Keynote Speaker
Dr. Donald E. Bossi
President, FIRST®
Donald E. Bossi is the president of the global nonprofit FIRST®, where he is building on 25 years of experience as a successful technology executive to develop the next generation of innovators. FIRST is the world’s leading youth-serving nonprofit helping young people discover a passion for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) and develop the skills they’ll need to succeed in today’s competitive workforce. Bossi has made it his mission to help bridge the gap between companies and educators to empower kids to reach their full potential, making hands-on STEM programs more widely available to students across the country and around the world.
Starting his career as a research scientist, first at MIT Lincoln Laboratory and then at United Technologies Research Center (UTRC), Bossi was a part of an advanced project at UTRC that was acquired by JDS Uniphase (JDSU), and he moved to the new company. Bossi became Vice President and General Manager for JDSU’s Electro-Optics Products Division, which grew tenfold during his involvement. Bossi next served as JDSU’s Group President for Active Components and then Transmission Products. In 2005, Bossi became a General Partner at Technology Ventures Partners to work with their high-tech portfolio companies. While at the venture group, he served as the CEO of Aegis Lightwave, Inc. and then as CEO of Inlet Technologies, positioning the company for a beneficial acquisition by Cisco.
Bossi is the holder of four U.S. patents and author of numerous technical presentations. He holds B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and has completed executive education courses at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. He served on the Boards of Directors of several privately held companies and is also a member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering.
Follow Bossi on LinkedIn and Twitter for his thoughts on workforce development, STEM education, innovation, and more.
Keynote Speaker
Dr. W. Samuel Easterling
James L. and Katherine S. Melsa Dean of Engineering
W. Samuel Easterling began as the James L. and Katherine S. Melsa Dean of Engineering at Iowa State University on July 15, 2019. He leads the largest college on campus and is responsible for more than 9,500 students, 500 faculty and staff, 13 academic majors, multiple research centers and programs, and 11 buildings that comprise the engineering complex.
Easterling is an Iowa State alumnus having received his doctorate in structural engineering from the university in 1987. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from West Virginia University. Following graduation from Iowa State, Easterling joined the Virginia Tech faculty in 1987 and rose to the position of Montague-Betts Professor of Structural Steel Design and Department Head of the Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Easterling is an accomplished educator, scholar, and administrator and is a registered Professional Engineer. He is active in professional organizations including the American Institute of Steel Construction, American Iron and Steel Institute, American Society of Civil Engineers (Fellow) and Structural Engineering Institute (Fellow).
Easterling’s primary research interests are in the areas of composite and cold-formed steel structures, and he received numerous awards for his research and professional service. He was also active in Virginia Tech governance serving as president of the Virginia Tech faculty senate, chair of the commission on faculty affairs; chair of the commission on research; and a member of the university council.
Keynote Speaker
Ed McCracken
Former CEO, Silicon Graphics
Ed McCracken holds a bachelor of science in electrical engineering (’66) from Iowa State University, and masters of business administration from Stanford University. While at Iowa State, McCracken was the first president of the Triangle Fraternity Chapter. During his early career, he spent sixteen years with Hewlett-Packard in several senior management positions. He is a retired CEO of Silicon Graphics, Inc., the company known for launching the world of “virtual reality.” His leadership at Silicon Graphics spurred the development of computers specifically designed for the creation and manipulation of 3-D images, which were used extensively in the movie and television industry, including “Forrest Gump” and “Jurassic Park.”In 1995, McCracken was named Executive of the Year by R&D magazine and was presented the National Technology Medal award by President Bill Clinton. He was also awarded the Professional Achievement Citation in Engineering Award from the Iowa State University College of Engineering, the Distinguished Alumni Award, and the Order of the Knoll Campanile Award. Since his retirement, McCracken has served on numerous boards in electronics and biotechnology.
Session Presenters
Thomas Alleven
Chemical Engineering Alum | Process Engineering
Tom Alleven graduated from Iowa State in December of 2018 with a degree in Chemical Engineering. He is currently working for the Zinpro Corporation, a world leader in the feed and pet food supplement industry. He is the first process engineer ever hired by Zinpro, and is responsible for overseeing the chemical process within Zinpro’s largest manufacturing facility. During his college career, he was a co-founder of the Engineering Leaders of Tomorrow Leadership Conference. He hopes to bring his unique experiences to ELT to help grow the next leaders of tomorrow.
