It has been a busy summer, so we have lots of news for you. We also want to welcome all the newcomers.

PEOPLE IN THE NEWS

...Congratulations to Fred Kolb, who was selected as a 2005 Crop Science Society of America Fellow. He will be recognized as a CSSA Fellow during the Awards Program in Salt Lake City, UT in November.

...Congratulations to Michael Plewa, who was recommended by Associate Dean Kirby Barrick for an appointment to the Academy of Teaching Excellence for a three-year term.

...The International Plant Breeding Symposium will honor John W. Dudley, Renessen Professor Emeritus, for his lifetime achievements in plant breeding at their 2006 meeting (see below to attend) in Mexico City. Congratulations, John! Additional information and registration are available at www.intlplantbreeding.com.

...Darrell A. Miller, Emeritus Professor, received the American Forage and Grasslands Council Medallion Award. The recipient of this award must have made outstanding contributions on behalf of the forages and grasslands and the AFGC to have earned national recognition. Don W. Graffis (awarded posthumously), received the Distinguished Grasslander Award which is presented to individuals who have served the forage and grassland segment of agriculture with distinction. C. J. “Jim” Kaiser, Emeritus Associate Professor, was awarded the Merit Award. It is presented to individuals who have made superior contributions in some phase of forage and grassland agriculture. Congratulations to all 3 of these outstanding retired faculty and their families!

...Congratulations to Darin Eastburn, who became the third director of the Office of Electronic Communications during the recent American Phytopathology Society annual meetings in Austin, TX.

...Congratulations to Torbert Rocheford, who was promoted to the Rank of Professor; and to Mohammad Babadoost, Stephen Moose and Dean Riechers, who were promoted to the rank of Associate Professor with Indefinite Tenure. Darin Joos was promoted to Senior Research Specialist in Agriculture. These promotions were effective August 16, 2005.

...Congratulations to Associate Professor F. William Simmons, Associate Head and Undergraduate Coordinator of NRES, who has accepted the offer to serve as Acting Assistant Dean, Academic Programs, effective September 1, 2005.

...Congratulations to Terry Niblack, Gustavo Caetano-Anolles and Kris Lambert who were elected to serve on the Departmental Advisory Committee and the Faculty Advisory Committee for a 2-year term commencing on August 16, 2005. Carol Phillippe and Regan Joehl were also elected to serve on the Departmental Advisory Committee.

...Congratulations to Joel McCormick who placed first in the Field Problem - Undergraduate division of the NCWSS Weeds Contest, held in Manhattan, KS on July 21. The Department was also represented at the event by participants Jeremy Lake, Dusty Alderks, and Josie Hugie, and coaches Dawn Nordby and Pat Tranel.

...We want to welcome all the new graduate students who have joined us over the summer and at the beginning of the new Fall Semester. They are: Allen Becker (M.S., Fred Below); Carolyn Bonin (Ph.D., Fred Kolb); Andrea Collett (M.S., Fred Kolb), Lindsay Freeberg (M.S., Lila Vodkin); Pradeepa Gunathilake (M.S., Pat Tranel); Andrew Hauck (Ph.D., Martin Bohn); Hee Shin Kim (M.S., Gustavo Caetano-Anolles); Ki-Seung Kim (Ph.D., Brian Diers); Ying Li (M.S., Matt Hudson); Tara Lynch (M.S., Glen Hartman); Tung Anh Pham (M.S., Glen Hartman); Kranthi Varala (Ph.D., Matt Hudson); and, Guirong Zhang (M.S., Jack Widholm).

...Congratulations to Mark Rundell and Kevin Kelley, who completed their Ph.D. degrees. Mark worked under the direction of Mike Plewa and has taken a postdoctoral position at the Cornell University Weill Medical College. Kevin worked with Dean Riechers and has accepted a postdoctoral position at the University of Idaho.

...Congratulations to Anne Marie Boone, Matthew Clover and Jeff Coulter, who completed their M.S. degrees. Anne Marie worked under the direction of Lila Vodkin and is continuing to work in her lab. Matt worked with Bob Hoeft and has entered a Ph.D. program at Iowa State. Jeff studied with Emerson Nafziger and is continuing work on a Ph.D. program with Emerson.

FUNDING RECEIVED

Department of Crop Sciences personnel have been very busy writing those successful proposals for funding of projects. Congratulations to all of you for your success!

