Tag: Alumni Briefs

A profile story featuring Michigan Tech alumna Christine Andrews ’06 ’12 (mechanical engineering, Tech MBA) was posted on GE Aviation’s blog. Andrews is a leader in a cooperative project between GE Aviation and NASA to develop a technology demonstration of a hybrid electric engine for commercial aircraft. After graduating from Michigan Technological University, she worked for Gulfstream Aerospace as both a certification engineer and a structural engineer until 2013, when she joined GE Aviation to be closer to family in Cincinnati.

Alumnus Anurag Kamal ’18 (MS, mechanical engineering) is one of 10 standouts featured by Forbes in a story on this year’s 30 Under 30 who are leading the green energy transition. Kamal co-founded ElectricFish, the company behind a containerized combination battery backup system and EV charger that can connect into existing, ubiquitous electrical infrastructure.

The ACEC 57th Annual Engineering & Surveying Excellence Award Gala was held on March 19, 2022. Amy Trahey, ’94 Civil Engineering alumnus, was presented the ACEC/M Vernon B. Spalding Leadership Award to honor her outstanding leadership roles in ACEC and several community organizations. Trahey is founder of the Great Lakes Engineering Group.

A Q&A with Michigan Tech alumnus Wesley Davis (civil engineering) was published by Civil Engineering Magazine in “Passion and communication are key to a successful career.” Davis is the principal engineer at Bogart, Pederson & Associates, a 25-person transportation firm in Becker, Minnesota. At an age of just 31, Wesley P. Davis, P.E., M.ASCE, has progressed quickly in his career as a roadway and transportation engineer.

Michigan Tech alumnus Chaitanya Bhat was profiled in Asphalt Magazine. Bhat is the Asphalt Institute’s (AI) first sustainability engineer. He completed his PhD in civil engineering in 2020 advised by Amlan Mukherjee (CEGE). One major project for Chait will be to collaborate with AI members and agencies to guide AI’s efforts to update and enhance their Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) models for asphalt binders, binder additives and modifiers.

Michigan Tech alumnus Todd Brassard of Calumet Electronics was quoted by Forbes in a story on the need to rebuild the nation’s domestic microelectronics ecosystem. “Whoever can build the highest density, highest speed systems is going to win,” Brassard asserts. Brassard has a BS in Electrical Engineering.

Michigan Tech class of 2021 celebrates midyear commencement with speaker Mike Pulick Jr. Pulick built an exceptional career through developing the business leadership skills he first learned at Tech. The 1986 electrical engineering (EE) graduate also knows about following in family footsteps — and in his case, those steps led to extraordinary family ties with Michigan Tech.

Michigan Tech alumnus Eugene Manley Jr. discussed science, mentoring and STEM diversity as a “brilliant but not famous” guest on the Research Evangelist podcast. He is Director, Scientific Programs at the Lung Cancer Research Foundation. He received his BS in Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Technological University, a masters in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin, and PhD in Molecular Biology, Cellular Biology and Biochemstry from Boston University.

Civil Engineering ’81 BS, ’82 MS alumnus Jim Morrison has joined STV Incorporated as VP and engineering chief for tunneling and geotechnical engineering. In this role, Morrison will serve as a project lead and senior advisor on projects with geotechnical and tunneling elements.

The appointment of MTU alumnus Eric Roberts (‘93 ME-EM) as the new executive director of 20Fathoms was featured in the Traverse City Record-Eagle. Roberts said 20Fathoms has more than 90 members, a record high. 20Fathoms also taught more than 250 people skills — often virtually — through its HealthSpark Accelerator, tccodes and tccyber through a pandemic.

Congratulations to Kimberly Zimmer, a 1995 Michigan Technological University alumna in civil engineering, for receiving the 2021 Michigan Department of Transportation Director’s Award. This is MDOT’s highest employee honor for outstanding service. Zimmer, honored in the officials and administrators category, played a critical role in MDOT’s successful response to last year’s historic flooding in Midland and Gladwin counties as well as excelling at other services.

