Announcements for Faculty and Staff

Help celebrate Women's Equality Day on Aug. 26

The campus community is invited to celebrate the anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, granting women the right to vote, on Aug. 26 (9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m., Plaza of Heroines, Catt Hall). Register to vote and enjoy light refreshments. Information about the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics and the Margaret Sloss Women's Center also will be available. 

Hispanic and Latino/a affinity group seeks representatives

Colegas Creating Community, a member organization of the Faculty and Staff Affinity Council, is seeking volunteers to serve as staff and faculty representatives. Colegas supports the career progression and development of Hispanic and Latino/a faculty and staff, as well as their families' integration into the Ames community. If you would like to serve, nominate someone to serve or receive more information, contact associate professor of Spanish Elisa Rizo or professor of chemistry Javier Vela.

Widespread Panic concert tickets go on sale Aug. 25

Tickets for an Oct. 29 concert in Stephens Auditorium by jam band Widespread Panic will go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday, Aug. 25, through Ticketmaster and at the Stephens ticket office. Tickets are $45.50; all seats are reserved. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m.

Final piece of Sheldon reconstruction begins Aug. 25

Phase 3 in the city of Ames' reconstruction of Sheldon Avenue on the west edge of campus will conclude by the end of this week. Phase 4 -- a straight stretch from just north of the Union Drive intersection to just south of where the Sheldon Extension begins -- is scheduled to begin on Monday, Aug. 25, and be completed by mid-September. This final phase will close west driveways to Howe Hall and Thielen Student Health Center parking lots, which will remain accessible from Bissel Road and Union Drive, respectively. Employees who park in Lot 7 (west of Thielen) will have temporary access to that lot from West Street. 

Osborn Drive gates go into use on Aug. 18

The campus gates on Osborn Drive will be placed into operation for fall semester Monday morning, Aug. 18. Drivers who access those gates are reminded to bring their gate cards to work.

SAC poster sale runs Aug. 20-29

The Student Activities Center is hosting its annual poster sale Aug. 20-29 (9 a.m.-6 p.m. daily, MU Campanile Room). Thousands of posters depicting music, art, movies and pop culture are available. Prices range between $8 and $12. Proceeds from the sale fund the MU art programs. Contact muart@iastate.edu for more information. 

University Community Childcare has preschool openings

The morning preschool program at University Community Childcare, located north of campus on Stange Road, has openings for 2-and-a-half to 5-year-old children beginning Sept. 2. Children may be enrolled two, three or five mornings per week. UCC is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. A sliding fee scale is available for qualified families. For more information or to register your child, contact UCC at 4-9838 or univcc@iastate.edu.

ISU ranked among top green institutions

Iowa State University was ranked as one of the top 24 schools on The Princeton Review's 2015 Green Honor Roll. Institutions were ranked based on environmentally related practices, policies and academic offerings.

Volunteers needed to assist international students

The Thielen Student Health Center is seeking volunteers for its international student health screenings, Aug. 18-22. Volunteer duties include greeting and checking in students, helping them with basic paperwork and staffing the snack table. No medical experience is necessary. Three-hour shifts are available daily between 8 a.m.-4 p.m. The screenings will take place at State Gym. Email Kearsten Brown for more information.

Multicultural students invited to Jump Start event on Sept. 2

The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs invites all multicultural students to Jump Start, a free welcome event on Tuesday, Sept. 2 (5-7 p.m., MU Sun Room). Enjoy games, food and fun.

Watch for traffic congestion during student move in

Students living in ISU residence halls this academic year will be moving in Tuesday-Friday, Aug. 19-22. The department of residence suggests that faculty and staff avoid areas where move-in congestion may occur, including Union Drive (southwest part of campus) and Beach Road (east side of campus).

First phase of Lago renovation is wrapping up

The first phase of the Lagomarcino Hall office renovation for the School of Education is nearing completion. Faculty and staff are moving into new offices and classroom spaces vacated 14 months ago. Work continues on phase 2, the new north entrance, which includes a stair and elevator tower. The completed project is scheduled to be ready when spring semester starts in January.

Lab safety session for grad assistants offered three times

Environmental Health and Safety will offer a laboratory safety orientation session in August for incoming graduate students who will be working in laboratories. The session covers general lab safety, fire safety and extinguisher use, biological and radiation safety awareness, and handling of lab waste. The four-hour session (8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.) will be offered three times: Aug. 19, 20 and 21, at the EH&S Building on the north side of campus. It is highly recommended that grad students attend one of these sessions. Register online (once you're logged in, select Schedule>August>choose a date). Questions may be directed to lab safety specialist Sarah Morris-Benavides.

