In this Issue:
Ames Laboratory receives its highest ratings in FY19
In mid-December the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released Ames Laboratory’s Performance Evaluation Report Card for FY 2019, and the Laboratory received its highest ratings ever, and continues for the third year in a row to exceed expectations in a majority of the key performance areas measured.
The laboratory received an A- grade in six out of seven categories. The DOE Office of Science annually measures its 10 national laboratories against eight standard performance goals. Those goals include mission accomplishment; S&T program management; leadership and stewardship; environment, safety and health, and environmental management; business systems; infrastructure; and security and emergency management. Because Ames Laboratory does not operate a national scientific user facility, no grade is given in that category. Read More
Diversity and Inclusion Council Formed
Ames Laboratory’s Diversity and Inclusion Council held its first full meeting in November 2019. The Council is tasked with informing and advising leadership on the full range of diversity matters within the Laboratory and the University community, including recruitment and retention; the quality of the Laboratory’s inclusivity; and reviewing professional development opportunities. The Council will also be charged with reviewing Laboratory policies and recommending future actions aimed at enhancing diversity. Council members will coordinate efforts in conjunction with the University Council through the Vice President for Diversity and Inclusion Office and advise on recommendations from the University committee and their implementation.
Council members were identified through peer nominations and ensured broad representation across the Laboratory. The Council is chaired by Katie Augustus from the Office of Human Resources and Diversity, and members include: Cassie Dewey, Stacy Joiner, Laura Kim, Laura Millsaps, Naufer Nusran, Denis Prodius, Tim Prost, Long Qi, Pat Thiel, and Lin Zhou. We thank these individuals for taking on this responsibility.
The Council’s top priority includes offering a variety of learning and development opportunities to support Goal 4 of the Laboratory's Strategic Plan: Business and Operational Excellence.
Guidance on Political Campaign Activities at Iowa State University
In anticipation of the 2020 election cycle, many University faculty and staff members have sought additional information about their rights and responsibilities, as employees of the state, in engaging in campaign related activities. Resources provided by the University offer guidance to help faculty and staff better understand this timely issue. Read More
2020 Performance Appraisal Process
Ames Laboratory’s 2020 performance appraisal process will begin on Tuesday, January 21 and end Friday, February 28. All tasks in the process for P&S staff and postdocs will be completed using Halogen eAppraisal, Ames Laboratory’s electronic performance appraisal system. This year you will be able to access Halogen by logging in through Okta. Automated emails from Halogen will be sent to you when you have a task to complete. The review period for the appraisal covers 1/1/2019 – 12/31/2019. Please note that the performance appraisal process for all Merit employees will take place in Workday according to their Merit Review date.
Should you have any questions or need one-on-one assistance or training to help you through this process, please contact Ames Laboratory Human Resources Office at (515) 294-2680 or hrappraisal@ameslab.gov. Should you have any issues accessing Halogen, please contact the Ames Laboratory Information Technology office at (515) 294-8348.
Onboarding Rotations
Last year Ames Laboratory began to offer onboarding rotation sessions to introduce new Merit, P&S, and Postdoc staff to Ames Lab's Executive team and Ames Lab departments. The Ames Lab new employee onboarding learning track sessions are added to ‘My Requirements’ in Learn@ISU for new employees. Current Merit, P&S, and Postdoc staff are also welcome to register for onboarding rotation sessions, if interested. Staff can view and enroll in sessions in Learn@ISU by searching for 'onboarding rotation' under the keyword search field. The following sessions are being offered throughout the year.
- Onboarding Rotation: Executive Part I (Adam Schwartz and Steve Hamilton)
- Onboarding Rotation: Executive Part II (Jamie Morris, Tom Lograsso, Andrea Spiker)
- Onboarding Rotation: Finance
- Onboarding Rotation: Communications, Human Resources, Information Technology, Facilities & Engineering
- Onboarding Rotation: Innovation Partnership Program, Property, Environment, Safety & Health
New Web Site Launched
After a year in the making, Ames Laboratory's new web site went live in late December. A team of Lab communications and information technology staff worked closely with a commercial web developer, Lullabot, to restructure the website to better serve external clients while at the same time improving the design of the site and upgrading the content management system.