Dr. LeQuetia Ancar
Assistant Director Student Services | Multicultural Liaison Officer
Dr. LeQuetia Ancar is from New Orleans, LA by way of Iowa City, IA. She has served in academic and student affairs for over 17 years in both the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Engineering at Iowa State University. As the Assistant Director of Student Services and Multicultural Liaison Officer for the College of Engineering, she currently coordinates diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and services to aid in the success and retention of multicultural, female, and international undergraduate engineering students. With a focus on building today’s leaders through community, connection, and collaboration she oversees the Leadership through Engineering Academic Diversity (LEAD) program which provides various academic, professional, and social-cultural development opportunities. Dr. Ancar earned her Ph.D. from the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering in Industrial and Agricultural Technology at Iowa State. She has received numerous awards for her dedication and support of students and believes her professional purpose is to help all students realize their limitless potential.
Jim Fay
Chemical Engineering Alum | Entrepreneur
James E. Fay has a degree in chemical engineering from Iowa State University where he teaches Entrepreneurial Product Development Engineering in the College of Engineering. The course is designed to teach how to develop new products, new markets, and new businesses — intrapreneurially and entrepreneurially. Content includes creativity, competitive analysis, market research, strategy, product development, leadership and management, project management, manufacturing, packaging, character, marketing, pricing, finance, legal, sales, and customer service.
He paid his own way through college working as a baker in Des Moines. He has worked for Monsanto, Procter & Gamble, American Can Company, and Kimberly-Clark. For these companies, he did process, project, maintenance, and manufacturing engineering; packaging and new product development; and manufacturing and R&D management. He invented and developed ovenable / microwavable paperboard trays that are now used everywhere for packaged food. He was on the team that developed Huggies® disposable diapers, and he invented the concept for Huggies® Pull-Ups® disposable training pants.
As an entrepreneur, his credits include Diaper Genie®, which was and still is the best-selling non-disposable baby product in the U.S., SUCCEED® digestive supplement for performance horses, ByteSize Reader™ software, and the DEUS Rescue™ line of high-angle escape and rescue equipment used by firefighters. He has an active worldwide consulting business helping companies and organizations with product development, creativity, problem-solving, marketing, and market research. He is also an author and wrote “Entrepreneurial Product Development Engineering Handbook” that is available at the Iowa State University Book Store.
He and his wife live in Boulder, Colorado, and other interesting places. They are active runners and bikers (think RAGBRAI). They have two daughters (Maine and Colorado), and two adorable granddaughters.
Josiah Green
Data and Operations Research Scientist | Principal Financial Group
Josiah Green, B.S. Industrial Engineering (ISU ’18), currently works as a Data & Operations Research Scientist for Principal Financial Group. Prior to this, he worked as a student research assistant in the Industrial & Manufacturing Systems Engineering department at Iowa State University. His work experience includes simulation modeling research, user interface and user experience design, and systems engineering.
Rob Hanson
Mechanical and Energy Systems Engineering Alum | Energy Engineer
Rob Hanson graduated from Iowa State in Mechanical Engineering and Spanish in 2014, having been a tour guide for TEAM, a Cyclone Aide, president of the Society of International Engineers, and a Community Advisor in Friley Hall. After working as a mechanical design engineer in the Audio Visual field for two years, Rob returned to campus to pursue a graduate degree in Energy Systems Engineering. He now resides in Chicago where he is an energy engineer, focusing on energy efficiency projects. In his spare time, he enjoys juggling and racing in triathlons.
Mindy Heggen
Mechanical Engineering Academic Advisor
Mindy graduated from Iowa State with her Master’s in Higher Education in May 2018. Her emphasis was on minoritized students in American higher education and the struggles they face. While she is not an expert in equity and equality, it is something she studies and strives to learn more about on a daily basis. Mindy is an academic advisor in Mechanical Engineering and works with the department’s learning communities. Outside of work she runs her two active children to sports events and outdoor activities. She enjoys all genres of music and cooking.
