ITS tool shortens links but keeps 'iastate'
A new vanity link shortening tool from information technology services gives faculty, staff and students a way to shorten a web link for use on social media and emails. The go.iastate tool, which requires a Net ID login, will track hits on the shortened link and generate a QR code for use in print media.
July 5 closings for university holiday
Monday, July 5, is a university holiday to observe the national Independence Day July 4. Offices are closed and summer session classes will not meet. Below are other updates to summer schedules:
- Parks Library will be closed Sunday-Monday, July 4-5, and have reduced (12:30-5 p.m.) hours on Saturday, July 3. The reading rooms in the colleges of Design and Veterinary Medicine are closed Monday, July 5.
- University museums' indoor galleries are closed Monday, July 5. Additionally, the Brunnier Art Museum in Scheman will not hold its summer Sunday hours on July 4.
- Reiman Gardens' normal daily summer hours (10 a.m.-6 p.m., butterfly wing closes at 4:30 p.m.), will be observed throughout the holiday weekend. On Saturday, July 3, the gardens will remain open through Ames' fireworks show, which starts at dusk. Visitors may bring folding chairs, blankets and coolers with food and drinks. No fireworks or sparklers are allowed inside the gardens.
Ames bookmobile returns to campus this month
The Ames Public Library's bookmobile, in partnership with the university library, will resume weekly service on campus starting July 8. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. each Thursday, the bookmobile will park in the turnaround driveway between Parks Library and Morrill Hall.
Summer volunteers sought for campus food pantry
SHOP, the on-campus food pantry serving students, is keeping summer service hours three days a week through Friday, Aug. 20. University employees are invited to volunteer in one-hour increments on the signup site. SHOP, located at 1306 Beyer, is open 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays, and 2-7 p.m. Wednesdays. Volunteers will receive an email with details about volunteer duties prior to their first shift.
Meat Lab has holiday specials
The ISU Meat Laboratory sales room, Kildee Hall atrium, announces these specials June 28-July 2 for the Independence Day holiday. The sales room is open 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Fridays. Shop in person or order online for curbside or in-store pick-up. Checks and cash are accepted.
- Pork loin back ribs, $1.99/lb (35% savings)
- Beef frankfurters, $2.49/lb (24% savings)
- Ground pork patties, $2.69/lb (16% savings)
Watch the fireworks July 3 from Reiman Gardens
Ticket packages available for Stephens performing arts series
Subscription ticket packages are on sale for the 2021-22 performing arts series at Stephens Auditorium. Subscribers can select from 16 shows and will save 20% when purchasing the 4-show Broadway package or 15% when choosing four or more events for a create-your-own-series package. Subscription tickets are available before general public sales begin Aug. 10, offer priority seating, flexibility on exchanging tickets and an invitation to the 2022-23 series preview party.
Two projects tapped for library's Tracing Race initiative
Two projects have been selected as the first installments in the university library's Tracing Race at ISU initiative, an effort to support and encourage digital scholarship that reveals the history of racism, inequality and activism at Iowa State and the underdocumented accomplishments and experiences of people of color.
Teaching professor in English Gloria Betcher and assistant professor of community and regional planning Ted Grevstad-Nordbrock will partner with the Ames History Museum to map the off-campus housing experiences of Black students before 1940.
Associate professor Deni Chamberlin and associate teaching professor Brenda Witherspoon of the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication will have students in their Advanced Photojournalism and The Digital Newsroom courses this fall explore a variety of topics related to race and racism, activism and accomplishments to create an interactive, layered map narrative.
Protect yourself against heat-related illnesses, sun damage to skin
Hot and humid weather conditions have arrived! If your work for the university (or hobbies away from campus) take you outside, it's wise to review the risk factors associated with spending time in hot environments and in the sun. The links below provide useful information for avoiding heat-related illness.
Heat stress includes a series of conditions where the body is under stress from overheating. Symptoms can range from profuse sweating to dizziness, cessation of sweating and collapse.
- EH&S website: Heat Stress in the Workplace.
- Heat-related Illness, a 45-minute training module in Learn@ISU (under EH&S offerings).
- National Safety Council's Heat-related illness (PDF).
Sun safety. Protection from UV rays is important all year, not just during the summer. UV rays can reach you on cloudy and cool days, and they reflect off -- and are amplified by -- surfaces such as water, cement, sand and snow.
- Five-minute Ted Talk: Why Do We Have to Wear Sunscreen?
Questions may be directed to environmental health and safety, 294-5359.
