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Joe ArvaiDecision Making Isn't Always as Rational as You Think (or Hope)

When making tough choices about terrorism, troop surges or crime, we usually go with our gut.

The human brain is set up to process two kinds of information simultaneously: the emotional and the empirical. But in most people, emotional responses are much stronger than the rational response and usually take over, according to MAES environmental science and policy researcher Joseph Arvai.

"People tend to have a hard time evaluating numbers, even when the numbers are clear and right in front of them," Arvai said. "In contrast, the emotional responses that are conjured up by problems such as terrorism and crime are so strong that most people don't factor in the empirical evidence when making decisions."

Arvai joined four other scientists to discuss how people make decisions and evaluate risk at a symposium titled "Numbers and Nerves: Affect and Meaning in Risk Information" at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in San Francisco in February.

In his research, Arvai and graduate student Robyn Wilson, of Ohio State University, asked individuals to consider two risk scenarios common in many state parks. One involved crime -- vandalism and purse snatching -- and the other involved damage to property from white-tailed deer, such as auto-deer collisions. The participants were asked to indicate which problem required more attention from risk managers.

"The neat thing with crime and deer overpopulation is that both risks could be measured on the same scale, which made our jobs as researchers easier," Arvai explained. "But because crime incites such a negative emotional response from most people, it consistently received more attention, even when the numbers showed that the risks from deer were much worse. We had to ratchet up the deer damage until it was ridiculously high before people noticed that it was a higher risk than crime.

"The bigger problem we've uncovered is that this response isn't limited to crime and deer," he continued. "We see it happening in other areas: terrorism, the war in Iraq and infectious diseases."

Can this heart over head thinking be reversed?

"People can be given tools that help them to 'listen' more to the empirical side of their brains," Arvai said. "But in our experiments, the effects of these tools tend to be relatively short-term. We've been able to make people aware that they're letting their emotions guide them, and we've developed decision aids that help them strike a better balance between their emotions and the numbers. But people tend to revert to decisions guided by emotions once the experiment is over and they leave the room."

Arvai's research is funded by the National Science Foundation, NASA, the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station and Ohio State University.

Dale Discusses Cellulosic Ethanol with President

Bruce Dale at White House

MAES scientist Bruce Dale (second from right) was among a group of 10 leaders from industry, academia and government labs who were invited to brief President George W. Bush on biofuels and battery-powered vehicles in February. Dale is also associate director of the MSU Office of Biobased Technologies. Dale was asked whether the goal of reducing gasoline consumption by 20 percent in 10 years was achievable and his answer was, "Absolutely yes."

MAES Researchers Work to Develop Biodegradable Alternative to Plastic Mulch Films for Vegetable, Landscape and Nursery Industries

Plastic mulch films are used extensively by growers in the vegetable, nursery and landscape industries for retaining moisture, controlling weeds, warming the soil in early spring, improving crop yield and quality, protecting plants in winter and accelerating plant growth for earlier harvests. The challenge in using the films is the high cost of disposing of the used plastic.

"Getting rid of the used plastic is very expensive, and it's an annual expense for vegetable growers," said Mathieu Ngouajio, MAES horticulture scientist. "Growers pay for labor to cover the fields with plastic and then to have it manually removed at the end of the season, loaded onto a truck and driven to the landfill, and then they have to pay the landfill to take the plastic. These costs are all in addition to the cost of growing the crop. Growers would really benefit from the creation of a biodegradable alternative."

Ngouajio and his colleagues hope an interdisciplinary research project will help create more profitable production practices for these industries, as well as reduce the amount of plastic in landfills.

In 2005, Ngouajio presented a seminar highlighting research he had been conducting since 2002 that evaluated various types of plastic mulches used by the vegetable industry. After he described the limitations he faced when disposing of the used plastic, Tom Fernandez, another MAES horticulture scientist, approached Ngouajio and explained that the nursery and landscape industry faced a similar dilemma -- how to dispose of plastic used to cover growing crops and the tops of greenhouses. Ngouajio and Fernandez decided to work together to seek a solution for both industries and teamed up with plastics chemists Rafael Auras and Maria Rubino from the MSU School of Packaging.

