February 23, 2009

New scholarship program launched

The College of Engineering has announced E2020, a new scholarship program funded by the National Science Foundation. Approximately 23 scholarships ($2,500 per year for four years) will be awarded to first-year and transfer students for fall of 2009 and subsequent years. For a complete description of the program, eligibility requirements, and an online application, check out the E2020 Scholars Program Web site. Applications are due March 15.

Engineering Talent in Every County (E-TEC) scholarships offered

Do you know any Iowa high school seniors or transfer students who plan to enter Iowa State’s College of Engineering next fall? If so, have them check out the Engineering Talent in Every County (E-TEC) Scholarship Program for complete details about the scholarship and the application process. Approximately 70 $500 E-TEC scholarships will be awarded each year. To be eligible, students must be Iowa residents, U.S. citizens, and demonstrate the potential to succeed. The application deadline is March 15.

Solar Decathlon Team begins construction of Interlock House

Aaron Brncich from construction engineering and Tim Lentz from mechanical engineering are among the student leaders designing and building the Interlock House, Iowa State University’s entry in the Department of Energy’s 2009 Solar Decathlon. The team will spend the next six months building and testing the house. In the fall, it will be dismantled and transported to Washington, D.C., where it will be reassembled on the National Mall as part of the DOE’s Solar Village October 8–18. (Video and news release)

"Iowa State is the source of great, great people." That was just one of the many positive comments heard at the College of Engineering Spring Career Fair held on January 27 in Hilton Coliseum. More than 2,000 students attended the fair that featured recruiters from 207 companies. The College of Engineering hosts fall and spring career fairs each year providing students the chance to meet and talk with employers about full-time, internship, and co-op employment opportunities. (Video and Spring Career Fair Web site)

Student team selected to compete in NASA rocket challenge

NASA has selected an Iowa State student team as one of 20 teams from colleges and universities across the country to participate in the University Student Launch Initiative this spring. John Brendel, a freshman in aerospace engineering, is leading the 11-person team that is designing and building a rocket for the competition at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. (News release)


SAE team unveils new 2009 Formula car

Members of the Iowa State chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) unveiled their 2009 Formula car on January 31. "Typically, we have to scramble at the end of the spring semester to get everything ready for the annual competition that takes place in May," said John Dunham, SAE chapter president and a senior in mechanical engineering. "This year, we’ve focused on sticking to a timeline that will give us more time for testing the car and reduce the chaos that occurs during finals week." (News release)

Engineering dean search on track

The initial screening deadline for nominations and applications for the next dean of the College of Engineering was in January. The 20-member search committee, chaired by Labh Hira, dean of the College of Business, plans to identify a pool of finalists in February. Campus visits are tentatively scheduled for the first half of March, and a July 2009 appointment date is planned. (Dean search Web site)

Researcher focuses on teaching robots to learn

A recent Iowa State University news service release features Alexander Stoytchev’s work in developmental robotics. Stoytchev, an assistant professor in electrical and computer engineering, and his students are trying to figure out how a robot can learn how to perform new tasks on its own without human intervention. Stoytchev is also one of the researchers featured in the article "Engineers Explore the Biomimetric World in Quest for 'Killer Apps'" in the spring issue of Innovate, which is scheduled for distribution in April.

A student will be calling...

Beginning March 1, Iowa State students will be calling alumni to raise money for merit scholarships. With reduced state support and rising tuition costs, it is imperative that we build our scholarship fund. Please take a few minutes to talk to a student about some of the exciting things happening in the College of Engineering and how your support will help attract and retain outstanding students in the college.

Come “twitter” with us

The College of Engineering has entered the world of social networking with a twitter site. It provides a great opportunity for direct interaction between students, faculty, and alumni. Twitter is a free service, perfect for sending out information quickly. Twitter posts (tweets) are limited to 140 characters or less. Check out www.twitter.com/ISU_CoE for news updates, upcoming events, job and internship postings, and more. Follow ISU_CoE on twitter, and we will follow you in return and re-tweet interesting tidbits we see crossing the feed. If you have any questions about twitter, contact Travis Ballstadt at ballstad@iastate.edu.

Mallapragada named AAAS fellow

Surya Mallapragada, professor of chemical and biological engineering, is one of four Iowa State University researchers named AAAS fellows by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The AAAS named 486 fellows this year for “their scientifically or socially distinguished efforts to advance science or its applications.” The new fellows were presented with official certificates and pins on February 14 at the association’s annual meeting in Chicago. (News release)


News Releases and Video Spotlights

ISEAGE named one of top 10 'really cool' labs in the nation--video spotlight

1st ISU Wind Energy Symposium--video spotlight

Goodrich donates icing wind tunnel to Iowa State University--news release

FIRST LEGO League Iowa Championship held at Iowa State--news release and video spotlight

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