Gretchen Hein (EF) along with Ryan Knoll, chemical engineering undergraduate student, Nicholas Squires, Lake Linden-Hubbell High School science teacher, and Siona Beaudoin, Beau Hakala and Gabriel Poirier, Lake Linden-Hubbell High School students, presented their eCYBERMISSION project work at the State of Lake Superior Conference held at Michigan Tech October 9-12, 2018.
CALUMET — Members of the Whiz Kids and the Superior Remediators met Monday to complete the next step of their stamp sands experimentation, mixing cement with varying amounts of the gritty material left over from copper processing.
In June, the teams went to a competition in Washington, D.C. Afterward, they stayed a couple extra days, thanks to funding from the Lake Linden-Hubbell School Foundation, Lake Linden Lions Club and the American Legion Post 90 Auxiliary.
“The extra days were really important,” said Gretchen Hein, senior lecturer in the Department of Engineering Fundamentals at Michigan Technological University (MTU), who is advising the teams with help from MTU chemical engineering student Ryan Knoll.
Read more at the Mining Gazette, by Joshua Vissers.
A new use for Stamp Sand?
In recent months the Department of Natural Resources has made attempts at saving that fishing area from the drifting sand, but they have also asked for public input to offer solutions. Three kids have accepted that challenge and are currently testing their theories.
‘Their goal is to make concrete using stamp sand as part of the fine aggregate.’ Said, Gretchen Hein of Michigan Technological University.
Concrete is used worldwide for building just about anything and if the stamp sand can be used in the mix, there are plenty of things that can be made with it.
Read more at ABC 10 News, by Dane Wurmlinger.
Related:
Putting Stamp Sand to Good Use, and Then Some
Vote for the Whiz Kids tonight (Thurs. June 21) by 8:30 pm
Gretchen Hein Honored for Advising eCYBERMISSION National Winning Team
Mary Raber (Pavlis Honors College) and Mary Fraley (EF) presented: “Incorporating Design Thinking into the First-Year Engineering Curriculum” at the 125th Annual American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, June 24 – 27, 2018.
Fraley, Raber and Gretchen Hein (EF) presented: “Work-in-Progress: Entrepreneurial Mindset in First-Year Engineering Courses” at the 10th Annual First Year Engineering Experience (FYEE) Conference at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey, July 24-26 (FYEE 2018).
The work for both papers was supported by the VentureWell Faculty Grants Program, which funds projects to “pioneer new ways to engage students in STEM innovation and entrepreneurship.”
Related:
Jarvie-Eggart and Fiss present at FYEE 2018
Mary Fraley Among the 2018 VentureWell OPEN Conference Presenters
Michelle Jarvie-Eggart (EF) and Laura Fiss (Pavlis Honors College) are presenting the paper “Work-in-Progress: Comparing First Year Student Math and Verbal ACT Scores and Performance in Introductory Engineering and Composition Courses,” at the American Society of Engineering Education’s First Year Engineering Experience conference at Rowan University, New Jersey, July 24-26 (FYEE 2018).
The conference is hosted by the Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering at Rowan University in Glassboro. FYEE is an opportunity for academic and industry representatives to discuss and share relevant topics in the first year engineering experience. Participants include college deans, department chairs, student service professionals, advisors, faculty in engineering and engineering technology, K-12 teachers, and industry leaders from throughout the country.
Norma Veurink (EF) is the principal investigator on a project that has received a $105,975 research and development grant from the University of Cincinnati.
The project is titled “Enhancing Middle School Mathematics Achievement Through Spatial Skills Instruction.”
This is the first year of a potential three-year project totaling $222,847.
Over the fourth week of May 2018, Engineering World Health’s (EWH) team of Michigan Tech students participated in teaching the first high school class ever held at the HUT Outreach center in Les Cayes, Haiti. Haitian students were exposed to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) topics like electronic circuits, forces, and bridges through hands-on learning lessons.
Students in Haiti often drop out of school in the sixth grade, with a diminishing retention rate thereafter. HUT Outreach is trying to break that statistic, and the Michigan Tech team got to be part of changing how these students viewed education.