Plastic mulch films are used on multiple vegetable crops in Michigan, including 11,600 acres of fresh market cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes. On this acreage alone, about 165 pounds of plastic are used per acre, for a total of 1.9 million pounds. The cost to dispose of the plastic films amounts to $49 per acre, for a total of $568,400.

"Disposal doesn't only represent a huge expense to growers -- it also adds nearly 2 million pounds of waste plastic to landfills, which is a real environmental concern," Ngouajio said. "Our research is focused on developing a biodegradable mulch film that will help reduce grower expense and eliminate excess waste in our landfills."

The scientists have focused their efforts on designing plastic that could be broken down by soil microbes. They successfully developed three biodegradable mulch films that were field-tested on tomatoes last summer at the MSU Horticulture Teaching and Research Center and are now comparing the effect of the biodegradable material on crop performance and yield to that of conventional black plastic film.

"This is truly an interdisciplinary project," Ngouajio said. "The chemists are evaluating the physical and chemical properties of the film to determine how they break down and change color over time. The horticulture researchers are evaluating tomato yield, weed control and soil temperature, and so far, results appear promising."

Ngouajio says biodegradable mulch films probably will cost more than conventional films, but at the end of the use cycle they'll be a more profitable alternative.

"A biodegradable product will likely cost more to purchase, but it will be more environmentally friendly to use," he said. "Biodegradable materials wear down in much the same way that cornstarch breaks down, so the film will be able to be broken down by the soil and won't need to be dumped in landfills."

Bruce Dale When It Comes to Ethanol, It's Not Easy Being Greener

Producing and using corn ethanol adds fewer greenhouse gases to the environment than making and using gasoline. But producing ethanol from corn grain requires careful management for the greatest environmental benefits.

"Biofuels can provide large environmental benefits compared with gasoline or petroleum diesel," said Bruce Dale, MAES chemical engineering and materials science researcher. "But if we're going to fully realize the environmental potential of biofuels, we need to plan carefully. For example, producing ethanol from corn grain can release large amounts of nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that is 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide, into the environment. It's possible to minimize nitrous oxide emissions and significantly improve the greenhouse gas profile of ethanol, but we need to be aware of and deal squarely with this issue."

Dale, who also is associate director of the MSU Office of Biobased Technologies, was one of seven speakers discussing biofuels and biopower at a symposium titled "Renewable Energy from Biomass: Technology, Policy and Sustainability" at the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting, Feb. 15-19 in San Francisco.

An internationally recognized expert on producing ethanol from cellulose, Dale used a powerful agroecosystem model called CENTURY and life cycle analysis to compare and analyze various methods of producing corn for ethanol in 38 counties in eight states.

"Nitrous oxide was by far the dominant greenhouse gas produced, almost all of it generated at the farm level," Dale explained.

Making some modifications to the way corn is grown - using cover crops, for example - can reduce the amount of greenhouse gases released. Planting winter cover crops, such as ryegrass, reduces nitrous oxide emissions and boosts levels of organic matter in the soil, which makes for more fertile soil.

Harvesting the cornstalks or the cover crop to make cellulosic ethanol also reduces nitrous oxide emissions and reduces overall greenhouse gas levels because the ethanol is used instead of gasoline. But without proper management, harvesting cornstalks also can reduce the amount of organic matter in the soil, which reduces the fertility of the soil over time.

"We need to carefully consider and intelligently manage the entire ethanol production system for long-term sustainability, not just focus on pieces of the system," Dale said. "Ethanol is and will be a critical part of reducing our national dependence on oil for liquid fuels. Production technology for both corn and cellulosic ethanol is advancing rapidly. So it's essential that we understand how to improve all portions of the system for maximum environmental benefits."

This work is funded by the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station and DuPont Biobased Materials Inc.

MAES Scientists Honored at Founders' Day Celebration

Two MAES scientists were honored with Distinguished Faculty Awards at the 2007 MSU Awards Convocation ceremony in February. The Awards Convocation followed President Lou Anna K. Simon's State of the University speech.

