CBB In The News

2004 Press Releases

Soll: Odor Reducing System May Not Hit Market
AgriNews (March 14, 2005)--
An ultrasound system designed by a University of Iowa professor to reduce odor in hog manure may never hit the market. "The method works, and it wasn't expensive," said David Soll, a biological sciences professor. "But I'm busy with other things, and it's not my job to promote it." The project was backed by Bruce Rastetter, president and founder of Heartland Pork Enterprises, Iowa's second largest pork producer at the time. Last year, Rastetter sold his company to Christensen Family Farms, of Sleepy Eye, Minn.  A spokesman at Christensen Family Farms said the company knew nothing about the ultrasound project. AgriNews is published in Rochester, Minn. . . . more

Grassian Studies Acid Dust
Innovations Report (December 15, 2004)--
A team of scientists has discovered a large, new class of airborne particles unaccounted for in climate models. Dry dust reacts with air pollutants to form dewy particles whose sunlight-reflecting and cloud-altering properties are unaccounted for in atmospheric models. "Calcite-containing dust particles blow into the air and encounter gaseous nitric acid in polluted air from factories to form an entirely new particle of calcium nitrate," said Alexander Laskin, a senior research scientist at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington. "These nitrates have optical and chemical properties that are absolutely different from those of originally dry dust particles, and climate models need to be updated to reflect this chemistry." Calcite dust is ubiquitous in arid areas such as Israel, where this past winter Laskin and colleagues Vicki Grassian, chemistry professor at the University of Iowa, and Yinon Rudich, professor of environmental sciences and energy research at the Weizmann Institute of Science, collected particles for analysis. . . more

Nov. 23 Event To Honor Campbell, Greenberg
University of Iowa News Release (November 17, 2004)--
The University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine will pay tribute and host lectures Nov. 23 by two faculty members elected earlier this year to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). Kevin P. Campbell, Ph.D., and E. Peter Greenberg, Ph.D., were named last April to the NAS, the nation's most distinguished scientific organization. Greenberg is the Virgil L. and Evalyn N. Shepperd Professor of Molecular Pathogenesis and a UI professor of microbiology. . . more

Engineering Receives Industry Support For Graduate Program
University of Iowa News Release (November 11, 2004)--
John Wiencek, professor and chair of the UI Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, has received a $110,000 grant from Genencor International, Inc., Cedar Rapids Production Facility, to provide professional experience while obtaining a master of science degree in biochemical engineering . . . more

Catalyst Awards Honor Diversity Efforts at UI
University of Iowa News Release (November 5, 2004)--
The University of Iowa Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity will honor three university individuals and a student group for helping to make the university a more diverse place by presenting them with 2004 Catalyst Awards. The six-year old Catalyst program recognizes individuals and departments who have developed innovative programs, policies or activities that have had a positive effect on improving diversity in the university community. Winners receive $500.
Recipients include --Victor Rodgers, professor, College of Engineering.
Rodgers helped to found the Ethnic Inclusion Effort for Iowa Engineering, a program that sought to increase minority representation in the College of Engineering at both the graduate and undergraduate levels. Through his leadership, the organization secured funding for fellowships and scholarships for African American, Hispanic and Native American students, designed new recruiting tools aimed at minorities and oversaw minority student groups within the college. The group also began an outreach program for minority K-12 students to encourage them to pursue education and careers in engineering. Thanks in part to Rodgers' efforts, the number of minority students in the College of Engineering has increased 83 percent.

Rosazza Comments On New Catalyst Center
Lawrence Journal-World (October 25, 2004)--
It's been slightly more than a year since the University of Kansas announced it would receive a $17 million grant to establish the Center for Environmentally Beneficial Catalysts to study catalysts, which speed chemical reactions that help make a variety of products. Coupled with industry and university support, the project is worth about $30 million over five years. The center grant includes researchers at KU, the University of Iowa and Washington University in St. Louis. Center leaders have created a structure for researchers to suggest projects and for various groups to collaborate from their institutions. "These are huge programs," said Jack Rosazza, director of the Center for Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing at the University of Iowa. "They're extremely complex. There are a lot of components, with research, education, interfacing with NSF, industrial outreach and diversity. Each of those required quite a bit of effort." The paper is based in Kansas. . . . more

