Olcott Greenhouse: an Excellent Community Experience

I would like to make known to all the availability of a local attraction. Not only is this facility nearby, but it is also free to the public. It is the Olcott Park Greenhouse. This greenhouse has been in operation since the early part of the 20th century. Although the park and greenhouse no longer offer what they once did, they are still an integral part of the community and the history of Virginia and the East Range. It is simply a local gem.

The Greenhouse is open to the public Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings as well as Friday, Saturday afternoon from 12 to 4 pm. It is particularly nice to visit this time of year as winter seems to briefly fade away. Come to visit, bring a book and stay awhile, it is a calm and relaxing experience. The Friends of the Greenhouse is a volunteer organization that makes it possible for the Greenhouse to be open on Friday and Saturday afternoon. If anyone is interested in donating two or more hours of time, be sure to stop by the Greenhouse and sign-up.

Also—The Historical Society Heritage Museum is just next door—it is an amazing facility. Be sure to check it out as well.

-Sue Benolken

Weekend Warriors

As an engineer, the work never stops just because the weekend arrives. The same is true for us students at IRE. Thanks to 24 hour access to the building (via key-fobs), work over the weekend does not have to be confined to the students’ homes. Students have full access to the array of tools and equipment that fill the labs (with exception for equipment requiring faculty supervision, such as the water jet and milling machines). When assignments, DLAs, projects, and other deadlines approach, you can be assured that the IRE labs and the project rooms will remain populated with busy students.

Weekends at IRE are not all work. While most students that spend their time at IRE over the weekend choose to get work done, many students use IRE for the facilities. The lounge is a great place to enjoy the Vikings game and the toaster oven by the coffee pot bakes a mean pasty (or so I’m told).

Speaking for myself, part of the mystique of being an IRE student is the 24/7 access that we have to use the facilities.  This 24/7 access speaks volumes to the level of trust that each student has earned and truly sets IRE apart from other schools & colleges.

Written by: Shawn Tobolaski

Proofread by: Mike Lynch

 

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Creating a Healthier IRE

IRE Bootcamp was started this semester as a kick-off to next semester’s fitness challenge! Every Monday and Wednesday night at 4:15, students who were willing to accept the challenge got an intense 30-45 minute cardio/core workout. Bootcamp is focused on a full body workout that allows each individual to work at their own pace and improve each week.

Next semester the fitness/weight loss challenge will begin where students will compete to shed some pounds and gain some muscle. Endurance, strength, and flexibility will all be tested, and nutrition will be focused on heavily in order to attain maximum results. Promoting physical and mental health is something that IRE values, along with continuous personal improvement.

I’m looking forward to the next semester and helping to create a healthier IRE!

By: Allie Jurvelin

Order of the Engineer Ring Ceremony

Last Friday December 6^th, Iron Range Engineering (IRE) had its first Order of the Engineer ring ceremony. It was a great day to celebrate the accomplishments of all the students, faculty, and everyone who’s had a positive impact on IRE. The first Order of the Engineer ring ceremony follows the recent ABET accreditation of IRE.  

There were many past students who came back to get their ring. Outside speakers Bradley Steinbrecher, Maggie Skelton, and Robb Bigelow talked about the history and the importance of the Order of the Engineer. Before being ABET accredited, IRE established an internal ring ceremony that the graduating seniors would participate in.

This was a great celebration of the current four graduating students and the accomplishments of the program. The ceremony and ring stand for the importance of the impacts that engineers can have on society. 

Written By: Matt Sjostrand

Proofread by:  Andy Lillesve 

LEVEL Camera Products - An Entrepreneurial Experience

This semester I worked on an individual entrepreneurial project at Iron Range Engineering or IRE. Although I was alone at IRE I have a business partner in Milwaukee Wisconsin, Kyle Ilenda. With the development and growth of the Video DSLR market, individuals and companies now have access to high quality video cameras. This has created a sub-market for camera accessories and devices. LEVEL Camera Products, our startup company, has identified a niche in the market for our products. Kyle and I are working to develop a video camera accessory that gives future consumers a three-in-one solution for capturing dolly shots, steady shoulder rig shots, and tabletop dolly shots. We aim save our customers time and money by allowing them to create three commonly used tools in the field. By utilizing industry standard dimensioning, our product will be configurable beyond the core 3 set-ups.

The LEVEL Shoulder Rig

The product is designed with lean manufacturing and preparation for scale-up in mind. The simplicity of the design reduces the number of manufacturing processes.

We will reach our target through blog sites, product review sites, forums, and social media. Introducing our product and answering specific questions in these forums will draw interested parties to our website.

