Internships introduce students to Ames Lab

By Jeff Budlong
April 17

Senior chemistry major and Ames National Laboratory intern Angela Chartouni works in a lab inside Spedding Hall on Tuesday. Chartouni is one of more than 50 undergraduate students to take part in the program funded by Iowa State strategic plan funds. Photo by Christopher Gannon.

When junior Noor Emaan applied for an internship at Ames National Laboratory last fall, she still was deciding on a major. A fortuitous placement worked out well for everyone.

"I actually applied for the outreach and education area, but then I got referred to the procurement department," she said. "I think it was for the better, because I am an accounting major and I was still deciding at that time."

Emaan's skills learned in the classroom translated well, and she helped researchers with purchases of chemicals, machinery and anything else for their projects. She's one of 59 undergraduate students who've taken part in the ISU-AMES SCIENCES program supported by about $325,000 in Iowa State strategic plan funds. The program created internships at the lab in both operations and research to expand the state and nation's energy sciences workforce.

"This opportunity provides students an experience in a real-world working environment which will help them make a decision around their career path, selected major and may lead to future job opportunities," said intern program coordinator Kelly Bergman, Ames Lab.

Bergman said the program is popular among students -- who get the unique opportunity to work at a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) lab -- and employees, who get to train the next generation.

"The employees at Ames Lab were excited to take advantage of the program," she said.

Attracting students

ISU-AMES SCIENCES is in the second of a proposed three-year effort that began in 2024 with 20 students and expanded to 39 this year. Interested Ames Lab departments submit a project proposal that includes responsibilities for the intern and majors that translate best to that work. Students apply for a position and interview with someone in that department. When they're hired, they work 10-20 hours per week until they hit the 300-hour cap.

Each student is onboarded and assigned a mentor who provides training and supervision. With few exceptions, the program has a 1:1 mentor to student ratio.

Bergman said many students think of the lab only for research opportunities, but operations positions -- for example, procurement, education and outreach, environmental health and safety, facilities management, and information technology -- were equally important to fill. So far, 13 of the 59 internships have been in operations.

"We did get a lot of STEM majors who applied, but also we really wanted to place students in our operations," Bergman said. "We have majors from materials science, environmental science, agricultural studies, finance, education, English and psychology."

Lab work

Senior chemistry major Angela Chartouni used the internship to expand her knowledge in a lab setting, having worked previously for the chemistry department.

"My previous work I did in a hood out in the open. These projects are air- and moisture-sensitive," she said. "It has been cool to see all the steps I have to take to protect the chemicals from air and moisture."

Chartouni graduates in May and will highlight her experiences to apply to medical school.

"It helped me gain experience with what happens behind the scenes with chemistry," she said. "A lot of labs are basic, straightforward procedures that almost always work, as long as you follow the steps. 

"Doing things in research and development I learned that not everything works. And a lot of times it's going to be failure after failure, but when you get to where you are going, it all pays off," she said.

Other interns gained research experience in critical materials, materials science and engineering, physics and chemistry. One intern will have their name included on a research paper when it is published, Bergman said.

Continued success

Most students conclude their internship after completing 300 hours because the program is designed to give as many students as possible exposure to the lab. Five interns remain employed at the lab by moving to lab-funded projects, Bergman said.

Four other interns from ISU-AMES SCIENCES went on to participate in Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships (SULI), a DOE program in which undergrads receive guidance from scientists and mentors and work in a research environment for 10 or more weeks. Many students use their SULI experience to write journal articles in national publications.

Survey results will influence Lake LaVerne redevelopment

By Anne Krapfl
April 17

This redesign proposal of Lake LaVerne, prepared by senior Nolan Hovland, is one of about a dozen developed this semester by landscape architecture students for their design studio course. See more of the students' ideas in these additional sketches.

Lake LaVerne fans, this is your chance.

In the information-gathering phase of a broader plan to dredge, restore and maintain the south campus landmark, a design team invites interested faculty, staff and students to participate in a 10-question survey about the lake. It takes just a few minutes to complete and the information collected will be used to guide the redevelopment plan. The survey will stay open through Friday, May 2.

The design team seeks input to questions such as:

• How (and how often) do you interact with Lake LaVerne?
• If you could add anything to the lake or the area around it, what would it be?

In addition to a public survey site that anyone may use, a random sample of staff, students and faculty received an email April 14 with a unique link to the same 10-question survey. The email has the subject line, "Lake LaVerne Study," and was sent from Nora Ladjahasan, who coordinates research projects at the Institute for Design Research and Outreach, College of Design.

"For those who don't receive an email invitation, we want to give you an opportunity to weigh in," said campus planner Chris Strawhacker, real estate and capital planning, and a member of the design team. "Members of the public are welcome to complete it.

"We want to hear your ideas. We can't implement them all, but understanding what people value or would like around the lake gives us some direction as we go forward with the design," he added.

One response per email address is permitted.

Building on students' work

The survey expands on research and design work completed in January and February by members of this spring's Design Studies 5460 interdisciplinary studio course.

In the project overview for her students, landscape architecture associate professor Heidi Hohmann wrote, "The goal of our redesigns is to acknowledge the lake as a historic landscape campus icon while also envisioning how the landscape might better serve the 21st century student. Designs might propose new programs, uses, management and features/elements for the landscape in concert with lake manipulations."

Working in small teams, the 16 students in Hohmann's class completed a detailed history of Lake LaVerne, studied its past and current hydrology, assessed the limitations of the land area surrounding the lake and reviewed other small water bodies managed by universities or cities. With this information, they then developed about a dozen design plans for the area west of the Memorial Union that feature everything from a lake to a marsh to the original creek.

Class members presented all their findings and lake designs to the design team and President Wendy Wintersteen on Feb. 26.

"The level of their work in the time they could give this was really good," said Strawhacker. "There's a whole range of ideas in their designs, with some worth consideration in the plans to improve the lake."

The students' work also was guided by input they collected from members of student government, each college council and random students at the lake and in Parks Library, about 60 students in all.

Bigger picture at Lake LaVerne

Last spring, Wintersteen gave the design team permission to start work on a plan to restore and improve Lake LaVerne, a process estimated to cost about $125,000 and supported with private gifts. Actual dredging and restoration of the lake would cost at least $1 million and also rely on private fundraising.

In 2022, a team that included university employees and consultants from Shive-Hattery completed a six-month study of the lake that mapped water and sediment depths and analyzed water samples. That study concluded that two key issues with Lake LaVerne are water quality and water depth -- on average, less than three feet -- due to decades of sediment buildup on the bottom. Deeper water would improve water quality. Originally, Lake LaVerne was up to 12 feet deep in places.

Related stories

• Planning begins to improve Lake LaVerne, April 25, 2024
• A very good reason Lake LaVerne looks a bit soupy, Aug. 25, 2022

P&S Council will hold election April 21-25

By Anne Krapfl
April 17

A successful recruitment effort drew 30 candidates for 18 vacancies this spring on the Professional and Scientific (P&S) Council, and the council election will be held next week, Monday-Friday.

The online election site will be open April 21-25. With at least one vacancy in each of the council's four areas of representation, all P&S employees should receive an email April 21 containing a link to the election website. Employees elect council representatives for their division.

Winners will be notified by May 5 and announced in the council's May newsletter. Newly elected council members are seated at the May meeting.

P&S employees will elect council members to fill these vacancies:

• Academic affairs 9
• Student affairs 1
• Operations and finance 4
• President 4

Annual compensation and benefits report

At its April 10 meeting, the council also completed a first read of the annual review of compensation and benefits programs for P&S employees and recommendations for improvement. The review is the main project each year of the council's compensation and benefits committee. Once approved, the report is shared with senior leaders and the employee benefits advisory committee (EBAC). The council will review edits and do a second read at its May meeting before final approval.

