Announcements for Students

Vaccine and tests remain available on campus

For employees and students experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, rapid antigen tests are available at several campus locations while supplies last. Thielen Student Health Center continues to offer free COVID-19 vaccinations for students; employees are are encouraged to contact their medical provider for vaccinations.

Celebration of Life for former Design dean is April 1

The College of Design is hosting a Celebration of Life for professor emeritus of architecture and dean emeritus Mark Engelbrecht on Friday, April 1 (4-6 p.m., College of Design atrium). A brief program will be followed by an informal opportunity for colleagues, alumni and friends to share personal tributes. Refreshments will be served. Engelbrecht died Dec. 30, 2021, in West Des Moines. He joined the Iowa State architecture faculty in 1979 and served as dean from 1994 to 2009. Engelbrecht's family also invites members of the Iowa State community to a remembrance event Saturday, April 23 (2 p.m., First Unitarian Church of Des Moines, 1800 Bell Ave.). Memorials can be made to the ISU Rome Scholarship fund. 

Spring ahead Saturday night

Daylight saving time returns at 2 a.m. Sunday, March 13, and most of the country will "spring ahead" one hour. It's time to adjust any non-smart clocks in your work area, home and vehicle. 

Concert by Merz Trio is March 22

Tickets ($30) are on sale for a March 22 performance by the Boston-based Merz Trio in Tye Recital Hall, Simon Estes Music Hall. It begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets may be purchased online, in 149 Simon Estes Hall, at Rieman Music and Chocolaterie Stam in downtown Ames, and at the door. Admission is free for K-12 students and university students with ID. The concert is part of the Ames Town & Gown Chamber Music Association's 2021-22 season. Questions may be directed to Paula Forrest, 515-292-3891.

Spring blood drive is March 7-9

Iowa State students are hosting their spring blood drive Monday-Wednesday, March 7-9, in the Memorial Union Great Hall (10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily). Schedule an appointment online.

Irish dance tour stops at Stephens March 24

Called "the next generation of Irish tap dance," Velocity will perform at Stephens Auditorium Thursday, March 24 (7 p.m.). Velocity's featured dancers are five-time Irish dance world champion David Gearney and Tyler Schwartz. They're accompanied by guest dance performers and a five-piece Irish band. Tickets are $25-$45 plus fees, and can be purchased at the Stephens ticket office (weekdays 11 a.m.-4 p.m.) or via Ticketmaster.

By the Numbers: COVID-19

For the week that ended Feb. 27, the positive rate for COVID-19 tests completed at the Thielen Student Health Center was 8% (10 of 125 tests completed), down from 16.22% a week earlier. Testing reflects both symptomatic students and student-athletes following NCAA testing protocols. The vaccination rate among Story County residents at least 5 years of age rose to 65.5% as of March 2. Iowa State is providing weekly updates on these and other public health benchmarks on its COVID-19: By the numbers website.

Top student employees recognized

Bahar Hashemi, a senior in computer science who has worked since May 2018 as a technical assistant in the ITS solution center, is the 2022 ISU Student Employee of the Year. She was selected from among 39 nominees. Three others were named students of distinction: Gwen Davis, office of student financial aid; Thaddeus Hill, residence department's conference services; and Sierra Weldon, dietitian service, ISU Dining. Hashemi's name will be submitted for possible state and regional recognition. Each of the winners received a prize and gift card donated by ISU Book Store.

Reminder: Complete free speech training by May 13

The state Board of Regents expects all students and employees to complete virtual training about free speech and the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution by May 13. The training emphasizes the importance of how to both use speech and expression in classroom and out-of-class activities and respect the protected speech and activity of others. The regent universities are required to provide training annually.

Cyclone gifts approach $500,000 on Forever True Day

During the ISU Foundation's first 24-hour fundraising challenge, Forever True Day March 1-2, Cyclones around the globe made 1,525 gifts totaling $475,241. The college with the most gifts unlocked $5,000 in matching funds from the foundation board to their general scholarship fund. With 249 gifts, the Ivy College of Business earned that top spot.

