The Tuesday Letter
Agricultural Experiment Station & Cooperative Extension Service

  
Vol. 12, No. 13  February 7, 2006

IN THIS ISSUE...

...Word from the Associate Director - Extension and Applied Research
...Regina Fitts, IET, Has Accepted a New Job
...Iowa State Soybean Extension Agronomist Coming to K-State
...Reception for David Mengel
...KPERS Conducting Pre-Retirement Seminars in March and April
...Building Community Engagement Through Deliberative Dialogues
...Kansas 4-H Ambassadors Workshop
...Forestry Training Sessions - March 16-17
...K-State Leadership Seminar Announced
...Kansas Agricultural Mediation Services (KAMS) Toll-Free Number
...eXtension Announces Second Call for Engagement
...NE Area County Fair Judges List
...National Extension Diversity Center Newsletter
...Diversity Programs Office Update
...The K-State Research and Extension Computer Tool Kit 2006 is Available
...February Edition of Kansas Junior Master Gardener Newsletter Available
...Master Schedule

...Tuesday Letter Archives

WORD FROM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR - EXTENSION AND APPLIED RESEARCH
Trying to draw inspiration for a theme for this Tuesday article from the Super Bowl didn't seem to happen for me this year. So, then I reflected on the tough losses the K-State Men's BB team has had of late. For that matter, the Women's team has endured some tough losses as well. Ron Prince and his coaching staff have made it through their first recruiting round, but outcomes of that success may not be evident for a few years. So what's to make of any analogy with sports?

Whether it's football or basketball, when performing at the highest level it's all about individuals with great creativity and capacity playing the game with a selfless attitude. It's about giving it your all for the success of the team. Teams can be very good, but fall short of greatness when the success of the team is deemed of less importance than the personal interests or success of individual players.

I wish it were easy to measure the success of great teamwork. The intended outcome isn't so easy to identify in much of what we do, unless the critical steps in a process of completing a complicated set of objectives or goals can be identified. Team planning and preparation are necessary for each step on the road towards that ultimate outcome. And, if the team falls short of accomplishing the steps towards that ultimate goal, it then becomes even more compelling to adjust the planning and preparation in order to continue working towards that ultimate set of goals, as long as the goals represent what the team believes it must achieve.

As I have heard Fred say many times, "Creativity comes through individuals, productivity comes through teams." Stay the course, and do what you can to build your network of team players towards a shared set of goals that will make a difference in the quality of life and standard of living for people of Kansas and ultimately the world. --Daryl Buchholz dbuchhol@ksu.edu

REGINA FITTS, IET, HAS ACCEPTED A NEW JOB
Regina Fitts, Administrative Specialist in the Department of Communications/IET has accepted a new job with the Plant Science and Entomology Research Unit. She will be working for Bob Bowden and a group of scientists, staff, and graduate students. Her last day with IET is February 15, 2006. Regina has been with IET since April 2001. She has been a tremendous asset to the unit and department. Stay tuned for additional information. --Roger Terry rterry@oznet.ksu.edu

Iowa State Soybean Extension Agronomist Coming to K-State
Dr. Palle Pedersen will be in Manhattan on February 15, to present a guest lecture as part of the Department of Agronomy’s Seminar Series.  Since 2003, Dr. Pedersen has been providing the latest research-based information and recommendations on all aspects of soybean production to agronomists and producers throughout the Mid-west.   

Current research of Dr. Pedersen’s program is focused on soybean yield potential, replant decision, SCN-pH interactions, long-term rotation, seed-treatment studies, soil pH management, hail-injury studies, inoculants and seed treatments, herbicide-pest complexes, and a soybean aphid project.

