The first time she stepped inside of the UNI Metal Casting Center, surrounded by the red-hot glow of molten metal, Maria Alverio knew she was hooked. “There are two types of people in this world: the type who see molten metal and run away, and the type who can’t help but go closer. I’m definitely the second type,” Alverio said.
More than 100 million adults in the U.S. suffer from hypertension, or, high blood pressure, and in recent years, nearly half a million deaths in the U.S. were directly or indirectly caused by the condition.
Abby Weekley, a senior biology major at the University of Northern Iowa, is hoping to change that through her work with UNI alum Dr. Bob Good. Weekley and Good are collaborating on a research project to study how much young people between the ages of 18-25 know about hypertension.
University of Northern Iowa junior Ashley Campbell had just made the biggest scientific discovery of her life, but it took a moment for the truth to sink in.
Campbell is part of a group of UNI undergraduates researching the genetic makeup of the chewing louse, a grain-sized parasite similar to lice in humans that makes its home on furry animals. The research, which aims to expand our knowledge of evolutionary biology for use in medical applications, is exacting and sometimes tedious.
At first glance, it looks like something sprung from the mind of Jackson Pollock.
But the vibrant colors strewn across the image represent not the paint strokes of an artist, but the tiny, mineralogical components of a rock. And they were produced by a new set of scientific instruments at the University of Northern Iowa that will give students a deeper, more detailed look into geology than was previously possible.
UNI provided Tibbs, a double major in biochemistry and physics, with cutting-edge research opportunities, helped him land several esteemed internships and assisted him as he earned prestigious scholarships and fellowships, but he said what makes UNI unique is the people.
The objects people keep on their desks can tell you a lot about them. That’s why we’re visiting offices occupied by some of the talented and creative people at UNI - to hear the stories behind the decor. This time, we’ve asked UNI chemistry instructor Brittany Flokstra - an expert on both weapons-grade chemicals and the works of Joss Whedon - to show and tell.
Doug Mupasiri has a voice that seems ideal for a professor. It’s booming and resonant, the type that can fill every corner of a lecture hall. The UNI mathematics department head is putting it to use advocating for the inclusion of more minorities in STEM fields, where black and Hispanics have been woefully underrepresented. Last month, UNI hosted a regional conference aimed at encouraging diverse students to consider a career in science, technology, engineering or math.
A beast resides deep in the bowels of McCollum Science Hall.
This fearsome creature - with teeth that shred and claws that clatter - lurks in a corner of a laboratory behind a formidable gate marked with a sign that warns “enter at your own risk.”
And this menacing monster’s name is...Steve, an American alligator, who, contrary to his appearance - almost five feet long with black and yellow banding across his boney scales - is harmless.
