Missed anything from today’s Destress Fest? This is the last day for our DeStress Fest. We hope it helped make your days a little easier and, well, less stressed! If you’ve missed anything, head to our website and check it out!
Need some humor to start the day? How about a cheesy Dad Joke? Check our DeStress Fest webpage at 9:00 a.m. every weekday for a new joke to groan at!
Today’s joke:
What are the strongest days of the week?
Saturday & Sunday, the rest are weak-days!
(you may groan now!)
We had our final meditation session this morning. A representative from Student Wellness lead us through guided meditation to help you discover new ways to help you relax. Today’s session was led by Haley Hines. She taught a body scan method as a way to “get out of our heads.” This method pinpoint places in the body where you may be feeling stressed and tense. The Student Wellness Center has a Koru mindfullness program which you may access here. They’d love to talk with you!
Who doesn’t love chocolate and peanut butter together? Well, today’s recipe is for a yummy Chocolate PB Cake in a Mug! Easy and tasty! We want to see your results – so post your photos here. The crazier the mug – the better!!!
At 4:00 p.m. each week day we have posted an Inspirational Quote for the day! It’s getting late in the day and you could no doubt use a bit of inspiration!
“Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope or confidence.” Helen Keller
Do you have a quote that you have found to be especially helpful? We have a board where you can share it. It might just be what someone else needs to hear!
Didn’t make Show and Tail last Friday? We have a board where we encourage you to post pictures of that special pet that is driving your crazy or making you smile!
We hope DeStress Fest has helped you have a better week!
We’ve enjoyed sharing it with you!
Missed anything from today’s Destress Fest? Enjoy this recap and then be sure to join us tomorrow!
Need some humor to start the day? How about a cheesy Dad Joke? Check our DeStress Fest webpage at 9:00 a.m. every weekday for a new joke to groan at!
Today’s joke:
There’s a fine line between a numerator and denominator!
(you may groan now)
At 11:00 a.m. join us for a Live guided meditation session! A representative from Student Wellness will lead you through guided meditation to help you relax, so you are ready to face the rest of the day! Don’t worry if you haven’t tried meditation before, the sessions are short – 10 to 15 minutes. And no, you don’t have to be able to sit in a lotus position to participate! This is a live session so registration is required – you’ll get an email with the session’s link an hour before the session begins. Register here for Tuesday’s session! The representative will be available for questions following the session. Today’s session was led by JoAnn Daehler-Miller. She focused on the Gatha method which was developed to train minds to not just be learning minds, but also observing minds. This method helps relieve stress and anxiety – just what is needed during finals week!
Who doesn’t love a Snickerdoodle cookie? Well, today’s recipe is for a yummy Snickerdoodle Cake in a Mug! Easy and tasty! We want to see your results – so post your photos here. The crazier the mug – the better!!!
It’s getting later in the day and your motivation is wavering. At 4:00 p.m. each week day check out our Inspirational Quote for the day!
“In the midst of chaos, there is also opportunity” — Sun Tsu
Definitely an appropriate quote for this week! Do you have a quote that you have found to be especially helpful? We have a board where you can share it. It might just be what someone else needs to hear!
Didn’t make Show and Tail last Friday? We have a board where we encourage you to post pictures of that special pet that is driving your crazy or making you smile!
Missed anything from today’s Destress Fest? Enjoy this recap and then be sure to join us Monday!
Need some humor to start the day? How about a cheesy Dad Joke? Check our DeStress Fest webpage at 9:00 a.m. every weekday for a new joke to groan at!
Today’s joke:
Did you hear about the mathematician who was afraid of negative numbers?
He’d stop at nothing to avoid them!
At 11:00 a.m. join us for a Live guided meditation session! A representative from Student Wellness will lead you through guided meditation to help you relax, so you are ready to face the rest of the day! Don’t worry if you haven’t tried meditation before, the sessions are short – 10 to 15 minutes. And no, you don’t have to be able to sit in a lotus position to participate! This is a live session so registration is required – you’ll get an email with the session’s link an hour before the session begins. Register here for Monday’s session! The representative will be available for questions following the session.
Today’s recipe is for a yummy Birthday Cake in a Mug – this recipe also includes instructions on how to make it vegan! It may not be your birthday – but celebrate anyway! We want to see your results – so post your photos here. The crazier the mug – the better!!!
It’s getting later in the day and your motivation is wavering. At 4:00 p.m. each week day check out our Inspirational Quote for the day!
“Opportunities to find deeper powers within ourselves come when life seems most challenging.” This inspiring quote comes from Joseph Campbell.
Do you have a quote that you have found to be especially helpful? We have a board where you can share it. It might just be what someone else needs to hear!
Didn’t make Show and Tail this afternoon? We have a board where we encourage you to post pictures of that special pet that is driving your crazy or making you smile!
Missed anything from today’s Destress Fest? Enjoy this recap and then be sure to join us tomorrow!
Need some humor to start the day? How about a cheesy Dad Joke? Check our DeStress Fest webpage at 9:00 a.m. every weekday for a new joke to groan at!
Today’s joke:
What does an atom say when it loses an electron?
“Man, I really gotta keep an ion them!”
At 11:00 a.m. join us for a Live guided meditation session! A representative from Student Wellness will lead you through guided meditation to help you relax, so you are ready to face the rest of the day! Don’t worry if you haven’t tried meditation before, the sessions are short – 10 to 15 minutes. And no, you don’t have to be able to sit in a lotus position to participate! This is a live session so registration is required – you’ll get an email with the session’s link an hour before the session begins. Register here for tomorrow’s session! The representative will be available for questions following the session. Today’s session was led by JoAnn Daehler-Miller and focused on an exercise which is useful for high stress and anxiety times. It helps with focus, but also provides energy to help finish that paper or project! Register for tomorrow and see what helpful mindfulness practice will be presented!
Need a snack boost in the afternoon? We’ve got you covered, there, too! Every week day at 1:00 p.m. a new Cake in a Mug recipe will be posted! We encourage you to try the recipes and then go to our DeStress Fest page and post a picture of your creation – the crazier the mug, the better!
Today’s recipe is for a yummy Coffee Cake in a Mug – this recipe also includes instructions on how to make it gluten-free! We want to see your results – so post your photos here. The crazier the mug – the better!!!
It’s getting later in the day and your motivation is wavering. At 4:00 p.m. each week day check out our Inspirational Quote for the day!
Today’s quote is from Nelson Mandela. “Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world.”
Do you have a quote that you have found to be especially helpful? We have a board where you can share it. It might just be what someone else needs to hear!
AND!!! Friday, May 8, at 2:00 p.m. (CDT) we will have a Live “Show and Tail” event! Register here and then share that “co-worker” who is keeping you company! All pets with tails are welcome – fish, lizards, birds, cats, dogs, turtles, whatever is keeping you company now! Zoom meeting information will be sent to registrants an hour before “Show and Tail!”
Can’t make Show and Tail? We have a board where we encourage you to post pictures of that special pet that is driving your crazy or making you smile!
Missed anything from today’s Destress Fest? Enjoy this recap and then be sure to join us tomorrow!
Need some humor to start the day? How about a cheesy Dad Joke? Check our DeStress Fest webpage at 9:00 a.m. every weekday for a new joke to groan at!
Today’s joke:
Two windmills are standing in a wind farm.
One asks, “what’s your favorite kind of music?
Thee other says, “I’m a big metal fan.”
At 11:00 a.m. join us for a Live guided meditation session! A representative from Student Wellness will lead you through guided meditation to help you relax, so you are ready to face the rest of the day! Don’t worry if you haven’t tried meditation before, the sessions are short – 10 to 15 minutes. And no, you don’t have to be able to sit in a lotus position to participate! This is a live session so registration is required – you’ll get an email with the session’s link an hour before the session begins. Register here for tomorrow’s session! The representative will be available for questions following the session.
Need a snack boost in the afternoon? We’ve got you covered, there, too! Every week day at 1:00 p.m. a new Cake in a Cup recipe will be posted! We encourage you to try the recipes and then go to our DeStress Fest page and post a picture of your creation – the crazier the mug, the better!
Today’s recipe is for a yummy Chocolate Mug Cake – give it a try and let us see your results!
It’s getting later in the day and your motivation is wavering. At 4:00 p.m. each week day check out our Inspirational Quote for the day!
“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.” Henry Ford.
We have a board where you can share inspirational quotes that have helped you.
Friday, May 8, at 2:00 p.m. (CDT) we will have a Live “Show and Tail” event! Register here and then share that “co-worker” who is keeping you company! All pets with tails are welcome – fish, lizards, birds, cats, dogs, turtles, whatever is keeping you company now! Zoom meeting information will be sent to registrants an hour before “Show and Tail!”
