Announcements
February 2014
Dr. Seuss story time scheduled for March 1
University Book Store in the Memorial Union will host a Dr. Seuss Story Time on Saturday, March 1 (10:30 a.m.). It will include a special appearance by the Cat in the Hat.
Teaching-as-Research proposals now being accepted
Proposals are now being accepted to fund graduate student Teaching-as-Research (TAR) projects. TAR involves the deliberate, systematic and reflective use of research methods to develop and implement teaching practices that advance the learning experiences and outcomes of students and teachers. Students will participate in the TAR program along with faculty who are engaged in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) scholars program. Applications are due by April 7.
Library offers another EndNote Basic workshop
Due to poor weather conditions, the library is offering an additional research workshop on March 14 (2:30-4 p.m., location available upon registration) that introduces EndNote Basic, a free bibliographic management program that helps you collect, organize, format and use collected citations in writing projects. Faculty, staff and students are welcome. Pre-registration is required.
Library recycling moves past pilot phase
A student pilot project to recycle food and beverage containers in Parks Library that wrapped up in late January went well, and the recycling will continue indefinitely. Aly Straube, a junior in chemical engineering and the Government of the Student Body's director of sustainability, said volunteers from the student Genetics Club will monitor and empty the blue receptacles when classes are in session; library staff and student assistants will handle the program during breaks. There is a food/beverage container recycling bin on each of the library's four floors, strategically placed next to the newspaper recycling bin. Items suitable for these bins are:
- Clear and colored glass bottles
- Plastic bottles and food containers Nos. 1-7 -- including many microwave meal containers
- Tin and aluminum cans
Learn what the Employee Assistance Program offers
Iowa State's Employee Assistance Program administrator, Employee and Family Resources (EFR), is offering an orientation webinar two times on March 5 (8:30-9 a.m. or 12:30-1 p.m.) to help employees learn about the resources EFR offers. Examples include confidential telephone or in-person counseling; legal and financial services; elder care resources; web information and more. Click these links (morning session; afternoon session) to join the webinars; preregistration is not required. Contact EFR, 800-327-4692, with questions.
Next Osborn Club lecture is March 10
Alexander King, Critical Materials Institute, U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory, will present "Critical Materials: Past, Present and Future" at the Osborn Club lecture on March 10 (7 p.m., Hach Hall atrium). Lectures are free and open to the public following the club dinner.
March 6 hearing on campus precedes regents Iowa City meeting
If you'd like to comment on any items scheduled for discussion at the state Board of Regents meeting March 12 in Iowa City, you have several options:
- Attend one of six public hearings held at the regents institutions and board office March 6-7. Iowa State's hearing is Thursday, March 6 (4-5 p.m., Memorial Union Oak Room). All public hearings will be video recorded and posted to the regents' hearings website. Transparency officer Shirley Knipfel will preside at the meeting.
- Provide written comments to regents transparency officer Sheila Doyle Koppin, sdoyle@iastate.edu.
Meeting materials and an agenda for the March meeting will be posted to the regents homepage by March 4.
Beware of 'pay raise' phishing scam
A new email phishing scam tells employees they are qualified for a raise on their next paycheck, and instructs them to click on a link. Do not click on the link, or on any link in an email with an unrecognized sender.
ISCORE session will focus on ISU faculty/staff affinity groups
The Faculty and Staff Affinity Council, consisting of leaders from existing ISU faculty/staff associations, will be a presenter at ISCORE on March 7, in an effort to generate interest in forming other faculty/staff affinity groups on campus. Register for ISCORE 2014 and attend “Building Community and Creating Unity through Faculty and Staff Affinity Groups” to learn more.
Snow ordinance in effect Thursday at 8 a.m.
The City of Ames snow ordinance will go into effect at 8 a.m. on Thursday, Feb. 20. If the predicted snow does not accumulate, the snow ordinance will not be in effect. Vehicles parked along snow routes (marked by red and white signs) must be moved or they will be ticketed and towed. Drivers should move vehicles to off-street parking or to streets that are not designated snow routes. To assist in plowing efforts, all Ames residents are asked to remove parked vehicles from residential streets. However, only those on snow routes are required to move them. The snow ordinance remains in effect until streets are completely plowed from curb to curb, and it has stopped snowing.
Nominations sought for Memorial Union awards
Many individuals have given their time and resources to make the Memorial Union a great place for students, alumni, faculty and friends of Iowa State. The MU staff recognizes these contributions through its annual awards: The M.J. Riggs Award, the Four Seasons Award and the Harold Pride Service Medallion. Award descriptions and forms are online; nominations are due March 15.
