Iowa State University Alumni Association| online edition | fall 2005

FALL 2005
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Athletes & Academics

Feature:
Dancing in Rhythm

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AROUND CAMPUS

And the Halls Come Tumblin' Down
Ask the Experts: Choosing Child Care
From the President
Breach found in Alumni Association computer
Covering the Bridges
To Russia, with Song
Budget New$
Seeking Thrill Seekers
Changes at the Top
Passages

And the Halls Come Tumblin' Down (return to top)

After nearly 10 years of buzz about the demise of
Knapp and Storms halls in ISU’s Towers residence
neighborhood, the 10-story residence halls were finally reduced to a heap of rubble in the course of 14 jawdropping seconds at 10:05 a.m. on July 19. Crews
imploded the building using 110 pounds of explosives
on four levels that caused the building to collapse
quickly – mostly through the aid of gravity.

ISU project manager Kerry Dixon-Fox said, “things
went like a dream,” as the implosion took place just as planned. The event drew a crowd of about 5,000-6,000 spectators, including Iowa Staters from all over the state and with all different levels of connection to the Towers – not to mention a variety of local and national news crews, cable television networks, and even a new prime time NBC reality television show.

Ben Chamberlain (ag studies ’99) was among the
spectators. Chamberlain spent three years as Knapp’s
hall director and is now an academic adviser for the
College of Business at ISU. “I got in the habit of driving by the buildings every day when I was going to work,” he said. “When i walked out there (July 19) I thought I was ready for it, but i was sort of overcome with emotion when i saw them come down.
“We put a lot of ourselves into those buildings,” he said. "I knew it was necessary, but it was hard to
see them come down because of the unique type of
community that was present there. You had to live
there to appreciate what it was really about.”

For those who hadn’t lived there, the implosion
was simply the place to be. “I was at work and clocked out quick to run up there,” said ISU senior Sam Miller, who took a brief break from his job at the Memorial Union Food Court because he “just had to see” the implosion. “It was definitely one of the coolest things I’ve seen,” he said. “Everyone who could be was outside watching it."

Ask the Experts: Choosing Child Care (return to top)

It’s back-to-school time, and parents everywhere are eagerly sending their children off to class. For parents with infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, obtaining quality child care may be more difficult. VISIONS asked Susan Hegland and Lesia Oesterreich to answer a few questions and provide resources to parents and educators. Hegland is an associate professor and Oesterreich is a Families Extension
specialist, both in the Department of Human Development & Family Studies.

Which is best: family child care or a child care center?
We see excellent and poor care in both centers and
homes. Unfortunately, most care is mediocre – not surprising since most caregivers earn less than hotel maids. Parents who prefer center care tell us they
seek staff education, program monitoring, and planned curricula.

Parents who prefer family child care tell us they like cozy “homelike” settings, informal daily routines, and opportunities for siblings to be together. Family child care often costs less than center care because fees do not include costs for the physical facility, utilities, or health insurance. Family child care is more available during non-traditional evening hours.

What should my child be learning at child care?
Parents and professionals agree that young children need:

• Large motor skills, such as running and throwing
• Small motor skills, like building and painting
• Communication skills (listening, talking, and literacy)
• Cognitive skills, such as math and problem-solving
• Emotional regulation skills
• Social skills, like joint play and conflict resolution
skills

Most states have Early Learning Standards identifying
skills children learn in early childhood. Information
on these standards is www.nccic.org/pubs/goodstart
index.html.

How structured should early care and education be?
Young children need predictable daily routines; room arrangement and learning materials provide most of the structure. Children need daily access to a variety of materials (blocks, crayons, blank paper, water, etc.) They may use in multiple ways. Infants and toddlers spend most of their day in child-selected play while adults respond to their signals for play, singing, or book activities.

Preschoolers need a balance between child-initiated and adult-directed activities. Preschoolers should spend about half their day in self-selected indoor and outdoor activities, the other half in group activities such as stories and music, or routine activities such as meals and rest.

Play is children’s work. Young children generally show higher levels of skill in self-selected than in adult-directed activities. They learn more vocabulary conversing with adults about their chosen activities rather than about adult-assigned activities. Preschool programs dominated by adult-directed activities and a narrow literacy or math curriculum typically produce
short-lived gains and higher levels of stress and anxiety.

How do I choose quality child care?
Checklists for program quality can be found at the resources identified at the end of this article. Younger children need more adults present, smaller group sizes, and more consistent caregivers. Look for no more than eight infants or 16 preschoolers in one
group with at least two caregivers. The best way to
assess quality is to observe at different times of the day. Avoid caregivers who talk only to control children’s behavior and to manage routines. Instead, look for caregivers who regularly engage in meaningful conversations with each child. Caregivers who listen to children and ask “why, how, and what if” questions encourage learning and healthy relationships.