Come join the K-State Department of Agronomy and the Agronomy Graduate Student Association for Dr. Pedersen’s presentation, “Producing a good soybean crop can be challenging – how do we get around it?”  The seminar is free and open to the general public.  Agronomists and producers are welcome to attend this informative presentation 4 p.m. in Throckmorton Plant Science Center Room 1016. --Corey Rozenboom ctroze@ksu.edu

RECEPTION FOR DAVID MENGEL
Please join the Department of Agronomy for a Reception honoring David Mengel for his tenure as Department Head at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, February 16, in room 2002 of Throckmorton Hall. Dave served as Department Head from March 1, 1998 to December 31, 2005. He is now working full-time in the department on research and extension activities. --Karlene Varnadore kgv@ksu.edu

KPERS CONDUCTING PRE-RETIREMENT SEMINARS IN MARCH AND APRIL
The Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) is conducting pre-retirement seminars in the March-April 2006 time frame at various locations throughout the State of Kansas. Employees who have a KPERS or KP&F retirement account and are within five years of retiring are encouraged to attend a seminar when scheduled for your community.

KPERS has developed a complete listing of seminar dates and locations at their website - http://www.kpers.org/preretirementseminars.htm .

Pre-registration is required. Contact KPERS by phone, 877-205-4916 or 785-296-6166; or e-mail, kpers@kpers.org . When registering for a seminar, KPERS will need the following information:

Your name
Seminar location and date
Whether you are attending a KPERS or KP&F seminar
The number of people in your group attending the seminar
Daytime phone number
Your e-mail address

Questions should be addressed to the KSU Division of Human Resources at 785-532-6277. --Joe Younger

BUILDING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THROUGH DELIBERATIVE DIALOGUES
The Community Deliberation Program at University of Missouri Extension will offer a workshop on “Building Community Engagement through Deliberative Dialogues,” March 7-9, in Springfield, MO.  The registration fee is $165.

Complex public issues arise frequently in our communities. We need to talk about these issues and engage our communities in more constructive conversations. Too often, people end up polarized on the issues and feeling discouraged, that nothing they say matters. Public meetings end up with lots of conflict and in shouting matches. There must be a different way to make public decisions in our communities. Using deliberative dialogue is one way. 

Participants will learn:
*  The characteristics which make public issues complex;
*  When a public issue is likely to be contentious;
*  A process for convening inclusive and diverse public forums;
*  How to moderate a public forum and lead a deliberative dialogue;
*  Specific questions to bring out deliberation in a forum;
*  How to record what is said in a public forum;
*  Skills in managing difficult participants;
*  How to use group reflections to identify “common ground”; and,
*  How people can arrive at choices, moving from “me” to “we” 

More information is available at www.ssu.missouri.edu/commdev/pubdelib/training.htm . --Robert Wilson rwilson@mail.agecon.ksu.edu

KANSAS 4-H AMBASSADORS WORKSHOP
Full information on the 2006 Kansas 4-H Ambassador Workshop, March 24 - 25, is on the Kansas4-H.org website: http://www.kansas4-h.org/Events/Ambassador/ . On-line registration is now open.  Registrations will be open through March 1, for regular registration ($75), and through March 10, for late registration ($85).  A special feature of the workshop this year is participants may choose their classes from a list of 10 different classes.  Special sessions of each topic will be offered for experienced Ambassadors.

If you have any questions, please contact one of the Ambassador Action Team members or Rod Buchele. --Rod Buchele rbuchele@ksu.edu

K-STATE LEADERSHIP SEMINAR ANNOUNCED
"Inclusive Leadership: Leading from Within" is the topic of the 2006 Kansas State University Leadership Seminar scheduled March 31, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in K-State´s Student Union. Cost to attend, $25, includes registration, seminar packet and lunch.

"The topic, which focuses on developing cultural competencies to build community, reflects our changing society and a universal desire to be productive, contributing citizens," said Dan Kahl, co-chair of the seminar.

Keynote speakers, Shah Hasan, Columbus, Ohio, and Ata Karim, Seattle, Washington, are preparing to offer the essentials of cultural competency and tips for putting them into action to live and work successfully in a multi-cultural society.

