College of Engineering Blog

Mining Engineering: The Best of Both Worlds

Published June 27, 2019

Julie (Varichak) Marinucci earned her Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering at Michigan Tech in 2002. She is now Mineral Development Specialist at St. Louis County Land and Minerals Department in Hibbing, Minnesota.

After a 15-year break, Mining Engineering officially returns to Michigan Tech, with BS, MS, and PhD degree programs and cutting-edge research. Learn more online.

Julie Marinucci earned her Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering from Michigan Tech in 2002. She knew early on that mining would enable her to work globally, but also return home someday to northern Minnesota and have a good career there, too. Turns out, she was right.

What fostered your own path to studying and working in mining?
Mining Engineering kind of landed in my lap. I knew I wanted to be an engineer of some type and that I wanted to work outdoors. Civil Engineering seemed like the most likely choice, but then I met Murray Gillis, a mining engineering instructor at Michigan Tech. Murray was at a local college fair and he sparked my curiosity, not just in Michigan Tech, but also in Mining Engineering. My campus visit, and spending the summer after high school working in a mine, sealed the deal!

Describe some challenges that you face in your work.
The biggest challenge is the general misunderstanding of the mining industry. Many people do not understand the amount of care that goes into extracting minerals for the conveniences and protections we as a society have come to expect. Mining considers the full lifecycle of the land, careful consideration of the environmental conditions prior to mining, efficient extraction of the minerals of interest, and thoughtful reclamation with the next generation of land use in mind. I have always thought a big part of my job is to ensure the general public understands the efforts taken in developing a mine.

What has changed the most in mining engineering over the course of your career?
The continuous evolution of technology in mine planning has been fun to watch. Operations are now utilizing drone technology and laser scanning to manage pit operations, blast efficiency, ore grading, and more. I had the opportunity to work with engineers early in my career who had the large map tables and boxes of colored pencils. Fast forward now to laser scanners, drones, remote equipment monitoring, and more!

What changes do you expect to see in the future of mining?
I expect to see the way we work in mining to evolve, and look to more flexible work arrangements that will bring in a more diverse workforce. The days where you must be at your 1950’s steel desk working from 6 am to 6 pm will evolve into the ability to work remotely. It will allow for a different type of operational accessibility while providing for better balance in life.

What is your most surprising experience as a mining engineer to date?
When I started down the journey to become a mining engineer, I envisioned working my way through an operation in a very technical role. Through the years, I found that my degree has allowed me to reinvent myself many times over.

I started my career with Caterpillar in a marketing position. It was completely unexpected, but Cat was looking for someone who could understand the equipment, understand the mining industry, and effectively communicate with clients. What a great job! I went on to enjoy many roles at Cleveland Cliffs iron mining operations, where I learned to be an engineer, manage operation crews in the pit, and had the great learning experience of working at a greenfield operation in Canada (with a language barrier!). When I decided to leave Cliffs, I discovered the contacts I had made, along with understanding of mining operations, positioned me well for a career in consulting. My time with Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc. working in business development for mining and heavy industry taught me how to assemble a team to help solve problem and deliver a successful project. Then came my current role, with St. Louis County—a brand new position created to ensure that the vast mineral wealth held within the county was protected. The chance to define the job and lay out the mining and mineral strategy for the county was too good to pass up. St. Louis County holds world class iron, copper and nickel deposits, to name a few, and has a long mining history of over 130 years. As Mineral Development Specialist, I work closely with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, and local mining and exploration companies and communities, to ensure we are responsibly moving mining forward for the benefit of the region and the Tax Forfeited Land Trust.

Why do you think it was important to reinstate the mining engineering degree program at Michigan Tech?
Michigan Tech was founded as a mining engineering school and the demand that was created in 1858 still holds true today. Michigan Tech is positioned strategically near two large mining districts with growing interest in mineral development. The need for qualified mining professionals to move these project forward is great. The alumni network is willing to support these students through their education to ensure they have the best start possible.

Why should a student enter the field of mining engineering now?
The need for skilled mining engineers that love our region and want to stay, work and raise a family is strong, while the nationwide and global demand continues to grow. Mining in not for the faint of heart, but if you can weather the storm it’s a fulfilling career with many ways to leverage a mining engineering degree.

What are the greatest rewards and challenges mining engineers face now, and will face in the future?
Mining engineers should be proud to know that they are part of the fabric that maintains our quality of life, helps to grow our food, provides the materials for our ever-expanding tech advances, and keeps our families safe. This role in our modern life is not well-understood, but it’s a very important role. The future has great potential to continue to move our industry into next levels of efficiency, safe production, beneficial reuse of waste streams—and maybe mining the moon! The stars are the limit!

What’s next in your career?
I look forward to continuing to explore the opportunity to manage the land for mineral development, while planning for beneficial reuse of the land and the residuals. The ability to make an impact in my backyard is exciting and I look forward to evolving the role and myself over the years.

