Inside Iowa State

Nov. 21, 2008

Announcements

Honors poster presentation is Dec. 4

A poster presentation and reception featuring Honors projects and fall Honors graduates will be held from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, in the MU Great Hall. Honors graduates and other Honors students will be present to answer questions and talk about their projects.

Enroll now for tuition grants

The enrollment period for Merit and P&S tuition reimbursement grants for spring 2009 courses is under way and runs through Jan. 4, 2009. (Late applications will not be accepted.) Enroll via AccessPlus (click on employee tab and "tuition grant"). More information is online (under "current employees"). Enrollment periods for summer and fall term grants will be announced before they open.

Recycling volunteers sought

The ISU Recycling Committee and the naval department's (NROTC) Sextant Society seek fellow volunteers to help collect old phonebooks for recycling Saturday, Dec. 6 (9-11 a.m.). Volunteer teams will use campus trucks to gather boxes from designated pickup spots outside ISU buildings. Refreshments and snacks provided. To volunteer, contact Norm Hill, 4-5752, nhill@iastate.edu. Recyclers are asked to include only ISU, Qwest and Yellow Book directories for this project. If you have catalogs to recycle, call 4-5100 to schedule a pickup.

Poster prints of winning photo

Luke Healey, systems analyst with IT services, won University Museum's first annual "I Love Campus Art" photography contest. His photograph featured Christian Petersen's The Gentle Doctor. A limited edition poster featuring Healey's photo will be sold in the Brunnier Art Museum Store (second floor, Scheman), beginning Dec. 2. Unframed posters cost $15. The store is open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, and 1-4 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.

Feeding the hungry with art

The annual Empty Bowl Project returns Dec. 3 (5-7 p.m., MU Cardinal Room). Bowls created by local artists will be available for purchase, along with a soup dinner. Proceeds support Oxfam International, and donated canned food items go to the Mid-Iowa Community Action food pantry. Admission is $9 ($7 students, $5 children 10 and younger); $1 off with nonperishable food donations.

Science with Practice poster presentation is Dec. 10

This semester's participants in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences' Science With Practice experiential learning program will talk about their projects during a poster presentation Wednesday, Dec. 10 (3:30-5 p.m., Kildee atrium).

Smoke-free policy now in effect

Iowa State's Smoke-Free Campus policy went into effect Nov. 10. The policy interprets the Iowa Smokefree Air Act and the state Department of Public Health regulations that relate to the campus community. The policy applies to all university employees, students and visitors, and all university owned, leased or operated vehicles, buildings, property and grounds.

Best practices: faculty searches

ISU ADVANCE will host a Dec. 3 lunch workshop (noon-1 p.m., 3512 MU) on resources for faculty searches, including a CD and web site prepared by program staff. Bring your lunch; beverages and dessert are provided. The event is open to all; current search committee members are especially welcome. RSVP to Nicol Jones, 4-6151, advance@iastate.edu. More information is online.

Volunteers needed for science bowl competitions

About 150 volunteers, scientific and nonscientific, are sought for the 2009 Ames Laboratory/Iowa State University Science Bowls. High School Science Bowl will be held Saturday, Jan. 31, and Middle School Science Bowl on Saturday, Feb. 21. Volunteers serve as moderators, judges, timekeepers and scorekeepers. To learn more or to volunteer, contact Breehan Gerleman Lucchesi, 4-9750, breehan@ameslab.gov. Competition sites are Howe, Hoover and Black Engineering.

Organic vs. conventional farming practices

Tim LaSalle, CEO of the Rodale Institute, Kutztown, Pa., will present "Organic Agriculture: Solutions for the Global Climate Crisis," on Sunday, Nov. 23 (4 p.m., 179 Scheman). He will present findings from Rodale's 28-year farming systems trial, the oldest side-by-side scientific study of organic and conventional practices in the United States. A reception featuring organic food and beverages follows at 6:15 p.m. to kick off the eighth annual Organic Conference. Sessions start at 8 a.m. Nov. 24. More information about the conference is online.

Trees and wreaths for sale

The Forestry Club is selling Christmas trees and wreaths beginning Nov. 29 in the Reiman Gardens parking area. The sale continues Nov. 30, Dec. 5-7 and Dec. 12-14. Times are: Fridays, 3-6 p.m. (Dec. 5, 3-8 p.m.); Saturdays, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Sundays, noon-6 p.m. Balsam fir trees and wreaths, and white and Scotch pine trees are available. Costs range from $25 to $45 for trees; $20 to $25 for wreaths.

Summer teaching opportunity

The Office of Precollegiate Programs for Talented and Gifted seeks graduate students and instructors to teach next summer. OPPTAG serves talented and gifted students in grades 3-11. For more information, contact Symone Simmons at gemini83@iastate.edu.

Spring course reserve at the library

Instructors who wish to place required materials on reserve for spring semester should submit requests now. The form is on the library homepage, (select "classes & tours," then "reserve," then "instructor forms & information"). Select desired form.

Giving tree season ends Dec. 5

The Faculty Senate and the Ames-ISU YMCA are hosting the ninth annual Giving Tree to support more than 70 area children in need of family support services. Children's special wishes will hang on the Giving Tree in 103 Lab of Mechanics through Dec. 5. Givers are asked to select a tag off the tree and return the unwrapped item(s) by Dec. 5. Cash donations also are appreciated. Make checks payable to the Ames-ISU YMCA with "CONNECT" written in the memo line. For more information, contact Sherri Angstrom, 4-9717, sangstro@iastate.edu, or Jenni Dittus, 4-2263, jdittus@iastate.edu.