eCALS

Environmental Defense Fund president is keynote speaker at Bioenergy Summit

ecals — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:04:17 +0000

Fred Krupp, president of the Environmental Defense Fund, will deliver the keynote presentation at the Wisconsin Bioenergy Initiative’s Bioenergy Summit on Oct. 23 at 3 p.m. in Ebling Symposium Hall, located in the Microbial Sciences Building, 1550 Linden Drive. Krupp’s talk, which is free and open to the public, will cover current energy policy, as well as innovative ways to encourage companies to adopt environmentally-conscious businesses practices.

Since joining the Environmental Defense Fund in 1984, Krupp has become well known for his pragmatic approach to untangling complex environmental problems, often choosing to engage directly with large corporations, build public-private partnerships and employ market forces to achieve environmental ends. He played a central role in the creation of the nation’s first cap and trade system to control air pollutants, codified in the 1990 Clean Air Act to combat acid rain. More recently, Krupp helped launch the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, whose Fortune 500 members are calling for strict limits on greenhouse gas emissions alongside environmental nonprofit members. Krupp co-authored a book, released earlier this year, called Earth: The Sequel—The Race to Reinvent Energy and Stop Global Warming, about the innovators who are developing the clean-energy technologies of the future.

The Bioenergy Summit, which runs Oct. 23 – 24, will also feature university experts, state policymakers and innovators from Wisconsin’s private sector. Talks and discussions will focus on ways to build a better energy future, while highlighting Wisconsin’s leadership in the emerging bioeconomy.

The summit’s chief sponsors are the Wisconsin Bioenergy Initiative and the UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Additional sponsors include the University of Wisconsin-Madison, UW Athletics, the State of Wisconsin Office of Energy Independence, Fountainhead Engineering and Glen Oak Lumber. For more information, visit www.wisconsinbioenergy.com.

CALS in the News, October 6-10, 2008

ecals — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:30:57 +0000

News about or of interest to CALS faculty and staff…

CALS in the News

Which potential applicants’ alma maters would you have confidence have well-prepared their graduates for dairy industry success?
Progressive Dairy Publishing
Mentioned: UW-Madison

Pine beetles could be new source of antibiotics: research
Cananda.com 10/4/08
Quoted: Cameron Currie: Bacteriology

AgTech Fund in Madison targets $200 million for agricultural production
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 10/5/08
Mentioned: UW-Madison

Water hub taps into future
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 10/4/08
Mentioned: UW-Madison

A resurgence of cheese
fdlreporter.com 10/5/08
Brian Gould, Agriculture and Applied Economics

Public meeting on hunger set
The Capital Times 10/6/08
Quoted: Jane Voichick, retired professor from the UW-Madison Department of Nutritional Sciences

Investors hope to sow farming advances
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 10/5/08
Mentioned: Molly Jahn, CALS dean; Hector F. DeLuca, Biochemistry

Professor wants to rename Campus Drive after Warfarin discoverer
Wisconsin State Journal 10/5/08
Quoted: David Nelson, Biochemistry

CALS to Honor Five with Honorary Recognition
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 10/07/2008
Mentioned: Robert A. Cropp, Agricultural and Applied Economics (emeritus)
Mentioned: James Behnke, The Pillsbury Company
Mentioned: Linda Bochert, Michael, Best and Friedrich LLP
Mentioned: Peter Giacomini, AgSource Cooperative Services
Mentioned: Richard Renk, Renk Seed Company

Milk prices weaken on softer demand
Country Today 10/08/2008 Pg 7C (subscription)
Quoted: Robert Cropp, Ag & Applied Economics (emeritus)

Halbach Will Be New Director of UW-FISC
Agri-View 10/09/2008
Quoted: Molly Jahn, Dean, CALS
Quoted: Ted Halbach, Dairy Science, Farm and Industry Short Course

Five to Be Honored By UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences
at Oct. 23 Banquet
Agri-View 10/09/2008
Mentioned: Robert A. Cropp, Agricultural and Applied Economics (emeritus)
Mentioned: James Behnke, The Pillsbury Company
Mentioned: Linda Bochert, Michael, Best and Friedrich LLP
Mentioned: Peter Giacomini, AgSource Cooperative Services
Mentioned: Richard Renk, Renk Seed Company

UW-Madison Symposium Looks At Producing More On a Smaller Footprint
Agri-View 10/09/2008
Mentioned: UW-Madison Renk Agribusiness Institute

Dairy Shrine Honors Youth With Awards, Scholarships
Agri-View 10/09/2008
Mentioned: Linda Behling, Dairy Science Alumni
Mentioned: Ashley Sprengeler, Dairy Science Alumni

