What an amazing start to this academic year!!!  Thank you for everything you do!

Faculty – Associate Dean Rebaza and I met with a small group of CNAS students this past week.  We asked them why they were here and what was keeping them at MSU.  They always talked about you and your passion!  They love field trips, hands on activities, and the connections that help you them make!!!!  They all indicated that they were invited by you and others to join student organizations in their departments and they felt part of Missouri State.   Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!! Their one major request was that they wanted opportunities to meet across departments to learn about other majors and to meet more people.  Associate Dean Rebaza and I will help to make that happen for them.

2015 State of the College Address is posted – http://science.missouristate.edu/College-Annual-Reports.htm

New Faculty Mentoring Plan is posted – http://science.missouristate.edu/College-Policies.htm

CNAS Workload Policy is posted – http://science.missouristate.edu/assets/science/CNAS_Workload_Policy_2015.pdf

We are working on finalizing all college committee assignments.  Each group will be notified in the next two weeks and a September meeting will be scheduled. The final committee assignments will be posted on the college website and the link will be sent in the next newsletter!

College Council meets September 8.
CGEIP and Graduate Council meet September 9.
Faculty Senate meets September 10.

Construction Update –   We have some truly amazing new spaces!!!  Please take a walk in the next couple of weeks to see.  Open Houses will be held a little later in the semester when projects are truly complete.

Pummill Hall – Final punch list items are being addressed with the goal of completion prior September 18.
Temple Hall – Punch list items are being addressed at this time.  Next week work on the final room (403) will begin.  We should have a realistic completion timeline after next week.    As you continue to find items that need to be fixed or cleaned that are related to our construction projects – please send these items to your department head.  We will make sure that your lists get to the right people!

Research Funding Opportunities –
We no longer subscribe to the email alert system from which we forwarded grant opportunities in the past.  However, we now have a much better tool, called Pivot, for finding grant funding opportunities. Follow the link below and go to Pivot Funding Opportunities. Once you’ve obtained a Pivot username and password you will be able to access your account.   http://ora.missouristate.edu/find-funding.htm
From your account you can do keyword searches, save searches, and set up regular e-mail notifications.  A Profile has already been set up for you based on your CV/Webpage — and Pivot will run searches based on your Profile.  (Access and modify your profile by selecting on your name in the upper right corner of your Pivot home page.)
The Pivot site is really user friendly and there are tutorials and help links if you need them. Try it out and if you have problems I’d be glad to sit down with you and show you what I know.  Dan Beckman

Research News –
Mike Reed – Congratulations on the new Missouri Space Grant though NASA and Missouri S&T!
Mark Owen and Bob Pavlowsky – Congratulations on your new contract with the city of Springfield for the stormwater basin post-monitoring continuation project.
Kevin Mickus – Congratulations on your award through the National Science Foundation’s MRI for the acquisition of a gravity meter for geophysical research and teaching.

CNAS NEWS – http://news.missouristate.edu/tag/cnas/
MIND’S EYE – https://blogs.missouristate.edu/mindseye/

Master Advisor Refresher Workshop
Facilitated by Susan Martindale
Option 1: Tuesday, September 22, 2:00 to 4:30 p.m., Plaster Student Union 308
Option 2: Friday, October 2, 1:30 to 4:00 p.m.., Plaster Student Union 317

Space is limited and registration is required at http://www.missouristate.edu/advising/42540.htm
Designed for those whose Master Advisor designation has lapsed or for those who wish to complete the year’s recertification requirements in one session.

September/October Calendar

Seminar Schedules are posted at http://science.missouristate.edu/. If you have not turned in your departmental seminar schedule to the dean’s office yet – please do so and we will add your seminars to the college calendar.

