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Orbion Space Technology is an Accelerate Michigan Finalist Company

Published October 5, 2017

Three startup companies with Michigan Tech roots have been named semi-finalists in this year’s Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition.

Goldstrike Data, a big data analytics firm founded and headed by Michigan Tech alumna Ashley Kern ’15, was selected as one of 36 semi-finalists, as were StabiLux Biosciences (Novolux Biosciences) and Orbion Space Technology. StabiLux Biosciences( Novolux Biosciences) was founded by Yoke Khin Yap, a professor of physics at Tech, and Orbion Space Technology was founded by L. Brad King, the Ron and Elaine Starr Professor in Space Systems in the Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics.

The semi-finalists are innovative startups from a variety of high-growth sectors including advanced materials, manufacturing, alternative energy, business services, consumer products, information technology, life sciences/healthcare, media, mobility and more. On Nov. 16, 2017, 10 finalists will be selected and the winner will be chosen from among the finalists that night at the Detroit Masonic Temple. Since the competition’s inception, participating companies have generated more than 1,000 jobs in Michigan and raised more than $550 million in capital.

“We are extremely impressed with the diverse and creative entries that came to us from across the state and we’re excited to unveil an outstanding new crop of competitors,” said Martin Dober, vice president of Invest Detroit and managing director of Invest Detroit Ventures. “This competition has the potential to be life changing for these businesses. It is truly rewarding to help put promising young startups on a trajectory toward success.” Each year, the Accelerate Michigan Innovation Competition showcases the startup innovation throughout Michigan and provides startups with the exposure, funding and mentorship they need. The first place company will win $500,000. The total value of all prizes is almost $1 million.

By Jenn Donovan.

More Than 350 Companies Recruiting Engineers

Published September 29, 2017

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Alumni
News

Thousands pack MTU for annual Career Fair

HOUGHTON, Mich. (WLUC) – Michigan Tech was packed with students and business alike as they hosted their annual Fall Career Fair.

More than 350 companies from across the country were recruiting engineers from Michigan Tech University Wednesday. Hundreds of them were from lower Michigan or other parts of the Midwest.

“It was my first choice to come here. I was so happy when I was accepted,” said Bioengineer Student Alex Undlin. “This is well-known as one of the best engineering schools in the country.”

I would not trade my experience here for anything. Alex Undlin

MTU students network with 340 companies

“Today, we have 340 recruiting organization, over 1,100 recruiters and students are here in troves. Here at Michigan Tech, we are a STEM-focused university, so these companies are looking for students in science, technology, engineering and math,” said Assistant Director for Experimential Learning & Career Development Kirsti Arko.

MTU hosts two career fairs annually. Wednesday’s turnout makes this the third largest Campus Career Fair in the country.

Employers seek ‘best’ at Tech’s Career Fair

While engineering dominated the event, companies sought a diverse field of interests. According to Tech’s Career Services department, more than 30 companies were seeking business administration majors, more than 60 are looking for students in computer science, and at least 25 companies were looking for students in mathematics.

Infinity Machine and Engineering was looking for jobs including electrical and mechanical engineers, programmers and service technicians.

Authoring and Editing Activity for Joshua Pearce

Published September 27, 2017

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Joshua Pearce (MSE/ECE) was the guest editor for the National Academy of Engineers’ Fall Issue of The Bridge on Open Source Hardware.

The complete issue and all individual articles can be downloaded here.

Joshua Pearce (MSE/ECE) and ECE graduate students Prannay Malu and Utkarsh Sharma co-authored the paper, Agrivoltaic potential on grape farms in India, in Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments.

Pearce co-authored a paper Micro-Raman Scattering of Nanoscale Silicon in Amorphous and Porous Silicon in Zeitschrift für Physikalische Chemie.

Pearce and Michigan Tech alumnus Jephias Gwamuri coauthored, “Open source 3D printers: an appropriate technology for building low cost optics labs for the developing communities“, published in Proc. SPIE 10452, 14th Conference on Education and Training in Optics and Photonics: ETOP 2017.

Pearce and biomedical engineering student Ross Michaels published a short note: 3-D printing open-source click-MUAC bands for identification of malnutrition in Public Health Nutrition.

