2013 Clean Snowmobile Challenge on Track for March 4-9

Teams of college students from across the Snow Belt will converge on the Copper Country March 4-9 for the 2013 SAE Clean Snowmobile Challenge. Their aim is to reduce emissions and noise and increase fuel efficiency while preserving the riding excitement demanded by snowmobile enthusiasts. And for the first time, anybody, anywhere can support that mission through the crowdfunding site Superior Ideas.
MORE

From Mechanical Engineer to Crew Chief: Michigan Tech Alum Hits the NASCAR Circuit

It’s heady stuff for a self-professed car nut from a small town in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Greg Ives, a 2003 mechanical engineering graduate from Michigan Technological University, was recently named crew chief for NASCAR driver Regan Smith. In NASCAR, the driver, owner and crew chief are the most important members of any race team.
MORE

Enterprise Students Help 3M Build a Better Taillight

Most of us take pride in being able to see the fruits of our labor, basking in a job well done. Brett Spigarelli can bask in the red glow of a taillight going into production for the 2013 model year of several cars. A PhD candidate in chemical engineering at Michigan Technological University, he serves as an advisor to the Consumer Product Manufacturing (CPM) Enterprise, and previously, as a student, he worked on a project with 3M to test how one of their new materials handled the process of thermoforming, leading to the redesigned taillight on several 2013 model-year cars.

MORE

National Academy of Engineering Report Spotlights Michigan Tech

Michigan Tech is among 29 colleges and universities showcased in a new National Academy of Engineering (NAE) report called Infusing Real World Experiences into Engineering Education. Michigan Tech’s Enterprise program caught the eye of the NAE.

The report highlighted programs considered “best practices” as models for schools seeking to incorporate hands-on, multidisciplinary problem solving into their curriculum. The publication was sponsored by Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) in support of the AMD NextGen Engineer initiative.

“These programs are strategically preparing students to become the engineers who will tackle the technical and social complexities that lie ahead in the 21st century,” said Charles M. Vest, NAE president.

The best practices described in the report include incorporating multidisciplinary team-based projects into curricula to help students develop skills in decision-making, leadership, written and oral communication, organization/time management, cultural awareness and problem-solving. The report identifies frequent impediments to infusing real-world experiences into engineering programs and suggests ways to overcome these barriers to program implementation.

The best practice case studies in the NAE report compare anticipated versus actual program outcomes to demonstrate how each institution is improving the level of preparedness of its engineering students.

See NAE article
and <a href=" Infusing Real World Experiences into Engineering Education