Outreach Archives | College of Engineering Blog

Interdisciplinary Health Research Engineered to Benefit Communities

Published November 13, 2024

Caryn Heldt in front of the Husky Statue. — Caryn Heldt and other researchers at Tech are working on cross-disciplinary approaches to achieve impactful breakthroughs for improved public health. This photo was taken before completion of the new H-STEM Complex on campus, which has further accelerated opportunities for collaboration.

Chemical Engineering Professor Caryn Heldt exemplifies how research at Michigan Tech crosses disciplines—and crosses the globe. The James and Lorna Mack Chair in Continuous Processing, Heldt is also an affiliate professor in biological sciences at Michigan Tech, and directs the University’s Health Research Institute.

Aside from the benefit to communities, internships and similar collaborations benefit Michigan Tech researchers, said Heldt. “International partnerships are really key to expanding your research network, research ideas, and to be able to have your research out into industry and be applied.”

In this video, come into the Heldt Bioseparations Laboratory to see how the team is collaborating to apply its work in ways that can be adapted for best use in countries throughout the world. For example, on the African Continent there’s an urgent need for adequate quantities of vaccines that can be produced quickly and affordably using a relatively small manufacturing plant. Hear from Bellicia Kamwanya, a research biologist in the Democratic Republic of Congo who teamed up with award-winning MTU researcher Vaishali Sharma in Heldt’s lab as part of the US-Africa Frontiers fellowship program.

International Fellowships Help Michigan Tech Engineer Real Health Solutions

About the College of Engineering

Michigan Tech’s College of Engineering offers more than 15 bachelor of science degrees in biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, civil, environmental and geospatial engineering, electrical and computer engineering, engineering fundamentals, geological and mining engineering and sciences, manufacturing and mechanical engineering and technology, materials science and engineering, and mechanical and aerospace engineering.

Our engineering graduate degree options include master’s and PhD programs, along with robust online certificate programs for busy professionals. Follow Michigan Tech Engineering on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter for the latest happenings.

SWE Hosts Girl Scout Engineering Days 2024 at MTU and Grand Rapids

Published April 18, 2024

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NASA Earth Observatory satellite image of the Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin.

Girl Scouts Engineering Day at MTU

On March 9, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) section at Michigan Tech hosted their annual Girl Scouts Engineering Day for over 35 scouts in the Upper Peninsula and northern Wisconsin.

The Brownies and Daisies “Molded the Future,” using Play-Doh to create robotic gripper designs to pick up unique shapes. The scouts then used a digital scanner to see what their models looked like on a computer and learned about the 3D printing process. This session was led by Shane Oberloier, assistant teaching professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE).

The Juniors and Cadettes participated in sessions sponsored by MTU’s Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors (ACSHF) program and ECE. In one session, the scouts learned about human factors under the guidance of Kelly Steelman, chair and associate professor in the Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences (CLS), while the second session, “FANtastic Controllers,” focused on computer programming, microcontrollers and circuit building. The scouts assembled a circuit that included an Arduino board, a power supply module, a logic chip and a DC motor to create a working fan. Next, they engaged in programming the circuit, gaining insights into the fundamentals of computer science and serial communication.

To make this event successful, Tech students from Blue Marble Security Enterprise and the Open Source Hardware Enterprise volunteered. SWE appreciates the support we received from ACSHF and ECE. Planning has already begun for the 2025 Girl Scout event!

Engineering Days in Niles and Grand Rapids

SWE members Tory Cantrell (mechanical engineering) and Carsyn Boggio (environmental engineering), ECE students Skyler Brawley (computer engineering) and Emily Roth (electrical engineering), and SWENexter Jenna Beaudoin, a Lake Linden-Hubbell High School senior, worked with Girl Scouts and Ring Lardner Middle School students in Niles, Michigan, on April 6. Sophie Owen ’22 (B.S. Electrical Engineering) helped the students construct their circuits.

In Grand Rapids, Michigan, Amy (Palmgren) Rokos ’08 (B.S. Computer Engineering) joined us and helped with the event. Lilly, a fourth grader and Junior Girl Scout, commented, “I liked the programing. I had to do math, but it was fun! I’m excited to do more things with my kit at home.” (Every participant not only used components, but was given an Arduino kit to take home.)

