Daily Staff Writer

Projects featured on Coalition Web page

Several Iowa State research projects are being featured on the Web page of the Science Coalition, an organization based in Washington, D.C.

On a weekly basis, the Science Coalition highlights projects and research at various universities and displays its findings in the “University Update” section of the Web site.

The featured ISU projects include research about how chicken noodle soup rehydrates the body more quickly than water and development of oat plants that resist a specific virus.

The research can be viewed at http://www.sciencecoalition.org/oncampus/iastate/iastate.htm.

The Science Coalition is an alliance of 416 organizations including 60 major public and private universities as well as medical groups, health organizations and scientific societies.

Akinc named chair of NTU department

The chair of Iowa State’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering recently gained another title.

Mufit Akinc, professor of materials science and engineering, was named chair for the materials science and engineering program for the National Technological University, a cooperative effort between 50 universities, which offers master’s degrees and continuing education to engineering professionals.

Member universities are linked by satellite telecommunications and compressed digital video technology to more than 1,000 international workstations.

Akinc, who will serve as curriculum chair of NTU until 2001, will be responsible for student admissions decisions, curriculum review, student advising and general program management.

NTU, accredited by the Commission of Institutions of Higher Education of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, offers 14 master’s degree programs.