search articles:     from the issue of September 9, 2004         J.D. Edwards students create cattle-tracking software J.D. Edwards Honors Program students made the news this year when they developed software to track the movements of the nation's 96 million cattle. The software piqued the interest of USDA officials, who are looking for ways to monitor cattle to track disease and assure trade partners that U.S. beef is safe. The students created a database to track each animal from birth to slaughter. The database could also monitor an individual animal's contact with other cattle. Greg Ibach, assistant director of Nebraska's Department of Agriculture, said that if the USDA certifies the system, an eight-state regional program would use it to launch a "premises registration and identification system." The state ag department approached J.D. Edwards with the problem in the fall of 2003. The two-semester project took on some urgency when a cow infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy was detected in December in Washington state. The sheer number of cattle that need to be tracked - Nebraska alone has some 6.5 million head - mean potentially 2 billion records need to be managed then stored for up to 20 years. Students had to grapple with privacy issues for growers and the logistics of gathering and entering data into the system. GO TO: ISSUE OF SEPTEMBER 9 NEWS HEADLINES FOR SEPTEMBER 9 Year in Review 2003-2004 Looking to the Future: New People, New Facilities - Construction brightens landscape and buildings Research and Discovery - Biological center studies vaccines for botulinum, Valley Fever Service to Our State - UNL unites to help storm victims Student Successes - 12 earn the nation's biggest academic honors Teaching Faculty & Program Successes - Grant funds Fosse study, leads to D.C. Teaching, Faculty & Program Successes - New college focuses on families, education The University from a National View - UNL 100 years of Extension 2 honored for research, creativity Academy praises film Architecture chapter is best in the country Broadcasting senior claims 2nd forensics title Center assists food companies for 20 years Company helps track mad cow disease Conference tackles water, law conflicts Duo looks into social impacts of infertility Feedlot has room to grow Future lawyers win national contest Graduate earns 1st degree in culinology Hanson gains USDA teaching award Helping parents prepare for school J.D. Edwards students create cattle-tracking software Nebraska Lectures return Now on NET: HDTV NU gains a new president, other leaders for new year Program creates tests to fight food allergens Ritchie's work earns NU honors Savory joins Academy Scientists' beef research earns international prize Statistics expands Tularemia examined as a bioterror threat UNL continues to climb various U.S. rankings UNL is a home for all things Lewis and Clark Work studies our unique Sandhills Zeng's discoveries lead to fellowship 731833S33580X