SCIENCE/EDUCATION
25% of Eastern Birds Are Gone: IU’s Ketterson Lab Explores Why
Remember birds? Our skies once teemed with them. And now? “About 25% of the birds in eastern North America are, in a sense, missing,” says Indiana University Distinguished Professor of Biology Ellen Ketterson.
Matt Stark: New Principal at Bloomington High School North
Over his nearly 30-year career as an educator, Matt Stark has often been asked what he teaches. “The right answer to that question is ‘kids,’” he says.
REVIEW: ‘Making Your Own Luck’ by Fred Glass
Former Indiana University Athletic Director Fred Glass was among the most unlikely candidates for that job—a practicing attorney with zero experience in leading an athletic department.
Calling All Leaf Peepers: Monitor Fall Color & Tree Health
Autumn isn’t what it used to be. Over the last few years, its onset has been delayed. The spectacular yellows, oranges, and reds of the changing leaves also have been affected.
Bloomington’s Victor Technologies Detects Stress Defects for NASA
In advanced economies, we rely every day on engineered objects— cars, jet engines, bridges—to get us from place to place. It’s crucial that these devices retain their structural integrity.
B-town’s Eleanor Krause at Harvard Studying Community and Culture
Eleanor Krause is a Ph.D. candidate at Harvard University studying public policy. Among her research interests is the economics of place—how our communities and culture influence the way we engage with the world.
Famous Architect’s Mid-Century Modern, Glass-Walled Building to Adorn IU Campus
Peg Faimon suspects the plans were tucked away for decades in the dark.
Ivy Tech Rolls Out Cost-Saving Programs for Its Students
In a move designed to make the cost of post-secondary education more affordable and predictable, Ivy Tech Community College has introduced a tuition model that freezes tuition from now through the 2022–23 academic year, rolls the cost of textbooks into the course fee structure, and promises that no full- time student will pay more than $4,500 per year to attend, no matter how many credit hours they take per semester.
Citizen Scientist: Stay Cool with ‘Penguin Watch’
Maybe you’re understandably wilted from the heat. Or you’re still recovering from the cicadas—or the piles of what’s left of them. Happily, you can still contribute to real research while in the great indoors thanks to Penguin Watch.
STEM to Them Mobile Lab Brings Technology to Schools
A robotics laboratory and makerspace on wheels will be pulling up outside elementary schools across Monroe County starting next fall as part of the school district’s fully accessible, interdisciplinary approach to STEM education.
Guest Column: The Insidiousness of Implicit Bias
mplicit bias is described by the National Institutes of Health as a form of bias that occurs automatically and unintentionally, but nevertheless affects judgments, decisions, and behaviors.
Adventures of a Passionate Paleontologist
As a kid, Steve Bodi scoured his Indiana surroundings for “pretty rocks” and fossils.
Backyard Farming Popular in a Pandemic
Adam Hamel always imagined gardening someday, but with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, someday arrived sooner than expected.
Jill Bolte Taylor’s New Book Explores Brain’s ‘Characters’
Bloomington’s Jill Bolte Taylor is a veritable brain whisperer.
Look Out, Here They Come! Billions of Cicadas to Emerge in May
After 16 years and 11 months of solitary confinement, billions of “Brood X” periodical cicadas will emerge from beneath Bloomington’s parks and neighborhoods, the Indiana University campus, and beyond.
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Are Popping Up in Bloomington
Electric vehicle (EV) charging stations have begun to appear in parking lots around Bloomington, including four at Switchyard Park.
How Hip Are You To Youth Speak? Take This Gen Z Quiz
Spend enough time around someone and you’re likely to pick up on their vernacular.
Citizen Scientist: The Great Sunflower Project
From the burrowing mayfly to the rusty patched bumble bee, we’re losing a head-spinning number of invertebrates. Thanks to shrinking natural habitats and our dependence on agricultural chemicals—particularly neonicotinoid pesticides— we’re living through what some have dubbed an “insect apocalypse.”
Informatics Prof Is IU’s 7th MacArthur Fellow
The MacArthur Fellows Program offers a $625,000 “genius grant” to individuals who show exceptional creativity in their work and the potential for making future advances.
Pandemic or No Pandemic: Bird Counts Go On!
The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected our day-to-day lives. It may be influencing citizen science, too.
New Book Shines Light on History of Indiana’s KKK
The Ku Klux Klan’s iconic white hoods and burning crosses have become symbols of white supremacy, but the Klan’s place in the American consciousness outstrips most people’s understanding.
Ivy Tech Offers Free Tuition For High-Demand Workers
A year ago, in February 2019, Tammy Wright turned 51 and got laid off from her job. That was when she decided the only way to improve her life was to finally finish high school and get further job training.
Citizen Scientist: Monitoring Ponds & Wetlands
April showers bring much more than May flowers— they also contribute to seasonal wetlands, a special kind of habitat that only exists part time.
Robins with Tiny Backpacks Help Monitor Climate Change
For many, the sight of a red-breasted robin pulling worms from the ground is a sure sign of spring. Conventional wisdom holds that robins fly south for the winter and return north as the temperatures warm up.
IU Researchers Establish Living Museums in the Sea
How does a shipwreck become an underwater museum? By becoming a site for “in situ preservation” of the wreck, its artifacts, and the living ecosystem that has grown around it, says Charles Beeker, director of the Center for Underwater Science at the Indiana University School of Public Health.
The Excel Center: Free High School For Grown-Ups
The Goodwill Education Initiatives, a nonprofit created by Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana, opened its first tuition-free high school for adults, The Excel Center, in 2010.
IU Digitizing Early Recordings Made on Antique Instruments
Artists, historians, and ordinary folks have been recording sounds—music, speeches, religious rituals, and banal conversations—since the late 19th century. One of the world’s largest repositories of archaic but unique recordings is located at the Scholarly Data Archive at Indiana University.
Was Abe Lincoln Gay? Public Historian Brings LGBTQ Past to Light
Democratic candidate Pete Buttigieg may be the first openly gay man to run for president, but according to some historians, if he wins the election, he won’t be the first gay man to hold that office. Because of the intimate friendship between Abraham Lincoln and Joshua Speed, some speculate that the 16th president of the United States was gay.
IU Institute Supporting Efforts to Reclaim Native People’s Languages
Forced into boarding schools bent on assimilating them, America’s indigenous children were once punished for speaking in their native languages. Students uttering words in Lakota, Arikara, or Pawnee might have been made to kneel on radiators or had their mouths washed out with soap.
Fighting Invasive Species Takes Community Effort
Monarch caterpillars are picky eaters, dining exclusively on the leaves of the milkweed plant. Monarch butterflies are equally picky, only laying their eggs on milkweed. Unfortunately for monarchs, milkweed is a native plant that disappears when invasive plant species disrupt an ecosystem.