State’s Multi-Billion Dollar Dairy Industry Showcased in Television
Broadcast
Agri-View 10/09/2008
Mentioned: UW-Madison Badger Dairy Camp

Topics of Interest
Don’t Blame Biofuels for Food Crisis
Wired 10/7/08

Honey to treat burns? Sweet.
CBC News 10/8/08

Living with the Rusty Red Menace
Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine, October 2008

CALS forum highlights college’s relevance, accomplishments and challenges

ecals — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:23:09 +0000

Faculty, staff and friends of the college gathered in Agricultural Hall Oct. 7 to listen to Dean Molly Jahn deliver her annual All College Forum address. Dean Jahn began with a video that emphasized that the college’s four themes — food, environment, health and energy — are very much on the public agenda. The video featuring recent news clips focused on those subject areas. You can view that video, as well as hear Dean’s Jahn’s remarks and see the accompanying slide show, by following the links below.

She went on to elaborate on what the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences has accomplished in the last year in these four areas, and then outlined the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Video introduction
2:12 minutes

Dean Jahn’s speech and slide show
30:30 minutes
http://www.cals.wisc.edu/slideshows/all_cals_forum_2008/

CALS teams show off their cow-judging prowess at World Dairy Expo

ecals — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 22:00:11 +0000

Two CALS teams demonstrated their superiority cattle evaluation skills at World Dairy Expo last week. In the Post-Secondary competition, the CALS Farm and Industry Short Course team placed 2nd overall and 4th in oral reasons* — the best performance ever for a FISC team. In the Intercollegiate Dairy Cattle Judging Contest, the UW-Madison team placed 3rd overall and 1st in oral reasons, and team member Daniel Walker had the top individual score in oral reasons. Other team members include Shelly Bohn, Lindsay Morris and Evan Schnadt. The team is coached by outreach specialist Ted Halbach and emeritus professor Dave Dickson.

The FISC team’s success earned it an invitation to the International Young Farmers Contest held at the royal Highland Show in Edinbrough Scotland next summer. Team members include: Paula Courtney, Steven Davis, Luke Lensmire and Mandy Peirick. They are coached by Chad Wethal.

The UW-Madison team’s success at World Dairy Expo is a career-builder for the contestants and a recruiting tool for the dairy science department, says Halbach. For the students, it’s proof of their ability to make timely decisions and to communicate effectively, to say nothing of their ability to judge cows. For the department, it’s a way to convince prospective students that the UW-Madison’s dairy programs is among the world’s best.

“The National Intercollegiate Dairy Cattle Judging Contest is the ultimate contest that 4-H and post-secondary students dream of participating in. Our team’s history of success adds to the prestige of our department and factors into the decision when these students choose a college,” said Halbach.

___

*In dairy cattle judging. two-thirds of a student’s score is based on the ability to correctly rank a group of four cows in order of overall quality. One third is awarded for giving “oral reasons” — succinctly explaining those rankings to a panel of judges. Each student judges 12 groups, or classes, of four cows. There are 24 ways to rank a class of four cows, but only one is correct, so contestants have a choice of 12 right answers and 276 wrong ones.

Partners in Giving campaign is underway

ecals — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:20:49 +0000

The annual campus and state agencies Partners in Giving Campaign is in progress. The campaign will run from October 13 to November 28th. The College of Agricultural and Life Sciences strongly endorses this campaign and urges all faculty and staff members to consider making a contribution through their department or unit coordinator. Our goal is for everyone to contribute according to his or her ability. Even if you do your charitable giving elsewhere, please consider adding a dollar to your envelope so that our college’s participation percentage is representative of our benevolent staff. If you have questions, please direct them to your unit coordinator or to Frank Kooistra at 262-9812.

Film screening and meal focus on the global food crisis - Oct. 19

ecals — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 19:09:29 +0000

CALS and the Agroecology program are co-sponsors of an upcoming special screening of The Hunger Season, a new documentary about the planetary food crisis. The evening will include a “Wisconsin Meal in Swaziland” dinner, as participants are invited to eat a meal prepared with the same cornmeal profiled in the film, which travels from Wisconsin farms through the U.S. AID program to serve as one of the primary sources of sustenance in villages in Swaziland. Panel discussions with the filmmakers, as well as scholars and activists dealing with food issues, will follow. This event will take place on Sunday, October 19, 2008 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church of Madison, 203 Wisconsin Avenue, Madison, WI. For more info, download the film flyer.

