College of Engineering Blog

Jeana Collins Named First Recipient of Gary Sparrow Endowed Faculty Fellowship

Published October 9, 2023

Jeana Collins, Gary Sparrow Endowed Faculty Fellow

Jeana L. Collins, an associate teaching professor of chemical engineering at Michigan Technological University, has been named the first recipient of the Gary Sparrow Endowed Faculty Fellowship. Collins is recognized for her exceptional teaching and pedagogy.

A gift of $2 million from Gary Sparrow, a Michigan Tech alumnus and retired chemical engineer, funds the new fellowship and also supports the Chemical Engineering Learning Commons. Sparrow grew up in Orchard Park, New York. He earned his BS in Chemical Engineering at Tech in 1970, and went on to work in chemical processing at several manufacturing companies in Ohio.

“I am honored to be the first recipient of the Gary Sparrow Endowed Faculty Fellowship,” says Collins. “Every interaction I have had with Gary has shown how much he cares about this department and the undergraduate education we provide.”

At Michigan Tech Collins is highly regarded for her student-centric style of teaching. She makes a serious effort to keep the students engaged throughout her lectures.

“Dr. Collins is an indispensable member of the department,” says Michael Mullins, chair of the Department of Chemical Engineering. “She has made a strong, positive impact on the educational experience of our undergraduate students from the moment she set foot in the door.”

As the Gary Sparrow Endowed Faculty Fellow in Chemical Engineering, Collins will provide leadership in education and scholarly activities at Michigan Tech. Those activities include developing new teaching pedagogies, engaging in publications and presentations at national conferences, and embarking on special projects—including writing her first books. The first of those books will be about the capstone senior design sequence, in collaboration with Chemical Engineering Associate Professor Tony Rogers. The second will focus on her computer-aided problem-solving course.

Collins assumed the responsibilities as advisor for Michigan Tech’s AIChE Student Chapter, rejuvenating the Chapter with her engaging style, energy, and enthusiasm.

“Dr. Collins recognizes that laboratory courses must be taught differently,” adds Mullins. “An extra layer of complexity is involved in motivating students while they work on teams, either in the UO Lab, or for a capstone senior design project, and this is an area where Dr. Collins truly excels.”

Collins earned a BS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota in 2012 and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Michigan Tech in 2018, advised by Professor Adrienne Minerick.

Collins first started working the department full-time as a chemical engineering lecturer in 2016. She was promoted to the rank of Associate Teaching Professor in July 2021. She was selected as one of the faculty members for the Dean’s Teaching Showcase in spring 2023.

She currently chairs the Department of Chemical Engineering Curriculum Committee, in addition to serving on its Executive, Computer, and Student Awards committees, and both its Chair and Faculty search committees. Collins also serves as advisor for the Michigan Tech Dance Team, and is involved with the Consumer Product Manufacturing student Enterprise team.

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

Published September 29, 2023

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

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

Screen shot from https://www.wsj.com/rankings/college-rankings/salary-impact-2024

Marty Lagina to Deliver First Year Engineering Series Lecture at Michigan Tech on Monday, October 2

Published September 29, 2023

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“Engineering school teaches you how things work, and also to know what you don’t know,” says Marty Lagina.

Marty Lagina will deliver the First-Year Engineering Series Lecture to Michigan Tech’s incoming engineering majors this Monday, October 2 at 6 pm. The lecture will take place on campus at the Rozsa Center Auditorium.

Lagina is CEO of Heritage Sustainable Energy. He is also a winemaker, and an executive producer of the long-running reality TV show, The Curse of Oak Island, now in its 11th season on the History Channel—and, he is a Michigan Tech engineering alumnus.

The title of Lagina’s lecture is “I’m Not Here to Give You Advice.”

“The First-Year Engineering Series Lecture provides an exciting opportunity for our students to hear from some of the nation’s most innovative engineering leaders,” says Mary Raber, chair of the Department of Engineering Fundamentals. “It gives them a sense of the many different career paths that are open to engineering graduates—career paths that allow them to positively impact the world,” she adds.

