College of Engineering Blog

Category: Education

SWE Places Third in SWE Global Outreach Competition

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MTU’s Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Section participated in the global SWE Outreach Competition, where they presented on Engineering Day!, a K-5 outreach program.

Undergraduates Skyler Brawley (computer engineering) and Carsyn Boggio (environmental engineering) described the program developed and hosted jointly by the SWE section and Engineering Ambassadors, which reached over 600 K-5 students and Girl Scouts last year. MTU’s SWE section partnered with the SWE Professional Section in Grand Rapids to host an event for Daisies, Brownies and Juniors scouts. We hosted another at Michigan Tech for Northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula Girl Scouts. Locally, Engineering Day! was held at Lake Linden-Hubbell Elementary, Barkell Elementary and Dollar Bay-Tamarack City Elementary. We were especially thrilled for the first- and second-place sections, both of whom were from Africa and had developed innovative ways to connect with girls and help youth learn about STEM careers and engineering.

The SWE section and Engineering Ambassadors will continue to host Engineering Day! in local schools and with Girl Scouts. We have already begun planning for the Fall and are looking forward to another fun and exciting year of outreach.

The section thanks SWE, Michigan Tech and our industry sponsors for their outreach support.

By Gretchen Hein, Advisor, Society of Women Engineers.

Carsyn Boggio
Skylar Brawley
Michigan Tech SWE faculty advisor Gretchen Hein helps out during SWE outreach events, too.

Related

SWE, Engineering Ambassadors Host Engineering Day Events During March 2023

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MTU Blizzard Baja Team Succeeds at Baja SAE Competition

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“It’s only up from here,” wrote Michigan Tech’s Blizzard Baja team after their success in Oshkosh. Follow the team on Instagram. They’re also on Twitter and Facebook.

Michigan Tech’s Blizzard Baja team took home an 8th place finish at the recent Baja SAE North American Competition in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in May. 

In addition to a steering arm failure, the pit team also had to deal with mud build up during the race.

“Our 8th place finish was sealed by a 4th place finish in the final 4-hour Endurance event Sunday morning,” says team faculty advisor, Assistant Teaching Professor Kevin Johnson. “We were in 2nd place in the Endurance event for a long time until we had a steering arm failure on the car. The team quickly replaced the steering knuckle in the pits and got back on the track with a half hour remaining in the race. Regardless of this setback we were able to finish in 4th place.”

Earlier in the race, the team received a black flag, due to their car numbers not being visible due to mud buildup. The team had to enter the pit to clean them off, which set them back a bit, as well.

“This year we had a very strong team with outstanding participation,” adds Johnson. “The team had two major obstacles; a working reliable 4 wheel drive system and a new larger Kohler engine to replace the Briggs that had been used for many years previously.”

The team raced with their newest vehicle, the Matador.

Michigan Tech’s Blizzard Baja is one of 25 Enterprise teams, part of Michigan Tech’s award-winning Enterprise Program.

The Blizzard Baja team consists of numerous sub-teams. One of those, the 4×4 Senior Design team with members William Rivet and Alec Pominville, scrapped the 4×4 design from last year due to major issues. “They went through some iterations including a belt and a chain drive and finally ended up with a drive shaft, gearbox, and differentials design,” notes Johnson. “They put countless hours into design, manufacturing, and testing the last two semesters with help from a number of other students.”

This year, Michigan Tech served as host to Fei Baja, the SAE Baja team from Centro Universitário FEI, a university in São Bernardo do Campo, Brazil. “The team from Brazil contacted our team through social media asking if MTU Baja SAE would be willing to host them,” said Johnson. It turned out to be a fantastic experience for both teams.

MTU Blizzard Baja hosted friends from Brazil, team Fei Baja, during the competition.

“The best part of the competition was seeing all of our hard work pay off in the form of a top 10 finish,” said Gregory Jowett, a mechanical engineering student who serves as President of Michigan Tech’s Blizzard Baja SAE team. 

“Whether someone was directly working on the vehicle, doing modeling or simulation, or making sure the trip ran smoothly, it’s incredibly rewarding to see everyone’s effort culminate in a successful experience like it did in Oshkosh,” he says.

“I am extremely proud of the entire team and feel they represented Michigan Tech very well.”

