College of Engineering Blog

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It’s Engineers Week 2023!

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It’s Eweek 2023! Join us for some special events on campus at Michigan Tech.

We’re celebrating National Engineers Week (Feb. 19-25). Everyone’s invited to special events on campus sponsored by Tau Beta Pi, the Engineering Honor Society student chapter at Michigan Tech.

Founded by the National Society of Professional Engineers in 1951, Eweek is celebrated each February around the time of George Washington’s birthday, February 22, because Washington is considered by many to be the first U.S. engineer.

At Michigan Tech, the week is celebrated with special events on campus all hosted by student organizations. Everyone is welcome! Please feel free to stop by and check out Eweek events as your schedule allows:

Ever wanted to try your hand in the Michigan Tech Foundry? Make something small, come pick it up later, after it cools!

Monday, Feb. 20
Metal foundry in a box with Materials United, 1-3 PM
M&M Engineering Building U109

Do you know Michigan Tech Mind Trekkers yet? If not, you must!

Tuesday, Feb. 21
Demonstrations with Mind Trekkers, 11AM-1PM
Fisher Hall Lobby

Delicious cake from Roy’s Bakery – a great way to celebrate, relax for a while in the Engineering Fundamentals department, and add a treat to your day.


Wednesday, Feb. 22
E-Week Cake, courtesy of the Department of Engineering Fundamentals, 11AM-2PM
Dillman 112

The Tau Beta Pi “bent” is located on campus at Michigan Tech.

Thursday, Feb. 23
Tau Beta Pi Alumni Panel,
5-6PM
Dow Building, room 0642

Zoom: https://michigantech.zoom.us/j/82536199550

Panelists:

Katelyn Ramthun BME/ME) – Product Engineer at Plexus
Jennifer Larimer (ChemE) – Research Scientist at Dow
Quinn Horn (PhD MSE) – Principal Engineer at Exponent
Tim Obermann (MSEE) – Director of Power Tool Technology at Milwaukee Tool

Learn how to solder your own circuit board—with students in the Blue Marble Security Enterprise, at the team’s headquarters on campus.

Friday, Feb. 24
Circuit Boards with Blue Marble Security Enterprise, 4-6 PM
EERC Building – 0738

One important goal: to motivate youth to pursue engineering careers in order to provide a diverse and vigorous engineering workforce.

Nationwide, Eweek is a formal coalition of more than 70 engineering, education, and cultural societies, and more than 50 corporations and government agencies. This year’s theme: Creating the Future. Dedicated to raising public awareness of engineers’ positive contributions to quality of life, Eweek promotes recognition among parents, teachers, and students of the importance of a technical education and a high level of math, science, and technology literacy. One important goal: to motivate youth to pursue engineering careers in order to provide a diverse and vigorous engineering workforce.

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Ana Dyreson: Solar Energy in Cold Climates

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This single-axis solar photovoltaic system is located at a Michigan Tech’s APS Labs site near Calumet, Michigan.

Ana Dyreson recently shared her knowledge on Husky Bites, a free, interactive Zoom webinar hosted by Dean Janet Callahan. Get the full scoop and register for future sessions of Husky Bites at mtu.edu/huskybites.

Ana Dyreson

Ana Dyreson is an assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics at Michigan Tech. Her work centers on solar and alternative energy—and the impacts of climate change on those systems in the U.S. Great Lakes region through her Great Lakes Energy Group.

“In the last few decades, solar photovoltaics (PV) have become extremely cost-competitive,” she says. “This economic reality, combined with a push for decarbonization of the electric power sector in general, means that large-scale solar PV is growing—not only in traditional southern climates but also in the north where significant snow can reduce power output.”

Joining in on the conversaton were two of Dr. Dyreson’s PhD students at Michigan Tech, Ayush Chutani and Shelbie Davis. Each presented their research on how to better understand just how solar PV systems shed snow, in particular, single-axis tracking systems. They also delved into some of the modeling they’ve done to explore how widespread snow events might impact future power system operations.

“We are energy engineers who work in the context of a changing environment.”

Dr. Ana Dyreson’s Great Lakes Energy Group
Ayush Chutani

Dyreson and her team use energy analysis and grid-scale modeling to study the performance of renewable technologies.

“Our research links power plant-level thermodynamic models, climate models, hydrology models, and electricity grid operation models—all to understand how weather and climate change impact future power systems,” she explains.