Throughout his life, Lagina says his engineering education has given him the confidence to try new things. “I was thinking of going to law school, and my father told me: ‘You would make a better lawyer if you knew how things worked.’ So I went to Michigan Tech to study engineering and I liked it. And it prepared me very well for what turned out to be a very multifaceted career.”

Lagina graduated from Michigan Tech with his mechanical engineering degree in 1977, then took a job as a petroleum engineer for Amoco. Then, a few years later while attending law school at the University of Michigan, he worked as an independent petroleum engineer consultant, hired by various Michigan corporations regarding petroleum exploration and production.

“I was a law student, putting together oil deals, working out of a room the size of a walk-in closet,” Lagina recalls. “We drilled 14 dry holes in a row until we finally drilled a decent oil well. It put us in business.”

Lagina’s partner in that first consulting business was Craig Tester, another Michigan Tech mechanical engineering alumnus. They were former college roommates. Once Lagina earned his JD, the two founded Terra Energy to pioneer the exploration and development of the Antrim shale natural gas resources of Michigan, which they did—successfully developing over $3 billion of oil and natural gas resources.

“My education at Michigan Tech is what gives me the confidence for innovation.”
Marty Lagina

When he turned 40, Lagina decided to change course. He formed Heritage Sustainable Energy, a renewable energy provider. Heritage has successfully developed a series of wind and solar projects in Michigan, which in the aggregate, can power the equivalent of 57,000 average Michigan homes.

Heritage Sustainable Energy’s projects include 84 Wind Turbines and 6 Solar PV Array facilities, all in Michigan. And sheep!

In 2006, Lagina started doing some unusual exploring to solve a 228 year old mystery. Featured on the History Channel, Lagina, his family and friends attempt to solve “The Curse of Oak Island,” based on the long, complicated history of treasure hunting on a Nova Scotia island.

It turned out to be a VERY difficult engineering project.

Part National Treasure, part Indiana Jones, the hit docu-series, now in its 11^th season, follows their exploits as they attempt to—literally—get to the bottom of the ‘money pit’ on the island that has given up some clues, booby traps, bizarre hints and puzzle pieces. Theories of what is buried include treasures from Solomon’s temple, the Holy Grail, the Knights Templar and numerous other sources.

First, they had to purchase a controlling interest in the North Atlantic island. “And everything is difficult,” Lagina says. “There have been shafts and tunnels installed by previous searchers for 200-plus years, so you need to figure out if you are discovering something from the original works or not.”

Tester, an expert on drilling, resistivity, and more, also appears on The Curse of Oak Island.

Pictured above: Oak Island, Nova Scotia, Canada, August 1931. Format: glass plate negative.

Born in Kingsford on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Lagina has spent nearly all his life living in Michigan. His background is in engineering and the energy business, but with family ties to one of Italy’s premier winegrowing areas, a passion for wine is in his blood.

He founded Mari Vineyards in 1999 (the same year he was inducted into Michigan Tech’s ME-EM Academy). His goal: to make world-class red wines in northern Michigan but with a nod to the Italian style of his ancestors.

The winery’s namesake is Lagina’s Grandmother (Nonna), an Italian immigrant who settled in the Iron Mountain area of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Lagina has fond memories of her fermenting wine in the basement of her home.

Mari Vineyards is situated on 60 acres in Traverse City. The winery is largely carbon neutral and built from UP dolomite stone, dug from the bases of wind turbines. “Winemaking is an art, but it’s also highly technical,” he adds.

Read about the extensive and innovative sustainability practices at Mari Vineyards.

“Engineering school teaches you how things work, and also to know what you don’t know,” says Lagina.

When choosing to go forward with a new venture Lagina makes sure it meets all of these criteria: “It must be interesting; look like there could be some fun; must be legal and ethical; needs to have a good chance to make money AND (bonus points awarded) if it provides extra benefits for society.”

“It must be interesting; look like there could be some fun; must be legal and ethical; needs to have a good chance to make money AND (bonus points awarded) if it provides extra benefits for society.”
Marty Lagina’s criteria when choosing to go forward with a new venture.