In the News

Alumna Dhwani Trivedi (ECE) and Joshua Pearce (MSE/ECE) published Open Source 3-D Printed Nutating Mixer in Applied Sciences. Their work was covered by 3Ders in Michigan engineers design open source 3D printed rotating lab mixer and in GongKong, which is the China Industrial Network.

Pearce’s summary “How solar power can protect the U.S. military from threats to the electric grid” on collaboration with PhD Student Emily Prehoda (SS) and Chelsea Schelly (SS) was picked up by the Associated Press and covered widely, including: LA Times, GovTech, Chicago Tribune, San Francisco Chronicle, Raw Story, ECS and Real Clear Defense, among others.

Their work was later covered by the investment news in Motley Fool, Business Insider and Green Biz, and internationally in Sputnik News.

In Print

MSE alumna Amber Haselhuhn coauthored a paper with Paul Sanders (MSE) and Joshua Pearce (MSE/ECE) Hypoeutectic Aluminum–Silicon Alloy Development for GMAW-Based 3-D Printing Using Wedge Castings published in the International Journal of Metalcasting.

Alumnus Chenlong Zhang coauthored a paper with Sandra Cvetanovic (ECE, undergraduate) and Pearce (MSE/ECE), Fabricating Ordered 2-D Nano-Structured Arrays Using Nanosphere Lithography. The paper appeared in MethodsX.

ECE alumna Siranee Nuchitprasitchai co-authored a paper with Mike Roggemann (ECE) and Pearce (MSE/ECE), Factors effecting real-time optical monitoring of fused filament 3D printing. It was published in Progress in Additive Manufacturing.

Railroad Night XIII is Oct. 3, 2017

Published September 26, 2017

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Registration is now open for Railroad Night XIII. This year’s Railroad Night will take place from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 3, 2017, in the Memorial Union Ballroom. Students may meet industry professionals from 5 to 6 p.m. and participate in a social hour from 6 to 7 p.m. Dinner will begin at 7 p.m. Kevin Riddett, president and CEO of RailWorks, will provide the keynote address this year.

RailWorks is a leading rail industry company, offering infrastructure design and construction services, as well as signals and communication services, for both the freight and transit rail markets. Railroad Night provides a relaxed, dine-with-industry atmosphere, designed to encourage discussion of rail industry opportunities for students interested in the industry. Students, faculty, staff and interested community members are invited to attend. Registration for the event is open online.

We are charging a $5 fee to all participants, which will be used to fund door prizes for student participants. Students should use the Student Registration option, and faculty, staff and community members should use the Guest option. Contact David Nelson, or 7-1734 if you have questions.

By David Nelson.

Michigan Tech Rail Day and Student Expo

The Michigan Tech Rail Transportation Program (RTP) and Railroad Engineering and Activities Club (REAC) will host a two-day event series for rail industry guests, community members, Michigan Tech students, faculty and staff. Everyone is welcome.

Railroad Night XIII runs from 5 to 8:30 p.m. today in the MUB Ballroom. The evening starts with an industry panel from 5 to 6 p.m. that is free and open to any and all students. From 6 to 8:30 p.m. is the ticketed Railroad Night, including a social hour, raffle prizes, dinner and keynote speaker Kevin Riddett, president and CEO of RailWorks Corporation. Dinner begins at 7:00 p.m. The event is sponsored by Herzog Railroad Services Inc. and RailWorks. There is a $5 registration fee for the Railroad Night event. Register here.

Rail industry representatives will participate in Rail Day Expo from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. tomorrow (Oct. 4) on the campus mall. The campus community is invited to see the latest technologies in the rail industry. Students from all disciplines across campus can learn about jobs in rail communications, power systems, computers, construction, operations and more, as well as internships and co-op opportunities.

Companies attending include: Bergman Associates, BNSF Railroad, CN Railroad, Herzog Railroad Services, Kiewitt/Mass Electric Construction Company, Lake Superior and Ispheming Railroad, Quandel Consultants, Pettibone, Railworks, Remprex LLC, Schneider Logistics, Surveying Solutions, ViaRail Engineering and WSP.

