All-hands COVID-19 panel discussion Sept. 2

Sign up for virtual TIAA counseling

You can access virtual financial counseling and get advice about saving more, managing debt or planning for your future.  It’s highly secure and private.  Financial advice is available as a part of your retirement plan at no additional cost.  Take advantage and schedule a virtual counseling session today at this link:  TIAA virtual meeting sign-up

If you have any questions you can email Paige Philips directly at paige.philips@tiaa.org or call her at (515) 268-9607.

Changes require new Title IX training

Iowa State University values your safety and well-being and takes very seriously our commitment to being a place where you can succeed and thrive in a community that is free of discrimination, harassment, and intimidation.

Due to recent changes to Title IX Regulations, all university employees are required to retake the revised training through Learn@ISU by October 1, 2020. 

There are two learning tracks. You should only have one assigned on your training profile.

• Title IX Training – Supervisor This course trains supervisors to recognize, prevent, and respond to workplace harassment and discrimination based on “protected characteristics.” The course also helps supervisors address inappropriate behavior before it creates a “hostile work environment” by giving supervisors the skills necessary to reduce potential legal risks by recognizing and addressing abusive behavior and other misconduct, including micro aggressions and unconscious bias that may lead to workplace bullying or hostility, reducing productivity and creativity. This course invites supervisors to consider the nature of harassment and discrimination, and provides practical tips on creating a safe, inclusive environment for work, including safe and positive options for bystander intervention.
• Title IX Training – Non-Supervisor This training raises employees’ awareness about harassment and discrimination by explaining the law, as well as how to recognize harassment and discrimination, and report misconduct to the appropriate person. It provides practical tips on helping maintain a safe, inclusive environment for work, including safe and positive options for bystander intervention, advice on using inclusive language in the workplace, and information on micro aggressions.

All faculty and staff are required to complete the course most appropriate to their role. If you are a supervisor (including supervision of students), you are required to complete the supervisor training. The Supervisor course is approximately 2 hours, and the NonSupervisor course is approximately 1 hour, and both can be completed in multiple sessions. You can access these trainings in Learn@ISU beginning on Aug. 24.

Please complete this training by October 1. Again, this is a mandatory ISU training. In addition to this message, subsequent reminders will come from the Office of Equal Opportunity monthly newsletter.

Instructions for faculty and staff to access the training:

1. Login to www.learn.iastate.edu
2. Select “My Requirements” from the “My Menu” dropdown menu in Learn@ISU
3. Find learning track “Title IX Training” and "Launch" the course.

Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation to participate in the online training program should make their requests directly to the Office of Equal Opportunity at telephone number (515) 294-7612 or by email at eooffice@iastate.edu.

If you have any questions regarding technical issues, please contact:

1. ISU IT Solution Center, 515-294-4000, solution@iastate.edu
2. The training vendor EVERFI at support.lawroom.com. They have a support team available 24/7 to assist you. When you click on support.lawroom.com it will take you to the option to call (1-844-348-1616) or chat with their help desk.

Please visit the Office of Equal Opportunity website for more information about Title IX requirements and other Iowa State University resources related to discrimination, harassment, and sexual misconduct prevention. 

Thank you in advance for completing the required training and for doing your part to ensure that Iowa State remains a welcoming environment that is free of harassment and discrimination.

Ruedenberg Celebrates 100th Birthday

Ames Laboratory scientist and Iowa State University Distinguished Professor Emeritus Klaus Ruedenberg turned 100 years old on Aug. 25, and the community turned out to wish the centenarian a happy birthday. The Ames Tribune recently profiled the theoretical chemist, and you can read more about his life and science here. 

Ruedenberg received the M.S. in chemistry and mathematics from the University of Fribourg, Switzerland, and the Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the University of Zürich, Switzerland. His scientific work is focused on the understanding and prediction of molecular structure and spectra as well as chemical bonding and reactions, based on the quantum theory of electrons and nuclei.

Ruedenberg holds honorary doctorates from the Universities of Basel (1975), Bielefeld (1991) and Siegen (1994). In 2018 he received the Schrödinger Medal, in 2002 the American Chemical Society Award in Theoretical Chemistry, and in 1982 the American Chemical Society Midwest Award. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences, the American Physical Society, and the American Institute of Chemists, a member of the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science, and an honorary member of the International Academy of Mathematical Chemistry. In 1966/67 he was a Guggenheim Fellow, and in 1982 Fulbright Scholar (and with the Fulbright Fellowship in Australia at Monash University and at the Chemical Physics Lab of CSIRO in Melbourne).  In 1966/67 he was visiting professor at the ETH Zurich, 1973 at the University of California, Santa Cruz, 1974 at the University of Bonn, 1970 at the Washington State University and 1987 at the University of Kaiserslautern. He was editor of Theoretica Chimica Acta from 1985 to 1997 .

Ames Lab partnering in quantum projects

Ames Laboratory is a key partner in the Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center (SQMS), led by Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory.  Ames Lab is  also a partner in Brookhaven National Laboratory's Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage. Both are part of the DOE Quantum Science Initiative announced by the White House  Aug. 26. 

Fermilab has been awarded $115 million over five years for a National Quantum Initiative Center to build a revolutionary quantum computer prototype. Fermilab will partner with Ames Laboratory, Rigetti Computing, Northwestern University, NASA and others on the project. Over 80 scientific experts will collaborate in the center, including Matt Kramer, Director of Ames Laboratory’s Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering, who will serve as Chief Engineer on the project. 

 Brookhaven National Laboratory was selected to lead one of five National Quantum Information Science (QIS) Research Centers. Supporting the National Quantum Initiative Act, these interdisciplinary, multi-institutional centers will facilitate the advancement of QIS technology. Realizing the full potential of quantum-based applications in computing, communication, and sensing will benefit national security, economic competitiveness, and leadership in scientific discovery.

Brookhaven Lab will lead the Co-design Center for Quantum Advantage (C²QA), which will focus on quantum computing. Comprising several national labs, research centers, universities, and industry, the C²QA team will build the fundamental tools necessary for the United States to create quantum computers that provide a true advantage over their classical counterparts.  

New Individual On-Site Support Available

Employee and Family Resources is excited to announce that Megan Wych will be on campus one day a week to provide individual on-site support for employees. These sessions will be held in-person (masks required) or virtually depending on employee preference.

Megan has been working with Employee and Family Resources since 2014. She earned her master’s degree in Mental Health and Secondary School Counseling from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. Prior to joining the EFR team, she gained clinical and supervisory experience in residential treatment, school settings, community organizations, and private practice.

Megan has continued to share her passions through program development, clinical supervision and training of counselors, and in working with educators throughout the state and across all educational levels. She offers individual, couples, family, and group opportunities for growth.

Megan's schedule will be available soon. To set up an appointment, please call Employee and Family Resources at 1-800-327-4692.

Flu Shot Clinic Sept. 21 - Oct. 3

The 2020 flu shot clinic will take place September 21-October 3 at Stephens Auditorium. Our top priority is keeping our staff safe, so we will be implementing a new process to support physical distancing and COVID-19 requirements. Watch for more details here and in My Updates on Adventure2 the first week of September.

Webinar on Gender Gap project

“Measuring and Reducing the Gender Gap in the Mathematical, Computing, and Natural Sciences” is the topic of a webinar to be held on Tuesday, September 1, at 11:00 a.m. EDT. The Gender Gap Project, funded by the International Science Council (ISC) and supported by a number of its international scientific unions, involved (1) a global survey of scientists, (2) a study of publication patterns, and (3) identification of best practices.  Susan White, Helena Mihaljevic, and Merrilyn Goos will discuss the project and its findings, and Mark Cesa will provide opening and closing remarks.  The NASEM and its US National Committees for the ISC unions have been pleased to support this project.

 IMU, IUPAC, IAU, IUPAP, IUBS, and several other organizations were heavily involved in the 3-year Gender Gap project, funded by the International Science Council (ISC).  The project released its final report in June 2020.  Because of the importance of this work, BISO Board vice chair Mark Cesa and the USNC for IUPAC have helped BISO organized the webinar on the project. 

New Nitrogen Assembly Carbon catalyst has potential to transform chemical manufacturing

Scientists at Ames Laboratory have discovered a metal-free carbon-based catalyst that has the potential to be much less expensive and more efficient for many industrial concerns, including manufacturing of bio- and fossil fuels, electrocatalysis, and fuel cells.

At their most fundamental, these industry processes involve splitting strong chemical bonds, like hydrogen-hydrogen, carbon-oxygen, and carbon-hydrogen bonds. Traditionally this has been accomplished with catalysts that use transition or precious metals, many of them expensive and low in natural abundance -- like platinum and palladium. READ MORE