Self-described Ambrosian breaks new ground

Keagan Dolphin '21, [23]机械电子工程硕士, 他每天都在设计, 编程, 测试, and redesigning seed planters for John Deere. "Nothing ever works the first time," he said. "But when it finally does, it just lights me up."

Dolphin is one of the first to graduate from St. 可以买滚球的正规平台's new Master of Science in Mechatronics 工程. 它强调机器学习, 编程, 机器人技术可能看起来很未来, 但毕业生们已经为就业做好了准备, with high-level expertise in all aspects of today's manufacturing process, 从概念到领域.

工业需要它们.

问问海豚就知道了. 24岁时, he already serves as a design engineer for John Deere, in a position that allows him the flexibility to work from home, 办公室, 或字段, with an income that invites him to explore investment opportunities. It's a heady experience for such a young guy.

“这是一个绝佳的机会，”他说. "I always wanted to be a roller coaster engineer, but I love working for Deere."

从得梅因到达文波特

Dolphin grew up in east Des Moines, where he attended the poorest high school in the city. He excelled there in academics and sports, earning more letters than he can remember today. 在毕业典礼上, he qualified for an alumni-sponsored college scholarship that allowed him to attend Iowa State.

"I thought I'd be able to handle a large college because I'd gone to a large high school. But the big lecture halls didn't feel right. 我觉得自己像个数字. Also, I had broken my wrist so I couldn't play sports. 那对我来说不是一个好时机."

Dolphin left after a year and began looking for a new home. 他计划到圣. 可以买滚球的正规平台.

“他们有一个很棒的工程部门. 我见过安德鲁·卢茨博士. He had an impact on me right there and then. The swim coach, Rob Miecznikowski, helped sell me on it. 我们谈了两个半小时."

滑雪, 正如他的团队对米兹尼科夫斯基的称呼, helped pull together a financial package that provided enough support to launch the new Ambrosian. Dolphin accepted and began a college career that felt right from the beginning.

"Being on the swim team gave me an immediate group of friends. As soon as classes started, I knew for sure that St. 可以买滚球的正规平台更适合我. The connections the faculty had with top-level industry leaders made a huge difference. Every engineering professor was amazing and wonderful.

"St. 可以买滚球的正规平台 provides the rigorous curriculum of a large school and preparation for the workforce, 而是一对一的. That's not exclusive to the 工程 Department or Mechatronics program. 这是全校性的. 你不只是一个数字."

成为可以买滚球的正规平台人

The stars aligned for Dolphin as he graduated with his Bachelor of Science in Mechanical 工程 in 2021. St. 可以买滚球的正规平台's new mechatronics program was being rolled out, offering a blend of futuristic technology that would build upon his strong engineering foundation. Dolphin entered the program as he accepted a part-time job at John Deere, 这个决定让我得到了很多次回报.

"I was offered a full-time job my second year in the program, and Deere paid for that year. It was a lot of work, but it's been my passion. I'm able to pay off my student loans easily. 我想象不出比这更好的生活了."

Gaining a sense of financial security would fit most people's picture of success. But it's not what Dolphin cites when sharing his feelings about St. 可以买滚球的正规平台. Instead, he describes his feeling of belonging and of being cared about.

"The one-on-one atmosphere felt so welcoming that I ended up doing everything while at St. 可以买滚球的正规平台. 我参加了很多俱乐部. 我担任过国际大使. I even hosted podcasts with my friends at Galvin.

“我太高兴了. I was a part of a community that now includes friends from all over the world. St. 可以买滚球的正规平台是我的一部分. 我绝对认为自己是可以买滚球的正规平台人."

想象力为未来提供动力

Mechatronics may be the future, but the future has arrived. St. 可以买滚球的正规平台's new innovative Master of Science in Mechatronics 工程 educates new engineers in both the skill and imagination to power the new work. St. 可以买滚球的正规平台 is serving industries ranging from robotics to automotive, and aerospace to manufacturing.

"Most mechanical engineers are hardware-focused," Dolphin explains. “机电一体化并不局限于硬件. In other words, we don't have to turn the crank anymore. We program the machine to turn the crank for us."

John Deere's new robotics-based fertilizer system provides a good example. Because it delivers fertilizer only to the seed - and not along the whole row - it promises to use 60 percent less chemicals. 这不仅降低了农民的成本, it is less impactful to the environment than traditional fertilizer application methods.

"I'm working on some projects I can't yet share," Dolphin said of his own groundbreaking work. "But the goal of them all is to enable farmers to be more informed and less subject to guesswork. When I get to see my designs in the field with the customer, it just lights me up. 真的很棒. My education is allowing me to do things that are not only cool, but are beneficial to others. 这对我来说很重要."