Monday Update: Human Sciences leadership

In any journey, there may be changes along the way. When the Human Sciences Extension and Outreach community began Journey 2030, their strategic sustainability plan, they committed to living their best lives every day and empowering Iowans to do the same. Now Human Sciences Extension and Outreach will be continuing their journey with a change in leadership. On February 1, Deb Sellers will move from her position as director of Human Sciences Extension and Outreach and associate dean for extension in the College of Human Sciences to become associate dean for academic personnel within the college. Her new position will be 75% administrative and 25% as an extension state specialist focused on adaptive living for older adults and adults with disabilities. Her priority for extension scholarship will be the My Wellbeing program and related work.

Beginning February 1, Sarah Francis will serve as interim director of Human Sciences Extension and Outreach and interim associate dean for extension in the College of Human Sciences. Sarah has been an associate professor with ISU’s Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition and food health extension state specialist. As interim director and associate dean, she will continue the work that Deb began in advocating for our human sciences community and working toward Journey 2030.

We congratulate Deb and Sarah on their new positions, we thank them for their ongoing service, and we look forward to continuing the journey.

Black History Month and George Washington Carver Day

February is Black History Month. Beginning this year, February 1 is George Washington Carver Day in Iowa. George Washington Carver was the first African American student to attend Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, now Iowa State University, and in 1894 became the first African American to earn a Bachelor of Science. He stayed in Ames and became the first African American faculty member. For more information about Carver’s time in Ames, check out this segment of the PBS program “George Washington Carver: An Uncommon Life.” Iowa State is holding a special event to honor Carver February 1, 5:30-7:00 p.m., at the Memorial Union. The event also will be livestreamed.

George Washington Carver is one of many who were part of Black History in Iowa; some names we know, but many others we do not. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisor Regenea Hurte and I encourage you to take some time, not just in February, but every day, to get to know more about those who established Black History at Iowa State and in the State of Iowa. Did you know? Professional Development’s Coming Together for Racial Understanding also offers some perspective about African Americans in Iowa history. Other resources that share a wealth of information about African Americans in Iowa history include Iowa PBS, the Iowa Department of Human Rights, the African American Museum of Iowa, and Prairie Roots Research.

Climate survey update: Demographics

Thanks again to all faculty, staff, and council members who participated in ISU Extension and Outreach’s inaugural Climate Survey. Today’s update highlights demographic information about the approximately 450 respondents.

  • Gender: About 78% identified as female; about 21% identified as male.
  • Sexual Orientation: About 92% identified as heterosexual; about 6% identified as LGBTQIA+.
  • Race: About 94% identified as White; about 4% identified as Black, Asian-American, Indigenous, or Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. (Regarding race, 2020 Census data indicate that the state of Iowa is about 85% white, and about 4% Black alone. As such ISU Extension and Outreach does not necessarily reflect the population of Iowa that we serve.)
  • Ethnicity: About 94% identified as Not Hispanic/Latino; about 3% identified as Hispanic/Latino.
  • Ability: About 90% identified as not living with any disability. About 10% identified as living with one or more conditions that impact their learning, working, or living activities. Within this group, 58 individuals reported conditions that would be deemed “invisible,” meaning that the condition may not be readily apparent to an onlooker, but still can significantly impact or limit daily activities.

ISU Extension and Outreach seeks to serve all Iowans and we also want to reflect the communities we serve. We are working to recruit and retain highly skilled, diverse faculty and staff through establishing and fostering relationships with minority serving institutions, leveraging existing internships and building extension tracks in other ISU internship programs to engage diverse students, and engaging through our Workforce Expansion Initiative Committee. The committee is working on taking intentional, directed steps regarding how and where ISU Extension and Outreach recruits applicants, our interview and screening processes, and retention policies as we continue to address our goal of valuing every voice, nurturing a welcoming culture, and being an employer of choice in the state of Iowa.

Response to recent events in Memphis

As we reflect on Black History Month, George Washington Carver Day, and our continuing aspirations for diversity, equity, and inclusion, please be aware that many Iowans have been personally impacted by news and images of the recent killing of Tyre Nichols in Memphis. Please reach out to them and support them through this difficult time. Iowa State is working with student organizations and liaison officers to connect with students who may be struggling.

More notes

  • The MOU Virtual Town Hall FAQ is available on the MOU webpage, along with the video recording of the town hall and the draft MOU and addendums. We are working to confirm Human Resources details and complete the final versions of the documents, which we will send to council chairs and regional directors.
  • Remember to submit nominations for the 2023 ISU Extension and Outreach Awards. See the awards website for award descriptions and nomination guidelines. Nominations should be sent to Linda Young, lindakay@iastate.edu, by 12 noon, February 10.
  • Registration is open for our 2023 ISU Extension and Outreach Annual Conference, March 6-7 in Ames. Early registration closes February 17 and late registration closes February 24. Due to catering needs, we will not accept onsite registration. Please register now and plan to attend this year’s event. I look forward to seeing you.

John D. Lawrence
Vice President for Extension and Outreach