Alumni Archives | College of Engineering Blog

Multidisciplinary Team Publishes on Self-Disinfecting Coating

Published June 10, 2024

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

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

Published April 18, 2024

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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.

Give Back to the Pack Today!

Published April 10, 2024

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Alumni
News

Learn more and Give Back to the Pack today!

Give Back to the Pack kicks off today at noon and will run until tomorrow (April 11) at noon! For those 24 hours, our entire Michigan Tech community, including alumni, friends, faculty, staff and families, will come together in a collective celebration of philanthropy.

As we embark on this 24-hour giving challenge, we invite you to join us in making a difference. Here’s how you can get involved:

Make a Gift: Visit the Give Back to the Pack website to make a contribution to the area of your choosing and help us reach our goals.
Spread the Word: Share your participation in Give Back to the Pack on social media and encourage your friends, family and colleagues to join the cause.
Engage with Challenges: Explore the various challenges and matches available on the Give Back to the Pack website and consider participating to maximize your impact.

This year, three College of Engineering giving matches are generously offered by our alumni and friends:

For every dollar donated to Chemical Sciences and Engineering Building Renovations, The Herbert H. and Grace A. Dow Foundation will match it, up to $2 million, funding renovations to the Chemical Sciences and Engineering (Chem Sci) Building.

Every 50 donations to the ME-EM department will unlock a $50,000 gift from our anonymous donor, up to $150,000, to support 3D Metal printing experiential learning programs.

SPIE, the international optics and photonics society, will match every contribution to the Optics and Photonics Endowed Scholarship Fund, up to $100,000. Scholarship funds support undergraduate students studying electrical and computer engineering.

Support the people, places and programs that mean the most to you. Here’s how to make a gift within the College of Engineering.

Every gift, regardless of size, contributes to our shared goal of supporting the areas of Michigan Tech that matter most to each of us.

Thank you for supporting Michigan Tech. Together we can make a great impact for our University!

We Need You: Serve as a Judge During Michigan Tech’s 2024 Design Expo

Published January 31, 2024

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Design Expo at Michigan Tech is now in its 24th year. Save the date: Tuesday, April 16, 2024!

Want to support students as they engage in hands-on, discovery-based learning? Volunteer to serve as a distinguished judge at Michigan Tech’s 2024 Design Expo!

More than 1,000 students in Enterprise, Senior Design, and other Student Project teams will showcase their work and compete for awards at the 2024 Design Expo on Tuesday, April 16 from 10 am to 2 pm. The annual event will be held on campus in two locations: the J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library, and the Memorial Union Ballroom.

Sign up here to serve as a Judge
at 2024 Design Expo

Who Should Judge?

Industry Representatives
Community Members
Alumni
MTU Faculty and Staff
Educators

Members of the Open Source Hardware Enterprise team display their projects at Design Expo. Whether a judge or simply a guest, your involvement in Design Expo is greatly valued by our students!

Duties of a Design Expo Judge:

Attend Design Expo for about an hour, sometime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on April 16, 2024, to visit assigned teams.
Review and score assigned team videos via RocketJudge, an online platform prior to the start of Design Expo.
Score 3-5 teams throughout the judging period.

Prior to the event on April 16, judges will gain access to a digital gallery of student-created project videos to preview online. In-person judging on the day of the event usually takes about an hour, depending on the number of volunteers.

Industry Partners and Sponsors

Design Expo 2024 is generously supported by industry and University sponsorship, including over 100 project and program supporters who make a strategic investment in our educational mission at Michigan Tech. The event is hosted by Michigan Tech’s Enterprise Program along with the College of Engineering.

ITC Holdings has served as a Design Expo partner for 12 consecutive years, last year joined by event partners Thompson Surgical Instruments, Aramco, Plexus, OHM Advisors, Altec Inc., and Husky Innovate. For all sponsorship opportunities, contact Len Switzer.