Citizen Scientist: Help Researchers to Track Nesting Birds
I found the dead indigo bunting splayed on the ground near Graham Plaza. Flying high—but not high enough, I’m afraid—the iridescent bird either failed to clear the building or had smacked squarely into one of the structure’s large windows. Its neck clearly broken, the small bird looked even tinier in my palm.
We Can Learn a Lot from Babies: IU Research Is Leading the Way (PHOTO GALLERY)
Linda Smith’s research subjects may be pint-size, but the data they’re providing is vast.
Globe-Trotting With Brooke Bierhaus: Morning Meditations on Jerusalem’s Western Wall
You might not believe it, but 6:45 a.m. is my favorite time of day. It has been since I was 13 years old. Waking up while it’s still dark and watching my surroundings come to life as the sun casts its light on the world is my meditation. After traveling to and living in 28 countries, I have found that these early morning moments are the best way to really understand a city, town, or land.
Citizen Scientist: Help Save the Birds
Using data gathered in part by citizen scientists, researchers recently determined we’ve lost nearly three billion birds since 1970. Birds across the United States and Canada are in trouble. These include many migratory birds, as well as common species like warblers, blackbirds, and finches. And—spoiler alert!—like the veritable “canary in the coal mine,” such avian losses signal trouble for humans, too.
Stone Age Institute Designs Monument at Olduvai Gorge
Tourists to the East African nation of Tanzania, hurtling along the highway between the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area and Serengeti National Park, often rush past what is arguably the country’s most historically significant site: Olduvai Gorge, where the fossil remains of some of mankind’s earliest ancestors were discovered.
IU Researchers Develop BotSlayer: A Tool That Roots Out Fake News
Online news consumption can be complicated, but it has become even more so with the introduction of “astroturf” campaigns—coordinated attempts that use armies of bots (automated software applications) to convince readers there is grassroots support for fraudulent narratives on social media.
200-Year History of Bloomington Focus of Mathers Museum Exhibit
January 2018 marked the start of Bloomington’s bicentennial year, and in September, Indiana University kicked off a yearlong series of events celebrating its own 200 years. In honor of both occasions, the Mathers Museum of World Cultures has gathered materials that put an environmental spin on the history of the city and the university in an exhibit entitled “800 Seasons: Change and Continuity in Bloomington, 1818–2018.”
An IU Student’s Adventure Living With Mongolian Reindeer Herders
The closest most of us will ever come to a reindeer is seeing one in a petting zoo. But reindeer were an integral part of everyday life for Indiana University graduate student Jessica Vinson when she lived with the nomadic Dukha people in northern Mongolia.
Ancient Lives Lets You Become a Papyrologist
Items buried within landfills certainly take their sweet time to break down—but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. More than 100 years ago, researchers successfully excavated hundreds of thousands of legible papyrus scraps from a dry dump near Oxyrhynchus in Egypt.
Real Men Still Reading To Bloomington Kids
Since it started six years ago, the Monroe County Community School Corporation’s (MCCSC) Real Men Read program has offered some 875 kindergarten students per year the chance to listen to a story read by a man from the community.
Library Invites Community to Explore The Power of Words
We may live in polarized, angry times, but it isn’t a singular moment says author Margaret McMullan. “We’ve been there before, in the years leading up to the Holocaust and the Civil Rights era in Mississippi,” she says. “There were so many similarities in those times and now. The righteousness, the need to find scapegoats for our problems, the fear and fury. The hate. The violence.”
People Adopt Kinds of Dogs They Didn’t Know They Wanted (PHOTO GALLERY)
It’s not often that graduate student research makes headlines in outlets as varied as Martha Stewart Living and the financial media platform Bloomberg. But this spring, Samantha Cohen’s study of how people choose their canine companions did just that.
Citizen Scientist: Look Out for Garlic Mustard
Garlic mustard isn’t the only botanical troublemaker thriving in our fields and forests, but it’s among the most insidious. Deceptively small at first, the biennial jumps from about 4 inches tall during its initial year to as much as 4 feet tall during year two.
Art-Based Learning in Schools Is Goal of Eskanazi Museum
The Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University will reopen this fall. When it does, guests will see four new centers have been created: education, conservation, curatorial studies, and prints, drawings, and photographs.
New State Law Gives Beekeepers a Boost
For years, governments and environmental groups have sounded the alarm regarding the demise of bee populations. And while honeybees aren’t native to North America, they pollinate more than 100 different crops, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Workshop Series Helps People Make Eco-Conscious Changes
If you’ve been to the Monroe County Public Library (MCPL) lately, you’ve likely noticed that its bulletin boards are filled with flyers announcing public events and activities that aren’t related to books.
Ivy Tech Apple App Course Prepares Students to Code
Smartphone users are app-happy, and roughly 2 million apps—applications or programs for mobile phones or tablets—are available online. Now, a new course offered by Ivy Tech Community College–Bloomington will teach students how to build their own apps.
Science Prof Creates Art to Make Biology Enjoyable
Jake McKinlay’s art features alien shapes and arresting colors, making his illustrations feel otherworldly, but his subject matter is actually much closer to home. An associate professor in the Indiana University Department of Biology, McKinlay creates original artwork to help his students understand complex biochemical concepts associated with metabolism.
Scholarship Honoring Gayle Cook Lets Students Visit History Center
With a foot in the past and an eye on the future, the Monroe County History Center (MCHC) has established a scholarship fund for local students, allowing teachers to bring them to the history center for tours and workshops at little or no cost.
IU Cancer Researcher Is Also ‘Beer Famous’
Back in 2013, when Matt Bochman arrived in Bloomington, breweries across the country were beginning to show interest in producing beers using locally grown ingredients. Malt and hops were accessible. “Yeast was the missing local ingredient,” Bochman says.
IU Bloomington Nursing School Sees Two More Firsts This Year
Of the 80 students to graduate from the Indiana University Bloomington School of Nursing this year, Larry Wilson is one of 11 men and the first black male to receive a degree from the Bloomington campus, which has been conferring nursing degrees since 2005.
Professor Alvin Rosenfeld Receives IU President’s Medal for Excellence [Photo Gallery]
In early April, Alvin Rosenfeld, 81, a distinguished scholar of Jewish literature and Holocaust studies at Indiana University, commented that he was “surprised and delighted” that Indiana University had plans to honor him for his 50 years of service to the university.
More Grant Funds Means More High-Quality Child Care
Six Monroe County child care programs will receive funding to expand facilities, hire new educators, and implement educational curricula thanks to $247,858 in grants awarded to the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County.
Asian Culture Center Celebrates 20 Years
Twenty years ago, as an IU student, Ellen Wu watched the ribbon-cutting marking the opening of the Indiana University Asian Culture Center (ACC).
Olamot Center: Working To Bring U.S. and Israeli Scholars Together
A new center at Indiana University aims to demonstrate that there is more to America’s relationship with Israel than the often-polarizing political issues in the news.
