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Thursday, May 5 2011

News

Iowa State’s Formula SAE Team tests its engineering skills at international competition

Iowa State University's Formula SAE Team is working overtime to design and build a mini open-wheel racer in time for an international competition May 11-14. Even if the team doesn't race on track, it will still compete in technical, manufacturing, business and engineering design contests.
News release.

Time is now for transformative change in agriculture, says ISU professor

The agricultural systems and processes that have developed in the past decades need to be re-examined, says Cornelia Flora, a distinguished professor in the Department of Sociology. She adds that reducing financial risks and improving sustainability are important to everyone and public policy should move in that direction.

News Release.

Iowa State University commencement events set for Friday and Saturday

An estimated 3,367 students -- the most in the last decade -- will receive degrees from Iowa State in three ceremonies this weekend. About 2,703 students will receive bachelor's degrees during the undergraduate ceremony at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Hilton Coliseum. Chemist and Cornell University Professor Emeritus Harold Scheraga and physicist and University of Arizona President Robert Shelton will receive honorary Doctor of Science degrees. The graduate commencement will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Stephens Auditorium, also the site for the DVM ceremony at noon on Saturday.
News release.

ISU’s graduate planning program ranks in top 13 nationally among non-Ph.D.-granting programs

Iowa State's graduate program in community and regional planning earned high marks in the latest survey by Planetizen, considered the leading online network for the urban planning, design and development community. The "Planetizen Guide to Graduate Urban Planning Programs" provides the only comprehensive rankings of graduate urban planning programs in the U.S. For 2012, Iowa State University is ranked 13th in the nation among 83 programs that do not grant a doctorate in planning.

News release.

MEDIA ADVISORY: ISU experts provide perspective following Osama bin Laden's death

Iowa State experts can provide perspective on various aspects of the news surrounding the death of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Sustainable landscape design for your property can be easier than you may think

Ann Marie VanDerZanden, co-author of the recently published book "Sustainable Landscape Management: Design, Construction, and Maintenance," says small changes to your yard and garden can greatly improve sustainability and can be fairly simple to do.

News release.

RAGBRAI College Spirit Day set for July 29

RAGBRAI (The Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa™) has announced an inaugural College Spirit Day on this year's ride. RAGBRAI has joined with Iowa State, UNI, Iowa and Drake to encourage all riders, alumni and fans to celebrate and show their college spirit on Friday, July 29, from Grinnell to Coralville.

RAGBRAI news release.

U.S. 'fast fashion' apparel trend is losing ground with consumers, according to ISU study

Assistant Professor Elena Karpova (left) and graduate student Juyoung (Jill) Lee (right) have co-authored a new study finding that the U.S. apparel industry's "fast fashion" focus has resulted in diminishing returns on its market shares both at home and abroad. Their paper appears in the latest issue of the Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management.

Iowa State chemist designs new polymer structures for use as ‘plastic electronics’

Malika Jeffries-EL, an Iowa State assistant professor of chemistry, is designing new organic polymer structures that conduct electricity and could be useful in solar cells, light-emitting diodes and thin-film transistors. She and her research group are doing fundamental studies of the relationship between the polymer structures and their electronic, physical and optical properties.

News release.

Iowa State University animal science professor named Jefferson Science Fellow

Max Rothschild, ISU distinguished professor in the Department of Animal Science, has been selected for a Jefferson Science Fellowship with the U.S. Department of State. He is one of 13 fellows selected nationally for 2011-12.

News release.

Senior will graduate after taking one class per semester for 19 years

In 1992, a gallon of gas cost $1.13, Bill Clinton won the presidential election and Kathy Vitzthum took her first class at Iowa State University. Vitzthum has taken about one class each and every semester since. For 40 semesters. Since Miley Cyrus was born. Since Charles and Diana split up. Since Ross Perot pulled out his charts and pointer on TV. Since the World Wide Web was in its infancy (and text only). On May 7, the 48-year-old Vitzthum, who lives in Slater, graduates summa cum laude from Iowa State. She has achieved her goal -- a bachelor's degree in accounting -- after juggling family and career with finals and papers for 19 years.
News release.

ISU research leads to understanding of how crops deal with stress – yield’s biggest enemy

ISU researchers have discovered a new arm of the pathway by which plants activate a response to environmental stress caused by adverse environmental conditions, such as drought, flood and heat. These stresses affect yield more than crop pests and diseases. Finding a way to maintain high yields for plants under stress is a goal of plant breeders and other agriculture stakeholders.

News release.