Regent Dakovich loses cancer battle

Alumnus Milt Dakovich, who served on the state Board of Regents since 2013, died of cancer Feb. 24 in Waterloo. He was 67. A Mass of Christian Burial was held March 1 in Waterloo. Memorials may be directed to St. Edward Catholic Church in Waterloo, Cedar Valley Catholic Schools, Northeast Iowa Food Bank or to the Dakovich family to be distributed among other favorite organizations. Obituary. Statement from board president Michael Richards.

'Stand With Ukraine' outdoor event is March 2

A group of faculty, staff and students will host "Stand With Ukraine," a peaceful rally in support of Ukraine Wednesday, March 2 (11:30-1:30 p.m., agora or free speech area, south of Parks Library). The university community is welcome to join them.

Be a Destination Iowa State team leader

Do you love being a Cyclone? New student programs is recruiting team leaders for Destination Iowa State, Aug. 18-20. Each team leader mentors a group of up to 20 students throughout the DIS experience, earning up to $375 and developing leadership skills in the process. The preparation includes two leadership development workshops and a Canvas course this spring. Learn more during an information session Wednesday, March 2 (5 p.m., 3580 Memorial Union). Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. March 6. Questions may be directed to Cassidy Conway, nsp@iastate.edu, or call 515-294-0801.

Snow ordinance takes effect Thursday evening

The city of Ames' snow ordinance will go into effect at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 24, 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.

By the numbers: COVID-19

For the week that ended Feb. 20, the positive rate for COVID-19 tests completed at the Thielen Student Health Center was 16.22% (18 of 111 tests completed), down from 30.54% a week earlier. Testing reflects both symptomatic students and student-athletes following NCAA testing protocols. The Story County positivity rate for the week ending Feb. 23 was 29.12%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The vaccination rate among Story County residents at least 5 years of age rose to 65.4% as of Feb. 23. Iowa State is providing weekly updates on these and other public health benchmarks on its COVID-19: By the numbers website.

Livestream option open for ISCORE presentations

In-person registration is closed for the 22nd annual ISCORE on Friday, March 4, but faculty, staff and students may register for access to a series of presentations that will be livestreamed, including the opening session, keynote speaker and closing musical performance.

Applications due March 1 for undergraduate research symposium

Undergraduate students who do mentored research in a campus lab are invited to present their research project in a conference-style oral presentation at ISU's 16th Annual Symposium on Undergraduate Research and Creative Expression on Wednesday, April 20, at the Student Innovation Center. The application deadline is March 1. All undergraduate students from all academic disciplines involved in mentored research are eligible to participate, and applications are welcome from individuals or small groups. Information about the symposium, including the application for prospective participants, is online. Questions may be directed to Svitlana Zbarska, 515-294-2064.

Watch and discuss Barbara Lee documentary March 3

Join Catt Center director Karen Kedrowski in a virtual showing and discussion of the 2020 documentary about U.S. Representative from California, Barbara Lee, "Speaking Truth to Power" on Thursday, March 3 (5 p.m.) This event is free and open to the public; the documentary is about 80 minutes. The virtual screening room is online at: https://go.iastate.edu/VZKSKM.

Apply by April 1 for fall scholarship for juniors

Twenty ISU students are selected every year for a $6,000 renewable scholarship from the Roy J. Carver Trust. The application deadline is April 1 for fall 2022. More information, including the application, is online. Questions may be directed to ISU's office of student financial aid, 294-0103, scholarships@iastate.edu. The eligibility requirements are:

• Junior classification by fall 2022
• Evidence of significant social and economic obstacles to attending college full time
• Graduate of accredited Iowa high school (or Iowa resident for five years)
• Minimum college cumulative GPA of 2.80
• Demonstrated financial need on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (student must file FAFSA for 2022-23 year)

By the numbers: COVID-19

For the week that ended Feb. 13, the positive rate for COVID-19 tests completed at the Thielen Student Health Center was 30.54% (51 of 167 tests completed), down from 33.64% a week earlier. Testing reflects both symptomatic students and student-athletes following NCAA testing protocols. The Story County positivity rate for the week ending Feb. 16 was 17.66%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The vaccination rate among Story County residents at least 5 years of age rose to 65.2% as of Feb. 16. Iowa State is providing weekly updates on these and other public health benchmarks on its COVID-19: By the numbers website.

