Research at the University of Iowa

UI's most well-known physicist, James Van Allen—for whom both the Van Allen Radiation Belts and the University's physics building are named—once tried to describe what it meant to be a "space scientist." He began, "Space science is not a professional discipline in the usual sense of that term as exemplified by the traditional terms astronomy, geology, physics, chemistry, and biology. Rather it is a loosely defined mixture of all of these fields...."

One faces a similar problem when considering engineering or the physical and mathematical sciences. None of these terms fully defines a professional discipline, yet it's clear that the practice of nearly any scientific or technical discipline depends upon the physical and computational sciences. Engineering crosses boundaries with computer science and medicine. Accordingly, experts in subspecialties of these fields are scattered broadly across campus. Physicists study medical radiology and microchip formation; experts in fluid dynamics study blood flow as well as river beds, sewer lines and smokestacks. Principles drawn from the mathematical sciences inform research on economic forecasting and epidemiology, on global atmospherics and carefully engineered virtual realities.

Here are some examples of UI research in the physical, mathematical and engineering sciences:

The UI Tradition in Space Science—The Department of Physics and Astronomy

UI became linked to space science some 50 years ago because of the pioneering work of Professor James Van Allen and the NASA rocketeers. In 1959 Donald Gurnett was one of the UI undergraduate engineering students who helped design instruments destined for space flight under Van Allen’s direction. Today Gurnett holds the Van Allen Chair in Physics at Iowa and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences. Professor Gurnett specializes in the study of space plasma physics and has participated in 25 spacecraft projects, most notably the Voyager 1 and 2 flights to the outer planets, the Galileo mission to Jupiter, and the Cassini mission to Saturn.

Over a period of 40 years Gurnett has collected numerous samples of sounds from space. These recordings became the basis for a multimedia theatrical collaboration commissioned by NASA and UI’s Hancher Auditorim. The resulting work, Sun Rings, features an original musical score first performed by the Kronos Quartet. In December 2005, Gurnett was awarded the Hannes Alfvén Medal by the European Geosciences Union (EGU) for his contributions to solar-terrestrial and planetary solar system sciences.

Protecting Our Environment—The Departments of Chemistry and Chemical and Biochemical Engineering

Sometimes Professor Vicki Grassian is designated as a physical chemist and sometimes as a chemical engineer since she holds appointments in both the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering. Sometimes she's called a nanoscientist, sometimes an environmental scientist. In all events she calls herself a teacher, saying, "I would not be a good teacher if I wasn't a good researcher, and I would not be a good researcher if I wasn't a good teacher."

Grassian's research addresses the environmental and health effects of particles that have been taken up into the atmosphere. An ongoing project assesses the global environmental implications of airborne mineral particles raised by such natural conditions as desert winds. In addition, Grassian is interested in particles much, much smaller than grains of mineral dust. She's interested in the potential long-term environmental and health effects of nanoparticles-- one nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. To this end, she's assessing the potential toxic effects of materials built up from nano-sized pieces.

In addition to her considerable federal funding, Grassian is the 2004-2005 recipient of the UI James Van Allen Fellowship in recognition of her distinguished work in the physical sciences. In 2005, Grassian was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

Pedagogical Innovation—The Department of Mathematics

For more than a decade UI Professor of Mathematics Keith Stroyan has been developing better pedagogical techniques and technologies to aid undergraduates. The innovative results of his pedagogical research have gained national attention. In January he will receive the Mathematical Association of America's most prestigious teaching award.

In the 1990s, Stroyan developed an innovative calculus course for undergraduate students, whose majors ranged from music to mathematics. The calculus curriculum which was developed with support from the National Science Foundation, uses contemporary computing to involve students in real-world problems -- such as calculating the spread of epidemics or the fall of a bungee diver. Calculus is a language for subjects ranging from physics to economics and this course allowed students to apply calculus to their major subjects in course projects. Stroyan hopes this will encourage more U.S. college students to pursue technical careers especially in engineering and the sciences.

Acknowledging the natural affinities between math and engineering, he has been a leader in working with the College of Engineering to create a new engineering math curriculum that takes advantage of computational and web-based technologies.