Jim KellyJames D. Kelly, MAES crop and soil sciences researcher, and James R. Miller, MAES entomology researcher, received Distinguished Faculty Awards.

Jim Kelly is a prominent research geneticist whose research has focused on the improvement of dry beans, a crop of major importance in Michigan. He directs a breeding and genetics program that uses molecular markers to assist in selection for enhanced yield, plant architecture, processing quality, drought tolerance and disease resistance. Kelly also pioneered the development and adoption of basic molecular tools to enhance the efficiency of bean breeding. These tools are now widely used by bean breeders throughout the world. He has released 34 dry bean varieties in 11 commercial seed classes that have helped diversify bean production in Michigan and contributed to lower production costs. Kelly served as the principal investigator in the release of six successful bean varieties for low-input conditions in Mexico. In Ecuador, he introduced newer molecular technologies to enhance the breeding program and has participated in the release of four varieties.

Jim MillerJim Miller is a world-class insect scientist specializing in the manipulation of insect behavior to prevent pest damage to crops and to reduce disease transmission to humans. He consistently pushes the boundaries of knowledge on the mechanisms underlying important insect behaviors, from the onion fields of Michigan to the villages of Kenya. His investigations of the onion fly have stimulated worldwide research on pest control strategies using attractive and repellent odors. More recently, he has challenged conventional thought surrounding the behavior of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes, with major implications for how developing nations can tackle the disease. Miller has inspired those around him, and a generation of his graduate students and postdoctoral scientists are leading faculty members throughout the United States and in Europe. His contributions have been recognized with an Excellence-in-Teaching Award from his professional society and a Distinguished Alumnus Award from his alma mater.

Each Distinguished Faculty Award recipient receives a stipend of $3,000. The award is presented in recognition of a comprehensive and sustained record of scholarly excellence in research and/or creative activities, instruction and outreach.

Want to Know Best Time to Control Weeds? New MSU Tools Help Track Weed Life Cycles

From dandelions and crabgrass to chickweed and thistles, weeds are one of the most challenging, frustrating and consistent turf problems. Finding an effective way to control these intruders is a top priority for golf course managers, landscape professionals and athletic field managers, as well as homeowners.

On average, Michigan golf course managers spend more than $5,000 per year on chemicals and labor to control weeds. Lawn maintenance companies and homeowners spend an additional $26 million annually to fight weeds statewide.

According to Ron Calhoun, MAES turf research specialist, understanding the life cycles of weeds is the first and most important step in developing effective control programs.

"As a rule, folks don't start to try to figure out what type of weed it is or how to control it until the weed starts to flower," Calhoun said. "But by the time an annual weed starts to flower, it's usually too far into the weed's life cycle for herbicide applications to be effective.

"Fall is the best time to control annual broadleaf weeds in turfgrass, but for many perennial weeds, you can have good control by applying herbicide during or just after flowering," he added.

To help turfgrass and landscape professionals develop effective weed management programs, Calhoun and his colleagues have developed a Web-based program to predict weed flowering times. Weed life cycle predictions are calculated on the basis of season and weather data collected from the Michigan automated weather station network located across the state and weather centers in Ohio and northern Indiana.

"The Web program bases its predictions on growing degree-days instead of an arbitrary calendar date, which may or may not be accurate for any given year in a region," Calhoun explained. "This program bases its information on actual data collected from the weather stations. When you enter your zip code on the Web site, it pulls weather information from the weather station closest to your area and creates a customized report for bug activity, crabgrass emergence, disease breakout and other situations in your area. This is the first program of its kind."

Golf course managers, turfgrass and landscape professionals, and homeowners can access the growing degree-day tracker Web site to learn more about available predictive models and how to calculate growing degree-days, and to sign up to receive customized updates for their area. The Web site address is www.gddtracker.net. There is no charge to access the site or to sign up for the customized reports.

Joan RoseWeather, Old Pipes Challenge Nation's Water Supply

The difficult separation of drinking water and sewage may face more challenges than its aging infrastructure can withstand as unpredictable weather conditions produce floods that beset the nation, an MAES-affiliated water expert says.

