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11-7-97

Contacts:
Terrance Campbell, MANRRS, (515) 296-3964
Mary de Baca, Agriculture, (515) 294-8574
Karen Bolluyt, Agricultural Information, (515) 294-3701
Steve Jones, News Service, (515) 294-4778

MINORITIES IN AGRICULTURE NATIONAL CONFERENCE HOSTED BY ISU ORGANIZATION IN DES MOINES, APRIL 1-4

AMES, Iowa -- Approximately 500 persons from around the United States will visit Des Moines in April to attend the Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) national conference.

The 13th annual national meeting will be hosted by Iowa State University's MANRRS chapter April 1-4 at the Des Moines Marriott Hotel.

Many of the conference attendees will bus to Ames April 2 to tour ISU agricultural facilities and visit with university faculty and staff. They also will take part in activities acknowledging the contributions of Iowa State alumnus and famous African American scientist George Washington Carver.

MANRRS was organized in 1985 to promote the agricultural sciences and related professions among underrepresented groups, said conference coordinator Mary de Baca of the ISU College of Agriculture.

MANRRS membership is made up of undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and professionals employed in agriculture and affiliated fields, such as forestry, wildlife biology and ecological studies.

An important objective of MANRRS is to increase the number of minority students in agriculture and related fields, said Terrance Campbell, a food science major at ISU and president of the ISU MANRRS chapter.

"MANRRS also provides a vehicle for minority students to network with other students, faculty and persons working in agriculture, the natural sciences and in natural resources fields," Campbell added. "It also promotes among the members a better understanding of people from different cultures."

The ISU MANRRS chapter, formed in 1990, is one of 40 located at colleges and universities in 29 states. The national organization has a membership of nearly 1,300 students and professionals. Membership is composed of African Americans, Asian Americans, Caucasians, Hispanics and Native Americans.

The 1997 MANRRS national conference was held in Baton Rouge, La.

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NOTE TO BROADCASTERS: MANRRS is pronounced "manners."

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Revised 11/7/97