College of Engineering Blog

Sustainability Awards for Claire Christen and Robert Handler

Published March 12, 2024

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:

Undergraduate: Claire Christen (environmental engineering). Christen is a team member of Green Campus Enterprise.
Graduate: Aritra Chakrabarty (Ph.D. in Environment and Energy Policy candidate)
Staff: Robert Handler (ChE)
Faculty: Chelsea Schelly (SS)

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

Published March 8, 2024

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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

Paul van Susante (ME-EM): HONES — “NASA Lunabotics Competition”

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

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.

Dean’s Teaching Showcase: David Wanless

Published February 26, 2024

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Dean Audra Morse has selected David Wanless, associate teaching professor in the Department of Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology (MMET), for this spring’s Deans’ Teaching Showcase. Wanless will be recognized at an end-of-term luncheon with other spring showcase members and is a candidate for the CTL Instructional Award Series.

Students are motivated by Wanless’ use of projects similar to those they might experience in industry. He has developed and taught MET4210 Applied Quality Techniques for over 15 years, and all iterations have included laboratory experiences around the production of a product. Lately, he has designed and implemented an experiential learning project around stringed instrument production. This past fall, it was a banjo. In previous semesters, he had students produce an electric guitar and a bass guitar.

Wanless had 14 years of experience in quality engineering and management prior to entering academia. He utilizes the banjo project to engage students, as it relates to the course content. Students divide into groups that undertake each aspect of its production. While constructing the final working banjo, students actively apply quality methods, generate process control charts and implement process improvement methods.

“Dave’s Applied Quality class is a hands-on production-like environment,” one student commented. “It allows students to get a well-rounded understanding of quality control while working on a fun project.” Another student said, “Dave takes the applied portion to heart. He doesn’t hold your hand throughout the process. He knows what he wants from his students and sends them off to solve problems like a real engineer would.” Students draw on previous experience in machining, machine design or product design to select the proper production methods, design the process and then test the process to produce a working component for the instrument.

In addition, Wanless advises the MMET undergraduate two-semester capstone design sequence (MET4575 and MET4675 Senior Project I and II), where students participate in the National Fluid Power Association’s (NFPA’s) student fluid power vehicle challenge competition. Participating in the NFPA competition requires students to prepare and deliver technical presentations to industry experts who are assigned to mentor the teams. “Dave literally goes the extra mile to advise students, often traveling across the country for the NFPA competitions,” said John Irwin, chair of MMET. “His advising involves technical guidance in fluid power, but exceedingly it is about career guidance, whether related to the fluid power industry or not.” In the process, students are exposed to many potential employers in the fluid power industry, resulting in many graduates ending up in careers at major fluid power firms, such as Parker Hannifin and Ross Controls.

“Dr. Wanless’ engaging projects challenge our students in so many ways,” said Morse. “The experience they gain as they meet the expectations that he sets out for them gives them the skills that are highly sought after by potential employers.”

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

Jennifer Becker and Kerri Sleeman are Finalists in Michigan Tech’s Distingushed Teaching Awards

Published February 14, 2024

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Share your thoughts and show your support for these deserving finalists. Comments for the finalists are due by March 31, 2024, and can be submitted online.

The William G. Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) is seeking input for its annual Distinguished Teaching Awards, which recognize outstanding contributions to Michigan Tech’s instructional mission. Based on more than 35,000 student ratings of instruction responses, 10 finalists have been identified for the 2024 awards. The selection committee is soliciting comments from students, staff, faculty and alumni to be referenced during their deliberations.

Among the finalists are Associate Professor Jennifer Becker and Professor of Practice Kerri Sleeman. Both are faculty in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering (CEGE). Their dedication to teaching and commitment to their students have set them apart as exceptional educators.

Becker is known by her students for her passion for teaching and seeks to create interactive learning environments, and her efforts to be accessible to both undergraduate and graduate students are extraordinary. One of Becker’s students echoes this, saying: “Dr. Becker’s dedication to her students’ learning is just one quality that raises the bar for professors everywhere. Her willingness to help students succeed extends beyond the classroom, where she responds to emails promptly and accommodates students’ needs by taking time out of her busy schedule to help them, even at odd hours, until they feel confident with the material. Becker also aids students by letting them know exactly what is expected from them and holds them to a high standard, which demonstrates true concern for her students’ education.” Read more at Deans’ Teaching Showcase: Jennifer Becker

“Jennifer goes above and beyond what is expected and her students really appreciate it,” says Brian Barkdoll, interim chair of the CEGE department. “She spends countless hours of her time meeting with students on theory and modeling. She is to be commended.”

