Announcements
June 2025
Application window opens for 2026 community visioning program
The Iowa's Living Roadways Community Visioning Program is accepting applications through Sept. 2 for the 2026 program year, the program's 30th. Communities located within one mile of a state or federal highway and with 10,000 or fewer residents, existing transportation-related issues and a committee of volunteers dedicated to the visioning process are eligible. The program is sponsored by the Iowa Department of Transportation in partnership with ISU's landscape architecture extension and Trees Forever. Participating communities contribute $2,000 (cash or in-kind) toward program implementation; the visioning program provides professional services valued at more than $100,000.
Creek bank work in Brookside Park will close east trail, south bridge
A city of Ames project to stabilize the Ioway Creek in Brookside Park will begin on Monday, June 16, weather permitting. The goal is to reduce erosion along Ioway Creek affecting both park and private property, save trees and habitat and improve water quality. The work will include installing instream rock features, relocating approximately 500 feet of creek, stabilizing the stream bank, establishing vegetation and extending storm sewers. Completion of the three-phased project is anticipated for December. The east trail and south pedestrian bridge will be closed for the duration of the project. Shelters, parking lots and ballfields will remain open.
During the first phase (approximately one month), crews will install instream rock features in two locations: between 13th Street and the north pedestrian bridge, and between the south pedestrian bridge and Sixth Street. During periods of trail closures, users are encouraged to find alternate routes. A suggested route is west through the park to Haber Road and then north to 13th Street.
Leadership transition announced in enrollment management
Katharine Johnson Suski, assistant vice president and executive director of admissions, has been appointed interim associate vice president for enrollment management, effective this week. Laura Doering, who previously held the role, will serve as a program specialist, supporting critical efforts across the offices of the registrar and student financial aid. Suski will continue to serve as executive director of admissions during the interim appointment. A national search for a permanent associate vice president for enrollment management will be launched during fall semester.
cyBUY system maintenance is scheduled for late June
The university's electronic purchasing program, cyBUY, will undergo system maintenance for updates the weekend of June 27-29. New cyBUY orders can't be created after 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 26, and approval of existing orders must be completed by 4 p.m. Friday, June 27. cyBUY will be back online and fully operational at 8 a.m. Monday, June 30. Questions may be emailed to cyBUY@iastate.edu.
Makerspaces tour for P&S employees is June 17
The P&S Council's community relations and advocacy committee is sponsoring its next campus tour for P&S employees on Tuesday, June 17 (12:50-2 p.m.): Four makerspaces at the Student Innovation Center. Participants should register in advance and meet at the bottom of the stepatorium.
Taking time off this month? Set up task delegations in Workday
Make sure work is not disrupted during your time off by setting up Delegations in Workday. Delegations temporarily reassign your Workday tasks to another employee and can be scheduled ahead of time. This step keeps business processes moving and prevents delays to completing required fiscal year-end actions. Learn more in this overview of Delegations.
Children invited to propose new ice cream flavor for ISU Creamery
Children 12 years and younger are invited to propose a new ice cream flavor for the ISU Creamery . . . via a coloring sheet. The sheets can be picked up at the ISU Creamery, 2955 Food Sciences Building, or downloaded from the ISU Creamery website and printed at home. Contestants will color and name their proposed flavor -- which can't already exist in the ISU Creamery's ice cream flavors lineup. (Parents may help them describe their flavor on the separate entry form.) Entries are due in the store by 5 p.m. Saturday, June 28. The ISU Creamery team will announce the winning flavor at noon Wednesday, July 2, on the creamery's Facebook and Instagram pages. The winning ice cream will be made at the creamery and sold for a limited time in the store, starting Friday, July 18. Summer hours at the store are: noon-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
Purchasing Power webinar is June 12
One of the voluntary benefits added for ISU benefits-eligible employees in March is Purchasing Power, a buy-now, pay-in-segments option that doesn't require a credit card. With it, employees purchase national-brand products, receive them at purchase time and pay for them over six to 12 months, interest-free, through payroll deduction. A 30-minute webinar, including information and Q&A, will be held for ISU employees on Thursday, June 12 (noon-12:30 p.m., via Microsoft Teams). No registration is needed; simply join the webinar. Employees can enroll in Purchasing Power and other voluntary benefits any time of the year by creating an account on the Everyday Marketplace.
Graduate College awards two honors to Ph.D. recipients
The Graduate College recently announced the 2025 recipients of two of its most prestigious graduate honors:
Liza Van der Laan, agronomy, received the Karas Award, which recognizes the most outstanding doctoral dissertation written by an Iowa State student. Her dissertation is titled "Breeding for Value Added and Climate Resilient Soybean via Genomic and Phenomic Tools." The award honors George Karas, who served as assistant and associate dean in the Graduate College before his retirement in 1995.
Sunil Ghimire, physics, received the Zaffarano Prize, which recognizes exceptional success in publishing one's research in discipline-appropriate sources. The prize was established by Daniel Zaffarano, former vice president for research (1973-88) who emphasized to graduate students that their research projects were not complete until they were published.
Mental health first aid training offered for staff, faculty
A few spots remain for a day-long training for faculty and staff on mental health first aid, being offered monthly this summer by Iowa State University, the office of the senior vice president for student affairs and university human resources at no cost to participants. Light breakfast, lunch and snacks are included. Learn risk factors and warning signs for both mental health and addiction concerns, strategies to help someone in both non-crisis and crisis situations, and where to turn for help. It will cover:
- Common signs and symptoms of mental health challenges.
- Common signs and symptoms of substance use challenges.
- How to interact with a person in crisis.
- How to connect a person with help.
- Additional information on trauma, substance use and self-care.
Please prioritize your training date; this is a full day of training (8 a.m.-5 p.m., check-in at 7:40 a.m., Hach Hall atrium).
- Wednesday, June 25
- Monday, July 7
- Friday, Aug. 8
Tickets for fall Preacher Lawson performance go on sale June 6
Tickets ($34-$54) go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, June 6, for a Sept. 25 performance at Stephens Auditorium by comedian Preacher Lawson, who will be joined by his mother and brother Justin. Lawson is best known for his appearance on the 2017 season of NBC's "America's Got Talent," where he made it to the final round. In television, Lawson can be seen on HBO's "A Black Lady Sketch Show" and NBC's "Connecting" as a series regular. He recently completed his residency hosting AGT Live in Las Vegas and performs in venues around the country. Lawson performed previously in Ames in February 2023, at a Student Union Board "After Dark" event.
June 4 update on Stange Road reconstruction
Today (June 4) access to University Village from Stange Road will transition south again, from Blankenburg Drive to Bruner Drive. Weather delays in late May have pushed back the date for reopening Stange Road to two-way traffic (one lane in each direction), but that transition is expected in the next few weeks; the specific date will be determined as the newly poured northbound lanes cure.
Hort farm's seasonal produce sale opens this week
Visitation is June 7 for former faculty member John Mabry
A visitation for professor emeritus of animal science and former director of the Iowa Pork Industry Center John Mabry will be held Saturday, June 7 (1-3 p.m., Grandon Funeral Home, 414 Lincoln Way). Mabry, an ISU faculty member from 2000 to 2015, died on May 29. Obituary.
Arts and events
Hylke Banning, a carillonneur from the Netherlands, visits campus Tuesday, June 24, for the second concert in the guest series (7 p.m., central campus).