Can’t make Show and Tail? We have a board where we encourage you to post pictures of that special pet that is driving your crazy or making you smile!
It’s the end of the semester and we are all feeling it. STRESS.
But, have no fear – we are here for you!
We’re here and you are there, so what can we do to help you feel less stress and anxiety? Have a DeStress Fest, of course!
Starting Wednesday, May 6th through Tuesday, May 12th, we will be hosting a virtual DeStress Fest! We have activities you can do while maintaining physical distancing but still connecting with others online. The event will feature a LIVE pet show and “tail,” LIVE Guided Meditation Sessions, plus daily dad jokes, mug recipes and inspirational quotes.
On Friday, the 8th, at 2 PM, we’ll be having a “Show and Tail” zoom session!! Be sure to register HEREahead of time so that you receive the Zoom link an hour before the session. Then, come and share your pets and a tell a story (tale/tail) about your pet! Remember – birds, lizards, turtles, bunnies, etc., all have tails, too! So get registered to participate in “Show and Tail!” If your pet is shy and doesn’t want to appear live (or you aren’t able to be join us during the LIVE portion of Show and Tail) there will be a space on our virtual bulletin board where you can share a picture and a brief story about your pet!
Posted EACH DAY on our social media pages (@UIEngLIB) and on our DeStress Fest webpage:
9:00 AM: There will be a new “Dad Joke” posted! Groaning and eye rolling is encouraged!
11:00 AM: Guided Meditation Session! Student Wellness is providing a live meditation at 11 AM each weekday during DeStress Fest! Each session will include a brief intro about meditation, a 10 minute practice, and then a brief overview of the Student Wellness mindfulness Program. More information on the mindfulness program can be found here.
You may register for the individual sessions at the links below. An hour before each session for which you have registered you will receive an email with the Zoom link.
May 6: Register here.
May 7: Register here.
May 8: Register here.
May 11: Register here.
May 12: Register here.
1:00 PM: A new Mug Cake recipe every day! Make it and share your photos on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages(@UIEngLib) and the DeStress Fest webpage– we want to see those tasty cakes – and the crazy mugs you might have!
4:00 PM: An Inspiration Quote will be posted. You’ll be able to share quotes that have helped you through online learning! We will have a virtual wall on our webpage where you’ll be able to share those quotes that have helped you with the challenges of the end of this semester.
Did you miss something during the day? Don’t worry – check our blog each day and find out what your friends have shared throughout the day!
We’re celebrating PI DAY on March 12th!
1:00 to 3:00 PM
Seamans Center Student Commons FREE APPLE PIE BITES!
(while supplies last!)
Pi Day is actually celebrated on March 14, typically around 3:14 am or pm.
But since that is the beginning of Spring Break – we are celebrating early!
We will have FREE apple pie bites in the Seamans Center Student Commons! But only while supplies last! And, if you’ve been here in previous years, you’ll know they go fast! So, stop by and grab a bite – got a Pi Day shirt – wear it!! We’d love to take your picture!
Beginning geometry students might remember finding the area of a circle – pi x radius squared…. But, what is Pi (π) and why does it rate its very own day?
Pi is one of the most famous and mysterious of numbers. Defined as the ratio of the circumference of a circle to it’s diameter, Pi seems simple. However, it is an irrational number. An irrational number cannot be expressed exactly as a fraction and the decimal representation therefore never ends, nor does it ever settle into a permanent repeating pattern. Scientists have calculated billions of digits of Pi, starting with 3.14159265358979323…. with no end in sight. It could be calculated to infinity and there would be absolutely no way to know which number would come next.
Pi is not only irrational, it is also transcendental! A transcendental number is a number that is not a root of any algebraic equation having integral coefficients, as π or e. All transcendental numbers are irrational, but not all irrational numbers are transcendental. . .
Pi is used all around us every day – Christian Constanda, the University of Tulsa’s C.S. Oliphant professor of mathematical sciences, says, “Look at a football: when you compute the volume, then Pi gets involved in the formula.” Constanda also said, “If you drive through a puddle, creating a wave with the car, that involves Pi. If you see a tornado, that definitely involves Pi.”
Want to see what 100,00 digits of Pi look like? Go here.
Think you’d like to see how many digits of pi you can learn? Check out this song and sing along!
The number 360 occupies the 360th position in the digits of Pi.
