Iowa Technology Institute

OPL has announced awards for three students whose outstanding contributions led to flight test innovation. Congratulations Kyle Smith, Maggie Mayfield, and Beau Benzing!

"The OPL is a unique place where outstanding individuals such as the students receiving these awards can push their creativity, attention to detail, and academic excellence to the limit,” OPL Director Tom Schnell said.

Congratulations to our faculty affiliate Ed Sander, a renowned University of Iowa scholar in the areas of tissue engineering and multiscale mechanics. Professor Sander has been inducted as a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) an organization representing the top minds in the field. Well deserved! 👏

Students in Prof. Matt McGill’s laboratory got first-hand experience with airborne research via NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration project in the Mojave Desert.

University of Iowa students recently experienced airborne research firsthand, traveling to California's Mojave Desert for a NASA mission to verify satellite data using a high-altitude aircraft soaring 12 miles above Earth. https://engineering.uiowa.edu/news-all/2025/02/ui-graduate-students-get-first-hand-experience-nasa-airborne-research

University of Iowa Professor Jun Wang shared his Earth sciences expertise with NASA Earth publication in an article exploring the importance of tracking the height of dust plumes in the atmosphere.

“Accurately measuring dust height is crucial for tracking plumes in three dimensions, predicting dust’s impact on weather and climate, and assessing air quality risks," Professor Wang told the publication.

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/153910/a-daily-boost-in-dust-height

NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Read the wonderful spotlight about one of our remarkable graduate research assistants. Arnold "Bill" Bangel III has been a standout researcher and teacher, completing a PhD program in industrial and systems engineering while raising two children as a single father. Learn more about Bill's path from the Marines to graduate school at the University of Iowa, working closely with Prof. Xuan Song, and what the future holds in store.

>>https://stories.uiowa.edu/military-experience-positions-iowa-engineering-student-success

Join us in congratulating Professor Jun Wang for the well-deserved honor of receiving the 2024 Joanne Simpson Medal from the American Geophysical Union (AGU). The medal recognizes significant contributions to Earth and space science.

https://engineering.uiowa.edu/news-all/2025/01/wang-wins-2024-joanne-simpson-medal

The University of Iowa’s P3 grant program has had a transformative impact on Earth observation research in the College of Engineering. It's led to faculty hires, new graduate students, critical infrastructure, and nearly $10 million in recent NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration awards for professors Wang Jun and Matt McGill. They are faculty affiliates with the Iowa Technology Institute and professors of chemical and biochemical engineering.

https://lnkd.in/gRJDz9wE

A great new partnership between the Iowa Technology Institute and School of Social Work is developing technology using artificial intelligence and a camera to detect physical abuse in real time. It could have a major impact in guarding against elder and child abuse, as well as other forms of abuse. The project leverages the expertise of University of Iowa Professors Karim Abdel-Malek and Aislinn Conrad.

https://engineering.uiowa.edu/news-all/2024/10/iowa-professors-developing-ai-camera-detect-physical-abuse

Karim Abdel-Malek, University of Iowa professor and interim director of the Iowa Technology Institute, and social work Associate Professor Aislinn Conrad are working to develop an artificial intelligence camera system that could eventually track and catch child abuse as it happens.

University of Iowa professors develop camera program to identify abuse • Iowa Capital Dispatch Two University of Iowa professors are bringing their expertise together to develop technology to identify abuse as it happens.

Congratulations to Jun Wang, ITI assistant director and James E. Ashton Professor of Engineering, for being elected as an American Meteorological Societyfellow.

Jun Wang elected American Meteorological Society fellow A University of Iowa engineering professor recognized as an expert in how atmospheric composition affects climate has been elected as a fellow of the American Meteorological Society (AMS).

ITI was pleased to have students from local high schools work with us for the summer. They helped collect data for the Santos virtual human ecosystem. Dean Ann McKenna stopped by to thank them for their contributions.

Well deserved recognition and tributes for Karim Abdel-Malek, as he prepares to step down as permanent director of Iowa Technology Institute after nearly 20 years. Karim will continue on in an interim capacity until a new permanent director is identified.

https://iti.uiowa.edu/articles/2024/05/colleagues-celebrate-successes-iti-director-prepares-step-down