Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering Archives | Page 19 of 23

Natural Resource and Environmental Career Paths

Published October 31, 2016

Joan Chadde, director of the Michigan Tech Center for Science and Environmental Outreach, presented “Promoting High School Students’ Interest in Natural Resource and Environmental Career Paths” at the North American Association for Environmental Education Conference in Madison last week.

The session described the program that provides 20 Detroit high school youth with a free opportunity to experience Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and the campus of a natural resource university. Students complete pre/post surveys to measure changes in their interest in natural resource career paths. Many at Michigan Tech supported the program, including Housing and Residential Life, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, College of Engineering, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering and many others.

2016 Lake Superior Water Festival

Published October 11, 2016

By

VIEW THE PHOTO ALBUM

More than 1,000 students in grades 4-8 in 34 classes from 13 schools in Houghton, Baraga, Gogebic and Ontonagon counties will flood Michigan Tech’s Great Lakes Research Center from 8:45 to 11:30 a.m. and noon to 2:50 p.m. on Wednesday (Oct. 12) for the 5th Annual Lake Superior Water Festival “October will be a Splash!”

Students from the following schools will participate: Baraga Middle School, CLK Elementary, Chassell Elementary, Elm River School, Hancock Middle School, Jeffers Middle School, L’Anse Middle School, Lake Linden-Hubbell Middle School, L.L. Wright Middle School (Ironwood), Sacred Heart School, South Range Elementary and Washington Middle School (Calumet).

More than 30 different sessions will be offered throughout the day, presented by Michigan Tech scientists, staff and students, with help from Keweenaw Land Trust, Keweenaw National Historical Park, U.S. Coast Guard, SOAR students from Dollar Bay High School, Ottawa National Forest, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park and NECi Superior Enzymes. Presenters come from the following departments at Michigan Tech: CEE, SFRES, GMES, ME-EM, Bio Sci, Chem, Physics, Sustainable Future Institute and VPA.

The Water Festival provides an opportunity for students to learn about and celebrate our most precious natural resource—the Great Lakes. A wide variety of topics from science and engineering to history and music will be presented. Students attend four 35-minute activities. Some of the topics include: Remotely-Operated-Vehicles, Isle Royale Wolves and Moose, Leave No Trace Outdoors, cleaning wastewater and touring the U.S. Coast Guard vessel.

The 2016 Water Festival is made possible with funding from Michigan STEM Partnership, Michigan Tech Center for Water and Society and the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative. The Festival is coordinated by the Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative and hosted by Michigan Tech’s Great Lake Research Center.

Schedules and descriptions of each session will be available in the GLRC lobby upon arrival.

For more information, contact Joan Chadde or Lloyd Wescoat at 7-3341.

By Joan Chadde.

EPA Taps Tech as Home of Regional Environmental Infrastructure Center

Published September 12, 2016

By

The EPA named Michigan Tech the new home of its Region 5 environmental finance center, a recognition that comes with a six-year grant of up to $5.6 million. EPA Region 5 covers Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio.

An EPA team will be at Tech to conduct a site visit on Sept. 13-14, 2016.

Engineering, Business Resources

“The depth of engineering resources that we have, our business school’s involvement and the fact that a multidisciplinary approach is the norm here all made our application stand out,” says Tim Colling. The principal investigator on the EPA center, Colling also directs Tech’s Center for Technology and Training (CTT), part of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE). There are several co-PIs from various University departments, centers and institutes, including CEE, the Sustainable Futures Institute, Michigan Tech Transportation Institute (MTTI) and the School of Business and Economics.

Presenters Needed for Water Festival

Published September 12, 2016

By

Presenters are sought for a water festival for students in grades four through eight. The festival takes place on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2016, at Michigan Tech’s Great Lakes Research Center.

Consider being a presenter and sharing your expertise and passion for the Great Lakes and STEM careers.

A total of 20 presenters are needed for the 8:45 to 11:35 a.m. Morning Session and 20 presenters for the Afternoon Session, noon to 2:55 p.m. Those interested can present at either or both sessions.

If interested in presenting, reply at your earliest convenience via email to Joan Chadde or call the office at 7-3341.

Tell us your topic, a short description (2-3 sentences) and if you’re available morning, afternoon or both.

Presentations by NSF-funded Teachers Mentored by Engineering Grad Students

Published August 17, 2016

By

Six Michigan teachers mentored by Michigan Tech grad students during a 6-week Summer Institute on Computational Tools and the Environment will present their research in a poster session from 1 to 3 p.m. tomorrow (Aug. 18) in the atrium of the Great Lakes Research Center.

The institute was sponsored by the National Science Foundation’s Research Experiences for Teachers program.

The poster session is the culmination of a six-week, intensive Summer Institute on Computational Tools and the Environment, sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The teachers were mentored by environmental engineering, chemical engineering, geological engineering and forestry graduate students as they conducted research on water quality, forestry management and life cycle assessment.

