Outreach Archives | Page 17 of 22 | College of Engineering Blog

Michigan Space Grants for Guadagno and Oppliger

Published March 20, 2017

Michigan Tech faculty, staff members and students received awards tallying $30,000 in funding through the Michigan Space Grant Consortium (MSGC), sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the 2017-18 funding cycle. Award recipients within the College of Engineering include:

Undergraduate Marcello Guadagno (ME-EM) received a $2,500 research fellowship for “Stratus Meteorological CubeSat: Payload Integration and Mission Level Design” with Lyon Brad King (ME-EM).

Douglas Oppliger (EF) received $5,000 or more for “Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles for Teaching STEM Concepts” (includes augmentation).

NASA implemented the National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program in 1989 to provide funding for research, education and public outreach in space-related science and technology. The program has 52 university-based consortia in the United States and Puerto Rico.

As an affiliate of the Michigan Consortium, Michigan Tech has been an active participant in MSGC for approximately 20 years. MSGC funding is administered through Michigan Tech’s Pavlis Honors College.

For more information, contact Paige Hackney in the Pavlis Honors College at 7-4371 or visit the MSGC website.

GM to Present Grant to Michigan Tech

Published March 1, 2017

By College of Engineering

GM CareerFEST — General Motors at CareerFEST

General Motors, a long-time supporter of Michigan Tech, will present the University with a $110,000 grant on Thursday, March 2, 2017.

The campus community is invited to the check presentation at 10 a.m. in Memorial Union Ballroom A.

Steven Tomaszewski, GM’s global facilities director of operations North America and a member of Michigan Tech’s Board of Trustees, will present the check to President Glenn Mroz.

The grant will fund a variety of student activities. Among them are the Advanced Hybrid Electric Vehicle and Advanced Motorsports Enterprises, Manufacturing Engineering Initiative, pre-college STEM outreach programs and diversity programs.

Original story by Industry Relations.

Michigan Tech Receives $110,000 Grant from GM

Michigan Tech and General Motors share a long-standing partnership dating back to at least 1940.

Through the University/Organization Partner Program, GM annually grants $3 million to support leading universities and partnering organizations across the country. The program aims to strengthen higher education curricula in STEM and other fields important to the automotive industry, with a goal of preparing more students to graduate with related organizations, and career development resources.

Michigan Tech Celebrates National Engineers Week

Published February 16, 2017

By Kim Geiger

HELP US CELEBRATE EWEEK 2017!

National Engineers Week celebrates the positive contributions engineers make to society and is a catalyst for outreach across the country to kids and adults alike. For the past 60 years, National Engineers Week has been celebrated each February around the time of George Washington’s birthday, February 22, because Washington is considered by many to be the first US engineer.

Tech’s events during Engineers Week, (Feb. 18-25), are again sponsored by Tau Beta Pi, the local chapter of the Engineering Honor Society.

National Engineers Week, also known as Eweek, begins on a sweet note at Michigan Tech with an ice cream social from 5 to 6 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 18) in the Wadsworth Dining Hall.

Things get rolling at noon Monday, (Feb. 20) with the pep band in front of the Husky statue. The iconic statue will be dressed in a lab coat and bow tie all week. The Green Campus Enterprise will have a rocket stove demo from 12:45 to 3 p.m. outside of Fisher Hall. The Mind Trekkers will be in the Dow Atrium from 1 to 3 p.m. with hands-on demonstrations. From 6 to 7 p.m. the Blue Marble Security enterprise will present a heart rate circuit board.

Questions? Contact Morgan Herzog, Tau Beta Pi public relations officer, and/or Julia Zayan, president.

2017 Engineers Week_2 — National Engineers Week 2017

Upcoming E-week events at Michigan Tech:

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Tau Beta Pi
Ice cream social
Wadsworth Dining Hall

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20

12:00 PM – 12:15 PM
Pep Band
Husky Statue

12:45 PM – 3:00 PM
Green Campus Enterprise
Rocket stove demo
outside Fisher Hall

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Mind Trekkers
Dow Atrium

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Blue Marble Security
Heart rate circuit board
EERC 722

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Railroad Engineering & Activities Club
Fisher Lobby

1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
Advanced Metalworks Enterprise
Foundry demo
Husky Statue

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23

12:00 PM – 3:00 PM
AIChE, Chem E Car stop reaction demo
Fisher Lobby

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
American Society of Engineering Management
Company panel
Chem Sci 101

7:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Engineers Without Borders
Presentation & meeting
Fisher 328

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
Formula SAE
Chassis demo
MEEM Lobby

11:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Engineering Fundamentals,
E-week cake, stop by for a piece!
Dillman 112

12:45 PM – 3:00 PM
Green Campus Enterprise,
Winterization demo
Dow A
trium

8:30 PM – 11:00 PM
Film Board, Apollo 13
Fisher 135

After School Science and Engineering Classes for Grades 1-8

Published January 11, 2017

By College of Engineering

There will be six sessions of after school science and engineering classes for grades 1-8 from Jan. 23 to March 3, 2017. The sessions will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in Room 104 of the Great Lakes Research Center.

These sessions offer hands-on explorations taught by Michigan Tech science and engineering students.

Class Offerings:

Gr. 1-2 Transportation and Engineering: Mondays

Students will design candy cars, a bridge to hold the most weight, a boat that floats, a brain helmet that survives a crash, planes, trains and more.

Gr. 3-5 Geology Playgrounds: Wednesdays

Beaches, waterfalls, lakes, sledding hills — discover how some of these favorite places to play were formed. Each week, we will explore different geologic activities which have created cool features and shaped our home — the Keweenaw Peninsula.

Gr. 6-8 Fascinating Plants: Thursday

Explore the amazing world of plants — visit a research greenhouse, conduct experiments on effects of road salt and acid rain, design a water treatment system using plants, try to make sugar like a plant, meet a botanist and find out how forest plant materials can replace plastics and provide medicine and food.

Cost is $75 per student. Register by Friday, Jan. 20. Pay by credit card by calling the Michigan Tech Cashier at 7-2247. Your space is not reserved until payment has been received.

Click on 2017 Winter MTU After School Classes January 23 – March 2 or wupcenter to register online.

Questions? Call 7-3341 or email Joan Chadde.

Note: Houghton school bus will drop off students at Michigan Tech by 3:50 p.m.

Coordinated by Michigan Tech Center for Science and Environmental Outreach.

Western UP Center Highlighted by MMSCN

Published November 2, 2016

By College of Engineering

The services of the Western UP Center for Science, Math and Environmental Education are highlighted in the October 2016 Michigan Math and Science Center Network (MMSCN) newsletter.

The Michigan Tech Center for Science & Environmental Outreach is a lead partner in the Western UP Center since its creation in 2000.

The MMSCN newsletter is distributed to MDE, MI state legislature, STEM Council and other stakeholders. Several additional Michigan Tech partners and collaborative grant funding agencies are mentioned.

Reagan May Drives for Diversity at NASCAR

Published November 1, 2016

By College of Engineering

Fourth year mechanical engineering student Reagan May did a Snapchat Takeover with Michigan Tech for three days starting October 17, 2016. The event was the NASCAR Drive for Diversity (D4D) Combine at Daytona International Speedway. The D4D program aims to attract minority and female individuals to the sport. There were 17 people competing for the available spots.

Learn more about the event in Reagan May Racing in her Twitter feed and Facebook feed, as well as the Twitter feed of Rev Racing, which is the home of the NASCAR Drive for Diversity program.

Reagan May has distinguished herself on the racetrack many times. She sees herself as an automotive designer some day, in addition to making it as a NASCAR driver or car engineer.

VIDEO: Reagan May at NASCAR Drive for Diversity
VIDEO: Reagan May Thanks Sponsors at NASCAR Drive for Diversity

Closed captioning available.

Humans of Tech—Reagan

I started racing go-karts when I was 10, and I fell in love with the sport. I race super-late models throughout Wisconsin and the Midwest. I have always loved working on cars, and what I learn in the classroom helps me understand how the car suspension works.

Reagan May's Racecar — Reagan May’s Racecar

NASCAR Driving for Diversity Combine 2016

Natural Resource and Environmental Career Paths

Published October 31, 2016

By College of Engineering

Joan Chadde, director of the Michigan Tech Center for Science and Environmental Outreach, presented “Promoting High School Students’ Interest in Natural Resource and Environmental Career Paths” at the North American Association for Environmental Education Conference in Madison last week.

The session described the program that provides 20 Detroit high school youth with a free opportunity to experience Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and the campus of a natural resource university. Students complete pre/post surveys to measure changes in their interest in natural resource career paths. Many at Michigan Tech supported the program, including Housing and Residential Life, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, College of Engineering, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering and many others.

2016 Lake Superior Water Festival

Published October 11, 2016

By College of Engineering

VIEW THE PHOTO ALBUM

More than 1,000 students in grades 4-8 in 34 classes from 13 schools in Houghton, Baraga, Gogebic and Ontonagon counties will flood Michigan Tech’s Great Lakes Research Center from 8:45 to 11:30 a.m. and noon to 2:50 p.m. on Wednesday (Oct. 12) for the 5th Annual Lake Superior Water Festival “October will be a Splash!”

Students from the following schools will participate: Baraga Middle School, CLK Elementary, Chassell Elementary, Elm River School, Hancock Middle School, Jeffers Middle School, L’Anse Middle School, Lake Linden-Hubbell Middle School, L.L. Wright Middle School (Ironwood), Sacred Heart School, South Range Elementary and Washington Middle School (Calumet).