Scoops of the day at the ISU Creamery
The ISU Creamery, 2953 Food Sciences, is continuing its regular hours this summer (noon-4:30 p.m. weekdays except Wednesday, 2-6 p.m. Saturdays). You can purchase freshly scooped cones and bowls for now ($3-5) or 8-ounce cups ($5.50) and quart cartons ($12) to take home. The creamery posts its daily featured flavors (of 15 possibilities) each week on its website.
Meat Lab restocks several pork favorites
The ISU Meat Lab has been able to return to its stock several pork products (all $4.29 per pound): Canadian bacon, smoked-cured pork loin roasts and boneless smoked pork loin chops. The sales room, Kildee Hall atrium, is open Fridays (11 a.m.-1 p.m.). Shop in person or online for curbside pick-up. Regardless of method, checks are the only accepted form of payment.
University's COVID-19 health data posted to public archive
Iowa State COVID-19 public health data for spring 2021 and fall 2020 is now accessible through the archive tab on the university's COVID-19 dashboard. State and county data is available from the Iowa Department of Public Health. The university's public health team continues to monitor COVID-19 trends and is prepared to respond if needed.
The next vaccination clinics on campus will resume in August. Story County Public Health also is currently taking vaccine appointments. ISU students with COVID-19 symptoms may schedule a test through the Thielen Student Health Center. Faculty and staff seeking a test should contact their primary care physician or Test Iowa to find the nearest location.
Cyclone football schedule T-shirts on sale now
The Iowa State Spirit Squad is selling short sleeved Cyclone football schedule T-shirts for the 2021 season. The cost is $15, which includes shipping. Funds raised directly benefit the operations of the spirt squad, including participation in the college national competition. Orders won't ship until after June 14.
Child care-aged children in your family? Take this survey
The Ames Chamber of Commerce is conducting an online survey about the community's post-pandemic needs and challenges for providing care to children ages infant through 12 years old. ISU employees with children in this age range are encouraged to participate in the survey as part of collaborative efforts among local government and businesses. It will remain available through June 11. Questions about the survey may be emailed to ISU's WorkLife and Family Services.
Free speech website goes live
The state Board of Regents' new free speech standing committee, led by new regent and Iowa State alumna Greta Rouse, received campus updates on several recommendations the full board approved in February. These included mandatory syllabus statements on free speech (which Iowa State has used since winter session), designated free speech websites (which went live this week), a review of national and regent university campus surveys (as background information for a planning process to regularly survey the campus communities) and an initial report on efforts to develop a 15-20 module all three universities could use for annual campus training on the First Amendment and free speech.
Similar to sites at the universities of Iowa and Northern Iowa, Iowa State's free speech site features sections on policy and reporting, resources and services, and an FAQ. Iowa State's also includes a link to the campus climate website.
Evening 'picnic in the gardens' is June 11
Reiman Gardens' first Picnic in the Gardens of 2021 is scheduled for Friday, June 11 (5-8 p.m.) for families and other groups to enjoy the gardens at dusk. Table and bench seating will be available in many areas of the gardens. Guests are invited to bring blankets, chairs, food and drinks. No preregistration is required. Regular admission prices apply (free for members and ISU students with I.D.).
Workspace announces summer hours
Opening June 1 for the summer, the Workspace in the east basement of the Memorial Union will offer crafts for drop-in or carry out and weekly themes in pottery painting. Summer crafts are open to children if accompanied by a grown-up. Through the end of July, summer hours are 2-8 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 am.-4 p.m. Saturday.
PGA qualifying event comes to Veenker this week
ISU's Veenker Memorial Golf Course will host pre-qualifier (about 60 amateur and professional male golfers aged 50 years and older on May 28) and qualifier (about 25 golfers on June 1) competitions for the Principal Charity Classic PGA Tour event June 4-6 at Des Moines' Wakonda Club. Play at Veenker will begin at 7:30 a.m. both days and conclude around 4 p.m. May 28 and 2 p.m. June 1. On both days, golfers will complete 18 holes. Up to five golfers will qualify for the Des Moines tournament. Spectators should park in the overflow gravel lot off the Veenker driveway. Veenker head golf pro Greg Dingel said Veenker will have some public tee times starting later in the afternoon on those two days.
Changes to events, gatherings guidance take effect May 19
Face coverings no longer are required and allowable crowd densities moved to 100% of a room's rated capacity in new (non-classroom) large events guidelines for the time period May 19-Aug. 1. However, classroom capacities for summer session remain at 50%. Physical distancing indoors still is recommended, for example in lines or around a beverage bar.
Faculty-Staff Inspirations winners to be honored June 4
A virtual ceremony June 4 (noon-12:30 p.m.) will honor the three 2021 winners of the ISU Alumni Association's Faculty-Staff Inspiration Award, which recognizes current or former ISU faculty and staff who have had a significant influences on students' lives. Winners this year are Brianna Burke, asssociate professor of English; Manju Reddy, professor and Doris A. Adams Endowed Chair of food science and human nutrition; and Giles Fowler, associate professor in the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication (awarded posthumously). Click here to register for the event and leave a note of congratulations for one of the recipients. Registration closes at noon on June 3. The event will be livestreamed on the Alumni Association's Facebook page.
Virtual spring Honors poster sessions are available now
The University Honors Program invites the campus community to visit its Spring 2021 virtual poster session. The online platform features the capstone research projects of 109 Honors students and spring graduates and includes recorded presentations.
Temporary road closures start May 24
Short sections of several roads in the north part of campus will close Monday, May 24, for summer projects:
- Pammel Drive between Winlock and Morrill roads will close for an anticipated two weeks for the removal of an underground steam tunnel across Pammel to the site of Genetics Lab, which was demolished this spring.
- North University Boulevard between Wallace and Stange roads will close through Sunday, May 30, for concrete road patching. Stange Road south of Pammel Drive will be opened to Osborn Drive as an alternate route. The east entrance to Lot 79 will be open, and the south and east entrances to Lot 39 will be open.
Online training modules assist home-based food operators
ISU Extension and Outreach offers online training in food safety, food preparation and Iowa regulations designed specifically for cottage food producers. The modules, targeting home-based food operators, including farmer's market vendors, are available 24/7 in Moodle, an online learning management system. The registration cost to access them is $35.
Chad Hart will present on carbon markets May 19
The May 19th Conversation About Carbon will feature Chad Hart, professor of economics and ISU Extension crop markets specialist, whose presentation is "Let's Talk About Carbon Markets." It will begin at noon via Zoom, with an audience Q&A beginning around 12:30 p.m. The series is hosted by the Bioeconomy Institute.
Class attendance returns to standard policy this fall
Following discussions among the provost's office, Faculty Senate executive board and the Academic Continuity Working Group, the university will return to its standard policy for class attendance for the 2021-22 academic year, as outlined in chapter 10.4.1 of the Faculty Handbook.
College Creek cleanup is scheduled for June 12
Second-dose clinics announced; J&J vaccine available May 18-19
Employees and students interested in receiving their second dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on campus can schedule an appointment for clinics May 12-13 and May 18-20. Appointments are also available May 18-19 for the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
Testing site, contact tracing operations are shifting
The COVID-19 testing site at Johnny's lounge in Hilton Coliseum will close May 6. On-campus testing for faculty, staff and students will continue to be available this summer at Thielen Student Health Center, though employees are encouraged to seek testing through their health care provider, local pharmacies or Test Iowa. Contact tracing and case investigation for cases of COVID-19 on campus, which have been handled by ISU staff since last summer, will shift soon to the Iowa Department of Public Health. Both changes were announced in a May 5 campus message sent to faculty, staff and students.
No changes to face covering policy, for now
University policy on when and where face coverings must be worn due to the risk of transmitting COVID-19 have not changed, according to a May 5 campus message from President Wendy Wintersteen, chair of the Moving Forward Coordinate Committee John Lawrence and associate vice president for student health and wellness Erin Baldwin. With some specific exceptions, the policy mandates wearing a face covering inside all university buildings and outdoors on university property when in spaces where staying 6 feet from others may not be possible, such as sidewalks and parking lots. Senior leaders are monitoring the situation daily, and their decisions will remain rooted in science-based information and public health guidance, the campus message said. More information about the face covering policy for the fall semester will be released in mid-July.
Sign of the times: Symptom checker will cease May 7
The final Cyclones Care Symptom Checker of the semester will go out Friday morning, May 7. The daily communication -- sent via email or text -- launched last August to remind employees and students to self-check for COVID-19 symptoms before coming to campus or participating in university activities. Even without the daily check, as a good health practice, students, staff and faculty are encouraged to self-monitor for symptoms of illness and stay home if they're sick.
Summer office hours can begin May 10
Units may choose to use summer hours May 10-Aug. 13. During the transition to pre-pandemic levels of campus operations this summer, offices will start to reopen to the public and an increasing number of services will be offered in person. Depending on how that shift develops, the summer hours schedule of 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. with a shorter lunch break may be observed as office hours or an employee's working hours. Summer schedules need to maintain service for students, customers and clients, including summer orientation participants, and support daily operations -- for instance, ongoing research, public service programs, public safety and utilities management. To adopt a summer schedule, units need approval from the appropriate senior leader.
Innovative teams sought for LEGO competition
ISU teams of two or three students, staff, faculty or alumni are invited to participate in a LEGO™ brick-building challenge during the Iowa State Fair (Aug. 12-22) around the theme of "Innovate at Iowa State." Register your team by June 1, submit your concept by July 1 and then build it during a two-hour time slot during the fair (LEGO™ bricks provided). Five prizes ($500-$3,000) will be awarded.
Summers hours shared for campus art museums
University museums has posted summer hours for its three indoor exhibition spaces:
- Brunnier Art Museum, Scheman Building (May 9-July 23): 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays, 1-4 p.m. Sunday, closed for exhibition installations July 24-Aug. 22
- Christian Petersen Art Museum, Morrill Hall (May 17-July 30): 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays, closed May 8-16 for university break, closed for exhibition installation Aug. 1-22
- Farm House Museum, central campus (May 17-July 23): noon-4 p.m. weekdays, closed May 8-16 for university break, closed July 24-Aug. 22
Tickets on sale April 30 for Alton Brown at Stephens
Television personality, author and Food Network star Alton Brown will visit Stephens Auditorium next spring to present his live culinary variety show, "Alton Brown Live -- Beyond the Eats," a combination of cooking, comedy, music and science. Tickets for the March 26, 2022, show go on sale April 30 at noon and range from $49 to $79. They can be purchased online.
Apply by May 14 to join summer peer review group
Graduate students interested in joining a peer review group this summer should apply online by May 14. The Center for Communication Excellence organizes groups of 5-10 graduate students from similar disciplines to meet weekly and share feedback on various types of academic communication. Common types of feedback are organization, logical flow of ideas, clarity of argument, specific language and adherence to genre conventions. Groups will continue to meet virtually this summer. Email peer review group facilitator Tanzeel Rehman, turehman@iastate.edu, for more information.
Countywide moment of silence requested on May 4
To commemorate lives lost to COVID-19, Mary Greeley Medical Center has invited organizations in Ames and Story County to participate in a moment of silence at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 4. The date is the one-year anniversary of the hospital's first COVID-19-related death. Since the pandemic began, more than 11,000 Story County residents have tested positive for COVID-19 and 47 residents have died from the virus. Mary Greeley has treated and discharged 568 COVID-19 patients from throughout central Iowa. Fifty-seven people have died from COVID-19 at the hospital.
End of semester sale: Ice cream cups just $1
The Dairy Science Club's Wednesday ice cream sale -- the last one of the semester -- will feature chocolate, strawberry, Oreo and Resse's flavors today (noon-2 p.m., near the Lush Auditorium north doors in Kildee Hall). The price is just $1 per cup.
Plant sale at Reiman Gardens is May 8-9
Reiman Gardens will hold its annual public plant sale Saturday-Sunday, May 8 (9 a.m.-6 p.m.) and May 9 (10 a.m.-3 p.m.) in the gardens' parking lot, rain or shine. Plants for sale include perennials for sun and shade; herbs and vegetables; Iowa natives; woody plants (trees, shrubs and Buck roses); container annuals; hanging baskets; and prefinished mixed containers. Face coverings are required at the sale. Credit card, check and cash are accepted payment, and proceeds support programming by the graduate student origanization in the ecology, evolution and organismal biology department; graduate student Horticulture Society; ISU Horticulture Club; Reiman Gardens and Story County Master Gardener Association.
Pop-up art mart is May 5-7
The Workspace and ISU Gaffers' Guild are hosting a pop-up Art Mart in the Memorial Union art gallery (near the food court) May 5-7. One-of-a-kind pottery, blown glass, jewelry, prints and accessories by campus artists will be for sale. Hours vary each day: 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday, and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday.
Campus clinic offers one- and two-dose vaccinations
The Iowa State vaccine clinic in State Gym will be open this week Tuesday through Friday (April 27-30). Both Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines are available and employees and students can select the type of vaccine when they schedule an appointment online. Iowa State is able to split up doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for students, faculty and staff with no requirement of both doses being received on campus. The Pfizer vaccine requires a second dose in three weeks -- whether you are on campus or at another location.
High use of the online scheduling site is expected. If the link is not working, do not call the Thielen Student Health Center. Continue to check the link; appointment slots and additional dates are added as vaccine becomes available. Patients are asked to stay hydrated and eat something prior to their appointment. Vaccinations support the university's goal of returning to a more traditional Cyclone campus experience this fall. Students and employees are encouraged to "vaccinate for Iowa State."
Vaccination appointment website opened to students, employees
All Iowa State students and employees can now schedule an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine at the State Gym vaccination clinic. Appointments are available April 21-22 (second doses on May 12-13) and April 27-29 (second doses on May 18-20). Do not schedule a vaccine appointment at Iowa State if you are unable to receive both doses on campus. Your second appointment will be scheduled during registration for your first appointment.
Central campus tent use extended through May 13
A 40-by-60 tent erected last week on central campus just north of the campanile for faculty, staff and students use can be reserved through Thursday, May 13. The tent can be reserved free of charge online through the Memorial Union for internal events. All Cyclones Care safety measures apply.
Extension offers remote work certificate program
ISU Extension and Outreach, collaborating with its Utah counterpart, offers a self-paced, 30-hour remote work certificate program. It contains nine modules designed to provide the skills and tools needed for a virtual career or freelance work. A new session begins each month except in July and December; cost is $249.
Concert to commemorate Tulsa race massacre
The ISU Symphony Orchestra will present "A Thousand Thunderbolts: Commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre" Saturday, April 24 (7:30-8:30 p.m., livestream). The concert will feature music by Black American composers including Florence Price, George Walker, Mary Watkins, Jessie Montgomery and Ulysses Kay. Each performance will be preceded by a short video of a Black civil rights leaders, icon or advocate to illuminate the history and lasting effects of race relations from a personal perspective. Speakers include Lessie Benningfield Randle, one of the last known survivors of the massacre; Rev. Robert Turner, Vernon AME Zion Church, Tulsa; Reuben Gant, director of Tulsa's John Hope Franklin Center for Reconciliation; and Tiffany Johnson, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Dean’s Artist-in-Residence. The performance will be available on demand through June 1.
This is the second year for the Symphony of Diversity performance at ISU. Director of orchestral activities Jonathan Govias, who developed the concept, brought the tradition with him to Iowa State last year.
On May 31, 1921, a white mob attacked homes and businesses in Tulsa's predominantly Black neighborhood of Greenwood, killing dozens and leaving thousands homeless.
Exhibitor applications open for Destination Iowa State picnic
The new student programs staff invites university units to exhibit during the Destination Iowa State "Center of ExCYtment" picnic Thursday, Aug. 19 (3:30-7:30 p.m., lot C-2 south of Hilton Coliseum). University departments and recognized student clubs or organizations can apply online. Applications are due by July 16. This event will follow all COVID-19 health and safety guidelines established for the fall semester. Questions may be directed to nsp@iastate.edu.
Library shares prep and finals week offerings
While it won't switch to round-the-clock open hours to close out the semester, Parks Library is offering several wellness options for students during prep week and coffee and packaged snacks for students around 10:30 p.m. most evenings April 26-May 7. And the seating capacity alert on the library's homepage is expected to get some attention in the weeks ahead.
Club ice cream sale is today
The Dairy Science Club's Wednesday ice cream sale will feature vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, Oreo and Resse's flavors today (noon-2 p.m., near the Lush Auditorium north doors in Kildee Hall). The price is $2 per cup. The club also fills orders for events and functions; send an email to dairyscienceicecream@gmail.com for more information.
Your help is needed in Pammel Woods April 20
As part of Earth Day events, the Live Green! program and campus services are organizing volunteers to pull the invasive garlic mustard weed in Pammel Woods Tuesday, April 20 (11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., meet near the ISU Cemetery). A group of ROTC students will help again this year. Participants should wear long pants and closed-toe shoes and bring work gloves if they have them. Campus services will provide garbage bags. Volunteers don't have to commit to the full two hours; any amount of assistance is appreciated.
MU's bridal expo is April 25
"United at the Union," the Memorial Union's annual expo for couples planning a wedding, will be held Sunday, April 25 (1-3 p.m., MU Great Hall). Many central Iowa wedding vendors will take part. Face coverings are required for all vendors and attendees, six-foot social distancing is encouraged and hand sanitizer will be available at entrances.
Scamper with your dog on April 24
Iowa State's student chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association will hold its annual SAVMA Scamper 5K walk/run Saturday, April 24 (10 a.m., College of Veterinary Medicine). Runners are encouraged to race with their dogs. Registration for faculty, staff and the public is $25 ($20 for ISU students). Proceeds support local animal shelters and rescues community awareness campaigns about the OneHealth mission.