States with more rigorous monitoring and more rigorous regulations generally have higher quality care. Centers accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and homes accredited by the National Association for Family Child Care also tend to be of higher quality Accredited programs can be located using the Web sites of these organizations (see below).

Where can I find more practical information about quality child care?
Iowa State University Families Extension has developed “Child Care Lasts a Lifetime” with a variety
of resources: www.extension.iastate.
edu/childcare/quality/.

Additional resources include:

• National Network for Child Care (www.nncc.org)
• National Association for the Education of Young Children (www.naeyc.org)
• National Association for Family Child Care (www.nafcc.org)
• National Child Care Information Center (www.nccic.org).

From the President (return to top)

To alumni and friends of Iowa State:

Fall semester is here! The campus is once again alive with students. The new football season is under way. And there are so many great activities going on. You can feel the excitement building for what promises to be a really fantastic year!

We have tremendous momentum as we begin the new
academic year. Our new strategic plan is in place; planning is in progress for our next major fund-raising campaign; VEISHEA has been revitalized and strengthened for 2006; and the Cyclone athletic teams are poised for what could be one of the best overall seasons in Iowa State’s history. Indeed, the Cyclone football team has been picked by some to win the North Division of the Big 12 Conference!

We began the new year in grand fashion July 1 with the launching of Iowa State’s newest college, the College of Human Sciences. It was a wonderful event
that celebrated both the great history and traditions of Iowa State and the exciting potential for the future with the new directions we are taking. You can read more about that event in this issue of VISIONS.

In addition, the renovation of Morrill Hall is moving forward, and groundbreaking ceremonies will be held this fall for two very important new facilities: the ISU Alumni Center and the Hixson-Lied Student Success Center. And after receiving our first state appropriation increase in five years, we are eager to
begin work with Iowa’s elected leaders once again to continue strengthening the university in areas critical to our students and to Iowa’s future. Indeed, we are optimistic and excited about the coming year.

I deeply appreciate the many ways our alumni and friends have helped Iowa State with these and many other accomplishments. Be assured that we will be calling on you again this year for your involvement, from participating in campus and Alumni Association events, to supporting the university with our elected leaders. One of the great strengths of Iowa State University is its extremely loyal family of alumni and friends, and I want you to know how much we all appreciate what you do for the university.

I hope you will be able to come to campus this fall to enjoy some of our many great activities!

Go Cyclones!
Gregory L. Geoffroy
President

P.S. The Alumni Association is getting very close to its goal of 50,000 members. If you are not currently a member, please consider joining. There are many benefits, and it would be great to announce that we have reached 50,000 members at the groundbreaking
for the new Alumni Center Oct. 22! Thanks!

Breach found in Alumni Association computer (return to top)

Alumni Association officials notified 3,359 alumni, students, and online customers in July that a computer containing some of their personal information had been improperly accessed.

It was not immediately known if the personal information, which included some credit card, Social Security, and student ID numbers, was viewed or taken during the intrusion. As a precaution, Alumni Association officials alerted those whose personal information was on the computer. Additionally, a Web site was set up and the toll-free line was available to assist any individuals concerned about the security of their personal data. The Web site is located at www.
isualum.org/faq/ and the phone number is
(877) ISU-ALUM.

Security staff from Iowa State’s Information Technology Services noticed suspicious network activity on the Alumni Association computer July 6 and immediately removed the computer from the campus network.

In a subsequent investigation, ITS staff found unauthorized file-sharing software on the computer – an indication that an intruder was using it to distribute movies. The security staff found that the computer contained credit card numbers of 2,379
people who had purchased merchandise and memberships or registered for Association events through the Association Web site between April 1, 2004 and July 6, 2005. The computer also contained
2,301 Social Security numbers of students, and a few others, who signed up for Alumni Association-sponsored activities during the same period.

Officials explained that the security breach was on one computer only and did not affect any other university departments that accept credit cards or maintain confidential records.

An independent security firm has been hired to further analyze the security breach and advise the Alumni Association on guarding against future intrusions. ISU Police are also investigating the security breach.

The computer was being used to serve the Web pages for the Alumni Association and its student groups. Those Web pages were off line July 6-13 but have since been restored to service. The Alumni
Association is currently setting up new online services with enhanced security for future transactions.

Covering the Bridges (return to top)

The romantic – and famous, thanks to Robert James Waller’s 1992 book – bridges of Madison County will soon be under the watchful eye of ISU engineers hoping to protect the bridges from further arson
attacks. Arsonists in 2002 and 2003 destroyed the 1883 Cedar Bridge and the 1884 Hogback Bridge, and now the ISU Bridge Engineering Center is developing technology to protect the landmarks with three layers of remote monitoring equipment. The equipment includes flame detection devices, infrared
cameras, and fiber-optic strain gauges. Data collected by the monitoring devices will be immediately sent to a computer that will notify emergency crews in the event of suspicious activity.