Free Scientific Excursions at the Chassell Strawberry Festival on July 13

Published June 26, 2019

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Michigan Tech Research Vessel Agassiz on Portage Canal in Houghton MI with children and adults aboard. — Michigan Tech Research Vessel Agassiz

How do scientists investigate the health of the Great Lakes? Why not come find out? Go on a free scientific excursion on the Agassiz, the Michigan Tech research vessel, in conjunction with the annual Strawberry Festival in Chassell Michigan, 12:30-6 pm, Saturday, July 13, departing at the Chassell Marina.

The public is invited to reserve a space by using this link or call the Michigan Tech Center for Science and Environmental Outreach at: (906) 487-3341, or go to the Center’s webpage. The public is also welcome to come to the Chassell Marina dock on Saturday from 12:30 to 5 pm, to get on the excursion list. Spaces go quickly. Each excursion has room for 18 participants. Half of the available spaces will be saved for onsite participants.

On each scientific excursion, Dr. Cory McDonald, a Michigan Tech scientist in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the Great Lakes Research Center, will show how data is collected on water clarity, temperature, and turbidity and explain what that tells us about the health of Lake Superior and Chassell Bay. Dr. McDonald will explain the link between land uses and the health of the Great Lakes.

Space is limited to 18 persons per excursion (children must be at least 7 years of age and accompanied by an adult). Life jackets are available for all passengers. All must wear closed toe shoes.

“Copper Country residents and visitors are encouraged to learn how scientists study the Great Lakes and which measurements indicate a healthy lake,” explains Joan Chadde, director of the Center for Science & Environmental Outreach, who has coordinated this program as part of Strawberry Festival since 2006.

“These scientific excursions for the public have been extremely popular. Youth and adults enjoy the opportunity to interact with Great Lakes scientists and get their questions answered,” adds Chadde.

The event is funded by the GM Ride the Waves Program, which puts 600 Copper Country youth and adults on the water each year to learn about the health of the Great Lakes and Lake Superior, and to promote STEM careers. Financial support for the Agassiz at the Strawberry Festival is also provided by the Chassell Lions Club.

For information on Lake Superior Day festivities and the Agassiz in Copper Harbor on Sunday, July 21st, contact Lloyd Wescoat at lwescoat@mtu.edu or call the Center at: (906) 487-3341. Center for Science& Environmental Outreach

Learn more here:

Michigan Tech Center for Science and Environmental Outreach
Michigan Tech’s Great Lakes Research Center
Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative

Assistant Dean Lawrence Sutter Named as a Fellow by ASTM International

Published June 25, 2019

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Lawrence L. Sutter P.E., Assistant Dean of Research and External Relations, College of Engineering, Michigan Tech

ASTM International’s committee on concrete and concrete aggregates (C09) has presented its top annual award – the Award of Merit – to Lawrence L. Sutter P.E., assistant dean of research and external relations in the College of Engineering at Michigan Tech. The prestigious award, which includes the accompanying title of fellow, is ASTM’s highest recognition for individual contributions to developing standards.

The committee honored Sutter’s meritorious service and respected technical expertise, outstanding leadership and exemplary professionalism, and strong commitment to the pursuit of standards development in the areas of research, petrography, and supplementary cementitious materials. The committee recognized him as being a valuable resource and advocate for the responsible use of sustainable materials in concrete mixtures and as a forward-thinking leader in integrating new and developing technologies into new and existing standards.

An ASTM International member since 2002, Sutter is also a member of the committees on cement (C01), manufactured masonry units (C15), and road and paving materials (D04). He has previously been honored with four Awards of Appreciation from the committee on concrete and concrete aggregates, as well as one from the committee on cement (C01).

In addition to ASTM International, Sutter is a fellow of the American Concrete Institute, and a member of the Transportation Research Board and the National Concrete Consortium. Read the full story here.

Guest Blog: Circumnavigating Lake Superior

Published June 24, 2019

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Lake Superior. Photo credit: Nathan Fertig

In his guest blog, Michigan Tech electrical engineering alumnus Charles L. Hand ’62 tells the story of his journey around the largest freshwater lake, by surface area, in the world.

Chuck Hand stands at the waterfront on a low bluff — The author, Chuck Hand ’62

On September 10, 2018, via private automobile, I completed circumnavigating Lake Superior. It only took fifty-six years, a fascinating journey of over 1,300 miles. I made this adventure over five decades, in several cars, at numerous times, and with diverse friends and relatives. Come join me exploring this fascinating body of water.

The attraction of the immense Great Lakes is irresistible. During the first eighteen years of my life, I lived within thirty miles of Lake Erie in Tecumseh, in the southeastern corner of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. Having a picnic on its shores and swimming in its crystal-clear cool waters was always a treat.

