Minnesota State Mankato Receives 2018 Tekne Award
Minnesota High Tech Association named University one of 16 winners.
Pictured in the photo (left to right) are Tom Norman, dean, University Extended Education; Molly Schaefer, director of industry relations, Integrated Engineering; Jacob Swanson, associate professor, Twin Cities Engineering; Robert Sleezer, assistant professor, Twin Cities Engineering; Aaron Budge, associate dean, College of Science, Engineering &Technology; and Becky Bates, professor and chair of Integrated Engineering.
Mankato, Minn. – Minnesota State University, Mankato was named one of 16 winners of the Minnesota High Tech Association’s 2018 Tekne Awards in the STEM Workforce category at a Nov. 29 awards ceremony at the Minneapolis Convention Center.
For the past two decades, the Tekne Awards have recognized organizations that are Minnesota’s leading-edge innovators in science and technology.
According to a Minnesota High Tech Association news release, the Tekne Award winners “span a wide range of size and business models but share an innovative approach to technology in categories including advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, cybersecurity and community impact, among others.”
Minnesota State Mankato, the only college or university among the 16 winners, was recognized for its Twin Cities Engineering and Iron Range Engineering programs. The programs are part of the Department of Integrated Engineering, which is part of the University’s College of Science, Engineering and Technology.
The Twin Cities Engineering and Iron Range Engineering programs emphasize innovation, creativity, design, experimental techniques, modeling techniques and collaboration, preparing graduates to tackle complex projects and solve difficult problems in the real world.
For more information, contact Jacob Swanson, associate professor, Twin Cities Engineering, by phone at 952-358-9194 or by email at jacob.swanson@mnsu.edu.
More information on the Minnesota High Tech Association is available at www.mhta.org.
“This year’s Tekne Award winners exemplify the diversity and strength of Minnesota’s innovative economy,” said Margaret Anderson Kelliher, president and CEO of the Minnesota High Tech Association, in the news release that announced the winners. “The selected organizations all continuously challenge the status quo of the science and technology industries, and we were proud to honor them in this ceremony.”
Minnesota State Mankato, a comprehensive university with approximately 15,000 students, is part of the Minnesota State system, which includes 30 colleges and seven universities.
