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| Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences Weekly Vision 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. |
| Aug. 17, 2009 |
1.Pine Tree Station field day to focus on rice sustainability, Aug. 20
2. Judd Hill Foundation field day to feature university research
3. Justus Teaching Seminar and Idea Exchange, WEDNESDAY
4. Student computer labs moved from Agri Annex to AFLS B108
5. Entomology graduate students tour state locations
6. Bumpers College launches Twitter page
7. ACT students win national awards
8. Save the Dates for faculty reception and scholarship luncheon
9. Save the Date for Division of Agriculture Awards Luncheon, Jan. 8
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1. Pine Tree Station field day to focus on rice sustainability, Aug. 20
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| SUSTAINABILITY -- Jennifer James, USA Rice Federation Sustainability Task Force chairman, to speak at Pine Tree Field Day. |
Jennifer James, a Jackson County rice producer and chairman of the new USA Rice Federation Sustainability Task Force, will speak at a crops field day Thursday, Aug. 20, at the Pine Tree Research Station.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture research station is eight miles west of Colt on Hwy. 306.
Station Director Roger Eason said a two-hour tour of research plots, starting at 9 a.m., will be followed by James' presentation and a sponsored lunch in the station's large meeting facility.
"The U.S. rice industry has a long history of protecting its natural resources and ecosystems," federation Chairman Jamie Warshaw said. "With the creation of the Sustainability Task Force, the industry now has the means to advance these principles and practices, and to communicate the industry's commitment to sustainably produced rice to policy-makers, consumers and customers."
In addition to James, task force members from rice-producing states include Ray Vester of Stuttgart, Bill Reed of Riceland Foods, Keith Glover of Producers Rice Mill and Glenn Nevins of Anheuser-Busch. An advisory group of rice researchers includes Terry Siebenmorgen in Arkansas and others from rice-producing states.
Research tour topics and Division of Agriculture scientists at each stop will include:
-- Weed control in rice, Jason Norsworthy;
-- Weed control in soybeans, Chase Bell;
-- Soybean fertility, Jeremy Ross;
-- Rice breeding program, Karen Moldenhauer;
-- Rice water weevil and grape colapsis, Gus Lorenz;
-- Rice fertility, Rick Norman; and
-- Soybean diseases and Asian rust update, Scott Monfort.
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2. Judd Hill Foundation field day to feature university research, Sept. 3
The Judd Hill Cotton Technology Field Day Sept. 3 will provide a look at research on the Judd Hill Plantation near Trumann in Poinsett County by agricultural scientists at Arkansas State University, the University of Arkansas System's Division of Agriculture and commercial agricultural companies.
Congressman Marion Berry of Gillett will be the keynote speaker following research tours from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. A complimentary lunch will conclude the 15th annual field day sponsored by the Judd Hill Foundation.
Topics on the research plot tour will include precision agriculture, cotton varieties, herbicide resistant weeds, organic sources of nitrogen and the economics of a cotton and corn crop rotation, according to Matt Moon of Jonesboro, chairman of the field day committee. New equipment, products and services will be on display at a trade show.
The research is an extension of projects conducted at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro and at the Division of Agriculture's Northeast Research and Extension Center at Keiser, NEREC director Fred Bourland said.
The Judd Hill Foundation is a major supporter of agricultural research at Arkansas State University and also provides an area for Division of Agriculture experimental plots.
"This allows us to expand our research on soils that have very high yield potential for cotton," Bourland said. "We also are able to work on a variety of issues in cooperation with Billy Baker, who manages the commercial cotton farm."
The foundation, founded in 1985 by Ester Hill Chapin, produces cotton on 3,800 acres. Farm profits help fund agricultural research and other philanthropic activities.
In 1991, Ester Hill Chapin, who received the 4,000-acre plantation as a wedding gift from her father, Judd Hill, bequeathed the plantation to the foundation.
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3. Justus Teaching Seminar and Idea Exchange, Aug. 19
The Justus Teaching Seminar and Idea Exchange focused on using technology to improve instruction is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 19, 9 - 11:30 a.m., in Hembree Auditorium.
- Social Networking -implications for teaching and learning- Don Edgar
- Second Life as an emerging educational tool- Leslie Edgar
- How to get started with an online course - Steve Seideman
- Interactions with students and best practices of online instruction - Ken Muessig
- What I learned from teaching online- Pamela Brady
- Twitter or Tweet-Dave Edmark
Coffee, juice and muffins will be available at 8:30 a.m. in the lobby of AFLS along with posters.
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4. Student computer labs moved from Agri Annex to AFLS B108
New technologies in Bumpers College classrooms and student computer labs were listed recently by Brenda Wideman, technology director for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and Bumpers College.
The final preparations in all rooms are under way and we thank the college, our units, and our students for the funding that has made the following improvements possible.
Student computer labs previously in the Agricultural Annex building are moving to AFLS B108. A brand new lab facility is being constructed housing 40 computers with instructor station and projection. Classes that were taught in Agri Annex are being relocated to the new facility. Final details are under way and further information will be sent as details become firm.
Labs are located this semester in:
AFLS B108 - 40 stations
HOEC 217 - 25 stations
POSC L101 - 25 stations (limited software availability, daytime walk-in use only)
Specific hours will be posted as soon as plans are finalized.
