A four-year veteran of the post, David Spalding has received a five-year appointment.

Dwight Hinson, a former Cyclone All-American wrestler, helped establish the ISU Police engagement and inclusion officer initiative, which has more than doubled in size since 2015.

Creating a welcoming and inclusive experience for all at Iowa State is one of the primary goals of the university's latest strategic plan. A visitors code of conduct is in the works to help reinforce the idea.

Also approved during the state Board of Regents' Dec. 6 meeting: a campus home for the Nanovaccine Institute, remodeling plans for the Hub, interim leader appointments, two bond sales and more.

Know your options when severe winter weather strikes.

Chemistry assistant professor Robbyn Anand is studying how a hybrid of electrochemical and microfluidic technologies could be used to improve the dialysis equipment that cleans salt, waste and water from blood.

Not all young adults want to be sexually active, but talking with a partner about the decision to abstain or delay is difficult. Tina Coffelt, assistant professor of English and communication studies, studied how students initiate these conversations and strategies they use to explain their decision.

The economics department's seminar room recently received a visual boost from University Professor of economics Peter Orazem. More than a dozen paintings collected by Orazem and his spouse have turned 368A Heady into a gallery. The room often is vacant and employees and students may visit the collection.

• Dr. Alejandro Ramirez, associate professor of veterinary diagnostic and production animal medicine, as the first holder of the Roy A. Schultz Professorship in Swine Medicine

• Retirement: Suzanne Hendrich, food science and human nutrition, Dec. 8 (3-5 p.m., program at 4 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)
• Retirement: W. Robert Stephenson, statistics, Dec. 13 (3-5 p.m., program at 3:30 p.m., 3105 Snedecor)

• Farewell: Trevor Nelson, Study Abroad Center, Dec. 19 (2-4 p.m., program at 2:30 p.m., MU Campanile Room)
• Customer appreciation open house: Chemistry Stores, Dec. 20 (8:30 a.m.-2 p.m., 1400 Gilman)
• Retirement: Ambar Mitra, aerospace engineering, Dec. 31 (no public event)
• Retirement: Cheryl Robinette, facilities planning and management, Jan. 3 (1-2:30 p.m., program at 1:30 p.m., 0162 General Services Building)

Rehearsals all fall by dozens of Mid-Iowa dancers culminate with three performances of the "Nutcracker Ballet" on the Stephens Auditorium stage Saturday (1:30 p.m., 7:30 p.m.) and Sunday (1:30 p.m.). Tickets are $25 ($20 for seniors, ISU students, youth and groups of 10 or more) and available at the Stephens Auditorium ticket office, online via Ticketmaster or by phone, 800-745-3000.

The Cyclone men's and women's track and field squads open their indoor season at home this year, hosting the Cyclone Duals on Dec. 8 (4-6:15 p.m., Lied Center). It's a short meet, with just four field events, seven running events and two other teams: Drake and Northern Iowa. Admission is free.

Workshop, Research submission software (a-tune tick@lab) training, offered multiple times, no registration, bring your laptop.

• Dec. 12 (2-4 p.m., 1485 Vet Med)
• Jan. 4 (2-4 p.m., 203 Kildee)
• Jan. 5 (9-11 a.m., 1485 Vet Med)

Registration is required.

• Workshop, Accessible Forms and PDFs, Dec. 13 (10-11:30 a.m.)
• Workshop, Testing Your Website for Accessibility, Dec. 13 (1-2:30 p.m.)
• Workshop, Creating and Editing Captions for Your Videos, Dec. 13 (3-4:30 p.m.)

CELT open labs will be closed Dec. 8-Jan. 2, 2018. Consultations with instructional designers may be scheduled during that time via their appointment scheduling website. There are multiple ways to learn the Canvas learning management system, including workshops (below), recorded resources, self-paced tutorials and webinars on the ISU Canvas training and resources website. Additionally, Canvas offers 24/7 support, listed in the "? Help" icon in the left column of your Canvas website or via the Canvas support line, 515-294-4000 (press 2, then 1).

CELT staff will lead five 90-minute workshops multiple times this fall to highlight the pedagogy and mechanics behind functions in the Canvas learning management system. Below is the schedule through Dec. 22. Workshop descriptions. Register via Learn@ISU.

• The Pedagogy of Canvas Quizzes, Dec. 11 or 19 (2-3:30 p.m.)
• Assignments and Gradebook in Canvas, Dec. 12 (10-11:30 a.m.), Dec. 20 (2-3:30 p.m.)
• Groups and Collaborative Work in Canvas, Dec. 13 or 21 (2-3:30 p.m.)
• Accessibility in Canvas, Dec. 14 or 22 (10-11:30 a.m.)
• Course Design in Canvas, Dec. 15 or 18 (2-3:30 p.m.)

• Seminar, Protection for Your Family, Finances and Future: Using the Estate Planning Documents Provided to ISU Employees, Mindy Anfinson, ARAG Insurance Co., Des Moines, Dec. 12 (2-3 p.m., MU Pioneer Room, also livestreamed)