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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. |
March 2, 2009 |
1. GSD names Research Competition winners
2. Institute elects Verma to College of Fellows
3. Spring, summer field days scheduled
4. Food science presentations Monday
5. Future Forum lectures Tuesday and Thursday
6. Summer/Fall 2009 Schedule of Classes now online
7. Peer Mentor applications due March 2
8. Women in Agriculture Conference, March 9-10
9. Templeton Lecture and Workshop set for March 10-11
10. Student Ambassador applications due by March 13
11. Undergraduates invited to apply for summer research internships by March 15
12. Riparian Forest Buffers workshop set for March 23
13. Biorenewables study opportunities available in Europe and U.S.
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1. GSD names Research Competition winners
Bumpers College undergraduate and graduate students presented research papers and posters at the Student Research Competition Feb. 24 in the Arkansas Union. The annual contest is sponsored by the Arkansas Chapter of Gamma Sigma Delta, the honor society of agriculture. The winners in each category were:
Undergraduate Oral Presentations
1st Place - A. R. Guernsey, E. B. Kegley, J. G. Powell, D. L. Galloway, A. C. White and S. W. Breeding; Animal Sciences - Effects of intra-nasal or oral administration of a zinc solution on health and growth performance of newly-received stocker cattle
2nd Place - Chelsey Castrodale, Luke Howard and Cindi Brownmiller; Food Science - Processing and Storage Effects on the polyphenolic content and antioxidant capacity of conventional and sugar-free blueberry jams
M.S. Oral Presentations
1st Place - Alisha Ruple, John R. Clark and M. Elena Garcia; Horticulture - Evaluation of Fertility in Floricane- and Primocane-Fruiting Blackberry (Rubus L. spp.) Genotypes
2nd Place - A. M. Graves, M. I. Saleh and T. J. Siebenmorgen; Food Science - Predicting Degree of Milling in the McGill #2 Laboratory Rice Mill by Near Infrared Spectroscopy
3rd Place - Julie A. Abbott, Danielle J. Carrier, Fabricio Medina-Bolivar and Ed Clausen; Biological Engineering - Determination of biological activity of stilbenoids, resveratrol, piceatannol, arachidin-1, and arachidin-3
Ph.D. Oral Presentations
1st Place - Lakshmi Kannan, Rohana Liyanage, Jack O. Lay Jr, Narayan C. Rath; Poultry Science - Stable isotope free direct MS quantitation of beta defensin 2 regulated by TLR activation of chicken heterophils
2nd Place - S. K. Bangarwa, J. K. Norsworthy, and G. M. Griffith; Crop, Soil, & Environmental Sciences - Allyl isothiocyanate as an alternative to ozone-depleting methyl bromide in tomato production
3rd Place Tie - L. Milenka Arévalo and Fiona L. Goggin; Entomology - Effect of an omega 3 fatty acid desaturase in plant defenses against aphids in tomato
3rd Place Tie - Arvind Kannan, Navam S Hettiarachchy; Food Science - Human Lung and Breast anti-cancer properties of peptides obtained from heat stabilized defatted rice bran by enzymatic hydrolysis
Undergraduate Poster Presentations
1st Place - H. Minard, S. Reiter, C. Bokina and C. Rosenkrans Jr.; Animal Sciences - Use of Lactate Dehydrogenase Genetic Polymorphisms as a Marker of Equine Immune Function
2nd Place - Jordan W. Steinhaus and Dr. Donald M. Johnson; Agricultural and Extension Education - E-85 vs. Regular Gasoline: Effects on Engine Performance, Fuel Efficiency, and Exhaust Emissions
3rd Place - Kristin M. Hopper, Kristin Pennington, Sonia R. Munoz, Donald M. Johnson and George W. Wardlow; Agricultural and Extension Education - Measurement of Transient Smoke Emissions Characteristics from Diesel and Biodiesel Fuel Blends in an Agricultural Tractor
M.S. Poster Presentations
1st Place - A. M. Graves, T. J. Siebenmorgen and M. I. Saleh; Food Science - A Comparative Study Between the McGill #2 Laboratory Mill and Commercial Milling Systems
2nd Place - Garris Hudosn and Don M Johnson; Agricultural and Extension Education - Fueling Kubota utility vehicles with D2 and B20: Results of a two-year field and laboratory study
3rd Place - Nathan D. Walker, Duane C. Wolf, Kaaron. J. Davis, and John D. Mattice; Crop, Soil, & Environmental Sciences - Effects of Wheat Straw and Biosolid Amendments on Pyrene Biodegradation in Two Soils
Ph.D. Poster Presentations
1st Place - Gulab Rangani and Vibha Srivastava; Crop, Soil, & Environmental Sciences - Exploring the Mechanism of Gene Silencing Mediated by DNA Methylation
2nd Place - Lakshmi Kannan, Rohana Liyanage, Jack O. Lay Jr, Narayan C. Rath; Poultry Science - Screening and identification of an egg white peptide by mass spectrometry
3rd Place - M. Ayd?n Akbudak and Vibha Srivastava; Crop, Soil, & Environmental Sciences and Cell and Molecular Biology Program - Towards Marker-free Site-specific Gene Integration Technology
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2. Institute elects Verma to College of Fellows
The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) has elected Lalit R. Verma, interim dean of Bumpers College, to the institute's College of Fellows. Verma, serving as interim dean of Bumpers College since July 2008, is head of the UA department of biological and agricultural engineering. His election by some 900 current AIMBE fellows was for "contributions to the academic discipline of biological engineering by advocating for curricular reform and accreditation recognition of biological engineering," according to a news release.
