Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering Archives

NSF Funding on Deep Learning in Geosystems

Published August 7, 2017

Zhen (Leo) Liu (CEE) is the principal investigator on a project that has received a $227,367 research and development grand from the National Science Foundation.

Shiyan Hu (ECE/MTTI) is Co-PI on the project “Image-Data-Driven Deep Learning in Geosystems.” This is a two-year project.

By Sponsored Programs.

Abstract

Breakthroughs in deep learning in 2006 triggered numerous cutting-edge innovations in text processing, speech recognition, driverless cars, disease diagnosis, and so on. This project will utilize the core concepts underlying the recent computer vision innovations to address a rarely-discussed, yet urgent issue in engineering: how to analyze the explosively increasing image data including images and videos, which are difficult to analyze with traditional methods.

The goal of this study is to understand the image-data-driven deep learning in geosystems with an exploratory investigation into the stability analysis of retaining walls. To achieve the goal, the recent breakthroughs in computer vision, which were later used as one of the core techniques in the development of Google’s AlphaGo, will be studied for its capacity in assessing the stability of a typical geosystem, i.e., retaining walls.

What’s in the air? Understanding long-range transport of atmospheric arsenic

Published August 2, 2017

Coal-fired power plant on the Navajo Nation near Page, Arizona

Once emitted into the atmosphere, many air pollutants are transported long distances, going through a series of chemical reactions before falling back to the Earth’s surface. This makes air pollution not just a local problem, but a regional and a global one.

Shiliang Wu — Shilliang Wu, Geological & Mining Engineering & Sciences, Civil & Environmental Engineering

“If you’d been living in London in December 1952, you’d probably remember what air pollution can do—in just a couple of weeks, a smog event killed thousands of people,” says Michigan Tech researcher Shilliang Wu.

“Today, photos of air pollution in China and India flood the Internet,” he adds. “Air pollution remains a significant challenge for the sustainability of our society, with detrimental effects on humans, animals, crops, and the ecosystem as a whole.”

An assistant professor with a dual appointment in Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences, and Civil and Environmental Engineering, Wu examines the impacts of human activities on air quality, along with the complicated interactions between air quality, climate, land use, and land cover. Using well-established global models, he investigates a wide variety of pollutants including ozone, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, aerosols, mercury, and arsenic.

Wu’s research team recently developed the first global model to simulate the sources, transport, and deposition of atmospheric arsenic including source-receptor relationships between various regions. They were motivated by a 2012 Consumer Reports magazine study, which tested more than 200 samples of rice products in the US and found that many of them, including some organic products and infant rice cereals, contained highly toxic arsenic at worrisome levels.

“Our results indicate that reducing anthropogenic arsenic emissions in Asia and South America can significantly reduce arsenic pollution not only locally, but globally.”

– Shilliang Wu

“Our model simulates arsenic concentrations in ambient air over many sites around the world,” says Wu. “We have shown that arsenic emissions from Asia and South America are the dominant sources of atmospheric arsenic in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, respectively. Asian emissions are found to contribute nearly 40 percent of the total arsenic deposition over the Arctic and North America. Our results indicate that reducing anthropogenic arsenic emissions in Asia and South America can significantly reduce arsenic pollution not only locally, but globally.”

Wu’s model simulation is not confined to any region or time period. “We can go back to the past or forward to the future; we can look at any place on Earth. As a matter of fact, some of my colleagues have applied the same models to Mars,” he says, adding: “In any case, the atmosphere is our lab, and we are interested in everything in the air.”

Michigan Tech at Great Lakes Research Conference

Published June 1, 2017

Thirty-one faculty, staff, undergraduate and graduate students, from Houghton and Ann Arbor, traveled to Detroit from May 15-19. 2017, to attend the 60th International Association of Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) conference at the Cobo Center. Michigan Tech engagement included exhibitor displays staffed by the Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) and the Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI). Michigan Tech was a contributing sponsor made possible by support from the College of Engineering, College of Sciences and Arts, the GLRC and MTRI.