Congratulations to professor emerita Sheryl Sorby for being named the ABET 2021 Claire L. Felbinger Award for Diversity and Inclusion recipient. Sheryl received her BS in Civil Engineering, MS in Engineering Mechanics, and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech. Sorby is a professor of Engineering Education at the University of Cincinnati.

WLUC TV6 covered the appointment of Husky alumna Meredith LaBeau as chief technology officer at Calumet Electronics. LaBeau earned a master’s degree and PhD in environmental engineering and a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Michigan Tech.

Alumna Amanda DeCesare (Civil Eng Tech ’05, Construction Management ’07) has been named a Rising Star by Progressive Railroading. DeCesare is project manager of public projects at CSX. She is responsible for new at-grade crossing warning device installations, at-grade crossing consolidations and facilitating any type of construction project impacting operating right-of-way.

Michigan Tech alumna Sanjal Gavande is receiving media attention as a member of the team that built New Shepherd, the space rocket scheduled to launch Jeff Bezos into space on July 20. Profiles of Gavande ran in The Times of India and other international outlets. Gavande has an MS in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech. She worked in marine and racing car companies before helping to build a spacecraft.

Michigan Tech alumna Julie Marinucci was named the new land commissioner and director of the St. Louis County Land and Minerals Department. As director, Marinucci will lead a staff of 52 responsible for managing approximately 900,000 acres of tax-forfeited trust lands. Marinucci holds a BS in Mining Engineering from Michigan Tech.

A pilot program for the Swimsmart Warning System, an automated warning light system for beachgoers developed by Michigan Tech graduate Jacob Soter and his advisor Andrew Barnard (ME-EM), was covered by 9&10 News. Soter has degrees in computer engineering, electrical engineering, and business administration.

Husky alumnae Meredith LaBeau and Audra Thurston were the focus of a feature article that ran in Printed Circuit Design & Fab. The article described LaBeau and Thurston’s participation in an upcoming Women in Aerospace virtual event intended to inspire K-12 students to pursue STEM careers. LaBeau holds a PhD degree from Michigan Tech in Environmental Engineering focusing on the integrated assessment of anthropogenic, climate and policy-induced changes on phosphorus export in the United States Laurentian Great Lakes watersheds, as well as an MS degree in environmental engineering and a BS degree in biomedical engineering from Michigan Tech. Thurston has a degree in chemical engineering.

Michigan Tech alumna Kim McGill, vice president of marketing at Lennox Residential, discussed the pandemic and indoor air quality on WFTX Fox 4, Fort Myers, Fla. Kim has a mechanical engineering degree from Michigan Technological University and an MBA in marketing from the Owen Graduate School of Management at Vanderbilt University.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has appointed Michigan Tech alumna Nancy M. McClain of Redford to the Michigan Board of Engineerings. McClain is the lead engineering at Giffels Webster in Birmingham. She is a licensed professional engineer and holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Michigan Technological University. She is appointed to represent professional engineers for a term commencing April 1, and expiring March 31, 2025.

Michigan Tech alumnus Josh Ivaniszek was feature “Cruising through Juneau’s Port Expansion,” in Directions Magazine. Ivaniszek began his surveying career after graduating from Michigan Technological University with a double major in forestry and land surveying. Chilkat Surveying owner Josh Ivaniszek endured a challenging schedule and adverse conditions to provide accurate construction layout through two Alaskan winters.

Congratulations to CEE alumna and recent Academy inductee Kim Nowack who has been named the recipient of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Michigan’s Felix A. Anderson Image Award. The award is for outstanding individuals who take steps to improve the public image of the engineering profession. Nowack is the Mackinac Bridge Authority Executive Secretary.