For registration or more information, contact K-State´s Division of Continuing Education at 785-532-5569 or http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/leads/Seminars/seminars.htm . This low-cost seminar is expected to fill quickly. Early registration is recommended. Deadline for registration is March 17. --Nancy Peterson nancyp@oznet.ksu.edu

eXtension ANNOUNCES SECOND CALL FOR ENGAGEMENT
eXtension, the Internet-based land-grant university education and information project, has released its second call for engagement requesting proposals for new and existing Communities of Practice (CoPs), effective February 1, 2006.

Pre-proposals are due to eXtension on March 24, 2006. For more information, go to http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/techweb  or http://intranet.extension.org/ . --Roger Terry rterry@oznet.ksu.edu

NE AREA COUNTY FAIR JUDGES LIST
We have compiled a list of county fair judges for 4-H divisions as well as some open class. A copy was given to the NE Area program units on January 26. Anyone interested in this resource can download it from the intranet at http://intranet.oznet.ksu.edu/neao/PDF/NEA%204H%20Judges.pdf , or go to the Intranet and click on "NE Area." --Diane Mack dmack@oznet.ksu.edu

NATIONAL EXTENSION DIVERSITY CENTER NEWSLETTER
The February edition of the National Extension Diversity Center newsletter is now available. Feature articles include Recruiting Latino Youth to Attend Overnight Camp and Teaching Children About Diversity. The website is located at http://www.ediversitycenter.net/ . --Stacey M. Warner swarner@ksu.edu

DIVERSITY PROGRAMS OFFICE UPDATE
Thanks to all of you who were able to participate in the 2006 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Observance Week Activities. As this semester "breezes" by, we are in February and are ready to celebrate Black History Month. Please stop by the display outside of Waters Hall, Room 138, to view the schedule of events for Black History Month.

To recapture the Martin Luther King events: Monday, January 16, started the week off with a day of community service. The College of Agriculture Diversity Programs Office (DPO) took pride in being an official service site for the Kansas State Community Service Programs Office for the "Day of Service: A Day On and Not a Day Off" event. Several members of the K-State MANRRS (Minorities in Agriculture Natural Resources and Related Sciences) chapter, multicultural student organizations and community individuals volunteered at our site and other sites in the community. We would like to thank all who volunteered at the College of Agriculture DPO for it was a very successful day.

Another activity of celebration and observance for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was the Diversity awareness luncheon with Mr. Carl Stovall as the speaker. Mr. Stovall is a member of Boeing Integrated Systems’ (Wichita, KS) Diversity Council and he chairs the Wichita (KS) Black Arts Festival. The diversity luncheon was sponsored by your Diversity Programs Office. Over fifty student leaders from Multicultural Student Organizations (MSO), College of Agriculture Ambassadors, and members of the Manhattan community came to hear this educational presentation.

This activity was also an introduction of the Graduate Assistant for the College of Agriculture’s Diversity Program Office. Her name is Tonshia Luster and she is a graduate student in Agriculture Economics. She is originally from Pine Bluff, Arkansas and a graduate of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. We welcome her to our office and commend her on a job well done!

Throughout the week several different organizations hosted panel discussions and seminars to celebrate Dr. King’s legacy. To mark the end to a successful week, the Office of Diversity and Career Development sponsored a luncheon and the unveiling of the bust for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that will be on our campus for the future.

Again, thank you for participating in the 2006 MLK observance week of educational activities and we look forward to seeing you this month as well. As usual, you may contact, Dr. Zelia Wiley for additional information or comments at zwh@ksu.edu  or 785-532-5793. Have a great month! --Dr. Zelia Wiley zwh@ksu.edu

FEBRUARY EDITION OF KANSAS JUNIOR MASTER GARDENER NEWSLETTER AVAILABLE
The February edition of the Kansas Junior Master Gardener newsletter is now available at http://4-h.k-state.edu/JMG/Default.htm . Included is information on starting seedlings indoors, as well as several grant opportunities. --Evelyn Neier eneier@ksu.edu

VIEW THE MASTER SCHEDULE OR ADD NEW ACTIVITIES AND EVENTS. 

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