Software available in computer labs this semester includes:
Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Standard - HOEC 217
Adobe Creative Suite 4 Design Premium (includes Dreamweaver and Fireworks) - AFLS B108
Kaledo Apparel Software - HOEC 217
Gerber Apparel Software - HOEC 217
Mathematica Player - AFLS B108 and POSC L101
Visual Retailer Apparel Software - AFLS B108
AutoCAD 2009 - AFLS B108
Food Processor - POSC L101
GAMS, QuickBooks, and other AEAB software in AFLS B108
Camtasia - AFLS B108
SAS - 9.1.3 or later (being determined), AFLS B108
MS Office 2007 - in all labs
JMP 8 - in all labs
Classrooms:
AGRI 332 - technology remodel including new projector and screen, audio system, and Sympodium
AFLS E107 - new projector
Echo360 Lecture Video Recording resource expanded to AGRI 332 and FDSC D2 (also in AGRI 115)
HOEC 206 and ROSEN 110 have new computers
JMP 8 - in all classrooms
MSOffice 2007, web browsers and plug-ins available in all rooms
Discipline specific software available in specific rooms by request only
To ensure your classroom technology use goes as smoothly as possible, we encourage all faculty to attend training prior to the first use of the equipment. Be aware, faculty who have never taught in our rooms or those who have not taught recently are required to attend training before access to the podium combination will be given. Also the technology in AGRI 332 has totally changed, we request all faculty scheduled in that room attend training. Each session can be expected to last approximately 30 minutes; Echo 360 training (where available) is expected to take an extra 15 minutes . The training schedule is attached.
Anyone planning to use the Echo360 video recording resource should let us know during training or as quickly as possible. Advance setup is required prior to the first day of classroom use. This is available in AGRI 332, AGRI 115, and FDSC D2.
If you need training and are unable to attend at the scheduled times, please call 5-3420 to request additional training assistance.
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5. Entomology graduate students tour state locations
New entomology graduate students left Sunday for three-and-a-half-day tour to meet off-campus faculty, learn about entomological and agricultural issues in the state and learn to be and act like a graduate student cohort, Department Head Rob Wiedenman said. "We did this the last time we had a large entering group, and it was an excellent expenditure of time and money to get them started on the right foot. They really gelled as a group," he said.
The students will be led by Tim Kring and Ashley Dowling. Stops include the Jonesboro area for veterinary entomology, Stuttgart for rice insects, Rohwer for cotton and soybean insects and a visit with grower Steve Stevens, and near Mena for fire ant research. Students also will collect insects along the way to be used for some of the courses that require collections.
The main stops will include:
- Tanja McKay (Jonesboro) will give us a tour of the Arkansas Biosciences Institute, then we will get an exposure to forensic entomology (view a pig cadaver, which are used to simulate human cadavers) and also view her work on mosquitoes as related to dog heartworms.
- John Bernhardt (Stuttgart) will provide us a tour of the USDA-ARS rice facility, then we will view his research plots and allow the students to wade into rice field and collect insects associated with rice. We will likely also do some insect collecting at night while we are there.
- Scott Akin (Rohwer) will give the students exposure to cotton production and cotton pest management. They will have an opportunity to view the farm equipment close-up and will also meet a grower (Steve Stephens) and a consultant in the area. Scott will also describe his plot work at the Rohwer station, and allow the students to collect insects in cotton fields.
- Jon Zawislak will meet us at DeGray Lake and he will provide a short presentation on apiculture and the role of extension in this industry. Because he is a new graduate of the department, his personal insights will also be of great value to the new students.
- Kelly Loftin and John Hopkins will bring us to locations near Mena where a parasitic fly was released and is established to help control the red imported fire ant.
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6. Bumpers College launches Twitter page
Bumpers College is starting to tweet to the world. The college now has a Twitter page at http://twitter.com/bumperscollege. Twitter is a social media outlet known for limiting its posts to no more than 140 characters.
It's not necessary to have a Twitter account to see what the college posts there, but anyone who does have an account is encouraged to become a "follower" of Bumpers College to receive all the college's posts announcements on their own Twitter home page. Anyone with an account needs only to go to the college's Twitter page and hit the "follow" button.
The college will post links to its news releases, announcements of events and other information from personnel who want to get the word out quickly to the college's friends.
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7. ACT students win national awards
Members of the Bumpers College Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow chapter won several awards in the national Agricultural Communicators of Tomorrow competition. Award winners announced at the Agricultural Media Summit August 1-4 in Fort Worth included Allyson McGuire, first place in the short feature story category; Dru Glaze, third place in the photo series category; and Michele Payne, Mindy Norton and Dru Glaze in the public relations campaign category as well as the award of excellence for the public relations division. Also, Megan Crudup, a new transfer student, was elected the National ACT Secretary/Treasurer.
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8. Save the Dates for faculty reception and scholarship luncheon
The annual Fall Faculty reception is scheduled for September 24 and the Bumpers College Scholarship Luncheon will be October 9.
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9. Save the Date for Division of Agriculture Awards Luncheon, Jan. 8
Faculty and staff awards will be presented at the Division of Agriculture Awards Luncheon Jan. 8, 2010, in Little Rock.
AAES and Bumpers College Web sites:
http://aaes.uark.edu/
http://bumperscollege.uark.edu/