The nation needs better ways to monitor the safety of drinking water, Joan Rose, MSU's Nowlin Chair in water research, told the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting Feb. 16. Her talk, "Drinking Water and Health: Forecasting Pathogen Risks in the Great Lakes," focused on ways to identify health threats before an outbreak.

"Outbreaks of waterborne illness are like the plane crashes of the water industry," Rose said. "They're the big events that get people's attention. But there are other things going on. Beneath the big outbreak, we could have 5 percent of people getting sick and it wouldn't even be reported. It can be below our radar screen but a sign of trouble.

"We don't have time just to wait for the plane crashes because our infrastructure is going to take a long time to fix. We need to pay attention to our infrastructure, and we're not doing it."

Rose's Great Lakes work is part of a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration effort to develop forecasts of water quality problems for lakes, rivers and streams. She said much of her Great Lakes work is focused on a water resources system that puts its faith more in water treatment than watershed protection for providing safe water. Focusing solely on treatment, she says, puts the water system in peril from both overwhelming weather events and contaminants that resist conventional treatment.

The recipe for disaster is there, including intake points for drinking water that are not consistently shielded from the sewage that periodically spills into surface waters; inadequate monitoring of the rivers, lakes and streams that provide drinking water as well as the quality of the treated drinking water; and signs that water and sewer pipes are getting old.

Much of the United States -- particularly the Great Lakes region and the Northeast -- has combined sewer systems, in which sewage is carried to treatment facilities but can overflow into rivers and lakes during storms.

Add climate change to the picture, which already has brought significantly higher rainfall to some parts of the country, and Rose said, "This means more people in danger of getting sick, and likely more people are getting sick already."

In the summer of 2004, 1,450 people reported being ill in a resort community in northern Ohio with campylobacter, norovirus, giardia and salmonella. That summer was marked by rainfall 150 percent above the 50-year average.

Rose said an overflow of sewage into Lake Erie ultimately had an impact on groundwater. Both wastewater management, rainfall and lake events were predictors of the potential risk.

"You don't want this to happen in your community," Rose said. "Why can't we identify these communities, especially those vulnerable to high-risk storm and rain events? It's a no-brainer, but we just get complacent about it."

MSU's New Tech Office Paves Innovations' Way to Marketplace

A "business-savvy, externally visible, nimble and competitive" technology transfer organization at Michigan State University will help propel research results into the marketplace.

Called MSU Technologies, the multidisciplinary business organization will provide commercial talent and leadership to transfer MSU discoveries and innovations to industry. The new office was announced in February by MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon in her State of the University address.

MSU researchers, including MAES scientists, routinely make important discoveries and develop new technologies that have commercial potential. MSU Technologies will assess the commercial value of those innovations and market the most promising to potential commercial partners throughout the world, including venture capital investors. MSU Technologies also will help MSU inventors start new businesses to develop the commercial potential of their discoveries.

MSU Technologies will serve as a model business organization for career training of MSU students in the commercialization of science and technology. Its staff will work with the Institute for Entrepreneurship in the Eli Broad College of Business to define elements of a new curriculum to attract students to an entrepreneurial career path. Internships and other training opportunities also will be available through MSU Technologies.

"MSU Technologies is a bold and exciting prospect for Michigan State University," said President Simon. "We have a rich intellectual property base in the research conducted at MSU; this professional business approach will provide the vital translation from idea or discovery to commercialization. At the same time, MSUT will educate our students about innovation-based businesses through opportunities for internships, partnerships with the Broad College of Business and the example of a strong business model."

A search is under way for an executive director who will function as the CEO and report to the vice president for research and graduate studies.

The MSU Foundation, which underwrites MSU's intellectual property program, will provide space for the MSU Technology offices in the University Research Park. The foundation is also providing initial support for salaries and operations.

"MSU Technologies is one of the most exciting new ventures MSU has undertaken," said Ian Gray, vice president for research and graduate studies. "This business-driven concept will evaluate faculty member's research results for commercial value and give them the kind of feedback they need to turn their inventions into commercial successes."

