Category: Student Spotlight

Business and Technology Merges in Husky Innovate Idea Pitch Competition

The first annual Husky Innovate Idea Pitch Competition took place Wednesday, Oct. 17 in Fisher Hall. The competition was hosted by the Innovation Center for Entrepreneurship, a collaboration between the Pavlis Honors College, the School of Business and Economics, and the Vice President for Research Office.

More than 30 students from various majors and disciplines pitched to a panel of judges comprised of faculty, alumni, and community members. Participants had two minutes to pitch their innovative and disruptive ideas. Alumni from Michigan Tech’s 14 Floors joined the judging panel to offer feedback and expert advice to budding Michigan Tech entrepreneurs.

Two students on stage after presenting in the Husky Innovate Idea Pitch Competition
Students in the School of Business and Economics participate in the Husky Innovate Idea Pitch Competition.

The winners of the 2018 Idea Pitch Competition are:

  • First Place and Audience Choice—Cameron Philo, Electrical Engineering, Pavlis Honors College, Life Pro Jackets
  • Second Place—Gary Tropp, Computer Network and System Administration, A Better Way to Schedule Classes
  •  Third Place—Mayank Bagaria, Mechanical Engineering, Wearable Translator
  • Honorable Mention—Sarah Smyth, Business, Post-op Bra for Breast Cancer Survivors
  • Honorable Mention—Christopher Codere and Joshua Hansen, MBA and Software Engineering, Firearm Detection Technology for Police Officers
  • Honorable Mention—Marina Brusso and Maxx Fredrickson, Marketing/Management and Management, Parking Improvement App

The Idea Pitch Competition is part of Husky Innovate, a series of workshops and competitions that guide students through key phases of business development while emphasizing strategies for success. More information on upcoming Husky Innovate events can be found at mtu.edu/husky-innovate.

Internship Spotlight: Rachel Chard at L’Oreal

Supply Chain and Operations Management major, Rachel Chard ’18, interned with L’Oreal USA this summer. The cosmetics group operates in more than 140 countries, providing hair care, skin care, and makeup through a portfolio of 34 brands including Maybelline, L’Oreal Paris, Urban Decay, and Garnier.
Michigan Tech student Rachel Chard poses in the L'Oreal USA office.
Chard, who will graduate in December 2018, finds professional value in her business education rooted in a STEM university.

Internship Spotlight: Jackson Pundt at Canadian National Railway

Fourth-year management major (supply chain and operations management concentration) Jackson Pundt is interning with the Canadian National Railway this summer. His classes in the Michigan Tech School of Business and Economics help him add value to the company while navigating corporate culture.

Fourth-year Jackson Pundt got on-the-job handMichigan Tech student Jackson Pundt stands at his internship post with Canadian National Railway.
Fourth-year management student Jackson Pundt is getting on-the-job hands-on experience interning with Canadian National Railway.

Graduate Student Spotlight: Creating the Future of Natural Resource Economics in Mining

Josephine Amponsem, a master’s student in Applied Natural Resource Economics in the School of Business and Economics at Michigan Tech, is working alongside Emanuel Oliveira, assistant professor of economics, building a socioeconomic database with more than one million observations on factors impacting entrepreneurship. In addition to collating and cleaning data, Amponsem is using Stata, an econometric software for analyzing huge amounts of economic data.

Amponsem is also gaining hands-on experience working with Latika Gupta, assistant professor of economics, collecting and mapping data on energy efficiency in the steel industry. “We ask ourselves what is the data telling us, and how can it be used to make economic decisions,” Amponsem says.

Michigan Tech graduate student Josephine Amponsem
School of Business and Economics graduate student Josephine Amponsem takes a research break outside the Academic Office Building.