Funds available to help bring national academy members to campus
Central funding is available to help bring distinguished members of the national academies (National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Sciences, Institute of Medicine) to campus for short-term visits. Funds from the new President's Distinguished Seminar Support Program will be awarded competitively to supplement departments' normal seminar funds. Proposals may be submitted to Jaime Watson, jwatson@iastate.edu, 4-6410, Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost. The maximum amount awarded annually to any department or program is $1,500.
PSI vision is focus of upcoming series
Plant Sciences Institute director Patrick Schnable will hold two open sessions to explore a possible workshop series for plant scientists, computational scientists, engineers and others interested in the area of phenomics. The sessions, "PSI: A New Model for Success," will be held 1-2:30 p.m. on Feb. 21 (MU Gallery) and Feb. 25 (MU Multicultural Center).
Ames snow ordinance in effect at noon Monday
The City of Ames snow ordinance will go into effect at noon Monday, Feb. 17. The ordinance is operational when 2 inches of snow has fallen on major Ames streets. Vehicles parked along snow routes (marked by red and white signs) must be moved or they will be ticketed and towed. Drivers should move vehicles to off-street parking or to streets that are not designated snow routes. To assist in plowing efforts, all Ames residents are asked to remove parked vehicles from residential streets. However, only those on snow routes are required to move them. The snow ordinance remains in effect until streets are completely plowed from curb to curb, AND it has stopped snowing
Professor emeritus to read from new memoir
University Professor Emeritus of English Neil Nakadate will read from his new memoir on Feb. 19 (7 p.m., MU Sun Room). Looking After Minidoka is the story of the discrimination and incarceration in a U.S. detention camp (named Minidoka) faced by Nakadate's Japanese American family during World War II. The presentation is free and open to the public.
BBQ lunch truck moves indoors temporarily
The Smokin’ G’s BBQ food truck has moved inside Kildee Hall until spring. Diners can find their food in the Iowa Farm Bureau Pavilion Tuesdays through Thursday (11 a.m.-2 p.m.) The Marshalltown-based business is one of the truck vendors that came to campus last August.
Sustainability symposium registration open
The fifth edition of Iowa State's Symposium on Sustainability takes place Tuesday, Feb. 25. If you're planning to attend any or all of the free symposium in the Memorial Union, please register online by 7 p.m. Feb. 23.
Remote viewing: The Tuesday afternoon sessions (1-5 p.m.), which include panels, a visioning forum and the Live Green awards ceremony, also can be viewed remotely. Those viewing sessions online needn't register.
Eating disorders awareness week is Feb. 20-28
Obesity and addictions expert and author Ralph Carson will headline a week of campus events Feb. 20-28 in observance of the national Eating Disorders Awareness Week. Carson's talk is Feb. 20 (7 p.m., MU Sun Room). Events are free and open to the public.
Free Zumba class offered after work on Feb. 18
February is American Heart Month, and ISU employees are invited to participate in a free "Zumba for Your Heart" class on Feb. 18 (5:15 p.m., 202 Forker West). Wear comfortable clothes and tennis shoes. Participants will need to sign a release form at the beginning of the class.
Volunteers sought who'd like nutrition counseling
ISU dietetic students are seeking healthy volunteers to participate in nutrition counseling. Volunteers will meet with senior-level dietetic students three times during the semester, beginning in early March. The students will evaluate your eating habits, and help you set goals to improve your eating patterns. Volunteers cannot have any specific health concerns, such as diabetes. If you are interested in volunteering, contact Sally Barclay.
EH&S offers new lab safety training course
Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) is offering a new training course for laboratory safety contacts on Feb. 25 (10-11:30 a.m.) or Feb. 26 (2-3:30 p.m.). Both sessions are in 1230 Environmental Health and Safety Services Building. Attendees will learn about EH&S resources and contacts, and have the chance to network with other safety contacts. Register online. Call 4-5359 for more information.
Feb. 10 Coach Talk with Bill Fennelly is canceled
Due to recruiting commitments, Bill Fennelly's Feb. 10 Coach Talk has been canceled.
Faculty teleworkshop moved to Feb. 11
The teleworkshop, "How Mindfulness Can Help Your Writing, Teaching and Peace of Mind," has been moved to Tuesday, Feb. 11 (5-6:30 p.m.). The program, presented by the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity, will be facilitiated by Cassie Premo Steele. Registration is required; details, including login access, is available on the provost's website.
