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Shawn Badanjek, Engineering Management & MIS, Wins Big at Lear Open Innovation Challenge with other Michigan Tech Students

Published February 26, 2018

Five Michigan Tech students competed in the Lear Open Innovation Challenge 2018, and four brought home awards.

Michigan Technological University students Shawn Badanjek, Mayank Bagaria, Anurag Kamal, Cameron Philo and Arvind Ravindran completed this year’s challenge, and Badanjek [student in the School of Business and Economics] was a member of the team that won the grand prize.

Lear Corporation, based in Detroit, is a leading automotive supplier that hosts the annual challenge to build connections with the state’s universities and tap new sources of innovative ideas.

“Detroit is the birthplace of the automobile, and, leveraging this proud legacy and manufacturing expertise, its industries are poised to be ground zero for the development of tomorrow’s mobility solutions,” the Lear Open Innovation Challenge website explains.

The challenge is conducted by the Innovatrium, a consulting firm founded to help organizations build the internal capacity to innovate and grow.

This year’s Lear Challenge had 57 participants from six universities: Michigan Tech, Michigan State University, Wayne State University, the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, the University of Michigan-Dearborn and the University of Detroit-Mercy.

The Lear Open Innovation Challenge presents a problem to interdisciplinary teams of university students. This year, the challenge involved increasing vehicle occupant safety. Two weeks later, the teams meet in Detroit to present their solutions.

The competition is designed to teach an innovative mindset, prepare students to create ideas for the future of mobility and vehicle connectivity, work with innovation coaches and Lear technology development experts and learn how to develop solutions that advance technology and manufacturing. While in Detroit, the student teams get a tour of Lear’s headquarters and a chance to network with top companies in the Detroit area and faculty from Michigan Tech, Michigan State, Wayne State, the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and University of Michigan-Dearborn.

Grand Prize Winner

Five Michigan Tech students completed the challenge and four received awards. One, Shawn Badanjek, was a member of the team that won the Grand Prize. A senior in engineering management [and management information systems], he will receive an internship with Lear for the summer, where he will work with his team to develop a prototype of their idea. He will also receive $250 cash prize, a Haworth Fern chair (customized personally for him) and a set of Detroit Tigers tickets.

Lear Open Innovation Challenge grand-prize-winning team: (from left) Michigan Tech student **Shawn Badanjek**, Janelle Newman, Shivam Bajaj, Nicole Goldi and Adrian Maloy.

Badanjek has high praise for the competition mentors. “I believe the guidance and mentoring I received from these people was priceless,” he says. “I learned more about high-level team building and interaction in two weeks than in any semester-long class I have ever taken. This is something you learn that will be with you and help you navigate team interactions for life.”

Two other students, Cameron Philo—a Pavlis Honors College student—and Mayank Bagaria, were on a team that won an award for the most innovative idea. They will each receive a $250 cash prize.

“We approached the problem from a very different perspective, not as a conventional mechanical engineer would design, but as a biomedical engineer would design,” says Bagaria, a graduate student in mechanical engineering. “Working on the team was an awesome experience; diverse universities with people from different majors provided a very different perspective to the solution. The whole experience made me realize my strength and areas I need to work on. Michigan Tech helped us throughout the process. It would not have been possible to go and compete in Detroit without Michigan Tech.”

Michigan Technological University is a public research university, home to more than 7,000 students from 60 countries around the world. Founded in 1885, the University offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, and social sciences. Our beautiful campus in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula overlooks the Keweenaw Waterway and is just a few miles from Lake Superior.

Dean’s Teaching Showcase: Jeff Wall

Published February 9, 2018

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Our third Deans’ Teaching Showcase member for spring 2018 comes from Dean Johnson in the School of Business and Economics (SBE). Johnson has selected Jeff Wall, assistant professor. During his brief time at Tech, Wall has already been recognized as the SBE Teacher of the Year Award and with membership in the Academy of Teaching Excellence. Johnson credits Wall’s teaching success to his “humble, demure and genuine passion for students combined with a deep knowledge of his field.”

