Announcements

The National Endowment for the Humanities will host a series of 10 virtual grant workshops every Thursday at 1 p.m. CT, beginning April 1 and running through June 3. NEH program staff will share grant opportunities, deadlines and application information. Visit the workshop website for direct links to the live workshops. The first workshop, from 1–2:30 p.m. CT Thursday, April 1, will provide a broad overview of the NEH and its grant programs.

In addition to general workshops that will provide overviews in both English and Spanish, targeted workshops also will be offered for digital humanities; individual scholars; archives and libraries; and college and university grants and sponsored research offices, among others. Sign up to receive email updates from NEH on grant programs, funding opportunities, agency news and events.

Instructors are asked to submit summer and fall semester course material requirements to the ISU Book Store now, giving bookstore staff as much time as possible to overcome any issues with sourcing or shipping. Materials — which could include textbooks, courseware, eBooks, course packets, manuals, open educational resources or subscriptions — will be listed for the course on AccessPlus. Instructors should submit selections to their department coordinator as soon as possible. Contact Carl Arbuckle, course materials buyer, (515) 294-0236, or John Wierson, digital course materials buyer, (515) 294-3501, with questions.

2020 recipients of ISU Alumni Association, Memorial Union and college alumni awards will be celebrated during a virtual event at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 7. Registration closes at noon that day, and those who register will receive an email with a link to view the virtual recognition. You will also have the ability to leave notes of congratulation that will be shared with the awardees.

The College of Design will recognize six alumni at the virtual awards celebration:

• King (BArch 1982 / MArch 1985 Architecture) and Ann (Wright) Au (BA 1981 Craft Design) are the recipients of the 2020 Christian Petersen Design Award.
• Susan (Loan) Hoffman (BA 1973 Interior Design) and Rod Kruse (BArch 1974 Architecture) are each recipients of a 2020 Design Achievement Award.
• Johnny Alcivar (BS 2010 Political Science & International Studies / MCRP 2014 Community & Regional Planning) and Adrienne Nelson (BFA 2009 Interior Design / MArch 2013 Architecture) are the inaugural recipients of the college’s newly established Outstanding Young Professional Award.

Iowa State instructors can apply for grants of up to $5,000 to help use open educational resources (OER) in their courses during the 2021-22 academic year. OER are educational materials that are free for students and free for faculty to customize, which can improve learning outcomes and make courses materials more accessible for all students. Using OER saved ISU students more than $500,000 in 2020-21. Miller Open Education Mini-Grants, awarded annually since 2018, provide ISU faculty funds to locate, adopt, adapt, update or create OER. A virtual Q&A for those interested in applying will be held 2–3 p.m. Friday, April 2. Applications are due by Sunday, April 18.

The Ames Community Arts Council‘s April Gathering of Artists will feature Jennifer Drinkwater, assistant professor of art and visual culture and ISU Extension and Outreach community arts extension specialist. Participants must pre-register for this free event, which will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 13, via Zoom.

A proposed new Visiting Scholars policy with guidelines/FAQ is now available on the Policy Library website for review and comment. Questions and comments should be submitted to policy@iastate.edu by Sunday, April 11.

The College of Design Lectures & Exhibitions Committee seeks nominations from faculty and staff for engaging speakers for college-level interdisciplinary events. Please see the online nomination form for details, and submit proposals by 5 p.m. CT Monday, April 5. The committee will internally vet, rank and recommend up to four virtual speakers and two in-person speakers to expend the budget requested from the Dean’s Office.

The Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship is hosting a series of “Start Something” free workshops during March and April designed for freelancers doing the “5 to 9” and looking to create a side income. Each week, participants will learn more about developing a skillset — for example, flipping thrift store items, selling your art on Etsy or investing in real estate. Students, faculty, staff and community members are welcome. The virtual events take place from noon–1 p.m. Wednesdays over Zoom.

Over the last decade, Iowa has faced unprecedented challenges that have tested the resiliency of economic and social systems. COVID-19 has strained water infrastructure, a devastating derecho storm impacted millions of crop acres, and climate change and land-use decisions are exacerbating flooding events and severe droughts. This year’s Iowa Water Conference — which will be held on a virtual platform April 6–8 — will bring together multidisciplinary organizations and institutions to discuss these and other relevant water issues in Iowa. Register online.

The Center for Excellence in the Arts and Humanities (CEAH), in collaboration with the Office of the Vice President for Research, has initiated a program that seeks to bring together potential research collaborators through Faculty Learning Communities. These new learning communities are designed to lay the groundwork for long-term, collaborative, interdisciplinary research partnerships as part of the ongoing national conversation about convergence and integration of the arts, humanities, social sciences and sciences.

Proposals are being accepted from individual faculty or small groups of faculty from any discipline interested in developing and convening a learning community around any potential research topic. Professional development grants of $500 will be awarded to support these efforts, and all learning communities will receive additional support of up to $500 to cover the cost of refreshments for at least four meetings. The deadline for applications is April 1.

The remaining College of Design faculty-staff meetings for spring semester will be from noon–1 p.m. Mondays, March 1, March 29, April 19 and May 3, via Webex. These meetings have been added to the college’s online calendar. Note that the May 3 meeting will be held only if needed to wrap up business at the end of the semester. Agendas and Webex links will be emailed to all faculty and staff in advance and included in the “This Week in the College of Design” e-blast.

The advisory group for the Tracing Race at Iowa State University initiative seeks proposals for digital projects that reveal the history of accomplishment and experience of people of color, and engage with the university’s history of race, inequality, racism or activism. Undergraduate and graduate students, faculty and staff in all disciplines may submit proposals; undergraduate applicants are asked to identify a faculty/staff advisor for their project.

Submit your proposal online by Wednesday, March 31. Virtual 40-minute Q&A sessions will be held from 10–10:40 a.m. Friday, Feb. 19, and 2 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 23, via Webex. You can register for either/both via the links at the bottom of the project webpage. Questions may be directed to project coordinator Erin Anderson.

The ISU Alumni Association is seeking nominations by Monday, Feb. 15, for six awards that will be presented during Homecoming 2021. Award descriptions and nomination forms are online (linked below). Questions may be directed to Katie Lickteig, assistant vice president for constituent engagement.The awards for ISU alumni are:

• Alumni Medal, recognizes long, loyal service to the university through alumni-related activities
• Alumni Humanitarian Award (formerly Alumni Merit Award), recognizes humanitarian efforts that transcend professional accomplishments and bring honor to the university
• Outstanding Young Alumni Award, recognizes alumni age 40 years and younger who excel in their profession and provide service to their community
• James A. Hopson Volunteer Award, recognizes alumni association members age 40 years and younger who show volunteer leadership in the association or alumni-related activities
• Impact Award, recognizes individuals, organizations or units whose programs/accomplishments brought recognition to the university and increased the involvement of ISU constituents in the life of the university in the last year
• Alumni Service Award, recognizes alumni and friends whose service supports the daily work of the alumni association

All Iowa State faculty and P&S and merit staff members should have received an email Wednesday, Jan. 13, from “WorkCyte” inviting their participation in a Workday and HR/finance delivery survey. Results from the survey will be incorporated into the work plans of university human resources, the division of operations and finance, and information technology services. Questions about the survey may be directed to institutional research executive director Karen Zunkel or associate director Amanda DeGraff.

Iowa State’s 2021 “Research Day” was restructured to break out activities over three days (March 23–25) and hold all events online. The schedule of events includes a keynote address by science comedian Brian Malow on how to convey complex topics to people outside of your field, online poster session via iPoster, lightning talks and a networking session to brainstorm with researchers across campus on coming challenges. Registration for presenters is open through Friday, Jan. 29, or until all available spots are filled. Attendee registration also is open.

ISU ADVANCE will host a 2021 Term Faculty Workshop Series about advancement, resources and community building for all Iowa State term faculty members, including lecturers, teaching, research, practice, clinical and adjunct faculty. Five workshops will be offered from January through April, including one specific to the College of Design. Workshops will be virtual, recorded, closed-captioned and posted on the ISU ADVANCE website. Register for all workshops through Learn@ISU (login with your Iowa State NetID and search on keyword “term faculty” if you cannot find a direct link). The first workshop, “Launching Your Term Faculty Career at ISU,” will be from 11 a.m.–noon Thursday, Jan. 28, presented by Dawn Bratsch-Prince, associate provost for faculty. College of Design term faculty members will receive additional information via email from Patience Lueth, associate teaching professor of architecture.

Faculty and staff will continue to have additional time off options for absences related to COVID-19 under a new set of policies that went into effect Jan. 1.

The university established the time off programs in response to the Dec. 31 expiration of expanded time off and paid leave options created under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, a federal COVID-19 relief bill passed in March, vice president for university human resources Kristi Darr said in a Dec. 18 message sent to employees.

Details on the new program are available in that message and are also outlined in this Jan. 7 Inside Iowa State story. Employees and supervisors in the College of Design with questions about the new time off options should contact human resources delivery team members Jenn Wiederin or Danielle Michel.

Nominations for the 2021 ISU Student Employee of the Year award are due by 11:59 p.m. Monday, Feb. 1. Nominees must be undergraduates employed part time on campus for a minimum of six months between June 1, 2020, and May 31, 2021 (anticipated). The award will be based on the student employee’s demonstrated proficiency in the eight National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) career readiness competencies. The nomination form and instructions are in the OneApp system. You may nominate more than one student for this award by completing a separate nomination form for each student employee. Questions may be directed to Erin Schwartz, 294-0102, or Julie Arnold, 294-0103.

The Wellmark Foundation is accepting applications for its 2021 Matching Assets to Community Health (MATCH) Grants. The Large MATCH Grants cycle is for awards/requests up to $100,000 for projects that can be successfully completed by December 2023. Each grant must be matched dollar-for-dollar with cash or in-kind contributions (at least half of the matching support must be cash). Applications are due by Wednesday, Feb. 17.

The Small MATCH Grants are for up to $25,000 with applications available in March and due by Wednesday, May 26. Each grant must be matched 50 percent with cash or in-kind contributions, with at least half of the matching support in cash.

Projects should help create safe and healthy environments that encourage physical activity and access to and consumption of nutritious foods now and for generations to come. These can include such initiatives as edible landscaping, community gardens, public playground structures and spaces, trails, Safe Routes to School plans and infrastructure, bike-share program infrastructure, etc.

The university community is invited to a town hall from 2–3 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15, via Webex, that will focus on COVID-19 vaccines. A panel will address questions about availability and distribution of vaccines on campus and in the Ames community. Panelists are Erin Baldwin, associate vice president for student health and wellness; Kristen Obbink, COVID-19 public health coordinator; David Verhoeven, assistant professor of veterinary microbiology and preventive medicine; and Dan Fulton, McFarland Clinic infectious disease specialist. The town hall will be recorded and made available on the COVID-19 Updates and Resources website.

The next event in the Professional and Scientific Council seminar series, scheduled from 2–3 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 12, will focus on Iowa State’s free, confidential ombuds services. Dina Eisenberg and Chuck Doran, mediators with the nationally recognized dispute resolution firm MWI, will discuss how they can assist in resolving university-related matters. MWI partners with the university to offer ombuds services.

All seminar series events this year are livestreamed, and the recorded session posted in Learn@ISU approximately one week later.

The Octagon Center for the Arts in Ames seeks entries for Octagonal 2021: The All-Media Exhibit juried by Jenie Gao. Fee is $30 members/$35 non-members for up to three entries. Awards will include the $1,000 Winifred V. Brown Best of Show Award and $100 Media Awards in each category. See entry guidelines and apply online by 11:59 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021. The show will run March 5–April 10 in the Octagon’s Community Gallery.

The next event in the Professional and Scientific Council’s seminar series will be held from 2–3 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8, via Adobe Connect. Learn how to build partnerships on campus using the Partnerships in Educational Settings framework with Maureen Griffin, program specialist in biotechnology, and Eric Hall, professional development consultant for the university. All seminars this fall are livestreamed and the recorded session posted in Learn@ISU approximately one week later.

Through Friday, Jan. 8, COVID-19 testing will be offered from 7:30 a.m.–4 p.m. weekdays (excluding university holidays) at the Thielen Student Health Center. Faculty, staff and students who want a test should continue to call (515) 294-5801 (option 9). The university’s COVID-19 testing site at Johnny’s in Hilton Coliseum will reopen Monday, Jan. 11.

Training is scheduled virtually from 9 a.m.–3 p.m. Dec. 15–18 for faculty and staff who want to join the university’s Green Dot facilitator team. In addition to participating in a monthly 30-minute meeting of facilitators, these volunteers promote the Green Dot personal violence prevention program across campus and lead program overviews and training, typically one or more each semester. Online registration closes at 8 a.m. Monday, Dec. 7. Because of the Big 12 Violence and Discrimination Awareness and Prevention Fund, facilitator training can be offered at no cost to participants. Questions may be directed to Emily Miller, Student Wellness, or nicci port, Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Nominate a P&S employee or team for a 2020 P&S Council CYtation Award. Nominations are now open for the CYtation, Woodin CYtation, Team CYtation and Outstanding New P&S Council Member awards. Submit nominations online by Monday, Dec. 7.

