Announcements
ISU's United Way campaign clears halfway mark
Iowa State's annual fundraising campaign for United Way of Story County is more than halfway to its $400,000 goal, with employees pledging or gifting nearly $214,000 as of late last week. The tally site usually updates on Fridays. Library dean Hilary Seo is chair of the campus campaign this fall. Oct. 18 is the local United Way's first deadline, though the campaign runs through Sunday, Dec. 1. Employees have two ways to make a gift:
- Payroll deduction in Workday (follow the announcement tile on your home portal)
- A secure credit card transaction on the United Way of Story County website (installments or a one-time gift)
For employees who don't live in Story County and would like to donate closer to home, with a minimum gift of $50, they can direct their giving to a United Way service area (health, education or financial stability), another United Way or another 501c3 not-for-profit organization.
Celebrate Earth Science Week with the GIS facility
Iowa State's GIS Facility and its IowaView program will host an Earth Observation Day come-and-go celebration on Tuesday, Oct. 15 (10-11:30 a.m., 206 Durham) as part of the global Earth Science Week. The campus community is invited to enjoy cupcakes, swag (posters, booklets, trading cards) and three presentations:
- 10-10:30 a.m., "Google Earth Engine and Open Evapotranspiration," with Antonio Arenas, civil construction and environmental engineering
- 10:30-11 a.m., "LiDAR Processing via ArcGIS and Point Data Abstraction Library," with Brian Gelder, agricultural and biosystems engineering, GIS Facility research lead
- 11-11:30 a.m., "Google Earth Engine and Agriculture Residue Cover," with graduate student Bryce Pape, community and regional planning
Organic conference to highlight climate-smart systems
The country's largest university-sponsored organic conference will be held Nov. 25 at the University of Iowa Memorial Union and focus on economic opportunities and climate-smart systems. A joint effort of ISU Extension and Outreach and the University of Iowa, the conference will feature producers and experts sharing tips for transitioning into organic production and methods to enhance organic operations. Registration is $100 through Nov. 10, $150 after that date.
Big 12 Conference student government leaders meet on campus
About 100 student government leaders from Big 12 Conference universities will be on campus Oct. 10-12 for the group's annual conference. Their opening event is Thursday evening in the Student Innovation Center, with Friday and Saturday programming at the Memorial Union. ISU student senators Holly Schmitt and Monet Butler are co-chairs of the event; MU director Chad Garland and associate directors Kristine Heflin and Brad Hill serve as advisors to Student Government.
Central campus' Sloss House reopens Oct. 14
After a nearly four-month closure for much-needed renovations, central campus' Sloss House will reopen on Monday, Oct. 14. Updates to the house include an upgraded porch and accessible front door and refinished floors. Also reopening is the Sloss resource room, an extension of The SHOP food pantry. Hours for the resource room are 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday, Thursday and Friday. While no official ribbon cutting will take place, ISU community members are encouraged to visit the home to see the updates.
The historic house was constructed in 1883 and originally called the Pines House. Later it was named for Thomas Sloss, the longest resident of the Pines and the college's superintendent of buildings. Margaret Sloss was Thomas' daughter and the first woman to graduate with a doctorate in veterinary medicine from Iowa State. In 1985, the full use of the Sloss House was granted to the Margaret Sloss Center for Women and Gender Equity.
Reminder: Veteran employees may request time off on Veterans Day
As Veterans Day -- Monday, Nov. 11 -- approaches, ISU employees who are veterans (as defined in Iowa Code Section 91A.5A) are reminded they may request unpaid time off on Veterans Day by following their normal procedures to request time off a month or more in advance. Those who accrue vacation may choose to utilize their accrued vacation time off to remain in paid status (using one of the unscheduled holidays incorporated into vacation accrual). See Iowa State's Holidays policy for more information, or contact your HR Delivery Team with any questions.
Museums' art and objects sale is Oct. 30
University Museums will hold an Art & Objects Sale, including many signed and artist-known pieces, on Wednesday, Oct. 30 (9 a.m.-6 p.m., ISU Surplus, 925 Airport Rd.), with proceeds supporting the museums' collection. This is a first come, first served sale; no holds or early sales. Prices (non-negotiable) range from several dollars to hundreds of dollars. Accepted payment forms are: cash, credit/debit (Discover, Visa, Mastercard), Apple Pay and Google Pay. Objects offered at the sale include:
- Southwestern works of art, including baskets, jewelry, loose beads, pottery, sculpture, gourd art and textiles.
- Central American pottery, baskets and beaded sculpture.
- A selection of artwork, jewelry, ceramics and other items.
Nominations for Advancing One Community awards due Nov. 1
Nominations will be accepted until noon Nov. 1 for the university's Advancing One Community awards, which recognize a demonstrated commitment to the principles and goals of Martin Luther King Jr. over a sustained period. The award may be presented in multiple categories: student, employee and campus group/organization. Nomination letters should demonstrate the nominee's commitment to bringing about positive change to Iowa State University through their volunteerism, engagement, scholarship, research, teaching or program development. Recipients are honored at Iowa State's annual MLK campus celebration in January. More information, including eligibility criteria, past recipients and the nomination form, is online.
