News Archive
Wednesday, August 15 2012
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Iowa State psychology professor Douglas Gentile to lead session at White House conference
Douglas Gentile, an associate professor of psychology at Iowa State and world-renowned researcher on the effects of media on children, has been invited to lead one of the discussions at next week's White House conference on "Enhancing Well-being and Attentional Control through Games and Interactive Media: A Neuroscientific Approach." Gentile's session, "Affective/Social behavior within video game-based interactions," will take place on Wednesday, Aug. 22, at 8:30 a.m. in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Indian Treaty Room at the White House.
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Leath named to IFDC board of directors
Iowa State University President Steven Leath has been elected to a three-year term on the board of directors of the Muscle Shoals, Ala.-based International Fertilizer Development Center. IFDC focuses on increasing and sustaining food security and agricultural productivity in developing countries through the development and transfer of effective and environmentally sound crop nutrient technology and agribusiness expertise.
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Iowa State's School of Education director addresses emphasis on literacy education
National and state education reform efforts are emphasizing scientifically based early reading instruction, and research points to the need for those foundational skills. Ralph E. Reynolds, director of Iowa State's School of Education, applauds the greater commitment to literacy/reading education, including here in Iowa. The past president of the International Society for the Scientific Study of Reading, Reynolds says there are some general guidelines educators can follow to strengthen literacy in most students.
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Iowa State researchers feed pigs, chickens high-protein fungus grown on ethanol leftovers
An Iowa State University research team led by Hans van Leeuwen is feeding high-protein fungi grown on the leftovers of ethanol production to pigs and chickens. The feed-production process also cleans some of the water used in ethanol production, allowing more water to be recycled back into biofuel production. The process was recently named a global grand winner of the International Water Association's Project Innovation Awards in Applied Research.
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Drought creating waves of uncertainty for livestock producers
Some of the key safety nets that benefit crop farmers dealing with this year’s scorching drought won’t help livestock producers who have been saddled with high feed costs and growing uncertainty, according to two agricultural experts at Iowa State University. Crop insurance doesn’t help cattle or swine producers while high corn prices make it more expensive for farmers to feed their herds. The resulting higher feed prices have pushed producers to cull more dairy cows than in previous years.
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Prominent architect Rebecca Greco to receive Christian Petersen Design Award
Alumna Rebecca J. Greco, a managing principal at one of the nation’s leading architecture and design firms, is the recipient of the 2012 Christian Petersen Design Award presented by the ISU College of Design. Greco heads the public and corporate practice group at Minneapolis-based Hammel, Green and Abrahamson. Her notable commissions include four regional headquarters for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the GSA’s New International Trade Crossing in Detroit, the Minnesota State Capitol restoration, General Mills Corporate Headquarters and the University of Minnesota Science Teaching and Student Services Building. She will be honored on Aug. 20.
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Iowa State retail specialist assesses the Stores Magazine "Hot 100 Retailers" list
Ron Prescott, retail and small business specialist with Iowa State's Extension and Outreach Community and Economic Development and department of economics, provided his analysis of the "Hot 100 Retailers" list published in the August issue of the National Retail Federation's Stores Magazine.
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State fair exhibit celebrates what makes Iowa State University special
Visitors to Iowa State University's exhibit at the Iowa State Fair (Aug. 9-19) can share the experience enjoyed by 1 million people this summer on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The university's 2012 Smithsonian Folklife Festival exhibit will be featured in Iowa State's "Celebrating our Morrill Act Heritage" display in the air-conditioned Varied Industries Building. The exhibit was selected to be part of the national celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Morrill Act, which laid the foundation for land-grant universities. It showcases how Iowa State faculty, staff and students apply design to help communities solve problems.
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Iowa State researchers build tool to help sub-Saharan African seed companies
Working in harmony with the Iowa State University Seed Science Center, two College of Business professors developed a decision support system to help African seed entrepreneurs make informed decisions about starting small-scale seed chain businesses. The decision tool has been used to evaluate the economic viability in at least 17 small seed companies that are now introducing improved seed varieties in villages and farms in Mozambique, Malawi, Kenya and Tanzania -- helping to better feed those starving nations.
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Iowa State, Ames Lab researchers invent new tool to study single biological molecules
Sanjeevi Sivasankar of Iowa State University and the Ames Laboratory is leading a research team that has developed new microscope technology to study biological molecules. The technology allows researchers to make 3-D measurements of single molecules with unprecedented accuracy and precision. The technology could be useful for medical researchers who need high-resolution data from microscopes.
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Drought management plan under way in Ames; ISU is doing its part
Iowa State faculty, staff and students continue to save water and are looking at new ways to conserve in the midst of this summer's drought.
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Iowa State, Argonne physicist wins presidential award for neutrino research
Mayly Sanchez of Iowa State University and the Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago has won a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. It is the highest honor awarded by the U.S. government for early career researchers. Sanchez studies neutrinos and is working with several major physics experiments.
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Team PrISUm still strong under the hot sun; maintains second in cross-country race
Team PrISUm soaked up the sun on Thursday morning and ran with race-leading Michigan during day six of the American Solar Challenge. But clouds covered Wisconsin in the afternoon and Iowa State's solar car team had to slow down. Even so, the team strengthened its hold on second place in the 1,650-mile race.
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Hyperion thrives where other solar race cars fail; races back to second place
Team PrISUm climbed to second place in the American Solar Challenge on Wednesday. Iowa State's solar race car has handled heat better than a lot of cars. And that has helped the team recover from a rainy day accident early in the race.
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Team PrISUm loves the hot sun; solar car races back into third place
Team PrISUm's solar race car loves the heat of summer and cruised at the speed limit most of Tuesday. The team is now in third place in the eight-day, eight-state American Solar Challenge.
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Wohlgemuth named interim director of admissions
Longtime enrollment services staff member Darin Wohlgemuth has been named interim director of admissions. He steps into the director post formerly held by assistant vice president for enrollment Marc Harding, who left Iowa State recently to join the University of Pittsburgh.
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Sunny skies power Team PrISUm past two teams and into fourth place
Team PrISUm raced up the road Monday, passing two teams and moving into fourth place of the 11-team American Solar Challenge. Iowa State's solar car team is 36 minutes behind third-place Principia College. A goal for the next few days is to try to make up that time and move back into the race's top three.
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Iowa State’s external funding reaches $360.2 million in fiscal year 2012
External funding that supports Iowa State University students, researchers, equipment purchases, education programs, buildings and extension activities rose to $360.2 million in fiscal year 2012. That's up from $342.3 million the previous fiscal year. Iowa State's record is $388.2 million in 2010.
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Team PrISUm hits curb, loses time and places at American Solar Challenge
It was a tough day at the American Solar Challenge for Team PrISUm on Sunday. The team lost a lot of time with a low battery pack, thunderstorms and radio problems. And then the team's car hit a curb, breaking the suspension and forcing roadside repairs. The team is hoping for better racing -- and sunnier skies -- on Monday.
Iowa State named a Fiske 'Best Buy' school
Iowa State is one of only 20 public universities in the world selected as a Best Buy in the Fiske Guide to Colleges 2013. To qualify as a Best Buy institution, schools must have four- or five-star academic ratings, inexpensive to moderate tuition and fees, and high-quality student life on campus.