Crop Sciences Newsletter #101, May 5, 2004

PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

...Congratulations to John Horton, who received a Citizen's Commendation at the UI Division of Public Safety's Annual Awards Ceremony on Friday, April 30. John was recognized for his efforts in the apprehension of a career criminal by Police on Campus on January 23, 2004. Our thanks to John for his vigilance and hot pursuit!

...Congratulations to Don White, inaugural recipient of the Wyffels Hybrids Award for Faculty Excellence, which was presented during the Department of Crop Sciences Donor Luncheon in the Heritage Room of the LIAC on April 16, 2004. Don was recognized for his career-long excellence in applied research on field corn diseases, outstanding classroom instruction, and effectiveness in transferring the results of his research to growers and to the seed corn industry.

...Congratulations to Lila Vodkin, who accepted Dean Easter's invitation to become the inaugural recipient of the Charles Adlai Ewing Endowed Chair in Soybean Molecular Biology. The Ewing Chair, a gift from the estate of the late Mary Ewing Henderson of Tucson, AZ and McLean County, IL honors her father, Charles Adlai Ewing, an attorney, agricultural economist, leader in Illinois and national agricultural organizations, practical researcher on crop and soil management, on crop nutrition, and friend of H. W. Mumford, former Dean of this College. Mary Henderson is the granddaughter of Issac Funk, pioneer farmer in central Illinois in the 1820s.

...Congratulations to Dean Riechers, who received the College Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching, and Richard Sikora, University of Bonn, Germany [Ph. D., 1970, Plant Pathology], who received an ACES Alumni Association Award of Merit. Both awards were presented during the 2004 Funk, ACES Alumni Association, and College Awards Banquet on April 28.

...Congratulations to German Bollero, who received a NACTA Teaching Fellow award. The award will be presented at the annual conference in June.

...Congratulations to Dean Riechers and Bob Dunker, who were among those recognized at the April 26 Campus Instructional Awards Banquet. Dean received a College of ACES Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching at the College awards ceremony, and Bob received the Field & Furrow Club Outstanding Instructor Award at the Club's Annual Banquet.

...Congratulations to Patricia Brandau, who received a teaching enhancement grant for CPSC 399, and, Cleo D’Arcy and Darin Eastburn, who received an enhancement grant for Plant Path 100 from the Karl E. Gardner Enhancement endowment.

...Congratulations to German Bollero, Patricia Brandau, Jeff Bunting, Kris Carter, Bob Dunker, Wayne Pedersen and Dean Riechers, who were named in the Daily Illini “Incomplete List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students Fall 2003".

...The Department of Crop Sciences Award winners were honored at the Annual Spring (Ice Cream) Social. Tim Mies received the Academic Professional Award for Innovation and Creativity; Darin Joos won the Lester V. Boone Academic Professional Award for Sustained Excellence; Phyllis Henegar received the Staff Award for Clerical Excellence; and, Ian Meyer won the Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award. Congratulations to all!

...The following faculty have been elected to represent the Department of Crop Sciences on the ACES policy committees: Advancement Policy Committee - Donald G. White; Extension Policy Committee - Dean K. Malvick; Graduate Educational Policy Committee - Donald G. Bullock; International Programs Policy Committee - German A. Bollero; Research Policy Committee - Jerald K. Pataky; Undergraduate Educational Policy Committee - Fred L. Kolb; and, Fred Kolb (Undergraduate Teaching Coordinator) will again be our representative to the Courses and Curricula Committee.

...Congratulations to Brian Diers, who received $28,000 and Ted Hymowitz, who received $32,000 from USDA/ARS for the project “Germplasm Evaluation and Breeding Using Adapted, Exotic and Novel Sources to Develop Soybean Rust Resistance”; Steve Moose ($128,741) and Torbert Rocheford ($264,466), who received grants from CERES, Inc. for “Genetic and Genomic Analysis of the Illinois Protein Strains and Derived Populations”; Bob Dunker ($10,000) and Wayne Pedersen ($102,000) from SIU/ISPOB for the project “Soybean Sudden Death Syndrome Managed Research”; Terry Niblack received $69,000 as a subcontract from Iowa State University for “Application of Biotechnology to Control of SCN”; and, Bruce Paulsrud, who received $23,858 for the Illinois IPM State Contract. Monsanto granted Kevin Steffey $22,624 for the project “Evaluation of the Effects of Different Rootworm Control Products, Different Planting Dates of Corn, and Different Crop Sequences on Rootworm Larval Injury to Corn”; and, Mike Gray received $15,000 for “Insect Efficacy of MON 88017 and MON 810". Lila Vodkin received $300,000 from the United Soybean Board for “Creation of a Resource for Soybean Functional Genomics Using cDNA and Synthetic DNA Oligo Arrays”. Lila also received $86,920 and Jack Widholm received $43,460 as a subcontract from the University of Kentucky for the “Soybean Tissue Culture and Genetic Engineering Center”.

