Dan Shechtman, the winner of the 2011 Nobel Prize in Chemistry, will share his vision for technological entrepreneurship as a tool for world development during a lecture at Iowa State University. Shechtman, who goes by “Danny,” is an Iowa State University Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, a research scientist at the U.S. Department …Continue reading “Nobel Laureate Dan Shechtman to advocate for tech entrepreneurship in public lecture”
Bong Wie has heard the snickers. You want to protect the Earth from asteroids? Where were you when the dinosaurs needed you? You want to be like Bruce Willis in that asteroid movie? Wie has a serious reply: After five years of science and engineering work, Wie and his small team have a publication list …Continue reading “Iowa State engineers developing ideas, technologies to save the Earth from asteroids”
Two armed soldiers stand behind a barrier, guarding a checkpoint in the road, watching for trouble. A white truck turns toward them. “See what he wants, guys,” says one of the guards. “Sir, we have a military-aged male jumping out of the truck. He’s going behind that van.” “Is he armed?” “No visuals, sir.” And …Continue reading “Iowa State’s MIRAGE lab mixes real and virtual to create new research opportunities”
Iowa’s three Regents universities are making faculty hires, launching studies, partnering with community colleges and building industry partnerships – all in a $22 million effort to boost the state’s research capacity in renewable energy and energy utilization. The benefits to Iowa could be many: research grants, new technologies, startup companies, educational opportunities and workforce improvements …Continue reading “Iowa EPSCoR builds state’s research capacity in renewable energy and energy use”
It’s a big commitment. But Chris Rhinehart just can’t limit her school to one FIRST LEGO League team. “My kids love it,” said the sixth grade math, reading and enrichment teacher at BCLUW Middle School in Union. “That’s why I can’t do only one team.” And so there’s the sixth grade Super 7’s. There’s the seventh …Continue reading “Screaming students to cheer on their teams, robots at FIRST LEGO League Championship”
AMES, Iowa – Nicholas Creager recently pointed to the nuts and bolts of one of Iowa State University’s latest biofuel machines. The 6-inch diameter, stainless steel pipe is the pressure vessel, which is essential for the system’s operation, said Creager, a doctoral student in mechanical engineering and biorenewable resources and technology. It’s a little over …Continue reading “Iowa State researchers double down on heat to break up cellulose, produce fuels and power”
AMES, Iowa – Microbes are working away in an Iowa State University laboratoryto ferment biofuels from the sugar and acetate produced by rapidly heating biomass such as corn stalks and sawdust. But it’s not an easy job for E. coli and C. reinhardtii. The bacteria and microalgae, respectively, don’t like something in the bio-oil produced …Continue reading “Evolving microbes help Iowa State engineers turn bio-oil into advanced biofuels”
Engineers and scientists are working together in new ways to invent catalysts that lead to industrial chemicals from biorenewable resources. Industrial partnerships are expanding. Startup companies are launching. Education partnerships are reaching teachers and students. And an international reputation is growing. They’re all steps the National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering Research Center for Biorenewable Chemicals based at …Continue reading “NSF adds three years, $12 million to ISU-based Center for Biorenewable Chemicals”
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”
Initial studies show a fungus grown in the leftovers of ethanol production could be a good energy feed for pigs and chickens. In separate feeding trials, nursery pigs and chickens have eaten high-protein fungi that Hans van Leeuwen and other Iowa State University researchers have produced in a pilot plant that converts ethanol leftovers into …Continue reading “Iowa State researchers feed pigs, chickens high-protein fungus grown on ethanol leftovers”
Team PrISUm, Iowa State’s solar car racing team, will be back on track in early May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This year’s Formula Sun Grand Prix is part of the speedway’s Emerging Tech Day, a special event celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Indianapolis 500. Read the full story from ISU News Service Read …Continue reading “Solar car team ready to race at 100th anniversary of Indy 500”
Associate Professor Christopher Williams was just trying to see if adding bio-oil to asphalt would improve the hot- and cold-weather performance of pavements. What he found was a possible green replacement for asphalt derived from petroleum.
Iowa State University doctoral programs in electrical engineering, statistics, chemistry, agricultural sciences, physics, and economics earned high marks in data-based rankings released today by the National Research Council. Read the full story.
William Lohry took a seat before a projector-camera combination and offered his best smile. And there, on a nearby computer monitor, was a perfect, but colorless, 3-D image of every line, contour and movement on the face of the senior chemical engineering major from Sioux City. It was like a moving mask, digitally and exactly …Continue reading “Rock stars, Hollywood look at engineering researcher’s unique 3-D technology”
Iowa State’s mini open-wheel race car – still missing its body panels, paint and sponsor decals – recently took another test spin around the Jack Trice Stadium parking lots. The students of the Iowa State Formula Team who spent the past year designing and building the $30,000 car, had lots of data to collect and …Continue reading “Formula Team believes it has finally found the speed in its race car”