New Faculty Spotlight: Rachel Store

Published September 27, 2023

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Rachel Store recently joined the Department of Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology (MMET) as an assistant teaching professor. She earned her BS and MS at Michigan Tech, both in Mechanical Engineering.

What first drew you to Michigan Tech?

It all started when I was in high school. My parents moved back to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula after a 25-year military career. They were living in Escanaba. I knew I wanted to study engineering; I wanted to play varsity soccer; and I wanted to be close enough to my family that I could see them within a day. Michigan Tech was honestly the only school that fit that bill—so it was an easy decision. It was also the only campus I visited. But I fell in love with Tech. So much so, that after I finished my undergrad, I went for a victory lap masters degree—Tech has a fantastic accelerated masters program! And I loved the campus, the community, and the Keweenaw. Houghton truly is a special place.

After graduating with my Master’s degree, I got a job in Milwaukee. I still found myself coming back to Houghton several times a month to see my boyfriend. He’s really what brought me back to Houghton. As soon as I could, I started looking for jobs back in the Houghton area (spoiler, we’ve been married for four years and are blessed with two wonderful children).

I was delighted when I found work back at Michigan Tech, in the Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics. I actually had several offers from local companies that I passed on because I wanted to be part of the Tech community again. I was in the ME-EM Department for 5 years. Now, I am super excited to move into a more student-focused position in the MMET Department.

“Get out and talk to people. Talk to your classmates, talk to your professors, talk to the locals. The best thing about Houghton and MTU are the people.”
Advice to incoming students, from Rachel Store.

What do you consider an important long-term goal for your teaching, research, and outreach?

My background in industry was manufacturing and quality. I really enjoy teaching the topics where you go from a design or theory into making something physical, for example, a product or a lab sample. I enjoy additive manufacturing and especially forming processes. My research right now is focused on materials manufacturing with friction stir processing. I am working with Dr. Scott Wagner (MMET) and Dr. Vinh Nguyen (ME-EM) on a project right now. I am hoping to earn a PhD in a few years. In the meantime, I want to continue to develop as a teacher.

What do you hope to accomplish, as an educator and as a researcher, over the next few years?

I’ve been spending a lot of time lately thinking about teaching—how to teach, why it matters, and how I can help make my students the best future employees that they can be. A lot of students see the class, the grade, the degree as an end goal. But really those are just the starting points for the rest of their lives. This is my first year in a full-time instructor role, so I know I still have a lot to learn myself.

Aerial view of the Black Creek Nature Sanctuary. Credit: visitkeweenaw.com

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Fun question! I have two and a half year old twins, so spare time at my house is more like ‘how do I multi-task!’ We live just south of Chassell on a little hobby farm (I’m a bit of a crazy chicken lady). And now my kids are starting to pick that up too. They love collecting the eggs with me, or going to the garden and looking for vegetables. We do a lot of stuff on our property—apple cider, maple syrup, gardening, foraging.

I also really enjoy being creative. I quilt and make soap, or sometimes I like to bring that creativity to the kitchen and cook fun meals. I am always excited for a welding, construction, or repair project. And I love the outdoors. That includes hunting, camping, kayaking, snow sports, and hiking (or snowshoeing!) especially.

“I need a quota of ‘tree time’ as I call it every week, and the Keweenaw is such a great place to soak it in!”
Rachel Store

What’s your favorite book, movie, or piece of art?

The Princess Bride and Finding Nemo are two movies that come to mind. I like the stories about doing whatever it takes for someone that you love.

Any favorite spots on campus, in Houghton, or in the UP?

Anywhere on Lake Superior, but I am partial to the Black Creek Trail. It’s where my husband and I met. I also really love the Gratiot River Park. I think is so cool how the mouth of the Gratiot River changes every year depending on how the ice and snow was that winter.

Any advice for incoming students?

Get out and talk to people. Talk to your classmates, talk to your professors, talk to the locals. The best thing about Houghton and MTU are the people. It is such a rich community. Also, get out and play in the snow. I always tell people new to the area and snow that you have to find ways to play in the snow.

