http://www.ag.iastate.edu/ Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences - News Releases http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/995/ Wed, 25 Jan 2012 07:34:43 -0600 http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/995/

By
Jay T. Akridge
Glenn W. Sample Dean, College of Agriculture, Purdue University

Robert J. Hauser
Dean, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois

Bobby D. Moser
Vice President for Agricultural Administration & Dean, College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, The Ohio State University

Wendy K. Wintersteen
Endowed Dean, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Iowa State University

Given the outstanding enrollment and job placement experience in our respective colleges, it was a surprise when three of the five majors "highlighted" in a recent Yahoo Education article by Terrence Loose entitled “College Majors that are Useless” were programs in the agricultural sciences: agriculture, animal sciences, and horticulture.

Before drawing his conclusions, we wish that Mr. Loose had done more homework beyond what appears to be a cursory review of Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers and the repurposing of a similar headline from The Daily Beast a year ago.

Other sources suggest that not only is the need for graduates in these programs growing, but there is a shortage of graduates in the agricultural, food, and natural resource sciences:

• Broad definition of agriculture. The Yahoo Education article equated "agriculture" with "farm management." Farm management is an important field of study, but defining agriculture only as farm management is much too narrow. Completely ignored are other important areas under the umbrella of "agriculture" including food science, plant science, and soil science, where the Bureau of Labor Statistics report predicts job growth should be faster than the average for all occupations, and where job opportunities are expected to be good over the next decade, particularly in food science and technology and in agronomy. And, of course, the "agriculture" umbrella also covers agricultural economics, agricultural engineering, animal sciences, natural resource and environmental sciences, and agricultural education, to name a few.

• Very low unemployment rates. Recent (Jan. 5, 2012) online posts (New York Times), and NPR’s StateImpact Ohio) cited a just released report by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce which found agriculture and natural resources to be among the fields with the lowest unemployment rates - lower than business, engineering, law, and and several others.

• Shortage of college graduates to fill need. The U.S. Department of Agriculture in the Employment Opportunities for College Graduates in Food, Renewable Energy, and the Environment, 2010-2015 report, projects that 53,500 qualified graduates will be available for about 54,400 jobs annually the agricultural and food systems, renewable energy and the environment. About 55 percent of those graduates (29,300) are expected to earn degrees from colleges of agriculture and life sciences, forestry and natural resources, and veterinary medicine. The other 45 percent, an estimated 24,200 graduates, will come from allied disciplines including biological sciences, engineering, health sciences, business, and communication.

• No stronger sector for recruiting. Dr. Phil Gardner, Director of the Collegiate Employment Research Institute at Michigan State University, recently wrote, “No sector appears stronger than agriculture/food processing with an increase in hires of approximately 14 percent” in the annual Recruiting Trends report.

• Vital economic growth engine. A recent study conducted by the Battelle Institute, an independent research organization, found that agriculture and agbiosciences are generating vital economic growth and job creation, particularly in the North Central United States, which includes all four or our respective states. This Midwest area, once dubbed the “Rust Belt,” is becoming the breeding ground for new “green” agriculture-related jobs as the agriculture-driven industry is poised to expand into new markets such as health, specialty crops, biofuels and bio-based products.

• New areas of opportunity. The article completely misses an important trend of interest in small scale, local food production and those who want to become part of agriculture by launching these types of businesses. The Bureau of Labor Statistics report from which Mr. Loose took some of his numbers even points out that “…an increasing number of small-scale farmers have developed successful market niches that involve personalized, direct contact with their customers. Many are finding opportunities in horticulture and organic food production, which are among the fastest growing segments of agriculture.”

The success of our graduates is also a testament to the usefulness of agricultural majors. Students majoring in "agriculture" study farm management, horticulture, and animal sciences—as well as agricultural and food business, food science, biological engineering, plant breeding and genetics, wildlife biology and forestry, biochemistry, microbiology, entomology, and other exciting, science-based areas. Our graduates take jobs in a wide variety of industries, pursue research careers, and work in public service in the US and internationally.