NASA Public Observing Nights at Baker Observatory – http://physics.missouristate.edu/BakerObservatory.htm
September 9     KME/MTH Scholarship picnic, Phelps Grove Park
September 11-13   Family Weekend, Ozarks Celebration Festival, Pride Band Reunion
September 14   Public Affairs Week – http://publicaffairs.missouristate.edu/paw/Schedule.htm
September 15   CNAS Public Lecture, Matt Pierson/EGR, 7:30 pm, Temple 002 – All are welcome.  Please invite your students.
September 23  HRA Scholarship reception, 3:45-5:00 pm, PUMM 404
Sept 23-25        American Society for Engineering Education
September 26  EYH, 8:00-12:30 (Temple and Kemper Halls)
September 28  CNAS Fall Speaker series at the Library Center, Kevin Mickus, 7:00 pm
September 29  Majors Fair 9 am – 3 pm (set up at 8 am)
October 1          State of the University Address, 12:30 PM, PSU Theatre
October 1          HRA Casino Night, 5:30-7:30 pm, PUMM 404
October 5-6  HLC Team on Campus – If you are invited to an open forum, please attend.  There will also be sessions where you can just drop in.  Schedules will be posted soon.
October 6        Springfield School District Fair at the Oasis Convention Center (this used to be at University Plaza) from 4:30-6:30 PM
October 13      CNAS Public Lecture, Peter Plavchan, 7:30 pm, Temple 002
October 14      HRA Board of Advisors meeting, 3:45-5:30
Octr 14 & 15    HRA Recruiters Fair, PSU and PUMM
October 16      Departmental Advisory Boards meet
October 16      CNAS Mixer at Mothers Brewing from 5-7 PM
October 16      Earth, Wind and Fire Concert – 8 PM at the Q
October 17      MSU Homecoming
October 18      NACAC Fair in St. Louis on the SLU campus from 1-4 PM
October 20     Public Affairs Convocation – http://publicaffairs.missouristate.edu/Convocation/
Oct 22-23       Biology Program Review Site visit
Oct 21-24       American Chemical Society, Midwest meeting. St. Joseph, MO
October 26    CNAS Fall Speaker series at the Library Center, Debbie Corcoran, 7:00 pm
October 27    STEM Reverse Career Fair 4-7 PM, PSU 400/Union Club
October 31    Fall Showcase

HOMECOMING NEWS – October 16-17
NEW!! Homecoming Headquarters
Davis-Harrington Welcome Center. Anyone can stop in for updated information and schedules, campus maps, and, yes, snacks compliments of the alumni association!  Have friends coming to campus?  Gather at Homecoming Headquarters to plan your weekend activities, and make sure you have the absolute latest information about campus activities.  You might even have the chance to win prizes and participate in other fun activities! If you have any suggestions for ensuring our visitors get their weekends off on the right foot, please let me know!   Hours:  Friday from 3 pm to 7:30 pm/Saturday from 7 am to 5:30 pm
Friday, October 16

• Please note that CNAS will host a gathering for faculty, staff and alumni at Mother’s Brewing from 5-7 PM (Cash Bar)
• It’s official!  Earth, Wind and Fire will perform a Homecoming concert at 8:00 pm at the Q.  Tickets are $65 each at Missouristatetix.com, the JQH Arena Box Office, or charge by phone at 836-7678
• Unfortunately, we have canceled the traditional Homecoming 5K this year.  In an effort to spice things up a little, we moved the race to Friday night before the concert was scheduled.  For the safety of our runners, we will suspend the 5K until next year.  (We were unable at this late date to secure the permits and race managers to reschedule)
• The annual alumni association awards banquet has been moved to a new date….see below.

Saturday, October 17

• VIP breakfast – We’re downsizing a bit this year! Stay tuned for details, but we will host a light breakfast prior to the parade for VIPs
• Breakfast with Boomer – 7:30 am – 9 am at Juanita K Hammons hall.  There will be a charge for this, TBD.  Bring the whole family for a buffet breakfast, and enjoy Story Time (a reading of “Where’s Boomer” of course!) before the parade.
• Parade in the morning
• MarooNation Alumni Zone!  This year at BearFest Village, we’ll be offering $1 beer and additional food choices to guests, along with other fun activities under the tent.  We are also encouraging any smaller “reunion” groups to plan to meet at our tent if they don’t want to spend the time/money on their own.  Just have them contact us to reserve a table or two for them!  The REAL Bears and the Standard alumni reunions will be taking advantage of our tent in this way.
• Football Game in the afternoon
• Basketball scrimmage has been scheduled at JQH at 5:30 pm.  Details to come.
• Bears on the Square –  There will be NO actual activity on the square this year. J We’re focusing instead on making our downtown businesses even more a part of Homecoming weekend, so watch for that list of participating vendors and special Homecoming deals to come.

Alumni Association Awards –
Please be sure to remind Department heads and faculty that the Awards event has been rescheduled for June 10, 2016.  We realize that summer months aren’t the ideal time for faculty participation, but for next year this was the best time frame available to us.  Important things to note:

• Award nominations must be submitted by December 1, 2015. Go to: http://alumni.missouristate.edu/alumni-awards.htm
• We will be adding award categories this year.

As always – if you have questions please let me know.  If you have news – please share it!

Tammy