Committee on women seeks new members

The University Committee on Women has member openings for merit staff and students for the 2014-15 academic year. More information about the committee's work is online. Applications are due Aug. 30; the application form can be downloaded from the 'news and announcements' list in the right column of the website. Questions may be directed to Megan Peterson, office of the senior vice president and provost, 4-6410.

Preschool slots open at Vet Med child care center

The ISU Child Care Center at the College of Veterinary Medicine campus has several full-time openings in its preschool classrooms for children 2 ½ to  4 years old. More information about the program is available online or by calling 4-2273.

Marston Hall closes this week for renovation

Marston Hall's final remaining tenants, the dean’s office and career services, will relocate to the Memorial Union's fourth floor on Aug. 5-6, and then the building will close to the public for an estimated 18 months. Abatement work will begin this week. Completion of the $24 million Marston renovation project is anticipated during spring semester 2016.

Pammel hill closed Aug. 5-11

The west section of Pammel Drive, from Town Engineering to Hyland Avenue, will be closed Aug. 5-11 so crews can replace the island and curbing where Pammel intersects with the Sheldon extension. Part of Sheldon Avenue, behind Howe Hall, also is closed as part of phase 3 in the city's 4-phased replacement of Sheldon. Access to campus from the west during these projects is on Lincoln Way, West Street and Ontario Street.

MU's art lending event is Aug. 6-7

Find the perfect piece to hang on your walls -- office, conference room or at home -- at the Memorial Union's annual art lending open house on Wednesday, Aug. 6 (10 a.m.-3 p.m.), and Thursday, Aug. 7 (10 a.m.-noon) in the MU's browsing library, ground floor. More than 150 framed posters, prints and paintings are available for a semester or year rental. Most rentals are in the $10-$25 range; you may take selected pieces with you. Proceeds support art programs at the MU.

On the 'Best College for Your Money' list

Iowa State University came in 86th in Money magazine's recent "Best College for Your Money" ranking. The ranking is based on 17 factors in three categories: educational quality, affordability and alumni earnings.

Responsible research director interviews begin Aug. 8

Three finalists will interview on campus for the director post in the Office for Responsible Research. Their visits will include a public presentation, followed by a Q&A session. All presentations will be held from 9:30 to 11 a.m. in the Memorial Union Oak Room. The candidates and dates are:

• Lisa Leiden, Seton Healthcare, Austin, Texas, Aug. 8
• David Ayer, Indiana University, Bloomington, Aug. 11
• David Gillum, Arizona State University, Scottsdale, Aug. 12

Child lab school has preschool openings

The ISU Child Development Laboratory School, Palmer Building, has several full-time openings in its preschool classrooms for 3- and 4-year-old children. More information and the application are available online.

Regents' education committee meets on campus July 29

The state Board of Regents' Education and Student Affairs Committee will meet on campus Tuesday, July 29 (2:30-3:30 p.m., 1550 Beardshear), in preparation for the full board meeting on Aug. 6. The August meeting is a telephonic one limited to two hours. At the July 29 meeting, committee members will review requests for two new Iowa State degree programs, master's and doctoral programs in gerontology, for recommendation to the full board.

Second parking lot available to employees sharing a university vehicle

Transportation services and the parking division have partnered to allow free short-term parking for employees traveling together in a transportation services vehicle. Because of the size of the transportation services lot, customers have been asked to park just one vehicle in the transportation services lot for each vehicle picked up -- and that will not change. However, the additional employees using the vehicle may park their personal vehicles in the new Lot 112N, located across Haber Road. At the time the rented vehicle is picked up, passengers will be issued permits for Lot 112N.

Lunabotics club heads to international competition

The ISU Lunabotics Club is competing this week (July 23-24) in the PISCES Robotic International Space Mining Competition in Hilo, Hawaii. Team Cyclone Space Mining is one of seven college or university teams competing to see who can mine the most regolith at the site used by Apollo astronauts training for moon missions. The PISCES You Tube channel will broadcast the competition.

Aug. 1 hearing precedes regents' telephonic meeting

If you'd like to comment on any items scheduled for discussion at the state Board of Regents Aug. 6  telephonic meeting, you have several options:

•  Attend one of six public hearings held at the regents institutions and board office July 31-Aug. 1. Iowa State's hearing is Aug. 1 (4-5 p.m., Memorial Union Oak Room). All public hearings will be video recorded and posted to the regents' hearings website. Transparency officer Shirley Knipfel will preside at the meeting.
• Provide written comments to regents transparency officer Sheila Doyle Koppin, sdoyle@iastate.edu.

Meeting materials and an agenda for the August meeting will be posted to the regents homepage by July 29.