"MSU Technologies is an idea with great promise for connecting MSU's innovative researchers with the business world, where their ideas can be evaluated for their commercial value," said Jim Herbert, president of Neogen Corp. "This concept offers benefits for both MSU and the Michigan business community. I look forward to working with MSU Technologies and applaud the actions of the university in creating this new commercial entity."

The current Office of Intellectual Property will be reorganized as the Office of Inventions and Copyrights to work with MSU Technologies.

Michael Poterala, associate general counsel, has been named the first executive director of the Office of Inventions and Copyrights.

Current Office of Intellectual Property licensing associates and staff members will continue their roles in the new office, which also will be housed at the University Research Park. The responsibilities of the Office of Inventions and Copyrights will include:

  • Administering MSU's patent and copyright processes, including receipt of disclosures from MSU inventors and authors.
  • Routing invention disclosures to MSU Technologies for commercial assessment.
  • Negotiating and executing material transfer agreements and confidential disclosure agreements with sensitivity to faculty needs.
  • Assisting Contract and Grant Administration to negotiate intellectual property clauses in sponsored research agreements.

"We expect MSU Technologies and the Office of Inventions and Copyrights to combine in this new commercialization process as a business-savvy, externally visible, nimble and competitive technology transfer organization," Gray said.

Millenbah Honored by Sigma Alpha

MAES scientist Kelly Millenbah received the Sigma Alpha Agriculture Advocate Award at the Sigma Alpha and Alpha Gamma Rho Leadership Conference in Indianapolis Feb. 24. Millenbah, associate professor of fisheries and wildlife, is also associate director of the Environmental Science & Policy Program at MSU.

Millenbah was nominated by the MSU chapter of Sigma Alpha on the basis of her teaching, research and outreach to the community.

"Dr. Millenbah has strived in her classroom and research to understand the people, populations and habitats surrounding us and the best ways to manage these systems," the nomination reads. "Her research developed a new process for looking at endangered species habitat and how it overlays farming communities through the use of GIS technologies. Her speaking abilities are invigorating, bold and empowering to those who listen to her. Kelly is a woman excelling in the field of fisheries and wildlife in ways in which many women are still trying to catch up."

The Agriculture Advocate Award is given to four women annually and is the highest honor presented by Sigma Alpha.

"I nominated Prof. Millenbah because of the reasons stated in the application form but also because she has been a true role model for women in the field of agriculture and natural resources," said Lisa Campion, president of the MSU chapter of Sigma Alpha. "I have looked up to her since I had a class with her (FW 181). It was an inspiring class, and I continue to use the concepts and materials throughout my education here at MSU."

"Dr. Millenbah was selected from many nominees because, although not a member, she upholds the purpose and objectives of our organization," said Jamie Foster, Sigma Alpha national board president.

Sigma Alpha is a professional agricultural sorority that promotes scholarship, leadership, service and fellowship among its members and provides women with tools to excel in agriculture.

Kelly Millenbah

Kelly Millenbah (second from left) accepts her award from (left to right): Melissa Stamp, national board member; Jamie Foster, national president; and Lisa Campion, MSU Gamma Chapter president.

Ferris Honored by Purdue

John N. "Jake" Ferris, professor emeritus of agricultural economics and long-time MAES faculty member, received the Certificate of Distinction from the Purdue Agricultural Alumni Association at the group's annual meeting Feb. 3.

A prolific author, outstanding teacher and researcher, and highly regarded MSU Extension specialist, Ferris focuses his research on agricultural marketing, outlook and economic development (domestic and international). Though retired, he continues to maintain AGMOD, an econometric/simulation model of U.S. agriculture with a satellite model on Michigan that he developed. AGMOD generates year-to-year forecasts for a 10-year timeframe. Ferris recently converted the model from DOS MicroTsp to Quantitative Micro Softwares EViews5, which opens up opportunities to expand AGMOD substantially and will allow researchers to explore stochastic solutions. In 1997, McGraw-Hill published his textbook, Agricultural Prices and Commodity Market Analysis. Following a favorable review in the May 2004 edition of the American Journal of Agricultural Economics, a new edition has been published by the MSU Press. Ferris also is a five-time recipient of the Premier Forecaster Award from the American Agricultural Economics Association.