“We thank our industry and government sponsors who have made a strategic investment in our educational mission.”
Nagesh Hatti, Director, The Enterprise Program and Chair, Enterprise Governing Board

Learn all about Design Expo, at mtu.edu/expo

Engineering Alumni Activity Spring 2024

Published January 9, 2024

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Alumni
News

3DPrint.com profiled “construction 3D printing pioneer” Megan Kreiger ’09 ’12 (B.S. Mathematics M.S. Materials Science and Engineering). Kreiger is the portfolio manager of additive construction (AC) and the U.S. Department of Defense’s subject matter expert of AC at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center. At Michigan Tech, she focused on distributed manufacturing, recycling, and consolidating literature on ultra-high-performance concrete.

Psychiatric News reported on a visit by Patricia Tourney (B.S. Civil Engineering) and one sister to the APA Library’s Garfield and Helen W. Tourney Rare Books Room. Tourney’s father’s donation of more than 450 books related to the history of psychiatry formed the core of APA’s rare books collection. Patricia and her sister remember their father as a collector—of everything, but especially books: he had more than 10,000 volumes in his collection.

Clemson News announced Kevin Tomsovic ’82 (B.S. Electrical Engineering) as the new executive director of the Clemson University Restoration Institute, the Duke Energy Endowed Chair in Smart Grid Technology and a professor of electrical and computer engineering. Tomsovic was elected to the National Academy of Engineering and also received numerous awards related to excellence in research, scholarship and creative achievement.

Florida’s Levy County Board of County Commission put out a press release announcing the appointment of Christopher Mills ’84 (B.S. Civil Engineering) to a two-year term on the county’s planning commission. Mills, who is a Florida Professional Engineer and a Licensed General Contractor, performed both engineering and contracting services in the southwest Florida area in his own practice.

North Dakota’s Grand Forks Herald reported on the announcement of Ethan Norstog ’17 (B.S. Chemical Engineering) as the new factory engineer at American Crystal Sugar Company’s factory in Moorhead, Minnesota. The position involves all aspects of assigned factory capital projects.

Penn State News profiled Andrew Barnard ’02 ’04 (B.S. M.S. Mechanical Engineering), director of the Penn State’s graduate program in acoustics. In 2022, Barnard joined the program as director. He now spends his time mentoring faculty, running a research lab with three students, meeting with first-year cohorts and teaches, alongside administrative duties. This is the only degree-granting graduate program for acoustics in the country.

The Portland Beacon reported on the sale of Portland Products, a manufacturer of mechanical assemblies for automotive and heavy truck customers located in Portland, Michigan. One of the new owner-operators is Rick Slater ’03 (B.S. Mechanical Engineering). Slater has experience in small business manufacturing in West Michigan.

WLUC TV6 covered a story on medical student Lindsay Sandell ’21 (B.S. Biomedical Engineering) being awarded a Copper Shores Community Health Foundation Tuition Assistance Scholarship at the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, UP Region Campus. Scholarships are awarded based on criteria including the medical student’s desire to practice in the Upper Peninsula after residency training.

Ran An (Ph.D. Chemical Engineering), assistant professor at the Cullen College of Engineering, is the latest recipient of a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation. His proposal, “Alternating Current Electrophoresis in Spatially Non-Uniform Electric Fields,” was chosen for funding by the NSF. An thanked his Ph.D. advisor Dr. Adrienne Minerick, postdoc mentor Dr. Umut Gurkan, and lab members Yi Yang, Qingrong He, Bowen Xu, and Dr. Cheng Wang.

The Ludington Daily News posted a story about a celebration of Andy Horujko ’42, a Michigan College of Mines engineering alumnus remembered for walking from Anchorage, Alaska, to the southern tip of South America to bring awareness to “the detriments of automotive emissions.” On March 27 the tales of Andy Horujko will be brought to life through a first-person portrayal by Lake County Historical Society president Bruce Micinski.