...Congratulations to Don Roberts, who was chosen to receive one of eight Chancellor's Distinguished Staff Awards for 2004. The award was presented to Don at a banquet held on April 22, and included a tax-free personal gift of $2,000 and a splendid engraved glass memento. Don is a Crop Testing Specialist who supports the Corn Breeding and Genetics Programs, and was nominated by John Dudley.

...Congratulations to Bob Dunker, Agronomist and Superintendent of the Crop Sciences Research & Education Center at South Farms, who was selected to receive one of six Chancellor's Academic Professional Excellence awards at a recognition reception held in the Atrium of the Beckman Center.

...Congratulations to the following students who were recognized at the College of ACES Student Awards Banquet on Sunday, April 26 Nick Roth and Anna Ferguson, who received the Field & Furrow Club's Outstanding Senior Award, Yale Epler and Kyle McClelland, who received the Field & Furrow Club's Outstanding Junior Award, and Regan Joehl and Brian Fisher, recipients of the Field & Furrow Club's Outstanding New Member Awards. Ian Meyer was recognized for receipt of the department's Outstanding Undergraduate Research Award, David Shore was recognized for receipt of the Robert B. Troutman Student Leadership Award, and Nick Roth was recognized for receiving the American Society of Agronomy National Student Recognition for an Outstanding Senior.

...Congratulations to Jeff Bunting, recipient of the Lang-Aldrich Outstanding Graduate Student Fellowship Award, Dan Lamoreux, recipient of the IFCA Lloyd Burling Scholarship, Amy Troyer, recipient of the IFCA Scholarship, and Dustin Alderks, recipient of the Midwest Ag. Scholarship, which were presented at the 34th Annual Meeting of the Illinois Fertilizer & Chemical Association in Peoria, IL.

...The North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE) program provides competitive grants to farmers, educators, graduate students, and researchers furthering economically, environmentally, and socially sustainable agriculture. Once a year, NCR-SARE calls for grant proposals from graduate students, then forwards those proposals to a Review Committee, made up of farmers and other ag experts. The North Central Region serves Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The only 2 Illinois recipients were University of Illinois students. Benjamin Lubchansky, will receive $9,995 for his project, “The Agricultural and Ecological Functioning of a System Integrating Pastured Poultry and Raised-Bed Vegetable Production.” The intent, as Lubchansky said, is to examine “how pasture diversity and rotational poultry grazing affect the agro-ecosystem functions of crop productivity, arthropod and plant community dynamics, and soil fertility.” Jennifer Herman was awarded $9,950 for her project, “Developing Multimedia Resources for Educators in Informal and Formal Agricultural Education Settings.” Herman’s work has a simple but powerful premise “The motivation to use sustainable agriculture practices can come from seeing models of success.” Herman’s project will result in the creation of videos, printed materials, and the Internet to distribute resources for educators.

...The following students have received Alumni Awards for Graduate Student Travel: Tatsiana Akraiko and Tamra Jackson, Society of Nematologists 43rd Annual Meeting in Estes Park, CO; Brad Engel, annual meeting of ASA-CSSA-SSSA International in Seattle, WA; Jennifer Freeman, annual meeting of the 4th SETAC (Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry) World Congress in Portland, OR; and, Friedrich Kopisch-Obuch and Austeclinio Farias Neto, World Soybean Research Conference in Brazil. The Alumni Awards for Graduate Student Travel are made possible by a gift from A. Forrest Troyer.

...Congratulations to Kelli Bassett, Rebecca Bierman, Eric Brucker and Larry Martin on the completion of their M.S. degrees. Kelli was advised by Fred Below, Dean Riechers advised Rebecca, Brian Diers advised Eric and Wayne Pedersen advised Larry.

...Congratulations to Jeff Bunting, who completed his Ph.D. degree working under the supervision of Christy Sprague.

...Amy D. Wilson was chosen as the 2004 Student Employee of the Year. She was selected from among 26 nominees. There are between 8 and 9,000 student hourly employees on campus. She was nominated by her boss, Fred Kolb.

FROM OUR OFFICE TO YOURS

...The Minority & Women Doctoral Directory is soliciting listings for the fifteenth annual edition. If you are a minority or woman doctoral student who has finished or will finish your degree within 3 semesters you are eligible to be listed in the upcoming directory. This directory is made available to more than 700 colleges and universities. More information on being listed is available at www.mwdd.com.

...End-of-Semester Student Stress - Resources Available in Student Affairs. Stress can be a healthy and constructive component of the process of learning. However, mental health professionals caution that too much stress can be unhealthy and destructive. Many of the usual stresses, such as personal and family stress, will continue to exacerbate normally heightened tension and stress associated with the end of the semester, final examinations, and completion of projects and papers. Student Affairs has as its primary purpose assisting students in achieving their educational objectives in healthy and constructive ways. Students in your classes or laboratories who show signs of panic, depression, anxiety, excessive fatigue, avoidance, confusion, or who report such conditions as their "mind goes blank," may need your help and encouragement in seeking assistance. During periods of such stress, incidents of drug and substance abuse among students also tend to increase or get out of control. The Student Affairs units listed below are especially equipped to handle these delicate situations, assist students and/or consult with you about students who are displaying signs of stress or potential suicidal behavior. Each of the units listed is a resource to which you may refer a student. Feel free to call the unit and to seek advice by phone.

