News Archive
Thursday, February 23 2012
News
Chicago community leader will speak about urban homelessness and poverty Feb. 29
Jane Ramsey, an influential community leader and activist in Chicago, will speak on "Myths and Realities of Homelessness and Poverty: A Plan for Transforming Cities" at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 29, in the Memorial Union Sun Room. Ramsey is president of the Chicago-based Jewish Council on Urban Affairs, which combats poverty, racism and anti-Semitism in partnership with the city's diverse communities. A principal organizer of coalitions that bring wide-ranging groups together to address common concerns, Ramsey has been at the forefront of many critical issues affecting Chicago. Ramsey's talk is free and open to the public.
L to R: Edward Swing and Douglas Gentile
Video game playing can compound kids' existing attention problems, says ISU study
Children who are already more impulsive or have attention problems tend to spend more time playing video games than other children, which subsequently may compound their attention problems. That's according to a new longitudinal study led by Douglas Gentile, an associate professor of psychology at Iowa State; and Edward Swing, an ISU psychology doctoral candidate, and published this week by the American Psychological Association in its debut issue of the Psychology of Popular Media Culture journal.
Eating disorder survivor and recovery mentor to speak Feb. 29
After battling anorexia and bulimia for 15 years, Shannon Cutts has become an internationally known advocate for the value of mentoring in the eating disorder recovery process. She will present a talk, "Beauty Undressed," at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 29, in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union. Cutts is the founder of MentorCONNECT, the first global eating disorders mentoring organization, which serves more than 2,000 members in 15 countries. Her talk is free and open to the public.
Nobel winner Shechtman honored at Statehouse
Danny Shechtman (second from right), of ISU, the Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory, and Israel's Technion, was honored by the Iowa Legislature Feb. 21 for his 2011 Nobel Prize in chemistry. Pictured with Shectman are (left to right) College of Engineering Dean Jonathan Wickert, the James and Katherine Melsa Professor in Engineering; Regent Nicole Carroll; Sen. Herman Quirmbach; and Iowa State University President Steve Leath.
Experimental behavioral economist to speak on ethical behavior in finance Feb. 28
Erin Krupka, an experimental behavioral economist who studies how the desire to conform to social norms influences immoral and self-interested behavior, will speak at Iowa State on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Her talk, "Ethical Behavior in Finance: Expectations, Incentives and Accountability," will be at 8 p.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall. Krupka's research seeks to understand why people often behave in a manner consistent with group norms, even in settings without a strategic advantage for doing so, including the corporate environment. Her presentation is part of the Women in STEM Series, and is free and open to the public.
Chief scientist at BP to speak on energy sustainability at Iowa State Feb. 27
The chief scientist at one of the world's largest oil and gas companies will present "Energy Sustainability in a Changing World" at 8 p.m. Monday, Feb. 27, in the Memorial Union Great Hall. As lead scientist for the fourth-largest corporation on the planet, Williams plays a role in determining how developments in science and technology can contribute to sustainable, secure and environmentally responsive energy. She will discuss specific examples of carbon capture and storage, as well as biofuels. Her talk is part of the university's Women in STEM Speaker Series and the Live Green! Sustainability Lecture Series. It is free and open to the public.
Adam Heathcote and Christopher Filstrup examine lake core samples. ISU photo by Bob Elbert
Examining history of Iowas lakes reveals past, helps set goals for future: ISU study
A recent three-year study by an Iowa State University research team led by John Downing examined changes in sedimentation rates and sediment composition in 34 Iowa lakes from as long ago as 150 years. According to Downing, the idea that all of Iowa's lakes were uniformly pristine before the land was cleared is not true. And while our lakes have changed pretty dramatically, we can now look at what types of practices need to be put in place to improve the lakes.
Executive Vice President and Provost Hoffman will step down
Executive Vice President and Provost Elizabeth Hoffman has announced her intention to leave Iowa State by the end of the calendar year. She shared her news in a letter to the campus community.
Iowa State researchers: Information flow can help farmers cope with climate change
Iowa State University's Steven Fales and Gene Takle have organized a symposium to explore using instant communications technology to help farmers cope with climate change. And they want the symposium to move beyond ideas and talk. They want action.
Students, businesses connect through new entrepreneurship program
ISU's Agricultural Entrepreneurship Initiative has created
a program offering businesses access to exclusive workshops,
strategic leadership roundtables and interaction with top
College of Agriculture and Life Sciences students. The new
Affiliates
Program of the initiative provides support for important
work in agricultural entrepreneurship.
In the news
Are video games beneficial?
Behavior may lead to a longer, happier life
Gamers on 3-D mission to save world
After growing up on an entertainment diet of X-Men and Xbox, high school and college-age students may find a textbook on cell biology to be a little, well, bland. Eve Syrkin Wurtele decided the best way to get the attention of the science-deprived, gamer generation is to take the information out of a text book and put it in a medium that kids crave - video games. WHO-TV in Des Moines highlighted Wurtele's work.