Sarah Zarzecki ’06 (B.S. Civil Engineering) was interviewed on the STEM Professionals Podcast as part of their Women in Engineering Success Stories series. The episode was titled “Exploring Impactful Engineering Roles (Beyond Traditional STEM Careers).” Zarzecki is a transportation engineer currently serving as the Transportation Design Department Manager and Colorado Transportation Leader at Stanley Consultants.

Jennifer Julien ’12 ’15 (B.S. Civil Engineering, M.S. Environmental Engineering) was profiled by DBusiness as one of three new members of the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association’s board of directors. She left her engineering career to pursue opportunities in real estate with her husband John. Their latest venture, The Vault Hotel, was the renovation of the historic Houghton National Bank Building. It recently made the Conde Nast Traveler’s Top 15 Hotels in the Midwest.

Midland Daily News announced the promotion of Shane Bjorge ’98 (B.S. civil engineering) to city engineer of Midland. Bjorge previously held project management and engineering roles at Dow and Dow Corning. The city engineer is responsible for the design, construction, and oversight of all civil engineering-related projects for the city as well as compliance of private projects.

Industry Today picked up a ThermoAnalytics’ press release about Mark Hepokoski (M.S. Mechanical Engineering and Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics) being appointed chief scientist for physiology and comfort. His graduate work at Michigan Tech involved development of a complex model of the human body and applying machine-learning to thermal simulation and test data.

Gary Street ’62, B.S. Chemical Engineering, was interviewed by The Lode during Winter Carnival. Street invented the first all-nighter statue at Michigan Tech in 1961. He wanted to make the 1961 Carnival something special, since it was the 75th anniversary of the university. Today, the one-night statue build is one of Winter Carnival’s proudest traditions.

School Transportation News reported on Blue Bird Corporation naming Mike Boggess ’91 (B.S. Electrical Engineering) vice president of product development. While vice president of engineering with Proterra, he developed and launched a new EV architecture for transit buses. Before then, Boggess served as Blue Bird’s chief engineer for powertrain, chassis, and electrical systems. Blue Bird Corporation is the leader in electric and low-emission school buses.

Michigan Tech hockey’s fifth-year goaltender Blake Pietila is a candidate for the 2024 Hobey Baker Award, given annually to college hockey’s top player. Pietila is on the ballot for the fourth straight season and was a Top 10 Finalist in 2023. He graduated in the spring with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and is pursuing his MBA.

Michigan Tech football senior defensive lineman Samuel Kinne has been named a recipient of the 2023 Fall GLIAC Commissioner’s Award for the first time in his career. Kinne completed his bachelor’s in chemical engineering last spring, holding a 3.82 GPA, and will be completing his MBA this spring. He was a three-time GLIAC Academic Excellence team member and also was named to the CSC Academic All-District team.

Northern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin’s BusinessNorth reported on Minnesota’s Iron Ore Alliance naming Mike Bakk ’01 (BS Mechanical Engineering) as its new co-chair. The alliance’s mission is providing a unified voice for modern iron mining in the state. Bakk first became a U. S. Steel employee in 1997 and is currently the director of operational readiness at Keetac. He has played a critical role in overseeing Keetac’s DR-grade pellet project.

UPWord quoted Austin Gongos ’18 (B.S. Mechanical Engineering) and Nathan Ackerman ’18 (B.S. Mechanical Engineering) in a story about how they came to found the Hancock-based outdoor gear business Chicken Tramper Ultralight Gear. Gongos and Ackerman met when they were both in a fraternity while studying mechanical engineering at Michigan Technological University in Houghton. At Michigan Tech, the two had always talked about starting a business but weren’t sure what form it would take. The company grew from the two co-founders to nine additional employees and has reached customers through the company’s website and select retailers.

Renata Putzig, a 2015 graduate majoring in electrical engineering and audio production and technology, is a project engineer at Smart Monkeys, Inc. Putzig is part of a team of Tech graduates who have worked on the Sphere at Las Vegas. Specializing in audio-visual control design, implementation and support, Smart Monkeys works with a broad range of venues, from museums to theme parks. The technical consulting firm served as a principal design consultant to the Sphere Entertainment team for the Las Vegas attraction’s control system.

