Announcements
February 2022
'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.
Nominate students for team leader assignment
New student programs is recruiting team leaders this month for 2022 Destination Iowa State in August. Team leaders play an important role in welcoming students to Iowa State and getting them prepared for academic success. Faculty and staff are invited to nominate students for these leadership roles. Fill out the online nomination form, DIS Team Leader Nominations, or contact Cassidy Conway and staff will contact the student(s) directly.
Nominations open for next emerging leaders class
The office of the senior vice president and provost is accepting nominations through March 1 for the 2022-23 cohort of the Emerging Leaders Academy (ELA). ELA fosters leadership development in faculty and P&S staff who currently serve in leadership roles or aspire to such positions. During the academic year, content experts lead monthly activities designed to develop leadership competencies in areas such as strategic planning, budget development, performance management, understanding diversity, and promoting an inclusive organizational culture. Participants also work in small teams to complete a university-related capstone project. Members are selected by nomination; next fall's class will be chosen by April 1. More information about eligibility criteria and the nomination process is online.
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.
Free bowling, billiards at P&S Council meet and greet March 10
All professional and scientific employees are invited to bowl some frames and shoot some pool free of charge March 10. The Professional and Scientific Council will hold a meet and greet event from 3 to 5 p.m. at CyBowl and Billiards in the Memorial Union. Refreshments will be served. No preregistration is needed. Guests can meet council members, learn how council works on their behalf and find out how to get involved in council.
Reminder: P&S Council nominations are open through March 4
Nominations for open councilor positions on Professional and Scientific Council are being accepted through March 4. P&S employees can nominate themselves or can nominate other individuals.
P&S Council members have a voice in the decisions, events and activities that impact their more than 3,000 peers. During the past two years, the council has provided ISU leadership with input on a variety of important topics such as the classification and compensation project, COVID-19 pandemic policies, WorkFlex, annual salary guidelines and hires for important university positions.
See the council's election webpage to submit a nomination, get more information, view a video message about council from President Wendy Wintersteen or read letters in support of council from senior vice president and provost Jonathan Wickert and vice president for university human resources Kristi Darr.
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.
Applications due March 1 for undergraduate research symposium
Faculty are asked to encourage their undergraduate research mentees 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.
Wanted: Reviewers of assessment tool ExamSoft
Can technology help assess student learning progress, identify knowledge gaps and support academic success? The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching invites faculty and staff to a live demonstration of ExamSoft and Gradescope Tuesday, March 8 (1-2 p.m. via Webex, register). ExamSoft, a finalist in ISU's assessment request for proposals, offers secure assessment tools and software that provide data, insights and reports to support academic success. The bubble sheet solution, Gradescope, partners with ExamSoft and is applicable for STEM disciplines and assessment requiring sketching graphs and charts and writing formulas by hand. Do ExamSoft and Gradescope offer sufficient capabilities for what you need to accomplish in your face-to-face, online and hybrid classrooms? Attend the demo and provide feedback via electronic voting.
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.
Funding help available for summer faculty success program
The provost's office will partially sponsor up to four tenure-track or tenured faculty in the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity's 12-week, online Faculty Success Program this summer by contributing $2,500 toward early registration of $4,150. Priority will be given to early career faculty. Participants cover the remaining program fees through other sources. The highly rated mentoring program teaches skills to increase a faculty member's research and writing productivity while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. To apply for this funding support, complete the short application form by March 10. Questions may be directed to Katharine Hensley. Iowa State is an institutional member of the NCFDD; ISU faculty, staff, postdocs and graduate students are eligible for an individual membership free of cost.
Help identify applicants for junior year scholarship
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)
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.
Faculty, staff invited to second town hall on strategic plan draft
A second town hall for faculty and staff to learn more about the 2022-31 Strategic Plan draft is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 21 (4:30-5:30 p.m., 0114 Student Innovation Center and via Webex). A glitch in the security setting prevented most from accessing the Feb. 9 town hall online, limiting participation to the in-person audience.
Immunocompromised protocols extended through Aug. 5
ISU senior leaders have extended the Immunocompromised Protocol program, set to expire May 13, through Aug. 5, the end of summer 2022 session. The program allows immunocompromised faculty and staff, as well as faculty and staff with immunocompromised household members, to qualify for workplace modifications. Current approved work modifications automatically will be extended through summer term. Requests for changes to current modifications should be emailed to uhrdar@iastate.edu.
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.
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.
Art sale will benefit University Museums
Priscilla Sage, associate professor emerita of art and design, will host an exhibit and sale of her artwork Feb. 25 and 26 (11 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, 435 Welch Ave.). Masks are required. Contributions from proceeds will be made to the University Museums and Ames' Octagon Center for the Arts. Recent and early work by Sage, including fiber sculptures, wall reliefs and small paintings, will be available, as well as her collection of work by other artists and fabrics from India, Japan, Ghana and Guatemala. Sage was on the art and design faculty, the precursor to the art and visual culture department, from 1984 until her retirement in 2000.
Exemplary faculty mentor nominations due Feb. 28
Through Feb. 28, the office of the senior vice president and provost is accepting nominations for the Exemplary Faculty Mentor Award. Annually, the award acknowledges the critical role faculty mentoring plays at our university and recognizes excellent mentors who demonstrate extraordinary dedication to the success of their mentee(s). Colleagues who want to nominate their faculty mentor should complete the nomination form (PDF) and email it to exemplary@iastate.edu.
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.
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).
Arts and events
"The Crucible" and "John Proctor is the Villain," will run in tandem during two weekends, April 18-28, at Fisher Theater.
