Lawrence Sutter (MSE/IMP) is the principal investigator on a project that has received a $55,120 research and development contract with the Michigan Department of Transportation.
Zhanping You (CEE) is the Co-PI on the project, “2017 Transportation Materials Research Center.”
This is a 10-month project.
By Sponsored Programs.
Michigan Tech Research Forum
Faculty Research on Speed Dial
The Michigan Tech Research Forum is a new University presentation series showcasing the work of Michigan Tech faculty, postdocs, and researchers.
On Thursday, November 10, 2016, several researchers gave two minute presentations for the inaugural TechTalks session of the Michigan Tech Research Forum. Five of the 13 researchers presented work from engineering disciplines:
Michigan Tech Research Forum events are presented by the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs in coordination with the Office of the Vice President of Research.
Additional TechTalks sessions are coming up in Spring 2017. Interested in nominating yourself or others? Use this online form.
Browse the Twitter conversations in “TechTalks 2016: Take One,” by Allison Mills.
On Thursday, December 1, 2016, the second set of presentations included the following from engineering research faculty:
Jeff Naber
Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
APS LABS (Advanced Power Systems Research Center)
Michael Mullins
Department of Chemical Engineering
Electrospun Nanofibers as Neural Guidance Scaffolds
Feng Zhao
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering Research
Chad Deering
Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
Ignimbrites to Batholiths
Darrell Robinette
Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
Gearing for Future Connectivity
Trisha Sain
Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
Mechanics of Soft Polymers
Browse the Twitter conversations in “TechTalks 2016: Take Two,” by Allison Mills.
Wayne Pennington’s (GMES/CoE) work was honored during a Geophysical Society of Houston luncheon on Nov. 15, 2016, in Houston.
The presentation, made by Vaughn Ball (Hess Corporation) and co-authored by Michelle Thomas, JP Blangy and Mark Kittridge, acknowledge that seismic petrophysics is “coming up on the twentieth anniversary of Wayne Pennington’s turning point definition of seismic petrophysics in the 1997 edition of The Leading Edge.”
Design Expo 2017 will be held in the MUB Ballroom on Thursday, April 13th. Save the date.
Design Expo highlights hands-on, discovery-based learning at Michigan Tech. More than 600 students on Enterprise and Senior Design teams showcase their work and compete for awards.
A panel of judges, made up of distinguished corporate representatives and Michigan Tech staff and faculty members, critique the projects. Many team projects are sponsored by industry, which allows students to gain valuable experience through competition, as well as direct exposure to real industrial problems. Design Expo is co-hosted by the College of Engineering and the Pavlis Honors College.
Registration is now open for Senior Design and Enterprise teams. Visit the Design Expo website to register before the deadline, Monday, Feb. 6.
We need faculty, staff, and professionals to serve as distinguished Design Expo judges. Interested? Register to be a judge or RSVP to let us know you’re coming.
By the College of Engineering and Pavlis Honors College.
Smart, Moisture-Resistant Adhesive Inspired by Marine Chemistry
Bruce Lee (Bio Med) is a YIP award winner through the Office of Naval Research and, following their news release and CHIPS magazine story, a number of news outlets and science blogs picked up the story. The media include: NavalToday.com, Maritime Executive, Ocean News and Technology, phys.org, Seapower Magazine, defense-aerospace.com, Deccan Chronicle, World of Chemicals, ScienMag and Business Standard.
The Office of Naval Research (ONR) Young Investigator Program (YIP) seeks to identify and support academic scientists and engineers who are in their first or second full-time tenure-track or tenure-track-equivalent academic appointment and who show exceptional promise for doing creative research. The program’s objectives are to attract outstanding faculty members of Institutions of Higher Education to the Department of Navy’s research program, to support their research, and to encourage their teaching and research careers.
