Machine Learning Model Aims to Break Cubic Scaling Barrier of Quantum Mechanics

Susanta Ghosh
Susanta Ghosh is co-author on a paper recently published in npj Computational Materials.

Susanta Ghosh, an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, is co-author on a paper titled Electronic structure prediction of multi-million atom systems through uncertainty quantification enabled transfer learning, which was published August 12 in npj Computational Materials.

Ghosh and his then-PhD students Shashank Pathrudkar and Ponkrshnan Thiagarajan collaborated with Shivang Agarwal and Amartya S. Banerjee of UCLA to develop a new machine learning model that aims to break the cubic scaling barrier of quantum mechanics. The findings, detailed in the paper, are a result of research conducted by Ghosh’s group at Michigan Tech and Banerjee’s at UCLA.

Ghosh, who heads the Computational Science and Machine Learning Lab at Michigan Tech, served as faculty advisor for both Thiagarajan and Pathrudkar. Thiagarajan is currently a postdoctoral fellow at John Hopkins University, and Pathrudkar is now a senior engineer at MathWorks.

More information on the research will be featured in the upcoming issue of MAE magazine, the annual publication highlighting notable news and developments in the Michigan Tech College of Engineering’s Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.


About the College of Engineering at Michigan Tech

Michigan Tech’s College of Engineering offers bachelor of science degrees in biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, civil, environmental and geospatial engineering, electrical and computer engineering, engineering fundamentals, geological and mining engineering and sciences, manufacturing and mechanical engineering and technology, materials science and engineering, and mechanical and aerospace engineering

Our engineering graduate degree options include master’s and PhD programs, along with robust online certificate programs for busy professionals.Follow Michigan Tech Engineering on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter for the latest happenings.

From Michigan Tech to Mars: First-Year Engineering Lecture Speaker Ready to Inspire Huskies

Jessica Elwell in front of the Mars Curiosity Rover mockup at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The rover is in the same class as the Mars Perseverance Rover, which carried the experimental device MOXIE aboard to successfully convert carbon dioxide to oxygen.
(All images courtesy Jessica Elwell)

A chemical engineer who almost chose music as a major and went on to work on a project that was named one of Time Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2023 has been selected as speaker for the First Year Engineering Lecture Series. 

Her talk takes place at 6 p.m. Monday, Aug. 26, in Michigan Tech’s Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts.  

Elwell, chief operating officer at OxEon Energy, has built a career in technology and innovation, supported by her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemical engineering from Michigan Tech. 

”I chose to go to a school where I knew no one, and into chemical engineering a bit unprepared—a year-and-a-half prior, I had planned to be a music major,” Elwell says. She knew it would be difficult, but was a strong student in high school and felt confident she could forge ahead. “It was an amazing amount of work, with a tight-knit group of students, and an impressive amount of fun all wrapped up in a single year. And the snow … I remember walking on campus during the first snow and thinking, “It’s October…”

Elwell’s talk, a special event for first-year students, is not open to the public. It’s part of the College of Engineering’s annual series, hosted by Engineering Fundamentals, that gives students an opportunity to hear about many different career paths. Mary Raber, engineering fundamentals chair and professor of practice, said the interaction with some of the most innovative engineering leaders in the nation shows students their potential to impact the world.

Elwell knows the feeling well. 

“I remember sitting in an auditorium seat during the first week of engineering school, somewhere between dream and reality, thinking about all the possibilities that lay ahead,” she says. “Career paths, projects, ways that this degree would make a difference. The room was buzzing. I’m excited to be in that atmosphere again. To—25 years later—have that chance to take a look back at the full path, and feel that excitement in the air!

After earning her bachelor’s in 2002 and her master’s in 2003, Elwell began her career at SC Johnson as a research engineer. But, as she previously related in Stories From Husky Nation on Michigan Tech News, Elwell frequently jumped industries in search of positions that would add to her skill set.

With experience spanning renewable energy, aerospace, defense, and specialty chemicals, Elwell has managed high-profile projects for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), U.S. Department of Defense, and NASA, including the MOXIE system on NASA’s Perseverance Rover, which produced oxygen from Mars’ carbon dioxide and was recognized as one of TIME Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2023

Elwell’s leadership continues to drive OxEon’s growth and innovation, as evidenced by her securing a $36.5 million DOE grant to scale manufacturing for products aimed at decarbonizing industries. 

Holding six patents and numerous publications, Jessica’s influence extends beyond her company through board roles with the United States Hydrogen Alliance, Utah Business, and 47G, while actively supporting small businesses and STEM education in Utah, mentoring young women, and promoting energy equality and diversity.