The event is free and open to the public. The screening is co-sponsored by the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, the Center for Culture, History and Environment (CHE), Working Films, and First United Methodist Church with support from the Bradshaw Knight Foundation, Didion Milling, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Letters and Sciences, Morgridge Center for Public Service, and the Agroecology program.

Long term care insurance workshops

ecals — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:08:59 +0000

John Hancock is presenting long term care insurance workshops:

Wednesday, October 22nd at 11:30am, Memorial Union (see TITU)
Thursday, November 13th at 3:00pm, 3070 Grainger Hall
Friday, November 14th at 1:00pm, 5120 Grainger Hall

Call and reserve your place today. There is no obligation. Call Holly Larson at (608) 662-0830 Ext. 34 to sign up. For more info, download the workshop brochure.

Nov. 6 symposium - How reducing sodium affects food safety and health

ecals — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 03:52:27 +0000

The next meeting in the FRI Focus on Food Safety Series: Sodium Reduction and Its Effect on Food Safety, Food Quality, and Human Health, will take place Nov. 6 (all day) at the Pyle Center. This symposium will provide a comprehensive discussion on the need to balance sodium content in foods considering its effect on pathogenic and spoilage microbes, food quality and human health.

Download meeting brochure and registration form here or from the FRI website ( www.wisc.edu/fri/ ). Register on-line at www.peopleware.net/2723 or print and submit registration form to CALS Conference Services. UW employee registration fee is $15. Registration deadline: Oct. 24, 2008. For more information contact Kathleen Glass, FRI Associate Director, kglass@wisc.edu or 608-263-6935. Space is limited; please register early.

Current multistate proposals inviting participation

ecals — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:59:48 +0000

Current multistate proposals inviting participation:

1) NC_TEMP1019 - “Control of Emerging and Re-emerging Poultry Respiratory Diseases in the United States”

2) NC_TEMP1014 - “Agricultural and Rural Finance Markets in Transition (NC1014, NC221, NCT-194)”

3) NC_TEMP190 - “Increased Efficiency of Sheep Production”

************************************************************

To View the Proposal:

1. Go to the National Information Management Support System at http://nimss.umd.edu

2. Insert your login and password. (If you don’t have a login ID, you’ll need to register, also at the URL above.)

3. In the Top Menu, Select Project then Select View Projects

4. Enter the project number

************************************************************

To Create an Appendix E for a Proposed Project:

1. Go to the National Information Management Support System at http://nimss.umd.edu

2. Insert your login and password. (If you don’t have a login, you’ll need to register, also at the above URL.)

3. In the Top Menu, Select Participants then Select Draft/Edit

4. On the Left side Menu, Select “Draft New”

5. Select the project number

6. Fill out the form.

7. Click on Submit.

Please Contact Angie Seitler at 608-261-1432 or aseitler@cals.wisc.edu before you create an Appendix E to add your participation to a proposed multistate project.

Thank you. Please contact the Administrative Advisor of the multistate project if you have questions about the proposed project.

**************************************************************

Contact Chris Hamilton at 608-262-2349 or nnelson@cals.wisc.edu if you have questions about the use of NIMSS.

Contact Angie Seitler at 608-261-1432 or aseitler@cals.wisc.edu if you have questions about your participation.

Best Practices: Salary Cost Transfers Involving Sponsored Projects

ecals — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:58:09 +0000

If you have identified an error in salary charges and are planning on submitting a salary cost transfer, read on to find out how the transfer will be reviewed and processed, and what you can do to streamline the process.

The process:

Salary cost transfers (SCT’s) are usually requested by the department financial specialist, department administrator, or principal investigator. The SCT form is available on the CALS Research Division website under Award/Gift Management or on the CALS Business Services website under Forms. The PayData program can also produce a form for you. When creating your SCT, make sure to check PHIQ to confirm how the individual was paid.

A completed SCT form should be sent the CALS Payroll & Benefits Office (Agricultural Hall), where it is reviewed for appropriate dates and amounts, and compared to the campus payroll system (PHIQ in 3270) for the payroll period(s) affected.

When the SCT involves a sponsored project, the transfer is forwarded to the CALS Research Division from CALS Payroll & Benefits. Research Division accountants examine the justification, assess allowability on the specific award, and determine how the transfer will affect budget balances.

From there, the SCT returns to the CALS payroll office and is sent to RSP. Before undertaking a financial review of the SCT request, RSP will examine the individual’s effort statements. Effort must be consistent with salary charges, and certifications in ECRT should not differ from the effort implied by the salary transfer.

If certified effort matches with the SCT, RSP will begin financial review of the request. Approved requests are sent from RSP to Business Services and should appear in WISDM shortly after.

