Materials engineering freshman Nathan Frye loving the Iowa State life

It didn’t take incoming materials engineering freshman Nathan Frye long to make Iowa State his new home. In fact, in his first semester, he’s been elected hall president of Barton/Lyon/Freeman dormitory.

“They were encouraging us to run for offices, and so I decided why not run for president.” Nathan’s campaign was the real deal, complete with campaign signs and all the other things that go along with it. “I figured if I was going to do it, I should do it right.”

Why Iowa State? Nathan says he has always liked Iowa State and his dad and older sister are also alumni. “When I was a sophomore in high school, I was exploring Iowa State University’s College of Engineering majors online,” he says. “Materials engineering really interested me – especially after talking with one of my dad’s colleagues about metallurgy.”

Nathan loves how varied the career options are for a materials engineering graduate. Recently, he was selected as an undergraduate research assistant (URA) to join assistant professor Boyce Chang’s lab for a research project titled Harnessing the Powers of Nature through Nano Manufacturing, where he will study polymers. Nathan hopes to continue studies in polymers for his Honors Program project.

“I was an Eagle Scout,” says Nathan, “and I love the idea of being able to have a positive impact on the environment – particularly in refining materials in a more sustainable way.”

He’s only part way into his first semester, but Nathan’s already found his go-to study spots. “I was out walking with my friends one night, exploring campus, and we found the Molecular Biology Building,” says Nathan, “There’s some really neat lounge areas that get really quiet after 6 p.m. and I love to go there and study.”

His favorite class so far is Chem 1770. “It’s a very good class and challenging in a good way. The course instructor keeps us fully engaged which helps, too,” says Nathan.

“I’ve been pleasantly surprised. Everyone was warning me that it’s way harder than high school, but really,” says Nathan, “as long as you study and take time for homework, it’s not that bad.”

There’s some other opportunities in the works, too. After a visit with a potential employer at the College of Engineering Career Fair, he connected with a potential internship where he would work in a concrete laboratory.

Outside of class, Nathan has been involved in intramurals playing flag football, sand volleyball, and men’s and co-ed pickleball. “I’ve got a great group of friends I hang out with and only one other person besides me is from Iowa. It’s been really nice to make friends from so many different places. I’m loving the Iowa State life.”

Nathan was a 2025-26 recipient of the materials science and engineering’s Mat E Scholars Program scholarship, a program for qualifying incoming declared materials engineering students.