MCE & CIVS Co-Hosted ECUSA Midwest Keynote by NASA Engineer Iker Liceaga-Indart

On October 16, ECUSA Midwest’s keynote speaker Iker Liceaga-Indart spoke with students and staff in the CIVS theater. During his talk he discussed: engineering at mission scale, turning scientific concepts into flight hardware, technical leadership and multidisciplinary collaboration, building an international career in STEM, and the value of higher education, perseverance, and excellence. Iker has had a remarkable professional trajectory, from studying engineering in Spain and completing his master’s thesis at MIT to taking on mechanical engineering leadership roles at NASA. He is a recipient of the 2025 NASA Early Career Achievement Medal and has also been recognized by SHPE and Great Minds in STEM. It was a great opportunity for CIVS and PNW students and faculty to hear directly from Iker, to learn more about his experience and work, and see where an engineering education can lead.

Thank you to Assistant Professor of Practice, Víctor Romero Gómez, for organizing and inviting CIVS and CES students to this excellent event.