Insider - October 2022

The Newsletter for Ames National Laboratory Employees

Ames Lab holiday auction

75th Update: 
Save the date for holiday trivia and auction events

The Ames National Laboratory 75th Anniversary Committee and the United Way Committee have teamed up to coordinate end-of-the-year festivities for all employees. Please mark your calendars for Thursday, Dec. 1 for a trivia contest, followed by our annual Holiday Auction. 

The trivia contest will include some Ames Laboratory history, but questions will be drawn from a wide variety of other subject matter as well. Participants may form a team or sign up for any open spot. There are a limited number of spots, so sign-up early.

This year, the auction returns to an in person event, and will benefit a local food pantry as well as our fundraising efforts for the United Way. Veteran auctioneer and Ames Lab alum Dale Meyer (pictured in the photo above, from the 2018 event) is coming out of retirement to run the auction. Stay tuned for more information during the month of November!

The online auction and the trivia contest will be run concurrently, with a brief period for trivia participants to get any last minute bids in. Refreshments will be available. 

Details: 
Trivia Contest

Time: 1-2 p.m., Thursday Dec. 1
Location: Pat Thiel Lobby, Hach Hall 
Contestant sign-up: Follow the link HERE

Holiday Auction
Time: 1-3 p.m., Thursday Dec. 1.
Location: Pat Thiel Lobby, Hach Hall
Bidding for the online auction will end at 2:15 p.m. (Stay tuned for more details about how to participate in the online auction). The live auction will begin immediately following the close of the online auction.

What to donate
We need donations for the auction!  We would love to have cookies made from your grandmother’s secret recipe, new or gently used items, basketball or other event tickets, gift baskets, or handmade items.  We would also love donations from local businesses.

How to donate:  If you want to donate, you can either:

  • Bring your item to the Environment, Safety, and Health Department (Ground Floor TASF) during work hours.  You should also complete the donation form found HERE.
  • Or if your item is bulky or perishable or you are not working onsite, you can complete the donation form (above) and bring the item in at your convenience or even arrange to deliver it to the winner once the auction is over. 

Donations due dates
Ideally, we would like all donations on or before Nov. 17.   However, we will be accepting donations through Nov. 28. 

Questions
If you have any questions, direct them to the United Way Committee at UnitedWay@ameslab.gov.

Other ways to support the United Way
As always, you can also support the United Way with a donation through a payroll deduction or one time donation:

  • To donate via payroll deduction either go to Workday and click on the United Way link on the right hand side of the Workday home screen, or follow this LINK.  
  • To donate via a one-time credit card withdrawal, follow this LINK.  

To donate via Venmo, either use the QR code found HERE, or search for “United Way of Story County” on the Venmo app. Please put the words “Ames Lab” in the “what’s it for” field so Ames Lab will get credit for your donation.


We Are Ames Lab logo

We are Ames Lab: Finance

What is the Operations Department’s Name? Finance 

What does Finance do to support Ames Laboratory? We:

  • Process payroll
  • Pay vendors
  • Provide Travel support
  • Prepare budget templates and review budgets before submission
  • Receive and distribute funding 
  • Provide lots of reporting
  • Provide DOE finance guidelines expertise

Why is Finance important to Ames Laboratory?  If a research laboratory needs money like an animal needs oxygen, then Finance is the heart. We receive funds from sponsors and pay employees and vendors. 

What is unique, interesting, or special about your team?  Last Spring when our team took the SDI Core Strengths training provided by Erin Gibson and Nancy Turner, we learned that our team’s top three strengths are:

1. Tolerant: we respect differences, even when we don’t agree
2. Adaptable: We adjust readily to new or modified conditions
3. Supportive: We give encouragement and help to others

 Who is in charge around here?

John Lawson, Director of Finance
Michelle Avila, Deputy Director of Finance for Accounting
Emily Ladewig, Deputy Director of Finance for Budget

Who’s a part of the Finance team? 