Prof. Kevin Johnson, Blizzard Baja faculty advisor

“Needing to modify our frame to pass technical inspections and breaking an a-arm during the endurance race were some of the larger setbacks we faced. In both cases, the team was able to efficiently work together to quickly solve both problems. Even after an early morning and 3.5 hours of racing, the team was able to replace the a-arm in the pits and get our driver back out on the track in less than 10 minutes.”

The success experienced by our team is a direct reflection of Blizzard Baja’s “work hard, play hard” culture,” adds Jowett. “We enjoy team bonding when we have free time, but when there are things to do, none of our members hesitate to selflessly step up and get things done.”

“Props to our pit crew!”

Gregory Jowett, Blizzard Baja president

As for joining the team, the Blizzard Baja enterprise conducts interviews for prospective new members twice per year. For more information, students can visit the website at baja.mtu.edu or email the team at baja@mtu.edu.

Learn more about the team online at https://baja.mtu.edu.
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Michigan Tech ARES Team Competes in Tuscaloosa

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The Michigan Tech ARES team is ready to roll.

A student engineering team from Michigan Tech is competing this week in the Robotic Mining Challenge, hosted by the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. 

Michigan Tech team prepares ARES for competition. Go Huskies!

The event is designed to create solutions to problems faced on moon exploration missions, with 24 university teams from across the nation taking part.

Each team has spent the past year designing and building a robot that uses resources available on the lunar surface. During the competition, robots must autonomously navigate a lunar-simulated arena and excavate lunar soil, or regolith.

Michigan Tech’s robot, ARES, completed a 15 minute practice runs on Wednesday, May 24. ARES stands for Automated Regolith Excavation System. The name was selected after a brainstorm and voting, says Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Assistant Professor Paul van Susante, the team’s faculty advisor.

Ten of the Michigan Tech team’s 28 members are on site. That includes team lead Karson Linders (mechanical engineering and robotics engineering); Brian Geiger (mechanical engineering); Miranda Meyers (electrical engineering); Brenda Wilson (electrical engineering); Christi LeCaptain (mechanical engineering); Tanner Duncan (mechanical engineering); Collin Miller (mechanical engineering); Ian Giles (robotics engineering); Kyle Hintz (mechanical engineering); and Brendan McRoberts (mechanical engineering).

Many of the students are current or former members of MINE, the Multiplanetary INnovation Enterprise at Michigan Tech, which is also advised by Prof. van Susante. Several of the students recently graduated in April.

Michigan Tech’s ARES robot takes part in at test run at the 2023 Robotic Mining Challenge.

Throughout the week, teams will receive one 15-minute practice run and two competition runs. Practice runs will take place May 22-23 with the challenge beginning the afternoon of May 23 and continuing through May 26.

“We were overall pleased with our first competition run,” said van Susante. “Everything worked, but needed tweaking. “We have learned many things that we will improve today and all day tomorrow before our final competition run on Friday.”

Judges of the competition include industry professionals from Caterpillar, the Exolith Lab at the University of Central Florida and NASA’s Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute. 

The Robotic Mining Challenge Award ceremony takes place Friday evening. The Michigan Tech team will travel back to Houghton the next day.

This contest is separate from the NASA Lunabotics Competition, hosted at Kennedy Space Center.

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Thought-provoking, Intriguing and Sweet: Huskies Remember One of their Own

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round disc-shaped chocolate with gear or wheel shape on top
The winning design, close-up!
Zachary stands on a stone, in front of a roaring waterfall
Zachary’s legacy of kindness and integrity lives on at Michigan Tech.

Winners were announced on April 19th, Zachary Podkul’s birthday.

This year, for the Third Annual Zachary Richard Podkul (ZRP) Memorial Scholarship Challenge, Mechanical Engineering Technology (MET) students honored their fellow Husky’s fondness for Michigan Tech, machine design, cooking—and of course, chocolate!

Six MET students in the Department of Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology rose to the challenge to design custom chocolates.

The students began their thought process on what to design late last year when the contest was announced at the end of fall semester.

They started out by creating a 3D CAD model of their design. Each chocolate could be no larger than 2”x2”x1”. Next, a 3D print of the model was created in the MMET Department’s Additive Manufacturing facility, using the Stratasys Fortus 400 MC, which uses Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) to extrude plastic filament. 

The students then each built a flask from poster board strips. The flask held their 3D printed patterns (the positive). Food-safe silicone was poured over the top to cast a silicone mold (the negative).