Starting last August, Dyreson began conducting research at the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Regional Test Center (RTC), a newly built Michigan Tech facility operated by the Advanced Power Systems Laboratory (APS LABS) at Michigan Tech. Dyreson’s research on single-axis tracking systems is possible thanks to the support of Array Technologies, Inc., who supplied a ten-row, single-axis tracking solar system and continues to partner on research.

To learn more about earning a degree or graduate certificate online, Michigan Tech Global Campus is a good place to start. 

Under the technical oversight of Sandia National Laboratories, the RTC program represents a consortium of five outdoor solar research sites across the U.S. that evaluate the performance and reliability of emerging PV technologies. 

Shelbie Davis

The RTC program gives U.S. solar companies access to these sites and to the technical expertise of Sandia and its academic partners, to drive both product innovation and commercialization of new high-efficiency solar products.

Last December 2022, Dyreson was awarded a grant just shy of $500,000 from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation for a project called “Electrification and Climate Resilience in the Rural North: Challenges and Opportunities.” She’ll be identifying social and technological challenges to resilient and equitable low-carbon electrification. And she’ll be seeking answers to questions on how to best electrify the energy sector while adapting electric power systems to climate change, including this one: Which are the most technically feasible and socially acceptable system pathways?

Dr. Dyreson earned her PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and her MS in Mechanical Engineering at Northern Arizona University. She conducted post-doctoral research in electricity grid modeling at the US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Dr. Dyreson holds a BS in Engineering Mechanics from University of Wisconsin–Madison, and she’s a registered Professional Engineer in Wisconsin.

Shelbie took this photo at Michigan Tech’s new solar energy DOE Regional Test Center.

“I am lucky to work with talented PhD students including Ayush and Shelbie,” says Dyreson. “They each have unique professional backgrounds and personal interests in the work that they do, and it’s fun to see their work unfold.”

“Although we had never met, I sought Ana out as my faculty advisor before I even started at Michigan Tech,” says Shelbie. “I was fascinated by her work with alternative energy systems, specifically solar power. And Ayush has been a great PhD colleague and resource, as he is further in his PhD process and is also focusing on solar energy generation.”

Shelbie is earning her PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Tech remotely, while working as a laboratory manager and instructor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Saint Martin’s University in Lacey, Washington, near Olympia, the state capitol. Within the College of Engineering at Michigan Tech, students can earn a PhD remotely in either Mechanical Engineering or Civil Engineering. 

“I have not yet met Shelbie in person yet but we meet over Zoom calls on a regular basis to share our research progress and goals,” notes Ayush. “ I hope to meet her sometime soon!” 

In November 2021, Ayush was one of a Michigan Tech delegation at the 26th United Nations climate change summit, COP26, in Glasgow, Scotland. In fact, Ayush was previously a guest on Husky Bites to share his experiences at COP26, along with Sarah Green, professor of chemistry at Michigan Tech. 

Then, last November Chutani traveled to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt to attend COP27 again with Dr. Green and the Michigan Tech delegation.

Ayush Chutani takes part in a discussion panel at COP27 (Ayush is third from the right).

“Energy is something you cannot taste, see, or touch, yet it powers our lives—what magic!” 

Ana Dyreson
Dr. Dyreson is passionate about teaching and improving the diversity of Mechanical Engineering as a discipline.

Prof. Dyreson, how did you first get into engineering? What sparked your interest?

From a young age I have been interested in how society manages energy. Following one of my older sisters into engineering was an obvious way to explore this passion, and lead me to mechanical engineering and work on renewable energy and electric power systems.

Hometown, family?

I am from Portage, Wisconsin. I grew up on a south central Wisconsin farm with my parents and three sisters.

Any hobbies? Pets? What do you like to do in your spare time?

I enjoy spending time with my family, especially biking and camping together. I love to run in all weather conditions, by myself or in a group, on road or trail, for fun or for competition—I love to run!

Ayush, how did you first get into engineering? What sparked your interest?

Ayush and co-delegate at COP27

I first got into engineering after looking at my dad’s use of Auto CAD software to make plans for houses since he is a civil engineer and then also the shows on Nat Geo and Discovery channel played a big role in shaping me towards engineering. Also in India, if you are good at science then pretty much you dream to go into IITs which are the best engineering colleges in India so in a way, the path to engineering paved its own way.