Streamlining your SCT request:

Often it is the effort aspect of the transfer that creates hang-ups or delays. Make sure to communicate with that effort coordinator in your department to ensure that certified effort matches the SCT.

For example, if SCT is requesting to move 50% of an individual’s salary to 144-AB12, the ECRT card must reflect that 50% of the person’s effort was spent on that award. Further explanation can be added in the notes box in ECRT if the line items are not adequate.

If you are planning to initiate a SCT on a sponsored project and have questions about preparing your transfer, writing the justification, or reviewing or certifying effort, please contact the CALS Research Division. We would be happy to help you.

Contacts and Resources for SCT’s:

Sandy Fowler, CALS Accountant, 262-3947, sfowler@cals.wisc.edu

Susie Juncer, CALS Business Services/Payroll, 262-2034, sjuncer@cals.wisc.edu

Laurel Norris, CALS Effort Coordinator, 890-1677, lnorris@cals.wisc.edu

Jen Stenjem, RSP Accountant, 890-0393, jstenjem@rsp.wisc.edu

Sandy Weigt, CALS Business Services/Payroll, 265-3092, sweigt@cals.wisc.edu

RSP website: Types of Transfers

CALS Research Division website: Transfers

RSP campus contact changes

ecals — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:54:28 +0000

With Diane Barrett moving from RSP to SoHE, she will no longer serve as the campus-wide contact for proposal submission. Read on to determine who to list as the authorized authority or who to contact with questions.

Anything that requires an authorized institutional signature (paper submissions, signed coverpages, letters of intent, letters of commitment) should list Kim Moreland as the authorized institutional authority. Her contact information is preaward@rsp.wisc.edu, phone: 608-262-3822, fax: 608-262-5111 and can be accessed at http://www.rsp.wisc.edu/factualdata.html.

Cayuse:
The authorized institutional authority for SF424R&R Coverpage is Stephanie Gray at RSP. You will also need to specify the next reviewer on any proposal, which should be Carol Hillmer or your pre-award department contact. For general questions or to get your required profile set-up, email cayuse@rsp.wisc.edu.
Web resources: http://www.rsp.wisc.edu/cayuse/index.html

Fastlane:
Fastlane will automatically fill the campus contact information. For general questions about using the program or getting a profile set-up, contact your department pre-award specialist at the CALS Research Division.
Web resources: http://www.rsp.wisc.edu/preaward/nsfinstruct.html#

For questions related to who should be listed as institutional official or other general questions, visit the CALS Research Division website to identify your pre-award department contact.

Research FAQ’s and Hot Topics

ecals — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:52:08 +0000

New NSF Conflict of Interest reporting guidelines
Formula Grant (142) Deadline - Fiscal Year 2008
Formula Grant (142) Rebudgeting Requests
Research Assistant Salary Reminder
Jennifer Pang Contact Information

New NSF Conflict of Interest reporting guidelines
NSF has announced new Conflict of Interest reporting requirements taking effect. Please be aware that any individuals who have change in their reportable activities throughout the year must update their Outside Activities report when those changes occur and not only during the annual reporting period. They expect this to be a seamless transition which ensures campus units are not asked to provide additional information or take additional steps at award set up.

Formula Grant (142) Deadline - Fiscal Year 2008 (October 1, 2007-September 30, 2008)
Travel expenses and internal expenses (MDS, requisitions, inter-departmental billing, etc) incurred during September must be submitted prior to October 10, 2008. Please attach supporting documents along with the related forms. If you have questions, please contact Jennifer Pang at jpang@cals.wisc.edu or 0-2249.

Formula Grant (142) Rebudgeting Requests
Beginning with fiscal year 2009 (October 1, 2008), the WAES is requesting written justification from the Principal Investigator (PI) for all requests to rebudget between categories. Approvals of rebudget requests will be sent to the PI, Administrator, and Financial Specialist. Please contact Jennifer Pang at jpang@cals.wisc.edu or 0-2249 if you have any questions.

Research Assistant Salary Reminder
Formula Grant (142) projects allow RA salaries up to 50% of the RA appointment. For fiscal year 2009, the allowable monthly RA salary is $1,633 ($19,596 annual). All changes outside of the 50% limit require a written justification from the PI sent to Angela Seitler at aseitler@cals.wisc.edu for approval prior to the deviation.

Jennifer Pang Contact Information
Please update your email contact information for Jennifer Pang to ensure that email is sent to jpang@cals.wisc.edu.

Graduate School seminars offer info on research and grad education

ecals — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:50:35 +0000

The Graduate School offers many free seminars and workshops related to policies, procedures and regulations for research and graduate education through the year. The sessions are open to all members of the campus community. Presenters include representatives of the Graduate School Office of Admissions and Academic Services, Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, Office of Research Policy, Office of the Administrative Legal Services, Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and other faculty and staff.