Once set, students removed their silicone mold from the flask, filled the new mold with melted chocolate, chilled it all to delicious perfection, then popped out their chocolate confections to enjoy—and also to be judged as part of the challenge.

MMET faculty members judged the entries by the following criteria:

  • 3D CAD Model—Utilizes sketches fully constrained with parametric features
  • Originality—Unique and innovative design representative of Michigan Tech
  • Quality—Uniformity, strength and surface finish
  • Manufacturability—Ability for chocolate to be easily formed in mold
  • Detail—The chocolate conforms to the mold intended design

And the winner is…Michael Havens! He won a $1,000 scholarship!

Cathy and Michael stand arm in arm.
Congratulations to Michael Havens!
A plate with a single chocolate on a table, with the mold and 3d print.
Michael’s work: note his 3D printed pattern (black), and his silicon mold (blue).
Michael looks at large computer screen with picture of his wheel-shaped chocolate 3d design
Michael Havens presents his design to the judges.

Justin Hannah earned Second Place and a $500 scholarship.

Justin stands between Cathy and Richard holding his silicon mold.
Congratulations to Justin Hannah!
three chocolates on a white plate with Justin Hannah sign nearby
Justin’s wonderful designs.

David Watkins earned third place and a $250 scholarship.

David Watkins between Cathy and Richard, holding his 3rd place certificate
Congratulations to David Watkins!
Plate of chocolates, plus molds, 3d prints and cookie cutters on a table.
David’s winning work in both white and dark chocolate!

According to the Podkul’s, everyone was a winner!

The Podkul’s also gave gift certificates to the other three MET student who submitted entries: Beaumont Ujlaky, Teresa Hoving, and RJ Slater.

Cathy sits at a table and looks at the judges with her 3dDesign on a big screen behind her.
Teresa Hoving presents to the judges.
Five-sided chocolates on a plate plus a stuffed Husky dog toy and some cookies in cellophane and a blue silicon chocolate mold.
Teresa’s wonderful design
RJ sits at a table with Bryant in the background. Chocolates on a plate in the foreground.
RJ Slater presents his design to the judges.
Beaumont stands and holds his blue chocolate silicon mold with Cathy and Linda on either side
Beaumont Ujlaky, with Cathy Podkul and her sister, Linda Daleo
oval-shaped chocolate on a plate with a Keweenaw peninsula design on the top.
Just one of Beaumont’s chocolates. He designed several.
Nick holds a section of gray 3d print on a piece of plexiglass while Linda looks on.
Linda Daleo, Zachary’s aunt, was on hand for the event. Here she learns about the Stratasys Fortus 400 MC in the Michigan Tech’s AM Lab with MMET Professor of Practice Nick Hendrickson
Bow of cellophane wrapped frosted cookies with cookie cutters on a table.
Cathy kept the student-designed cookie cutters from the 2022 ZRP Memorial Challenge. She hired a professional baker to make delicious cookies using the cutters to share at the event. (Does that mean we’ll enjoy both cookies and chocolate at next year’s award ceremony??!!)

Zachary’s family supports the ZRP Design Challenge and an MET student scholarship through their endowment. It’s intended to ease the financial burden for students who share his MTU experience and for those who live with chronic health conditions. Zachary will always be remembered by his Michigan Tech family and alumni.

Want to join the Podkul family in supporting the Zachary Richard Podkul Engineering Memorial Scholarship? Learn more here.

This year, the Podkuls were able to meet all of the students in person who participated. “We were amazed at their designs and the level of detail,” said Cathy. “And we especially enjoyed hearing the thought process that went into their designs.”

The family is at home by an open closet door with board games on the shelf behind them.
Zachary with his mom, Cathy, and sister, Gabby
Zachary wears his cap and gown and has his arm around his father's shoulder.
Zach and his Dad

“Zachary’s best times were his college days here at Michigan Tech.”

Cathy Podkul
A table with Zachary's diploma, and other photos and mementos.
Loving memories of Zachary

During the Challenge award presentation, Cathy shared a bit more about her late son, Zachary, who was born eight weeks premature and fought for his health his entire life. He was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at the young age of 10, and spent the next 15 years of his life battling the disease. He passed away in 2020.

“From the beginning Zachary had a mechanical mindset,” she said. “As a young boy, he was always inquisitive and curious about how things worked.”

With this passion for knowledge he enrolled in Michigan Tech and graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology.

