Issue 12 - Sept. 17, 2007 |
CFANS People in the News
New CFANS faculty who started work this fall include:
 Anthony D'Amato, Assistant Professor, Department of Forest Resources. His research and teaching focus is silviculture, vegetation management and applied forest ecology.
Adrian Hegeman, Assistant Professor, departments of Horticultural Science and Plant Biology. His research and teaching focus is plant metabolomics.
Dan Kaiser, Assistant Professor, Department of Soil, Water and Climate and Extension. His research focus is on nutrient management strategies for major crop species in Minnesota. He joins the faculty in October.
 Joe Knight, Assistant Professor, departments of Forest Resources and Soil, Water and Climate. His research area is the use of satellite and aerial images, geographic information systems and other geospatial technologies as applied to land and water assessments.
 Elton Mykerezi, Assistant Professor and Extension Economist, Department of Applied Economics. His research focus is evaluation of the impact of institutions, programs and policies on the well-being of vulnerable populations.
 Joseph Ritter, Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Economics. He is a labor economist.
 Chengyan Yue, Assistant Professor, departments of Applied Economics and Horticultural Science. She analyzes horticultural product trade and marketing.
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 David McLaughlin, Professor of Plant Biology and Curator of Fungi at the Bell Museum of Natural History, has recently been named Distinguished Mycologist by the Mycological Society of America. MSA's highest award recognizes an individual who has established an outstanding career in mycological research and in service to the Society.
Julie Weisenhorn of the Department of Horticultural Science is the new director
of the state Master Gardener program.
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In This Issue
- From CFANS Dean Allen Levine: Celebrating a century of achievement
- Solutions magazine publishes second issue
- A new "Speaking of Science" interview
- Grant helps fund new graduate minor
- Biofuels symposium considers barriers
- Food Industry Center seminar focuses on healthy foods
- Listening sessions set for UMore Park
- Apples at the Arboretum
- Mentor program still has openings
- Events
From Dean Allen Levine: A century of achievement 
Almost 50 years ago, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Norman Borlaug and his Green Revolution colleagues found ways to improve the agricultural productivity of wheat and end the cycle of a notoriously devastating fungus disease called stem rust that threatened millions of people with starvation.
Or so we thought.
There’s still much work to be done. New threats to the world’s wheat supply include the virulent wheat stem rust pathogen UG99, which transcends traditional rust resistance methods and is spreading in Africa and Asia. It has the potential to greatly damage U.S. crops as well. Borlaug, still an active scientist at age 93, has said if UG99 continues to spread, the disease “could bring calamity to tens of millions of farmers and hundreds of millions of consumers.”
That’s just one unusually dramatic example.
Read more
Closer to home, plant diseases also threaten our supplies of wood for building and urban landscape as oak wilt and Dutch elm disease have decimated our community forests and city boulevards. Agricultural crops like soybeans and alfalfa must overcome persistent, potentially devastating diseases. And on an even smaller scale, nearly every tomato gardener knows how a nasty case of blossom end-rot and early blight can waste an entire season of hard work.
Still, plant disease – and the prevention of existing and new diseases – doesn’t get much attention, in part because until now we’ve been pretty successful at avoiding devastation.
Minnesota has long been a leader in the worldwide race to stay one step ahead of plant disease. Back in 1907, Minneapolis’ young but growing milling industry and Midwestern farmers struggled with recurring outbreaks of wheat stem rust, which in a bad year could spread quickly and wipe out entire crops. The University of Minnesota responded by forming the Department of Plant Pathology, which had as its first mission the eradication of wheat stem rust.
This month, the department is celebrating its centennial and the successes of its graduates, including Borlaug and other internationally respected scientists. Along with breakthroughs in creating disease-resistant crops, these scientists’ work inspired the creation of international networks that today provide a safety net for people who depend on wheat, rice, potatoes, and other crops as their primary food and income sources. They’ve also helped countless Minnesotans who simply wanted solutions to stop their rose bushes from dying.
Today, interest in sustainable and organic agriculture is growing and presents new challenges for both scientists and farmers. We’ll need to find new ways to prevent disease using these integrated approaches to produce a safe food supply. We’ll also need to continue to help the fast-growing landscape and nursery industry, which contributes nearly $2.1 billion a year to our state economy.