“We’ve got a great line-up of rail industry representatives ready to demonstrate all that the industry has to offer in careers and internships. Come on out and see us!” says David Nelson, of the event organization team.

Learn more about the event here. Contact Nelson by email or call 7-1734 with any questions.

By Career Services.

Rail pros offer students inside career advice

HOUGHTON — Michigan Technological University students thinking about pursuing a career in the rail industry got to hear about it from industry insiders Tuesday night.

A panel of 10 railroad representatives, including some Tech alums, answered moderator and student questions Tuesday.

Some questions delved into what jobs were open in the rail industry for specific majors. Others were more general, such as one about what the panelists would have liked to do in college that would have helped their career.

Railroad Night XIII and Expo 2017 in Review

The Rail Transportation Program (RTP), in conjunction with the Railroad Engineering and Activities Club (REAC) and with support from the RTP Program Partner, CN Railway, were proud to host Michigan Tech’s 4th Annual Rail Expo and 13th Annual Rail Night on Oct. 3 and 4.

Dual showcase events, Railroad Night and Expo, bring together industry professionals and students interested in the industry. The unique blend of panel discussion, social hours, dinner, keynote and displays on the campus mall catalyzed relationships between the students of Michigan Tech and the Railroad Industry. These marquee events are a cornerstone of our mission to develop leaders and technology for the 21st century in railroad transportation.

Railroad Night XIII was held on the evening of Oct. 3, kicking off our showcase events where railroad industry professionals and Michigan Tech students mingled and discovered the possibilities of a career in the railroad industry. Starting out with a “Meet the Industry” panel of 10 industry professionals, a battery of questions from both the moderator and audience allowed students to discover the railroad industry, take advice and hear some interesting stories out of the industry.

Afterwards, students and professionals mingled for the social hour, which was a great opportunity for students and the industry to get to know each other further, with discussions about internships, full-time positions or points about the industry in general. This more relaxed atmosphere is always conducive to productive discussions in an industry-focused environment, a perennial favorite of Michigan Tech Students. Following the social hour was dinner and the keynote address by Kevin Riddett, the CEO of Railworks. Speaking of his career and experiences in multiple roles throughout various industries, Riddett imparted sage advice and plenty of stories to the audience over a dinner filled with more interaction between the industry and Michigan Tech students interested in a career in rail.

Special thanks to Railworks and Herzog Railroad Services, for sponsoring the Railroad Night XIII 4th Annual Rail Expo on Oct. 4. The fourth Annual Rail Expo was held on the Campus Mall, allowing the industry to demonstrate their companies and technologies, and to recruit Michigan Tech students.

For students, the event offered a great chance to discuss opportunities in the industry with representatives and recruiters, with more than a dozen companies on display and twice as many industry professionals ready to discuss who they are and what they do. While many Michigan Tech students are already interested in a career in rail, the Expo provides a catalyst for new students to get interested and involved within one of the nation’s most diverse and thriving transportation industries.

Exhibitors and sponsors included Canadian National Railway-RTP Program Partner, Herzog Railroad Services Inc, WSP, Quandel Consultants, Schneider, Railworks, Surveying Solutions Inc, Remprex Engineering Services, Bergman Associates, Via Rail Engineering, BNSF Railway, Kiewit & Mass. Electric Construction Company, Pettibone Traverse Lift, and Lake Superior & Ishpeming Railroad.

Every year, Michigan Tech’s Rail Night and Expo events culminate in a number of internships and full-time careers. With nearly 200 students passing through the Expo or attending Railroad Night, this year’s events continued the success initiated almost a decade ago.

We look forward to next year and continuing our mission to grow and develop students for careers in the railroad industry. We would also like to thank our sponsors and industry supporters for their generous contributions.

By Pasi Lautala.

Steel Steals the Spotlight

Published September 20, 2017

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Steel companies take center stage today, September 20, 2017, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. under the CareerFEST tent. Companies on campus include Nucor, Caterpillar, Arcelor Mittal, Gerdau, Steel Dynamic and Cleveland-Cliffs, Inc.

