Sam Burns: Outstanding senior in electrical engineering

Clubs and activities

Controlled Environments Club: I started this club with my roommate in the fall of 2022, and we learned and taught others about alternative forms of crop production and the engineering applications involved.

Valuable hands-on learning in class

CPrE 381 has been incredibly useful for building skills in team-based programming. This is a skill I think will help me this summer in my internship with Micron. This class has also been great for becoming comfortable with the design flow of more complex systems, while being very rewarding as well.

Valuable out-of-the-classroom experience

My summer internships with John Deere and Constellation Energy were valuable for gaining workplace experience and building professional skills. Starting the club also helped me to make connections at Iowa State, which made me want to pursue my master’s degree.

Most influential mentor

Dr. Suzanne Slack has been helpful in finding resources and connecting me with people for the club. She has always been a great person to talk to about my career and plans for schooling.

Best memory/greatest accomplishment

Being able to start a club with my friends and being able to achieve our goal of growing crops using hydroponics, as well as going on trips to visit different growers, make up my biggest accomplishments and best memories at Iowa State. Spending time outside of class to learn and experiment with things you are interested in is one of the more rewarding things you can do.

Plans after graduation

I plan to complete my concurrent master’s program at Iowa State, then pursue a career in mixed signal design.

Support from Engineering Career Services

The Career Fair was a great way to find companies I was interested in and even learn about industries I wasn’t familiar with. I have also used connections I made at past Career Fairs to help myself and others get internships, and to have companies present at meetings for our club.

Iowa State’s entrepreneurship resources

I have competed in the Food Insecurity Challenge through the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship with my club. This opportunity helped me learn how to sell ideas to a group of people who may be unfamiliar with your area of work.

Making my mark on the world

I want to help the world be more sustainable. Whether I end up designing digital circuits to be more power efficient, or working in renewable energy, that is my main goal.

Engineering like a Cyclone Engineer

I think one of the best things about being an engineering student at Iowa State is the sheer number of engineering focused student organizations available for students to become involved with. Each student has an opportunity to try out what they like. Personally, outside of my own club, I enjoyed attending Audio Club.

What I’d tell my younger self about Iowa State

Take as many opportunities as you can to get involved in academic extracurricular activities. The people you will meet and the skills you’ll develop will enrich both your academic skills and personal life.

Most inspiring location on campus

In the last few years I have really enjoyed studying on the third floor of Durham. It has great natural light and a great view of the beautiful campus. It is a space that allows me to both focus on my studies and appreciate the space we have here in Ames.