College of Engineering Blog

Michigan Tech World Water Day: Awards and Photos

Published March 26, 2015

Michigan Tech celebrated World Water Day on March 23, 2015. Professor Peter Goodwin presented a lecture on “River Restoration and Flood Management”. Goodwin is the director of the Center for Ecohydraulics Research at the University of Idaho and also served as the science director for the California Delta Program. He is the DeVlieg Presidential Professor in Ecohydraulics and Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Idaho.

The Center for Water & Society World Water Day poster competition was held at the Great Lakes Research Center. Awards were made in two categories: Original Research (presentation of thesis or project research) and Coursework/Informational (presentation of coursework or literature-based research).

Tech College of Engineering Joins Grand Challenges Engineering Education Initiative

Published March 24, 2015

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College of Engineering Dean Wayne Pennington joins representatives of more than 120 other engineering schools and colleges at the White House today to celebrate a commitment to educate a new generation of engineers expressly equipped to tackle some of the most pressing issues facing society in the 21st century.

In a letter of commitment presented to President Barack Obama yesterday, 122 US engineering schools pledged to each graduate a minimum of 20 students per year who have been specially prepared to lead the way in solving large-scale societal challenges such as engineering better medicines, making solar energy cost-competitive with coal, securing cyberspace and advancing personalized learning tools to deliver better education to more individuals.

Winter Baja 2015 Update Results

Published March 19, 2015

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The 2015 Winter Baja was held Saturday, Feb. 21, near the Student Development Complex at Michigan Technological University.

The University of Iowa car #48 came in first place, followed by Northern Michigan University car #40 at 2nd Place and Ferris State University car #76 at 3rd Place. Other standings are listed below showing the place and laps completed. In the dynamic event University of Michigan Car #1 came in first followed by University of Iowa Car # 68 at 2nd and University of Michigan Car #161 at 3rd.

The event was held during the National Engineers Week at Michigan Tech. This year there were 33 off-road vehicles from 18 universities. The event is an informal, but competitive Winter Baja race held on a motocross-style track made out of snow.

2015 SAE Clean Snowmobile Summary Report

Published March 19, 2015

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The Keweenaw Research Center and the Department of Mechanical Engineering–Engineering Mechanics at Michigan Tech hosted the 2015 SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge— from March 2-7, 2015 and have hosted it for the last 12 years. The mission of this challenge is to design a snowmobile that achieves reduced emissions and noise characteristics while keeping performance equal to or better than the performance of stock snowmobiles. Find out more at the 2015 SAE Clean Snowmobile Summary Report

A Call to Change Recycling Standards as 3-D Printing Expands

Published March 13, 2015

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The 3-D printing revolution has changed the way we think about plastics. Everything from children’s toys to office supplies to high-value laboratory equipment can be printed. The potential savings of producing goods at the household- and lab-scale is remarkable, especially when producers use old prints and recycle them.
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M–TRAC Commercialization Roundtable March 19

Published March 13, 2015

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by John Diebel, M-TRAC program director, Innovation and Industry Engagement
Faculty and student inventors will have an opportunity to learn the secrets of commercializing technology at an all-day roundtable offered in the Advanced Technology Development Complex Large Conference Room starting at 9 a.m. on March 19. The M-TRAC program in Michigan—with support from the 21st Century Jobs Trust Fund and Michigan Strategic Fund—will be sponsoring the event.

Caryn Heldt Receives CAREER Award for Her Virus Removal Work

Published March 11, 2015

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With a new CAREER Award, Caryn Heldt will be able to focus more on the chemistry of virus surfaces to help develop better removal techniques for purifying water and vaccines.

National Society of Black Engineers Spring Break to Promote STEM Education and Careers

Published March 9, 2015

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National Society of Black Engineers students from Michigan Tech are going to present science, technology and engineering talks in the Detroit area for middle- and highschool students at five different schools by day, and presenting three family engineering nights for elementary students at night. The spring break trip is supported by John Deere.

The Houghton Michigan Daily Mining Gazette had an article: “Doing good downstate: Six Tech students will spend break sharing with youngsters.

The Better to See You With: Prosthetic Leg Would Keep an Eye on the Path Ahead

Published March 6, 2015

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Mo Rastgaar is poised to take a giant step forward in the development of a better prosthetic ankle.
The Michigan Technological University mechanical engineer and his team have already developed a prototype that can provide a range of motion that rivals a natural gait. Next, they aim to give their robotic ankle something different: eyes.
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Mapping the Great Lakes’ Wetlands

Published March 6, 2015

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Fluorescent bands of color outline the Great Lakes on a new, comprehensive map of the region’s coastal wetlands. This publicly available map is the first of its kind on such a broad scale — and the only one to trump political boundaries. Both Canadian and US wetlands are shown along more than 10,000 miles of shoreline.

The Great Lakes is an important focus of Michigan Technological University research. The coastal wetlands map is an extension of that focus, expanding on previous maps created through the Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI).