Inside Iowa State

April 3, 2009

Announcements

Honors poster presentation is April 15

The spring 2009 poster presentation and reception featuring University Honors projects and spring 2009 Honors graduates will be held Wednesday, April 15 (10 a.m.-noon, MU Great Hall). Students will answer questions about their projects.

Reecy to lead biotech office

James Reecy, associate professor of animal science, will become director of the Office of Biotechnology on July 1. Reecy will continue his research and teaching. He succeeds Walter Fehr, a Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in Agriculture, who served as director since the office was established in 1984. Fehr will continue his plant breeding teaching and soybean breeding research in the agronomy department.

First Amendment Day activities

A full First Amendment Day schedule at ISU includes discussions, a free lunch and a hootenanny on central campus. Activities will be held April 15-16. See fad.jlmc.iastate.edu.

Educational technology symposium

A new ISU tech group, ComETS (Community of Educational Technology Support), will host an educational technology symposium April 14 (1-5 p.m., Howe auditorium) for faculty and staff. The symposium will focus on the needs of faculty and the learning technology support community. It's free; registration is requested. See www.comets.iastate.edu/symposium.

Summit for academic advisers

The University Academic Advising Committee will host a summit April 22 (3-5 p.m., 020/060 Hixson Lied Center). It will feature a DVD presentation and discussion. The summit is free; register online via AccessPlus ("Employee" tab, then select "HRS Training," "Courses" and "Spring Advising Summit"). For more information, contact Cindy Frederickson, cindyf@iastate.edu.

Women's club lunch is April 20

The Iowa State University Women's Club will hold its spring luncheon at noon Monday, April 20, in the Garden Room, Hotel at Gateway Center. Tickets ($20) are available at Cook's Emporium, downtown Ames, through April 13. Or call Sarah Terrones, 232-0482; or Audrey Marley, 232-1394, for ticket information.

Teaching a world language

Richard Kern, director of the language center at University of California, Berkeley, will discuss "the promise and perils of desktop videoconferencing in the French classroom" April 6 (noon-1 p.m., 212 Ross). Kern also will lead a workshop on integrating reading and writing into classroom activities, April 6 (3:10-5 p.m., 1105 Pearson). For information, contact Stacey Weber-Feve, 4-0315.

TIAA-CREF offers investment seminars

TIAA-CREF representatives will present the following seminars in April in 3534 MU. Register online at www.tiaa-cref.org/moc, or call 268-8600.

• April 8, "Your Retirement Income Options," (noon-1 p.m., repeated 5:30-6:30 p.m.)
• April 13, "Getting Ready for Retirement," (noon-1 p.m.)

Daawat fund-raiser for India

The Sankalp student organization is holding a dinner fund-raiser, Daawat, April 5 (5 p.m., First Evangelical Free Church, 2008 24th St.). The event raises money to support socio-economic development in India. Cost is $30 per person, $50 per couple. Contact Sushain Pandit, pandit@iastate.edu or 451-0757, for tickets.

An open invitation ...

FIRES (Faculty Initiatives to Recruit and Retain Excellence in STEM) is a faculty working group that seeks to lead and collaborate on externally funded initiatives to increase the number of under-represented minorities and women in all areas, but with a special focus on STEM disciplines. The group's first meeting will begin at 3:10 p.m. Wednesday, April 15, in 3505 MU. For information, contact associate provost Susan Carlson, susanc@iastate.edu, 4-6410.

New tax tables may create tax liability

ISU's payroll office cautions individuals with more than one job or married couples with both spouses working that new tax tables implemented by the IRS could leave employees with federal tax liability at year end. You may want to talk with your tax preparer for advice or submit a new W-4 Form. The IRS has provided a "Notice to Employees" online.