Inside Update

Feb. 4, 2010
Announcements and news for ISU faculty and staff

News

Noodling with Moodle
Information technology services is experimenting with Moodle, an online course management system similar to WebCT. Find out how the two compare.

Regents meet Thursday in Ames
The state Board of Regents is expected to set tuition rates for next fall, discuss a recent efficiency review and approve some strategies for making the three regent universities more accessible to low-income students at its Feb. 4 meeting on campus. Live audio of the meeting is available from the board's web site.

Help with hot topics
Faculty, staff and students can learn ways to facilitate respectful conversations about controversial issues Feb. 8. "How to Talk About Hot Topics" is the focus for a forum and two round table discussions presented by CELT's Difficult Dialogues program.

Search continues for missing ISU student Jon Lacina
See updates on the search and information on how the Iowa State community can help.

More news: Inside Iowa State

Announcements

The following announcements were added this week:
-- MS Office available through home use program
-- Student scholarship rewards community service
-- New wave of malicious software is harming campus personal computers
-- Business, LAS, Engineering career fair is Feb. 9
-- Vagina Monologues tickets on sale for Feb. 11-12 performance
-- 2010-11 research mentor applications due March 31
-- Two TIAA-CREF seminars scheduled for Feb. 10
-- Wellness activities planned for Feb. 10
-- Howie Day show rescheduled again to March 10
-- Youth dance class starts Feb. 16
-- H1N1 vaccine available Feb. 5 at Bethesda Church
-- Women's center organizes networking lunch series at Tearoom
-- Two games switched on 2010 Cyclone football schedule
-- Candidates sought for 15 P&S Council seats prior to March election
-- Nominations sought for 2010 university staff awards

See: Announcements

Teaching

CELT programs
Register via AccessPlus (click on Employee > HRS Training > Courses). All workshops are in 2030 Morrill.
-- Teaching and Learning Circle: Faculty Incivility, Feb. 8 (12:10-1 p.m.), first of four weekly sessions
-- Learning Styles: Biodiversity in the Classroom, Feb. 11 (12:10-1 p.m.)
   Descriptions and times.

Appointment

-- Douglas Johnston, professor and chair of landscape architecture and community and regional planning, additionally to interim associate dean for research and graduate education, College of Design, effective Feb. 2-June 30

Around campus

Good for the bones?
A new ISU study calls into question the value of postmenopausal women consuming soy isoflavone tablets to help lessen bone loss.

Building better antivirals
Findings in an ISU study clarify previous, conflicting studies of how antiviral drugs actually work and should pave the way to development of new drugs against influenza viruses, including pandemic H1N1.

Open houses/receptions

This week
-- Retirement: Daryl Strohbehn, ISU animal science, Feb. 5 (3:30-5 p.m., program at 4 p.m., Kildee Hall atrium)

Upcoming
-- Reception: "Reflections" student art exhibit, Feb. 17 (6 p.m., MU Pioneer Room)

Details about these events are on the university calendar.

Arts and events

Help wishes come true
ISU student dance organizations are holding a fund-raiser Feb. 6 (7 p.m., Fisher Theater) for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The event, "Dance for a Wish," will showcase the Cyclone Ballroom, Dub-H, Orchesis II, Cyclone Swing Society, Descarga and Celtic Dance Society student groups. Tickets are $8 and available at the Stephens box office or through Ticketmaster.

February is Black History Month
Black History events on campus kick off with a lecture by journalist, social activist and BET political commentator Jeff Johnson Feb. 8 (8 p.m., MU Great Hall). Other events continue through early March.

Get a look inside Cyclone basketball
Cyclone assistant women's basketball coach Jodi Steyer will meet with fans and answer questions about the season Feb. 9 (noon-1 p.m., Great Hall, MU). This event is free and open to the public. Door prizes will be awarded.

ArtWalk focuses on new sites, old favorites
Join Nancy Gebhart, University Museums, on a tour of new sites and old favorites from the Art on Campus collection Feb. 10 (noon-1 p.m.). Enjoy works by Grant Wood, Christian Petersen, Stephen DeStaebler and Nina de Creeft Ward. Meet at the south entrance of Parks Library. This event is free.

More campus events
Talks, performances, athletic contests and other campus events are listed on the university calendar. Also, see the Arts and Entertainment page.

Submitting your news
Inside Update is published Thursday mornings by the Office of University Relations. Send Update news to inside@iastate.edu. For questions, call 4-7958.