Inside Iowa State

August 26, 2005

Summer highlights

Things may seem quiet in the summer, but the news keeps a comin'. If you weren't here, or you were too busy to keep up, here are some campus highlights:

Spring supplemental tuition proposal dies

The regent presidents' proposal for supplemental tuition, Spring 2006, was rescinded in mid-July when Gov. Tom Vilsack identified $11 million in funds and projected savings for the three regent universities. The increase would have brought in an estimated $2.2 million to Iowa State and added about $74 to tuition bills.

Morrill Hall and the MU back on track

The Board of Regents, State of Iowa, approved higher budgets for the Morrill Hall and Memorial Union renovation projects. Morrill Hall will receive an infusion of $1.78 million (along with a plan for $500,000 in reductions). The revised budget for the Memorial Union is a $2.9 million increase, coming in at $19.9 million.

Road money

The regents approved higher mileage and meal reimbursements starting Sept. 1. Use of personal vehicles for work-related travel will be reimbursed 40.5 cents/mile. Employees who can use fleet vehicles, but opt to use their own cars get 28.5 cents/mile. The ceiling for work-related meals when traveling in Iowa went from $26 to $31 per day.

Regents offer Geoffroy incentive

The regents approved a 5 percent salary increase for President Gregory Geoffroy and a deferred compensation offer. The university will put $5,000 a month in a deferred account. Geoffroy will receive the compensation, $335,000, in January 2011, if he still is president at that time.

Reduced to rubble

On July 19, laced with 110 pounds of explosives, Knapp and Storms residence halls were imploded and took just seconds to fall to the ground. About 6,000 people came to watch. Now, there's just a small pile of rubble. So, if you want a piece of your old residence hall as memorabilia, get it quick.

Best-ever showing

They started July 17. With ice packs on their torsos to keep them cool, Team PrISUm members drove Fusion, Iowa State's solar race car, from Austin, Texas, to Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Ten days, 71.5 hours of driving and 2,494.9 miles later, Fusion placed 3rd in its stock class, 11th overall in the solar challenge.

A merger or two

The College of Human Sciences was "born" on July 1, bringing together the departments and programs formerly housed in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences and the College of Education. Information Technology Services is the new, centralized IT service department created July 1 when four units were merged.

Leadership changes:

• Cheryl Achterberg, founding dean of the Schreyer Honors College and professor of nutrition science at The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, will become inaugural dean of the College of Human Sciences on Sept. 1.
• Wendy Wintersteen is interim Ag dean, effective Aug. 1, following Catherine Wotecki's resignation to accept an R&D post at Mars Inc.
• Athletics director Bruce Van De Velde resigned Aug. 8, effective Dec. 31, unless his successor is appointed before then.
• Public radio consultant Cindy Browne was named executive director of Iowa Public Radio Aug. 8.
• John Brighton, an assistant director of the National Science Foundation, was named vice provost for research, a three-year term, effective Sept. 1. (Jim Bloedel announced May 11 he'd step down, returning to faculty and research.)
• Dean of Students Pete Englin became director of residence dept. July 1; assistant dean of students and director of the Academic Success Center Sharon McGuire is interim dean of students.
• Trevor Nelson was named director of the Study Abroad Center.

Ribbon tying for College of Human Sciences, July 1.Photo by Pavlo Antonenko.

Knapp, Storms implosion, July 19.Photo by Bob Elbert.