Spring into Action with Plant-Monitoring Projects
Most morel hunters know to start hunting in earnest when the dogwood leaves are as big as a mouse’s ear. Or at least that’s what my dad told me, and what his dad told him. And in years past, that’s been a pretty good rule to follow. But lately, things have been out of whack.
Local Student Fishing Club Growing and Competing
When Bloomington High School South juniors Colby Reed and Jenna Albertson, both 17, began fishing at age 10, they didn’t expect their angling ambitions to be anything more than a weekend pastime.
BIG Night Really Is a Big Night for B-town’s Game Designers
Piloting a skeletal ship through gloomy seas, Gaby Benninghoff, 21, is on a mission to collect souls while evading monsters and giant sharks. “We’re still working on the fog,” she says. “We’re going for a dark, scary underworld.”
ROTC Air Force Cadets at IU Get Advanced Flight Simulators
While there are approximately 150 Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) detachments at colleges across the country, the ROTC program at Indiana University offers cadets advanced training.
Bloom’s Greatest Hits: ‘The American Spectator’ Born and Bred in Bloomington
In this bastion of liberalism, a groundbreaking, impertinent campus magazine attracted the best conservative thinkers and writers of the day and spread its influence all the way to the White House.
Ivy Tech ‘Day in the Life’ Program Added at Bloomington Campus
Lillian Lyle knows she wants to go into nursing, but the Eastern Greene High School junior wants to get a better feel for the college campus where she’ll spend a lot of her time and energy in a few years. She says the Day in the Life student visitation program at Ivy Tech Community College–Bloomington gave her that chance.
A Ribbeting Pastime! I’m Becoming a FrogWatcher and You Can Be One, Too!
Because I’m too cheap to spring for Netflix, Bloomington’s woods and wetlands are my entertainment of choice. I binge-watch barred owls the way other people double-down on Breaking Bad. My “sofa” is a damp, mossy log.
Lotus Blossoms Outreach Program Brings the World To Bloomington
If you had to summarize the Lotus Blossoms outreach program in one phrase, it might be: “Make the world a smaller place.” By bringing global storytellers, dancers, and musicians to the area each spring, Lotus Blossoms strives to connect local kids with cultures from across the world.
WonderLab Introduces STEM to Preschoolers
It may just be play to them, but the 4- and 5-year-olds at the WonderLab Museum of Science, Health and Technology Skyline Toolbox exhibit are engaging with an intentional STEM Starter.
Bloomington Firefighters Have New Technology to Save Lives
For firefighters, a minute or two can spell the difference between saving lives and ghastly tragedies. Unfortunately, modern construction materials have made firefighting even more difficult.
Urban Farming Program: Where Stone Belt Clients Learn Lasting Job Skills
Sometimes learning to grow lettuce can help you learn more important skills. At Growing Opportunities, that’s the goal.
Indiana Forest Alliance—Working to Preserve Indiana’s Native Ecosystem
Southern Indiana’s hill country boasts some of the state’s largest stands of old-growth forests, and a veritable melting pot of biodiversity.
Lilly Grant Helps Educators Teach Science in Local Elementary Schools
Bloomington-based Regional Opportunities Initiatives (ROI) is helping local teachers create STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) opportunities for students—preparing them for technical careers—with grant money from the Lilly Endowment.
Night Skies Monitoring Light Pollution & Mapping Galaxies
With darkness closing in early, winter was once my nemesis. Now, though, I recognize the season’s potentially significant citizen science value. Theoretically, the leafless trees and dark skies should provide stargazers with stunning views, but finding a vantage point that isn’t flooded with artificial light has become increasingly difficult. Government bodies, area schools, businesses—even individual homeowners—illuminate Bloomington’s night sky, and collectively contribute to light pollution.
500 Women Scientists Active & Growing at IU
After the 2016 election, and with the installation of the Trump administration, many felt that support for science was in jeopardy. And when scientists are under pressure, that pressure is particularly intense for women, says Sarah Schanz, one of the new leaders of the Indiana University chapter (or “pod”) of 500 Women Scientists.
A ‘Nerd’ IU Prof Helped Establish a Link Between The Trump Campaign and A Russian Bank—in 2016
In the October 15, 2018, issue of The New Yorker magazine, there is a nine-page, heavily researched article entitled “Enigma Machines” with the subhead, “Was there a connection between a Russian bank and the Trump campaign?” One of the experts cited in the article is L. Jean Camp, a professor in the School of Informatics and Computing at Indiana University.
‘Endangered and Disappearing Birds of the Midwest’
Through gorgeous photos and graceful prose, the new IU Press book Endangered and Disappearing Birds of the Midwest encourages readers to become not just bird watchers but bird protectors.
Missing Persons: How You Can Solve Cold Cases
Citizen science work isn’t all about saving threatened flora and fauna.
Bumble Bee Watch, Science for True Bee-lievers
His face patina-ed with sweat and panic, I recently watched as my neighbor hopped around inside his screened porch swatting a couple of “bumblebees” which had gained entry.
Citizens’ Climate Lobby Pushing for Carbon Tax
The vast majority of scientists agree that, unchecked, global climate change will continue to impact weather patterns, glaciers will keep melting in record time, and coastal lands will be flooded by rising sea levels. The problem is vast and can seem overwhelming. That’s how Marshall Saunders, a California real estate broker, felt before founding Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) in 2007.
IU Center of Excellence for Women in Technology Encouraging Women to Pursue Tech Careers
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, by 2026 the U.S. job market will have 3.5 million computer-related openings. High-paying software applications development and information security analysis jobs are among them. Nevertheless, women traditionally avoid the tech field.
Local Composers Create Modern Operas for Kids
Kim Carballo, a voice coach at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, says that in the 1950s and ’60s, a slew of children’s operas were composed to introduce children to the art form. “Kids used to graduate from sixth grade knowing Carmen and other famous works, but now there’s a different focus on arts education,” Carballo says.
A Dig at Wylie House Museum Unearthing 1859 Greenhouses
Even before I joined the dig at the Wylie House Museum, I knew my concept of archaeology—mostly dinosaurs, mummies, and Indiana Jones—was tragically oversimplified. Still, I didn’t know how oversimplified until I started working alongside some real archaeologists uncovering circa-1859 greenhouses.
Eskenazi Undergoes Renovation but School Outreach Continues
The Monroe County Community School Corporation (MCCSC) requires every second-grade student to visit the Indiana University Eskenazi Museum of Art, but since the museum closed for renovation in May 2017, fulfilling that requirement has been impossible. The solution? Bring the museum to the students.