Recommendations in the draft reviewed this month are organized into three key subject areas: compensation, performance evaluations and benefits. The suggestions include:

• Complete an annual review of the P&S pay structure and appropriate adjustments to it on July 1 for consistency and budget planning.
  P&S employees continue to raise concerns about their pay, career progression and market competitiveness. These ongoing challenges suggest that further work is needed to educate managers and employees on how to use the new compensation structure to fully align with the university's goal of providing competitive, market-based pay.
• University leaders should develop a plan that aligns the university budget model with practices that support the P&S compensation model.
  Budget constraints frequently are cited as the main reason for limiting performance-based increases and delaying market reviews. This conflicts with the university's stated philosophy of rewarding high performance and offering competitive pay.
• Develop budget manager training on proactive budgeting for salary increases.
• Publish the hiring salary range with each job description.
• Leverage Workday to achieve a consistent performance evaluation experience for all P&S employees, including communications to employees, a timeline for completion and mandatory training/expectations for supervisors.
  According to the report, P&S staff often are confused about how their performance is linked to their pay increase, what the increase is, and when they will receive information about it.
• Hold health insurance premiums flat until more data can be collected about the January 2024 plan design changes.
  While the changes did not impact overall enrollment in the benefits package, the committee recognizes the financial impact on staff of the changes. The combination of slow salary increases, higher premiums and increased cost-sharing has resulted in lower take-home pay for many P&S employees.
• Conduct a cost analysis to determine the financial implications for the university if co-pays for mental health services were eliminated.

The council's final meeting of the academic year will be held Thursday, May 22 (2:10 p.m. 4250 Student Innovation Center and via Microsoft Teams).

Fall tuition, faculty promotions top April regents agenda

By Anne Krapfl
April 17

Promotion and tenure requests for 60 Iowa State faculty and a proposed 3% fall tuition increase for ISU's in-state undergraduates are on the agenda when the Iowa Board of Regents meets at the ISU Alumni Center April 23-24. The agenda is online, and all open portions of the meeting will be livestreamed on the board website.

The faculty promotion requests feature 25 women and 35 men and are nearly split between promotions with tenure (30 requests) and promotions for previously tenured faculty (29 requests). If approved, the promotions take effect in August for the 2025-26 academic year.

Faculty promotion requests for 2025-26

Iowa State's faculty make-up

Proposed tuition and fee increases

The regents will review proposed tuition rates for the 2025-26 academic year next week, with a vote anticipated at the June meeting.

Undergraduates. As proposed, resident undergraduates would pay $9,530 next year, a $278 (3%) increase from this year. Nonresident undergraduates would pay an additional $1,232 (4.5%), or $28,578 next year, as proposed. Mandatory student fees for all undergraduates would go up a proposed $26 (1.7%), to $1,561. The proposed new fee reflects a $10 increase to the technology fee (to $394) to support student-related software license fees and a $16 increase to the health fee (to $318) to support additional professional positions and higher supply costs.

Graduate students. Tuition for resident and nonresident graduate students would go up a proposed 3%, to $11,838 for in-state students and $29,976 for nonresidents. With the same $26 increase, the proposed mandatory fees for graduate students would rise to $1,501 this fall.

Professional students. Iowa State is proposing a 3.5% ($1,020) tuition increase, to $30,154, for resident Doctor of Veterinary Medicine students and 3% ($1,848), to $61,554 for nonresident students. Fourth-year veterinary students pay additional tuition for the 12-month curriculum.

