News Archive

View Past Releases
Archives
Year
Month
Day
27

Thursday, July 1 2004

News

Iowa State experts can comment on mad cow disease

A veterinarian and a livestock market economist are among the Iowa State University experts who can provide perspective on the latest developments in mad cow disease. On June 25, USDA reported that a cattle carcass had tested as "inconclusive" for mad cow disease. A follow-up test at a USDA laboratory in Ames found no sign of the disease, USDA said June 30. Test results on a second carcass, singled out on June 29 as possibly being infected, will not be available for several days.

Go to news release.


New Plant Sciences Institute research targets Iowa ag issues

Iowa State University's Plant Sciences Institute will redirect more than $3 million to fast track research that will enhance the value of Iowa crops and target specific challenges facing Iowa agriculture. Over the next three years, researchers will work on five initiatives-- plant genomes, plant biofactories, nutrition, biorenewables and crop protection.

Go to news release.


Iowa State University researchers hit the pavement for an academic road show

A new mobile concrete laboratory will allow ISU scientists to travel to highway construction sites to test road materials. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the laboratory will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 6, in the ISU Research Park parking lot, 2901 South Loop Drive, Ames.

Go to news release.


Iowa State initiates entrepreneurship grant awards

Seven new entrepreneurship courses will be created by a grant managed by the ISU Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship. The courses will be in the Colleges of Agriculture, Business, Design, Engineering, and Family and Consumer Sciences.

Go to news release.


Student team third in international contest

Three Iowa State students placed third overall in the IEEE Computer Society's international design competition on Monday, making them among the few U.S. teams ever to place in this event.

The team of Melanie Davis, a senior from Minneapolis; Douglas Houghton, a graduate student from Ames; and Shahzaib Younis, a senior from Pakistan, also received the Microsoft Software Engineering Award for their project, a computer program that utilizes global positioning system technologies to trigger messages. Applications for this technology range from assisting search parties to reminding patrons what to buy at the grocery store.

The students received a total of $9,000 in prize money, and hope to patent their technology (see USA Today story at right). Their project was among 250 entries in the annual competition, with the top 10 teams participating in the World Finals in Washington, D.C.


Veterinary Medicine dean candidate to visit campus this week

Dr. John Thomson, a candidate for dean of ISU's College of Veterinary Medicine, will be in Ames June 30-July 1. He is dean of veterinary medicine at Mississippi State University, Starkville. Thomson is one of four finalists who have visited the Iowa State campus as part of the search process.

ISU Veterinary Medicine Dean Norm Cheville will retire in mid-August.

Go to news release.


Mark J. Kushner

Iowa State University selects new Engineering dean

Mark J. Kushner, Founder Professor of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will become dean of Iowa State University's College of Engineering effective Jan. 1, 2005. He replaces Dean James Melsa, who will retire June 30. Provost Ben Allen will appoint an interim dean next week.

Go to news release.


Norman Bourlaug

Nutritional Sciences Council lectures address world food needs

Nobel Laureate Norman Borlaug and leaders from technology transfer organizations in Africa and Mexico will address ways to meet future global food needs during the 2004 Nutritional Sciences Council Summer Lectureship, June 28-July 2. The daily lectures are from 10 a.m. to noon in 1352 Gilman. All events are free and open to the public, including a reception at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

More on lectures.