Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering News

Category: News

STEM Panel Discussion for the Film: Science Fair

Published
By

Science Fair move posterFor Middle and High School Teachers and Students ~ We hope that you and your students will attend this special event!

FILM TITLE: SCIENCE FAIR (90 min) is the opening film for Michigan Tech’s 41N Film Festival Nov. 1st-4th!

DATE: Thursday, Nov. 1st, 2018

TIME: 7:00-9:00 PM

LOCATION: Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts

DESCRIPTION: This special free screening of the new National Geographic documentary SCIENCE FAIR follows nine high school students from around the world as they prepare for and attend the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). Already hard at work on problems such as the Zika virus and nerve tissue regeneration, these students (and their teachers) offer us an inspiring story about the passion and intelligence of our next generation of STEM researchers. A flyer for the Science Fair film is attached.

PANEL DISCUSSION follows the screening:

Dan Pertile, 5th grade Science Teacher & Science Fair Coordinator, Barkell Elementary,

David Flaspohler, Professor & Director of Undergraduate Studies, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University.

Emily Gochis, Director MiSTEM Network Western UP Region

Joan Chadde, Director, Center for Science & Environmental Outreach and STEM Festival coordinator, Michigan Technological University

Prize drawings for both teachers and students!

For more information about the 2018 41N Film Festival, visit http://41northfilmfest.org.

Science Fair follows nine high school students from around the globe as they navigate rivalries, setbacks and, of course, hormones, on their journey to compete at The International Science and Engineering Fair. As 1,700 of the smartest, quirkiest teens from 78 different countries face off, only one will be named Best in Fair.

Continue Reading →

MDOT Contracts for CTT

Published
By

TAMC website screenshotTim Colling (CEE/CTT) is the principal investigator on a project that has received a $219,311 contract from the Michigan Department of Transportation. Pete Torola (CEE) and Chris Gilbertson (CTT/CEE) are the Co-PIs on the project “2019 Transportation Asset Management Council Education Program Work Plan.” This is a one-year project.

Tim Colling (CEE/CTT) is the principal investigator on a project that has received a $118,203 contract with the Michigan Department of Transportation. Mary Crane (CEE) is the Co-PI on the project, “2019 Transportation Asset Management Council Technical Assistance Activities Program.” This is a one-year project.

By Sponsored Programs.

Continue Reading →

Michigan Transportation Asset Management Council Releases Culvert Pilot Report

Published
By

Two workers are measuring a culvert.

The Center for Technology and Training (CTT), part of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), assisted the Michigan Transportation Asset Management Council (TAMC) with a local road agency culvert data collection pilot funded under House Appropriation Bill 4320 (S-3) which provided $2,000,000 toward the effort of estimating the quantity and condition of local road agency-owned culvert assets in the state.

The CTT worked with the TAMC Bridge Committee to develop a work plan that would establish the number of local road agency-owned culverts in the state, estimate the overall condition of culverts, estimate the cost to replace culvert assets, benchmark agency labor required for establishing a culvert inventory and estimate the agency labor associated with periodic condition evaluation of culverts.

The CTT worked with 49 local road agencies that collected data on nearly 50,000 culverts over a 13-week period. They also provided technical assistance and training on the Roadsoft Culvert Module and a modified Federal Highway Administration Condition Evaluation rating system. The CTT final report was recently submitted to the Governor’s office and is available on the TAMC website.

Read the Report

By the Center for Technology & Training.

Continue Reading →

Brian Barkdoll Demonstrates for Day of Science and Engineering

Published
By

HOUGHTON — Even students growing up with Michigan Technological University in their backyard might not realize what options are available for science courses.

More than 100 Houghton Middle School seventh-graders got a look at ongoing projects at Tech Wednesday as part of the sixth annual Day of Science and Engineering.

Brian Barkdoll, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Tech, showed students a simulated river he is using to study erosion. A pier sits in the middle, representing a bridge support.

Read more at the Mining Gazette, by Garrett Neese.

