May 7

Campus eye on mental health

Faculty and staff are invited to participate in a May 20 conference (1-5 p.m., 1148 Gerdin) on student mental health concerns. Topics include intervention policies and best practices for identifying and addressing concerns. Ruth Harper, South Dakota State University, Brookings, will deliver the keynote, followed by panel and group discussions. The conference is free; RSVP to success@iastate.edu by May 15. Call 4-6624 for more information.

May 2

Planning moves ahead for rec services facilities, phase 2 improvements to stadium

The Board of Regents, State of Iowa, gave ISU officials permission May 1 to proceed with planning for more than $100 million of facility improvements -- another estimated $65 million in phase 2 improvements to Jack Trice Stadium, and an estimated $50 million in renovations and new construction of recreation facilities. More.

May 1

Students to work on German research projects

Ten Iowa State students will spend this summer working with a German doctoral student on a research project. They are participating in the German Academic Exchange Service's RISE (Research Internships in Science and Engineering) program. It's a program for students in biology, chemistry, earth sciences, engineering, and physics. ISU has more students students in this summer's program than any other U.S. institution. All participants receive stipends to help cover living expenses, and housing assistance is provided. More about the RISE program.

April 28

Final C2ircle spring seminar

The 2008 C2IRCLE Consortium spring seminars wrap up May 8 (4 p.m., N166 Lagomarcino) with the following graduate student presentations:

• Ryan R. Kelly, "Aporia-triggered Knowledge Construction: The Use of Interviews and a Focus Group to Further Assess Science Writing Heuristic Impact on Participating Teachers"
• Kathryn Jaekel and Stephanie Zywicki, "Risk and Resistance: The Language of Pre-Service Teachers"
• Denise Lindstrom, "Framing the Debate: Media Portrayals of Parents and Teachers Related to No Child Left Behind"

April 28

Some dining centers will be closed part of summer

Some dining centers will be closed during portions of the summer. Union Drive Marketplace will close at the end of spring semester, remain closed throughout May, and reopen for service on June 1. During the month of May, you can enjoy meals in the Oak-Elm Dining Center. Maple-Willow-Larch Dining center will also close at the end of the semester and remain closed for renovations until August 2009.

April 21

Participants sought in cholesterol study

ISU researchers are seeking participants for a 3-month study of the effects of flaxseed components on blood cholesterol. They seek men age 40-65 and women age 50-65 who have high blood cholesterol, but aren't taking medication for high cholesterol or high blood pressure. Compensation is available. For more details, contact Sun-Ok Lee, 4-1990, sunok@iastate.edu, or Suzanne Hendrich, 4-4272, shendric@iastate.edu, ISU Nutrition and Wellness Research Center.

April 15

New legislation will extend ISU's smoking ban

The current ban on smoking in Iowa State University buildings will be extended to outdoor areas of the campus under new state legislation prohibiting smoking in most public places. Iowa Gov. Chet Culver signed the Statewide Smoking Ban bill today (April 15). The bill goes into effect July 1. Q&A on how the law will affect ISU.