Inside Iowa State for faculty and staff
March 28, 2024
Inside news
More than 2,000 visitors will explore campus on March 29. Many of the prospective students are visiting campus with family members for the first time -- or again -- to decide if Iowa State will be their school. (We all can help.)

Deans Daniel Robison, Luis Rico-Gutierrez and Sam Easterling have been appointed to new five-year terms that begin this spring or summer.

Mary Howell Sirna had been serving as interim director since July, and worked in the same capacity two other times in the last decade.

According to data compiled by the Center for Industrial Research and Service, students across the university have completed more than 1,280 capstone projects for more than 440 businesses and delivered an economic impact of more than $447 million.
This feature is the second in the news service team's 2024 Innovation at Work series.

The addition of insects to Reiman Gardens shows visitors the many useful roles they serve while reducing fear of six-legged movers. Insects also provide research and learning opportunities for faculty and student interns.

In Workday Learning, employees now have access to about 120 LinkedIn learning paths -- a series of courses that provides a certificate of completion. Another set of learning path programs requires both coursework and an exam for certification.
Announcements
The following announcements were added this week:
  • Evening hours for dog lovers return to Reiman Gardens in April
  • Seats remain for April 10 digital scholarship campus symposium
  • Gardens' annual memberships are reduced 10% through March 31 
  • Women's history expert to give campus lecture
  • State science fair for youth is on campus next week
  • Website is the home for generative AI information on campus
  • North commuters face lane closures on Grand Avenue
Around campus
During this third annual event, supporters can choose from more than 250 fund options -- in departments, student organizations, student scholarships and faculty research -- or direct their gift to another program or service they love.

World-changing work by ISU alumni is captured in the newest Iowa Stater:

Campus leaders sent an email to all employees and students this week -- Severe Weather Awareness Week in Iowa -- as a reminder about emergency procedures, campus shelters, weather alerts and more. Tornadoes and severe storms can develop quickly, so plan your response when you're on campus.

Biomedical science professor Ravindra Singh's team built a shortened form of the gene that causes a deadly childhood disease to make searching for treatments quicker and more effective. Their breakthrough could be used to make easier-to-study versions of genes linked to illnesses such as Parkinson's or ALS.
Appointments
  • Alan Parnell, Oklahoma State University Extension Service, to director, ISU Field Extension and Education Laboratory
  • Hongwei Zhang, electrical and computer engineering and Center for Wireless, Communities and Innovation, to the Willard and Leitha Richardson Professorship in Electrical and Computer Engineering
Retirements and receptions
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.

This week
  • Retirement, Thelma Harding, Graduate College, March 28 (3-5 p.m., MU South Ballroom), post well wishes to Harding's Kudoboard
  • Open house, Studio 2B, March 29 (11 a.m.-2 p.m., lower level, Parks Library) 
  • Retirement, Al Miller, physical infrastructure, IT Services, March 29 (11 a.m.-2 p.m., 1310 Communications)

Next week
  • Retirement, Sharon Rink, Reiman Gardens, March 31 (no public event)
  • Retirement, Kathi Cunningham, budget and finance, Lloyd Veterinary Medical Center, April 1 (no public event)
  • Retirement, Ellen Reints, academic business unit, provost's office, April 1 (no public event)
  • Retirement, Ross Vanmarel, facilities, Ames National Laboratory, April 2 (no public event)

Upcoming
  • Retirement, Ed Lyon, Reiman Gardens, April 12 (3-6 p.m., Garden Room, Reiman Gardens)
Arts and events
Flames, smoke and other cool stuff
Join the Society of Chemistry Undergraduate Majors ("SCUM") for fun demonstrations highlighting the wonders of chemistry on Friday, March 29 (6-7 p.m., 1002 Gilman). Admission is free.

The Cyclone volleyball team will host its spring tournament Saturday, March 30, welcoming the Drake (10 a.m.), Northern Iowa (11:15 a.m.) and Iowa (1:30 p.m.) squads to Hilton Coliseum. Admission is free.

The Memorial Union's 52nd annual Focus Grant Exhibit, featuring student creative projects supported by Focus Grants (funded by student government), runs through April 25 in the MU Art Gallery. Exhibit hours are weekdays 11 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday 1-4 p.m. Meet the student artists at a reception on Wednesday, April 3 (6 p.m. in the gallery).
Learning opportunities
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) programming
Previous Inside coverage
About us
Inside Update is published Thursday mornings by Strategic Relations and Communications. Questions may be directed to 515-294-7065.