Inside Iowa State for faculty and staff

Nov. 6, 2025

Inside news

Two presidential finalists visit this week

Campus visits are underway for the two finalists in Iowa State's presidential search. Cornell University's Agriculture and Life Sciences dean Benjamin Houlton interviewed on Nov. 5. North Dakota State president David Cook is on campus today, and his schedule includes a 4 p.m. public forum in the MU Great Hall.


Study group recommends housing allowance for next president

When the Iowa Board of Regents meets in Ames next week (Nov. 11-13), one of the reports it will receive weighs three housing options for Iowa State's future first families.


Five questions with the employee accommodations coordinator

Rachel Large receives more than 100 inquiries each year from faculty and staff about modifications to their work processes or workspace for disability, pregnancy or religious reasons. Learn more about her work.


With Navigate, faculty and staff can help students in just a few clicks

Found on everyone's apps dashboard, the online portal helps faculty and staff connect students to assistance on everything from finances to academics -- without having to be experts in all the services themselves. Faculty and staff are asked to complete the 25-minute training on Navigate.


Dining's efforts to reduce waste go beyond the clean plate club

By getting the most out of purchased ingredients, menu planning, composting and partnerships with campus and Ames community groups, ISU Dining maximizes its resources -- and frequently helps others.
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Announcements

The following announcements were added this week:

  • Council's food drive for SHOP ends Nov. 20
  • Learn more about new voluntary benefits
  • Learn proper tree-pruning technique from campus experts
  • Lecture: Indigenous peoples and the American Constitution 
  • Recycle pumpkins, gourds at city site
  • Diwali celebration of Indian culture is Nov. 15
  • Give CyThx through end of November
  • Proposals requested by Nov. 14 for P&S professional development conference 
View all announcements
 

Around campus

Four to be remembered at Nov. 10 ceremony

Two Vietnam soldiers and two World War II soldiers who attended Iowa State and died while serving their country will be honored during the university's annual Gold Star Hall ceremony on Monday, Nov. 10 (4:15 p.m., MU Great Hall). All are welcome.


The importance of facing fears for healthy outcomes

Human development and family studies professor Carl Weems writes about existential anxiety -- humanity's inherent confrontation with mortality, moral responsibility and search for meaning -- in an essay for The Conversation. If those worries go unchecked, he writes, fear can turn into aggression.


It's not always the server's fault when the internet breaks

In an essay for The Conversation, University Professor Doug Jacobson, electrical and computer engineering, explains why the Domain Name System (DNS) -- the internet's phone book -- failure on Oct. 20 is a result of centralization for convenience sake. DNS was designed for decentralization, but economic convenience, cloud services and DNS as a service are steering the internet toward centralization.
 

Appointments
 

Retirements

Employees, their colleagues or supervisors are invited to use our online form to submit retirements, departures and receptions. Inside doesn't receive this information from a central source.


Upcoming

  • Steve Mickelson, agricultural and biosystems engineering, Dec. 2 (2-4 p.m., remarks at 2:15 p.m., atrium, Sukup Hall), post well wishes to his Kudoboard
 
 

Open forums

President finalist

  • David Cook, North Dakota State University, Thursday, Nov. 6 (4-5 p.m., MU Great Hall) and livestreamed on the Iowa Board of Regents website
 

Arts and events

An early look at the women's basketball squad

The No. 14 Cyclone women's basketball team's third home game of the week is Sunday, Nov. 9 (1 p.m., Hilton Coliseum) with Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, Conn. General admission tickets are $10 (youth $5); active and retired military personnel can claim complimentary tickets in advance through Vet Tix.


International fair is Sunday evening

The International Student Council will host its annual International Culture Fair on Sunday, Nov. 9 (5-9 p.m., MU Great Hall). Enjoy food, performances and fashion in this vibrant celebration of cultures from around the world. Tickets (cash preferred) are $2 in advance and $3 at the door. Food coupons are $1 (prices may vary).


Honoring Cyclone veterans

University museums will host a Veteran's Day Art Walk on Tuesday, Nov. 11 (noon, Gold Star Hall, Memorial Union) that connects art with history. Explore Christian Petersen's powerful war sculptures in Gold Star Hall and the Anderson Sculpture Garden.


Lectures director to present Veteran's Day talk

Part of ISU's "America 250" series, Amanda Knief, director of the Lectures Program and university parliamentarian, will present "How Pirates Saved the American Revolution," on Thursday, Nov. 13 (6 p.m., 2630 Memorial Union). All are welcome.
View events calendar
 

Learning opportunities

Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) programming

Register in advance.
 

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Inside Update, the companion email to Inside Iowa State, is sent Thursday mornings during the academic year by University Marketing and Communications. Questions may be directed to 515-294-7065.
 
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