Announcements
June 2018
Volunteers haul an estimated 700 pounds of trash from creek
More than 50 volunteers, donating a combined 178 hours of service, filled 52 garbage bags with trash from campus sections of College Creek on June 23. This summer's George Washington Carver interns in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences partnered with ISU's Live Green initiative to lead the way. The content of the bags weighed an estimated 700 pounds. Items retrieved include a Guitar Hero set, two inflatable pools, one tire and two construction barricades. Event photos.
Several imaging facilities merge into one
The Confocal and Multiphoton Facility, Image Analysis Facility, Microscopy and NanoImaging Facility, and the Roy J. Carver Laboratory for Ultrahigh Resolution Biological Microscopy (part of the Institute for Combinatorial Discovery) have merged into the Roy J. Carver High Resolution Microscopy Facility (HRMF). Margie Carter, Tracey Stewart and Curtis Mosher co-manage the new facility, which is administered by the Office of Biotechnology. The HRMF is located in the basement of the Molecular Biology Building. More information about the facility's services is online.
Last call: Volunteers needed for state fair exhibit
The office of university marketing is still seeking faculty and staff to fill 25 volunteer shifts at the university's state fair exhibit, Aug. 9-19 in Des Moines. There are two volunteer shifts daily, 8:45 a.m.-3 p.m. and 2:45 p.m.-9 p.m., to either roll Cyclone football posters or apply temporary Iowa State tattoos. All volunteers receive free fair admission, a parking pass and a volunteer T-shirt. University employees who enjoy meeting the public and are interested in volunteering should sign up online by 4:30 p.m. June 29. If volunteering during the work week, staff should get their supervisor's approval. Questions may be directed to Grace Rosson in the university marketing office, 294-3969.
Work on Interstate 35 flyover ramp could run into 2019
The Iowa Department of Transportation, which is overseeing construction of a flyover ramp to connect northbound I-35 lanes to westbound U.S. Highway 30 lanes in Ames, reported this week that the contractor is making corrections to the ramp piers erected last summer. The repairs include correcting pier and abutment elevations and repositioning anchor bolts before steel bridge beams can be placed. The goal remains to complete the flyover ramp by late fall, but work may have to continue into 2019.
Lecture by Nobel laureate Danny Shechtman is July 12
Danny Shechtman, a 2011 Nobel Prize winner, Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in Engineering and Ames Lab associate, will deliver a free public lecture on Thursday, July 12 (7:30 p.m., MU Pioneer Room). As a featured speaker for the International Union of Crystallography's international Conference on Aperiodic Crystals, Shechtman will present "The Role of TEM in the Discovery of the Quasi-Periodic Materials." He won the Nobel Prize for his 1982 discovery of quasicrystals -- crystalline materials whose atoms don’t line up periodically like every other crystal studied by modern crystallography. The discovery is regarded as a revolutionary find that changed ideas about matter and its atomic arrangement. No registration is required to attend.
Center lots open at 8 p.m. July 3 for fireworks watching
Ames' Independence Day fireworks display will begin at 9:45 p.m. Tuesday, July 3. The fireworks will be launched from ISU parking lot G7, a grass field east of Jack Trice Stadium and University Boulevard. The parking lots surrounding the stadium and the Iowa State Center will be available beginning at 8 p.m. for fireworks viewing. To ensure safety for all, these items are not allowed in the parking lots: personal fireworks, sparklers, bottle rockets, firecrackers and an open flame of any kind. (Lighting fireworks within Ames city limits is illegal; the minimum fine for this simple misdemeanor charge is $250). In the case of rainy weather, the fireworks display will be moved to Thursday, July 5.
Invitation: 2018-19 CELT Teaching Partners program
Are you interested in having meaningful conversations about teaching and student learning with other engaged teaching faculty? Are you interested in meeting colleagues from other disciplines to discuss relevant issues related to teaching and learning? The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching's Teaching Partners Program matches two or three second- or third-year tenure-track faculty or term faculty with a senior faculty member (a successful, experienced teacher) from another discipline. More information about the program, including the application, is online. Apply by July 25.