The Times of Northwest Indiana quoted Kendra Lachcik ’23 (B.S. Environmental Engineering) in a story about the Disney on Ice show “Magic in the Stars,” which features Lachcik skating in the role of Luisa Madrigal from “Encanto.” Lachcik has been skating since she was seven years old. Prior to being cast in Disney on Ice she was working for an engineering consulting firm.

Tech Briefs Magazine gave a preview of the upcoming webinar “Noise, Vibration, and Harshness Priorities for EVs,” which has Jeffrey Pruetz ’07 (B.S. Mechanical Engineering) listed as a speaker. Pruetz is a NVH and vehicle integration manager at FEV North America Inc. He is responsible for leading the vehicle integration team including NVH development and testing for battery electric, hybrid, fuel cell, and combustion vehicles in North America.

The 307th Bomb Wing of the U.S. Air Force mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about three new squadron commanders, including Maj. Timothy Pach ’06 (B.S. Civil Engineering), who took command of the 307th Civil Engineer unit. Pach earned his commission through Michigan Tech’s Air Force ROTC program. His career includes multiple deployments and a stint as an assistant civil engineering professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

GlobeNewswire, Yahoo! Finance and MarketScreener mentioned Michigan Tech in press releases about the appointment of Katie Ellet ’96 (B.S. Chemical Engineering) to the board of directors for Gevo Inc. Ellet serves as president, Hydrogen Energy and Mobility for North America at Air Liquide. She has held a wide variety of leadership roles in the chemical and energy fields for the last 27 years.

Winter Carnival 2024: Join us at the College of Engineering Alumni Social

Published January 5, 2024

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Alumni
News

students work on large snow statues at night with snowflakes flying — The next Michigan Tech Winter Carnival will take place February 7-10, 2024

Engineering Alumni Social
Saturday, February 10, from 2–4 pm
The Dog House in Houghton

Will you be in town for Michigan Tech’s Winter Carnival this year? Join us on Saturday, February 10, from 2–4 pm at the Dog House in downtown Houghton, located at 517 Shelden Avenue. We’ll swap stories, share good food, and learn about opportunities to support our people, programs and places. Hope to see you there!

Michigan Tech Students Attend IAAPA Expo in Orlando

Published December 8, 2023

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students wearing expo name badges standing arm in arm, with arcade games in the background — Student members of the Theme Park Engineering Group at Michigan Tech attended the IAAPA Expo in Orlando this past November.

Last month, seven Michigan Tech students left campus in the early hours of the morning on Saturday, November 11th. With travel funding and support from industry leader LAI Games, an award-winning arcade producer, they set off on a 1,500 mile journey to attend the annual International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Expo in Orlando, Florida.

Mechanical engineering students Jason Rogers, Cameron Whiteside, Katie Morin, Julian Arens, Jackson Arens, and Joaquin Sibug, and Materials Science and Engineering student Aaron Boonstra, spent the full week of November 13th-17th attending educational sessions, networking with industry professionals, and exploring the vast trade show floor.

The trade show floor with lots of exhibitor booths — Hundreds of companies were in attendance at this year’s IAAPA Expo.

All are members of the Theme Park Engineering Group (TPEG) at Michigan Tech, which aims to promote the education and appreciation of the themed entertainment industry on campus. The group looks behind the scenes of the industry, in order to get to know the design, engineering, and technology behind some of the world’s most thrilling attractions. TPEG is advised by Kent Cyr, assistant professor in Michigan Tech’s Department of Visual and Performing Arts.

Hundreds of companies representing every facet of the themed entertainment industry demonstrated that nearly every discipline of engineering had opportunities within this exciting industry. From material scientists discussing new compounds for roller coaster wheels, to mechanical engineers in awe at state-of-the-art animatronic figures, every member of the Group found something that inspired them.

