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| Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences VISION eXtra is e-mailed weekly to faculty and staff of Bumpers College and the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Division of Agriculture. This service is primarily for timely announcement of news and events for the AAES and Bumpers College. Submit items to hmedders@uark.edu. You may also wish to submit items to headline@uark.edu for posting on "UA Daily Headlines" for campus-wide distribution. |
Feb. 23, 2009 |
1. Workshop on soil application of poultry litter and biosolids at LMCRS - Thursday
2. Winrock officer to give Future Focus Lecture - Thursday
3. Library hosts U.S. Energy Office online database workshop - Thursday
4. Secrets to the 'Hidden Job Market' - Thursday
5. Bumpers College Peer Mentor applications due March 2
6. Templeton Lecture and Workshop set for March 10-11
7. Student Ambassador applications due by March 13
8. Biorenewables study opportunities available in Europe and U.S.
9. Undergraduates invited to apply for summer research internships by March 15
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1. Workshop on soil application of poultry litter and biosolids at LMCRS - Thursday
A workshop on the use of poultry manure and biosolids to improve soils for Arkansas crops is set for Thursday, Feb. 26, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lon Mann Cotton Research Station at Marianna. Call Linda Smith, 870-295-2851, to be included for a complementary lunch. Morteza Mozaffari, assistant professor of soil fertility and director of the division's Soil Testing and Research Laboratory in Marianna, said the workshop will feature demonstrations and a review of last year's research on corn, cotton and wheat.
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2. Winrock officer to give Future Focus Lecture - Thursday
A Future Focus Lecture on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 3:30 p.m. in Plant Science 009 will feature Sandra Batie, professor of food and agricultural policy at Michigan State University and vice chairman of the board of trustees of Winrock International. The lecture series is sponsored by the department of agricultural economics and agribusiness. A reception is set for 5 p.m. in the Carnall Hall Lounge.
Batie has worked on environmental, natural resource and agricultural policy issues at the federal and state levels. She is a member of National Research Council Committee, Twenty-first Century Systems Agriculture. She spent a sabbatical with the Conservation Foundation, where she studied and wrote about federal conservation policy, and another with the National Governors' Association, where she specialized in state policy with respect to rural development and groundwater management. She has served on the board of directors and as president of both the American Agricultural Economics Association and the Southern Agricultural Economics Association. She is a Fellow and past president of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
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3. Library hosts U.S. Energy Office online database workshop - Thursday
A virtual workshop with Tim Byrne of the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information will demonstrate search functions and provide tips for the major Web sites and online databases of the U.S. Department of Energy. A computer workstation will be provided for each attendee in Mullins Library room 102 March 26 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Research topics covered in these databases include science, agriculture, engineering, medical sciences, and technology. For more information and to register: http://libinfo.uark.edu/info/events/eventgallery.asp?eventID=42
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4. Secrets to the 'Hidden Job Market' - Thursday
Students are invited to attend a live Webinar on "Seven Secrets to the Hidden Job Market" Thursday, Feb. 26, at noon at the UA Career Development Center in the Arkansas Union. Register online at http://career.uark.edu/students/events/sevensecrets.aspx.
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5. Bumpers College Peer Mentor applications due March 2
Current students in Bumpers College can apply to serve as peer mentors to new students starting next fall. Those selected as mentors will receive a $500 scholarship for each semester they serve in the program. Details and the application form are online at http://bumperscollege.uark.edu/peer_application.php.
The Bumpers College Peer Mentoring program provides the opportunity for new students to have one-to-one interactions with a current student as his or her mentor or guide to student life.
Mentor applications will be accepted through March 2 and must be submitted to Alice Griffin, AFLS E108. Interviews will be conducted March 9 - 13. The selected mentors must be able to participate in a spring training event scheduled for Saturday, April 4.
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6. Templeton Lecture and Workshop set for March 10-11
The George E. Templeton Jr. Memorial Endowment and the department of plant pathology present the Templeton Lecture Series featuring W. Doug Gubler, professor and extension plant pathologist at the University of California, Davis. A lecture is scheduled for Tuesday, March 10, 3:00 p.m. at the H.L. Hembree Auditorium located in the Agriculture, Food and Life Sciences Building. A reception will immediately follow in the AFLS Atrium.
A fruit disease workshop will also take place in conjunction with the lecture. The workshop, set for Wednesday, March 11 beginning at 9:00 a.m. at Whitaker Arena, will focus on fruit diseases, management and control - Gubler will serve as the guest instructor. The workshop will conclude by 1:00 p.m. with a complimentary lunch.
Everyone is invited to attend either event and there are no fees for the lecture, reception, workshop or lunch. However, space is limited. Reservations are advised and should be made by contacting Debby Monfort at (501) 438-2044 or dmonfort@uark.edu.
Gubler, a U of A and department alumnus (M.S. '74), conducts research on canker diseases of grapevine as well as diseases of other fruit crops. His work on canker disease resulted in solving a 3,000 year old disease that was described by the Greeks and Romans and made reference to in the Bible. This exciting discovery and its continued research potential will be the topic of the lecture.