Divide the length of a river – with all the bends and curves – by the length of the river would be “as the crow flies,” the average ration will be approximately Pi. Watch this youtube video for an explanation!
In 2008 a crop circle with Pi embedded in it appeared near Barbury Castle in Wiltshire, England.
Free Apple Pie Bites! It would be irrational to miss free pie bites! So, be here, or be square! Seamans Center Student Commons 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Resources:
Adrian, Y. E. O.. The pleasures of pi,e and other interesting numbers. 2006. Singapore : World Scientific. Engineering Library QA95 .A2 2006
Posamentier, Alfred S. 2004. [Pi] : a biography of the world’s most mysterious number. Amherst, N.Y. : Prometheus Books. Engineering Library QA484 .P67 2004
Maths has never looked so appealing! Oct. 3, 2013. dailymail.com
The Pi Song. Originally sung by Hard ‘N Phirm. Sept. 17, 2006. youtube.com
Mead, Wendy.March 13, 2015. Fascinating Facts About Pi Day & Birthday Boy Albert Einstein. A&E Television Network, LLC. Bio.
Engineering students, faculty, and staff are invited to submit one image which captures the essence of their research. Entries will be judged on originality/creativity, aesthetics – appeal of the image, relationship between the image and the research, and clarity of the written description.
Our competition will have prize categories for undergraduate, graduate, faculty/staff (including the research labs/centers), and people’s choice.
There will be 4 prize categories from which winners will be selected. There will be a 1st and 2nd place awarded in each category.
Undergraduate Student
Graduate Student
Faculty/Staff/Researchers
Peoples Choice
1st Place in each category will receive a Powerbeats Pro (wireless earbuds).
2nd Place in each category will receive an Ember Temperature Control Smart Mug.
Submission form can be found here. The deadline to submit your photo is Friday, Feb. 28, 2020 at 5:00 pm (central time).
High Resolution Image with a 2:3 aspect ratio suitable for printing as a 20″ x 30″ poster
Best: 6000 pixels x 9000 pixels
Minimum: 2500 pixels x 3750 pixels
The competition website has a link to photo requirements.
100-500 word description of photograph
Here is the information which is requested on the Online Submission Form. Please note that your submission can be changed, withdrawn or adjusted up until the February 28th deadline by either using the online form or by emailing Kari Kozak.
Image Title
Date of Creation
Location of Creation
Researcher Name
HawkID
University Email Address
Research Area
College of Engineering Department or Center
Judging Division
Keywords for image
Creative Commons License Agreement to Terms
Timeline
October – Open for Submissions
Dec. 5, 2019; 3:00 pm: Q&A session
Jan. 30, 2020; 5:00 pm: Q&A session
Feb. 20, 2020; 5:00 pm: Q&A session
Feb 28th – Submissions deadline
Early March – Judging
Late March – People’s Choice (online voting)
April 2nd – Award Ceremony
The Top 25 images will be on display for a period of time in the Hancher Auditorium Lobby, and the images will be digitally preserved in the Libraries’ Iowa Research Online.
Be sure to mark the dates on your calendar! We look forward to seeing all your artistic research submissions!!
Looking for inventors, puzzle-lovers, adventure-seekers, escape room aficionados!
We plan to build a couple of College of Engineering escape rooms this semester and we would like to get YOU (engineering students, faculty, staff members) involved! We plan to have the rooms ready by Saturday, March 30th.
We have two types of tasks for engineering students (faculty, staff) members to help create the Engineering Escape Room using their ingenuity and cleverness: 1) to design a puzzle and 2) to put the escape room together.
Seeking individuals or groups to submit ideas of puzzles, cipher codes, hidden messages, or other games and puzzles to put into the rooms. If your puzzle is selected, it will be put together with 5-10 other puzzles to create the full escape room.
Parameters:
Clues must be solvable in under 10 minutes by the average student. (The whole room should take about 45 minutes to solve.)
Cost to build the puzzle components must be under $10 for each puzzle. (We want 5-10 puzzles with varying difficulty to be in each room.)
We already have some tools you can use like a black-light with black-light pen, red lens viewer to find hidden messages in books or art, a variety of locks with both letter and numeric codes on them.
You can also use any tools and resources already in the library, as long as it can be turned back to their original state after the event.
The puzzle must be reusable. This means it can be reset-up so the next group coming in can still play the game.