ARLINGTON, Va. — Even the strongest glues collapse when soaked. Just watch a band-aid slide ungracefully off a finger or toe while in the shower. However, with support from the Office of Naval Research (ONR), one researcher has developed a nature-inspired adhesive that stays sticky when wet.
Dr. Bruce Lee, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Michigan Technological University, is using a protein produced by mussels to create a reversible synthetic glue that not only can bond securely underwater — but also may be turned on and off with electricity.
Read more at CHIPS, by Warren Duffie Jr., Office of Naval Research.
Photo courtesy of Dr. Bruce Lee.
A Michigan Tech professor has been recognized by a state-wide transportation organization.
The Michigan Transportation Asset Management Council (TAMC) has honored Tim Colling (CEE/MTTI) with the 2016 TAMC Carmine Palombo Individual Award.
The award was presented by TAMC Chair Joanna I. Johnson at the annual TAMC Fall Conference on Oct. 13 in Marquette.
In 2015, the TAMC renamed the Individual Achievement Award in honor of Palombo for his years of service and dedication to the TAMC representing the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments.
Colling acknowledged that while the honor is called an individual award, it reflects the work and dedication of the entire team at Michigan Tech.
When told that Colling was going to be receiving the award that carries his name, Palombo said,
I can think of no more deserving person than Tim Colling to be recognized for all of his work in assisting the TAMC to get to where they are today.
Palombo further added,
His efforts and leadership have simply lifted the practice and promotion of asset management all across Michigan.
Colling worked as a civil engineering consultant for 10 years prior to starting work at Michigan Tech’s Center for Technology and Training (CTT).
In 2010, Colling assumed the responsibilities of director, including leadership of the Michigan Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP).
Colling and his team at CTT provide basic and advanced training on a wide array of topics to support the management of transportation systems.
MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) – The Michigan Transportation Asset Management Council (TAMC) has honored Tim Colling, PhD, P.E. with the 2016 TAMC Carmine Palombo Individual Award. The award was presented by TAMC Chair Joanna I. Johnson at the annual TAMC Fall Conference on Thursday, October 13, in Marquette, Michigan.
Read more at WLUC TV6, by Alissa Pietila.
Participants respond to their experiences with WE16, the world’s largest conference and career fair for women in engineering and technology. The event took place October 27-20, 2016, in Philadelphia. Learn more about Michigan Tech’s involvement in the conference.
Mechanical Engineering Major
The conference was a great way for me to experience what it is truly like to be a woman in engineering. Some of the sessions I went to really spoke to me in a way I hadn’t thought they were going to, but am very glad they did. It was neat to see that there are so many women out there who have the same drive and passion as I do. Overall I couldn’t be more appreciative of the experience I was given.
The greatest take away I got from conference was that I don’t have to have everything figured out now. Sure, I should have a loose idea of what I would like to accomplish in life, but I have no idea the opportunities that will be thrown my way years from now that will shape me and my choices. This conference reinforced my conviction to be open to new experiences in my professional and collegiate development.
National conference is a wonderful experience that helps to not only inspire its attendees, but motivates them to change the world. Attendees get to meet women who have taken the world by storm, promoting women in engineering and women’s rights. This conference allowed me to not only meet my new role models, but also learn more about myself and my fellow Huskies who attended conference. I look forward to sharing the knowledge and skills gained from conference with our local section and attending WE17 in Austin, Texas next year.
There was one session that really stuck out to me..it was called something along the lines of ‘Women in Comics’ and it focused on how women’s roles in the comic industry are changing from eye candy to the hero, as well as more involvement and actual drawing of the comics in the offices/real-world side of things. One speaker was a mid-30s aged woman who originally got her degree in accounting and felt lost when she got to an age where she thought it was time to “enter the real world” and give up her comics. To adjust to this, she opened up her own comic store which doubles as a hang out spot for people to read the comics. The store features comic books with women in leading roles and also comics made by women. Her comic shop is also the meeting location for different groups (knitting, ukalele, etc.) in order to make it more laid back and seem like home to various types of people. The take away from her speech was that a lot of time, people (especially women in engineering) might feel uncomfortable trying to assume a role/career that might make them feel different than themselves. If you ever find yourself not fitting in or feeling uncomfortable, create that space for yourself where you DO fit in. Not everyone is going to fit into this cookie-cutter world of adult professionals and that’s okay, just find a place where you do “fit in” and can be yourself, like her comic shop, and also don’t lose who you are along the way of finding that comfortable place.