Academic requests

Iowa State will seek final approval for three degree programs and a new center:

• B.S. in digital and precision agriculture, jointly administered by agronomy and agricultural and biosystems engineering, an ISU degree of the future
• Master of finance technology, offered jointly by the departments of computer science, finance, and information systems and business analytics, also a degree of the future
• M.S. in supply chain management, online program that could be completed in 12 months
• Center for Cyclone Civics, administered in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, to "promote civic education and free speech through research, curriculum, programming and Extension to Iowa State students and residents of Iowa," responds to regents' November 2023 DEI directive #9

Oral reports

The regents will receive these presentations:

• Supporting first-generation students, presenters include ISU dean of students Sharron Evans, to the academic affairs committee, Wednesday, 1 p.m.
• Disability support services, presenters include ISU director of accessibility services Clara Hernandez, free speech and student affairs committee, Wednesday, 2 p.m.
• "Translating Research to Make Industrial Impact," Nigel Ruel, associate chair of chemical and biological engineering and Stanley Chair in Interdisciplinary Engineering, full board, Thursday, 10 a.m.
• Fiscal year 2026 salary policy comments, includes Faculty Senate president Rahul Parsa, finance; and P&S Council president Jason Follett, software engineering, full board, Thursday, 10:30 a.m.

Know your options when severe weather threatens campus

April 17

Editor's note: This message initially was shared with the campus community in an April 14 email.

Dear Iowa State community,

Spring brings the potential for severe weather in Iowa. Thunderstorms and tornadoes are often unpredictable and can develop quickly, which is why preparation is important.

We encourage the campus community to take time to review the emergency procedures for tornadoes as well as the severe weather shelter areas for campus buildings. This also is an opportunity to discuss or develop a team plan for severe weather.

Emergency procedures

To help you prepare, Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) has a severe weather preparedness page with safety tips and information about weather conditions:

• Severe storms and tornadoes, dangerous storms that may include lightning, hail, powerful winds and flash flooding. A tornado is a violently rotating column of air, shaped like a funnel that extends from a thunderstorm and contacts the ground.
• Flash floods, among the most common natural disaster. Flash floods occur suddenly due to rapidly rising water along a stream or low-lying area.
• Excessive heat. Temperature, increased humidity, decreased air movement or lack of shading from direct heat can affect the potential for heat stress in your workplace.

Weather alerts, notifications

Outdoor warning sirens on campus will sound for tornado warnings and when winds exceed 80 miles per hour. The sirens are intended to alert those outdoors to take shelter. We recommend having another method to receive weather-related notifications.

The National Weather Service will send text messages through the Wireless Emergency Alert system to WEA-capable phones during an emergency. The alerts are for extreme weather conditions including tornadoes, severe thunderstorms (when damage threat is destructive), flash flooding, etc.

The National Weather Service (Des Moines/central Iowa) is a reliable source of information when severe weather is forecasted. You also can take advantage of the services provided by several local media outlets. This will allow you to customize notifications to your location.

Closings due to severe weather

While rare, there are occasions when the university will cancel classes or close due to weather conditions. University policy provides guidance and outlines expectations for employees related to cancellations and closings. If you are unfamiliar with the policy, we encourage you to review it in the university's policy library.

Weather announcements

The university will share information about cancellations and closings through a message sent to all Iowa State email addresses and on the ISU Alert website and social media accounts, @IowaStateU (X and Facebook) and @IowaStateUNews (X).

Thank you for doing your part to be prepared for severe weather.

Sincerely,

Michael Newton, associate vice president of public safety and chief of police
Paul Richmond, assistant vice president of environmental health and safety

Construction begins on first CyTown building

By Shelley Goecke, McFarland Clinic
April 17

McFarland Clinic and Iowa State officials broke ground on a new 78,000-square-foot location in CyTown Tuesday afternoon, April 15. The McFarland Clinic CyTown facility at 1825 Jack Trice Way will anchor Iowa State's CyTown development between Jack Trice Stadium and Hilton Coliseum.

The state-of-the-art facility will enhance access to health care for residents of central Iowa and university students, faculty and staff. The opening is anticipated in late 2026 or early 2027.