For the next fifteen years, I lived and worked within a mile of the shores, first of Lake Superior, then Lake Michigan. Witnessing gigantic freighters, called “lakers”, transporting their precious cargoes of iron ore, coal, and grain from Duluth at the western tip of Lake Superior to markets in eastern United States and the rest of the world, intrigued me. Riding the ferry carrying railroad cars, automobiles, and other passengers on a four-hour journey across Lake Michigan was a unique pleasure.

As a young lad, my first exposure to Lake Superior was with my parents while on vacation from our home in southeastern Michigan. We traveled across the Straits of Mackinac via car ferry to the Upper Peninsula cities of Sault Saint Marie, Marquette, Houghton, and Copper Harbor. Little did I know this initial excursion would lure me back again and again to the largest surface area freshwater lake in the world.

Vacationland, a car ferry in the Straits of Mackinac, going between Mackinac City and St. Ignace.

In my senior year of high school, I answered a Michigan College of Mining and Technology (now Michigan Technological University) recruiter’s invitation. He convinced me to spend the next four years of my life at the snow-blanketed engineering monastery in Houghton. Not only was I studying and learning a profession, but was experiencing the Scandinavian heritage of the Keweenaw Peninsula, the death knell of the booming copper mining era, and the lake’s climatic effect as it creates gigantic snow packs.

Photo from the Daily Mining Gazette, August 1958 of a billboard in Houghton that says "Welcome to the Copper Country. You are now breathing the purest, most vitalizing air on earth." — Photo from the Daily Mining Gazette, August 1958

After graduation in 1962, my chosen profession took me physically, although never emotionally, away from Lake Superior to Milwaukee, Chicago, and finally Southern California. I never forgot my college years in Houghton. Several times I returned to visit my alma mater, sometimes stopping at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Agawa Canyon in Ontario, or witnessing the great bulk cargo lakers ply their way through the Soo Locks in the St. Mary’s River. The best way to view this mighty parade of ships is first hand, cruising the St. Mary’s River on the deck of an excursion boat being raised and lowered twenty-one feet between Lake Huron and Lake Superior. Since 1957, the Straits of Mackinac could be crossed on one of the longest suspension bridges in the world.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Lake Superior, between the dunes. — Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Lake Superior

The Indiana Harbor makes its way through the Poe Lock, Soo Locks, Sault Ste. Marie

Lit up at night is the Mackinac Bridge in the Northern Lights. Photo credit: Jason Gillman — Mackinac Bridge in the Northern Lights. Photo credit: Jason Gillman

Asking to identify my favorite spot is like asking which of my children I love the most, but I will try.

In 1997, while living in Southern California, an opportunity to complete another portion of the circumnavigation adventure occurred. I was selected as a member the staff of the Ninth Canadian National Jamboree, hosted by Scouts Canada. It was scheduled for Thunder Bay, Ontario, but where was Thunder Bay? After some research, I discovered that the city was 100 miles, by water, directly north of Houghton. During the early 1960s it had been two cities, Fort William and Port Arthur, the largest grain shipping ports in the world at that time. With fellow scouting friends, I flew to Minneapolis then carpooled to the Jamboree along the spectacular scenic northwest shore of the lake, by way of Duluth and Grand Portage. My task was to introduce the Scouts to the wonders of the Great Lakes and its commerce. Part of the introduction was boarding a docked laker. After the Jamboree, we ventured eastbound through the forested solitude of the lake’s far north shore, driving through Nipigon and Wawa to the the lake’s eastern tip. Upon reaching Sault Saint Marie, a second major portion of the circumnavigation was complete.

The mighty MV Wigeon tied up at the dock at dawn, in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Photo credit: Thunder Bay Shipping — The MV Wigeon at dawn, in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Photo credit: Thunder Bay Shipping

Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada showing water, cliffs of rocks and green forest — Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. Photo credit: Joseph Gatto

The leg of the circumnavigation adventure between Duluth and Houghton still needed to be completed. During the summer of 2008, my beautiful wife Doris, a native of Milwaukee, and I decided to vacation in areas of northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan that neither she nor I had ever visited. Again, we flew into Minneapolis, rented a car, and headed north. From Duluth at the western tip of Lake Superior with its international harbor, we turned east. After a stop to explore the archipelago called Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, my circumnavigation, upon reaching Houghton, was complete.

Apostle Islands Maritime Cliffs Wisconsin showing red orange cliffs, aqua blue green water, and trees growing from the cliff — Apostle Islands Maritime Cliffs, Wisconsin

first edition book cover of Paddle-to-the-Sea, by Holling Clancy Holling, © 1941, renewed © 1969, Houghton Miffin showing an illustration of a Native American paddling a canoe in the aqua lake with a yellow variegated sky above. — Paddle-to-the-Sea, by Holling Clancy Holling, © 1941, renewed © 1969, Houghton Miffin

“Our famous Canada goose,” photo credit: Municipality of Wawa

Asking to identify my favorite spot is like asking which of my children I love the most, but I will try. There is Houghton and Michigan Technological University, where four years of my life was spent launching a successful career in electrical power engineering. There is Sault Saint Marie and the gigantic Great Lake freighters carrying their cargos to the industrial centers of the United States and the world. There is Nipigon where the imaginary miniature toy canoe in the book, Paddle-to-the-Sea, started its epic journey through all five of the Great Lakes and on into the Saint Lawrence, crossing the Atlantic, culminating its journey along the shores of France. There is Wawa and their memorable, huge Canadian goose guarding the entrance to the city. For scenic beauty, both the north shore and the south shore are exquisitely picturesque, each in their own way.