Girls Inc. Camps Encourage Fun, Camaraderie & STEM
Summer camp is about having fun and making friends, and Girls Inc. summer camps are all that—and more. Unlike traditional day camps, the camaraderie and crafts at these camps are infused with academic enrichment, especially in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Katy Börner: Co-Creator of Dazzling ‘Sentient Sculpture’ in IU Luddy Hall
Indiana University Professor Katy Börner has built a career developing tools to manage complexity—tools that help people make decisions or simply navigate the noisy, confusing landscape of 21st century society.
Camp Yes And: Using Improv as a Learning Tool for Youth on the Autism Spectrum
Most people are familiar with improvisational theater—unscripted live-performance shows in which actors make up the scene on the spot. Improv works because everyone on stage agrees to play along, says Jim Ansaldo, a research scholar at the Center on Education and Lifelong Learning at Indiana University. “If improv has one rule, it’s the rule of ‘yes and,’” Ansaldo says.
Global Minded Project Expanding Horizons Through Travel
Even before she founded the Global Minded Project (GMP) last year, Bloomington native Malissa Waterford knew she wanted to bring two of her interests—travel and working with children—together for a common purpose. However, she says it wasn’t until she visited Europe as part of an educational tour group that she found the inspiration for her nonprofit organization.
Cardinal Stage Company Brings Drama to Fairview Elementary
Sixteen intently focused fourth-through-sixth grade Fairview Elementary School students sound out a complex string of nonsense syllables, a warmup for a drama class. They’re led by Connor Starks, an Indiana University freshman and Cardinal Stage Company intern. It’s all part of an arts-infused educational model Fairview adopted eight years ago.
IU Scientists Group Fighting Gov’t Anti-Science Policies
The 2016 election generated widespread concern about the anti-science rhetoric used by the campaigns of President Donald Trump and other Republicans. “In the past, science has gotten very strong bipartisan support,” says Michael Hamburger, a professor of geological sciences at Indiana University. “Something has changed significantly in the last few years.”
New NASA Planetary Protection Officer Enjoys the Sweet Life in New Unionville
There were about 1,400 other applicants for arguably one of the most important jobs on the planet—safeguarding our biosphere from extraterrestrial biological contaminants and preventing earthly organisms from wreaking havoc on planets we might explore in the future. But Lisa Pratt, formerly a geological sciences professor in the Indiana University Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, now holds the out-of-this-world title of Planetary Protection Officer for NASA’s Office of Safety and Mission Assurance.
Long-Gone Covered Bridges Subject of New IU Press Book (GALLERY)
Jeremy Boshears’ journey to bring Monroe County’s 13 former covered bridges to life in a coffee table book started with a small black-and-white photo of the long-gone Church Bridge given to him by a friend.
IU Photobioreactor Formula: Flue Gases + Algae = Fertilizer
Where others see waste, Stephen “Chip” Glaholt and Mark Menefee see opportunity. Co-leaders on the new Indiana University photobioreactor project, Glaholt and Menefee plan to put photosynthetic
algae to work high atop IU’s Central Heating Plant. There, carbon- and nitrogen-rich emissions will be condensed and diverted from plant smokestacks to a maze of algae-filled pipes. Add a little sunlight and the waste is transformed into nutrient-rich biofertilizer.
IU Lecturer Donates His Spock Ears To Lilly Library Star Trek Collection
When Ben Motz, senior lecturer in the Indiana University Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, was a boy, his parents instilled in him a fascination with science fiction, particularly Star Trek. He grew up knowing all about the voyages of the Starship Enterprise, and vividly recalls watching episodes of the original TV series with his mother.
Archer Foundation Teaches Children How to Garden
With a mission “to help boys and girls learn about gardening,” the George E. Archer Foundation (GEAF) works with schools and nonprofit organizations by funding horticulture-based curriculum and activities. Formerly the Hilltop Educational Foundation, the GEAF was established in 1984 to support children’s gardening through advocacy, fundraising, and volunteer efforts.
IU Law Prof Who Wrote the Book On Sexual Harassment Is in Demand
Sexual harassment has surged into the public consciousness this past year as numerous prominent journalists, politicians, Hollywood actors and producers, and corporate magnates have faced assault allegations. While the public asks how it could have been so wrong about the character of so many public figures, perplexed columnists and commentators have repeatedly turned to Jennifer Drobac, a professor at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, to explain the complexities of the situation.
Herman B Wells’ Home Movies Offer Personal Insight into His Life
Herman B Wells left a remarkable legacy at Indiana University: expanding the school in both size and reputation, fiercely supporting academic freedom, and fighting racial segregation. He also left a detailed record of his 70-year career, including 23 reels of home movies.
Science Café: Eat, Drink & Learn About Science in Today’s News
In the back room at Bear’s Place on the last Wednesday of each month, people sip drinks and eat snacks while enjoying an event that’s different from the concerts, films, and comedy shows that take the stage other nights.
Ivy Tech Student Invents Online Service to Help Int’l Students Navigate Goods, Services in B-town
Joshua Johnson, an Ivy Tech Community College–Bloomington student, kept hearing the same comments from international students. They told him language barriers make it difficult to communicate their needs to others, that they sometimes struggle accessing basic resources and public services, and sometimes it’s simply hard to adjust to American culture.
IU Science Fest October 21: Learn How to Do Amazing Stuff!
At IU’s Science Fest, visitors can create their own baseball-size comets using water, dry ice, dirt, and syrup. That’s just one of the many activities planned at the free event taking place October 21 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in several buildings across the IU campus.
Digitization to Take IU’s Massive Herbarium Collection Into Modern Era
Indiana University’s Herbarium, a collection of 150,000 plant samples gathered over the past 130 years, has long provided a detailed catalog of Indiana’s plant life. Now this unique museum of native plants (and a rogues’ gallery of invasive species) is going digital. Herbarium staff hope to take the entire collection online by 2019.
A Store Where Teachers Find School Supplies—For Free!
There are no cash registers, no price tags, nor any employees, but the supplies on the shelves of this unique store on Bloomington’s Near West Side are used in about half of the elementary and middle school classrooms in Bloomington.
Diplomacy Lab: Students Learning and Helping U.S. State Department
An innovative program initiated by the U.S. Department of State gives students the opportunity to help American diplomats tackle real-life problems. Diplomacy Lab, now in its second year at Indiana University, provides service-learning experiences for students in diverse disciplines that intersect with foreign policy—often in surprising ways.
The ‘Sugar Daddy’ Culture
Africa is a great unknown to most Americans, often thought of in monolithic terms rather than in terms of the diverse cultures, languages, and ethnicities of individual African nations. Before visiting Uganda, a sub-Saharan East African country about the size of Oregon, I was guilty of thinking in a similar way.
Life Inside a Refugee Camp
As my colleague Victor and I traveled along the dirt road from the Ugandan city of Arua to the Bidi Bidi refugee settlement along the South Sudanese border, I confided in him that I was incredibly nervous.