In a typical Haitian class, the teacher delivers lessons by writing on a blackboard for hours while the students passively take notes. The first activity of their first day of STEM learning involved a health lesson on how germs were spread. The students were asked to stand up and run around the room as part of the learning exercise. They were notably reluctant to participate.
Using persistence and enthusiasm, the Michigan Tech team inspired the learners so much that students would arrive early to get a jumpstart on the fun lessons.
Michigan Tech team member Megan Byrne was recruited and trained as a peer mentor through the newly established first-year engineering LEarning with Academic Partners (LEAP) program. LEAP is implemented by the Department of Engineering Fundamentals, which provided support for the Haiti trip.
I would like to thank you so much for your generous donation to our Haiti trip. We were able to spoil the kids in our program, as well as tell them about why we love engineering and Michigan Tech. Many students told us they would like to be engineers one day, and one student even told us he would like to come to Michigan Tech. Your donation allowed us to bring a smile to so many faces, and inspire passion for education. Giving them MTU gear at the end of the week was an amazing way to wrap up our lessons and give them something to remember the past week by.
EWH inspires, educates and empowers young engineers, scientists and medical professionals from more developed parts of the world to use their engineering skills to improve global health. Michigan Tech is an EWH University Chapter, and Byrne is the vice president of the local chapter. LEAP Leader Megan Byrne had more to say about the experience:
Being a LEAP Leader helped me prepare for my trip to Haiti because I gained so much knowledge in preparing group learning lessons. Our EWH team wanted the students to learn the theory of series and parallel circuits, forces to build bridges, first aid, and how to build water filters. This was a challenge for us because the students had not been exposed to any of these topics or hands-on learning, and they also spoke a different language. Thanks to our Haitian translator, Wesley, and the experience I gained through the LEAP program at Michigan Tech, I had experience with taking a creative twist to difficult lessons to help the students gain understanding of some cool engineering topics in a way that would be impactful to them. As a matter of fact, the lessons we taught in Haiti were very similar to a LEAP sessions that I would facilitate in the Engineering Fundamentals department at Tech. I am grateful for the knowledge I have gained in not only my coursework, but also in facilitation of peer learning through the LEAP Leaders program. Because of my experiences here, I have had the great opportunity to share my education with those students who may have never had the opportunity, had we not been able to go to Haiti. If we even inspired one student to continue their education one day, the whole trip would be worth it. I believe that the key to solving many of the challenges in Haiti starts with education. It’s been incredible to be a small part in that.
After the last day to drop a class (Friday, Week 10), students who have extenuating circumstances must appeal to the Dean of Students office for a Late Drop.
Late drops are NOT given because:
1. You forgot to drop the course, or you were not aware of the policy;
2. You spent too much time on University extracurricular activities;
3. You wish to avoid a poor grade;
4. You are changing your major or transferring to another school; or
5. You do not need the course to graduate.
See the instructions for requesting a Late Drop.
Some students take summer classes at Michigan Tech to replace a grade, to lighten the credits of a future semester(s), or for a great excuse to enjoy the Copper Country summers. Summer 2016 course offerings at Michigan Tech are now available at: www.mtu.edu/registrar/students/registration/prepare.
When you are scheduling, please note that some courses run the full summer semester and some run the first or second half of the semester. The dates the course will run are listed on-line when you register. Keep in mind a half-semester course requires the full amount of work in half the time (i.e., the course is taught at an accelerated pace).
If you do not want to stay at Michigan Tech for the summer, but would like to take courses, there are two other options. You can take Michigan Tech courses on-line, or you can take classes at another college and transfer them back to Michigan Tech (see transfer information below). Before taking a class at another college or university, you should check with the Michigan Tech Transfer Office to be sure that it will transfer as the course you need.
Transfer Information:
If you are going to take classes elsewhere, make sure that the course(s) will transfer to Michigan Tech as the course(s) you need BEFORE you take the class.
1) Check for the course on the Transfer Equivalency System.
2) If the course you want is NOT on the Transfer Credit Equivalency list, you may request to have it evaluated by sending information to the Michigan Tech Transfer Services Office.
