News and information from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Keep up with the college on our news site: news.las.iastate.edu
Study sheds light on bullying
A study from three Iowa State researchers revealed that bullying often extends from adolescence into young adulthood. Nicole Hayes, graduate student in psychology, Monica Marsee, associate professor of psychology and Daniel Russell, professor of human development and family studies, contributed to this research.
Opera greats served as 2022 Artists-in-Residence
Opera legend Sherrill Milnes and influential director and educator Maria Zouves, were the 2022 Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS) Dean’s Artists-in-Residence. Milnes and Zouves provided personal voice coaching to more than 30 Iowa State students. The pair headlined several lectures and workshops for faculty and students in the Department of Music and Theatre.
Thomas Iadecola earns NSF CAREER award for quantum computer research
Thomas Iadecola, assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, earned a $470,000 CAREER (Faculty Early Career Development) award from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The grant will support Iadecola’s theoretical quantum dynamics research until 2027. The CAREER award is the NSF’s most prestigious honor in support of early-career faculty who serve as outstanding academic role models in research and education.
LAS students thrive in I+E Academy
Since the LAS Innovation + Entrepreneurship (I+E) Academy launched last fall semester, its first cohort of 30 students has been busy strengthening their entrepreneurial skills, connecting to supportive networks and learning the basics of business development. The program empowers students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences to start businesses, ignite social change and bring to life their big ideas.
LAS student selected as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant
After graduating on May 14, 2022, Jillian Olson ('22 psychology and Spanish) will travel to Taiwan to teach English to elementary and middle-school students, learn the Mandarin language and explore the Taiwanese education system. Olson was selected from a national pool of applicants to receive a Fulbright student award.
ISU scientists receive federal grant to advance stem cell research
Scientists in the Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology are examining a genetic pathway that is triggered when cells undergo inflammation. The research team, led by Assistant Professor Raquel Espin Palazon, received a 5-year, $2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. Their work could spark advances in regenerative medicine.
LAS alumna breaks barriers
Show Dr. Beverly Waddleton (’74 zoology) a glass ceiling and she’ll shatter it. After Waddleton, the first Black female student to attend the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine, earned her medical degree, she ran a thriving solo practice for 22 years. She later rose to chief of staff at the University of Texas Health Science Center where she spearheaded the development of the center’s first obstetrics department.
Researchers link temperatures and immigrant entrepreneurship
Professor John Winters and Ph.D. candidate Jun Yeong Lee found unexpected correlations in the U.S. census data. The two researchers in the Department of Economics discovered that the ratio of self-employed immigrants is higher in areas of the country with warmer January temperatures. Their findings could help communities boost support for immigrants who want to start businesses.
LAS student named Goldwater Scholar
Nethmi Hewage ('23 chemistry), who grew up in Matara, Sri Lanka, was selected as a 2022 Goldwater Scholar. The Goldwater Scholarship is the premier undergraduate scholarship in mathematics, natural sciences and engineering in the United States. Hewage plans to obtain a Ph.D. in chemistry and continue her studies at a Carnegie 1 research university.
Iowa State researcher develops AI technology
Forrest Sheng Bao, assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science, is developing artificial intelligence (AI) solutions that will optimize residential solar installations. RisingSun Solar, a growing solar company, will use AI technology to quickly configure system-design options for customers. Bao’s technology saves time and reduces the cost of going solar.