During its first semester, the Therkildsen Industrial Engineering Building has quickly become a central hub for learning and collaboration for Iowa State University’s Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering.
The $42 million, 80,000-square-foot facility features classrooms, laboratories, and study spaces designed to support hands-on learning and active student engagement. The building was made possible by a generous gift from C. G. “Turk” and Joyce A. McEwen Therkildsen, Iowa State alumni whose story began on campus with their first date—a Coca-Cola at the Memorial Union, according to previous Iowa State Daily reporting.
“After watching the building construction process, it’s been exciting to see the building come alive with students in the first semester,” said Lani McKinney, communications specialist for Engineering College relations. “When you walk through the building, you can see into active classrooms, laboratories, and study spaces. The layout fosters a spirit of collaboration and learning.”
### A Showcase for Hands-On Learning
Located just inside the front entrance, the Sukup Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory has become a showcase for practical learning experiences.
“Watching students put their new ideas into practice on a simulated production line showcases how future employers are going to benefit from students’ hands-on learning experiences,” McKinney added. “And it just makes learning look fun!”
### Versatile Spaces for Learning and Outreach
Teaching professor Leslie Potter emphasized how the building has expanded the ways courses and events are conducted.
“The Therkildsen building has so many wonderful education spaces,” Potter said. “We now have choices for where we can meet, depending on the type of education that we do.”
Potter highlighted the versatility of the space for both academic and outreach activities.
“The auditorium is terrific for our resume roast for 70+ Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers student members,” she said. “The learning community room is perfect for our outreach events with 4-H and robotics students.”
### Supporting Project-Based Learning
The building strongly supports hands-on, project-based learning initiatives.
“This semester in the Sukup Advanced Manufacturing Lab, students learned from start to finish how to wire, program, and functionally create a manufacturing line, including PLCs, conveyors, cobots, stack lights, and 3-D printers,” Potter explained.
She also noted that the building has improved informal collaboration among students.
“In our old spaces, students gathered in a hallway and a computer lab; in Therkildsen, we wanted them to have space in the building that feels like their own,” Potter said. “You can walk by any time of day and find many students there.”
### Enhancing Community and Productivity
Graduate student Nate Pinto, studying engineering management, shared how the building has enhanced both his productivity and sense of community.
“My experience as a student has greatly improved since the opening of the Therkildsen Industrial Engineering Building,” Pinto said. “I’ve felt a stronger connection with fellow industrial engineering students simply because of how often I run into them throughout the day.”
Pinto highlighted the building’s open design as a key factor.
“I haven’t experienced another building on campus that better promotes socialization as effectively,” he said. “The large open hallways, learning community room, glass walls, and countless whiteboards make it easy to feel part of a community and collaborate with teams almost anywhere in the building.”
He also noted the convenience of having centralized classrooms, faculty offices, and collaborative spaces.
“I can complete roughly 90% of my day-to-day tasks within the building,” Pinto said. “The open layout also makes it easier to connect with faculty.”
### A Testament to the Value of the Profession
Potter believes the Therkildsen Industrial Engineering Building reflects the department’s commitment to student success.
“It is such a gift for our 500-plus students to have a space that provides testament to the value of our profession,” she said. “It gives them productive spaces, access to people, and a sense of the significance that they will have in the world.”
https://iowastatedaily.com/330327/news/therkildsen-building-energizes-first-semester-for-students-and-faculty/
