 p.m.
Feb. 28: World Food Prize nomination deadline,http://www.worldfoodprize.org/
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COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
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WATCHING WORDS WORTHWHILE
Roy Peter Clark, senior scholar at The Poynter Institute, offers some
language tips he's borrowed from reporters, editors, authors and
teachers:
1. Observe word territory. Do not
repeat a key word within a given space, unless you intend a specific
effect.
2. Play with words, even in serious
stories.
3. Dig for the concrete and specific.
Details help readers see the story.
4. When tempted by cliches, seek
original images. Make word lists, free-associate.
5. Prefer the simple over the
technical: shorter words and paragraphs at the points of greatest
complexity.
6. Strive for the mythic, symbolic and
poetic. Recognize that common themes of writing (homecoming,
conquering,loss and restoration) have deep roots in the culture of
storytellling.
For the complete list, go to:
http://www.geocities.com/RodeoDrive/2385/writing_tools.html.
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INFOGRAZING
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CULTIVATING CREATIVITY
Creativity isn't about wild talent as much as it's a numbers game, says Stanford professor Robert Sutton. To find a few ideas that work, you need to try a lot that don't. Sutton also says it isn't so much about original creation as it is about using old ideas in new ways, places and combinations. Switch off your autopilot and look at every challenge, project and task with fresh eyes. More information: Fast Company magazine web site at: http://www.fastcompany.com/online/54/sutton.html
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EXTERNAL VOICES
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"Tolerance and diversity clearly
matter to high-tech concentration and growth. Having large
representations of gays or bohemians or immigrants in a population
does not, of course, directly cause a technology industry to spring
up. Instead, people in technology businesses appear to be drawn to
places characterized by inclusiveness, open-mindedness, and cultural
creativity ... ." Richard Florida, co-director of the Software
Industry Center at Carnegie Mellon University; and Gary Gates, a
research associate at the Urban Institute, in a study that found that
a city's diversity is key to its success in attracting talented
people.
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MARGINALIA
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ODD HOBBY CHANGED FOREVER
The Sept. 11 terrorist hijackings dramatically changed the world of aviation. It also changed the lives of "plane spotters" who are devoted to jotting down aircraft registration numbers, individual numbers printed on their tails. Plane spotters watch for jetliners they haven’t seen before and enter the numbers in notebooks. But tighter airport security has made it more difficult for plane spotters to enjoy their hobby. The Renaissance Hotel next to London’s Heathrow Airport offers a "Plane Spotter Break" weekend special which guarantees an unobstructed runway view. The sales pitch: "The only thing we overlook is the airport."(Wall Street Journal, Jan. 7, 2002)
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AG ONLINE
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EDITORS
Brian Meyer, bmeyer@iastate.edu, and
Ed Adcock, edadcock@iastate.edu
Phone: (515) 294-5616 Web site:
http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/
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