News Archive
Thursday, July 8 2004
News
ISU athletics director appointment extended
Athletics Director Bruce Van De Velde's employment agreement has been extended. After his contract expires in June 2005, he'll become an "exempt Professional and Scientific" employee, which is consistent with that of other senior administrators who report to President Gregory Geoffroy.
ISU political pundits offer insight on presidential race
Iowa State University offers several political experts who study the candidates, political advertising, voter polling and turnout, campaign finance, the impact of technology on elections, and other relevant topics.
Tollefson named to entomology chair
Jon Tollefson, a professor in the department of entomology, began a five-year appointment as department chairperson on July 1.
Tollefson has been on the ISU faculty since 1975. He succeeds Joel Coats, who completed a five-year appointment as department chair June 30. Coats remains on the faculty.
Glatz named interim Engineering dean at Iowa State
Iowa State University Provost Benjamin Allen has appointed Charles Glatz, professor and chair of chemical engineering, as interim dean of the College of Engineering through Dec. 31, 2004.
He replaces James Melsa, who retired June 30. Mark Kushner, Founder Professor of Engineering at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, will become permanent dean of ISU's College of Engineering on Jan. 1, 2005.
New chair named for ISU Food Sciences and Human Nutrition Department
A University of Missouri department chair has been named chair of Iowa State's Department of Food Sciences and Human Nutrition. Ruth MacDonald's appointment begins Aug. 1. MacDonald's research focuses on identifying factors in foods that reduce or slow certain types of cancer.
Iowa State experts can comment on mad cow disease
A veterinarian and a livestock market economist are among the Iowa State University experts who can provide perspective on the latest developments in mad cow disease. On June 25, USDA reported that a cattle carcass had tested as "inconclusive" for mad cow disease. A follow-up test at a USDA laboratory in Ames found no sign of the disease, USDA said June 30. Test results on a second carcass, singled out on June 29 as possibly being infected, will not be available for several days.
New Plant Sciences Institute research targets Iowa ag issues
Iowa State University's Plant Sciences Institute will redirect more than $3 million to fast track research that will enhance the value of Iowa crops and target specific challenges facing Iowa agriculture. Over the next three years, researchers will work on five initiatives-- plant genomes, plant biofactories, nutrition, biorenewables and crop protection.
Iowa State University researchers hit the pavement for an academic road show
A new mobile concrete laboratory will allow ISU scientists to travel to highway construction sites to test road materials. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the laboratory will be from 2 to 4 p.m. Tuesday, July 6, in the ISU Research Park parking lot, 2901 South Loop Drive, Ames.
Iowa State initiates entrepreneurship grant awards
Seven new entrepreneurship courses will be created by a grant managed by the ISU Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship. The courses will be in the Colleges of Agriculture, Business, Design, Engineering, and Family and Consumer Sciences.
Student team third in international contest
Three Iowa State students placed third overall in the IEEE Computer Society's international design competition on Monday, making them among the few U.S. teams ever to place in this event.
The team of Melanie Davis, a senior from Minneapolis; Douglas Houghton, a graduate student from Ames; and Shahzaib Younis, a senior from Pakistan, also received the Microsoft Software Engineering Award for their project, a computer program that utilizes global positioning system technologies to trigger messages. Applications for this technology range from assisting search parties to reminding patrons what to buy at the grocery store.
The students received a total of $9,000 in prize money, and hope to patent their technology (see USA Today story at right). Their project was among 250 entries in the annual competition, with the top 10 teams participating in the World Finals in Washington, D.C.
The summer issue of VISIONS, the magazine for members of the ISU Alumni Association, is available online now. This issue features RAGBRAI, the College of Design, the Alumni Association's 125th anniversary celebration, Cyclone gymnastics, and one man's story of mistaken identity. VISIONS story
ISU in the news
A hard bargain
Baltimore Sun
Anti-Wal-Mart sentiment hasn't seemed to stop the company's exponential growth. The company some people love to hate serves 138 million customers per week and boasted sales of $256 billion last year.
"It's hip to say you hate Wal-Mart, but I don't really think there is as much hate as you think. As big as they are and moving as fast as they are, they are going to be a viable company for a long time."
-- Ken Stone, ISU Extension economist and emeritus professor, ag economics
Lawmakers attack violent video games
Forbes
The gory content of some video games is under renewed attack from legislators and activists. They want some titles kept out of kids' hands, though courts have repeatedly granted games First Amendment protections.
Opponents cite new research that they say suggests strong links between violent games and aggressive behavior. They are disturbed by games' cultural ubiquity and the always-improving technology that makes virtual gore more realistic than ever.
"On average, there is a significant tendency for the studies to yield an increase in aggression by those who have played the violent games."
-- Craig Anderson, ISU professor and psychology chair; leading researcher on the effects of media violence
Students seek 'spatial clues' patent
USA Today
Three Iowa State students are seeking a patent on an acclaimed computer program that combines wireless technology with the Global Positioning System. The system could help rescue teams warn each other about dangerous locations. The technology is called "spatial clues."
"We store information in space."
-- Shahzaib Younis, who designed the concept with fellow computer science students Melanie Davis and Doug Houghton.