Ashley Hendricks, a graduate student in Environmental Engineering and advised by Dr. Noel Urban (CEE), won the “2017 David M. Dolan Memorial Fellowship” for pursuing graduate research involving modeling and statistics related to the Great Lakes.

Service Recognition for Faculty and Staff

Published May 11, 2017

Tuesday (May 9, 2017), faculty and staff members, along with their guests, gathered at the Memorial Union Ballroom for an awards dinner recognizing 25, 30, 35 and 40 years of service to Michigan Tech. Within the College of Engineering, the following employees were recognized:

25 Years

John Beard, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
Allison Hein, Materials Science & Engineering
Alex Mayer, Civil & Environmental Engineering

30 Years

Robert Barron, Geological & Mining Engineering & Sciences
Stephen Hackney, Materials Science & Engineering

35 Years

William Bulleit, Civil & Environmental Engineering
Gopal Jayaraman (retired), Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

This year’s Staff Service Recognition luncheon will be held on Wednesday, June 14. Congratulations to all the honorees.

2017 Research Excellence Funding

Published April 28, 2017

The Vice President for Research Office announced the 2017 REF awards and thanked the volunteer review committees, as well as the deans and department chairs, for their time spent on this important internal research award process.

Infrastructure Enhancement (IE) Grants
Dan Seguin (MSE/IMP)

Research Seed (RS) Grants
Daisuke Minakata (CEE)
Radwin Askari (GMES/EPSSI)

Portage Health Foundation (PHF) Mid-Career (MC)
CK Choi (MEEM)
Megan Frost (Bio Med)
Jeremy Goldman (Bio Med)

Original article by VPR.

Nineteen Inducted into Tau Beta Pi Honor Society

Published April 24, 2017

Tau Beta Pi 2017 — Spring 2017 Michigan Beta – Tau Beta Pi Initiates

The College of Engineering inducted nineteen students into the Michigan Tech Michigan Beta chapter of The College of Engineering inducted nineteen students into the Michigan Tech Michigan Beta chapter of Tau Beta Pi this past last week.

Tau Beta Pi is a nationally recognized engineering honor society, and is the only one that recognizes the engineering profession. Students who join are the top 1/8th of their junior class or top 1/5th of their senior class. The society celebrates those who have distinguished scholarship and exemplary character and members strive to maintain integrity and excellence in engineering.

Spring 2017 Michigan Beta – Tau Beta Pi Initiates:

David Adamovicz – Mechanical Engineering
Adam Augustyniak – Mechanical Engineering
Ryan Beering – Geological Engineering
Kristen Bull – Materials Science and Engineering
Raymond Coyle – Mechanical Engineering
Zachary Garavet – Computer Engineering
Phoebe Glazko – Civil Engineering
Hunter Gulbranson – Chemical Engineering
Benjamin Hubbard – Mechanical Engineering
Rebecca Phipps – Chemical Engineering
Jacob Richards – Mechanical Engineering
Chelsey Rock – Materials Science and Engineering
Lucas Simonson – Electrical Engineering
Riley Stroven – Mechanical Engineering
Victoria Swanson – Civil Engineering
Michael vonKronenberger – Electrical Engineering
Sarah Wade – Computer Engineering
Kayla Wielgus – Civil Engineering
Tyler Wittmann – Environmental Engineering

Engineering Faculty Among Those Recognized by Fraternities and Sororities

Published April 17, 2017

On April 9, more than 320 students gathered for the 11th Annual Fraternity and Sorority Life Awards Ceremony held in the Memorial Union Ballroom.

In addition to the many student awards presented, Order of Omega, the Greek Life Honor Society that coordinates the awards, took the time to recognize some exceptional faculty and staff members.

There are more than 560 students in fraternities and sororities at Michigan Tech, and Order of Omega wanted to emphasize that these awards were coming directly from the students.

