CSE in the News — February 2026 archive

February 2026

Smarter Boating Practices Driven by ADCP Data
Researchers at St. Anthony Falls Laboratory (SAFL) at the University of Minnesota used a Nortek Signature 1000 ADCP and Vector velocimeter to investigate how the hydrodynamic phenomena generated by recreational powerboats impact the water column and lakebed and recommend best practices for boat operators. Feb. 27: Environment Coastal & Offshore

'Exquisite' fossil of one of the smallest dinosaurs found in Argentina“
Alnashetri is truly tiny. Weighing in around 1.5 pounds, it is smaller than a chicken,” said University of Minnesota paleontologist Peter Makovicky, lead author of the research published on Wednesday in the journal Nature. Feb. 25: Reuters; Nature; Chosunbiz; Jambalaya News Louisiana; New Scientist; Phys.org; MSN; El Pais; KULR8; Caledonian Record; Devdiscourse; Sci.News; The Laconia Daily Sun; Folha De S. Paulo; The Independent; EurekAlert; Newswise; Feb 26: NBC News; DongA Science; ChosunBiz; Global News (YouTube); Reuters (YouTube Shorts); Reuters (YouTube); BBC; Feb. 27: The Debrief; mid-day; Bioengineer.org; (27 as of Apr. 15 at 9:20 a.m.)

Interim fire chief keeps the ladder down for future generations 
After graduating from North High School in 1999, Rucker began studying electrical engineering at the University of Minnesota. Feb. 26: My North News

Leading Fermentation Scientist David E. Block Earns ASEV's Highest Honor
He holds both a bachelor of science of engineering (BSE) from the University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in chemical engineering. Feb. 25: Wine Business

Using AI as a Therapist? Why Professionals Say You Should Think Again 
"Our experiments show that these chatbots are not safe replacements for therapists," Stevie Chancellor, an assistant professor at Minnesota and one of the co-authors, said in a statement. Feb. 25: NewsBreak

Hormel Foods Welcomes Donald Monk as Its Trailblazing Chief Technology Officer 
Monk holds a Master of Science in Software Engineering from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. Feb 24: Third News; Marketscreener India; Investing.com; Intellectia AI; Investing.com Aandelenkoersen; WATT Poultry; Phelps County Focus; Feb. 25 Poultryproducer.com; Feb. 26: SF&WB; Perishable News; Food Engineering (9 as of Feb. 26 at 2 p.m.)

Mound names finance director, discusses wake rules
Brandt explained that last summer, the University of Minnesota’s Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory released the second phase of a multi-year study examining the effects of boat wakes on the lake. Feb. 25: Hometown Source

Harnessing Biology to Drive Next-Generation Data Storage
This pioneering research, supported by funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and collaborative efforts across Penn State and the University of Minnesota, heralds a new era in molecularly engineered memory devices. Feb. 24: Bioengineer.org

Borrowing from biology to power next-gen data storage
Abhinav Gorthy and co-corresponding author Rashmi Jha, chemical engineering and materials science, University of Minnesota, also contributed. Feb. 24: EurekAlert

The Schrödinger equation turns 100
The Schrödinger equation rewrote the rules of matter and forever changed the field of chemistry. Donald Truhlar, a chemist at the University of Minnesota, calls it the “greatest advance of the 20th century,” along with Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity. Feb. 24: c&en; Feb. 27: Europe Says (2 as of Mar. 2 at 8:20 a.m.)

People Loved the Dot-Com Boom. The A.I. Boom, Not So Much.
“As our society is getting more complicated and wealthier, it is losing contact with reality,” said Dr. Odlyzko, a former head of the University of Minnesota’s Digital Technology Center. “Mass psychology is now far more important than technology or economics.” Feb 21: DNYUZ; The Indian Express (3 as of Feb. 25 at 9:30 a.m.)

Ron Vetter: UNC Wilmington Dean & Computer Science Expert
He received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in Computer Science from North Dakota State University, followed by a Ph.D. In Computer Science from the University of Minnesota. Feb 21: News USA Today

Red Giant Stars: Rotation drives chemical mixing - Supercomputer Study
The University of Minnesota’s Laboratory for Computational Science & Engineering (LCSE) played a pivotal role in this research, having recently completed the first 3-D supercomputer simulation of a model red giant star. Feb 21: Archyde; NewsDirectory3; Feb 23: Europe Says; SpaceDaily.com; Feb. 24: Primetimer; Feb. 27: Medium; (6 as of Mar. 2 at 8:15 a.m.)

