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Tuesday, April 8 2014

  • Annual Veishea celebration is underway

    It's Veishea week in Ames, the annual celebration of tradition and student life at Iowa State University. Through Saturday, April 12, campus will be busy with student competitions, free entertainment, great food and family fun.

  • ISU prof concerned that misperceptions about energy drinks could have health consequences

    Look closely at the label of any energy drink and you will likely notice a key ingredient is missing. Despite the fact that many of these popular drinks contain as much as 500 mg of caffeine, you won’t find the amount listed on the can or bottle.

  • Exonerated Texas death-row convict will share his legal system battle in ISU talk April 16

    Human Rights Watch considers Kerry Max Cook "... the most brutalized inmate ever confined to an American prison institution." He will share his experiences as an innocent inmate battling the system for 22 years from death row in "Exonerated by the Evidence, Convicted by the System" at 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 16, in the Memorial Union Great Hall. His talk is free and open to the public.

  • Iowa wine industry poised for expansion, according to Iowa State University professor

    The expansion of Iowa’s wine industry in recent years shows its potential to become a regional leader, an Iowa State University professor said this week. A recent study reported that the economic impact of Iowa’s wine and wine grapes industry was $420 million in 2012, an increase of around 80 percent from $234 million in 2008.

  • HealthSouth co-founder to talk at Iowa State about securities fraud scandal

    Success turned to greed and ultimately landed Aaron Beam in federal prison. The former chief financial officer and co-founder of HealthSouth Corp. served three months for his role in the company’s $2 billion securities fraud scandal. Beam will talk about the unethical and illegal decisions that led to his downfall during the Bacon Ethics Lecture at Iowa State University’s College of Business.

  • Iowa State materials scientist developing materials and electronics that dissolve when triggered

    An Iowa State research team led by Reza Montazami is developing "transient materials" and "transient electronics" that can quickly and completely melt away when a trigger is activated. That could mean that one day you might be able to send out a signal to destroy a lost credit card. A paper about the research project has just been published online by the journal Advanced Functional Materials.

  • Why we think we’re good at something when we’re not

    Reality TV has a way of highlighting the worst in people, even when they genuinely think they’re doing their best. American Idol is just one example, in which contestants who can’t carry a tune are shocked when told they can’t sing. Zlatan Krizan, an associate professor of psychology at Iowa State University, says it’s a natural reaction because we have a hard time accurately evaluating our abilities.

  • ISU student follows in his father's footsteps on a National Student Exchange program

    ISU chemical engineering sophomore William Rabe will spend his junior year at the University of Alabama as part of the National Student Exchange program. He's following in the footsteps of his father, who went to Alabama 31 years ago on an NSE and met his future wife. Rabe is one of about 50 ISU students participating in the NSE program each semester.

  • Collaborative science yields new insight into links among nitrogen, herbivores and plant biodiversity

    A collaborative approach to gathering data spearheaded by Iowa State University faculty and students has revealed new insight into plant biodiversity and netted publication in a top scientific journal. The study gathered worldwide data on how nitrogen levels affect the number of plant species that can thrive in grassland environments across the globe.

  • Limiting screen time improves sleep, academics and behavior, ISU study finds

    Parents may not always see it, but efforts to limit their children’s screen time can make a difference. A new study, published in JAMA Pediatrics, found children get more sleep, do better in school, behave better and see other health benefits when parents limit content and the amount of time their children spend on the computer or in front of the TV.

  • More than 700 Iowa students to show off their science and technology projects

    A record 700-plus school students from across the state will show off their science and technology projects at Hilton Coliseum on Thursday and Friday, March 27 and 28. Public hours for the State Science and Technology Fair of Iowa are:

    • Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. at Hilton Coliseum for all exhibits
    • Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. for junior high exhibits displayed on the Hilton floor and 2:30 to 6 p.m. for senior high exhibits displayed on the Hilton concourse
    • The fair’s award ceremony is 7 p.m. Friday at Hilton
  • Resistance to Bt corn by western corn rootworm is a growing concern for farmers, according to Iowa State University entomologist

    A researcher at Iowa State University is urging Iowa farmers to adopt a diverse range of pest management tactics to suppress the resistance of western corn rootworm to Bt corn. Beginning in 2009, farmers in northeast Iowa began to report rootworm problems despite the use of Bt corn. Similar instances in surrounding states suggest the issue is of growing concern.

  • Four Iowa State students named Goldwater Scholars

    Four Iowa State University Honors students have received Goldwater Scholarships, the nation's premier undergraduate scholarship in mathematics, natural sciences and engineering. A total of 283 Goldwater Scholars were selected on the basis of academic merit from a field of 1,166 applicants nationwide.The maximum number of applicants that an institution can submit is four. All four of ISU's were selected for the first time.

  • Iowa State engineer builds instrument to study effects of genes, environment on plant traits

    Iowa State University's Liang Dong is leading a research team that's developing an accessible instrument with the scale, flexibility and resolution needed to study how genes and environmental conditions affect plant traits. Dong says the instrument could enable experiments that are now impossible. The project is supported by a three-year, $697,550 grant from the National Science Foundation.

  • Salamanders are shrinking due to climate change, according to Iowa State researcher

    Certain species of salamanders in the eastern United States appear to be shrinking as a consequence of climate change, according to an Iowa State University professor.

  • Life lessons: Children learn aggressive ways of thinking and behaving from violent video games

    Children who repeatedly play violent video games are learning thought patterns that will stick with them and influence behaviors as they grow older, according to a new study by Iowa State University researchers. The effect is the same regardless of age, gender or culture. Douglas Gentile, lead author of the study published in JAMA Pediatrics, says it is really no different than learning math or to play the piano.

  • Participate in Board of Regents efficiency and transformation review

    Iowa State University will host a public forum at 10 a.m. April 1 as part of a comprehensive efficiency review at Iowa’s three public universities. The forum, which will be held in the Howe Hall auditorium, is designed to help stakeholders learn more about the review process.

  • U.S. News releases latest graduate school rankings; Iowa State’s ag engineering ranked 4th

    Iowa State's graduate programs in agricultural and biosystems engineering, statistics, engineering and chemistry continue to earn high rankings in the annual ranking of graduate programs compiled by U.S. News & World Report magazine.

  • Iowa State University forestry professor helps Iowans prepare for decline of ash trees

    As the specter of the emerald ash borer continues its seemingly inevitable spread across the state, an Iowa State University professor is encouraging cities to plant a diverse range of trees to protect against future pests.

  • Changes to special education in Iowa could hurt students and teachers

    Iowa State University School of Education faculty members are concerned that proposed changes for special education teaching endorsements in Iowa could have negative consequences. The Board of Educational Examiners wants to consolidate certain requirements to help address a shortage of special education teachers in the state.