The series is categorized by the following four headings:

Research Policy (includes seminars in Human Research Protections; Intellectual Property; and Responsible Conduct of Research)
Research Administration
Graduate Education Policy
Graduate Education Administration

The 2008-2009 schedule is posted at www.ohrd.wisc.edu under Graduate School Seminar Series. Please bookmark this site to check the schedule, presentation description, registration information and any additional seminars. A reminder will be sent at the beginning of the month with the listing of the seminars being offered that month.

For a complete list to use as a reference, go to http://www.grad.wisc.edu/admin/outreach/GSSSsched08-09.pdf

If you have suggestions for further programs, contact
Kathi Matthews-Risley,
Graduate School Office of Outreach and Graduate Student Professional
Development,
Telephone: 262-1799
Email: krisley@bascom.wisc.edu

Federal funding opportunities

ecals — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:47:50 +0000

Federal funding opportunities…

DOD – Coal to Liquids
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=42899

DOI - Wildlife Without Borders - Latin America & the Caribbean
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=42853

EPA - 6th Annual P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet
http://www07.grants.gov/search/search.do?&mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=42892

NASA – Postdoctoral Fellowships
http://nasa.orau.org/postdoc

NIH - Behavioral Pharmacology and Genetics: Translating and Targeting Individual Differences (R03)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-DA-09-016.html

NIH - Replication and Fine-Mapping Studies for the Genes Environment and Health Initiative (GEI)(R01)
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-CA-09-003.html

NSF – Discovery Research K-12
http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2008/nsf08609/nsf08609.htm?govDel=USNSF_25

NSF – Interagency Opportunities in Metabolic Engineering
http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5494&govDel=USNSF_39

NSF - NSF/DOE Partnership in Basic Plasma Science and Engineering
http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5602&govDel=USNSF_39

NSF – Major Research Instrumentation Program
*UW internal competition guidelines apply*
http://info.gradsch.wisc.edu/research/researchfunding/fundingopps/nsfmri08.html

NSF – Partnerships of Innovation
http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5261&govDel=USNSF_39

USDA – Regional Integrated Pest Management
http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do;jsessionid=LqvQPLS6gZdkXHjy48vpGnXtW Xrlv3ZCp3MNQyHdGTmDNyqvXQ1!1478495508?oppId=18406&flag2006=true&mode=VIEW

Non-federal funding

ecals — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:44:09 +0000

Non-federal funding opportunities…

Alzheimer’s Association – Everyday Technologies for Alzheimer Care (ETAC) Research Grants
http://www.cals.wisc.edu/research/funding/DisplayOpp.php?OppID=305

Alzheimer’s Association – Investigator-Initiated Research Grants
http://www.cals.wisc.edu/research/funding/DisplayOpp.php?OppID=302

Alzheimer’s Association – New Investigator Research Grants
http://www.cals.wisc.edu/research/funding/DisplayOpp.php?OppID=301

Alzheimer’s Association – Senator Mark Hatfield Award for Clinical Research in Alzheimer’s Disease
http://www.cals.wisc.edu/research/funding/DisplayOpp.php?OppID=303

Alzheimer’s Association – Zenith Fellows Award Program
http://www.cals.wisc.edu/research/funding/DisplayOpp.php?OppID=304

American Association for Cancer Research/GlaxoSmithKline – Clinical Cancer Research Scholar Awards
http://www.cals.wisc.edu/research/funding/DisplayOpp.php?OppID=235

American Association of University Women – International Fellowships
http://www.cals.wisc.edu/research/funding/DisplayOpp.php?OppID=310

American Cancer Society – Audrey Meyer Mars International Fellowships in Clinical Oncology
http://www.cals.wisc.edu/research/funding/DisplayOpp.php?OppID=55

American Cancer Society – International Fellowships for Beginning Investigators (ACSBI)
http://www.cals.wisc.edu/research/funding/DisplayOpp.php?OppID=56

American Chemical Society – Scientific Education Grants
http://www.cals.wisc.edu/research/funding/DisplayOpp.php?OppID=282

American Institute for Cancer Research – Investigator Initiated Grants
http://www.cals.wisc.edu/research/funding/DisplayOpp.php?OppID=125

American Institute for Cancer Research – Research Grants
http://www.cals.wisc.edu/research/funding/DisplayOpp.php?OppID=671

American Jersey Cattle Association – Research Grants
http://www.cals.wisc.edu/research/funding/DisplayOpp.php?OppID=312

