A peek inside Marston Hall

By Anne Krapfl
May 21

The view from Marston's fourth floor. Workers are on the second floor, to the left and right are the ground-to-roof shoring towers, near the top left is the northwest stairwell. Photos by Christopher Gannon.

Interior demolition work at Marston Hall, which began in December, will continue this summer and wrap up in September. Crews are removing three to four dump truck loads of brick and tile every day, a wheel barrow at a time, as load-bearing walls are replaced with steel columns and beams. All told, about 75 percent of the building’s internal load-bearing walls will be removed with the goal of creating larger, more open spaces in the renovated Marston Hall, the administrative home of the College of Engineering.

Appropriately, the project currently is an engineering feat to behold. A strategically placed series of 17 shoring towers, extending nearly 70 feet from the roof trusses to below the original basement floor, temporarily are supporting the roof's weight. The rebuilding process started on the fourth floor and will progress down to street level. Project manager Kerry Dixon, facilities planning and management, said the team from Mortenson Construction has recorded nearly 35,000 hours without an injury.

By time, Dixon said 60 percent of the Marston renovation project will involve demolition, with the remaining 40 percent devoted to construction. Cost-wise, 30 percent of the $27.1 million price tag is in abatement and demolition contracts, she said, with the rest devoted to reconstructing and finishing the 60,000-square-foot building. Move-in remains on schedule for early May 2016.

Marston Hall first opened in 1903. The renovation will create several 80-seat classrooms and student services, visitor and student spaces on the first two floors. The college's administrative units will move to the top two floors. The project is being paid for by university and college funds (about two-thirds) and private gifts (about one-third).

Photo gallery on ISU's Facebook site.

Four of the shoring towers that rise up through Marston Hall to temporarily support the roof's weight.

A closer look at one of 17 shoring towers that temporarily support the weight of the Marston roof.

Marston's two west staircases will be rebuilt to current building codes. Pictured are the northwest stairs (lower right), removed nearly down to the second floor.

Related stories:

Demo work in Marston turns up a few treasures, Jan. 22, 2015
Interior demolition at Marston begins next month, Nov. 6, 2014
Marston tenants are starting to move, June 5, 2014

Class givers will add to scholarship fund

By Diana Pounds
May 21

For the fourth consecutive year, graduating seniors will funnel their class gift into a student scholarship endowment.

The endowment fund begun by the class of 2012 reflected a departure from traditional class gifts of benches and art, but it's proved to be a popular move.

So far, the classes of 2012, 2013 and 2014  have contributed $44,500 to the senior class scholarship, said Mary Evanson, senior director of annual and special gifts for the Iowa State University Foundation.

"This year, seniors have pledged around $30,000, most of which will go toward the scholarship, " she said. "Some seniors choose to designate their gifts to other areas on campus about which they are passionate."

Over the past few years, about 20 percent of graduating seniors have made pledges toward class gifts, Evanson said. "That's very strong participation."

The 2012 Senior Class Council members' only criteria for the scholarship was that it be given to seniors, Evanson said. They left it up to the financial aid office to select scholarship recipients.

Students apply for a variety of scholarships, including the senior class scholarship, by filling out Iowa State's FinAidScholar form.

The first scholarship from the endowment was a $500 award given to an Iowa State senior for fall semester 2014. The number of awards and their amounts will be adjusted as the endowment grows, Evanson said.

Memorial Day ceremony is May 25

By Diana Pounds
May 21

Iowa State employees, retirees and spouses who died during the past year will be remembered at the university's annual Memorial Day ceremony on Monday, May 25. The ceremony will begin at 9 a.m. in the Reiman Ballroom at the ISU Alumni Center, 420 Beach Ave.

The ceremony will include:

• An invocation by Barbara Gaddis, associate pastor at Collegiate Presbyterian Church, Ames
• Prelude by Collegiate Brass of Collegiate United Methodist Church, Ames 
• A time for family, friends and colleagues to share memories of loved ones

Individuals who aren't available to speak can share comments about loved ones through an online form. The comments will be printed and displayed the day of the event and included the following week with all obituaries on the ISU Retirees website.

Parking is available on the east side of the Alumni Center.  The ceremony is hosted by the ISU Retirees Association. For information, contact Jerilyn Logue, 515-294-3192, or Susan Pratt, 515-294-6515.

Summer brings big groups to campus

May 21

Iowa State will host several events this summer, bringing large groups of participants to campus. Find out what (and who) you'll see navigating the sidewalks, roadways and buildings.