Coby-Dillon English, Author at College of Engineering Blog

Michigan Tech SWE Students Travel to World’s Largest Conference for Women in Engineering

Published November 12, 2025

Dean Michelle Scherer and 22 Michigan Tech students and alumni pose together at an event as part of WE25. The group is wearing name tags and conference lanyards and business casual attire. — Michigan Tech SWE student members, alumni, and College of Engineering Dean Michelle Scherer, far right, gather at WE25, the Society of Women Engineers’ annual conference.

Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is celebrating 75 years of providing a robust network of advocates for any and all looking to support women engineers and their unique place and voice within the engineering and technology industry. At Michigan Tech, our award-winning SWE section is going above and beyond to help members connect with peers and industry around the world.

This October, Tech’s SWE section traveled with 17 students to WE25, the organization’s national conference in New Orleans, Louisiana. The annual conference is the world’s largest gathering dedicated to forwarding the progress of women in engineering and technology.

Head of the Pack: A Conversation with Associate Deans Amy Landis and Audra Morse

Published September 30, 2025

By Coby-Dillon English

From left, Audra Morse and Amy Landis pose at a desk in the College of Engineering Dean’s Office. Morse wears a charcoal blazer, black turtleneck sweater, and jeans and Landis wears a gray blazer and dress. — Associate Deans Audra Morse, left, and Amy Landis support the College’s mission as new members of its administrative leadership.

When Dean Michelle Scherer arrived at Michigan Tech’s College of Engineering at the start of the 2024-2025 academic year, she brought with her a new vision of engineering education excellence. Known for its hands-on, practical approach, the College of Engineering under her leadership would train collaborative and imaginative engineers from all backgrounds to develop, test, and build real solutions to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

This summer, Dean Scherer welcomed two new associate deans to the College’s administration who will work closely with her to deliver on that vision of world-class education, research, and leaders

College of Engineering Welcomes New Faculty Members

Published September 11, 2025

By Coby-Dillon English

16 new faculty and staff gather for a group portrait in the lobby of the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts. All wear the same black t-shirt that reads “MTUengineering” and stand in front of large windows. — New members of the College’s faculty and staff were welcomed to Michigan Tech prior to the start of the school year at a get-together in Tech’s Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts.

The Michigan Tech College of Engineering welcomes 13 new faculty members across six departments for the 2025-2026 academic year. These new researchers and educators bring a wealth of experience and expertise in fields including computational fluid dynamics, autonomous machines and vehicles, artificial intelligence, freshwater management, and more.

“Tomorrow needs every engineer and we need thoughtful, dedicated faculty to educate and inspire them,” said Michelle Scherer, dean of the College of Engineering. “I am thrilled to welcome this phenomenally talented group to help train the next generation of Husky engineers. Exciting things are ahead!”

Engineering Expectations: Professor and CEO Brad King to Deliver First-Year Engineering Lecture

Published September 4, 2025

By Coby-Dillon English

Brad King poses in a blue button-up shirt in front of a tall server. — Brad King has been launching rockets and careers from the Keweenaw since 2000. Now, he’s going back to basics as this year’s First Year Engineering Lecture series speaker.

Sometimes, it is as easy as rocket science. That’s been the focus of L. Brad King’s career since the beginning—and the Richard and Elizabeth Henes Endowed Professor of Space Systems with the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering is going back to basics as this year’s First-Year Engineering Lecture series speaker.

Part of an annual College of Engineering series hosted by the Department of Engineering Fundamentals, King’s lecture, entitled “You’re Good at Math and You Like to Build Things, Now What?,” will cover his expansive career as well as provide practical advice to students on what to expect as they become engineers. This special event, which is exclusively for first-year engineering students, takes place at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 9, in Michigan Tech’s Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts.

Astro-Huskies Take to the Moon in NASA Lunabotics Challenge

Published August 18, 2025

By Coby-Dillon English

10 members of MTU’s Astro-Huskies traveled to Florida to compete in the 2025 NASA Lunabotics Challenge, including Asher Zeyl, Connor Eddy, Joshua Prall-Stankewitz, Kade Nielsen, Katherine Rauscher, Ben Christians, John Dagg, Braeden Moore, Drew Knutson, Tanner McLean and faculty advisor Paul van Susante. (Photo courtesy of Astro-Huskies)

Michigan Tech students have a long history of shooting for the moon—and some Huskies get very close. This May, Multiplanetary INovation Enterprise’s (MINE) Astro-Huskies team placed fourth in the 16th annual NASA Lunabotics Challenge. Developed to highlight NASA’s systems engineering principles, the annual challenge tasks student organizations from universities around the country to design, build, and test a prototype off-world construction robot.

