News Archive
Monday, June 3 2013
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Iowa State meteorologist, grad students worked with Tim Samaras, calling him 'the safest storm chaser we knew'
Bill Gallus
Iowa State University meteorology professor and storm chaser Bill Gallus said researchers around the country are "in shock" over the death of Tim Samaras, the well-known storm chaser who was killed in the El Reno, Okla., tornado Friday.
"He was the safest storm chaser we knew," said Gallus. "He was incredibly safe. That's why we worked with him."
Gallus is available to speak with members of the news media at 515-294-2270 or wgallus@iastate.edu.
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ISU’s Catt Center releases new report on municipal gender balance
More women are now serving on municipal boards and commissions in Iowa due in part to the state’s gender balance law. The Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State University, in partnership with the Friends of the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women, created the Gender Balance Project to track compliance at both the county and municipal level.
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Jack Trice Stadium boasts the nation's best field
The natural, green grass of Jack Trice Stadium has been named College Football Field of the Year by the Sports Turf Managers Association. Tim Van Loo, Athletics turf grounds manager, and a team of students work diligently to make Jack Trice Stadium's field look plush and gorgeous.
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Iowa State professor uses statistical analysis to make sports projections
With 24-hour sports networks and social media, there is no shortage of sports information and statistics for fans to access. But a desire for better analysis of those statistics led Gray Calhoun, an assistant professor of economics at Iowa State University, to create VisualScoreboard.com.
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Iowa State formula racers think engine problems are finally behind them
Iowa State's Formula SAE Team likes a lot about this year's mini open-wheel racer: reliable engine, wider cockpit, roomier engine bay, new shock attachments. All those changes should make for a race car that's easier to run, operate and fix.
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Iowa State design professor leads team in autism research and outreach
What started as a school project for her cognitively disabled son has turned into a career focus for one Iowa State University graphic design professor. Debra Satterfield's teenage son, John, has epilepsy and an autism spectrum disorder. A few years ago, she discovered his talents as a painter. Since then Satterfield has led a team of faculty and students on the design of educational, social inclusion and play experiences for children with cognitive disabilities, including autism spectrum disorders.
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Iowa State student launches business to market new technology
An Iowa State graduate student is another step closer in the development of a bio-based raw material that could replace petroleum-based chemicals in many products. As part of that development, Shivani Garg has launched her own business to market the technology.
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Iowa State’s Team LunaCY ready to repeat last year’s top results at NASA competition
Iowa State's Team LunaCY is looking for more success at NASA's annual competition for mining robots. Iowa State's team won three first-place awards at last year's competition. Team members think they have the machine to bring a few more awards back to campus.
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Wind Energy in Iowa
Host Ben Kieffer of the River to River show takes a look at wind energy in Iowa with both large- and small-scale turbines. He also talks with an Iowa State professor and a graduate student working on designing a different wind turbine tower—one made out of concrete. Iowa State's Sri Sritharan and Grant Schmitz are at 30:45 on the podcast.
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Iowa State engineers design, test taller, high-strength concrete towers for wind turbines
Iowa State's Sri Sritharan and Grant Schmitz have designed and tested a concept for building concrete towers to replace the steel towers used for wind turbines. Concrete towers could be a practical way to raise turbine towers from today's 80 meters to the better winds at 100 meters and higher. Even under extreme loads up to 170,000 pounds, the engineers' test segments performed well in structural tests.
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Power Pullers preparing for national competition with new quarter-scale tractor
A team of students at Iowa State University is putting the finishing touches on a built-from-scratch 1/4-scale tractor to enter in a nationwide engineering competition at the end of May.
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It’s all about reliability for this year’s Iowa State Baja racing team
The student-engineers of Iowa State's Baja SAE Team have been busy designing and building what they hope is a reliable off-road racer. Their first real test is later this week at an international competition in Bellingham, Wash. Team members are hoping the car can survive the contest's big event, a four-hour endurance race.
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What the birth rate says about changing family dynamics
An Iowa State University sociologist is not surprised by a recent U.S. Census Bureau report showing a spike in the number of unmarried women giving birth. According to the report, nearly 36 percent of babies born in 2011 were to single mothers.
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Harmon named associate vice president for student affairs
Martino Harmon, executive director of student success and retention at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, Ohio, will become the next associate vice president for student affairs at Iowa State.
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Spalding named College of Business dean
David Spalding, senior vice president and senior adviser to Dartmouth College's interim president Carol Folt, has been appointed the next Raisbeck Endowed Dean of the College of Business. He will begin his new position Aug. 1.
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Iowa State professor weighs benefit vs. risk of facial recognition technology
Law enforcement agencies are using facial recognition software as a crime-fighting tool. Now businesses are looking to use the technology to reach customers. But an Iowa State University professor questions whether customers are ready for it.
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Human health and performance conference to be held at Iowa State
An international conference to be held at Iowa State University will focus on protein-centric scientific developments that will enhance human health and performance. The conference, titled “Proteins in Human Health and Performance,” will feature an extensive lineup of health experts with a central focus on proteins, including their roles in muscle health and weight management.
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Iowa State, Ames Lab researcher to study the effects of cell adhesion on spread of cancer
Sanjeevi Sivasankar of Iowa State University and the Ames Laboratory has studied how healthy cells stick to each other. Now he's turning his attention to cells affected by cancer. A four-year, $715,000 grant from the American Cancer Society will support studies of the bonds between cancer cells and how changes in those bonds could affect the spread of cancer.
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For farmers, plenty of uncertainty accompanies planting season
The first week of May is traditionally thought of as the ideal time for Iowa farmers to begin planting, but a slow start to spring and volatile grain markets in recent weeks have left many producers anxious to get in the fields, agronomy and grain markets experts at Iowa State University said.
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ISU report finds few counties in compliance with gender balance legislation
Just two of Iowa’s 99 counties have achieved gender balance on appointed boards and commissions, according to a new report by the Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics at Iowa State University and Friends of the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women.
Iowa State University updates method for rating soil productivity
Advances in soil science have necessitated an update in the Corn Suitability Rating (CSR), a system for rating the crop-growing productivity of Iowa soil, according to Iowa State University agronomist Lee Burras.
Be prepared for weather extremes
Unsettled weather is an Iowa mainstay, and so is this annual reminder of the university's severe weather safety and preparedness guidelines -- for storms, extreme heat, flooding and more. Click on the headline for safety tips and resources on severe weather, lightning, flooding, tornadoes and heat stress.
Parents can help preteens with abduction concerns
When kids see news about a child abduction close to home, they might be dealing with their own fears based on what they see on TV or hear from others. Malisa Rader, ISU Extension family life program specialist, says parents can help by reacting with a sense of calm and reassurance. It's an opportunity to share important information to help avoid potentially dangerous situations, Rader says, but parents need to approach the subject in a way that doesn't create unhealthy fears in children.