Ames has recently been rated as the 13th “geekiest” city in the country.

The National Science Foundation found that Ames has 10.7 percent, 4,480 workers, working jobs in science or engineering. 

In comparison to top-rated San Jose, Calif., with 165,400 workers employed at a percentage of 18.2 workforce, Ames has a lesser amount of those employed, but ranks in the Top 20 because of the ratio of “geeks” to non-“geeks.” 

That’s not to say there’s anything less important happening here at Iowa State. 

“I think we have some individuals, especially in the research area, that are definitely on the forefront” said Maury Hope, associate CIO for IT Services. 

Hope attributed the ranking to those researching in the engineering and computer science fields, but doesn’t want to leave out those in agriculture or other areas. 

When discussing his department’s role in the ranking, Hope said that technology is a big part of how the university runs — from the network all the way to the applications that handle payroll, student admissions, research and administration. 

“We’re the backbone of the university,” he said. 

As far as the word “geekiest” goes, Hope laughed and said that he wasn’t offended by the word. 

A Forbes.com article, “Geekville, USA: America’s 20 Geekiest Cities,” is the reason for the G-word title.

Ames is home to an institution based predominantly on science and technology and its very own laboratory; those in the science field like Paul Canfield, distinguished professor in physics and astronomy, seem to think that’s a large reason Ames ranked on the list. 

In addition, it’s a large boost of confidence — a sort of “Go team!” feeling. 

“Ames is a very interesting city to live [in] because it has a high density of people who are interested not only in science but in all sorts of things,” Canfield said.