College of Engineering News • Iowa State University

Chris Johannsen: Outstanding senior in computer engineering

Chris Johannsen
Chris Johannsen

“Having so many diverse undergraduate research experiences working on software, computer science theory, and an open source aircraft project has helped me understand that research is the direction I want my career to go.”

Hometown: Cary, Illinois

What’s your favorite memory of your time at Iowa State?

Football games. Tailgating with friends and watching the Cyclones win is a great way to spend a day.

Who was your most influential mentor while at Iowa State and why?

Kristin Rozier, associate professor of aerospace engineering. Dr. Rozier been a major part of my undergraduate experience (and future graduate plans) by giving me tons of opportunities to learn and do research under her.

Which of your hands-on learning opportunities was most valuable?

Definitely all my undergraduate research opportunities. Having so many diverse experiences working on software, computer science theory, and an open source aircraft project has helped me understand that research is the direction I want my career to go.

What would you consider your greatest accomplishments at ISU?

Writing code that’s going to be on the NASA Lunar Gateway as part of my research and being the project lead of the OpenUAS research team.

What’s the mark you’re looking to leave on the world as an engineer?

I’m going to be pursuing a Ph.D. in computer science focusing in formal verification here at ISU with Dr. Rozier. I’m looking to become a professor and make the world a safer, more secure place through my technical research – and help empower the future generation to make a positive impact on the world in their own way through teaching. 

What’s unique and awesome about the Cyclone Engineering student experience?

In my experience, something that makes ISU engineering special is the support you get from everyone around you. As opposed to pitting students against one another to compete for good grades, being an ISU engineering student means learning what it takes to tackle problems as a team and learning from those around you.

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