Collegiate Leadership Institute Participant
I really liked the variety of topics that were covered which ranged from networking to managing money. As somebody who is looking for a full-time job, I feel like I was able to obtain a lot of great advice that will help me to both land a job and build meaningful professional relationships.
WE16 is the world’s largest conference and career fair for women in engineering and technology, with more than 9,000 women at all stages of their engineering careers.
Michigan Tech’s Society of Women Engineers Collegiate Section has historically been very active at the National Conference. At this year’s WE16, it was no different. The students who traveled with us were:
Advisers Gretchen Hein and Beth Hoy also travelled with the group. The section received the Silver Collegiate Section Award, which is based on the section’s involvement in SWE.
Michigan Tech and Caterpillar Inc. were both rookies in the SWE Team Tech competition, a design contest sponsored by Boeing which was launched in 1992 as a way to emphasize the key role of teamwork and industry interface in the engineering educational process. An innovative approach to an interesting engineering problem proved to be a successful partnership when the team won first place at WE16, the world’s largest conference for women in engineering and technology. The winning project is entitled “Wheel Tractor Scraper Bowl Optimization System.”
Team Tech calls for collegiate teams of 4-12 members from at least three different engineering disciplines to work with an industry partner in order to solve an engineering design problem. The team submitted progress reports and design documents to Boeing, ultimately qualifying them to present at the SWE annual conference held on Friday, October 28, 2016, in Philadelphia.
Michigan Tech’s team partnered with Caterpillar Inc. to create a solution to the issue of inefficient filling on Caterpillar’s wheel tractor scraper (WTS) machines. To solve this engineering challenge, the team conceived, designed, prototyped, and tested an ultrasonic sensing system that can accurately determine the height of dirt within the WTS bowl. The team also conceived a method to relay that information to the operator, along with a video feed looking into the bowl. Perhaps most importantly, the team designed and developed a scale-model test rig that provides proof of concept of the system without costly on-machine testing.
During the competition, 11 teams presented their design ideas to the judges, and results were announced at Celebrate SWE, a dinner event on Saturday night of the conference. Third place was awarded to University of Wisconsin- Madison working with Xymox Technologies, Inc., and second place was awarded to California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo working with St. Jude Medical.
The Team Tech team was composed of members from two different Enterprise programs within the Pavlis Honors College—Blue Marble Security and Consumer Product Manufacturing. The advisors were Dr. Archer (Electrical & Computer Engineering) & Dr. Rogers (Chemical Engineering). The student team members submitting the final proposal were: Team leader Ester Buhl, Electrical Engineering, Brianne Anderson, Mechanical Engineering, Derek Chopp, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Sandra Cvetanovic, Electrical Engineering, Alexis Dani, Computer Engineering, Jennifer Dzurka, Mechanical Engineering, Anna Marchesano, Chemical Engineering, and Jonathan Quinn, Mechanical Engineering.
Buhl, Marchesano, and Chopp represented the team at the competition. Caterpillar engineers and Michigan Tech alums Brent Woodard (’11 BSME) and Britta Jost (’02 BS Mathematics, ’04 MSME) mentored the team and provided technical advice.
