Biomedical Engineering Archives | Page 10 of 11

Kristina Rushlau Addresses Midyear Commencement

Published December 12, 2016

Nearly 350 bachelor’s, master’s and PhD recipients are expected to take part in Michigan Technological University’s Midyear Commencement Saturday. Ceremonies take place at 10:30 a.m. Dec. 17, 2016, in the Wood Gym of the Student Development Complex.

Kristina Rushlau will deliver the student address. A Kalamazoo native, Rushlau graduates with a BS in Environmental Engineering. During her time at Michigan Tech, she participated in Mind Trekkers, the Society of Environmental Engineers and many other activities. She hopes to start her career in environmental engineering preferably in the Detroit Area.

Among the class of 2016 is Ashley VanSumeren from Goodrich, Michigan, who is graduating with a double major in Biomedical Engineering and Exercise Science. VanSumeren says she’s been heavily involved in undergraduate research since her sophomore year. Thanks to a scholarship from the Pavlis Honors College and Portage Health Foundation, she was able to conduct her own research project.

I looked at how the muscles of the legs and trunk contribute to seated upper body exercise. —Ashley VanSumeren

VanSumeren presented the results of her research at the Undergraduate Research Expo last march and at the Life Science and Technology Institute Research Forum in October. At the latter, she received the Grand Prize in the undergraduate division.

Michigan Tech is a family affair for VanSumeren whose parents and brother are alumni. She says she initially had “kind of sworn off” Tech because she didn’t want to appear to be “copying” her family. A visit during her senior year of high school (while en route to visit her first choice school) changed her mind. She said the opportunities she’s had in four years, including working with Olympic athletes for a senior design project, showed her that Tech was indeed the right choice.

The future is a little less clear for VanSumeren, who is planning to pursue a master’s degree in kinesiology with an emphasis on biomechanics.

I haven’t decided on a school yet, but have applied to schools across the country and in Canada. Following my master’s, I hope to get a job in a biomechanics research lab, either for a shoe company or a sport performance company.

She says she hasn’t ruled out continuing her education to earn a PhD.

Original story by Mark Wilcox.

Students look to the future after successful tenure at MTU

While earning her degree in Mechanical Engineering. Reagan May found time to be a racecar driver.

Two years ago, I was the Super Late Model Track champion in Plover, Wisconsin, followed up this past season with it in second in points. So, I’m excited to graduate, start my career as an engineer and continue racing throughout the rest of my life. —Reagan May

Ashley VanSumeren didn’t have much free time, she was double majoring in Biomedical Engineering and Exercise Science.

I got used to it. I also ended up getting a job on campus doing undergraduate research, so I really learned how to balance between class, work and research. —Ashley VanSumeren

Engineering Researchers Participate in TechTalks 2016

Published December 5, 2016

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TechTalks 2016

Michigan Tech Research Forum
Faculty Research on Speed Dial

VIEW THE PHOTO ALBUM

The Michigan Tech Research Forum is a new University presentation series showcasing the work of Michigan Tech faculty, postdocs, and researchers.

On Thursday, November 10, 2016, several researchers gave two minute presentations for the inaugural TechTalks session of the Michigan Tech Research Forum. Five of the 13 researchers presented work from engineering disciplines:

Andrew Barnard– Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics: “Solid State Sound—A Hot Topic”
Paul Sanders– Materials Science and Engineering: “Rapid Metal Design”
Kazuya Tajiri– Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics: “Two-Phase Transport in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells”
Hector Moncada-Hernandez- Biomedical Engineering: “Point-of-Care Microfluidic Device for Blood Typing”
Ye Sarah Sun– Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics: “Wearable Electronics, Human-Centered Monitoring”

Michigan Tech Research Forum events are presented by the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs in coordination with the Office of the Vice President of Research.

Additional TechTalks sessions are coming up in Spring 2017. Interested in nominating yourself or others? Use this online f orm.

Browse the Twitter conversations in “TechTalks 2016: Take One,” by Allison Mills.

On Thursday, December 1, 2016, the second set of presentations included the following from engineering research faculty:

Jeff Naber
Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
APS LABS (Advanced Power Systems Research Center)

Michael Mullins
Department of Chemical Engineering
Electrospun Nanofibers as Neural Guidance Scaffolds

Feng Zhao
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering Research

Chad Deering
Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
Ignimbrites to Batholiths

Darrell Robinette
Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
Gearing for Future Connectivity

Trisha Sain
Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
Mechanics of Soft Polymers

Browse the Twitter conversations in “TechTalks 2016: Take Two,” by Allison Mills.

