Civil and Environmental Engineering News » Alumni

CEE Alumni Meet in Grand Rapids

ehgroth — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 18:14:20 +0000

Alumni Appreciation Night was held in Grand Rapids. The Civil and Environmental Engineering Department hosted the event which included complimentary appetizers, Keweenaw Brewing Company beer, and pickled eggs as Copper Country treats.
Great gifts and giveaways including a signed Michigan Tech hockey jersey, jackets, hats, and more were there too.
Alumni came out to chat with faculty and students from the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. Also our national award winning concrete canoe and steel bridge – along with senior design projects and more were displayed.

See Flyer here

Retirement Gathering for Neil Hutzler

ehgroth — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:46:22 +0000

Retirement Gathering for Neil Hutzler
The civil and environmental engineering department invited the campus community to a retirement reception for Professor Neil Hutzler on Wednesday, May 16, in the Great Lakes Research Center. Hutzler has retired after 35 years of service.
As Professor Neil Hutzlerwas looking to retirement, he was ensuring that a new generation would become inspired to consider engineering as a career. Hutzler is co-author of the recently published Family Engineering Activity & Event Planning Guide (2011) and co-director of the Family Engineering Program. Hutzler, and collaborator Joan Chadde, have been busy conducting training workshops and promoting the program nationwide.
Find out more in this university news story about Dr. Hutzler’s recent work in Family Engineering
Family Engineering Inspires Students (and Mom and Dad)

Finding Engineering in Everyday Activities

Construction Career Days

ehgroth — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:11:37 +0000

Staff from the Center for Technology and Training (CTT), a part of the Michigan Tech Transportation Institute (MTTI), joined several other construction industry professionals from across Michigan to coordinate the fifth annual Michigan Construction Career Days event in Howell last week.
CTT staff who assisted were Training Coordinator John Ryynanen, Research Engineer Christopher Gilbertson and Technical Writers Shaughn Kern and Trevor Kuehl.
Construction Career Days attracted more than 1,500 students and teachers from across Lower Michigan. The event is designed to show young people the wide variety of careers available in the construction industry–at all levels of education and experience.
Ryynanen serves on the Construction Career Days Advisory Committee.
For more information about Career Days, see Construction.

John Ryynanen, training coordinator with the Center for Technology and Training in the Michigan Tech Transportation Institute, is quoted in the Livingston Daily article “Event Gives Students Some Experience in Construction,” about the fifth annual Michigan Construction Career Days, held May 9 in Howell Township. The event introduces secondary school students to education and employment opportunities in construction and the skilled trades.

Environmental Engineering Pioneer C. Robert Baillod Passes Away

ehgroth — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 19:38:39 +0000

Charles Robert “Bob” Baillod, a pioneer in the field of environmental engineering, passed away Thursday, April 12, at his home in Pointe Mills Estate in the presence of his family.

Tech people at Michigan Bridge Workshop and Conference

ehgroth — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 20:09:29 +0000

The Center for Technology and Training (CTT), a part of the Michigan Tech Transportation Institute (MTTI), hosted the Michigan Bridge Workshop and Conference in Howell, March 20 and 21.

The conference brought together more than 160 engineers and engineering technicians from Michigan County Road Commissions, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), the Federal Highway Administration, and private firms to learn about bridge design, construction, inspection, funding, and administrative issues related to bridges and new bridge technology.

Research Engineer John Kiefer (CTT) planned and managed the two-day event, with assistance from Technical Writer Shaughn Kern (CTT). Assistant Professor Andrew Swartz (CEE) was the conference moderator. Research Engineer Chris Gilbertson (CTT) and Program Manager Brad Wagner ’00 (MDOT) presented an update on the state of practice of Michigan’s bridge load rating program.

Also presenting at the conference were these Michigan Tech alumni:

Dave Juntunen ’86, bridge operations engineer, MDOT
Richard Kathrens ’92, bridge safety inspection engineer, MDOT
Kim Nowack ’85, chief engineer, Mackinac Bridge Authority
Jay Ruohonen ’84, president, BridgeGuard
Amy Trahey ’94, president, Great Lakes Engineering Group

Associate Professor Theresa Ahlborn (CEE) gave a presentation at a reception sponsored by the Alumni Association: “The Mighty Mac: Becoming an ASCE National Historic Landmark.”

For more information on the conference, see Bridge.

Young Professional of the Year Award

ehgroth — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 20:29:02 +0000

Timothy Juidici ’04 (CEE) is the winner of the 2012 American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Young Professional of the Year Award.

The annual award recognizes engineers under the age of 30 for their contributions to the profession and society.

Juidici is currently featured on the website of the National Engineers Week Foundation. See Award.

He is a project manager and client representative for Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment Inc. (OHM), headquartered in Livonia. The firm has an office in Hancock.

Railroad Night 2012

ehgroth — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:44:57 +0000

The Rail Transportation Program (RTP) and the Rail Engineering and Activities Club (REAC) held the 7th Annual Railroad Night, February 21, 2012 at the Shelden Grill in the Magnuson Hotel, Houghton. This year’s keynote speaker was Kevin Kesler, Chief of the Engineer and Operating Practice Division for the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). This was a great opportunirty to meet rail industry people, see photos at the Rail Transportation Program link: Railroad Night 2012 for more information.

CEE Alumni Talk About Engineering Careers

ehgroth — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 18:05:55 +0000

Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Talk About Engineering Careers, presented by two Presidential Council of Alumnae (PCA) members and they will talk about one of their projects:
Kim Nowack, Chief Engineer of the Mackinac Bridge Authority, will give a presentation on an on going project involving in-depth cable inspection of the main cables holding up the bridge.

Michelle Jarvie, Senior Environmental Engineer – Environmental Sustainability & renewaFUEL Operations, Ishpeming, MI, will present an overview of sustainability efforts and programs at Cliffs (and the extractive industry in general).
Dow 642 from 4PM to 5PM, Sept. 15

Mackinac Bridge In-Depth Cable Inspection

ehgroth — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 04:00:26 +0000

• View the seminar video

Kim Nowack: Chief Engineer of the Mackinac Bridge Authority; “Mackinac Bridge in-depth cable inspection”
Kim Nowack is a Michigan Technological University Civil Engineering alumna and member of the Presidential Council of Alumnae; She presented the Civil Engineering Graduate Seminar on Sep 15, 2011

History and Future of Passenger Rail

ehgroth — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 04:00:13 +0000

The program History and Future of Passenger Rail was sponsored by Railroad Engineering Club (REAC) and the Michigan Tech Rail Transportation program. Dr. Bill Sproule, Michigan Tech CEE Department professor “History of Passenger Rail in the Copper Country”; Mr. James McCommons, NMU professor, Marquette, MI, (Author of “Waiting on a Train” ) “Passenger Rail in the US…past, present, and future”, and Mr. Tim Hoeffner, (Administrator: Office of High Speed Rail MDOT), “Future of Passenger Rail in Michigan” He is a 1980 Michigan Tech Civil Engineering graduate.