The SICTR Second

In Episode 14 of the SICTR Second, Jon sits down with one of the original student-workers of the Student Innovation Center, Sushant Chiramana. Sushant has worked in four of the makerspaces of the building, and experienced it all. The Aerospace Engineering major will graduate in December and is eagerly awaiting what will come next. Hear about his time with the SIC, NASA, and more! We hope you enjoy this episode of the SICTR Second! You can find out more about the Iowa State University Student Innovation Center at sictr.iastate.edu/. 

In Episode 13 of the SICTR Second, Jon sits down with Assistant Professor with the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communications, James McNabb. The discussion spans innovation both through course offerings that are operating out of the Student Innovation Center's Digital Media Studio, and how the world of sports broadcasting has evolved over the years. Hear how McNabb has adapted to the always innovative world of sports television broadcast, and how he instilling the foundational techniques into his students. We hope you enjoy this episode of the SICTR Second! You can find out more about the Iowa State University Student Innovation Center at sictr.iastate.edu/. 

In Episode 12 of the SICTR Second, Jon turns the mic over during the Student Innovation Center's annual Excite! event. Students, faculty and staff could sit down and talk about anything on their mind with hopes of inspiring the next podcast to launch from the Student Innovation Center. Hear what some have to talk about, what they think of the space, and even if pineapple should be on pizza?!

In the first episode of the 2025-26 academic calendar, host, Jon Schaeffer, sits down with Start Something LAS Academy Director, Jeff Bull. Bull dives into what innovation means to him, how the Start Something Academy is shaping future innovators and their thinking, plus a discussion about Iowa State University alum, Eleanor Kahn returning to campus for an upcoming art installation on October 1st at the Student Innovation Center. You can catch up on all episodes on Spotify, YouTube, or our website, sictr.iastate.edu. 

In Episode 10 of the SICTR Second, Jon Schaeffer changes up the format a bit as we look back on what innovation has meant to the guests of SICTR Second. We will get back to our normal format for episode 11. We hope you enjoy, and thank you for listening!

In Episode 9 of the SICTR Second, Jon is joined by two members of the Cardinal Space Mining team. CSM has back-to-back wins at Nasa's Lunabotics Challenge and in 2025, they're hoping to bring some competition to Iowa State's Student Innovation Center. Hear how they're utilizing the makerspaces in SICTR to bring their lunar robot to life, what "moondust" is made of, and so much more! Enjoy episode 9!

In Episode 8 of the SICTR Second, Jon is joined by Makerspace Supervisor, Rick Willey. Rick joined the Student Innovation Center team in December of 2024, and has hit the ground running since. As an ISU alum, Rick dives into his days as a student at Iowa State, his professional experiences machining around the world, and what he hopes to bring to the Heavy Metals Makerspace of SICTR. Enjoy episode 3!

In Episode 7 of the SICTR Second, Jon Schaeffer sits down with Peter Zuroweste, an Iowa State University Associate Professor of Practice in Architecture for the College of Design. Zuroweste is a practicing architect, and most recently took the Lio Lab course that he instructs, to Lima, Peru. Zuroweste talks about the various ways his class utilized the Student Innovation Center on campus, and the partnership that has been created with Universidad Privada del Norte. Hear what Zuroweste calls a powerful moment as the two groups came together to build a shelter at a school in the Lima area. Thanks for listening! 

In Episode 6 of the SICTR Second, Jon Schaeffer sits down with Tera Lawson, the Senior Program Specialist for the Iowa State University Student Innovation Center. Lawson is keeping SICTR busy with various programming events. She explains how her background through years of work at ISU has shaped her aspirations to help students innovate. There are plenty of events that she is helping shape to draw more students into SICTR and its makerspaces. Enjoy episode 6 and if you want to find out more about the ISU Student Innovation Center, visit our website, https://sictr.iastate.edu/.

Episode 5 of the SICTR Second features two guests who are giving students the tools and knowledge to cook up some delicious meals on a budget. Host Jon Schaeffer is joined by Mahala Mueller and Isabel Ekwall who are are teaching the Culinary Bootcamp course out of the Culinary Creations Lab on the third floor of the Student Innovation Center. Hear how Culinary Bootcamp got its start through the CALS Start Something program and a pair of grants helped get this course off the ground. Mueller and Ekwall are the first instructors for this course, and discuss the fun side of cooking, some of the challenges, and what their hopes are for Culinary Bootcamp in the future. Enjoy episode 5!