Sleeman began working as a full-time faculty member this past fall in the Construction Management Program. She taught as an adjunct faculty member over the years while working at Tech as executive director of facilities management at Michigan Tech. Teaching helped her keep the larger picture of the University in focus. Another goal of Sleeman’s: to increase sustainable construction course offerings for students. Read more at New Faculty Spotlight: Kerri Sleeman.

“Kerri has accomplished something remarkable in achieving this level of teaching recognition in her very first semester teaching,” adds Barkdoll.

The process for determining the Distinguished Teaching Award recipients from among the finalists will involve additional surveying of their spring 2024 classes. The selection committee makes the final determination of the award recipients. The 2024 Distinguished Teaching Awards will be formally announced in June.

Assistant Professor/Teaching Professor/Professor of Practice finalists:

J. W. Hammond (HU), assistant professor
Xin Li (COB), assistant professor
Gord Patterson (BioSci), assistant professor
Kerri Sleeman (CEGE), professor of practice
Paul Weiss (Army ROTC), assistant professor

Associate Professor/Professor finalists:

Jennifer Becker (CEGE), associate professor
Carsten Külheim (CFRES), associate professor
Joel Neves (VPA), professor
Jennifer Nish (HU), associate professor
Charles Wallace (CS), associate professor

For more information, contact the CTL at ctl@mtu.edu or 906-487-3000.

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

Dean’s Teaching Showcase: Nathan Manser

Published February 5, 2024

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College of Engineering Dean Audra Morse has selected Nathan Manser, professor of practice from the Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences (GMES), as this week’s featured instructor in the Deans’ Teaching Showcase. Manser will be recognized at an end-of-term event with other showcase members and is a candidate for the CTL Instructional Award Series.

Manser’s broad educational background in mining engineering, environmental engineering and business administration; extensive industry experience; and professional licensure give him the ability to develop courses that are engaging, informative and practical. He actively participates in the Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME), which enriches his teaching with practical insights. His teaching style is characterized by energy, clarity and practicality. Leveraging his extensive professional network, Manser frequently invites industry professionals, including alumni, to his classes, providing real-world examples and experiences. He encourages his students to network and actively facilitates their connections to the professional community, including the annual SME conference.

Most importantly, Manser has the skills to fully prepare his students for successful careers and professional certifications. Students consistently name Manser as their best teacher, attributing their success to his teaching and mentorship. Former students universally praise him as an outstanding and enthusiastic instructor, emphasizing the lasting impact of his mentorship on their professional and personal development after graduation. One student stated, “Having Dr. Manser as a professor greatly impacted my interest in the mineral industry. Dr. Manser’s professional and personable approach made his courses practical and up-to-date, shedding light on the broad opportunities in the mining and geoscience industries.” Another student added, “I can attribute much of my college success to Dr. Nathan Manser. He was the most memorable and influential academic professional I encountered during my studies at Michigan Tech.”

Manser’s commitment to excellence is further exemplified by his role in mentoring students for one of the most competitive events in the mineral industry field: the highly competitive SME/National Stone, Sand, and Gravel Association (NSSGA) Student Design Competition. This dedication is exemplified by the team’s remarkable success. In the 2023-24 competition, Michigan Tech once again advanced to the top six nationally. This prestigious event draws the best and brightest from leading mining universities across the country, and our team’s success places them among this elite group. Manser will accompany the team to the 2024 SME Annual Conference and Expo in Phoenix, Arizona, where they will present their innovative solutions and compete against other top-tier universities. This accomplishment highlights the caliber of our program and underscores the exceptional guidance and mentorship provided by Manser.

Aleksey Smirnov, GMES chair, summed it up: “Dr. Manser makes himself readily available to help students succeed, not only in class, but also outside the classroom, allowing them to grow into successful professionals.”

“Dedicated faculty members like Nathan Manser allow our students to compete at the national level,” Morse added. “And I thank him for giving our students that chance.”

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