"The site is tailored to meet the needs of external visitors from scientists and students to industry partners, academic collaborators and the general public," said Alissa Brammer, Communications Manager and coordinator for the project. "We hope the clean design and improved navigation helps those visitors quickly and easily access the information they need."
The new site also incorporates responsive design so it translates well when viewed on tablets or phones.
With the launch of the new site, much of the "internal" information on the previous site – including forms and plans, policies, and procedures – has migrated to ServiceNow.
As you are using the new site, if you encounter things that appear broken or seem not to be functioning properly, please report these issues using this Smartsheet form.
One change from the existing site is how user profiles are populated. Only Ames Laboratory staff (not students or contributors) are populated in the site’s directory and have user profile pages. Staff are now able to update most of their own user profile information directly on the new site because the web permissions for each individual profile is enabled by your Okta authentication. All employees are encouraged to add a photo, job title, and department at a minimum. Name, phone, email, and office location are derived from HR’s Costpoint database, so changes to this info must be done by contacting HR.
This document provides further instructions for updating your profile on the new site.
Welcome to the Wellness Note!
Here at Ames Laboratory we care about your health and wellbeing, and want to provide you with practical and applicable tips and information to help you be the very best version of yourself!
Have you been wanting to make a change with your health, but are feeling overwhelmed with where to begin? Start by setting realistic and achievable goals, and celebrate when you are consistent.
Here are some ideas to get you started:
Got a new stand up desk, but haven’t been motivated to use it? Ease into standing, start with 30-60 minutes per day. Gradually increase and listen to your body. Try setting a reminder to encourage you to get on your feet. Don’t have a stand up desk? Use the printer furthest away from your desk, take frequent stretch breaks, visit your coworker on the 3rd floor instead of emailing, etc.
Want to increase your water intake? Did you know you should be drinking half of your body weight in ounces of water every day? Will you need to excuse yourself to use the restroom more than before...probably! But it’s also an excuse to get a few more steps in per day. Treat yourself to a new, fun, reusable water bottle and fill up frequently!
Can’t make it to the gym? Start small with 30 minutes of activity every day. During winter months, reclaim your lunch break and take a brisk walk through the halls of the Ames Lab buildings (you’ll appreciate those spring strolls so much more come April). Find a workout buddy and try out a class or personal training through ISU Recreation Services. Can’t find 30 minutes in a day? Break it up and try to get in 10 minutes of activity three times per day.
Bet you didn’t know you can utilize the Ames Laboratory workout space in 109 SPH to fit in a sweat?! All you need to do is sign a waiver and you can access it whenever you need. Stop in to Occ Med to learn more!
Netflix keeping you up all night? Cut back your binge watching and start to “power down” at least one hour before bedtime. Make sleep a priority and aim to get 8 hours of sleep per night. Stick to the same sleep schedule, even on weekends. Create a new relaxing bedtime ritual. Sleep is a vital indicator of overall health and well-being. Tried it all and still having trouble sleeping? Chat with your health care provider.
Have one bad habit you know isn’t serving you well? Try quitting for 30 consecutive days! Maybe it’s a gas station BIG GULP, aimlessly scrolling social media, fast/convenience food, negativity, procrastination, or maybe it is chocolate. What if you chose one bad habit and didn’t quit on yourself for 30 days straight? Prove to yourself you can do it, and you will be motivated to keep making better choices. Prepare yourself; you will be amazed by what you can achieve!