In his nomination, Johnson also emphasized Wall’s flexibility: “From the freshman intro course to the advanced graduate MBA and Master of Data Science course, Jeff has the ability to effectively teach a wide range of topics and class levels. Jeff consistently receives high teaching evaluations and positive comments from students across this spectrum. I believe this is due to Jeff’s ability to make each student an active valuable member of the class.”

When asked how he helps students feel included, Wall emphasizes using projects and a need for a “safe” environment to enable learning. He elaborates, “In the classroom, I seek to foster an environment of mutual respect and to create an environment where it is okay to experiment and make mistakes. During experiential learning sessions, student teams are asked to present their work to the class for critique. Students see that all of the teams make mistakes. These sessions help to reinforce the idea that making mistakes is an important part of the learning process. From these sessions, students see what common mistakes may occur in practice and how to avoid or remedy them in the future.”

Wall will be recognized at an end-of-term luncheon with 11 other showcase members, and is now eligible for one of three new teaching awards to be given by the William G. Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning this summer recognizing introductory or large class teaching, innovative or outside the classroom teaching methods, or work in curriculum and assessment.

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-by Michael Meyer, Director, William G. Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning

Accounting Club Helps Houghton Elementary School

Published February 5, 2018

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Academics

This is the second year Kappa Sigma Iota (SBE’s accounting club) has been helping with the Houghton Elementary School Econo Receipts program. Twice a year, students compile receipts from Econo Foods. The receipts are collected through the thoughtful families and friends of the school district, and the receipts are submitted back to Econo in exchange for a donation to the elementary school. Econo Foods generously donates 1% of all the submitted receipts back to the school.

Amanda Massaway from the Board of Education in Houghton says, “It’s been extremely helpful to have the KSI students assistance, they have totaled over $200,000 of receipts over the last year which returned $2,000 to the school.”

Pictured below are two students from the accounting club – Tres Green and Anna Kubek who helped add up receipts this winter.

Ron and Linda Staley Establish New Engineering Management Scholarship

Published December 14, 2017

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The School of Business and Economics is pleased to announce that Ron & Linda Staley have established a new engineering management scholarship for incoming students. This endowed scholarship will recognize an outstanding first-year student in the engineering management major.

2017 has been a big year for Ron’s involvement with the School of Business and Economics. He was inducted into the Academy of Business which recognizes outstanding leaders in business and civic affairs, as well as those who have contributed significantly to the growth and development of the School of Business and Economics. He also joined our new Engineering and Supply Chain Management Industry Advisory Board.

Ronald Staley Final Crop -20170611 Staley has been with The Christman Company for 33 years and is currently leading the reestablishment of a new construction management and general contracting office in the City of Detroit. He founded Christman’s Historic Preservation Group in 1992 providing construction services for high profile national historic landmarks across the US and foreign countries. Ron earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (Industrial Management) and Associate of Applied Science in Civil Engineering Technology from Michigan Technological University. He is on the Board of Directors of The Christman Company and multiple non-profit boards and honored as a Fellow in the Association for Preservation Technology International and Honorary Affiliate of the Michigan Chapter American Institute of Architects.

Ron and Linda live in Brighton, Michigan and have two married children and two grandchildren.

“We are so fortunate to have alumni who are dedicated to giving back to the School of Business and Economics both financially and with gifts of time and expertise.” – Dr. Dean Johnson, Dean of the School of Business and Economics

Accounting Club Visits Appleton

Published November 3, 2017

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On October 26 and 27, Kappa Sigma Iota (SKI accounting club) visited Appleton, Wisconsin to experience some diverse businesses in actions.

Their visits began in Iron Mountain at CCI Systems with a plant tour and a meeting with their Shared Service team (accounting, AR, AP, Payroll, Business Analysts, Technical Communication, Compliance, and Risk Management).

Next, they set off Schenck CPA Firm where they met with staff from Tax, Audit, and Advisory services. Here students were able to talk with the individual staff from each department.

On Friday, students got a plant tour at Kohler and had the opportunity to meet with accounting staff before having lunch in the Kohler village. Last but certainly not least, KSI toured Lambeau Field where they took a tour of the Green Bay Packers’ stadium and business operations.

Before heading home, the club went to The Escape Room for a team building activity.

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KSI is already beginning to prepare for their Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program (VITA) which will take place in February. Through this initiative students in the accounting club assist community members and area students with completing tax returns.

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