Category: Students

These are posts that feed into the COE Student Stories page.

Sustainability Awards for Claire Christen and Robert Handler

View of Michigan Tech, Portage Canal, and Portage Lift Bridge in summer.

It takes many hands, hearts and minds to create a sustainable campus. As a part of Earth Month programming, join the Office of Sustainability and Resilience in celebrating four individuals who go the extra mile, dedicating their time and energy to supporting a more sustainable Michigan Tech.

This year’s Campus Sustainability Leadership Awardees are:

Please join us on April 17 for a celebration of the award winners and their accomplishments, a brief update on sustainability work at Michigan Tech and some time to enjoy snacks and interact with your peers. Feel free to bring lunch.

Celebration Details:

What: Sustainability Awards Gathering
When: Wednesday, April 17, from noon to 12:45 p.m.
Where: MUB Ballroom B1

By Alan Turnquist, Office of Sustainability and Resilience.

Michigan Space Grant Consortium Awardees for 2024–2025

NASA Lunabotics experiment with moon dust.

A diverse, multitalented group of Michigan Tech students and faculty have been awarded fellowships and grants totaling an impressive $71,728 from the Michigan Space Grant Consortium (MSGC) for its 2024-25 cycle.

The MSGC, which consists of 52 consortia, is sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The MSGC promotes awareness, research and education in “space-related science and technology in Michigan.” To achieve this goal, the organization not only funds fellowships and scholarships for students pursuing STEM careers but also financially supports curriculum enhancement and faculty development.

Michigan Tech Undergraduate Students Who Received $4,000 for Faculty Led Fellowships

  • Grace Hoeppner (biomedical engineering): “Effects of Microgravity on Predisposing Factors for Atrial Fibrillation Thrombosis Risk”
  • Grace Murray (social sciences): “Cultivating Healthy Communities: A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Female Eponyms in Heirloom Plant Varieties and their Impacts in Community Food Networks”

Michigan Tech Graduate Students Who Received $5,000 Graduate Fellowships

  • Alexander Apostle (Chem): “Improved Synthesis and Application of Human Telomeres”
  • Matthew Beals (ME-EM): “Advancing Adaptive Aerostructures: Utilizing Steady-State Traveling Waves for Drag Reduction and Sustainable Aviation”
  • Grady Boyle (CFRES): “Using High Resolution Multitemporal Imagery for Ash Inventory and EAB Invasion Mapping in the Upper Great Lakes Region”
  • Jacob Jackson (BioMed): “Cell-Specific Adaptive Deep Brain Stimulation in the Subthalamic Nucleus of a Parkinson’s Rat Model”
  • Benjamin Mohrhardt (ECE): “Investigating and Predicting the Formation of Toxic Nitrogenous Byproducts from Phenolic Compounds in the Presence of Nitrate under Far-UVC Irradiation from KrCl* Excilamps”
  • Ian Norwood (Physics): ”Constraining Frictional Charging on Coarse-Mode Atmospheric Dust Particles”
  • Eleanor Serocki (CFRES): ”Estimating Trace Gas Flux Dynamics in Boreal Wetlands”
  • Tanner Sether (Physics): ”Toward a Deep Learning Approach for Fast Galaxy Catalog Generation”
  • Matthew Sisson (MSE): ”Micromagnetism of Self-Assembled FeSi2 Nanoislands”
  • Caitlyn Sutherlin (SS): ”Community- and Nature-Led Adaptation in El Salvador”
  • Kyle Wehmanen (KIP): ”Human Powered Locomotion on Variable Terrain: a Continuing Investigation for how to Move on Mars”

Michigan Tech Faculty and Staff Members Who Received $5,000 or More for Hands-On NASA-Oriented Experiences for Student Groups (HONES) or Research Seed Grants

The Graduate School is proud of these students for their outstanding scholarship. These awards highlight the quality of students at Michigan Tech, their innovative work, their leadership potential and the incredible role played by faculty in students’ academic success.

Michigan Tech SWE Section, ME-EM Researchers Judge Inventions at Baraga Elementary

Baraga Elementary School students inventions include: Catnip Paw Covers. Shoes that would grow as the wearer grew. Kai’s Numbing Hair Gel. Hover car that would move based on the placement of magnets in the road. Pollution Vacuum Filtering Device. And many more!
The Henry Ford Invention Convention Worldwide

On February 15, 2024, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and the MTU Waste Valorization Research Group volunteered to judge third- through fifth-grade Invention Convention projects at Baraga Elementary School.

Invention Convention Worldwide is a K-12 invention education program that teaches students problem-identification, problem-solving, entrepreneurship and creativity skills and builds confidence in invention, innovation and entrepreneurship for life. Prior to the competition, the Baraga students developed inventions that would impact their community.

SWE Advisor Gretchen Hein and members Skyler Brawley (senior, computer engineering) and Maci Dostaler (junior, software engineering) paired up with Assistant Teaching Professor Fei Long (ME-EM) and Research Engineers Shiying Cai and Adeyinka Adekunle (both ME-EM) to evaluate the inventions. The judges were impressed with the students’ excitement when describing their projects and the range of creative solutions.

The inventions included:

  • Snow plow for a strider bike
  • Snow plow for a remote controlled car
  • Motorized fishing lure that moved in the water
  • Shoes that would grow as the wearer grew
  • Multistation pencil sharpener
  • Hover car that would move based on the placement of magnets in the road
  • Pollution Vacuum Filtering Device
  • Basket Land board game
  • Handy Dandy Light Switch
  • Magic Pen 55
  • Spectacular Butter Lipstick
  • Upside Down gaming controller accessory for kids
  • Phone Holder 5000
  • Catnap Paw Covers
  • Keep-Away Can to keep dogs away from the trash can
  • Safari board game
  • Kai’s Numbing Hair Gel

The judges thank the teachers and staff, along with the enthusiastic student inventors, for inviting us to look over and judge at the Invention Convention. SWE and the MTU Waste Valorization Research Group would enjoy returning to evaluate projects next year.

Michigan Tech to Hold NSF Innovation-Corps Bootcamp

Winter campus with snow and sunset

Michigan Tech MS and PhD students will attend a free National Science Foundation (NSF) Innovation-Corps Bootcamp on campus on Thursday Feb. 29 and Friday March 1 to explore tools of design and innovation—and learn how to apply them to their career paths. 

The intensive workshop quickly reached its capacity, so facilitators are already planning to add another NSF I-Corps Bootcamp later this year for interested MTU graduate students.

Launched in 2011, the NSF Innovation Corps, or I-Corps, trains scientists and engineers to carry their promising ideas and technologies beyond the university and into the marketplace to benefit society. Michigan Tech has been part of the NSF I-Corps Site program since 2015—introducing the entrepreneurial mindset to over 300 researchers, faculty, staff and students, and helping teams assess the commercial potential of more than 150 technologies.

In an effort to nurture a regional innovation ecosystem and move more discoveries from the research lab to the real world, the NSF established a Great Lakes Innovation Corps Hub in 2021. The 11-university Hub is led by the University of Michigan (U-M), and it’s one of five Hubs across the country. Michigan Tech is a member of the Great Lakes Innovation Corps Hub, along with Purdue University, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the University of Toledo, the University of Minnesota, Iowa State University, Missouri University of Science and Technology, the University of Akron, the University of Chicago, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

The Great Lakes I-Corps Hub aims to connect people at a large scale to increase the “effective density” of the Midwest’s innovation ecosystem. Mary Raber, Michigan Tech I-Corps principal investigator and chair of the Department of Engineering Fundamentals, leads the program at Michigan Tech.

NSF I-Corps Bootcamp Eligibility:

  • MTU graduate students enrolled in Ph.D. or M.S. programs
  • No business idea or prior experience with I-Corps is necessary
  • Faculty advisor support is required

NSF I-Corp Bootcamp Benefits:

  • Grow your network
  • Develop/improve your problem solving and identification capabilities
  • Improve your leadership skills
  • Explore career paths that use your knowledge and skills
  • Stipend of $300 is available upon successful completion of the program

Apply at:  https://bit.ly/GradBootcamp2024 

Note: the session is full, but interested students can still apply in order to get on the MTU I-Corps waiting list for the next Bootcamp.

Swirling blue dots logo of the NSF I-Corps Hub - Great Lakes Region

Free Lunabotics Exploration for Middle and High School Students Coming Up on Saturday, Feb. 17

Multiplanetary INnovation Enterprise (MINE) team at Michigan Tech
Learn more about MINE at Michigan Tech.

Michigan Tech’s Multiplanetary INnovation Enterprise (MINE) team will host a free STEM engagement event for middle and high school students on Saturday (Feb. 17) from 1-5 p.m. in Fisher 133. Programming experience is not required. Participants will learn about the challenges associated with robotics in lunar environments, and the MINE team will share their experiences building robots for NASA’s Lunabotics Challenge. Following, students will engage in hands-on activities, including programming activities with Zumi robots.

Michigan Tech undergraduate students John Dagg (mechanical engineering) and Ben Bistline (computer engineering) are developing the Zumi robot cars and activities for the event. They are part of the Zumi Undergraduate Research Group (ZURG), which is advised by faculty member Leo Ureel, Department of Computer Science.

Students in the Multiplanetary INnovation Enterprise (MINE) seek to design, test, and implement robotic technologies for extracting and using local resources, construction, and characterization in extreme environments. These environments currently include Lunar, Martian, and flooded subterranean environments on Earth.

MINE’s Lunabotics Rover enjoys a day at the beach, following an intensive NASA Lunabotics competition event.

The event is presented as part of the MINE Enterprise team’s participation in NASA’s Lunabotics Challenge. The team is advised by Mechanical Engineering Professor Paul van Susante, whose lab on campus is called Huskyworks.

Enterprise at Michigan Tech is when students—of any major—work in teams on real projects, with real clients, in an environment that’s more like a business than a classroom. With coaching and guidance from faculty mentors, Michigan Tech’s 26 Enterprise teams work to invent products, provide services, and pioneer solutions. Students can join an Enterprise team as early as their first year in college.

Read more about Saturday’s free event on the Computing news blog.

Hope to see you there!

“Meet Zumi, the car that learns as you learn,” by Robolink

MTU Undergraduate Student Miranda Meyers Presents at DMC 2023 in Nashville

Michigan Tech ECE student Miranda Meyers

Miranda Meyers, an electrical engineering undergraduate student at Michigan Technological University, recently presented at the 2023 Defense Manufacturing Conference (DMC) in Nashville, Tennessee, which took place December 11-14. Her presentation was titled “Embedded Component Circuit Design.”

Meyers has spent the past few years working on campus as an undergraduate researcher in the lab of Christopher Middlebrook, a professor of electrical and computer engineering.

“I am always completely thrilled after a participant comments ‘Your graduate student did a fantastic job presenting her research. How long has she been in grad school?,'” says Middlebrook. “I love the smile on their faces when I tell them ‘thank you, but she is still an undergraduate student.'”

DMC is the nation’s annual forum for enhancing and leveraging the efforts of engineers, managers, technology leaders, scientists, and policy makers across the defense manufacturing industrial base. About 1,000 attendees are primarily government and industry participants, with a smaller complement from academia.

Michigan Tech electrical engineering undergraduate student Miranda Meyers presents at DMC in Nashville, Tennessee, last week.