Registration is open for March 7 ISCORE
All faculty, staff and students are invited to attend the 15th annual Iowa State Conference on Race and Ethnicity (ISCORE) on Friday, March 7 (8 a.m.-5 p.m., Memorial Union). Registration is free but required. University Professor in the School of Education Dan Robinson will give the morning address (9 a.m., MU Sun Room). The luncheon speaker is Chancellor Harold Martin Sr., North Carolina A&T State University.
College of Business offers free tax preparation
ISU accounting students are offering free tax preparation services through the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, beginning Feb. 17 through April 15. Taxpayers with household incomes of $52,000 or less are eligible for basic return preparation services. Additional information, including hours, is available online.
'IT Futures' is topic of next P&S Council open forum
Jim Davis, ISU's chief information officer, will speak about the university's information technology at the next Professional and Scientific Council's open forum, Feb. 11 (2-3 p.m., MU Campanile Room). Davis will discuss the numerous forward-looking IT initiatives under way at Iowa State. All are welcome to attend.
Registration open for girls' science camp
Register now for Spring Science Explorations, an after-school science camp for girls in third through sixth grades. Led by students in the Program for Women in Science and Engineering, the camp will meet Friday afternoons (4-6 p.m., Carver Hall) Feb. 14 through March 7. Register online by Feb. 12. Contact Janice Crow with questions.
Osborn Club lecture is Feb. 10
William Gutowski Jr., professor of geological and atmospheric sciences, will speak about "The IPCC Fifth Assessment Report: Where We Are, Where We Are Heading," at the next Osborn Club lecture on Feb. 10 (7 p.m., Hach Hall atrium). The lecture is free and open to the public following the club member dinner.
University faculty and staff award nominations due Feb. 20
Nominations for University awards given annually to outstanding faculty and staff must be submitted online to the Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost by Feb. 20. Earlier deadlines may be required for colleges and unit submissions. Award descriptions, criteria and nomination instructions are online.
Ames snow ordinance in effect at 6 p.m. Tuesday
The City of Ames snow ordinance will go into effect at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4. Snow plows may be dispatched prior to this time. However, no tickets or towing of vehicles will take place before 6 p.m.Vehicles parked along snow routes (marked by red and white signs) must be moved or they will be ticketed and towed. Drivers should move vehicles to off-street parking or to streets that are not designated snow routes. To assist in plowing efforts, all Ames residents are asked to remove parked vehicles from residential streets. However, only those on snow routes are required to move them. The snow ordinance remains in effect until streets are completely plowed from curb to curb, AND it has stopped snowing
'Vagina Monologues' tickets on sale now
Tickets are on sale for three ISU performances of Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues on Feb. 13 (8:30 p.m.) and Feb. 14 (6 and 8:30 p.m.), all in the MU Maintenance Shop. Tickets are $12 (ISU students $10) via MIDWESTIX, the MU ticket office or by phone, 515-294-8349. Proceeds will be donated to Ames' Assault Care Center Extending Shelter and Support and the 2014 V-Day spotlight campaign. For more information, contact the Margaret Sloss Women's Center, 515-294-4154.
Nominations for gender equity awards due Feb. 21
Nominations for the Margaret Sloss Gender Equity Award are being accepted through Feb. 21. Nominees may be faculty, staff students or members of the Ames community who have demonstrated a commitment to helping women gain equity within the university or Ames communities. Recipients will be honored at a ceremony on March 25 (1-3 p.m., MU Campanile Room).
Hort Club will sell roses on Feb. 14
As a Valentine's Day fundraiser, members of the Horticulture Club will sell roses (red, white, dark pink, yellow) on Friday, Feb. 14 (9 a..m.-4 p.m., ground floor west end, Memorial Union). Prices range from $5 (single rose) to $55 (12 roses in a vase, including the optional Cyclone Bouquet -- six red and six yellow roses). Prices include flowers, greenery, card and either a vase or tissue paper and cellophane sleeve. Payment must be by cash or check. You also may pre-order roses through Feb. 10 and pick them up Feb. 14 (7 a.m.-5 p.m., 0045 Horticulture -- not the MU); email roses@iastate.edu to request a pre-order form. Questions may be directed to 515-450-1920.
Arts and events
'Die Fledermaus' is a farce of mistaken identity, flirtation and a practical joke with unanticipated consequences. It opens Nov. 7 in Fisher Theater.
