A team effort for the Cyclones' new grass field

By Anne Krapfl
May 05

Along with a new stadium east access bridge for spectators and some new faces in the Cyclone starting lineup, the 2022 football season will feature a new playing surface.

The Kentucky bluegrass installed Tuesday inside Jack Trice Stadium was grown at the university's horticulture research farm north of Ames by horticulture students and faculty turf extension specialists. Crews from Iowa Sports Turf and Stensland Sod cut the sod in 4-by-85-foot rolls -- about 280 total -- and transported them to the stadium on flatbed semitrailers. The whole process took less than two days. 

Associate professor of horticulture Adam Thoms said his team grew about 87,000 square feet of turf from seed. By comparison, the average home lawn is just under 10,000 square feet. At the farm, the sod was grown on sand to match its root zone at Jack Trice, which is about 10" of sand above 4" of pea gravel for excellent drainage. Last spring, it took 120 dump truckloads of sand -- a four-inch depth over six acres -- to prep the growing area at the horticulture farm.

Thoms said the sod grew for "a year and a day, from seed to harvest."

The sod the crew removed from the stadium -- also Kentucky bluegrass -- was installed in 2008 and in "decent shape," said Josh Tvrdik, director of turf and grounds for the athletics department. He said it's realistic to expect the new surface will last 10-12 years. Variables such as disease, water retention and safety will impact the timing of the next replacement.

While the ultimate deadline is the football team's season opener on Sept. 3, Tvrdik said the new sod should be ready for light traffic in a month or two, depending on weather. A small test section of sod from the horticulture farm installed at Jack Trice about 10 days earlier already has new 2-3-inch roots, he said.

Next up

Later this month, more sod grown at the horticulture research farm for this project will replace the turf on two practice fields west of the football stadium.

In 2023, Iowa State-grown sod will replace the synthetic soccer playing field at the Cyclone Sports Complex.

 

 

Catt Hall naming review moves to draft phase

By Brian Meyer, strategic relations and communications
May 05

Since the start of spring semester, the Standing Committee for the Consideration of Removing Names from University Property has met 15 times regarding the removal of Carrie Chapman Catt's name from Catt Hall. The committee devoted most of those meetings to interviews with individuals with expertise, knowledge or interests in the Catt Hall name removal issue.

"These individuals broadened the committee's understanding of the issue, and we're grateful for their input," said Carol Faber, chair of the committee, associate professor of graphic design and former president of the Faculty Senate. "They shared their perspectives and provided historical insights into Catt's life and work, the suffrage movement and the university before and after the original naming process."

Over the summer, the committee will begin developing an initial draft of its report.

"Once we have a draft report, we expect the committee will take an initial vote on a recommendation in the fall semester. That result will be incorporated into our draft and then we will make the draft report available for public comment, as outlined in the policy's procedures," said Faber. "The committee will decide how long the comment period will be. Our procedures state it will not exceed 60 days."

"As is also outlined in our procedures, we will specifically invite feedback from those who submitted name removal requests, stakeholders and university units impacted by the decision," she added.

After the committee reviews feedback from its draft report, it will take a final vote and send its final report and recommendation to the president's office. A two-thirds vote of the 17-member committee is required to recommend removal of a name from a building.

The committee, appointed in March 2021 by President Wendy Wintersteen, has continued to review research on Catt and the suffrage movement. Last year, History Associates Inc., a Maryland-based research firm, provided the committee with more than 200 pertinent historical documents gleaned from sources all over the country. Each person interviewed also was allowed to submit documents and resources.

Third undergraduate commencement ceremony added for May 14

May 05

Due to a record number of undergraduate students opting to attend university commencement ceremonies Saturday, May 14, Iowa State leaders have added a third undergraduate ceremony to the two originally planned. The decision ensures there is enough capacity at Hilton Coliseum for graduating students to invite as many guests as they would like.

