Community Engagement

Iowa State’s impact on state economy grows to $6 billion
Iowa State University's $6 billion economic impact supports one out of every 36 jobs in Iowa, according to an analysis conducted for the Iowa Board of Regents. The university's total impact includes $2.1 billion in economic development and added income from ISU startups and Iowa-based businesses assisted by CIRAS and Iowa State’s Small Business Development Center. Read More

Feb 26, 2026
When a derecho strikes: Engineers build emergency management training game

Oct 22, 2025
SCN Coalition helps farmers fight relentless pest
The microscopic, soil-borne soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is considered the most serious biological threat to the U.S. soybean industry. In North America, it causes yield losses worth more than $1 billion annually. Read More

Oct 21, 2025
Iowa State ecologist studying water treatment wetlands to optimize benefits
Do wetlands engineered for water quality treatment function in ways that provide benefits for biodiversity, similar to Iowa’s natural wetlands? Read More

May 20, 2025
Three Projects Selected for Funding from Fall Sustainability Innovation RIR
The fall 2024 Research and Innovation Roundtable (RIR) resulted in three projects being selected for seed funding support from the Office of the President. All… Read More

Jan 22, 2025
Is Hard Water Bad for You? 2 Water Quality Engineers Explain the Potential Benefits and Pitfalls That Come With Having Hard Water
When you turn on your faucet to get a glass of water or wash your face, you’re probably not thinking about what’s in your water… Read More

May 22, 2024
What America’s First Board Game Can Teach us about the Aspirations of a Young Nation
In 2023 alone, the board game industry topped US$16.8 billion and is projected to reach $40.1 billion by 2032. Classics like “Scrabble” are being refreshed… Read More

May 13, 2024
Ancient Rome Successfully Fought Against Voter Intimidation − a Political Story Told on a Coin That Resonates Today
This silver denarius, minted over 2,000 years ago, is hardly the most attractive Roman coin. And yet, the coin is vital evidence for the early… Read More

Mar 13, 2024
Can Witches Fly? A Historian Unpacks the Medieval Invention − and Skepticism − of the Witch on a Broomstick
The image of a witch flying on a broomstick is iconic, but it is not nearly as old as the idea of witchcraft itself, which… Read More

Mar 7, 2024
How to Provide Reliable Water in a Warming World – These Cities are Testing Small-Scale Treatment Systems and Wastewater Recycling
A lot can go wrong in a large urban water system. Pumps malfunction. Valves break. Pipes leak. Even when the system is functioning properly, water… Read More

Dec 18, 2023