133 



Research Centers 



Iowa Agriailtuie and Home Economics 

 Experiment Station 



David G. Tope!, Director 



Thomas A. Fretz, Associate Director 



Experiment Station research serves producers, agribusiness, 



communities and policy-makers. Its scientists wfork in 



campus laboratories, on land near Ames, at 11 research 



centers throughout Iowa, and in the fields and business 



places of private citizens. The station supports approximately 



350 projects involving scientists from about 30 departments. 



It cooperates with the USDA and other state and federal 



agencies and is the administrative unit for the following 



research programs. 



• Utilization Center for Agricultural Products (UCAP) 

 Dennis Olson, Director 



Increased utilization of agricultural products through 

 development of new products, new markets and new 

 processing technology is the focus of the center. It sti-ength- 

 ens and broadens programs in two existing ISU centers — the 

 Meat Export Research Center and the Center for Crops 

 Utilization Research. 



• Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) 

 Stanley R. Johnson, Administrator 



This center is involved in econometric analysis of the impact 

 of biotechnology and technological change on the financial 

 condition of the agncultural industry and the structure ot 

 agnculture. It also focuses on resources and conservation 

 policy, rural and economic development policy, trade and 

 agricultural policy, and food nutiition pobcy. The Midwest 

 Agribusiness Trade Research and Information Center is 

 affiliated with CARD. MATRIC, a pmt effort of ISU and the 

 Greater Des Moines Chamber of Commerce, links the 

 research capabilities of the university with the needs of 

 agribusiness. 



• The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture 

 Dennis Keeney, Director 



Named for conservationist Aldo Leopold, this center was 

 established by the Iowa Legislahire in 1987 to conduct 

 research on the environmental and socio-economic impacts 

 of farming practices and to help develop profitable farming 

 systems that preserve the productivity and quality of natural 

 resources and the environment. 



• Social and Behavioral Research Center for Rural Health 

 Rand Conger, Director 



ISU and Iowa Methodist Health System created this center in 

 1988 in response to concern about the increasing amount and 

 seventy of rural health problems. The center's mission is to 

 help unprove the health of rural people through research 

 programs and application of the insights tfiat result. The 

 center's research is focused on understanding rural health 

 risks, reducing health risks in rural areas and fostering 

 effective rural health policies and services. The center is 

 associated with the Center for Agricultural Safety and 

 Health, a joint effort between ISU and the University of Iowa. 



• North Central Regional Center for Rural Development 

 Peter Korsching, Director 



Serving 12 Midwestern states, the center is one of four 

 regional centers coordinating rural development research 

 and education through the land-grant institutions in the 

 United States. The center assists public and pnvate decision 

 making by encouraging and conducting research, extension 

 and educational programs designed to improve the social 

 and economic well-being of non-metropolitan communities. 



• North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station 



Peter K. Bretting, Coordinator 



One of four regional centers, the station maintains seed 



(germplasm) collections of 30,000 individual lines. The 



station has three bas\c areas of activity: (1 ) to grow and store 



seed to mamtam viability of the collection, (2) to conduct 



research, and (3) to serve as a distnbution center for plant 



scientists. 



• Center for International Agricultural Finance 



NeU E. Harl, Director 



The center was established in 1990 to conduct schools and 

 short courses in agncultural banking, credit and finance. 

 Initially the center is focusing on countiies in Eastern Europe 

 and Eurasia. 



• North Central Regional Aquaculture Center 

 Joeseph E. Morris, Asscxnate Director 



This center is administered jointly by Michigan State Univer- 

 sity and BU. It is one of five regional centers established to 

 develop collatxjrative interstate research and cooperative 

 extension programs for commercial aquaculture-the culture 

 or husbandry of aquatic organisms under controlled condi- 

 tions. 



• Seed Science Center 



Manjit Misra, Director 



Programs at this center include research; seed testing; 



training seed specialists and seed scientists; and providing 



infonnation for seed growers, conditioners and sellers 



JANUARY 1993 