Hometown, family?

I am from Faridabad city, which lies south of New Delhi, India, and is a part of NCR (National Capital Region). I have my mom and dad in my family, but no siblings.  

Any pets? What do you like to do in your spare time?

I do not have a pet—yet—but I am thinking of either adopting a cat that looks like a lion (Lion King, and name would be of course Simba) or a corgi, because the queen of England loved them. 

I am a decent cook so food dictates some of my spare time. I also draw and sketch, so as long as I am inspired I will create some art piece. During the rest of the time, I consume a lot of virtual media, like movies, TV shows, Anime, magazines, Reddit discussion forums and yes Youtube. 

Shelbie’s first visit to the shore of Lake Superior

Shelbie, how did you first get into engineering? What sparked your interest?

As a child, I loved puzzles. When the puzzles became too easy, I would flip them over and put them together without the pictures. As I grew up, I enjoyed knowing how things worked, which eventually led me to pursue mechanical engineering. After taking many sustainable engineering classes in college, I was hooked on understanding the complexities of energy generation and electric power systems.

Hometown, family?

I was born in Seattle, Washington. We moved when I was four to Manson, a small town in eastern Washington. At age ten, we moved back to Olympia, Washington where I spent my middle school and high school years with my mom, dad, and my dog. I am an only child.

What do you like to do for fun?

When I am not working at Saint Martin’s University or working on my PhD, I enjoy traveling with my husband and dog, Sunny. We love exploring new places by either doing day trips or weekend trips. I love to see new things and meet interesting people.

Research note:

Dyreson’s research on single-axis tracking systems is part of a project led by Sandia National Laboratories and funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies office Award Number 38527.

Read more:

MTU, Sandia to Cut Ribbon on New DOE Regional Test Center for Emerging Solar Technologies

Watch:

During Husky Bites, Dr Dyreson explains the impacts of snow on high solar-share power systems of the future, from the solar module to the power grid.

Check out the full session of Dr. Ana Dyreson’s Husky Bites webinar.

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Volunteer to Judge at Michigan Tech’s Design Expo 2023

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Save the date! Design Expo will be held on campus at Michigan Tech on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, from 10 am to 2 pm.

Interested in supporting Michigan Tech students as they engage in hands-on, discovery-based learning? Volunteer to serve as a judge at Design Expo 2023.

A finger points at a small student-designed device on a table
More than 1,000 students showcase their team projects at Michigan Tech’s Design Expo, now in its 23rd year.

“We welcome judges from various professions, disciplines, and backgrounds to serve as judge,” says Briana Tucker, Enterprise Program associate director at Michigan Tech.

Now is the time to register to serve as a distinguished judge at Design Expo, coming up on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 from 10 am to 2 pm. This year the annual event will be held in person in two locations on campus at Michigan Tech: the J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library, and the Memorial Union Ballroom.

Hosted by the Enterprise Program and the College of Engineering, Design Expo highlights hands-on, discovery-based learning at Michigan Tech. More than 1,000 students in Enterprise, Senior Design, and other Student Project teams will showcase their work and compete for awards.

In-person judging on the day of the event usually takes about an hour, depending on the number of volunteers.

Who should judge?

Sudents take part at design Expo while at their tables and posters.
A scene from Design Expo 2022
  • Anyone with interest in supporting our students as they engage in hands-on, discovery-based learning
  • Alumni
  • Industry representatives
  • Faculty and staff 
  • Community members

This year, prior to the event on April 18, judges will gain access to a digital gallery of student-created videos, in order to preview the videos prior to judging.

Design Expo 2023 is generously supported by industry and University sponsorship, including over 100 project and program supporters who make a strategic investment in our educational mission at Michigan Tech.

Sign up here to serve as a Distinguished Judge
at Design Expo on April 18, 2023.

Please visit Michigan Tech’s Design Expo Judges and Guests page for more information and to register to judge as soon as possible.

A judge talks to a student while other judges and students look on, at Design Expo
Volunteer judges play an important role at Michigan Tech’s Design Expo.

The Duties of a Design Expo Judge:

  1. Attend Design Expo for about an hour, sometime between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on April 18, 2023, to visit assigned teams.
  2. Review and score assigned team videos via RocketJudge, an online platform prior to the start of Design Expo.
  3. Each judge will be assigned 3-5 teams to score throughout the judging period. 