Asked if she had ever envisioned where she’d be in her career today, Elwell says she always knew she wanted to contribute value to whatever team she was part of. “I don’t think anyone starts their freshman year thinking, ‘I’m going to help lead the first team to make oxygen on Mars.’ I couldn’t have anticipated the opportunities that would come my way, but I was ready to seize them when they did,” she says. “I initially thought I would work in product development, which I did, but I never could have imagined where that journey would lead me.”

About the College of Engineering at Michigan Tech

Michigan Tech’s College of Engineering offers bachelor of science degrees in biomedical engineeringchemical engineeringcivil, environmental and geospatial engineeringelectrical and computer engineeringengineering fundamentalsgeological and mining engineering and sciencesmanufacturing and mechanical engineering and technologymaterials science and engineering, and mechanical and aerospace engineering

Our engineering graduate degree options include master’s and PhD programs, along with robust online certificate programs for busy professionals. Follow Michigan Tech Engineering on FacebookInstagramLinkedIn, and Twitter for the latest happenings.

MTU Excels at 2024 AISC National Steel Bridge Competition

Congratulations to Michigan Technological University’s Steel Bridge Team for an impressive performance at the AISC Steel Bridge Competition!
MTU secured a 9th place overall finish on Saturday, June 1, 2024, at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana.

The Michigan Tech Steel Bridge Team qualified for the national AISC 2024 National Steel Bridge Competition, continuing their legacy of participating in this time-honored, annual competition. 

The competition first began 37 years ago with undergraduate engineering students from just three schools—Lawrence Tech, Michigan Tech, and Wayne State—competing in a parking lot at Lawrence Tech.

This year, hosted by Louisiana Tech University, no less than 47 schools from all over the U.S., Canada, and Mexico traveled to Ruston, Louisiana for the competition. Teams were asked to design and build a steel bridge for a disc golf course located in nearby Lincoln Parish Park. The bridge needed to be able to accommodate players, park employees, and maintenance vehicles. The river the bridge would span was man-made, but for an added cost, teams could install and use temporary barges to facilitate the construction of their bridge. 

As elements of the competition, the bridges are judged in categories, such as construction speed, lightness, aesthetics, stiffness, cost, economy, and efficiency. MTU’s team finished 9th overall and placed 8th in stiffness and 5th in efficiency. 

“It’s a great opportunity for students to learn to work with each other on a complex project,” says civil engineering student Jon Wright, MTU Steel Bridge Team captain. 

“The goal is to design a structure where strength, weight, and cost are all balanced to provide the best outcome. It isn’t enough to simply design a bridge that can support the load placed on it at competition. It must be able to support the load with minimal deflection and with minimal weight while being easy to assemble,” Wright explains. “Anyone can design a bridge that stands. But it takes an engineer to design a bridge that ‘barely’ stands.”

“The MTU team’s independence and initiative are always impressive to me,” adds faculty advisor, Andrew Swartz, associate professor of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering. “They excel in all the types of activities you would expect in a competition like this—design, detailing, fabrication, and construction sequencing. But the team excels at things you may not necessarily think of, as well—like fundraising, recruitment, training, and documentation for future years. The students are the driving force behind the entire enterprise,” Swartz says. “I learn a lot when I travel with them.”

The MTU Steel Bridge Team consistently qualifies for nationals, and typically places in among the top 10 finishers. During COVID, the team even scored a top 5 finish, notes Swartz. “The MTU legacy of educating and producing high-quality engineers is still going strong.”

Multidisciplinary Team Publishes on Self-Disinfecting Coating

ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces cover.

Professors Bruce Lee (BioMed) and Caryn Heldt (ChE/HRI) are co-authors of a new paper published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.

The paper is titled “Utilizing Rapid Hydrogen Peroxide Generation from 6-Hydroxycatechol to Design Moisture-Activated, Self-Disinfecting Coating.”

The paper describes the use of a novel biomimetic coating that could be activated to generate disinfectant when wetted, such as by moisture found in respiratory droplets. This moisture-activated coating was demonstrated to disinfect various strains of bacteria and viruses and can potentially be used as a self-disinfecting coating to limit the spread of various types of infections.

Ph.D. student Fatemeh Razaviamri (biomedical engineering) is the lead author of this paper. Additional co-authors are Sneha Singh ’23 (M.S. Chemical Engineering), postdoctoral researcher James Manuel (BioMed), Ph.D. student Zhongtian Zhang (biomedical engineering) and laboratory technician Lynn M. Manchester (ChE).

Fatemeh Razaviamri, Sneha Singh, James Manuel, Zhongtian Zhang, Lynn M. Manchester, Caryn L. Heldt, and Bruce P. Lee
ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2024, 16, 21, 26998–27010
Publication Date: May 15, 2024
https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.4c00213

MTU Team Competes in NFPA Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge

Earlier this month a team of students from Michigan Technological University won the Judge’s Choice for Design in the 2024 National Fluid Power Association Fluid Vehicle Challenge, a national competition.

Competing with 21 other universities from all over the country, the Michigan Tech team set out to design, build, and test a bicycle powered by pneumatics. This requires an in depth understanding of fluid power, pneumatic fittings, and electronic control systems.

The contest, dubbed “Hydraulics, Meets the Bicycle,” combines human-powered vehicles along with fluid power and consists of three races—sprint, endurance, and efficiency.

Despite not winning any races, this year the MTU team was a design champion for the competition.

Lukas Hensely, Cheyenne Goff, Collin Little, Tate Newlin, and Isaac Steers made up the winning team. All are students in Michigan Tech’s Department of Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology. The fluid-powered bike project also served as their senior design project, required for graduation.

MMET Senior Lecturer David Wanless advised the team. Joe Jackan, Jarp Industries, served as the team mentor. Sponsors this year in addition to NFPA, were Iowa Fluid Power and Jarp Industries.

The competition includes race results, two design reviews, conference participation and a final presentation.

Be sure to check out the team’s NFPA presentation video.

MTU Engineering Students Embrace Meaningful WERC

MTU’s WERC. 4 Team, L to R: Francine Rosinski (graduated), Jenna Cook (senior), Eden Traub (graduated), Nadia Stauffer (senior), Dr. Audra Morse (faculty advisor), Isabel Smith (sophomore), Allison Olson (graduated), and Andrew Wozniak (senior).

Environmental engineering students from Michigan Tech traveled to New Mexico State University to compete in the 34th annual WERC Environmental Design Contest—and took home numerous awards, $4,000 in prize money, plus the opportunity to be published in IEEE Xplore.

All are members of Michigan Tech’s Built World Enterprise (BWE), part of Michigan Tech’s award-winning Enterprise Program.

For Francine Rosinski, it was her third year in a row competing at WERC, with a different sort of project each time. This year, tasked with creating a stormwater management plan for a disadvantaged community, Rosinski and six other students, Jenna Cook, Allison Olson, Isabel Smith, Nadia Stauffer, Eden Traub, and Andrew Wozniak, created a system of bioretention cells and bioswales employing natural clays and biochar to remove chloride pollution from road salts. Their client? The small, snowy community of Dollar Bay, Michigan, that has been experiencing flooding issues for years. 

The WERC Environmental Design Contest was established in 1991 as one facet of a Waste-management Research Consortium (WERC), formed by the U.S. Department of Energy, Sandia National Labs, New Mexico State University, University of New Mexico, and Dine College.

The contest expanded and has continued on for 35 years, inviting undergraduate engineering students from across the country to design solutions for conserving and recycling water, energy, natural resources, and waste. 

The MTU team created a bench-scale model of Dollar Bay, showing where each component of their design would be located.

Each year industry and government agencies propose and sponsor real-world tasks for the contest. The tasks are open-ended, giving teams room for innovation and creativity. 

A total of 18 teams competed for prizes this year, including students from Michigan Tech, California Polytechnic State University, Louisiana State University, New Mexico State University, Northern Arizona University, Ohio University, University of Mississippi, University of Arkansas, University of Idaho, Washington State University, and Washington University. Some universities sent more than one team to take part in the contest. 

MTU’s WERC 4 team

Michigan Tech sent two teams. MTU’s WERC 1 team earned 1st place overall for its green infrastructure stormwater management design, 2nd place for its bench scale demonstration, and received an honorable mention for its business flash talk, basically a quick, 3-minute business pitch. The students dedicated a full academic year to the creation of their green infrastructure stormwater management system for Dollar Bay.

Michigan Tech’s second team, WERC 4, was comprised of all first-year students. The team earned the WERC Judges’ Choice Award for its algal CO2 removal system. 

“My favorite part of this project was connecting with the community–spending time attending town hall meetings, meeting with local engineers, and interviewing countless residents on their struggles dealing with ongoing flooding in the town,” said team member Nadia Stauffer, who will graduate this December.

“The competition also gave us time to watch the solar eclipse,” says Roskinski. She graduated in April and recently began work as a water resources engineer in Grand Rapids.

“As an engineer, you will have to work not only with other engineers but also with the community and many other people,” adds Rosinski. “This is what I think sets us apart from other teams in the WERC competition because we addressed specific needs in the community.” 

Figuring out how to make an innovative stormwater plan was especially challenging, adds Rosinski. “The competition asked for a nature-based design. There are only so many ways to divert runoff using vegetation or natural materials. We chose to remove a specific pollutant, salinity from road salt and found natural materials that could remove it. This also gave us a competitive edge.”

“College can seem overwhelming and scary at times, but Michigan Tech has prepared us well.”

Francine Rosinski ’24, Environmental Engineering

Besides connecting with the community, participation in WERC provides students with the opportunity to present their findings to knowledgeable professional engineers. “WERC judges offer a great deal of support,” notes Rosinski. “We have received compliments from engineers who said our design was innovative. One judge who has served in the competition for over 30 years told us our poster was one of the best he had seen. Another judge said our writing was great. These opportunities for in-person feedback and professional connections are phenomenal and one-of-a-kind.”

At Michigan Tech, Audra Morse, faculty advisor of Built World Enterprise, encourages undergraduate students of all majors to compete in design competitions and solve problems that relate to civil and environmental engineering. BWE also partners with Engineers Without Borders to provide opportunities for students to collaborate all over the world.

“The competition also gave us time to watch the solar eclipse,” said Roskinski.

“At Michigan Tech classes are hard, but they push you to be better and to grow, and most importantly, to think critically,” notes Rosinski. “Taking part in Enterprise and BWE enabled me to use the knowledge gained in my classes. I could apply it to real situations while using critical thinking. At the same time, I was also gaining soft skills—public speaking, leadership, and teamwork.”

Rosinski first joined BWE as a second-year student. “Back then I didn’t think I had the knowledge or skills to compete against seniors at other universities for the WERC competition,” she says. “I will never forget being with my team and hearing them call our name for first place for our bench-scale model, then second place for our task. All of a sudden I realized I really could be an engineer, that I do have what it takes to be successful.”

When Rosinski first joined the Built World Enterprise, it was new on campus and smaller with around 15-20 members. BWE has since doubled in size, with over 40 members. Rosinski spent her senior year serving as BWE president. 

“Leadership roles are about mentoring and pushing your team to be better, and I strived for that,” she says. “I am so proud, and now I am eagerly waiting to see what BWE does in the future!”

Spring 2024 REF Awards Announced

The Vice President for Research Office (VPR) announces the Spring 2024 Research Excellence Fund (REF) award recipients. Congratulations to each of the awardees.

The REF team also wishes to thank the individual REF reviewers and review panelists, as well as the deans and department chairs, for their time spent on this important internal research award process.

The principal investigators of the awarded projects include:

Research Seed Grants:

Jiehong Guo
Jiehong Guo
Yixin Liu
Yixin Liu
Bhisham Sharma
Bhisham Sharma

Chris Middlebrook to Discuss MTU Semiconductor Learning Opportunities as Panelist for UPEDA Meeting

Christopher Middlebrook (ECE) was a panelist at a meeting on May 9 hosted by the Upper Peninsula Economic Development Alliance (UPEDA). The event took place at Northern Michigan University. Distinguished leaders from universities and community colleges in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula discussed innovations in the higher education landscape of the U.P. Panel discussions will explore challenges and collaborative opportunities with the workforce.

Middlebrook, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, will discuss the new semiconductor-focused curriculum and learning paths now being developed at Michigan Tech — both for traditional undergraduate engineering students, and for other individuals interested in short-term, flexible training to jump-start career paths for in-demand job roles in the semiconductor industry in Michigan.

A wide range of students will be eligible to participate in the new semiconductor learning programs at Michigan Tech, including high school students, University students, community college students, job seekers and veterans. Learning will occur online, on campus at Michigan Tech and on-site at industry partner locations. Scholarships, transportation, child care and other wraparound services will be available to support students. Much of the new curriculum will kick off in fall 2024, said Middlebrook, with further details to be announced. To receive updates via email, add your information to the Michigan Tech Electronics Hub sign-up form.

Some opportunities for high school students will be happening this summer through Michigan Tech’s Summer Youth Programs (SYP). The week of July 21-26, students in grades 9-11 can attend NEXT Scholars: Semiconductors, a weeklong exploration offered on campus. Full sponsorship of the cost is available for 12 students for the program. “This will allow students to attend at no cost, which is very exciting and such a wonderful opportunity,” noted Middlebrook.