Across all four of our agricultural colleges, total enrollment the highest in 30+ years, applications are going up and, most importantly, at the end of their undergraduate careers, our students are facing excellent job or graduate program opportunities. Placement rates are higher than 90%, with 16-26% of that total choosing to pursue advanced degrees and professional education.

Beyond the statistics about jobs, let’s think about some basic human needs and consider what "degrees" will prepare a young man or woman to help provide for those needs. Adequate nutrition is a basic need of all humans. Our planet recently reached the 7 billion population mark and the United Nations estimates we will have 2.3 billion more people to feed by the year 2050. We must address how to feed all these people with little expansion of land; in a way that conserves our water resources; and in a fashion that society judges acceptable and even more respectful of our environment. For answers, take a closer look at our agricultural majors.

In addition, those in agriculture will make important contributions to our country’s energy requirements and help provide feedstocks for other industrial materials. To meet these challenges, a growing number of passionate, smart, and well-prepared people have a lot of work to do. And we see and talk to these people every day in our campus classrooms, labs and fields.

That’s why we’re very excited by the prospects for our graduates. Agriculture has been one of the bright spots in the U.S. economy during the current recession and incredible opportunities exist for new economic development in our states and our country. Our graduates are currently writing their own story, and the headline reads: “College Majors that are Invaluable.”
]]> http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/994/ Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:20:02 -0600 http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/994/
“We are seeing companies and organizations that were not at our fall event attend the spring event,” said Mike Gaul, director of Agriculture and Life Sciences Career Services. “This is especially true for many of the natural resource-type organizations.”

The career fair is open to the public. It will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Great Hall at the Iowa State University Memorial Union.

This is the fifth year a spring event was added to the annual fall Ag Career Day on the Iowa State campus. The fall event is the largest such career fair in the country, attracting students from other colleges.

“The job market remains strong for our students so I am not surprised to see the type of response that we are getting for the event. It really is a great ‘second chance’ event for both students and employers,” Gaul said.

The companies scheduled to participate is listed on the career services web site: http://www.career.ag.iastate.edu/career-day.
]]> http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/993/ Fri, 13 Jan 2012 08:10:27 -0600 http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/993/
In this new role, Krog will support instruction in the undergraduate economics course, Entrepreneurship in Agriculture. Krog also will provide mentorship to the initiative’s Student Incubator Program and assistance with the Affiliates Program, which provides entrepreneurial outreach programs to the agricultural and life sciences industries. Krog will serve in this new role through May 2012.

Krog is an agribusiness consultant for Cirrus Partners. An Iowa State alumnus, he earned his bachelor’s degree in agronomy in 1980, his master’s and a doctorate in economics in 1982 and 1988, respectively. In 1990, Krog joined Pioneer Hi-Bred International as a market analyst in the company’s specialty plant products division, before co-founding E-Markets, Inc., in 1996. In 2007, Krog became chief executive officer of AgraGate Climate Credits Corp.

“We are very pleased to have David Krog serving in this important role,” said Kevin Kimle, Rastetter Chair of Agricultural Entrepreneurship and director of the initiative. “Our goal is to continue to improve the experience for students involved in the Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative, and I know he will contribute much to this end.”

For more about the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative, visit http://www.entrepreneurship.ag.iastate.edu.

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]]> http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/992/ Thu, 05 Jan 2012 13:25:50 -0600 http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/992/
Mark Rasmussen, supervisory microbiologist and director of the Division of Animal and Food Microbiology at the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine in Laurel, Md., will begin work no later than June 1.

“Dr. Rasmussen brings to us a broad-based background and exceptional scientific, agricultural and administrative strengths that will provide strong leadership for the Leopold Center and for Iowa agriculture,” said Gregory Geoffroy, president of Iowa State University.

At the FDA, Rasmussen has provided technical guidance and research support for regulatory decisions on drugs, feed additives and contaminants in animal feeds. He also worked 18 years as a scientist and research leader at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Animal Disease Center in Ames, including service as a collaborating faculty member in Iowa State’s animal science and biomedical sciences departments. He has held research positions in private companies and has farmed full-time in Nebraska.