“The winters are long. And they can be hard. But if you don’t find ways to seek joy in the snow, you have the same amount of snow and much less joy!”
Rachel Store

Aerith Cruz Receives SWE Societal Outstanding Collegiate Award

Published September 22, 2023

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by Jaclyn Johnson and Gretchen Hein, Advisors, Society of Women Engineers at Michigan Tech

Michigan Tech’s Society of Women Engineers (SWE) section is proud to announce that senior Aerith Cruz (management information systems), former section president, has been recognized by the Society of Women Engineers for her impact on the Society and our section and community with the Outstanding Collegiate Member Award.

Cruz will be accepting the award at the SWE Societal Conference, WE23, being held Oct. 26-28 in Los Angeles, California.

The Outstanding Collegiate Member Award is presented to “a SWE collegiate member with SWE collegiate involvement who has made an outstanding contribution to SWE, other engineering organizations (including but not limited to SWE’s partner organizations), their community and campus.”

Cruz, section members and SWE advisor Gretchen Hein will be attending WE23. Hein is honored to have completed Cruz’s nomination and is looking forward to attending the awards ceremony with her. “After the conference, we will be publishing an in-depth article about Cruz, her award and accomplishments,” says Hein.

Cruz was honored with the Michigan Tech President’s Award for Leadership last April. She will graduate in December 2023 with a B.S. in Management Information Systems, and a Minor in Statistics, from the College of Business.

Additional honors Cruz has earned include Michigan Tech’s Leading Scholar Award, National Business Scholar, and the MTU Dean’s List. She has presented twice at SWE Societal Conferences, during WE21 and WE22. She also received the Rising Star of the Year award during the 2021 MTU Student Leadership Awards.

Her activities and groups include Michigan Tech Center for Diversity and Inclusion President’s Council, Fencing Club (President), Society of Asian Scientists & Engineers, and Copper Country Robotics FIRST Alumni.

Cruz is the second SWE section member at Michigan Tech to receive this award since the founding of the section in 1976. Electrical Engineering alumna Kaitlyn Bunker ’10 ’12 ’14 received the Outstanding Collegiate Member Award in 2018, at WE18.

Congratulations, Aerith!

Vote for Orbion’s Aurora Plasma Thruster as the Coolest Thing Made in Michigan

Published September 11, 2023

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Vote for Aurora, Orbion’s Plasma Thruster, at Coolest Thing Made in Michigan. Vote now through Friday, September 15.

The race is on to determine the coolest Michigan-made product, and the College of Engineering needs your help. Vote for Orbion’s Aurora Plasma Thruster as the coolest Thing Made in Michigan. The voting is currently in its second round with only 10 finalists remaining–this week’s votes will determine the top 3 and overall winner.

Vote daily now through Friday (September 15): https://micoolestthing.org

Orbion was founded by Professor Brad King (ME-EM) in 2016. Orbion is one of the brightest stars in a newly imagined space economy where small satellites are huge game changers. The company was conceived at Michigan Tech.

Orbion’s Aurora Plasma Thruster is a xenon plasma thruster that is used by satellites to maneuver in space. Aurora uses electromagnetic forces to expel ionized xenon and create gentle yet efficient force. Orbion’s Houghton factory builds Aurora systems and provides them to customers throughout the solar system.

The Coolest Thing Made in Michigan is an annual people’s choice award presented by the Michigan Manufacturers Association, MMA. Hemlock Semiconductor and Stormy Kromer were previous winners, both with ties to Tech. Orbion Space Technology deserves the honor, too.

King is the Richard and Elizabeth Henes Endowed Professor (Space Systems) at Michigan Tech. He is the founder and faculty advisor of Michigan Tech’s Aerospace Enterprise, empowering teams of students to design, build, and fly spacecraft.

The Coolest Thing Winner will be announced live during the 2023 MFG Excellence Awards on November 9.

2023 Curriculum Development and Assessment Award for Lautala and Tewari

Published August 30, 2023

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CTL Instructional Awards and Luncheon Announced

The Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) congratulates the following 2023 Deans’ Teaching Showcase members who have been selected to receive 2023 CTL Instructional Awards.

