Announcements
December 2015
Family film series at Reiman kicks off Jan. 2
The January family movie series at Reiman Gardens kicks off Jan. 2, with Mary Poppins. Films will be shown (indoors!) twice daily (10 a.m. and 1 p.m.) on the five Saturdays in January. Admission is free for members and everyone under 18 years; adults pay garden admission ($8, seniors $7). Movie snacks and soda are available for purchase.
Registration open for final presidential caucus MOOC
The final session of the Iowa Presidential Caucuses MOOC (Massive Open Online Course) began Jan. 5 and can be joined in progress. The course, taught by University Professor of political science Steffen Schmidt, lasts four weeks. Enrollment is free and registration is open to all. Participants won't earn academic credit, but will receive a certificate of completion for completing 50 percent of the course activities.
Recycle the fronts of greeting cards
The office of sustainability is collecting greeting cards through Jan. 29 for upcycling. Collected cards will be sent to St. Jude’s Ranch for Children to be made into new cards, with all proceeds supporting St. Jude’s work with children. Send card fronts only to Merry Rankin, 108 General Services, or drop them off in collection boxes in the General Services Building. Although holiday cards specifically are being targeted, other occasion cards (birthday, thank you, etc.) may be included. Hallmark, Disney and American Greeting cards can't be used in St. Jude's upcycling project.
Tickets for April 22 Ron White comedy show on sale Dec. 18
Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m., Friday, Dec. 18, for an April 22 comedy show (8 p.m., Stephens Auditorium) featuring Ron White. White, a Grammy-nominated comedian and film actor, is best known for his stint in the "Blue Collar Comedy Tour." Tickets, $45 and $55, will be available at the Iowa State Center ticket office and through Ticketmaster.
Industrial Education II demolition to close parking lot
Demolition of Industrial Education II, on the northwest corner of Stange road and Pammel Drive, is scheduled to begin yet this month. That site will be home to the five-story Advanced Teaching and Research Building for the biosciences. Construction fencing will be installed the week of Dec. 21 and remain in place through construction of the new building. Drivers will have access to general staff parking lot 35 (north of Industrial Education II) only from Stange Road; the drive on the north side of Industrial Education II will not be open at Winlock Road. General staff parking lot 34, along the west side of the building, will be closed. Please park in other general staff lots. Over the summer, a new parking lot will be constructed west of the site and north of the Insectary. The sidewalk on the north side of Pammel Drive in front of the building also will be inside the construction zone and unavailable for use throughout the demolition and construction phases.
Diversity training email sent in error
An email on diversity training was inadvertently sent early this week to a large number of employees who aren't due for a training session. If you received the mailing, disregard it. Those who need to complete training will receive a second mailing at a later date.
Register now for Feb. 11 P&S conference
Registration is open for the P&S Council's Feb. 11 professional development conference. "Building YOU, Reinforcing US" is an all-day event in the Scheman Building with sessions on topics such as communication, team building, managing conflict, middle management, change, diversity and inclusion. The conference fee of $75 includes lunch and is available through Jan. 8. No walk-up registrations will be accepted. Contact pands-pd@iastate.edu with questions.
Reminder: Confirm 2016 benefits by 5 p.m. Friday
Employees are reminded to review their 2016 Benefit Confirmation Statement in AccessPlus and submit corrections by 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 11. If the changes made during the open change period this fall are correct, no further action is needed. Employees who find errors should follow the instructions included in the confirmation statement.
Private gift endows student organization
A $100,000 gift from Farm Credit Services of America will endow ISU's Agricultural Business Club, a student organization with about 270 members. The endowment is named in honor of economics professor Ron Deiter, who has been advising the club for 38 years.
Tickets on sale for Red Green's April show
Red Green will bring his latest show, "I'm Not Old, I'm Ripe," to Ames on April 13, 2016 (7 p.m., Stephens Auditorium). Tickets are $54 and available at the Iowa State Center ticket office and through Ticketmaster.
University marketing has temporary move to Memorial Union
Effective Monday, Dec. 14, and likely through the spring semester, the office of university marketing will be set up in 3538 Memorial Union (in the northeast corner of the third floor). Office phone numbers will remain the same. University marketing will return to the third floor of Beardshear Hall early next summer.
Registration open for women's spring dance class
Women of all ages and dance skill levels are welcome in the semester-long "Women in Motion." Classes begin Jan. 24, 2016, and run most Sundays (1-2:30 p.m., Forker Building) through performances on April 29-30. The fee is $130. The class is hosted by Co'Motion Dance Theater, in residence in the kinesiology department. More information, including registration, is online.
Tickets on sale for February Kenan Thompson comedy show
Tickets are on sale for the Feb. 17, 2016, performance by comedian Kenan Thompson (8 p.m., Stephens Auditorium). Thompson is best known for his 12-year stint on Saturday Night Live. Tickets are $30 ($20 for ISU students with I.D.) and available at the Iowa State Center ticket office or through Ticketmaster. All tickets are general admission; doors open at 7 p.m. There is a limit of eight tickets per order (two-ticket limit at the student price). ISU's Student Union Board is sponsoring this performance.