Each of the three ceremonies will celebrate two academic colleges. The new undergraduate schedule for May 14 is:

• Ceremony 1: 9 a.m., Ivy College of Business, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Ceremony 2: 2:30 p.m., College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, College of Engineering
• Ceremony 3: 6:30 p.m., College of Design, College of Human Sciences

Graduating students were informed of the change in an email earlier today.

Student-centric decision

The decision to add a third ceremony maintains the university's long-standing practice of allowing graduates to invite as many guests as they wish to cheer them on as they cross the stage, said university registrar Jennifer Suchan. With the original plan of two ceremonies, and with a record number of students participating, it would have been necessary to limit the number of guests joining each graduating student in Hilton Coliseum. And, once capacity inside Hilton Coliseum was reached, guests would have been guided to overflow locations where they could view a live stream of the ceremony.

"We understand these changes may affect the plans of our graduates, as well as their families and friends, and we appreciate their understanding, flexibility and patience," Suchan said. "Making room for everyone is just one more way can show our Cyclone spirit. We look forward to celebrating the accomplishments of our undergraduates on May 14."

More information about the day and the ceremonies will be shared with graduates, volunteers and faculty marshals in the coming days.

Every college is ready to help students Start Something

May 05

Iowa State's "Start Something" network of college-based academic offerings in innovation and entrepreneurship opened its front gate this week. A Start Something website introduces prospective undergraduates to a growing portfolio of educational options in innovation and entrepreneurship -- regardless of the ISU college they select. Those options include for-credit courses, capstone projects, internships and more.

The Start Something site also features the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, the place that started Iowa State down this path in 1996 and serves students in all colleges with an entrepreneurial idea they want to pursue.

Recently, two colleges changed the name of existing programs -- the Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative and Engineering Entrepreneurship Initiative -- to Start Something. Others consolidated programming on their college "Start Something" websites. The six colleges plan to continually expand and update those offerings.

Innovation at home in every college

But beyond a new website, Start Something represents Iowa State's far-reaching strategy for educating students in innovation and entrepreneurship. It's not contained to one college or a handful of programs. It has a home in six ISU colleges.

"Prospective students with interest in entrepreneurship and innovation can visit the new Start Something webpage, a one-stop shop to explore educational offerings across campus," said Jacy Johnson, associate vice president for strategic relations and communications. "The Start Something network connects these efforts under one name, demonstrating each undergraduate college's commitment to the common goal of solidifying ISU's leadership in student innovation and entrepreneurship."

Start Something is a component of Innovate at Iowa State. Other pieces include the Student Innovation Center, providing unique, state-of-the-art space where students can design, fabricate, test and demonstrate their ideas; and applied faculty research that pursues insightful solutions to evolving challenges in our world.

Provost shares faculty promotion summary with senators

By Dave Roepke
May 05

Following the approval last month of promotion recommendations for 76 tenured and 40 term faculty, provost and senior vice president Jonathan Wickert gave his annual review of faculty advancement data at the Faculty Senate meeting May 3.

Of the 119 promotion requests among tenure-eligible and term faculty, only three were denied, Wickert said.

"I continue to be impressed by the high quality of cases we see, particularly in this cycle with all the complexities of navigating this process during COVID," he said.

While the faculty who advanced should be congratulated for completing the rigorous path to promotion, Wickert said all involved deserve recognition for their contributions -- including colleagues who evaluate cases and mentors to early-career faculty.

Reviewing the term faculty data, Wicker said he especially appreciated that about one-third of the advancements were from associate teaching or clinical professor to the full professor level.

"One of the things we've worked on over the years is to provide that career ladder for faculty, not only from assistant to associate but also from associate to full," he said.

Of the 57 tenure-eligible faculty hired in fiscal year 2016, 33 received tenure status this spring, nearly 60%. Six have taken advantage of policies allowing a tenure clock extension, including extensions due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. About 25% left the university, a departure rate similar to past averages. That data is watched closely for trends, but exit interviews indicate there is no overarching theme, Wickert said.

