In Brief

fyi resumes publication in new online format

New liveWELL program offers healthy choice

Finkbine awards announced

Writer? The University of Iowa wants you!

Weston named new interim director of UI Center for Human Rights

ITS offers savings on computer purchases

State Fair booth needs volunteers

Tired of paying too much at the gas pump?

Working at IOWA survey: What do UI employees think about their employer?

Deaths

More news

fyi resumes publication in new online format

Welcome to fyi, The University of Iowa’s faculty and staff newspaper. The new online version of fyi replaces the print version, which ceased publication in July 2005.

As always, we appreciate hearing from our readers. You may contact us at fyi-mail@uiowa.edu.

If you’re the editor or publisher of a UI college or departmental newsletter, we'd love to see your articles for possible inclusion in fyi. Also, please feel free to contact us about new story ideas you’d like us to cover.

New liveWELL program offers healthy choice

UI Human Resources launched an employee health and wellness program this spring for all eligible UI staff and faculty. Enrollment for faculty and staff opened in May.

The new program, called liveWELL, is the joint effort of several departments and colleges, including UI Wellness, UI Benefits, UI Health Plans, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and the Colleges of Nursing, Medicine, Public Health, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Pharmacy, and Dentistry.

Joni Troester, director of UI WorkLife and Wellness, says there are many benefits to the liveWELL program, including a free health risk assessment that will help identify current or possible future specific health risks.

For more information on the liveWELL program, see the web site at www.uiowa.edu/livewell/.

Finkbine awards announced

The University of Iowa honored several outstanding students, faculty, and an alumnus April 18 at the 89th anniversary Finkbine Dinner for Representative Student Leaders, one of the University’s most prestigious award ceremonies.

The event included presentation of the Hancher-Finkbine medallions, awards given in recognition of outstanding leadership, learning, and loyalty. The medallions are named after 1880 UI law graduate and Des Moines business leader William O. Finkbine and Virgil M. Hancher, president of The University of Iowa from 1940 to 1964.

The Finkbine Dinner was first held in 1918 to honor campus leaders and give them an opportunity to meet administrators, faculty, fellow students, and alumni. The tradition of awarding Hancher-Finkbine medallions began in 1964.

Here are this year’s award winners:

Hancher-Finkbine Undergraduate Student Medallion: Lauren F. McCarthy, Urbandale, Iowa; Andrew Mark Thomas, Des Moines.

Hancher-Finkbine Graduate/Professional Student Medallions: Sara Ann Brenner, Adel, Iowa; Sarah Celeste Vigmostad, Fairfield, Iowa.

Hancher-Finkbine Faculty Medallion: Paul R. Greenough, professor of history, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Hancher-Finkbine Alumni Medallion: Darrell D. Wyrick, 1956 bachelor’s degree graduate of engineering and 1957 master’s degree graduate in chemical and biochemical engineering. When Wyrick joined the University of Iowa Foundation in 1962, he was the foundation’s only full-time employee. He helped the foundation grow over the next 36 years into a multimillion-dollar organization that has raised funds for everything from student scholarships and faculty fellowships to new facilities and groundbreaking research. Wyrick received the UI Distinguished Alumni Award for Service in 1992.

Distinguished Student Leader Certificate: Matthew Brown, industrial engineering major, Iowa City; Joshua Edward Everts, fourth-year dental student, Dubuque, Iowa; Darren Samuel Hoffmann, graduate student in anatomy and cell biology, Iowa City; Florin Ilie Oprescu, PhD candidate in community and behavioral health, and MBA student, Romania; Michael Ryan Schmidt, political science major, Des Moines; Treniece La’Shay Terry, graduate student in chemical and biochemical engineering, Lafayette, Ind.

Philip G. Hubbard Human Rights Award: Eugenio Mollo Jr., third-year law student, Chicago.

Robert F. Ray Faculty Representative Award: Chaitu Malempati, psychology and premed major, Belle River, Ontario; Stacy May, double major in accounting and physics, Reno, Nev.

M.L. Huit Faculty Award: David G. Wilder, associate professor of biomedical engineering, College of Engineering, and of occupational and environmental health in the College of Public Health.

James N. Murray Faculty Award: Tung Yin, associate professor, College of Law.

Writer? The University of Iowa wants you!

Iowa writers of all ages and experience levels are invited to submit short works for possible web publication, as the University of Iowa’s popular Daily Palette (click the button along the bottom of the University's home page, www.uiowa.edu) expands to feature writing on a revolving basis with visual arts.

Since August 2004, the web site has run daily features on visual art by Iowans, and now will include not only writing and art but also video and music. The web site will feature the work of writers who consider themselves Iowans, meaning both those who have Iowa roots and those who live in Iowa now.

Writers may submit nonfiction, fiction, or poetry of 700 words or fewer in the body of an e-mail to iowa-writes@uiowa.edu. Writers are limited to one submission and should include an author bio of no more than 50 words.

Weston named new interim director of UI Center for Human Rights

Burns H. Weston, the Bessie Dutton Murray Distinguished Professor of Law Emeritus in the College of Law, became the new interim director for the UI Center for Human Rights in May. Weston succeeds Kenneth J. Cmiel, former professor of history and American Studies, who died unexpectedly in February as the result of an inoperable brain tumor. Weston takes over for William Reisinger, associate provost and dean of UI International Programs, who served as interim director earlier this spring.

Weston is the former and founding director of the center and an internationally renowned scholar in international human rights law.

The UI Center for Human Rights is affiliated with UI International Programs, which consists of a number of offices, centers, academic programs, research projects, and services. Organized under the associate provost and dean for international programs, these units serve to further internationalize the campus and community and promote global scholarship, research, and teaching.

ITS offers savings on computer purchases

ITS Campus Services is pleased to announce substantially discounted pricing (up to 45 percent off already discounted academic pricing) on select Dell and Hewlett-Packard computers as part of this year’s ITS Campus Services summer computer refresh program. These discounts are offered not only to UI departments but also to current UI faculty and staff members, and to students, who wish to make personal purchases.

Substantially discounted pricing is available through the end of July on Dell desktop and laptop computers and HP Tablet PCs through the ITS Help Desk demo center.

Additional low pricing on select computer models will be offered at this site throughout the year.

State Fair booth needs volunteers

University Relations is inviting faculty and staff members to volunteer for the University’s booth at the Iowa State Fair Aug. 10-20 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. The UI booth is located in the air-conditioned Varied Industries Building at the fairgrounds. 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. For more information or to sign up for a shift, see the UI State Fair web site or contact George McCrory at 384-0012 or george-mccrory@uiowa.edu.

Tired of paying too much at the gas pump?

Try van pooling. Click on www.uiowa.edu/~parking/vanpool_communities.html for a list of current van pools, work shift, and monthly cost of a van per passenger (cost reflects a full van). Van pools with available space are listed with an asterisk.

Working at IOWA survey: What do UI employees think about their employer?

Preliminary results from April’s Working at IOWA survey in general show that UI faculty and staff think the University is a positive place to work. But they also think there’s room for improvement.

Sponsored by UI Human Resources, the Working at IOWA survey asked faculty and staff how they experience their job, their work unit, and The University of Iowa as an employer. Survey respondents evaluated their job, work unit, and The University of Iowa according to eight categories: cooperation/collaboration, supervisory effectiveness, confidence in leadership, commitment to employee well-being, flexibility, engagement, communication, and customer focus.

Beginning in July, you can read a report of the results on the Working at IOWA web site.