Announcements
Caucus rights presentation is Jan. 22
Ariela Fleisig, a national organizing specialist for Iowa with the American Civil Liberties Union, will present "Rights for ALL at the Caucuses" Wednesday, Jan. 22 (7 p.m., Memorial Union Sun Room). She works on the ACLU's "Rights for All" campaign, which includes voting rights, immigrants' rights, reproductive rights and ending mass incarceration. Her talk is free and open to the public.
Pipette calibration service on campus runs Jan. 27-31
In collaboration with chemistry stores, Eppendorf North America is offering a calibration service Jan. 27-31 on campus. Service and calibration for all major brands of pipettes will be offered by a dedicated, factory-trained Eppendorf technician. The price for a full pipette cleaning, lubrication and calibration is $40 for single channel/repeater pipettes and $120 for multi-channel pipettes. Prices do not include any parts that may need replacing. Pipettes can be dropped off at chemistry stores, 1351 Gilman, on or after Jan. 27; you'll be contacted when calibration on your pipette(s) is complete. Questions may be directed to John Burright, 294-0200.
Poster sale at the MU runs Jan. 27-Feb. 1
The Memorial Union is hosting its semiannual poster sale Jan. 27-Feb. 1 in the Cardinal Room. It features hundreds of options in art, movies, music and pop culture, with most priced between $8 and $12. Sale hours are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday. Sale proceeds support art programs at the MU.
Inside Update diverted to junk email folder
Most recipients of the Inside Update faculty/staff email will find the Jan. 16 edition in their junk email folder. The editorial team apologizes for this inconvenience. It is related to email spam filters set by the university, and an IT services team is addressing the problem. Before moving the email out of your junk folder, IT's recommendation is to mark it as "not junk" to strengthen the "reputation" of these messages in Outlook.
Snow ordinance starts at noon Friday
The city of Ames' snow ordinance will go into effect at noon Friday, Jan. 17, and remain in effect until it has stopped snowing and the streets are plowed curb to curb. Vehicles on city snow routes (identified by red and white signs) should be moved to off-street parking or to streets not designated as snow routes. To assist with the plowing effort, owners are asked to not park vehicles on any residential street, particularly on circles and cul de sacs; however, only vehicles on snow routes are required to be moved.
Gallery reception postponed to Jan. 31
A Jan. 17 reception at the College of Design's Design on Main gallery, featuring Ames artist Catherine Reinhart, has been postponed to Friday, Jan. 31 (5-7 p.m., 203 Main St.)
Limited Madrigal tickets remain
As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, there were a dozen tickets for Friday and eight tickets for Saturday's performance of the 55th annual Madrigal Dinner (6:30 p.m., 5:30 p.m. social hour, MU Great Hall), presented by the music and theatre department. Through Friday (11 a.m.-5 p.m.), tickets may be purchased at the Maintenance Shop box office in the Memorial Union. Online sales are closed.
Library has resource guides for innovation
While the University Library has a wealth of resources related to entrepreneurship and innovation, many of these materials are included in two resource guides, the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Research Guide and the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Reading List. The guides include links to activities at Iowa State, resources for entrepreneurship in different areas (arts, biosciences, engineering) and information on how to find materials in the library.
Proposals sought for STEM career conferences for girls this spring
The Program for Women in Science and Engineering seeks session proposals for its Go Further Girls STEM career conferences, one-day events for girls in grades 8-10 to learn about STEM fields and careers. Conferences will be held March 26, April 9 and April 16 in the Memorial Union. Sessions last 45 minutes or 1.5 hours, and slots are available in the morning and afternoon. Facilitators should provide an engaging, hands-on activity focused on a STEM field or career and share information about majors and careers in your field. Submit your proposal online by Jan. 31. Questions may be directed to Sarah DuBois at sedubois@iastate.edu.
Know Your Rights workshop offered Jan. 23
The office of diversity and inclusion is hosting a workshop, Know Your Rights: Harassment 101, on Thursday, Jan. 23 (3-5 p.m., 0001 Carver). Learn what constitutes harassment and what resources are available for reporting and investigating harassment incidents -- on campus and in Ames. A presentation, led by ISU Police engagement and inclusion officers, office of equal opportunity staff and Story County prosecutor Ben Matchan, will be followed by small group discussions and an open mic. All members of the campus community are welcome; no registration required.
Study Abroad Fair is Jan. 23
Students can learn about interning, studying and volunteering abroad in experiences ranging from one week to one year during the spring Study Abroad Fair Thursday, Jan. 23 (10:30-1:30 p.m., MU Great Hall). This is a one-stop opportunity to learn about many adventures abroad. In addition, the U.S. Postal Service will take appointments for passport applications and renewals. Contact Natalie Welter, 515-251-2360, to schedule a passport appointment.
