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IT at the Minnesota State Fair
 A variety of Institute of Technology exhibits will showcase the relevance of science, engineering, and mathematics to people’s everyday lives at this year’s Minnesota State Fair. The University of Minnesota exhibit on Dan Patch Avenue and Underwood Street will feature experts and scholars in a wide range of fields from 9 a.m.–9 p.m. each day. The schedule of exhibits and stage shows from Institute of Technology departments and centers includes the solar car, a hydraulic hybrid car exhibit, dam removal model, everyday chemistry experiments, state-of-the art medical device technology, astronaut training, sample meteorites, robot demonstrations, and much more. Read more>>
IT welcomes new students and faculty
The Institute of Technology will welcome an estimated 800 new freshmen and 11 new faculty to campus this academic year. The new faculty are: professor Laura Gagliardi (chemistry); associate professor Alexander Heger (physics); and assistant professors Shai Ashkenazi (biomedical engineering), Volkan Isler (computer science and engineering), Daniel Keefe (computer science and engineering), Connie Lu (chemistry), Andre Mkhoyan (chemical engineering and materials science), Yoichiro Mori (mathematics), Jian Sheng (aerospace engineering and mechanics), Panagiotis Stinis (mathematics), and Alena Talkachova (biomedical engineering).
University to open new environmental research lab Sept. 19
 The University of Minnesota is opening a new state-of-the art outdoor environmental research facility along the banks of the Mississippi River and is giving the public a first look during public tours from 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19. The new Outdoor StreamLab is located at the Institute of Technology’s St. Anthony Falls Laboratory, 2 Third Ave. S.E., Minneapolis. The new Outdoor StreamLab was developed to study a wide range of river processes at much larger field-scale than in the past. The Outdoor StreamLab is a joint initiative between St. Anthony Falls Laboratory and the National Center for Earth-surface Dynamics. Read more>>
Math & Science Fun Fair set for Sept. 20
 Bring your children and grandchildren to a free family Math & Science Fun Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20 at Coffman Memorial Union, 300 Washington Ave. S.E., Minneapolis. The event will feature entertaining, hands-on math and science experiences including robot demonstrations, astronaut training, microscopes, miniature race cars, Physics Force performances, a real human brain, and much more. Read more>>
IT professor’s research provides new clues to HIV infection
 Guillermo Sapiro, a professor of electrical and computer engineering, is part of the research team that is using advanced imaging techniques to visualize how a key part of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) changes shape after binding to immune system cells or to infection-fighting antibodies. Although scientists had been able to visualize individual components of this part of the virus, called the HIV spike, the new research characterizes, for the first time, the structure of the intact spike on virus particles, which is a crucial piece of knowledge that may aid the design of new vaccines or drugs to fight HIV infection. The results were published in the July 30 issue of Nature. Read more>>
Professor plays key role in Web-accessible geological world map
 Harvey Thorleifson, a University of Minnesota professor of geology and geophysics who also serves as director of the Minnesota Geological Survey, is one of the lead scientists for an international project to make geological data easily accessible through a Web portal, called OneGeology. The Web portal aims to become the geological equivalent of Google Maps by showing what lies beneath the earth’s surface with digital geological surveys across the globe and cutting-edge Web server technology. The information will be used in understanding earthquakes, determining soil structure, helping to solve problems of excess carbon dioxide, and much more. Read more>>
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