Monday, August 10, 2026
A young man in a red hat, standing on a ladder, smiles at the camera.
Sometimes the students need to climb an extension ladder to reach the stream sensors. "I was like, ‘Just one step at a time, one rung at a time.’ But it’s secure, and we make sure that they’re safe,” Branum says. 

A summer job at IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering requires energy, dedication, a strong work ethic, and sometimes, the ability to cope with nature’s creepier aspects.

After rising before dawn, Caden Branum and his co-worker, Brody Vogel, drove for hours through a hot, steamy Iowa summer day to maintain one of the Iowa Flood Center’s hydrologic weather stations, often referred to as hydrostations. The hydrostations are part of the IFC’s hydrologic monitoring network, which includes 75 sites statewide, with more on the way. The IFC’s goal is to have at least one station in each of Iowa’s 99 counties.

The hydrostations collect data on wind speed and direction, rainfall, soil moisture and temperature, and groundwater levels. This real-time information is useful to farmers, researchers, and agencies, and it’s available to all online through the Iowa Flood Information System (IFIS).

That Stings!

As summer employees at IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering, the two undergraduates are visiting the IFC’s hydrostations and stream sensors all over the state to make repairs and update components.

But this time, Branum and Vogel got a surprise when they opened the box — a seething mass of ants.

“They were unfortunately stinging ants, and they were crawling everywhere and stinging the heck out of us!” Branum says. 

They didn’t have anything with them to get rid of the ants, so Branum and Vogel did what they could, surveyed the site, and made plans to return later. They came back another day with a leaf blower to blow out the ants, their larvae, and the dirt they left behind. “Then we sprayed the edges of the box with the ant deterrent and sealed the box with putty so they can’t get back in,” Branum says. 

Thousands of ants crawl around a box full of electronic components
Ants have invaded the box containing this hydrostation’s electronic components. Not only do the ants sting, they also destroy electronics, so Branum and Vogel had to clear them out and secure the box.

Whether it’s ants, mice, 11-hour days, 100+ degree heat indexes, flat tires, or something else, Branum takes it all in stride. He’s working with Jim Niemeier, IIHR’s electronics shop manager, in the lab as well as in the field, learning about how the sensors and hydrostations work, how to maintain them, and what can go wrong.

“Ants really love electronics,” Niemeier says. And what they love, they destroy, so he says it’s important to critter-proof the boxes that house the electronic components.

Mind Blown

Branum, who will be a third-year student at Grinnell College in the fall, discovered IIHR when one of his Grinnell classes visited the institute on a field trip. Even though he grew up in Decorah, Iowa, Branum had never heard of IIHR before the tour.

“I looked at the IIHR website, and I was like, ‘Whoa, this is really cool!’” he says.

IIHR employees Brandon Barquist and Bob Everhart showed the visiting Grinnell students some of IIHR’s research facilities and projects, including the wave basin and a large physical model.

“It was even more phenomenal than I thought,” Branum says. “I got to see this massive scale model that they were building. I was just like, mind blown!”

Branum already knew he wanted to study engineering. Seeing IIHR only amped up his enthusiasm.

Thanks to the AP credits Branum racked up in high school, he will graduate from Grinnell College a year early in spring 2027. After that, he plans to attend graduate school and study electrical engineering. 

“It seems to be what makes sense for me,” Branum says. 

Making Connections

Branum came to his summer job at IIHR with a strategy in mind. “I was thinking, if it goes well, I will already know some people and have connections with professors.” 

That’s exactly what has happened, and he’s also gained lots of experience in fieldwork and electronics. 

“I’m meeting great people that are doing interesting research. It’s just so captivating,” Branum says. “It’s in all different areas as well. And I just find it so interesting.” 

He adds, “Iowa’s pretty much at the top of my list for grad school now.”

A young man in a life preserver stands in a river, holding a large piece of metal and an old tire that he pulled out of the stream
In July, Branum joined in IIHR’s participation in Project AWARE, a canoe-based river cleanup effort. “It was super fun," he says. He appreciated the opportunity to give back to the community as well. “I feel like a lot of people are here to help people and help keep the environment healthy.”

The Future is Bright

Branum chose electrical engineering because he wants to work in renewable and sustainable energy generation. He’s excited for the future and the opportunities waiting for him.

And Branum’s summer at IIHR has only added to his anticipation.

“It’s going amazingly well,” he says. “I love what we’re doing.”