Reiman Gardens is an option to watch Independence Day fireworks
Reiman Gardens admission is free for everyone on Tuesday, July 3, from 6 p.m. until the end of the Independence Day fireworks display. Regular admission rates apply during the gardens' standard hours (9 a.m.-6 p.m.). Visitors may bring folding chairs and coolers with food and drinks. Fireworks and sparklers are not allowed. If it rains on July 3, the fireworks will be moved to July 5.
Order your ISU calendars in time for the academic year
Produced by the ISU Alumni Association, the 2018-19 ISU wall calendar features the award-winning photography of Jim Heemstra and is populated with dozens of university-wide events. Calendars are $15 each, or $10 for quantities of 10 or more for your department or unit. Order calendars online with a p-card or intramural form. Delivery is via campus mail, or calendars may be picked up at the Alumni Center after July 1 (7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.)
Public forums scheduled for TRIO director candidates
Three finalists in the search for the next director of TRIO student support services will interview on campus next week. Public forums are scheduled from 11 a.m. to noon in 311 Enrollment Services Center during each candidate's visit. The federal TRIO grant program serves low-income, first-generation students and students with disibilities, with a focus on increasing academic success and graduation rates. The director will oversee the delivery of services -- such as counseling, advising, programming and community building -- for about 250 TRIO students. Candidate information and evaluation forms are available on the search website. The finalists and public forum dates are:
- Daniel Shaull, Arkansas State, West Memphis, June 26
- Som Mongtin, Iowa State and DMACC, June 27
- Rob Lipsey, Iowa State, June 28
2018-19 Jr. Cyclone Club memberships are on sale
Memberships for the Jr. Cyclone Club, for Cyclone fans 12th grade and younger, are on sale. The $59 membership includes free admission to athletics events, T-shirt and special events. Memberships can be purchased online or in person at the Jr. Cyclone Club office, located in the Jacobson Athletic Building marketing suite. (Note: Due to a new website provider, passwords from last year didn't transfer and past members will need to create a new password.)
Section of 13th Street to close June 25 for summer
A section of 13th Street, from the railroad tracks (near Ridgewood Avenue) to Curtiss Avenue will close on Monday, June 25, for City of Ames utility (water main, storm and sanitary sewer updates or replacement), sidewalk and pavement improvements. The Ridgewood Avenue intersection will remain open. The first phase of the project is expected to last 6-8 weeks. Phase 2 will address improvements from Curtiss to Harding avenues. Drivers are encouraged to allow extra travel time for delays or select another route. The suggested detour for vehicle traffic uses Ridgewood, 16th Street and Marston Avenue. Pedestrians will not be allowed inside the construction area.
City parking changes take effect July 1
Changes in the city parking system, including a rate increase for metered parking, take effect July 1. The city manages about 300 parking meters in campustown. New rates are $1/hour for two-hour meters, 75 cents/hour for four-hour meters and 50 cents/hour for 10-hour meters. Ames also will add the Parkmobile smartphone app to its payment options. The app allows drivers to pay meter fees on their phone, shows them where available meters are, and sends a notification in advance of the expiration time. Ames meter rates haven't changed in more than 20 years.
Campus flooding update from facilities staff
Thursday's rain will make it onto Iowa State's "top 15 historic floods" list. Approximately 5.5 inches of rain fell on Ames during the early morning hours -- including 4 inches between 6:30 and 10 a.m. This last 4 inches led to flash flooding across campus and the Ames community. Water showed up inside ISU buildings in odd places as a result of roof drains and storm drains backing up with overflowing rain water. Minor flooding impacted Iowa State University in the following locations:
- The Squaw Creek crest at Stange Road began about 2 a.m., about 6 feet below the road.