Rasmussen was raised on a farm in northeastern Nebraska. He earned a bachelor’s degree in agriculture and a master’s degree in animal science from the University of Nebraska, a Ph.D. in dairy science from the University of Illinois and a master of business administration degree from Iowa State University.

His scientific expertise includes areas of microbiology, food safety, animal health, ruminant nutrition, veterinary medicine and antibiotic resistance. He holds two patents related to his research, including food safety technology used on an estimated 20 percent of the beef carcasses marketed in the United States.

For more about Rasmussen and to view his public presentation last month at ISU, go to the search website.

Iowa State University’s Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture is a research and education center with statewide programs to develop sustainable agricultural practices that are both profitable and conserve natural resources. The center is named for Aldo Leopold, a Burlington, Iowa, native known internationally as a conservationist, ecologist and educator. The center was established under Iowa’s Groundwater Protection Act of 1987 with a three-fold mission: to conduct research to identify and reduce negative environmental and socioeconomic impacts of agricultural practices; to research and assist in developing alternative practices consistent with a sustainable agriculture; and to work with ISU Extension to inform the agricultural community and the public of its findings.
]]> http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/991/ Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:11:03 -0600 http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/991/
Morris has been associate director of the Center since 2000. His new post is effective Jan. 1.

As associate director, Morris had been managing the extension and outreach for the center. In his new position, he will add management of its research and financial aspects.

Morris takes over for Ted Batterson, a professor at Michigan State University’s Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, who is retiring. Batterson became the Center’s director in 1993.

The Centeris one of the five regional Aquaculture Centers established by Congress and administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), formerly of the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service. Its mission is to enhance aquaculture through education, research and technology transfer to support a sustainable profitable industry.

The NCRAC serves the 12 states in the North Central Region: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Morris joined Iowa State in 1988. He earned a bachelor’s degree in fisheries and wildlife biology from Iowa State in 1979, a master’s degree in wildlife and fisheries sciences from Texas A&M University in 1982 and a doctorate degree in fisheries from Mississippi State University in 1988.]]> http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/990/ Wed, 07 Dec 2011 09:46:49 -0600 http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/990/
“It’s a legacy of perhaps 10,000 years of prairie fires. Every time a fire went through, a small fraction of that above-ground biomass was turned into char. Over time this char built up in the soils because it is very stable,” said David Laird, professor of agronomy at Iowa State University.

Char is a general term for charcoal-like materials made by heating biomass such as grass, corn stocks or wood. Laird said it’s called charcoal when burned to provide heat for a barbecue, and called biochar when added to the soil.

As a USDA-Agricultural Research Service researcher on the Iowa State campus in the early 1990s, he became aware of the importance of biochar in soils. Laird and other soil scientists were determining the fate of the pesticide atrazine in soil and discovered that the biochar was absorbing more than its share.

“We knew it was playing an important environmental function for some time. What really clicked is when we realized that biochar could be a byproduct of bioenergy production,” he said.

Fast pyrolysis opens door to using biochar as a soil amendment
Iowa State scientists are leaders in developing a process called fast pyrolysis, which rapidly heats corn stover or other biomass to high temperatures without oxygen to produce bio-oil, which can be refined into liquid transportation fuels, and a powdery biochar material as a byproduct. Laird said that creates the opportunity to return the biochar to the soil, and to, he believes, “make the harvesting of biomass more sustainable.”

Most crop residues are either plowed into the ground or left on the soil surface. As the residue decomposes, nutrients, such as nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous, are released into the soil where they are available to be used by the next crop.

Crop residues, such as corn stover, are important for building humus, the dark soil organic matter, that helps make Iowa soils some of the best in the world.

“If we harvest corn stover year after year without putting anything back, both the humus and the nutrients will be depleted and the productivity of Iowa’s soils will decline,” Laird said.

Laird’s research is driven by the hypothesis that amending soils with the biochar co-product of fast pyrolysis will not only return the nutrients that are removed when corn stover is harvested but will also help build soil quality, because biochar is an important component for building soil organic matter.