Holidays have you feeling mentally drained? Don’t neglect your mental health! Employee Assistance offers confidential counseling services to meet a variety of needs and are available to take calls 24/7. Coworker causing you stress? Marital issues? Concerned about the mental health of a loved one? We don’t always know where to look for help when we need it most. When life happens, EAP is there to help (1-800-327-4692 or 515-294-6090).
Are you one of those folks that has been avoiding your “numbers”? Maybe you feel “fine” and haven’t visited with your health care provider in years. Occupational Medicine offers voluntary health screenings that include fasting blood work, blood pressure, height and weight, and more. It might just be the push you need to start making your health a priority. Contact Occ Med to see if you’re eligible.
Have a burning health-related question that you don’t want answered by Dr. Google? Is there a topic you have been dying to learn more about? Submit your anonymous questions to om@ameslab.gov and they may be answered by our very own, real-life physician, Dr. Evans and featured in the next month’s Wellness Note!
Ames Lab storefront opening at Lands' End
An Ames Lab online apparel store has been established using Lands' End's Business Outfitters products. Items include fall, winter, spring and summer clothing, active wear, outerwear, uniforms, scrubs, lab coats, totes and much more! The products and color choices have been selected by a small group of individuals at Ames Lab with logo colors and professional image in mind.
Simply log onto the site (link will be released January 6), select your items ($6.95 is added to each logo item), pay shipping and tax and enter your payment method. Ames Lab apparel storefront is available 24/7 for shipping directly to your home.
All Lands' End orders are Guaranteed. Period.®--which means they stand behind every product with no conditions or restrictions even if the product has been washed, worn or logo'd. No 30-day limitations. No exchange-only terms.
For questions or comments, contact clothingadmin@ameslab.gov
High School Science Bowl turns 30 on Jan 25
On Jan. 25, Ames Laboratory will host its 30th Regional High School Science Bowl. Forty teams from across Iowa will compete in the day-long event, including three first-time schools -- Bedford, Sheldon and West Delaware.
If you've been planning to volunteer for Science Bowl, there's still time to sign up. Judges, moderators, timers, scorekeepers and runners are still needed for both High School Science Bowl and Middle School Science Bowl -- Saturday, Feb. 22, 2020.
Holiday Auction Raises $4,000
The 18th annual Ames Laboratory Holiday Auction raised a total of $4,000 with equal parts going to Ames' Shop with a Cop program and the Bethesda Community Food Pantry. Big ticket items including a hand-crafted wooden rocking horse purchased by Dr. Margaret Evans for $400 (with an anonymous donor matching the sales price), monthly office treats for a year were purchased by the Director's Office for $650, and the Italian Night Out donated by Tom Lograsso went to Jamie Morris for $200.
Insider highlights TASF moving days
The December 1994 issue of Insider highlighted the move of administrative offices from Spedding Hall into the nearly completed Technical and Administrative Services Facility (TASF). The issue also detailed the results of an environmental audit conducted by a DOE audit team.
Elsewhere, Insider carried stories on the following: hiring of Barbara Egbert as a training coordinator, shipment of radioactive waste from the chemical disposal site, feature stories on Jerry Jenison's exchange program with the University of Glasgow and reflections of staff on the 50th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. There were also personal profiles on hockey mom Lucille Kilmer and singer Mike Vaclav.
To read the entire issue, click on the cover.
Brown Bag with Adam set for Jan. 14
The monthly brown bag lunch with Director Adam Schwartz for January is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 14 at noon in 301 Spedding. Any Lab employees may attend and are welcome to bring their own lunch.
These lunches are an opportunity for staff to chat with Adam in an informal, small group setting to learn more about, and provide input on, a wide variety of issues including priorities, challenges, and the overall state of the Lab.
The goal of these open lunches is to provide a forum for cross-cutting, candid discussions with Lab leadership and your colleagues about whatever issues are on your mind. If you prefer to submit an anonymous question in advance, use this link or place it in Melinda Schlosser’s inbox located in 311 TASF prior to the lunchtime meeting.