News
Iowa State's food science college bowl team places 2nd in national championship
A team of Iowa State students took second at the Institute of Food Technologists Student Association's Knowledge Bowl national championship.
Bioinformatics researchers here July 13-14
Iowa State University will host the Sixth Annual Joint Bioinformatics Symposium, July 13-14. This year's conference will focus on systems biology, with presentations by leading researchers.
Fireworks parking changes this year
Fireworks for the City of Ames Fourth of July display will be launched in a new spot this year -- east of the Jack Trice Stadium. Visitor parking for the display also has changed, due to the new launch site and activities under way for the National Special Olympics.
ISU faculty among nation's most cited in social psychology textbooks
Two Iowa State psychology professors were among some of the most cited scholars in social psychology textbooks published during 2004 and 2005 -- making ISU one of just five institutions that had at least two scholars in one of the top 30 citation lists during those years -- according to a study printed in the Spring 2006 edition of Dialogue, the official newsletter of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology.
ISU returns to supercomputer rankings
Iowa State's supercomputer is among the 100 most powerful in the world, according to the latest TOP500 list released at the International Supercomputer Conference in Dresden, Germany on June 28.
Study abroad group meets 106-year-old alum
A recent College of Agriculture study-abroad group in China met with Hongkui Chen, an ISU alum (Ph.D., plant pathology, '31) who observed his 106th birthday June 26. Chen, a retired university professor, is regarded as one of the founders of China's plant quarantine system and is the recipient of the highest honor for a professor in China.
Community programs reduce meth, marijuana use
Extension community programs have curbed adolescent marijuana use in participating Iowa communities to half that of students elsewhere in the state.
Securing America's power grid
Iowa State researchers are developing a network of wireless sensors capable of monitoring the country's electrical grid. It's an engineering challenge because of the complexity of the grid and its large number of interconnected systems.
New appointments in provost office
Emeritus Professor Eric Hoiberg and Dr. Claire Andreasen, professor and chair of veterinary pathology, will have new appointments in the Office of the Provost effective July 1.
ISU grad student selected to meet Nobel laureates
Iowa State graduate student Jonathan Mullin will talk chemistry with 23 Nobel laureates and students from around the world in Lindau, Germany, June 25-30.
Plant scientists tweak biopharm corn research
A biopharmaceutical corn created at Iowa State University is getting a makeover. Researchers are developing the corn into a variety that keeps the therapeutic protein, but eliminates the pollen.
LeSar to lead ISU's materials science and engineering department
Richard Alan LeSar, a technical staff member in the Theoretical Division of Los Alamos National Laboratory in Los Alamos, N.M., will assume leadership of Iowa State's department of materials science and engineering on Aug. 1.
ISU at Des Moines Arts Festival June 23-25
Iowa State's display at the Des Moines Arts Festival will feature a pavilion that showcases the university's arts and humanities and emphasizes the connections among them. The event runs Friday through Sunday in downtown Des Moines.
Food companies to test new soybean oil from ISU
An Iowa State soybean breeding team developed a new soy oil that could confer the trans fat-free benefits of unhydrogenated soy oil to more food products than ever before.
Why do some cheat?
Research indicates people rationalize cheating by distancing themselves from unethical actions.
ISU psychologists find mother's self-fulfilling prophecy influences child's alcohol use
Effects of self-fulfilling beliefs can add up over time and may lead to inequalities between individuals, according to a study on mothers' beliefs about their children's alcohol use by Iowa State University researchers.
Vet med faculty co-develop new vaccine
Two Iowa State veterinary medicine faculty were instrumental in the six-year development of the first, fully licensed vaccine for one of the worlds' most significant pig viruses. First identified in the early 1990s, the porcine circovirus type 2 causes respiratory diseases that can kill up to 30 percent of herds infected. Dr. Patrick Halbur and Dr. Tanja Opriessnig partnered with scientists at Virginia Tech to develop and test the new vaccine, which is being manufactured by Fort Dodge Animal Health, Overland Park, Kansas.
Farm Bureau commits $1 million to Iowa State bioeconomy program
The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation's gift will be used to provide support for the Office of Biorenewables Programs, including additional faculty and staff salaries and new collaborations in research, educational and outreach activities.
ISU finishes sixth in tractor design competition
The Iowa State Cyclone Power Pullers finished sixth at the recent 2006 International 1/4 Scale Tractor Student Design Competition in Peoria, Ill.
News Tip: Iowa State experts can discuss identity theft and its prevention
The country's fear over computer identity theft is high again following the recent theft of personal information for 26.5 million military personnel and veterans. Iowa State offers several experts who can provide advice on both how to prevent identity theft, and what to do if your identity is stolen.
Researchers explore news coverage of Facebook
In analysis of newspaper stories about Facebook, ISU researchers found topics dealing with "sex and games" and "relationships" were associated more closely with student newspapers' coverage, while history and business were covered more in main line press stories.
Iowa Farm Bureau to commit $1 million to ISU bioeconomy program
A news event will be held Monday to announce a $1 million gift from the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation to support Iowa State's Bioeconomy Program. The program will begin at 3:30 p.m. in the Iowa Farm Bureau Pavilion in Kildee Hall at Iowa State.
Families program tabbed for distinction
ISU Extension's successful Strengthening Families Program has been added to a data base of national 4-H programs of distinction.
Tornadoes on TV
Iowa State University tornadoes will be blowing across America's television screens. The National Geographic Channel will air "Anatomy of a Tornado" at 3 p.m. Thursday, June 15. The show features Iowa State's Tornado/Microburst Simulator.
Engineering minor in the works
A second-in-the-nation engineering minor is on schedule to begin spring semester 2007. First-year enrollment would be limited to 50 students.
New ISU teaching method boosts student science scores on Iowa tests by 25 percent
A new method to teach science to Iowa's K-6 students -- designed by education professors in ISU's College of Human Sciences -- has produced a 25 percent increase in science scores on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS) for students in grades 3-6 who receive special education assistance, when compared to other students.
ISU grad student spends summer bringing light to the darkness in China
Using a grant from the National Science Foundation, ISU grad student Nathan Johnson will spend most of his summer in China helping isolated, rural villages develop simple sources of energy for household use.
Researchers recommend going "Wayback" for lost Web sites
Two researchers from Iowa State's Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication report a search through www.thewaybackmachine.com will produce better results -- almost twice as many as Google -- according to their study on finding inaccessible online citations from six professional journals.
Ultrasonics boosts release rates of corn sugars for ethanol production
A team of Iowa State researchers has used ultrasonic pretreatment of corn in laboratory experiments to increase the corn's release rates of sugars by 30 percent. That could mean each bushel of corn that goes into an ethanol plant could more efficiently produce ethanol for your car's fuel tank.