SWE sends a huge shoutout to Brawley and Beaudoin, who worked hard to design this integrated outreach activity, and to academic advisor Lauren Huested (ECE), who obtained the funding for this trip through a grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. The funds needed to be used on K-12 outreach that would teach students about EE concepts (specifically motors), making the Arduino/motorized fan kit a perfect fit!

Thanks to our vice president for Global Campus and continuing education, David Lawrence, who permitted us to use the grant funding, we were able to pay for the cost of supplies and travel for the events.

SWE also thanks the College of Engineering and the ECE department for their support, along with the CLS department. Outreach events are exciting opportunities for us to interact with future Michigan Tech Huskies!

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

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

Published February 26, 2024

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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

Published February 21, 2024

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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.

MTUengineering: By Parents, for Parents

Published February 18, 2024

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“The opportunity to dive deep into technology and grow as a person cannot be directly measured,” says Mark Gryzwa. “However, you can see it in the people that graduate from MTU and the companies that hire them.”

Are you the parent of a prospective student? Want to learn more about Michigan Tech from other parents’ perspectives? Read on…

Mark Gryzwa lives in Woodbury, Minnesota. He works as vice president of research and development for Barologics, Inc, an early stage medical device company developing neuromodulation for the treatment of hypertension. His son, Michael, is a 2018 graduate of Michigan Tech.

Why did your son choose Michigan Tech?

Michael toured many of the well-known Midwest colleges in Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, before his senior year of high school. Nothing really stood out to him as “his kind of place”. After our tour of Michigan Tech, we got in the car and he stated, “This is where I’m going!” Beyond the education, he was struck by the town, the campus, and was especially excited about the ability to snowboard frequently, which he did.

What makes Michigan Tech unique?

As a parent and alum, I’m very aware of the academic rigor that MTU students encounter. One of my favorite high school teachers was fond of saying, “Algebra is NOT a spectator sport.” He meant you must dig in and do the work. An MTU education is the same. The rigor is known throughout industry and MTU graduates are sought after for knowing how to do the work. Compared to other higher education, the return on investment for an MTU degree is great. MTU also has a strong industry reputation for developing hard-working professionals.

Beyond the education, the life lessons and community building that occurs is hard to duplicate by other universities. Being a smaller campus in a somewhat distant area creates a unique opportunity for students. The students quickly form bonds over even simple tasks like a ride to get groceries. I cannot imagine a city more welcoming and supportive to students than Houghton.

There are just so many areas where students can find their niche at MTU. It’s funny, but both my son and I at one point said of the MTU community, “These are my people!” The educational rigor and challenges of many inches of snow make for strong, sharing individuals.

Tell us about your son and his time at Michigan Tech.

Michael started at MTU in 2013 as an electrical engineer. After the first semester, he chose to switch majors to Computer Engineering. After his third year he started a summer internship at Medtronic in Minnesota. He returned to another division within the company after year four. Following graduation in 2018, he was hired as a full-time engineer at Medtronic. He’s currently working on the team that develops cell phone apps to talk to pacemakers and send that data to a patient’s physician.

Any advice for parents?

Encourage your student to take advantage of all MTU has to offer. Join the Huskies Pep Band, watch hockey, learn to skate, join the Memorial Union Board, snowboard, hike, bike, go to Copper Harbor, find an agate, find a Yooperlite, see a waterfall, play broomball, have a pasty, make lifelong friends! Find your thing!

Any advice for students?

Work hard, pick a career that interests you, and most importantly—attend every career fair that you can.

Anything else to share?

I have a lot of passion for MTU. The opportunity to dive deep into technology and grow as a person cannot be directly measured. However, you can see it in the people that graduate from MTU and the companies that hire them. MTU’s smaller class sizes and its focus on hands-on learning make for highly sought after engineers.

Mark Gryzwa earned his own bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering at Michigan Tech in 1989. Learn more in his Michigan Tech Alumni Profile.

https://www.mtu.edu/alumni/recognition/profiles/gryzwa-mark.html

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

Published February 9, 2024

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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.