As an undergraduate researcher, Meyers works to develop, design and manufacture circuit boards using UV laser technology. She uses Altium circuit design software to create unique and specific circuit boards, and analyzes results using MATLAB and Mathematica. She also assists in teaching a PCB manufacturing class.

Meyers is also a member of MINE, the Michigan Tech Multiplanetary INnovation Enterprise, a team of students who design, test, and implement robotic technologies for extracting and using local resources, construction, and characterization in extreme environments.

The DMC is jointly conducted by the Joint Defense Manufacturing Technology Panel (JDMTP) and coordinated through the event organizer, ARCTOS. The JDMTP, executed under the authorities outlined in title 10 of U.S. Code § 4842 serves to ensure coordination and collaboration across the Department of Defense Manufacturing Technology (DoD ManTech) Program. The service and agency ManTech programs primary purpose is to further the national security objectives outlined in title 10 of U.S. Code § 4841.

Joint ROTC Commissioning Ceremony December 15, 2023

Army ROTC Fall Commissioning group on stage.

The Air Force and Army ROTC invite you to the Fall 2023 Commissioning Ceremony on Friday (Dec. 15) at 7 p.m. at the Rozsa Center.

This semester, we have one Air Force cadet and eight Army cadets commissioning.

Those commissioning are from the following programs:

Accounting & Data Analytics | Chemistry | Computer Engineering | Electrical Engineering | Materials Science and Engineering | Management | Mechanical Engineering

We will also be streaming the ceremony if you prefer to watch it live on YouTube.

By Air Force and Army ROTC.

Michigan Tech Students Attend IAAPA Expo in Orlando

students wearing expo name badges standing arm in arm, with arcade games in the background
Student members of the Theme Park Engineering Group at Michigan Tech attended the IAAPA Expo in Orlando this past November.

Last month, seven Michigan Tech students left campus in the early hours of the morning on Saturday, November 11th. With travel funding and support from industry leader LAI Games, an award-winning arcade producer, they set off on a 1,500 mile journey to attend the annual International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Expo in Orlando, Florida.

Mechanical engineering students Jason Rogers, Cameron Whiteside, Katie Morin, Julian Arens, Jackson Arens, and Joaquin Sibug, and Materials Science and Engineering student Aaron Boonstra, spent the full week of November 13th-17th attending educational sessions, networking with industry professionals, and exploring the vast trade show floor.

The trade show floor with lots of exhibitor booths
Hundreds of companies were in attendance at this year’s IAAPA Expo.

All are members of the Theme Park Engineering Group (TPEG) at Michigan Tech, which aims to promote the education and appreciation of the themed entertainment industry on campus. The group looks behind the scenes of the industry, in order to get to know the design, engineering, and technology behind some of the world’s most thrilling attractions. TPEG is advised by Kent Cyr, assistant professor in Michigan Tech’s Department of Visual and Performing Arts.

Hundreds of companies representing every facet of the themed entertainment industry demonstrated that nearly every discipline of engineering had opportunities within this exciting industry. From material scientists discussing new compounds for roller coaster wheels, to mechanical engineers in awe at state-of-the-art animatronic figures, every member of the Group found something that inspired them.

Industry leader LAI Games sponsored the group and covered the cost of attendance to the Expo. The global company was founded over 60 years ago, and has its headquarters in The Colony, Texas and Singapore. LAI develops, manufactures, and sells coin and card operated prize merchandising games, as well as ticket redemption, video, and novelty games.

“There truly is something for everyone in this industry,” says Cameron Whiteside, fifth-year mechanical engineering student, and Secretary of TPEG at Michigan Tech. “Whether you’re a mechanical engineering student, or a computer science student, business major, theater technology major, artist, journalist, whatever your discipline—there is absolutely a company that utilizes your skills in themed entertainment.”

Four students stand in front of the IAAPA Expo sign at the entrance.
The IAAPA Expo is an exciting event for all students in the themed entertainment industry!

Several members spent the week speaking directly with company representatives and industry professionals, showcasing the unique set of skills and knowledge only Michigan Tech students can demonstrate. Some students even mentioned possible internship and full-time job opportunities.

In addition to the new professional connections made throughout the week, some students were returning to the Expo, having attended the previous year. They were able to reconvene with contacts they’d made at prior events, catching up on their latest projects and developments—both industry professionals and other students from theme park groups at other universities from around the world.

“In a few short years, these people will be our co-workers,” notes Whiteside. “It’s important to maintain connections with everyone you meet at these events, because you’re bound to run into them again at some point.”

TPEG at Michigan Tech thanks LAI Games. “Without their invaluable support, several members of TPEG would have been unable to attend.”

Several recent graduates, including Ryan Briggs (BS Computer Engineering, ’23), are already actively working on some of the most groundbreaking projects in themed entertainment at TAIT, notes Whiteside.

The students were also able to meet with MTU alumni who have found their way into the industry over the years. Some alumni have been leading the industry for decades, like Korey Kiepert (BS ’97, MS ’99, Mechanical Engineering) who went on to co-found The Gravity Group, LLC.

“Our group started out as a few students looking at videos of new attractions on the other side of the world,” he adds. “Now we have alumni of TPEG working alongside the actual designers of those same rides. It’s honestly pretty amazing. I look forward to seeing what current members can do for the industry in the coming years.”

Whiteside will be graduating in December with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and a minor in Technical Theater.

“TPEG would like to thank LAI Games for sponsoring the group and covering the cost of attendance to the Expo.

SWE Section Attends SWE WE23 Societal Conference

Conference collage of speaker, expo, and background with Live Without Limits.

The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) section at Michigan Tech had 16 students attend the SWE WE23 Societal Conference in Los Angeles, California, with Gretchen Hein, SWE advisor. The students greatly enjoyed and benefited from the conference sessions. They also met with MTU alumni from L.A. and engaged with several MTU SWE alumnae. They especially enjoyed hearing stories about Tech and how campus has changed.

The SWE WE23 Career Fair is the largest career fair for women in the world. This year, SWE members had 20 interviews and one job offer from participating. Most will hear back on internships and full-time offers in two weeks.

The conference took place over three days, October 26–28, inviting attendees to Live Without Limits.

SWE thanks our corporate sponsors for their generous support, which enabled us to fund 100% of the students’ travel!

  • Grace Moeggenborg, junior (applied ecology and environmental science): “The conference celebrated all women and minorities in the workplace and helped me redefine being a woman in STEM.”
  • Kelsey Jensen, junior (biomedical engineering): “Attending the WE23 conference was such an amazing experience that furthered my career and inspired me to strive for positions in my career that I originally wouldn’t think of going for.”
  • Rixlie Fozilova, second-year master’s student (environmental engineering): “This was my first time at the SWE national conference and I enjoyed every minute of it.”
  • Katherine Baker, junior (chemical engineering): “My favorite part of the conference was attending an exclusive networking event through the SWE Collegiate Leadership Institute, which I’ve participated in for two years.”
  • Skyler Brawley, senior (computer engineering): “I look forward to the conference all year for the amazing lessons I learn at the sessions and the great career opportunities presented at the career fair.”
  • Olivia O’Brien, senior (electrical engineering): “I’ve come out of this conference a more motivated, driven and ambitious engineer!”
  • Kathryn Krieger, junior (environmental engineering): “I hope to carry the knowledge and connections I made this weekend throughout my career.”
  • Aerith Cruz, senior (management information systems): “It’s incredible how the Michigan Tech network extends beyond Houghton.”
  • Victoria Berger, senior (materials science and engineering): “I was able to grow my professional network through the career fair and various networking activities.”
  • Emma Quinn, senior (materials science and engineering): “This conference reaffirmed my love for engineering and allowed me to envision my career path.”
  • Carissa Best, second-year (mechanical engineering), SWE section president-elect: “I am leaving this conference with the knowledge and tools to become an engineer who isn’t afraid to live life without limits!”
  • Tory Cantrell, second-year (mechanical engineering): “Attending the WE23 conference meant so much to me because I was surrounded by so many other women in STEM who all want to strive to be the best they can and help others succeed just as much.”
  • Marisa Mathews, first-year (mechanical engineering): “I attended 12 different informational sessions and learned more about engineering, leadership and industry than I imagined could be possible in two days.”
  • Talia Olson, senior (mechanical engineering): “I was able to attend a multitude of informative sessions, and one that stuck out to me was learning about how companies are trying to bring more neurodivergent individuals in the workforce.”
  • Amanda West, senior (mechanical engineering), SWE section president: “It is incredible that 16 of us were given a chance to network, interview with and learn from these amazing women and leaders.”
  • Maci Dostaler, junior (software engineering): “As I continue to grow as a leader, I will strive to use all the advice given to me — by some very impressive people — to good use.”

By Jaclyn Johnson and Gretchen Hein, Advisors, Society of Women Engineers at Michigan Tech.

Related

SWE Section Attends WE22 Conference

MTU’s Arnold Air Society Leading the Nation

ROTC Building in spring with the American flag in the foreground.

The Arnold Air Society (AAS), in collaboration with the Air Force ROTC, is a dynamic student organization committed to advancing national defense education, fostering professional development and actively engaging in community service. At Michigan Technological University, there are currently 22 active members. On a broader scale, the AAS extends its reach nationwide, with a membership of over 2,000 students from 115 universities across 48 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. This organization operates under the guidance of student leaders, broken up into operational units to include local squadron commanders, 11 regional staff and a national staff, who collectively steer its activities and initiatives throughout the academic year.

In early April 2023, nine MTU students were elected to assume nationwide leadership roles as the national staff of the AAS. This outstanding achievement began with months of preparation, culminating in the development of a vision and strategic goals for the organization. They then presented these to an audience of hundreds of cadets at the 2023 National Conclave in Las Vegas. The conclave recognized the Michigan Tech cadets’ efforts and chose them to be this year’s national leaders of the organization. As leaders, they shoulder responsibilities that encompass overseeing training programs and service hour tracking, managing awards and scholarships, and leveraging their computer coding expertise to streamline registration data for over 2,000 cadets.

In September, our MTU cadets, serving as national staff, had a valuable experience attending the Air and Space Forces Association National Convention in National Harbor, Maryland. During the event, they collaborated with representatives from 11 different universities to strategize for the upcoming year. Moreover, they had the privilege of attending keynote addresses delivered by prominent military and industry leaders, such as the chief of staff of the U.S. Air Force, Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., and the chief of space operations, Gen. B. Chance Saltzman. They also engaged in small-group Q&A sessions with many high-ranking military and civilian officials.

From this valuable experience, these cadets were able to bring back their experiences and actively seek out new avenues for enhancing opportunities in their organization. They have initiated dialogues with industry leaders to expand the availability of technical internships for AAS cadets nationwide. Furthermore, their creative endeavors in the realm of social media aim to spotlight the organization’s remarkable service initiatives in local communities while igniting the enthusiasm in new student members to serve.

The 2023-24 Michigan Tech AAS National Staff Roster:

  • Kyle DeNeef (mechanical engineering), national commander
  • Eliya Huebner (biochemistry), national vice commander
  • Carinn Tryon (mechanical engineering), national director of operations
  • Jack Dedrick (computer science), national director of information management
  • Brandon Collins (mechanical engineering), national director of support
  • Sam Russ (computer science), national director of financial management
  • Catherine Prince (mechanical engineering), national director of training
  • Cody Scholz (civil engineering), national director of public affairs
  • Jonathan Willis (physics), national director of joint relations

By Ben Zuniga, Air Force ROTC, Arnold Air Society Advisor.