...Three faculty received C-FAR grants: Mohammad Babadoost, $120,714 for the project “Integrated Management of Summer Disease of Apples”; Steve Long, $290,773 for “Biomass Energy Crops for Power and Heat Generation in Illinois: Improving Energy and Benefitting the Environment”; and, George Czapar, $495,000 for “Water Quality--Total Maximum Daily Loads”.

...Two FREC grants were won by Emerson Nafziger, $19,758 for the project “Assessing Variability in Corn Response to N Rate”; and, $11,559 for “Managing Continuous Corn for High Yields”. Fred Below also received 2 grants, $21,922 for “Sources of N for Fall Applied N in Northern Illinois”; and, $44,571 for “Role of Roots in Improving Nitrogen Management of Continuous Corn”. Three awards were received by Steve Ebelhar: $24,868 for “Effects of Annual Versus Biennial Phosphorus and Potassium Applications in a Corn-Soybean Rotation”; $31,712 for “Effects of Tile Drainage on Crop Yields & Nutrient Management in Southern Illinois”; and, $22,867 for “Soil pH & Manganese Effects on Yield of Roundup Ready Soybeans”.

...The Illinois Soybean Program Operating Board awarded grants to Aaron Hager and Wayne Pedersen. Aaron’s project is “Interactions of Fungicides and Insecticides with Postemergence Soybean Herbicides” for $32,000 and Wayne’s is “Evaluation of all Registered Foliar Fungicides for Control of Rust and Other Foliar Diseases in Illinois” for $35,000.

...USDA grants have been received by Mohammad Babadoost, $9,800 for the project “Biocontrol of Internal Discoloration of Horseradish Root”; Brian Diers, $76,049 for “Identification and Utilization of Exotic Germplasm to Improve Soybean Productivity”; Steve Long, $250,000 for The Soybean Disease Biotechnology Center 2005-2006; Susan Ratcliffe, $53,946 for An Integrated Pest Management Facilitator for the North Central Region and, $19,000 for the Pink Hibiscus Mealy Bug Project; and, Don White, $43,875 for “Creation of Commercially Usable Corn Inbreds and Hybrids with Low Aflatoxin Concentrations in Grain”.

...Steve Moose received $50,000 from the National Science Foundation for the project “Gene Discovery for Maize Responses to Nitrogen”.

...The Environmental Protection Agency awarded Michael Plewa $50,000 for “Mammalian Cell Chronic Cytotoxicity of Defined Mixtures of Haloacetic Acid Drinking Water Disinfection By- Products”

. ...Pioneer Hi-Bred International granted Curtis Hill $750 for the project “Greenhouse Charcoal Rot Soybean Screening” and Kevin Steffey $7,770 for “Cooperator Protocol for Assessing Performance of a Lead Transgenic Corn Event Expression Rootworm-Active Insecticidal Proteins”

. ...Jack Widholm received $50,000 from The Biotechnology Research and Development Corporation for “Plastid Transformation Using a New Selectable Marker Gene”; and, $90,239 from the Consortium for Plant Biotechnology Research for “New Selectable Marker for Plant Transformation”.

Bob Hoeft received $65,000 from Dow AgroSciences for “Evaluation of the Efficacy of Selected Nitrapyrin Formulations as Nitrification Inhibitors for Liquid Nitrogen Fertilizer Formulations”.

...Monsanto awarded grants to Don White, $20,000 for “Response of Experimental Bt Events to Corn Earworm, Fall Armyworm, and Fusarium verticilliodes in the Corn Belt”; and, to Ron Estes, $6,000 for Service Order No. 6.

...Kevin Steffey received $20,000 from Agrigenetics for “2005 Cooperator Agreement-- Protocol for Assessing Performance of Herculex RW Rootworm Protection for Management of Western and Northern Corn Rootworm Larvae and Protocol for Assessing Aspects of Rootworm Population Dynamics from a Lead Transgenic Corn Event Expressing Rootworm-Active Insecticidal Proteins”.

...The Illinois Clean Coal Institute awarded Bob Dunker $5,000 for “A System to Evaluate Prime Farmland Reclamation Success Based on Spatial Soil Properties”.

...The Agricultural Watershed Institute awarded Don Bullock $91,161 for the Upper Sangamon River Targeted Watershed Project.

...Glen Hartman received $25,400 from the United Soybean Board for the project “Coordinating Biotechnology Solutions to Sudden Death Syndrome”.

...The North Central Soybean Research Program awarded Glen Hartman $18,000 for “Sentinel Plots to Monitor the Spread of Asian Soybean Rust in the U.S. Soybean Production Regions”; and, Curt Hill $24,000 for “Managing Frogeye Leaf Spot and Charcola Rot in the North Central Region”.