Biochar brings many benefits to the environment, by:
• Providing a way to sequester carbon for up to 1,000 years
• Enhancing soil quality
• Improving water quality through its action to reduce the leaching of nutrients.

Add to those benefits the production of biofuel through fast pyrolysis and you have a “carbon negative energy system,” he said.

New effort seeks Carbon Negative Economy
Laird is working with Robert Brown, director of Iowa State’s Bioeconomy Institute, on what’s called the Initiative for a Carbon Negative Economy, a concept that would generate economic value while removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Brown leads a 33-member National Panel for a Carbon Negative Economy, which includes Laird and several other ISU researchers.

“In essence what we want to do is capture economic value from a figurative prairie fire. When a prairie fire came through, a lot of energy went up in smoke, literally, but left behind plant nutrients and a little bit of biochar that enriched the soil. If we could just capture the energy in the fire and use that for human economic activity, and still return the biochar and the nutrients to the soil, it would be a win-win-win system,” he said.

Iowa State is in an ideal position to research biochar. The BioCentury Research Farm has a pyrolyzer and scientists working on integrating the production of biomass and bioenergy in ways that will maintain soil quality.

“The goal of the research is finding a way to make the harvesting of biomass for bioenergy economically and environmentally sustainable,” Laird said.

Iowa State researchers working on many aspects of biochar
Several field studies are ongoing. The largest one was started in 2007 by USDA-ARS and ISU researchers, with a goal of measuring the effects of harvesting corn stover and adding biochar to soils on crop productivity and soil quality. In its first year there was a small increase in grain yield due to biochar, but it’s not been statistically significant since. Laird said one reason for the small effect of biochar on grain yields might be that Iowa soils are already high quality. Poor quality soils seem to benefit more from biochar than productive ones.

Researchers also are measuring several soil properties and they are seeing positive results from putting biochar in high-quality Iowa soils — soils are less dense and have a higher nutrient and water retention capacity, Laird said. Biochar also functions as a liming agent raising the soil pH and reducing the amount of lime that needs to be applied.

Lab work has included studies to determine the effect of biochar on leaching of nutrients, soil quality, soil density, the ability of soils to hold nutrients, soil organic carbon content, and how the biochar interacts with other carbon sources like manure or crop residue.

Laird is working with Dick Gladon, associate professor in horticulture, and Jake Northup, graduate student in horticulture, on developing a potting soil medium for horticultural purposes. Other scientists are working on formulations for biochar, determining the basic chemistry of biochar and how different processes influence its properties.

“It’s a young field, and it’s old. People in the Amazon have been using it as a soil amendment for thousands of years. But the science is very new. Our understanding of its potential role in both remediating degraded soils, in boosting agricultural efficiency, nutrient and water use efficiency and in maintaining soil quality while producing bioenergy — these are all relatively new topics that are being investigated by myself and my colleagues at Iowa State and across the nation,” he said.]]> http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/989/ Mon, 21 Nov 2011 15:37:44 -0600 http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/989/
Ryan Anderson, assistant professor of agricultural education and studies, said the new welders are being used to teach students who are preparing for student teaching assignments in high school vocational agriculture programs. This type of course hasn’t been offered since 1992.

The new equipment also provides the opportunity to offer workshops for instructors who are teaching and want to improve their welding skills.

Anderson said the equipment represents the latest in welding technology.

The “virtual welder” purchased from the Lincoln Electric Co. provides a realistic experience so students can learn welding while an instructor watches on a computer screen. He said Iowa State is the first four-year teacher education institution to use the welder, which has been described as a computer built into a welding machine.

“It allows our students to learn some of the basic skills of welding before entering the welding booths,” he said.

A screen fitted into the device’s welding hood includes displays that monitor the welding and offers tips to correct mistakes. It also reduces the waste of metal that occurs as students learn welding.