Michigan Tech alumnus Jason Arbuckle who earned his BS, MS and PhD in Electrical Engineering from Michigan Tech, has been named to the newly formed role of Marine Autonomy Technology Lead for Brunswick Corporation. The story appeared in Yahoo Finance. Throughout his career, Arbuckle has been instrumental in the development of helm software for Mercury Marine products from single engine to six engine vessels and has been granted more than 45 patents related to marine control systems.

Civil Engineering PhD alumnus Ali Mirchi is quoted in the article “The return of a once-dying lake,” on the BBC. Mirchi, an assistant professor in the department of biosystems and agricultural engineering at Oklahoma State University, has extensively studied Lake Urmia in Iran. The lake is currently 3m (10ft) below its target water level. “So there’s quite a ways to go,” says Ali Mirchi.

DTE Energy announced the appointment of Monique Wells as its director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Wells will be responsible for accelerating DTE’s progress in building a workplace where everyone feels valued and able to contribute their best energy toward serving our customers, communities and each other. Wells graduated from the University of Toledo with her Master’s degree in Career and Technical Education, and graduated from Michigan Technological University with her Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering. She serves on Spring Arbor University’s Engineering Advisory Board, as well as Michigan Tech University College of Engineering’s Advisory Board.

Michigan Tech alumnus Marty Lagina was mentioned in the article “Who Owns Oak Island of ‘The Curse of Oak Island’ Isn’t Exactly Clear,” in Distractify. Brothers Rick and Marty Lagina are known as the stars of The Curse of Oak Island. Marty Lagina graduated from Michigan Tech with his mechanical engineering degree in 1977.

Michigan Tech alumnus Thomas Fudge has been appointed as a director of First Majestic Silver Corporation. Mr. Fudge brings over 42 years of professional mining experience having previously worked with companies including Tahoe Resources, Alexco Resources, Hecla Mining, and Sunshine Precious Metals. Mr. Fudge holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mining Engineering from Michigan Technological University and has overseen numerous major mining construction projects in the United States, Mexico, Venezuela, Yukon Territory, Guatemala, and Peru.

Alumnus John Matonich was recently appointed to the Gogebic Community College Foundation Board of Directors. Matonich holds a BS in Surveying from Michigan Tech. He is a retired CEO/Chairman of ROWE Professional Services Company.

Michigan Tech alumna Shannon Kobs Nawotniak, (BS geology, ’03), an associate professor at Idaho State University, presents on “Submarines, Volcanoes, and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life” at Muskegon Community College. A graduate of Michigan Tech and SUNY Buffalo, Kobs Nawotniak serves as Geology Co-Lead on the NASA FINESSE project and Deputy Principal Investigator on the NASA BASALT project, both of which use terrestrial lavas to investigate planetary volcanoes.

Michigan Tech alumnus Mike Olosky (ME) has been named Chief Operating Officer of Simpson Strong-Tie. Olosky holds degrees in mechanical engineering from Michigan Technological University and Oakland University and received his MBA from Michigan State University’s Eli Broad School of Business.

Michigan Tech alumnus David Hill (’65, ME), was featured in the story “Profiling Greatness: David Hill.” David Hill was only the third individual to hold the title of Corvette Chief Engineer. During his 13-plus year tenure as Chief, Hill oversaw the Corvette’s coming of age, as the iconic American sports car reached new heights in power, performance, and sophistication. David Hill’s career as an engineer began in 1965, after earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University. It was at this time that Hill was hired by Cadillac, for work in the manufacturer’s engine lab.

Michigan Tech alumnus LeeRoy Wells, Jr. (’02, EE) has been named senior vice president of operations for CMS Energy. LeeRoy currently serves as the vice president of gas operations responsible for gas transmission, distribution, and the integrity of the company’s gas system. Wells graduated from Michigan Technological University in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering. He also holds a master’s degree in Organizational Leadership and Management from Lourdes College, along with business certifications from George Washington University and the University of Michigan – Stephen M. Ross School of Business.