The Thomas L. Hill Iowa State Conference on Race and Ethnicity (ISCORE) is accepting proposals on race and ethnicity from faculty, staff and students. The 2021 ISCORE event will be held virtually March 4-5, with a preconference for faculty and staff March 3. Proposals should include a title, 200-word abstract and 1-2 learning outcomes. Submit your proposal online by Tuesday, Dec. 1.

The Office of the Senior Vice President and Provost has funds to support professional development of term faculty, particularly those with limited professional development support. Awards of up to $500 help faculty participate in a virtual or in-person conference, workshop or training. Guidelines are online. Applications and signed forms are due Tuesday, Dec. 15, for conferences or workshops between Jan. 1 and June 30, 2021. Recipients will be notified within three weeks. Abstracts for conference presentations need not have been accepted at the time an application is submitted.

As student volunteers of the Students Helping Our Peers (SHOP) food pantry prepare for and take final exams, the student leadership team seeks Iowa State employee volunteers to help keep the SHOP open from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Tuesdays, 4–7 p.m. Wednesdays and 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Fridays. Sign up online and more details about volunteering will be emailed to you.

For the first time ever, the SHOP also will be open over winter break to help students who are staying in town. You can sign up online (different form) to volunteer 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays throughout break, excluding university holidays. More details will be emailed after you sign up. Volunteer slots are available in one-hour time blocks; you do not need to commit to more than one hour unless your schedule allows.

If you’re unable to volunteer right now but are interested in helping in the future, share your contact information to be put on a shortlist for other opportunities.

Faculty, staff and graduate students are invited to attend an Innovation Insight workshop on “Gen-Z: Teaching in the Classroom and Beyond” from 11:30 a.m.–1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, via Zoom. Led by Sara Marcketti, Morrill Professor in the Department of Apparel, Events and Hospitality Management and director of the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, the workshop will cover the attributes of Gen-Z (born 1996–2012, currently between 8 and 24 years old and the most diverse generation in history) and effective means of teaching and interacting with this cohort inside and outside of the classroom. Register online to attend this free event sponsored by the Student Innovation Center.

The Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching will host a workshop on “Advancing Your Term Career at ISU” from 11 a.m.–noon Friday, Nov. 13, via Zoom. Dawn Bratsch-Prince, associate provost for faculty, and a panel of term faculty will provide an overview of the advancement process with a focus on best practices for putting together a portfolio and opportunities for term faculty to become more engaged as their careers develop. Register online through Learn@ISU to receive the workshop Zoom link and a link to prerecorded informational material.

All faculty, staff and graduate students — including those in emergency or temporary status; at any rank or classification; part time or full time; and regardless of length of employment — are eligible for the new COVID-19 Exceptional Effort Awards Program established to recognize the exceptional and innovative ways Iowa State employees have worked to overcome the challenges of the pandemic. Award categories are intentionally broad with the goal of recognizing individuals, teams, units and collaborative efforts. Multiple winners are expected to be chosen in many categories.

Nominations are limited to 500 words and must describe clearly why the nominee merits recognition. No supplementary materials or letters of support are needed. Awards will include certificates, formal public recognition and a $500 stipend (individual) or monetary award (to support a unit or team priority need). Submit nominations by Friday, Nov. 20. Winners will be announced in December.

Instructors should act now to submit winter session and spring semester course material requirements to the ISU Book Store. Materials include textbooks, courseware, eBooks, course packets, manuals, Top Hat supplies OER and other subscriptions, and will be included in the book list published on AccessPlus. Instructors should submit selections to their department coordinator as soon as possible. Digital course materials — a cost-saving, affordable alternative with immediate access — should be submitted by Sunday, Nov. 1 for winter and Tuesday, Dec. 1 for spring). Contact Carl Arbuckle, course materials buyer, 294-0236, or John Wierson, digital course materials buyer, 294-3501, with questions.

The CyThx recognition initiative, now in its third year, aims to honor individuals who make you feel like a valued member of the Iowa State community. Faculty, graduate teaching assistants, mentors, advisers, colleagues and others are eligible to be recognized. The online submission form is active through Monday, Nov. 30, and all who are recognized will receive an email and acknowledgement on the CyThx website between Dec. 9 and Jan. 4. CyThx is a joint effort of the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, learning communities, Graduate and Professional Student Senate, Office of Multicultural Student Affairs and Student Government.

The Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research (CGRER) will award up to five $30,000 seed grants in 2021 for pilot studies on research related to global and regional environmental problems. If not already a CGRER member, the project PI will be expected to pursue center membership upon receipt of a seed grant. New members and young investigators are especially encouraged to apply. The center also is interested in proposals that address climate and environmental change under disruptive events like the COVID-19 pandemic and the Midwest derecho. Proposals are due electronically to Amy Parker, CGRER research support coordinator, by Jan. 25, 2021. They will be peer reviewed and ranked for selection based on criteria outlined in the call for proposals. Interested faculty in the College of Design must first meet with Sandra Norvell to prepare and submit a Goldsheet for internal Iowa State approval.

Iowa Lakeside Laboratory and Imagine Iowa Great Lakes have launched a new Public Art and Ecology Artist-in-Residence Program open to artists and designers working in any media. Beginning in summer 2021, the 8- to 12-week residency will provide an immersive experience in the ecology, science and natural history of the Iowa Great Lakes region. It includes room, board and studio space; access to lectures, researchers and field-study activities at Lakeside Lab; a $5,000 stipend and a $10,000 budget toward execution of a temporary public art project that engages local residents and visitors in the natural systems that make up the region. An initial application is due by Monday, Nov. 9. Contact program director Alex Braidwood, associate professor of graphic design, with questions.

An expanded phase of allowable face-to-face human subjects research began on Oct. 8. Phase 1A permits some research in off-campus and community settings when ISU-required COVID-19 risk mitigation practices can be implemented at the site, and the site grants permission for the research to occur. Phase 1A criteria and planning tools are available now on the office of the vice president for research’s COVID-19 & Research FAQ, and in a Guidebook to Human Subjects Research During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Researchers should continue to consult the COVID-19 & Research FAQ for the most current guidance.

Two types of outreach grants, the Fieldstead & Company Endowment for Community Enhancement and the Curriculum-based Design Outreach Fund, are available to support projects that “inform the proper and artful development of the communities of Iowa and the surrounding region” and to initiate community-partnered studio courses. Fieldstead grants up to $5,000 are awarded for one year. Curriculum-based grants up to $1,500 are awarded for one semester. Proposals for both grants are due to Kevin Kane, associate dean for research and outreach, by 11:59 p.m. CST Sunday, Nov. 1. Guidelines and applications are available online.

The Office of the Vice President for Research will host a faculty research orientation session via Zoom from 10–11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 16. New faculty will have an opportunity to meet and network with peers and learn about the OVPR’s role in supporting faculty members’ research careers. Read more and register

The Big 12 Faculty Fellowship Program offers faculty an opportunity to travel to member institutions, typically for two weeks, to exchange ideas and research (awards generally do not exceed $1,500). Applications for fellowship dates from Nov. 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021 are due electronically to Dawn Bratsch-Prince by noon Friday, Oct.16. Information and application forms are available online.

The Conversation has engaged with Iowa State in a new pilot project to pair one editor with a member institution. The goal is to help that editor become more knowledgeable about that university to help facilitate new and more articles from the institution’s faculty and scholars. Iowa State has been a partner institution since 2018. The editor who will be working closely with us is environment and energy editor Jennifer Weeks. She will hold weekly office hours in 20-minute time slots from 1–2 p.m. CDT each Friday for the next several months.

You can schedule an appointment to pitch a story idea based on your scholarly works and/or research. If the idea falls outside her normal beat, Weeks will alert the editor responsible for the subject matter to expect to receive a pitch from you. Schedule your appointment on Google Calendar; select one of the available time slots and provide some information to give Weeks advance notice of the topic you would like to discuss.

Authors at any stage of their academic and teaching careers (tenure- and non-tenure-track faculty, teaching graduate assistants and postdocs) are welcome to submit to the Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching’s (CELT) call for teaching briefs on “Teaching Through the Pandemic: Effective Practices from Iowa State University’s Instructors and Online and Hybrid Course Modalities.” The collection focuses on practical advice, solutions and implementations, exploring the topic from a broad array of academic disciplines and perspectives. Learn more about the process and submit teaching briefs by Friday, Oct. 30.