Provost's office offers registration funds for faculty success program
The Faculty Success Program, offered online by the ncfdd, is a 12-week mentoring program designed to teach faculty the skills they need to increase their research and maintain work-life balance. The provost's office will contribute $2,500 towards the early registration costs of $4,495 for faculty in all tracks. Participants are expected to cover the remaining program fees through other sources, such as matching funds from their department or college, professional development funds or grants. The spring 2025 program dates are Jan. 27-April 6. To apply for this assistance, complete the short application form by Oct. 15. Faculty sponsored by the provost's office are expected to participate in and complete all components of the program.
Iowa State is an institutional member of the ncfdd; ISU faculty, staff and postdocs are eligible for an individual membership free of cost.
What's new in the tearoom?
The student-operated Joan Bice Underwood Tearoom in 23A MacKay is serving lunch Tuesday through Friday (11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m., with 11:45 a.m. and noon seatings). The lunch special, which changes weekly, is $10 and available for dine-in or carry out at the front of the tearoom. Walk-ins are welcome for dining in the tearoom, though online reservations are recommended. The tearoom is a cashless operation; payment is with a debit/credit card.
Feedback sought on S. 16th Street trail closure
Employee benefits site contains 2025 plan information
The Iowa State employee benefits website has been updated with a 2025 open enrollment page to help employees study their options for the plan year that begins Jan. 1. It includes an overview (35-minute video presentation or slide show), approved monthly premium rates, benefits summaries including the Wellmark health insurance options, dental insurance options, and the (optional) flexibible spending accounts, Avesis eye care and group life insurance. Open enrollment for the next plan year runs Nov. 1-22, and enrollment occurs in the "benefits and pay" task in Workday.
ALEX, the free interactive guide (found in Workday) that explains how benefits work, analyzes the pros and cons of different offerings and proposes personalized suggestions for what benefits to select, also has been updated with 2025 information. Upcoming editions of Inside Iowa State will provide several preview articles about this fall's open enrollment.
ISU to host regents disability summit Oct. 24
Iowa State will host the 14th annual Iowa Disability Summit on Thursday, Oct. 24 (9 a.m.-5 p.m., Memorial Union), a day of sessions about accommodations in higher education. The summit, a collaborative event that rotates among the three regent universities, focuses on enhancing awareness and addressing issues related to disability and higher education. Registration is free and open to all faculty and staff.
Oct. 17 'She Talks' features seven local business stories
Seven businesswomen will share their stories (20 slides, 20 seconds each) during the annual She Talks gathering on Thursday, Oct. 17 (5-6 p.m., networking at 4:30 p.m., reception 6-7 p.m., Core Facility atrium, ISU Research Park). The series is hosted by the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship and sponsored by the Ivy College of Business. Registration is free but requested.
Faculty, staff sought to judge Homecoming events
Nominations due Dec. 1 for three alumni association awards
Nominations are due Dec. 1 for three annual awards from the ISU Alumni Association. Questions may be directed to Katie Lickteig. The awards are:
- Faculty/Staff Inspiration Award (nominators must have been ISU students), recognizes an employee who had a significant impact on a student's professional or personal life while at Iowa State. This award may be given posthumously.
- Kansas City Cyclone of the Year (started in 2021), recognizes alumni and friends whose career achievements, volunteer involvement or philanthropic efforts positively impact the greater Kansas City and Iowa State communities.
- Wallace E. Barron All-University Senior Award, recognizes outstanding senior students (90+ credits) who display high character, achievements in academics and university/community activities, and promise for continuing these exemplary qualities as alumni. Seniors graduating this December are eligible.
Biotech anniversary celebration is Oct. 15
The Office of Biotechnology is celebrating 40 years of research support with a reception on Oct. 15 (4 p.m., Molecular Biology Building atrium). Network with colleagues from across campus and learn if you're a winner in the office's $10,000 giveaway of its facility services. Enter the drawing by submitting a testimonial by Oct. 9 for each biotech core facility used (up to nine submissions per person). Winners will be selected in a drawing at the reception; must be present to win.
Register by Oct. 17 for this month's research roundtable
Faculty from across campus -- applied and social scientists, humanists, engineers and Extension specialists alike -- are invited to explore big ideas that could grow into large interdisciplinary research initiatives at the vice president for research's next Research & Innovation Roundtable on Wednesday, Oct. 23 (9 a.m.-4 p.m., lunch is included). The topic is "Creating Circular Economies through Sustainability Innovations." Register by Oct. 17 (allow about 10 minutes to rank-order a set of questions that will help organizers with team building). The event will include:
- Facilitated breakout discussions with time to pitch project ideas
- Time to self-assemble teams
- Instructions for developing a Request for Proposal for initial funding
Gray options added to employee workwear program
Effective Sept. 26, employees will be able to choose gray clothing options in the ISU employee workwear collection. This includes the ISU Book Store's employee workwear program and other university-licensed vendors who produce employee apparel.
Check-in volunteers needed for student haircut days
Student health and wellness, in collaboration with ClipDart, is offering free haircuts for students several times this semester at Cyclone Support Central (Room 140, Parks Library). Students can schedule an appointment for Sept. 24, Oct. 8, Oct. 22 or Nov. 8 (10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily). Appointments are on a first-come, first-served basis, and walk-ins may be accommodated in the event of no-shows or cancellations. Volunteers are needed to help with student check-in each day. Each shift lasts an hour, including additional setup and cleanup shifts to start and end the event.
Arts and events
Following a 22-month hiatus, water returned to Christian Petersen's Fountain of the Four Seasons sculpture during Friday's rededication.