Beach Road traffic limited by steam line work July 21-Aug. 8

Drivers are advised to avoid Beach Road on the east side of campus for about three weeks beginning Monday, July 21. Work on the steam line project in the Richardson Court  area will severely restrict traffic, especially for southbound traffic on Beach Road. The road will not close, however the area will be congested.

Creek cleaners dislodge 200 pounds of garbage

The sixth annual College Creek cleanup, rescheduled from June 28 to July 12 due to high waters, was another success. Twenty-seven volunteers collectively provided about 75 hours to pick up trash in and around the portion of College Creek that flows through campus (Lincoln Way adjacent to the MU ramp to University Boulevard). They collected approximately 200 pounds of trash, primarily cans, bottles and plastic bags.

Faculty: Help test plagiarism software

The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching is leading a pilot test of the Turnitin plagiarism detection software. The program checks students’ work for potential plagiarism by comparing it against the world’s largest comparison database. Students also can check their own work before submitting final assignments. Instructors who are interested in participating should contact Allan Schmidt, aschmidt@iastate.edu, by Aug. 1.

EH&S safety summit is July 18

Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) is holding a summer safety summit, "Misadventures: A Story of Success After a Mishap," on Friday, July 18 (7:45-9 a.m., 1230 EH&S Building). Registration is free; more information is available online. Call 4-5359 with questions.

Submit library reserves for fall courses now

Instructors who wish to place required materials on reserve at Parks Library for fall semester should submit requests now.  Forms are available on the library's website.

Hold the date: Race checkpoint event is July 26

Ames is a checkpoint site on Day 6 of the eight-day American Solar Car Challenge, and Iowa State will host an event near the checkpoint site at the Iowa State Center. The university community is invited to take part and cheer on Iowa State's Team PrISUm Saturday, July 26 (1-4 p.m., Lot D-2 north of Jack Trice Stadium). Other event details will be announced next week. About 20 university solar car teams will race from Austin, Texas, to Minneapolis July 21-28.

Sweeney Hall will reopen July 21

Sweeney Hall, which has been closed to the public due to smoke and water damage from a May 30 fire, will return to its regular open hours beginning Monday, July 21. The building will be open daily from 7 a.m. to midnight and locked all day on holidays.

Veishea Task Force report to Leath

The 2014 Veishea Task Force’s final report and recommendations were delivered to President Steven Leath on July 11. Leath thanked the task force and its chair, senior vice president for student affairs Tom Hill, for its hard work. He said he will review the report and announce his decision with respect to the recommendations by early August. He  added he was making the task force report available today because of the broad interest in the work of the task force. The report (and appendices) are available on the Veishea Task Force website.

Network upgrade snags the phones

A major upgrade that will boost Iowa State's network capacity from 10 GB to 100 GB hit a snag July 9 when a malfunction in the new equipment brought down the university phone system, and to a lesser extent, other online campus services. Angela Bradley, ITS associate chief information officer, apologized for the network problems and said outside consultants have been helping campus engineers troubleshoot what appears to be a hardware issue with some new routers.

Art critique is July 17 at the MU

The Workspace in the Memorial Union will host an art critique on Thursday, July 17 (7 p.m.,  MU Pioneer Room). Artists of all skill levels are invited to share up to three pieces of work in any media. In a comfortable atmosphere, they can get feedback and share their observations with other artists. This event is free and no preregistration is necessary. Questions may be directed to Letitia Kenemer, 4-0971.

State fair volunteer slots still available

University Marketing still seeks volunteers to help roll and distribute athletics posters and apply Iowa State tattoos at the university's state fair exhibit Aug. 7-17. About two dozen slots still are available, mostly during the evening shift (2:45-9 p.m.). Sign up online and select your shift. Questions may be directed to Laura Bittner, 4-3969.

OSPA director candidate interviews begin July 9

Five finalists will interview on campus for the director's post in the Office of Sponsored Programs Administration. Their visits will include an open forum with the campus community. The candidates and open forum details are:

• July 9: Rochelle Athey, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh (10:30-11:30 a.m., MU room 3558)
• July 10: Michael Warnock, University of Missouri, Columbia (10:30-11:30 a.m., MU Oak Room)
• July 11: Keith Osterhage, Temple University, Philadelphia (10:30-11:30 a.m., MU Oak Room)
• July 14: Jennifer Taylor, Vanderbilt University, Nashville (10:30-11:30 a.m., MU Oak Room)
• July 15: Rebecca Musselman, Iowa State (10:30-11:30 a.m., MU Oak Room)

Jamie Lynn Spears concert tickets are on sale

Country pop artist Jamie Lynn Spears will perform in the MU Great Hall on Thursday, Aug. 28 (8 p.m.; doors open at 7 p.m.). Tickets are $12 ($5 with an ISU student ID) plus service fees and go on sale July 4 via midwestix. Country/rock singer and songwriter Brandon Lay will open the show.