Cathy describes Zachary as quiet, conservative, intelligent, original, sensitive, and witty, with a great sense of humor. At times, he was strong-willed and determined, too, which of course made him all the more lovable. 

“We miss Zachary so much. It’s such a rewarding feeling to support this and to be able to present the awards on his birthday (April 19). My husband and I are grateful to Dr. Irwin, Bryant Weathers, and the MMET faculty and staff for their time and dedication to making these challenges successful for three years in a row.”

The group stands against a white-painted brick wall.
L to R: Richard Podkul, Bryant Weathers, Cathy Podkul, Linda Daleo, and John Irwin

The Podkuls plan to honor their late son Zachary with an MET Design Challenge every year. What will they come up with next? Details about the 2024 Challenge will be announced in about six months.

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SWE Section Travels to SWE-Wisconsin Professional Day

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Very large group of women at SWE Spring Forward 2023.
Image from SWE-Wisconsin Spring Forward 2023 Facebook page.

Last Saturday (April 15, 2023), MTU’s Society of Women Engineers (SWE) section attended the Annual SWE-Wisconsin Professional Day in Madison. We enjoyed visiting with the SWE-Wisconsin Professional Section, developing career skills and learning about engineering opportunities.

  • Gretchen Hein, SWE advisor, led an #IamRemarkable workshop, where participants learned how to advocate for themselves and others, and the importance of those skills in career development.
  • Second-year student Kathryn Krieger (environmental engineering) was honored as the 2023 GE-Healthcare Scholarship recipient. The scholarship committee was impressed with her involvement in SWE, Engineers without Borders and Delta Phi Epsilon.
  • The section received the Collegiate Section Achievement Award for establishing the SWE Section Endowed Scholarship.
  • We were also excited to see Andrea Falasco ’12 (B.S. Mechanical Engineering) and learn about her career path during the panel discussion on working for big versus small companies.

Nine section members attended:

  • Amanda West, junior (mechanical engineering):
    “I enjoyed networking with the other SWE sections in the region. It was great to learn how other students handle their organization and use it to help improve our own.”
  • Talia Olson, junior (mechanical engineering):
    “I enjoyed getting inspired by other women engineers and learning from their experiences. I learned how to brand myself and to own my strength in the workforce.”
  • Cassandra Borr, second-year (mechanical engineering):
    “I found this conference to be very empowering, as we were able to see what other women in the industry have accomplished and how they achieved it.”
  • Carissa Best, first-year (mechanical engineering):
    “I really enjoyed having the opportunity to hear the stories of confident women in STEM who were interested in empowering other women.”
  • Kathryn Krieger, second-year (environmental engineering):
    “SWE has grown to be such an important part of my college career. I am constantly inspired by the women around me and grateful for the opportunities for both personal and professional growth.”
  • Catherine Huston, second-year (materials science and engineering): 
    “Learning to own who I am and how to recognize my accomplishments was empowering and an experience I will carry with me as I navigate my path in life.”
  • Tory Cantrell, first-year (mechanical engineering):
    “The most important piece of advice that I will take away from this conference is how it is important to step outside of your comfort zone and evolve your leadership brand as you grow.”
  • Rixlie Fozilova, graduate student (environmental engineering):
    “The Spring Forward SWE conference provided me with an amazing opportunity to network with fellow engineering students and professionals from a wide variety of companies and backgrounds.”
  • Lydia Minzey, first-year (environmental engineering):
    “The conference empowered participants to believe in their abilities and reach out to achieve their full potential, even while being a minority in their field. I’m very grateful to have been able to attend and learn from the wise women present.”

SWE thanks the College of Engineering and engineering departments for supporting SWE throughout the year. We also thank the Undergraduate Student Government and our corporate sponsors, whose support made this travel possible.

By Gretchen Hein, Advisor, Society of Women Engineers.

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Joint ROTC Commissioning Ceremony April 28, 2023

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Cadets at the ceremony.

The Air Force and Army ROTC invite you to the Spring 2023 Commissioning Ceremony on Friday (April 28) from 7-9 p.m. at the Rozsa Center.

This semester we have 11 Air Force cadets and five Army cadets commissioning. Those commissioning are from the following programs:

Biological Sciences | Civil Engineering | Computer Science | Cybersecurity | Electrical Engineering | Engineering Fundamentals | Engineering Management | Environmental Engineering | Forestry | Mathematics | Mechanical Engineering | Physics

We will also be streaming the ceremony if you prefer to watch it live on YouTube. The stream will go live 15 minutes prior to the ceremony.

