College of Engineering News • Iowa State University

Pitching plastics: innovation to entrepreneurship

Shan Jiang, associate professor in MSE, wanted a way to connect student’s innovation with entrepreneurship, all while remaining sustainable.

“You can teach a theory, but it is impossible to teach innovation,” Jiang said. “However, if you give students a problem they are engaged in, they will try their best, they will innovate on things they are passionate about. That is the challenge, combining what they learn in the classroom and using topics they are enthusiast about.”

It’s a CYstarters summer

Eight Cyclone Engineers are involved in the Iowa State Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship CyStarters program this summer, pursuing their entrepreneurial dreams. The engineering innovators, including undergraduates, grad students and recent graduates, will be completing an 11-week program consisting of skill development, mentorship, and funding, to build their innovative businesses. 

ME’s Pint and team receives international recognition

Cary L. Pint, Charles Schafer (Battelle) Chair of Engineering and an associate professor of mechanical engineering, was recently honored for groundbreaking innovations. First, Pint and his team were designated as winners of a prestigious 2020 R & D 100 Award in the Mechanical/Materials category. This is a worldwide competition that highlights revolutionary technologies as judged …Continue reading “ME’s Pint and team receives international recognition”

An engineering entrepreneur with an athlete’s mindset

Gymnasts are often meticulous in their routines. They perfect their bodily mechanics to make their routine as efficient as possible. As a former student-athlete, Courtney Middelkoop is now applying this mindset to her company. After completing her M.S. in industrial engineering (IE) in fall 2019, Middelkoop returned to her hometown in suburban Dallas, Texas and …Continue reading “An engineering entrepreneur with an athlete’s mindset”

Inspired by Batman’s ingenuity, Cyclone brothers team up to start their own company

In “The Dark Knight” movie trilogy, Bruce Wayne (i.e. Batman without the mask) ventures into the Applied Sciences division of Wayne Enterprises. This is where he develops his unique, innovative tools for fighting crime in Gotham City. As major movie buffs and aspiring entrepreneurs, this served as the inspiration for the Jensen brothers when they …Continue reading “Inspired by Batman’s ingenuity, Cyclone brothers team up to start their own company”

Q&A with Cole Jensen

Cole Jensen graduated with his B.S. in mechanical engineering in 2020 and now co-manages the company he and his brother founded, Jensen Applied Sciences. Why did you choose to attend ISU? I have always heard about Iowa State’s good engineering school and really liked the tour I went on, so I ‘Chose my Adventure’ at …Continue reading “Q&A with Cole Jensen”

Q&A with Dillon Jensen

Dillon Jensen in a student in computer science and he plans to complete his B.S. in Spring 2021. Along with his brother, he co-manages the company they founded, Jensen Applied Sciences. Why did you choose to attend ISU? Iowa State is a great school for engineering and STEM in general. I felt confident their computer …Continue reading “Q&A with Dillon Jensen”

From refining to distilling: ME alums fulfill a vision 

Century Farms Distillery in Spencer, Iowa was founded by Amanda and Ryan Bare in 2017. The Bares journey to starting a distillery can be traced back to their time as students in mechanical engineering (ME) at Iowa State. 

Winners announced for 2020 engineering pitch competition

Winners have been announced for the College of Engineering pitch competition that took place inside the Student Innovation Center on Feb. 21. In the Existing Business Idea category, Cole Jensen (senior, mechanical engineering) took first place while a team including Nathan Kopp (freshman, mechanical engineering) was runner-up. In the New Idea category, Charles Cremault (sophomore, …Continue reading “Winners announced for 2020 engineering pitch competition”

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