Innovation will be at the center of Iowa State's Campus this week.
Iowa State University's Student Innovation Center is hosting its annual IGNITE Innovation Showcase from Tuesday, April 30, through Friday, May 3. The event allows community members to check out student work that will be scattered throughout the building.
An interactive expo will be held from 2-5 p.m. Thursday, May 2, featuring hands-on activities and innovative treats. Iowa State President Wendy Wintersteen will attend the event and speak at 4 p.m.
Igniting student creativity
IGNITE encompasses every field of study at Iowa State, Student Innovation Center learning and developmental specialist Rebecca Nation said.
"All colleges across campus come," Nation said. "Entire classes, student clubs and individual projects get to come decorate the building with all their creative pieces. From life-sized trading cards to museum apparel pieces, all student projects come together in one place.
The Student Innovation Center opened in 2020 at 606 Bissell Road. The five-story, 140,000-square-foot facility is meant to harbor and generate creativity. The facility encourages collaboration thanks to its open concept. The facility does not require reservations and can even be used individually.
The building incubates ideas across all of Iowa State’s majors, from design and culinary arts to automotive technology and video games. It is also home to a student-run café and print and supply shops.
The Student Innovation Center is open from 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Thursday, and closes at 8 p.m. on Fridays. It also opens at 9 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
A complete schedule of the innovation showcase can be found on the Student Innovation Center's website.
What to expect at the IGNITE Showcase
IGNITE creates an atmosphere of overlapping creative ideas, Nation said. Students from other colleges have the opportunity to interact with projects outside of their realm of study.
"How many times do apparel students get to see what architecture students are working on, or how many times can engineers see a fashion archive piece?" Nation said. "They can during IGNITE."
A dozen or more projects will be displayed at the Student Innovation Center building throughout the week. Thursday's main attraction is a smattering of activities, demonstrations, and performances.
Event Coordinator Millicent Cameron said each presenting group may include five to 20 students.
Students work hard in the week before finals
IGNITE is held during Iowa State's "prep week," which is typically the week before finals.
The showcase is evidence of the students' enthusiasm and commitment, providing a gratifying finish to the semester. The real treat is seeing how the community interacts with each project.
"It validates their experience when other folks say, 'this is amazing,'" Nation said. "I think it's an extra push students need sometimes in making that real world impact when they see their project or work through other folks' eyes."
Cameron enjoys seeing the students show off the work that they've put a lot of time and effort into.
"Seeing them talk about how interested they are and how invested they are in their projects, and how they would like to continue on with them, it's great." Cameron said. "It's not just a one presentation moment, it's a chance for them to keep on going with their amazing presentations."
Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.
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