Reminder: Bookstore's e-book pilot seeks fall teaching faculty

The University Book Store reminds faculty of a digital e-book pilot it plans to launch fall semester. Faculty interested in participating are asked to contact textbook supervisor John Wierson, 4-3501, by Friday, July 11. Training is provided.

Championship event on campus July 6-11

The National Junior Disability Championships will bring an estimated 200 participants (ages 7 to 22 years) and more than 200 coaches, officials and family members to campus July 6-11. Athletes participating in this Paralympic-style competition have physical disabilities such as spinal injuries, cerebral palsy, visual impairments, blindness, limb deficiencies or amputations. Competitions will be held in swimming, archery, track and field, table tennis, power lifting, boccia and cycling. ISU facilities that will serve as competition sites include Lied recreation center and outdoor field, Beyer Hall, State Gym, Cyclone Sports Complex and the Iowa State Center lots. All sporting events are open to the public.

University closed on July 4

University offices will be closed and classes will not meet on Friday, July 4, in observance of the national Independence Day holiday.

Reminder: IPRT realignment takes effect July 1

As of July 1, the Institute for Physical Research and Technology (IPRT) will cease to operate as an administrative center. Its centers and activities will report to other administrative units. These changes were first announced in January by the offices of the Vice President for Research and of Economic Development and Industry Relations. The IPRT realignment is part of the university’s ongoing effort to streamline research and economic development units. IPRT administrative staff were reassigned to VPR office and are assuming new responsibilities. Administrative services that were offered to the former IPRT centers are now the responsibility of the unit that serves as the home for each center.

College Creek cleanup moved to July 12

The College Creek cleanup effort scheduled for Saturday, June 28, has been postponed due to rising water conditions. The cleanup will take place on Saturday, July 12 (11 a.m.-2 p.m.). Volunteers can sign up online. For more information, contact Merry Rankin, 4-5052, or visit ISU's Live Green website.

Reiman Gardens to host sesquicentennial events July 3

As part of the City of Ames' 150th celebration, Reiman Gardens will open its gates at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 3, for free cake, activities, music and viewing of the Independence Day fireworks display. The Ames Choral Society and Ames Municipal Band will perform, along with roving musicians. The fireworks show begins at dusk.

Volunteers needed for Ames sesquicentennial events

Organizers for the Ames sesquicentennial celebration are seeking volunteers to help with events planned July 3-5. Shift times vary and include posts at downtown street barricades, visitor tent, parade, games and entertainment stage. Volunteers must be 14 or older, but youth groups with adult supervision are allowed. Sign up online, or visit ames150.com for more information.

Fireworks: Take out what you bring in

Revelers who plan to watch the Ames fireworks display from green spaces along University Boulevard are asked to carry home everything they brought with them -- including sparkler wires and other fireworks residue, which are hazardous for future events held in the area. This year's Independence Day fireworks display will begin at dusk on Thursday, July 3.

Homestay hosts sought for Japanese teachers of English

ISU's Intensive English and Orientation Program seeks hosts to provide a homestay experience for a group of English teachers from Japan from Aug. 2 through Jan. 2, 2015. Teachers will attend classes on the ISU campus on weekdays. A stipend of $200-$250 per week is provided for up to 22 weeks of hosting. Back-up hosts also are needed for short-term stays when full-time hosts are traveling. For more information, contact Alex Johnston, host program coordinator.

Second forum on TIER review is June 24

A second public forum on the state Board of Regents' TIER efficiency review will be held Tuesday, June 24 (9 to 11 a.m., Howe Hall auditorium). At the forum, regents, ISU officials and representatives of Deloitte Consulting will answer questions about the just-completed first phase of the Transparent, Inclusive Efficiency Review and outline plans for phase 2. (Send questions to tierforum@iastate.edu or tweet #TIERforum.) Those unable to attend can follow the forum on:

• Livestream
• Twitter (@IowaStateUNews)
• Tagboard (#TIERforum)

Protein Facility installs new scanner

The Protein Facility, part of ISU's Office of Biotechnology, has installed a new multimode laser scanner for imaging and analyzing proteins, DNA and other biomolecular samples. Following appropriate training, members of the campus community are welcome to use the Typhoon FLA 9500 scanner during normal facility hours (7 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday). It's located in 1178 Molecular Biology. For more information, contact facility manager Joel Nott, 4-3267.

Watch World Cup soccer at the MU

The Memorial Union will host viewings of all 2014 FIFA World Cup matches for free. Matches that begin before 5 p.m. (Monday-Friday) will be shown in the Multicultural Center on the second floor. Matches scheduled after 5 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays will be shown in the MU main lounge (by the post office counter).