Governor appoints RTP Director Lautala to Commission: Pasi Lautala, director of the Rail Transportation Program (RTP) and assistant professor in civil and environmental engineering (CEE), was recently appointed by Governor Rick Snyder to the Commission for Logistics and Supply Chain Collaboration. The newly formed seven-member commission is housed within the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and expected to work with MI local, state and regional governments and the Canadian government regarding supply chain issues such as economic development, trade and commerce, transportation, and industrial affairs.
Ali Catik, president, Civil East Operations, Tutor Perini Corp, NY, and a 1976 Michigan Tech graduate presented the Civil Engineering Graduate Seminar entitled: “Civil and Environmental Engineering Mega Projects in Big Cities” on Friday, Sept. 27, in Dow 642. Watch the seminar presentation on Michigan Tech Engineering Channel on Vimeo
The staff of the Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI) in Ann Arbor was on campus on Friday, Sept. 20, to conduct a poster session in the Dow Atrium (sixth-floor campus entrance). MTRI scientists and engineers were also available to discuss projects, collaborations with Michigan Tech departments and staff, and areas of research interest. The session is intended to outline the institute’s current activities and to explore opportunities to develop new working relationships.
MTRI, a research center of Michigan Technological University, is a recognized leader in the research, development and practical application of sensor and information technology to solve critical problems in national security, protecting and evaluating critical infrastructure, bioinformatics, earth sciences and environmental processes.
Frank C. Townsend, PhD., P.E., a 1962 graduate of Michigan Tech, delivered a Civil Engineering Graduate Seminar entitled “Panama Canal: Construction and Expansion” on September 26, 2013, on Dow 641.
View the seminar on the Civil & Environmental Engineering Channel on Vimeo
Dr. Kuilin Zhang, an assistant professor of transportation systems in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) and the newest faculty member as the University’s Strategic Faculty Hiring Initiatives (SFHI) in future transportation systems, will chair a panel session on the “Impact of Electric Vehicles Charging on Energy and Transportation Systems” in the 3rd Great Lakes Symposium on Smart Grid and The New Energy Economy (www.greatlakessymposium.net), September 22 to 25, 2013, Chicago, IL. The Symposium is sponsored by the IEEE Power & Energy Society and will feature keynote and plenary sessions, technical presentations, and tutorials by international experts on smart grid applications. He is on the technical committee of the Symposium. He will present his research work on Modeling Plug-in Electric Vehicle Charging Behavior in an Integrated Activity-Based Demand and Dynamic Network Modeling Framework.
Brian Barkdoll, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at Michigan Technological University, has been named a Fellow of the Environmental Water Resources Institute of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
General Motors Corporation is siupporting the Summer 2013 “Ride the Waves with GM”. This is an educational program that invites Copper Country youth in Grades 4-12 to explore Lake Superior and adjacent waters aboard Michigan Tech’s research vessel, the Agassiz. Explorations are led by a member of Michigan Tech’s Great Lakes Research Center with expertise on the topic, assisted by undergraduate student mentors.
Curious about the world of trains and High Speed Rail? Ready to work in collaboration with others? Ready to learn the basics of HSR to further your knowledge and career? Like the idea of participating from the comfort of your home or office?
Associate Professor Yue Li (CEE) has been awarded the Fulbright-VTT Grant in Science, Technology and Innovation to conduct research in Finland for the duration of six months during 2013–14. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is the largest multidisciplinary research organization in Northern Europe. Li will conduct research on structural design for improving earthquake performance of nuclear power plants at the VTT in Espoo, Finland.
This time last year, the finishing touches were just being put on Michigan Technological University’s Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC). Researchers were starting to move in, and plans were being made for a mid-summer building dedication.
What a difference a year makes. Now celebrating its first anniversary, the GLRC is fast becoming the go-to source for data about the Great Lakes and the home of pioneering investigations into solutions to the challenges facing them.
“This is a unique, amazing place,” says Guy Meadows, director of the GLRC. Meadows came to Michigan Tech from the University of Michigan to lead the Great Lakes research efforts here. “Scientists from all across the basin have their eyes on us. The future of Great Lakes research is based right here.”
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