Isaiah Kaiser, PhD, is on the brink of some big things.
He built the foundation for them at Stark State College.

“Stark State is where my academic journey began,” he said. “I owe them a lot of thanks.”

Isaiah, who went on to earn a bachelor’s degree and doctorate at The University of Akron, co-founded Auxilium Health (auxiliumhealth.xyz) two years ago. The company is developing next-generation wound care technology that monitors existing wounds and prevents new infections.

Auxilium Health’s technology won this year’s Stark Tank, a competition led by Stark Education Partnership and modeled after the television show Shark Tank. Isaiah and co-founder Aparna Agrawal, PhD, added that $25,000 prize to more than $100,000 dollars they amassed in funding while completing their doctorates.

A decade ago, trying to figure out his career direction, Isaiah and a few close friends decided to attend Stark State.

“I could get my feet wet academically,” he said, “plus there was the affordable cost.” It’s a great place to build a path forward, he said, because “it’s not always clear the direction you want to go right out of high school and placing yourself in an environment that allows you to explore while learning how to focus, organize thoughts and experience college classes is essential. You learn what you want or don’t want to do.

His SSC classes prepared him well, Isaiah said, for seamlessly transferring his associate degree in pre-engineering to UA where he went on to first earn a bachelor’s degree and then his PhD in mechanical engineering with an advanced materials focus.

“The Stark State professors were fantastic,” he said, “and I really enjoyed the more intimate class setting. Fewer students means more time with professors. Building relationships with professors became a priority for me, which truly laid the foundation and changed the trajectory of my academic journey. I learned early that the more effort you put in, the more conversations you have and opportunities you gain and lessons you learn.”

“I remember Dr. Kaiser’s general chemistry class,” said Dr. Amy Jo Sanders, chemistry and physics department coordinator and associate professor of chemistry. “The pre-engineering students in that class were not shy about expressing their true feelings about chemistry. Isaiah, however, had an exuberant approach to chemistry – never complaining, but instead constantly seeking to find a way to make the knowledge his own. The fact that he is an accomplished engineer and entrepreneur comes as no surprise to me as he displayed the required characteristics even as a freshman in college.”

“If you would have asked me when I started at Stark State if I would ever have a PhD, I’d have said, ‘No way,’ Isaiah said. “It was not on my radar. But the professors I developed relationships with encouraged me to push myself and believed in me. After hearing something multiple times, you start to believe it yourself.

“Because at the core of the experience, it was about believing in myself, embracing challenges and setting my goals high. Throughout my journey – whether academics, industry or startup – growth takes preparation, persistence and execution.”