Jeff Budlong

It's a piece of paper, but to those taking part in commencement this week, it means so much more.

Senior vice president and provost Jason Keith gave the summary of faculty advancement data at the final Faculty Senate meeting of the semester on May 12. The Iowa Board of Regents approved promotion recommendations for tenure-eligible faculty last month.

Benefits director Ed Holland shared results of the 2025 benefits survey and drew comparisons to the 2022 survey during the Professional and Scientific (P&S) Council meeting May 21. The 2025 survey was sent to 6,799 employees and had a response rate of 42%. P&S employees had the highest response rate at 66% followed by faculty at 17%.

The $35 million Iowa State University Kent Feed Mill and Grain Science Complex was built entirely by donations and in its second year of operation.

Workers remove a portion of sediment from the bottom of Lake LaVerne and put it in a truck to be taken away. The area will create a low space for the remaining water to be pumped out.

Adventure2, the employee well-being and engagement program, helps Iowa Staters make changes big and small in their lives. This summer, it will undergo its own changes with a new name and platform.

Event management's Shawn Brekke represents student engagement at the resource fair at the Student Innovation Center. Campus and community representatives provide materials about programs, activities and services at Iowa State. Students can register for Destination Iowa State and complete additional action items. A Cyclone Aide leads a small group of incoming students as they enjoy some ice breaking gatherings in front of the Memorial Union during orientation activities.

Changes to the university’s healthcare benefits for 2027 will provide enhanced vision and dental services and maintain medical plan designs with no changes to deductibles, copays, coinsurance or covered services under the medical/pharmacy plan.

The ongoing excavation of Lake LaVerne has uncovered many items while digging into Iowa State history one bucketload at a time: bicycles, bowling balls, golf balls and plenty of vintage pop bottles. On Thursday afternoon, the first big bang of a discovery was pulled onto the lake's banks -- a cannon.

Roger Suski, information technology multimedia events supervisor, tests some of the gear inside a new broadcast studio’s control room taking shape in the basement of Hamilton Hall this summer.