Announcements
Workshop presenters sought for state 4-H youth conference
Iowa 4-H Council, a unit of ISU Extension and Outreach, invites faculty and staff to lead an educational workshop at the annual Iowa 4-H Youth Conference, July 27-29, on campus. The conference is open to Iowa students in grades 8-12, and the 90-minute workshops focus on career opportunities, future planning, life and leadership skills, cultural enrichment, and current issues and opportunities. A list of suggested topics is online, and the workshop proposal form is due March 31. Questions may be directed to Madeleine Bretey-Smith. Choose from three presentation options:
-
3-day continued workshop with the same delegates, more in-depth on the topic each day
-
2-day continued workshop with the same delegates
- 1, 2 or 3 days, presenting the same workshop for different audiences
Nominations due March 1 for 2023-24 leadership academy
The office of the senior vice president and provost seeks nominations by March 1 for the 2023-24 cohort of the Emerging Leaders Academy. ELA fosters and enhances the leadership development of faculty and P&S staff currently serving in leadership roles or those who aspire to such positions. During the academic year, the cohort participates in monthly leadership activities led by content experts and facilitators. Participants also work in teams to complete a university-related capstone project. More information regarding eligibility and the nomination process is online. Next fall's cohort will be announced by April 1. Questions may be directed to Katharine Hensley in the provost's office.
Town & Gown Musicale tickets on sale now
The Ames Town & Gown Chamber Music Association's annual Musicale will be held Saturday, Feb. 18 (7 p.m., St. John's by the Campus Episcopal Church, 2338 Lincoln Way). Tickets, $50 (students $15) may be purchased online or at the door, and include a post-performance reception with hors d'oeuvres and desserts. Numerous Iowa State faculty and students will perform.
ISCORE registration is open
Registration opened Feb. 1 for the the 23nd annual Thomas L. Hill Iowa State Conference on Race and Ethnicity (ISCORE) on Friday, March 3. ISCORE is the university's comprehensive forum on issues of race and ethnicity and provides an ongoing platform of sharing and applying knowledge through presentations and workshops. It's free and open to all faculty, staff and students. A preconference for faculty, staff and graduate students will be held Wednesday, March 1 (10:30 a.m.-4 p.m.).
Horticulture club hosts Valentine's bouquet sale
Members of the horticulture club are selling rose, carnation and a few featured flower bouquets Feb. 13-14 (9 a.m.-3 p.m. daily, east foyer of Union Drive Community Center). Pre-orders (custom or pre-designed) will be taken through 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3, or walk up to purchase flowers on those days. Bouquet prices range from $15 to $65. Cash, check and credit cards are accepte payment. Proceeds support the club's travel.
Undergraduate 'research in the capitol' applications due Feb. 6
The annual Research in the Capitol, featuring undergraduate research at Iowa's three regent universities, will be held Monday, March 6. Faculty or staff mentoring undergraduate researchers should encourage them to complete the RIC abstract form by Feb. 6. Applications may be submitted by individuals or small groups. Iowa State sends 15 research projects to the event, where undergraduates display posters and describe their research to legislators, reporters and university administrators, serving as ambassadors to convey the depth and variety of research on campus. Submissions are evaluated by topic, relevance to legislative interests and geographic representation. Students or their research mentors may contact Svitlana Zbarska, undergraduate research program coordinator, for more information.
Heart health for Iowa Staters
February is American Heart Month, and environmental health and safety (EHS) staff remind the campus community that the prevalence of heart diseases and heart defects in our country means you could be present when someone experiences sudden cardiac arrest. EHS coordinates the university's automated external defibrillator (AED) program, which provides equipment and training to increase the survival rate for people who experience sudden cardiac arrest. Learn more about the AED program and other heart health resources. Be prepared; be safe.
Food pantry wants your egg cartons and grocery bags
SHOP, the student-serving food pantry on campus, is in need of empty egg cartons (cardboard or styrofoam) and plastic grocery bags. They can be dropped off in 1306 Beyer during open hours: 1-6 p.m. Monday, 5-8 p.m. Tuesday, 2-7 p.m. Wednesday and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday.
Celebrate Black History Month
February is Black History Month, an annual observance of Black history, culture and achievements. Black History Month began in this country in 1926 as Negro History Week and evolved into a month-long celebration in the 1960s, before being officially acknowledged in 1976. To learn more, visit the office of diversity, equity and inclusion website. A university Black History Month events calendar will be updated as needed throughout February.
Ames is an overnight stop on July's RAGBRAI route
Bicyclists participating in the 50th-anniversary RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa) will stay overnight in Ames on Tuesday, July 25, the third night of the ride. They'll be arriving from Carroll and heading to Des Moines. The Discover Ames organization is leading the local planning effort, with support from the city, Iowa State University, chamber of commerce, Story County and others. More details about the route, entertainment and food options, and volunteer opportunities will be shared as they become available. Ames previously served as an overnight stop on the route in 2018, 2008, 1983 and the inaugural route in 1973.
Feb. 13 is faculty/staff appreciation night
The Cyclone women's basketball team is hosting faculty and staff appreciation night on Monday, Feb. 13, for its Big 12 Conference rematch with Texas (6 p.m., Hilton Coliseum). General admission tickets are $5 (half price). The two teams have shared or battled for the top spot in the conference for most of January.
