Inside Update

Sept. 15, 2011
Announcements and news for ISU faculty and staff

News

Presidential search committee to interview candidates Sept. 15-16 in Minneapolis
The search committee seeking Iowa State's next president will hold a two-day meeting in Minneapolis Sept. 15-16 to interview candidates. Campus open forums with yet-to-be-named finalists are scheduled to begin next week.

Proposed school of education introduced to senate
A proposed school of education and a new name for the apparel, educational studies and hospitality management (AESHM) department were introduced to senators at the Sept. 13 Faculty Senate meeting.

New monitoring wells make up latest ISU teaching lab
Instructors in geology and engineering are pretty pumped about eight wells recently installed near campus. The monitoring wells, east of Hilton Coliseum in Stuart Smith Park, are there to provide richer learning experiences for students studying water science in a variety of classes.

University plans upgrades to president's residence
University officials will seek permission from the state Board of Regents next week to make improvements to the Knoll between presidential administrations. Private gifts would pay for the upgrades.

9/11 remembrance
Students and others in the community gathered around the campanile last Sunday to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States.

More news: Inside Iowa State

Announcements

The following announcements were added this week:
-- Sept. 21-22 meetings about new retirement funds rescheduled to October
-- ISU MBA informational lunch is Sept. 21
-- Nutrition counseling opportunity for employees
-- Fire safety demonstration planned for Sept. 16
-- Fall yoga will be artful experience

See: Announcements

Teaching

CELT programs

Register via AccessPlus (click on Employee > HRS Training > Courses). All workshops are in 1230 Communications.
-- Blackboard (Bb) Learn: Assessments, Sept. 19 (1:10-2:40 p.m.)
-- Respondus: Creating Test Pools, Quizzes and Surveys for Blackboard Learn, Sept. 20 (2:10-3:10 p.m.)
-- Bb Learn: Creating, Submitting and Grading Online Assignments, Sept. 21 (10-11 a.m.)
-- Bb Learn: Interactive Grading Rubrics, Sept. 21 (11:10 a.m.-noon)
-- Bb Learn: Introduction to Blackboard Learn, Sept. 22 (2:10-3:10 p.m.)
-- Bb Learn: Developing your Blackboard Learn Course, Sept. 23 (9-10:30 a.m.)

See: Descriptions and times

Faculty development grant requests due Oct. 17
CELT TEACH grants of up to $2,000 are available for faculty development at the department level. Submit grant requests by Oct. 17. More information, including the application procedure, is online.

Seminars and conferences

The following conference was added this week:
-- The Challenges of Global Aging, Oct. 12

See: Announcements

Around campus

NSF invests $20 million in Iowa's renewable energy
The National Science Foundation has awarded a $20 million, five-year grant to build Iowa's research capacity in renewable energy and energy efficiency. The core of the research project will be conducted at Iowa's three public universities.

ISU chemists help keep drinking water clean ... in space
ISU researchers developed chemistry and procedures to safeguard drinking water used by astronauts and cosmonauts on the International Space Station.

Consumers will pay more for healthful GM foods
A study by ISU economist Wallace Huffman shows that consumers will pay more for foods that are genetically modified to increase health benefits.

Departmental newsletters

Your Library
Web-based engineering library research guides, papers of botany professor Lois Tiffany ("the mushroom lady") and a new ISU Library Facebook page are among topics covered in this edition of Your Library Newsletter.

Open houses/receptions

This week
-- Reception: "Fresh Fotos: My First Year Experience (2010-11)," Sept. 15 (6 p.m., MU Gallery)

Next week
-- College convocation: Veterinary Medicine, Sept. 21 (8 a.m., 1226 Vet Med, continental breakfast from 7:15 a.m.)
-- College convocation: Agriculture and Life Sciences, Sept. 21 (4 p.m., MU Sun Room, reception follows)
-- Open House: Leadership and Service Center, Sept. 21 (11 a.m.-2 p.m., MU East Student Office Space)
-- Open house: BioCentury Research Farm, Sept. 23 (1-4 p.m., BioCentury Research Farm, west of Ames just south of U.S. Highway 30, 2 p.m. presentation on how faculty can partner with the farm)

Upcoming
-- University fall convocation, Sept. 26 (3:15 p.m., MU Sun Room, reception follows)

Details about these events are on the university calendar.

Arts and events

Hot Club of San Francisco heats up Fisher Theater
Gypsy jazz group Hot Club of San Francisco returns to Fisher Theater Sept. 16 for two performances (7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.). Tickets, $35 for adults and $20 for ISU students and youth, are available at the Stephens ticket office or through Ticketmaster. Tickets for the 9:30 p.m. show purchased before noon Friday are two for the price of one.

Tibetan monk will reveal sand mandala's meaning in Sept. 21 talk
The head lama of the Drepung Loseling Monastery in Tibet will present "The Mystical Arts of Tibet: Symbolism of the Sand Mandala" Sept. 21 (8:15 p.m., MU Sun Room). The talk is in conjunction with the creation of a mandala sand painting by Buddhist monks from the monastery Sept. 19-22 in the MU main lounge (near postal counter).

A remembrance run
Iowa State's Air Force ROTC Detachment 250 will commemorate National Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Day Sept. 16 with a 35-mile continuous run from the Capitol building in Des Moines to ISU's Memorial Union. Cadets will take turns running and carrying a United States flag and a POW/MIA flag. An honor guard will stand watch at a special memorial display in the MU Gold Star Hall throughout the day.

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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