When the Iowa Legislature chartered the Iowa Agricultural College in 1858, two curricula—agriculture and mechanic arts—were established. From the mechanic arts curriculum, several branches of engineering quickly developed. Iowa State’s first graduation class in 1872 included four civil and two mechanical engineers.

Today, with 4,600 undergraduates in eight departments, the College of Engineering is one of the 10 largest undergraduate engineering programs in the nation. In addition, more than 900 graduate students are working toward MS and PhD degrees.

The college receives high marks for quality and international impact. The 2007 U.S. News and World Report ranked the agricultural and biosystems engineering program 2nd in the nation and the chemical and biological engineering program 23rd. Iowa State’s overall engineering program was ranked 37th among programs accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, and it is tied for 22nd among public university engineering programs.

As part of the first land-grant university in the nation, the College of Engineering has a rich heritage of discovering and sharing new knowledge and developing cutting-edge technologies to make Iowa and the world a better place to live. The college ranks 2nd nationally in R&D100 research and development awards, 5th nationally in patents awarded, and 12th nationally in start-up companies launched from its research.

As the pace of discovery quickens, the need for leadership in research, education, and government also increases. Iowa State has an envious record of graduating leaders who have gone on to serve as CEOs of innovative companies such as Lockheed Martin, Silicon Graphics, Texas Instruments, 3M, Rockwell Collins, and Monsanto.

This fall, the college established the Engineering Policy and Leadership Institute (EPLI) to further enhance the development of leadership skills in faculty and students. The EPLI has a specific focus on raising awareness and involvement in public policy issues.