Ag and Life Sciences ONLINE

COLLEGE NEWS



- Graduates to be recognized at college convocation



- Proposals due June 30 for research exchange visits



- CAST's 25th anniversary reception on May 13



- Educational transformation theme for Vision 2020 Expo



- Schedule fall classes now in the Brenton Center



- Russian group the first for agribusiness program



- Virtual tour of Reiman Gardens now on Web



- Animal waste preproposals due Monday, May 12



- Deadlines & Reminders



COMMUNICATIONS KIOSK



- Let us know when a reporter calls



INFOGRAZING



- New student survey: Transferring to ISU



- Keep an eye on your laptop; thefts on the rise



- NRC recommends full access to scientific information



- Heritage recommends consolidation of USDA agencies



EXTERNAL VOICES



- Education is not accessing information



MARGINALIA



- You can't spell tenderest without TNT







C O L L E G E N E W S







GRADUATES TO BE RECOGNIZED AT COLLEGE CONVOCATION



About 225 of the college's 370 spring and summer graduates are

expected to participate in Saturday's College of Agriculture convocation

at C.Y. Stephens Auditorium. Graduate Alan Beck, ag systems technology

and ag business, will speak. The Ag Student Council will present

awards to: Joanna Stookey, horticulture, academic achievement;

Heidi Conner, ag business and ag extension education, leadership

excellence; Susan Eivins, horticulture and agronomy, distinguished

service; and Matthew Schuiteman, agronomy, outstanding senior.

Animal ecology professor John Downing will present a diploma posthumously

to Kerri-Beth Shaneberger, who died in a car accident in February.

A reception begins at 8:15 a.m., followed by the program at 9

a.m. Faculty and staff are welcome to attend.



PROPOSALS DUE JUNE 30 FOR RESEARCH EXCHANGE VISITS



The Experiment Station sponsors the Research Exchange Visit Program,

a competitive grants program to strengthen research and teaching

linkages between ISU faculty and their counterparts at the historically

black land grant colleges and tribal colleges. Grants from the

program support exchanges between ISU faculty and faculty from

those institutions. Deadline for proposals is June 30. Contact:

Carla Persaud, 4-9376 or cpersaud@iastate.edu.



CAST'S 25TH ANNIVERSARY RECEPTION ON MAY 13



Faculty and staff are invited to a 25th anniversary reception

for the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology (CAST),

3 to 5 p.m., Tuesday, May 13, in the courtyard of the Food Sciences

Building. (Rain location: second floor of Food Sciences.) There

will be a brief presentation at 3:30 p.m. Free publications on

food, fiber, agricultural and environmental issues will be available.

For information about CAST, check its web site: http://www.netins.net/showcase/cast/





EDUCATIONAL TRANSFORMATION THEME OF VISION 2020 EXPO



Vision 2020 Expo 1997, a workshop for faculty/staff, will be held

Wednesday, May 14, at the Holiday Inn Gateway Center, 9:30 a.m.

- 4 p.m. Participants will learn about ways to involve students,

educators and employers in bringing about transformation of the

educational system. Lunch will be provided. Registration is needed

by May 12. For more information: 4-2496 or amps@iastate.edu.



SCHEDULE FALL CLASSES NOW IN THE BRENTON CENTER



The Brenton Center is ready to schedule classes for the fall semester.

College of Agriculture faculty have the first opportunity to schedule

classes. After May 30,the faculty will be made available to other

colleges. Class request forms are due May 16. For more information:

Wade Miller, 4-0895 or wwmiller@iastate.edu.



RUSSIAN GROUP THE FIRST FOR AGRIBUSINESS PROGRAM



The first participants in the International Agribusiness Training

Program arrived this week. The program brings people to ISU from

the NIS (Newly Independent States, the countries of the former

Soviet Union) to learn about agriculture and agribusiness. The

first exchange involves a group from Russia, and is funded by

SABA, a company that distributes John Deere equipment in the NIS.

The program was developed by International Agriculture Programs

and Carl Anderson, ag & biosystems engineering. For more information:

Victor Udin, 4-8971 or vaudin@iastate.edu.



VIRTUAL TOUR OF REIMAN GARDENS NOW ON WEB



You can let your fingers do the walking through the Reiman Gardens

by clicking on a virtual tour available now on the Web. Find the

link at:



http://www.hort.iastate.edu/hort/rgardens/rgframe.html



ANIMAL WASTE PREPROPOSALS DUE MONDAY, MAY 12



Monday, May 12, is the deadline for research preproposals for

the Multi-state Consortium on Animal Waste. For more information:

Colin Scanes, 4-1823, or the Web site: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/iaexp/consort.html





DEADLINES & REMINDERS



May 10: College of Agriculture Convocation, C.Y. Stephens, 9 a.m.



May 12: Preproposal deadline, Multi-state Consortium-Animal Waste,

4-1823



May 13: CAST reception, Food Sciences Bldg. courtyard, 3-5 p.m.



May 14: Vision 2020 Expo '97, Holiday Inn Gateway Center, 9:30

a.m.-4 p.m. (4-2496)



.......................................................................



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



.......................................................................





LET US KNOW WHEN A REPORTER CALLS



It's news to us when news reporters call you for information.

Report your media contacts to Ag Information, 4-5616 (or send

e-mail to Ed Adcock, edadcock@iatate.edu; Susan Anderson, sander@iastate.edu;

or Brian Meyer, bmeyer@iastate.edu). The media contacts are forwarded

each day to University Relations, which shares them with administrators

and campus communicators. For tips on responding to reporters,

ask for a copy of Ag Information's When a Reporter Calls"

brochure by calling 4-5616. Or check the college's Web site at:



http://www.ag.iastate.edu/aginfo/spokesindex.html







I N F O G R A Z I N G







NEW-STUDENT SURVEY: TRANSFERRING TO ISU



(More results from last fall's survey of 540 new students in the

College of Agriculture.)



Percentage who are transfer students: 23



Percentage who came from community colleges: 51



Percentage who said they attended another school first because

it was more economical: 59



Percent who were satisfied or very satisfied with number of transfer

credits: 72







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







EDUCATION IS NOT ACCESSING INFORMATION



David Shenk, author of "Data Smog," says be skeptical

about the idea of wiring schools to improve education. "Education

is not the same as accessing information. We don't have a problem

accessing information easily and cheaply in this country. We've

had great libraries and even adequate school libraries for a long

time. Education is actually the limiting of information. You have

a teacher who lets in a little information each day in each class

that fits in with what you already know and puts it in context.

A child adds a building block per class to help formulate knowledge

and wisdom. Then they're able to go out and access information

and learn more themselves." (Investor's Business Daily, April

30)







M A R G I N A L I A







YOU CAN'T SPELL TENDEREST WITHOUT TNT



A USDA meat scientist and a former CIA weapons specialist have

developed a machine that uses explosions to tenderize meat without

blowing it to bits. The hydrodyne is a large, round-bottomed steel

kettle filled with water. Meat is lowered to the bottom and an

explosion is set off in the water, sending a shock wave through

the liquid. The kettle's round bottom reflects the wave back toward

the meat, exposing it to a double dose of tenderizing. (The Furrow,

March)