Verma presided over a reorganization of the department and curriculum changes to create the biological engineering major. Enrollment in the major has increased from the 20's when he became department head in 2000 to about 100 in the fall of 2008. The major, jointly offered by Bumpers College and the College of Engineering, includes concentrations in biomedical, biotechnology and ecological engineering.
"Biological engineers create solutions to problems by coupling living systems with the tools of engineering and biotechnology," Verma said. The discipline works with human, plant, animal, environmental, food, and microbial living systems, he added.
Verma also led the creation of the new College of Engineering interdisciplinary Master of Science program in biomedical engineering, which is the only one of its kind in Arkansas, in fall 2004.
In addition to providing curriculum for bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees, the department conducts statewide research and extension programs as a unit of the University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture.
Verma was one of 96 new fellows inducted Feb. 12 at the institute's annual meeting in the National Academy of Sciences building in Washington, D.C. Jennifer Ayers, AIMBE's executive director, said the inductees "represent some of the most imaginative and distinguished medical and biological engineers in the field. Their contributions have had a major impact in biomedical devices and processes, treatment of diseases and public policy related to all aspects of medical and biological engineering."
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3. Spring, summer field days scheduled
Division of Agriculture field days have been scheduled through the summer, beginning with a Stocker Conference and Beef Field Day March 17 at the Southwest Research and Extension Center at Hope. The current schedule is online at http://aaes.uark.edu/fielddays_09.html.
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4. Food science presentations Monday
Youngbum Lee, a graduate student in food science at the University of Arkansas, will present "Effect of aging on physico-chemical properties on long-grain rice" and Jeta Kadamne, also a food science graduate student, will present "Direct FTIR Determination of CLA in CLA Rich Soybean Oil" at 3:30 p.m. Monday, March 2, in room D-2 of the Food Science Building. For more information contact Connie Tharel, 5-4605 or ctharel@uark.edu.
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5. Future Forum lectures Tuesday and Thursday
A Future Forum Lecture, sponsored by the department agricultural economics and agribusiness, at 3:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 3, in Room 107E, AFLS, will feature Ralph Christy, professor of emerging markets and director of the Cornell International Institute for Food, Agriculture, and Development at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. His topic will be "Why Small is Still Beautiful: Establishing an Agenda for Improving Food Systems in Emerging Markets." A reception will be held at 5 p.m. in the Carnall Hall Lounge.
The Future Forum Lecture on Thursday, March 5, will be presented by David Zilberman, professor of agricultural and resource economics and co-director of the Center for Sustainable Resource Development, College of Natural Resources, University of California, Berkeley. Ziberman will speak on "The Political Economy and Future of Agricultural Biotechnology: Why it is Not Fully Adopted and What Do We Lose" at 3:30 p.m. Thursday in Room 009 of the Plant Sciences Building, followed by a reception at 5 p.m. in the Carnall Hall Lounge.
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6. Summer/Fall 2009 Schedule of Classes now online
The Office of the Registrar at the University of Arkansas has posted the Schedule of Classes and the Priority Registration Appointments for the Summer/Fall 2009 terms. This information is available on the Registrar's Web page at http://www.uark.edu/registrar/classes/
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7. 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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8. Women in Agriculture Conference, March 9-10
The annual Arkansas Women in Agriculture conference is set for March 9-10 at the Wyndham Riverfront Hotel in North Little Rock. The conference will include over 30 sessions on risk management, production, and family and health issues plus pre-conference workshops. For details, go to the online registration site http://www.arkansaswomeninag.com/newconference.html. Keynote Speaker will be Mary Ann Campbell, a certified financial planner and television personality who presents a weekly live "Money Magic" report on an ABC affiliate.
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9. 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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10. 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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11. 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.
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12. Riparian Forest Buffers workshop set for March 23
A workshop on "Riparian Forest Buffers… Providing Farm-Level Economic and Environmental Benefits" is set for Monday, March 23, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Pauline Whitaker Animal Science Arena and the Watershed Research and Education Center. It will provide information on establishment methods, costs and cost share assistance, as well as economic, environmental, and multiple use benefits of RFBs. The workshop will be conducted by the Arkansas Water Resources Center of the Division of Agriculture and is sponsored by the Arkansas Farm Bureau.
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13. 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 course work 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).
AAES and Bumpers College Web sites:
http://aaes.uark.edu/
http://bumperscollege.uark.edu/