American Society for Photogrammetry & Remote Sensing – BAE Systems Award
http://www.cals.wisc.edu/research/funding/DisplayOpp.php?OppID=327

Kimmel Foundation for Cancer Research – Scholars Award
http://www.cals.wisc.edu/research/funding/DisplayOpp.php?OppID=332

Prostate Cancer Foundation – Creativity Awards
http://www.cals.wisc.edu/research/funding/DisplayOpp.php?OppID=683

UW-Madison School of Business – Applied Funds Program (CIBER Award)
http://www.cals.wisc.edu/research/funding/DisplayOpp.php?OppID=107

Register for CALS Honorary Recognition Banquet by Oct. 10

ecals — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:40:00 +0000

Friday, October 10, is the deadline to register for the CALS Honorary Recognition Banquet. The 2008 CALS Honorary Recognition and Distinguished Service Awards will be presented Oct. 23 at the Honorary Recognition Banquet and Reception held in Memorial Union Great Hall, with a reception to meet past and current honorees at 6:30 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. To register go online to http://www.peopleware.net/2723 or download the 2008 Honorary Recognition Flyer and registration form. Questions can be directed the CALS Conference Office at conference@cals.wisc.edu.

Register for Made in Wisconsin: MillerCoors tour by Oct. 10

ecals — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:38:08 +0000

The registration deadline has been extended for the WAA’s Made in Wisconsin: MillerCoors tour on October 17. On the tour, you’ll take a hard-hat tour of the famed, 153-year-old Milwaukee Brewery, featuring the Miller Caves and Technical Center. Then, you’ll enjoy a lunch buffet and guided tasting of beer selections with host David Ryder, VP of brewing and research. The new registration deadline is Friday, Oct. 10. More info is available online at http://www.uwalumni.com/home/miwmiller.aspx.

Wisconsin Dairy News airs TV segment on CALS enrollment

ecals — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:30:58 +0000

CALS is being featured on Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board’s Wisconsin Dairy News, a series of news segments about the dairy industry that air throughout Wisconsin during the local news broadcasts. A segment on CALS enrollment, which highlights the Wisconsin Rural Youth Scholarship Fund, will air the week of October 27th during the local news on the following stations during the times noted:

WAOW TV 9 – Wausau, Mondays 6:00-7:00 AM and Fridays 6:00-6:30 PM
WYOW TV 34 – Eagle River, Mondays 6:00-7:00 AM and Fridays 6:00-6:30 PM
WXOW TV 19 – LaCrosse, Tuesdays 6:00-6:30 AM
WQOW TV 18 – Eau Claire, Mondays 6:00-6:30 AM
WKOW TV 27 – Madison, Mondays 6:00-6:30 AM
WGBA TV 26 – Green Bay, Saturdays 7:00-8:00 AM

The segments will also be available on the WMMB website for 6 months. Go to www.WisDairy.com and click on Advertising and News/Current News. The Dairy News segments are located on the right side of the page under the Multimedia Section. The current month’s segments will be on that front page. To get to the previous segments, page down and click where it says to click for more Dairy News.

Change in registration process for CALS students who need business courses

ecals — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:21:38 +0000

CALS and the Wisconsin School of Business for many years have had an agreement whereby CALS undergraduates whose degrees or majors require a business course will get an earlier registration window than the general campus. This agreement will continue, however, CALS students whose degree program requires them to complete a business course in the Wisconsin School of Business will no longer complete the authorization form giving them a preferential window to enroll in courses.

The School of Business has agreed to provide an automatic preferential window to any student with the program code of ABM (Ag Business Management), ADI (Dietetics), and ASB (B.S. Ag Sciences, Business option) for the seven courses currently covered in the agreement; AcctIS 211 & 301, GenBus 300 & 301, Finance 300, Marketing 300, and MHR 300 & 305. This preferential window will open on Wednesday, November 12 at 9:00 am. Students who are part of the Business Certificate will have their own preferential window.

Students will still need to register for the classes they wish to take, and our agreement does not guarantee a seat in the class. Student still must wait for their enrollment appointment time to attempt to enroll for the course or courses they desire. These courses do not open to general campus until after all enrollment appointment times have been released on Wednesday, November 19 at 9:00 am.

Please remember that the School of Business will hold students to any and all prerequisites for classes. As always, any student may attempt to enroll in a business course on or after Wednesday, November 19.

CALS social hour — Oct. 14, 8:30-9:30 a.m.

ecals — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 21:12:41 +0000

This month’s CALS morning social hour will be held on Oct. 14 from 8:30–9:30 a.m. in 140 Ag Hall. All faculty and staff are invited (and encouraged) to stop by for refreshments and informal conversation.

