Happenings is a bi-weekly e-newsletter for faculty and staff in the College of Human Sciences.

ISCORE College Champion

The College of Human Sciences is proud to partner with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences as this year's Thomas L. Hill Iowa State Conference on Race and Ethnicity (ISCORE) Conference Champions. ISCORE registration is open. A pre-conference for Iowa State faculty and staff is on March 1 and the full-day conference for the broader ISU community is on Friday, March 3.

Scholarships from Mrs. Wages Support Food Preservation Education

ISU Extension and Outreach delivers "Preserve the Taste of Summer," a research-based, food preservation education program where Iowans learn how to safely preserve food to enjoy throughout the year. Mrs. Wages, a Kent Precision Foods Group brand of home food preservation products, collaborated with Iowa State Extension and Outreach to provide education for free or at a reduced cost.

“This in-kind and financial support removed the barrier that had kept some Iowans from participating in our hands-on workshops. Thanks to the generous support from Mrs. Wages, we were able to connect with and reach new audiences who otherwise would not have received this type of food safety training,” said Sarah Francis, interim director of Human Sciences Extension and Outreach.

The article was also featured on DeliciousFood.com.

Researchers team up to break down, upcycle low-quality,

rejected plastic wastes

Keith Vorst, associate professor in Food Science and Human Nutrition, is part of a team engaged in two, $2-million-plus projects that will study and develop new ways to break down waste plastics and convert them to useful materials. Both projects are supported by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Read full article

Apply by Mar. 1 for international activities funding

for AESHM, FSHN and HDFS faculty

Two international travel funds will accept applications from faculty until Mar. 1. The Julia F. Anderson International Fund offers of three $1000 awards to be used toward enhancing or upgrading the professional qualifications of home economists or to enrich and enhance faculty by bringing an international perspective to Iowa State. The Donna L. Cowan International Fund in Family and Consumer Sciences offers a $500 award given to support faculty international travel or to support an international scholar visiting the AESHM, FSHN or HDFS departments. International activities must commence between April 1, 2023, and October 31, 2023, to be eligible for the awards. 

CHS Graduating Student of the Semester Award nominations due Feb. 24

The Human Sciences Council is accepting nominations for the CHS Graduating Student of the Semester Award. The award honors graduating seniors. Faculty, staff and students are all welcome to submit nominations for this award. Learn more and nominate

• Linda Niehm has been named the Interim Chair of the Department of Apparel, Events, and Hospitality Management.
• Sara Nelson has been named the Iowa Space Grant Consortium Director.
• TJ Stewart was recently announced as an Emerging Scholar by ACPA-College Student Educators International and will be honored at the ACPA23 Conference in March.

Applications open for McNair fall cohort

The The Graduate College received a continuing, five-year (2022-27), $1.3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Education to support the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program's efforts to prepare first-generation, low-income or underrepresented juniors and seniors for graduate study.

McNair program staff are recruiting undergraduates for this fall's cohort. Students must apply, but faculty and staff are encouraged to refer qualifying sophomores to the program. Applications are due March 1 or when all scholar slots are filled.

Black History Month events in February

Black History Month events, workshops and lectures are happening throughout campus in February. As part of the lineup, Jessica Harris is coming to campus sponsored, in part, by the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and the College of Human Sciences Diversity Program. Considered by many to be one of the ranking authorities on the food of the African Diaspora, Harris will deliver a lecture on Feb. 27 titled, High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America.

Safety app available to students, faculty and staff

More safety options are available through the new Iowa State Safe app. The app is free and users can sign in using their Net-ID and password. The app offers features like virtual walk home, friend walk, a safety toolbox as well as ways to connect directly with ISU police.

Feb. 10: CHS Collaboration Cafe is open in the Joan Bice Underwood Tearoom (23 MacKay Hall) from 1 to 3 p.m. Health-related trends and interdisciplinary opportunities be the topic for the side conversation.

Feb. 10: Last day to register for the March Research and Innovation Roundtable focused on Healthy Iowa. The roundtable will be held on March 10, from 8 a.m. to noon.

Feb. 13: For faculty - aspiring leaders and administrators Straight Talk workshop; register online

Feb. 16: People to People Career Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union

Feb. 22: The campus-wide, College-by-College Pitch Off gives students a chance to pitch their ideas and earn prizes. Encourage students to sign up! The CHS pitch session is Feb. 22.

Feb. 22: Cultivate 2023

Registration is open for Cultivate 2023, the annual professional development conference for P&S staff hosted by the Professional and Scientific Council. It will be held Wednesday, Feb. 22, at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center. Registration is required.

March 1 and 3: ISCORE 2023

Registration is open!

March 7: For faculty - Thriving term faculty, Straight Talk workshop; register online

April 6: For faculty - flourishing tenure-eligible and tenured faculty Straight Talk workshop; register online

Publication note: This edition of Happenings was published on Feb. 8 rather than the initially-planned date of Feb. 7.