Honors program seeks fall seminar proposals
The University Honors Program seeks proposals for fall 2020 Honors seminars by Friday, Feb. 7. These one- or two-credit courses explore various topics of current or special interest. Seminars are pass/not pass, with enrollment usually limited to 17 students. A grant of $500 per seminar supports the professional development of the instructor(s). More information about seminars, as well as guidelines for teaching one, is online. The online proposal form is in Qualtrics. Questions may be directed to Honors director Laurie Law.
A few tables remain for Jan. 19 Goldfinch Room concert
A few tables remain for the 7:30 p.m. performance Jan. 19 by Iowa singer/songwriters Chad Elliott (folk, blues) and Ryne Doughty (folk, Americana) in the Goldfinch Room at Stephens Auditorium. The 5 p.m. show is sold out. Reserved tables for four cost $40, and tickets are purchased online or at the door.
Open labs announced for Canvas assistance
Staff from the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching will host Canvas open labs Thursday and Friday, Jan. 9-10 (9-11 a.m. daily) on the third floor of Morrill Hall. Beginning the week of Jan. 13, CELT staff will host Canvas open labs on Morrill Hall third floor on these days/times:
- Tuesdays (1-3 p.m.)
- Wednesdays (11 a.m.-1 p.m.)
- Thursdays (9-11 a.m.)
For those interested in online training (demonstration sessions, interactive sessions or discussion sessions), visit CELT's online training website. Canvas offers 24/7 support options (phone line, live chat, web-based problem form); use the ?Help icon in the left navigation menu on CELT's MyCanvas Teacher at ISU website.
Retirement contribution limits edge up for 2020
The Internal Revenue Service has raised the limits for additional tax-deferred and post-tax retirement contributions for 2020. The new limits are:
- Elective contributions: $19,500 (increase of $500)
- Additional elective contribution for employees 50 years and older: $6,500 (increase of $500)
- Total employer/employee contributions (basic and elective): $57,000 (increase of $1,000)
Changing contribution amounts is now a self-service function in Workday; a job aid outlines this process. Questions about voluntary retirement contributions may be directed to the office of fringe benefit accounting and compliance, 294-7662. Questions about the tax implications for your personal situation should be directed to your tax professional.
ISU Theatre to perform at festival in Sioux Falls
The ISU Theatre production of "Iowa Odyssey or (How We Got Here?)" will perform at the Region 5 Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival at The Pavilion in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Jan. 22. "Iowa Odyssey" is the only production from the state of Iowa invited to perform at the regional festival. To prepare, a performance will take place at Fisher Theater on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m.
Garden trips scheduled to Chicago, Portland
Reiman Gardens director Ed Lyon will lead two out-of-state garden trips in 2020, to public and private gardens in the Chicagoland area (June 11-14) and Portland (Sept. 15-20). See the online brochures for details.
Volunteer slots still available for Science Bowl events
Ames Laboratory's regional Science Bowls are seeking 150 volunteers, both scientific and nonscientific, for the 2020 competitions on campus: High school Science Bowl on Saturday, Jan. 25 (8 a.m.-5 p.m.), and middle school Science Bowl on Saturday, Feb. 22 (8 a.m.-5 p.m.). Student teams from across Iowa will square off in game-show style rounds of questions from a range of science and math disciplines. Volunteers serve as moderators, judges, timekeepers, scorekeepers and runners during the competition; shifts range from 4 to 8 hours. A buffet lunch, T-shirt and other goodies are provided. For more information or to sign up, go to the Science Bowl volunteer information website.
Student employee of the year nominations due Feb. 5
The office of student financial aid is accepting nominations for Iowa State's student employee of the year through Feb. 5. Nominees must be undergraduate students employed part-time on campus for at least six months between June 1, 2019, and May 31, 2020 (anticipated). The award recognizes a student employee's demonstrated competency in eight areas defined by the National Association of Colleges and Employers: critical thinking, oral and written communication, teamwork/collaboration, digital technology, leadership, professionalism/work ethic, career management and global/intercultural fluency. More information is online; the nomination form is in OneApp. Questions may be directed to Erin Schwartz, 294-0102; or Julie Arnold, 294-0103.
Arts and events
Visiting team creates large-scale arrangement for Brunnier gallery.
In addition to the ISU Symphony Orchestra, the March concerts will highlight guest artists and scores by underrepresented composers.
