Feb. 26, 2008

1. Research Incentive Grant Proposals Due March 14

2. Soybean Rust Forum, March 4 in Brinkley

3. Student Mentors Needed in New Bumpers College Program

4. University Days Provide Workshops for Prospective Students

5. Weed Science Students Win Research Awards

6. Plant Pathology Seminar Feb. 26

7. CSES Seminar March 3
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1. Research Incentive Grant Proposals Due March 14

Proposals for the annual Research Incentive Grants Program are due in the Agricultural Experiment Station (AES) grants and contracts office by March 14. Since this program uses AES F&A (indirect) funds, only faculty with a greater than 50% AES appointment are eligible to apply.

This program uses AES funds to support small seed grants to develop preliminary data for external grant development. The program consists of three categories: one for new faculty in their first five years of appointment, another for established faculty looking to move into other research arenas and a final category for multidisciplinary grant development.  Guidelines are available through the AES grants office website at: http://www.uark.edu/admin/aesbus/grant_files/PDF_files/Guidelines_Research_Incentive_Program.PDF
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2. Soybean Rust Forum, March 4 in Brinkley

The Division of Agriculture's Asian Soybean Rust Working Group is sponsoring the "Soybean Rust Forum 2008" on Tuesday, March 4, at the Brinkley Convention Center. The event will begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude, with lunch, at 12 noon.

Topics and presenters will include Environmental Impact by Scott Isard, climatologist, Pennsylvania State University; Year End Review for Arkansas and Louisiana by Scott Monfort and Cliff Coker, Arkansas plant pathologists, and Clayton Hollier, plant pathologist, LSU/Alexandria; Current Status of Asian Soybean Rust and What to Expect for 2008 by the Arkansas Soybean Rust Working Group; a Soybean Update by Jeremy Ross, soybean agronomist; and a Panel Discussion on Multiple Scenarios of Rust Impact and Management Decisions.
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3. Student Mentors Needed in New Bumpers College Program

Current students in Bumpers College can apply to serve as personal mentors to new students starting next fall. Those selected as mentors will receive a $500 scholarship for each semester they serve in the program.

The new Bumpers College Peer Mentoring Program was developed by the college's Retention Task Force with the goal of providing the opportunity for each new student to have an upperclassman who will provide one-on-one advice and guidance on adjusting to college life.

The Peer Mentoring Program application form is available online on the Bumpers College Advising web page, from your academic adviser and at the Dean's office.

Mentor applications will be accepted through March 3 and must be submitted to Alice Griffin, AFLS E108. Interviews will be conducted March 10-14. The Retention Task Force will approve the final selection list before an offer is made to the students. The selected mentors must be able to participate in a spring training event scheduled for Saturday, April 5, 2008.

Mentors will be selected based on the following criteria: Good communication and interpersonal skills. Positive attitude. Willing to work in a group setting. Cultural sensitivity. One year of experience on the UA-Fayetteville campus (by beginning of fall 2008). Good academic standing. Willing to commit 3-5 hours a week.

For more information, contact Coordinator of Peer Mentoring John Kelley, jkelly@uark.edu, or Coordinator of Advising and Retention Alice Griffin, agriffin@uark.edu.
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4. University Days Provide Workshops for Prospective Students

GENE GUN -- Scott Nicholson, a CSES post doctoral program associate in the Department of Crop, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, shows high school students how a "gene gun" is used to insert DNA into the genetic structure of plant cells.  The session was held in the Rosen Center for Alternative Pest Control.		SOILS WORKSHOP -- Jeannie Wilkins, a Decatur High School teacher, and her students examine soil profiles in a core sample in a workshop led by Carrie Hawkins, a CSES program associate.

Workshops for prospective students were conducted Feb. 15 by Scott Nicholson and Carrie Hawkins, both program associates in CSES. Nicholson gave a workshop on the use of a "gene gun" to insert DNA into the genetic structure of plant cells. Hawkins led a hands-on workshop on soil structure and classification.

The workshops were part of the campus-wide University Days event, which brings to campus K-12th grade students and teachers of science, math and technology. This annual program seeks to stimulate science, mathematics and technology education in Arkansas classrooms by offering real-world, research-based instruction and hands-on experience.
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5. Weed Science Students Win Research Awards

Graduate students in the CSES weed science program grabbed major awards during the regional meeting of the Southern Weed Science Society in Jacksonville, Jan. 25-28. The following winners were:

Vinod Shivrain - first place, oral presentation, Ph.D. paper: "Plant factors affecting outcrossing rate between red rice and ClearfieldTM rice," co-authored by Nilda R. Burgos D. R. Gealy, H. L. Black and K. L. Smith.

Ryan Doherty - first place, oral presentation, M.S. paper: "Evaluation of Reflex and Valor for preplant and preemergence control of Palmer amaranth in cotton," co-authored by Ken L. Smith, D. O. Stephenson, L. R. Oliver, J. A. Bullington and J. R. Meier.

Franklin Lyons - second place, oral presentation, M.S. paper: "Profitable Systems for Ultra-early Soybean Production," co-authored by L. R. Oliver, L. C. Purcell and M. P. Popp.

Sanjeev Bangarwa - first place, poster: "Phenyl isothiocyanate as an alternative of methyl bromide for weed control in tomato and bell pepper production," co-authored by Jason K. Norsworthy and G. A. Griffith.
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6. Plant Pathology Seminar Feb. 26

John Xia, AC Diagnostics, Inc., will present a seminar titled "Detection of Plant Pathogens: Modern Technologies and Applications" at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 26, in PTSC-09. Light refreshments will be served beginning at 3 p.m. in PTSC-214.
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7. CSES Seminar March 3

Vinod Shivrain will present a seminar Monday, March 3, on "The Phylogeny of U.S. Weedy Rice and Some Factors Influencing Gene Flow Between Rice and Weedy Rice" at 3:30 p.m., Monday, March 3, in PTSC 009 as part of the CSES seminar series.
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CORRECTION: VISION eXtra reported on Feb. 12 in a story about the Ag Olympics held Feb. 8 that the Animal Science graduate students defeated the Animal Science faculty members in the wheelbarrow race. It was actually an "obstacle course," and the faculty team won. VISION eXtra regrets the error.
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