The hi-tech welder, valued at $55,000, was acquired through a grant supported by university student computer fees. A video of Anderson and a student demonstrating the virtual welder is on the web: http://www.ag.iastate.edu/features/2011/Virtual_Welding/

Miller Electric Mfg. Co. donated 12 multi-purpose welders that provides the three major welding processes offered in the industry, and a discounted ventilation system. The value of the equipment was about $220,000.

Students from the department constructed welding booths for the new welders, which are located in a building at the student-run Ag 450 Farm, south of Ames.
]]> http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/988/ Fri, 18 Nov 2011 11:47:20 -0600 http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/988/
An Iowa State alum, with degrees in agronomy and soil science, Burras joined the faculty in 1995. He quickly became a favorite of students and advisees earning numerous awards for teaching and advising excellence at the college, university and professional society levels.

“Teaching and advising are inseparable endeavors. I strive to develop each student academically, professionally and personally. My charge is to help each student become a competent professional who is also a happy and involved member of society,” Burras said. “The essence of my work is to facilitate each student’s growth as an individual while simultaneously teaching him or her the fundamentals of professional knowledge and conduct,” Burras said.

Burras received the award on Nov. 13 in San Francisco. The award is based on teaching quality, philosophy and methodology; service to the profession and students; and professional growth and development.

Wendy Wintersteen, dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, supported Burras’ nomination calling him a role model for all who teach.

“The enthusiasm Dr. Burras brings to teaching is absolutely contagious to students, fellow faculty and administration. He is a star,” Wintersteen said. “In addition to teaching five courses per year, Dr. Burras is clearly the most trusted and respected leader in our college in terms of curricular matters. And nationally he is known, respected and admired.”

A normal academic year for Burras involves teaching 13 credits, including at least one travel or immersion course; advising about 40 undergraduates; publishing one refereed manuscript and providing significant institutional service. He serves on major curriculum committees in agronomy, environmental science, the college and for the university Faculty Senate.

Burras is active in the Soil Science Society of America and the American Society of Agronomy. He also maintains a research program in the morphology, distribution and quality of soils and mentors graduate students.

##]]> http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/986/ Tue, 15 Nov 2011 13:37:34 -0600 http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/986/
The candidates are Abdullah Jaradat of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s North Central Soil Conservation Research Lab; Thanos Papanicolaou of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Iowa; and Mark Rasmussen of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine.

Each candidate will visit campus for two days and present a seminar that is open to the public. In the seminar, candidates will address their vision for the future of the Leopold Center and how their experiences contribute to the vision. The seminars are scheduled for:
-Monday, Nov. 28, 9:30 a.m., Room 1951, Food Sciences Building — Abdullah Jaradat
-Thursday, Dec. 1, 2 p.m., Room 1951, Food Sciences Building — Thanos Papanicolaou
-Monday, Dec. 5, 2 p.m., Room 8, Curtiss Hall — Mark Rasmussen

The seminars can be viewed live online at the following link, https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/lcsa/. Viewers can participate in the live forum by clicking on the link, logging in using the guest option and typing their full name. They can submit questions using the Q&A window. It is recommended that viewers run a test ahead of time to make sure their computers and network connections are properly configured. To conduct the test, go to https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm. After each presentation, a link to an archived version will be available on the Leopold Center website.

About the Candidates

Abdullah Jaradat is research leader, supervisory research agronomist and location coordinator of the North Central Soil Conservation Research Lab, a facility of the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service in Morris, Minn. He also is an adjunct professor of agronomy and plant genetics at the University of Minnesota and an adjunct professor of science at Southwest Minnesota State University. He conducts and manages research on conventional and organic production agriculture, with emphasis on modeling yield variation of crops under diverse management practices. Jaradat has a B.S. in dryland agriculture from the University of Damascus, an M.S. in agronomy from the University of Jordan and a Ph.D. in plant breeding and genetics from Washington State University.

Thanos Papanicolaou is professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Iowa as well as Donald E. Bently Faculty Fellow of Engineering and research engineer with the Iowa Institute of Hydroscience and Engineering. His research interests include best management practices to lessen the impact of soil erosion and nutrient transport on water quality; soil carbon sequestration; and use of sensor technology in agricultural landscapes. He serves on the advisory board for the Iowa Water Center at Iowa State University. Papanicolaou has an undergraduate degree in civil engineering from Aristotle University in Greece and both an M.S. and a Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering from Virginia Tech.

