News Releases

While it’s not surprising that growing counties across the U.S. are increasing total spending as well as capital spending, a new Iowa State University study shows shrinking counties are doing the same. This increased spending puts shrinking counties in an exacerbated downward cycle.

Images of extensive flooding or fire-ravaged communities help us see how climate change is accelerating the severity of natural disasters. Iowa State researchers say what is not as clear is the indirect effect of these disasters and rapid climate change on violence and aggression. They have identified three ways climate change will increase the likelihood of violence.

Capt. Scott Kelly set the American record for the most consecutive days in space and the longest space mission after returning to Earth from a yearlong mission to the International Space Station. Kelly will deliver the keynote lecture, “The Sky Is Not the Limit,” for the 10th annual Iowa State University Symposium on Sustainability on Feb. 18 at Stephens Auditorium.

Stronger regulation and efforts to prescribe fewer opioids have helped reduce overdose deaths in Iowa, but an Iowa State University researcher says another crisis is on the horizon. David Peters, associate professor of rural sociology, expects in the next two to three years the state will see an uptick in overdose deaths from heroin and synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl.

Data mining methods that draw on computer science and statistics can bring new clarity for plant scientists trying to design better crop varieties, according to newly published research from an ISU agronomist. The study outlines several data management approaches that can help plant breeders predict the traits of potential hybrids faster and cheaper than growing and testing the plants.

Jennifer Leptien translated her lifelong passion for the Beatles into a learning opportunity for Iowa State University students. Each spring, students enroll in Leptien and Jason Chrystal’s one-credit honors seminar for a deep-dive into Beatlemania. Over spring break, they’ll travel to Liverpool and London to see where the Fab Four got their start.

Citizen scientists can contribute to an effort to enter thousands of preserved organism samples from the Iowa Lakeside Laboratory into an easily searchable database. An ISU scientist overseeing the project said there’s no telling what kind of discoveries may await among the various specimens of plants, insects and animals.

With Valentine’s Day approaching, an expert on flirting is coming to Iowa State University on Feb. 7 to share how he came to define the “five flirting styles” through his research into relationships and social interaction.

Generations of students have read Shakespeare and Hemingway for high school literature class and Jeanne Dyches, assistant professor in Iowa State University’s School of Education, would like students to question that tradition. Assigning these texts without questioning issues of race or gender may exclude students who do not see themselves in the text, and make them feel their voices are not valued, she said.