Carmichael's Program To Track Pollution
NewsHour with Jim Lehrer (September 8, 2004)--
Greg Carmichael, University of Iowa professor of chemical and biochemical engineering, was interviewed as part of a story about tracking pollution over the Atlantic Ocean. Carmichael has developed a computer model that locates plumes of pollutants spreading from New England over the Atlantic Ocean, then tells research planes and ships investigating the plumes where to go. . . . more

Feiss: Film Showing Virus Attack Is Creepy
Sun Herald (August 30, 2004)--
Using a creature as hideous as any sci-fi monster, scientists have produced a one-minute horror movie starring a menacing, spidery virus swooping in on a hapless blob of bacteria. The computer-generated short arose from research that could help scientists find new ways to combat viruses that cause everything from AIDS to the common cold. With help from computer animation, the movie shows the virus latching onto an E. coli bacterium and giving it an injection of DNA that turns it into a virus factory. "It's the most detailed picture yet of how any virus attaches to a cell and what happens immediately after that to get the virus' chromosomes in," said Michael Feiss, a professor of microbiology at the University of Iowa. Feiss said that his normally restrained microbiologist colleagues burst into applause when the film was shown at two recent scientific gatherings. He called the movie "creepy." . . . more

MacGillivray Wins Solid-State Chemistry Award
University of Iowa News Release (August 30, 2004)--
Leonard MacGillivray, assistant professor of chemistry in the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, has been named the winner of the 2004 Margaret C. Etter Early Career Award by the American Crystallographic Association. The award recognizes outstanding achievement and exceptional potential in crystallographic research by scientists at an early stage in their careers. . . . more

18 Faculty win Collegiate Teaching Awards
FYI, Vol 42, No. 1 (August 6, 2004)--
Eighteen faculty members have been named recipients of the 2003-04 Collegiate Teaching Awards for demonstrating unusually significant and meritorious achievement in teaching. . . Robert J. Kerns , assistant professor of medicinal and natural products chemistry in the College of Pharmacy, whose teaching includes Current Medicinal Chemistry; Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry I: Biotechnology and Chemotherapy; and Medicinal and Natural Products Chemistry II: Pharmacodynamic Agents. A doctoral student wrote, “Dr. Kerns brought a welcomed and refreshing teaching style to the challenging material typically presented in medicinal chemistry . . . Outside the lecture hall, Dr. Kerns is very approachable, and he routinely makes himself available for advice, clarification, and guidance on test preparation. On several occasions, I met with Dr. Kerns to discuss my progress in the course. I always left his office optimistic and always with a sense of being put back on the right track.” . . . more

Carmichael Studies Air Pollution
Omaha World Herald (August 5, 2004)--
A group of University of Iowa students and a professor are working with scientists from around the world to study air pollution. The project aims to "really understand what pollutants are in the air and how widely spread pollution is," said Greg Carmichael associate dean for graduate studies and research in the College of Engineering. More than 200 government and university scientists are sampling the quality of air this summer as part of the International Consortium for Atmospheric Research on Transport and Transformation. About a dozen Iowa students are working on the project, which includes scientists from NASA.

Skorton Names Search Committee For Vice President For Research
University of Iowa News Release (July 13, 2004)--
University of Iowa President David Skorton today (July 13) announced that Gregory Carmichael, professor and associate dean for graduate programs and research in the College of Engineering, will chair a 20-member search committee for a new UI vice president for research. "Greg Carmichael has a long and distinguished record of research, teaching and service at the University of Iowa, and I am grateful that he will lead a search of such critical importance to the university's ability to create new knowledge," Skorton said . . . more

UI Research Find Consumer Product Chemicals in Great Lakes
University of Iowa News Release (July 8, 2004)--
University of Iowa researchers have found chemical ingredients used to coat cookware, furniture and other consumer products in water samples taken from the Great Lakes.Doctoral student Bryan Boulanger, Associate Professor Keri Hornbuckle and Professor Jerry Schnoor of the UI College of Engineering Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, together with University Hygienic Laboratory chemist John Vargo, report their findings in the June 22 online version and the August 1 print edition of Environmental Science & Technology (ES&T) . . . more

Carmichael Receives $770,000 in Grants for Air Pollution Studies
University of Iowa News Release (July 2, 2004)--
Gregory R. Carmichael, associate dean for research and graduate studies and Karl Kammermeyer Professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering in the University of Iowa College of Engineering, has received $770,000 in new federal grants and an appointment to a Texas environmental organization, all related to his leadership in atmospheric pollution research . . . more

Offices & Awards
University of Iowa FYI vol. 41, no. 11 (June 4, 2004)
Greg Carmichael, professor of chemical and biochemical engineering, named to the Science Advisory Board of the Texas Environmental Research Consortium.