IRES Denmark: Summer 2017 Research Opportunities for Students

Published November 22, 2016

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International Research Experience for Students (IRES)
Biosensor Development, Summer 2017

Aarhus University in Denmark and Michigan Technological University offer summer research opportunities in Denmark from May to July 2017.

Explore sensor development and biomarker discovery to improve detection of cancer, malaria, and more with this international research opportunity.

Students in all years are welcome to apply, however, research experience is desirable for applicants. Desired majors include chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, chemistry, biology, and biochemistry. Four undergraduate and one graduate student will be accepted into the program. Applications are due by February 17, 2017.

The program will last for a total of 8 weeks, beginning in May and ending in July. This includes a 1 week orientation at Michigan Tech. A $4500 stipend will be provided, along with housing and travel.

LEARN MORE.

Bruce Lee is a 2016 Young Investigator Award Recipient

Published November 16, 2016

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2016 Young Investigator Award for Bruce Lee

Smart, Moisture-Resistant Adhesive Inspired by Marine Chemistry

Bruce Lee and Student — Bruce Lee (Right) and Student

Bruce Lee (Bio Med) is a YIP award winner through the Office of Naval Research and, following their news release and CHIPS magazine story, a number of news outlets and science blogs picked up the story. The media include: NavalToday.com, Maritime Executive, Ocean News and Technology, phys.org, Seapower Magazine, defense-aerospace.com, Deccan Chronicle, World of Chemicals, ScienMag and Business Standard.

The Office of Naval Research (ONR) Young Investigator Program (YIP) seeks to identify and support academic scientists and engineers who are in their first or second full-time tenure-track or tenure-track-equivalent academic appointment and who show exceptional promise for doing creative research. The program’s objectives are to attract outstanding faculty members of Institutions of Higher Education to the Department of Navy’s research program, to support their research, and to encourage their teaching and research careers.

Mussel Power: ONR Researches Underwater Glue

ARLINGTON, Va. — Even the strongest glues collapse when soaked. Just watch a band-aid slide ungracefully off a finger or toe while in the shower. However, with support from the Office of Naval Research (ONR), one researcher has developed a nature-inspired adhesive that stays sticky when wet.

Dr. Bruce Lee, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Michigan Technological University, is using a protein produced by mussels to create a reversible synthetic glue that not only can bond securely underwater — but also may be turned on and off with electricity.

Photo courtesy of Dr. Bruce Lee.

SWE Team Shines at WE16

Published November 1, 2016

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WE16 is the world’s largest conference and career fair for women in engineering and technology, with more than 9,000 women at all stages of their engineering careers.

Participants

Michigan Tech’s Society of Women Engineers Collegiate Section has historically been very active at the National Conference. At this year’s WE16, it was no different. The students who traveled with us were:

Leah Bectel, Environmental Engineering
Mackenzie Brunet, SWE Section First-Year Student Travel Grant Recipient, Mechanical Engineering
Romana Carden, Environmental Engineering
Erica Coscarelli, Environmental Engineering
Hannah Cunningham, Biomedical Engineering
Jocelyne Denhof, Mechanical Engineering
Jessica Geroux, Mechanical Engineering
Carly Gloudemans, Environmental Engineering
Akhila Reddy Gorantla, Materials Engineering
Madison Mroczynski, Civil Engineering
Stephanie Peterson, Environmental Engineering
Laura Schimmel, Mechanical Engineering
Lauren Sandy, Biomedical Engineering
Karsyn Van Laanen, Chemical Engineering
Lily Williams, Mechanical Engineering
Baileigh Zimmerman, Chemical Engineering

Collegiate Section

Advisers Gretchen Hein and Beth Hoy also travelled with the group. The section received the Silver Collegiate Section Award, which is based on the section’s involvement in SWE.

Team Tech Competition

Michigan Tech and Caterpillar Inc. were both rookies in the SWE Team Tech competition, a design contest sponsored by Boeing which was launched in 1992 as a way to emphasize the key role of teamwork and industry interface in the engineering educational process. An innovative approach to an interesting engineering problem proved to be a successful partnership when the team won first place at WE16, the world’s largest conference for women in engineering and technology. The winning project is entitled “Wheel Tractor Scraper Bowl Optimization System.”

