Inside Update

Dec. 13, 2012
Announcements and news for ISU faculty and staff

More than 1,700 students are graduating this week
An estimated 1,708 students are completing Iowa State degrees this week -- and many of them will mark the milestone at commencement events Friday and Saturday. A single university-wide ceremony begins at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Hilton Coliseum.

Winter break: What you need to know
Winter break is fast approaching. Here are a few tips to remember before you leave your office for the holidays.

Senate floor opens for leadership discussion
A short agenda allowed time for topical discussion during the Dec. 11 Faculty Senate meeting. Senators also were briefed on the public disagreement surrounding the Harkin Institute of Public Policy.

Reminder: Flexible spending account dollars must be spent by Dec. 31
Use your 2012 flexible spending account dollars by Dec. 31 or lose unclaimed money that has been deducted from your paycheck all year.

Lighter than air
Student teams in aerospace engineering intro classes designed and operated their "lighter than air" vehicles during a fly-off in Howe Hall last week.

P&S Council committee seeking input on representation
Council members are considering representation realignment, including a proposal to reduce the six current areas to four that reflect the university's organizational structure.

More news: Inside Iowa State

The following announcements were added this week:
-- Spring tutoring in reading available for 1-12 graders
-- Online employee wellness support group begins in January
-- Ash tree removal resumes next week
-- Reminder: Mixed paper, phonebook collection is next week
-- Watch for truck traffic on south half of Bissell Road
-- Former faculty member Patrick Gouran died Dec. 2
-- Pronunciation class offered for nonnative speakers of English

See: Announcements

-- Capt. Ricks Polk, commander of the Military Sealift Command Maritime Prepositioning Ship Squadron ONE, deployed in Europe and Africa, to commanding officer at Iowa State's Naval ROTC unit

Community design students help tornado-torn town reinvent itself
Students in a landscape architecture class spent a semester developing landscaping strategies that could be used in rebuilding Mapleton, Iowa. A Category 3 tornado damaged 60 percent of the town in April 2011.

Final countdown
Food, caffeine and wireless access are necessities during finals week, making ISU Dining centers and cafés popular study spots.

Informational meeting on Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy is Dec. 19
A public informational meeting on the recently released Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy will be held Dec. 19 (10 a.m., MU South Ballroom). The meeting is an opportunity to ask questions and learn more about the plan, including ISU's role in developing its science assessment.

Live Green Monthly
In this issue of Live Green Monthly: Find out how to engage in green gifting and save energy in empty offices over the holidays. And read about an Iowa State grad student who earned a spot on the international Green Talents roster.

Your Library
In this issue of Your Library - Newsletter: ISU Library to become a HathiTrust Digital Library Partner institution, interlibrary loan and document delivery services are simpler and new 4-H collections are available in the special collections department.

Next week
-- Retirement: Elyse Levine, IT Services, Dec. 18 (1:30-2:30 p.m., 1155 ASB)
-- Retirement: Dennis Shannon, ISU research and demonstration farms, Dec. 18 (3-4:30 p.m., MU Campanile Room, program at 3:45 p.m.)
-- Retirement: Gene Schaefer, IT Services, Dec. 20 (2-4 p.m., 206 Durham Center, program at 3 p.m.)
-- Retirement: Carol Eyanson, ISU postal and parcel services, Dec. 21 (1-3 p.m., 142 General Services Building)

Upcoming
-- Retirement: Karen Huiatt, U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory, Jan. 4 (2-4 p.m., 205 TASF)

Details about these events are on the university calendar.

Jim Brickman: The piano man
Award-winning pianist and songwriter Jim Brickman brings his holiday show, "On A Winter's Night," to Stephens Auditorium Dec. 20 for a 7:30 p.m. performance. Tickets are $35, $45 and $65. Limited availability remains for the top tier ticket package, which includes rows A-C and a post-performance opportunity to meet Brickman. Tickets are available at the Iowa State Center ticket office and through Ticketmaster.

New exhibitions at MU feature local artists
-- "Open Book Series: Kathy Svec Assemblages" (through Feb. 4, 2013, MU Pioneer Room). This exhibition features the unique artwork of ISU retiree Kathy Svec. She showcases words in small hand-bound books, which are set into shadow-box collages to illustrate and amplify the words' meanings.
-- "Light in the Dark: Rachel Mary Wright" (through Feb. 11, 2013, MU Gallery). This show features 15 "intensely personal" paintings by West Des Moines artist and ISU alum Rachel Mary Wright. The pieces generally are abstract with a few recognizable elements.