SCIENCE/EDUCATION
25% of Eastern Birds Are Gone: IU’s Ketterson Lab Explores Why
Remember birds? Our skies once teemed with them. And now? “About 25% of the birds in eastern North America are, in a sense, missing,” says Indiana University Distinguished Professor of Biology Ellen Ketterson.
Matt Stark: New Principal at Bloomington High School North
Over his nearly 30-year career as an educator, Matt Stark has often been asked what he teaches. “The right answer to that question is ‘kids,’” he says.
REVIEW: ‘Making Your Own Luck’ by Fred Glass
Former Indiana University Athletic Director Fred Glass was among the most unlikely candidates for that job—a practicing attorney with zero experience in leading an athletic department.
Calling All Leaf Peepers: Monitor Fall Color & Tree Health
Autumn isn’t what it used to be. Over the last few years, its onset has been delayed. The spectacular yellows, oranges, and reds of the changing leaves also have been affected.
Bloomington’s Victor Technologies Detects Stress Defects for NASA
In advanced economies, we rely every day on engineered objects— cars, jet engines, bridges—to get us from place to place. It’s crucial that these devices retain their structural integrity.
B-town’s Eleanor Krause at Harvard Studying Community and Culture
Eleanor Krause is a Ph.D. candidate at Harvard University studying public policy. Among her research interests is the economics of place—how our communities and culture influence the way we engage with the world.
Famous Architect’s Mid-Century Modern, Glass-Walled Building to Adorn IU Campus
Peg Faimon suspects the plans were tucked away for decades in the dark.
Ivy Tech Rolls Out Cost-Saving Programs for Its Students
In a move designed to make the cost of post-secondary education more affordable and predictable, Ivy Tech Community College has introduced a tuition model that freezes tuition from now through the 2022–23 academic year, rolls the cost of textbooks into the course fee structure, and promises that no full- time student will pay more than $4,500 per year to attend, no matter how many credit hours they take per semester.
Citizen Scientist: Stay Cool with ‘Penguin Watch’
Maybe you’re understandably wilted from the heat. Or you’re still recovering from the cicadas—or the piles of what’s left of them. Happily, you can still contribute to real research while in the great indoors thanks to Penguin Watch.
STEM to Them Mobile Lab Brings Technology to Schools
A robotics laboratory and makerspace on wheels will be pulling up outside elementary schools across Monroe County starting next fall as part of the school district’s fully accessible, interdisciplinary approach to STEM education.
Guest Column: The Insidiousness of Implicit Bias
mplicit bias is described by the National Institutes of Health as a form of bias that occurs automatically and unintentionally, but nevertheless affects judgments, decisions, and behaviors.
Adventures of a Passionate Paleontologist
As a kid, Steve Bodi scoured his Indiana surroundings for “pretty rocks” and fossils.
Backyard Farming Popular in a Pandemic
Adam Hamel always imagined gardening someday, but with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, someday arrived sooner than expected.
Jill Bolte Taylor’s New Book Explores Brain’s ‘Characters’
Bloomington’s Jill Bolte Taylor is a veritable brain whisperer.
Look Out, Here They Come! Billions of Cicadas to Emerge in May
After 16 years and 11 months of solitary confinement, billions of “Brood X” periodical cicadas will emerge from beneath Bloomington’s parks and neighborhoods, the Indiana University campus, and beyond.
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Are Popping Up in Bloomington
Electric vehicle (EV) charging stations have begun to appear in parking lots around Bloomington, including four at Switchyard Park.
How Hip Are You To Youth Speak? Take This Gen Z Quiz
Spend enough time around someone and you’re likely to pick up on their vernacular.
Citizen Scientist: The Great Sunflower Project
From the burrowing mayfly to the rusty patched bumble bee, we’re losing a head-spinning number of invertebrates. Thanks to shrinking natural habitats and our dependence on agricultural chemicals—particularly neonicotinoid pesticides— we’re living through what some have dubbed an “insect apocalypse.”
Informatics Prof Is IU’s 7th MacArthur Fellow
The MacArthur Fellows Program offers a $625,000 “genius grant” to individuals who show exceptional creativity in their work and the potential for making future advances.
Pandemic or No Pandemic: Bird Counts Go On!
The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected our day-to-day lives. It may be influencing citizen science, too.
New Book Shines Light on History of Indiana’s KKK
The Ku Klux Klan’s iconic white hoods and burning crosses have become symbols of white supremacy, but the Klan’s place in the American consciousness outstrips most people’s understanding.
Ivy Tech Offers Free Tuition For High-Demand Workers
A year ago, in February 2019, Tammy Wright turned 51 and got laid off from her job. That was when she decided the only way to improve her life was to finally finish high school and get further job training.
Citizen Scientist: Monitoring Ponds & Wetlands
April showers bring much more than May flowers— they also contribute to seasonal wetlands, a special kind of habitat that only exists part time.
Robins with Tiny Backpacks Help Monitor Climate Change
For many, the sight of a red-breasted robin pulling worms from the ground is a sure sign of spring. Conventional wisdom holds that robins fly south for the winter and return north as the temperatures warm up.
IU Researchers Establish Living Museums in the Sea
How does a shipwreck become an underwater museum? By becoming a site for “in situ preservation” of the wreck, its artifacts, and the living ecosystem that has grown around it, says Charles Beeker, director of the Center for Underwater Science at the Indiana University School of Public Health.
The Excel Center: Free High School For Grown-Ups
The Goodwill Education Initiatives, a nonprofit created by Goodwill of Central & Southern Indiana, opened its first tuition-free high school for adults, The Excel Center, in 2010.
IU Digitizing Early Recordings Made on Antique Instruments
Artists, historians, and ordinary folks have been recording sounds—music, speeches, religious rituals, and banal conversations—since the late 19th century. One of the world’s largest repositories of archaic but unique recordings is located at the Scholarly Data Archive at Indiana University.
Was Abe Lincoln Gay? Public Historian Brings LGBTQ Past to Light
Democratic candidate Pete Buttigieg may be the first openly gay man to run for president, but according to some historians, if he wins the election, he won’t be the first gay man to hold that office. Because of the intimate friendship between Abraham Lincoln and Joshua Speed, some speculate that the 16th president of the United States was gay.
IU Institute Supporting Efforts to Reclaim Native People’s Languages
Forced into boarding schools bent on assimilating them, America’s indigenous children were once punished for speaking in their native languages. Students uttering words in Lakota, Arikara, or Pawnee might have been made to kneel on radiators or had their mouths washed out with soap.
Fighting Invasive Species Takes Community Effort
Monarch caterpillars are picky eaters, dining exclusively on the leaves of the milkweed plant. Monarch butterflies are equally picky, only laying their eggs on milkweed. Unfortunately for monarchs, milkweed is a native plant that disappears when invasive plant species disrupt an ecosystem.
