Project management is a crucial career skill—and the best way for students to nail it is by doing it themselves. That’s been Teaching Professor Roger Woods’ approach for the past seven years at the helm of a College of Business capstone course that challenges Huskies to take on a real-world scenario and provide solutions in the form of a professional project plan.
Huskies can’t get enough of it. Student feedback ranges from “Hands down the best class I have ever taken at Tech!” to “If you’re considering becoming a management professional, this class will really help you get in- depth knowledge about communication, work ethic, time and team management,” to “It’s a lot of work but it’s worth it!”
The two teams in this year’s OSM 4350 Advanced Project Management course are ready to show the work they put in. They were tasked with developing professional-level plans to transform venerable Keweenaw buildings into an accessible, ADA-compliant mix of retail space and residential housing. They’ll present their proposals next Monday, April 7, in the Memorial Union. Campus and community members are welcome to attend.
What: College of Business Advanced Project Management Final Presentations
When: 5 p.m., Monday, April 7
Where: Memorial Union Alumni Lounge B and C
Virtually attend via Zoom
Woods said the presentation will be particularly helpful for students interested in taking the course, including general engineering, construction management, and engineering management majors as well as business management majors focusing on supply chain operations.
The students taking the senior elective course, which is offered every spring semester, encompass several management degree programs.
Team UPLIFT has taken on the Houghton City Center on Shelden Avenue in downtown Houghton, Michigan, while Historic MixUP is tackling a plan for the Nelson-Schroeder building in Calumet, Michigan, at the corner of Oak and Seventh streets across from Carmelita’s restaurant in Calumet. All of the team members are seniors who will either graduate later this month or celebrating their milestone achievement at Tech’s Mid-year Commencement in December.
UPLIFT members include:
John Zwicky – Engineering Management
Lydia Derks – Engineering Management
Hunter Bilgreen – Engineering Management
Patrick Moeller – Engineering Management and Mechanical Engineering Technology
Skyler Spitzley – Supply Chain and Operations Management
Sophia Goulette – Management
Historic MixUP members include:
Nathan Hebebrand – Engineering Management
Dalin Adler – Engineering Management
Nathan Cima – Engineering Management
Sean Dewey – Supply Chain and Operations Management and Marketing
John Cook – Supply Chain and Operations Management
Hayden Baker – Engineering Management
“If you’re thinking about a career in project management, you should come to this presentation,” says Woods, explaining that Huskies thinking about taking the course will get a strong sense of what it entails.
“This is not a ‘class.’ I just make sure you’re in the box and working as a team,” Woods says. Students work to develop and present their visions for assigned projects within the standards of Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), the industry standard for project management terminology and guidelines.
Expanding the Project Management Education Ecosystem Regionwide
Students aren’t the only Huskies with a vision. Woods has one, too: that in 2026 and moving forward there will be exponentially more college students from around the region—Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and Michigan’s Upper Peninsula—taking part in a larger-scale project management event he’s creating called The College Project Competition (TCPC).
“The College Project Competition will be based on our experience. Working with long-time mentor Gabrielle Haskins, PMP we are building the content, the rubric, the gating process (distinct stages or phases), final presentations, awards, and the process for mentees, mentors, and judges,” said Woods. “We believe that applying the latest and most up-to-date Project Management Institute (PMI©) Standards to the competition formation, establishment, and operation is critical in transferring knowledge and tools essential for existing and future project managers. Gabrielle and I are committed to conducting The College Project Competition in collaboration with PMI©, but we do not want to bind the competition to a single local chapter.”
The event will be similar to what Huskies have previously competed in for more than a decade—THEProject, a competition sponsored by the Western Michigan Chapter of PMI featuring cash prizes and semester-long mentoring from seasoned and certified industry pros. In its 12-year history of competing in the THEProject, Michigan Tech was the only school to have at least one team place each year. After 12 years, Woods thinks it’s time for Huskies and the region to level up, thinking bigger-picture and broadening the opportunity and competition pool while also staying true to PMI standards.
He’s contacted 42 universities in the region to gauge interest, along with seeking corporate sponsors to support PMI student memberships, a competition venue, and cash prizes.
The four-time Michigan Tech College of Business Teacher of the Year Award winner, known for holding open office hours outside with his dogs in nice weather, is committed to expanding project management mentoring and competition opportunities for students long term.
“I find this unique experience to be one of the most impactful classes for the students that participate and hope to keep teaching this well into retirement.” Roger Woods, Teaching Professor, Michigan Tech College of Business
True to his project management expertise, Woods’ timeline calls for TCPC volunteers to be in place by Aug. 31, 2025. If you’re interested in being a mentor, judge, sponsor, or know of a college team that wants to get involved, contact him at rhwoods@mtu.edu.
About the College of Business
The Michigan Tech College of Business prepares tomorrow’s business professionals through STEM-infused, AACSB-accredited degree programs and minors. The college offers nine bachelor of science programs in accounting, business analytics, construction management, economics, engineering management, finance, management, management information systems, and marketing; and four master of science programs in accounting and analytics, applied natural resource economics, engineering management, and the TechMBA®.
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