College of Engineering News • Iowa State University

ABE graduate student embraces Midwest agricultural culture

Liz Luby studies how antibiotic resistance in manure affects Iowa agriculture Raised in Alexandria, Virginia, Liz Luby worked as an undergraduate research assistant in biological systems engineering at Virginia Tech. Her boss suggested she attend graduate school and connected her with ISU associate professor Michelle Soupir. In those moments, Luby knew she would be coming …Continue reading “ABE graduate student embraces Midwest agricultural culture”

ISU corn stover training paying off for Iowa small businesses and startup companies

In the cornfields of central Iowa last fall, employees of newly created, small, local businesses prepared and collected corn stover — the stalks, leaves, and cobs left after grain harvest — as feedstock for the DuPont Biofuels Solutions cellulosic ethanol facility in Nevada, which launched production in the fall. The corn stover harvesters were trained …Continue reading “ISU corn stover training paying off for Iowa small businesses and startup companies”

College of Engineering and LAS professors study STEM faculty engagement

Researchers in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering at Iowa State University are studying factors affecting the engagement of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) faculty and the contributions of their work. The study, “EAGER: Understanding and Strengthening STEM Faculty Engagement, the Institutional Environment and Transformative Research,” proposes to …Continue reading “College of Engineering and LAS professors study STEM faculty engagement”

Abhinaya Raghothaman: Childhood dream takes flight

ISU senior travels to United States and sets life goal Many children dream about what they will be when they grow up, but few achieve this goal. Abhinaya Raghothaman, aerospace engineering senior, is one of the few. Raghothaman moved from New Delhi, India, to Dubuque, Iowa, when she was 13 years old. She was extremely …Continue reading “Abhinaya Raghothaman: Childhood dream takes flight”

How crop waste could become carbon-negative energy

Researchers at Iowa State University are trying to determine whether crop residue could pay off in three ways simultaneously: as a source of biofuel, as a soil enhancer, and as a long-term sink for carbon dioxide. At the heart of their investigation is a heating process known as pyrolysis that turns plant matter into biochar, …Continue reading “How crop waste could become carbon-negative energy”

Four questions for an international Iowa State alumnus

Manuel Mateos de Vicente graduated from Iowa State with a master’s in civil engineering in 1958 and a Ph.D. in civil engineering in 1961. He lives in Moraleja, near Madrid, Spain, and is an expert in hydraulic fluids (he has written 12 books on the subject), clay minerals and their atomic composition, and traffic safety. …Continue reading “Four questions for an international Iowa State alumnus”

CoE faculty grants funded by Leopold Center

The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture has awarded grants to 17 innovative research and demonstration projects that promise to move agricultural production toward greater sustainability while improving Iowa’s soil and water resources. The research will provide new knowledge on soil health, specifically how phosphorus moves under different cropping systems and how certain changes deep below …Continue reading “CoE faculty grants funded by Leopold Center”

CoE engineering students return to high school to discuss abroad experiences

Former Ankeny students Katie Powers and Kevin Hyler recently returned to Ankeny Centennial High School to share their experience studying abroad with students at the school. Powers and Hyler are both enrolled in engineering at Iowa State University and spent time studying overseas last year. This story was originally published by the Des Moines Register.

Iowa State wins 2015 TRB Best Paper relating auto crashes, lane widths

A team of students from the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering (CCEE) at Iowa State University recently received a best paper award through the 2015 Transportation Research Board (TRB) Data Contest. The award was presented at the 2015 TRB Annual Meeting, held Jan. 11-15 in Washington, D.C. The Iowa State team comprised seven …Continue reading “Iowa State wins 2015 TRB Best Paper relating auto crashes, lane widths”

Rise of Machines competition: Engaging students in robotics

In December, a group of Iowa State graduate and undergraduate students gathered at the Applied Science Complex to demonstrate their passion for making robots smarter and more autonomous. The event was the first “Rise of Machines” robotics competition, organized by Professor Sourabh Bhattacharya, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering who has been developing a cutting edge research program …Continue reading “Rise of Machines competition: Engaging students in robotics”

Dan Donahue: Get involved in everything

Research and Greek life teach aerospace engineering senior the importance of being a team player Most freshmen at Iowa State never imagine they will be on a research team to design an airplane that goes faster than the speed of sound. Aerospace engineering senior Dan Donahue is doing just that. His research experiences have also …Continue reading “Dan Donahue: Get involved in everything”

NFPA funded research developing contaminant sensor – ISU Tech Brief

Students at Iowa State University are working on a research project, Dielectric Spectroscopic Sensor Development for Hydraulic Fluid Contaminant Detection, funded by the NFPA Education and Technology Foundation. The goal of the project is to develop a practical dielectric sensor for detecting contaminants in hydraulic fluids. The sensor was designed and fabricated to be low …Continue reading “NFPA funded research developing contaminant sensor – ISU Tech Brief”

Hanna offers tips for saving fuel, energy on the farm

Energy costs may not be your largest expense on the farm, but it’s one that you can jump in on and make a fairly large impact without changing productivity, says Mark Hanna, Extension ag engineer at Iowa State University. He offers ideas for conserving fuel, including reduced tillage passes, shifting up, front-wheel assist and hybrid …Continue reading “Hanna offers tips for saving fuel, energy on the farm”

Jake Harry: Combining an interest of math with engineering to ultimately help others

Aerospace engineering senior says being engaged in and outside of classroom shaped his adventure at Iowa State Sometimes things are meant to go together. For Jake Harry, a senior in aerospace engineering, that serendipity was applying his math skills in an engineering field. “I’ve always enjoyed using math to build something useful and help other …Continue reading “Jake Harry: Combining an interest of math with engineering to ultimately help others”

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