Michigan Tech alumnus Garrick Ronchow has been named president and CEO of CMS Energy and Consumers Energy and was named to CMS Energy’s Board of Directors. Rochow has a bachelor’s degree from environmental engineering from Michigan Technological University and a master’s degree in business administration from Western Michigan University.

Michigan Tech alumnus Mark Daavettila ’09 (Civil Engineering) has been hired at the Department Public Works (DPW) director of the City of Negaunee. He has been a licensed Professional Engineer in Michigan with 11 years of experience working in the civil engineering field. The story was covered by WLUC TV6, Marquette.

Kristina Fields, professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, was named one of four recipients across the UW System of the 2020 Alliant Energy Underkofler Excellence in Teaching Award. Fields earned her PhD, Master of Science, and Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from Michigan Technological University. She began teaching at UW-Platteville in 2007.

ThermoAnalytics, Inc., a leader in advanced thermal, fluid-flow, and infrared modeling software, announced the promotion of Bobbi Wood to the position of President and Chief Operating Officer, effective August 24, 2020. She has served as the Chief Operating Officer since 2019. Wood holds a Bachelor’s and a Master’s of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University.

Kristina Owen has been named the head coach of the Michigan Tech men’s and women’s cross country and track and field teams. Owen was the first-ever Michigan Tech Nordic skier to secure All-American honors in three consecutive seasons after finishing seventh in the classic in 2005, ninth in the 5K classic in 2006, and eighth in the 15K classic in 2007. Owen earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Tech with a coaching endorsement certificate.

Greg LeFevre, BS ENVE alumnus, received the University of Iowa Office of the Vice President’s Early Career Scholar of the Year Award. LeFevre and his team study how non-point pollutants change in water and what that means for ecosystems and human health.

Mufazzal Hossain, CEE MS alumnus, was voted the District Leader in Assembly District 38 Part B, making him the first Bangladeshi elected Democratic District Leader in the district and in Queens, New York.

Michigan Tech alumnus Todd Fewins ’92, was quoted in the story “Medical device manufacturer finds, grows skilled talent in the U.P.” in Crain’s Detroit Business. Fewins has a BS in mechanical engineering. In 2011 he was recruited by a former boss of his at Dura to open a new facility for Precision Edge in Boyne City. Five years later he was named company president.

Michigan Tech alumnus Jon Zander has been promoted to senior project manager at Stevens Construction, headquartered in Fort Meyers, Florida. The story was covered in Gulfshore Business. A Michigan Technological University graduate in civil engineering, Zander is a Qualified Stormwater Management Inspector.

The online presentation “Invent Your Story,” by Michigan Tech alumna Margaret Brumm at the Peter White Library in Marquette, was previewed by the Marquette Mining Journal. Brumm is a patent attorney and member of the State Bar of Michigan. She earned her bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Michigan Technological University and her juris doctorate from the University of Michigan Law School.

Michigan Tech alumnus Stan Kaczmarek has been promoted to president of Gundlach Champion, Inc. in Iron Mountain. The story was covered by WLUC TV6. Kaczmarek earned a degree in Civil Engineering from Michigan Tech.

Michigan Tech alumnus Kevin Ballinger was named CEO of Aldevron. The story was covered in Benzinga. Ballinger holds a BS in mechanical engineering. Headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota, Aldevron is a leading biotechnology company that develops and manufactures plasmid DNA, proteins, enzymes, antibodies, and other biologicals.

Michigan Tech civil and environmental engineering alumnus Eric Showalter (BS, MS), has been named the 2020 Outstanding Educator by the Associated General Contractors of America. The story appeared in AGC. Showalter is a non-tenure track faculty member, with the rank of Teaching Professor at Missouri University of Science and Technology.

Civil and Environmental Engineering alumnus, Mike Paddock, published “Bridging Barriers” about how one community changed its future with help from Engineers Without Borders USA volunteers.