But, Michigan Technological University (MTU) in Houghton has to be my favorite spot since it had a major positive influence on my entire life. Someday, I hope to return to Lake Superior and complete a second circumnavigation, although this second trek will probably be completed in slightly less time.

Orange sunset over Lake Superior on Agawa Bay, Ontario. Photo credit: Helena Jacoba — Agawa Bay, Ontario. Photo credit: Helena Jacoba

Proton arc, a rare, red type of aurora, over lake Superior. As the name indicates, proton arcs are caused not by electrons but by more massive protons that bombard the Earth's atmosphere following an energetic event on the Sun. Image won second place in the 2015 NOAA Weather in Focus Photo Contest. Photo credit: Ken Williams — Proton arc, a rare type of aurora, over lake Superior, with the yellow city lights of Marquette, Michigan in the distance. Photo credit: Ken Williams

Michigan Technological University looking south over Portage Canal.

Professor Martin Auer honored with Lifetime Achievement Award

Published June 18, 2019

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Dr. Martin Auer, Michigan Tech Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Emeritus hold us a test capsule on board a research vessel on Lake Superior — Congratulations to Dr. Martin Auer, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Michigan Technological University

BROCKPORT, NY — The International Association for Great Lakes Research has honored Civil and Environmental Engineering Professor Emeritus Martin (Marty) Auer with its 2019 Lifetime Achievement Award. Presented at IAGLR’s 62nd Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research, the award recognizes important and continued contributions to the field of Great Lakes research over a period of 20 years or more.

“Someone lights a fire in your belly,” Auer says, when asked to reflect on his career. “You study hard. You demand the best of yourself. You make some friends. You learn some things. One day, the phone rings and a voice says, ‘Watson, come quickly, the game is afoot.’ The lakes are calling. You go. It’s a grand life.”

Auer takes a unique approach to his research, blending field and laboratory work with mathematical modeling. He has made significant contributions to a range of topics, with his research almost always addressing high-priority management concerns. He is best known for his groundbreaking work on Cladophora, a green alga occurring naturally along most Great Lakes shorelines, where it grows submerged in long strands. It becomes a nuisance when it breaks free, clogging water intake pipes and fouling beaches with its decay.

“Marty and his colleagues conducted a beautiful series of experiments and field studies in the early 1980s that led to the development of the Great Lakes Cladophora model,” says Harvey Bootsma, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Martin Auer walks along a lakeshore covered in algae — Dr. Martin Auer, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at Michigan Technological University, conducted fieldwork on the Ajax waterfront in 2014, the site of some of the most extensive buildup of algae in the Great Lakes. Photo credit Randy Pfeiffer/Metroland

This model has informed our understanding of the connection between phosphorus entering the lakes and the growth of Cladophora, as well as how invasive mussel infestation triggers the alga’s growth. Updated over time, the model continues to guide management decisions about phosphorus in many regions around the Great Lakes.

This ability to bridge the gap between research and the real world is driven by a rare sense of responsibility, according to Val Klump, dean of the School of Freshwater Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In recalling Auer’s participation in an early debate on removing phosphorus from the lakes, Klump says, “Here was a guy willing to apply what he knew and understood in the real world in a heart-felt effort to make the lakes better. That takes guts and a sign of duty.”

Auer takes a broad-scale view, making him one of the “best minds in the Great Lakes community,” Klump notes. “This is not a guy who claims to have all the answers, but who will pose some very insightful questions; and it is those questions which have driven much of our science forward.”

Perhaps this bigger-picture view explains why Auer has invested so much effort in supporting young scientists. “I am not sure I know of an environmental engineering professor who works more closely at training and mentoring his students, many of whom have remained in the Great Lakes Basin to continue their work,” notes Joseph DePinto, retired scientist and long-time colleague.

Junior colleagues at Michigan Tech echo this sentiment, citing Auer as a mentor and friend. “He has always tried his best to foster effective research skills…and the development of a productive balance between research, teaching, and service,” notes Pengfei Xue, assistant professor at Michigan Tech.

The depth of Auer’s commitment to the next generation runs even deeper, according to Guy Meadows, director of Michigan Tech’s Great Lakes Research Center. “Through Marty’s never narrowing view of broader impacts, he has remained a tireless champion of K-12 education and outreach.” Through his many outreach activities, which have earned him several awards, Auer has been instrumental in educating thousands of K-12 students about the importance of Great Lake stewardship.”