“Whether a judge or simply a guest, your involvement in Design Expo is greatly valued by our student teams.”

Briana Tucker, The Enterprise Program

Questions? 

Feel free to contact Briana Tucker, Associate Director, Programming and Campus Engagement
The Enterprise Program at bctucker@mtu.edu

Aerial view of the Michigan Tech campus in the late spring.
Did you know that Design Expo at Michigan Tech is now in its 23rd year? Save the date: Tuesday, April 18, 2023!
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Dean’s Teaching Showcase: Pasi Lautala

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Pasi Lautala
Pasi Lautala

The College of Engineering and the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering (CEGE) are pleased to announce Pasi Lautala as the featured instructor for this week’s Deans’ Teaching Showcase.

Lautala will be recognized at an end-of-term luncheon with other spring showcase members, and is a candidate for the next CTL Instructional Award Series.

Lautala is being honored for excellence in teaching across a 20-year effort focused on railway engineering. Because of his passion for rails as a highly energy-efficient mode for land transportation, he established and now manages Michigan Tech’s railway engineering program. The educational aspects of this program benefit students at Michigan Tech and across the nation.

“Dr. Lautala had a vision of a world-class rail engineering program at Tech. Through steadfast determination, Pasi made that happen,” said College of Engineering Dean Janet Callahan. “Because of Pasi’s trailblazing efforts, Tech students can pursue an undergraduate minor in rail transportation. And those who do are highly sought after for employment by rail companies and their contractors on our continent and beyond.”

In addition to the minor he established, Lautala mentors students in the Rail Engineering Activities Club (REAC) at Michigan Tech, reinforcing their curricular experiences with extracurricular activities. Students interact with rail industry professionals to learn even more about train systems and establish important industry contacts. This club is the inaugural student chapter of the American Railway Engineering and Maintenance-of-Way Association (AREMA), the national organization for rail engineering professionals. That the inaugural student chapter was established at Michigan Tech speaks volumes about Lautala’s impact in railway engineering education.

Lautala has also had an enormous impact across the continent. In 2008, he helped establish the Railroad Engineering Education Symposium (REES) under the auspices of AREMA, which he continues to lead. Its purpose is to expand and encourage railway engineering education throughout North America. In 2015, with the help of the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), this was augmented with the passenger-rail symposium (p-REES) to look at issues particular to transit, commuter and inter-city services. Lautala’s vision has led hundreds of faculty members and dozens of universities to incorporate rail engineering into their educational offerings.

“Dr. Lautala is a visionary in rail education and his impact is significant,” said Audra Morse, chair of CEGE. “I have heard about this work through colleagues and department heads around the country. Our students benefit from Pasi’s passion, technical competence and industry connections. The rail program draws students from all over the country to Michigan Tech.”

Lautala has also worked to develop a pipeline of students passionate about rail as an energy-efficient mode of transportation through Michigan Tech’s summer youth program. This has led to the “Tracks to the Future” collaboration with University of Illinois and Penn State Altoona, which, with funding from the Federal Railroad Administration, expands the program and includes these other campuses.

For his impact on education at Michigan Tech and beyond, the College of Engineering is honored to recognize Pasi Lautala in the Deans’ Teaching Showcase.

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SAE Winter Baja Invitational: Driving Innovation from the Ground Up

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Michigan Tech is the home of the Winter Baja Invitational, which recently brought 22 universities and 45 student-built off-road vehicles to campus on January 28, 2023.

Winter Baja is one of the most exciting invitational events in the SAE Collegiate Design Series. It also serves as a frozen dress rehearsal for the official SAE International Baja competitions, which take place each spring and summer in different locations across the country. Student engineers design and build their vehicles from scratch around an SAE-designated engine.

Blizzard Baja, a student-led team, part of Michigan Tech’s award-winning Enterprise program, organizes this event annually—on top of designing and building a new vehicle for entrance into one or more of the national SAE Baja events. 

This year, Winter Baja was held on Saturday, January 28, 2023, near the Student Development Complex at Michigan Technological University. It attracted 45 off-road vehicles from 22 universities, which raced around a one-mile snow/ice circuit course.