Team Tech calls for collegiate teams of 4-12 members from at least three different engineering disciplines to work with an industry partner in order to solve an engineering design problem. The team submitted progress reports and design documents to Boeing, ultimately qualifying them to present at the SWE annual conference held on Friday, October 28, 2016, in Philadelphia.

Michigan Tech’s team partnered with Caterpillar Inc. to create a solution to the issue of inefficient filling on Caterpillar’s wheel tractor scraper (WTS) machines. To solve this engineering challenge, the team conceived, designed, prototyped, and tested an ultrasonic sensing system that can accurately determine the height of dirt within the WTS bowl. The team also conceived a method to relay that information to the operator, along with a video feed looking into the bowl. Perhaps most importantly, the team designed and developed a scale-model test rig that provides proof of concept of the system without costly on-machine testing.

During the competition, 11 teams presented their design ideas to the judges, and results were announced at Celebrate SWE, a dinner event on Saturday night of the conference. Third place was awarded to University of Wisconsin- Madison working with Xymox Technologies, Inc., and second place was awarded to California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo working with St. Jude Medical.

The Team Tech team was composed of members from two different Enterprise programs within the Pavlis Honors College—Blue Marble Security and Consumer Product Manufacturing. The advisors were Dr. Archer (Electrical & Computer Engineering) & Dr. Rogers (Chemical Engineering). The student team members submitting the final proposal were: Team leader Ester Buhl, Electrical Engineering, Brianne Anderson, Mechanical Engineering, Derek Chopp, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Sandra Cvetanovic, Electrical Engineering, Alexis Dani, Computer Engineering, Jennifer Dzurka, Mechanical Engineering, Anna Marchesano, Chemical Engineering, and Jonathan Quinn, Mechanical Engineering.

Buhl, Marchesano, and Chopp represented the team at the competition. Caterpillar engineers and Michigan Tech alums Brent Woodard (’11 BSME) and Britta Jost (’02 BS Mathematics, ’04 MSME) mentored the team and provided technical advice.

Collegiate Leadership Institute

Three students, Stephanie Peterson, Romana Carden, and Jocelyne Denhof participated in the Collegiate Leadership Institute (CLI). The program’s overall goal is to prepare women engineering and technology students to gain employment within the engineering sector and become leaders in their field. CLI attendees are provided resources to jumpstart their professional development, broaden their networking opportunities, and help facilitate their eventual transition into the workforce. Stephanie found that:

I really liked the variety of topics that were covered which ranged from networking to managing money. As somebody who is looking for a full-time job, I feel like I was able to obtain a lot of great advice that will help me to both land a job and build meaningful professional relationships.

Academic Leadership for Women in Engineering

Renee Oats, PhD student in Civil Engineering, and Tayloria Adams, PhD in Chemical Engineering, Michigan Tech, 2014, participated in Academic Leadership for Women in Engineering (ALWE) Program. This NSF funded program is designed to provide best practices to advance in academia while creating opportunities and mechanisms to network across institutions.

Graduate Student Poster Competition

Renee Oats and Patricia Thompson, Michigan Tech Civil Engineering alumna, were selected to participate in the WE16 annual graduate student poster competition. The poster competition was organized by Kaitlyn Bunker, PhD Electrical Engineering 2014 from Michigan Tech.

eCYBERMISSION Presentations

Gretchen Hein, Engineering Fundamentals, presented on two topics: “eCYBERMISSION: A Great Way to Explore Science and Engineering”, and “How do Faculty Ensure Student Competency at Course Completion?”. The first presentation was done with Erin Lester, eCYBERMISSION Volunteer Manager, and Siona Beaudoin, Lake Linden-Hubbell eighth grader and eCYBERMISSION participant. The second presentation was on work completed in the first-year engineering program with Mary Fraley, Amber Kemppainen, and AJ Hamlin. Gretchen is currently the Women in Academia Chair for SWE.

Invent It. Build It.

Invent It. Build It. is an annual SWE conference activity for middle and high school girls. The purpose is to introduce girls and their families to the field of engineering. This year a record number of more than 1200 girls participated, including Siona. Hannah Cunningham volunteered at the day-long event.

Outstanding Collegiate Member

Tech alumna Liz Dreyer (BS Electrical Engineering, Michigan Tech, 2012) was awarded the Outstanding Collegiate Member award by the Society of Women Engineers on Saturday, October 29. Each year, the Society honors ten collegiate members who have made an outstanding contribution to SWE, the engineering community, and their campus. Dreyer was cited specifically

For leadership and innovative efforts to grow SWE’s presence on campus, particularly among graduate students, and for advancing the overall interests of women in STEM fields across the globe.

This acknowledges Dreyer’s role as Graduate Member Coordinator for SWE as well as her outreach efforts for women engineers in Liberia. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Electrical Engineering at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI.

SWE 2016 Section Students — SWE Section Students along with Beth Hoy, Adviser and Anna Marchesano, Michigan Tech alumna, May 2016.

SWE 2016 Team Tech — Michigan Tech’s Team Tech

SWE 16 Award — Ester Buhl, Derek Chopp and Anna Marchesano, Team Tech Representatives at WE16 receiving their award from SWE President, Jessica Rannow.

Engineering Alumni as New Alumni Board Directors

Published August 2, 2016

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The following alumni will begin their six year Director terms at the Reunion meeting Thursday and Friday (Aug. 4-5).

Daniel Batten ’88, ’90 Mechanical Design Engineering Technology and Business Administration from Jenison, Michigan
Derek Chapel ’05 Electrical Engineering from Petoskey, Michigan
Joseph Gallo ’11 Mechanical Engineering / Electrical Engineering from Midland, Michigan
Jenna Joestgen ’10 Biomedical Engineering from Appleton, Wisconsin
Kristin Kolodge ’95 Mechanical Engineering from Harrison Township, Michigan
Emily McDonald ’12 Environmental Engineering from Ferndale, Michigan
Dennis Sage ’86 Scientific and Technical Communication, Arlington Heights, Illinois
Andrew Burton ’97 (SFRES)-new faculty representative

Remembering Dr. Michael R. Neuman

Published March 3, 2016

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Dr. Michael Neuman, physician, engineer, researcher and educator, passed away on February 17, from complications due to heart and kidney failure. He was 77.

Dr. Neuman was born and raised in Milwaukee and went to Cleveland to study at Case Western Reserve University. He earned his undergraduate degree, as well as a PhD in electrical engineering in 1966 and an MD in 1974, all from Case.

In his 50-year academic career he initially taught at his alma mater before teaching at Duke, Memphis and finally at Michigan Tech, where he arrived in 2003 as Professor and Chair in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. He continued to teach after he stepped down as Chair in 2010.

Before going to medical school Neuman taught electronics in Case’s electrical engineering department. He developed a strong interest in medical electronics, which was a new field at the time. He was particularly intrigued by fetal monitoring, but he knew nothing about obstetrics. “My colleagues encouraged me, and asked me why I didn’t go to medical school. So I did,” he once recalled.

Neuman joined Michigan Tech at a point in his career when some faculty might be considering retirement. Instead he seized the opportunity to do more teaching, and to help young faculty develop their individual research programs.

“Mike has, and will always be, a transformative force in my life and my family, says Associate Professor Keat Ghee Ong. He brought me to Michigan Tech, essentially gave me my first “real” job and helped me grow my career. I know he helped a lot of faculty members and their families the same way, too.”

“Mike had a keen eye for hiring faculty who were strong in both scientific ability and collegiality,” adds Associate Professor Jeremy Goldman. “As the faculty grew in size and capability, it retained the friendly camaraderie more typically found in smaller departments.”

Assistant Professor Smitha Rao joined the biomedical engineering department about a year ago. “I was fortunate to have met Dr. Neuman and received guidance from him in the very short time that I knew him,” says Rao. “It was amazing how he remembered experiments and details from a long time ago as well as what is currently being used. I feel I only saw a glimpse of the great scientist and wonderful human being that he was.”

As an engineer, Dr. Neuman had a very strong background in physics and materials, as well as in electrical circuits, and a vast knowledge of medicine, all of which allowed him to develop novel biomedical sensors constructed using micro-fabrication techniques and accessed by wireless technologies.

“Not only he was able to envision these concepts before anyone else, he was able to utilize the tools of the semiconductor industry that were available at the time to construct these devices,” says Michigan Tech Professor of Practice Orhan Soykan. The two first met when Neuman was Soykan’s PhD advisor at Case.

Writing on behalf of Neuman’s students, Soykan adds: “Those of us who were fortunate enough to meet and work with him all know just how easy he was to be approached, how willing he was to help others and how he did his very best to mentor all his students, ranging from three-year-olds to graduate students to new assistant professors.”

Neuman continued to teach after he stepped down as Chair in 2010. Soykan says Neuman wouldn’t miss an opportunity to teach, “whether it be the properties of metal-to-metal bonds, flow rate of lymph fluids or the best way to feed goats without being bumped from behind.”