When writing a nomination for the Outstanding Faculty Award, students were asked to consider faculty who:

are dedicated to supporting students and helping them succeed academically
demonstrate a passion for teaching and/or research
utilize innovative teaching methods
promote academic integrity among students

When writing a nomination for the Outstanding Staff Award, students were asked to consider staff who:

are dedicated to supporting students and helping them succeed both inside and outside the classroom
demonstrate a passion for working with students
promote and inspire the Michigan Tech Values of Community, Scholarship, Possibilities, Accountability and Tenacity

The following faculty and staff members were nominated by members of the Greek community and were recognized at the 2017 Fraternity and Sorority Life Awards Ceremony:

Faculty:

Evelyn Johnson (HU)
Scott Miers (ME-EM)
David Hand (CEE)
Noel Urban (CEE)

Staff:

Laura Bulleit (Dean of Students Office)
Rochelle Spencer (Student Activities)

These nominations were written by individual students and were supported by an entire fraternity or sorority. In the end, the Outstanding Faculty Award was presented to Evelyn Johnson and the Outstanding Staff Award went to Laura Bulleit.

Advisor of the Year was also awarded to a staff member, Heather Simpson (Wahtera Center). Congratulations to all of these faculty and staff members who were nominated and thank you for inspiring and motivating students.

A special congratulations to Jessie Stapleton, director of student activities, for winning the first-ever Unsung Hero Award. She was recognized for all of her hard work and dedication to the students in the Greek community.

By Student Activities.

Deans’ Teaching Showcase: Martin Auer

Published April 10, 2017

Upon the recommendation of Civil and Environmental Engineering Chair David Hand, College of Engineering Dean Wayne Pennington has chosen Martin Auer (CEE) as his final spring 2017 Deans’ Teaching Showcase member.

Pennington selected Auer for his ability to influence the career trajectory of both graduate and undergraduate students, as well as his extensive commitment to K-12 outreach programs. Pennington credits Auer’s teaching for “transforming the lives of graduate and undergraduate students and influencing them to pursue careers in environmental engineering related to surface water quality.”

Michael Erickson, an alumnus and now the senior vice president for ARACADIS confirms this, saying “Sometimes you can look back to when someone lifted us to view a horizon we could not see. Dr. Auer did that after singling me out for a high score on a tough modeling exam. His words realized my potential to excel. That triggered a shift in my thinking, gave confidence to shoot higher and opened a graduate school opportunity.”

Another alumnus, Steven Tomaszewski, who is now the director of global facilities at GM and a member of Michigan Tech’s Board of Trustees, credits Auer’s teaching for much of his work worldwide. “My technical base is highly influenced by his teachings. I often leveraged Dr. Auer’s technical and ethical standards while negotiating permits to construct new assembly plants in Russia, India, Mexico, Brazil and Korea. From a small classrom in Houghton, Michigan, his influence has had global ramifications on these billion dollar investments. I suspect that he doesn’t realize the reach of this teachings, but it is far greater than he would have ever expected, and one that I’m proud to be part of.”

Auer has gone above and beyond his graduate and undergraduate teaching responsibilities by spearheading the outreach component of the Great Lakes Research Laboratories. According to Hand, this program “brings in thousands of K-12 students from the local area and under-represented urban areas to learn about the importance of environmental stewardship and lake ecosystems.”

Auer’s leadership includes research trips to Isle Royale with Native American students and seminars for teachers from Flint to learn about water quality and how to educate their students. But perhaps the most influential outreach experience is Auer’s leadership in the GM sponsored “Ride the Waves” program.

In describing Auer’s role, Tomaszewski says “Utilizing a research vessel (the Agassiz) as the platform, Dr. Auer choreographed a program offering students from low-income areas a world class STEM experience. Students and educational institutions that would never have the means to touch the water are now performing experiments with some of the best scientists in the Great Lakes region. In the last four years, this passion for water quality research has brought more than 3,000 students to Michigan Tech. A researcher with marketing skills is a rare combination and one that is sought by many universities. Michigan Tech and General Motors are proud to have his leadership driving this initiative.”