Presentation looks at the progress of female presidential candidates

Nichola Gutgold, professor of communication arts and sciences at Penn State, Lehigh Valley, will give a virtual presentation on her 2021 book, "Electing Madam Vice President: When Women Run, Women Win," on Thursday, Feb. 24 (5:30 p.m., via Webex). The lecture is free and open to the public.

By the numbers: COVID-19

For the week that ended Feb. 6, the positive rate for COVID-19 tests completed at the Thielen Student Health Center was 33.64% (108 of 321 tests completed), down from 40.96% a week earlier. Testing reflects both symptomatic students and student-athletes following NCAA testing protocols. The Story County positivity rate for the week ending Feb. 9 was 22.2%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The vaccination rate among Story County residents at least 5 years of age rose to 65% as of Feb. 9. Iowa State is providing weekly updates on these and other public health benchmarks on its COVID-19: By the numbers website.

Panelists discuss language discrimination and advocacy

The Writing and Media Center, office of multicultural student affairs and world languages and cultures department are hosting a virtual panel event, "Claiming Your Language: Youth Experiences of Language Discrimination and Language Advocacy," Thursday, Feb. 24 (4 p.m.). Three panelists, Anansa Benbow, The Black Language Podcast; Dolores Inés Casillas, University of California at Santa Barbara; and Saba Khan Vlach, University of Iowa; will explore language discrimination and justice as experienced by young people in educational and social settings, followed by a Q&A. Register to receive the link.

Apply for fall undergraduate research program

The office of student financial aid is accepting applications from faculty, staff and students for the 2022-23 Undergraduate Research Assistantship program, which provides outstanding juniors and seniors hands-on experience in a formal research environment. A soft March 25 deadline assures interviews this spring. Faculty applicants will interview student(s) and make offers of employment and complete letter(s) of intent. Student candidates must have filled out the FAFSA financial aid form and be eligible for work-study funding. More information, including program guidelines, funding sources and application documents, is online. Questions may be directed to Julie Arnold, 294-0103.

Traffic stop studies to be presented to city council, student government

The City of Ames, in partnership with Iowa State University, will release the findings of two traffic stop studies conducted by CR Research Group at a joint meeting of the Ames City Council and ISU Student Government on Feb. 10 (6-8 p.m., Ames city auditorium, 520 6th St.). The studies were conducted on behalf of the Iowa State and Ames police departments to evaluate whether or not racial disparities exist in traffic stops and outcomes. Members of the Ames and Iowa State communities are invited to attend and will have an opportunity to ask questions following the presentation. The meeting will be livestreamed on YouTube and Facebook. After the meeeting, the research group's reports will be available on the Ames and Iowa State websites.

Needtobreathe concert announced for May 10

The rock/Christian rock band Needtobreathe will perform in Stephens Auditorium Tuesday, May 10, during its "Into the Mystery" acoustic tour, accompanied by solo artist Patrick Droney. The concert begins at 7 p.m. Tickets, $39.50-$79.50 plus fees, go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 11, at Ticketmaster.com, or the Stephens ticket office (11 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays). $1 per ticket goes to a charity chosen by the band.

Application window closes March 13 for summer spaceflight operations workshop

The aerospace engineering department and the Iowa Space Grant Consortium are acceping applications through March 13 for the Spaceflight Operations Workshop Aug. 2-14. The workshop employs NASA training skills that challenge participants to think "operationally." It's open to all ISU engineering and education undergraduates, students from other institutions and middle school, secondary and post-secondary educators. Details about the workshop experience are online.

COVID-19: By the numbers

For the week that ended Jan. 30, the positive rate for COVID-19 tests completed at the Thielen Student Health Center was 40.96% (145 of 354 tests completed), up from 37.36% a week earlier. Testing reflects both symptomatic students and student-athletes following NCAA testing protocols. The Story County positivity rate for the week ending Feb. 2 was 30.47%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The vaccination rate among Story County residents at least 5 years of age rose to 64.8% as of Feb. 2. Iowa State is providing weekly updates on these and other public health benchmarks on its COVID-19: By the numbers website.

Pitch-off events scheduled Feb. 10-22

The annual College-by-College Pitch Off will be held in February, with college winners advancing to the campuswide finale on Feb. 22. Students in all seven colleges have the chance to deliver a 90-second pitch to a panel of judges about an idea or business they are working on, with the top finishers taking home $500 and $250 prizes at the college level and $5,000 and $1,000 prizes in the overall contest. A workshop for interested students will be held Feb. 7 (4-5:30 p.m.) in 3231 Student Innovation Center. All pitch-off events will be held 3-5 p.m. in 3231 Student Innovation Center, except where noted.

• Feb. 10, Human Sciences
• Feb. 14, Veterinary Medicine (4-5:30 p.m., 2532 Vet Med)
• Feb. 15, Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Feb. 16, Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Feb. 17, Design
• Feb. 18, Engineering
• Feb. 21, Business
• Feb. 22, Campuswide finale (2-5 p.m.)

Schedule a Feb. 9 COVID-19 vaccine appointment

Iowa State is partnering with Hy-Vee to offer COVID-19 vaccine clinics for students and employees on Wednesdays, Feb. 9 and March 2 (9 a.m.-5 p.m.), at State Gym. Use the registration links below to register for the Feb. 9 clinic; the registration deadline is noon Feb. 8. A link will be available for the March clinic closer to the date. Hy-Vee will offer the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for first and second doses and booster shots.

• Schedule an appointment to receive the Pfizer vaccine
• Schedule an appointment to receive the Moderna vaccine

National recycling contest runs through March 26

Iowa State is participating in a national recycling contest with other universities and colleges this semester. The Campus Race to Zero Waste Competition is an eight-week event (Jan. 30-March 26), formerly called RecycleMania, in which participating schools compete in different categories, comparing waste and recycling rates. ISU's 2021 results are available online. More than 100 institutions participate in the competition organized by the National Wildlife Federation. The aim is to raise awareness for the university's waste-reduction goals and increase participation in them. Iowa State is participating in three categories:

• Per capita recycling
• Electronics waste
• One building challenge (General Services Building or Beardshear Hall)

Most spring career fairs are this month

Spring career fairs begin next week. They include:

• Engineering fair (all engineering and associated STEM majors): Feb. 8, noon-5 p.m., Scheman Building and Hilton Coliseum; Feb. 16, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., via CyHire
• Business, Industry and Technology fair (majors in business, liberal arts and sciences and human sciences): Feb. 9, noon-5 p.m., Hilton Coliseum
• People to People fair (majors in human/social services, education, health, wellness, government, hospitality and events): Feb. 9, noon-5 p.m., Scheman Building
• Design fair: Feb. 17, noon-5 p.m., Memorial Union; Feb. 24; 10 a.m.-3 p.m., via CyHire
• Teacher Education fair: March 7, 1-4 p.m., ISU Alumni Center

Training sessions available for Stop the Bleed

Training sessions will begin this month for Stop the Bleed, a nationwide bleeding control campaign that ISU Police and the environmental health and safety department have brought to Iowa State’s campus. The two-hour training will teach participants how to recognize life-threatening bleeding and quick actions to take to help control the bleeding, including when and how to use a tourniquet. Stop the Bleed kits with a tourniquet and other bleeding control supplies are in nearly 140 automated external defibrillator cabinets across campus. There is no prerequisite to take the training course, which is open to employees and students. Register online through Learn@ISU. Three upcoming courses are available for enrollment:

• Feb. 8, 1230 EH&S Services Building, 8-10 a.m.
• Feb. 24, 2532 Vet Med, 10 a.m.-noon
• March 8, 1230 EH&S Services Building, 8-10 a.m.