Mark Rasmussen is supervisory microbiologist and director of the Division of Animal and Food Microbiology in the Office of Research at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Veterinary Medicine in Laurel, Md. He provides technical guidance and research support for regulatory decisions on drugs, feed additives and contaminants in animal feeds. For 20 years, he worked as a scientist and research leader at the USDA National Animal Disease Center in Ames, including serving as a collaborating faculty member in Iowa State’s animal science and biomedical sciences departments. Rasmussen has both a B.S. (agriculture) and an M.S. (animal science) from the University of Nebraska, a Ph.D. in dairy science from the University of Illinois and an M.B.A. from Iowa State University.

Chairing the search committee is Sharron Quisenberry, ISU Vice President for Research and Economic Development. Search committee members are Bill Ehm, Iowa Department of Natural Resources; Dan Frieberg, Premier Crop Systems LLC, West Des Moines; Matt Helmers, ISU Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering; Cathy Kling, ISU Department of Economics; Matt Liebman, ISU Department of Agronomy; Ann McCarthy, ISU State Relations Office; James Russell, ISU Department of Animal Science; Jennifer Steffen, Birmingham, Iowa, farmer and State Soil Conservation Committee; and Keith Summerville, Drake University. Ehm, Frieberg, Steffen and Summerville represent the Leopold Center’s advisory board.

Iowa State University’s Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture is a research and education center with statewide programs to develop sustainable agricultural practices that are both profitable and conserve natural resources. The center is named for Aldo Leopold, a Burlington, Iowa, native known internationally as a conservationist, ecologist and educator. The center was established under Iowa’s Groundwater Protection Act of 1987 with a three-fold mission: to conduct research to identify and reduce negative environmental and socioeconomic impacts of agricultural practices; to research and assist in developing alternative practices consistent with a sustainable agriculture; and to work with ISU Extension to inform the agricultural community and the public of its findings.
]]> http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/985/ Fri, 04 Nov 2011 11:10:09 -0500 http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/985/ Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD).

Kling served as the division head of CARD's Resource and Environmental Policy Division before assuming the leadership position Oct. 1. Her research examines how agricultural practices affect water quality, wildlife, soil carbon content and greenhouse gases.

CARD conducts public policy and economic research on agricultural, environmental and food issues.

“CARD has a long and vibrant history and I am pleased to have been appointed CARD's interim director,” Kling said. “I hope that I can help induce a smooth transition for a new director when one has been found and see the Center continue to produce high quality, academically credible policy research for many more years.”

She joined Iowa State in 1993 after seven years as an agricultural economist at the University of California-Davis. Kling earned a doctorate in economics from the University of Maryland in 1986 and a bachelor’s degree in business and economics from the University of Iowa in 1981.

Kling took over for Bruce Babcock, an Iowa State professor of economics, who on Oct. 1 became Cargill Endowed Chair in Energy Economics and director of the university's Biobased Industry Center.

Kling is a fellow of the American Agricultural Economics Association. She serves on the board of trustees of the International Food Policy Research Institute.
]]> http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/984/ Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:41:30 -0500 http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/984/
Laury began work in August as an assistant professor in food science and human nutrition and extension food safety specialist. She earned two degrees from Iowa State, a bachelor’s degree in animal science in 2003 and a master’s degree in meat science in 2006. Laury completed a doctorate at Texas Tech University in animal science, with an emphasis in food safety and microbiology. While in Texas, she worked on food safety issues with growers of vegetables, fruits and nuts as well as the meat industry.

In her new position, which is 60 percent research and 40 percent extension, Laury will be working mainly with farmers and food manufacturers covering nearly every type of food that has food safety concerns and can make consumers sick.

One of her first assignments is preparing to introduce food producers to the Food Safety Modernization Act, a new federal law designed to encourage food safety through preventive measures.