CALS HR staff lists helps you get answers quickly

ecals — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:31:22 +0000

The CALS Office of Human Resources has updated their employee contact list to reflect recent staffing changes in their office. Download the revised list here or view it on the CALS HR web site at http://www.cals.wisc.edu/hr/contact/index.html. This link will provide you with a list of human resources issues and the appropriate individual to contact for assistance.

Consulting appointments on tax-sheltered annuities available

ecals — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:21:11 +0000

The 2008 TSA one-on-one consulting appointment schedule has been updated: Fidelity has changed one of its October dates. Access the appointment dates, times scheduling contacts at: http://www.bussvc.wisc.edu/ecbs/tsa-workshops.html .

Enroll online by Nov. 14 for Employee Reimbursement Account

ecals — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:15:26 +0000

The annual enrollment period for the Employee Reimbursement Account program (ERA) is October 6 – November 14, 2008. You must re-enroll annually! For the second year we are helping the UW System to be “green” by providing the 2009 ERA enrollment information to employees electronically. Click on http://etf.wi.gov/publications/era_2009_summary_guide.pdf for a summary of the ERA plan.

The ERA brochure and summary contain important and useful information. We suggest that you retain the URL for reference throughout the year. The ERA program is administered by Fringe Benefits Management Company (FBMC).

QUICK FACTS ABOUT ERA

Offers a tax-free Medical Expense Account.
- You can be reimbursed for non-covered medical expenses, such as copayments, eyeglasses, laser eye surgery, in vitro fertilization and medical mileage. A more complete list of covered expenses is found on page 4 of the Summary.
- The minimum annual contribution is $100. The annual maximum contribution is $7,500.
Offers a tax-free Dependent Care Account.
- You can be reimbursed for eligible childcare for children under age 13.
- The minimum annual contribution is $100. The annual maximum contribution per family is $3,000 for one child or $5,000 for two or more children). See page 5 of the attached Summary for more details.

Expenses for the Medical Expense Account and the Dependent Care Account must be incurred between January 1, 2009 and March 15, 2010 and must be submitted to Fringe Benefits Management Company by April 15, 2010

ANY remaining balance in your account at end of plan year is FORFEITED!

TO ENROLL

Enroll on-line at www.myFBMC.com; or
Enroll by telephone by calling 1-800-847-8253 Monday – Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., CST.
For enrollment questions during the open enrollment period, call FBMC at
1-888- 966-5577

If you wish to view the complete ERA brochure in addition to the ERA Summary, go to http://etf.wi.gov/publications/era_2009_booklet.pdf. You can also request the 2009 ERA brochure from FBMC by calling 1-866-440-7149 or emailing ERABenefitsGuide@fbmc-benefits.com or you can contact your campus benefits office to review or obtain the ERA brochure.

Oct. 14 forum focuses on climate change in Wisconsn

ecals — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 20:10:22 +0000

Regional impacts of global warming will be the topic of the third annual Wisconsin Climate Change Forum on Tuesday, Oct. 14, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The public is invited, and admission is free. Linda Mearns, a leading expert on regional climate change, will speak at 7 p.m. in room AB20 Weeks Hall, 1215 W. Dayton St. Mearns is a senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., where she has directed the Institute for the Study of Society and the Environment.

A panel of Wisconsin scientists and public officials will join Mearns in a discussion from 8-9 p.m. The panelists are climatologist Dan Vimont, retired limnologist John Magnuson, environmental health scientist Jonathan Patz, all of UW-Madison, and Tia Nelson, executive secretary of the Office of the Wisconsin Board of Commissioners of Public Lands. Nelson recently co-chaired Gov. Jim Doyle’s Task Force on Global Warming. Another UW-Madison climatologist, Steve Vavrus, will moderate the discussion.

An informal reception beginning at 6:30 p.m. will precede the program.

The forum is sponsored by the Reid Bryson Climate, People, and Environmental Program of the Center for Climatic Research (CCR). Co-sponsors include the Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment (SAGE), Center for Limnology and the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. CCR and SAGE are both part of the Nelson Institute.

For more information, contact Steve Vavrus, (608) 265-5279, sjvavrus@wisc.edu.

Longer wait time for Retirement Certificate of Appreciation

ecals — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:57:37 +0000

OHR has recently announced that departments’ requesting a Certificate of Appreciation http://www.ohr.wisc.edu/retirement_certificate.htm signed by the Chancellor for their non - emerita/emeritus retiring classified staff will now see the wait time increased to 30 days. The longer wait time is due to an increased number of requests, a 7-10 day turnaround printing period by DoIT, and Chancellor Biddy Martin’s desire to sign each certificate by hand. If you have any questions you may contact Mischelle Grabner at mgrabner@cals.wisc.edu.