...Two graduate students also received grant awards to support their research. The North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Program awarded Carlos Pavon $9,794 for his project “Developing Methods for Determining Survival of Phytophthora Capsici in Soil for Establishing Effective Cropping Rotations for Sustainable Vegetable Production”; and, Sushma Jossey received $9,890 for “Determining Occurrence & Distribution of Viruses Causing Diseases on Cucurbit Crops for Developing Effective Management Strategies”.

DATES TO REMEMBER

Sept. 8, Ewing Field Day

Pre-Retreat faculty meetings
Friday, Sept. 2, from 12-1 in 350B ERML
Tuesday, Sept. 13, from 12-1 in W-121 Turner Hall
Friday, Sept. 16, from 12-1 in 240 NSRC

Sept. 19 & 20, Department of Crop Sciences Retreat at Allerton Conference Center

April 25, 2006 College of ACES and Paul A. Funk Recognition Awards program at the Illini Union.

FROM OUR OFFICE TO YOURS

...Online forms are available to update, suppress information in Student/Staff Directory

Online forms are now available for faculty and staff who wish to update or suppress listing information appearing in the printed version of the University's telephone book, the Student/Staff Directory. A Web page explaining the full details of the process is available. That Web page contains a link to the Employee Information Form on the NESSIE Web site used to update campus and home mailing addresses, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses. A University NetID and password and a four-digit Personal Identification Number are required.

Faculty and staff who wish to keep their home address and/or telephone number from appearing in the directory should fill out an online suppression request form. Due to the conversion to Banner, suppression requests made prior to 2004 are no longer viable. Suppression requests made in 2004 and subsequent years will remain in effect until an employee submits an online Reinstate Information Form.

All forms must be submitted by September 15, 2005. For more information, contact the Office of Publications and Marketing at 333-9200 or opm@illinois.edu.

...We invite you to participate in the Crop Science Invitational Golf Tournament at the University of Illinois Golf Course (blue) on Friday, September 23, 2005. The tournament format is a two-person best ball with a shotgun start at 1:00 p.m. Green fees including cart will be $29 per person and will be payable upon your arrival to the course. This tournament is limited to the first 100 respondents. Following the tournament we will be gathering at Jillians for awards, beverages, and appetizers. We encourage you to sign up via the link below or by phone (Kris Ritter at 217-333-4424) before September 9 to reserve you and/or your twosome a spot in this golf outing. Please include your name, contact information, and preference for your partner (if any). Anyone can participate. For directions to the course, Jillians, more information and to register visit: <http://weeds.cropsci.illinois.edu/golf.cfm>. Thank you and we look forward to seeing you on September 23. Dawn Refsell and Josie Hugie

...Each year the College of ACES Alumni Association honors three to five outstanding graduates of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences with the Award of Merit. This year's award winners will be honored on Tuesday, April 25, 2006, during the college's Funk Awards Banquet. Nomination information and forms are available on-line. Application deadline is Monday, October 3.

UPCOMING CONFERENCES, SYMPOSIA & WORKSHOPS

...The International Plant Breeding Symposium will be held August 20-25, 2006 at the Sheraton Centro Histórico in Mexico City. Additional information and registration are available at their website: www.intlplantbreeding.com.

GRAD STUDENT BULLETIN BOARD

...A new Graduate Student Orientation for Crop Sciences will be on Thursday, September 8, at 3:00 p.m., in the Student Lounge, AE-105 Turner Hall. This is mandatory for all new students that are beginning this fall!! All students in Crop Sciences may wish to attend to help welcome the new students to the department. Cookies and soda will be provided!! Please send me your name if you are not a new student and you plan to attend. If you are a new student and have a class conflict, please let me know.

...New to campus? Be sure to check out the Fall 2005 Survival Guide to Graduate School, on the web at http://www.grad.uiuc.edu/SurvivalGuide/index.htm

...The Graduate College will provide awards, not to exceed $300, for students to travel to professional conferences. These conference travel awards are intended to support students who will be presenting papers, posters, or creative work at the conferences they attend. The department in which the student is enrolled must endorse and approve the students participation in the conference and provide some financial support for the students travel to the conference. Departmental support must be indicated on the students application for travel funds. The application may be electronically completed and then printed from http://www.grad.uiuc.edu/Policies/travelgrant/app.pdf. Students may not submit applications directly to the Graduate College. All applications must first be submitted to department offices, who will forward the applications to the Graduate College, 204 Coble Hall, MC-322. Applications should be submitted to graduate departments no later than September 19, 2005, and departments should forward selected applications to the Graduate College no later than September 26, 2005.