Dr. Neuman’s daughter Elizabeth Rose wrote, “No memory of my dad can be complete without mentioning his goats. An engineer working in his lab at Case introduced him to his first goat; a large floppy eared goat named Sam I Am. Sam was quickly followed by a group of other goats that became my dad’s favorite hobby. He spent many happy hours in his barn with his goats (and later miniature horses) taking care of them and listening to classical music with them.” He truly loved showing them off to many faculty, staff, and especially their children.

Professor Martyn Smith worked with Neuman on many senior design projects over the years. “Whenever we needed ideas or background Mike would always provide insight and guidance to the project. He had a wonderful mind with superb recall on the topics needed. He was truly a gentleman and a scholar. I miss his wisdom.”

Toward the end, even while his health was failing, he was still trying to share his joy with others around him by writing limericks to introduce various topics to his students.

When one of his students learned Neuman was ill, he wrote a limerick and asked Smith to read it to him:

There once was a man named Mike

And engineering he very much did like

I’ve only known him for a year

But his teachings I hold dear

And my inspiration he truly did spike

Dr. Neuman is survived by his wife of 43 years, Judith Borton Neuman, his daughter Elizabeth Neuman (Joshua) Rose, grandchildren Emma Kathryn and Christopher Michael Rose, and a sister Bonnie Neuman.

A remembrance of the life of Dr. Michael Neuman was held last week at Michigan Tech’s Great Lakes Research Center. A second memorial gathering will take place in Cleveland with details to be announced. More information and a guestbook is available here.

Dr. Neuman will always be remembered as a devoted father and husband, a wonderful person with a subtle and ironic sense of humor, and a committed professor and scientist.

Mike, we are already missing you.

Engineering Society of Detroit at Michigan Tech

Published October 16, 2015

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Tech Century, an engineering and technology news website published by the Engineering Society of Detroit, ran a lengthy article on editor Matt Roush’s Tech Tour interviews with Michigan Tech researchers and students. Michigan Tech sponsored this year’s Tech Tour.

Among the many people he talked to were: Adrienne Minerick, associate dean for research and innovation at MTU’s College of Engineering, Jodi Lehman, assistant director of research development, and Jason Carter, professor and chair of the department of kinesiology and integrative physiology, Feng Zhou, assistant professor in biomedical engineering, Guy Meadows, Great Lakes Research Center, Andrew Barnard, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, and Zhaohui Wang, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering, Dave House — Michigan native, Michigan Tech alumnus, Yun Hang Hu, Materials Science Engineering, Caryn Heldt, associate professor of chemical engineering, and Mary Raber, assistant dean of MTU’s new Paavlis Honors College.

See the whole article here.

Matt Roush with Michigan Tech's Jim Baker — Matt Roush with Michigan Tech’s Jim Baker

New Chapter of Engineering Society of Detroit

The formation of a student chapter of the Engineering Society of Detroit (ESD) was reported on Tech Century, an engineering and technology news website published by the ESD. Undergraduates and graduate students in the College of Engineering were invited to join. For more information, visit the ESD website.

All Tech engineering students, undergrad and graduate, are invited to join ESD and gain the benefits of student chapter membership. The opportunity to network with professional engineers, successful alumni and other student chapters are among those benefits. Student ESD chapters also get an inside look at trends in engineering and a chance to participate in leadership and career-building events and programs.

Leonard Bohmann, associate dean of engineering, Wayne D. Pennington, Dean of the MTU College of Engineering, ESD Executive Director Robert Magee, ESD Director of Membership Heather Lilley, and ESD Director of Communications and Public Relations Matt Roush

National Society of Black Engineers Spring Break to Promote STEM Education and Careers

Published March 9, 2015

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National Society of Black Engineers students from Michigan Tech are going to present science, technology and engineering talks in the Detroit area for middle- and highschool students at five different schools by day, and presenting three family engineering nights for elementary students at night. The spring break trip is supported by John Deere.

The Houghton Michigan Daily Mining Gazette had an article: “Doing good downstate: Six Tech students will spend break sharing with youngsters.

Design Expo 2014 Awards

Published May 1, 2014

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The Design Expo highlights hands-on, discovery-based learning at Michigan Tech. More than 600 students in Enterprise and Senior Design teams showcase their work and compete for awards. A panel of judges, made up of corporate representatives and Michigan Tech staff and faculty members, critique the projects.

Category: Biomedical Engineering