Ganesh Balasubramanian is looking forward to immense opportunities in teaching and nanotechnology research as he begins his new faculty position in the mechanical engineering department (ME) at Iowa State. Initially planning on pursuing a statistics degree, Balasubramanian eventually elected to study mechanical engineering at Jadavpur University due to the wide range of scientific fundamentals and …Continue reading “ME welcomes nanotechnology engineer”
Motivated by family and driven by a passion for the environment, Alexandra Bruns, civil, construction, and environmental engineering (CCEE) graduate, has pushed past several obstacles in her life to reach the final semester of her master’s degree. Despite any hardships, Bruns has maintained a positive outlook, never losing hope. At 33 years old, Bruns began …Continue reading “A long road to success”
IMSE alum Dan Varnum was named as the new president and chief executive officer of Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa. He received a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from Iowa State and a master’s degree in business administration from Drake University. Varnum has been vice president of professional services at Mercy Medical Center-Des Moines since 2003 and …Continue reading “IMSE alum is named CEO of Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa”
Each semester students from the sophomore engineering design course ME 270 use their engineering skills, coupled with creativity, to produce technologies for the betterment of developing nations. This summer, one project made it beyond the design stage and was put to use in Eastern Africa, where it has potential to make a big difference for …Continue reading “ME students’ coursework put to the test by Ugandan women farmers”
Janis Terpenny, industrial and manufacturing systems engineering department (IMSE) chair and Joseph Walkup Professor, has been named a 2012 ASME Fellow. Her selection as Fellow follows an impressive career wherein Terpenny is known nationally as a leader in engineering design education, research, and practice. ASME Fellows are nominated by their peers and have had ten …Continue reading “Terpenny named 2012 ASME fellow”
Krishna Rajan of Iowa State University and the Ames Laboratory thinks there’s more to materials informatics than plotting a thick cloud of colorful data points. As he sees it, managing computing tools to discover new materials involves harnessing the key characteristics of data: volume, velocity, variety and veracity (the four V’s). Lately, though, “the focus …Continue reading “Researcher urges new approach for discovering materials”
Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering Xiaoli Tan’s research to examine the morphotropic phase boundary, or a state of compounds with a coexisting crystalline phase, in lead-free piezoelectrics was recently published in Physical Review Letters (PRL), the world’s foremost physics journal. Tan and graduate students Hanzheng Guo and Cheng Ma, along with MSE Assistant …Continue reading “Tan’s lead-free piezoelectrics discovery published in Physical Review Letters”
During the Fall 2012 College of Engineering Convocation on September 6, several Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering Department faculty and staff were recognized for their accomplishments and service. Superior Engineering Extension Award Engineering extension and serving the people of Iowa and beyond is another priority of the college. Hongwei Xin, professor of agricultural and biosystems engineering …Continue reading “ABE faculty and staff receive awards at College of Engineering Convocation”
by Thane Himes Vijay Vittal (PhD EE ’82), former distinguished professor of electrical engineering at ECpE, has been named the 2013 recipient of the IEEE Herman Halperin Electric Transmission and Distribution Award. Vittal’s work includes a number of projects in several areas, including online dynamic security assessment, the application of a new analytical methods to …Continue reading “ECpE alum, former professor honored by IEEE”
Mani Mina is an educator and researcher, as well as a practitioner of martial arts. He believes the three are intricately related, helping him meet the demands of teaching larger classes as well as performing research that adds value in both educational and technical fields. The key, says Mina, who is a senior lecturer in …Continue reading “Teachings, interests, and skills shape ECpE lecturer’s philosophy”
More students than ever before are enrolled at Iowa State and the College of Engineering this year. Surpassing last year’s enrollment by more than 575, this fall the college has 7,508 students taking classes, contributing to the university’s record enrollment of 31,040. This year also set another record for the college—with 6,495 undergraduates, engineering has …Continue reading “University, CoE see enrollment records again this year”
Although wind is a plentiful resource in Iowa, harnessing the invisible power is not as straightforward as it may seem. Planning and implementing a wind farm requires the consideration of many factors, but one particularly central group of people has not been the focus of much research or attention: landowners. Looking to change that trend, …Continue reading “ME graduate student aims to aid in wind energy development”
The Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering (CCEE) recognizes two students and honors a former department chair with the inaugural Lowell Greimann Graduate Fellowships. The $5,000 educational assistance award supports exceptional CCEE department graduate students who focus on structural engineering. One recipient is Mohammed Abdellatef, a first-year civil engineering PhD candidate born in Alexandria, …Continue reading “Int’l students receive fellowships in honor of Greimann, former CCEE chair”
With a variety of study abroad opportunities for students cropping up around the nation, one course in the chemical and biological engineering (CBE) department at Iowa State has set itself apart from the rest. The International Summer Course in Chemical Engineering, or ISCChE, not only provides students the chance to venture abroad, but also strengthens …Continue reading “Chemical engineering students immerse themselves in laboratory work and Spanish culture”
Is there a better way to start a week dedicated to engineering than with Bill Nye the Science Guy? This year’s Engineers’ Week (E-Week) planning committee doesn’t think so. But the group is quick to add that his show, which will be held Friday, September 21, is just one of the many great activities that …Continue reading “Bill Nye the Science Guy to kick off E-Week 2012”