By Air Force and Army ROTC.

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Design Expo 2023: Awards Results!

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Michigan Tech’s Design Expo 2023 was a huge success. Many thanks to our hardworking students—and the faculty advisors who generously and richly support them.

Hundreds of Michigan Tech students presented their innovative work last week at Michigan Tech’s 23rd annual Design Expo. Each project entails hands-on, experiential, discovery-based learning. Teams competed for cash awards totaling nearly $4,000.

“Design Expo gives students an opportunity to showcase their creativity and innovation,” says Nagesh Hatti, who oversees Enterprise.

“The students,” adds Leonard Bohmann, associate dean of the College of Engineering, “create new things, solve global problems and make lives better.”

Many of the Senior Design and Enterprise projects on display at Design Expo are supported by external industry sponsors, allowing students to gain valuable experience through direct exposure to real industrial problems.

In Senior Design, students explore and solve real industry challenges throughout their senior year—from ideation to realization. In the Enterprise Program, teams of first- through fourth-year students from a variety of disciplines operate much like real companies to develop products, services and solutions. 

Project Sponsors Support Michigan Tech’s Educational Mission

“Project sponsors generously support our educational mission by providing invaluable project experiences, along with guidance and mentorship for our students,” adds Hatti. “Industry and academia working together as partners in higher education give our students a tremendous learning experience.”

Design Expo’s industry event sponsors make Design Expo, a large campus event, possible. “Their generous support often continues year after year,” says Hatti.

Thompson Surgical Instruments is Design Expo’s 2023 executive partner. ITC Holdings is the event’s directing partner for the 12th consecutive year, joined by fellow directing partner Aramco. And Plexus, OHM Advisors, Altec Inc. and Husky Innovate are collaborating partners.

This year, more than 100 student teams competed for awards. A panel of judges, made up of corporate representatives, community members, and Michigan Tech staff and faculty members, critiqued the projects. “Our esteemed judges give their time and talent to help make Design Expo a success,” adds Hatti.

The judges’ scoring was used to arrive at the awards. Visit the Design Expo website awards page to see the full list of award winning teams (and project videos, too).

The College of Engineering and the Enterprise Program are pleased to announce award winners, below. Congratulations and thanks to ALL teams for a very successful 2023 Design Expo!

ENTERPRISE

FIRST PLACE

Velovations, Michigan Tech’s Bicycle Design Enterprise team, took first place in the Enterprise category at the 2023 Design Expo.

123: Velovations

Led by: Ethan McKenzie and Michael Balentine, Mechanical Engineering

Advised by: Steve Lehmann, Biomedical Engineering

Sponsored by: Cleveland Cliffs, Tongy Senger Innovations, Milwaukee Tools


SECOND PLACE

Michigan Tech’s Aerospace Enterprise team took second place in the Enterprise category.

106: Aerospace Enterprise

Led by: Seth Quayle, Mechanical Engineering and Kyle Bruursema, Electrical Engineering

Advised by: L. Brad King, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Sponsored by: Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)


THIRD PLACE

104: Supermileage Systems

Supermileage Systems Enterprise took third place in the Enterprise category.

Led by: Olivia Zinser and Ben Klein, Electrical Engineering

Advised by: Rick Berkey, Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology

Sponsored by: GM, Aramco Americas, Oshkosh, Milwaukee Tool, A&D Technology – GIK, and Dana


HONORABLE MENTION

117: Innovative Global Solutions

The Innovative Global Solutions Enterprise team earned an Honorable Mention in the Enterprise category.

Led by: Cynthia Wurtz, Mechanical Engineering and Riley Dickert, Physics

Advised by: Radheshyam Tewari, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics and Nathan Manser, Geological and Mining Engineering

Sponsored by: Tree Frog Aquagric

SENIOR DESIGN

FIRST PLACE

233: Social Engineering for High School Students

College of Computing students Kayla Blunt and Connor Langdon won first place in the Senior Design Category for their project, Social Engineering for High School Students

Team Members: Connor Langdon, Cybersecurity and Kayla Blunt, Computer Network and System Administration

Advised by: Tim Van Wagner and Victoria Walters, Applied Computing


SECOND PLACE

232: Shot Sleeve Re-design for Steel High Pressure Die Casting (HPDC)

