Inside Update

Sept. 27, 2012
Announcements and news for ISU faculty and staff

Presidential initiative encourages big thinking
President Steven Leath released this week the details of a funding initiative to support large-scale, multidisciplinary research programs that will address questions of state and national importance.

New wrinkles in latest spam scam
The latest spam scam to hit campus arrived in a slightly more polished package than usual. Here are some tips on keeping up-to-no-gooders away from your personal information.

Non-supervisory merit open change period begins Oct. 1
Non-supervisory merit employees will have a chance to review and change their benefits during the open change period, Oct. 1-Nov. 16. Learn what's new for 2013.

Car-sharing program gains momentum in year two
In year two of a three-year pilot, the WeCar rent-by-the-hour program has more than doubled its membership over last year. The program is open to university students and employees.

More news: Inside Iowa State

The following announcements were added this week:
-- Special dinner in Tearoom features Yucatan cuisine
-- Hilton lecture on Oct. 3: A call for American environmentalists to regroup
-- ISU Blood Drive is Oct. 1-5
-- "Stuff the Bus" is Oct. 6
-- All traffic lanes on Stange Road are open
-- State Gym closures planned Sept. 26-28

See: Announcements

CELT program
Register via AccessPlus (click on Employee > HRS Training > Courses).
-- Award-winning Faculty Series: Jane Dusselier, Sara Marcketti and Mike Retallick, Oct. 3 (12:30-2 p.m., 2030 Morrill).

See: Descriptions and times

NSF renews support for ISU biorenewables center
The National Science Foundation has added $12 million and another three years of support to the NSF Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals based at Iowa State.

NSF awards ISU with grant for computing system
The National Science Foundation has awarded Iowa State a $1.8 million grant for a high performance computing (HPC) system. Nearly all of the grant will go directly to purchasing computer equipment for science and engineering. ISU will provide an additional $780K as a matching grant.

ISU researcher studying DNA repair
An ISU scientist is studying the process organisms use to repair DNA damage, opening up implications for human health and cancer research.

Campus Walk is Oct. 3
Join Iowa State students, faculty, staff, families and friends for the ISU Campus Walk on Oct. 3 (noon-1 p.m.), part of the Healthiest ISU Initiative and Healthiest State Initiative. Participants can choose from seven campus routes, about one kilometer (0.62 mile) each. Participants are encouraged to sign up online in advance.

Safety and You
The ISU department of public safety has posted its annual security and safety report (PDF). The document includes campus crime statistics and fire data for the last three years, along with information on policies, prevention and other safety and security matters.

This week
-- Retirement: Warren Ahrens, U.S. Department of Energy Ames Laboratory, Sept. 27 (2-4 p.m., Ames Lab Maintenance Shops Building, Kooser Drive)
-- Exhibition reception: "Post-Pop Redux," Sept. 27 (7-8 p.m., Christian Petersen Art Museum, Morrill)

Next week
-- Retirement: Vicki John, IT Services, Oct. 5 (2-4 p.m., 206 Durham Center, short program at 3 p.m.)

Details about these events are on the university calendar.

Student designs featured in ISU Project Runway
Fashions designed by ISU student teams will highlight the eighth annual Project Runway competition Sept. 30 (8 p.m., MU Great Hall). Participating teams will model their designs, created in the 24 hours previous, and be judged on creativity, craftsmanship and crowd appeal. April Johnston, from Project Runway Season 8 and Project Runway All Stars, is the guest host and judge. Admission is free and open to the public.

Welcome to Ames, Horned Frogs
Texas Christian University will be the first of the Big 12 Conference's two newest members to visit Ames when the Horned Frogs face the Iowa State volleyball team Sept. 29 in Hilton Coliseum.

ISU Theatre opens its season with a laugh
Personal relationships are the comedic downfall of a third-rate theater company in ISU Theatre's two-weekend run of Noises Off.

Check out the new softball stadium
The Cyclone softball squad concludes its fall exhibition schedule with a double-header against Indian Hills Community College on Sunday, Sept. 30 (11 a.m. and 1 p.m., Cyclone Sports Complex). Admission is free and it's an opportunity to admire the softball component of the new sports complex, east of the Towers residence halls. Enter the complex on the south side.

Postcard print exhibition, auction runs through Oct. 5
Disguise, the University Print Society's 12th annual international postcard print exchange exhibition and silent auction, continues through Oct. 5 (8 a.m.-5 p.m., Gallery 181, College of Design). It features original 4x6 prints by 397 artists from 38 U.S. states and nine other countries. All prints on display are for sale through a bidding process, which ends at 5 p.m. Oct. 5.