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This spring, Iowa State University students examined planned and ideal communities in “A Good Place,” an honors seminar that took students on a journey through former and existing planned communities in the U.S. and utopian and egalitarian ideals, including studies of the Amana Colonies in Iowa and an assignment to create their own hypothetical planned community.

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This spring, 77 students in Iowa State University’s second-year architecture studios designed, built and installed a 1,300-square-foot structure at Reiman Gardens for its “Forces of Nature” kinetic art exhibition, on display April 28 through Nov. 3.

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Iowa State University engineering students have developed a new, practical and cost-effective way to drop medical supplies into a disaster area as part of the inaugural 3M Disruptive Design Challenge on April 13 at 3M headquarters. Their air-drop container survived a 150-foot fall and water submersion, and was successfully repurposed as a stretcher.

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The risk of riding out a storm is symbolic of the decision black men make to pursue a graduate degree in engineering. They know they'll face challenges, but the barriers described by black men interviewed as part of a six-year study show how race was a greater obstacle than they expected.

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Iowa State University's Steve Kawaler is heading back to Cape Canaveral this month to witness the launch of another planet-hunting spacecraft. This one, called TESS, will image 85 percent of the sky over the next two years, helping astronomers find planets beyond our solar system. Kawaler and other astronomers will also use TESS data to study stars.

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A team including an Iowa State University researcher studied Galveston, Texas, homes following Hurricane Ike, finding that the types of housing and homeowners – and how U.S. recovery policy handles each – played a major role in recovery outcomes.

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Vincenzo Venditti, an assistant professor of chemistry at Iowa State University, is searching for a new kind of antibiotic in the fight against antimicrobial-resistant superbugs.

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The idea to develop a futures contract for the bulk trucking industry appeared to fit a need, but before investing in the concept, leaders of Tennessee-based company wanted to know if the market would support it. In search of answers, they turned to Iowa State University’s CyBIZ Lab for help.

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Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” set a new standard for science-fiction films when it was released 50 years ago. Justin Remes, an assistant professor of film studies at Iowa State University, says the music and images that made it so powerful in 1968, are why it is still a great film today.

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Experiments testing a hybrid method of disposing of animal carcasses following animal health emergencies could point the way toward safer and more efficient carcass burial. The results of the experiments were published recently in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.

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Iowa State University researchers found a way to gain new insight into the human immune system by studying material left over after blood donations. The results, published recently in a peer-reviewed journal, illuminate the process of how the human body fights off harmful bacteria.

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Javier Vela of Iowa State University and the Ames Laboratory has worked with two of his graduate students to synthesize a new material for semiconductors. The chemists think the material will work well in solar cells, but without the toxicity, scarcity or costs of other semiconductors.

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Tarana Burke’s simple statement two decades ago – “Me, too” – became a rallying cry last year, launching a global movement to hold sexual abusers and harassers accountable and give a voice to the survivors. Now, that movement is coming to Iowa State University.

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An innovative way to cool buildings using 3D-printed ceramics has earned an Iowa State University architecture team an award in masonry design and construction.

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Iowa State engineers have developed a process called autothermal pyrolysis that breaks down biomass for fuel and fertilizer. A recently announced grant from the Department of Energy will support studies of the process, including development of models and design tools that could reduce the risk of scaling up the technology for commercial use.

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An Iowa State University research team is testing a new online tool to provide food to those in need by reducing food waste.

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A new study involving Iowa State University scientists explores how birds in the Mariana Islands help to disperse the seeds of a wild chili plant. The research highlights the unique ways different species help one another, a concept known as mutualism.

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Morrill Professor Thomas Leslie, the Pickard Chilton Professor in Architecture at Iowa State University and internationally renowned expert on architectural history and practice, has been named a fellow of the American Institute of Architects.

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Students in Jean-Pierre Taoutel’s honors seminar, “That’s Me in the Corner,” are thinking critically about global problems and how to help solve them. Students in Iowa State University’s Honors Program enroll in these one- or two-credit special classes as part of their requirements to graduate with honors. These seminars focus on wide-ranging topics that engage students in a high level of critical thinking and discussion.

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The midterm election may signal more than a change of direction in Washington, said Dianne Bystrom, director of Iowa State’s Carrie Chapman Catt Center for Women and Politics. It also may determine if 2016 was an anomaly or the new norm for future elections.

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ISU personnel have designed a virtual reality simulation of the I-74 Mississippi River Bridge, currently under construction between Davenport and Moline. The simulation allows users to find out what it will be like to drive across the completed bridge, scheduled to be finished in 2021.

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Iowa State's Martin Thuo and Michael Bartlett led development of a rubbery material that transforms itself into a hard composite when bent or twisted. The new material could be used in medicine to support delicate tissues or in industry to protect valuable sensors.

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There is no good way for forensic investigators to detect if a digital photo or file contains a hidden message in a criminal case. Developing a tool to assist in these cases is why an Iowa State University research team is taking thousands of photos to build a steganalysis database.