Laury and Aubrey Mendonca, associate professor of food science and human nutrition, will be touring the state beginning in December meeting with food producers about the first stage of regulations and how to comply. There will be updates every three months over the four years the new law will be implemented.

“The same principles apply for all those producing food, in general, and all food companies need to have those things in place no matter if the government’s looking over your shoulder or not. It’s just another step in ensuring that our food supply is safe,” she said.

Producers that have had food sales of $500,000 or more for the last three year are the first ones required to comply with the new provisions, but Laury said eventually smaller producers will be expected to follow the regulations.

“There will be more accountability, more inspections and more fees, if producers are not in compliance. We want to make sure they’re prepared and ready ahead of time,” Laury said.

The sessions are scheduled for:
--Dec. 6, Iowa Western Community College, Atlantic, 6-7 p.m.
--Dec. 7, Iowa State University, Ames, 6-7 p.m.
--Dec. 8, Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids, 6-7 p.m.
--Dec. 9, webinar, noon-1 p.m.

More information about the sessions is available at: http://www.fshn.hs.iastate.edu/fsma/

Laury also is studying the non-O157 STEC bacterium that was responsible for the sprout outbreak in Germany earlier this year and has been responsible for outbreaks in the United States, but not in Iowa. She is working to develop intervention strategies to against the bacterium.

“It is more deadly than the E. coli 0157H7 that people hear about so much. It’s not as common, but more deadly and causes more illness,” she said.
]]> http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/983/ Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:22:34 -0500 http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/983/
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will administer the $1.5 million grant over its three-year term. Iowa State scientists will team with Kansas State University to develop and deliver the training programs through distance education and on-site sessions.

“Our task is to support the development of the FDA Integrated Food Safety System while creating a food safety quality management system that increases efficiency and competitiveness while making food safer,” said Charles Hurburgh, professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering and the principal investigator of the grant. “Our area is the supply chain of bulk agricultural products before processing into traceable and identifiable consumer products.”

The training will focus on food safety in bulk agricultural commodities, targeting FDA inspectors and industry practitioners that need to meet the standardized FDA inspection system. Hurburgh said bulk commodities, like corn and soybeans, are of special concern because they are difficult to trace.

The program will include a cost-benefit analysis component, Hurburgh said, because the application of a formalized food safety quality management system often creates operational efficiencies for companies. The training will be organized to fit the format of the ISO 22000 food safety management standard, being used by the FDA.

“We have found that a food safety quality management system, creates more economic benefit than it costs by virtue of greater efficiencies,” he said. “We have the opportunity to fulfill the law’s compliance, ensure public protection and increase economic competitiveness all at once.”

Bulk agricultural commodities have not been actively considered a part of the food production chain, and so are less familiar to food safety regulators, Hurburgh said. Yet many food safety issues in recent years originated at a point where the product was a bulk material.

“We have the chance to influence how overall food safety needs in this area are met in a way that helps Iowa agriculture as well as the consuming public,” he said.

The NIH has awarded grants to develop standardized training for food safety inspectors to six other organizations: the University of Tennessee, the University of California-Davis, Auburn University, North Carolina State University, the National Environmental Health Association and the International Food Protection Training Institute.
]]> http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/982/ Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:29:08 -0500 http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/982/
The renaming was announced Oct. 22 at an annual gathering of the Department of Animal Science. Christian joined Iowa State in 1959 as swine herdsman at the farm and retired in 2010.

“During that time he had a significant impact on students as well as those who worked for him at the farm. They not only learned how to take care of pigs, but also learned about life from Al,” said Maynard Hogberg, chairman of the animal science department.

“He had an intense interest in students and worked with them to help make them successful. He was one of our best recruiters as he traveled the state and nation judging swine shows. He would always try to recruit students to Iowa State. Once they came to ISU he took them under his wing and helped them to grow and mature into responsible adults,” Hogberg said.

Christian also has been an asset to the nation’s swine industry. His numerous awards include: Superior Service Awards from the American Berkshire Association, National Pork Board Distinguished Service Award and Master Pork Industry Visionary from National Hog Farmer.