Among tenured faculty, this year's promotions had an atypical gender disparity, with male faculty representing more than 75% of the cases (compared to 52% and 50% in the prior two years). Wickert said associate provost for faculty Dawn Bratsch-Prince is looking into the question and will report back to the senate about any findings.

In other senate discussion, Wickert responded to senators' questions about the April 21 announcement that Iowa State is concluding its membership in the Association of American Universities. 

"It really comes down to the fact that we excel at what we're designed to do as a land-grant university, and we're very, very proud of that,” he said.

Action items

In its final meeting of the academic year, the senate approved:

• An update to the Faculty Handbook to allow innovation and entrepreneurship activities to be included in position responsibility statements and considered in annual reviews and promotion and tenure requests. ISU has placed a greater emphasis on innovation and entrepreneurship, but the handbook does not mention either among faculty responsibilities such as teaching, research, creative activity, service, extension or professional practice.

• A bachelor's degree in climate science in the geological and atmospheric sciences department. The major will educate students on how the climate system works, climate impacts on society, and relevant sustainability and mitigation options. The 74-credit major would be the first at a state Board of Regents university and has support from the universities of Iowa and Northern Iowa.

• A bachelor of arts in computer science to accommodate students who want to major in computer science but are interested in taking a wider variety of courses than the bachelor of science program allows. The bachelor of arts would require 32 computer science credits, compared to 50 for the bachelor of science. The less-targeted degree program is expected to lead to more diverse student enrollment in computer science. The proposal is supported by the universities of Iowa and Northern Iowa, both which already offer both types of degrees in computer science. May 3 was the first reading of the proposal, but the requirement for a second reading was waived to avoid the summer break delaying the program's progress.

• A change to the interdisciplinary design bachelor's degree, to a secondary major program in the College of Design. The secondary major will reinforce a primary major and focus on inventiveness, visual communication and imagination skills. Enrollment numbers for the degree declined significantly since 2018, and the college stopped admitting new students to the program in fall 2020. The change better aligns with the college's interdisciplinary portfolio of innovation and entrepreneurship options.

• A policy change that clarifies when a grading mark of incomplete is appropriate, adjusts how a resolved incomplete is recorded on a student's transcript and requires instructors to specify what grade a student will receive if no further coursework is done. The change also requires the department chair to retain a copy of an incomplete contract until it is resolved.

• A resolution condemning the Russian attack on Ukraine. The resolution calls on faculty to stop cooperating with individuals and organizations supporting Russia's attacks, including those indirectly financing the war by paying taxes to the Russian government.

• A resolution recognizing six former faculty members who recently passed away: Joseph Burris (agronomy), Mark Engelbrecht (architecture), Robert Molison (music), Gregory Palermo (architecture), Don Pigozzi (mathematics)  and James Stephenson (economics). 

Coming in fall

The senate will consider approving at its first meeting of the fall semester:

• A policy change that eliminates the penalties for transfer students entering Iowa State with grade point averages below 2.0, such as being on academic probation due to their transfer credit grades. Transferring students still must meet admission requirements, but the change gives them a fresh start at their new institution, academic affairs chair Sarah Bennett-George said.

Student health assessment data will inform public health efforts

By Angie Hunt, news service
May 05

A majority of college students -- including nearly 78% at Iowa State -- say the pandemic has increased their overall levels of stress, according to a national survey.

The National College Health Assessment (NCHA), which collects data about students' health habits, behaviors and perceptions, identified other mental health concerns and increasing levels of food insecurity. A random sample of 10,000 Iowa State students was invited to participate in the assessment last fall, and 1,035 students completed the survey.

Erin Baldwin, associate vice president for student health and wellness and director of Thielen Student Health Center, says mental health concerns are not unique to Iowa State and reflect trends at colleges and universities across the country.

Health and well-being are vital to student retention and success. That's why Baldwin and her team are conducting a comprehensive needs assessment to track student well-being and enhance support services on campus.

"The health and well-being of our campus community is a priority, which is why Iowa State participates in this national survey," Baldwin said. "These data, combined with direct feedback from student focus groups, will inform our public health efforts going forward."

To help students develop healthy habits and behaviors that enhance their well-being, Student Wellness offers programs and services focused on sleep, nutrition, sexual health, substance use prevention and other areas of health and wellness. In response to growing student needs, director Brian Vanderheyden says student wellness has:

• Worked in partnership with SHOP, the student-run food pantry, to expand space and food items available to students.
• Created a new program to support students with addiction.
• Partnered with admissions to offer violence-prevention training during orientation.
• Added mental health training opportunities for students, faculty and staff.

"We want to give students the tools to be successful in and out of the classroom. Our goal is to reach students and provide the support they need before they hit a point of crisis," Vanderheyden said.

Survey excerpt: Food insecurity

ISU students who experience low or very low food security*

Student population	Fall 2021	Spring 2019
All respondents	31%	24%
Undergraduate	32%	25%
Graduate, professional	28%	20%
Multicultural	48%	22%
White	28%	21%
Domestic	31%	23%
International	32%	32%
LGB+	38%	38%
Straight	31%	23%
Transgender, gender nonconforming	41%	40%
Men, women	31%	24%
With disabilities	44%	32%
Without disabilities	29%	22%

* The USDA Food Security 6-item Short Scale generates a score between 0 and 6, which is collapsed into three categories: A score of 0-1 reflects high or marginal food security, 2-4 reflects low food security, and 5-6 reflects very low food security. Combining those in the low and very low food security categories reflects the portion of the sample with food insecurity.

Multifaceted approach to student health

Student health and wellness disaggregated Iowa State's NCHA data to examine disparities in health and well-being across student identities. This executive summary provides a breakdown of the data. LGBTQ+ students, students of color and students with disabilities reported higher rates or screened at greater risk for various health issues as compared to the total student sample.

Kristen Obbink, university public health coordinator, says recognizing these differences is critical to improving the health and well-being of everyone on campus.

"There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to student health and well-being. We believe it is critical to examine health disparities across student identities," Obbink said. "We know that to reduce barriers to achieving health for all students, we must continually look inward and address these disparities using a multifaceted, comprehensive approach."

Student health and wellness team plans to meet with student and employee groups to discuss the NCHA and campus needs assessment data. A revamped student advisory board will launch this fall to work directly with student health and wellness leadership to inform strategies and decisions.

Iowa State has participated in the national assessment since 2010. However, due to changes in the survey design, the results should not be compared to past years. The NCHA is a cross-sectional study specific to a single point in time. While the data are valuable, there are limitations with generalizing the data, which is why student health and wellness is collecting additional data as part of a campus needs assessment.

Survey excerpt: Seeking mental health services

Social norms are unwritten rules, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors that are acceptable in a particular social group or culture. Survey participants responded to two statements about behavior related to seeking mental health help:

 

Statement: "I/typical ISU student would seek help from campus mental health resources for any emotional, psychological or interpersonal problem."

Student population	Agreed for themselves	Perception of "typical ISU student" agreement
All students	70%	59%
Multicultural	71%	56%
Gender nonconforming	61%	41%
LGB+	69%	52%
First generation	74%	69%
International	81%	80%
With disabilities	69%	56%

 

Statement: "I/typical ISU student would respect another student who sought help from campus mental health resources."

Student population	Agreed for themselves	Perception of "typical ISU student" agreement
All students	99%	94%
Multicultural	100%	90%
Gender nonconforming	100%	78%
LGB+	100%	88%
First generation	98%	93%
International	98%	98%
With disabilities	99%	86%

 

Pollinator planting kicks off statewide project

By Dave Roepke
May 05

A landscape restoration just north of the Biorenewables Research Laboratory will nourish pollinators and serve as a model for an effort to plant similar patches of habitat this year in communities across Iowa.

An all-day event May 10, with the opportunity for anyone to pitch in to help with planting, will kick off the project, which also will seed community pollinator gardens in 10 additional Iowa counties, said Lynne Campbell, a STEM education specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach's 4-H Youth Development program.