Citizen Scientist: Help Researchers to Track Nesting Birds
I found the dead indigo bunting splayed on the ground near Graham Plaza. Flying high—but not high enough, I’m afraid—the iridescent bird either failed to clear the building or had smacked squarely into one of the structure’s large windows. Its neck clearly broken, the small bird looked even tinier in my palm.
We Can Learn a Lot from Babies: IU Research Is Leading the Way (PHOTO GALLERY)
Linda Smith’s research subjects may be pint-size, but the data they’re providing is vast.
Globe-Trotting With Brooke Bierhaus: Morning Meditations on Jerusalem’s Western Wall
You might not believe it, but 6:45 a.m. is my favorite time of day. It has been since I was 13 years old. Waking up while it’s still dark and watching my surroundings come to life as the sun casts its light on the world is my meditation. After traveling to and living in 28 countries, I have found that these early morning moments are the best way to really understand a city, town, or land.
Citizen Scientist: Help Save the Birds
Using data gathered in part by citizen scientists, researchers recently determined we’ve lost nearly three billion birds since 1970. Birds across the United States and Canada are in trouble. These include many migratory birds, as well as common species like warblers, blackbirds, and finches. And—spoiler alert!—like the veritable “canary in the coal mine,” such avian losses signal trouble for humans, too.
Stone Age Institute Designs Monument at Olduvai Gorge
Tourists to the East African nation of Tanzania, hurtling along the highway between the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area and Serengeti National Park, often rush past what is arguably the country’s most historically significant site: Olduvai Gorge, where the fossil remains of some of mankind’s earliest ancestors were discovered.
IU Researchers Develop BotSlayer: A Tool That Roots Out Fake News
Online news consumption can be complicated, but it has become even more so with the introduction of “astroturf” campaigns—coordinated attempts that use armies of bots (automated software applications) to convince readers there is grassroots support for fraudulent narratives on social media.
200-Year History of Bloomington Focus of Mathers Museum Exhibit
January 2018 marked the start of Bloomington’s bicentennial year, and in September, Indiana University kicked off a yearlong series of events celebrating its own 200 years. In honor of both occasions, the Mathers Museum of World Cultures has gathered materials that put an environmental spin on the history of the city and the university in an exhibit entitled “800 Seasons: Change and Continuity in Bloomington, 1818–2018.”
An IU Student’s Adventure Living With Mongolian Reindeer Herders
The closest most of us will ever come to a reindeer is seeing one in a petting zoo. But reindeer were an integral part of everyday life for Indiana University graduate student Jessica Vinson when she lived with the nomadic Dukha people in northern Mongolia.
Ancient Lives Lets You Become a Papyrologist
Items buried within landfills certainly take their sweet time to break down—but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. More than 100 years ago, researchers successfully excavated hundreds of thousands of legible papyrus scraps from a dry dump near Oxyrhynchus in Egypt.
Real Men Still Reading To Bloomington Kids
Since it started six years ago, the Monroe County Community School Corporation’s (MCCSC) Real Men Read program has offered some 875 kindergarten students per year the chance to listen to a story read by a man from the community.
Library Invites Community to Explore The Power of Words
We may live in polarized, angry times, but it isn’t a singular moment says author Margaret McMullan. “We’ve been there before, in the years leading up to the Holocaust and the Civil Rights era in Mississippi,” she says. “There were so many similarities in those times and now. The righteousness, the need to find scapegoats for our problems, the fear and fury. The hate. The violence.”
People Adopt Kinds of Dogs They Didn’t Know They Wanted (PHOTO GALLERY)
It’s not often that graduate student research makes headlines in outlets as varied as Martha Stewart Living and the financial media platform Bloomberg. But this spring, Samantha Cohen’s study of how people choose their canine companions did just that.
Citizen Scientist: Look Out for Garlic Mustard
Garlic mustard isn’t the only botanical troublemaker thriving in our fields and forests, but it’s among the most insidious. Deceptively small at first, the biennial jumps from about 4 inches tall during its initial year to as much as 4 feet tall during year two.
Art-Based Learning in Schools Is Goal of Eskanazi Museum
The Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University will reopen this fall. When it does, guests will see four new centers have been created: education, conservation, curatorial studies, and prints, drawings, and photographs.
New State Law Gives Beekeepers a Boost
For years, governments and environmental groups have sounded the alarm regarding the demise of bee populations. And while honeybees aren’t native to North America, they pollinate more than 100 different crops, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Workshop Series Helps People Make Eco-Conscious Changes
If you’ve been to the Monroe County Public Library (MCPL) lately, you’ve likely noticed that its bulletin boards are filled with flyers announcing public events and activities that aren’t related to books.
Ivy Tech Apple App Course Prepares Students to Code
Smartphone users are app-happy, and roughly 2 million apps—applications or programs for mobile phones or tablets—are available online. Now, a new course offered by Ivy Tech Community College–Bloomington will teach students how to build their own apps.
Science Prof Creates Art to Make Biology Enjoyable
Jake McKinlay’s art features alien shapes and arresting colors, making his illustrations feel otherworldly, but his subject matter is actually much closer to home. An associate professor in the Indiana University Department of Biology, McKinlay creates original artwork to help his students understand complex biochemical concepts associated with metabolism.
Scholarship Honoring Gayle Cook Lets Students Visit History Center
With a foot in the past and an eye on the future, the Monroe County History Center (MCHC) has established a scholarship fund for local students, allowing teachers to bring them to the history center for tours and workshops at little or no cost.
IU Cancer Researcher Is Also ‘Beer Famous’
Back in 2013, when Matt Bochman arrived in Bloomington, breweries across the country were beginning to show interest in producing beers using locally grown ingredients. Malt and hops were accessible. “Yeast was the missing local ingredient,” Bochman says.
IU Bloomington Nursing School Sees Two More Firsts This Year
Of the 80 students to graduate from the Indiana University Bloomington School of Nursing this year, Larry Wilson is one of 11 men and the first black male to receive a degree from the Bloomington campus, which has been conferring nursing degrees since 2005.
Professor Alvin Rosenfeld Receives IU President’s Medal for Excellence [Photo Gallery]
In early April, Alvin Rosenfeld, 81, a distinguished scholar of Jewish literature and Holocaust studies at Indiana University, commented that he was “surprised and delighted” that Indiana University had plans to honor him for his 50 years of service to the university.
More Grant Funds Means More High-Quality Child Care
Six Monroe County child care programs will receive funding to expand facilities, hire new educators, and implement educational curricula thanks to $247,858 in grants awarded to the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County.
Asian Culture Center Celebrates 20 Years
Twenty years ago, as an IU student, Ellen Wu watched the ribbon-cutting marking the opening of the Indiana University Asian Culture Center (ACC).
Olamot Center: Working To Bring U.S. and Israeli Scholars Together
A new center at Indiana University aims to demonstrate that there is more to America’s relationship with Israel than the often-polarizing political issues in the news.
