Inside Iowa State for faculty and staff

Sept. 25, 2025

Inside news

FPM reorganization is complete

Facilities planning and management employees have been assigned to service neighborhoods on campus, where they will work in cross-functional teams to provide service and support. In development for more than a year, the initiative is intended to enhance collaboration, streamline operations and improve the quality of the services FPM provides to the campus community.


A social media Q&A with general counsel Mike Norton

In the wake of the Iowa Board of Regents' requested investigation of university employees for potential board policy violations, university general counsel Norton answers a few questions related to the regents' social media policy and employee First Amendment rights.


Knoll eyed for updates for next president's arrival

In other Iowa Board of Regents activity, the board will prepare a plan for improvements to the university-owned Knoll. The regents also approved two more undergraduate degrees and collected university requests for state appropriations for next year.


Temporary program spurs progress for defunded research teams

Nearly $500,000 in university funds has been awarded since June in stop-gap awards coordinated through the office of the vice president for research. Sixteen awards are supporting 12 graduate students and eight post docs or staff on research teams whose external funding was at least partially interrupted.


Presidential portrait collection adds No. 16

The portrait for Iowa State's 16th president and first woman president, Wendy Wintersteen, was installed this week in the Reading Room at Parks Library.


Reminder: Review W-4 form with state tax withholding change

For 2025, Iowa transitioned to a single personal income tax rate, replacing the previous graduated tax bracket system. If needed, employees can update their Iowa W-4 in Workday.

Announcements

The following announcements were added this week:

  • Nominate a senior for the Wallace E. Barron Award
  • Homecoming buttons go on sale Sept. 29
  • Financial education workshop series begins Oct. 7
  • Workshop introduces tool for using, sharing public data 
  • Welch Avenue has reopened in campustown
  • Faculty, staff volunteers sought for Three-Minute Thesis prelims

Around campus

Library dean position receives endowment

A gift from the estate of alumnus Col. Gary G. Swenson has endowed the dean of library services position, held by Hilary Seo since 2021. A medallion ceremony to formally install Seo is scheduled for Nov. 3.


RuralSTAMINA project is a finalist in NSF competition

The Iowa State-led RuralSTAMINA project is one of 15 finalists -- from 71 project proposals -- in the National Science Foundation Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines) program competition. The project would focus on commercializing innovations in biomass conversion and biomanufacturing and developing an advanced manufacturing workforce. In early 2026, projects will be selected for funding -- up to $160 million over 10 years.


Reflecting on struggles and growth for women in trades

In an essay for The Conversation, English professor Jo Mackiewicz examines research that shows women in trades still deal with stereotyping, disrespect and harassment. There have been improvements with apprenticeship programs for girls and women as well as scholarships for women studying trades.


Researchers model processes to improve energy, critical tech

Iowa State engineers are joining researchers from across the country to develop new tools to simulate electrochemical processes critical to energy, health care and manufacturing. The processes touch life in many ways including clean water through desalination technology, cheaper energy through better battery components and better health care through smaller and cheaper devices.

Open houses and retirements

This week


Next week

  • Retirement, Leesha Arunsiripate Zimmerman, trademark office, Oct. 1 (no public event), post well wishes to Leesha's Kudoboard
  • Retirement, Keith Kutz, office of sponsored programs administration, Oct. 3 (2-4 p.m., remarks at 3 p.m., Cardinal Room, Memorial Union), post well wishes to Keith's Kudoboard

Arts and events

Cyclones look to remain undefeated

Wear your white at night when the No. 14 Iowa State football squad welcomes Arizona to Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 27 (6 p.m.) for its Big 12 Conference home opener. The whiteout pits the 4-0 Cyclones against undefeated Arizona (3-0) in a nationally televised game on ESPN. Resale tickets are available through Ticketmaster


Transformed media's impact on you

Former Washington Post columnist and associate editor Eugene Robinson will present the 2025 Manatt-Phelps Lecture in Political Science on Wednesday, Oct. 1 (6 p.m., MU Sun Room). Robinson will discuss accountability in journalism in the face of 24-hour cable news, the internet, social media and corporate consolidation that have increased the flow of information -- that's also less subject to traditional controls.


Biodiversity in art, explained

Natural resource ecology and management faculty Adam Janke and Katherine Kral-O'Brien will lead a tour of the "Encounters: Paintings and Prints by Natalie Deam and Caylin Jayde" exhibit in the Memorial Union Art Gallery on Thursday, Oct. 2 (7 p.m.). They'll highlight selected pieces that reflect themes of biodiversity, conservation and sustainable living conditions, and help us understand how science and art can work together to deepen our understanding of the natural world. The exhibit is on display through Oct.12.


Julius Caesar comes to Fisher Theater

The music and theatre department will perform department chair Brad Dell's adaptation of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" at Fisher Theater next weekend (10 a.m. Oct. 2, 7:30 p.m., Oct. 3-4). The production then heads to two Des Moines venues Oct. 6-7. Tickets ($20 general admission, free for ISU students) are available at the Iowa State Center ticket office, Ticketmaster or at the door.

Learning opportunities

Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching (CELT) programming

Register online. 

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