ECE Professor Chris Middlebrook

In addition, students who take part in two additional SYP sessions, Women in Engineering (June 16-21) and Engineering Scholars (June 23-28), will have opportunities for hands-on semiconductor fabrication activities and field trips to nearby Calumet Electronics.

MTU has received grants totaling $970,000 from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation to support a major expansion of semiconductor education and training programs for workforce development in Michigan. The amount includes $770,000 for the semiconductor curriculum work and $200,000 for the Michigander Scholars Program.

“Our overall goal is to form a talent pipeline to meet Michigan’s increased demand for skilled engineers and technicians in the semiconductor industry, where jobs are projected to grow at least 11% in the next five years,” said Middlebrook.

At Michigan Tech, Middlebrook teaches courses in electrical and computer engineering, with active research in electrical and optical interconnects and platforms. He serves as the faculty advisor for the IPC-Electronics student chapter at Michigan Tech, and directs the Plexus Innovation Center, a professional-grade, electronics-focused makerspace.

Joint ROTC Commissioning Ceremony April 26, 2024

Cadets and officers on stage for the ceremony.

The Air Force and Army ROTC invite you to the Spring 2024 Commissioning Ceremony on Friday (April 26) at 7 p.m. at the Rozsa Center.

This semester, we have 10 Air Force cadets and four Army cadets commissioning. Those commissioning are from the following programs:

Chemical Engineering | Chemistry | Civil Engineering | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering | Environmental Engineering | Mechanical Engineering | Mining Engineering | Molecular Biology

By Air Force and Army ROTC.

SWE Hosts Girl Scout Engineering Days 2024 at MTU and Grand Rapids

NASA Earth Observatory satellite image of the Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin.

Girl Scouts Engineering Day at MTU

On March 9, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) section at Michigan Tech hosted their annual Girl Scouts Engineering Day for over 35 scouts in the Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin.

The Brownies and Daisies “Molded the Future,” using Play-Doh to create robotic gripper designs to pick up unique shapes. The scouts then used a digital scanner to see what their models looked like on a computer and learned about the 3D printing process. This session was led by Shane Oberloier, assistant teaching professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE).

The Juniors and Cadettes participated in sessions sponsored by MTU’s Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors (ACSHF) program and ECE. In one session, the scouts learned about human factors under the guidance of Kelly Steelman, chair and associate professor in the Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences (CLS), while the second session, “FANtastic Controllers,” focused on computer programming, microcontrollers and circuit building. The scouts assembled a circuit that included an Arduino board, a power supply module, a logic chip and a DC motor to create a working fan. Next, they engaged in programming the circuit, gaining insights into the fundamentals of computer science and serial communication.

To make this event successful, Tech students from Blue Marble Security Enterprise and the Open Source Hardware Enterprise volunteered. SWE appreciates the support we received from ACSHF and ECE. Planning has already begun for the 2025 Girl Scout event!

Engineering Days in Niles and Grand Rapids

SWE members Tory Cantrell (mechanical engineering) and Carsyn Boggio (environmental engineering), ECE students Skyler Brawley (computer engineering) and Emily Roth (electrical engineering), and SWENexter Jenna Beaudoin, a Lake Linden-Hubbell High School senior, worked with Girl Scouts and Ring Lardner Middle School students in Niles, Michigan, on April 6. Sophie Owen ’22 (B.S. Electrical Engineering) helped the students construct their circuits.

In Grand Rapids, Michigan, Amy (Palmgren) Rokos ’08 (B.S. Computer Engineering) joined us and helped with the event. Lilly, a fourth grader and Junior Girl Scout, commented, “I liked the programing. I had to do math, but it was fun! I’m excited to do more things with my kit at home.” (Every participant not only used components, but was given an Arduino kit to take home.)

SWE sends a huge shoutout to Brawley and Beaudoin, who worked hard to design this integrated outreach activity, and to academic advisor Lauren Huested (ECE), who obtained the funding for this trip through a grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The funds needed to be used on K-12 outreach that would teach students about EE concepts (specifically motors), making the Arduino/motorized fan kit a perfect fit!

Thanks to our vice president for Global Campus and continuing education, David Lawrence, who permitted us to use the grant funding, we were able to pay for the cost of supplies and travel for the events.

SWE also thanks the College of Engineering and the ECE department for their support, along with the CLS department. Outreach events are exciting opportunities for us to interact with future Michigan Tech Huskies!

By Jaclyn Johnson and Gretchen Hein, Advisors, Society of Women Engineers.