A team of five Materials Science and Engineering students won second place for their senior design project, Hot Sleeve Re-design for Steel High Pressure Die Casting, sponsored by Mercury Marine

Team Members: Ryan Cesario, Henry Summers, Victoria Berger, Caleb Minasian, and Katherine Jarvis, Materials Science and Engineering

Advised by: Paul Sanders and Walter Milligan, Materials Science and Engineering

Sponsored by: Mercury Marine


THIRD PLACE

214: Design of a Method to Characterize the Depletion Mode Medical Device Battery – Phase 2

This team of biomedical engineering students earned third place for their senior design project, which was sponsored by the US Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health: Design of a Method to Characterize the Depletion Mode Medical Device Battery – Phase 2.

Team Members: Cole Hebert, Cameron Karnosky, Kristin King, William Poster, and Kelsey Moyer, Biomedical Engineering

Advised by: Orhan Soykan and Smitha Rao, Biomedical Engineering

Sponsored by: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH)


HONORABLE MENTION

224: Movable Bookshelf Network

This team of ECE students earned an honorable mention in the senior design category for their project, Movable Bookshelf Network.

Team Members: Spencer Crawford and Ryan Briggs, Computer Engineering and Josh Cribben and Emily Fischer, Electrical Engineering

Advised by: Kit Cischke, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Sponsored by: Michigan Tech Van Pelt and Opie Library


HONORABLE MENTION

227: Physiological Sensing Using a Smart Port-a-Cath

This team’s project, Physiological Sensing Using a Smart Port-a-Cath was sponsored by Lifebridge Health. They earned an honorable mention in the senior design category.

Team Members: Marli Hietala, Savannah Page, Etienne Michels, Ali Dabas and Giovanni Diaz, Biomedical Engineering

Advised by: Sean Kirkpatrick, Biomedical Engineering

Sponsored by: LifeBridge Health

HONORABLE MENTION

231: Renewable Energy Powered Portable Plastic Waste Breakdown Machine

This team of ECE and mechanical engineering students earned an honorable mention in the senior design category for their project, Renewable Energy Powered Portable Plastic Waste Breakdown Machine, sponsored by ITC.

Team Members: Aaron Hogue and Hunter Indermuehle, Electrical Engineering, Ruizhi Ma, Computer Engineering and Zarvan Chinoy, Mechanical Engineering

Advised by: John Lukowski, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Sponsored by: ITC Holdings Corp.

HONORABLE MENTION

237: Utilizing Motor Oil to Rejuvenate RAP Materials

This civil engineering team earned an honorable mention for their senior design project, Utilizing Motor Oil to Rejuvenate Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP) Materials.

Team Members: Kira Olson, Construction Management, Alli Hummel, Jacob Cleaver, and AJ Clarey, Civil Engineering

Advised by: Zhanping You, Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering

Sponsored by: Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering

Design Expo Innovation Awards (Based on Application)

FIRST PLACE

301: AAA [Affordable, Accessible, Authentic] Prosthesis
Advised by: Jon Herlivich, Chemical Engineering

The AAA team won a first place Design Expo Innovation Award. They are part of Michigan Tech’s Consumer Product Manufacturing Enterprise.

SECOND PLACE

The Implantable Pulse Generator (IPG) and Lead team earned a second place in the Design Expo Innovation Award.


203: Implantable Pulse Generator (IPG) and Lead
Advised by: Jingfeng Jiang and Chunxiu (Traci) Yu, Biomedical Engineering

THIRD PLACE

237: Utilizing Motor Oil to Rejuvenate RAP Materials
Advised by: Zhanping You, Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering

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Engineering Students Interviewed About Design Expo 2023

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Two students seating outside near the waterfront next to an off-road vehicle.
Mechanical engineering students in the Blizzard Baja Enterprise.

Michigan Technological University opens Design Expo to underclassmen

Briana Tucker and Nagesh Hatti (Enterprise) were quoted by WZMQ 19 News in coverage of Michigan Tech’s 2023 Design Expo, held Tuesday (April 18) at the Van Pelt and Opie Library and Memorial Union Building.

The Michigan Tech Baja Racing Team showcased their new car at the expo as well. This year they’ve been mandated to build a four-wheel car in order to compete and the team says they use the tools from class in every cylinder of their project.

Read more at WZMQ 19 News, by Mitchell Rife.