Industry leader LAI Games sponsored the group and covered the cost of attendance to the Expo. The global company was founded over 60 years ago, and has its headquarters in The Colony, Texas and Singapore. LAI develops, manufactures, and sells coin and card operated prize merchandising games, as well as ticket redemption, video, and novelty games.

“There truly is something for everyone in this industry,” says Cameron Whiteside, fifth-year mechanical engineering student, and Secretary of TPEG at Michigan Tech. “Whether you’re a mechanical engineering student, or a computer science student, business major, theater technology major, artist, journalist, whatever your discipline—there is absolutely a company that utilizes your skills in themed entertainment.”

Four students stand in front of the IAAPA Expo sign at the entrance. — The IAAPA Expo is an exciting event for all students in the themed entertainment industry!

Several members spent the week speaking directly with company representatives and industry professionals, showcasing the unique set of skills and knowledge only Michigan Tech students can demonstrate. Some students even mentioned possible internship and full-time job opportunities.

In addition to the new professional connections made throughout the week, some students were returning to the Expo, having attended the previous year. They were able to reconvene with contacts they’d made at prior events, catching up on their latest projects and developments—both industry professionals and other students from theme park groups at other universities from around the world.

“In a few short years, these people will be our co-workers,” notes Whiteside. “It’s important to maintain connections with everyone you meet at these events, because you’re bound to run into them again at some point.”

TPEG at Michigan Tech thanks LAI Games. “Without their invaluable support, several members of TPEG would have been unable to attend.”

Several recent graduates, including Ryan Briggs (BS Computer Engineering, ’23), are already actively working on some of the most groundbreaking projects in themed entertainment at TAIT, notes Whiteside.

The students were also able to meet with MTU alumni who have found their way into the industry over the years. Some alumni have been leading the industry for decades, like Korey Kiepert (BS ’97, MS ’99, Mechanical Engineering) who went on to co-found The Gravity Group, LLC.

“Our group started out as a few students looking at videos of new attractions on the other side of the world,” he adds. “Now we have alumni of TPEG working alongside the actual designers of those same rides. It’s honestly pretty amazing. I look forward to seeing what current members can do for the industry in the coming years.”

Whiteside will be graduating in December with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Technical Theater.

“TPEG would like to thank LAI Games for sponsoring the group and covering the cost of attendance to the Expo.

Michigan Tech Professor Adrienne Minerick Inducted to ASEE Hall of Fame

Published December 7, 2023

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Adrienne Minerick, Professor of Chemical Engineering, Michigan Tech

Michigan Tech Professor Adrienne Minerick was recently inducted into the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Hall of Fame, one of its highest honors.

Twenty-two individuals and three teams were inducted in celebration of the Society’s 130th year. The award recognizes engineering and engineering technology education standouts whose work has made a significant impact.

“It is humbling and a huge honor to be listed with so many ‘greats’ who have had such a lasting impact on the engineering education field,” Minerick said. “Many are my heroes and mentors.”

For Minerick, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, the honor recognizes her many efforts to infuse Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Sense of Belonging (DEIS) into all of her leadership roles. She is also a past president of ASEE, and serves as PI and Director of the ADVANCE Initiative at Michigan Tech. ADVANCE, funded by the National Science Foundation, is dedicated to promoting faculty retention, career success, and STEM equity with an emphasis on advancing underrepresented individuals with intersectional identities.

Congratulations to all ASEE 2023 Hall of Fame inductees.

For more than a century, ASEE has been proud to support the engineering educators whose work has modernized society. That includes Jenna Carpenter, the immediate past president of ASEE, and dean of Campbell University School of Engineering. Carpenter was also inducted into the ASEE Hall of Fame alongside Minerick. She also nominated Minerick for the honor.

“Dr. Minerick’s national-level service to and leadership of ASEE and the chemical engineering profession have been outstanding,” she said. “Our hope would be that the work of Dr. Minerick and the other honorees will continue to make a positive impact, and serve as a platform for those coming behind us to reach even greater heights.”

The ASEE Hall of Fame inductees’ areas of influence are broad, with expertise in pedagogy, broadening participation, research, leadership and service, entrepreneurship, and more. Read the full list here.

