News

Student team third in international contest

Three Iowa State students placed third overall in the IEEE Computer Society's international design competition on Monday, making them among the few U.S. teams ever to place in this event.

The team of Melanie Davis, a senior from Minneapolis; Douglas Houghton, a graduate student from Ames; and Shahzaib Younis, a senior from Pakistan, also received the Microsoft Software Engineering Award for their project, a computer program that utilizes global positioning system technologies to trigger messages. Applications for this technology range from assisting search parties to reminding patrons what to buy at the grocery store.

The students received a total of $9,000 in prize money, and hope to patent their technology (see USA Today story at right). Their project was among 250 entries in the annual competition, with the top 10 teams participating in the World Finals in Washington, D.C.

Veterinary Medicine dean candidate to visit campus this week

Dr. John Thomson, a candidate for dean of ISU's College of Veterinary Medicine, will be in Ames June 30-July 1. He is dean of veterinary medicine at Mississippi State University, Starkville. Thomson is one of four finalists who have visited the Iowa State campus as part of the search process.

ISU Veterinary Medicine Dean Norm Cheville will retire in mid-August.

Go to news release.

Tractor ride runs through campus

The WHO Radio Great Iowa Tractor Ride made its way through campus Monday, spending the night at Wallace-Wilson dining center.

The tractors, 450 in all, will travel 160 miles in three days as they make their way across a section of Iowa. The group started out at Enterprise on Monday and had lunch at the Collins-Maxwell High School.

This morning (June 29), the group headed through Slater. They will spend tonight at the Dallas County Fairgrounds in Adel.

Wednesday, the tractors will pull into Sec Taylor Stadium, Des Moines, for lunch and an awards ceremony before heading to the fairgrounds for their final destination.

Iowa State University selects new Engineering dean

Mark J. Kushner, Founder Professor of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will become dean of Iowa State University's College of Engineering effective Jan. 1, 2005. He replaces Dean James Melsa, who will retire June 30. Provost Ben Allen will appoint an interim dean next week.

Go to news release.

ISU residence director resigns

Randy Alexander, director of the Department of Residence since 1996, will leave the university July 1 to pursue other employment interests, including consulting on campus housing master plans. Todd Holcomb, associate vice president for student affairs, will serve as interim director. A search for Alexander's replacement will begin in July.

Go to news release.

Nutritional Sciences Council lectures address world food needs

Nobel Laureate Norman Borlaug and leaders from technology transfer organizations in Africa and Mexico will address ways to meet future global food needs during the 2004 Nutritional Sciences Council Summer Lectureship, June 28-July 2. The daily lectures are from 10 a.m. to noon in 1352 Gilman. All events are free and open to the public, including a reception at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

More on lectures.

The "Independence Day Celebration" at the Farm House Museum on campus (1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 4) will include games, music, cloggers and historic tours. Hotdogs, popcorn and lemonade will be sold. Then head over to Reiman Gardens (7 to 10:30 p.m.) to watch the fireworks across the street. Admission will be $5 per household. Picnic baskets and lawn chairs are welcome.