Inside Iowa State for faculty and staff
July 9, 2020
Inside news
Employees whose work either supports the student experience or needs to be done on campus for a successful fall operation should plan to return to their workspace by Aug. 3, President Wendy Wintersteen announced last week.

A facilities planning and management team has developed guidelines for preparing classrooms and teaching laboratories, as well as common areas such as hallways, waiting areas and restrooms, to achieve physical distancing.

Twenty members of the campus community will serve on the university's Committee to Establish Principles on Renaming. President Wendy Wintersteen asked the group to develop a policy that lays out "a consistent, evidence-based and historically thoughtful means by which to evaluate historical naming and honors."

Employees are strongly encouraged to complete online mental health training to help identify and engage with students in distress.

Procurement services implemented new procedures July 1 for employees using university-issued procurement and travel/hospitality cards. The changes are intended to help cardholders complete transactions in Workday within 30 days as required in their cardholder agreement -- and avoid having their card suspended.
Announcements
The following announcements were added this week:
  • Wintersteen shares concern about federal rules for fall international students
  • Resourcefulness, creativity online workshop is July 10
  • Outdoor sculpture exhibit opened this week at Reiman Gardens
  • New policy covers parcels shipped out of the country
Around campus
Recipients of the National Science Foundation's 2020 Faculty Early Career Development Program award are: Zhe Fei, physics and astronomy; Ji-Yeong I, education; Jia (Kevin) Liu, computer science; Chaoqun Lu, ecology, evolution and organismal biology; Thomas Manswell, chemical and biological engineering; Jacqueline Reber, geological and atmospheric sciences; Elizabeth Swanner, geology; Grace Wilkinson, ecology, evolution and organismal biology; Julia Zaikina, chemistry; and Mai Zheng, electrical and computer engineering.

Study shows that including youth in the design process for public spaces can have long-term societal benefits.

Aaron Sadow, an Ames Laboratory scientist and chemistry professor, will lead the Institute for Cooperative Upcycling of Plastics, a multi-institutional team of researchers developing ways to upcycle plastics into more valuable materials. It's one of 10 research centers intended to strengthen U.S. economic leadership and energy security. 

A sensory skin developed by researchers is the first scalable monitoring technology capable of detecting, localizing and quantifying fatigue cracks in steel bridges -- something nearly impossible for inspectors to see during a visual inspection.
Appointments
  • Sheri Benson, to business counselor, America's SBDC Iowa at Iowa State University, effective June 15
  • Brianna Hall, Iowa State Center, to marketing manager, America's SBDC Iowa at Iowa State University, effective June 15
Retirements and farewells
This week
  • Retirement, Deb Cramer, office of risk management, July 10

Next week
  • Farewell, Gracen Kostelecky, Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, July 15 (2-4 p.m., Suite 1300, 1805 Collaboration Pl.), stop in, masks required, prepackaged foods (or share a message by July 14 on this Kudoboard)
Open forums
Senior vice president for student affairs finalist (4th of 4)
  • Candidate 4, July 9 (1-1:45 p.m.), forum link will be on the search website
Professional development
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) programming
Previous Inside coverage
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Inside Update is published Thursday mornings by Strategic Relations and Communications. Questions may be directed to 515-294-7065.