Could AI Supplant a Mathematician?
"It’s a problem arising from my ongoing work with Mike Hill and Taylor Lawson at the University of Minnesota." Feb 20: Columbia News

How Strategic Water Treatment Changes Stopped a Legionnaires' Disease Outbreak 
University of Minnesota researchers have documented the first case of a Legionnaires' disease outbreak being halted through disinfection of previously untreated groundwater, raising urgent questions about disease risk in the many U.S. communities that rely on undisinfected water supplies. Feb. 17: Medical Xpress; Feb. 20: developmentstoday.com; Newswise; Grand Rapids Today (4 as of Mar. 16 at 8:20 a.m.)

Crossword: ACS sesquicentennial
Welcome to this month’s crossword, constructed by George Barany, professor emeritus of chemistry at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, and Irene Cesa, retired chemist from Wheaton, Illinois. Feb. 20: c&en

Deepening Understanding of Public Trust in Science
Because polls show bipartisan support for federal investment in STEM, that may mean some people who value science simply prioritize other concerns when voting, says Gregory Handy, an assistant professor and Kavli Exploration Award winner at the University of Minnesota. Feb 19: The Kavli Foundation

Single genome-editing strategy promises to treat multiple disorders 
A study in Nature recently revealed a way around this challenge. Instead of crafting a therapy for every mutation, researchers from the Broad Institute, Harvard University, and the University of Minnesota have developed a method to address many nonsense mutation diseases using a single genome-editing strategy. Feb 19: Stock Updates Now

These Connecticut spinners find their zen in making their own yarn from wool: 'It all clicks' 
Fiber arts have been shown to have positive effects on mental health, according to the University of Minnesota. Feb 19: MSN

Twisted Material Reveals Controllable Electrical Switching at the Nanoscale
Wei Ren, Shiyu Guo, and Daochen Long, all from the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Minnesota, led the investigation, working with colleagues including Kenji Watanabe and Takashi Taniguchi from the National Institute for Materials Science, and Ke Wang. Feb. 17: Quantum Zeitgeist; Newsbreak; (2 as of Feb. 18 at 8:30 a.m.)

Engineering Microbes to Produce Synthetic Rubber Precursor Isoprene Using Carbon Dioxide
Paul Dauenhauer from the University of Minnesota points out: "Isoprene is a drop-in replacement. So you can buy isoprene made from fossil fuels, or you can buy isoprene made from a renewable process, and you can't tell the difference... It's a very special molecule." Feb. 17: We Do

AI’s Financial Circle Game
Some of the companies playing prominent roles in the evolving drama, like Nvidia—which reportedly made more than 50 deals last year—and Microsoft, have deep pockets and can afford to lose their investment if AI falls short of the hype, notes Andrew Odlyzko, emeritus professor of mathematics at the University of Minnesota, who studies financial bubbles. Feb. 17: Global Finance

‘Stiff’ Cells Provide New Explanation for Differing Symptoms in Sickle Cell Patients
"Our work bridges the gap between how single cells behave and how the entire blood supply flows," said David Wood, a professor in the University of Minnesota Department of Biomedical Engineering and senior author of the study. Feb. 10: Newswise; News Medical; UMN News; Jay F. Sullivan, MD; MedicalXpress; Feb. 12: Sickle Cell Disease News; (6 as of Mar. 2 at 8:06 a.m.)

Machine Learning Speeds up Molecular Process Mapping for Drug Discovery and Materials Science
Porhouy Minh and Sapna Sarupria, both from the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Theory Center at the University of Minnesota, alongside Jung et al., have developed a new method called AIMMD that significantly boosts the efficiency of transition path sampling through the integration of machine learning. Feb. 9: Quantum Zeitgeist; News Break (2 as of Feb. 10 at 8:45 a.m.)

Linden Hills native Iris Pflum in 2026 Olympics
Waiting tables in St. Louis Park, studying engineering at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, snowboarding in the mountains of Chile. It’s the life of Linden Hills native Iris Pflum that has brought her to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina, Italy. Feb. 6: Southwest Voices; Feb. 7: Newsbreak (2 as of Feb. 10 at 8:45 a.m.)