-
- Transfer Services Coordinator
- Student Service Center, 130 Admin Bldg
- (906) 487-3323
- transfer@mtu.edu
- http://www.mtu.edu/registrar/students/transfer/
Required Information for Transfer Evaluation
- University or college name
- Course ID and title
- Course Catalog Description
Additional information may be required
- Syllabus including
- Textbook(s) used
- Detailed Description
- Course Outline
3) Transferring:
- a) Register for the course (for other Michigan colleges, use the Guest Application),
- b) Earn a grade of “C” or better (the grade will not transfer, but the credit will), and
- c) Have your official transcripts sent to Michigan Tech.
- Office of Student Records & Registration
- Admin Bldg 130
- 1400 Townsend Avenue
- Houghton, MI 49931-1295
4) Prereqs: If any course you plan to take off campus is a prerequisite for your next semester on campus, you will need to notify Transfer Services (transfer@mtu.edu). They will then enter an IS – in session code which to prevent prerequisite scheduling issues.
5) On-line courses may sound easier since you can approach the class in your own time. Though this is true for some classes, on-line classes also require self-motivation and a time commitment on your part. Before taking the class, check into the course requirements, including internet access, exam proctors, etc.
Michigan Tech – On-line FAQs
6) Other Resources: Michigan Transfer Network – Always double check that the course transfers as your required course by contacting the Transfer Office.
Mary Fraley, Engineering Fundamentals senior lecturer, Mary Raber, Pavlis Honors College assistant dean and Magann Dykema, University Innovation Fellow presented at the 2018 VentureWell OPEN Conference that took place in Austin, Texas, March 22-24.
OPEN gathers together representatives from across the innovation and entrepreneurship spectrum to share stories, start new collaborations, and learn emerging best practices in the rapidly evolving field of technology entrepreneurship education.
Fraley, Raber and Dykema presented on a modified first-year engineering curriculum that was piloted at Tech last fall. Based on the successful outcomes of the initial pilot, Michigan Tech was awarded a VentureWell Faculty Grant for the proposal “Building a Curriculum that Fosters an Innovation & Entrepreneurial (I&E) Mindset for our First-year Students.”
The Innovation Center for Entrepreneurship, Engineering Fundamentals, and the School of Business and Economics (SBE) have teamed up to incorporate design thinking methodology into a combined first-year engineering and business course.
More about how the new grant will be used to expand upon the fall pilot can be found here.
By Pavlis Honors College.
If you are still deciding on a major, there are several items you may want to consider.
1. Meet with an academic advisor before you leave for campus for the summer.
– Biomedical Mr. Mike Labeau (344 M&M, malabeau@mtu.edu)
– BSE & Engineering Undecided Ms. Amy Monte (112C Dillman, efadvise@mtu.edu)
– Civil & Environmental Ms. Julie Ross (103 Dillman, jzross@mtu.edu)
– Chemical Ms. Katie Torrey (202M Chem Sci, cmadvise@mtu.edu)
– Computer Mr. Trever Hassell (131 EERC, tjhassel@mtu.edu)
– Electrical Ms. Judy Donahue (131 EERC, eceadvise@mtu.edu)
– Geological Ms. Kelly McLean (627 DOW, kelly@mtu.edu)
– Materials Dr. Daniel Seguin (U-101 M&M, mseadvise@mtu.edu)
– Mechanical Mr. Ryan Towles (205A MEEM, ratowles@mtu.edu)
2. Take an engineering seminar course Fall 2018 to see if a particular major is right for you. The courses that are offered are listed below.
– Biomedical BE2100
– Chemical CM1000
– Civil CE1000
– Computer EE1111 (Track B, go to 131 for registration waiver)
– Electrical EE1111 (Track B, go to 131 for registration waiver)
– Environmental ENVE1501
– Geological GE1100
– Exploring Majors at Michigan Tech – Sciences and Arts Undecided SA1000
3. Meet with Career Services for career guidance, discuss your MyPlan results, or gain career development strategies.
4. Check out the information about different engineering fields at the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.