Category: Student Organizations

Houghton-based startup wins ‘Most Investable Company’ at Demo Days in Detroit

The start up company Integrated Molecular Innovations (imi) has been awarded the People’s Choice Award and judged the Most Investable Company at a Demo Days competition in Detroit this month.

Owned by Michigan Tech biomedical engineering major Rourke Sylvain, imi is a biosensing venture that empowers individuals to take control of their health through innovative, non-invasive, and continuous monitoring technology.

Sylvain is active in the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization (CEO), a student organization supported by the MTU College of Business. In recent CEO-affiliated pitch competitions, including the Rice Business Plan Competition and Central Michigan University’s New Venture Challenge, imi was awarded thousands of dollars.

Laura Sieders Named Edward and Betty Robinson Endowed Faculty Fellow in Accounting

The Office of the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs has announced that College of Business faculty member Laura Sieders (COB) has been named the Edward ’66 and Betty Robinson Endowed Faculty Fellow in Accounting, which was created to attract, reward and retain highly talented faculty who focus on growing the College of Business’ accounting program.

Sieders serves as director of the MS in Accounting program and co-teaches the Applied Portfolio Management Program. Her teaching philosophy contains elements that provide experiential education, mutual respect and progressive expectations. To assure that her students are prepared for success in their courses and in their careers, Sieders serves on the external engagement committee and is the advisor to the Kappa Sigma Iota (KSI) Accounting Club, which aligns very well with her student-centric philosophy. Outside of campus, she serves as the accounting advisor for two local nonprofits.

Huskies Place First, Second in THEProject Competition

by Roger Woods, College of Business

Students in OSM4350 Advanced Project Management, led by Roger Woods (COB), participated in the 12th annual Western Michigan Project Management Institute (WMPMI) collegiate project management competition — known as THEProject — where they took home first and second place.

The teams gave their final presentations Monday (April 8) in Hudsonville, Michigan.

The Project, Team Name:  Anchor Management
Photo credit: THEProject
Team Name: Anchor Management
Photo Left to Right: Travis Puesel, WMPMI THEProject Director with MTU Students: Easton Armstrong, Meredith Raaslo, Jacob Maurer, Blake Lewis, William Zinser, Alexander Bos

Students on the winning teams include:

  • First-Place Team — Anchor Management:
    Jacob Maurer (team lead), Blake Lewis, Easton Armstrong, Alex Bos, Will Zinser and Meredith Raasio
  • Second-Place Team — Lake Superior Salute:
    Gregory Lapetina (team lead), Connor Zavislak, Ethan Kennedy, Maggie Gallup, Ashley Haen and Simon Karnoe
THEProject Team Lake Superior Salute
Photo credit: THEProject
Team: Lake Superior Salute

A Kalamazoo Success Story for MTU’s DECA Chapter 

by Dylan Dunneback

Earlier this month, 11 members of the Michigan Tech Collegiate DECA chapter attended the State Career Development Conference in Kalamazoo, MI, to compete in three different types of events: individual, team, and prepared business plans. In addition to the competitions, the MTU DECA Chapter also made tie blankets for charity. 

DECA students holding awards.

Below are the students who participated, as well as the events in which they placed: 

  • Jaylen Body (Marketing & Management): Finalist, Hotel & Lodging
  • Veronica Frystak (Marketing & OSM): 2nd place, Fashion Merchandising and Marketing
  • Dylan Dunneback (Marketing): 1st place, Restaurant and Food Service Management
  • Allyana Grochowski (General Business): Finalist, Human Resources Management
  • Zach Hooper (MIS & Engineering Management): Finalist, Entrepreneurship Operations
  • Sammy Perrone (Marketing): Finalist, Fashion Merchandising Marketing
  • Ethan Semenchuks (Engineering Management): 3rd place, Sales Management and Leadership
  • Gavin Walters (Engineering Management): Finalist, Marketing Management
  • Joe Anthony (Electrical Engineering)
  • Wilson Yax (Finance)
  • Isaac Pilgrim (Finance)

The following teams also placed:

  • Joe Anthony and Gavin Waters placed 3rd in their team event, Business to Business Marketing
  • Dylan Dunneback and Allyana Grochowski placed 2nd in their prepared business plan event, Digital Marketing Strategies
  • Jaylen Body and Veronica Frystak placed 2nd in their team event, Entertainment Marketing
  • Zach Hooper and Sammy Perrone placed 3rd in their team event, Marketing Communications.

Jaylen, Veronica, Dylan, Allyana, Zach, Sammy, Ethan, Gavi, and Joe all qualified for the International Career Development Conference in April 2024 in Texas. 

Career Success in Economics: Q&A with Jerrid Burdue

Photo of four people including Jerrid Burdue, Debbie Stabenow, Dean Johnson, Emanual Oliveira
During Jerrid’s tenure at Michigan Tech, he had a chance to present to policymakers in Washington about ideas for the future of retirement. From L to R: Jerrid Burdue, Senator (MI) Debbie Stabenow, Dean Johnson, Emanual Oliveira

Niles, Michigan, native Jerrid Burdue, a 2017 Michigan Tech economics graduate, shares about his outside-of-class involvement instilled confidence to secure a rewarding full-time position.

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