The day started with the pickled egg slalom race. This event requires drivers to reach the end of the course, hop out of their vehicle and eat a pickled egg. Then a new driver must jump in the vehicle and drive it back to the starting line. Next was the hill climb race, where vehicles drive as high as possible up the snow bank. 

Michigan Tech Blizzard Baja Enterprise team hosts the SAE Winter Baja Competition every year, and takes part in the competition, as well.

Finally, the main event—the endurance race—started at 10:30 AM as cars gridded up at the starting line. TV6 News reporter Tristan Hendrick covered the event: Michigan Tech hosted annual Baja race to give students work experience.

University of Iowa’s Iowa Baja came in first, with 55 laps around the course. Results of the endurance race are available here: https://winterbaja.enterprise.mtu.edu/downloads/WinterBaja2023FinalLapResults.pdf

Congratulations to The Iowa Baja, University of Iowa, which took first place in the endurance race, completing 55 laps around the course in 3:39:02.
Virginia Tech’s Baja Valkyrie took second, completing 51 laps in 3:39:27.

The Michigan Tech Blizzard Baja Enterprise team is advised by Kevin Johnson, assistant teach professor in the Department of Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology, and Steven Ma, professor of practice in the Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics.

Michigan Tech computer engineering student Rithik Sawant served as this year’s Winter Baja Coordinator. “The 42nd annual Winter Baja Race this year was one of the largest we have ever held,” he said.

“Winter Baja is the ultimate test for your vehicle—we don’t skimp on the difficulty of the track and size of the jumps.”

Rithik Sawant

Michigan Tech’s Baja team has a long history of success in SAE competitions since the 1970s. Students use modern engineering and manufacturing processes to enhance vehicle performance by focusing on reduction of vehicle mass, maximization of drivetrain efficiency, improvement of driver visibility and comfort, and optimization of off-road vehicle handling and maneuverability.

The 2023 SAE Winter Baja Competition events took place around the clock on January 28 at Michigan Tech.

The Winter Baja Invitational pays tribute to the roots of the Baja SAE Collegiate Design Series and began at Michigan Tech in 1981. Michigan Tech professors emeritus Bill Shapton and Larry Evers created the event to provide students with hands-on engineering experience. One of the first baja races led students through beaver dams and sand pits, from the abandoned Keweenaw town of Mandan up to Copper Harbor. It evolved into a global engineering series with annual official SAE collegiate Baja racing events taking place in North America, South Africa, Brazil, and South Korea.

The starting lineup for the endurance race.
MTU Blizzard Baja’s test vehicle, Hornet, competed with a new front suspension system for research and development.

SAE Winter Baja 2023 Event Sponsors

Special thanks to all SAE Winter Baja event sponsors: McLaren Engineering, Milwaukee Tool, TeamTech, Daimler Truck, Kohler, Caterpillar, Pratt Miller, Ford, Professional Fabricating, Extreme Canopy, and locally, Diamond House International, LevelUp, Keweenaw Petroleum Service, Houghton Powersports, Houghton Fire Department, and Superior Search and Rescue.

Winter Baja photography by: Andrew Erickson, Mackenzie Johnson, and Peter LaMantia.

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Time to Give Back to the Pack

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Paws courtesy of Echo, Dean Janet Callahan’s very own Siberian Husky. Meet Echo in the video posted further down in this blog.

Celebrate Winter Carnival 2023 from wherever you are and Give Back to the Pack on Feb. 8–10!

Your gift—big or small—will create an immediate impact on the lives of Michigan Tech students and the community.

Huskies from across the country and globe are coming together during this time-honored Michigan Tech tradition to make a difference in the lives of our 7,000+ students.

Give Back to the Pack starts at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 8 as Winter Carnival recess begins on campus. It ends 48 hours later on Friday, Feb. 10. All giving will be routed through the website: giveback.mtu.edu. Gifts can be made in any amount and to any area of campus. Dozens of exciting giving challenges from departments and individuals across campus will increase the impact of gifts with dollar-for-dollar matches.

Curious to see all the giving challenges? Visit giveback.mtu.edu

In addition to making a gift, you can make a difference by spreading the word about Give Back to the Pack. Sign up to be an official ambassador for the 48-hour giving challenge, or simply tell others through your channels and help us spread the word.

Worth noting: Michigan Tech’s last giving day event was in April 2019 and raised $570,813 from 1,337 gifts.

