News Service

Iowa service-related businesses outperform retail in ISU five-year threshold report

Meghan O'Brien, an ISU Extension program specialist who is on the staff of Iowa State's Regional Capacity Analysis Program (ReCAP), did comparative analysis of select Iowa retail and service business thresholds from 2000-2005. Her report found that service-related businesses outperformed those in retail in terms of reduction of threshold levels, which indicates the size of the market necessary for a business to survive.

News release.

ISU researcher's work on gender, temperature link in reptiles published in Nature

An Iowa State University researcher is having his findings published in the journal Nature, an international, peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal of science and the most-cited weekly science journal in the world.

News release.

Iowa State hosts Black History Month activities

Iowa State continues the annual tradition of observing Black History Month with several on-campus events scheduled this February. From lectures to panel discussions to the performing arts, students, faculty and staff will have many opportunities to immerse themselves in the African-American culture.

News release.

King celebration Jan. 24

The university community will celebrate King's life and legacy at a special event on Thursday, Jan. 24, at 4 p.m. In addition to musical performances, speakers and birthday cake, Executive Vice President and Provost Betsy Hoffman will present the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Advancing One Community Awards.

More on the King celebration.

Geoffroy, Misra on public radio's 'Talk'

President Gregory Geoffroy and Seed Science Center director Manjit Misra will be guests on Iowa Public Radio's "Talk of Iowa" Jan. 22 (11 a.m.-noon on AM 640) Questions for the live, call-in show can be e-mailed in advance to talk@iastate.edu.

Office of Social and Economic Trend Analysis is now the Regional Capacity Analysis Program

ISU's Office of Social and Economic Trend Analysis is now the Regional Capacity Analysis Program (ReCAP). It has a new Web site and a focus on helping communities take a forward-looking approach in dealing with change by assessing their capacity for meeting future challenges.

News release.

Iowa Egg Council makes $2 million commitment to ISU

The Iowa Egg Council has made a $2 million gift commitment to establish an endowed egg industry program in Iowa State University's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

News release.

Iowa State scientist researches ways to squeeze two fuels from one kernel of corn

Iowa State University researcher Tong Wang is researching new ways to maximize the amount of oil that can be recovered after a corn kernel is used for ethanol fermentation.

News release.

Hybrid school buses hit the road; Iowa State researchers test their performance

Iowa State University's Center for Transportation Research and Education helped the Nevada and Sigourney school districts put two of the country's first hybrid school buses on the road this month. The buses use an electric motor at street speeds; their V-8 diesel engines kick in at higher speeds. The districts will show off their hybrid school buses during short ceremonies on Jan. 24. The public is invited. Iowa State researchers will study and evaluate the buses' performance over three years.

News release.

Retired national archivist to speak on Jan. 28

Trudy Huskamp Peterson, an Iowa State University alumnus and retired director of the National Archives, will talk about "Legacies of Repression: Archives and Human Rights," at 8 p.m., Monday, Jan. 28 in the Memorial Union Sun Room. The event is free and open to the public. Peterson is a leading figure in international efforts to preserve records of governmental truth commissions and international criminal tribunals.

News release.

Iowa State researchers look for smaller, cheaper, one-dose vaccines

An Iowa State team of researchers is hoping to find a way to produce vaccines that work better, use smaller doses and require only one trip to the doctor's office.

News release.

Hockey coach records 900th victory

Iowa State non-varsity hockey coach Al Murdoch recorded his 900th win Jan. 12 with an 8-4 win over Central Oklahoma.

Des Moines Register article.

ISU study finds 'food insecurity' is not a cause of overweight low-income children

An Iowa State study uses a new approach to demonstrate that food insecurity is not associated with children from low-income households becoming overweight.

News release.

National ranking rates three Iowa State design programs among best in U.S.

Iowa State's programs in landscape architecture, architecture and interior design continue to be among the nation's best, according to a survey of practitioners by DesignIntelligence, a monthly publication for leaders in design professions.

News release.

Magnetic alloy

Ames Laboratory beefs up magnets for electric-drive cars

One of the problems associated with electric cars is that as the drive motors heat up, the magnets inside the motors lose some of their magnetic strength, resulting in a loss of power. Ames Lab's Iver Anderson and his team have developed a new magnetic alloy that maintains its strength at high operating temperatures approaching 400 degrees F.

News release.