Iowa State University
The Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more popularly known as Iowa State University, is a public land grant and space grant Research University located at Ames. It has produced countless notable individuals, including astronauts, scientists and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize awardees.
However, in 1858, ISU was known as the Iowa State College of Agriculture and Model Farms after it was founded through the legislation of the State of Iowa. Completed three years after the school was established, the first building, which is the Farm House, was the first inside the campus. In 1898, the name of the school was changed to Iowa Agricultural College (Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts).
In 1958, the humble college was again renamed, and this time it was christened as the name it carries today. From a school that primarily offered courses in agriculture, engineering, home economics and liberal arts, it later became the first state school in the country to offer veterinary medicine.
Now, ISU offers 96 Bachelor degrees from its eight colleges, 115 Masters programs, 83 PhD programs, and a professional degree program in vet medicine.
ISU has the distinction of being the birthplace of the first electronic digital computer revolutionizing computer technology. It was invented by its mathematics professor, John Atanasoff, and engineering graduate student Clifford Berry. The computer was called the ABC, short for Atanasoff-Berry Computer.
The ABC paved the way for the vital elements of modern computing such as binary arithmetic, regenerative memory, parallel processing, electronic switching, memory separation and computer functions, among others.
Having earned such recognition, ISU created its Developmental Robotics Laboratory in order to develop and create robots that are not just fully autonomous but are also intelligent, very adaptable and more useful machines as compared to what is currently available today.
ISU’s objective in developing a truly intelligent humanoid can be seen through its extensive research combining boundaries between robotics, AI, developmental psychology, developmental neuro-science and philosophy.
And true to the land-grant legacy bestowed upon them, ISU continues to give importance to providing service to the community locally and globally, tries hard to maximize technology in order to make a difference, and dedicate themselves to preparing future engineers and conduct research that solves today’s problems.