The steel industry directly employs 2 million people worldwide and is the second largest industry in the world, next to oil and gas.

At today’s event, students can throw golf balls at steel and aluminum panels from Arcelor Mittal, take a virtual tour of the Nucor Hickman Facility, and see Caterpillar’s 938M wheel loader.

Tech’s Advanced Metalworks Enterprise and Materials United Student Organization will also be participating.

By Career Services.

Engineering Faculty on Managing Multigenerational Teams

Published September 18, 2017

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Scientific teams are more diverse than ever and are often populated by people of varying ages. Understanding how to modify management styles according to the needs of different generations ensures enhanced group productivity, creativity, and collaboration.

Joshua Pearce

At 41, Joshua Pearce, professor of materials science and engineering at Michigan Technological University in Houghton, is a member of Generation X. He leads the Michigan Tech Open Sustainability Technology Lab at the university, which includes a multigenerational team of visiting industrial scholars (whose children are older than Pearce), Baby Boomer research staff, and Millennial or Generation Y interns. Over the years, Pearce has gained insight into how to facilitate a more productive and creative ecosystem for everyone—and it starts with acknowledging the value that each generation brings to the team.

Adrienne Minerick

Adrienne R. Minerick, 41, associate dean for research and innovation in the College of Engineering and assistant to the provost for faculty development at Michigan Tech, found that to coordinate a team with professors who are older than her—sometimes by over 30 years—she has to adapt and ensure effective communication.

Tomorrow is Manufacturing Day

Published September 18, 2017

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News

Eleven innovative companies leading the market in product design, robotics and controls, advanced manufacturing, construction and building design, and sustainability are taking part in Michigan Tech’s Manufacturing Day tomorrow (Sept 19, 2017).

Miller Electric is bringing a 25-foot show trailer and will run live welding demonstrations throughout the event. Students will also have the opportunity to weld their own laser-cut souvenirs.

If students are curious about manufacturing machine controls, Kimberly Clark is bringing two electrical control displays that mimic those used to drive manufacturing machines in their company—one with physical controls, buttons and knobs, and one with touchscreen controls.

Whirlpool has a UR5 collaborative robot, a thermal IR camera and virtual reality goggles that illuminate in-plant technologies and the sustainability work being developed. Systems Control also plans to have augmented reality glasses available to try.

Additionally, students will get a firsthand look at what companies like 3M, Plexus, Georgia-Pacific and Greenheck are currently working on and developing.

In addition, there are five Enterprise Teams participating in Manufacturing Day; Velovations, Boardsport Technologies, Open Source Hardware Enterprise (OSHE) Wireless Communications and Innovative Global Solutions.

Manufacturing Day is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow (Sept 19) in the center of Michigan Tech’s campus. It is the second largest industry-sponsored event hosted by the University during CareerFEST, a series of informal events leading up to Fall Career Fair, Wednesday Sept. 27.

Energy on Display and a Power Bus for Hands-on Play

Published September 15, 2017

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News

CareerFEST continues with Energy Day today, September 15, 2017. Eight companies representing electric, petroleum and alternative energy resources are here to greet students under the tent. CE Power brought their Power Bus, a traveling demo facility and a 6,000 pound, modified Ford Transit 350 for students to see and experience.

The Power Bus includes a retrofill breaker (MV), three LV circuit breakers, SEL relays, AC Pro trip units and GE Multilin Relay. Hemlock Semiconductor (HSC) will display various distillation tray styles used at HSC and will also showcase their raw material and final products using acrylic suspension trays.

HDR is bringing a 3D Oculus Virtual Reality Viewer for students to experience.

Displays and representatives from Systems Control, ITC Holdings, Marathon Petroleum, Flint Hills Resources, Black & Veatch and Michigan Tech’s Alternative Energy Enterprise are also features of this year’s event.

By Career Services.

First-Year Engineering and First-Year Computer Science Lecture Fall 2017: Libby Titus

Published September 14, 2017

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First year engineering and computer science students attended a lecture on September 17, 2017, in the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts. This year’s speaker was Libby Titus, Environmental Health and Safety Specialist at Novo Nordisk. She is a ’96 Michigan Tech alumna, with a BS in Environmental Engineering and BS in Scientific and Technical Communication.

