Inside Update

May 31, 2012
Announcements and news for ISU faculty and staff

Leath makes key changes in administration
Administrative reorganization by President Steven Leath has resulted in several key changes and moves in university administration.

Class of 2012 bequeaths scholarships
To the generations who will follow them, recent graduates left something a little different -- scholarships. The class of 2012 set up an endowment, currently at $45,000 and growing, that will fund scholarships for upperclassmen.

FY13 salaries, tuition set aside are on regents' agenda
When it meets next week in Iowa City, the state Board of Regents is expected to have a public discussion about the practice of tuition set aside as a student financial aid source. The board also will review salary recommendations for next year and get an update on FY13 budgets.

More news: Inside Iowa State

The following announcements were added this week:
-- Volunteers sought for June 23 College Creek cleanup
-- University Museums seeks your "curious" objects
-- Iowa Staters give back during service days
-- Visitation is June 1 for long-time library assistant Terri Heinrich
-- Book club convenes on June 5
-- Homestay hosts sought for Japanese teachers this summer

See: Announcements

CELT programs
Register via AccessPlus (click on Employee > HRS Training > Courses)
-- Creating Survey Reports with Class Climate, June 5 (9-10:30 a.m., 1230 Communications)

See: Descriptions and times

Fountain work keeps Seasons dry
Installation of a new water treatment system will keep the Fountain of the Four Seasons dry this summer. The campus landmark was turned off last summer for sculpture conservation work, the first phase of the rehab project.

New record for student callers
The students who work the phones, seeking gifts to Iowa State from alumni and friends, have raised a record $3.75 million this fiscal year.

Do high school dropouts earn their GED?
In an ISU study, less than a third of the Iowa high school dropouts tracked had completed their GED five years later. About 13 percent of them went on to enroll in a community college.

Nanoparticle could advance plant gene editing
ISU researchers are using nanoparticles to deliver proteins and DNA into plant cells. The technology could help develop crops that adapt to changing climates and resist pests.

Researchers uncover new properties in carbon material
A team of ISU and Ames Lab scientists found new carbon graphene properties that could have applications in high-speed telecommunications devices and laser technology.

This week
-- Farewell: Jennifer Nissen, ISU Student Activities Center, May 31 (3-4:30 p.m., MU Campanile Room, program at 4 p.m.)
-- Retirement: Nancy Alt, ISU Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, retiring May 31 (no public reception)
-- Open house: Iowa 4-H Center Camp, June 1 (5:30-8 p.m., 1991 Peach Ave., Madrid)
-- Open house: Remembering the Sculpture of Christian Petersen, June 3 (1-4 p.m., 1017 Morrill, gallery walk at 2 p.m.)

Next week
-- Dairy Month celebration, June 8 (6-11 a.m., ISU Dairy Farm, 52470 260 St.)
-- Retirement: Lynnette Hauser, ISU Extension and Outreach central administration, June 8 (2-4 p.m., WOW Center, 4-H/Youth Building, no program)
-- Retirement: Lanny Lincoln, materials science and engineering division, Ames Laboratory, June 8 (2-4 p.m., 205 TASF, program at 3 p.m.)

Details about these events are on the university calendar.

Food in the Gardens series starts June 7
Reiman Gardens' five-part Food in the Gardens series begins Thursday, June 7 (6:30-9:30 p.m.), with "Smashing Sugarless Sweets." Iowa chefs and nutrition specialists will offer ideas for healthy recipes made from food in your own garden. Register in advance for one class ($12-$15), or all five ($52-$65).