Iowa State University’s Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems (IMSE) dedicated the new Therkildsen Industrial Engineering Building Thursday, thanks to a $42 million gift from C.G. “Turk” and Joyce A. McEwen Therkildsen.
The Therkildsen Industrial Engineering Building, located southwest of Howe Hall, will provide a state-of-the-art facility designed to meet the evolving needs of industrial engineering students and foster innovation in the field.
“This is a very special celebration of Iowa State’s legacy of industrial engineering excellence and the dedication of visionary partners,” Larissa Holtmyer Jones, president and CEO of the Iowa State University Foundation, said. “Days like this are incredibly extraordinary because they allow us to celebrate so many things going right, transformative generosity, partnerships and a very bright future for the students we serve.”
Both alumni, the Therkildsen’s gift reflects their commitment to advancing engineering education and providing future generations of students with the tools and resources they need to succeed.
“In the early years, industrial engineering didn’t have a home, it was scattered,” Turk Therkildsen said. “Joyce and I felt strongly that the department needed a dedicated space, and that when the conversation began.”
The Therkildsens’ story began at Iowa State, where their first date was a Coca-Cola at the Memorial Union. Turk pursued a degree in industrial engineering, while Joyce studied zoology.
The Therkildsens’ contribution to Iowa State is expected to leave a long-lasting legacy, helping Iowa State remain at the forefront of engineering education.
“Today we celebrate the completion of the Therkildsen Industrial Engineering Building, but even more, we celebrate the people who made this outstanding facility possible and those who will benefit from it for generations to come,” President Wendy Wintersteen said.
Dean of Engineering Samuel Easterling highlighted how the new facility embodies the mission of industrial engineers: to improve processes that help people.
“From advanced manufacturing labs to classrooms built for team-based learning, students will get hands-on experiences that prepare them to solve real-world problems,” Easterling said. “This building is already raising the national profile of our industrial engineering program and redefining how our students learn and work.”
The ceremony included remarks from senior industrial engineering student Allison Hubbell, who spoke passionately about the building’s impact from a student’s perspective.
“I didn’t choose industrial engineering just for the job prospects,” Hubbell said. “I choose this department for its mentorship, research opportunities and curriculum that develops not only engineers, but leaders.”
This marks a significant milestone for Iowa State, as the IMSE department will have its first-ever dedicated space.
The building will feature nearly 80,000 square feet of advanced labs and learning spaces, including an advanced manufacturing lab, a human factors and ergonomics teaching lab and a data-intensive engineering analysis and visualization lab.
Additional spaces include capstone design labs, collaboration spaces and a 120-seat team-based learning auditorium, offering a flexible environment for students, faculty and industry professionals to work together.
The building’s design emphasizes community-building and collaboration, creating a central hub for the department. The architectural team, led by the Des Moines firm BNIM, focused on ensuring the space would not only be functional but also conductive to interaction and engagement.
Apart from the large donations from the Therkildsens, the building includes donor-funded spaces, including the following:
- Sukup Advanced Manufacturing Laboratory
- Speer Family Capstone Design Lab
- Harold Cowles and Wayne Moore Collaboration Space
- Wayne and Jill Flory Capstone Team Rooms
- Ms. Onyeo Lee, Krista A. Briley and Michael D. Renze Huddle Room
- Frank and Mary Reynolds Kitchenette
- Spark Student Advising Center
- Frank and Mary Reynolds Operations Research and Analytics Teaming Room
“This building represents a new era of excellence and national prominence for Iowa State’s Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering,” Wintersteen said. “Turk and Joyce, because of your generosity, future generations of Cyclones will have life-changing educational opportunities.”
