News Archive
Friday, November 14 2014
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Iowa State University agronomist warns against post-harvest tillage
An Iowa State University agronomist is urging Iowa farmers to reconsider tilling their fields after harvest as part of a long-term approach to preserving soil health. Many of the perceived benefits of conventional tillage never materialize or aren’t worth the increased cost and effort, he said.
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New Iowa State mobile classroom brings advanced technology learning to K-12 schools
Although Iowa’s K-12 population is tech savvy, they still have more to learn before maneuvering through advanced technology to solve problems in design and manufacturing, says an Iowa State University industrial design professor. A new ISU mobile classroom is helping prepare them for the future.
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ISU’s graduate planning program ranks fourth nationally in its category
Iowa State University’s graduate program in community and regional planning earned high marks in the latest survey by Planetizen, the leading online network for the urban planning, design and development community. For 2015, Iowa State is ranked fourth in the nation among programs that do not grant a doctoral degree in planning. This is up from 13th place in 2012.
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Iowa State University graduate student searches for plant extracts to treat devastating river blindness in Cameroon
An Iowa State University graduate student is on a quest to identify plant extracts to combat a devastating parasitic disease in Cameroon and other African countries. The answers may lie in a pair of plants Cameroon residents use to make herbal remedies to treat the disease.
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Evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins will speak at Iowa State University Nov. 17
Richard Dawkins, evolutionary biologist and secularist, will present "An Appetite for Wonder: The Making of a Scientist — A Conversation with Richard Dawkins" at 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17, in Stephens Auditorium, Iowa State Center. No tickets are required for the general admission seating. Doors will open at 7:15 p.m. Dawkins' presentation is part of Iowa State University's National Affairs Series on Innovation and is free and open to the public. A book signing will follow his talk.
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ISU’s landscape architecture program ranks in top 15 nationally
Iowa State’s undergraduate program in landscape architecture is ranked in the top 15 in the nation, according to a new survey of practitioners by DesignIntelligence. The survey placed Iowa State’s program 11th in the United States. In addition, Rob Whitehead, assistant professor of architecture, and Hale Selek, lecturer in industrial design, were named two of the 30 most admired design educators in the nation for 2015.
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Beware of phone phishing scam
ISU Police and the Ames Police Department have received several reports of scam phone calls to students, their parents and other community members. The callers have posed as government, university and utility company officials and demand payment, threatening arrest for those failing to comply. These unsolicited calls are examples of phishing. Thieves claiming to represent legitimate agencies attempt to get personal and financial information from unsuspecting victims. As a reminder, please be vigilant about any unsolicited calls or emails. Do not release bank account or Social Security numbers, date of birth or any other information that could compromise your financial security or result in identity theft. If you are the victim of a phishing scam, contact local police and the Federal Trade Commission at www.ftc.gov.
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ISU’s School of Education overcoming challenges to place record number of student teachers
Iowa State University's Educator Preparation Program is growing. It's preparing to place a record 270 student teachers this spring in schools across Iowa and the country. There are several reasons for the growth, but it also comes with the challenge of finding more than 450 classrooms for student teachers to gain experience.
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Iowa State engineer helps Army Lab study the fundamental physics of diesel engines
Iowa State University's Song-Charng Kong is working with engineers at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory to study the fundamental physics of fuel spraying into diesel engines. Understanding the fundamentals should lead to better predictions of engine performance and could lead to better fuel economy and power. The Defense Department is supporting the work with a five-year grant of $500,000 and one billion supercomputer hours.
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Iowa State University virtual reality system simulates the International Space Station
A virtual simulation of the International Space Station takes Iowa State University faculty and students out of this world to test how humans make decisions in stressful situations. The simulation also helps to train students in space-flight operations.
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Veterinary research on lambs leads to advances in treatments for respiratory disease in human infants
Veterinary research involving lambs at Iowa State University is helping to advance new treatments to a common virus in humans that sometimes poses a serious threat to newborns. Respiratory syncytial virus infects the vast majority of humans, and it usually results in nothing more serious than cold symptoms in healthy adults. But in infants, especially those born prematurely, the virus can lead to pneumonia and serious health complications.
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No silver bullet: ISU study identifies risk factors of youth charged with murder
News of a school shooting or a homicide involving a teenage suspect always leads to the question of why? It is human nature to want an explanation or someone to blame, and policymakers try to pinpoint a cause in an effort to prevent it from happening again. But too often, the speculation or rush to judgment clouds reality, said Matt DeLisi, a professor of sociology at Iowa State University.
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Mock campaign gives Iowa State students new perspective on political process
Voters only get a glimpse of the operation behind a political campaign, even with all the negative ads and 24-7 news coverage. And a textbook or class lecture cannot replicate the pressure of giving a stump speech to voters, answering questions from reporters, or responding to a crisis. To expose students to that environment, Kelly Winfrey turned her campaign rhetoric class into a mock U.S. Senate campaign.
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Center for Biorenewable Chemicals helps Iowa State researchers launch startup companies
The Biobased Foundry established by the Center for Biorenewable Chemicals based at Iowa State has helped nine startup companies. The foundry combines teaching and mentoring to help graduate students and postdoctoral researchers create technologies and businesses that meet the needs of customers.
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Bullies in the workplace: ISU researcher examines the struggles for victims to tell their story
The stories are shocking and heartbreaking, but they are often disjointed and hard to follow. In severe cases, the narratives are even more chaotic. This is reality for victims of workplace bullying and a major reason why they stay silent, said Stacy Tye-Williams, an assistant professor of communications studies and English at Iowa State University.
Change Agent: Hongwei Xin
For the director of ISU's Egg Industry Center, science and agriculture have no borders.