Register for the Free Event

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

We Need You: Serve as a Judge During Michigan Tech’s 2024 Design Expo

Published January 31, 2024

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Design Expo at Michigan Tech is now in its 24th year. Save the date: Tuesday, April 16, 2024!

Want to support students as they engage in hands-on, discovery-based learning? Volunteer to serve as a distinguished judge at Michigan Tech’s 2024 Design Expo!

More than 1,000 students in Enterprise, Senior Design, and other Student Project teams will showcase their work and compete for awards at the 2024 Design Expo on Tuesday, April 16 from 10 am to 2 pm. The annual event will be held on campus in two locations: the J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library, and the Memorial Union Ballroom.

Sign up here to serve as a Judge
at 2024 Design Expo

Who Should Judge?

Industry Representatives
Community Members
Alumni
MTU Faculty and Staff
Educators

Members of the Open Source Hardware Enterprise team display their projects at Design Expo. Whether a judge or simply a guest, your involvement in Design Expo is greatly valued by our students!

Duties of a Design Expo Judge:

Attend Design Expo for about an hour, sometime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on April 16, 2024, to visit assigned teams.
Review and score assigned team videos via RocketJudge, an online platform prior to the start of Design Expo.
Score 3-5 teams throughout the judging period.

Prior to the event on April 16, judges will gain access to a digital gallery of student-created project videos to preview online. In-person judging on the day of the event usually takes about an hour, depending on the number of volunteers.

Industry Partners and Sponsors

Design Expo 2024 is generously supported by industry and University sponsorship, including over 100 project and program supporters who make a strategic investment in our educational mission at Michigan Tech. The event is hosted by Michigan Tech’s Enterprise Program along with the College of Engineering.

ITC Holdings has served as a Design Expo partner for 12 consecutive years, last year joined by event partners Thompson Surgical Instruments, Aramco, Plexus, OHM Advisors, Altec Inc., and Husky Innovate. For all sponsorship opportunities, contact Len Switzer.

“We thank our industry and government sponsors who have made a strategic investment in our educational mission.”
Nagesh Hatti, Director, The Enterprise Program and Chair, Enterprise Governing Board

Learn all about Design Expo, at mtu.edu/expo

Register Now for Michigan Tech’s 2024 Design Expo

Published January 19, 2024

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Save the date for Design Expo, coming up on April 16, 2024—on campus at Michigan Tech. Everyone is welcome!

Undergraduate students in any college across campus are encouraged to register for Michigan Tech’s Design Expo, coming up on Tuesday, April 16, 2024.

The annual event showcases the breadth and depth of undergraduate innovation at Tech, with more than 100 Enterprise, Senior Design, and Capstone student projects on display. Teams compete for cash awards, and a panel of distinguished judges critique the projects and determine award winners.

This year’s Design Expo will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in two campus locations, the Van Pelt and Opie Library first floor and the Memorial Union Building Ballroom. A reception and awards ceremony will follow from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. in the Rozsa Center for the Performing Arts. All Design Expo events are free and open to the public.

Student Teams: Register Your Project Now for Design Expo

Registration is open now through March 8. Full information is located on the Design Expo student registration webpage. We encourage teams to register as soon as possible.

Volunteers: Sign Up to Judge at Design Expo

Interested in supporting our students as they engage in hands-on, discovery-based learning? Consider serving as a Distinguished Judge at this year’s Design Expo! Learn more and sign up here.

Give your Presentation a Boost with Design Expo Workshops

Prepare for Design Expo and other term-end presentations the right way—with peer support, pizza, and help from dedicated Van Pelt and Opie library and university staff!

Learn how to create compelling videos, visuals, and pitches for your projects. All sessions take place in the Library East Reading Room from 2:00-3:00 p.m. (All are welcome to attend these workshops, regardless of participation in Design Expo).

Wednesday, February 21: Explain Your Project to Anybody

Practice talking about your design in a concise, easy-to-understand way. This will help you solidify content for your video and develop a short elevator pitch that you can share at your booth on the day of the Expo. Come prepared to talk about your design and answer a few questions about it!

