By Emily Christensen
IT’S A RARE DAY THAT JAKE HAMILTON’S HANDS DON’T SMELL LIKE A CAMPFIRE. As one of the first lab assistants for the college’s new Innovation Studio, Hamilton ’18, an engineering science major from Algona, spends a great deal of time in the three lower-level Science Center rooms. His favorite new piece of equipment is a laser cutter that can create pieces out of wood, acrylic, and other materials in just minutes.
The 1,500-square-foot studio was funded in part through a $123,000 grant from the Roy J. Carver Charitable Trust with an additional $60,000 from individual supporters of the engineering science program. The funds allowed the college to update its existing machine shop with a computer-controlled lathe. The same technology also can be used to run the existing mill. Next door, students can design and create using a new laser cutter or 3-D printer. The third space provides students with a place to collaborate and store in-progress projects.
“This lab space and the new equipment changes a lot of things for the students coming through the program,” said Hamilton, who will go on to earn his master’s in industrial engineering from Iowa State University through the schools’ accelerated cooperative program. “My ISU adviser was over the moon when I told her all of the stuff I was able to work with over the summer.”
Hamilton and Taha Al-azzawi ’18, an engineering science major from Iraq, were part of a small crew that Dr. Daniel Black, the Gary and Donna Hoover Distinguished Professor in Engineering Science, entrusted with assembling the lab last summer. In addition to the upgraded technology, Black also is excited that the lab provides the students in his growing program with some much-needed space.
“We had one classroom lab space and the machine shop for many years. It was an inefficient setup for our students because they would have to tear everything down every time they were done so the space could be used by the next class,” Black said. Senior design students, who work with community clients to design and create solutions to real-world problems, now have dedicated space to work as well as permanent storage for their projects.
The Innovation Studio is open to only engineering science students this year. During the 2018-19 year, Black expects to have enough assistants trained to offer open lab times for all Wartburg students.
“I am really jealous of the upcoming students,” said Al-azzawi, who plans to seek full-time work after graduation. “They will have four years to work with these tools and really get to know how to use them. The applications and opportunities are unlimited.”
A dedication ceremony is scheduled for Feb. 15 at 11:30 a.m.
