Jackrabbit in the Spotlight / York’s early initiative leading to rewards

While many engineering students spend their early college years building foundational skills, Jacob York is already conducting research, leading his own project and helping shape the campus engineering community through his leadership. 

As an incoming junior, his eagerness to pursue opportunities beyond the classroom has set him apart early in his college career.

York’s level of commitment has distinguished him as an impressive student in mechanical engineering. He is contributing to projects with real-world applications while still early in his academic career. These opportunities are allowing him to tackle meaningful engineering challenges and make an impact beyond the classroom.

Having loved science as a child, an advance placement physics class acted as the turning point where York began to consider what his future career would be. Mechanical engineering appealed to him because of its excellent job placement and combination of creativity and physics.

York, a Brookings native, expressed that SDSU was the right fit for many reasons. It allowed him to enroll in a strong engineering program and remain close to his family, all while receiving a cost-effective education. 

“Mechanical engineering is broad,” said York. “I wanted a major that had a lot of opportunities.”

Started doing research by second semester

After graduating high school, York immediately started searching for work more connected to his future career. Eventually, he saw a flyer advertising an undergraduate research opportunity. He reached out to assistant professor Solaiman Tarafder and earned a position in his lab during the spring semester of his freshman year.

The research that York is assisting with focuses on biomaterials that help regenerate damaged bone. Current treatments often require bone grafts, Tarafder’s lab develops collagen scaffolds that encourage stem cells to regrow bone naturally.

“We’re making new biomaterials…to help people heal from defects or injuries,” explained York. “We’re sort of making synthetic, artificial grafts.”

What started with him assisting graduate students progressed to York leading his own project. His individual venture explores whether discarded eggshells could become a sustainable biomaterial for bone regeneration. With promising results, he plans to eventually publish the findings.

Receives Joseph Nelson Award

York’s commitment to research has earned recognition beyond the lab. He was recently awarded the Honors College’s Joseph F. Nelson Undergraduate Research Award, a competitive grant supporting undergraduate scholarship. This provides funding to support his independent research on sustainable biomaterials for bone regeneration.

“The honors college really allowed me to continue doing my research.” York said. “It feels good to be recognized for what I’ve done so far.”

York expressed that all his accomplishments would not have been possible without Tarafder and the graduate students in the lab. He deeply appreciates having people willing to answer his questions and teach him various research skills.

According to Tarafder, York is curious beyond simply completing assignments. He is a critical thinker, constantly asks questions and is deeply invested in understanding the “why” behind issues. He always shows up to the lab motivated, determined and eager to learn regardless of the task in front of him.

“The drive is there…he wants to do it,” said Tarafder. “Sometimes I also get to learn from him.”

Grad school among his options

Outside of the classroom and the lab, York is very involved on campus. He is president of the SDSU chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and is a member of the electric human power vehicle team. 

Additionally, he is interning with Wurth Electronics Midcom in Watertown for a second summer. His involvement helps to build a strong engineering community that promotes networking, professional development and hands-on experience.

York believes failure is essential to becoming an engineer. Throughout his time at SDSU, he has learned to manage his time, prioritize what really matters and view every mistake as a chance to improve. Having learned resilience through research and internships, he encourages students to take advantage of opportunities and to not wait until their experts at something to try it.

“If you’re getting into engineering…just start making stuff,” York said. “The more you build stuff, the more ideas you have.”

Looking ahea,, York is considering graduate school and is interested in continuing research. He has been enjoying the industry, is keeping his options open and is excited to continue learning while still in school. 

As he continues exploring new opportunities, York remains focused on what inspired him to pursue engineering in the first place: staying curious, solving problems and never being afraid to build something new.