COLLEGE NEWS
- Ag Comm workshop for instructors on Nov. 19
- New agronomy degree and catalog changes approved
- Successful Grantsmanship: USDA official to speak
- Visit with USDA's Rockey at Dec. 3 meetings
- Recent college events . . . by the numbers
- Deadlines & Reminders
COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK
- Helping writing tips not just for researchers anymore
INFOGRAZING
- Fall enrollment at Iowa's colleges, universities
EXTERNAL VOICES
- Why farm?
MARGINALIA
- Turkey coma fells thousands on Thanksgiving
AG COMM WORKSHOP FOR INSTRUCTORS ON NOV. 19
Mark your calendars for Tuesday, Nov. 19, and participate in a
workshop on Communications Across the Curriculum -- now named
Ag Comm. The workshop will be held from noon to 1:30 p.m. in Room
13 of the Brenton Center in Curtiss Hall. Rebecca Burnett and
Robert Martin will conduct this workshop focusing on evaluation
of assignments in communications. All faculty, instructors and
graduate teaching assistants are encouraged to attend. For more
information: Robert Martin, 4-0896 or drmartin@iastate.edu.
NEW AGRONOMY DEGREE AND CATALOG CHANGES APPROVED
The proposed non-thesis M.S. degree in agronomy has been approved,
77-21, by College of Agriculture faculty, according to the college's
Curriculum Committee. On the same ballot, ag faculty approved
the 1997-99 catalog changes, 96-2. The agronomy degree proposal
also has been approved by the Graduate Curriculum and Catalog
Committee, and will next be discussed by the Faculty Senate Curriculum
Committee. The new degree is in general agronomy and will be offered
to off-campus students through distance education technologies.
SUCCESSFUL GRANTSMANSHIP: USDA OFFICIAL TO SPEAK
Sally Rockey of the USDA Cooperative State Research, Education
and Extension Service will discuss USDA grants programs at 7 p.m.,
Monday, Dec. 2, in the Sun Room, Memorial Union. Rockey, the deputy
administrator of the CSREES Grants Management Branch, will focus
on the Fund for Rural America, a new three-year $100 million program,
and give an update on Competitive Research Grant Programs, especially
the National Research Initiative. This is the sixth in a series
of Successful Grantsmanship seminars sponsored by the Experiment
Station and the College of Veterinary Medicine. If you plan to
attend, RSVP by Nov. 27 to Carla Persaud, cpersaud@iastate.edu
or 4-9376.
VISIT WITH USDA'S ROCKEY AT DEC. 3 MEETINGS
All faculty, staff, postdocs and grad students are invited to
visit with Sally Rockey of the CSREES/USDA (see item above) at
several departmental/program meetings on Tuesday, Dec. 3. No registration
is required. The meetings are:
8 - 8:50 a.m.: Animal sciences, 105 Kildee
9 - 9:50 a.m.: Entomology, 5 Insectary
10 - 10:50 a.m.: Plant sciences, 3140 Agronomy
11 - 11:50 a.m.: Social sciences, 142 Curtiss
1 - 1:50 p.m.: Food science & human nutrition, 142 Curtiss
2 - 2:50 p.m.: Agricultural and biosystems engineering, 142
Curtiss
RECENT COLLEGE EVENTS . . . BY THE NUMBERS
Number of College of Agriculture faculty, staff and spouses who
attended three briefing sessions this week on the new "ISU
Plan": 225
Number of parents, students and family members who attended the
college's Parent and Family Weekend Reception: 200
Number of faculty, staff and Ag Council members at that reception:
50
Number of employers at Ag Career Day: 142
DEADLINES & REMINDERS
Nov. 18: Leopold Center research proposals due, 209 Curtiss
Nov. 19: Ag Comm Workshop, 13 Curtiss Hall
Dec. 2: Successful Grantsmanship Series: USDA's Sally Rockey,
Memorial Union, 7 p.m. (refreshments at 6:30 p.m.)
Dec. 3: Departmental/program meetings with USDA's Sally Rockey
(see item above)
Dec. 21: Commencement
HELPFUL WRITING TIPS NOT JUST FOR RESEARCHERS ANYMORE
Experiment Station Editor Carol Greiner has shared her "Word
Usage for Scientific Writing" tip sheet with college researchers
for years, but now it's readily available to everyone -- or at
least everyone with access to the World Wide Web. The page is
located off the Ag Information home page. Reach it directly by
telling your Web browser to go to:
http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/checklist.html
Don't let the title fool you, the tips are good for any kind of
writing.
FALL ENROLLMENT AT IOWA'S COLLEGES, UNIVERSITIES
The following statistics on fall enrollment at Iowa's colleges
and universities were prepared by the Iowa Coordinating Council
on Post-High School Education:
Percentage change in enrollment at ISU from fall '95 to fall '96:
0.9
Percentage change in enrollment at all 3 state universities, same
period: -0.1
Percentage change in enrollment at private colleges/universities:
-0.3
Percentage change in enrollment at community colleges: 0.4
State universities' percentage of total Iowa college/university
enrollment this fall: 37
Private colleges and universities' percentage: 26
Community colleges' percentage: 33
Percentage change in new freshmen at state universities from a
year ago: -2.5
Percentage change at private colleges/universities: -3.5
Percentage change at community colleges: 6.3
WHY FARM?
The following reader responses were sent to Progressive Farmer
when the magazine posed the question, Why do you farm?
"I farm because nature is putting on a 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week
show, and we have a front row seat." A Crawfordsville, Iowa,
farmer.
"Asking me why I farm is like asking me why I breathe."
-- A Dothan, Ala., farmer.
"I'm glad you asked why I farm. My land is too far from town
for a parking lot and too flat for a golf course. Hence, I farm!"
-- An Arthur, Ill., farmer.
(Other reader responses can be found at this Progressive Farmer
Web site: http://pathfinder.com/@@Nc3IJQYATkZzZhWf/PF/features/1196/whyfarm/index.html)
TURKEY COMA FELLS THOUSANDS ON THANKSGIVING
Boring dinner conversation may not be to blame for that drowsy
feeling after the Thanksgiving meal. Various neurological and
physiological processes take place in your body that cause you
to fall asleep on the couch before Grandma even serves the pumpkin
pie. Researchers have nicknamed this "turkey coma."
Large amounts of carbohydrates, like those found in potatoes,
stuffing and candied yams, help the body produce serotonin, a
chemical in the brain that has a calming effect, says Joseph Hulihan,
a neurologist at Temple University. Also, the sudden onslaught
of food sends the body's insulin production into overdrive, depleting
blood sugar and causing you to feel sleepy. Plus, blood concentrates
in the digestive system and away from extremities, including the
brain. Top it off with alcoholic beverages and it's no wonder
you're snoozing after Thanksgiving dinner. To prevent yourself
from nodding off, Hulihan suggests: Don't skip breakfast or lunch
Thanksgiving day; limit the amount of alcohol you drink; and get
outside for some activity.
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. 1. Deadline: Oct. 28.
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