Lucas
Kautzky

I'm a sophomore mechanical engineering student at Iowa State. I'm on the Formula SAE team, where I'm currently in charge of the switch plate design. Outside of that, I spend a lot of my free time taking apart anything mechanical just to figure out how it works — and I've been playing guitar since 2017.

I'm a member of Iowa State's SAE Formula Team, where I work on the powertrain subsystem. I've designed switch plates, researched rules-compliant components, and previously worked as a junior cooling engineer, helping route cooling systems through the car's chassis. Formula has given me a chance to take what I'm learning in classes and apply it to an actual car.

A lot of what I enjoy about engineering carries into my personal projects too. I'm currently building a night-vision helmet with an integrated IR camera and display, and 3D printing has been a hobby for years — my projects have ranged from replacement parts for antique tractors to full-scale Halo armor. I like projects that make me learn something new, whether that's electronics, CAD, or fabrication.

Outside of engineering, I've played guitar since 2017 and have performed in concert series with rotating bands for audiences of more than 250 people.

My long-term goal is to work in aerospace propulsion, specifically jet engines. I've always been fascinated by the amount of thermodynamics, materials science, and precision engineering required to make a turbine work, and that's the kind of engineering challenge I want to build my career around.