College of Engineering Blog

Michigan Space Grants for Guadagno and Oppliger

Published March 20, 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

Deans’ Teaching Showcase: Julie King

Published March 20, 2017

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In week nine, the new Deans’ Teaching Showcase member is from the College of Engineering. Dean Wayne Pennington has selected Julie King, professor of chemical engineering based on recommendations from co-workers, students and her chair.

Adrienne Minerick (ChE), associate dean for research and innovation, who was Julie’s student as part of her bachelor’s degree and is now a colleague, calls King a “highly influential role model for me” as well as for many other students.

More specifically, Minerick says “Julie consistently is recognized by her students for her personal interest, advice and interactions. She stays invested in student success after they leave her classes, approaching those teaching subsequent classes with insights and advocacy strategies. I’ve never met a stronger advocate for students.”

S. Komar Kawatra, chemical engineering chair, praises King for her dedication, especially in the demanding Unit Operations Laboratory, saying “She spends a great deal of time with students, and always takes on additional teaching duties at the time of need.”

Kawatra calls King a “model professor,” and indicates that she has received similar praise from the Mack family as the Lorna and James Mack Chair Professor in Continuous Processing.

King’s current students confirm her great mentoring, but also appreciate her passion for excellent teaching and continuous improvement. One student comment read “She continuously asks students what she can do to improve their hands-on learning experiences or what areas she can provide more practical examples of chemical engineering applications to prepare them for full-time positions. She actively listens to her students and genuinely considers their feedback for future lessons or experiments.”

This same student believes that King is “part of the reason why chemical engineers from Michigan Tech are some of the best in the world.”

King will be recognized at an end-of-term luncheon with 11 other showcase members, and is now eligible for one of three new teaching awards to be given by the William G. Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning this summer recognizing introductory or large-class teaching, innovative or outside-the-classroom teaching methods, or work in curriculum and assessment.

By Michael Meyer, Director, William G. Jackson Center for Teaching and Learning.

Senator Gary Peters Tours Advanced Power Systems Research Center

Published March 7, 2017

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HANCOCK, Mich. (WLUC) – Senator Gary Peters was in Houghton County on Friday. He’s getting an up close look at Michigan Tech’s vehicle technology research and development efforts.

Peters toured the university’s Advanced Power Systems Research Center this afternoon. The center is providing ways to reduce 20 percent of energy and fuel consumption in all vehicles, including further studies on self-driving vehicles.

Senator Gary Peters tours Michigan Tech’s Advanced Power Systems Research Center

“Having him be able to come to campus, understand our situation, understand what we’re working with and the kind of work that we’re doing, that our scientists and engineers are doing, makes all the difference in the world when he gets back to Washington,” said David Reed, Vice President of Research at the MTU APS Research Center.

Peters visits MTU for a look at autonomous vehicle technology

Senator Gary Peters said, “This is the future for the auto industry—self–driving, autonomous vehicles—and we’re seeing very stiff competition from Asian companies, from European companies that are developing this technology and one thing we know—whoever is first, is going to be at a competitive advantage and I want to make sure it’s the United States.”

GM to Present Grant to Michigan Tech

Published March 1, 2017

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GM CareerFEST — General Motors at CareerFEST

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

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

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

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

Original story by Industry Relations.

Michigan Tech Receives $110,000 Grant from GM

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

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

Aligned Nanofibrous Cell-Derived Extracellular Matrix for Anisotropic Vascular Graft Construction

Published February 27, 2017

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Authors: Qi Xing (former postdoc researcher), Zichen Qian (PhD candidate), Mitchell Tahtinen (former undergraduate researcher), Ai Hui Yap (Houghton High School student), Keegan Yates (former undergraduate researcher), and Feng Zhao (associate professor, biomedical engineering).
Journal: Advanced Healthcare Materials

10.1002/adhm.201601333

This article describes vascular grafts, which are in great demand due to the high occurrence of cardiovascular diseases. A tissue engineered vascular graft was developed for the application of bypassing coronary arteries. It is a completely biological vascular graft, which can avoid immune rejection after transplantation. The graft is mechanically strong, which is fabricated by combining naturally derived nanofibrous biomaterials, stem cell engineering, and bioreactor technologies.

Engineering Students Perform Well at 2017 Graduate Research Colloquium

Published February 22, 2017

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The 2017 Graduate Research Colloquium (GRC) was held on February 15-16 in the Memorial Union Ballroom. There were oral and poster presentation. The banquet was held on the evening of February 16.

