AG ONLINE
The College of Agriculture Newsletter
Iowa State University
May 3, 1996 No. 43
C O N T E N T S
COLLEGE NEWS
- May 11 convocation recognizes graduating seniors
- Ag highlights from '96 Iowa legislative session
- ISU to sign agreement with Ukrainian university
- Ag Online award edition coming May 10
- Deadlines & Reminders
COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
- Vocabulary test
INFOGRAZING
- How many agriculture students are from farms?
- Outstanding teachers sought for Carnegie honor
EXTERNAL VOICES
- NSF budget approved; outlook for future unsure
MARGINALIA
- I promised you a rose garden
C O L L E G E N E W S
MAY 11 CONVOCATION RECOGNIZES GRADUATING SENIORS
The College of Agriculture pre-commencement convocation on Saturday, May 11, will recognize about 332 spring and summer graduates. Outstanding senior awards will be presented to Christopher Stein, agricultural systems technology; David Hoy and Jason Gates, both agronomy; and Sonja Brinning, agricultural business. Brinning will be the student speaker. M.E. Ensminger, an animal scientist and author who will receive an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree at commencement, will also speak. The college convocation begins at 9 a.m. in C.Y. Stephens Auditorium. Doors will open at 8 a.m., with refreshments served in the lobby beginning at 8:15 a.m.
AG HIGHLIGHTS FROM '96 IOWA LEGISLATIVE SESSION
The 1996 session of the Iowa Legislature ended Thursday. Highlights involving ISU agricultural programs included: $15.3 million for a Kildee Hall addition to improve livestock research facilities; $500,000 for livestock odor and waste management research; and $80,000 for ISU to host a conference later this year to alert producers to new technologies and new developments in grain and livestock markets.
ISU TO SIGN AGREEMENT WITH UKRAINIAN UNIVERSITY
On May 6, ISU, College of Agriculture and College of Veterinary Medicine officials will sign a memorandum of understanding with the National Agricultural University of Ukraine, endorsing the NAUU's curricula as comparable to ISU's. For two years, seven ISU professors have worked with NAUU faculty on curricula revisions that will facilitate ISU and other U.S. universities to recognize NAUU credits for transfer or admittance to graduate studies. Next week the NAUU Linkage Team will wind up a month's stay at ISU. They have studied ISU's organizational structure, college student services and department curricula. They also visited schools, agribusinesses and production and manufacturing enterprises. For more information: Mary de Baca, project manager, 4-1851.
AG ONLINE AWARD EDITION COMING MAY 10
A special edition of Ag Online to be sent next Friday, May 10, will list recent awards, honors or accomplishments of College of Agriculture faculty, staff and students. Communications advisers in each department have been collecting and forwarding this information to us. Contact your local adviser or send a brief note to Brian Meyer, 4-0706 or bmeyer@iastate.edu, by Wednesday, May 8.
DEADLINES & REMINDERS
- May 11, College of Agriculture Convocation, C.Y. Stephens, 9 a.m.
C O M M U N I C A T I O N S K I O S K
VOCABULARY TEST
Peter Lyman, the librarian at the University of California-Berkeley, notes a linguistic paradox: "We always talk about new technology using old vocabulary. 'Electronic publishing', digital library', 'information highway': to our grandchildren these terms will probably sound as peculiar as 'horseless carriage'." (New York Times, April 29)
I N F O G R A Z I N G
HOW MANY AGRICULTURE STUDENTS ARE FROM FARMS?
A recent caller to the Ag Information office asked how many College of Agriculture students come from farming backgrounds. The latest data are from new-student surveys conducted in the '80s and early '90s by the Department of Agricultural Education and Studies. In 1992, almost 37 percent came from farms. In 1989, it was 41 percent; in 1987, 52 percent; and in 1985, almost 52 percent.
OUTSTANDING TEACHERS SOUGHT FOR CARNEGIE HONOR
Nominations for the 1996 U.S. Professors of the Year Program are due in 121 Curtiss by Monday, May 13. Sponsored by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, the program's goal is to increase awareness of the importance of undergraduate instruction by honoring individuals who bring respect and admiration to the scholarship of teaching. ISU can submit three nominations to the foundation. To receive nomination information, call Norma Hensley, 4-6614.
E X T E R N A L V O I C E S
NSF BUDGET APPROVED; OUTLOOK FOR FUTURE UNSURE
An FY96 budget of $3.22 billion for the National Science Foundation was recently approved by Congress. Now work shifts to the FY97 budget. Last week the House Science Committee approved language that would reduce the President's FY97 NSF request by $75 million, "with potentially damaging cuts to NSF's research programs and operating resources," said Neal Lane, director of NSF. "The long-term funding outlook for science and engineering remains questionable. We must continue to demonstrate, to Congress and to the American people, that a strong investment in science is a must if the U.S. hopes to remain a world leader in science and engineering." (In FY95, Experiment Station projects received $996,042 in NSF monies.)
M A R G I N A L I A
I PROMISED YOU A ROSE GARDEN . . .
Nine weddings are scheduled for the Reiman Gardens from now through August (there had been 10 but one couple couldn't wait and eloped). Last year, three couples tied the knot at the Gardens. The small and often informal ceremonies are performed in the rose garden or the Mahlstede Horticulture Learning Center. Besides weddings, the Gardens have become becoming a popular spot to hold workshops, retreats, receptions and other activities -- 151 events were held from May to December 1995. For scheduling information, call 4-2751.
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: May 17. Deadline: May 13.