- Water backed up on the Veenker Memorial Golf Course driving range and the pasture below North Child Care Center.
- The disc golf course flooded.
- West parking lot at Furman Aquatics Center had minor flooding.
- The coal storage area along Haber Road flooded.
- Brookside Park flooded.
- All areas east of University Boulevard flooded, including Stuart Smith Park.
- Southeast recreation fields are about three-fourths flooded.
- A quarter of the recreation field east of Lied Recreation Center flooded.
- Lot 100 (south of Lied Recreation Center) had minor flooding.
- Water backed up in Iowa State Center parking lot ditches and at the lowest storm drains of Lot C2, south of Hilton.
More cat litter pails sought for campus glass recycling
Since 2013, ISU laboratories have been outfitted with repurposed Tidy Cats cat litter buckets (the 35-pound yellow variety with red lid) to keep broken and discarded lab glass out of the city's trash. With 1,800-plus laboratories and the number growing as new campus buildings open, the demand for the recycling containers remains high, and cat owners who use this product are asked to donate their empty buckets to help with the project. Glass collected from ISU labs is ground by the city and reused in landscaping projects, glasphalt parking lots and sand art. Some glass is recycled through Ripple Glass, Kansas City. Empty Tidy Cat pails may be dropped off at:
- 108 General Services Building (director of sustainability Merry Rankin's office)
- Front desk of the Environmental Health and Services Building
Memorial Union finally gets a bedtime
After decades of staying up all hours, the Memorial Union is finally getting some sleep at night.
Regents sign off on ISU tuition plan
In addition to increases for all students this fall, the tuition plan includes a final differential tuition piece for international students and a three-year rollout that will move all differential tuition to one of two levels.
Vet Med dean nominations, applications are due Aug. 6
The search committee hopes to hold off-campus interviews with semifinalists in late August and bring finalists to campus a bit later in the semester.
Search for School of Ed director will continue
College of Human Sciences dean Laura Jolly announced that the search for the next School of Education director will be extended after four finalists interviewed on campus this spring. Current director Marlene Strathe, who planned to retire this summer, will continue in her post until a replacement is found. Jolly said the search committee and consulting firm will revise the search timeline, with a second round of interviews planned during fall semester.
Athletics department is hiring ushers, ticket takers
The athletics department will hire 20-30 new event staff team members (ushers and ticket takers) for the 2018-19 season for events at Hilton Coliseum and premium areas at Jack Trice Stadium. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and no longer in high school, due to NCAA rules. Interviews will be held in late June.
Reminder: Restrict student access to past Canvas courses
Students remain in Canvas courses unless the instructor sets the end date and limits user participation. For details on how to restrict student access, view Canvas' How do I change the start and end dates for a course? website.
Recreation Services fees simplified, can be paid online
Membership fees and locker rental renewals for Recreation Services can now be paid online with a credit card. Options for joining Recreation Services also have been simplified to either a $40 monthly pass or $403 annually, which can be spread over monthly payments of $33.60 and paid with payroll deductions. Locker rentals are $10 per month or $89 per year. All employees and their spouses and dependents are eligible to become members, which provides access to State Gym, Beyer Hall, Lied Recreation Athletic Center and other services. To sign up for a new locker rental or a payroll deduction, visit the front desk at State Gym from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.
Hort farm produce now on sale
The community produce program at the ISU Horticulture Research Station is open for business, with strawberries and romaine lettuce on sale. Available items are posted online on Mondays by 4 p.m.; orders must be placed by noon on Thursday (log in with your Net-ID and password). Produce for sale is added throughout the week, so check back if nothing is currently listed as available. Payment by check or cash is accepted at pickup on Fridays between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. in Curtiss Hall's east courtyard and Harl Commons. Email Truman Brady or Nick Howell with questions.
