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Announcements for Friday, February 3, 2012

Announcements

  • Congratulations to Gray and Jess Calhoun on the birth of their twins!

    Congratulations to Gray Calhoun and his wife Jess on the birth of their twins Nathan and Alice, on January 26. Nate (left) was born at 3lbs and 3 oz, and Alice (right) at 2 lbs and 15 oz. The department sends their best wishes to the new Calhoun family!

  • Media spokesperson training, FEB. 15 AND 28

    News Service provides media spokesperson training for faculty, staff and administrators who regularly serve as expert media sources, as well as those who would like to interact and communicate more effectively with reporters. Sessions are being offered Feb. 15 (afternoon) and Feb. 28 (morning). There's no fee to attend the workshops, but space is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Plan on a time commitment of three hours. Sessions for several members of a department or unit also may be arranged upon request. If you have questions or are interested in attending one of the February sessions, e-mail annette@iastate.edu.

  • Upcoming Social Justice and Inclusion Workshops

    Faculty, staff and students are invited to join Becky Martinez, independent consultant on the topics of social justice, inclusion and leadership, as she provides three dynamic and interactive workshops focused on power, privilege and inclusion in the Campanile Room of the Memorial Union on February 3.

    • Understanding Power and Privilege: Campanile Room, MU, February 3; 9:00 – 11:00 a.m.
    • Creating an Inclusive Organization:Campanile Room, MU, February 3; 12:10 – 1:30 p.m.
    • Creating an Inclusive Campus Community: Campanile Room, MU, February 3; 3:10 – 4:30 p.m.

News

  • Agriculture will struggle as public research budgets decline, says Huffman

    As public dollars to fund research at land grant universities continue to decline, what are the impacts on agriculture? Professor Wallace Huffman, ISU Department of Economics, analyzes the issue in a feature article written by Cheryl Tevis, in the mid-February 2012 edition of Successful Farming. To read the full article click on the image left.

  • New report on Iowa population from Community Vitality Center

    A new report by Sandra Burke, senior researcher with the Community Vitality Center, shows that baby boomers, or individuals born between 1946 and 1964, continue to be a significant part of Iowa's population.


    The report was produced through Midlife & Beyond: The Whole Picture, a program of ISU Extension directed towards families. To read the report, click on the icon to the left. Contact Sandra Burke for more information at: scburke@iastate.edu

  • Ag Entrepreneurship students develop new app

    Students of the Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative learn how to take an idea and develop it into a potential business, while some actually put their plans in motion. Read a recent article by Gene Lucht of Iowa Farmer Today, about several students who have developed a successful app that helps farmers identify corn and soybean weeds and pests in the field.

    http://www.iowafarmertoday.com/news/regional/entrepreneur-program-turns-...

  • Weekly media connections for the Department of Economics

    Mike Duffy spoke with Daryl Anderson with the Successful Farming radio syndicate on changes and implications of farm size. He also spoke with Larry Kersner of Farm News, and Nick Pedley of IowaWatch, on land values.

    Chad Hart spoke with David Gura of NPR's "Marketplace," about federal farm programs, their history, and expectations on the 2012 farm bill. Additional contacts for Hart:

    • Scott Kilman of The Wall Street Journal, on ethanol profitability and the 2012 outlook for the ethanol industry.
    • Thomas Orlik of The Wall Street Journal, on the increase in agricultural trade between Iowa and China.
    • Tim Hoskins of Iowa Farmer Today, on how farmers have been improving their marketing skills over the last 10 years.
    • Whitney McFerran from Bloomberg, on acreage expectations for 2012 crops.
    • Donnelle Eller of The Des Moines Register, about US-China ag trade, Iowa-China ag trade, and the prospects for continued trade growth.
    • Dean Adkins, KMA Radio (Shenandoah, Iowa), on crop markets, ethanol and livestock feed demand for corn and soybeans, and the growth of ag trade with China.
  • EGSA officers elected for 2012-13 school year

    New EGSA officers were elected for the 2012-13 school year. Matt Clancy (center), second year PhD student, was elected president; Jimena Gonzalez Ramirez (right), second year PhD student, was elected vice president; and Sulagna Sarkar (left), third year PhD student, was elected treasurer.

    The officers will keep their focus on mentoring first-year students, and building social events for graduate students. Says Clancy, "During your first year you have the same classes with other first-year students, and so you become close. But after that people start to spread out. Our hope is to host more events so that students can take time to reconnect."

    All of the new EGSA officers agreed that striking a balance between work and leisure is important. "I always feel happier when I keep my work balanced with other activities that are fun or relaxing," says Gonzalez Ramirez.