Spring into Action with Plant-Monitoring Projects
Most morel hunters know to start hunting in earnest when the dogwood leaves are as big as a mouse’s ear. Or at least that’s what my dad told me, and what his dad told him. And in years past, that’s been a pretty good rule to follow. But lately, things have been out of whack.
Local Student Fishing Club Growing and Competing
When Bloomington High School South juniors Colby Reed and Jenna Albertson, both 17, began fishing at age 10, they didn’t expect their angling ambitions to be anything more than a weekend pastime.
BIG Night Really Is a Big Night for B-town’s Game Designers
Piloting a skeletal ship through gloomy seas, Gaby Benninghoff, 21, is on a mission to collect souls while evading monsters and giant sharks. “We’re still working on the fog,” she says. “We’re going for a dark, scary underworld.”
ROTC Air Force Cadets at IU Get Advanced Flight Simulators
While there are approximately 150 Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) detachments at colleges across the country, the ROTC program at Indiana University offers cadets advanced training.
Bloom’s Greatest Hits: ‘The American Spectator’ Born and Bred in Bloomington
In this bastion of liberalism, a groundbreaking, impertinent campus magazine attracted the best conservative thinkers and writers of the day and spread its influence all the way to the White House.
Ivy Tech ‘Day in the Life’ Program Added at Bloomington Campus
Lillian Lyle knows she wants to go into nursing, but the Eastern Greene High School junior wants to get a better feel for the college campus where she’ll spend a lot of her time and energy in a few years. She says the Day in the Life student visitation program at Ivy Tech Community College–Bloomington gave her that chance.
A Ribbeting Pastime! I’m Becoming a FrogWatcher and You Can Be One, Too!
Because I’m too cheap to spring for Netflix, Bloomington’s woods and wetlands are my entertainment of choice. I binge-watch barred owls the way other people double-down on Breaking Bad. My “sofa” is a damp, mossy log.
Lotus Blossoms Outreach Program Brings the World To Bloomington
If you had to summarize the Lotus Blossoms outreach program in one phrase, it might be: “Make the world a smaller place.” By bringing global storytellers, dancers, and musicians to the area each spring, Lotus Blossoms strives to connect local kids with cultures from across the world.
WonderLab Introduces STEM to Preschoolers
It may just be play to them, but the 4- and 5-year-olds at the WonderLab Museum of Science, Health and Technology Skyline Toolbox exhibit are engaging with an intentional STEM Starter.
Bloomington Firefighters Have New Technology to Save Lives
For firefighters, a minute or two can spell the difference between saving lives and ghastly tragedies. Unfortunately, modern construction materials have made firefighting even more difficult.
Urban Farming Program: Where Stone Belt Clients Learn Lasting Job Skills
Sometimes learning to grow lettuce can help you learn more important skills. At Growing Opportunities, that’s the goal.
Indiana Forest Alliance—Working to Preserve Indiana’s Native Ecosystem
Southern Indiana’s hill country boasts some of the state’s largest stands of old-growth forests, and a veritable melting pot of biodiversity.
Lilly Grant Helps Educators Teach Science in Local Elementary Schools
Bloomington-based Regional Opportunities Initiatives (ROI) is helping local teachers create STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) opportunities for students—preparing them for technical careers—with grant money from the Lilly Endowment.
Night Skies Monitoring Light Pollution & Mapping Galaxies
With darkness closing in early, winter was once my nemesis. Now, though, I recognize the season’s potentially significant citizen science value. Theoretically, the leafless trees and dark skies should provide stargazers with stunning views, but finding a vantage point that isn’t flooded with artificial light has become increasingly difficult. Government bodies, area schools, businesses—even individual homeowners—illuminate Bloomington’s night sky, and collectively contribute to light pollution.
500 Women Scientists Active & Growing at IU
After the 2016 election, and with the installation of the Trump administration, many felt that support for science was in jeopardy. And when scientists are under pressure, that pressure is particularly intense for women, says Sarah Schanz, one of the new leaders of the Indiana University chapter (or “pod”) of 500 Women Scientists.
A ‘Nerd’ IU Prof Helped Establish a Link Between The Trump Campaign and A Russian Bank—in 2016
In the October 15, 2018, issue of The New Yorker magazine, there is a nine-page, heavily researched article entitled “Enigma Machines” with the subhead, “Was there a connection between a Russian bank and the Trump campaign?” One of the experts cited in the article is L. Jean Camp, a professor in the School of Informatics and Computing at Indiana University.
‘Endangered and Disappearing Birds of the Midwest’
Through gorgeous photos and graceful prose, the new IU Press book Endangered and Disappearing Birds of the Midwest encourages readers to become not just bird watchers but bird protectors.
Missing Persons: How You Can Solve Cold Cases
Citizen science work isn’t all about saving threatened flora and fauna.
Bumble Bee Watch, Science for True Bee-lievers
His face patina-ed with sweat and panic, I recently watched as my neighbor hopped around inside his screened porch swatting a couple of “bumblebees” which had gained entry.
Citizens’ Climate Lobby Pushing for Carbon Tax
The vast majority of scientists agree that, unchecked, global climate change will continue to impact weather patterns, glaciers will keep melting in record time, and coastal lands will be flooded by rising sea levels. The problem is vast and can seem overwhelming. That’s how Marshall Saunders, a California real estate broker, felt before founding Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) in 2007.
IU Center of Excellence for Women in Technology Encouraging Women to Pursue Tech Careers
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, by 2026 the U.S. job market will have 3.5 million computer-related openings. High-paying software applications development and information security analysis jobs are among them. Nevertheless, women traditionally avoid the tech field.
Local Composers Create Modern Operas for Kids
Kim Carballo, a voice coach at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, says that in the 1950s and ’60s, a slew of children’s operas were composed to introduce children to the art form. “Kids used to graduate from sixth grade knowing Carmen and other famous works, but now there’s a different focus on arts education,” Carballo says.
A Dig at Wylie House Museum Unearthing 1859 Greenhouses
Even before I joined the dig at the Wylie House Museum, I knew my concept of archaeology—mostly dinosaurs, mummies, and Indiana Jones—was tragically oversimplified. Still, I didn’t know how oversimplified until I started working alongside some real archaeologists uncovering circa-1859 greenhouses.
Eskenazi Undergoes Renovation but School Outreach Continues
The Monroe County Community School Corporation (MCCSC) requires every second-grade student to visit the Indiana University Eskenazi Museum of Art, but since the museum closed for renovation in May 2017, fulfilling that requirement has been impossible. The solution? Bring the museum to the students.