Brian Barkdoll Demonstrates Brian Barkdoll Demonstrates Brian Barkdoll Demonstrates Brian Barkdoll Demonstrates

 

Continue Reading →

International Senior Design Program Marks 10th Year in Panama

Published
By
International Senior Design students and instructors at the City of Knowledge in Panama City, Panama. From left to right: Anthony Jaksa, Henrique de Melo e Silva, Erin Lau, Jacob Herzog, Christine Wood, Ryan Olsen, Melody Harmon, Daniel Woodall, Nathan Priest, and David Watkins.
International Senior Design students and instructors at the City of Knowledge in Panama City, Panama. From left to right: Anthony Jaksa, Henrique de Melo e Silva, Erin Lau, Jacob Herzog, Christine Wood, Ryan Olsen, Melody Harmon, Daniel Woodall, Nathan Priest, and David Watkins.

The CEE International Senior Design (iDesign) program traveled to Panama again this year to assist indigenous communities with basic infrastructure needs.  Eight students (6 CEE, 2 ME) divided into two teams and traveled to rural sites in western Panama, where they were hosted by Peace Corps Volunteers.  Students met with community members and collected data for their fall semester senior design projects.  One team is designing a pedestrian river crossing, and the other team is designing improvements to community water systems.  The group also visited the Panama Canal and the biodiversity museum in Panama City.

The trip was led by Professor David Watkins with assistance from Research Engineer Henrique (Kiko) de Melo e Silva.  Professor of Practice Mike Drewyor is helping to mentor the design teams in the fall term.

 

The water team poses with community members and their Peace Corps Volunteer host, Micah Koller (center). Micah is a Peace Corps Master’s International student in Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Tech.
The water team poses with community members and their Peace Corps Volunteer host, Micah Koller (center). Micah is a Peace Corps Master’s International student in Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Tech.
Continue Reading →

Kris Mattila Oversees World War I Replica Trench Construction

Published
By

TrenchHOUGHTON — Construction of a replica World War I firing trench began Friday morning on the southeast corner of U.S. 41 and MacInnes Drive on the Michigan Technological University.

The replica trench is part of the centenary WW1&CC commemoration of the U.S. in the Great War, and particularly the Copper Country’s contribution to the war effort, and will be the feature of an exhibit designed to offer the public a glimpse of what life might have been like for the soldiers who lived in them.

Chris Mattila [sic], a civil and civil engineer at Michigan Tech is overseeing construction of the trench, and said he became involved with the project a couple of months ago.

Read more at the Mining Gazette, by Graham Jaehnig.

Related:

Michigan Tech Digs Deep Into World War I History

Continue Reading →

Brian Barkdoll is an IDEAL Scholar

Published
By
IDEAL Scholars
IDEAL Scholars

In early August 2018 Professor Brian Barkdoll attended the Institute for Development of Excellence in Assessment Leadership (IDEAL). The four-day institute is part of professional development available for ABET administrators. It took place at the ABET headquarters.

Some of the IDEAL topics covered involved the evaluation of program educational objectives, development of measurable outcomes, and development of scoring rubrics. Leadership and facilitation skills were emphasized.

Many programs in the College of Engineering are accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of ABET.

Continue Reading →

Zhen Liu on Intelligent Infrastructure

Published
By
Zhen Liu
(Zhen) Leo Liu

HOUGHTON — Technology is quickly changing the world. Soon, self-driving cars and smartphones could be joined by smart infrastructure, if one Michigan Tech professor has anything to say about it.

Zhen Liu, an environmental engineering professor with a focus on geotechnical engineering is currently exploring, and trying to get research funding for, the idea of intelligent infrastructure.

Read more at the Mining Gazette, by Kali Katerberg.

Continue Reading →

Eric Seagren Selected as a Member of the Industry Advisory Board

Published
By
Eric Seagren
Eric Seagren

Eric Seagren (CEE) was recently selected as a member of the Industry Advisory Board for the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Nebraska. The Industry Advisory Board is comprised of professional civil engineers representing the various disciplines in civil engineering, and provides guidance and advice to the department of civil engineering related to the “academic and professional quality” of the civil engineering program at the University of Nebraska.

Continue Reading →