“I heard Marty talk about the importance of our legacy as individuals who inhabit this patch of our planet for a few short decades and our responsibility to those who follow us,” Klump recalls. “Not what I expected, but it has stuck with me, and inspired me still. I am very grateful for a guy like Marty. We need more like him.”

Article excerpted from the International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR). Read more here.

Keys to a Unique Nameplate

Published June 13, 2019

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I’ve just received an amazing gift. A unique, foundry-casting of my name in brass. The Michigan Technological University foundry is one of the few remaining operational university metallurgical facilities where students can work to create 3D positive prints, stamp them into sand, and then pour (with eye protection, fireproof aprons and face shields, tongs, and gloves) orange-hot molten metal into the sand to create metal castings.

I’m near the end of my first year as Dean of Engineering at Michigan Technological University. As background, it’s relevant to note that Michigan Tech was founded in 1885 to support the emerging copper and iron mining activities Michigan’s western Upper Peninsula. Founded to train the future mining and metallurgical engineers, Michigan Tech through the years has established an incredibly strong reputation for training “can-do” engineers—many who know a bit about metallurgy! But even I was surprised when presented with a personalized nameplate for my office—cast in the MSE foundry using brass recovered from a cache of old university office keys!

The university had accumulated a large number of brass keys from locks that were long-ago decommissioned. Looking for an ultimate way to securely dispose of the keys, the university public safety department approached the foundry team to ask if they could be melted and destroyed using the foundry. “Of course,” they replied. Timing is always important. At about that same time, Materials Science and Engineering Chair Steve Kampe had asked the foundry team to make a nameplate for me. I was just starting my new job as Dean, and happened to have my own credentials as a metallurgical engineer. Over the next several weeks, a pattern was 3D printed and the key brass was compositionally modified to facilitate its use as a casting alloy—and the nameplate came to be.

Sam Dlugoss holds a version of the finished nameplate — Sam Dlugoss

The “Dean nameplate project” was led by Sam Dlugoss, a chemical engineering student hired as a co-op employee in the foundry. I am humbled each time I see it as I unlock my office door with my own brass key. I think about the hands of the graduate students, staff, and faculty that are represented in the keys that ultimately were melted into my nameplate—and how these dedicated and aspiring engineers and scientists carried their keys and opened their labs and offices each day for many years, to do the work that has established the reputation we now carry on at Michigan Tech.

Last week, students in the foundry created more nameplates, this time for our College of Engineering Advisory Board Members. In the photos below, the students are working with iron.

A dip type thermocouple probe is used to measure the temperature of the liquid iron before tapping the furnace.

As the iron is tapped into the ladle, ferrosilicon inoculant is added to the liquid stream. The inoculant provides nucleation sites for creating the proper iron-graphite microstructure in the solidified gray cast iron metal. — As the metal is tapped into the ladle, ferrosilicon inoculant is added to the liquid stream. The inoculant provides nucleation sites for creating the proper iron-graphite microstructure in the solidified gray cast iron metal.

After tapping into the ladle is complete, some sparks fly as the inoculant reacts with the liquid iron.

The pouring basin is kept full so that the molten metal quickly fills the mold cavity.

As the pouring team fills the 3rd mold [middle ground], an MSE staff member [foreground] lifts the mold jacket from the 2nd mold, and will transfer it to the waiting 4th mold [background] prior to it being poured. The jacket supports the green sand mold against the hydraulic pressure of the liquid metal entering the mold.

The metal has solidified but the molds are left to cool for a few minutes before the castings are shaken out.

A mold with a casting inside is transported to the shake-out bin.

The molds are dumped into the shake-out bin where they disintegrate. Because sand is a good insulator the castings are still very hot after shake-out, as evidenced by the still glowing runner section. A few taps with a hammer loosens the sand. This green sand will be reused to make more molds after it is conditioned and remixed with water.

Once cool, the nameplates will be separated, then buffed and polished.

Now, if you’re interested in metallurgy, and you want to know more, please let me know—Callahan@mtu.edu.

Janet Callahan, Dean
College of Engineering
Michigan Tech

Collaborative Research Funding for Extreme Hydrometeorological Events

Published May 31, 2019

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Landslide El Salvador terrain map — El Salvador’s Volcán San Vicente showing landslide scars from 2009 torrential rains. NASA Earth Observatory image by Robert Simmon, based on data from the NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team.

John Gierke (GMES/EPSSI) is Principal Investigator on a project that has received a $582,752 grant from the National Science Foundation. This is a potential three-year project.

Luke Bowman (GMES), Alex Mayer (CEE), Fengjing Liu (Forestry), and Angie Carter (SS) are Co-PI’s on the project titled “IRES Track III: Collaborative Research: Coupling Participatory and Hydrological Research for Adapting to Extreme Hydrometeorological Events in Agricultural Communities, El Salvador.”

