Mason City Globe Gazette, IA
04-11-06
ISU president recruits, visits alumni
By MARY PIEPER, Of The Globe Gazette
MASON CITY — Iowa State University President Gregory Geoffroy visited
Mason City on Monday to recruit new students, meet with local alumni and talk
about what the college is doing.
Geoffroy said he visits six communities in Iowa each year “to stay in touch with
what’s going on” so the university can serve them better.
In addition to visiting Mason City High School and North Iowa Area Community
College, Geoffroy spoke to the Noon Rotary Club.
He also was the guest at a reception for ISU alumni and visited Metalcraft.
ISU scientists and industrial specialists have worked with Metalcraft on several
projects to improve the company’s shipping labels and identification tags.
The most recent project involves developing a new material for radio frequency
identfication tags, which are used to help companies track inventory.
Current materials being used in the tags cause radio interference in the tracking,
and foam backing to reduce the interference often causes the tags to peel off.
ISU has helped other businesses in North Iowa solve problems.
Those business include Sukup Manufacturing of Sheffield, Diversified Fastening
Systems of Charles City, Eaton Corp. of Belmond, Frontier Labs of Clear Lake,
Kiefer Built of Kanawha, Winnebago Industries of Forest City and Graham
Manufacturing of Mason City.
ISU faculty and staff have
used their expertise in bio-diesel fuels to assist
North Iowa’s Golden Grain Energy and Freedom Fuels plants.
Geoffroy said ISU has thousands of research projects going on at any one time.
One major accomplishment is the development of a lead-free solder now being
used in the manufacture of electronics all over the world.
Geoffroy said solders used to contain lead, which contaminates the environment.
The university is training its veterinary students to recognize the signs of mad
cow disease in cattle, according to Geoffroy.
In addition, ISU scientists are working on determining appropriate responses to
an outbreak of Asian bird flu.
ISU is preparing for its Veisha celebration to be held April 17-21.
After rioting broke out during Veisha in 2004, the celebration was canceled for
2005.
It was reinstated for this year, but university officials are making changes to
prevent problems, such as moving activities from downtown Ames to the
campus, according to Geoffroy.
ISU’s public safety officers also are receiving training on how to respond to
incidents to keep them from “getting out of control,” he said.
Reach Mary Pieper at 421-0578 or mary.pieper@globegazette.com.