CD Weekly Wire - August 26, 2013

AD Update:

NACDEP at Galaxy IV Presenters

The countdown to the NACDEP at Galaxy IV Conference in Pittsburgh continues with just three short weeks left until the September 16 Welcoming Event and Riverboat Ride from 5-9 pm. Whether it is poster printing, creating presentation handouts, or checking travel, room, and/or presentation location arrangements, now is the time to make final preparations to ensure a top-rate conference. I hope you have looked over the program listing and are getting excited to share and learn from Extension colleagues from throughout the U.S. during this action-packed week. With over 2400 attendees registered for this conference, I am looking forward to catching up with colleagues and making new friends. What a great opportunity to reach out to colleagues from other states with similar or complimenting interests. I am also very much looking forward to learning about the many different programs, research, and evaluative efforts.

I am pleased to know that our efforts will be well-represented too. Our records indicate that CD folks are involved in four presentation sessions and four poster sessions. Congratulations to the following presenters: Blaine, Bowen, Merkowitz, Raison, and Romich. They will be sharing their work focused on local/regional food systems, rural food deserts, energy development, BR&E, and working with local officials and stakeholders. Apaliyah, Bowen, Civittolo, Leis, Lucente, Merkowitz, Moon, Nesbitt, Raison, Romich, and Wilson are involved in academic poster presentations focused on BR&E, shale gas preparedness, community assessments, and employee wellness with local foods. If you are presenting and are not listed here, please let me know.

With next Monday being Labor Day, there will be no Weekly Wire published. Please enjoy the three-day weekend and the following ‘short’ week!

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

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

Register by August 30 for Social Media Workshop on September 3:

Registration ends August 30 for the Social Media workshop to be held Tuesday, September 3, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center. Cost is $15, including lunch. Refer to Kim Roush's email for complete details, including workshop dates, registration, and agenda.

Greg is offering to cover the $15 registration fee and your mileage to attend one of the workshops. Since this workshop will help develop a strategy to interact, share, and market your programs, it is right in line with some of the discussions that we plan to hold during the CD retreat on October 15 -16. Whether you go before or after the retreat is not an issue. There will be advantages either way. When you register, be sure to indicate the correct chartfield: Org 55120, Fund 530801, User Defined PRODEV. Be sure to charge this chartfield on your mileage log and remember to email Greg for approval if he is not your primary approver. If you attended the first workshop on July 31, let Sandy know, and we will cover those expenses as well.

Introduction to High Performance Computing at OSC - September 3:

The Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) is hosting “Introduction to High Performance Computing at OSC,” on Tuesday, September 3, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Physics Research Building. The introductory workshop is designed for new OSC users or researchers interested in learning more about OSC resources. Participants who bring a laptop computer will be able to connect to the supercomputers during the workshop. For complete workshop information and to register, visit: armstrong.osc.edu/events/.

OSU and AEP to explore Meeting Clean Energy Goals at EPN Breakfast - September 11:

The topic for the Wednesday, September 11, Environmental Professionals Network (EPN) breakfast is “Achieving Clean Energy Goals – Meeting Technical and Policy Challenges.” Sponsored by the Office of Energy and Environment and American Electric Power, a panel of OSU and AEP experts and leaders will be moderated by OEE’s Kate Bartter. The breakfast will be held at the Nationwide and Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center from 7:15 to 9:30 a.m. Read more at: epn.osu.edu. Contact David Hanselmann (hanselmann.3@osu.edu) if you have questions.


Research Expo September 24 / State of Research Address November 6:

Discover research at Ohio State by attending the 2013 Research Expo on Tuesday, September 24, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Ohio Union. More than 50 exhibitors will be on hand to answer your research-related questions and help you navigate the Ohio State research enterprise. Register to be an exhibitor at: research.osu.edu. On Wednesday, November 6, at 8:30 a.m. at the Ohio Union, Caroline Whitacre, vice president for research, will deliver the State of Research address and present the 2013 Innovator of the Year awards. For more information on the expo or the address, click here.

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

SCHOLARLY / CREATIVE / OPPORTUNITIES:

STEM Pathways Signature Program looking for Working Group Members:

Patty House (house.18@osu.edu) is inviting you to become a member of the STEM Pathways Signature Program Working Group. This interdisciplinary team will work together to move the implementation and evaluation of Extension's newest Signature Program forward. Extension has the opportunity to connect real-world problems solved through STEM with pesticide applicators, master gardeners, food service providers, landowners, community officials, and others. If you are interested in becoming an active working group member, please complete the doodle survey referred to in Patty's email regarding your availability to meet in September.

OSU Extension Annual Conference Proposals due September 25:

Session (half and full) and poster proposals for the OSU Extension Annual Conference are due by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, September 25. Click here for an overview and complete submission instructions. Be sure to read all of the instructions BEFORE you go to the website to submit. Note that there is a registration process for RFPs this year. The conference will be held at the Ohio Union on December 4. This year’s theme is “Moving Forward, Looking Back: A celebration of history and possibility.”

