Marcus Tatum, a PhD candidate in the University of Iowa School of Engineering, and founder of FX Systems, Inc., was one of three $5,000 winners of the 2022 Pappajohn Student Entrepreneurial Venture Competition held remotely in late April.

FX Systems has created and validated a surgical simulator that has been developed with a team of orthopedic surgeons, PhD students, and professors. It addresses a need to move early orthopedic surgeon training into the classroom instead of it occurring on live, vulnerable patients.

Tatum, who is a graduate research assistant in industrial engineering, earned a bachelor’s degree for the University of Iowa in engineering in 2017 and a master’s of science degree in 2019.

Other winners were Noman Ikram from the University of Northern Iowa, founder of Zemira, and Ray Schmidt from Iowa State University, founder of Farm Story Meats. 

The University of Iowa continued its success at the Pappajohn Student Entrepreneurial Venture Competition. Last year, University of Iowa ventures Optic Origin and Hawkeye Surgical Lighting were winners.