College of Engineering Blog

Andrew Swartz Named Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering Interim Chair

Published June 17, 2025

Aerial photograph of Dow Environmental Sciences and Engineering Building and Electrical Energy Resource Center during a sunset; Keweenaw Waterway in the background. — Andrew Swartz, associate professor of civil, environmental, and geospatial engineering, has been named CEGE interim department chair.

R. Andrew Swartz has been named interim chair of the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering (CEGE) at Michigan Tech’s College of Engineering, effective July 1. Swartz will lead the CEGE department, which supports more than 500 undergraduate students and 100 graduate students, for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Swartz is an associate professor of civil, environmental, and geospatial engineering and currently serves as the CEGE associate chair of curriculum. He teaches courses on topics of steel design, structural timber design, continuous-system modeling, and advanced structural analysis. Swartz is also an affiliated associate professor of electrical and computer engineering. He serves as the faculty advisor for the student chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Student Steel Bridge Competition team.

“Andrew is an expert in developing sensors and computing for structural applications and has been instrumental in creating and delivering curriculum to prepare our students to tackle complex infrastructure challenges,” said Michelle Scherer, dean of the College of Engineering. “Andrew brings a strong background of leadership in structures research and engineering education, and I’m looking forward to working with him and CEGE to continue to lead the way in engineering a better world.”

An MTU alumnus, Swartz earned his BS in civil engineering before going on to receive his MS in civil engineering, MS in electrical engineering: systems, and PhD in civil engineering from the University of Michigan. His research interests include applications of sensors and computing for structural systems including load characterization, structural health monitoring, and structural control for civil infrastructure assets such as buildings, bridges, pipelines, wind turbines, roadways, and railroads.

Audra Morse Named College of Engineering Associate Dean of Academic Affairs

Published June 17, 2025

By Coby-Dillon English

Aerial photograph of Dow Environmental Sciences and Engineering Building and Great Lakes Research Center during a sunset. — Audra Morse, professor of civil, environmental, and geospatial engineering, has been named the College of Engineering’s associate dean of academic affairs.

Audra Morse has been named the associate dean of academic affairs of the College of Engineering at Michigan Technological University, effective July 1.

Morse has served as chair of the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering (CEGE) since 2017 and previously served as interim dean of the College of Engineering for the 2023-2024 academic year. In her role as associate dean, Morse will support undergraduate curriculum, recruitment, and support across the college’s nine departments and further the college’s mission of delivering world-class education, leadership, and research.

The College of Engineering Graduating Class of 2025 Shares a Fond Farewell

Published April 22, 2025

By Coby-Dillon English

A crowd of Michigan Tech graduating students wearing their caps and gowns with the audience in the background. — Over 600 College of Engineering students will participate in this week’s upcoming commencement ceremonies.

More than 600 College of Engineering students will take part in Michigan Technological University commencement ceremonies on Friday and Saturday. While their time on campus is coming to an end, they know they’ll be Huskies forever.

As they prepare for graduation, engineering students are reflecting on their time at Tech, sharing their dreams for the future, and offering advice to the next generation of Huskies.

Hoda Hatoum Selected for Deans’ Teaching Showcase

Published April 14, 2025

By Coby-Dillon English

Awards and Honors

For her student-centric approach to teaching, College of Engineering Dean Michelle Scherer has selected Hoda Hatoum, assistant professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering and assistant affiliated professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, as the final instructor in this year’s Deans’ Teaching Showcase.

Jaclyn Johnson Receives Michigan Distinguished Professor of the Year Award

Published April 11, 2025

By Coby-Dillon English

Jaclyn Johnson works on a piece of imaging equipment — Jaclyn Johnson has been teaching in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering since 2014 and was recently named a Michigan Distinguished Professor of the Year.

Jaclyn Johnson, teaching professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) is one of three recipients of the 2025 Michigan Distinguished Professor of the Year Award. The awards are presented annually by the Michigan Association of State Universities (MASU) to recognize outstanding contributions and dedication to the education of undergraduate students exhibited by the faculty from Michigan’s 15 public universities.

William Endres Selected for Deans’ Teaching Showcase

Published April 1, 2025

By Coby-Dillon English

William “Bill” Endres, the Richard and Elizabeth Henes professor of mechanical engineering, has been selected for the Deans’ Teaching Showcase.

College of Engineering Dean Michelle Scherer has selected William “Bill” Endres, professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE), as the featured instructor in this week’s Deans’ Teaching Showcase.

Endres will be recognized at an end-of-term event with other spring showcase members and is a candidate for the CTL Instructional Award Series.

SWE at Michigan Tech Attends WE Local Conference

Published March 31, 2025

By Coby-Dillon English

Twelve members of SWE at Michigan Tech pose together in front of a SWE backdrop. — At WE Local 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, members of SWE at Michigan Tech received scholarships, presented workshops, and networked with other SWE collegiate members. (All images courtesy Michigan Tech SWE)

Michigan Tech’s section of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) attended their WE Local 2025 conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in mid-March. Through the generous support of their corporate sponsors, SWE at Michigan Tech was able to send 12 students to attend professional development sessions, network with industry professionals and members of other SWE sections, and bond with their fellow Michigan Tech Huskies.

All aboard! Michigan Tech’s Rail Transportation Program is Leading the Way

Published March 12, 2025

By Coby-Dillon English

Railroad tracks curving around a green hill with shrubs on either side. — Michigan Tech’s Rail Transportation Program (RTP) has been a leader in rail education and technology for nearly 20 years.

For over 15 years, Michigan Tech’s Rail Transportation Program (RTP) has been committed to developing tomorrow’s leaders in rail engineering. As part of the Michigan Tech Transportation Institute (MTTI) and Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering (CEGE), RTP has served as a beacon of research, education, and innovation for rail enthusiasts from high school students to expert faculty and everyone in between.

Michigan Tech’s one-of-a-kind program was founded in 2007 by Pasi Lautala, then a recent Michigan Tech doctoral graduate, now long-time faculty member, who serves as director of both RTP and MTTI. Since its inception, the program’s goal has been three-fold: education, research, and outreach.

Michigan Tech’s Clean Snowmobile Team Takes First Place in SAE International Competition

Published March 11, 2025

By Coby-Dillon English

A Michigan Tech-branded snowmobile is driven by an SAE Clean Snowmobile team member in the annual challenge in Eagle River, Wisconsin. — The SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge team took home first place in the sparked ignition snowmobile challenge. (Images courtesy of Michigan Tech Advanced Motorsports Enterprise)

Michigan Tech’s sparked ignition (SI) team took home first place overall as well as first place in the design phase of competition in the SAE International annual Clean Snowmobile Challenge earlier this month. Michigan Tech’s Clean Snowmobile Challenge team entered two sleds in this year’s competition at the World Championship Derby Complex in Eagle River, Wisconsin: one in the SI category and one in the compression ignition diesel utility snowmobile (CI) competition.

The Michigan Tech team came in second in the CI category, which is being phased out. This year’s challenge included 14 teams from the United States and Canada.