McFarland Clinic's CyTown location will feature several primary care and specialty care services available to the public, including:

• Family medicine
• Occupational medicine
• Orthopedic sports medicine
• Pediatrics
• Physical medicine and rehabilitation
• Physical therapy
• Primary care sports medicine
• Urgent care

It also will have laboratory and radiology services, including general imaging and an MRI unit.

McFarland Clinic is an Ames-based, physician-owned clinic with 50+ medical specialties and services. More than 350 McFarland Clinic healthcare providers and 1,100 staff members serve residents in 12 Iowa communities, with additional communities served by visiting specialists.

ISU Theatre puts modern spin on Shakespeare

By Stacey Maifeld, LAS communications
April 17

What play comes to mind when you think of Shakespeare? Probably not "Troilus and Cressida." ISU Theatre is bringing this lesser-known play to the Fisher Theater stage for one weekend, April 17-19, with a wildly innovative version you may never forget.

"Fixing Troilus and Cressida" is an updated version of Shakespeare's play, in contemporary English ­­-- including curse words ­­-- written by Kirk Lynn of the Rude Mechs, an Austin, Texas-based theatre collective. The play tells a love story hidden in the center of history's greatest war. As the Greeks enter their seventh year of hammering against the Trojan's wall, one young warrior, Troilus, is ready to risk it all and pledge his loyalty to a new love, Cressida.

This play is the third installment in the Rude Mechs' "Fixing Shakespeare" series, focusing on the bard's lesser-produced works. The adaptation's edgy language -- think Shakespeare meets HBO -- makes the original tale and its epic, flawed heroes more accessible to modern audiences.

"The script strips the Shakespearean language down to its essence, exposing the raw nerves of love, betrayal and absurdity of times of war and cultural instability that sit underneath," said Cason Murphy, associate professor of theatre and the production's director.

Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. on April 17-19 with a 2 p.m. matinee on April 19. This production contains mature themes and content, including references to self-harm and suicide, staged violence and death, sexual innuendo, simulated sexual acts, some prominent phallic imagery and frequent strong language.

All tickets are general admission ($20 for adults, ISU students and youth free). Tickets can be purchased at the door, through the Iowa State Center ticket office or on Ticketmaster. Free youth and student tickets can be obtained at the door or in advance through the Iowa State Center ticket office.

Breaking rules

ISU Theatre hosted the Rude Mechs on campus in February as guest artists. Murphy, who has published scholarly research on the group's creative approach to canonical texts, said the Rude Mechs encouraged Iowa State students to embrace the unexpected and to keep working to surprise themselves.

"It's not the kind of production most audiences expect to see when we think 'Shakespeare,' but that's exactly the point," Murphy said. "Shakespeare was doing bold, surprising things in his time, and we're doing the same in ours. This version lets us honor the spirit of his work while breaking all the rules -- just like he did.

"The students have really risen to that challenge," he added. "They've leaned into the chaos, the contradictions, the bawdy comedy and the moments of romance and heartbreak. They've found a way to tell this story with total commitment and creativity, blending physical storytelling, live music and some truly wild stage moments. It's Shakespeare, reimagined -- strange, beautiful and alive.'

A different "Troilus and Cressida"

Sophomore Scout Kuehn said deconstructing and analyzing Shakespeare's original script alongside the adapted version has sparked her newfound love for Shakespeare and even inspired her summer plans. Kuehn heads to Boston in June to attend the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company's seven-week summer program as an acting apprentice.

Kuehn plays Helen of Troy in the ISU Theatre show and said she has enjoyed the intricacies of developing two different characters -- the Helen who is loved or loathed by all of Troy and Greece and Helen's true self.

"Navigating her true emotions and the emotions she portrays to stay alive is a trick Helen has become increasingly gifted at," Kuehn said.

Sophomore Caden McCoy also plays a character navigating emotional turbulence in a time of love and war, Troilus: prince, soldier, and the youngest brother of Paris and Hector. McCoy said the play's contemporary language makes it a great entry point into Shakespeare, with plenty for audiences to hear, see and even participate in.