The Certificate of Distinction is the highest award of the Purdue Agricultural Alumni Association. It recognizes those who have contributed significantly to agriculture through professional accomplishments, activity in organizations associated with agriculture, community service work and other activities that make the nominees a credit to their profession.

Julia Busik New Faculty Member

The MAES is pleased to welcome a faculty member with a new MAES appointment.

Julia Busik, assistant professor of physiology, received an MAES appointment Jan. 1. Damage to the blood vessels in the eye as a complication of diabetes is a leading cause of blindness in adults. Busik's research seeks to identify the risk factors and design prevention strategies for this disorder. In particular, her work focuses on the role of dyslipidemia in the onset and progression of diabetic retinopathy and explores the potential of dietary fatty acids to prevent retinopathy.

Busik came to MSU as a visiting research associate in 1996 and was named assistant professor for research in 2001. She received a tenure-track position in January 2007. Before her MSU appointment, she was a graduate assistant at the Laboratory of Cellular Metabolism at the National Institute for Physiological Sciences in Okazaki, Japan, and a junior research associate at the Institute for Physiology at the Siberian Branch of the Academy of Medical Sciences in Novosibirsk, Russia.

A member of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Busik serves as an ad hoc reviewer for the American Journal of Physiology, Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Diabetes/Metabolism Research & Reviews, and Diabetes. Since 2006, she has been a member of the American Diabetes Association Research Grant Review Committee. She received her doctorate in physiology from the Graduate University for Advanced Studies in Yokohama, Japan, in 1995, and both her master's degree in physiological genetics and her bachelor's degree in the natural sciences from Novosibirsk State University, in the USSR, in 1991 and 1988, respectively.

MSU Extension and Experiment Station Council Names New Members

The MSU Extension and Experiment Station Council named seven new members, who began two-year terms Jan. 1.

The new members are Sedgwick Harris, of Battle Creek; Judy LaCross, Cedar; Janice McCraner, Arcadia; William Menge, Skanee; Ilona Varga, Detroit; Jack Thompson, Gaylord; and Nancy Waters, Muskegon.

Sedgwick Harris represents Calhoun, Branch and St. Joseph counties, along with the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station and the W.K. Kellogg Experimental Forest. He brings a strong history of 4-H youth development involvement to the council. He is director of admissions and college life at Kalamazoo College.

Judy LaCross represents Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Presque Isle and Leelanau counties, as well as the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Station. She and her husband operate LaCross Farms in Leelanau and Grand Traverse counties, and she is very involved with northern Michigan's fruit industry.

Janice McCraner represents Benzie, Crawford, Kalkaska, Manistee, Missaukee, Roscommon and Wexford counties and the Lake City Experiment Station. McCraner, a former teacher and township supervisor, serves as a county commissioner whose main focus is intergovernmental cooperation efforts.

William Menge represents Baraga, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw and Ontonagon counties. A retired businessman, Menge serves as a county commissioner. He brings a high level of activity in economic development efforts to the council.

Ilona Varga represents Macomb, St. Clair and Wayne counties. A county commissioner, Varga is also a former member of the Michigan Legislature.

Jack Thompson represents Alcona, Alpena, Iosco, Montmorency, Ogemaw, Oscoda and Otsego counties. He is executive director of the University Center in Gaylord and has served on the Otsego County Extension Advisory Council, the Otsego County Economic Alliance and the Otsego County Commission on Aging.

Nancy Waters represents Allegan, Muskegon, Oceana and Ottawa counties and the Trevor Nichols Research Complex. She is retiring from her position on the county board of commissioners and is also a former legislative aide and business co-owner.

The MSU Extension and Experiment Station Council was established in 1998 to serve as a liaison between county councils, field station advisory groups, and state agencies and organizations. Members communicate the importance of the educational programming and the applied research from Michigan's land-grant university to policy-makers, organizations and agencies, and university administrators.

Last Updated: March 17, 2009
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