Extract

In this project, graduate students from US universities obtain international research experience in social and hydrological sciences while working on a scientific problem with real-world implications.

Changes in climate cause communities to adapt to enhance resiliency and foster practices that are more appropriate for new conditions. In regions where dry seasons are increasingly long, the shorter rainy seasons experience more severe storms.

Rural and agricultural communities are especially vulnerable to new seasonal conditions and their resources for adaptation are limited.

The Dry Corridor of Central America (spanning parts of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua) is an important region for agriculture and needs adaptation strategies. The project location is ideal because of its many-decades history of changing climate.

The project participants work with local farmers and agricultural stakeholders to gain experience in adapting to climate change. The interdisciplinary scientists and development professionals work together in participatory research in communities experiencing water scarcity and extreme rainfall events.

Engineering Study Abroad: Joshua Turner, ’20, Cergy, France

Published May 24, 2019

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Growing up, Joshua Turner lived in four different states in the US, and visited over thirty of them. He loved traveling, but the only time he’d ever left the country was at nine months old, on a family trip to Canada. He longed to travel abroad, but finances and time always seemed to get in the way. Until he did a little more research. Turns out, it was entirely doable. Turner is now living his dream in Cergy, France, studying electrical engineering at ENSEA.

First, please tell us a bit about yourself.
I enjoy exploring outside—either going to the beach or hiking. I grew up in Houghton, near the Michigan Tech campus. I enjoy snowboarding in the winter, but it’s about the only thing I like about snow. I’m a member of the Ski and Snowboarding Club, and the Triangle Fraternity.

How did you get interested in Studying Abroad?
As an electrical engineering student, I always assumed it wouldn’t be possible to take any of the classes I needed while studying abroad. A few friends of mine had traveled abroad, though, and I realized I should try to actually talk with someone, just to find out if it could be possible for me, or not. So I met with Judy Donahue, my ECE academic advisor. Judy recommended I take a look at the French American Exchange (FAME) program at ENSEA,École Nationale Supérieure de l’Electronique et de ses Applications, in Cergy, France. She said I only needed to move around a couple of classes.

The cost was the next biggest concern of mine. I saved most of my money from an internship last summer, and from my on-campus job during the school year. I found out that I only needed to pay my Michigan Tech tuition for the program. All my financial aid and scholarships still applied. The only real extra cost was for the visa and the flight. I set up a budget once I got to France to make sure I’d be able to travel without worrying about running out of money.

Small group of students and faculty at Spring 2019 Orientation for Study Abroad Students at ENSEA in Cergy, France — Spring 2019 Orientation for Study Abroad Students at ENSEA in Cergy, France

What is your academic experience like in Cergy, France?
ENSEA is one of the highest ranked engineering schools in France. It is focused solely on electrical engineering, with fewer than 1,000 full-time students. There are 14 American students in the FAME program. Classes are taught in English by the French professors. My largest engineering class had seven students and my smallest had four students. One class was spent entirely in the lab with both American and French students working together—a very cool experience.

Classes at ENSEA don’t have a set schedule. Each week can be completely different than the next. We check the schedule online regularly. Classes are at fairly consistent times, but it’s not uncommon to have a Monday class, for example, get moved to Wednesday or Thursday. This is sometimes beneficial. If a few of us want to travel over the weekend, we can ask the professor to move a Friday class to another day, earlier in the week.

Why did you choose France?
I was willing to go anywhere that would work with my degree program. Somewhere in Europe was my top choice. If I could go back and do it again, I think I would still choose France. It’s been such an amazing experience and the culture here is so unique and full of history.

Main courtyard of the Louvre Palace in Paris with glass pyramid in view — Main courtyard of the Louvre Palace in Paris

What is it like living in Cergy?
Cergy is a suburb of Paris, host to six universities. Almost everyone here is either a student or commutes to Paris for work. Luckily, there is a train in Cergy that can get to the center of Paris in about 40 minutes. I purchased a monthly train pass which includes unlimited access to trains, buses, and metros within the entire Île-de-France region. I go into Paris a few times a week. I started off seeing the big tourist attractions. Then I started visiting less popular parts of Paris, places most tourists don’t have time to see. There are apps which make public transportation really easy to navigate.

In Cergy I stay at the housing provided by the university—an actual apartment. The bedrooms are rather large, and the kitchens are very tiny. It’s a 15 minute walk to ENSEA and a 20 minute walk to the train station. The parks and walking paths can actually be enjoyed in winter, since, unlike Houghton, they’re not covered by 15 ft of snow! We play soccer or basketball at one of the parks after class. Usually some French children will ask to join us—which is always super fun. I found two grocery stores, and shop with no difficulty finding what I was looking for. I’ve become accustomed to having baguettes (which cost less than 1 euro each) as a daily part of my diet.

