News Archive
Saturday, April 11 2009
News
ISU team to compete in IBM-sponsored 'Battle of the Brains' world competition
A team of Iowa State students will be one of 100 collegiate teams that will gather in Stockholm, Sweden from April 18-21 to compete in the 33rd annual Association for Computing Machinery International Collegial Programming Contest World Finals, sponsored by IBM.
Celebrate Veishea April 13-19
Student organizers are keeping their fingers crossed for excellent weather April 13-19, the dates for Veishea 2009, "Memories in the Making."
ISU symposium to address food and fuel crops at Iowa State April 21-22
BIGMAP is hosting a symposium, "Food and Fuel Crops: Issues, Policies and Regulation," 1:30 to 6:30 p.m., April 21 and from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., April 22 at the Gateway Hotel and Conference Center in Ames.
ISU researcher identifies protein that concentrates carbon dioxide in algae
An Iowa State University researcher has identified one of the key proteins in microalgae responsible for concentrating and moving CO2 into cells.
Iowa State University selects three new deans
Following national searches to fill dean posts in its colleges of Design, Engineering and Human Sciences, Iowa State University President Gregory Geoffroy has announced the successful candidates who will lead those colleges.
Iowa's state and local tax burden is below national average, says ISU researcher
Iowans pay less in total state and local taxes than do residents of most other states, according to a report just published by an Iowa State University researcher.
Jeffrey Zaslow will discuss his new book, The Girls from Ames, on April 23
Jeffrey Zaslow, a Wall Street Journal columnist and the coauthor of the international best seller, "The Last Lecture," has written a new book about the lifelong friendships among 11 women from Ames. He will introduce his book and the women who inspired it at a presentation at Iowa State University. "The Girls from Ames" will be at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 23, in the Memorial Union Sun Room. It is free and open to the public.
ISU business experts address layoffs, virtual appeal, customer relationship management
Iowa State's College of Business experts can plug into today's hottest business topics, including layoffs, social media and customer relationship management.
'Gypsy' hits the stage for annual Stars Over Veishea production, April 15-19
One of the greatest of all American musicals will be on stage at ISU for the annual Stars Over Veishea production. 'Gypsy' will be performed by ISU students at Fisher Theater during Veishea week.
'Science Cafe' addresses lessons to be learned from disasters
Max Porter, an Iowa State University professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering, will discuss some of the structural engineering lessons to be learned from disasters during a 'Science Cafe.' The informal gathering will be 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 8, in the Skybox at Legends American Grill at 200 Stanton Ave. near the Iowa State campus. The event is free and open to the public.
Iowa State study finds video games can teach helpful behavior, too
New research led by ISU psychologists Douglas Gentile and Craig Anderson summarizing studies from three countries found that some non-violent video games can teach kids to be more cooperative and helpful to others.
Researchers examine bacterial rice diseases, search for genetic solutions
Some types of rice are naturally resistant to the Xanthomonas bacteria. In those varieties the team is exposing the plants to the two bacteria. They then check to see which plant genes are activated, and to what extent.
Iowa State chemist synthesizes carbohydrates, launches startup company
A grant from the Grow Iowa Values Fund, a state economic development program, is helping Nikki Pohl and Beatrice Collet develop a process for synthesizing custom-order carbohydrates. They're also launching a startup company, LuCELLa Biosciences Inc., to produce and market the carbohydrates to researchers.
Transportation focus at Iowa State University becomes institute
The Center for Transportation Research and Education, a Regents-approved center at Iowa State University since 1996, has been designated an Iowa State institute and will be called the Institute for Transportation. The institute will also be known as "InTrans."
Barry Griswell and Bob Jennings will speak April 13
Two Des Moines business gurus will speak at Iowa State about ways businesses can grow stronger by overcoming and embracing adversity. Barry Griswell and Bob Jennings will present "The Adversity Paradox: Achieving Uncommon Success in Business" at 7 p.m. Monday, April 13, in the Memorial Union Great Hall. A book signing and reception follow. The events are free and open to the public.
Exercise your freedoms at First Amendment Day April 16
The Greenlee School of Journalism's annual First Amendment Day celebration serves as a reminder of the five freedoms granted by the Constitution. The event kicks off the evening of April 15 with a discussion on the future of the freedom of the press, and continues all day April 16 with a freedom march, lectures, free food, soap box debates and a roundtable discussion.
ISU study finds college students are online regularly and reading more overall
A new Iowa State study examining data from a 2006-07 online survey of 539 students attending a "highly selective" but unnamed Midwestern university found that students are routinely using the Internet more than ever, but they're also spending considerably more time reading than they did 10 years ago.
Learning communities program earns national honor
The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) honored Iowa State's learning communities program with the Promising Practices Award for 2009. The award recognizes colleges and universities for their outstanding partnerships between student affairs professionals and academic affairs. Iowa State's learning community program has served as a model for other schools.
Ames Laboratory to receive $1.7 million in recovery act funding
The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Ames Laboratory will receive approximately $1.7 million as part of President Obama's American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The funding will be applied to a variety of energy conservation projects at the Ames Laboratory.
Lovebirds
If you're a hopeless romantic, be sure to check out the spring 2009 issue of VISIONS magazine -- it's all about finding love at Iowa State. Also in this issue are features on golfer Tyler Swanson's amazing recovery following a near-fatal car accident and art professor Chuck Richards' latest literary adventure. VISIONS is published by the ISU Alumni Association.
Spring fashions, local Marc Jacobs designer featured in April 25 ISU Fashion Show
The ISU Fashion Show 2009 will be held on Saturday, April 25, in Stephens Auditorium, and feature work by Mansoor Amjed -- a Des Moines native who is a designer for women's wovens at Marc by Marc Jacobs. The event will have a showcase exhibit of student portfolios and mounted pieces at 6 p.m., with the runway show scheduled for 7 p.m.
In the news
10 high fliers on Twitter
Chronicle of Higher Education
Scott McLeod, an associate professor at Iowa State University and director of the university's Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education, was listed eighth among the Chronicle's list of 10 college Twitterers worth following.
Violent video games not a safe outlet for aggression, doctor says
Dr. Douglas Gentile runs the Media Research Lab at Iowa State University, where he studies media's effects on children and adults. He says there have been hundreds of studies about whether media violence can actually help reduce aggression by giving players a "safe" outlet for aggressive fantasies.
Can robots be programmed to learn from their own experiences?
Scientific American
"Personal robots" -- inexpensive machines that can help out at home or the office -- may be closer than we think. But first, says Alexander Stoytchev, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at Iowa State University in Ames, robots have to be taught to do something we know instinctively: how to learn.
Eyewitness: How accurate is visual memory?
60 Minutes
ISU Distinguished Professor Gary Wells tells CBS' Lesley Stahl that reinforcement alters memory when it comes to identifying suspects in a lineup. And for that matter, Wells says, viewing photos of people one at a time is a more accurate way to identify a suspect than comparing people to one another.