To Russia, with Song (return to top)

A delegation of music faculty and alumni traveled to
kaliningrad, russia, last summer to participate in two
concerts commemorating the 750th anniversary of the founding of the city formerly known as Konigsberg.

Jeffrey Prater, professor of music, led the Iowa State
group that also included faculty members Andrew Adams, piano; Michael Giles, saxophone; and Sonja Giles, flute. they were joined by Elizabeth Sadilek-Labenski, flute, a former Iowa State music faculty member and now regular flutist with the Cedar Rapids Symphony and the Boulder Philharmonic; and Laura Pedersen, an ISU music graduate. Pedersen spent five years performing with the Bremen Opera in Germany and is a frequent guest artist with American Opera Companies and Orchestras.

Budget New$ (return to top)

A partial transformation
While it is not the full $40 million proposed in the
Pegents Partnership Plan for Transformation and
Excellence, the Iowa legislature approved a $29
million pie for the state’s regent universities – with
an $11.62 million slice heading Iowa State’s way.
the board of regents, state of iowa, has directed isu
to honor the full reallocation figures specified in the
original proposed transformation plan, even though the plan wasn’t fully funded. reallocated dollars will go toward 22 strategic plan initiatives to enhance educational programs, strengthen outreach programs, and increase administrative efficiencies on campus.

A mid-year tuition increase
An audible sigh of relief was heard across the state
of Iowa in July when the Board of Regents, State of
Iowa, decided against a mid-year tuition increase at
Iowa State, the University of Iowa, and the University of Northern Iowa as was originally feared. Regent president michael gartner said that at the time the increase was originally proposed, it appeared that the increase in state funding for the universities
would be $35 million short of what Gov. Tom Vilsack
proposed. However, with the approval of the Regents
Transformation Plan and the universities “stretching
hard” to come up with money for strategic initiatives,
Gartner said he felt it was the right decision to cancel the July 14 board meeting and move forward without considering the mid-year tuition increase.

Seeking Thrill Seekers (return to top)

Have you climbed the highest peaks on every continent? Completed a Badwater Uramarathon
Race? surfed, snowboarded, biked, or kayaked your way to greatness?

VISIONS is looking for alumni who push their physical endurance to the limit – in other words, extreme
athletes – for an upcoming feature. Let us know who you are! E-mail cgieseke@alumni.iastate.edu.

Changes at the Top (return to top)

Catherine Woteki
Catherine Woteki, who has served as dean of ISU’s College of Agriculture since 2001, has left Iowa State to become global director of scientific affairs at Mars, Inc., in McLean, Va. Senior associate agriculture
dean Wendy Wintersteen (phd entomology ’88) will
serve as interim dean until the permanent dean is selected.

Pete Englin
Dean of Students Pete Englin (phd hotel, restaurant, and institution mgmt/family and consumer sciences ed ’01) has been named ISU’s fourth director of the Department of Residence following the departure
of Randy Alexander in July 2004. Englin spent eight years as a coordinator of residence life for the department before becoming ISU Dean of Students
in 2000 and says he is anxious to return to the department he loves.

John Brighton
John Brighton, an assistant director of the National Science Foundation and head of its engineering directorate, has been appointed to a three-year
term as iowa state’s vice provost for research. he replaces James Bloedel, who left the position to join the faculty in ISU’s departments of health and human performance and biomedical sciences.

Passages (return to top)

Samuel P. Massie Jr. (ph.d. ’46 organic chemistry), a chemistry professor who was the first African- American to teach at the U.S. Naval Academy, died April 10 at age 85 in Laurel, Md. according to his obituary in the Washington Post, Massie considered himself first and foremost a teacher, though he also gained widespread recognition for his work in chemistry. He was named oneof the 75 premier chemists of the 20th century, along with Marie Curie
and George Washington Carver. At Iowa State, Massie worked on the Manhattan Project, making liquid compounds of uranium for the atomic bomb. He later received awards for research in combating malaria and meningitis, worked on drugs to fight herpes and cancer, and developed protective foams against nerve gases. Massie was featured in the winter 1999 issue of VISIONS magazine.

John Garang (phd ’81), vice president of Sudan, was killed in a helicopter crash on July 30. Garang, who earned a bachelor’s degree from Iowa’s Grinnell ISU, had only been named vice president of the war-torn
country three weeks before his death. He had previously been the leader of southern Sudan’s rebel movement and was a key figure in a January peace deal. His death was felt strongly in central Iowa; a rally was held on the steps of the Iowa State Capitol building on Aug. 4, and the ISU Sudanese Student Association sponsored a memorial for Garang on
campus Aug. 6. “We were greatly saddened by the tragic death of John Garang,” said ISU president Gregory Geoffroy. “We hope his legacy will be one of peace and unity for the people of Sudan.” Garang was featured in the fall 2002 issue of VISIONS.