Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) are prestigious summer research opportunities that are hosted by universities and funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The program was started as a way to support undergraduate students in active research with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Participants in six Iowa State REUs associated with the College of Engineering …Continue reading “Summer 2011 REU programs”
Most students who were accepted to the Summer Program for Interdisciplinary Research and Education-Emerging Interface Technologies (SPIRE-EIT) didn’t know what to expect when they arrived in Ames on May 31. The description of the program on the National Science Foundation’s website used phrases like information visualization, mobile/ubiquitous interfaces, intelligent agents, and enabling infrastructure, but it …Continue reading “Variety found in SPIRE-EIT summer REU program”
Sustainability has grown into a hot topic around the globe. The concept can be applied to a myriad of activities, but the students who participated in the Sustainable Biomass Production and Processing (SBPP) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) had their eyes on agriculture. Sustainable agricultural practices are comprised of many intricate details, and SBPP participants …Continue reading “Increasing the production and sustainability of land”
The Microscale Sensing Actuation and Imaging (MoSAIc) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) at Iowa State provided eleven students with the opportunity to explore advanced imaging and diagnostic systems, and gain experience with designing and manufacturing microscale and nanoscale sensors, actuators, and smart materials. In order to help students build an understanding of how materials interact, …Continue reading “Exploring advanced imaging and diagnostic systems”
Nikhil Shah, junior in chemical engineering at Iowa State, wasn’t sure what to call his research when he began the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) with the Center for Biorenewable Chemicals (CBiRC). The end goal of his work, converting lignans into other chemicals, is a bit of an unknown because much of his experimentation is …Continue reading “Students conduct summer research to produce biorenewable chemicals”
Twelve students from across the nation and three from Mexico spent their summer with the Biological Materials and Processes (BioMaP) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at Iowa State University. BioMaP consists of a variety of projects with topics ranging from nanovaccines, to drug and gene delivery, to clinical trials with an artificial pancreas. Through …Continue reading “Students travel from across the nation for BioMaP REU summer program”
The Wind Energy Science, Engineering, and Policy (WESEP) summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) almost didn’t happen. The National Science Foundation did not approve WESEP until March and participant applications were due in April. With only one month to advertize the program, organizers hurried to publicize the opportunity and hoped for about 50 applicants. Gene …Continue reading “Exploring the power of wind”
A chance to participate in a prestigious program that provides first-hand access to cutting-edge research doesn’t frequently present itself to undergraduates, but a talented group of students were given such an opportunity when they were selected to participate in a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program this past summer. The National Science Foundation (NSF) started …Continue reading “Summer 2011 REU programs”
Pursuing a desire to do something unconventional, Kaitlin Bratlie, assistant professor of materials science and engineering and chemical and biological engineering, is eager to take on the challenges facing the biomedical world. “I like the biomedical field because it seems to have a lot of room for improvement and open questions I can work to …Continue reading “Bratlie’s first Iowa State adventure: biomedical engineering”
Combining computers, LEGOS, and ice cream might sound like the recipe of a lazy summer afternoon, but the 8-14 year olds at STEM Camp on August 4-5 weren’t lounging around. They spent two days of their precious summer vacation on Iowa State’s campus learning about the wonders of engineering. STEM Camp participants learned about cyber …Continue reading “STEM Camp shows the fun of engineering”
Girls Only Camp took place August 3 and offered girls ages 8-14 the opportunity to explore different aspects of engineering. Participants attended short sessions about electrical engineering, alternative energy, business and manufacturing, robotics, and DNA. Female undergraduate students helped lead the lessons and gave participants the opportunity to ask questions about studying engineering and what …Continue reading “Girls Only Camp explores engineering”
Engineers who want to interact with music can now do so in a modern way. Iowa State’s music technology minor mixes music with computer science, physics, and engineering to give students a chance to work with professional music software, as well as create software and interfaces of their own. Whether engineers want to work in …Continue reading “Engineers construct music”
Engineers hoping to interact with music at Iowa State don’t have to do so in the traditional sense. They don’t have to play a musical instrument, compose pages of sheet music, or understand the traditional theories behind composition. Instead, they can explore the newest innovations in the field through a music technology minor. Christopher Hopkins, …Continue reading “Engineers construct music”
Bernardo del Campo is a PhD candidate at the Bioeconomy Institute at Iowa State who helps lead an organization called the Next Generation Scientists for Biodiesel. Del Campo is helping answer the call for Iowa State to become an alternative fuels leader and he wrote the following editorial piece: Just like the national debt, our …Continue reading “PhD candidate featured in Biodiesel Magazine”
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory and Iowa Powder Atomization Technologies have joined forces in DOE’s America’s Next Top Energy Innovator challenge to create jobs in Iowa. The program gives start-up companies the opportunity to sign an option to license technologies created by national laboratories at reduced costs. On June 30, IPAT signed an …Continue reading “Ames Laboratory participates in Department of Energy innovator challenge”
