Inside Iowa State for faculty and staff
May 24, 2018
Inside news
Welcome
Mark Simpson became Iowa State's registrar Monday, by way of the University of Utah.

New Cyclones set to get started as summer orientation kicks off
Early summer's annual waves of new students return next week when orientation kicks off May 29, the first of 19 two-day sessions for fall's incoming freshmen.

Young problem solvers return to campus
Iowa State is the host site for the 10th time for Odyssey of the Mind's world finals competition.

Work resumes south of football stadium
Inside provides a peek at revised plans for the plaza area south of Jack Trice Stadium.

Happy Memorial Day
University offices are closed and classes will not meet Monday, May 28, in observance of the national Memorial Day holiday.

More news
Announcements
The following announcements were added this week:
  • Parks Library continues to add electric outlets in study areas
  • Dinkey's now open north of the Hub
  • Meeting for Rummage RAMPage volunteers is May 24
  • Work resumes on I-35 flyover ramp
  • Proposals due June 30 for spring 2019 Freshman Research Initiative
  • Ames Bookmobile has temporary location for campus stop
  • The Pretenders will perform July 19 in Stephens

Around campus
Professor's highly sensitive test is valuable safety tool
An invention by chemistry professor Sam Houk is the gold standard for detecting miniscule amounts of potentially dangerous elements such as lead and arsenic. More than 70 elements can be identified at concentrations as low as one part per trillion, a method valuable in many contexts.   

Turtle and bird genomes provide clues about dinosaurs
Professor of ecology, evolution and organismal biology Nicole Valenzuela co-authored a study that offers a tantalizing glimpse of what a dinosaur genome might have looked like.

Appointments
  • Chris Hease, GE Ventures, to director of the U.S. Department of Energy's Critical Materials Institute at Ames Laboratory, effective June 25
  • Sandra Looft, world languages and cultures, to director of the Margaret Sloss Women's Center, effective June 18
Open houses and receptions
Next week
  • Retirement: John Newton, Veenker Memorial Golf Course, May 30 (3-5 p.m., program at 3:30 p.m., Veenker pavilion or clubhouse)
  • Retirement: Mike Chaplin, ISU Catering, May 31 (10-11:30 a.m., MU Gold Room)
  • Retirement: Trish Stauble, bioinformatics and computational biology, May 31 (10 a.m.-noon, program at 10:30 a.m., 1102 Molecular Biology Building)
  • Retirement: Marian Graves and Arlys Udelhoven, custodial services (Team 5), facilities planning and management, June 1 (10-11:30 a.m., program at 10:30 a.m., 1004 Extension 4-H Youth Building)
  • Retirement: Judy Juhl, research and demonstration farms, June 1 (no public event)
  • Retirement: Mick (Mickey) Osborn, plant services, facilities planning and management, June 1 (no public event)
Upcoming
  • Retirement: Richard (Rick) Tjernagel, building maintenance services, facilities planning and management, June 8 (no public event)
  • Open house: Dairy Month Celebration at the ISU Dairy Farm, June 8 (6-11 a.m., 52470 260 St.)
Details about these events are on the university calendar.

Arts and events
Remembering those we lost
ISU employees, retirees and spouses who died during the past year will be remembered at the alumni association's annual Memorial Day ceremony May 28 (9 a.m., Reiman Ballroom, Alumni Center).

Summer carillon concert series starts next week
Visiting university carillonneurs will perform free monthly concerts over the summer. The series opens next week and includes a concert during the July 24 RAGBRAI stop in Ames.

More campus events
Talks, performances, athletic contests and other campus events are listed on the university calendar.

Professional development
Registration is open for August teaching symposium
The CELT Teaching Symposium will be held Tuesday, Aug. 14 (8 a.m.-noon, Scheman Building). In tandem with pre-symposium online learning modules, the symposium provides new faculty, staff with a teaching role and graduate teaching assistants an opportunity to prepare for a successful first semester of teaching. Register online.

Previous Inside coverage
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Inside Update is published Thursday mornings by the Office of University Relations. Send Update news to inside@iastate.edu. Questions may be directed to 515-294-7065.
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