AG ONLINE
The College of Agriculture Newsletter
Iowa State University
February 23, 1996 No. 38

C O N T E N T S
COLLEGE NEWS
- Precision agriculture the focus of issue team
- Projects sought for collaboration with College of Engineering
- ISU-NCSU consortium to study waste, odor problems
- Teaching with Technology seminar in Brenton Center
- Experiment Station offers minority assistantships
- Summer study in Uzbekistan for grad students
- Ukraine internship available for juniors, seniors
- Animal science dept.'s centennial approaching
- Deadlines & Reminders
COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
- Spontaneity a rarity in speech making
INFOGRAZING
- National Forum for Agriculture site on the Web
- Virtual university slated for 1997
EXTERNAL VOICES
- Talking sustainable agriculture
MARGINALIA
- How many College of Ag grads are there in the U.S.?

C O L L E G E N E W S
PRECISION AGRICULTURE THE FOCUS OF ISSUE TEAM
The College of Agriculture is working to establish a Precision Agriculture Issue Team. Precision agriculture, or site-specific farming, involves the use of new technologies to better manage crops and soil. The technologies include Global Positioning Systems (GPS), Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and Variable Rate Technologies (VRT). The issue team would develop multidisciplinary research and extension projects. For more information: Ron Cantrell, 4-1360 or rcantrel@iastate.edu.

PROJECTS SOUGHT FOR COLLABORATION WITH COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Faculty interested in collaborating on research projects with faculty in the College of Engineering are asked to contact Colin Scanes by March 8. He is asking that brief (one paragraph preferred) descriptions of possible collaborative projects be sent to him at 123 Curtiss or cscanes@iastate.edu.

ISU-NCSU CONSORTIUM TO STUDY WASTE, ODOR PROBLEMS
ISU and North Carolina State University have established a Waste Management Research Consortium. Each university is contributing $75,000 to support collaborative projects that address livestock waste and odor problems. Consortium research priorities include: odor measurement technology; technology demonstration; alternative swine production systems; animal nutrition; trade and exports; and value-added products from waste. Proposal deadline: April 15. For more information: Colin Scanes, 4-1823 or cscanes@iastate.edu.

TEACHING WITH TECHNOLOGY SEMINAR IN BRENTON CENTER
College of Agriculture faculty and staff are invited to a "Teaching with Technology" seminar in the Brenton Center, 8-10 a.m., March 15, in Room 9, Curtiss Hall. Center faculty and staff will explain what technology is available, how to use educational technology and how to reserve teaching space in the center. To register: Jeanette Drewry, 4-1862 or drewry@iastate.edu. Space is limited.

EXPERIMENT STATION OFFERS MINORITY ASSISTANTSHIPS
The Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station is providing graduate research assistantships to newly recruited minority students. This quarter-time support must be matched by departmental or investigator funds. For more information: Susan Lamont, 4-3629 or 4-4763.

SUMMER STUDY IN UZBEKISTAN FOR GRAD STUDENTS
Full-time graduate students who wish to spend the 1996 summer semester studying agriculture at the Tashkent Institute of Irrigation and Agricultural Mechanization Engineers in Uzbekistan should contact Joe Dale, International Agriculture Programs, 4-5509 or 4-3972.

UKRAINE INTERNSHIP AVAILABLE FOR JUNIORS, SENIORS
Juniors or seniors majoring in ag systems technology or agronomy, or who have practical farm experience, have an opportunity to participate in a summer internship in Ukraine. For more information: Victor Udin, International Agriculture Programs, 4-8971.

ANIMAL SCIENCE DEPT.'S CENTENNIAL APPROACHING
The Department of Animal Science's centennial will be observed on March 24 with the theme "A Heritage of Leadership." A luncheon and program at the Iowa State Center will highlight the department's contributions to the livestock industry. There also will be an evening reunion and barbecue. For registration information, call 4-5961.

DEADLINES & REMINDERS
Feb. 23: Preregistration deadline - Successful Grantsmanship workshop (see next item). Carla Persaud, 4-9376, or Kathy Kuehl, 4-1242.
Feb. 26: From Theory to Measurement: Hypothesis Development and Experimental Design, a Successful Grantsmanship workshop, 7-9 p.m., Campanile Room
Feb. 29: Application deadline - Beginning-level Spanish language/Latin American culture class, March 19-May 9. Mary de Baca, 4-1851.
Feb. 29: The Land Grant University System in 2020: How Must ISU Adapt to Remain Relevant? - Colin Scanes, College of Agriculture, 4:10 p.m., 2050 Agronomy (sustainable agriculture seminar)
March 1: Instructional Development Grant Proposals due, 121 Curtiss.
March 7: The Importance of Livestock to Iowa Agriculture in 2020 - Jim
Kliebenstein, economics, 4:10 p.m., 2050 Agronomy (sustainable agriculture seminar)

C O M M U N I C A T I O N S K I O S K
SPONTANEITY IS A RARITY IN SPEECH MAKING
Here's a mistake that speakers often make: Thinking that spontaneous remarks are better than any prepared speech. Spontaneity is one of the rarest things on earth. Mark Twain said it takes three weeks to prepare a good ad-lib speech. A speech needs to be outlined, then written, then re-written and then practiced before it will be a good one. (From a list of "20 Mistakes Speakers Make -- And How to Avoid Them." For a copy, e-mail Susan Anderson, Ag Information, sander@iastate.edu.)

I N F O G R A Z I N G
NATIONAL FORUM FOR AGRICULTURE SITE ON THE WEB
The program for this year's National Forum for Agriculture, March 4-5, can be found at this World Wide Web site: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/card/forum.html
The forum is organized by CARD and the Food and Ag Committee of the Greater Des Moines Chamber of Commerce.

VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY SLATED FOR 1997
The Western Governors' Association is rapidly pulling together plans for a western virtual university. They expect to begin admitting students by the summer of 1997. The Education Management Group, a Simon & Schuster subsidiary that develops interactive courses for secondary schools and colleges, has donated $150,000 to the planning effort. (Chronicle of Higher Education, Feb. 16)

E X T E R N A L V O I C E S
TALKING SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
The December 1995 issue of National Geographic included "A Farming Revolution: Sustainable Agriculture," written by Verlyn Klinkenborg, who grew up in northwest Iowa. The article took him two and a half years to write. "I spent the first year and a half just researching . . . traveling around and talking to people. I was surprised to find that so many people were talking the same language when it comes to sustainable agriculture. It seems like everyone is talking about it and everyone is researching it. I talked to some seemingly very conservative individuals at some very conservative universities and they were talking sustainable agriculture." (Farm News, Jan. 5)

M A R G I N A L I A
HOW MANY COLLEGE OF AG GRADS ARE THERE IN THE U.S?
According to the ISU Alumni Association, there are currently 29,401 College of Agriculture graduates in the United States. Of that number, 13,312 live in Iowa.

AG ONLINE
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: March 8. Deadline: March 4.