Elham Asgari (COB) — Innovative or Out of Class Teaching
Tim Wagner (Math) — Large Class Teaching
Pasi Lautala (CEGE) and Radheshyam Tewari (ME-EM) — Curriculum Development and Assessment

This year’s recipients will present an overview of the efforts that led to their teaching awards at a CTL Lunch and Learn event on Sept. 12 at noon in the MUB Alumni Lounge. Each presenter will receive formal recognition and a cash award.

Please register in advance to attend the luncheon.

The CTL would also like to thank previous instructional award recipients who were instrumental in the selection process.

We’re looking for nominations for the upcoming 2024 Deans’ Teaching Showcase during spring semester. Please consider suggesting (to your dean or chair) instructors whom you’ve seen make exceptional contributions in curriculum development, assessment, innovative or out-of-class teaching, or large class teaching.

Contact the CTL at ctl@mtu.edu for more information.

By the Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning.

Engineering Alumni Activity Fall 2023

Published August 29, 2023

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Alumni
News

The Oakland County Times in a press release from the city of Farmington Hills, Michigan, announced Karen Mondora ’96 (B.S. Environmental Engineering) as the new assistant city manager. Mondora held positions in both the public and private sector, specializing in storm water management and municipal engineering. She participated in the Women’s Municipal Leadership Program through the Michigan Municipal league, aimed at training and preparing women for leadership positions in local government.

The Daily Mining Gazette and WNMU-FM mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about a $1 million scholarship fund for L’Anse graduates established by Franklin St. John ’60 ’99 (B.S. Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Hon. Ph.D. Engineering). St. John went to Michigan Tech and worked as a metallurgist, then founded a company that manufactures botanical extracts, herbal formulas, and tea.

Lansing’s WLNS 6News and more than 130 outlets worldwide ran stories about Ken Engquist ‘93 (BS Mechanical Engineering) being named to the board of directors of Intrepid Metals. Engquist oversees the de-risking and advancement of mining projects from early-stage exploration through start-up and operations of surface and underground mines.

Newswise mentioned Michigan Tech in a story about the first histotripsy device approved by the FDA to treat liver cancer. The device, named Edison, was developed by Eli Vlaisavljevich ’10 (B.S. Biomedical Engineering) in collaboration with the University of Michigan and private medical device company HistoSonics. Histotripsy, a novel therapeutic technique, targets and destroys diseased tissues. Vlaisavljevich and his team are currently leading large projects to advance histotripsy for the treatment of other cancers.

WLUC TV6 published a tribute story remembering Ray Kestner ’55 (B.S. Civil Engineering), who died Nov. 7. Kestner was a recipient of MTU’s Distinguished Service Award in 1988. He met his wife Janet at Tech, and their seven children were Huskies as well. He is credited as being the visionary responsible for the revitalization of Houghton which resulted in the city receiving the Community of Excellence Award from the State of Michigan.

Building Design+Construction included Robyn Niss ’06 (B.S. Civil Engineering) among their 40 Under 40 Class of 2023. Niss is the vice president of engineering firm Kimley-Horn of Virginia Beach, Virginia. Robyn is most proud of her firm’s work designing five schools simultaneously for Norfolk Public Schools. She has contributed to more than 50 K-12 projects, including new schools, significant modernizations, and sizable expansions.

CULTURS Magazine and Stellantis Media profiled Aurora White ’16 (B.S. Mechanical Engineering), who was selected by the American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) as its 2023 Most Promising Engineer. White, currently a torque calibration security engineer for Stellantis, is an active member of the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians. White was a member of AISES, Engineering Ambassadors and Women’s Leadership Council while attending Michigan Tech.

Julie A. Fream ’83 (B.S. Chemical Engineering) was appointed to the board of directors for Blue Bird, a manufacturer of electric and low-emission school buses. Fream is the founding chair of the Board of Directors for Corewell Health, a $14 billion healthcare system formed in 2022. From 2011 to 2018, she served an eight-year term as a governor-appointed trustee for Michigan Tech. From 2014 to 2016, Fream served as chair of the Michigan Tech Board of Trustees.