The graduate students also worked with the teachers to translate the results of their research into curriculum materials to be used in the teachers’ science and mathematics classes.

For more information, contact Alex Mayer, asmayer@mtu.edu.

From Tech Today, by Jenn Donovan.

Engineering Alumni as New Alumni Board Directors

Published August 2, 2016

By

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

Family Engineering Day and Other KSEF Events

Published August 2, 2016

By

Great Lakes Research Center Hosts Alumni and KSEF

Faculty, staff and students at the Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) are hosting and participating in a number of events during Alumni Reunion and in partnership with the Keweenaw Science and Engineering Festival (KSEF). The campus community is invited to join alumni and KSEF attendees at the following GLRC led activities:

“Layers of Superior,” an art show featuring work created by Hancock High School art students and inspired by Lake Superior, is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3-Friday, Aug. 5. The exhibit is located in the first floor lobby of the GLRC.
Join Michigan Tech’s Center for Science and Environmental Outreach at Kestner Waterfront Park for the Keweenaw Science and Engineering Festival’s Family Engineering Day from noon to 3 p.m. Thursday.
On Thursday from 3 to 4 p.m., the new donor wall will be dedicated in the first floor lobby of the GRLC. All are invited to the dedication launching the GLRC’s Buy a Fish campaign. Funds raised will support student opportunities, research and facilities improvements. Dedication remarks are scheduled for 3:15 p.m. in the GLRC’s first floor lobby.
Come on down to the GLRC from 1 to 5 p.m. Friday for the GLRC’s Water Festival. Tour a 47 foot Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat, drive an underwater robot, see zooplankton up close, listen to Lake Superior while learning about underwater acoustics research and learn how faculty collect and use data to make predictions on the spread of invasive aquatic species. Visit this link for a full schedule of the Water Festival activities.

From Tech Today, by Elizabeth Hoy.

Science and Engineering Festival begins

The 2nd Annual Keweenaw Science and Engineering Festival has begun, featuring three days of hands-on activities based on science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Most of the events all families to participate with their children, like the Family Engineering Day put on by Michigan Center for Science and Environmental Outreach.

New slide shows feature Keweenaw Science and Engineering Festival, alumni visitors, Science Fair winners, Lake Superior Celebration

Keweenaw Now captured some of the highlights of these events with photos we have now posted in our new slide show format. We also have added a slide show on the Western UP Science Fair winners and the April 26 Lake Superior Celebration at the GLRC. (See Slide Show announcement and links in our right-hand column).

Read more and watch a video presentation by Pengfei Xue at Keweenaw Now by Michele Bourdieu.

Lake Superior Day 2016

Published July 20, 2016

By

Celebrate the beauty and bounty of Lake Superior from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, July 24, 2016. Copper Harbor community volunteers, along with the Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative, are organizing the fourth annual Lake Superior Day Festival with lots of special activities at the 6th Street Dock along the Copper Harbor Boardwalk (near Isle Royale Queen boat dock).

The Agassiz will depart every 45 minutes from the Isle Royale Queen dock beginning at noon. Space is limited to 17 persons per excursion. Participants must be at least seven years old and children must be accompanied by an adult. All participants should wear closed-toe shoes. Interested participants may pre-register by calling 7-3341 or email Lloyd Wescoat at lwescoat@mtu.edu. Space will be available for on-site participants. For more information about the event contact lead organizer, Don Kilpela, Captain of the Isle Royale Queen, at 289-4735.

Design a Sustainable Future Teacher Institute

Published July 14, 2016

By

A total of eight elementary, middle and high school teachers from the UP, across Michigan and even one from Puerto Rico, are in Houghton this week to attend a five-day teacher institute on designing a sustainable future.

Topics range from building design, energy sources, transportation, vehicle design, food systems, product lifecycle and forest biomaterials.

Presenters include Michigan Tech faculty, community experts and educators. Teachers are participating in many hands-on activities including field trips to the Keweenaw Research Center, Low-impact development lab, sustainable buildings, examination of renewable energy systems including solar, wind and low-head Hydro and a community-supported agriculture farm near Greenland.

The Program is funded with a grant from Michigan Tech Sustainable Futures Institute and coordinated by the Michigan Tech Center for Science and Environmental Outreach at the Great Lakes Research Center.

For more information, contact Joan Chadde at 369-1121 or by email.

From Tech Today, by Joan Chadde.

Michigan Tech Student Builds Tiny House

Published July 13, 2016

By

Michigan Tech student, Emma Hitch, cares about the environment.

Emma’s mother, Betsey Bradley states, “I know her big issue is sustainability, being an environmental engineering student, so she wants to have a small carbon footprint.”

The incoming junior is spending the summer building a tiny home.

Category: Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering

Engineering, Business Resources