Not pictured:
Mollie Petz
Program Specialist, Travel

Kristie Romsdahl 
Accountant, Accounts Payable

Michelle Avila

Michelle Avila
Manager, Accounting & Travel

Beto Hernandez

Beto Hernandez

Budget & Finance Specialist

 

Jane Houk

Jane Houk

Accountant, Accounts Payable Supervisor

 

Jake Irving

Jake Irving

Accountant, Payroll Accounting

 

Rhonda Jones

Rhonda Jones 

Accountant, Accounts Receivable

 

Justin Kjar

Justin Kjar

Budget & Finance Specialist

 

Sarah Klaes

Sarah Klaes

Budget & Finance Specialist

 

Emily Ladewig

Emily Ladewig

Manager of Budget


 

John Lawson

John Lawson 

Director of Finance

 

Nina Liberman

Nina Liberman

(Afiavi-Odjounin) 

Budget & Finance Specialist

 

Jean McMaken

Jean McMaken 

Clerk, timekeeping & payroll

 

Connor Putz

Connor Putz

Budget & Finance Specialist

 

Joshua Sulistio

Joshua Sulistio 

Accountant, Fixed Assets

 

Sheila Tellinghuisen

Sheila Tellinghuisen 

Clerk, E base time, ISU statement, travel expense vouchers

 

 

Where can I find Finance?

Department email:
jlawson@ameslab.gov
accounting@ameslab.gov
budget@ameslab.gov
travel@ameslab.gov  

Office location:
211 TASF. Call first or knock loudly.


Ames Lab P&S Council Members 2022
Ames National Laboratory's P&S Council members include (left to right): Whitney Groomes, Laura Graves, Emily Ladewig, Erin Gibson, and Prashant Singh. 

Five Lab employees serve on P&S Council

For five Ames National Laboratory staff members, their involvement goes beyond their regular job duties. All are currently serving their fellow employees on the university’s Professional and Scientific Council.

Laboratory employees who are members of the 2022-23 council are:

  • Erin Gibson, Learning & Development Manager, chair of council Compensation and Benefits Committee
  • Laura Graves, Executive Administrative Assistant, council Compensation and Benefits Committee
  • Whitney Groomes, Staff Nurse, council Representation Committee
  • Emily Ladewig, Deputy Director of Finance for Budget, council Awards Committee
  • Prashant Singh, Materials Scientist, council Peer Advocacy

Professional and Scientific Council serves as a resource and advocate for Iowa State P&S employees university-wide, covering all of Iowa. Council provides many services to its constituents, including professional development and resources; assisting in answering questions and concerns; informing and educating through communication; awards and honors; and gathering constituent feedback to help influence university policy. Recent efforts include lobbying for establishment of flexible work arrangements; conducting a WorkFlex employee satisfaction survey; and reviewing employee benefits.

Learn more about the council and how you can join.


Wish you could disconnect your landline at work, too? There are options. 

Did you know that Ames Laboratory spends approximately $108,000 per year for phone services? Did you know thatstock image cutting phone cord you can help to lower those costs?  Here’s how: 

Supervisors should review their staff's phone usage and evaluate if cost savings could be realized by disconnecting phones not in use. Staff currently have three options for communicating from an Ames Laboratory work location.

Option 1: Desk phone
Desk phones are recommended for users that rely on answering calls during business hours using a university phone number. The cost for a Cisco 8861 or standard user phone is $27/month plus long-distance charges.

Option 2: Softphone via WebEx
This service uses computer software to make and receive phone calls using a university phone number. A headset is recommended for better sound quality. This service is recommended when you work outside of the office regularly, use your desk phone minimally, and need to maintain a university number. The service costs $10/month plus long-distance charges.

Option 3: No phone service
Some staff may choose to not keep a university phone number. Staff may choose Google Chat, Google Meet, Zoom, WebEx, email, or other chat platforms as their primary method of communications.

 If you would like to disconnect a phone or switch to softphone service, please submit a Telephone Service Request to Ames Lab IT via ServiceNow at https://now.ameslab.gov/sp. The Telephone Service Request is located under the General category.


Answer the call for Science Bowl volunteers

The Iowa Regional High School and Middle School Science Bowls are opportunities for students to excel in STEM whileScience bowl contestant experiencing a sense of community with other STEM-focused students. Students compete in a question-and-answer format that tests student's knowledge in a range of science disciplines. Iowa's regional competition is hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames National Laboratory and Iowa State University.