Joshua Turner and two fellow ECEA students at the Chain Bridge and Buda Castle in Budapest, Hungary — At the Chain Bridge and Buda Castle in Budapest, Hungary

Have you visited any other cities and countries?
I spend a lot of time experiencing all the different cultures of Europe. Every six weeks of classes are followed by a two-week vacation, so I have four total weeks of vacation. Some of the other students and I planned trips together. We have become really experienced at traveling. On the first break, I visited the Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, England, and Scotland. Then on my second break, I went to the south of France to Toulouse, Marseille, Nice, and Monaco. After that, I went to Italy and visited Rome, Florence, Cinque Terre, and Milan. I also took a few weekend trips to Brussels, Strasbourg, and Mont-Saint-Michel. All in all, I will have visited over a dozen countries during this semester—way more than I used to think I’d visit in my entire life!

What is the most challenging part of the experience?
I am used to aiming for A’s and B’s and consider anything less to be disappointing. In France, the grading scale is from 0 to 20. Anything above a 10 is good. Almost no one gets a 20 and if you get a 16 it’s really impressive. Getting used to the grading scale was probably the most difficult academic adjustment for me at first, but after finding out you don’t need a 20—and that understanding the concepts is more important than the grade—it became easier to deal with.

The language barrier is, of course, a big challenge. I barely knew any French when I arrived. Luckily, all students at ENSEA learn English and some are very good at it. Now, near the end of the semester, I am to the point where I can usually get by while in Paris speaking only French. It is a very fulfilling feeling.

Joshua Turner and 3 other students at the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy — At the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy

What are your plans for this summer?
Finals end the last week of May. Once those finish I will travel for a week to the UK and Spain before flying back to America. I then have about three weeks to relax at home before flying off to an internship/co-op with Nissan. I return to Michigan Tech in the spring of 2020, just two semesters left before graduation.

Engineering Study Abroad: Ryan Schrader ’20, Christchurch, New Zealand

Published May 24, 2019

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Ryan Schrader stands atop Roys Peak, located between the town of Wanaka and Glendhu Bay on the South Island of New Zealand.

Ryan Schrader, a third year mechanical engineering student at Michigan Tech, ventured all the way to Christchurch, New Zealand to gain independence from his “comfortable bubble”. He’s there now, taking classes at the University of Canterbury. Schrader’s goal is to gain a new, multicultural lens—one he can share with others once he returns. He also wants to prepare himself for a future job traveling the globe. Read on to learn more about his adventure thus far!

First, please tell us a bit about yourself.
I fill up my time with studying, sports, hiking, and hanging with friends. I’m currently involved with the the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), the Tennis Club, Circle K (a community service organization). Although I am a mechanical engineer, I am also a member of Society of Environmental Engineers (SEEn). I love fall season in the Keweenaw. I also love the massive amounts of snow, but winter lasts a while. I figured I wouldn’t miss too much by traveling abroad.

How did you get interested in Studying Abroad?
I inherited an adventurous and explorative spirit from my parents. I first started looking at study abroad during my second year at Michigan Tech, but planned it for my third year, when my classes worked out well. I got very interested when I began hearing others share their own study abroad experiences.

What was your academic experience like in Christchurch, New Zealand?
The campus at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch is beautiful and I love it here. I’ve gotten some very clear and helpful lecturers, along with a few that are a bit more challenging. I enjoy meeting new classmates in my classes. The friendly lifestyle is rubbing off on me.

Ryan Schrader stands near the lake in Wanaka New Zealand. Behind him a leafy tree grows right up out of the lake. — “That Wanaka Tree” in Lake Wanaka, New Zealand

Why did you choose New Zealand?
I chose New Zealand after A LOT of research over places to go. It’s an adventurous island nation that speaks English! There were so many choices, but looking back on it, I really feel like I made the right choice. I also figured if I was going to be very far away from home, I might as well get far away as possible! A lot of encouragement came from fellow Michigan Tech students Jake Voss, and also Brady Severt whose photo on Roys Peak Track in Wanaka, New Zealand was used on the cover of University of Canterbury Study Abroad brochure.

What was it like living in Christchurch?
Christchurch is a big city of around 400,000 people, but I live west of the city in a smaller area. I can get some of the big city feel if I go downtown but can easily travel around New Zealand and get a small town feel in many places.

Ryan Schrader at the side of a winding mountain road, pointing at the mountain range in the background. His hand is curved and appears to touch the tip of the mountain. — Journey to Mt. Cook, New Zealand

What was the best part of the experience?
Optimistically speaking, I believe my best experience might not have happened yet, since I’m still abroad! So far, though, my favorite experience has been a trip through Fjiordland, with its vast amount of wildlife and breathtaking views!

What was the most challenging part of the experience?
Okay, I’ll just admit it—my greatest challenge is finding a balance between my study time, and goofing off time! My goal is to make most out of the free time I have in order to pack in as much exposure to this diverse country as I possibly can!