But without ongoing research, we may not be able to keep up. We need another burst of support for plant disease and agricultural research, much like the one that fueled the Green Revolution decades ago.
These are global-scale issues that will require a global-scale effort. In the plant pathology department and the rest of our college, we stand ready to continue the scientific research that will be needed in decades to come.
Will the world step up? I hope so. Our lives and quality of life depend on it.
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Solutions magazine's new issue is out
The second issue of Solutions, CFANS' three-times-a-year magazine, is on its way. This issue features cover stories about efforts to fight a dangerous new form of stem rust; about how public policy can have a dramatic effect on scientific applications of research; and about how scientists from the college are working to find ways to create energy from manure. This issue also includes the college's annual report, which is a look back at CFANS' first year as a merged college. The new issue will be delivered in late September; you'll also be able to read it then online.
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A new "Speaking of Science" interview
 The latest installment of "Speaking of Science" is now online. This series of interviews between CFANS dean Allen Levine and key faculty and staff showcases the research and outreach work happening throughout the college. The latest interviewee is Brian Steffenson, a professor in the Department of Plant Pathology and holder of the Lieberman-Okinow Endowed Chair in Cereal Disease Resistance..
Read the Q and A with Brian Steffenson
Listen to raw MP3 audio of the interview:
Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4
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New exotic species minor funded by NSF grant
A training program and new minor for graduate students will focus on the study of newly introduced species and genotypes and how they affect ecosystems. The program is funded through a five-year, $2.99 million National Science Foundation grant to faculty in CFANS and the College of Biological Sciences.
The new minor will include hands-on practical experience with state and federal agencies aimed at solving a specific exotic-species problem. The grant is part of the NSF's highly competitive Integrative Graduate Education and Research Trainee program. About 20 such grants are made or renewed nationwide each year.
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Second biofuels symposium looks at barriers
  How can we unlock the potential that is bound up in biomass? Can we do it economically at an appropriate scale? Two world-renowned experts will help try to unlock that answer at the second CFANS biofuels symposium, titled "Biofuels: Breaking the Barriers for Biomass Conversion--Challenges and Opportunities." Charlie Wyman, right, a professor at the University of California-Riverside, and Simon Harvey, left, a professor at Chalmers University in Goteborg, Sweden, will share their perspectives on technical
challenges and potential opportunities, and then answer questions in a panel discussion with professors Simo Sarkanen and Roger Ruan, both from the Department of Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering. The symposium will be from noon to 5 pm. Sept. 19 in the St. Paul Student Center. Pre-registration is requested.
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Healthy foods, healthy food businesses
"A Symposium on the Future and Practice of Healthy Food" is the topic of this fall's Food Industry Center symposium. The Oct. 1 session is intended to bring together public and private experts on sustainability as well as healthy eating. Keynote speaker is Richard Schnieders, president and CEO of Sysco Corp., speaking about "Sustainable Food Systems and Healthy Eating." A panel discussion on the benefits and risks of sustainability for businesses will include Gregory Page, president and CEO of Cargill and Gene Kahn, vice president and global sustainability office at General Mills. The conference is from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Metrodome. Online registration is available. Back to top of page
Listening sessions set for UMore Park
The University of Minnesota is hosting six listening sessions this month to gather ideas and input for a new community being planned on the site of UMore Park near Rosemount. UMore Park includes 5,000 acres of land owned by the University.
The University has begun a master planning process to guide the development of a new community at UMore Park. The vision is to create a University-founded, culturally rich, diverse community of 20,000 to 30,000 people, to be undertaken over a 25- to 30-year period.
Each listening session will be held from 5 to 7:15 p.m. Topics, dates, locations and other details about the listening sessions are online at www.umorepark.umn.edu. Because a light meal will be served, RSVPs are appreciated. Registrations can be made online or by calling (612) 626-3976.
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Apples at the Arboretum
The AppleHouse is open through Oct. 31 at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Daily hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visitors can buy apples from a changing inventory of 50 varieties, from long-time favorites to recent University of Minnesota introductions. Proceeds benefit the University's apple research program. For a daily update of available apple varieties, call the AppleHouse Hotline at 952-443-1409.
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Mentor program still has openings
Looking to share your experience with a student interested in your profession? CFANS' mentor program offers that opportunity.