Dr. Joel Johnson
Director of Engineering Student Services
Dr. Johnson’s formal education includes an Associate Arts degree from South Eastern Community College in Burlington, Iowa; a Bachelor of Science degree in History and Secondary Education and a Master’s of Science degree in College Student Personnel from Western Illinois University; Macomb, Illinois. Dr. Johnson completed a Ph.D. within Educational Leadership and Policy Studies at Iowa State University, with an emphasis on Community College Leadership in 2013. Research interests include understanding factors that influence student vocational decisions in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields for both community college and college/university settings. Additional research interests include factors influencing student success and retention for first and second-year students; and student leadership/professional competency development.
Professional work experience includes 21 years working with student success and retention initiatives. This includes the past 9 years as the Director of Engineering Student Services at Iowa State University. In this role, he provides oversight for the college’s undergraduate and graduate recruitment efforts and student services/retention programs. In addition, Dr. Johnson serves as an advisor for several student organizations within the engineering college, supervises the Advanced Manufacturing Systems Lab, and instructs a course within the colleges Leadership Certificate/Minor. Finally, Dr. Johnson maintains a term graduate faculty appointment within the School of Education at ISU, serving on Ph.D. Program of Studies committees for multiple students within the College of Education.
Yurui Li
Data and Operations Research Scientist | Principal Financial Group
Yurui Li, M.S. Industrial Engineering (ISU ’19), currently works as a Data & Operations Research Scientist for Principal Financial Group. Previously, she has worked as a machine learning researcher and teaching assistant in the Industrial & Manufacturing Systems Engineering department at Iowa State University. Her area of expertise includes supervised machine learning, data visualization, and user interface and user experience design.
Quinn Moran
Marketing and Sales Alum | Regional Leadership Specialist
Quinn Moran works for Triangle Fraternity Staff as the Regional Leadership Specialist. In her role, she focuses on growth and educational development, as well as the membership experience and retention with chapters across the Midwest.
Quinn graduated from Iowa State University in 2018 with a degree in Marketing and Sales. During her undergraduate experience at Iowa State University, she was an active member of the Sorority and Fraternity Community, as well as working with the Office of Admissions as a Student Admissions Representative. She then began her career within Leadership Development with an International Women’s organization, directly touching 16 campuses across the country. Quinn facilitates programs regarding mental health, inclusive leadership, risk and harm reduction, and growth and development initiatives. She is passionate about creating and cultivating positive and inclusive spaces where individuals are challenged to grow.
Farshad Niayeshpour
Data and Operations Research Scientist | Principal Financial Group
Farshad Niayeshpour, M.S. Industrial Engineering (ISU ’19), currently working as a Data & Operations Research Scientist for Principal Financial Group. Previously, he has worked as a machine learning engineer and graduate research assistant for the Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering department at Iowa State University. His area of expertise includes operations research, optimization modeling, stochastic systems, and Bayesian machine learning.
John Nish
Ceramics Engineering Alum | Product Engineer
John E. Nish is currently a Product Engineer at Wellman Dynamics (WDC Acquisition, LLC) in Creston, Iowa, where he has served in a variety of positions since 2006. WDC is a major manufacturer of large, high-complexity aerospace castings made from various magnesium and aluminum alloys. Nish has spent much of his career balancing the use of technical problem-solving approaches with teaching and mentoring young engineers so that they may reach their own potentials. Beginning his engineering career in the semiconductor industry, Nish was initially an Advanced Assembly Packaging Engineer for United Technologies Mostek Corporation (UTMC), before moving to Texas Instruments (TI) as a Process Engineer in the areas of photolithography, metallization, and diffusion. He was brought on board at Varo Semiconductor, Inc (VSI) as Senior Development Engineer to design, equip, staff, and start up VSI’s first ever clean room for power Darlington, night vision, and thermoelectric cooler semiconductor production. He moved into product design and development in his roles as Technical Product Manager for Olin Corporation and Applications Engineering Manager for the startup Advanced Delivery and Chemical Systems (ADCS). Nish led an international manufacturing and turnkey assembly operation as Engineering Manager at AEC Enterprises before serving as Engineering Manager and Product Engineer at WDC. Nish developed an educational training program for operators in conjunction with the Training and Development Department while at TI, and he has taught both as an adjunct and as guest lecturer at several colleges. He received his B.S. in Ceramic Engineering (Materials Science) from Iowa State University, as well as his M.Div. from Luther Rice and has worked toward his M. A. in Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (SWBTS). Nish is an active member of American Foundry Society (AFS) and SAE International’s Aerospace Materials Specification (AMS) committees, and he serves on a variety of committees in three divisions of American Society for Testing and Materials International (ASTM). He is a Life Member of the ISU Alumni Association and a member of the Marston Club.
