News Archive
Friday, April 6 2018
-
While out hunting planets, NASA’s TESS survey will also help astronomers study stars
Iowa State University's Steve Kawaler is heading back to Cape Canaveral this month to witness the launch of another planet-hunting spacecraft. This one, called TESS, will image 85 percent of the sky over the next two years, helping astronomers find planets beyond our solar system. Kawaler and other astronomers will also use TESS data to study stars.
-
Iowa State University center leads the charge on water quality improvement and innovation
A research center at Iowa State University is looking for new and innovative projects to fund that address the state’s water quality and nutrient runoff from agricultural fields. Since 2013, the Iowa Nutrient Research Center has funded 60 projects, many of which address issues such as farm management practices and soil health, with a total of more than $7 million.
-
Research on coastal housing recovery after natural disasters shows gaps in recovery policies
A team including an Iowa State University researcher studied Galveston, Texas, homes following Hurricane Ike, finding that the types of housing and homeowners – and how U.S. recovery policy handles each – played a major role in recovery outcomes.
-
ISU students, Ames community contribute to History Unfolded project
Reading news reports about the Holocaust in the pages of a hometown or local paper is a powerful way for people to connect with that period in history. That is why Jeremy Best encourages his students and the public to visit local libraries and historical societies in search of these stories. The ISU assistant professor of history feels it is so important, he created a research assignment requiring students to find news coverage about the Holocaust and share the stories with the Holocaust Museum’s History Unfolded project.
-
New report shows promise for Cedar Rapids' ag, bioprocessing industries
Iowa State, in cooperation with the City of Cedar Rapids, has released a report identifying new, emerging technologies that could be a starting point for increased economic activity, jobs and start-up companies in the city’s agricultural and bioprocessing industries.
-
Iowa State students chosen to present at national undergraduate research conference
For the second year, Iowa State University students will present their research at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research, held April 4-7 at the University of Central Oklahoma. This year, 51 ISU students were selected – nearly quadrupling the number chosen last year.
-
Lawrence named vice president of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
John Lawrence, a 27-year Iowa State faculty member and administrator, has been named vice president of ISU Extension and Outreach following a national search. Lawrence had served as interim VP since March 2017.
-
50 years after release, ‘2001’ remains one of the greatest
Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” set a new standard for science-fiction films when it was released 50 years ago. Justin Remes, an assistant professor of film studies at Iowa State, says the music and images that made it so powerful in 1968 are why it is still a great film today.
-
Clients, students benefit from work through CyBIZ Lab
The idea to develop a futures contract for the bulk trucking industry appeared to fit a need, but before investing in the concept, leaders of a Tennessee-based company wanted to know if the market would support it. They turned to Iowa State’s CyBIZ Lab for help with a market assessment. Student researchers working in the lab helped the company redefine its plans.
-
Iowa State University researchers test new solutions to carcass disposal during food-animal disease outbreaks
Experiments testing a hybrid method of disposing of animal carcasses following animal health emergencies could point the way toward safer and more efficient carcass burial. The results of the experiments were published recently in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
-
Agriculture, veterinary medicine, statistics, engineering top campus graduate rankings
Iowa State programs in agricultural and biosystems engineering, veterinary medicine, statistics and engineering earned the university's top scores in the new U.S. News and World Report rankings of graduate schools.
-
Psychologists: Risk factors for youth violence should guide policy in response to mass shootings
An international committee of experts on aggression and youth violence issued a report urging policymakers to consider the research before arming schoolteachers or implementing other measures in response to the latest school shootings. Two Iowa State researchers stress that multiple risk factors contribute to violent acts, but too often policymakers, media and the public focus on a single cause.
-
Iowa State University researchers uncover clues to the human immune system from blood donor scraps
Iowa State University researchers found a way to gain new insight into the human immune system by studying material left over after blood donations. The results, published recently in a peer-reviewed journal, illuminate the process of how the human body fights off harmful bacteria.
-
Chemists use abundant, low-cost and non-toxic elements to synthesize semiconductors
Javier Vela of Iowa State University and the Ames Laboratory has worked with two of his graduate students to synthesize a new material for semiconductors. The chemists think the material will work well in solar cells, but without the toxicity, scarcity or costs of other semiconductors. They report their discovery in a paper recently published online by the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
-
Iowa State architecture team wins award for use of masonry to cool buildings
An innovative way to cool buildings using 3D-printed ceramics has earned an Iowa State University architecture team an award in masonry design and construction in the inaugural Joan B. Calambokidis Innovation in Masonry Competition.
-
Engineers developing tools to understand, scale up autothermal production of bio-oil
Iowa State University engineers have developed a process called autothermal pyrolysis that breaks down biomass for fuel and fertilizer. A recently announced grant from the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Manufacturing Office will support studies of the process, including development of models and design tools that could help reduce the risk of scaling up the technology for commercial use.
-
Software aims to reduce food waste by helping those in need
An Iowa State University research team is testing a new online tool to provide food to those in need by reducing food waste.
Change Agent: Aileen Keating
Aileen Keating studies how the environment affects fertility in humans and animals.