The College of Agriculture Newsletter
Iowa State University
October 27, 1995 No. 30

COLLEGE NEWS
- New grants for international ag activities
- International ag award nominees sought
- Student job opportunities at Ag Career Day, Nov. 7
- Other ISU Ag Week activities, Nov. 5-10
- Station Project Proposal Workshop Nov. 8
- Brenton Center dedication set Nov. 11
- Swine proposal would involve research, outreach
- Odor meeting draws reporters (like flies?)
- Four receive Ag Alumni Society awards
- Yes, George, there is an ISU known for its ag research
- Gramm visits CCUR, calls for more R&D
- A few recent college activities, by the numbers
- Deadlines & Reminders
COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
- Pedantic? Who, me?
INFOGRAZING
- Future of the Ph.D. examined in "Science"
EXTERNAL VOICES
- 'Assure needy of not only food, but dignity'
MARGINALIA
- Oh Lord, won't you buy me a natural Mercedes Benz

NEW GRANTS FOR INTERNATIONAL AG ACTIVITIES
The Dean of Agriculture's International Agricultural Competitiveness and Sustainability Grants will award about 15 grants averaging $2,000 each to support international activities in curriculum development, research exchanges and faculty/staff development. About half of the awards will be directed to projects for Ukraine and Russia. Faculty and staff are encouraged to submit proposals. Applications will be available Nov. 15; deadline will be Jan. 31, 1996. For more information: International Agriculture Programs, 104 Curtiss, 294-8454.

INTERNATIONAL AG AWARD NOMINEES SOUGHT
A new award will recognize outstanding performance by a College of Agriculture faculty member in promoting the globalization of research, extension or instruction programs at ISU. The Excellence in International Agriculture Award recipient will receive $1,000. Nomination deadline: Feb. 1, 1996. For more information: David Acker, director, International Agriculture Programs, 294-8454 or dacker@iastate.edu.

STUDENT JOB OPPORTUNITIES AT AG CAREER DAY, NOV. 7
Make a note to remind job-seeking students to attend Agriculture Career Day, Tuesday, Nov. 7, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Memorial Union. More than 125 employers will be there; 90 will be seeking summer hires. For more information: Roger Bruene, 294-4725.

OTHER ISU AG WEEK ACTIVITIES, NOV. 5-10
Besides Ag Career Day, student activities during Ag Week at ISU, Nov. 5-10, will include:
- Sunday, Nov. 5: Chili supper, second floor commons, Agronomy Hall, 6 p.m.
- Monday, Nov. 6: Mock interviews, 2050 Agronomy (sign up outside 120 Curtiss)
- Wednesday, Nov. 8: Collegiate Farm Bureau symposium on Iowa livestock legislation, Great Hall, Memorial Union, 7 p.m.

STATION PROJECT PROPOSAL WORKSHOP NOV. 8
An Experiment Station Project Proposal Workshop will be held Wednesday, Nov. 8, noon to 2 p.m., 229 Curtiss. Susan Lamont and Shirley Riney will discuss administrative procedures, proposal preparation, CRIS forms, common problems and other topics. Faculty or staff involved in any stage of station proposal preparation are encouraged to attend. Bring a sack lunch -- beverages and dessert are provided. RSVP by Nov. 6 to Carla Persaud, 294-9376 or cpersaud@iastate.edu.

BRENTON CENTER DEDICATION SET NOV. 11
Faculty and staff are invited to the dedication of the Brenton Center for Agricultural Instruction and Technology Transfer, 10 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 11, Room 13, Curtiss Hall. On the program will be President Martin Jischke; Dean David Topel; Richard Carter, head of agricultural education and studies; Colby Entriken, president, Ag Student Council; and donor Bob Brenton. A tour and demonstration of center facilities will follow.

SWINE PROPOSAL WOULD INVOLVE RESEARCH, OUTREACH
State legislative leaders recently proposed a multiyear, $9-million program in which ISU would tackle odor and other environmental problems in the swine industry. The proposal would combine basic and applied research with Extension and outreach programs, including on-farm demonstrations. ISU would cooperate with producers, communities, farm and commodity groups, community colleges, agribusinesses and others. The proposal was developed with input from the College of Agriculture.

ODOR MEETING DRAWS REPORTERS (LIKE FLIES?)
Where else would you have been if you've a nose for news? At ISU's International Livestock Odor Conference last week, 29 representatives of the news media attended, and another dozen called for interviews with conference participants. Media included 9 newspapers, 15 radio stations, 3 TV stations, 6 magazines and the Associated Press. The conference co-chairs were Hank Harris, chair, microbiology, immunology & preventive medicine, and Stewart Melvin, head, ag & biosystems engineering.