A new policy effective Sept. 1 through Dec. 31 allows employees to use up to 80 hours of their accrued sick time to care for children who are:

• Learning remotely or in a hybrid model because the school district requires it.
• Attending a school or child care provider closed due to COVID-19.
• Home from school or child care due to a medical need in their household related to COVID-19.

This leave option appears in Workday as Sick Time Off — School/Child Care. As a reminder, other options available to parents could include COVID-19 Family and Medical Leave Act and COVID-19 Sick Time Off — Family (both also through Dec. 31), vacation or unpaid time off. More information is available on university human resources’ COVID-19 website (see “time off and leave”).

As part of efforts to help Iowa State students vote next month, the Carrie Chapman Catt Center is asking instructors to download the Canvas module, “Ask Every Iowa State Student to Vote,” available for free on the Canvas Commons (locate it by searching the commons for “Ask Every Iowa State Student to Vote” or “Kedrowski.”) The module’s information is current, politically neutral and accurate. It provides information for registering and voting in Ames/Story County, elsewhere in Iowa or in another state. It also provides nonpartisan sources for students to research candidates and ballot questions so they can cast informed votes. Questions may be directed to the Catt Center, cattcntr@iastate.edu.

The Center for Excellence in the Arts and Humanities (CEAH) is once again offering grants for research and symposia. CEAH Research Grants fund scholarly humanistic inquiry and creative artistic productivity, including research in the design and social science disciplines. Questions regarding the application process can be submitted here. CEAH Symposium Grants support the creation of artistic and scholarly conferences, symposia, or seminars on Iowa State’s campus that will highlight the scholarly work being done by arts and humanities faculty. Questions regarding the application process can be submitted here. Applications for both opportunities are due Friday, Oct. 9, for fall submissions and Friday, Feb. 12, 2021, for spring submissions.

The internal deadline to submit nominations for college and university awards is 11:59 p.m. CST Sunday, Nov. 22. The College of Design annually presents a number of awards for advising, research/scholarship, teaching, outreach/service and extraordinary performance to faculty, staff and students (both undergraduate and graduate). More information and nomination forms may be found online.

A number of prestigious awards for faculty, staff, students and alumni also are presented by Iowa State each year. Calls for nominations come from various units, such as the Provost’s Office, university P&S Council and Alumni Association. While many of these university award nominations are open to all, the college asks that you submit your nominations for faculty and staff awards to 146 Design by 11:59 p.m. CST Sunday, Nov. 22, so the revelant college councils and committees can review and rank nominations prior to submission to the university.

ISU ADVANCE will offer a two-part workshop on “Advancing from Associate Professor to Professor” from noon–2 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19, in the Memorial Union Sun Room and via Webex, and from 10 a.m.–noon Wednesday, Nov. 4, in the Memorial Union Durham Great Hall and via Webex. The in-person workshop sessions will be one person per table with face coverings required. Registration for the Oct. 19 session is encouraged by Thursday, Oct. 8. Registration for the Nov. 4 session is encouraged by Friday, Oct. 23. Read more about the workshop agenda and expectations (PDF flyer) and register through Learn@ISU.

Faculty, staff and students are invited to register for the 26th International Symposium on Electronic Art (ISEA2020), which will be held entirely online Oct. 13–18. The symposium wil address pressing contemporary issues and present practice-based approaches to explore the theme “Why Sentience?” Registration fees have been significantly reduced. Special group rates also are offered for students. Register online for your ISEA2020 Online Full Pass before Wednesday, Sept. 30.

Beginning today, Sept. 28, the university’s primary COVID-19 testing site at Johnny’s in Hilton Coliseum will have new service hours. They are 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 10 a.m.–4 p.m. Wednesday; and 9 a.m.–noon Saturday. Faculty, staff and students should continue to call (515) 294-5801 (option 9) to schedule an appointment, or make an appointment online at www.cyclonehealth.org/appt.

Faculty, staff and students are invited to participate in the two-part Midwest Climate Summit that kicks off with virtual keynotes and workshops Friday, Oct. 2. Iowa State is one of the partners helping to plan this free event, which will continue with sessions on Fridays, Oct. 9, Oct. 23, Nov. 6 and Nov. 20. You can register online separately for each day’s session.

The summit also includes student-led and student-focused content — a Climate Stories Contest, Student System Conference (1–3:30 p.m. CST Friday, Nov. 6) and Virtual Job & Networking Fair (Friday, Nov. 13). Register online for the overall summit. Registration for the Student System Conference is through the main summit registration page.