Hand wraps up his recommendation by saying, “Martin Auer is truly deserving of being recognized for his commitment to teaching on a grand scale.”

Auer will be recognized at an end-of-term luncheon with 11 other showcase members, and is now eligible for one of three new teaching awards to be given by the William G. Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning this summer recognizing introductory or large-class teaching, innovative or outside-the-classroom teaching methods, or work in curriculum and assessment.

By Michael R. Meyer, Director, William G. Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning.

Outstanding Alumni and Friends to be Recognized at Alumni Reunion Dinner Summer 2017

Published April 5, 2017

The following outstanding alumni and friends will be recognized at the Alumni Reunion Awards Dinner on campus August 4, 2017:

University Awards

Board of Control Silver Medal: Presented to persons who, through personal and professional achievement, are outstanding examples to Michigan Tech’s more recent graduates

John Drake ‘64 BS Mechanical Engineering, ‘68 MS Business Administration, Hancock, MI
Norbert Verville Sr. ‘60 BS Business Administration, Houghton, MI

Alumni Board of Director Awards

Outstanding Young Alumni Award: Presented to alumni under the age of 35 who have distinguished themselves in their careers. The award recognizes the achievement of a position or some distinction noteworthy for one so recently graduated.

Kevin Baker ‘04 BS Biomedical Engineering, ‘05 MS Materials Sciences, Royal Oak, MI

Outstanding Service Award: Presented to alumni and friends making significant contributions to the success of the Association and/or the University

Paul Mikkola ‘66 BS Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, ‘89 Honorary PhD, Bedford, NH

Distinguished Alumni Award: This award recognizes alumni who have made outstanding contributions both in their careers and to Michigan Tech over a number of years.

John Rockwell ‘79 BS Business Administration, San Jose, CA

Humanitarian Awards: Presented to those alumni and friends who, through their outstanding involvement and dedication, have made a significant contribution of volunteer leadership or service which has improved or enriched the lives of others and the welfare of humanity, and whose accomplishments reflect admirably on or bring honor to their Alma Mater

Sanna Roling ‘67 BS Biological Sciences, Spring, TX
Nicholas Schreiner ‘11 MS Environmental Engineering, Ankeny, IA

Honorary Alumni Award: This award honors individuals who have provided service and support of the university characteristic of dedicated alumni. The Association reserves this award to recognize the strongest non-alumni supporters of Michigan Tech.

John Dau, Clinton Township, MI

For additional information, contact the Alumni House.

By Alumni Engagement

Engineering Graduate Students Excel at ACS 2017 Student Research Symposium

Published March 29, 2017

Ameya Narkar received first prize for his poster presentation at the 2017 Upper Peninsula American Chemical Society Student Research Symposium, which was held Saturday, March 25, 2017, in Marquette.

The title of the poster was “Effect of Addition of Acrylic Acid (AAc) on the Wet Adhesion Properties of Mussel-inspired Hydrogels at Multiple pH Values.” Narkar is a PhD student working in the research lab of Bruce Lee.

Muxue Zhang, a graduate student in environmental engineering, was awarded third place at the symposium.

Zhang, a second-year master’s student, presented on her thesis work about predicting the reverse osmosis (RO) rejection of toxicologically relevant organics for direct potable reuse application in wastewater reclamation processes.

She works with Daisuke Minakata (CEE). Her work is part of a funded water reuse project looking at the intrinsic interactions between a wide variety of organics and RO membrane using computational chemistry tools.

The purpose of the event is to provide a venue for students to present their research in chemistry, chemical engineering and related fields. This symposium is an excellent opportunity for students, faculty and the community at large to learn about the interesting research being conducted in the UP. It was hosted by the ACS Upper Peninsula Local Section on the campus of Northern Michigan University.

Category: Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering

Abstract

“Our results indicate that reducing anthropogenic arsenic emissions in Asia and South America can significantly reduce arsenic pollution not only locally, but globally.”

Spring 2017 Michigan Beta – Tau Beta Pi Initiates: