Inside Update

March 10, 2011
Announcements and news for ISU faculty and staff

News

Stephens' stagehands are among the best
There are no awards or accolades for the hard work stagehand crews endure before, during and after big productions, but the Stephens Auditorium crew, consisting of mostly ISU students, knows it's among the fastest in the nation.

Senate squeezes in other business around continued policy debate
Revisions to the early tenure review policy were approved, and three other items were introduced at the March 8 Faculty Senate meeting. Discussion of proposed changes to the post-tenure review and conduct policies will continue next month.

Council debates salary recommendation
Professional and Scientific Council members are considering a stance on FY12 salary adjustments that would recommend salary increases despite the possibility of position cuts. The resolution, introduced at the March 3 council meeting, will be up for a vote April 7.

Honoring a colleague
A memorial service for R. Bruce Thompson, Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in the departments of materials science and engineering and aerospace engineering, will be held Friday, March 11 (11 a.m., Collegiate Presbyterian Church, Ames). Thompson died March 7 after battling cancer. Memorials are preferred to a scholarship fund named for him in the ISU Foundation.

Ombuds office creates online resource guide
A new online resource for ISU employees was built with software designed for creating class resource guides.

Daylight-saving time begins Sunday
Move your clocks forward one hour before you head to bed Saturday night. Daylight-saving time begins at roughly 2 a.m. Sunday, March 13 (second Sunday of March).

No Update during spring break week
Inside Iowa State will not publish and Inside Update won't be mailed next week (March 17) due to spring break. Regular schedules for both will resume on March 24.

More news: Inside Iowa State

Announcements

The following announcements were added this week:
-- Heed international travel warnings over spring break
-- Amarasinghe will present Osborn Club lecture on March 21
-- ISU alum to speak at 2011 Reiman Entrepreneurial Speaker Series
-- Judges needed for science and technology fairs
-- Learn about ISU's MBA program at March 23 luncheon
-- Student club will tune up your lawnmower
-- New accounts and process in place for campus Fed Ex users; rate discounts transfer to new accounts

See: Announcements

Teaching

CELT programs
Register via AccessPlus (click on Employee > HRS Training > Courses).
-- Webinar, Creating Rubrics: Improve Assessments, Assignments and Outcomes, March 24 (noon-1 p.m., 2030 Morrill)
-- What You Need to Know to Convert Your WebCT Course to Blackboard Learn, March 24 (2:10-3:30 p.m.), repeated March 30 (10-11:30 a.m.), both in 1230 Communications

See: Descriptions and times

Preview PBS film on 'freedom riders' at next faculty forum
During a March 29 faculty forum (12:10-4 p.m., MU Pioneer Room), preview the not-yet-released PBS film Freedom Riders and discuss its implications for educators today. Part of the "American Experience" series, the film chronicles six months in 1961, when more than 400 black and white Americans defied segregation laws in the South and in many cases, endured beatings and imprisonment. Register for this forum via AccessPlus (click on Employee > HRS Training > Courses). Lunch will be provided.

Seminars and conferences

The following conferences were added this week:
-- Symposium on Rare Earth Materials, April 7

See: Announcements

Appointments

-- Mark Honeyman, ISU Research and Demonstration Farms, to interim director of the Leopold Center, effective March 7
-- Nicola Pohl, ISU chemistry and chemical and biological engineering; and Krishna Rajan, ISU materials science and engineering, to Wilkinson Professorships
-- William Jenks, professor of chemistry, to chair of the department of chemistry, effective July 1

Around campus

Extension Week starts March 21
Extension Week, March 21-25, will be marked by open houses and special events in county offices and student scavenger hunts and free breakfast snacks on campus.

Section of Union Drive will close during spring break
Construction work will close a portion of Union Drive and reroute CyRide buses during spring break, beginning March 12.

ISU engineer studies earthquake damage
ISU's Sri Sritharan spent more than a week in Christchurch, New Zealand, as part of an earthquake reconnaissance team.

Iowa's high marginal tax rates hinder labor productivity
A recent study by Iowa State economists found that Iowa's high marginal tax rates have had a double impact on diminishing the state's labor productivity.

Departmental newsletters

Your Library
Records from ISU's solar car team, tips for quick searches, and details about the April 1 Edible Book Festival are among the topics in this month's Your Library Newsletter.

Open houses/receptions

Upcoming
-- Retirement: Donna Flanagan, ISU enrollment services, April 1 (2-4 p.m., 314 Enrollment Services Center)

Details about this event are on the university calendar.

Open forums

ISURF/OIPTT director finalists
Two internal candidates will interview later this month for the dual post of executive director of the ISU Research Foundation and director of the Office of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer. Their interviews will include an open forum, the details of which are below:
-- Lisa Lorenzen, director of ISU industry relations, March 22 (1:30-2:30 p.m, 1951 Food Sciences)
-- Raj Aggarwal, managing director of advanced research and technology in the College of Engineering, March 23 (1:30-2:30 p.m., 1951 Food Sciences)

Details about these events are on the university calendar.

Arts and events

Pre-St. Patrick's Day event is March 12 at Reiman Gardens
Enjoy an evening of entertainment by the Milwaukee-based Celtic trio "3 Pints Gone" and the Irish dance performance team from Ames' Robert Thomas Dancenter March 12 (6:30-9 p.m., Reiman Gardens). Doors open at 6 p.m.; tickets are $14 in advance ($12 for members and ISU students) or $18 at the door. Pub snacks, beer, wine, soft drinks and coffee will be available for purchase.

Special lectures coming up after spring break
-- Iowa State Presidential Lectureship in Chemistry: Richard Schrock, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, March 22 (8 p.m., MU Sun Room)
-- LAS Dean's Lecture: Deb Marquart, ISU creative writing, March 23 (7:30 p.m., MU Sun Room)

ArtWalk is planned for March 23
Nancy Girard from University Museums will lead an ArtWalk around the College of Human Sciences March 23 (noon-1 p.m., meet in the Lagomarcino courtyard). Discussion will center around sculptures by Christian Petersen and the One, Now, All installation by Nori Sato.

ISU Theatre prepares for four performances of Six Characters
Ames theater buffs will get a rare look at the not oft-produced Six Characters when ISU Theatre brings an adaptation of it to the Fisher stage March 24-27. Tickets, $15 for adults ($13 seniors, $8 students) are on sale now through Ticketmaster or the Stephens ticket office.

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.

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