News Archive
Thursday, November 9 2006
News
New agricultural law center created
A new Center for Agricultural Law and Taxation has been established at Iowa State. The center addresses a need for expertise in agricultural decisions that are an increasingly shaped by legal and tax issues.
McCarney to step down after season
Dan McCarney, the longest-tenured and winningest coach in ISU history, has decided to step down as head football coach. McCarney made the announcement jointly with director of athletics Jamie Pollard Nov. 8.
ISU forensic statisticians hunting for hidden messages
Two Iowa State mathematicians have developed software that will detect secret files in seemingly innocent digital images. Jennifer Davidson and Cliff Bergman, both professors in the math department, are fine-tuning the artificial neural net (ANN). When plopped into a computer, the ANN will work like radar that culls out suspicious images.
An old discovery could boost ethanol production from plant fiber
A discovery some 40 years ago is showing promise as a chemical pre-treatment that breaks down plant fiber. That could release the simple sugars in corn stalks or switchgrass so they can be fermented into ethanol. And that could add value to Iowa's crops or the fibrous co-products of ethanol production.
Holiday recording features Simon Estes
A recently released CD, "Holiday Classics With Simon Estes," features the internally acclaimed bass-baritone along with two ISU groups -- ISU Wind Ensemble and the Ames Piano Quartet. Estes is the F. Wendell Miller Distinguished Artist-in-Residence at Iowa State.
ISU taking lead on virtual career fair trend for Southwest MBA Alliance
Mark Peterson, director of MBA graduate career services in ISU's College of Business, is managing the software being used this year for the second annual Southeast MBA Alliance Virtual Career Fair from November 6-20.
ISU coordinating statewide Pappajohn new venture business plan competition
Officials from Iowa State's Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship are coordinating the statewide 2007 Pappajohn New Venture Business Plan Competition. The competition is open to any Iowa university or college student/team with an interest in starting a business.
Accrediting team notes 'noteworthy progress'
Iowa State's accreditation was continued recently by the Higher Learning Commission. An external review team noted that despite many challenges, "the university has made noteworthy progress in increasing the quality of its programs and services, responsiveness to various constituencies, student retention and graduation rates, fund raising and funded research, among others." The next comprehensive evaluation is scheduled for 2015-16.
ABC correspondent Lynn Sherr is fall Mary Louise Smith Chair in Women and Politics
A correspondent on ABC's Newsmagazine "20/20," Sherr will deliver a free, public presentation titled "Outside the Box: Women, Politics and Media" at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 28, in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union.
Summit to generate recommendations for keeping Iowa a leader in biorenewables
"A Call to Action Summit: Ensuring Iowa's Leadership in the Bioeconomy" will be 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 28, in Iowa State University's Scheman Building. Registration is required and there is a $25 fee.
Memorial Union schedules ceremony to honor ISU's fallen in Iraq
Iowa State's Memorial Union has scheduled a ceremony for 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 10, to honor the university's two Iraq casualties. The pre-Veterans Day ceremony will begin in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union, then move to Gold Star Hall. A reception for the families will follow the ceremony. The public is invited.
Webcast, mini-conference on ethanol Nov. 13
Experts will offer a variety of perspectives on the corn-based ethanol industry in Iowa in a statewide webcast and mini-conference Nov. 13. The conference is sponsored by the ISU economics department.
Lee Harris
After accident, student vows 'Forever is not an option'
ISU sophomore Lee Harris, who was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident a year ago, maintains his busy pre-accident routine while raising funds for experimental surgery.
In the news
Divorced women have poorer health
The Associated Press, MSNBC, USA Today and others
Women who divorce may lose some of their good health, according to a study at Iowa State University.
Viral videos as the new attack ads
CNBC
YouTube can carry candidates' messages, or record their lesser moments for posterity. University Professor of Political Science Steffen Schmidt discusses YouTube's effect in next week's election in CNBC's "On the Money."
Nothing 2 LOL about
The Associated Press
Text messaging has advantages and drawbacks, but the technology has a "power we have not earned and don't yet know how to use," says Michael Bugeja, director of ISU's Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication.
Yield of dreams
Successful Farming
Pat Schnable and the Plant Sciences Institute are featured in Successful Farming magazine's October cover story, "Yield of dreams," about groundbreaking crop technology in the works. Research by Schnable and others to sequence the corn genome is key. It will enable scientists to speed development of varieties with desired traits, like drought resistence and cold tolerance, so that agricultural productivity can keep pace with increasing demand for food and fuel.