Episodes

  • EP301 Cyclone Shield

    EP301 Cyclone Shield
    Sep 11 2020
    With the start of the college football season upon us, we hear from two #CycloneEngineers who collaborated with equipment managers for Iowa State University to create an inexpensive way to modify the team’s helmets to be functional for the players, while also reducing the potential spread of COVID-19. The "Cyclone Shield" has made Iowa State's football program safer, and plans have been made available at no cost to the general public, and have since been used by over 35 high school and club teams across the state of Iowa. For a full transcript of this episode, go to our website at news.engineering.iastate.edu/factoranalysis/
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    11 mins
  • EP208: An Emergency Response

    EP208: An Emergency Response
    Apr 24 2020
    In this episode, we speak with Jesse White, a 2018 mechanical engineering graduate who is part of a team with the Army Corps of Engineers that built a field hospital in McCormick Place in Chicago, adding 3000 beds in under a month for Cook County's efforts to treat patients who test positive for COVID-19. For a full transcript of this episode, go to our website at news.engineering.iastate.edu/factoranalysis/
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    14 mins
  • EP207: A Fitbit, But For Plants

    EP207: A Fitbit, But For Plants
    Apr 3 2020
    In this episode of Factor Analysis, we speak with electrical engineering expert Dr. Liang Dong, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Iowa State University. Dr. Dong is in the process of developing a Fitbit-like device for crops such as corn with the potential to lower the amount of money farmers put toward water — resulting in economical farming methods and cheaper foods on grocery store shelves. For a full transcript of this episode, go to our website at news.engineering.iastate.edu/factoranalysis/
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    11 mins
  • EP206: CyberSafety during COVID-19

    EP206: CyberSafety during COVID-19
    Mar 27 2020
    In this special #SocialDistancing episode of Factor Analysis, we speak with CyberSecurity expert and University Professor Doug Jacobson about the need for extra precaution as the world moves even further online. Dr. Jacobson offers insight and tips on what to be looking for, and how to avoid potentially costly mishaps online. For a full transcript of this episode, go to our website at news.engineering.iastate.edu/factoranalysis/
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    11 mins
  • EP205: Coming Together at the Seams

    EP205: Coming Together at the Seams
    Mar 20 2020
    James McCalley, London Professor of Power Systems Engineering in Iowa State's Department of Electrical Engineering, has spent more than a decade working with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory to evaluate methods of effectively connecting the main US power grid systems to allow efficient transfer of renewable energy from coast to coast. Dr. McCalley recently sat down with Factor Analysis to explain the challenges and obstacles, as well as the benefits of this study. For a full transcript of this episode, go to our website at news.engineering.iastate.edu/factoranalysis/
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    14 mins
  • EP204: An Adventure In Confidence

    EP204: An Adventure In Confidence
    Mar 6 2020
    Take a look inside Iowa State's mentoring program designed to provide professional development for international students and build community between international and domestic graduate students. For a full transcript of this episode, go to our website at news.engineering.iastate.edu/factoranalysis/
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    9 mins
  • EP203: Engineering Apple Park to “Think Different”

    EP203: Engineering Apple Park to “Think Different”
    Feb 7 2020
    When you are engineering a project for one of the largest and most profitable companies in the world, perfection isn’t an option … it’s a requirement. In this episode of Factor Analysis, we dive into conversation with Eric Borchers, a 2005 civil engineering graduate and one of the engineers to work on Apple Park, Apple’s new global headquarters in Cupertino, California. Borchers takes us inside some of the unique features of the campus and explains the complexities surrounding a project of this size and importance. For a full transcript of this episode, go to our website at https://news.engineering.iastate.edu/factoranalysis/
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    14 mins
  • EP202: Discipline for Success

    EP202: Discipline for Success
    Jan 24 2020
    As a NCAA champion in cross-country, Edwin Kurgat knows about the level of discipline required to reach goals. He also applies this same level of discipline to his study habits as an industrial engineering student. Growing up in Eldoret, Kenya, Kurgat played field hockey and also enjoyed fiddling with electronics and other machines. “I knew that one day I wanted to be an engineer,” said Kurgat. “I wanted to see how things are built and how they work.” For a full transcript of this episode, go to our website at news.engineering.iastate.edu/factoranalysis/
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    15 mins