Tips to help you drive and walk safely this winter
ISU environmental health and safety wants the university community to stay safe when walking on snow and ice. On average, 20 percent of slip-and-fall injuries occur in parking lots. To reduce your risk of a fall, maintain three points of contact when stepping out of a vehicle, retrieve items after exiting the vehicle, and use the vehicle for support. Get more tips for walking and driving safely this winter on the department's winter website.
Holiday gift guide for Cyclone fans
CyStyle, a social media marketing site managed by ISU's trademark licensing office, compiled an online holiday gift guide that features officially licensed Iowa State merchandise. The website features cardinal and gold gift ideas that include ISU Carhartt outwear, Star Wars themed Cyclone apparel and exclusive OYO minifigures and building sets, with direct ordering links to retail websites. Contact Darci Kester (294-4402, kester@iastate.edu) with questions about the gift guide.
Limited access to library tiers, beginning Jan. 4
Sections of the Parks Library tiers will be off limits and some materials will be inaccessible during phased upgrades to the fire suppression system, Jan. 4 through May 25. The work will begin in Tier 7 and proceed through Tier 1, with an estimated three weeks of construction work on each section. Items in the closed areas may be requested through interlibrary loan and BorrowItNow services. Library users also can expect added noise in the tier areas. Updates will be available on the library website and social media channels.
Take a break with Barks@Parks
Students are invited to take a study break during dead week and enjoy the University Library's Barks@Parks program. Certified therapy dogs will be available to students from 1 to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday, Dec. 7-11, in 192 Parks Library. For more information, contact Monica Gillen (294-1442, mgillen@iastate.edu).
Steam blow at power plant will continue through the weekend
A "steam blow" that began Wednesday on Iowa State's three new natural gas boilers is expected to continue round the clock through the weekend. Drivers and pedestrians in the vicinity of the power plant's southeast corner will notice two large plumes of steam visible from Beach Road. Also expect a low rumbling noise. This is part of the process of bringing the new boilers into service. A steam blow removes debris that builds up inside the new piping during construction and could damage the turbine blades.
Volunteer judges sought for spring science/technology fairs
Volunteer judges -- individuals with a major, degree or background in science, engineering or technology -- are needed for the State Science and Technology Fair of Iowa, March 31-April 1, 2016, in Hilton Coliseum. The two-day event includes a combined senior high fair and FFA Agriscience Fair on Thursday, March 31, and a middle school fair on Friday, April 1. The senior high event needs about 100 judges; the middle school event about 350 judges, who will evaluate research projects and work with students to help them become better researchers. Volunteers are asked to register online.
Reserve course materials for spring semester now
Instructors who wish to place required materials on reserve at Parks Library for spring semester should submit requests now. Forms are available online.
Vote now for Academic Minute Listener’s Choice Award
Stacy Tye-Williams, an assistant professor of communications studies and English, is a nominee for the 2015 Academic Minute Listener’s Choice Award. Tye-Williams was featured in a January 2015 segment for her research on workplace bullies. Vote and listen to Tye-Williams’ essay here. (Scroll to the vote section at the bottom of the page.) A podcast on the research also is available. The Academic Minute is broadcast on WAMC Northeast Public Radio and features researchers from colleges and universities around the world. Voting for the Listener’s Choice Award is open until Dec. 12.
Memorial service for Hamilton Cravens planned for February
Hamilton Cravens, a retired faculty member in the history department, died Nov. 24 in Minneapolis. He was 77. Cravens taught in the history department from 1968 to 2010. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016, at Lakewood Garden Mausoleum, 3600 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis. Memorials may be made to public radio station KBEM in the Twin Cities. Obituary.
Fall Honors poster presentation is Dec. 9
The University Honors Program invites the campus community to attend the fall 2015 poster presentation and reception on Dec. 9 (3-5 p.m., MU Great Hall). Fall 2015 Honors graduates and other Honors students will present information and answer questions about their projects.
Bookstore hosts Star Wars story hour this Saturday
Join staff at the University Book Store, Memorial Union, for a Star Wars story time Saturday, Dec. 5 (10:30 a.m., in the bookstore). Listen to Star Wars stories, have your picture taken in a themed photo booth, enter a drawing for movie tickets and check out the store's Star Wars merchandise. This is a free event; all are welcome.
Child support services information available to students
The Child Welfare Research and Training Project (CWRTP) is launching its new "Parenting: It's a Life" (PIAL) child support awareness project. The project aims to provide students in need of child support services with the information and resources necessary to make decisions about their ability to raise a child while completing a degree. PIAL representatives will begin distributing informational brochures around campus this week. If you know of students who could use this resource, or you are a student seeking child support services, please contact CWRTP at 294-6502.
Register for Project LEA/RN workshop
Are your students doing the kind of thinking required by professionals? Are your clients processing the information needed to solve complex problems? During an ISU Project LEA/RN (Learning Enhancement Action/Resource Network) workshop Tuesday-Wednesday, Jan. 5-6, you will:
- Uncover insights about the brain based on current research
- Engage in strategies that promote interaction and deep thinking
- Apply your new understandings in situations where you facilitate learning
Strategies experienced and concepts explored at this workshop will be applicable to classes, orientation sessions, extension meetings and other learning situations for which you are responsible. Enrollment is limited to 20 educators; RSVP to Project LEA/RN associate director Jan Wiersema.
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.
