Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering Archives

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

Published July 28, 2025

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.”

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.

The College of Engineering Graduating Class of 2025 Shares a Fond Farewell

Published April 22, 2025

By Coby-Dillon English

A crowd of Michigan Tech graduating students wearing their caps and gowns with the audience in the background. — Over 600 College of Engineering students will participate in this week’s upcoming commencement ceremonies.

More than 600 College of Engineering students will take part in Michigan Technological University commencement ceremonies on Friday and Saturday. While their time on campus is coming to an end, they know they’ll be Huskies forever.

As they prepare for graduation, engineering students are reflecting on their time at Tech, sharing their dreams for the future, and offering advice to the next generation of Huskies.

SWE at Michigan Tech Attends WE Local Conference

Published March 31, 2025

By Coby-Dillon English

Twelve members of SWE at Michigan Tech pose together in front of a SWE backdrop. — At WE Local 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, members of SWE at Michigan Tech received scholarships, presented workshops, and networked with other SWE collegiate members. (All images courtesy Michigan Tech SWE)

Michigan Tech’s section of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) attended their WE Local 2025 conference in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in mid-March. Through the generous support of their corporate sponsors, SWE at Michigan Tech was able to send 12 students to attend professional development sessions, network with industry professionals and members of other SWE sections, and bond with their fellow Michigan Tech Huskies.

All aboard! Michigan Tech’s Rail Transportation Program is Leading the Way

Published March 12, 2025

By Coby-Dillon English

Railroad tracks curving around a green hill with shrubs on either side. — Michigan Tech’s Rail Transportation Program (RTP) has been a leader in rail education and technology for nearly 20 years.

For over 15 years, Michigan Tech’s Rail Transportation Program (RTP) has been committed to developing tomorrow’s leaders in rail engineering. As part of the Michigan Tech Transportation Institute (MTTI) and Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering (CEGE), RTP has served as a beacon of research, education, and innovation for rail enthusiasts from high school students to expert faculty and everyone in between.

Michigan Tech’s one-of-a-kind program was founded in 2007 by Pasi Lautala, then a recent Michigan Tech doctoral graduate, now long-time faculty member, who serves as director of both RTP and MTTI. Since its inception, the program’s goal has been three-fold: education, research, and outreach.

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.

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.

College of Engineering Welcomes New Faculty Members

Published November 7, 2024

By Coby-Dillon English

Dean Michelle Scherer in a group with the sixteen new faculty. — Earlier this semester, Dean Michelle Scherer welcomed 16 new faculty members to the College of Engineering.

The Michigan Tech College of Engineering is pleased to welcome 16 new faculty members across eight departments this year. These new faculty members bring a wide range of specializations in robotics, geomechanics, cancer tissue engineering, snow hydrology, and more. These brilliant educators and researchers join us from all over the world, including five Michigan Tech College of Engineering alumni. Welcome Huskies!

MTU Excels at 2024 AISC National Steel Bridge Competition

Published June 12, 2024

Congratulations to Michigan Technological University’s Steel Bridge Team for an impressive performance at the AISC Steel Bridge Competition!

MTU secured a 9th place overall finish on Saturday, June 1, 2024, at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana.

The Michigan Tech Steel Bridge Team qualified for the national AISC 2024 National Steel Bridge Competition, continuing their legacy of participating in this time-honored, annual competition.

The competition first began 37 years ago with undergraduate engineering students from just three schools—Lawrence Tech, Michigan Tech, and Wayne State—competing in a parking lot at Lawrence Tech.

This year, hosted by Louisiana Tech University, no less than 47 schools from all over the U.S., Canada, and Mexico traveled to Ruston, Louisiana for the competition. Teams were asked to design and build a steel bridge for a disc golf course located in nearby Lincoln Parish Park. The bridge needed to be able to accommodate players, park employees, and maintenance vehicles. The river the bridge would span was man-made, but for an added cost, teams could install and use temporary barges to facilitate the construction of their bridge.

As elements of the competition, the bridges are judged in categories, such as construction speed, lightness, aesthetics, stiffness, cost, economy, and efficiency. MTU’s team finished 9th overall and placed 8th in stiffness and 5th in efficiency.

“It’s a great opportunity for students to learn to work with each other on a complex project,” says civil engineering student Jon Wright, MTU Steel Bridge Team captain.

“The goal is to design a structure where strength, weight, and cost are all balanced to provide the best outcome. It isn’t enough to simply design a bridge that can support the load placed on it at competition. It must be able to support the load with minimal deflection and with minimal weight while being easy to assemble,” Wright explains. “Anyone can design a bridge that stands. But it takes an engineer to design a bridge that ‘barely’ stands.”

“The MTU team’s independence and initiative are always impressive to me,” adds faculty advisor, Andrew Swartz, associate professor of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering. “They excel in all the types of activities you would expect in a competition like this—design, detailing, fabrication, and construction sequencing. But the team excels at things you may not necessarily think of, as well—like fundraising, recruitment, training, and documentation for future years. The students are the driving force behind the entire enterprise,” Swartz says. “I learn a lot when I travel with them.”

The MTU Steel Bridge Team consistently qualifies for nationals, and typically places in among the top 10 finishers. During COVID, the team even scored a top 5 finish, notes Swartz. “The MTU legacy of educating and producing high-quality engineers is still going strong.”

Category: Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering