Category: Research

The 9th Annual D80 Conference, Making Connections: The Past, Present and Future of Design, was held Saturday in the Dow Building.

As a dialog and celebration of student efforts to solve issues that confront the world’s poorest 80 percent, this year’s conference featured presentations by the following: Pavlis Institute, Engineers Without Borders, Peace Corps Master’s International, Efficiency through Engineering and Construction Enterprise and International Senior Design. In addition, a faculty panel discussed the history of appropriate technology and design.

View Pictures of the 2015 D80 Conference on Flickr Photo Gallery

• Welcome: Dr. Lorelle Meadows, Dean, Pavlis Honors College

• Into India 2015 (J. Barker, S. Curtis, J. Cavins, E. Fernandez, Pavlis)

• Quebrada Pastor Water Distribution System (D. Benoy, C. Carbary, A. Crispo, M. Ziols, iDesign)
• Water Supply for Guatemalan Communities (R. Dougherty, EWB)

• Water Sources in Valle Escondido, Panama (K. Blodgett, H. Henderson, K. Jung, D. Oldani, iDesign)

• Our Experiences in Ghana and Tanzania (M. Cromie, J. Seaser, Pavlis)
• Bridge Design for Quebrada Caracol, Panama (S. Lopez, J. Mathieu,, A. Romenesko, J. Schmitt, Y. Zeng, iDesign)
• Houghton County Energy Efficiency Team (K. Abbott, L. Artman, ECET)

• Keynote Panel: How Does Change Happen? Cases in Technology and Design

• Sarah Fayen Scarlett – Introduction
• Jonathan Robins – “175 years of Appropriate Technology: The West African oil palm industry in historical perspective”
• Steve Walton – “The Rise and Fall of Appropriate Technology? How the social impacts the technical”
• Laura Walikainen Rouleau – “Designing a Public Privacy: The Social and Cultural Construction of Public Restrooms in the United States”
• Kari Henquinet – Comments and Q/A

• Clean Water for Quebrada Caracol, Panama (M. Cherng, N. Rademacher, S. Stoolmiller, iDesign)

• Water Supply in Quebrada Pinzón, Panama (J. Mack, R. Sachar, S. Thakur, N. Wienold, iDesign)
• Workshop: Drill, Baby, Drill: Water Wells in Developing Contexts (E. Kunik, A. Wohlgemuth, PCMI)

View Pictures of the 2015 D80 Conference on Flickr Photo Gallery

Videos of the 2015 D80 Conference

Visit online more information.

An archive of past D80 Conferences
2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

Researchers from CAR, the Center for Automotive Research, Ann Arbor, visited Michigan Tech on Thursday, September 3.  Valerie Sathe Brugerman and Greg Schroeder from the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) in Ann Arbor discussed CAR’s research areas and potential collaborations in several sessions on campus.
The visit is co-sponsored by the School of Forestry and Environmental Science, and the College of Engineering.

The National Science Foundation just released their RFP for Engineering Research Centers with a Letter of Intent deadline of Sept. 25. Teams are already discussing ideas, so an open networking/pitch social session was held campus community involved. The session was at the Memorial Union Alumni Lounge with snacks and drinks provided.

According to the NSF, the goal of the ERC Program is to integrate engineering research and education with technological innovation to transform national prosperity, health and security. ERCs create an innovative, inclusive culture in engineering to cultivate new ideas and pursue engineering discovery that achieves a significant science, technology and societal outcome within the 10-year timeframe of NSF support.

For more information, visit the National Science Foundation or the Engineering Research Centers. Contact Adrienne Minerick, associate dean of research and innovation, College of Engineering at minerick@mtu.edu with any questions.

Invitation Flyer: RFPERC PDF

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