Neil Harl, emeritus professor with the Department of Economics, recently wrote an opinion piece for the The Des Moines Register, warning Iowans of the dangers of locking land indefinitely in trusts. Find the article at: http://www.desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2012302020036

The Iowa Network for Women in Higher Education (IOWAWHE) will hold its Third Annual Spring Leadership Conference at Iowa State University on Friday, April 27, 2012, (8:30 am - 4:00 pm) at Reiman Gardens. This year’s conference theme is “Journey to Leadership.” Registration is $30 and open to all women interested in leadership in higher education.

The Iowa Network for Women in Higher Education is part of the American Council on Education’s (ACE) network coordinated by the newly-reorganized Inclusive Excellence Group. The primary mission of the IOWAWHE is to facilitate the development of women leaders in higher education, through conversations, collaborations, and mentoring across the state.

The Third Annual Spring Leadership Conference theme of “Journey to Leadership” will address strategies for developing career goals and identifying career opportunities. Session topics include: “Defining Inclusive Excellence in Higher Education,” “Linked Fates and Diversity in the 21st Century,” and “Coaching Women for the Next Step”. Our featured speakers will be: Georgina Dodge, Chief Diversity Officer and Associate Vice President, University of Iowa; Julie E. Tea, Senior Consultant, AGB Search; Beverly Simone, President, Southwestern Iowa Community College; Angela Franklin, President, Des Moines University; Sally Mason, President, University of Iowa; and Gretchen M. Bataille, Senior Vice President for Programs and Services, American Council on Education (ACE).

More information and registration can be found at: http://www.iowawhe.org/homepage.html

http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&oppId=142513

One award, $15 million; Proposals due March 20

The purpose of the Agro-Inputs project is to stimulate agricultural development to increase production and productivity, to reduce rural poverty and to improve food security in the southern delta of Bangladesh. The project will achieve this goal by directly supporting private sector activities that result in the improved availability, quality and safe usage of agricultural inputs, such as: fertilizer, seed, pesticides which improve yields, mitigate environmental degradation at the farm level and improve product quality and export opportunities. Additionally, this project will provide enhanced access to and knowledge of agricultural inputs so that both male and female farmers can become educated consumers and can purchase appropriate quality inputs from trusted supply sources.

The Agro-Inputs Project seeks to establish a sustainable Agricultural Input Retailers’ Network (AIRN), enhance market information systems, improve quality control standards and build the capacity of local organizations through facilitation of the creation of a network of privately owned agricultural input retailers in the target area across twenty districts in southern Bangladesh establishing respective forward and backward sector linkages between agricultural input producers, importers, wholesalers and retailers in order to improve the supply of quality inputs sold on a commercial basis.