News Briefs

Having a fair time There's still time to visit the University of Iowa booth at the Iowa State Fair. See story below. Photo by Rex Bavousett.

Coleman, Bowlsby, Grant to greet visitors at the State Fair

University of Iowa faculty and staff are among those helping to greet visitors to the University’s booth at this year’s Iowa State Fair in Des Moines. Fairgoers who stop by the booth on Aug. 19 from 1 to 3 p.m. will be treated to a visit with President Mary Sue Coleman and athletic directors Christine Grant and Bob Bowlsby. The UI’s exhibit "Connections@uiowa.edu" will highlight some of the many partnerships in teaching, research, and service between the UI and Iowa industries, schools, and communities.

Admissions and Continuing Education staff will be on hand each day to answer questions. Athletic schedules, admissions information, Hancher Auditorium season brochures, and campus visitors’ information will be available.

UI units participating include the Alumni Association; athletics; Belin-Blank Center, College of Education; College of Engineering; computer science; Continuing Education, Center for Credit Programs; Department of Ophthalmology, UI Health Care; Health Iowa; Office of Admissions; Office of the State Archaeologist; Old Capitol Museum; University of Iowa Press; State Hygienic Lab; and WSUI/KSUI radio.

The exhibit was created by Audiovisual Graphics staff members Jerry Best, manager/design artist; Diana Brayton, Todd Erickson, and Juanita Ridenour, design artists; and undergraduate students Al Stroh Jr. and Michael Wiedemeier of Iowa City.

The fair runs through Aug. 20. Hours are 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.



Diversity Dialogue Groups: Building community one connection at a time

The Office of Affirmative Action invites all staff, faculty, and students to participate in its campuswide Diversity Dialogue program. Diversity Dialogue groups are small, cofacilitated groups that use videos, articles, and interactive activities to explore various topics of diversity. Group members meet ten consecutive weeks for 90 minutes; groups are held throughout the day to accommodate various work schedules. The program, in its fifth year, has drawn members from UI faculty, administration, merit, and professional and scientific classifications. Recently, students have been integrated into the groups and this year a student-specific dialogue group also will be held.

The Diversity Dialogue program is an innovative approach to building community in a university setting. As barriers continue to divide individuals from each other on the basis of such issues as race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, class, disability, age, and religion, the necessity for authentic dialogue across difference grows increasingly important within our society and within the University community.

For more information, contact Diane Finnerty or Lanese Kwegyir Aggrey at (33)5-0705 (voice), (33)5-0697 (text), or diane-finnerty@uiowa.edu. Registration deadline is Sept. 15.



President taps Dean; Davies to direct International Programs

Two new appointments were announced in July.

Diana Davies joined International Programs as its new director. In this role, Davies is responsible for planning, staffing, and directing all administrative activities and operations of UI International Programs. She also will serve as a liaison and consultant to faculty, administrators, external institutions, and organizations. Her appointment began July 24.

President Mary Sue Coleman has appointed Thomas K. Dean as special assistant to the president. Dean will succeed Mary Lynn Grant, who is completing phased retirement this fall from her positions as presidential assistant and adjunct professor of English.

Dean will assist Coleman with speeches, reports, and other communications, coordinate special projects, and serve as liaison with other offices, such as University Relations and the UI Foundation, in connection with communications involving presidential and institution-wide messages. His appointment began Aug. 10.



AUW seeks new members

Associated University Women (AUW) invites new members to join their group. AUW promotes the welfare of all women at The University of Iowa. AUW provides educational programming on issues of concern to women and offers mutual support through networking. The group also offers a Career Development Award to a UI staff member.

Membership in AUW is open to all UI faculty and staff members for an annual fee of $10.

For more information, visit the AUW web site at www.uiowa.edu/~auw or contact Megan Levad at (33)5-1488, megan-levad@uiowa.edu.



WSUI/KSUI now on the web

The University‘s public radio stations have expanded their listener base by using the latest webcast technology.

KSUI (91.7 FM) and WSUI (910 AM) began broadcasts in mid-July from their web sites http://wsui.uiowa.edu and http://ksui.uiowa.edu. Listeners from outside the eastern Iowa and western Illinois normal broadcast area can log on to access live, 24-hour programming. The webcasts offer streaming audio via the RealPlayer software, which can be downloaded from the stations’ web site. Listeners also need a sound card, speakers or headphones, and an Internet connection on their computers.

With the live web broadcasts, listeners can hear National Public Radio, classical music, and local programming at the same time as they do other computing tasks.



On-line tool aides in course assessment

The Center for Teaching has unveiled a new on-line tool to help teachers set clearer objectives for their courses.

The Teaching Goals Inventory (TGI) was developed more than a decade ago. But only recently has the assessment moved on-line and become fully interactive, thanks to the efforts of Tom Rocklin, professor of education and director of the Center for Teaching.

Rocklin says the assessment can be especially useful to faculty who are developing new courses, revising existing courses, writing or re-writing their philosophy of teaching, or participating in a curriculum review.

The TGI is available at www.uiowa.edu/~centeach/tgi.



Oral history preserves UI’s bygone days

Portions of The University of Iowa’s history are being digitally preserved in a unique oral history project, which includes descriptive stories from some of the University’s most well-recognized figures.

The University Oral History Project began in 1976 by then graduate student James Beilman. It includes conversations with former and current longtime UI employees. The interviews are currently conducted by Linda Yanney.

The interviews will be preserved in digital and tape formats and stored in Special Collections.

For more information, visit the Oral History Project web site at www.lib.uiowa.edu/spec-coll/new2.htm or contact Linda Yanney at (33)5-5921.



Catalyst diversity award winners are announced

The Office of Affirmative Action has named Raúl Curto and Mickey Eliason co-recipients of the Catalyst Award, a $250 award given annually in recognition of persons and units that enrich diversity within the UI community. The Graduate College has been named this year’s unit recipient of the award.

Curto, executive associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and a mathematics professor, was selected because of his established commitment to diversity, his recruiting of a diverse faculty, and for helping junior faculty to receive mentoring.

Eliason, associate professor in the College of Nursing and director of the UI Sexuality Studies program, was selected because of her work on behalf of diversity initiatives, particularly in the areas of sexuality studies and human rights.

The Graduate College received the award for supporting graduate students from diverse backgrounds, developing partnerships with departments, off-campus recruitment initiatives, and for leadership on a regional and national level.

Curto, Eliason, the Graduate College, and all nominees for the award will be formally recognized during a reception Oct. 5 at the Iowa Memorial Union.

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