Michigan Tech University holds 23rd annual Design Expo with wide project variety

Tucker, senior Ryan Peckham (electrical engineering) and first-year engineering student Andrew Brenner were interviewed for a WLUC TV6 broadcast segment, and first-year chemical engineering students Ethan LeGrave, Veronica North, and Bailey Wright were mentioned in the accompanying story.

The Wireless Communications Enterprise (WCE) team showcased several of their projects.

Read more at WLUC TV6, by Colin Jackson.

Feats of innovation

The Daily Mining Gazette also covered Expo, mentioning students Breanna Gorman and Cade Meyer.

Breanna Gorman, president of the Enterprise team and fourth-year electrical engineering major showcased a portable battery pack intended for military backpacks.

Cade Meyer, a fourth-year mechanical engineering student was part of the Velovations Enterprise team. They focus on bicycle design projects.

Read more at the Daily Mining Gazette, by Aidan Reilly.

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Dean’s Teaching Showcase: Radheshyam Tewari

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Radheshyam Tewari
Radheshyam Tewari

Radheshyam Tewari, associate teaching professor from the Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics (ME-EM) has been selected as the featured instructor this week in the Deans’ Teaching Showcase.

Tewari will be recognized at an end-of-term event with other showcase members and is a candidate for the CTL Instructional Award Series.

Tewari is an extremely versatile instructor, excelling in teaching many different ME-EM courses that vary by type, size and level. He contributes significantly to developing, revising and improving courses, curricula and programs. Examples include developing and substantially revising several senior elective and graduate-level face-to-face and online courses, such as ME4695/5695 Additive Manufacturing, ME4650/5650 Quality Engineering, ME5670 Experimental Design in Engineering, ME4665/5655 Lean Manufacturing, and ME4655/5656 Production Planning.

These courses are very popular and highly subscribed, which reflects Tewari’s passion for continuously improving courses. To make his courses more applied and the student learning more active, he incorporates industry-based projects in ME5650, research-based projects in ME5670, and hands-on manufacturing process simulation-based projects in ME5655.

“Radheshyam has always done a great job in the classroom,” said Jason Blough, chair of ME-EM. “Because of this, many of his courses are at capacity every time he teaches them. Students are drawn in due to his reputation, passion and commitment. He is completely committed to the students and does a great job each and every day.”

Tewari’s teaching has led to students’ increased interest in the minor in manufacturing. Since 2014, the number of students completing the minor have quadrupled. His dedication and efforts in developing and improving curricula and programs also led to the creation of the Graduate Certificate in Quality Engineering. This has become the most popular certificate among those offered by ME-EM and is one of the five programs across campus selected by the Michigan Tech Global Campus to highlight.

Dean Janet Callahan is grateful for Tewari’s work. “I want to thank Radheshyam for being so passionate about the quality of his instruction and the associated student learning,” said Callahan. “The online offerings are strong additions to what our graduates learn and then apply in their workplace, which in turn advances the company’s competitiveness. It’s a win for everyone.”

The passion and motivation Tewari brings to his teaching is very evident to his students. Not only does he regularly receive strong course evaluations, but his teaching and mentoring frequently leave lasting impressions. As one student noted, “I want to let you know of the huge impact you have had on my life. You are a great teacher, and you made our basics strong and imprinted some great manufacturing knowledge in us. I’ve been in the manufacturing industry for the last two and a half years, and everywhere I go I share some of the knowledge I learned from you. Thank you for being an amazing coach and having such a significant impact in my life.”

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Solar Energy in Cold Climates: Ana Dyreson

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This single-axis solar photovoltaic system is located at a Michigan Tech’s APS Labs site near Calumet, Michigan.
Ana Dyreson

Ana Dyreson is an assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics at Michigan Tech. Her work centers on solar and alternative energy—and the impacts of climate change on those systems in the U.S. Great Lakes region through her Great Lakes Energy Group.

“In the last few decades, solar photovoltaics (PV) have become extremely cost-competitive,” she says. “This economic reality, combined with a push for decarbonization of the electric power sector in general, means that large-scale solar PV is growing—not only in traditional southern climates but also in the north where significant snow can reduce power output.”

Dyreson’s students at Michigan Tech, Ayush Chutani and Shelbie Davis are both involved in doctoral research on how to better understand just how solar PV systems shed snow, in particular, single-axis tracking systems, including modeling tto explore how widespread snow events might impact future power system operations.