Important Dates for Graduate Students for Academic Year 2005-2006

FALL 2005
Sept. 9, Last day to apply for October Graduation
Sept 16 Last day to take final exam for October doctoral degree
Sept. 23 Masters Deposit Deadline
Sept. 30 Doctoral Deposit Deadline
Oct. 15 October Degree Conferral
Nov. 11 Last day to apply for Dec. Graduation
Dec. 2 Last day to take final exam for Dec. doctoral degree
Dec. 9 Masters Deposit Deadline
Dec. 16 Doctoral Deposit Deadline
Dec. 19 Dec. Degree Conferral

SPRING 2006
April 7 Last day to apply for May Graduation
April 14 Last day to take final exam for May doctoral degree
April 28 Masters Deposit Deadline
May 5 Doctoral Deposit Deadline
May 14 Commencement (May degree conferral)

SUMMER 2006
July 7 Last day to apply for August Graduation
July 28 Masters Deposit Deadline
August 7 August Degree Conferral

PERSONALS

...I want to thank the Department for the beautiful bouquet of flowers that were sent to me after my surgery. Also to my family in Extension for the gorgeous Mum plant (it is planted in my flower garden) and to everyone who sent cards and called me while I was at home. This is a very special Department and it means alot to me. Thanks again. Kris Ritter

...My wife Rachel and I would like to thank the Department of Crop Sciences for the flowers after the birth of our son - Harrison Burton (8 lbs 2 oz.) born on April 29th. Both mother and son are doing beautifully. Thanks again. Ben Tracy

...Crop Science Department, Thanks for the flowers for Jean’s Memorial Service. I am now back in Illinois for the summer and will visit campus some time. Harold Kauffman

...May this express at least in part, sincere and warmest thanks for your thoughtfulness. Fred & I greatly appreciate your thoughtful acknowledgement of the loss of my mother. Thanks, Brenda & Fred Below

SEMINARS

Sept. 6, noon, David M. Soderlund, Dept. Entomology and Food Science and Technology, Cornell University, “Insect molecular neurobiology: applications for insecticide discovery”, B102 CLSL.

Sept. 8, 4:00 p.m., John Feffer, Independent journalist and author of North Korea/South Korea: U.S. Policy and the Korean Peninsula, “The global food court: fast food, slow food, imperial food”, 3rd floor, Levis Faculty Center.

Sept. 12, 4:00 p.m., Jason DeRarle, Senior Writer, The New York Times, “A shot at the American dream”, 3 Floor L rd evis Faculty Center. MILLERCOMM2006

Sept. 13, noon, Bruce W. Fouke, Dept. Geology, UIUC, “Yellowstone biocomplexity: microbewater- mineral dynamics at Mammoth Hot Springs”, B102 CLSL.

Sept. 13, noon, Theresa Grentz, Head Women’s Basketball Coach, “Leadership in college athletics”, Latzer Hall, YMCA.

Sept. 14, 5:30 p.m., Svetlana Alpers, Professor Emerita, University of California, Berkeley and Visiting Scholar, New York University, “Painting out of conflict: Velázquez, the Dutch, and painting in the time of war”, 62 Krannert Art Museum. MILLERCOMM2006

Sept. 16, noon, Kathy Kelly, Author, Activist/Cofounder: Voices in the Wilderness, “Other lands have dreams: from Baghdad to Pekin Prison”, Latzer Hall, YMCA.

Sept. 20, noon, James H. Eberwine, (Pioneers in Genomic Biology), Dept. Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, no title available, B102 CLSL.

Sept. 20, noon, Leaders from the UIUC AAUP Chapter and the UIUC Senate, “Who’s in charge? The role of faculty in governing the University”, Latzer Hall, YMCA.

Sept. 23, noon, John Brady Kiesling, Former U.S. Foreign Service Officer, “Diplomat’s conscience, bureaucrat’s war”, Latzer Hall, YMCA.

Sept. 27, noon, Shankar Subramaniam (Pioneers in Genomic Biology), Dept. Biogengineering, Chemistry, and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, “Systems biology--from transcriptome to phenotypes in mammalian biology”, B102 CLSL.

Sept. 27, noon, United Students Against Sweatshops, UIUC Chapter, “Out of the heat: no more sweaty clothes”, Latzer Hall, YMCA.

Sept. 30, noon, Sam Hamill, Poet/Director, Poets Against War, “Poetry and social engagement: roots and branches”, Latzer Hall, YMCA.