In hopes of becoming a company-creation hotbed, Iowa State has expanded its entrepreneurial ecosystem to give faculty, staff, graduates and students more help to build startups.

Three proposed academic programs were introduced to senators and one was discontinued during the Nov. 14 Faculty Senate meeting.

Ben Allen's service as university interim president comes to a close this weekend. It's been a great run.

Several dozen paper forms will become obsolete over the next few years as Iowa State transitions to electronic submission and review systems for research that involves human participants, animal subjects or biohazards.

Student contact information no longer will be publicly available via ISU's online directory. Users with a campus IP address or logged on with their Net-IDs still will be able to access available information.

Inside Iowa State will not publish on Nov. 23, due to the university's Thanksgiving holiday (Nov. 23-24). The next edition will post on Thursday, Nov. 30.

ISU has begun to offer research-based financial education to youth, adults and seniors of the Meskwaki Nation in Tama.

Two faculty members in geological and atmospheric sciences play key roles in research on the unique supply and demand issues for energy usage during heat and drought.

• Jeanne Serb, associate professor of ecology, evolution and organismal biology, to director of the office of biotechnology, effective Jan. 1, 2018
• Terry Tuttle, interim superintendent, to superintendent of the Northwest Research and Demonstration Farm, Sutherland, effective since September

• Retirement: Kerry Culp, agronomy, Nov. 17 (3-5 p.m., Agronomy second floor commons)

• Retirement: Carol Cordell, kinesiology, Nov. 29 (2-4 p.m., 213 Forker)
• Retirement: Sandie Smith, Center for Survey Statistics and Methodology, Nov. 29 (2-4 p.m., 115 Office and Lab)
• Retirement: Sharon Wirth, apparel, events and hospitality management, Dec. 1 (2-4 p.m., Tearoom, 23 MacKay)
• Retirement: Suzanne Hendrich, food science and human nutrition, Dec. 8 (3-5 p.m., MU Campanile Room)
• Retirement: James Wilson, mathematics, Dec. 8 (4-5:30 p.m., program at 4:30 p.m., 305 Carver)
• Retirement: Joan Aiton, animal science, Dec. 13 (3-4 p.m., Kildee atrium)

Reiman Gardens' conservatory will be transformed into a winter wonderland for the "Snow and Ice" exhibition Nov. 16-Jan. 6. The RG Express holiday train returns, chugging past replicas of Iowa State buildings. New to the landscape this year is the Marston Water Tower. Reiman Gardens is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (until 8 p.m. Thursdays in December). It's closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's days. Admission is $8 ($4 for kids ages 4 to 17; free for kids ages 3 and younger, members and ISU students).

During Thanksgiving break, four Cyclone athletics team will compete at home, with three events scheduled in Hilton Coliseum:

On Sunday, Nov. 26, the wrestling team will compete on the Stephens Auditorium stage for the first time in program history. The Cyclones host Rider University in a 2 p.m. dual meet. Tickets are $15 ($10 for youth), with seating on the main floor and in balconies 1-3.