College of Engineering Blog

Unscripted Geoheritage: Stamping Through History

Published September 1, 2016

The rocks of the Keweenaw Peninsula are ancient: More than one billion years old, containing loads of native copper deposits. Mining them created a legacy seen throughout the region.

The nation’s first big mining boom certainly left its mark on the peninsula. It left icons like the Quincy Mine Hoist; it left massive deposits of mine waste, a fine material called stamp sands, outside Gay; it left a few problems, like a Superfund site in and around Torch Lake. As rich as the copper that people once mined here, the history of the Keweenaw is full of stories, insight, dilemmas, and opportunities. Call it geoheritage.

As part of ongoing geoheritage education, the annual Geotours are an effort to bring the earth processes and cultural legacy of the land to light. The program is run by Bill Rose, a professor emeritus of geology at Michigan Tech, and Erika Vye, a recent PhD graduate of the geology program. On Thursday, July 28, they took a boatload of people to the eastern side of the peninsula for an up-close and personal view of the Keweenaw’s industrial mining legacy.

College of Engineering Named a Best Value School

Published September 1, 2016

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News

Panel Discussion with Industry: Energy Day at Michigan Tech CareerFEST 2015

A web site called Best College Values has named 50 schools nationwide whose bachelor’s degree programs in engineering offer the best value education for their cost. Michigan Tech’s College of Engineering placed 24th on the list.

Best College Values calls itself an online resource for prospective college students who are seeking an education that is worth its cost. Programs chosen for this ranking must be of reputably high quality and affordable, providing a high return on investment.

“Michigan Tech carries above-average scores in each of our value ranking categories, which earns it its place as a top value Bachelor in Engineering school,” the web site says.

“It is encouraging to see our College of Engineering recognized by this established ranking system,” says Wayne Pennington, dean of Tech’s College of Engineering. “We know that our students perform extremely well in the job market and graduate studies, and this is reflected in the methodology that is employed for these rankings. Simply put, our students get good jobs that quickly repay their investment in their education. We are proud of that fact and continually strive to ensure that students are provided great value through sound, hands-on learning and the opportunity to participate at a meaningful level in a variety of projects as part of their Michigan Tech experience.”

The Best College Values web site explains the thinking behind its rankings: “While we believe that U.S. News and similar publications’ college rankings are valuable indicators of schools’ academic performance and reputations, we also believe that for the average prospective student seeking an education that will prepare them to enter the workforce, a number of other factors ought to be considered more heavily. Best College Values is thus dedicated to producing rankings built on composite scores based on affordability, financial outcomes after graduation and institutional reputation.”

See the rankings of the 50 schools here.

From Tech Today, by Jenn Donovan.

Faith Morrison Appointed Associate Dean of Graduate School

Published September 1, 2016

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Faith Morrison (ChE) will serve Michigan Tech in the capacity of associate dean of the Graduate School beginning this semester. The position is half time, with Morrison continuing in her faculty role for the balance of her time.

Morrison will be involved in a number of projects in the Graduate School. A major project will be the development and implementation of university-level assessment of graduate student learning and graduate program review. She will also work to develop, implement and support efforts to attract and retain a diverse graduate student body and on other projects aimed at improving the graduate student experience at Michigan Tech.

CareerFEST Automotive Day is September 1, 2016

Published August 31, 2016

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News

VIEW THE PHOTO GALLERY

Michigan Tech’s CareerFEST kicks of this week with Automotive Day, the first in a series of Industry Day events and activities.

Automotive Day is from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday (Sept. 1), with most activities taking place in the CareerFEST tent on campus.

Leaders in the automotive industry will be on campus to show-and-tell students about their companies and employment opportunities.

Lunch will be served from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Hands-on exhibits include live engine calibration, an engine tear down, steering system testing by driving a go-cart and other interactive hands-on exhibits.

Among the companies participating are Ford Motor Company, ArcelorMittal, General Motors, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Cooper Standard, Nexteer Automotive, Oskosh Corporation, Harman, Yanfeng, Faurecia and Cummins.

NOAA Partnering with Michigan Tech for Lake Superior Research

Published August 22, 2016

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WJMN TV-UP Matters (CBS) and WLUC TV6 (NBC) broadcast stories on Michigan Tech’s Great Lakes research on a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) vessel.

From Tech Today.

Michigan Tech pairs with NOAA for Lake Superior research

Andrew Barnard, an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at MTU, said, “As a mechanical engineer, I’m interested in making loud things quieter and one of the things we’re looking at making quieter is research vessels that specifically deal with fish or marine mammal wildlife so that they can affect the environment less when they’re going to do their work.”

Read more and watch the video at WJMN TV-UP Matters.

NOAA to work with MTU scientists out on Lake Superior

“Today, we’re laying some hydrophones which are under water microphones under the water and we’re doing some boat bypasses to baseline the sound coming from our research vessels and from the NOAA 5501,” said MTU Mechanical Engineer, Dr. Andrew Barnard.

