Trouble in Your Tank: Understanding Interconnect Defects, Part 1
It’s Only Common Sense: Marketing Isn’t Fluff, It’s Ammunition
Driving Innovation: Mechanical and Optical Processes During Rigid-flex Production
Twin Cities Engineering: ‘Student Engineers’
November 14, 2023 |Estimated reading time: 2 minutes
At a recent conference, I met Benjemin Redlin and Joey Stam, student engineers at the Twin Cities Engineering program at Minnesota State. I asked them about their experiences and their perspectives on moving into industry. What struck me was just how practical these two young men were in their thinking, and how practiced they are in their soft skills.
Nolan Johnson: Tell me about something you experienced in this program that was particularly impactful to you.
Benjemin Redlin: I think it’s the opportunities that I've been given. In a big university, you're a number to the professors; they don't know you by name. Here, the professors very much know you by name, so they give you opportunities. One of my professors, Jake Swanson, gave me an internship for particle dispersion in an outdoor environment, related to COVID particles. I did testing over the summer, and then I went to Spain and presented my results at the International Aerosol Conference. I would never have gotten the opportunity, or even really known about aerosols if it hadn’t been for that professor.
Johnson: Presenting your original research at a conference is a really big deal. That will open your world view.
Redlin: Yes, it does.
Johnson: Joey, what was most impactful for you so far?
Joey Stam: This program has helped my confidence. Coming in, I was definitely the engineering stereotype, “Look at your own shoes, don't even look at the other person's shoes.” But Jake Swanson offered me a position designing ventilation systems for buses. Through that, he mentored me into more of a leadership position, helping me gain a skill to lead teams. I've led two teams these past two semesters. The professors know us personally, and figure out how and where to push you to get you to a certain point. Right now, Rob (Sleezer) is telling me to start thinking about my master’s or PhD to get further into the research aspect of engineering. I'm working on a paper with Jake right now, which is super exciting. I talk about my research with my parents all the time, and they just get that glazed look on their faces. I didn't know what I was going to be interested in until I got to do it.
To read this entire conversation, which appeared in the November 2023 issue of SMT007 Magazine, click here.
Share on:
Testimonial
"Our marketing partnership with I-Connect007 is already delivering. Just a day after our press release went live, we received a direct inquiry about our updated products!"
Rachael Temple - AlltematedSuggested Items
Fresh PCB Concepts: Resilience and Renewal in Domestic PCB Manufacturing
10/30/2025 | Team NCAB -- Column: Fresh PCB ConceptsAs veterans of PCB manufacturing, we have spent much of our careers walking factory floors, examining copper circuits under microscopes, and troubleshooting plating lines when they go awry at 2 a.m. We can say with confidence that PCBs are the unsung heroes of modern life. They’re in everything, from toothbrushes and thermostats to satellites and defense systems.
AI Triggers Next Paradigm Shift in PDN
10/23/2025 | Istvan Novak, SamtecArtificial intelligence (AI), together with machine learning (ML), is creating an unprecedented surge of computing and networking infrastructure needs. This, in turn, has dramatically increased the power consumption of computing and networking chips.
The Chemical Connection: Onshoring PCB Production—Daunting but Certainly Possible
10/22/2025 | Don Ball -- Column: The Chemical ConnectionIn the past year, several potential customers, concerned about the impending application of tariffs on incoming goods, have asked us what it would take to bring their circuit board production back to the U.S. While they also had other considerations, the threat of new tariffs was the tipping point that started them thinking about the economic advantages of bringing their manufacturing back onshore. It might be interesting to relate our experiences with two of those inquiries.
Waging the Battle for American PCB Reshoring
10/21/2025 | Marcy LaRont, PCB007 MagazineLegislation is shaping global trade, tariffs, and sustainability and environmental regulations. David Schild of PCBAA discusses exactly where the U.S. stands in its efforts to reshore printed circuit board manufacturing for critical industries. This conversation at PCB West occurred on the first day of the federal government’s shutdown, so it seemed especially timely to hear David's thoughts and insights on how the current political climate is affecting efforts to achieve the U.S. industry’s reshoring goals.
Dutch Government Takes Control of China-Owned Chipmaker Nexperia, Citing Security Concerns
10/14/2025 | I-Connect007 Editorial TeamThe Dutch government has taken control of Chinese-owned chipmaker Nexperia, escalating tensions with Beijing amid intensifying global disputes over semiconductor technology and intellectual property.