Nothing can be placed behind the outlets or near the lights.
You can submit more than one puzzle. Submit as many as you like!
Submit puzzles that fit with one of the listed themes. The Escape Room organizers will decide which theme will ultimately end up in the space depending on how many puzzles are submitted. If we’re lucky, we may have more than one Escape Room!
Theme Ideas:
You are locked in a game that uses a variety of board games.
A gremlin has stolen a key to unlock the door to escape so you will need to find the gremlin to get out.
You are locked in a movie theater.
Design your puzzle and submit it using the following form by 8 a.m. Wednesday, February 13th!
We are happy to collaborate with the Engineering Technology Center, NEXUS and the Department of Music to present some exciting workshops!
The workshops will be held on Tuesdays from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. See our website for class information and links to register! They are FREE, but registration is limited – so be sure to register today!!
February 12th: Valentine’s Day Pop-up Cards – Deanne Wortman
Want to impress your friends and family with fun and unique greeting cards? Learn about paper folding to create a pop-up cards with lights and sounds.
February 19th:Standards: Guides and Regulations for Building and Testing – Kari Kozak
Introduction to standards and specifications. Learn how to access a wide variety of standards including ASTM, ISO, ADA, NFPA (Fluid), and the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations. Featuring a new database, TechStreet, to gain electronic access to these standards and more. Taught by Kari Kozak, Head, Lichtenberger Engineering Library.
Soldering is one of the most fundamental skills needed to dabble in the world of electronics. The two go together like peas and carrots. And, although it is possible to learn about, and build, electronics without needing to pick up a soldering iron, you’ll soon discover that a whole new world is opened with this one simple skill.
Basic introduction to what a patent is and how to complete patents searches. Patents provide inventor exclusive rights to products they produce and also give great detailed information on certain products and methods. Taught by Kari Kozak, Head, Lichtenberger Engineering Library.
March 12th: Effective Poster Design – Sarah Livesay
The Research Open House will be held on April 11th, and this workshop will help you make your poster presentation more effective. Learn to think about the prospective audience, poster content, and design considerations in a poster layout.
April 2nd: Arduino Piano (Plug and Play) – Jeremy Roszell & Jean-Francois Charles
Learn to create a mini piano! Learn all the steps to make your own mini piano using an Arduino and circuit board. This lightweight keyboard allows you to play an octave worth of notes using capacitive touch, no strings or hammers required! This class will walk through the basic programming and ways to personalize the keyboard. Taught by Jeremy Roszell, Engineering Electronics Shop & Jean-Francois Charles, School of Music.
April 9th: Creating Citations Quickly & Easily with Endnote – Marina Zhang
Introduction to an online citation management system that is free for everyone at the University of Iowa. It helps you to manage all your references for a paper (or many papers) as well as create the incite citations and bibliographies in a wide variety of formatting styles. Taught by Marina Zhang, Engineering & Informatics Librarian, Lichtenberger Engineering Library.
The web version of Endnote Basic will be taught: not the full client version.
April 16th: Using OpenRefine for cleaning up spreadsheet data – Brian Westra
OpenRefine is a free tool for reviewing and cleaning up spreadsheet or tabular data. Save yourself a lot of time by using OpenRefine to identify and fix problems in your tabular data. Automated functions easily and quickly handle common problems, such as splitting cells that contain multiple data values, detecting duplicates and typos, standardizing date formats, and trimming extra spaces from cells. OpenRefine also keeps track of all your steps, so you can easily reuse them or undo them if necessary.
April 23rd: 3D Scanning: Tips & Tricks – Kari Kozak
Want to make a 3D scan? Need some help figuring out how to get started? This class will take you through the basics of the three scanners that the Engineering Library has available for check and learn to make a 3D scan of yourself!
Need some humor to start the day? How about a cheesy Dad Joke? Check our DeStress Fest webpage at 9:00 a.m. every weekday for a new joke to groan at!
We had our final meditation session this morning. A representative from Student Wellness lead us through guided meditation to help you discover new ways to help you relax. Today’s session was led by Haley Hines. She taught a body scan method as a way to “get out of our heads.” This method pinpoint places in the body where you may be feeling stressed and tense. The Student Wellness Center has a Koru mindfullness program which you may access here. They’d love to talk with you!
At 4:00 p.m. each week day we have posted an Inspirational Quote for the day! It’s getting late in the day and you could no doubt use a bit of inspiration!
