A large crowd gathered in the atrium of Howe Hall on Thursday, October 31 to hear an alumni of the aerospace engineering program speak. Dennis Muilenburg had once been in the same position as the undergraduate students, and now he serves as the president and chief executive officer of Boeing Defense, Space & Security and as well as on the company’s Executive Council. Muilenburg, a Department of Aerospace Engineering Distinguished Alumni, spoke about the mutually beneficial partnership between Iowa State University and Boeing, and about furthering that relationship through inspiration and innovation.
The talk’s program included a welcome by Senior Vice President and Provost Jonathan Wickert and a medallion presentation for Christina Bloebaum, the Dennis and Rebecca Muilenburg Professor, by College of Engineering Dean Sarah Rajala. And for one student in the audience, the partnership Muilenburg spoke about has been very beneficial.
Brett Ebert is a graduate student in the Department of Aerospace Engineering, and has completed three different internships with Boeing Defense, Space, and Security.
“Dennis makes it a point to always get a chance to talk to Boeing interns and ISU students when he’s on campus or over the summer while we’re interning. Due to these wonderful opportunities, I’ve been given a handful of chances to meet and learn from him,” said Ebert.
Because of the experience he gained, Ebert has a job waiting for him after his December graduation date in Boeing’s Phantom Works.
“I worked in Boeing’s advanced military technology group, Phantom Works, for my first internship. For my second, I spent my summer working on the legendary F-15 fighter jet. And this last summer, I worked in a group that dealt with flight controls and navigation,” Ebert said.
To end his talk, Muilenburg stated that engineers and advancing technologies will keep both institutions competitive. Innovation and inspiration is key for the success at Boeing, Iowa State, and for students like Ebert.
“When Dennis comes and talks, it’s great to get perspective on what kinds of cool things we can do with our engineering degrees, and how those things can help to shape the world,” Ebert said.