Cody Mann, Director of Bell Program Operations

My experience as a student engineer in education started at Itasca Community College which is located in a rural area in northern Minnesota. Upon completion of my first two years at a community college, I decided to transfer to Iron Range Engineering to finish my bachelors degree. This was the best decision I ever made as a student engineer as it opened my eyes to the world of engineering beyond my time as a student. Upon graduation, I worked as a chemical engineer for a local paper company. I then joined the education side of engineering by joining Bell in the early developing stages as a faculty member. In parallel to working at Bell, I am also pursuing a masters degree in chemical engineering through the University of Minnesota Duluth.

Research

At Bell, we realize that this model is not for everyone. However, this program is exactly what so many student engineers from across the country are looking for! The only problem is that so many people have never heard about this opportunity before, so they do not even know it exists. I am constantly working at developing new strategies and finding ways to reach more student engineers.

Hobbies

I really enjoy spending time outdoors and spending quality time with my family. I am an avid freshwater angler, multispecies hunter, and also enjoy officiating ice hockey. I am passionate about the small rural communities that I live and spend my time in and enjoy my time as a youth leader at my church.

​Why Bell?

I have witnessed and lived the successes of the Iron Range Engineering model for several years in northern Minnesota. Now that Bell exists, we are capable of providing this brilliant opportunity and sharing this successful engineering model with student engineers from across the entire country. The supportive, collaborative, and inclusive culture at Bell is what drives me to contribute all that I can to this new and innovative program. I strongly believe that this is the future of engineering education, and I am excited to be a part of a team that works with this much greater purpose in mind.