Did you visit any other cities and countries?
I’ve traveled over to Oz (Australia) and it was really special. I’m planning on going to the Cook Islands, as well. In New Zealand, I’ve traveled well around the South Island and made a mark along the North Island.

What are your plans for this summer?
I’m not quite sure yet! I don’t get back until June 24th. I am adamantly looking for a position in Michigan—either around Ludington, Houghton or Detroit—that will help me with finances. I’m planning to graduate next spring. From there I’ll try to find a design role with my mechanical engineering degree.

Engineering Study Abroad: Kendall Welling ’20, València, Spain

Published May 22, 2019

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Michigan Tech Civil Engineering student Kendall Witting, in Spain — Michigan Tech Civil Engineering student Kendall Welling, in Spain

Kendall Welling just completed her third year of civil engineering studies with a spectacular semester abroad at La Universidad Politècnica de València (UPV) in Valencia, Spain. She enrolled in a program offered by the University Studies Abroad Consortium (USAC): “Valencia: Spanish Language, Culture, and STEM”.

Welling shares her experience, below—and encourages other STEM students to give Study Abroad a try!

First, please tell us a bit about yourself.
At Michigan Tech, I’ve been an orientation team leader for incoming students and an ExSEL peer mentor through the Michigan Tech Waino Wahtera Center for Student Success. I’m also a member of the tennis club!

In addition to my civil engineering studies I am pursuing two minors—one in Spanish and another in Global Community Development Partnerships (IMGC). My IMGC minor is paired with my participation in the Peace Corps Prep program offered through Michigan Tech’s Pavlis Honors College. I’m also involved in Engineers Without Borders (EWB). I aspire to become an EWB professional mentor once I gain more civil engineering experience.

How did you get interested in Studying Abroad?
In a word: Spanish. I sought an opportunity to practice my Spanish language skills while coming to know a new place and new people by means of a second language.

What was your academic experience like at the La Universidad Politècnica de València?
Great! I was able to take thermodynamics and professional communication courses at UPV, both which counted toward my civil engineering degree requirements. I found them to be similar to courses I have taken at Michigan Tech, but with a greater emphasis on the derivation of equations.

The study abroad program at La Universidad Politècnica de València caters to STEM students, offering more STEM courses than many other study abroad programs and destinations. If you are a STEM student looking to study abroad, I encourage you to investigate thoroughly, though. I did have to plan ahead to allow for my semester abroad without adding extra time to my college career.

I also took a Spanish language course, as well a windsurfing course and a dance course to fulfill some of my co-curricular course requirements at Michigan Tech. All these courses were taught in Spanish, by native speakers.

Las Fallas “ninot” on display in Valencia, Spain

What was it like living in València?
Valencia is far larger than Houghton and my hometown, combined. It’s the third largest city in Spain. But I loved it! Valencia has a well established public transportation system, so getting around the city wasn’t too difficult. And Valencia is located on the Mediterranean Sea, so you are never far from the beach. There is also a nice balance of new and old architecture between the modern City of Arts and Sciences, and the older city center.

Studying in Valencia during a spring semester also allowed me to experience Las Fallas, an amazing festival that takes over the city. I would encourage other students looking to study abroad to research their ideal host city’s popular celebrations. Be sure to study there during the corresponding semester, if at all possible.

Kendall Welling (left) with her host family--a mother and teenage daughter--in Valencia, Spain — Kendall Welling (right) with her host family in Valencia, Spain

What was the best part of the experience?
The Spanish! I have always enjoyed learning Spanish and I love meeting new people, so combining the two by living in a place where the majority of the people spoke Spanish was a wonderful experience. I met many new friends throughout my travels! I chose to do a homestay, so I lived with a Spanish family. It was a wonderful experience getting to know my host family, and I look forward to returning to Valencia to visit them someday.

What was the most challenging part of the experience?
Planning my study abroad experience was probably the most complex part of all. But don’t let it deter you. I’m actually looking to go abroad again next year, which means I’ll essentially be starting over with the planning process myself!

I studied abroad through University Studies Abroad Consortium. The USAC study abroad office in Spain was extremely helpful and always able to point me in the right direction, so that I was able to thoroughly enjoy my time once I got there.

Kendall Welling walking with a dog down a street in Slovakia — Exploring in Slovakia

Ruins of a buiding in Grenada, showing an open doorway — Hiking in Grenada, Spain

Did you visit any other cities and countries?
I explored Spain, including Madrid, Cuenca, Toledo, Granada, Sevilla, Cordoba, Barcelona, and Alicante. Within Europe, I also visited Italy, Morocco, France, Belgium, Poland, Slovakia, and Austria!

What are your plans for this summer?
I’ll be interning with Owen Ames Kimball, a construction company in Grand Rapids, Michigan, working as an assistant superintendent. Then, at the end of the summer, I will be traveling to Panama to participate in i-Design, the International Senior Design program of Michigan Tech’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.