The College of Agriculture Newsletter
Iowa State University
December 16, 1994 No. 8

C O N T E N T S

COLLEGE NEWS
- Finalists for international ag position
- Upcoming events for Vision 2020
- New chair for B & B
- United Way campaign wrap-up

COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK

- Regional database of extension resources
- Humor and creativity

INFOGRAZING

- Number of faculty in college
- Deciding factors for college-bound

EXTERNAL VOICES

- A property of knowledge

MARGINALIA

- Speaking the truth


C O L L E G E N E W S

FINALISTS FOR INTERNATIONAL AG POSITION
Three finalists have been named in the search for the college's director of international agricultural programs: David Altman, professor of agricultural, resource and managerial economics, Cornell University; David Acker, Office of International Research and Development, Oregon State University; and Vivan Jennings, deputy administrator, USDA Extension Service, Washington DC. Candidates will meet with members of the college's faculty council, with international agriculture professors and with members of the international programs staff.

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR VISION 2020
A statewide teleconference in January, a community study and dozens of focus-group discussions in February and a conference in Ames in March are among upcoming activities of Vision 2020, a project focusing on educational needs of Iowa's future food systems professionals. Vision 2020 will involve students, faculty and staff from all ISU colleges and from Iowa's 15 community colleges; consumers; Extension staff; and public- and private-sector food systems professionals. Project co-directors are the College of Agriculture's Gerald Klonglan and Jerry DeWitt. To get more information or find out how you can be involved, contact Cynthia Mack, 515-294-2092.

NEW CHAIR FOR B & B
On Jan. 1, the new chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics will be Marit Nilsen-Hamilton. She succeeds Bernie White, who served six years as chair and returns to the faculty. Nilsen-Hamilton has been a faculty member in the department since 1982.

UNITED WAY CAMPAIGN WRAP-UP
Thanks to all College of Agriculture faculty and staff who contributed to this year's United Way campaign, says Shirley Riney, the United Way team leader for the college. The university total was the highest ever, $160,153. College contributions were $31,225.

C O M M U N I C A T I O N S K I O S K

REGIONAL DATABASE OF RESOURCES
QUERRI is an online, keyword searchable database of bibliographic information on more than 12,000 educational resources produced by extension specialists at 13 north central land-grant universities. The database is available online through Internet or dial-in connection. No registration, user fee or password are required. Materials must be ordered directly from the producing university; inquiries on cost and availability can be made through QUERRI. Headquartered at ISU, QUERRI is maintained by the North Central Region Educational Materials Project. For more information: Sorrel Brown, project coordinator, 515-294-8802 or x1querri@exnet.iastate.edu.

HUMOR AND CREATIVITY
A couple thoughts on humor and creativity, from a presentation by Bill Boon, ISU associate professor of landscape architecture: Task-related humor improves productivity; unrelated humor improves creativity. Humor and creative thought cause the same chemical reaction in the brain.

I N F O G R A Z I N G

NUMBER OF FACULTY IN COLLEGE
For 1994, there are 301 faculty members in the College of Agriculture, according to a report presented to the President's Council today (Dec. 16). The total includes tenure track and non-tenure track faculty. Totals for other colleges: Business: 62. Design: 115. Education: 126. Engineering: 250. Family and Consumer Sciences: 98. Liberal Arts and Sciences: 647. Veterinary Medicine: 115. Library: 45.

DECIDING FACTORS FOR COLLEGE-BOUND
Percentage of U.S. freshmen, fall 1993, who noted these reasons as "very important" in deciding to go to college (from The Chronicle of Higher Education Almanac):
To get a better job: 82
To be able to make more money: 75
To learn more about things that interest me: 75
To gain a general education and appreciation of ideas: 65
To prepare for graduate or professional school: 61
Parents wanted me to go: 34
Nothing better to do: 3

E X T E R N A L V O I C E S

A PROPERTY OF KNOWLEDGE
"Knowledge has an important property. When you give it away, you don't lose it." --Raj Reddy, professor of computer science and robotics at Carnegie-Mellon University.

M A R G I N A L I A

SPEAKING THE TRUTH
In the Middle Ages, the court jester's function was to tell the truth to the king, according to ISU professor Bill Boon (see "Communications Kiosk" item).

HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM AG ONLINE

Ag Online is a bimonthly electronic 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: Same thing, with "Ag Online unsubscribe." Comments? Call, write, e-mail or fax to 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.

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