Cedar Rapids-based Coe College is the recipient of a $225,000 grant from NASA that will be used to acquire new computing resources. The grant will purchase a high-performance computing cluster, an advanced cooling system to support the new computing infrastructure and specialized software, according to a news release. “The new computing resources will significantly enhance our capabilities in physics, data analytics and engineering, providing our students and faculty with tools
Workforce, Education & STEM
August 29, 2024
ISU, Illinois universities partner to launch Quad Cities Manufacturing Institute
The new entity will target research, workforce efforts in manufacturing and defense sectors Iowa State University, Western Illinois University and the University of Illinois System launched Friday the Quad Cities Manufacturing Institute, a partnership to drive innovation and economic development through new technologies and workforce education supporting the U.S. manufacturing and defense sectors. The new entity, also known as QCMI, will perform joint research in the advanced and additive manufacturing and
August 29, 2024
NewBoCo education director selected for Mandela Washington Fellowship reciprocal exchange
Samantha Dahlby, director of K-12 education at NewBoCo, has been selected for the reciprocal exchange component of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. As a reciprocal exchange participant, Dahlby will implement a co-designed project with Hasfa Mago of the Read to Learn Foundation in Uganda. Dahlby and Mago met during Mago’s 2023 fellowship visit to Iowa and connected over their mutual passion for education, according to a news release. The pilot project
August 22, 2024
Ankeny schools planning new facility for student innovation
Ankeny Community School District has announced plans for a new “innovative hub” facility that is set to open in the 2028-29 school year. The vision for the Innovative Hub is an integrated space that offers specialized programs and facilities that cater to diverse learning experiences and serves as a catalyst for connecting people, ideas and resources, according to a news release. “Our core planning team has invested extensive research into
August 22, 2024
UNI Iowa Center for Employee Ownership receives Ford Foundation grant
The Ford Foundation has approved a grant of $315,000 to the University of Northern Iowa Foundation to support the Iowa Center for Employee Ownership (IA-CEO) program, which is housed in the Wilson College of Business’s economic outreach arm. IA-CEO will use the funding to promote the Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP) model to business owners through in-person presentations, speaking engagements, webinars and conferences. Stacy Mullinex, program manager of IA-CEO, said in a news release
August 8, 2024
Keune named new executive director of UI JPEC
Adam Keune, co-founder of Coralville-based Higher Learning Technologies, has been named the new executive director of the Iowa John Pappajohn Entrepreneurial Center (Iowa JPEC) at the University of Iowa’s Tippie College of Business. Keune was Iowa JPEC’s entrepreneur-in-residence in 2023-24 and has served on the center’s advisory board since 2018. He also received the center’s Young Alumni Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2021. “Adam represents the perfect blend of
July 18, 2024
Pair create an IT and engineering staffing company with a charity commitment
Mike Rice and Keith Giffney have partnered to launch the Momba Group, a new technology staffing company with a charitable component. For each staffing placement in IT and engineering, the organization will sponsor a child in Kenya to provide “nourishment, education and spiritual guidance until the age of 18 years old,” according to a news release. “We couldn’t be more excited to launch a company that enables us to significantly impact
July 11, 2024
2024 EO Iowa innovationENTREPRENEUR of the Year: Wendy Wintersteen
Entrepreneurship takes many forms, but there is a growing recognition of an entrepreneurial mindset that students and professionals alike can develop to think more innovatively, whatever their career. As president of Iowa State University since 2017, Wendy Wintersteen has strived to instill a campuswide entrepreneurial mindset and cultivate a culture where everyone — students, faculty and staff — has the opportunity to think innovatively. For these efforts, Wintersteen is therecipient
July 11, 2024
Nonprofit Tech Journey opens registration for fourth annual charity golf outing
Tech Journey, a Des Moines-based nonprofit that aims to connect students with Iowa’s technology industry, is hosting its fourth annual charity golf outing on Sept. 12. The Tech Journey Open will be held at the Waveland Golf Course in Des Moines starting at 9 a.m. Proceeds from the event will support Tech Journey and provide scholarships for nine high school seniors to attend the nonprofit’s Tech Camp program.
June 20, 2024
Going beyond ChatGPT
Pi515 AI Challenge opens door for exploration of new AI tools Pi515’s AI Challenge was an event four years in the making for founder and executive director Nancy Mwirotsi. With the rapid development of new artificial intelligence tools, she wanted to make it easy for high school and college students to learn about the variety in AI that exists beyond ChatGPT, she said in an interview. “When we think about