Tor J. S. Anderzen has been elected a Governor of Region 8 of the American Society of Civil Engineers. His three year term starts on October 1, 2020. He was also named an ASCE Fellow earlier this year. Anderzen, a senior aviation engineer at HDL Engineering Consultants LLC, holds a BS and MS in Civil Engineering from Michigan Tech.

Michigan Tech alumnus Eric J. Charette was featured in the story “Grid modernization means adapting and evolving to meet the challenges of the future,” in Power Grid International. Charette graduated from Michigan Tech with a BS in Electrical Engineering, with an emphasis in Power Systems. He serves as Executive Technical Manager of Business Development for Utilities with Hexagon.

An article by Timothy Havens (CC) and Sakineh “Audrey” Yazdanparast (’19 PhD electrical engineering), “Linear Time Community Detection by a Novel Modularity Gain Acceleration in Label Propagation,” has been accepted for publication in the journal IEEE Transactions on Big Data. The paper presents an efficient approach for detecting self-similar communities in weighted graphs, with applications in social network analysis, online commodity recommendation systems, user clustering, biology, communications network analysis, etc.

Michigan Tech alumnus HongWen Zhang will give a presentation at the International Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (iNEMI) Packaging Technology Integration Group (TIG) digital meeting on Wednesday. Zhang is R&D Manager of Alloy Group. The story was featured on I-Connect 007. Zhang has a bachelor’s degree in metallurgical physical chemistry from Central South University of China, a master’s degree in materials science and engineering from the Institute of Metal Research, Chinese Academy of Science, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, and a PhD in materials science and engineering from Michigan Tech.

Michigan Tech alumnus Steve Thorburn is the recipient of the Fred Dixon Service in Education Award from the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association (AVIXA). The story was covered by AV Network. Thorburn had dual degrees in electrical engineering and technical theatre.

Michigan Tech alumnus Charles L. Marshall, BS electrical engineering, has been named vice president of Transmission Planning for ITC Holdings Corp. The story was covered in Yahoo Finance and  Benzinga. With a longstanding career at ITC, Mr. Marshall’s responsibilities have ranged from regulatory policy and stakeholder relations to project engineering and business unit planning.

Michigan Tech Alumni Laura and Nate Gentry ’05, were mentioned in the article “‘Heal the Zeel’ campaign rallies community support” in Rapid Growth. The couple owns Tripelroot Restaurant and Brewpub in Zeeland. They have created a menu of “Stay at Home” specials that incorporates ingredients grown by local suppliers. Nate has a BS in Mechanical Engineering and Laura has a BA in Liberal Arts.

Greg Ives hasn’t stepped foot on Michigan Tech’s campus since receiving his bachelor’s degree in December 2003. But during the coronavirus pandemic, Ives, a Hendrick Motorsports NASCAR Cup Series crew chief for Alex Bowman, suddenly found the time to think back on his days in Houghton. Auto racing is the science of engineering coupled with the art and skill of driving. Ives, who studied mechanical engineering at Tech, said he’s been overseeing both elements of his Hendrick Motorsports team while working from home.

Michigan Tech alumnus Steve Durkee was the subject of the article “Legrand Appoints Steve Durkee to Lead Legrand | AV,” in Mondodr. The story was also covered by AV Network. Steve has been with the company since 2004, joining when it was just Chief Manufacturing. He has held a wide range of leadership roles, most recently as Senior Vice President & General Manager of Commercial AV. Earlier in his career, Steve spent 10 years at Graco in Engineering, Product, Marketing and Sales leadership roles. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech and an MBA from the Carlson School of Business at the University of Minnesota.

Michigan Tech alumnus Dhaval Lodaya was featured in the article “SAE International Announces Winners of Second Annual Student and Young Professional Technical Paper Competition,” in Yahoo Finance. Lodaya, Senior Project Engineer, Gamma Technologies LLC, works in system and component level modeling and controls of hybrid electric and electric vehicles. He earned his master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on Electrified Powertrain Controls from Michigan Tech.

