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Tuesday, December 27 2011

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Gentile cites positive, negative effects of video games on the brain in Nature Reviews article

Douglas Gentile, an Iowa State associate professor of psychology, cites positive and negative effects of video games on the brain in a new article he coauthored in the December issue of Nature Reviews/Neuroscience. In the "Brains on video games" article, six experts shed light on the current understanding of the ways in which playing video games can affect cognition and behavior.

Astronomers, Iowa State’s Kawaler discover planets that survived their star’s expansion

Iowa State University's Steve Kawaler has helped a research team use data from NASA's Kepler Mission to discover two Earth-sized planets that survived their star's red-giant expansion. The discovery is published in the Dec. 22 edition of the journal Nature.

Paul now top pick in new Iowa State University/ Gazette/KCRG Poll, but voters still uncertain

A new Iowa State University/Gazette/KCRG poll of 333 likely Iowa Republican caucus goers finds Ron Paul in the top spot among GOP presidential candidates with 27.5 percent, followed closely by Newt Gingrich with 25.3 percent. Paul's lead over Gingrich is within the poll's margin of error at plus or minus 5 percentage points. Mitt Romney is in third place at 17.5 percent, while Rick Perry is the only other candidate to poll in double digits at 11.2.

ISU researchers poised to help unlock mysteries of medicinal benefits of plants

Iowa State University researchers Eve Syrkin Wurtele, professor in the Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, and Basil Nikolau, professor in the Department of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, together with colleagues at institutions around the country, have developed resources that may lead to discovery of new, medicinally important compounds found in plants. The research grew out of a $6 million National Institutes of Health initiative to study how the genes of plants contribute to production of various chemical compounds, some of which are medicinally important.

Iowa State University named a military-friendly school

The journal Military Advanced Education has named Iowa State University a military-friendly university. Iowa State is one of 293 institutions nationwide and four in Iowa that are included in the publication's "Guide to Military-Friendly Colleges and Universities."

ISU accounting team finishes second in American Institute of Certified Public Accountants competition

A team of four senior accounting majors from ISU's College of Business finished second in the 2011 Accounting Competition hosted by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Ninety-eight student teams from around the country entered eligible submissions, with 10 chosen to participate in the semi-finals. The judging panel narrowed the field to three final teams. Each gave a presentation to a panel of judges and participated in a question and answer session. The Iowa State team - students (L to R in photo) Matt Allbee, Leesa Tjernagel, Adria Staky and Courtney Ekeler -- competed under the name "Internal Control Freaks." They earned a cash prize of $5,000. The group is advised by Bill Dilla, the Union Pacific/Charles B. Handy Professor in Accounting in the College of Business.

Once mute student delivers College of Business commencement address

When Kevin Neff stood at the lectern in his cap and gown on Friday, Dec. 16, he greeted his fellow Iowa State College of Business graduates with a new voice as their commencement speaker. For three-and-a-half years, Neff had no voice. He caught a virus in the fall of 2007 that had rendered him mute. Doctors couldn't help him, until he met with Dr. Claudio Milstein at the Cleveland Clinic's Head and Neck Institute this past May. Within an hour, Dr. Milstein largely helped restore Neff's voice. And he used it to tell his fellow graduates to expect change and keep priorities straight during his address at ISU's Hilton Coliseum. Video by Rod Bodholdt, B&G Productions

Iowa State, Ames Lab researchers honored for distinguished efforts to advance science

Five researchers from Iowa State University and the Ames Laboratory are new Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). They're being honored for their "scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications."

President Geoffroy will be honored with CASE Chief Executive Leadership Award

Iowa State University President Gregory Geoffroy will receive the 2012 Chief Executive Leadership Award from CASE (the Council for Advancement and Support of Education) District VI at its annual conference Jan. 9 in Denver.