It took a pandemic and the inability to do on-campus visits that led one mechanical engineering student to decide he wanted to stay a little closer to home for graduate school. Antonio Alvarez-Valdivia originally wanted to leave the Midwest for graduate school when he completed his B.S. in mechanical engineering (ME) later this spring. However, …Continue reading “Pandemic impacts ME student’s graduate school selection process”
An annual tradition in Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering undergraduate education has been given the green light to continue its mission. The National Science Foundation (NSF)-sponsored Biological Materials and Processes Research Experience for Undergraduates (BioMaP REU) has received a renewal of funding from NSF through 2022. The funding will cover this year’s program, and …Continue reading “Funding renewed for CBE BioMAP undergrad research; 2020 application deadline approaching”
Many students from across the nation come to Iowa State University during the summer to get hands-on research experience with ISU’s top faculty and facilities in Research Experience for Undergraduates programs (REUs). Peter Meyer, senior in chemical and biological engineering at Colorado State University, has been participating in the Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites …Continue reading “Summer of discovery: REU participants on their engineering research experiences”
As part of the Department of Aerospace Engineering’s first REU program (LAUNCH-UAS), ten undergraduate students from across the country came to Iowa State to participate in research with aerospace engineering faculty. LAUNCH-UAS is an undergrad research program aimed to give underrepresented minority students research experience in the area of unmanned aerial systems.
A project by a mechanical engineering researcher could improve manufacturing processes for agriculture equipment companies in Iowa and beyond. Jaime J. Juárez, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering (ME), and his research team have been studying ways that composites can be modified to create a stronger, more durable end product. Their research was the cover …Continue reading “ME research project aims to improve manufacturing processes using acoustic fields”
As a summer research program within the mechanical engineering department prepares to enter its 10th year, program alums have reflected on their experience and how it helped them get to where they are now. The MoSAIc (Multiscale Sensing Actuation and Imaging) REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) program was launched at Iowa State in 2010. The …Continue reading “MoSAIc prepares students for careers in research, and beyond”
An ongoing research project by a mechanical engineering faculty member could lead to improved solar cells and better batteries for wind energy storage. Shan Hu, an assistant professor of ME, recently received a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Hu is one of three ME researchers at Iowa State to receive the award …Continue reading “ME researcher aims to improve solar panels, batteries for wind energy storage”
Education has always been a passion for Raj Raman. He finished graduate school with the realization that undergraduate education was somewhat undervalued, and he knew then that he wanted to make a difference in that area. In the eight and a half years Raman has worked at Iowa State, he’s worn many hats. He is …Continue reading “Agricultural and biosystems engineering professor Raj Raman puts people and education first”
As a first-generation college student, Kahni Pr’Out says both she and her parents always knew she would go on to pursue a higher degree. Now in the midst of her Ph.D. program in mechanical engineering, she’s getting ready to start a job in industry. After completing her undergraduate degree in math at Savannah State University …Continue reading “First-generation student’s love for education pushes her to get PhD”
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”