Michigan Tech alumnus Martin Lagina ’77, was featured in the article “How Marty Lagina achieved a net worth of $100 million,” in Money Inc. Lagina is a reality television personality, engineer and entrepreneur. His most noteworthy work remains to be in the Curse of Oak Island series where he is not only the producer but also one of the people who fund it. Lagina has a BS in mechanical engineering from Michigan Tech.

Michigan Tech alumnus Huaguang Wang was featured in the Central New York Business Journal. Wang has joined Indium as a research metallurgist. He is responsible for the research and development of high-reliability, low-temperature solders and bonding materials for use in electronics assembly applications. Wang earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in metallurgical engineering from Central South University and his Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Michigan Technological University.

Lisa Larsen, a civil engineer with the U.S. Economic Development Administration, is spotlighted in a guest blog post of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Her position involves projects related to the construction of public infrastructure in communities that are economically distressed. Larsen holds a BS from Michigan Tech in civil engineering.

Michigan Tech alumna Julie Fream ’83, a former member of the University’s Board of Trustees, was quoted in the article “Who is an ‘essential’ employee under order for nonessential workers to stay home?” in Crain’s Detroit Business. Fream holds a BS in chemical engineering. She earned several awards from Michigan Tech, such as the Distinguished Service Award, the Outstanding Service Award, and the Outstanding Young Alumni Award.

Michigan Tech alumna Shannon Tait was quoted in the article “Building a better future: Three women on why they chose the construction industry,” in Epicenter, Mt. Pleasant. Tait works as the Manager of Commercial Projects for Three Rivers Corporation (TRC) and has been with the company for eight years. She attended Michigan Technological University graduating with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering.

Michigan Tech alumnus Rick Smith ’81 was the subject of the article “Canyon Resources strengthens team with appointment of leading bauxite executive,” in Proactive. Smith, a bauxite expert, was named chief development officer of Canyon Resources Ltd. Smith holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in geological engineering from Michigan Tech.

Michigan Tech alumnus Stuart Pann has been named chief executive officer of Bossa Nova, a leading data service provider for global retailers. The store was featured in Benzinga. Pann holds an MBA from the University of Michigan and a BS in electrical engineering from Michigan Technological University.

Michigan Tech alumnus Darryl Babbitt ’08, was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Crawford County (Michigan) Road Commission. He has a BS in civil engineering from Michigan Tech. The story was covered in the Crawford County Avalanche.

Civil Engineering alumna, Jamie Archambeau ’02, was selected as one of 2020 Denver Business Journal’s 40 Under 40. Archambeau is the Director of Transportation Planning West at Atkins.

Michigan Tech alumnus Dr. Jacob Hakkola recently joined the vascular and interventional radiology team at UP Health System-Marquette. The story was covered by the Mining Journal. Dr. Hakkola, an Escanaba native, attended college at Michigan Technological University to major in electrical engineering. As an engineer, he worked to develop MRI-compatible pacemakers and was introduced to the field of radiology.

Michigan Tech alumnus Dan Heldt has been named Chief Financial Officer of LHB in Duluth, Minnesota. The story was covered by Business North. He holds a BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University and an MBA from the University of Michigan.

Michigan Tech alumnus Shawn Vij ’05, was featured in the article “Author, Shawn Vij hits ‘rewind’ on Old Bollywood Values,” on Yahoo.com. He holds an MBA from Purdue University, MS in Engineering from the University of Michigan and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University.

Vij was featured in the article, “Global Business Leader, Shawn Vij Talks About Conscious Capitalism as a New Movement for India Inc.” in Outlook India.

Michigan Tech alumnus Jacob Heck ’05 surveying engineering, was listed in Outlook 2020s 40 under 40. The list was featured in the Dec. 31 issue of xyHt.com.