News Archive
Thursday, December 22 2011
News
Astronomers, Iowa States Kawaler discover planets that survived their stars expansion
Iowa State University's Steve Kawaler has helped a research team use data from NASA's Kepler Mission to discover two Earth-sized planets that survived their star's red-giant expansion. The discovery is published in the Dec. 22 edition of the journal Nature.
Paul now top pick in new Iowa State University/ Gazette/KCRG Poll, but voters still uncertain
ISU researchers poised to help unlock mysteries of medicinal benefits of plants
Iowa State University researchers Eve Syrkin Wurtele, professor
in the Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology,
and Basil Nikolau, professor in the Department of Biochemistry,
Biophysics and Molecular Biology, together with colleagues at
institutions around the country, have developed resources that
may lead to discovery of new, medicinally important compounds
found in plants. The research grew out of a $6 million National
Institutes of Health initiative to study how the genes
of plants contribute to production of various chemical
compounds, some of which are medicinally important.
Iowa State University named a military-friendly school
The journal Military Advanced Education has named Iowa State University a military-friendly university. Iowa State is one of 293 institutions nationwide and four in Iowa that are included in the publication's "Guide to Military-Friendly Colleges and Universities."
ISU accounting team finishes second in American Institute of Certified Public Accountants competition
Once mute student delivers College of Business commencement address
Iowa State, Ames Lab researchers honored for distinguished efforts to advance science
Five researchers from Iowa State University and the Ames Laboratory are new Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). They're being honored for their "scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications."
President Geoffroy will be honored with CASE Chief Executive Leadership Award
Iowa State University President Gregory Geoffroy will receive the 2012 Chief Executive Leadership Award from CASE (the Council for Advancement and Support of Education) District VI at its annual conference Jan. 9 in Denver.
Happy Holidays!
Most university offices are closed Dec. 23 through Jan. 2 over winter break. When in doubt, please call ahead before visiting campus or check this list of closures for various campus facilities.
ISU business professor sees 'mavatars' becoming wave of the future
Brian Mennecke, an ISU associate professor of management information systems, has been studying trends in advertising and social media and the use of facial and body recognition technologies in digital signage displays and product marketing. He foresees facial recognition technology creating new "marketing avatars" -- which he calls "mavatars" -- to be used by savvy business marketers in the not-too-distant future.
In the news
Jobless rate dips below 6 percent, but worries hang on
The Des Moines Register
Iowa's recovering employment picture is getting more complicated. Iowa State University economist Dave Swenson says Iowa business leaders would lure workers with better pay. "It's always a pay issue," Swenson said. "You can't tell me that you wouldn't find all the talent you need if the pay is sufficient."
Negative ads mix with holiday cheer in Iowa
Bloomberg Businessweek
Iowa residents flipping their TV channels are finding negative presidential campaign ads mixed with holiday cheer. "The ads are more negative than they were in 2007," says Dianne Bystrom of ISU's Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics. "In part it's the mood of the country, which has certainly darkened in the last 4 years. Some of the Republicans haven't spent a lot of time in the state, so they're communicating on television. And there are lots of third party ads this time that have really changed the dynamic."
Why a smart tax on soda would work
TIME
Iowa State University economists say a tax on sweetener may be more effective imposed on the manufacturer vs. the consumer. Applying a tax that encourages manufacturers to choose more healthful recipes or formulas can have a powerful downstream effect.