Her talk was entitled Secrets of Talking (and Writing) Nerdy. The talk was introduced by Jon Sticklen, Chair, Engineering Fundamentals, and Wayne D. Pennington, Dean, College of Engineering. There was a reception after the lecture.

Elizabeth (Libby) Titus is a licensed professional engineer who assists companies with identifying, understanding, and adhering to the environmental, health, and safety rules that apply to their operations. With 20 years of substantive experience, Libby knows that the key to moving projects forward is often effective communication of technical knowledge across the primary stakeholders. Solid engineering designs and high intelligence are irrelevant without good communication skills.

Due to venue capacity, the event was open only to first year engineering and computer science majors.

Sponsored by Visiting Women and Minority Lecturer/Scholar Series (VWMLSS), Novo Nordisk, College of Engineering, Department of Engineering Fundamentals, Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences, and the Department of Computer Science.

Funded by a grant to the Office of Institutional Equity from the State of Michigan’s King-Chavez-Parks Initiative.

VIEW THE PHOTO GALLERY

Students in the audience at Rozsa — The lecture takes place in the James and Margaret Black Performance Hall of the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts.

Students in audience — Engineering and computer science students are in attendance.

Wayne Pennington, Dean of the College of Engineering, introduces the speaker.

Libby Titus is an EHS Specialist at Novo Nordisk.

Libby Titus Lecture — Libby Titus lectures on Secrets of Talking Nerdy.

Engineering Faculty — Engineering and CS faculty are among the attendees.

Phosphorus eaters—Using bacteria to purify iron ore

Published September 13, 2017

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Many iron ore deposits around the world are extensive and easy to mine, but can’t be used because of their high phosphorus content. Phosphorus content in steel should generally be less than 0.02 percent. Any more and steel becomes brittle and difficult to work.

Beneficiation plant processing, which treats ore to make it more suitable for smelting, only works if the phosphorus mineral grains are bigger than a few micrometers in size. Often, phosphorus is so finely disseminated through iron ore that grinding and physically separating out the phosphorus minerals is impractical.

Michigan Tech researcher Tim Eisele is developing communities of live bacteria to inexpensively dissolve phosphorus from iron ore, allowing a low-phosphorus iron concentrate to be produced. “For finely dispersed phosphorus, until now, there really hasn’t been a technology for removing it,” he says.

Phosphorus is critical to all living organisms. Eisele’s experiments are designed so that organisms can survive only if they are carrying out phosphorus extraction. He uses phosphorus-free growth media.

“We’ve confirmed that when there is no iron ore added to the media, there is no available phosphorus and no bacterial growth.”

– Tim Eisele

Eisele is investigating two approaches, one using communities of aerobic organisms to specifically attack the phosphorus, and another using anaerobic organisms to chemically reduce and dissolve the iron while leaving the phosphorus behind. He obtained organisms from local sources—his own backyard, in fact, where natural conditions select for the types of organisms desired. Eisele originally got the idea for this approach as a result of the high iron content of his home well water, caused by naturally-occuring anaerobic iron-dissolving organisms.

On the right, anaerobic bacteria dissolve iron in the ferrous state. On the left, recovered electrolytic iron. — In the beaker on the right, anaerobic bacteria dissolve iron in the ferrous state. On the left, recovered electrolytic iron.

Eisele cultivates anaerobic and aerobic organisms in the laboratory to fully adapt them to the ore. “We use mixed cultures of organisms that we have found to be more effective than pure cultures of a single species of organism. Using microorganism communities will also be more practical to implement on an industrial scale, where protecting the process from contamination by outside organisms may be impossible.”

Category: News

Thousands pack MTU for annual Career Fair

MTU students network with 340 companies

Employers seek ‘best’ at Tech’s Career Fair

In the News

In Print

Michigan Tech Rail Day and Student Expo

Rail pros offer students inside career advice

Railroad Night XIII and Expo 2017 in Review

Joshua Pearce

Adrienne Minerick

“We’ve confirmed that when there is no iron ore added to the media, there is no available phosphorus and no bacterial growth.”