Next Workday readiness workshop: Academic planning and advising
Faculty and staff are invited to an online workshop highlighting the academic planning and advising components of Workday Student. A two-part workshop, conducted by Iowa State project teams, is scheduled for Wednesday, Feb 8, via Webex. Register on the WorkCyte website to attend one or both parts:
- 9-9:50 a.m., Academic planning and advising processes for undergraduate students
- 10-10:50 a.m., Academic planning and advising processes for graduate students
Register for March Research and Innovation Roundtable
The office of the vice president for research invites all interested faculty, from humanists and artists to basic and applied scientists, to the second Research and Innovation Roundtable on Friday, March 10 (8 a.m.-noon, Memorial Union). The topic is Healthy Iowa, an overarching theme that encompasses a vast set of issues contributing to better health for all that lives and grows in Iowa -- plants, animals and people. More information for participants is online; register online by Friday, Feb. 10. The roundtables are designed to build collaborative research teams that pursue novel solutions to societal challenges. Strategic Plan jump-start funding provides seed grants for the teams.
Faculty workshops focus on pathways to success and satisfaction
ISU ADVANCE will host a Straight Talk workshop series this spring for specific faculty audiences about pathways to success and satisfaction. Colleagues who support them (mentors, administrators, etc.) also are welcome. Each 90-minute session will include best practices, institutional data, misconceptions, strategies and resources. Each will be held in the Memorial Union Sun Room and online (via Webex), followed by an optional networking reception. Register online. The lineup is:
- Aspiring leaders and administrators, Feb. 13 (1-2:30 p.m.), with associate provost Dawn Bratsch-Prince; Yanhai Yin, genetics, development and cell biology; and Sarah Bennett-George, apparel, events and hospitality management.
- Thriving term faculty, March 7 (11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.), with Bratsch-Prince, Michael Bootsma, accounting; Volker Hegelheimer, English; and Sriram Sundararajan, College of Engineering administration.
- Flourishing tenure-eligible and tenured faculty, April 6 (9-10:30 a.m.), with Bratsch-Prince, Beate Schmittmann, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences administration; Shannon Coleman, food science and human nutrition; and Javier Vela, chemistry.
Apply for fall undergraduate research program
The office of student financial aid is accepting applications from faculty, staff and students for the 2023-24 Undergraduate Research Assistantship program, which provides outstanding juniors and seniors hands-on experience in a formal research environment. A soft March 24 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 2023-24 FAFSA financial aid form and be eligible for work-study funding. Preference is given to students and faculty/staff who request to work with each other. More information, including program guidelines, funding sources and application documents, is online. Questions may be directed to Julie Arnold, 294-0103.
Lunch hour workshops focus on personal finance
ISU Extension and Outreach is hosting a free series of personal finance virtual workshops for ISU employees. Online registration is required at least 24 hours before each session, and registrants will receive login information by email. The courses are held Tuesdays (noon-1 p.m). The schedule:
- Time for a Financial Checkup, Feb. 7: A review of your family's financial situation.
- Money Smart: Taking Control of Your $, Feb. 21 and 28 (two parts): Take a big-picture look at how to control your money on a month-to-month basis.
- Mission Possible: Saving, March 21: Strategies to help you save for short-term needs or long-term goals.
- Borrowing Smart, April 4: Review basic credit principles, with a focus on reducing the cost and the risk of borrowing.
The workshops are part of Financial Wellness at Work, led by EO in partnership with university human resources. Questions about the workshops can be directed to Barb Wollan, bwollan@iastate.edu or 515-832-9597.
Qualtrics library is being updated
Iowa State Qualtrics users can anticipate an update to the Qualtrics library interface beginning as early as Feb. 1. Qualtrics is the web-based survey application available to faculty, staff and students. The library navigation pane will move to the left side. Also, separate library silos for surveys, graphics, files and messages will merge into one library space. As a result, folders can be better organized and filtered. Because all uncategorized items will move into one folder, now is a good time to organize those items. Learn more about this update in the IT Service portal.
Pipette calibration and cleaning service is Feb. 6-10
Chemistry stores is offering an on-campus pipette calibration service Feb. 6-10. A factory-trained technician will provide quality service and calibration for all major brands and makes of pipettes. The service includes full cleaning, lubrication and calibration of pipettes. Prices are: $44 for a single channel/repeater pipette, $110 for an 8-channel pipette and $115 for a 12-channel pipette. Prices do not include any parts that may need replacing. Pipettes can be dropped off at the chemistry stores office (1531 Gilman) beginning Feb. 1; you'll be contacted to pick up your pipette(s) once the calibration is complete.
Smile and Write program announces spring dates
Smile and Write, a free online program hosted by the provost's office for faculty and staff with writing projects, has posted its spring schedule. Participants can meet Tuesdays (11 a.m.-1 p.m.) from Jan. 24 through May 2 (with the exception of spring break week). In addition, 17 more two-hour sessions are sprinkled through the semester (variable weekdays and times). Smile and Write leverages peer accountability to provide participants the space to work on projects, manuscripts, curriculum, etc. Participants need to register to receive each session's Zoom link.
Former faculty member George Burnet passes
George Burnet, a member of the chemical engineering faculty from 1956 to 1995 who remained active with the department for several decades into retirement, died Jan. 13 at his home in Ames. He was 98. A memorial service will be held Saturday, Feb. 4 (2 p.m., Collegiate Presbyterian Church, 159 Sheldon Ave.). Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 3, in the church's Hesler Chapel. A private inurnment will be in the Iowa State Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to Collegiate Presbyterian Church or the endowment fund of the Iowa Arboretum, 1875 Peach Ave., Madrid, Iowa 50156. College of Engineering tribute. Obituary.
'37 Words' book author to give Mary Louise Smith lecture next month
Sherry Boschert, award-winning journalist and author of "37 Words: Title IX and Fifty Years of Fighting Sex Discrimination," will visit Iowa State on Tuesday, Feb. 7, as the Catt Center's 2023 Mary Louise Smith Chair in Women and Politics.