Valentine bouquet pre-orders due Feb. 4

The horticulture club is taking pre-orders for Valentine floral bouquets through Friday, Feb. 4. Design your own from roses, spider mums, carnations and greens (charged by the stem) or let the club design one for you. Pre-orders may be picked up 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Feb. 13 (056 Horticulture) or Feb. 14-15 (outside the ISU Book Store at the club's retail sale). Payment is by cash or check at pick-up (pre-order invoices will be emailed after Feb. 4).

Register for 2022 ISCORE

Registration is open for the 22nd annual Thomas L. Hill Iowa State Conference on Race and Ethnicity (ISCORE), the university's comprehensive forum on issues of race and ethnicity on campus and beyond. ISCORE includes the in-person conference in the Memorial Union for the entire university community Friday, March 4 (programming 8:45 a.m.-3 p.m., closing reception 3-4:30 p.m.), and the virtual preconference for staff and faculty Wednesday, March 2 (10:45 a.m.-4 p.m.). Both events are free.

Meal swipe donation period is Feb. 7-11

ISU Dining's Give a Swipe program, in which students with meal plans can donate flex meals or dining dollars to students in need, will hold its spring semester donation period Monday-Friday, Feb. 7-11. The maximum donation allowed is two flex meals, $16 worth of dining dollars or a combination of one flex meal and $8 in dining dollars. The meals donated during donation week will be available all semester. Students in need of a meal can contact one of six offices to receive assistance.

COVID-19: By the numbers

For the week that ended Jan. 23, the positive rate for COVID-19 tests completed at the Thielen Student Health Center was 37.36% (130 of 348 tests completed), down from 38.2% a week earlier. Testing reflects both symptomatic students and student-athletes following NCAA testing protocols. The Story County positivity rate for the week ending Jan. 26 was 34.32%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The vaccination rate among Story County residents at least 5 years of age rose to 64.6% as of Jan. 26. Iowa State is providing weekly updates on these and other public health benchmarks on its COVID-19: By the numbers website.

IP Corner launches Feb. 4

The IP (intellectual property) Corner, with Gary Griswold, former chief IP counsel at 3M, and Patrick Klepcyk, director of the office of innovation commerialization, will launch Fridays, Feb. 4 and 18 (9 a.m.-noon, 3121A Student Innovation Center) and continue monthly on the second and fourth Fridays through spring semester. They will help students, faculty and staff understand general issues related to intellectual property, including patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets or confidential information. General topics that may be addressed are how to document activities that may be inventive, the patent application process, when/how/why to file a patent application and how the university works with inventors and researchers.

Join 'Make to Innovate' 10th anniversary celebration online

Make to Innovate, a project-based learning program in the aerospace engineering department, is marking its 10th anniversary in a celebration Jan. 28 from 2:30-4 p.m. at the Student Innovation Center. A list of speakers is available online. Registration for in-person attendance is closed, but the event will livestream on Zoom. The event also will introduce the Make to Innovate Lab of the Future Challenge, a competition for student teams to envision the lab needs of students, faculty and universities in 2050. The challenge is sponsored by John Deere and will offer $10,000 in prize money.

New look for interlibrary loan site launches Feb. 7

University library's interlibrary loan (ILL) request site is getting a new look on Feb. 7, but it will function largely as it did before. Patrons still will be able to submit ILL requests for articles, books and other materials but on a website that will look a little different.

Reiman Gardens offers workshop series on gardening basics

Reiman Gardens is offering a 12-workshop series for beginning gardeners that will meet 1-2 Saturday mornings per month from February through September. Reiman staff members are the instructors. The cost is $200 ($150 for members and ISU students) or $20 per workshop ($15), and includes more than $200 of tools, seeds, plant starts and containers. Preregister for the full series by Feb. 13.

COVID-19: By the numbers

For the week that ended Jan. 16, the positive rate for COVID-19 tests completed at the Thielen Student Health Center was 38.2% (98 of 258 tests completed), nearly steady with 38.08% a week earlier. Testing reflects both symptomatic students and student-athletes following NCAA testing protocols. The Story County positivity rate for the week ending Jan. 19 was 32.31%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The vaccination rate among Story County residents at least 5 years of age rose to 64.3% as of Jan. 19. Iowa State is providing weekly updates on these and other public health benchmarks on its COVID-19: By the numbers website.