The LEVEL Table Top Dolly

As an e-commerce business, partnering with distribution centers and merchant accounts will streamline getting the product to the user.

This semester our goal was to finalize the design of our first product and develop a manufacturing plan. This will allow us to hit the ground running when we graduate so that LEVEL can ship its first product in 2014.

The LEVEL Camera Slider

Written By: Spencer Johnson

Proofread By: Eric Diep 

Co-op Experience

One of the benefits of being an Iron Range Engineering student is the opportunity to work as a Co-op for local companies.  This semester I was able to work for PolyMet on an environmental engineering project.  PolyMet has a strong commitment to the protection of the environment, and works toward the best possible process to keep Northern Minnesota clean. 

                It has been an incredible learning experience to work for this company, I have gained technical and practical engineering knowledge that I would not have experienced while attending a traditional engineering program.  I am glad that PolyMet is allowing me to extend this Co-op into next semester, and I look forward to expanding my technical knowledge of chemical and environmental engineering, and my professional skills.

Written by:  Kate Olafson

Edited and Approved by: Kevin Pylka (PolyMet)

The IRE Academic Experience as Compared to Traditional Programs

Nearing completion of my third semester as an Iron Range Engineering (IRE) student, I have come to realize the enormous benefits to being part of this program. With that being said, I would like to take a moment and share these experiences with you. 

Throughout the beginning of my post-secondary education I attended a community college engineering program. During my time there, I had come to grasp that my personal style of learning did not fit that particular model. A traditional style curriculum did not compliment my strengths as a student or as an aspiring professional; this is not to say that traditional academic programs hold no value, because they do, and they were a crucial developmental tool in my ability to think critically. Traditional programs are just simply designed for different means to an end, which is to prepare students for graduate school and thereby, a career in research.  

As a student without interest in attending graduate school, this academic approach seemed counter intuitive in the sense that it defies the very essence of what it means to be an engineer. What I mean by counter intuitive is that engineers are not scientists but rather problem solvers that take the knowledge they have acquired and apply it critically to the issues around the community, country, or even internationally. This is what I believe to be the fundamental reasoning behind the curriculum design of IRE and why it was so appealing to me. 

IRE offers its students the tools needed to be successful in the professional world. It not only provides a rich technical curriculum but also gives a plethora of experience in the project design process. The three projects I’ve completed so far have been a wonderful learning experience with regards to developing my time management skills, written and oral communication skills, and interpersonal relationships as well as, the ability to bring my ideas to realization. If you can relate to my perspective, then I would recommend seeking out Iron Range Engineering as an option. It has made an incredibly positive difference in my life and if you put the work in, it could be in yours as well.

Written by Case Goodyear

Reviewed by Kody Kamunen

The Takeaways

Metacognition is heavily stressed at IRE, but what exactly is it? The length and abstract definitions of the word makes it sound intimidating, but it is not as daunting a concept as it might seem. At the most basic level it is an awareness of your learning process. Metacognition enables us to be more aware and efficient learners. We regularly engage in metacognitive activities formally at IRE in the form of “metacognitive memos”. Students are given choices in the methods of metacognition they find most beneficial.  One metacognitive strategy is to summarize what you have learned into a list of takeaways. The value of and the metacognitive process in making a list of takeaways is in summarizing the material and not in the list itself.  When making lists of takeaways I try to write things that will act as a seed to reproduce the thinking process that I used in the learning activity.

I am a graduating senior this semester so I thought I would make a list of takeaways from my experiences at IRE.

 

·         My biggest obstruction to learning is in admitting that I don’t know something.

·         Do it now rather than later.

·         Motivation is a choice I make.

·         I learn concepts most effectively by explaining them to others.

·         Ok is sometimes good enough.

·         Takeaways are useful.

BendTec Tour

Students taking the Materials Science course had the opportunity to attend a tour of the BendTec facilities in Duluth, MN this semester. BendTec is a fabrication, bending, and testing facility in Duluth, MN. They specialize in underground piping used for sewers and steam. All of the material tests are completed on-site using x-ray, tensile, and impact tests.

Figure 1 - Tubes are bent on large machines that first heat the material, followed by immediately cooling it.
This process maintains the strength of the material.

Many of the concepts that were learned throughout the course were discussed on the tour. It was important for students to be able to see the theories being applied to manufacturing. The tour covered techniques for bending, applications of their product, and an in-depth explanation of their testing processes.

Figure 2 - This is the result of an impact test that was demonstrated for the group.

This much exposure to material fabrication and testing could not be completed in Iron Range Engineering’s facilities. It allowed students to discuss the process with industry professionals, and witness the process first-hand. Thank you to everyone at BendTec for the awesome tour!