Mouhamad Diallo, a junior double-majoring in mechanical engineering and materials engineering, is one of four Iowa State University students who recently received a Goldwater Scholarship. The scholarship provides up to $7,500 per year and encourages students to pursue careers in STEM research. He recently sat down with us to talk about his upbringing, his current studies, …Continue reading “Q&A with Goldwater Scholarship recipient Mouhamad Diallo”
Chloe McPherson – a master’s student in mechanical engineering with a co-major in human computer interaction – recently finished up her stint with the White House Internship Program under President Barack Obama for the fall 2016 semester. The Omaha, Nebraska-native was among 165 students nationwide to be selected for this opportunity. Dakota Olson, a junior …Continue reading “ME and HCI graduate student completes internship with Obama White House”
Iowa State University’s Steve Martin has researched battery materials for 30-plus years. He has a new grant that will allow him to expand his fundamental materials studies into research and development of new, all-solid-state technology for actual batteries. He calls it a “dream-come-true” project.
Iowa State’s Zhaoyu Wang has four grants supporting his work to develop a smarter, more reliable power grid. His work includes developing a tool that will help utility companies recover from natural disasters, modeling power demand down to the level of homes and businesses, studying cascading power outages and investigating an advanced business model that helps manage the power system’s risks and uncertainties.
THE TEAM: Mid-September in a Cyclone Energy practice session. Ten students listen as their peers, one by one, run through a presentation for an ELECTRI/International NECA Green Energy Challenge (GEC) proposal. One member, Regan, makes edits to the PowerPoint. The group throws comments up rapid-fire style. There is joking, but there is also an edge in …Continue reading “Cyclone Energy earns third consecutive first place finish in Green Energy Challenge”
Mechanical engineering professor Robert C. Brown penned an editorial in today’s Des Moines Register about one of his research specialties: biofuels. Brown – who holds both the Anson Marston Distinguished Professor in Engineering and the Gary and Donna Hoover Chair in Mechanical Engineering – is the author of 2012’s Why are We Producing Biofuels?: Shifting to the Ultimate Source of Energy. …Continue reading “ME professor pens editorial about biofuels in Des Moines Register”
Dan Rau, a mechanical engineering alumnus, is making strides in geothermal energy. After he graduated in 1998, Rau began working as a mechanical engineer for a consulting firm that designed heating, venting and cooling systems for commercial use. That’s when he was introduced to geothermal technology and began to invest his time into researching the …Continue reading “Iowa State alumni find success with geothermal drilling”
Iowa State University’s (ISU) Kristen Cetin is pairing with international researchers to share the latest in residential smart building devices. The assistant professor in the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering (CCEE) just returned to ISU from chairing two seminars at the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers’ (ASHRAE) 2016 Annual …Continue reading “Cetin chairs ASHRAE conference seminars”
When it comes to energy-efficient buildings, Kristen Cetin looks for a balance between comfort and cost. “The controls that you can propose might save energy but might not make the occupants feel too comfortable,” Cetin said. “If you just turn off the A.C. (air conditioning), yes, you save a lot of energy. But nobody’s going …Continue reading “CCEE professor earns grant for developing energy-efficient, comfortable buildings”
Kristen Cetin, an assistant professor in civil engineering, is making the built environment more energy efficient through the use of smart technology and data.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames Laboratory will be the home of a new research consortium for the discovery and development of more environmentally friendly and energy-efficient refrigeration technologies, sponsored by DOE’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). The consortium, named CaloriCoolTM, will pursue the development of alternative forms of refrigeration technologies, called caloric cooling, in partnership with the private sector and universities.
BEI director Robert C. Brown has been appointed to the “Iowa’s Energy Resources” working group for the Iowa Energy Plan. The plan aims to set state priorities and provide strategic guidance for decision-making while working to encourage energy, economic, and environmental benefits. It’s a joint initiative between the Iowa Economic Development Authority and the Iowa Dept. of Transportation.
Story originally published for Iowa Public Radio. In Des Moines Thursday Night, the Des Moines Register and USA TODAY Network hosted a panel about the future of energy policy and technology. One recurring theme was that Iowa is an agent for change when it comes to clean energy. Heather Zichal, a native Iowan, senior fellow …Continue reading “Attitudes, Infrastructure, and Science–The Barriers to Clean Energy in Iowa”
