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Tuesday, June 7 2016

  • Bad behavior may not be a result of bad parenting, but a lack of common language

    Most parents will admit that talking with a teenage child is difficult at times. It is even more challenging when parents and children don’t speak the same language fluently – a reality for a growing number of immigrant families in the United States. New research from Iowa State University suggests this language barrier can have negative consequences for adolescent self-control and aggressive behavior.

  • Iowa State Formula Team working overtime to re-engineer race car downforce and drag

    A manufacturing mistake forced the student-engineers of Iowa State's Formula SAE Team to re-engineer the aerodynamics package on this year's formula racing car. They'll put their Plan B to the test during two competitions this month. The car won't quite be what they originally designed, but they think it could still be a good racer.

  • ISU researchers looking to step up mosquito surveillance

    Mosquitoes are taking flight across Iowa, and it’s likely only a matter of time before they appear in a backyard near you. Though Zika virus poses no immediate threat in Iowa, ISU personnel are monitoring state mosquito populations for species that could potentially carry the disease.

  • Employers stress the need for college grads to have strong oral skills, Iowa State study finds

    Many college graduates are starting new careers. Regardless of their field or profession, employers say new employees need strong oral and interpersonal skills to be successful. That's according to a new Iowa State University study published in Business and Professional Communication Quarterly.

  • President Leath's statement on proposed tuition increase

    President Steven Leath has issued a statement regarding a proposed tuition increase, which will be considered by the Iowa Board of Regents next week. Leath says the increase would help Iowa State recruit and retain faculty and improve services that directly support student success.

  • Low-income, rural mothers express need for family time outdoors

    Low-income mothers in rural communities say participating in outdoor activities as a family is a primary need for their physical and emotional well-being. But a new paper co-authored by Iowa State University's Kimberly Greder finds many of these families aren’t getting time together.

  • Cyclone Power Pullers hope revamped transmission will allow their quarter-scale tractor to charge to victory

    Students at Iowa State University building a from-scratch miniature tractor have pinned their hopes to a radical redesign of a critical component – but you might not notice it at first glance. Rather than build a hydraulic transmission, which is the industry standard, the Power Pullers have gambled on an electronic one in a bid to improve efficiency.

  • A final statement on nuclear weapons and a frightening future for foreign affairs

    An Iowa State University political scientist says President Obama’s trip to Hiroshima is significant for the point it makes about the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Richard Mansbach also explains why this presidential election has him frightened about future U.S. foreign affairs. 

  • Leath fills two top university posts

    President Steven Leath filled two top university posts Monday, naming retired Rear Admiral Kate Gregory to senior vice president for university services and Husch Blackwell attorney Michael Norton to university counsel.

  • Change Agent: Warren Madden

    Get a glimpse of Senior Vice President for Business and Finance Warren Madden's 50-year adventure at Iowa State. Madden will retire at the end of June.

  • Iowa State’s Baja team wins first endurance race of the season, aims for more

    Iowa State's Baja SAE Team has already won a long race and earned a top-10 overall finish. The team's racing season still has stops in California and New York. To get ready, the student-engineers have been collecting data and fine-tuning their off-road racer.

  • No evidence that grit improves performance, Iowa State analysis finds

    There are many paths to success, but the significance of grit in helping you reach that goal has been greatly overstated, says an Iowa State University psychologist. Marcus Credé and his colleagues conducted a meta-analysis of all prior research on grit and found no evidence that grit is a good predictor of success.

  • Iowa State engineer part of defense department study of spray behavior, control

    Engineers from across the country -- including Iowa State's Ted Heindel -- will study the prediction and control of sprays as part of a U.S. Department of Defense research initiative. The engineers say a better understanding of spray physics and control could improve combustion systems, liquid cooling, 3D printing and even help mitigate ship wakes. The Defense Department is supporting the research team with a grant of up to $7.5 million over five years.

  • Iowa State business prof says ‘it pays to be paranoid’ to limit risk when acquiring other firms

    An Iowa State University management professor says corporations need to recognize the threat of competitive retaliation when acquiring another business. There are multiple ways competitors can reduce the deal’s value. By knowing and paying attention to the competitive dynamics, firms making acquisitions can make better choices.

  • Turtles immune to old age? Maybe not, according to new Iowa State University research

    Nearly 30 years of data collected on painted turtles in the Mississippi River near Clinton, Iowa, show that females suffer a steep dip in fertility before the end of their lives, a finding that flies in the face of what scientists have believed about turtles and aging.

  • Cyclone Space Mining doubles down on new and better robot technology

    Iowa State student-engineers are investing long hours in the design and assembly of their space-mining robots. The students will deploy their machines May 16-20 at the annual NASA Robotic Mining Competition at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The students like the technical upgrades they've made to this year's robots -- including metal tracks, a suspension system and better motors. And they think their two-robot mining system could be a great way to collect a lot of simulated Martian soil.

  • ISU review finds majority of technologies aimed at reducing odor and gas emissions from livestock production never see field-scale testing

    A review of hundreds of academic articles on technologies to reduce odor and gas emissions from livestock operations shows that most such technologies undergo lab testing but never reach farm-scale study. A team of ISU researchers surveyed all the available publications on mitigation practices that focus on animal housing, manure storage and land application techniques.