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An independent student newspaper serving Iowa State since 1890
05.01.2019 Vol. 219 No. 143
WEDNESDAY
The Jim Fay way Entrepreneurial engineering professor puts emphasis on student experience
KENNEDY DERAEDT/IOWA STATE DAILY Rod Lehnertz, from the finance and operations department at the University of Iowa, discusses the register of University of Iowa capital improvement business transactions on Feb. 27.
3.9 percent tuition hike anticipated at Iowa State, University of Iowa GILLIAN HOLTE/ IOWA STATE DAILY Entrepreneurial engineering professor Jim Fay and Gül Kremer, chair of the industrial engineering department, talk about the changing pad for babies that the Entrepreneurial Product Development Engineering Club invented. Fay graduated from Iowa State in chemical engineering in 1974.
BY ALEX.CONNOR @iowastatedaily.com Jim Fay walks meticulously around his classroom nestled in Howe Hall. He shifts his attention between the 14 students in the classroom, catching up after the nineday spring break that Fay left just a little bit early for. A red and orange classroom, the students sit scattered across the room in their blue, mobile chairs — none too far from the front. None too far from Fay. He’s wearing a green and black argyle vest, with a light smile dressing his face. On this particular day, Fay ’s focus is on marketing. For students in his Entrepreneurial Product Development Engineering course, ENGR/IE 430, they can expect to stay on this topic for no more than a few class periods before moving on to character building. It’s an accelerated course, but not because Fay is a fast talker or wants to cruise through the material. No, he’s a problem solver. And he needs to fit more than 40 years of experience in business within the parameters of a semester-long course. But spend no longer than five minutes with Fay, and you’ll know he’s not one to shy away from a good challenge. An Iowa State alum, Fay graduated in 1974 with a bachelor of science in chemical
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engineering. However, his education far extends his time spent in the classroom. Equipped with the arsenal of a modern-day renaissance man, Fay’s wealth of knowledge extends from polymer chemistry and machine design to micro and macroeconomics, patent and contract law, strategy, statistics, market research, communication, marketing and more. Yet his intelligence isn’t matched with intimidation. Rather, Fay has a peculiar way about him. He’s impassioned and humbled by his wit, the goal being to share in his experience instead of shielding it. And that’s what brought him back to the higher education space, specifically Ames, Iowa, after 44 years away. This time standing at the front of the classroom — his attention solely focused on the students sitting before him. But for Fay, his return to Iowa State is “easy and obvious.” From a logistical standpoint, Fay sees the United States as one of the best in the world at inventing items and getting them to market. But, there’s no class that teaches you how to do it, or at least no lesson plan sequestered within the four walls of a classroom that can quite match the education gained from the mistakes and successes built over a series of decades. But that’s where Fay sees himself best
“He has time and he’s willing to share it with students.” — Brian Fleming, senior in industrial engineering
fitting in — fostering the next generation of engineers that double as entrepreneurs, without them having to experience the same level of hardships. And, why Iowa State? “ W hy not Iowa State? We have an incredible engineering college here,” Fay said. “I have my roots here. My objective is to make Iowa State the best in the world.” Ask any of his students and they’ll tell you Fay is no ordinary professor. While many picked up his class on a whim the first time around, the impact Fay has been able to have on his students continues to amass. Brian Fleming, senior in industrial engineering, learned quickly the influence Fay
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BY JACOB.SMITH @iowastatedaily.com Gov. Kim Reynolds’ education budget is $985 million. Of that $985 million, $12 million is provided to regent institutions, $6 million less than what the Board of Regents requested. In accordance with the release of funding, the Board of Regents has set forth its proposal for tuition and fees for the 2019-20 school year. Iowa State undergraduate students can expect to see a $331.50 increase in tuition for residents and $1,115.50 increase for nonresidents. This is a 3.9 percent increase for residents and a 4.9 percent increase for nonresidents. $29.50 of the cost comes from mandatory fees. $18.50 of the fees go to student activities, with $2.50 going to Student Government and $16 going to the Daily to provide “a permanent funding source to sustain business operations,” as stated in the executive summary by the Board. The final $11 is a student services fee for CyRide. The fee is intended to offset “fuel and labor as well as [maintain] quality and safe service due to increasing demand,” also according to the summary. The rates other than the resident undergraduate rate are “recommendations that come from the universities to the Board for consideration,” said Josh Lehman, senior communications director for the Board of Regents. “So those are individual university decisions.” Additionally, Iowa State plans to make changes to its differential tuition rates. Differential tuition rates are amounts charged additionally on top of base tuition rates to offset costs for things such as
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