Left to right: Sarah Derry, Jessica Schellhorn, Ann Gritzner, Scott Schultz, Alison Mohr, Stuart Spencer, Meaghan Kandt, Creighton Cox, Roger Hargens, Joseph Hunzelman, Craig Tappe

Accumold hosted the SC STEM Hub Advisory Board’s September meeting, providing an update on some of their unique K-12 endeavors. The company invests in K-12 education, and the returns are helping build both the business and a sense of community good.

“Finding and keeping talent is our biggest challenge,” said Roger Hargens, Accumold CEO. “Getting the right people is so important, and we want to be involved with K-12 students and teachers.”

Hargens is also a past Iowa STEM co-chair and has a passion for STEM education and working with students. He's supported lots of STEM education endeavors, from kindergarten career fairs to grandparent tours and programming for many of the ages in between.

One way they’ve invested in the future is via their Accumold Scholars Program. It covers the cost of a DMACC degree in three areas: Tool & Diemaking, Robotics & Control Systems Engineering Tech, or Industrial Technician Certification.

In addition to college costs, students receive a part-time paid position at Accumold in their area of schooling. In total, the award is worth over $64,000 per student. It’s available to high school seniors and those presently in college.

Why invest in high school students? Because Accumold is growing and needs great employees to be able to deliver a great product.

Stuart Spencer, Accumold Human Resources Manager, noted that 70 percent of Accumold's new business is in the medical industry. "The market is coming to us," said Spencer, "with requests for smaller parts, more functions, tighter product timelines, and made-in-the-U.S. quality controls."

Right now, Accumold has 334 current employees, along with a half-dozen job openings at any given time. “We’re set up to grow,” Spencer noted. “The only thing we need is more young folks.”

* 1 * 

Joseph Hunzelman, Tool Maker Machinist 

“Accumold is a great company to work for,” said Joseph Hunzelman, a 2019 Accumold Scholar.

Along with tool and die expertise, Hunzelman also uses project management skills. He graduated from Ankeny Centennial and noted high school classes that have been helpful in his current position: Applied Math, Science (especially Chemistry), and Blueprint Reading.

Hunzelman said he benefited from being an Accumold Scholar: “It gave me more of a purpose, a reason for going to college. I knew I had a job I would like when I was done. To repay their generosity, I wanted to be the best student I could be and then a great employee.”



Now Hunzelman travels to career fairs to talk with students about getting a tool and dye degree. He tells them, “Think bigger—no debt, a fulltime job, and a company that cares about you.”

* 2 *

Chris Hunt, Additive Manufacturing Manager

Chris Hunt works with 3D printers to create techniques that invent or improve manufacturing processes. After finishing a master’s degree at ISU, he worked for a hearing aid company. Then he came back to Iowa to work for Accumold as a quality engineering manager.

His job is both challenging and rewarding. “I can’t look up how to make or fix something. My whole day is about being creative and finding solutions.”

Right now, he’s working with a medical company to improve glaucoma sensing, a disease that currently impacts over 3 million Americans.

* 3 *

David O’Leary--Vice President, Quality Control & Continuous Improvement

David O’Leary, leads the Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement efforts at Accumold. Quality Assurance and Production personnel working in the QA Lab and in Production typically measure dimensions in microns, which are 10 times smaller than the average human hair.

O’Leary is responsible for ensuring Accumold has personnel with the right talent, skills, and expertise to use the technology necessary to measure these very very small parts. 

“Our parts are so small,” says O’Leary, “that we have to use robotics and machine magnification just to handle the parts.”

With a degree in engineering and an MBA, he said the skills he uses every day to help QA and Production personnel include blueprint reading, measurement interpretation, statistics, and mathematics. Personnel who measure parts need to have good computer skills, math skills, and blueprint reading. In addition, they must be able to communicate technical data to engineers and manufacturing personnel.

* 4 *

Logan Halsrud, Machinist

Logan Halsrud loves his job! He was an Accumold Scholar in high school and at DMACC. He makes molds so technologically advanced that they’re used in the medical field and can withstand 1-million cycles of use. They’re also reparable and replaceable.