“We are energy engineers who work in the context of a changing environment.”

Dr. Ana Dyreson’s Great Lakes Energy Group
Ayush Chutani

Dyreson and her team use energy analysis and grid-scale modeling to study the performance of renewable technologies.

“Our research links power plant-level thermodynamic models, climate models, hydrology models, and electricity grid operation models—all to understand how weather and climate change impact future power systems,” she explains.

In August 2022 Dyreson began conducting research at the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Regional Test Center (RTC), a newly built Michigan Tech facility operated by the Advanced Power Systems Laboratory (APS LABS) at Michigan Tech. Her research on single-axis tracking systems is supported by Array Technologies, Inc., who supplied a ten-row, single-axis tracking solar system and continues to partner on research.

Under the technical oversight of Sandia National Labs, the RTC program represents a consortium of five outdoor solar research sites across the U.S. that evaluate the performance and reliability of emerging PV technologies. 

To learn more about earning a degree or graduate certificate online, Michigan Tech Global Campus is a good place to start. 
Shelbie Davis

The RTC program gives U.S. solar companies access to these sites and to the technical expertise of Sandia and its academic partners, to drive both product innovation and commercialization of new high-efficiency solar products.

Dyreson earned her PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and her MS in Mechanical Engineering at Northern Arizona University. She conducted post-doctoral research in electricity grid modeling at the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). She earned her BS in Engineering Mechanics from University of Wisconsin–Madison. She’s a registered Professional Engineer in Wisconsin.

Shelbie took this photo at Michigan Tech’s new solar energy DOE Regional Test Center.

“I am lucky to work with talented PhD students including Ayush and Shelbie,” says Dyreson. “They each have unique professional backgrounds and personal interests in the work that they do, and it’s fun to see their work unfold.”

“Although we had never met, I sought Ana out as my faculty advisor before I even started at Michigan Tech,” says Davis. “I was fascinated by her work with alternative energy systems, specifically solar power. And Ayush has been a great PhD colleague and resource, as he is further in his PhD process and is also focusing on solar energy generation.”

Davis is earning her PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech remotely, while working as a laboratory manager and instructor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Saint Martin’s University in Lacey, Washington, near Olympia, the state capitol. At Michigan Tech, students can earn a PhD remotely in either Mechanical Engineering or Civil Engineering. 

Chutani took part in the 26th United Nations climate change summit, COP26, in Glasgow, Scotland with the Michigan Tech delegation led by Chemistry Professor Sarah Green. Chutani traveled to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt in 2022 to attend COP27, again with the delegation from Michigan Tech.

Ayush Chutani takes part in a discussion panel at COP27 (Ayush is third from the right).

“Energy is something you cannot taste, see, or touch, yet it powers our lives—what magic!” 

Ana Dyreson

Last December, Dyreson was awarded a grant just shy of $500,000 from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for a project called “Electrification and Climate Resilience in the Rural North: Challenges and Opportunities.” She’ll be identifying social and technological challenges to resilient and equitable low-carbon electrification. That includes seeking answers on how to best electrify the energy sector, while at the same time adapting electric power systems to climate change. One primary question she plans to address: Which are the most technically feasible and socially acceptable system pathways?

Dr. Dyreson is passionate about teaching and improving the diversity of Mechanical Engineering as a discipline.

Prof. Dyreson, how did you first get into engineering? What sparked your interest?

From a young age I have been interested in how society manages energy. Following one of my older sisters into engineering was an obvious way to explore this passion, and lead me to mechanical engineering and work on renewable energy and electric power systems.

Hometown, family?

I am from Portage, Wisconsin. I grew up on a south central Wisconsin farm with my parents and three sisters.

Any hobbies? Pets? What do you like to do in your spare time?

I enjoy spending time with my family, especially biking and camping together. I love to run in all weather conditions, by myself or in a group, on road or trail, for fun or for competition—I love to run!

Research note:

Dyreson’s research on single-axis tracking systems is part of a project led by Sandia National Laboratories and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies office Award Number 38527.

Read more:

MTU, Sandia to Cut Ribbon on New DOE Regional Test Center for Emerging Solar Technologies

Watch:

During Husky Bites, Dr Dyreson explains the impacts of snow on high solar-share power systems of the future, from the solar module to the power grid.

Check out the full session of Dr. Ana Dyreson’s Husky Bites webinar.

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