“It takes a variety of ideas, creativity and experiences to achieve very unique and valuable problem-solving.”
Adrienne Minerick

Minerick first joined ASEE in 2003, as a new faculty member at Mississippi State University.

“Because ASEE provided a support network for my professional growth, I volunteered in many areas and eventually became a delegate to the newly formed ASEE diversity committee,” says Minerick. She progressed to vice chair and then chair of the committee in 2014-2015.

Year of Action

“The committee first petitioned the board to approve, and then hosted ASEE’s Year of Action on Diversity. At the annual conference in 2014, we gave out rainbow ribbons and had footstep decals on display all throughout the conference venue educating attendees on DEIS issues,” Minerick recalls.

The Best DEI Paper was envisioned, approved by the board, and integrated into ASEE practices during the Year of Action, as well.

“Before that time, diversity content and conversations were peripheral to ASEE, but after the Year of Action, DEIS became integrated into nearly every division of ASEE, including a dedicated section on bylaws and programming,” she says.

During her term as ASEE president Minerick says one of her most meaningful and rewarding efforts was helping to promote a next-generation effort—the ASEE Year of Impact on Racial Equity—established by the ASEE Commission on Diversity Equity and Inclusion.

“ASEE is the place where engineering and engineering technology educators plan for the futures our students will encounter,” said Minerick. “It’s extremely important that everyone in the realm of engineering feels valued, heard and included—they’re going to be more productive in generating the highest quality outputs.”

“It takes a variety of ideas, creativity and experiences to achieve very unique and valuable problem-solving. When everyone is valued at the table, end solutions are much more impactful and tied to society than they would be otherwise.”

In addition to this recognition from ASEE, Adrienne was awarded the AES Electrophoresis Society Lifetime Achievement Award in October 2022 and was recently elected Fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (2023).

“Each of us are stewards of our engineering climate,” she adds. “It requires deliberate effort to create an environment where each and every student feels welcome and appreciated for their unique skills and talents, gained from lived experiences.”

Aurora White ’16 Named AISES 2023 Most Promising Engineer

Published October 23, 2023

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by Joan Chadde, Center for Science and Environmental Outreach

Alumna Aurora White has been selected by the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) as the 2023 Most Promising Engineer. White earned her BS in Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Tech in 2016.

The professional award was presented at the 2023 AISES National Conference, held Oct. 19-21 in Spokane, Washington.

White, a torque calibration security engineer for Stellantis, is an active member of the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. She earned her MS in Mechanical Engineering at Oakland University (OU) in Rochester, Michigan.

In her award description, AISES award committee describes White’s many accomplishments: “Aurora White loves hands-on work, whether it’s being in a vehicle as a calibration engineer or building furniture at her mom’s house.

“I am deeply humbled by this honor from AISES,” said White. “Ever since I was a child, I’ve enjoyed building and fixing things, which eventually led to my career choice in engineering. I am also especially passionate about my culture, and I hope my achievements might help inspire younger members of the indigenous community to pursue a future in STEM fields and make the world a better place through their work.”

“It means the world to me when I hear from younger students that I am a role model or someone that they look up to,” said White. “I want to make the 7-year-old me proud that I had big dreams for the future.”

White works for Stellantis N.V., a multinational automotive company and mobility provider that includes Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, and Fiat brands. White has worked in a variety of engineering roles, including instrumentation and diagnostics. She has received numerous awards for leading projects in vehicle testing and analysis. She has earned Design for Six Sigma Green Belt certification, and was selected for a new Stellantis leadership development program in 2022. White now serves on that program’s board, while serving as treasurer for the Indigenous Cultural Opportunity Network, a Stellantis business resource group.”

“I want to inspire our Indigenous youth to show them that all things are possible.”
Aurora White

Aurora White took part in the Lac Vieux Desert powwow in early August.

White grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. “I have been a part of AISES since I was an undergrad at Michigan Tech. I was the AISES Michigan Tech secretary and then president,” wrote White in a LinkedIn post. “AISES has always made me feel like I belong and have a purpose,” she continued. “I have strived to incorporate my culture/traditions into every aspect of my life, whether it is at home or in the workplace.”

As an undergraduate student at Michigan Tech, White was an active member in the Engineering Ambassadors and Women’s Leadership Council. She studied abroad at the Leibniz University Hannover, Germany, and received internships with GE Aviation Mechanical Engineering; the Wind Energy Science, Engineering, and Policy Program at Iowa State University; and Indian Health Services.

She was also active in outreach activities, presenting at Family Engineering events in Baraga, L’Anse and Detroit with coordinator Joan Chadde, and presenting virtually as part of the Michigan Space Grant Consortium grant project “Native American Women in STEM & Natural Resources’ in spring 2020.

Aurora makes earrings to raise funds for missing and murdered native women.

“It means the world to me when I hear from younger students that I am a role model or someone that they look up to,” said White. “I want to make the 7-year-old me proud that I had big dreams for the future.”

White’s future interest is in automotive electrification, while also promoting Indigenous values into design and the workplace.

Watch

2023 AISES Most Promising Engineer Aurora White

Jeana Collins Named First Recipient of Gary Sparrow Endowed Faculty Fellowship

Published October 9, 2023

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Jeana Collins, Gary Sparrow Endowed Faculty Fellow

Jeana L. Collins, an associate teaching professor of chemical engineering at Michigan Technological University, has been named the first recipient of the Gary Sparrow Endowed Faculty Fellowship. Collins is recognized for her exceptional teaching and pedagogy.

A gift of $2 million from Gary Sparrow, a Michigan Tech alumnus and retired chemical engineer, funds the new fellowship and also supports the Chemical Engineering Learning Commons. Sparrow grew up in Orchard Park, New York. He earned his BS in Chemical Engineering at Tech in 1970, and went on to work in chemical processing at several manufacturing companies in Ohio.

“I am honored to be the first recipient of the Gary Sparrow Endowed Faculty Fellowship,” says Collins. “Every interaction I have had with Gary has shown how much he cares about this department and the undergraduate education we provide.”

At Michigan Tech Collins is highly regarded for her student-centric style of teaching. She makes a serious effort to keep the students engaged throughout her lectures.

“Dr. Collins is an indispensable member of the department,” says Michael Mullins, chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering. “She has made a strong, positive impact on the educational experience of our undergraduate students from the moment she set foot in the door.”

As the Gary Sparrow Endowed Faculty Fellow in Chemical Engineering, Collins will provide leadership in education and scholarly activities at Michigan Tech. Those activities include developing new teaching pedagogies, engaging in publications and presentations at national conferences, and embarking on special projects—including writing her first books. The first of those books will be about the capstone senior design sequence, in collaboration with Chemical Engineering Associate Professor Tony Rogers. The second will focus on her computer-aided problem-solving course.

Collins assumed the responsibilities as advisor for Michigan Tech’s AIChE Student Chapter, rejuvenating the Chapter with her engaging style, energy, and enthusiasm.

“Dr. Collins recognizes that laboratory courses must be taught differently,” adds Mullins. “An extra layer of complexity is involved in motivating students while they work on teams, either in the UO Lab, or for a capstone senior design project, and this is an area where Dr. Collins truly excels.”

Collins earned a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota in 2012 and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 2018, advised by Professor Adrienne Minerick.

Collins first started working the department full-time as a chemical engineering lecturer in 2016. She was promoted to the rank of Associate Teaching Professor in July 2021. She was selected as one of the faculty members for the Dean’s Teaching Showcase in spring 2023.

She currently chairs the Department of Chemical Engineering Curriculum Committee, in addition to serving on its Executive, Computer, and Student Awards committees, and both its Chair and Faculty search committees. Collins also serves as advisor for the Michigan Tech Dance Team, and is involved with the Consumer Product Manufacturing student Enterprise team.

Category: Alumni