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Iowa State has a strong support system for pre-med and pre-health students, even without a college of human medicine or pre-health committee. Advisers and students say the opportunities in coursework, activities, research and study abroad inspire students to continue on a path to medicine.

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Majd Abdulghani is a graduate student in genetics, development and cell biology at Iowa State University. She's from Saudi Arabia and before coming to Iowa State had only ever been to the United States for vacation, to California and New York. But you may already know Abdulghani – her voice, at least. She recently won a prestigious award for "Majd's Diary," produced by Radio Diaries and NPR.

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Stephen Biggs noticed something missing from the conversations on campus about race and the Black Lives Matter movement. No one was talking about the influence of implicit bias, so the Iowa State University assistant professor of philosophy decided to speak up.

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Chemists have measured the effects of nanoconfinement on catalytic reactions by developing experimental techniques capable of tracking single molecules. Understanding such reactions could help chemists design high-performance catalysts.

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Jonathan Claussen and the nanoengineers in his research group continue to find new ways to use graphene printing technology. They're now treating printed graphene with lasers to create electronic circuits that repel water. That could lead to washable electronics.

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If you shop online or swipe a credit or debit card when out to eat, you’ve likely received a notice your personal information was compromised in a data breach. And if you’re like most consumers, chances are you did nothing in response, says an Iowa State University researcher.

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A disproportionate number of Latina/o students who take developmental education classes never advance to college-level courses. That's why an Iowa State researcher has developed a framework to better serve Latina/o students needing extra preparation.

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A new grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will allow ISU scientists to develop new tools to predict and combat harmful algal blooms, a growing threat to human and animal health in Iowa’s lakes. Cyanobacteria, which have the ability to produce toxic byproducts, can grow quickly and form blooms that discolor lake water, typically in warm, shallow surface water during the summer months.

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Iowa State's Liang Dong is leading development of graphene-based, sensors-on-tape that can be attached to plants and can provide data to researchers and farmers about water use in crops. The technology could have many other applications.

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Evolutionary bottlenecks brought on by domestication have caused the genome of corn to retain harmful mutations over the course of millennia, according to a new study from an Iowa State University scientist. The study takes a journey through the past by studying genetic changes in corn.

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A team of researchers working across disciplines and universities is developing a flu nanovaccine that preliminary studies suggest could be more effective than today's seasonal shots. The NIH is supporting the research with a five-year, $2.8 million grant.

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An online database built by Iowa State University scientists provides a new tool with which researchers can study human biology. The database is freely accessible to anyone on the web, where it allows scientists to study the functions and structure of RNA with greater speed and ease than in the past.

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Iowa State's Robbyn Annand is studying how a hybrid of electrochemical and microfluidic technologies could be used to improve the dialysis equipment that cleans salt, waste and water from blood. That technology could enable a wearable, artificial kidney.

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A new study looks at how college students initiate conversations about abstaining from or delaying sex. At a time of greater awareness about sexual assault, ISU's Tina Coffelt says it is important to help students navigate these conversations.

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Published recently in the peer-reviewed academic journal Nature Communications, the findings show periodically flooded soils may actually lose organic matter at accelerated rates.

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Incorporating a combination of genes from the model plant Arabidopsis may build high levels of resistance to sudden death syndrome in soybeans, according to research from an Iowa State University agronomist. A recently published study points to one gene in particular as a likely candidate to bolster resistance.

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Not all dual-language learners are at risk academically. A new Iowa State study found as dual-language learners gained English proficiency, they had significant growth in cognitive and academic development, eventually outperforming students who only spoke English.

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Iowa State's Guiping Hu is leading a research team developing data-driven, real-time software technology to help improve factory floor operations, including manufacturing processes, logistics, safety and energy management.

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Eating “clean” is all about avoiding foods with additives, preservatives or other chemicals on the label. Two Iowa State University professors are warning of the consequences associated with the clean food movement in terms of food waste, safety and cost.

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A $1 million grant will help ISU researchers advance the genetics of corn varieties intended to be grown in organic settings. The project aims to improve the performance of field and sweet corn varieties in conditions unique to organic production systems.

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An ordinance requiring bar owners to beef up security helped reduce crime at late-night clubs in Little Rock, Arkansas, according to a new study. Iowa State's Kyle Burgason says other cities tackling crime near bars could take similar action with the same results.

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Iowa State University cybersecurity researchers recently presented two days of demonstrations and case studies to help four Black Sea countries fight off cyberattacks. One of the countries -- Ukraine -- was hit by a 2015 cyberattack that cut power to 230,000.

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The temptation to respond to social media notifications and text messages is keeping more and more teens awake at night. Teens who spend more than two hours a day on their smartphones get fewer than seven hours of sleep each night, according to a new study.

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The concept of “collective intelligence” states that if a team performs well on one task, it'll repeat that success on other projects, regardless of the work. While it sounds good in theory, it doesn’t work that way in reality, according to an Iowa State University researcher.