Multiple Opportunities at the Rural Futures Conference - November 3-5:

If you have a passion for building strong and resilient rural communities and you think about the future and what is in store for rural people and places, then plan to attend the 2013 Rural Futures Conference to participate in the dialogues around these very issues. The conference will be held November 3 - 5 at The Cornhusker, A Marriott Hotel in Lincoln, Nebraska. Registration opens September 1 and is $150. The conference theme is Beyond Boundaries, which encourages stepping beyond your boundaries and working together to create positive rural futures. Participants will include university faculty, staff, and students, as well as community citizens and organizational partners.

There are several opportunities to contribute to the formal program and content of the conference. Take advantage of the following opportunities by sharing your knowledge and expertise and help explore new ideas, discover synergies, and facilitate partnerships.

  • Quick Pitch Spotlight: Conference participants rapid fire their “big idea” for rural people and places. (Description of concepts due 10/11)
  • Community Questions: Communities of place or interest pose questions that stimulate collaboration and potential research opportunities. (Call for questions due 9/25)
  • Faculty and Partner Poster Session: Participants display current work or research relevant to the rural futures. (Abstracts due 9/27)
  • Undergraduate and Graduate Poster Competition: Students display rural focused projects and research findings. (Abstracts due 9/13)

If you have questions about the five opportunities noted above, contact Kayla Schnuelle (kschnuelle2@unl.edu or (402) 322-0233).

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

REMINDERS / UPDATES / NEWS:

Fall CD News Articles due September 13:

Articles for the fall issue of the CD Quarterly News are due to Sandy by September 13. Articles should focus on how you are working with local officials to address local and regional issues. We would also like information on any upcoming events (after October 1) and summaries and photos of recent events. Let Sandy know if you have any questions.

Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification begins October 1:

Alber Enterprise Center is offering a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Blended Learning Program running October 1 through December 17. The blended approach combines eLearning, live webinars, and classroom instruction. Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is a disciplined process improvement approach focused on reducing waste, increasing customer satisfaction, and reducing variability for improved profits. Green Belts are typically process managers/leaders who manage a couple of projects each year in their function-specific area of the organization while maintaining their regular work duties. Final registration deadline is September 23, with an early bird discount of $100 by September 8. For complete information, including registration and course outline, visit: . Please pass this information along to anyone who might be interested!

NARDeP Center Releases New Policy Resources:

The National Agriculture and Rural Development Policy (NARDeP) Center, a joint effort of the Regional Rural Development Centers, funded by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, has announced its new web-based publications series. Authored by top researchers from around the country, NARDeP offers the following sources of policy insights, all available free of charge at nardep.info/Publications_2.html:

  • PROJECT PAPERS
    • Rural Broadband Availability and Adoption: Evidence, Policy Challenges, and Options
    • Natural Gas Issues and Policy Options
  • POLICY BRIEFS
    • How Rural Areas Can Adapt to Declining Rural Latino Immigration
    • Natural Disaster Preparedness and Recovery: Issues and Policy Options
    • Lessons Learned From the Greater Sage Grouse
    • Trends in U.S. Agricultural Conservation Programs
    • Immigration and Farm Labor in the U.S.
    • Policy Options for Broadband in Rural Regions
    • Natural Gas Extraction
    • Addressing Rural Economic Disadvantage
  • DATA BRIEFS
    • Diabetes and SNAP: An Opportunity for Change?
    • Changes in Energy Production, Employment and Businesses Between 2001-2010
    • Where the Jobs Went After 2007
  • WORKING PAPERS
    • Predicting the Economic Resilience of U.S. Counties from Industry Input-Output Accounts
    • Current Federal Rural Policy Issues: Internet and Social Media Analysis
    • Who Influences National Rural Policy? Identification and Description of Rural Interest Groups
    • U.S. Agricultural Conservation Programs: Trends and Effects on Farmer Participation

Contact the NARDeP Center with your policy analysis needs or, if you are an author, with topics you might contribute.

Article of Interest:

Ohio State to Conduct Wide Range of Shale-Related Research (CFAES News)

 

 

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

OSU Extension CD Mission Statement:

Ohio State University Extension Community Development helps communities enhance their well-being.


© 2013, OSU Extension Community Development, 25 Agricultural Administration Building, 2120 Fyffe Road, Columbus, Ohio 43210 / 614-292-6232

This page is maintained by: OSU Extension Community Development.

If you have trouble accessing this page and need to request an alternate format, contact odrumsky.1@osu.edu.

Ohio State University Extension embraces human diversity and is committed to ensuring that all research and related educational programs are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, HIV/AIDS status, military status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status. This statement is in accordance with United States Civil Rights Laws and the USDA.

Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Agricultural Administration; Associate Dean, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences; Director, Ohio State University Extension; and Gist Chair in Extension Education and Leadership.

For Deaf and Hard of Hearing, please contact Ohio State University Extension using your preferred communication (e-mail, relay services, or video relay services). Phone 1-800-750-0750 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST Monday through Friday. Inform the operator to dial 614-292-6181.