Inside Iowa State

Jan. 30, 2009

Announcements

Urge undergrads to participate in research symposium

Applications are due Feb. 18 for ISU's third annual Undergraduate Research Symposium April 21 in the MU. The symposium is coordinated by the University Honors program and is open to all students in all academic disciplines. Faculty and staff mentoring undergraduates in research or creative work are asked to encourage them to participate. Details and a submission form are online, or contact Dana Schumacher, dschumac@iastate.edu, 4-4371.

Come for tea, tour

Tuesday Teas at the Farm House Museum (noon-1 p.m.) continue through April. Each traditional Victorian tea will be followed by a tour on a different topic, such as Victorian crafts, the house's first 50 years, 1800s entertainment and more. Reservations aren't required and there is no cost.

Some students to be surveyed

A random sample of 2,500 ISU freshmen and 2,500 seniors will receive an e-mail from president Gregory Geoffroy soon, inviting them to participate in the National Survey of Student Engagement. Faculty and staff may receive questions from students about the survey. Benchmarks in the survey are useful in developing the university's strategic plan. Students are encouraged to complete the web-based survey. More.

Free course: Planning for retirement

ISU Extension and the Ames Public Library are offering a free four-part investment class on fine-tuning your portfolio and planning for retirement. The class will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesdays, Feb. 3-24, in the library auditorium. The class also may be taken online. Instructor Craig Goettsch is director of investor education for the Iowa Insurance Division. Registration is required. Sign up online or call 239-5633. The class will be repeated in April and May.

Little dancers ISU Dance is sponsoring Tuesday dance workshops for children

Feb. 17 and 24; March 10, 17, 24 and 31; and April 7 and 14 (4:30-5:15 p.m. ages 4-6 years; 5:15-6:15 p.m. ages 7-12 years, 213 Forker). Cost is $3 per class; come as often as you like. Children should wear comfortable clothes and will dance barefoot. You may register at the first class. For information, call Janice Baker, 4-3047.

Scholarship fair is Feb. 19

Instructors and their students are invited to ISU's Scholarship Fair on Thursday, Feb. 19 (3-5 p.m., Gallery, MU). Information on highly competitive national scholarships and fellowships will be available. Representatives for major scholarships (Rhodes, Goldwater, Truman, Fulbright, Cooke, Marshall, Udall, Boren and others) will be available throughout the fair. There will be a brief presentation about applying for scholarships at 3:45 p.m.

English over coffee, tea

"Coffee, Tea and English" will meet Fridays this semester (4:30-6 p.m., Pine Room, MU). It is for international students who want to practice their English conversational skills and native English speakers who would like to volunteer. For information, contact Andrea Shandri, andreaa@iastate.edu.

IT proposals sought

The Computation Advisory Committee expects to make spending recommendations for approximately $375,000 of student computer fees. The committee seeks proposals for projects that will broadly impact student computing and demonstrate innovative use of information technology for instruction. Student involvement in developing proposals is encouraged. Proposals are due to the committee March 13, but must be cleared within administrative units first. More.

Darwin's impact

Two public presentations Feb. 12 by faculty in the library's science and technology department recognize Charles Darwin's contributions to science and culture. Heather Lewin will speak on "Darwin and Culture" at 2 p.m., and Lorrie Pellack will talk about "Darwin's Citation Impact" at 3 p.m. Both talks are in 192 Parks Library.

Honors seminar ideas sought

Proposals for fall Honors seminars are due Feb. 3. One or two credits each, seminars are open only to Honors students and give them an opportunity to examine topics of current or special interest in an active learning environment. Instructor(s) receive $500 for their professional development. For information or to submit a proposal, contact Susan Yager, syager@iastate.edu, 4-4372. Details are online.

Last chance

The final presentations in the Coach Talk series are Feb. 5 (men's basketball coach Greg McDermott) and Feb. 9 (women's basketball coach Bill Fennelly). Both sessions are from noon to 1 p.m. in the Great Hall, MU. Both events are free and open to the public. Bring your lunch and your questions.

TIAA-CREF holds investment seminars

TIAA-CREF is hosting seminars on two investment topics in February. All sessions are in 3534 MU. "A New Way to Save for Retirement ... Introducing the Roth Option," is Feb. 4 (noon-1 p.m.), and two sessions of "Five Habits of Highly Successful Investors," are planned for Feb. 11 (noon-1 p.m. and 5:30-6:30 p.m.). To reserve your spot, call Carrie Hardisty, 268-8600, or register online.

Spring library seminars begin in February

Gerry McKiernan, ISU library science and technology, will present the first spring library seminar, "Not Just Facebook: Niche Social Network Sites," Feb. 25 (3:15-4:30 p.m., 192 Parks Library). The discussion will explore online social networks, other than Facebook and MySpace, that may benefit colleges and universities. Preregistration required on AccessPlus under "Employee," "HRS Training," "Courses." You may attend the free seminar on-site or online. Contact Jody Graden, 4-6117, jgraden@iastate.edu, with questions.

You're invited: Solar home construction starts

The ISU Solar Decathlon team will hold a ribbon-cutting and open house to celebrate the first day of construction of the Interlock House, ISU's answer to the U.S. Department of Energy 2009 Solar Decathlon competition. An ISU team designed and is building a completely solar-powered home. The event will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 31, at the indoor construction site, 1220 Southern Hills Dr. (off Airport Road).