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Thursday, December 18 2008

News

Rankin named director of sustainability programs at Iowa State

Merry Rankin, a director in the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), will become director of sustainability programs at Iowa State University on Jan. 15.

News release.

Weather-related updates

  • The public forum with Iowa Energy Center director candidate Bill Nesmith, originally scheduled for Dec. 19, has been postponed. The interview will be rescheduled later
  • Some airlines have begun cancelling flights at the Des Moines airport; travelers are advised to check their airlines' web site

ISU receives 'community engagement' designation

Iowa State is among 119 institutions that recently received the "community engagement" designation from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The designation recognizes institutions for outreach to local and global communities. The designation now been given to 195 institutions.

Details on the designation.

American Association for the Advancement of Science honors four Iowa Staters

Four Iowa State researchers -- Surya Mallapragada, Klaus Schmidt-Rohr, George Kraus and Kenneth Moore -- are being named AAAS Fellows by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

News release.

After 45 years of service at ISU, veterinary medicine professor says goodbye

Dr. Nani Ghoshal, ISU veterinary medicine, will retire this December after almost a half century of teaching at ISU.

News release.

Obama selects Vilsack as Secretary of Agriculture

President-elect Barack Obama has selected former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack to join his cabinet as agriculture secretary. Obama announced the nomination Wednesday morning. Vilsack is a Distinguished Fellow in Iowa State University's Biosafety Institute for Genetically Modified Agricultural Products.

See story.

Looking to get fit in the New Year? Iowa State fitness experts offer advice

Warren Franke and Gregory Welk, two Iowa State kinesiology professors, offer tips to people who vow to shape up in the New Year.

News release.

Average value of Iowa farmland nears $4,500 an acre in 2008

The average value of an acre of farmland in Iowa reached $4,468 in 2008, continuing to increase for the ninth year in a row, according to an annual survey conducted by Iowa State University Extension. Mike Duffy, ISU Extension farm economist who conducts the survey, said the indicators toward the end of the year imply the upward trend may be slowing as the national economy battles recessionary pressures.

News release.

Student veterans with financial need may qualify for ISU Veterans Grant

ISU has allocated $100,000 for the ISU Veterans Grant, a new program the Office of Student Financial Aid hopes will help supplement existing GI Bill benefits. The grant will provide up to $1,000 per semester for students whose veteran status is confirmed. Preference will be given to students whose status is confirmed by Jan. 2, 2009. Awards will continue to be made as long as funding is available.

News release.

Iowa State Biobased Industry Center studies carbon emissions, other industry issues

Iowa State University's new Biobased Industry Center will support interdisciplinary research of the biorenewables industry and its economic, policy, business, social and workforce issues. The center is now sponsoring four studies, including three studies related to carbon emissions.

News release.

Iowa State's Hira offers retirement savings resolutions for the New Year

Tahira Hira, an ISU professor of personal finance and consumer economics who serves on President Bush's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy, offers 10 New Year's resolutions for investors who are planning to reassess their retirement options.

News release.

Commencement set for Dec. 19-20

An estimated 1,601 students will receive degrees from Iowa State during winter commencement events Dec. 19-20. The graduate ceremony will be at be at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19, in Stephens Auditorium. The undergraduate ceremony will begin at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20, in Hilton Coliseum, and will include an address by Kenneth Quinn, president of the World Food Prize Foundation and a former United States Ambassador to Cambodia. Quinn also will receive an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters.

News release.

Global resource systems major first in the nation

An interdisciplinary major that allows students to pick an international region, language and area of expertise will be offered next fall through the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The first-in-the-nation major is expected to attract students interested in addressing issues of hunger and poverty in developing nations and those who want to work for companies with global connections.

News release.

Three design college programs rank in top 15 nationally

Iowa State University's programs in landscape architecture, interior design and architecture are among the top 15 in the nation, according to a survey of practitioners by DesignIntelligence, a bimonthly publication for leaders in design professions. The magazine's annual report, "America's Best Architecture and Design Schools," is the only national college ranking survey that focuses exclusively on design.

News release.