“What I make is fine and detail-oriented for high-tolerance work,” said Halsrud.

Today, he creates molds and then tests them to ensure they can be maintained. He’s contributed to products used to help heart and glaucoma patients. 

* 5 *

Craig Tappe, Sales Engineer

For 12 years, Craig Tappe worked in Accumold’s tool and die program. He came into the company as a 2012 Accumold Scholar. He’s since gone on to work as a Sales Engineer.

He said that being an Accumold Scholar was “a great way to get school paid for and gain experience, learning all about your future job. It set me up for a great career.”

* 6 *

Meaghan Kandt, Human Resources, has been with the company about a year. She travels to many career fairs and industry events.

Already, she can tell what sets the company apart from others: “Accumold does a great job of opening up to the community.”



Proof that, if you sprinkle a micron of community good, it comes back to you in buckets.

Each year, Accumold hosts one or two Iowa STEM Teacher Externs. Grace Swanson, Vice President of Human Capital, notes that it’s a coveted position and often awarded to high school math or science teachers.

We asked her how Accumold has benefited from their Externs. Here’s a list of her top 5 observations on the Teacher Externship Experience:

1. It promotes teacher empathy when learning new things. “Teachers walk in and don’t know the language,” said Swanson, “and it’s just like when students walk into their classroom on the first day of Algebra."
2. Accumold benefits from products externs create. “Our first online job application process was created by a teacher at Ankeny High School,” she said. “We use teachers to train, research, and problem solve.” She also mentioned a physics teacher who did a great job. “When the mold opened, the material would catch. He found out what kept it from being successful, and we were able to fix it.”
3. Employees feel like they make a difference. “Our staff feels like they can contribute to helping schoolteachers reach more students in more effective ways,” said Swanson.
4. Externs become "fans." Swanson noted: “Teachers go back to their high schools and talk about their Accumold experiences. They say our name all the time, and it sticks with their students. It’s opportunity exposure inside and out."
5. The experience brings more people into the company. “Past externs set up tours for their students all the time. Accumold's goal is to keep students in Iowa!"

Accumold also serves as an industry partner for STEM BEST and participates in Iowa STEM festivals and events.

Who Can Apply

Applications to become a STEM BEST program open on October 7, via the IowaGrants.gov portal. All accredited Iowa public and non-public school districts and buildings serving students in grades K-12, or clusters of schools/districts, are invited.

Requirements

An applicant is required to provide a 2:1 match. If seeking the full $40,000, your required cost-share would be $20,000. The match may be either cash and/or in-kind support and the match may be contributed by the applicant or a community partner. To be eligible as a match, the cash and/or in-kind contribution must be provided during the funding period of the STEM BEST program award.

Examples of Fund Use

Here are 118 ways other Iowa schools have used STEM BEST funds: https://educate.iowa.gov/media/9840/download?inline

Ideas include include:

• Facility upgrades
• Purchase of industry grade equipment
• Acquiring additional space
• Time for program planning with partners
• Travel needs for exploration
• Integrating curriculum into existing courses

Please send questions to Iowa STEM BEST Program Manager Tanya Hunt, at hunt@iowastem.org

In anticipation of STEM BEST applications opening Oct. 7, Iowa's STEM's new Director of Communications, Jan Lockhart, took on some of your frequently asked questions. 

Where do you find the application?

Applications can be found online at IowaGrants.gov or at our web site. All proposals must be submitted through the IowaGrants platform in order to be eligible for review.

Do I need to apply for an IowaGrants account?

Yes! To access IowaGrants you must first establish an account.

*NOTE: An approval process exists and may take up to 2-3 business days for approval before your account is activated.  Please follow the instructions linked here to establish your account. Don’t wait to sign up!

What can I do if I forgot my password and can not access my account in Iowa Grants?

Click on the “Single Sign in Tool” on the IowaGrants web site. Type in your email address and click next. Within the next pop up window there will be a link that you may select that says “forgot password.” Follow the instructions to reset your password.

Can I copy and paste content from another document?

