Space telescope's new survey of outer galaxy helps Iowa State astronomers study stars
Iowa State University astronomers Massimo Marengo and Charles Kerton are now using the Spitzer Space Telescope to study stars in the outer regions of our Milky Way galaxy. Marengo studies big, cool-temperature stars and the dusty disks that form around them. Kerton is using Spitzer data to study star-forming regions of the galaxy.
Home football opener will impact campus parking lots
On Sept. 2, ISU will kick off the Cyclones' football season the way we have for the past five years -- with a Thursday evening home opener at Jack Trice Stadium. Here are some tips for finding a parking spot that day and for enjoying the game.
Inside Iowa State story.
Reggie Watts will bring his free-form comedy to Iowa State Sept. 18
Reggie Watts, a free-form comedian-musician who recently toured with Conan O'Brien, will perform Iowa State's comedy opener on Saturday, Sept. 18. Watts' "Comedy on the Edge" will be at 8 p.m. at Stephens Auditorium, the closing event of Engineers' Week. Watts received the Andy Kaufmann Award in 2006 for his distinctive brand of innovative stand-up performance. The show is free and open to the public. Doors open at 7 p.m.
ISU design college honors Mark Engelbrecht with the Christian Petersen Design Award
Mark C. Engelbrecht, professor of architecture and dean emeritus of the College of Design, is the 2010 recipient of the Christian Petersen Design Award presented by the college. He was honored in a program Aug. 23. Engelbrecht joined the architecture faculty in 1969 and served as dean from 1994 to 2009. Established in 1980, the Petersen award is given annually to alumni, staff and friends of the university for distinguished work that advances the design and art professions.
World culture observer and author Pico Iyer will talk at Iowa State Sept. 16
Pico Iyer, one of the most respected observers of the changing world and author of nine books about cultures converging, will speak at Iowa State on Thursday, Sept. 16. His talk, "Global Souls: Citizens in the Future Tense," will be at 8 p.m. in the Memorial Union Great Hall. The lecture is part of the World Affairs Series. It is free and open to the public. Iyer's books include "Video Night in Kathmandu: And Other Reports from the Not-So-Far East" (which appeared on several lists of the top travel books of the 20th century). His most recent book, "The Open Road," describes 35 years of talks and travel with the Dalai Lama.
Sylvia's creator cartoonist Nicole Hollander will speak at Iowa State Sept. 9
For three decades, the cantankerous, sharp-tongued Sylvia has enriched newspaper comics throughout the world, disseminating the acerbic wit and wisdom of her creator, Nicole Hollander. Hollander will share tales from her life in a talk at Iowa State University, Thursday, Sept. 9. Her presentation, "My Life in the Comics: Thirty Years of Graphic Misbehavior from Reagan to Obama," will be at 8 p.m. in the Memorial Union Sun Room. It is free and open to the public.
ISU economists determine economic impact of state's 2008 weather-related disasters
Two Iowa State economists have released a report that evaluates the economic impact of the weather-related damage to the state in 2008. And while Dave Swenson and Liesl Eathington acknowledge that many Iowans were devastated by those weather-related disasters, their evaluation found that the damaged areas weathered the storm quite well economically.
Flood updates: Lied Center closes
The Lied Recreation Center has been closed to facilitate total dehumidification of the facility. More information on facilities, events and ways to give or receive help in the flood's aftermath can be found on the "flood updates" website.
Iowa State awards state-funded grants to boost economy, develop new technologies
Iowa State University has awarded competitive grants totaling $942,389 to 10 research projects that have potential to grow the state's economy. The projects include developing software tools that can improve the quality of health care, expanding a genetic test of cattle embryos and creating diagnostic techniques that will help improve fuel nozzles for gas turbine engines.
ISU's Blossom Project studies pregnant women and how to produce healthier babies
Christina Campbell (at right), an ISU associate professor of food science and human nutrition, has led the Blossom Project, an ISU research project that has collected data from more than 120 pregnant women in an effort to provide a greater understanding on how prenatal exercise -- in combination with a diet containing omega-3 fatty acids -- can influence the future health of the mother and her child.
Flood video
Travis Ballstadt of the College of Engineering captured the Aug. 11 flooding on video. Watch here.
Take me out to the calculator
Kerry Whisnant, a professor of physics at Iowa State University and lifelong baseball fan, studies the ghostly particles known as neutrinos. Growing up in central Illinois, he loved the St. Louis Cardinals and still catches their games when he can. About two years ago, his love of baseball took an analytical turn.
Eye popping from MTV to the lab
When Song Zhang, a mechanical engineer at Iowa State University, was approached by U2's people last spring asking if the band could use his novel 3D imaging technology for a concert performance, he immediately sent an email to his lab asking: "Does anyone know who U2 is and whether or not we should spend time on them?"