Info on dual choice and fall enrollment opportunities

ecals — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:54:26 +0000

As done in 2007, a mass email message was sent on Oct. 2 to UW Madison employees regarding Dual Choice and fall enrollment opportunities. A separate email message was sent to employees eligible for Dual Choice for Regular health insurance and Graduate Assistant health insurance, annual enrollment for Employee Reimbursement Account (ERA), and one message that contains information on the “open” enrollments for OptumHealth Vision (formerly Spectera), Dental Insurance, UW Employees Inc. Life Insurance, and the “special” enrollment for Dental & Excess Medical EPIC insurance.

Hard copies of information will be sent to employees who do not have email and/or receive hard copy earnings statements for dual choice books (regular or graduate assistant), Employee Reimbursement Account, and one flyer will be sent outlining information for the other enrollment opportunities.

Employees whose enrollment materials for health insurance were not received and input before 9/24/08, will not receive either an email or hard copy of the dual choice materials. The UW Service Center is creating a list of these employees and will be sending out an email or hard copy booklet. In addition, all employees that are currently personally paying for their benefit plan premiums will receive information from OHR as well.

If you or any of your employees have questions, please send an email message to Benefits@ohr.wisc.edu

In addition, each of the payroll and benefit coordinators will be receiving 5 copies of the It’s Your Choice booklet (regular) booklet, 2 copies of the It’s Your Choice booklet (Graduate Assistant) and 2 copies of the ERA Summary for your office use. These will be sent to you from Materials Distribution Services within the next week.

Immigration workshop - Oct. 30

ecals — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:39:38 +0000

The next scheduled H-1B workshop will take place on October 30, 2008 at 9:00 am in room 5045 at 21 N. Park Street. These workshops are only for the employing department; therefore please do not invite your H-1B beneficiary to join you at the workshop. Pre-registration is necessary; to register, please send an email message to: jtaylor@ohr.wisc.edu, giving your name and department.

Farmer Co-ops Conference to focus on cooperative strategy and finance

ecals — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:37:43 +0000

Registration is underway for the 11th Annual Farmer Cooperatives Conference, to be held Nov. 18 – 19, 2008 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Presented by the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives, the topic of this year’s conference is “Cooperative Strategy, Structure, and Finance.”

“Today’s farmer cooperatives must pursue growth opportunities to remain competitive, and simultaneously assume more risk to meet supply chain cost pressures,” explained Anne Reynolds, assistant director of the UW Center for Cooperatives. “The equity and capital management issues that result are major drivers for a cooperative’s strategic planning and decision-making process.”

The conference includes presentations on supply chain and risk management by top co-op executives, case studies illustrating cooperative structural strategies by academic experts, and updates on current legal and financial issues.

The national conference, Reynolds noted, provides a unique forum for cooperative board members, CEOs, and others doing business with agricultural cooperatives to come together to explore these issues and share insights.

The annual program is organized by the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives, with assistance from a national planning commit¬tee of cooperative scholars and practitioners. This year’s conference is made possible by the generous support from sponsors including CoBank, Farm Foundation, CHS Foundation, Dorsey and Whitney LLP, Land O’Lakes, Lindquist & Vennum PLLP, Stoel Rives LLP, The Cooperative Foundation, NCFC Educational Foundation, West Central Cooperative, Clifton Gunderson, and Growmark.

The annual meeting of NCERA-210, which promotes and coordinates research on agricultural cooperatives, will follow the Farmer Cooperatives Conference on Nov. 19 and 20, at the same location.

Further conference and registration information is available on the University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives website at www.uwcc.wisc.edu/farmercoops08 . Questions about the conference can be directed to Anne Reynolds, University of Wisconsin Center for Cooperatives, 608-263-4775, atreynol@wisc.edu.

Department administrator recruitment underway

ecals — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:34:36 +0000

The College of Letters and Science is currently conducting the campus recruitment for upper level Department Administrator (Academic Department Manager) positions. The list of eligible applicants created as a result of this recruitment will be used to fill these positions throughout the next year, including vacancies in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
If you, or someone you know, is interested in pursuing one of these vital departmental administrator positions, please view the job announcement at http://www.ohr.wisc.edu/COB/ACADEMICDEPTMNGR_0802943.htm. Deadline for receipt of applications is October 17, 2008.

Classified staff child care grants are available

ecals — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 19:28:36 +0000

Classified staff child care grants are available. For application and further information see the following links: