Announcements
May 2017
Creek cleanup is scheduled for June 24
The annual College Creek cleanup is scheduled for June 24 (11 a.m.-2 p.m.; volunteers needn't commit to the full time). Volunteers will walk along the bank of designated sections of the creek and pick up trash. Online registration is requested to ensure adequate supplies. Supplies and refreshments will be provided. Volunteers will meet in the Forker Building parking lot. The event is a collaborative effort of the office of sustainability and facilities planning and management.
FBI-led workshop next month focuses on academic biosecurity
Environmental health and safety will host a free workshop on academic biosecurity, facilitated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, on July 19 (9 a.m.-noon, MU Campanile Room) for faculty, postdocs, lab managers, first responders, emergency management personnel and leaders. The goal is to strengthen cooperation among law enforcement, research entities and community stakeholders to mitigate potential biosecurity issues affecting public health and safety. Register via Learn@ISU (individuals not affiliated with the university should email ehsinfo@iastate.edu to register).
Lot 49, access to Gerdin dock to close for a week
Parking lot 49 (east of Curtiss Hall) and access to the Gerdin Building loading dock will close May 31 for approximately one week for a project to lower a stormwater intake and replace pavement at the lot entrance. The intent is to help redirect water flow on Farm House Lane and reduce the volume of water flowing down the Gerdin sidewalk.
Chemistry Stores' inventory is June 13-15
Chemistry Stores' storeroom, 1400 Gilman, will be closed June 13-15 for its annual inventory. Customers are asked to plan ahead and purchase the supplies needed during these three days. The counter will open twice a day (9:30-10 a.m. and 12:30-1 p.m.) for pickup of dry ice and liquid nitrogen. The office will remain open for those who need to place non-stock orders.
Summer youth program kicks off June 4
ISU's ExerCYse program is coordinating the VERB Summer Scorecard program for Story County youth. The free program, designed for kids from kindergarten through eighth grade, includes events and activiites throughout the summer. Registration is free through the Iowa VERB website; details about upcoming events will be emailed weekly. A kick-off event will be held Sunday, June 4, in the recreation field east of the Maple-Willow-Larch residence hall complex. Questions about the program can be emailed to Katy Southard, Greg Welk or Erica Campbell.
University closed Monday for holiday
University offices are closed and classes will not meet on Monday, May 29, in observance of the national Memorial Day holiday.
Closures may affect campus commute
Select parking lots and streets will close to accommodate the Special Olympics Iowa summer games, May 25-27.
North campus roads closed for utility work
WOI Road, from Pammel Drive north to the north end of parking lot 27, as well as lot 27 (immediately north of the Communications Building), closed on May 18 and will remain closed until mid-July. Access has been kept to lot 12 (west side of the Communications Building). Short sections of Winlock Road and Kooser Drive, between the east and north entrances to parking lot 33, also are closed through mid-July. Lot 33 remains open and to get to Kooser Drive, drivers may cut through lot 33 or use North Morrill Road. These closures are part of a utility project to add underground piping to improve chilled water service (air conditioning) on campus.
New alum creates wall mural in Beyer fitness room
Recreation services nabs artist Tim Westrom from the Class of 2017 for a mural project in Beyer Hall.
Butterflies? There's an app for that
Students in an electrical and computer engineering senior design course helped create a mobile app and database commissioned by Reiman Gardens entomologist Nathan Brockman. The technology, originally designed as a tool for butterfly population surveys, can be customized for different studies.
Implementation planning begins for CyRide route changes
CyRide's board has approved a 13-route structure; a phased implementation of changes is likely to begin next May.
Search committee's first meeting is June 5
The Presidential Search and Screen Committee will hold its first meeting on Monday, June 5 (2-4 p.m., Uelner Executive Board Room, ISU Alumni Center). The committee will receive its formal charge, discuss scheduling public listening sessions about qualities needed by the next president, and talk about next steps. The meeting is open to the public; audio from the meeting will be livestreamed on the board's website. The 21-member group is co-chaired by Design dean Luis Rico-Gutierrez and alumnus Dan Houston, president and chairman of Principal Financial Group. It will be assisted by the executive search firm, AGB Search.
Center celebrates new name May 20
On May 20, the campus community will celebrate the naming of the Black Cultural Center for longtime administrator George Jackson, who passed away last year. During his 31 years of service, Jackson was director of the Office of Minority Student Affairs, assistant vice president for Student Affairs, and assistant dean of the Graduate College. Located at 517 Welch Ave., the George A. Jackson Black Cultural Center will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to noon for the celebration. A short program will begin at 10:30 a.m.
'Dancing With the Stars' veterans to perform at Stephens Nov. 3
Professional dancer and television host Cheryl Burke's 30-city national tour will stop in Ames on Friday, Nov. 3 (7:30 p.m., Stephens Auditorium). "Love on the Floor," a dance show in four acts, also will feature 2014 ice dancing Olympians Meryl Davis and Charlie White. All three are veterans of ABC TV's "Dancing With the Stars." Tickets, $46.50-$61.50 plus fees, go on sale May 19 via Ticketmaster.
Celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day on May 18
The digital access office will showcase work being done at ISU to address digital accessibility during an open house on Thursday, May 18 (9 a.m.-1 p.m., 206 Durham). Staff also invite the university community to participate in the #NoMouse Challenge -- to use a keyboard instead of mouse or trackpad for an hour to see how navigational and interactive the websites you use truly are. Iowa Staters also have been invited to join several livestream sessions being offered by the University of Iowa's IT accessibility group using Zoom. (Join from Mac, PC, Linux, iOS or Android). Times and titles are:
- 9-10 a.m., Creating accessible Microsoft Word documents
- 10:15-11:45 a.m., PDF accessibility tools and techniques
- 1-2 p.m., Understanding your website's accessibility
- 2:30-3:30 p.m., Understanding video captioning
Lincoln Way traffic lane lost during construction project
The outside eastbound lane of Lincoln Way (between Sheldon and Hyland avenues) will be closed for approximately 18 months, during the construction of the block-long River Caddis project at Lincoln Way and Sheldon (southwest of campus). During this time, Lincoln Way traffic will be funneled into three lanes: eastbound, westbound and dedicated center turn lanes. Motorists in the area are asked to use caution.
Gentle Doctor Café opens in interim location on May 15
ISU Dining's Gentle Doctor Café at the Veterinary Medicine campus will open in 2272 Vet Med on Monday, May 15 (down the halll from its former location). It will remain there through August 2018 while the existing café is renovated and expanded. In its temporary location, the café will continue to offer brewed coffee, grab-and-go and bakery items, soup and a hot entree daily. Services lost due to space constraints are the made-to-order deli and espresso drinks. Hours are 7:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday. Vending machines have been relocated to the Fish Tank Lobby.
State park system is topic of summer exhibit
The library's special collections and university archives department announces a summer exhibition, "This movement for a more beautiful Iowa." The exhibition, a look at the early years of Iowa's state park system, opens on May 17 and will run through the summer on the 4th floor of Parks Library.
Central Stores to close for inventory May 31-June 2
Central stores will be closed Wednesday, May 31, through Friday, June 2, while staff conduct an inventory. Those with emergency needs should contact central stores project schedule coordinator Bill Spratt, bspratt@iastate.edu, 4-0402.
Action sport circus stops at Jack Trice Stadium on June 3
Nitro Circus Live's North American tour stops at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, June 3 (4 p.m., doors open at 3 p.m.). Tickets, $19 to $59, plus fees, may be purchased via Ticketmaster. The show features more than 30 athletes in motocross, BMX, scooter and inline performing tricks and rides.
Alumni association's 2018 travel preview is May 25
The ISU Alumni Association will hold a preview event of the trips it's sponsoring in 2018 on Thursday, May 25 (4:30-6:30 p.m., Reiman Ballroom, Alumni Center). This event is free and open to the public; food and beverages from around the world will be served. Register online.
National bike to work week is May 15-19
National Bike to Work Week is May 15-19. City of Ames leaders are kicking off the week with a free continental breakfast on Monday, May 15 (7-9 a.m., east side of City Hall).
Registration is open for forensic science conference
The Center for Statistics and Applications in Forensic Evidence (CSAFE) will host an All Hands Meeting June 7-9 at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center. ISU faculty, staff and students interested in forensic science are invited to attend to connect with innovative experts in digital and pattern evidence and discuss potential collaborations. Registration is requested by May 22. Questions may be directed to program manager Stacy Renfro.
Regents hire firm to assist with presidential search
The state Board of Regents has selected AGB Search, Washington, D.C., as the firm to assist a 21-member search committee with the selection of Iowa State's next president. The firm's duties will include:
- Developing the position specification and search timeline
- Identifying potential candidates and receiving nominations and applications
- Communicating with prospective candidates and facilitating candidate interviews
- Conducting background checks on applicants
Leath reflects on ISU presidency
Student success stories, research park expansion, are among his favorite memories.
Survey says: Yum
ISU Dining offered samples last week of possible menu items for its newest venue, opening this fall in the Memorial Union food court. When Subway's lease expires at the end of May, the space will be renovated and reopened as "Lance and Ellie's."
'Imaginative' proposals receive diversity course development grants
Seven proposals will share $50,000 in grants and receive instructional design assistance from CELT.
Pammel/Stange improvement work will last all summer
The intersection will remain open, but single lanes in each direction will slow traffic.
Ready for graduation weekend
An estimated 5,093 Iowa State students are completing degree programs this semester.
Funeral service for retired Design faculty member Gene Figura is May 6
A funeral service for former Design faculty member Gene Figura will be held on Saturday, May 6 (3 p.m., Adams Funeral Home, 502 Douglas Ave.), with visitation one hour prior to the service. Burial with military honors will follow at Ames Municipal Cemetery. Figura died May 1 at Green Hills Health Care Center at the age of 90. He was a faculty member in the department of applied art (later art and design) from 1968 to his retirement in 1993. Memorials may be directed to the Octagon Center for the Arts, Ames. Obituary.
Professional development opportunities this summer through CELT
The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching will offer several professional development opportunities this summer, when schedules are less full. Here's a sampling:
- The popular Research-Based Flipped Classroom-Team-Based Learning program. CELT associate director Holly Bender will offer this three-part series June 27-29 (1:10-4 p.m. daily)
- Best Practices in Online Course Design (using the Quality Matters rubric), lead by Darrin Jones, CELT program coordinator and QM leader. This three-part series will be offered three times: May 17-19, June 20-22 and July 25-27.
- Inclusive Classroom workshop for faculty and staff (with a teaching role). It includes pre-workshop online learning modules and a face-to-face workshop, and will be offered four times: May 11, June 13, July 12 and Aug. 9.
Reminder: Summer ramp closure at I-35 begins May 8
Beginning Monday, May 8, and continuing through mid-August, southbound vehicles on Interstate 35 won't be able to exit to westbound U.S. Highway 30. Construction at the I-35-Highway 30 interchange east of Ames will create several detours.
Osborn gates will stay down this summer
This summer, the traffic gates on Osborn Drive will remain operational during the week (7:30 a.m.-4 p.m.). Parking division director Mark Miller said the intent is consistency in enforcing permit parking inside the gates. Some drivers mistakenly think that traffic gates in the up position indicate "open" parking in permit-controlled stalls and lots, he said. Miller noted that restricting vehicle access to central campus also improves pedestrian safety along Osborn and Morrill roads.
Regents elect new board leaders
Via telephone, the new state Board of Regents met for the first time Monday morning and elected leaders. Regent Michael Richards will fill the unexpired term of former president Bruce Rastetter and regent Patty Cownie will fill the unexpired term of former president pro tem Katie Mulholland. The leadership terms end April 30, 2018. Rastetter and Mulholland were not reappointed to the board. Voting for the first time were their successors, former legislators Nancy Boettger and Nancy Dunkel.
Arts and events
The student affairs division is hosting a new event April 28-30 to promote healthy study habits and personal wellness during prep week.
The bakery in ISU Dining is hosting pop-up events this week that feature specialty items normally not sold in campus bakery cases.
