The magazine for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at
Iowa State University

News Roundup

Find full versions of the stories mentioned below, and more news online.

Ice Age evidence in Iowa

The discovery of a sabertooth cat skull in southwest Iowa proves the extinct animal once lived in the region. Matthew Hill, associate professor of anthropology, and Dave Easterla, Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of Biology at Northwest Missouri State University (pictured above), are examining the near-perfect-condition skull and unlocking new knowledge about Iowa and Ice Age history.

New climate science major allows multiple paths for students

Meet three students enrolled in the new climate science degree program in LAS. The Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences launched the program in the fall, leading the nation in the degree offering. Students can choose a path that fits their interests, preparing for a high-demand job market preparing cities, the agricultural industry, manufacturers, communicators, and scientists for a changing climate.

Trillions of light waves per second

A one-of-its-kind nanoscope in the lab of Jigang Wang, professor of physics and astronomy and joint faculty at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Ames National Laboratory, is changing the world of quantum computing. The breakthrough equipment enables researchers to explore the superconducting properties of materials at extreme scales, which was previously unattainable.

Striking a chord with music and entrepreneurship

Logan TeKolste (’23 music education) developed an innovative way to bring the joy of music to all students, no matter what language they speak. She’s leveraging what she’s learned from student teaching and her entrepreneurial Iowa State experiences to make music accessible to all.

Weather watch

New research from Christina Patricola, assistant professor of geological and atmospheric sciences, and her collaborators, shows a warming climate could substantially increase the number and severity of tropical cyclones in the North Atlantic, potentially creating more and stronger hurricanes. Climate simulations project that the number of tropical cyclones could increase by 34% during inactive North Atlantic hurricane seasons.

Calling all entrepreneurs!

Iowa State has maintained its #11 ranking in The Princeton Review’s annual survey of undergraduate entrepreneurship education. Please take a brief survey about your entrepreneurial ventures to strengthen the outcomes we report – you can help us break into the top 10!