Presentations by NSF-funded Teachers Mentored by Engineering Grad Students

Published August 17, 2016

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Six Michigan teachers mentored by Michigan Tech grad students during a 6-week Summer Institute on Computational Tools and the Environment will present their research in a poster session from 1 to 3 p.m. tomorrow (Aug. 18) in the atrium of the Great Lakes Research Center.

The institute was sponsored by the National Science Foundation’s Research Experiences for Teachers program.

The poster session is the culmination of a six-week, intensive Summer Institute on Computational Tools and the Environment, sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The teachers were mentored by environmental engineering, chemical engineering, geological engineering and forestry graduate students as they conducted research on water quality, forestry management and life cycle assessment.

The graduate students also worked with the teachers to translate the results of their research into curriculum materials to be used in the teachers’ science and mathematics classes.

For more information, contact Alex Mayer, asmayer@mtu.edu.

From Tech Today, by Jenn Donovan.

Engineering Alumni as New Alumni Board Directors

Published August 2, 2016

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The following alumni will begin their six year Director terms at the Reunion meeting Thursday and Friday (Aug. 4-5).

Daniel Batten ’88, ’90 Mechanical Design Engineering Technology and Business Administration from Jenison, Michigan
Derek Chapel ’05 Electrical Engineering from Petoskey, Michigan
Joseph Gallo ’11 Mechanical Engineering / Electrical Engineering from Midland, Michigan
Jenna Joestgen ’10 Biomedical Engineering from Appleton, Wisconsin
Kristin Kolodge ’95 Mechanical Engineering from Harrison Township, Michigan
Emily McDonald ’12 Environmental Engineering from Ferndale, Michigan
Dennis Sage ’86 Scientific and Technical Communication, Arlington Heights, Illinois
Andrew Burton ’97 (SFRES)-new faculty representative

Family Engineering Day and Other KSEF Events

Published August 2, 2016

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Great Lakes Research Center Hosts Alumni and KSEF

Faculty, staff and students at the Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) are hosting and participating in a number of events during Alumni Reunion and in partnership with the Keweenaw Science and Engineering Festival (KSEF). The campus community is invited to join alumni and KSEF attendees at the following GLRC led activities:

“Layers of Superior,” an art show featuring work created by Hancock High School art students and inspired by Lake Superior, is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 3-Friday, Aug. 5. The exhibit is located in the first floor lobby of the GLRC.
Join Michigan Tech’s Center for Science and Environmental Outreach at Kestner Waterfront Park for the Keweenaw Science and Engineering Festival’s Family Engineering Day from noon to 3 p.m. Thursday.
On Thursday from 3 to 4 p.m., the new donor wall will be dedicated in the first floor lobby of the GRLC. All are invited to the dedication launching the GLRC’s Buy a Fish campaign. Funds raised will support student opportunities, research and facilities improvements. Dedication remarks are scheduled for 3:15 p.m. in the GLRC’s first floor lobby.
Come on down to the GLRC from 1 to 5 p.m. Friday for the GLRC’s Water Festival. Tour a 47 foot Coast Guard Motor Lifeboat, drive an underwater robot, see zooplankton up close, listen to Lake Superior while learning about underwater acoustics research and learn how faculty collect and use data to make predictions on the spread of invasive aquatic species. Visit this link for a full schedule of the Water Festival activities.

From Tech Today, by Elizabeth Hoy.

Science and Engineering Festival begins

The 2nd Annual Keweenaw Science and Engineering Festival has begun, featuring three days of hands-on activities based on science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Most of the events all families to participate with their children, like the Family Engineering Day put on by Michigan Center for Science and Environmental Outreach.

New slide shows feature Keweenaw Science and Engineering Festival, alumni visitors, Science Fair winners, Lake Superior Celebration

Keweenaw Now captured some of the highlights of these events with photos we have now posted in our new slide show format. We also have added a slide show on the Western UP Science Fair winners and the April 26 Lake Superior Celebration at the GLRC. (See Slide Show announcement and links in our right-hand column).

Read more and watch a video presentation by Pengfei Xue at Keweenaw Now by Michele Bourdieu.

Michigan Tech Quoted on Earthquake in Chile

Published July 28, 2016

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The Guardian Liberty Voice, an online newspaper, published an article about an earthquake that hit the coast of Chile on Monday, quoting Michigan Tech earthquake experts.

From Tech Today.

Earthquake Rocks Coastal Chile

In heavily populated areas, these magnitude earthquakes can cause extensive damage. According to Michigan Tech University, tremblors of a magnitude 6 or higher, occur about 100 times each year, throughout the world.

Junior Women in Engineering Scholarship Program

Published July 28, 2016

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HOUGHTON, Mich. (WLUC) Ford Motor Company donated $10,000 to Michigan Tech.

The money is enabling middle school students to take part in the Junior Women in Engineering Scholarship program.

Eighth grade student Emma White from Indiana says she’s been interested in STEM fields for quite sometime.

“I really wanted to try it and see what the different engineering fields were because I didn’t know much about them,” White said.