More than 30 different sessions will be offered throughout the day, presented by Michigan Tech scientists, staff and students, with help from Keweenaw Land Trust, Keweenaw National Historical Park, U.S. Coast Guard, SOAR students from Dollar Bay High School, Ottawa National Forest, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park and NECi Superior Enzymes. Presenters come from the following departments at Michigan Tech: CEE, SFRES, GMES, ME-EM, Bio Sci, Chem, Physics, Sustainable Future Institute and VPA.

The Water Festival provides an opportunity for students to learn about and celebrate our most precious natural resource—the Great Lakes. A wide variety of topics from science and engineering to history and music will be presented. Students attend four 35-minute activities. Some of the topics include: Remotely-Operated-Vehicles, Isle Royale Wolves and Moose, Leave No Trace Outdoors, cleaning wastewater and touring the U.S. Coast Guard vessel.

The 2016 Water Festival is made possible with funding from Michigan STEM Partnership, Michigan Tech Center for Water and Society and the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative. The Festival is coordinated by the Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative and hosted by Michigan Tech’s Great Lake Research Center.

Schedules and descriptions of each session will be available in the GLRC lobby upon arrival.

For more information, contact Joan Chadde or Lloyd Wescoat at 7-3341.

By Joan Chadde.

STEM Outreach During Fall 2016 at Michigan Tech

Published October 5, 2016

By College of Engineering

Brimley Area School Students Visit Michigan Tech

Thirty middle-school students, plus two science teachers, and two chaperones from Brimley Area Schools visited Michigan Tech and the Keweenaw Peninsula from Sept. 28-30, 2016. The outreach event was hosted by Ted Bornhorst, Executive Director, A. E. Seaman Mineral Museum, and Joan Chadde, Director of the Center for Science & Environmental Outreach. The Brimley Area Schools student population is 54 % Native American and 51 % low income. Students participated in a half-day of STEM activities on campus with Brian Barkdoll and “Kiko” de Melo e Silva, faculty and research scientist, respectively, in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Dr. Sarah Sun in Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics.

“We were pleased to provide this unique opportunity for the Brimley students that may spark their interest to pursue a STEM degree at Michigan Tech,” explained Bornhorst.

“This was a great group of students,” observed Chadde. “We plan to work with them to make this an annual visit.”

Brian Barkdoll and Brimley Area Schools Students

Kiko de Melo e Silva and Brimley Area School Students

Sarah Sun and Brimley Area School Students

SIS & SAAM Hold Annual Meeting

The students of SIS (Society of Intellectual Sisters) and SAAM (Society of African American Men) alumni participated in several STEM activities just like their parents did at Tech! Joan Chadde facilitated several Family Engineering activities for the students, who ranged in age from 3-17 years. A favorite activity is the “Hot Chocolate Machine where students stack 10-15 cups to let gravity do its thing and mix the milk power and cocoa powder—and Voila! Hot chocolate!”

Ford to Donate $61,000 to Pre-College Outreach STEM Programs

Published September 20, 2016

By College of Engineering

The Michigan Tech community is invited to attend a check presentation at 4 p.m. tomorrow (Sept. 21, 2016) at Husky Plaza. Cynthia Protas Hodges, an ’87 mechanical engineering alumna who is now chassis supplier technical assistance site manager at Ford, will present a $61,000 check from Ford to support STEM programs in the Center for Pre-College Outreach.

The gift from Ford will fund youth programs designed to engage young women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. Programs include Materials Science & Engineering Summer Youth Program, Engineering Scholars Program, Junior Women in Engineering Program, Mind Trekkers, Southeast Michigan Science & Engineering Festival, and Women in Engineering Program.

From Tech Today, by Jim Desrochers, Office of Innovation and Industry Engagement.

Category: Outreach

Michigan Tech Receives $110,000 Grant from GM

HELP US CELEBRATE EWEEK 2017!

Tech’s events during Engineers Week, (Feb. 18-25), are again sponsored by Tau Beta Pi, the local chapter of the Engineering Honor Society.

National Engineers Week, also known as Eweek, begins on a sweet note at Michigan Tech with an ice cream social from 5 to 6 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 18) in the Wadsworth Dining Hall.

Questions? Contact Morgan Herzog, Tau Beta Pi public relations officer, and/or Julia Zayan, president.

There will be six sessions of after school science and engineering classes for grades 1-8 from Jan. 23 to March 3, 2017. The sessions will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in Room 104 of the Great Lakes Research Center.

Humans of Tech—Reagan

Brimley Area School Students Visit Michigan Tech

SIS & SAAM Hold Annual Meeting