Located south of Ames, the farm is an educational laboratory that gives hundreds of animal science students first-hand experience studying and working with pigs. It provides pigs for classes on livestock judging, meats, physiology and other subjects and is the site for adult education and outreach programs.
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Jim Frevert, who retired from Hertz Farm Management Inc. in Nevada, Iowa in 2003, received the Floyd Andre Award that recognizes alums who have made outstanding contributions to production agriculture, agricultural business or who have significantly influenced Iowa agriculture.

Frevert joined Hertz Farm Management Inc. in 1964 after receiving his bachelor’s degree in farm operations in 1960 from Iowa State. He helped build the business’ reputation as a personalized, hands-on service with dedicated professionals. He served as president from 1988 to 2000.

Harold Crawford, Iowa State agricultural Education and studies professor, received the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences George Washington Carver Distinguished Service Award. The award was established to honor Iowa State alumni and friends for outstanding achievements in the agricultural, food, environmental, social and life sciences.

Crawford received his bachelor’s degree in agricultural education in 1950 and began teaching high school vocational agriculture in Iowa. He then received his master’s in 1965 and doctorate in 1969, both in agricultural education at Iowa State.

After 15 years of teaching, he came to Iowa State in 1965 as an agricultural education instructor, became a professor and then served as department head. He also served as associate dean and director of international agricultural programs in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

He coordinated grant proposals that totaled more than $21 million for partnership projects. He was instrumental in establishing a Partnership Educational Center in Costa Rica and the Brenton Center for Agricultural Instruction and Technology at Iowa State.

Lowell Catlett, dean of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at New Mexico State University, received the Henry A. Wallace Award. The award was established in 1978 to honor an Iowa State alumnus who has made an outstanding contribution to national or international agriculture in writing, teaching, research or leadership.

Catlett is known for sharing his knowledge about technology and its implications on how society lives and works.His presentations are inspiring, lively, varied and upbeat. His areas of expertise include marketing economics, futures markets and production economics. His interests include advising and teaching both undergraduate and graduate students, futures market research, futuristic planning and forecasting.

Charles Stewart received the Superior Achievement Award for Early or Mid-career alumni from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The award honors distinguished alumni under 40 years old who have excelled in their professions and are providing outstanding service, leadership and involvement in their communities.

Stewart graduated in 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural biochemistry. He works as a research associate at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif. The institute’s research in molecular biology and genetics, neurosciences and plant biology is used to develop new treatments for diseases and improve the world’s food supply.

Stewart grew up in Des Moines and participated in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences George Washington Carver Internship Program and Iowa State’s Science Bound programs, which are designed to introduce high school students to agriculture and the sciences. After enrolling at Iowa State, he worked as a research associate and served as the national president of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences.

Editor’s Note: Photos available by contacting Barbara McBreen.]]> http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/980/ Fri, 21 Oct 2011 14:30:29 -0500 http://www.ag.iastate.edu/news/releases/980/
The complex offers state-of-the art equipment for students and office facilities for graduate students. Donors provided more than $110,000 for the renovations.

Harold Crawford, agricultural education and studies professor, received his bachelor’s degree in agricultural education in 1950 and began teaching high school vocational agriculture in Iowa. He received both his master’s in 1965 and doctorate in 1969 in agricultural education at Iowa State.

After 15 years of teaching, he came to Iowa State in 1965 as an agricultural education instructor, became a professor and then served as department head. He also served as associate dean and director of international agricultural programs in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State.

The idea to dedicate space to honor Crawford began four years ago. Robert Martin, Iowa State agricultural education and studies professor, presented Crawford with a certificate stating that a classroom area would be named in his honor.

“The idea to expand the gift came from Crawford’s three sons,” Martin said. “We soon had support for the renovations from several donors.”

After 57 years, Crawford is still passionate about teaching. He’s received numerous awards for his teaching skills including the outstanding international service award, alumni medal for distinguished service to Iowa State and the lifetime achievement award from the Regional, State and National Association of Agricultural Educators. He also received the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences George Washington Carver Distinguished Service Award.
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