Donate business attire for student use at career fairs

The business attire free pop-up shop for all Iowa State students (in anticipation of spring career fairs) is in need of gently-used ties, big and tall menswear, suit jackets, dress shirts and shoes. Donated items can be dropped off Tuesday, Jan. 25 (1:30-5 p.m.,1009 LeBaron). The spring pop-up shop will be held Jan. 26-27 (10 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m. daily, 1009 LeBaron). Every semester 400-700 students stop by the shop to pick up items for interviews, clinicals, etc. Questions may be directed to Carmen Flagge, College of Human Sciences (include pop-up shop in the subject line).

Additional campus vaccination clinics scheduled

In partnership with Hy-Vee, Iowa State will offer a COVID-19 vaccination clinic for employees and students on Wednesday, Jan. 26 (9 a.m.-5 p.m., State Gym). Hy-Vee will offer the Pfizer vaccine for first and second doses and booster shots. Appointments are required and must be made online by 10 a.m. Jan. 25. Vaccination clinics also are scheduled for Feb. 9 and March 2; appointment links will be activated closer to those dates.

Food science club's fudge pre-orders close Jan. 28

The Food Science Club's annual fudge sale, in time for Valentine's Day, is by preorder. This year's flavors are chocolate, peanut butter, chocolate mint, cookies and cream, and Cyclone -- a club original. The cost for a half-pound container is $6 (two containers for $10 and $5 for the third and subsequent containers). Payment is by cash or check at pick-up. Orders can be picked up Feb. 9-10 (10 a.m.-3 p.m. daily, 206 MacKay). Any extra fudge will be sold, first-come, Feb. 11 (10 a.m.-1 p.m., 206 MacKay). Proceeds from the sale help cover club expenses and industry trips.

Printing services website unavailable Jan. 18

Printing services' computer servers are not functioning this morning (Jan. 18) due to an overhead water leak in the server area. The website, including order forms, is not available and printing staff are unable to work on clients' digital files until the problem is fixed. A timeline for bringing services back online still is being assessed.

Classroom tents will be back in March

The university response team (URT) has confirmed that tents -- for class, study, student advising and student organization use -- will return to about 10 central campus locations and the Vet Med campus later this semester. Weather permitting, the plan is to install the tents during spring break week. Seating this spring in most of the tents will be picnic tables, for a sturdier option on the thawing ground.

Athletics' equipment sale is Feb. 5

The athletics department will hold an equipment sale of authentic football jerseys (one per person) and other team apparel and bags on Saturday, Feb. 5 (8 a.m.-noon or while supplies last, Sukup End Zone Club at Jack Trice Stadium). Helmets won't be sold. Parking is in lots S3 and S5; shoppers should enter the end zone club through its southeast door. Shoppers may not bring bags, purses, food or drink in with them. Prices range from $5 (headwear) to $100 (2018 football jerseys). Credit/debit cards are encouraged, checks aren't accepted and one checkout line will accept cash.

$1K scholarships available for CALS undergraduates

The ISU Seed Science Center has more than 10 $1,000 scholarships to award in 2022. All undergraduates in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are eligible to apply; the deadline was extended to Jan. 21. Complete the application and email it to agronomy professor Susana Goggi.

COVID-19: By the numbers

For the week that ended Jan. 9, the positive rate for COVID-19 tests completed at the Thielen Student Health Center was 38.08% (123 of 323 tests completed), up from 35.44% a week earlier. Testing reflects both symptomatic students and student-athletes following NCAA testing protocols. The Story County positivity rate for the week ending Jan. 12 was 27.02%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The vaccination rate among Story County residents at least 5 years of age rose to 64.1% as of Jan. 12. Iowa State is providing weekly updates on these and other public health benchmarks on its COVID-19: By the numbers website.