Awards and Honors Archives

Marathons and Water Towers: Undergraduate Commencement Speaker Talks Discipline, Service, and Community

Published April 14, 2026

Undergraduate commencement speaker Caelan Mead-O’Brien stands in front of a sunny window in the DOW atrium. He is wearing a jacket and button-up shirt. — Spring ’26 undergraduate commencement speaker Caelan Mead-O’Brien focused on community and service during his time at Michigan Tech, all while learning to protect crucial natural resources, training for marathons, and more.

Caelan Mead-O’Brien, the undergraduate student speaker for the 2026 spring commencement, was enabled to come into his own personally, professionally, and academically during his time at Michigan Tech. As he prepares to graduate with a degree in environmental engineering, Mead-O’Brien recalls his first impressions of Michigan Tech, and the way his time in Houghton has helped him to learn, grow, and lead.

Though he was originally hesitant to move so far from his hometown of Okemos, Michigan, Mead-O’Brien quickly found his place in the Keweenaw.

Distinguished Professor Adrienne Minerick Inducted into the AIMBE College of Fellows

Published April 13, 2026

By Coby-Dillon English

Portrait of Adrienne Minerick wearing a black shirt and grey blazer in front of an academic lobby with tables and chairs. — Distinguished Professor Adrienne Minerick has been inducted into the AIMBE College of Fellows, a top honor for medical and biological engineers.

Adrienne R. Minerick ’98, distinguished professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, has been inducted into the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) College of Fellows, one of the highest professional distinctions accorded to medical and biological engineers. The AIMBE College of Fellows represents the top two percent of engineers in these fields and honors those who have made outstanding contributions to engineering and medicine research, practice, or education.

Minerick was elected by peers and members of the College of Fellows for pioneering dielectrophoretic detection of molecular expression of cells and for international leadership in engineering education focused on engagement and inclusion. She was inducted along with 175 colleagues into the College of Fellows Class of 2026 on April 13, 2026, at the AIMBE Annual Event in Arlington, Virginia.

Yun Hang Hu Receives Morris Cohen Award for Pioneering Contributions in Materials Science

Published March 25, 2026

By Coby-Dillon English

Yun Hang Hu stands in a hallway lined with windows showing snow-covered hills wearing a blue shirt. — University Professor Yun Hang Hu has received the TMS Morris Cohen Award for his contributions to the field of materials science.

Yun Hang Hu, University Professor and the Charles and Carroll McArthur Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, received the prestigious Morris Cohen Award for outstanding contributions to the science and/or technology of materials properties. Awarded by The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS), the Morris Cohen Award honors one individual worldwide each year and is widely regarded as one of the most distinguished honors in the field.

“The previous recipients of the Morris Cohen Award are distinguished pioneers whose groundbreaking contributions have profoundly shaped the field,” said Hu. “I am deeply honored to join their ranks in receiving this prestigious award.”

Two individuals stand on a stage holding a triangular glass trophy under a sign that reads “The World Comes Here, TMS 2026, Annual Meeting and Exhibition.” — University Professor Yun Hang Hu received the Morris Cohen Award at the 155th TMS Annual Meeting on March 18, 2026. (Photo courtesy TMS)

In Michigan Tech’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Hu teaches courses in thermodynamics and conducts extensive research on a wide range of topics, including superstructure materials, nanomaterials, electrocatalysis, biodegradable plastics, advanced energy devices, and more. Hu is also an affiliated professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering.

Hu’s previous awards and honors include more than 20 national and international accolades. In 2017, Hu was the first MTU faculty member to receive both the Michigan Tech Research Award and the Bhakta Rath Research Award in the same year.

He has been elected to the Canadian Academy of Engineering and is a fellow of six major professional societies:

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
American Chemical Society (ACS)
American Physical Society (APS)
American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)
ASM International
Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).

Hu, who is also a past recipient of the Rudolf A. Erren Award from the International Association for Hydrogen Energy, expressed his gratitude to those who have contributed to his latest career achievement.

“This recognition would not have been possible without the dedication of my graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, and the unwavering support of my wife and children.”

MTU Alumna Teresa Karjala Elected to the National Academy of Engineering

Published March 9, 2026

By Coby-Dillon English

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.