Cameron Rayburn
Assistant Teaching Professor in Aerospace Engineering
Originally from Chicago, Cameron Rayburn went to Tuskegee University to pursue a B.S. in Aerospace Science Engineering at the age of 16. Upon graduation, he went back home to the Chicago area to work as a counselor in a TRIO Upward Bound program helping students from low-income areas get into college with ACT/SAT prep, math & science instruction, and other services. Next, he spent 4 years teaching mathematics courses at Prairie State College (Chicago Heights, IL) and South Suburban College (South Holland, IL). After moving on from those positions, he spent 3 years as a QA Software Analyst at Applied Systems, Inc. in University Park, IL. Cameron then made a decision to come to Iowa State University for graduate school to further his Aerospace education. While a graduate student at ISU, Cameron worked as an academic advisor in the Aerospace Engineering department. Upon graduation, he accepted an offer to join the faculty and is currently an Assistant Teaching Professor within ISU’s Aerospace Engineering department teaching Aerodynamics, Aerospace Systems Integration, Introductory Aerospace courses, and more. He also serves as the Academic Coordinator for the Make-To-Innovate (M:2:I) program/course which has student from a wide array of majors and engineering disciplines. Cameron has presented for many programs and institutions including Notre Dame University, Woman in Science and Engineering (WiSE), Society of Women Engineers (SWE), Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA), and many middle schools and high school around the United States.
Dr. Ian Schneider
Associate Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Dr. Schneider is currently an Associate Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering and the advisor to Triangle Fraternity. He is a member of several committees and organizations at ISU including the Chemical and Biological Engineering Department curriculum committee, the College of Engineering curriculum committee and the Faculty Senate. He has been advising the student organizers of the ELT conference over the past several months. He hopes the conference demonstrates to students that leaders can have vastly different personality traits and that leaders should strive properly appreciate diversity in viewpoint. Dr. Schneider loves interacting with students and building close relationships with them as they grow both professionally and personally and looks forward to seeing the fruits of the conference.
Todd Sondag
Mechanical Engineering Alum | General Manager
Todd Sondag is the General Manager of Interstate PowerSystems based in Minneapolis, MN. In this role, he provides leadership to one of the operating divisions of the company. They provide sales, service, and technical expertise to a wide variety of well-known diesel industry products; Detroit Diesel, Allison Transmission, MTU (Rolls-Royce), Freightliner trucks, Deutz engines, Volvo Penta, and many more. He has served in that capacity for the last 5 years.
He is a small-town Iowa boy, who was born in Sioux City and raised in Harlan, IA. He attended Iowa State University and graduated in 2004 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. Early in his career he was a district manager for Caterpillar, his career progressed to a Regional Sales Manager for a Peterbilt truck dealer, a sales manager of a small manufacturing business, and today with Interstate. He is passionate about his career and excited to share with you about his journey.
Sondag continues to invest in furthering his personal growth by coaching Dale Carnegie courses, travels to Universities and speaks on Interviewing and Networking, and is a part of a private executive advisory board. He spends his free time chasing his two boys, water skiing, and riding bike.
Charlie Wickham
Senior in Mechanical Engineering
Charlie Wickham is a Senior in Mechanical Engineering with extensive project experience. He has worked and held positions in many clubs on campus including Cardinal Space Mining, Rube Goldberg Club, and the 3D Printing and Design Club, and has created and led 3 group projects with the assistance of Critical Tinkers. Charlie has served the university as a Cyclone Aide and Engineering Peer Mentor, and has 3 professional internships in Lean Manufacturing, Amusement Ride Maintenance and Operations, and Mechanical Ride Engineering. He currently works with professional organizations including the American Society of Testing and Materials Committee on Amusement Rides and Devices (ASTM F24) and the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Expo (IAAPA IAE). Many of his projects were not perfect, and some completely failed, but by learning from these experiences he has grown his professional network and gained unique opportunities, and looks forward to sharing these lessons so that his fellow students may do the same.