Briefs

An Iowa winner

Marilynne Robinson, faculty member in the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction this year for her second novel, Gilead. “Any book is a significant stage in its writer’s education,” says Robinson, who was a 1981 Pulitzer finalist for her first novel, Housekeeping. “I am equally grateful to every book I have written.”Over the years, 26 literary Pulitzers have been won by faculty or students from the Writers’ Workshop. Photo by Kirk Murray.

Let’s do lunch

Hours of operation for Hillcrest Market Place and Burge Food Service will change this summer. The last meal at regularly scheduled hours will be dinner on May 13. 

Both Burge and Hillcrest Market Place will reopen with breakfast on Monday, June 6, continuing with regular dining hours as follows: 6:30-8:30 a.m., 11 a.m.- 1 p.m., and 4:45-6:15 p.m.  

Both food service facilities will open with regular hours and their complete menus starting with breakfast on Aug. 22.

Savings plan

Beginning with your April 1, 2005, paycheck, the State of Iowa income tax withholding rate was reduced. The difference may result in an increase in your take-home pay, but it will not change your tax liability, according to the Staff Benefits office.

And if you’re wondering what to do with the extra cash, Richard Saunders, director of the University’s Benefits and Payroll department, has a suggestion: save it! Saunders says this is a good opportunity for employees to save more towards retirement by increasing their Group Supplemental Retirement Annuity (GSRA) contributions by the difference between the new and old state withholding amounts (or more). 

For more information, visit the Benefits Office web page (www.uiowa.edu/hr/benefits/index), and, under News and Events, click on the Withholding Table Change/Save Your Savings link.

Mary Jo Small fellowships

Need financial help to attend a work-related conference in 2004-05?

UI Learning and Development is now accepting applications for the Mary Jo Small Fellowship, which awards financial support for staff members seeking professional development opportunities.

The fellowship may be used to help defray costs of course work; regional, national, or international meetings or workshops; training opportunities on and off-campus; and/or work release time to prepare publications.

All P&S and merit staff who hold a regular appointment of 50 percent or greater and have been employed for two or more consecutive years at the University are eligible.

Award selection will be based on the documentation of recognized contributions that support the University’s mission and goals. Deadline is June 1. Selections will be announced in August. For more information or an application, www.uiowa.edu/~fusstfdv/mjsmall.

Loewenberg elected to Academy

Gerhard Loewenberg, professor emeritus of political science in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Loewenberg retired in 2003 after more than 30 years on the college’s political science faculty. He served as chair of the political science department from 1982 to 1984 and as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences from 1984 to 1992. He is founder and coeditor of the research journal Legislative Studies Quarterly, directs the UI Comparative Legislative Research Center, and is regarded worldwide as a leading authority on European parliaments.

Loewenberg joins 10 other UI faculty members as fellows of the academy: Francois Abboud, internal medicine; Nancy C. Andreasen, psychiatry;    Willard Boyd, law and president emeritus; Antonio Damasio, neurology; Hanna Damasio, neurology; Donald Gurnett, physics and astronomy; Linda Kerber, history; James McPherson, creative writing; James Van Allen, physics and astronomy; and Michael J. Welsh, internal medicine, physiology and biophysics.

Put on your walking shoes

UI Wellness will celebrate National Employee Health and Fitness Day with a campus walk on May 18, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
There are two walks to choose from: beginning at UIHC (sign-in table in Atrium Lobby); and at Hubbard Park (sign-in table in the park). Refreshments will be provided, and participants will have an opportunity to register for a chance to win prizes. No rain date will be scheduled.

Participants are encouraged to join in the walk for as much or as little time as their schedule allows. Route information will be available on the day of the walk at the sign-in location. If you are unable to make it to the event, visit www.uiowa.edu/hr/oe/worklife/wellness/walkingmaps, print a map, and go for a walk on your own.

Call for state fair volunteers

University Relations is inviting faculty and staff members to volunteer for the University’s booth at the Iowa State Fair Aug. 11-21 in Des Moines.

Volunteers are needed for a variety of tasks—from answering general questions, to distributing posters and other items, to applying temporary Hawkeye tattoos to visitors. Shifts are four hours each: 9 a.m.-1 p.m., 1-5 p.m., and 5-9 p.m. Fair admission, parking passes, and a black-and-gold T-shirt will be provided. Join fellow faculty and staff members, students, and alumni at the fair—it’s a great way to represent the University and meet Iowans from around the state.

For more information or to sign up for a shift, see the UI State Fair web site at www.uiowa.edu/statefair/volunteers or contact George McCrory at (38)4-0012 or george-mccrory@uiowa.edu.

For your staff

May 18-25 is Staff Appreciation Week. UI WorkLife has some suggestions to make this a great week. Visit their web site, www.uiowa.edu/hr/oe/worklife/RnR, for ways to show appreciation for staff members in your department.