Inside Iowa State for faculty and staff
May 11, 2023
Inside news
Meeting May 11, the state Board of Regents will give a first read to proposed fall increases of 3.5% ($304) for resident undergraduates, 4% for nonresident undergraduates and all graduate students, and 3.8%-5% for Doctor of Veterinary Medicine students. A vote will come in June.

The committee considering requests to remove Carrie Chapman Catt's name from Catt Hall will release its draft report for public comment in the fall. It will include the group's initial recommendation on whether the building's name should stay or be removed.

The university community will celebrate their accomplishments and award two honorary degrees at college events and five commencement ceremonies May 11-13.

Term faculty make up more than one-third of faculty at Iowa State, but leadership roles take a backseat for many early in their career. A new learning community focused on building community and finding ways for term faculty voices to be heard at all levels.

A small number of staff will begin using the new Workday Student software on June 5, and ISU will start accepting applications from prospective students on June 15. The other five rollout periods begin this October and continue through November 2024.

University radiation safety staff are providing training and guidance to firefighters and health care providers around the state.
Announcements
The following announcements were added this week:
  • Inside's summer schedule: every other Thursday
  • It's time to return or renew extended loan library items
  • An update on the dependent eligibility verification process
  • New benefits and pay hub coming to Workday
  • Reminder: May 22 deadline for innovation grant proposals
  • Guidance for summer office hours
Around campus
Faculty members Jonathan Wendel and Dan Shechtman are among the 143 scholars elected this year to the National Academy of Sciences for their contributions to scientific research. Wendel is an evolutionary biologist who helped shed light on the process and importance of genome doubling in plants. Materials scientist Shechtman discovered quasicrystals, a material that science said couldn't exist.

Graduating with gusto
Read (and watch) about three graduating Cyclones who persevered through challenges during their Iowa State years:

Update on strategic plan's early initiatives
  • University library awarded funds for four projects aimed at building sustainable infrastructure to support open educational resources and immediate access materials in high-enrollment undergraduate courses. 
  • The office of the vice president for research announced four funding opportunities related to tools, resources, consulting services and professional development that bolster Iowa State's research infrastructure and its researchers' professional skills. Applications will be accepted in each category until those funds are gone.

University Professor of mechanical engineering Ted Heindel explains why airport security will confiscate your carry-on jar of peanut butter if it exceeds the 3.4-ounce limit -- and other key properties of liquids in an essay for The Conversation.

A civil, construction and environmental engineering faculty duo detail the dangers of flooding in the U.S. in an essay for The Conversation. New infrastructure is being funded but often relies on historical flood patterns rather than forecasts of changing risks as the climate warms.
Appointments
  • Lulu Rodriguez, global programs lead, Seed Science Center, to interim director, effective April 28
Retirements and open houses
This week
  • Retirement, William Meeker, statistics, May 11 (3:45-5:15 p.m., via Zoom) 
  • Retirement, Bob Currie, facilities services, facilities planning and management, May 12 (no public event)

Next week
  • Retirement, Anne Foegen, School of Education, May 15 (1:30-3:30 p.m., program at 2 p.m., third floor reception area, ISU Alumni Center)
  • Retirement, Barbara Haas, English, May 15
  • Retirement, Donna Niday, English, May 15 
  • Retirement, Alric Rothmayer, aerospace engineering, May 15, post well wishes to his Kudoboard
  • Retirement, Martha Selby, materials science and engineering, May 15, post well wishes to her Kudoboard

Upcoming
  • Retirement, James Coyle, high performance computing, information technology services, June 1 (11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., 206 Durham)
  • Open house, ISU Dairy Farm, June 2 (7 a.m.-noon, 52470 260 St., south on University Blvd., right on 260 Street), riding tours, activities, breakfast, free

Employees, their colleagues or supervisors are invited to submit retirements and departures to inside@iastate.edu. Inside doesn't receive this information from a central source.
Seminars and conferences
Arts and events
More than 35 graduating seniors in industrial design will share their final projects Friday, May 12 (11 a.m.-2 p.m.), at the Student Innovation Center, first floor atrium and stepatorium. See the physical and digital work they developed in their senior project course at this come-and-go event. 

With wins over Drake and Wisconsin, the No. 12 Cyclones have advanced to the national Sweet 16 in NCAA women's tennis and will host No. 20 UCLA Friday, May 12 (1 p.m., Ames High tennis complex, 2005 24th St.; rain location is Life Time Fitness, 11911 Hickman Rd., Urbandale). Tickets are $5 at the gate.

All mothers receive free admission to Reiman Gardens on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 14 (10 a.m.-6 p.m.). It's also the final day (through 3 p.m.) of the plant sale extravaganza, which supports several campus and local hort groups.
Learning opportunities
University human resources programming
Workshops, Leadership Skills certificate series for supervisors, register in Workday Learning (topic: university human resources)
Previous Inside coverage
About us
Inside Update is published Thursday mornings by Strategic Relations and Communications. Questions? Email inside@iastate.edu or call 515-294-7065.