Inside Iowa State for faculty and staff
March 2, 2023
Inside news
Music and theatre assistant professor Cason Murphy draws from his own experiences as an actor to find innovative ways to challenge and engage students.

The teams will share more than $186,000 for research projects that advance student-centric instruction at the university. 

With seven scholars in 2022-23, the university ranks in the top 13 of doctoral institutions on the list. Faculty and staff are invited to an information session March 8 to learn more about participating in the global program.

The historic club's Feb. 27 banquet celebrated 124 faculty and staff, a group representing nearly 3,700 combined years of service at the university.

Students prepare food from scratch in the teaching kitchen of the Joan Bice Underwood Tearoom in MacKay Hall. Next week's menu? Chicken crepes, broccoli, coconut twists and a brownie crowned with German chocolate frosting.
Announcements
The following announcements were added this week:
  • Workflex application window is March 6-31
  • Application extended to March 9 for undergrad research symposium
  • Comments due March 10 on draft policy covering out-of-state workplaces
  • Conversation continues on support for families in campus communities
  • Free workshop: Starting a small business
  • Pitch Off finale rescheduled for March 2
Around campus
Adam Schwartz, who has served as director of Ames National Laboratory since 2014, last week announced he will step down and transition to a part-time role with the lab's critical materials research. He will remain director until his successor is named.

Professor of ecology, evolution and organismal biology Amy Toth received ISU's Bailey Research Career Development Award -- $149,000 in research funding over three years -- to investigate multiple factors in the decline of Iowa's bee population.

The first phase of the CYTown project has begun, improvements to the parking lots between Jack Trice Stadium and the Iowa State Center. Lots will reopen ahead of the 2023-24 academic year.

During Heart Health Month, the residence department and environmental health and safety worked together to add eight AEDs in residence hall locations for broader accessibility for students. A request from a student with a heart condition got the ball rolling. In the initial round of installs in 2017, AEDs were placed near all hall desks for consistency.
Appointments
  • Janet Smith, assistant director of county services, Region 27, ISU Extension and Outreach, to director of field operations, serving the southern half of Iowa, effective March 15
Arts and events
Patrick Phillips, author of "Blood at the Root: A Racial Cleansing in America" and ISCORE keynote speaker on Friday, will discuss his search for the truth about his hometown in Forsyth County, Georgia, on Thursday, March 2 (6 p.m., MU Great Hall).

The 27th International Festival of Women Composers on Saturday, March 4 (1:30 p.m., Tye Recital Hall, Simon Estes Music Hall) features music from the 20th and 21st centuries. Members of the organ studio, vocal and instrumental soloists, chamber ensembles and Cantamus will perform music created by 15 composers. Admission is free.

Senior Day at Hilton Coliseum
The Cyclone women's basketball team hosts Texas Tech Saturday, March 4 (3 p.m., Hilton Coliseum). The final game of the squad's regular season will include a celebration of its five seniors. Tickets ($5-$15) may be purchased online.

For 60+ years, Iowa State's blood drive student organization has hosted campus blood drives to raise awareness about the need for human blood. The group's spring drive is Monday-Wednesday, March 6-8 (10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily, MU Great Hall and ballrooms). Sign up online or walk in.

The student affairs division's Diversity Inclusion Committee "Ask Me Anything" panel series continues next week. Four panelists who identify as neurodiverse will offer guidance for interacting with and supporting those who are neurodiverse on Wednesday, March 8 (10:30-11:30 a.m., via Zoom). Register to receive the link.
Learning opportunities
Provost office programming
  • Virtual workshop, Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program, award opportunities, application and selection process, March 8 (noon-1 p.m., via Zoom), register
  • Workshop for tenure-eligible faculty, Preparing for a Successful Promotion and Tenure, with associate provosts Dawn Bratsch-Prince and Ann Marie VanDerZanden and associate vice president for research Surya Mallapragada, March 9 (9:30-11 a.m., Campanile Room, MU), register
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Inside Update is published Thursday mornings by Strategic Relations and Communications. Questions may be directed to 515-294-7065.