The events will take place on Jan. 28 and Feb. 18 at the Iowa State University Campus.  We are seeking volunteers to serve as judges, moderators, timers, scorekeepers, and runners during the competition. Volunteers receive training, a t-shirt, and lunch the day of the event.  For more information, please visit the Volunteer Information page on the Lab's website, HERE.  Indicate your interest by completing this FORM.

The call for volunteers is open to the public.  Please share this FORM with your network.


IDEA Logo

October IDEAs: Indigenous women in space, structural racism, and neurodivergence in the classroom

Marine Colonel Nicole Mann, member of the Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes, became the first Native American woman in space in October. READ MORE.

A groundbreaking paper published last month in PNAS Nexus, a sibling journal to the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science, offers stark quantitative data showing the continued blight of structural racism in academic STEM programs in the United States. READ MORE

Student Accessibility Services at Iowa State has expanded services to accommodate neurodivergent students, providing more opportunities for academic success. Read MORE.

Despite challenges, some physics faculty at predominantly undergraduate institutions make research experiences available to students. READ MORE


IPP Update: Grant Writers’ Seminar Nov. 10

Iowa State's Office of the Vice President for Research will be hosting Dr. John D. Robertson from Grant Writers’ Seminars and Workshops to present the Write Winning Grant Proposals Workshop on Thursday, Nov. 10, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. This seminar addresses both practical and conceptual aspects that are important to the proposal-writing process.

Ames National Laboratory is offering to pay the cost of one workbook per staff member or postdoc. To receive the workbook,  you must be in attendance, and notify proposals@ameslab.gov of your registration in advance.

Register here for this workshop. This workshop is planned to be in-person in the South Ballroom of the Alumni Center and is free to attend. Register by October 25th to reserve your spot and ensure a hard copy agency book at the workshop. A light breakfast, lunch and afternoon refreshments will be provided. Once registered, please forward the confirmation email to proposals@ameslab.gov.


Events and Announcements

Hooked: a sophisticated spear phishing campaign case study 

For several months during 2022 Argonne National Laboratory and other government entities were the target of an elaborate spear phishing attack perpetrated by foreign actors. Please join the DOE Office of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, Argonne Regional Field Office, for a panel discussion revealing the fascinating story of how the scheme unfolded and how actions taken by individuals were crucial to mitigate the risk and prevent the adversary from gaining access to the laboratory’s systems. 

Nov. 9, 1-2 p.m. Click HERE to join the meeting.


Learn the essentials of project management in one day!

We have only ONE offering of Franklin Covey’s Project Management for the Unofficial Project Manager® remaining this year, Project Management Essentials – Nov. 9. Go to Learn@ISU to attend this in-person training for Ames National Laboratory. Register in Learn@ISU for this course here.


Veteran’s Day Coffee Nov. 11

Ames Laboratory employees who have served in the United States armed forces are invited to share their military stories and memorabilia over coffee and pastries on Friday, Nov. 11, from 8:15 - 9:30 a.m. in 205 TASF. This is a come-and-go event. RSVP's are encouraged by email to debsam@ameslab.gov.


New employee check-out requirement now in effect

One of the requirements in the new Records Management Order DOE O 243.1c requires a minor change to our employee check-out process involving transferring records.

Supervisors are required to ensure departing employees identify and transfer records, in an accessible format (e.g., decrypting encrypted email and fields), in their custody to an appropriate custodian, or the person assuming responsibility for the work. Supervisors are required to work with departing employees to safeguard records pursuant to DOE O 243.1c, CRD 20. If assistance is needed, please contact IT by submitting an IT General Request in ServiceNow or emailing it@ameslab.gov. Records management can be contacted by emailing records@ameslab.gov. Additional information can be found in the Knowledge Base article, Employee Checkout Process.


Learning Hour Series: Time Management

Are you interested in learning more about time management, prioritization, and efficient work practices? Then join us for Time Management Learning Hour on Friday, Dec. 2 in 205 TASF from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. In our first session of a quarterly Learning Hour series, we will highlight ideas, tools, and discussion on finding efficiencies and managing priorities at work. Attendees can bring a laptop or device to follow along with suggestions on using Lab-approved software like Gmail to create reminders and block focus time. Interested participants can contact training@ameslab.gov for a calendar reminder. We hope to see you there!

Unable to attend but still interested in this topic? Read this Time Management article in ServiceNow.