VIEW THE PHOTO GALLERY

Following is a complete list of winners:

Oral Presentation Competition

1st Place: Kevin Sunderland, Department of Biomedical Engineering
2nd Place: Teresa Wilson, Department of Physics
3rd Place: Andrew Chapp, Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology
Most Attended: Muraleekrishnan Menon, Department of Mechanical Engineering – Engineering Mechanics
Most Attended: Niranjan Miganakallu, Department of Mechanical Engineering – Engineering Mechanics

Poster Presentation Competition

1st Place: Matthew Kilgas, Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology
2nd Place: Brian Page, Department of Mechanical Engineering – Engineering Mechanics
3rd Place: Zichen Qian, Department of Biomedical Engineering
People’s Choice: Mugdha Priyadarshini, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Graduate Student Service Awards

Gorkem Asilioglu, Department of Computer Science
Hossein Tavakoli, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Kate Glodowski, Department of Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology
Erin Pischke, Department of Social Sciences

The GRC is held each year by the Graduate Student Government at Michigan Tech.

New ideas, cutting edge research and innovative solutions coming from U.P.

HOUGHTON — New ideas, cutting edge research, innovative solutions. ABC 10’s Keweenaw Bureau Reporter Rick Allen has more on the latest research projects by Michigan Tech graduate students.

Underwater researchers will be interested in a less costly, more maneuverable glider that can be used in Lake Superior.

MTU Mechanical Engineering PhD Student Donna Fard said,

They are shallow–water gliders, meaning that we can use them in the lake. What we have so far, they’re all ocean–going gliders.

Robin Johnson-Cash Speaks on Social Justice

Published February 21, 2017

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HOUGHTON — Robin Johnson-Cash spoke at Michigan Technological University’s Alumni Room of the Memorial Union Building on campus Tuesday evening, February 14, 2017. She was the featured speaker of Michigan Tech’s Center for Diversity and Inclusion’s Improved Social Justice Lecture Series.

Johnson-Cash, the first African-American woman to earn a PhD from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Mechanics (MMEM), offered some insightful advice to the students who were present for her talk.

First, recognize your gift. You have a unique talent that is unmistakeable. —Robin Johnson-Cash

Michigan Tech Celebrates National Engineers Week

Published February 16, 2017

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HELP US CELEBRATE EWEEK 2017!

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

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

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

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

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

2017 Engineers Week_2 — National Engineers Week 2017

Upcoming E-week events at Michigan Tech:

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18

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

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20

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

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

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

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

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21

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

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

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23

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

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

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

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24

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

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

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

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

Zhao Group Provides Chapter on Tissue Engineered Skeletal Muscles

Published February 14, 2017

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Caleb Vogt, Mitchell Tahtinen, and Feng Zhao have provided the first chapter to a book entitled “Tissue Engineering and Nano Theranostics” (ISBN: 978-981-3149-18-2). World Scientific Publisher. 2017. The book provides a comprehensive overview of current achievements in biomedical applications of nanotechnology, including stem cell based regenerative medicine, medical imaging, cell targeting, drug delivery, and photothermal/photodynamic cancer therapy.

The chapter is “Engineering Approaches for Creating Skeletal Muscle,” and it highlights the significant impact of stem cells in skeletal muscle engineering and regeneration.

About the authors:

Feng Zhao is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering.
Caleb Vogt and Mitchell Tahtinen were undergraduate researchers in the Zhao lab.
Caleb is currently in the graduate program of the University of Minnesota.
Mitchell is currently a master’s student in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Michigan Tech. He still conducts research in the Zhao lab.

Budget News on H-STEM Engineering and Health Technologies Complex

Published February 13, 2017

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Governor Snyder mentioned the project during his Budget Proposal Speech on February 8, 2017.

The $39.6M complex would contribute to Human-centered research, development and education for its students by developing therapeutic devices, sensors, instruments, preventive strategies and a health technologies-related workforce.

Michigan Tech Board of Trustees Approves 5-year Capital Outlay Plan

The complex will support Michigan Tech’s integrated educational programs that apply engineering and science to problems related to the human condition. The University’s unique technological niche places Tech in an ideal position to contribute to human-centered research, development and education for its students by developing therapeutic devices, sensors, instruments, preventive strategies and a health technologies-related workforce. The complex will permit teams of researchers and students from Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Biology, Chemistry, Cognitive and Learning Sciences, Computer Science, and Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology to work together in flexible lab spaces with shared equipment.