Girls Inc. Camps Encourage Fun, Camaraderie & STEM
Summer camp is about having fun and making friends, and Girls Inc. summer camps are all that—and more. Unlike traditional day camps, the camaraderie and crafts at these camps are infused with academic enrichment, especially in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Katy Börner: Co-Creator of Dazzling ‘Sentient Sculpture’ in IU Luddy Hall
Indiana University Professor Katy Börner has built a career developing tools to manage complexity—tools that help people make decisions or simply navigate the noisy, confusing landscape of 21st century society.
Camp Yes And: Using Improv as a Learning Tool for Youth on the Autism Spectrum
Most people are familiar with improvisational theater—unscripted live-performance shows in which actors make up the scene on the spot. Improv works because everyone on stage agrees to play along, says Jim Ansaldo, a research scholar at the Center on Education and Lifelong Learning at Indiana University. “If improv has one rule, it’s the rule of ‘yes and,’” Ansaldo says.
Global Minded Project Expanding Horizons Through Travel
Even before she founded the Global Minded Project (GMP) last year, Bloomington native Malissa Waterford knew she wanted to bring two of her interests—travel and working with children—together for a common purpose. However, she says it wasn’t until she visited Europe as part of an educational tour group that she found the inspiration for her nonprofit organization.
Cardinal Stage Company Brings Drama to Fairview Elementary
Sixteen intently focused fourth-through-sixth grade Fairview Elementary School students sound out a complex string of nonsense syllables, a warmup for a drama class. They’re led by Connor Starks, an Indiana University freshman and Cardinal Stage Company intern. It’s all part of an arts-infused educational model Fairview adopted eight years ago.
IU Scientists Group Fighting Gov’t Anti-Science Policies
The 2016 election generated widespread concern about the anti-science rhetoric used by the campaigns of President Donald Trump and other Republicans. “In the past, science has gotten very strong bipartisan support,” says Michael Hamburger, a professor of geological sciences at Indiana University. “Something has changed significantly in the last few years.”
New NASA Planetary Protection Officer Enjoys the Sweet Life in New Unionville
There were about 1,400 other applicants for arguably one of the most important jobs on the planet—safeguarding our biosphere from extraterrestrial biological contaminants and preventing earthly organisms from wreaking havoc on planets we might explore in the future. But Lisa Pratt, formerly a geological sciences professor in the Indiana University Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, now holds the out-of-this-world title of Planetary Protection Officer for NASA’s Office of Safety and Mission Assurance.
Long-Gone Covered Bridges Subject of New IU Press Book (GALLERY)
Jeremy Boshears’ journey to bring Monroe County’s 13 former covered bridges to life in a coffee table book started with a small black-and-white photo of the long-gone Church Bridge given to him by a friend.
IU Photobioreactor Formula: Flue Gases + Algae = Fertilizer
Where others see waste, Stephen “Chip” Glaholt and Mark Menefee see opportunity. Co-leaders on the new Indiana University photobioreactor project, Glaholt and Menefee plan to put photosynthetic
algae to work high atop IU’s Central Heating Plant. There, carbon- and nitrogen-rich emissions will be condensed and diverted from plant smokestacks to a maze of algae-filled pipes. Add a little sunlight and the waste is transformed into nutrient-rich biofertilizer.
IU Lecturer Donates His Spock Ears To Lilly Library Star Trek Collection
When Ben Motz, senior lecturer in the Indiana University Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, was a boy, his parents instilled in him a fascination with science fiction, particularly Star Trek. He grew up knowing all about the voyages of the Starship Enterprise, and vividly recalls watching episodes of the original TV series with his mother.
Archer Foundation Teaches Children How to Garden
With a mission “to help boys and girls learn about gardening,” the George E. Archer Foundation (GEAF) works with schools and nonprofit organizations by funding horticulture-based curriculum and activities. Formerly the Hilltop Educational Foundation, the GEAF was established in 1984 to support children’s gardening through advocacy, fundraising, and volunteer efforts.
IU Law Prof Who Wrote the Book On Sexual Harassment Is in Demand
Sexual harassment has surged into the public consciousness this past year as numerous prominent journalists, politicians, Hollywood actors and producers, and corporate magnates have faced assault allegations. While the public asks how it could have been so wrong about the character of so many public figures, perplexed columnists and commentators have repeatedly turned to Jennifer Drobac, a professor at the Indiana University Robert H. McKinney School of Law, to explain the complexities of the situation.
Herman B Wells’ Home Movies Offer Personal Insight into His Life
Herman B Wells left a remarkable legacy at Indiana University: expanding the school in both size and reputation, fiercely supporting academic freedom, and fighting racial segregation. He also left a detailed record of his 70-year career, including 23 reels of home movies.
Science Café: Eat, Drink & Learn About Science in Today’s News
In the back room at Bear’s Place on the last Wednesday of each month, people sip drinks and eat snacks while enjoying an event that’s different from the concerts, films, and comedy shows that take the stage other nights.
Ivy Tech Student Invents Online Service to Help Int’l Students Navigate Goods, Services in B-town
Joshua Johnson, an Ivy Tech Community College–Bloomington student, kept hearing the same comments from international students. They told him language barriers make it difficult to communicate their needs to others, that they sometimes struggle accessing basic resources and public services, and sometimes it’s simply hard to adjust to American culture.
IU Science Fest October 21: Learn How to Do Amazing Stuff!
At IU’s Science Fest, visitors can create their own baseball-size comets using water, dry ice, dirt, and syrup. That’s just one of the many activities planned at the free event taking place October 21 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in several buildings across the IU campus.
Digitization to Take IU’s Massive Herbarium Collection Into Modern Era
Indiana University’s Herbarium, a collection of 150,000 plant samples gathered over the past 130 years, has long provided a detailed catalog of Indiana’s plant life. Now this unique museum of native plants (and a rogues’ gallery of invasive species) is going digital. Herbarium staff hope to take the entire collection online by 2019.
A Store Where Teachers Find School Supplies—For Free!
There are no cash registers, no price tags, nor any employees, but the supplies on the shelves of this unique store on Bloomington’s Near West Side are used in about half of the elementary and middle school classrooms in Bloomington.
Diplomacy Lab: Students Learning and Helping U.S. State Department
An innovative program initiated by the U.S. Department of State gives students the opportunity to help American diplomats tackle real-life problems. Diplomacy Lab, now in its second year at Indiana University, provides service-learning experiences for students in diverse disciplines that intersect with foreign policy—often in surprising ways.
The ‘Sugar Daddy’ Culture
Africa is a great unknown to most Americans, often thought of in monolithic terms rather than in terms of the diverse cultures, languages, and ethnicities of individual African nations. Before visiting Uganda, a sub-Saharan East African country about the size of Oregon, I was guilty of thinking in a similar way.
Life Inside a Refugee Camp
As my colleague Victor and I traveled along the dirt road from the Ugandan city of Arua to the Bidi Bidi refugee settlement along the South Sudanese border, I confided in him that I was incredibly nervous.