Awards and Honors Archives

MTU Alumna Teresa Karjala Elected to the National Academy of Engineering

Published March 9, 2026

Black Michigan Technological University sign that reads “Chemical Sciences and Engineering Building” surrounded by yellow daffodils in bloom. — Chemical engineering alumna Teresa Karjala ’87 has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering.

Teresa Plumley Karjala ’87, a Michigan Tech chemical engineering alumna, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), one of the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer. Karjala is recognized for her leadership in the field of polyolefin production development, production, and commercialization. The NAE Class of 2026 will be formally inducted at the NAE Annual Meeting this fall.

“Being elected to the National Academy of Engineering is a great honor, and I am truly humbled to be elected to such an esteemed organization,” said Karjala. “This recognition reflects not only my individual contributions but also the collective efforts of the teams, collaborators, and mentors I’ve had the privilege to work with throughout my career.”

Portrait of Teresa Karjala wearing a white shirt, black jacket, and black and silver necklace. — After receiving her BS in chemical engineering from Michigan Tech in 1987, Teresa Karjala earned her PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware in 1992 and began her career at Dow.

Karjala is a Senior R&D Fellow in the Packaging and Specialty Plastics division of the Dow Chemical Company. She graduated from Michigan Tech in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering and received her doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Delaware in 1992.

MTU’s College of Engineering Presents Pathway to PhD Awards to Strengthen Doctoral Pipeline

Published January 5, 2026

By Coby-Dillon English

Zachary Elmore, Zander Worm, Purity Angwenyi and Seth Eacker pose together in front of windows with views of snowy campus. — This year’s Pathway to PhD cohort includes, from left, Zachary Elmore, Zander Worm, Purity Angwenyi, and Seth Eacker. (Not pictured: Abhilash Arjan Das and Elijah Sierra)

When it comes to recruiting talented doctoral candidates, Michigan Tech’s College of Engineering is starting with our own students!

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.

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.

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.

Jon Herlevich Selected for Deans’ Teaching Showcase

Published March 10, 2025

By Coby-Dillon English

John Herlevich — Jon Herlevich ‘94 ‘97, a Michigan Tech College of Engineering alumnus, has been selected for the Deans’ Teaching Showcase.

College of Engineering Dean Michelle Scherer has selected Jon Herlevich ‘94 ‘97, professor of practice in the Department of Chemical Engineering (ChE), for the Deans’ Teaching Showcase.

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

Kerri Sleeman Selected for Deans’ Teaching Showcase

Published February 18, 2025

By Coby-Dillon English

Kerri Sleeman with campus in the background. — Kerri Sleeman ‘95 ‘08, a Michigan Tech College of Engineering alumna, has been selected for the Deans’ Teaching Showcase.

College of Engineering Dean Michelle Scherer has selected Kerri Sleeman ‘95 ‘08, professor of practice in construction engineering with a joint appointment in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering (CEGE) and the College of Business, for the Deans’ Teaching Showcase.

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

Shane Oberloier Selected for Deans’ Teaching Showcase

Published January 30, 2025

By Coby-Dillon English

Shane Oberloier with a Van De Graaf generator and a yellow explosion graphic that says “ZAP!” — Shane Oberloier’s enthusiasm for the maker community engages students in the classes he teaches, the Makerspace he directs, and beyond! (Photo courtesy Shane Oberloier)

College of Engineering Dean Michelle Scherer has selected Shane Oberloier, assistant teaching professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, for this spring’s Deans’ Teaching Showcase.

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

Sustainability and Collaboration Motivate Midyear Commencement Undergraduate Student Speaker

Published December 6, 2024

By Coby-Dillon English

: Aliyah Maxwell-Abrams in their graduation gown standing in front of Dillman Hall — Aliyah Maxwell-Abrams is ready for their next challenge thanks to the Michigan Tech community.

On the road to graduation, Aliyah Maxwell-Abrams left their mark on the Tech community, just as the Tech community left a lasting impression on them.

This December, they are graduating with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, a minor in mathematics, and will address fellow graduates at Michigan Tech’s mid-year commencement.

Midyear Commencement Graduate Student Speaker Knows Her Strengths

Published December 5, 2024

By Coby-Dillon English

Mehnaz Tabassum was inspired by the Keweenaw landscape and is looking to inspire the next generation of engineers. (Images courtesy of Mehnaz Tabassum)

Mehnaz Tabassum scored just 25 percent on her first midterm as a PhD student in electrical and computer engineering at Michigan Technological University. She was understandably worried when her instructor for the course, Zhaohui Wang, asked Tabassum to come to her office hours following the exam. Tabbassum assumed Wang would be upset with her.

Category: Awards and Honors