EMOTIONAL PROBLEMS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EMERGENCIES: Counseling Center, 206 Fred H. Turner Student Services Building, 7:50 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, 333-3704; http//www.couns.uiuc.edu/

AFTER HOURS PSYCHOLOGICAL EMERGENCIES AND OTHER CRITICAL PROBLEMS: (e.g., serious illness, death in the family, severe anxiety, suicidal crisis), The Counseling Center and the McKinley Mental Health Department collaborate with the Champaign County Mental Health Center to provide students with Psychological Emergency Services. Services are available 24 hours per day, 365 days a year, and focus on problems that need to be addressed immediately. If a psychological emergency occurs after business hours or if the student won't see a counselor, can't be found, or won't answer his or her phone, call the Psychological Emergency Service at 244- 7911 (the acronym is 4-P911- "For Psychological Emergencies") and you will get a consultation with a mental health professional. You and the mental health professional can strategize about the best way to make contact with the student and see that he or she gets help.

EMERGENCY DEAN: Office of the Dean of Students, 300 Fred H. Turner Student Services Building, 24 hours daily, 333-0050; www.odos.uiuc.edu/, Between 5:00 p.m. and 8:30 a.m., Monday through Friday, and on weekends and holidays you will reach a recorded message referring you to the Emergency Dean on duty (http://www.odos.uiuc.edu/emergency/)

TEST ANXIETY: Counseling Center, 206 Fred H. Turner Student Services Building, 7:50 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, 333-3704; http://www.couns.uiuc.edu/

ALCOHOL AND DRUG-RELATED PROBLEMS: Alcohol and Other Drug Office - McKinley Health Center, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, 333-7557

DATES TO REMEMBER

May 5, ACES Retiree Reception, 3:00 - 5:00 p.m., Heritage Room, LIAC

May 16, Commencement

May 17, Gary Heichel Retirement Reception

June 11, Field Day at Ewing Field

June 23, Weeds Field Day in Urbana

July 7, Weeds Field Day in DeKalb

July 15, Field Day at Bellewille, research center operated by Southern Illinois University

July 23, Field Day at Brownstown

August 3, Field Day at DeKalb

August 5, Field Day at Dixon Springs

August 17, Field Day at Monmouth

August 19, Agronomy Field Day at South Farms

August 23, Field Day at Orr Center

September 9, Field Day at Ewing Field

UPCOMING CONFERENCES, SYMPOSIA & WORKSHOPS

...The North Central Division APS Annual Meeting will be held June 23-25 at the Continuing Education Conference Center, University of Minnesota, St. Paul Campus.

GRANTS/FELLOWSHIPS

...The National Council of Commercial Plant Breeders (NCCPB) is offering up to two (2) graduate student awards of $2,500 each, plus up to $1,500 in expense reimbursement to travel to the ASTA Corn & Sorghum and Soybean Conference in December 2004. At the December Conference the winners will be presented with their awards, and their names will be in the Trade Papers. The 2nd Vice President of NCCPB will be their mentor at the Convention. This award is for a graduate student, who is a U.S. citizen, and is currently pursuing an advanced degree in Plant Breeding at a U.S. University. The deadline for returning documentation to this office is March 31, 2004.

...Colgate-Palmolive will award 5 fellowships to graduate students. Applicants must have a career interest in the Consumer Products industry, be pursuing a Ph.D. in biotech, biochem, chem, chemical engineering, food science or molecular biology and available for job interviews within the next academic year. Deadline for applying is July 1, 2004. More information is available in AW-101 Turner Hall.

PERSONALS

...The National Council of Commercial Plant Breeders (NCCPB) is offering up to two (2) graduate student awards of $2,500 each, plus up to $1,500 in expense reimbursement to travel to the ASTA Corn & Sorghum and Soybean Conference in December 2004. At the December Conference the winners will be presented with their awards, and their names will be in the Trade Papers. The 2nd Vice President of NCCPB will be their mentor at the Convention. This award is for a graduate student, who is a U.S. citizen, and is currently pursuing an advanced degree in Plant Breeding at a U.S. University. The deadline for returning documentation to this office is March 31, 2004.

...Colgate-Palmolive will award 5 fellowships to graduate students. Applicants must have a career interest in the Consumer Products industry, be pursuing a Ph.D. in biotech, biochem, chem, chemical engineering, food science or molecular biology and available for job interviews within the next academic year. Deadline for applying is July 1, 2004. More information is available in AW-101 Turner Hall.

PUBLICATIONS

Please share your most recent publications with our readers. Submit citations of publications in standard format to Linda Ingram, and we’ll publicize your scholarship department-wide.

Duncan, D.R., A.L. Kriz, R. Paiva and J.M. Widholm. 2003. Globulin-1 expression in regenerable Zea mays (maize) callus. Plant Cell Reports 21684-689