News Archive
Thursday, May 22 2014
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ISU students convert vacant garden into healthy food for Ames free meal program
An Iowa State University student group has adopted an unused on-campus garden plot to help out an Ames free meal program. Most of the fresh produce from the Student Dietetic Association's summer garden will go to Food at First, which turns grocery and food service daily waste into free meals for anyone.
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As rocky racing turns to mud runs, Iowa State Baja Team expects more success
Iowa State's Baja SAE Team has already scored a race win and an overall top-ten. The students who designed and built the off-road racer are hoping for more success at the season's two remaining competitions. They think they've engineered a car that can impress judges, handle tough terrain and outrun other racing machines.
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Cyclone Power Pullers look to prototype tractor for glimpse of the future
The Cyclone Power Pullers, a team of Iowa State University students who have designed and built a ¼-scale tractor from scratch, are ready to enter their machine in a national competition later this month.
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Cyclone Space Mining ready to defend title at NASA Robotic Mining Competition
Cyclone Space Mining will defend its title in the NASA Space Mining Competition May 19-23 at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida. Team members say they've improved last year's winning design and think they can haul in even more points.
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Iowa State researchers return to communities to assess small town quality of life
Time has changed many of Iowa’s rural communities. Strengthening these towns starts with understanding how social capital and leadership influence development in a small town. A group of Iowa State University researchers has tracked changes in quality of life and social capital in 99 Iowa towns since 1994. This month, they begin a third, two-year study to determine if the changes have continued.
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Iowa State University to offer Iowa Caucuses MOOC
The Iowa Caucuses are a unique process that attracts media attention from around the world. This initial test in the presidential selection process will be the focus for a new massive open online course (MOOC) at Iowa State University. Reporters as well as interested voters can take advantage of this opportunity to learn more about how the process works, the history of the caucuses, their future and the impact of Iowa’s status as the first political battleground.
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Research to help plants fight fungal pathogens receives $2.5 million grant
Research led by a U.S. Department of Agriculture scientist at Iowa State University could improve the ability of crops to fight off diseases. The work is funded by a $2.5 million National Science Foundation grant to study the molecular mechanisms that determine the resistance of cereal crops to fungal pathogens.
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Iowa State experts help consumers get back to their roots
Interest in local, sustainable food sources is motivating more people to plant their own gardens each spring or shop their local farmers market for fresh produce. As a result, registered dietitian nutritionists are fielding more questions from clients about what to plant, how to plant it, and when certain fruits and vegetables are in season.
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Starting from scratch: Iowa State students create new food products for industry
Iowa State students will spend hours throughout the semester chopping, blending and baking, carefully recording every modification in their lab books. By the end of the semester, they will have formulated a product, tested its shelf life and consumer appeal, and developed packaging and nutrition labels to get the product ready for store shelves.
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Iowa State University agronomists to help develop new generation of plant breeders in Africa
Agronomists at Iowa State University are leading an effort to prepare a new generation of plant breeders in Africa who will face the challenge of feeding a growing population. The project will take advantage of the latest computer technology to design and develop online and electronic educational materials to help faculty at African universities train students.
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Iowa State researchers contribute to global effort to sequence peanut genome
A team of USDA and Iowa State University researchers has helped to sequence the genomes of the two closest relatives of the cultivated peanut, an advancement that could lead to the development of varieties more resistant to pests and environmental stress.
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Presidential initiative creates team of engineers, plant scientists to develop smart plants
Iowa State University engineers and plant scientists are working together to study and develop better crops. Iowa State's Presidential Initiative for Interdisciplinary Research launched the collaboration last summer. The research team has organized an International Workshop on Engineered Crops April 28-29 in Des Moines.
One worldly graduate
As a freshman, Deepak Premkumar was a promising leader destined for distinction at Iowa State and beyond. Except for one thing: He didn't have a clue what he wanted to do. A mere eight semesters later, he is graduating magna cum laude with three majors and two bachelor's degrees. And he's headed to the economics doctoral program at the University of California, Berkeley. So how did he figure out what he wanted to do?