University announces faculty promotions, tenure
University of Iowa FYI vol. 41, no. 10 (May 7, 2004)
The University is pleased to announce the following promotions among the faculty. the promotions will be effective for the 2004-05 academic year, beginning July 1.
To associate professor:
Sonya Franklin, chemistry
David Weiss, microbiology
. . . more

Three Engineering Faculty Receive Excellence Awards
University of Iowa News Release (May 4, 2004)--
Three University of Iowa faculty have received College of Engineering Excellence Awards for their individual contributions to excellence in teaching, service and research. The three, recognized by Dean P. Barry Butler at the college's annual faculty/staff awards luncheon May 3, are: Nicole Grosland, Faculty Excellence Award for Teaching; Victor Rodgers, Faculty Excellence Award for Service; and Alec Scranton, Faculty Excellence Award for Research. . . more

Campbell And Greenberg Elected To National Academy Of Sciences
University of Iowa News Release (April 21, 2004)--
Two professors in the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine have been elected members of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). . . . E. Peter Greenberg, Ph.D., the Virgil L. and Evalyn N. Shepperd Professor of Molecular Pathogenesis and UI professor of microbiology, were among 72 new members and 18 foreign associates from 13 countries elected April 20 to membership in the nation's most distinguished scientific organization. . . more

Innovative projects win awards for instructional computing
University of Iowa FYI vol. 41, no. 9 (April 2, 2004)
With support from the Academic Technologies Advisory Council, Jan Jensen, chemistry, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, will develop a graphical user interface to the molecular modeling program GAMESS, to make it more accessible to chemistry students. . . more

Offices and Awards
University of Iowa FYI vol. 41, no. 8 (March 5, 2004)
Tonya Peeples, associate professor of chemical and biochemical engineering, recipient of the Lloyd N. Ferguson Young Scientist Award from the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers. . . more

Career Development Awards approved for 82
University of Iowa FYI vol. 41, no. 8 (March 5, 2004)
2004-05 development assignments have been approved by the Board of Regents, State of Iowa for CBB Faculty members James Gloer, Jan Jensen, and Ming-Che Shih . . . more

Carmichael Addresses International Pollution Conference
University of Iowa News Release (March 2, 2004)--
Gregory R. Carmichael, associate dean for research and graduate studies and Karl Kammermeyer Professor of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering in the University of Iowa College of Engineering, presented the keynote address at the Dubai International Conference on Atmospheric Pollution held Feb. 21-25 in Dubai. . . more

Maxson Names Liberal Arts And Sciences Collegiate Fellows
University of Iowa News Release (February 25, 2004)--
Four University of Iowa professors have been named Collegiate Fellows in the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in recognition of their years of distinguished teaching, research, and service to the college. The 2004 Collegiate Fellows are Lee Anna Clark, associate provost for faculty and professor of psychology; James Gloer, professor of chemistry; Peverill Squire, professor of political science; and Shelton Stromquist, professor of history. . . . more

Four Liberal Arts And Sciences Professors Named Dean's Scholars
University of Iowa News Release (February 25, 2004)--
Linda Maxson, dean of the University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, has named four newly tenured associate professors Dean's Scholars, an award that honors faculty who have demonstrated excellence in both teaching and scholarship or creative work early in their careers. The 2004-06 Dean's Scholars are Jonathan Adrain, geoscience; Sonya Franklin, chemistry; Julie Hochstrasser, art history; and Roumyana Slabakova, linguistics. . . . . more

UI Engineer Wins National Award
University of Iowa News Release (February 24, 2004)--
Tonya Peeples, associate professor of chemical and biochemical engineering in the University of Iowa College of Engineering, has won the Lloyd N. Ferguson Young Scientist Award from the National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Cheists and Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE). The national award is given to one young scientist with eight to 10 years of experience for excellence in research. . . . more