Three students, Stephanie Peterson, Romana Carden, and Jocelyne Denhof participated in the Collegiate Leadership Institute (CLI). The program’s overall goal is to prepare women engineering and technology students to gain employment within the engineering sector and become leaders in their field. CLI attendees are provided resources to jumpstart their professional development, broaden their networking opportunities, and help facilitate their eventual transition into the workforce. Stephanie found that:
I really liked the variety of topics that were covered which ranged from networking to managing money. As somebody who is looking for a full-time job, I feel like I was able to obtain a lot of great advice that will help me to both land a job and build meaningful professional relationships.
Renee Oats, PhD student in Civil Engineering, and Tayloria Adams, PhD in Chemical Engineering, Michigan Tech, 2014, participated in Academic Leadership for Women in Engineering (ALWE) Program. This NSF funded program is designed to provide best practices to advance in academia while creating opportunities and mechanisms to network across institutions.
Renee Oats and Patricia Thompson, Michigan Tech Civil Engineering alumna, were selected to participate in the WE16 annual graduate student poster competition. The poster competition was organized by Kaitlyn Bunker, PhD Electrical Engineering 2014 from Michigan Tech.
Gretchen Hein, Engineering Fundamentals, presented on two topics: “eCYBERMISSION: A Great Way to Explore Science and Engineering”, and “How do Faculty Ensure Student Competency at Course Completion?”. The first presentation was done with Erin Lester, eCYBERMISSION Volunteer Manager, and Siona Beaudoin, Lake Linden-Hubbell eighth grader and eCYBERMISSION participant. The second presentation was on work completed in the first-year engineering program with Mary Fraley, Amber Kemppainen, and AJ Hamlin. Gretchen is currently the Women in Academia Chair for SWE.
Invent It. Build It. is an annual SWE conference activity for middle and high school girls. The purpose is to introduce girls and their families to the field of engineering. This year a record number of more than 1200 girls participated, including Siona. Hannah Cunningham volunteered at the day-long event.
Tech alumna Liz Dreyer (BS Electrical Engineering, Michigan Tech, 2012) was awarded the Outstanding Collegiate Member award by the Society of Women Engineers on Saturday, October 29. Each year, the Society honors ten collegiate members who have made an outstanding contribution to SWE, the engineering community, and their campus. Dreyer was cited specifically
For leadership and innovative efforts to grow SWE’s presence on campus, particularly among graduate students, and for advancing the overall interests of women in STEM fields across the globe.
This acknowledges Dreyer’s role as Graduate Member Coordinator for SWE as well as her outreach efforts for women engineers in Liberia. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Electrical Engineering at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI.
In newly released US News & World Report global university rankings, Michigan Technological University ranked 136th out of 1,000 universities around the world in international collaboration.
Tech’s College of Engineering and Department of Materials Science & Engineering also ranked well. MSE placed in the top one-third at 273rd and engineering overall was 356th of the 1,000 universities ranked.
Intellectual property from UCSD, WSU, UCF, Michigan Tech, N2 Biomedical, and Nanovation Partners represents the most comprehensive portfolio available to license with respect to implant nanotube surface treatment.
Nanovation Partners, LLC and Michigan Technological University today announced a partnership agreement for commercialization of processes to nano-texturize medical implants. These advanced processes can simultaneously increase bone ingrowth and provide an antimicrobial barrier. The collaboration agreement extends Nanovation Partner’s leadership in commercialization of nano-texturing technology.
Craig Friedrich, PhD, Director of Michigan Tech’s Multi-scale Technologies Institute, commented, “What we’re developing is a surface treatment that’s more straightforward and economical than other processes. It speeds healing and is applicable to a broad range of implants. With this process, in conjunction with the technologies developed at other leading nano-technology universities and companies already in partnership with Nanovation Partners, we can fight infection and reduce inflammation. Our partnership with Nanovation Partners will speed and broaden the transfer of this technology to provide a clinical benefit for a broad range of patients.”
The partnership with Michigan Tech builds on Nanovation Partners’ strategic collaborations with leaders in nanotexturing technology,” —Dan Justin, President and CEO of Nanovation Partners.