In the spring, two types of grain bin safety incidents tend to happen more often, according to Chuck Schwab, Iowa State University Extension safety specialist. Both incidents happen when stored grain wasn’t kept in the best condition or had moisture build up over the winter, he says. In the first scenario, clumps of spoiled grain …Continue reading “Schwab: Tips to safeguard stored grain”
Adina Howe was a postdoctoral fellow at Michigan State University with C. Titus Brown (now Associate Professor of Genetics at the University of California, Davis) when she found herself trying to assemble bacterial genomes from metagenomics data sets so large—nearly 400 billion bases worth—that the assembler software couldn’t keep up. “They would require hundreds of …Continue reading “Howe: Making sense of big data”
The move to cage-free isn’t cheap. Egg producers spend $30 to $60 per chicken to make the switch from conventional cages to a cage-free, or “aviary,” system, according to the Egg Industry Center at Iowa State University. Most large operations house a million or more birds, so the costs can add up quickly to reach upwards …Continue reading “Xin: Egg industry sprinting to keep up with cage-free demand”
Name: Mitchel Steffes, Title and Company: Safety Manager II, Wanzek Construction, Inc., Major and Graduation Date: BS, Industrial Technology (Occupational Safety), Minor: Engineering Studies – 2013, Major Job/Position Responsibilities: At Wanzek Construction, it is my responsibility to take a systematic and proactive approach in all aspects of the construction processes. Wherever people run the risk of personal injury …Continue reading “ITec grad named CALS Young Alum of the Month”
Helmers: Iowa has the methods to do it; but it will take public funds Dr. Matt Helmers, an Iowa State University agriculture and biosystems engineering professor, spoke with members of the ag committee of the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance Feb. 4, outlining the challenges of farming’s impact of grain farming on water quality and …Continue reading “Helmers: Keeping nitrates on the farm”
Kortney Wagner, a senior in biological systems engineering, was awarded the Schafer Educational Scholarship. Wagner also belongs to Tau Beta Pi. The Schafer Educational Trust (SET) was established in 1999 by agricultural engineering & engineering mechanics alum, Bob Schafer, to honor his late mother, Pansy Head Schafer, father, Marion L. Schafer, and brother, David L. Schafer. Cash awards are made …Continue reading “Wagner receives Schafer Education Trust award”
An Iowa father and son and a Wisconsin father and son died in July when they were overcome by hydrogen sulfide gas in manure pits. In both cases, one went into the pit to work on or retrieve equipment and was overcome. The others went in to help. Hydrogen sulfide is a serious issue, said …Continue reading “Andersen: Producers alerted to hydrogen sulfide dangers”
Deep in the basement of the agricultural and biosystems engineering building at Iowa State University, a tiny laser pings back and forth from the guts of a gargantuan 3-D printer, striking a thin layer of metal dust on a metal plate at precisely the right spots. Within seconds, the outline of a pair of scissors …Continue reading “The magic of 3-D metal printing”
While he was working in industry, John Haughery’s dream of teaching never quite went away. Before he knew it, he found himself quitting his job, selling his house and heading to Iowa State.
A tradition that began in 1965, Engineers Week (E-Week) is a staple event within the College of Engineering, continuing to grow each year. E-Week is a student
organization that serves to celebrate the engineering field, the College of Engineering and its students, faculty, and staff. E-Week hopes to provide a way for students to build relationships with other students, faculty and alumni as well as network and increase professional development.
Before Bernard Darfour came to Iowa State University (ISU) for his PhD in Industrial and Agricultural Technology, he was working toward a Master’s degree in Radiation Processing at the University of Ghana and researching gamma rays. Gamma rays are produced by the most energy-intensive phenomena in our universe like supernova explosions and black holes. Gamma …Continue reading “Bernard Darfour: Increasing food security in Ghana through improving post-harvest storage”
Two Iowans who have made strong contributions to the success of the state’s pork industry have been honored by the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA). Deborah Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority, and professor Dr. Steven Hoff of the Iowa State University Department of Agricultural & Biosystems Engineering have been named Honorary Master Pork …Continue reading “Hoff named Honorary Master Pork Producer”
Pit foaming creates a dangerous environment for producers, said Dan Andersen, an ag engineer with Iowa State University. He said producers need to check pits often because conditions can change quickly. Andersen said three things are need to create foam — biogas, something to surround the bubble and something to stabilize the bubble. Feeding distillers grains is the …Continue reading “Andersen: Pit foaming continues to endanger pork producers”
The Iowa State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences announced its faculty and staff award winners for 2015. The Dean’s Citation for Extraordinary Contributions Award was awarded to the Egg Industry Center. Staff members include Hongwei Xin, director and C.F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in both the department of agricultural and biosystems engineering and animal …Continue reading “CALS outstanding faculty and staff awards announced”
Mandara D. Savage, who has served as interim director of Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Extended Campus since March, is the program’s executive director. Savage, an associate professor and chair in the Department of Technology, began his new duties Jan. 1. Extended Campus provides online and off-campus academic programs. James Allen, associate provost for academic programs, …Continue reading “I Tec alum, Mandara Savage to lead SIU extended campus”
