This week is International Women in Engineering Day, recognizing all the ways women engineers are innovating, optimizing, building and creating a brighter tomorrow.
And here at Iowa State we are celebrating the next generation of future-makers: our women Cyclone Engineering students.
Many are spending their summer in internships and co-ops. Here are a few examples of how Cyclone Engineers are putting their on-campus experiences into action in real-world work experiences:
Name: Khushi Kapoor
Major: Aerospace Engineering
Interning at: Joby Aviation
“My experiences with hands-on clubs at Iowa State have proven to be very helpful while joining a large, interdisciplinary team. Working at a newer startup like Joby is an extremely fast-paced task. Within the first week, I have already learned many valuable lessons in adapting, learning, and asking questions.”
Name: Elena Knops
Major: Chemical Engineering
Interning at: Amcor
“During my time at Iowa State, I have participated in a variety of chemistry labs and undergraduate research – and hope to put my lab skills to use in the unique labs at the Amcor Neenah Innovation Center. The most valuable thing I have learned so far is how to communicate with customers, other co-op interns, employees in the R&D department and other Amcor employees.”
Name: Bailey Wanders
Major: Computer Engineering
Interning at: Vermeer Applied Technology Hub
“I am taking fundamental concepts I learned at Iowa State and seeing how those concepts can be applied to meaningful, real-world products. As a Cyclone Engineer, I want to make life just a little better and easier for people of all ages.”
Name: Meg Lashier
Major: Chemical Engineering
Interning at: Ajinomoto Health and Nutrition
“Lots of engineers have great technical skills but, what makes you stand out is how you can communicate an idea to someone from a different background. In my classes and clubs, I have gained a lot of leadership and communication skills that have proven invaluable to what I do on a daily basis at work.”
“As an engineer, I want to work to leave the world a better place than I found it. I would love to work to provide food security, reduce emissions, and overall, just make sure the world is a happier, healthier place for future generations.”
Name: Lydia McCleary
Major: Software Engineering
Interning at: Principal Financial Group
“COM S 309 helped me to develop teamwork and development skills that I use every day in my internship. And, the most valuable thing I’ve learned so far at Principal is to network with other people outside of my team across the department and company.”
Name: Ashley Behrendt
Major: Aerospace Engineering
Interning at: Raytheon Technologies
“As an engineer, my goal is to contribute to the advancement of technology and sustainability. As our world continues to evolve and change, we must be able to keep up with the demands of our country and its assets.”
“In my role at Raytheon Missiles & Defense, I have been able to apply so much of what I have learned at Iowa State. As an operations engineer, I utilize a lot of the skills learned in Statics, Materials Science, and Thermodynamics. The skills learned in these classes can be applied to repair procedures and processes.”
Name: Kaili Lawson
Major: Computer Engineering
Interning at: Meta
“The most valuable thing that I’ve learned so far is how to adapt to a new team and learn new information incredibly quickly. In all my classes at Iowa State, I’ve had to work with different types of people who all have different opinions, which is the same as in the real world.”
“As a Cyclone Engineer, I want to work somewhere that the work I do is impactful and fulfilling. I think that even if I don’t leave a huge mark, just doing work that benefits people/the world in some way will be good enough for me.”