Graduate Student Announcements

  • 2012 UNI CSBS Research Conference

    The UNI College of Social and Behavioral Sciences (CSBS) organizes an annual student research conference for both graduate and undergraduate students engaged in research related to the social and behavioral sciences. The conference provides the opportunity for students to present their research, exchange ideas, learn about different disciplines, and meet students from different departments. Poster presentation and panel discussions are also organized and relate to future possibilities and job prospects after graduating in the social sciences, current research focus in the fields, and graduate education in the social sciences.

    The conference will be held on April 21, 2012, at Sabin and Seerly Halls, on the University of Northern Iowa campus. Call for papers are now open. Both oral and poster presentations are welcome. Deadline for submission of abstracts is April 6, 2012. All undergraduate and graduate students in the social sciences are welcome to participate in this conference. We strongly encourage attendees to register early, before April 10th. Registration is $10. For more information, please visit the website at www.uni.edu/csbs-conference.

Conferences and Calls for Papers

  • Call for Abstracts for the 6th National Small Farm Conference
  • USPTO-KAUFFMAN CALL FOR PAPERS EXTENSION

    The Searle Center on Law, Regulation, and Economic Growth is issuing a call for original research papers to be presented at the Fifth Annual Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The conference will be held at the Northwestern University School of Law in Chicago, IL. The conference will run from approximately 12:00 P.M. on Thursday, June 14th, 2012 to 3:00 P.M. on Friday, June 15th, 2012. Papers for the conference should be submitted to the following email address: editjems@kellogg.northwestern.edu. Potential attendees should indicate their interest in receiving an invitation at d-gundersen@law.northwestern.edu.

Funding Opportunities

  • Faculty Fellow Opportunity
  • RFA-USAID University Engagement through Higher Education Institutions

    More information available at: http://universityengagement.usaid.gov/

  • Funding opportunity -- Iowa's specialty crops

    Grants of up to $24,000 are available for projects that benefit the industry as a whole and do not directly benefit a particular product or provide a profit to a single organization, institution or individual. The maximum duration for projects is 30 months. Eligible applicants include Iowa agencies, universities, institutions and producer, industry and community-based organizations. See the guidelines for issues to be addressed. Increasing competitiveness may include developing local and regional rood systems and improving food access in underserved communities. Guidelines are available at: http://www.iowaagriculture.gov/Horticulture_and_FarmersMarkets/specialty...

    DEADLINE: May 4, 2012

Job Opportunities

  • Sales Director (Commodities Trading Software) - Chicago

    Title: Sales Director (Commodities Trading Software) - 0819-001-811; Location: Chicago, Ill.; Compensation: Base Salary + Commissions;Requirements: Bachelors Degree preferred

    Summary/Responsibilities: Identify/contact prospective clients as well as new markets Provide leadership for product sales strategy?working within the Company?s overall sales strategy Identify ways to support customer growth opportunities Prepare/deliver demonstrations and presentations customized to prospective customer needs Conduct follow-up demonstrations and/or answer questions Ongoing support in the sales process until a prospect becomes a customer Build strong customer relationships by consistently setting realistic expectations early in each sales campaign and meeting/exceeding those expectations.

    Proven experience working in financial trading, commodities and/or technology sales Ideal background: Commodity Trading/Futures and Options (F&O)/Risk/Options/Market Data Clearly articulate/communicate market and risk analysis concepts to prospective customers Ability to present to audiences, delivering the correct message to the appropriate level stakeholder Ability to effectively work in a fast-paced high energy environment Knowledge of commodities trading

    If you are interested in this opening, please email us a copy of your resume as an MS Word attachment to: Zachary Stierhoff, BCI - Financial Services Recruiting, 10 S. Wacker Dr., Suite 1250, Chicago, IL 60606, 312-460-8111 x102, zach@brokerageconsultants.com, www.brokerageconsultants.com

  • Position open -- Department of Treasury Economist
  • Economist with the US Department of the Interior, US Geological Survey

    The U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey is seeking an Economist interested in participating in multidisciplinary economic and public policy analyses related to natural resources including energy and minerals, ecosystem services and the value of scientific information. As an Economist within the Energy and Minerals, and Environmental Health Mission Area, Science and Decisions Office, some of the specific duties will include: initiate, develop, conduct, and participate in multidisciplinary economic analyses related to natural resources, ecosystem services, and the value of scientific information; prepare, contribute to, coordinate, and review analyses and issue papers that assess and evaluate natural resources to inform resource management decisions; assist in designing and implementing research strategies for the Science and Decisions Office and for the USGS; and work with USGS and multiagency teams on interdisciplinary topics such as the value of scientific information and sustainability. Deadline for applications, Wednesday, February 15, 2012. A complete position announcement is available on the USAJobs website. http://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/307850300