FOUR RECEIVE AG ALUMNI SOCIETY AWARDS
The College of Agriculture Alumni Society has recognized four alumni for outstanding service to agriculture. Innovators in Agriculture Award: Roger Underwood, Ames (Ag Business '80). Meritorious Award in Agriculture: C.J. Gauger, Ames, (Ag Education '39 and '55, and a retired ISU professor). Professional Agribusiness Award: Thomas Lyon, Shawano, WI (Dairy Science '62). Production Agriculture Award: James Meyer, Odebolt (Ag Education '57, Ag Studies '65).

YES, GEORGE, THERE IS AN ISU KNOWN FOR ITS AG RESEARCH
A staff member with "George" magazine, the new publication from John F. Kennedy, Jr., contacted ISU recently to confirm that "many presidential candidates criss-cross the state prior to the caucuses and stop at places like Iowa State University, known for its agricultural research." A story on Iowa's caucuses is slated to appear in "George."

GRAMM VISITS CCUR, CALLS FOR MORE R&D
On Oct. 20, presidential candidate Phil Gramm toured the Center for Crops Utilization Research. The Texas senator made a pitch for additional funds for agricultural research and development. Five news reporters attended, including one from the Toledo, Ohio, Blade.

A FEW RECENT COLLEGE ACTIVITIES, BY THE NUMBERS
Number attending Reiman Gardens dedication: 800
Number attending International Livestock Odor Conference: 520
Countries represented at odor conference: 11
Number attending college's Parent and Family Weekend reception: 133
Number attending Ag Alumni Society's Tent-A-Gate: 200

DEADLINES & REMINDERS
Nov. 5-10 -- Ag Week at ISU
Nov. 7 -- Ag Career Day, Memorial Union
Nov. 8 -- Experiment Station Project Proposal Workshop, 229 Curtiss
Nov. 8 -- Culture and Agriculture in Omsk, Russia, 225 Curtiss
Nov. 8-11 -- National FFA Convention, Kansas City
Nov. 11 -- Brenton Center dedication
Nov. 9 -- Leopold Center proposals due, 209 Curtiss

PEDANTIC? WHO, ME?
A mission statement from an unnamed department at an unnamed institution of higher learning: The [department] is devoted to the scholarly pursuit of knowledge that can be applied to the human environment interface as an integrated problem focus within a diverse world.

FUTURE OF THE PH.D. EXAMINED IN "SCIENCE"
An Oct. 6 special edition of Science explores the future of the Ph.D., including the debate over reducing the number of Ph.D. students; university changes to accommodate changing Ph.D. career paths; interviews with industry research directors; visits with new Ph.D.s in new jobs; discussions with grad students who are getting confusing messages; and interviews with 26 "particularly promising students."

'ASSURE NEEDY OF NOT ONLY FOOD, BUT DIGNITY'
"The World Food Prize recognizes above all the plight of the needy and the efforts being made to assure them of not only food, but also dignity and a chance to move beyond the daily insecurity of not knowing if their families will enjoy the next meal." -- Hans Herren, the 1995 World Food Prize Laureate, honored for his work in controlling a pest endangering cassava, a staple crop of millions of Africans.

OH LORD, WON'T YOU BUY ME A NATURAL MERCEDES BENZ
The Mercedes E-class automobiles are made with nature's bounty in mind, using a combination of flax and sisal in the door backing panels, coconut fibers and animal hair in the front seat cushions, and cotton fiber sound insulation. The short flax fibers used in the door panels -- light-weight and resistant to impacts -- are the leftovers after longer fibers are sorted out for use in clothing and bed linen manufacturing. (Popular Science, November)

Ag Online is a biweekly newsletter for ISU College of Agriculture faculty and staff. To subscribe, send your name, e-mail address and the message "Ag Online subscribe" to bmeyer@iastate.edu. To unsubscribe: Send "Ag Online unsubscribe" to same address. Comments? Contact editors Brian Meyer (bmeyer@iastate.edu) and Ed Adcock (edadcock@iastate.edu), Agriculture Information Services, 304 Curtiss Hall, Ames, IA 50011. Phone: 515-294-5616. Fax: 515-294-8662.

Next issue: Nov. 10. Deadline: Nov. 6.