Civil Engineering alumnus Ryan Sherman ’07 recently presented the prestigious 2023 Robert J. Dexter Memorial Award Lecture on “Evaluation of Steel Additive Manufacturing Experimental Results.” The Robert J. Dexter Memorial Award Lecture is a significant honor, recognizing Sherman’s outstanding contributions to structural engineering, particularly in the domain of steel bridge research. Currently an assistant professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, specializing in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, his work involves large-scale laboratory testing, field monitoring and instrumentation projects on steel bridges and related highway structures throughout the United States.

Circuit Assembly mentioned a presentation by HongWen Zhang ’06 (Ph.D. Materials Science and Engineering) at the SMTA Empire Expo & Tech Forum September 26, 2023, in Syracuse, New York. Zhang is the principal research metallurgist and an R&D manager at Indium Corporation. Zhang’s research focus is on the development of Pb-free solder materials and the associated technologies for high-temperature and high-reliability applications. The title of his talk is titled A Bismuth-Free In-Containing Lower Temperature Lead-Free Solder Paste for Wafer-Level Package Application that Outperforms SAC305.

Polaris published an employee spotlight interview with alumna “Korinne C.,” rider safety manager for off-road vehicles and snow, in “People Behind Polaris”. Korinne earned her bachelor’s in mechanical engineering at Tech. She worked as a powertrain project engineer and ATV instructor, as well as helping to establish and develop the SxS training program for employees. Korinne mentioned using Michigan Tech’s snowmobile parking lot, which allowed her to ride her Polaris Edge 600 to class. The experience grew her passion for riding and working in powersports.

WLUC TV6 aired an interview with entrepreneur Jacob Soter ’19 ’20 (B.S. Electrical and Computer Engineering, MBA), founder of SwimSmart. The company’s initial product—a traffic light-esque beach warning system to communicate water safety—was the subject of a 2021 Michigan Tech News story. The technology uses a multi-colored warning system to connect with the National Weather Service to create a safe and reliable environment in both community and remote beaches.

MLive featured a story on the incoming director of the Washtenaw County Road Commission: Matthew MacDonell ’98 (B.S. Civil Engineering). With some 17 years of experience in the Washtenaw County transportation agency, MacDonell will transition into the role in October. MacDonell joined the road commission in 2006 as a supervisor in the engineering department, which he now oversees, including managing design and construction, permits, traffic and safety and geographic information systems.

In Memory of Dr. Bill Predebon

Published August 8, 2023

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We are deeply moved and saddened at the passing of Dr. Bill Predebon.

Dr. William W. Predebon, emeritus professor and retired chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics (ME-EM), passed away on July 21. He was a beloved member of the Michigan Tech community.

Bill dedicated much of his life to building and supporting the ME-EM department, and the impacts of this work will continue to be felt well into the future. We lost a great friend and stalwart supporter of the department and University.

Information about Bill’s upcoming Celebration of Life Ceremony is available on the O’Neill-Dennis Funeral Home website.

Bill was born in Trenton, New Jersey, to Walter and Josephine Predebon. After high school Bill attended the University of Notre Dame where he received his bachelor’s of science in Engineering Science.

While at Notre Dame, Bill boxed for the Bengal Bouts, founded by Knute Rockne, which was a charity event whose proceeds benefited the Holy Cross missions in Bangladesh. He competed in the 155 lb division and was the boxing champion at Notre Dame in 1964. Through his undergrad, he developed lifelong friendships, and it is where he met his future wife of 56 years, Mary Ann Montgomery. Bill was in the Army/ROTC as a commander of the Irish Moroder’s Drill Team. Upon graduation, Bill was commissioned as a Lieutenant and he would eventually be promoted to Captain later in life.

He received both his masters and doctorate from Iowa State University. In 1967, while pursuing his degrees, he married Mary Ann and they were blessed with two beautiful children, Nadine and Bill Jr. Predebon. After his PhD, he was stationed at Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland. He then stayed on as a civilian after his military obligation was fulfilled. In 1975, Bill and his family moved to Houghton, Michigan, where he took a job as a Professor at Michigan Technological University (MTU).

Throughout his career at MTU, Bill earned recognition for advancing engineering education. He retired in June, 2022, after 25 years as the Chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics (ME-EM) and nearing 47 years at the University. Under his watch, the department made great strides in conducting interdisciplinary research, growing the doctoral program, expanding research funding, and updating the curriculum and labs.

He led the ME-EM Department to rapidly evolve its educational methods, infusing into undergraduate and graduate curriculum the knowledge and critical skills to use big data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence in solving engineering design problems.

A Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Bill has received numerous additional honors at MTU, including membership in the Academy of Teaching Excellence; the Outstanding Service Award for his work with the student chapter of the Society of Automotive Engineers; the first annual Martin Luther King Award by the Black Student Organizations; and the Distinguished Teaching Award, the Honorary Alumni Award, and the Diversity Award.

Bill led efforts to create the Michigan Tech Learning Resource Center for Self-Paced Programmed Instruction, the ME-EM Engineering Learning Center, as well as a distance learning doctorate degree in mechanical engineering, and a Design Engineer Certificate program with General Motors in 2000. More than 600 GM employees earned the certificate.

He received the Distinguished Faculty Award from the Michigan Association of Governing Boards of Colleges and was inducted into the Pan American Academy of Engineering, which brings together engineers from across the continent of North America, South America, and Mexico—a total of 18 countries.

Throughout his life, exercise was an important part of his lifestyle; many may know he was a fixture at the MTU Student Development Complex’s gym. He was a huge supporter of the MTU sports teams; he was a season ticket holder to volleyball, basketball, football, and ice hockey. This also was evident outside of his duties at MTU, where he was known as “Coach Wally”. He enjoyed coaching his son and teammates from little league, senior league and legion baseball. Bill was also a figure on the alpine ski hill, supporting his children’s ski endeavors in the Central United States Ski Association and Houghton High School Ski Team.

Bill was passionate about whatever he did, whether it be his strong work ethic, his family, or his devotion to faith. Throughout his life, his curiosity fueled the continued pursuit of knowledge.

He was predeceased by his parents and his brother, Walter.

Surviving him are: His wife: Mary Ann Predebon; His daughter: Nadine (Jeff Beaupre) Predebon; His son: Bill (Sheri) Predebon Jr.; His grandson: Tyler (Sarah) Brooks; His granddaughter: Madison Brooks; His half-sister: Patty Davis; His feline companion: Poe.

Civil Engineering Student Cody Scholz to run Wausau Marathon for Gold Star Families

Published July 18, 2023

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by Jalen Maki, Tomahawk Leader

Cody Scholz, a Michigan Tech civil engineering student is training to run in an area marathon in an effort to raise funds for families who have lost a family member in active duty military service.

Scholz, who graduated from Tomahawk High School in Wasau, Wisconsin, is a member of Air Force ROTC, which allows college students to take part in three- or four-year programs that offer a mix of normal college courses and the Air Force ROTC curriculum, covering everything from leadership studies to combat technique. Upon completion of a program, a student enters the U.S. Air Force as an officer.

Scholz said he chose to raise funds for Gold Star Families because he did not know what they were prior to being in Air Force ROTC, and after talking to family and friends, they were also unsure.

“This made me realize that many people in my community and surrounding area may also be unaware of Gold Star Families, their sacrifice and the support they need,” Scholz stated.

In response to this, Scholz decided to make an effort to educate those in his community about Gold Star Families and raise money for those families while training for and running the Wausau Marathon, slated for Saturday, Aug. 19.

The roughly 26-mile race will be Scholz’s first marathon. Scholz has set a fundraising goal of $5,000.00. “All support given is appreciated and makes a difference, no matter the size of the gift,” Scholz stated.

To contribute to Scholz’s efforts, visit his GoFundMe page.

Read the full news story on the Tomahawk Leader website.