Metal concert, dance performance planned at Stephens
Tickets for two newly announced performances at Stephens Auditorium will be available to the general public Friday. Swedish metal band Ghost will bring "A Pale Tour Named Death" to Stephens Nov. 4 for an 8 p.m. show. Tickets range from $27.50 to $74.50 and will go on sale at noon June 15. "Live! The Tour," a solo tour by dancer Derek Hough, will come to Stephens May 16 for a 7:30 p.m. performance. Sales for the general public begin at 10 a.m. June 15. Tickets are $49.50 and up. Tickets to both performances will be sold on www.ticketmaster.com and at the Iowa State Center ticket office.
LEGO youth day camps are June 21, 22
Registration is open for two Explore FIRST® LEGO® League Jr. day camps (9 a.m.-3 p.m.) on campus this month. A June 21 camp is for all students ages 8-10 years; a June 22 camp is reserved for girls in that age group. Cost is $40. Using LEGO, campers will discover how we use, move and clean water. Participants learn about engineering, creativity and teamwork through fun, hands-on activities. Register online.
Brett Young concert tickets on sale now
Tickets for an Oct. 7 concert by country artist Brett Young are on sale via Midwestix.com. Tickets are $35 (ISU students with ID $25) plus fees. Doors will open at 7 p.m. for the 8 p.m. concert in the Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center, 2508 Mortensen Rd. Young was nominated as the "New Male Vocalist of the Year" for the Academy of Country Music Awards and for "New Artist of the Year" at the Country Music Association Awards in 2017.
Iowa State ranks No. 15 for students with children
Iowa State is ranked No. 15 among 50 schools on the 2018 list of "Best Colleges for Students with Children." This list ranks colleges and universities that provide a specific set of amenities for students with children while also offering manageable tuition and fees. The goal is to provide a resource for parents of young children looking to enroll in an accredited college program, but are uncertain about which campuses would best fit their families.
Reports update ISU research farm results
The results of more than 120 agricultural research projects and demonstration trials conducted last year at Iowa State's research farms are available online for free download. Iowa State owns five of the 13 farms; the rest are leased from local nonprofit associations. Reports going back to 2000 are archived online.
Timeframe update on the Vet Med commons
The completion timeline for the commons and Gentle Doctor Café at the College of Veterinary Medicine has been updated. The café tentatively is scheduled to open in the commons on Monday, July 16. The café will remain open in its current/temporary location through June and close July 2. The commons is scheduled to open by mid-August.
Chemistry Stores closed for inventory June 18-20
Chemistry Stores' annual inventory is scheduled for June 18-20. The storeroom, 1400 Gilman, will be closed these three days, except for 9:30-10 a.m. and 12:30-1 p.m. daily for purchase and pick-up of dry ice and liquid nitrogen. Clients are asked to plan for this closing and purchase in advance the supplies they anticipate needing. Chemistry Stores' office will be open to place non-stock orders.
Start times announced for first three football games
The athletics department has announced the kickoff times and television coverage for the first three football games of the 2018 season:
- Sept. 1, 7 p.m., vs. South Dakota State (Cyclones.tv)
- Sept. 8, 4 p.m., at Iowa (Fox)
- Sept. 15, 11 a.m., vs. Oklahoma (ABC/ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU)
Reminder: Use ISU contract or opt for insurance when renting vehicles
For university-related business trips from Ames, Iowa State employees should use the university's fleet vehicles managed by transportation services, which is the most economical option. For business vehicle travel that originates in another city, employees should use Iowa State's contract with Enterprise Rent-A-Car and National Car Rental, which includes insurance in the preset rates. If Enterprise/National isn't an option, purchase the minimum amount of liability coverage and the optional collision damage waiver or loss damage waiver from a different rental company. The cost of the insurance is a reimbursable university travel expense. No reimbursement to an individual's personal insurance is allowed for rental vehicle damages or claims. Questions may be directed to the office of risk management, 294-7711 or orm@iastate.edu.
