Free skin cancer screenings

The UI Health Plans, in partnership with UI Wellness, will sponsor free skin cancer screenings provided by faculty and staff from the Department of Dermatology at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. The screenings provide an opportunity to:

• determine risk for skin cancer and melanoma;

• learn more about skin cancer, melanoma, and how to examine for skin changes; and

• have a dermatologist examine lesions that are of concern.

Screenings will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 22 in the 8th floor solarium at UIHC (take elevator F to the 8th floor). No appointment is necessary.

Celebrate with staff members

Staff Celebration Day, which gives University staff members a chance to see what other staff people achieve, is scheduled from 3 to 6:30 p.m. May 22 in the IMU Main Lounge.

The sixth annual event features Bob and Kristie Black playing Midwestern roots music, Shiatsu neck massages, a chance to talk to artists as they create their art works, and an opportunity to see the IMU chefs in action. Light refreshments will be served.

Displays around the lounge area show the work that University people do, from research projects to patient care, writing and publications, and campus service units.

Admission is free, and all staff, faculty, and students are invited to attend.

Campus faces energy cuts

The energy curtailment season is coming up soon. Last summer’s program recorded savings from campus conservation.

The University has agreed to reduce its electrical usage when called upon by MidAmerican Energy between June 1 and Sept. 30, in return for a more favorable energy rate. Much of this energy saving is achieved by shutting down equipment campuswide—usually cooling and ventilation equipment, lighting, and office equipment.

To be kept informed, place “subscribe energy-curtailment” in the subject line of an e-mail to majordomo@list.uiowa.edu. For more information, go to www.uiowa.edu/~fusfsg/utils/curtailment.htm, or call the FSG at (33)5-5071.

Dining hall hours changed

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 17.
Burge Food Service will reopen with breakfast on June 10, continuing with regular hours until Aug. 2.

Hillcrest Market Place will reopen with evening dinner on June 9, to coincide with the first of the University-sponsored summer sports camps. Hours at Hillcrest will change from week to week, and will not be available every weekend. In addition, the Hillcrest menu will be limited and lines may be longer.

Both food service facilities will open with regular hours and their complete menus beginning with breakfast on Aug. 26.

Hancher: A pearl of a season

Using the imagery of a pearl—the precious gem that is associated with 30th anniversaries—Hancher Auditorium has announced a new season of music, theater, and dance events including the Hancher debut of Miss Saigon.

The Hancher Auditorium debut of Miss Saigon is a highlight.

Other highlights of the season include a kickoff by the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, which opened the first season of Hancher in 1972; a gala performance by vocal legend Tony Bennett; and a world premiere co-commissioned by Hancher and NASA: the Kronos Quartet performing Terry Riley’s “Sun Rings,” inspired by the space sounds recorded by UI space physics pioneer Donald Gurnett.

Hancher’s full-color brochure is available from the Hancher box office at (33)5-1160, on the web at www.uiowa.edu/hancher, or by e-mail at hancher-box-office@uiowa.edu.

FSG helps staff learn to be healthy

Facilities Services Group (FSG) has partnered with UI Wellness in a pilot program that has brought several activities, including health screenings, to its 600-plus employees over the past three years. To date, approximately 40 percent of the staff have participated in a medical self-care seminar.

A Healthwise Handbook is given to each FSG employee who attends a 20-minute medical self-care orientation. The handbook provides important information on how to improve the quality of self-care given at home and how to work in partnership with health-care providers.

Try walking for wellness

UI Wellness has scheduled two walks to celebrate National Employee Health and Fitness Day May 15.

To join a walk from 11 a.m to 1 p.m. at University of Iowa Health Care, sign in at a table in the main entrance. To join a walk from noon to 1 p.m. starting at Hubbard Park, sign in at a table in the park. Routes will be available at the locations. No rain dates will be scheduled.

Employees are invited to walk for as long as their schedules allow. Each walker will receive a free UI Wellness water bottle and may register for a drawing for four $25 gift certificates from Running Wild.

Bring back your library books

Books due June 1 and checked out on a faculty loan may be renewed now for the next academic year.

Books must be brought in to a library to be renewed. Returns or renewals will be accepted at any library on campus except the Law Library or Curriculum Lab.

Borrowers can see the list of books checked out to them by looking at “Your Circulation Info” on InfoHawk on-line or asking library staff.

The library will not be able to renew books from May 18 through June 3 since the circulation system will be curtailed during an InfoHawk upgrade. Please limit the return of library books during this period.

Keller named graduate dean

John C. Keller, who has been interim dean of the Graduate College for almost two years, has been named dean and associate provost for graduate education, subject to the approval of the Board of Regents, State of Iowa. A search committee headed by Susan Birrell, chair of the Department of Health and Sport Studies, unanimously recommended Keller to Provost Jon Whitmore following an internal search.

Keller joined the College of Dentistry faculty in 1988 and was promoted to full professor in 1991. He holds appointments in oral and maxillofacial surgery and with the Dows Institute for Dental Research. He also holds appointments as a UI professor of biomedical engineering and as a collaborating professor in veterinary medicine and engineering at Iowa State University.