College of Engineering News • Iowa State University

Iowa State undergraduates showcase their research at annual Capitol event March 29

With research on wind turbine blade optimization, the underlying mechanisms of neuroinflammation, the Native American Jingle Dress and Iowa’s care deserts, there will be much to discuss when 22 Iowa State University undergraduates present their research to legislators and others during the annual “Research in the Capitol.” The event will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 29, in the Rotunda of the State Capitol building in Des Moines.

Things get three dimensional this week with artist Joel Anderson

After retiring from 33 years with Shell in Houston, Joel Anderson started looking into art. Originally interested in woodworking, videos on Jon Peter’s Youtube channel of Peter working with encaustic (a wax-based paint made of beeswax, resin and pigment) caused Anderson to start looking at a new medium. Anderson graduated from Iowa State in 1981 …Continue reading “Things get three dimensional this week with artist Joel Anderson”

Iowa State engineers develop flexible skin that traps radar waves, cloaks objects

Iowa State University engineers have developed a new flexible, stretchable and tunable “meta-skin” that uses rows of small, liquid-metal devices to cloak an object from the sharp eyes of radar. The meta-skin takes its name from metamaterials, which are composites that have properties not found in nature and that can manipulate electromagnetic waves.

Iowa State engineers protect the power grid

Iowa State engineers Doug Jacobson and Manimaran Govindarasu have built the “PowerCyber” testbed to help researchers, industry engineers and students learn to protect the cyber security of the power grid. The testbed will do vulnerability analysis, risk assessment, attack-defense evaluations and other tests. The end goal is to help create a future electric power grid that is secure and resilient.

Faculty to be featured in Discover Magazine

Sandbulte professor, Ian Dobson, will be featured in Discover Magazine’s lead article for the March 2016 issue. Dobson’s research with physicists, Ben Carreras and David Newman, on the risk of large blackouts is described in detail in Discover’s article, “Averting the Blackout of the Century,” by journalist, Peter Fairley.   Dobson and his team’s work …Continue reading “Faculty to be featured in Discover Magazine”

Iowa State challenges students to turn back cyber attacks, keep lights on, water running

Teams of students will face eight straight hours of attacks on the computers and networks behind a simulated city’s power and water utilities. Can they protect all the software, hardware and connections? Will the lights stay on? Will the water run? Will the residents of a small, fictional city be without critical services and infrastructure?

Iowa State engineers build cyber security testbed to help protect the power grid

It’s easy to think of the electrical grid as the power plants, the high voltage lines, the transmission towers, the substations and all the low-voltage distribution lines that bring power to our homes and businesses.An attack on that grid would involve getting out and cutting lines or dropping towers.

Tunc Doluca, president and CEO of Maxim Integrated, elected SIA vice chair

The Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), representing U.S. leadership in semiconductor manufacturing, design, and research, announced the SIA Board of Directors has elected Tunç Doluca, President and CEO of Maxim Integrated, as its 2016 Vice Chair.

Chinmay Hegde: Transforming big data with efficient algorithms

New ECpE assistant professor looks for better ways to handle data Chinmay Hegde has always been curious about the power of math. He says that since he was young, he’s been interested in using math to “do cool stuff”. This interest has carried him through his education and now to Iowa State. Chinmay Hegde’s education brought …Continue reading “Chinmay Hegde: Transforming big data with efficient algorithms”

Iowa State University engineering dean receives national award for women with exceptional contributions to engineering education

Sarah Rajala, dean of the Iowa State University College of Engineering, is the 2015 recipient of the Harriett B. Rigas Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Education Society. Rajala received the national award that recognizes outstanding female faculty for exceptional contributions to electrical and computer engineering education and the global engineering community …Continue reading “Iowa State University engineering dean receives national award for women with exceptional contributions to engineering education”

Digital Lumens names Steve Ronneberg vice president of worldwide sales

Digital Lumens, the market leader in intelligent LED lighting systems, today announced the appointment of Steve Ronneberg as vice president of worldwide sales. Ronneberg joins Digital Lumens from Montreal-based Grass Valley, part of St. Louis-based Belden Inc., which delivers end-to-end television production and content distribution solutions to meet the mission-critical network infrastructure needs of broadcast markets.

ISU engineers confident Mars rover is ready to compete

Interspace travel requires the right tools. A group of ISU engineers has been working on a special tool for a trip to Mars. For the past three years, a group of engineers has been working on the Mars Analog Vehicle for Robotic Inspection for the annual Mars Society University Rover Challenge, and it’s almost mission accomplished.

Swamy Ponpandi: Transitioning from student to faculty

Computer engineering lecturer brings expertise in embedded systems and computer architecture to Iowa State The offices of Durham hall are nothing new to Swamy Ponpandi. The new lecturer of computer engineering has been hard at work at Iowa State for years as a PhD student, but this year he returned as faculty. Ponpandi will be …Continue reading “Swamy Ponpandi: Transitioning from student to faculty”

SME magazine recognizes Jane Karpinsky with a “30 under 30” award

VRAC and HCI alumni Jane Karpinsky was recently recognized by SME Mechanical Engineering magazine with their annual “30 under 30” award that recognizes the future leaders in manufacturing. Jane earned the award for her work at Boeing. Jane worked as an undergraduate research assistant in VRAC. Her assistantship was funded through a National Science Foundation Research Experiences …Continue reading “SME magazine recognizes Jane Karpinsky with a “30 under 30” award”

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