The program, which has grown to include more than 100 student-mentor matches, is a way for undergraduate students to learn about Twin Cities businesses from the inside. The deadline for students to apply this fall is Friday, Sept. 28; professionals can sign up as mentors anytime, but those who do so after October 1 will be considered for matches in the following academic year. Back to top of page
Events
Here are a few of the upcoming events of interest to the College of
Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences community. Visit www.cfans.umn.edu to
see more events.
Cafe Scientifique: Is America Seeing Green?
Tuesday, September 18, 7 p.m.
Bryant-Lake Bowl, Uptown
It seems that green living is on the upswing. But is it really? And if so, is the sustainability trend sustainable? Join behavioral psychologists from the University of St.Thomas for a discussion of psychology and sustainability and find out how and why people choose a green lifestyle. Sponsored by the Bell Museum. Admission is $5.
St. Paul Campus Career Fair
Wednesday, September 26
Continuing Education Center, St. Paul campus
Fields represented include agriculture, animal science, banking/finance, bio-based products, food, human resources, retail, sales and marketing. For employers, registration is at: https://www.myinterfase.com/goldpass/employer . Students can view employers who have registered at: https://www.myinterfase.com/goldpass/student/secure/home.aspx
Speaking Science 2.0
Friday, September 28, 7:30 p.m.
Bell Museum Auditorium
Seed magazine writers and influential science bloggers gather to discuss new directions in science communication, including public engagement with science, the role of scientists in the public discussion of science, and communication via the Internet, film, museums and other media. Author and journalist Chris Mooney, American University communications professor Matthew Nisbet, and University of Minnesota anthropologist Greg Laden will join moderator Jessica Marshall, a U of M science journalism professor. Co-sponsored by the Bell Museum; Seed magazine/ScienceBlogs; The Humphrey Institute's Center for Science, Technology and Public Policy; and the Minnesota Journalism Center.
The Natural History of Minnesota Wine
Saturday, September 29, 7 p.m.
Bell Museum of Natural History
The history and flavors of Minnesota wine will be showcased in “The Natural History of Minnesota Wine." The event will kick off with a talk by James Luby, University of Minnesota professor of horticultural science, whose team of researchers is credited with developing many of Minnesota's cold hardy, hybrid grapes. The evening includes sample tasting pours of award-winning wines from Minnesota-based wineries – as well as live music in the museum’s diorama galleries and cheeses handcrafted by student cheese makers. Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the door.
Electricity in Biology
Honeywell-Nobel Lecture
Monday, October 1, 4 p.m.
McNamara Alumni Center, University of Minnesota East Bank
The University of Minnesota Institute of Technology is hosting Roderick MacKinnon, winner of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, for a series of events as part of the Honeywell-Nobel Initiative. Public events include a lecture, reception and student exhibit. Awarded the Nobel Prize for his “discoveries concerning channels in cell membranes,” MacKinnon will deliver a lecture on “Electricity in Biology.” The event is free and open to the public.
Minnesota Water Resources Conference
Wednesday-Thursday, October 23-24
Earle Brown Heritage Center, Brooklyn Center
The annual conference sponsored by the Water Resources Center features innovative and practical water resource management techniques and highlights research about Minnesota’s water resources. The conference is intended to promote interaction among water resources professionals including resource managers, researchers, local, state and federal agency staff, consultants and practicing engineers, as well as students.
Homecoming 2007
October 29-November 3
University of Minnesota Twin Cities campuses
This year's Homecoming theme is "Golden Oldies." Events include a parade, dances, a lip sync competition and a blood drive, all capped off by the football game vs. Illinois at 7 p.m. at the Metrodome. The CFANS Alumni Society has reserved a section of seats for the game; tickets are $25 per person and seats are located in Section 205 . The deadline to buy tickets in this section is October 15.
E3 2007
The Midwest's premiere Energy, Economic and Environmental conference
Tuesday, November 27
Coffman Memorial Union, East Bank campus
E3 2007 will focus on the intersection between innovative technologies, visionary policies, environmental benefits, and emerging market opportunities as they relate to developments in the renewable energy sector. Sponsors include the Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment (IREE) , and the Institute on the Environment. Early registration is accepted through October 16.
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