Student groups spend a full academic year working on their prototype while meeting technical milestones and submitting materials to NASA ahead of the qualifying rounds at the University of Central Florida. The top ten teams from qualifying rounds go on to compete in the finals at the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

Amy Landis Named College of Engineering Associate Dean of Graduate and Online Education

Published July 28, 2025

By Coby-Dillon English

Aerial photo of Michigan Tech’s main campus and Keweenaw Waterway during a sunset. — The College of Engineering has appointed an associate dean of graduate and online education. Amy E. Landis begins her duties August 4.

Amy E. Landis has been named associate dean of graduate and online education of the College of Engineering at Michigan Technological University, effective August 4.

Amy Landis joins Michigan Tech’s College of Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines, where she was a professor of civil and environmental engineering and Presidential Faculty Fellow. (Photo courtesy of Amy Landis)

Landis brings 18 years of expertise in academic programming and educational excellence to this new role in the College. Prior to joining Tech, Landis had been a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the Colorado School of Mines since 2017. There, she served as the Presidential Faculty Fellow for Diversity, Inclusion, and Access and raised over $3.45 million for programming and scholarships. Landis, who holds a visiting professorship at the Santo Domingo Institute of Technology in the Dominican Republic, previously served as director of the Institute of Sustainability at Clemson University where she was the Thomas F. Hash ’69 Endowed Chair in Sustainable Development.

“The heart and soul of innovative research at Tech is our graduate students and I am thrilled Amy Landis is joining us in this new position focused on preparing our students for successful careers in industry, academia and the public sector,” said Michelle Scherer, dean of the College of Engineering. “Amy has dedicated her career to providing opportunities and research experiences for engineering students across the globe.”

Wayne Weaver Named Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Chair

Published June 21, 2025

By Coby-Dillon English

MTU clocktower with green grass and blooming flowers in front on a sunny day. — Wayne Weaver, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering, has been named the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering chair.

Wayne W. Weaver has been named chair of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at Michigan Tech’s College of Engineering, effective July 1. Weaver will lead the ECE department, which supports more than 600 undergraduate students and 100 graduate students, for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Wayne Weaver is an MAE professor and associate chair and director of graduate studies. He will serve as the ECE chair for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Weaver, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering and an ECE-affiliated faculty member, spent more than 11 years serving in his primary appointment with the ECE department as the associate chair and director of graduate studies for the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE). Weaver teaches courses on topics of propulsion systems for hybrid electric vehicles and linear systems theory and design.

“Wayne brings a strong background of leadership in research and education. I’m looking forward to working with him and ECE to lead the way in these exciting times of energy transition and digital acceleration,” said Michelle Scherer, dean of the College of Engineering.

Weaver received his BS in electrical engineering and BS in mechanical engineering from Kettering University, then known as the GMI Engineering & Management Institute. He went on to receive his MS and PhD in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Prior to joining Michigan Tech in 2007, Weaver worked as a research and design engineer at Caterpillar Inc., and as a research engineer for the US Army Corp of Engineers at the Engineering Research Development Center and Construction Engineering Research Lab. Weaver’s research interests include power electronics, microgrids, energy conversion, electrified propulsion systems and non-linear and optimal control. He also currently serves as the associate editor for IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems.

Patrick Pinhero Named Department of Chemical Engineering Chair

Published June 19, 2025

By Coby-Dillon English

-STEM Building exterior during a sunset with green grass and trees on campus. — Patrick Pinhero, former professor of chemical engineering at the University of Missouri, has been named chair of Michigan Tech’s Department of Chemical Engineering.

Patrick Pinhero has been named chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering at Michigan Tech’s College of Engineering, effective July 1.

Pinhero joins us from the Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering at the University of Missouri, where he was a professor of chemical engineering for 18 years. He served as department chair and co-chair, as well as the director of research for the University of Missouri’s nuclear engineering program. He is a leading researcher in understanding how material interfaces control and regulate chemical processes.

“We are so very fortunate to be welcoming Patrick to our Husky pack to lead our Department of Chemical Engineering!” said Michelle Scherer, dean of the College of Engineering. “The department is recognized nationwide for its research and innovative course design and safety practices and I’m thrilled to have someone with Patrick’s track record of administrative and research leadership joining us.”

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

Published June 17, 2025

By Coby-Dillon English

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 department chair.

R. Andrew Swartz has been named 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.

Author: Coby-Dillon English