‘Meant for big things’: Grad student Prince Asamoah finds support, opportunities to thrive at Iowa State

Industrial and agricultural technology master’s student Prince Asamoah is nearly a year into his program, and the experience has already affirmed his goals and confidence. Courses, fieldwork supporting research projects, and boot camp opportunities from campus research groups have pushed him to quickly build new technical skills and envision a future in bringing agricultural technology to the communities that need it most.

Asamoah credits his academic supervisor, Professor Brian Steward, with supporting his fast-paced journey. “It is easier to thrive in an atmosphere that supports your growth,” Asamoah says.

Asamoah dove into complex coursework, like ABE 5040, Instrumentation for Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. With most of his electrical background rooted in theory, the class presented a steep challenge.

“In addition to the course materials, I added training beyond the classroom to better grasp the advanced concepts,” he says. “I had to dig deeper into the course, gaining the hands-on experience necessary to benefit my own projects.”

By the end of the course, Asamoah designed and built a Smart Low-Cost Agricultural Monitoring System for precision farming. His system integrates affordable sensors to measure soil moisture, temperature, humidity and light intensity, enabling real-time field data collection at low cost. The embedded hardware system and web-based interface allow users to visualize field conditions, track trends, and make irrigation and crop management decisions based on data.

“The result reflects my broader goal of developing practical agricultural technologies for communities with limited resources,” he says.

Amy Kaleita, Larry and Bunita Buss Department Chair in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, said Asamoah’s drive to create tangible change reflects a core piece of both the engineering and technology programs.

“The foundation of our programs is to improve the lives of people, animals and the health of environments,” Kaleita says. “Our students invest in their communities using engineering and technology, and Prince is setting himself on an impactful path.”

Asamoah has big goals, and so far, he has achieved what he has set his mind to. With the support of friends and faculty like Kaleita and Steward, his motivation to create change continues to grow.

“I am meant for big things,” Asamoah says. “Being part of many innovative projects and learning opportunities has allowed my dreams to grow so big they scare me.”