Partners on the project include extension and outreach, facilities planning and management (FPM), student organization The Green Umbrella, a Professional and Scientific Council employee interest group, students in a landscape architecture class and the nonprofits funding the work with an $80,000 grant -- Keep Iowa Beautiful and the Alliant Energy Foundation, Campbell said. 

"It's a complex and somewhat convoluted project involving multiple partners across campus, but without that convolution this project wouldn't be happening. It's probably one of my favorite projects I've ever worked on, in terms of something that could have a long-lasting impact and is an example of the land-grant mission in action," she said.

'Time to act'

Campbell, known to some Iowa children as the "caterpillar lady," was a natural to head up the Plant Iowa Beautiful grant. She co-created several youth outreach programs focused on pollinators (Monarchs on the Move and Native Bee Challenge), provides outreach for the Iowa Monarch Conservation Consortium's ISU research group and leads a new P&S Council peer advisory committee interest group called P3: Pollinators, Plants and People.

Pollinators such as butterflies and bees are crucial to the survival of most flowering plants, including about one-third of the world's food crops, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Populations of pollinating insects have been shrinking in recent decades, including an 80% drop since the mid-1990s in monarch butterflies, an iconic bellwether for pollinator health, Campbell said.

One factor in falling monarch numbers is the loss of milkweed plants, the only place where female monarchs will lay eggs and the only food monarch caterpillars will eat. Planting milkweed helps monarchs and planting nectar plants benefits other pollinating insects. 

"Because of research efforts, we know what to do. Now is the time to act," Campbell said. 

Plan comes together

Campbell wanted to identify a campus location for the project's first plot, a search assisted when a student member of Green Umbrella inquired with P&S Council president Chris Johnsen about planting pollinator habitat near Printing and Publications Building, where he works. Johnsen referred the student to Campbell, who connected with the student organization's adviser, sustainability director Merry Rankin.

Rankin put Campbell in touch with FPM campus services staff, who had several suggestions for ideal places for planting pollinators on campus. A sunken garden south of the large steel blue sculpture in the College of Design's courtyard was selected because it previously was home to pollinator-friendly plants. Though in need of replanting, the site doesn't require major prep work, which helped the plan coalesce quickly, Campbell said.

At the May 10 event at the garden site, students from a landscape architecture class taught by associate professor Julie Stevens will make presentations on pollinator garden design, FPM will plant a pollinator-supporting black gum tree for Arbor Day and county representatives will be on hand for an orientation. Everyone is invited to get their hands dirty during the community planting portion beginning at 10:30 a.m. Lunch is available for planting participants who register by May 7. See the online registration form to sign up or see the full schedule of events. 

The planting also serves as the inaugural in-person event for the P3 interest group, and P&S staff who would like more information about P3 are encouraged to attend. Since February, the group has been promoting free milkweed planting kits available through the ISU Extension Store, developed in spring 2020 as a hands-on STEM activity for schools during remote learning. They're available to anyone. More than 500 kits have been distributed since February and, since 2020, more than 1,000 to schools, Campbell said.

New phase in fall

Over the summer, pollinator habitats will be planted in the other counties supported by the grant, mostly in public areas such as schools, parks or fairgrounds: Cerro Gordo, Jasper, Jefferson, Keokuk, Lee, Lucas, Marshall, Washington and Winneshiek.

The grant also calls for identifying small rural plots in the fall to plant new pollinator habitat, using unproductive farm ground that probably should not be farmed. While community pollinator gardens are important for raising awareness and every bit helps, strategies to reverse pollinator population loss rely on increasing planting pollinator habitat on small plots of nonproductive land, Campbell said.

"We need more habitat without taking farmland, so we have to take advantage of every space we can," she said. "While in Iowa, our farm land is used to feed the world, we also need to identify spaces that can be restored as habitat to feed pollinators. We certainly appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with the Alliant Energy Foundation and Keep Iowa Beautiful to make this happen.