Yes! This is encouraged! Our program applications can be found year round on our website. You may start your application within a collaborative document and then copy and paste into the application within IowaGrants.gov. 

Can I allow others to have access to my application?

Yes! Within the first pop up window after beginning your application you will be asked to title it and also have the option to add additional contacts. This is when you can identify those people you would like to have access to your application. They must have an active IowaGrants account prior to you doing this. This information can always be added later under the general information component.

I cannot submit my application, what is wrong?

The most common error to prohibit submissions is not fully completing all required forms. Each application has a few forms that must be filled out in order to submit. A dashboard called the “application detail” will show the list of required forms. A green check mark will appear when the required forms are 100% complete and ready to submit. 

Can I start an application and come back to it?

Yes, however, you must hit the save button. Even in working within sections of the application, it is best practice to save your work and go back into edit mode.

I started my application already and now cannot find it upon returning?

To find your application, select “Applications” from the side menu after logging into IowaGrants.gov. You should see a list of your applications.

Still have questions?

We're here to help! Email Dr. Sarah Derry at sarah.derry@drake.edu for assistance.

Scale-Up professional development with the Science Center of Iowa's Jolie Pelds (pictured left) is always incredible, but this day was extra special. The teacher attendees were featured during the weather! Thanks to WHO-13 and the Science Center of Iowa for making a great memory!

Pelds, has a phenomenal approach to Iowa STEM Scale-Up training that helps every educator at every experience level to view themselves as an important, capable facilitator of a child's STEM learning journey.

At the last Making STEM Connections, she shared a video to illustrate the importance of creativity in childhood. If you love kids, learning, and neuroscience, then this video might be for you.

All-Southern Iowa STEM Fest

Saturday, October 5, from 10AM-2PM  

Wayne County Fair Grounds Event Center 

(2nd Ave, Corydon, IA, 50060)

With over 30 hands-on activities, live animals, free walking tacos, career engagement, and much more, the All-Southern Iowa STEM Fest has something for curious minds of all ages. The free event is open to the public and will take place on Saturday, October 5, from 10am – 2pm, at the Wayne County Fair Grounds.

Connie Mehrhoff, East Penn Manufacturing Personnel Recruiter, founded the growing festival. Mehrhoff has exhibited at similar events throughout Central Iowa and serves as the coordinator for this one. “People should invest their time in the STEM fest,” said Mehrhoff, “to grow the minds of this community’s future.”

Created through a partnership with East Penn Manufacturing, Corydon Hy-Vee, ByHeart, and the SC STEM Hub, the festival’s target audience includes kindergarten through eighth graders, but there’s something for the whole family to enjoy.

The day features engaging, hands-on activities in science, technology, engineering, and math. “It’s a celebration of the STEM ingenuity that is right under our noses—in our community and just up the road,” said Sarah Derry, SC STEM Hub Manager.

Organizers encourage families to register, to ensure there’s an abundance of supplies and food, but walk-ins are always welcome. The hub serves many of the school districts invited to attend. “There is fun and real-world learning for all,” Derry added, “the young and the young at heart.”

Links & Info

Please follow the links below to register or scan the QR codes featured in the flyer.

·      Exhibit: https://forms.gle/9sSxXpcjZr4sopwi7

·      Attend: https://forms.gle/5LRvthmZoPAoPeXH6

·      Volunteer: https://forms.gle/YugNUnpY3ihrdbeh9

Email questions to Mehrhoff at cmehrhoff@dekabatteries.com. 

Chris Like, Science Program Consultant at the Iowa DOE, partnered with Dr. Sarah Derry the SC STEM Hub to host a Science Educator Learning Day on Oct. 1. Over 100 Central Iowa educators gathered to hear from science enthusiasts and experts from around the area. Thanks to all who attended and presented.

This note is a special thank you to Drake professors and professionals who made time to present during the day via the Drake Science Sampler Tour, breakout sessions, and welcoming remarks. We appreciate your time and talents!

If you missed the Drake event, please consider October 8 at UNI or October 24 at Morningside College. Contact Like to see if space is available.