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 Cover Story
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  Making historyThe first woman and youngest partner of the 104-year-old Des Moines architectural engineering firm of Brooks Borg is a 1986 ME graduate who credits her success to her former teachers. Susan Oltrogge, BSME’86, a Clear Lake, Iowa, native who also has a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Iowa, said she made the decision to take science and math in high school because of teachers who encouraged her into a path of action. “I often think that if my high school math and physics teachers hadn’t cornered me in the hallway one day and insisted I study engineering, it would never have occurred to me.” As an engineering consultant, Oltrogge has designed mechanical systems for the National Swine Research Center at Iowa State and prisons in Newton and Fort Dodge. She has also designed special laboratories that require careful planning of compressed air, vacuum, refrigeration, and pressurization systems. While studying engineering at Iowa State, Oltrogge acknowledges her own tenacity and perseverance that saw her through rigorous training. “I was not the best nor the brightest student in my engineering classes, but an interest in the program and support from faculty, staff, and my classmates kept me on track,” she said. A spokesperson for the field of mechanical engineering, Oltrogge is convinced that “everything you touch every day has been touched by a mechanical engineer.” She feels that the engineering profession as a whole needs to be very vocal about its existence and purpose, if it seeks to reach a wider audience. |
