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Student Innovation Center

About the Student Innovation Center

Headshot of Jim Oliver.

It’s not just a building, it’s a bold experiment to change the face of education. This is mostly shared space for students from any college or major – and that never happens in higher education.

Jim Oliver, Student Innovation Center Director and Pithan Executive Director of Innovation

For the Mindset of Tomorrow’s Innovators

The Student Innovation Center is a hands-on hub for Iowa State students of all programs and majors. This collaborative facility provides a unique, state-of-the-art space for students to exercise their innovative and entrepreneurial muscles — to design, fabricate, test, and demonstrate ideas for everything from culinary to lunar to digital gaming to vehicles. The facility, which opened its doors in fall 2020, also includes exhibit space, print and supplies shops, a student-run cafe, office space for student organizations, and a plethora of wireless access points.

Image of a building partner presenting during a team meeting.

Building Partners

The Student Innovation Center is home to a diverse group of programs, departments, and student organizations that bring innovation to life. Our building partners offer hands-on learning, mentorship, and creative opportunities that help students grow and collaborate across disciplines.

Have Questions or Want to Collaborate?

We’re here to help. Reach out to connect with our team and explore what’s possible at the Student Innovation Center.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Items found in the Student Innovation Center should be brought to the Admin Office (Room 2130).
    • Please provide the date and location where the item was found in the building.
    • Valuable items (rings, watches, credit cards, etc) will be held in a secure location, and Central Stores will be notified when we are temporarily holding valuable items.
  • Items turned in to the Admin Office (Room 2130) will be retained for 14 days, and after that period, will be forwarded to Central Stores (192 General Services).
    • Central Stores will retain forwarded items for an additional 90 days. Valuable items, such as rings, watches, tablets, and phones, will be held for 12 months.
    • Contact Central Stores:
  • Student ID cards turned in to the Admin Office (Room 2130) will be retained for 14 days, and after that period, will be forwarded to the ISUCard Office (0530 Beardshear Hall).

Each room has a thermostat which the tenant can set the heating/cooling temperature from 70⁰F to 76⁰F. To see where the temperature is currently set at see the upper-righthand corner of the thermostat. To adjust the set temperature, you would press the up or down arrows to your desired temperature (may take a few tries, the screens can be sensitive). Then your new set temperature should appear in the upper-righthand corner. 

To open the shade/blinds you would press the open button. By pressing the open button, it will open the shades fully unless you hit one of the arrows (located under the close button) at a certain point of where you want the shades to be. Additionally, the arrow buttons allow you to adjust the shades up and down to get the desired shade or light that you are wanting. To close the blinds fully (similar to opening) you would press the close button.

If you notice an issue in your room for example, a window shade is not working properly, or you have a leak in the ceiling. Please call the SICTR Admin Office (room 2130) at 515-294-2649 or email the the Business Manager (Mike Rich, rich83@iastate.edu) notifying the issues so a service maintenance request can be submitted to fix the issue in a timely manner.

Fish tanks are not allowed in spaces due to leakage into an electrical outlet or through the room below causing concerning maintenance issues and disruption of meeting spaces or other tenant spaces. If unsure you can have item in a space please contact us.

Recent News

Catch up on the latest stories, student successes, and innovation highlights happening at the Student Innovation Center.