The George E. Templeton Jr. Memorial Endowment established funds for lecture series events at the University, within the Bumpers College, to recognize scientists conducting cutting-edge research and providing a platform to share their research and discoveries.
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7. Student Ambassador applications due by March 13
Bumpers College students who have completed two semesters of study with a GPA of 2.75 or more may apply for the Bumpers College Student Ambassador program. The deadline to apply is March 13.
As representatives of the college, ambassadors portray to prospective students, parents and alumni the philosophy and benefits of enrollment in Bumpers College at the University of Arkansas. Student ambassadors co-host activities with student organizations and with the college dean's office. Ambassadors receive a stipend for the academic year of their appointment, and appointments are re-evaluated at semester break.
More information and the application form is online at http://bumperscollege.uark.edu/341.htm.
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8. Biorenewables study opportunities available in Europe and U.S.
Graduate students and seniors in agriculture disciplines, engineering and physical sciences with an interest in bio-materials for food and non-food use should consider the semester and two week study opportunities in Europe and U.S. Students can apply for summer, fall and spring programs with partial expenses paid.
There are two types of programs available for seniors and graduate students. One provides opportunities to study at one of the EU partner institutions for one semester by completing coursework and/or research. http://www.uark.edu/ua/biorenew/valorization_prog.htm
Applications from US citizens for a semester study in Europe at either the University of Gent, Belgium; Karl Franzens University, Graz, Austria and Toulouse Polytechnic University, Toulouse, France are due March 1 for the summer semester, April 1 for fall semester and Oct. 1 for the following spring semester. Students enroll at the University of Arkansas and have their tuition waived at the EU institution. A grant of $5,000 is provided for student living expenses. See the Web site at http://www.uark.edu/ua/biorenew/ for details.
The second opportunity is a choice of 2 two-week intensive summer study programs consisting of lectures and field trips with a final exam; one is i held in Graz, Austria and the other at Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. http://www.uark.edu/ua/biorenew/intensiveprog.htm All student housing and food expenses are covered by the organizers and US and non-US citizens can apply.
"We have several openings for this summer, next fall and spring," said Food Science Professor Andy Proctor, who coordinates this EU-US exchange program for UA students. "These are great opportunities for students in agriculture and other majors with an interest in bioenergy, bio-materials and related areas," Proctor said.
UA student Mustafa Ozkan is currently at the University of Gent with the semester study program studying agricultural economics. U of A is hosting three University of Gent students this semester: Pepijin Wyfffels, who is researching starch modification with Ya-Jane Wang; Linda Raport and Natasha Janssens are researching algae biomass production with Tom Costello; Valeri Natanelov is studying rice production economics with Eric Wailes. These students are also taking classes in various related disciplines.
The University of Arkansas is the U.S. lead institution of an EU-US Consortium, with partners at Iowa State University and Kansas State University. The European partners are Ghent University, Belgium; Karl Franzens University, Graz, Austria; and National Polytechnic Institute of Toulouse, France. The program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education and the European Union.
Students interested in these study programs should contact Food Science Professor Andy Proctor (aproctor@uark.edu).
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9. Undergraduates invited to apply for summer research internships by March 15
The department of plant pathology is currently accepting applications for the C. Roy Adair and K. Bollenbacher Undergraduate Summer Research Internship Programs for the 2009 term.
"These programs give undergraduate students the opportunity to conduct an independent research project under the guidance of a faculty member in the department," said Professor Craig Rothrock who coordinates the summer program. "It also allows young students to explore and experience plant pathology as well as meet new people."
Any undergraduate student, ranked in the top 25 percentile in their class, and having completed 90 credit hours, is eligible. Successful applicants will conduct their own research project, selecting from a list of projects currently available with department faculty, during a 12-week class session that will begin in mid-May. UofA course credit and a stipend will also be earned.
Interns will conduct most of their research at the Fayetteville campus, however, this year there are a couple of research projects located in Lonoke. Research project opportunities are available in plant diseases, molecular biology, viruses, nematodes, biotechnology, fungi and ecology.
Interested candidates must apply by March 15. Additional information, application form and research topics are available at http://plantpathology.uark.edu/2219.htm. For more details, contact Craig Rothrock at (479) 575-2447 or rothrock@uark.edu. Successful candidates will be notified by April 3.
C. Roy Adair was a geneticist and plant breeder whose accomplishments helped establish the preeminence of the Arkansas rice industry. The Adair program is funded by an endowment established in his honor.
Katharina Bollenbacher worked for the United States Department of Agriculture and was assigned to work with the University of Arkansas as a cooperating agent with the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station. Her scientific contributions in investigation of diseases of cotton and in weed control contributed, significantly, to the science of agriculture and were of importance to cotton consumers and producers, as well as to other scientists. In 1993, a resolution established the Katharina Bollenbacher Memorial Scholarship in her memory from funds contributed by family, friends, and colleagues.
AAES and Bumpers College Web sites:
http://aaes.uark.edu/
http://bumperscollege.uark.edu/