Thursday, March 7: Posters, Images & Visualizations

We’ll cover principles you can use to ensure your posters and the images and data you display in them are readable and appealing and run-through tools you can use to design supporting images. The second half of the session will be devoted to questions and open work time. Pick our brains as you think through how to best share your research.

Wednesday, March 20: Video Creating & Editing

We’ll provide basic info on recording, available tools, and tricks to make your production more professional and accessible. The last half of the hour will be devoted to questions and open work time. Handouts and a compilation of resources will be available to take with you!

Thursday, April 4: The Finishing Touches

Refresh on details about how to present your work for the Design Expo and other end-of-year presentations. Get last-minute feedback for a winning project and work on the final details of your project and video to the company! Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

Aurora White ’16 Named AISES 2023 Most Promising Engineer

Published October 23, 2023

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by Joan Chadde, Center for Science and Environmental Outreach

Alumna Aurora White has been selected by the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) as the 2023 Most Promising Engineer. White earned her BS in Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Tech in 2016.

The professional award was presented at the 2023 AISES National Conference, held Oct. 19-21 in Spokane, Washington.

White, a torque calibration security engineer for Stellantis, is an active member of the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. She earned her MS in Mechanical Engineering at Oakland University (OU) in Rochester, Michigan.

In her award description, AISES award committee describes White’s many accomplishments: “Aurora White loves hands-on work, whether it’s being in a vehicle as a calibration engineer or building furniture at her mom’s house.

“I am deeply humbled by this honor from AISES,” said White. “Ever since I was a child, I’ve enjoyed building and fixing things, which eventually led to my career choice in engineering. I am also especially passionate about my culture, and I hope my achievements might help inspire younger members of the indigenous community to pursue a future in STEM fields and make the world a better place through their work.”

“It means the world to me when I hear from younger students that I am a role model or someone that they look up to,” said White. “I want to make the 7-year-old me proud that I had big dreams for the future.”

White works for Stellantis N.V., a multinational automotive company and mobility provider that includes Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, and Fiat brands. White has worked in a variety of engineering roles, including instrumentation and diagnostics. She has received numerous awards for leading projects in vehicle testing and analysis. She has earned Design for Six Sigma Green Belt certification, and was selected for a new Stellantis leadership development program in 2022. White now serves on that program’s board, while serving as treasurer for the Indigenous Cultural Opportunity Network, a Stellantis business resource group.”

“I want to inspire our Indigenous youth to show them that all things are possible.”
Aurora White

Aurora White took part in the Lac Vieux Desert powwow in early August.

White grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. “I have been a part of AISES since I was an undergrad at Michigan Tech. I was the AISES Michigan Tech secretary and then president,” wrote White in a LinkedIn post. “AISES has always made me feel like I belong and have a purpose,” she continued. “I have strived to incorporate my culture/traditions into every aspect of my life, whether it is at home or in the workplace.”

As an undergraduate student at Michigan Tech, White was an active member in the Engineering Ambassadors and Women’s Leadership Council. She studied abroad at the Leibniz University Hannover, Germany, and received internships with GE Aviation Mechanical Engineering; the Wind Energy Science, Engineering, and Policy Program at Iowa State University; and Indian Health Services.

She was also active in outreach activities, presenting at Family Engineering events in Baraga, L’Anse and Detroit with coordinator Joan Chadde, and presenting virtually as part of the Michigan Space Grant Consortium grant project “Native American Women in STEM & Natural Resources’ in spring 2020.

Aurora makes earrings to raise funds for missing and murdered native women.

“It means the world to me when I hear from younger students that I am a role model or someone that they look up to,” said White. “I want to make the 7-year-old me proud that I had big dreams for the future.”

White’s future interest is in automotive electrification, while also promoting Indigenous values into design and the workplace.

Watch

2023 AISES Most Promising Engineer Aurora White

Michigan Tech ranked 12th for Salary Impact by the Wall Street Journal

Published September 29, 2023

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The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse Salary Impact ranking lists schools in order of their impact on graduates’ salaries and how this relates to the cost of attending the college. Michigan Tech was ranked 12th overall, and 2nd among public universities.

Read more here: https://www.wsj.com/rankings/college-rankings/salary-impact-2024

Category: Outreach