This event celebrates what makes Tech special: our strong culture of philanthropy among alumni, faculty, staff, students and the community.

Thank you for supporting Michigan Tech. Together we can make a great impact for our University!

Go Huskies!

Play Give Back to the Pack – Days of Giving 2023 video
Preview image for Give Back to the Pack - Days of Giving 2023 video

Give Back to the Pack – Days of Giving 2023

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Tau Beta Pi Honor Society at Michigan Tech Initiates 13 New Members

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Congratulations to our Fall 2022 Tau Beta Pi Initiates! (Not pictured here: Yifan Zhang and Nathan Machiorlatti.)

The College of Engineering inducted 11 students and two eminent engineers into the Michigan Tech chapter of Tau Beta Pi at the end of the Fall 2022 semester.

Tau Beta Pi is a nationally recognized engineering honor society and is the only one that recognizes all engineering professions. Students who join are the top 1/8th of their junior class, top 1/5th of their senior class, or the top 1/5th of graduate students who have completed 50% of their coursework. The society celebrates those who have distinguished scholarship and exemplary character, and members strive to maintain integrity and excellence in engineering.

Fall 2022 Initiates

Undergraduate Students:

Brodey Bevins, Civil Engineering
David Bradbury, Biomedical Engineering
Erin Ganschow, Environmental Engineering
Heather Goetz, Mechanical Engineering
Madison Ide, Biomedical Engineering
Samuel Kuipers, Civil Engineering
Michael Loucks, Mechanical Engineering

Graduate Students:

Anna Li Holey, MS Environmental Engineering
Nathan Machiorlatti, MS Civil Engineering
North Yates, PhD Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
Yifan Zhang, MS Environmental Engineering

Eminent Engineers

Dr. Jin Choi, Professor and Chair, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Dr. Jason Blough, Interim Chair and Distinguished Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

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Jeff Thompson: Making Skis

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Shaggy’s Copper Country Skis are custom designed and built in Michigan, using classic craftsmanship and the most modern technology. 

Jeff Thompson, mechanical engineering alum and partner/engineer/cofounder of Shaggy’s Skis, joins Dean Janet Callahan on Husky Bites, a free, interactive Zoom webinar Monday, 1/30 at 6 pm ET. Learn something new in just 30 minutes or so, with time after for Q&A! Get the full scoop and register at mtu.edu/huskybites.

Jeff Thompson and his family named Shaggy’s Copper Country Skis for their great-uncle Shaggy, and for the former mining region of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula where Thompson attended Michigan Tech.

What are you doing for supper Monday night 1/30 at 6 ET? Grab a bite with Jeff Thompson, Michigan Tech alum and cofounder of Shaggy’s Copper Country Skis. Joining will be Dr. Iver Anderson, senior metallurgist at Ames Lab. He’s an inventor, and fellow Michigan Tech alum.

During Husky Bites, Thompson will share how he started making skis as a kid, continued while still a student at Michigan Tech, and where he is now—creating custom skis for a living.

headshot of Iver
Iver Anderson

Thompson and his brother Jonathon started building skis as a hobby in 2005. Three years later the Thompson family released the first line of Shaggy’s Skis to the public.

Today they still handcraft every pair of skis in their own small factory in Boyne City, Michigan. Each pair of Shaggy’s Skis are custom designed and built with a passion for skiing and craftsmanship combined. At least 80 processes go into making a ski, and Jeff will share much more about them during Husky Bites.

Thompson grew up in South Lyon, Michigan in a family of “makers”—his father was a carpenter. Growing up he and his brother were fortunate to have a workshop to build many things, “from toys to go-carts, and everything in between,” he says.

Testing new skis!

“We were also a ski racing family,” Thompson recalls. “One day after a race, my dad thought it would be cool to put skis on my bike and take it downhill. A few weeks later, he gave me some old skis to cut apart and use for my bike. When I cut them down, I immediately observed how each piece was put together. I thought, ‘Hey, I can make this!’ From that point on, I lured in my brother, Jonathon, and together we started building the tools we needed to start building skis.”

Thompson’s grandparents were from Kearsarge, so he spent a lot of time in the Keweenaw growing up. “I knew from fourth grade on that I would attend Michigan Tech for mechanical engineering,” he says. He now lives in Petoskey, Michigan with his wife, Stephanie Thompson. She earned her BS in Chemical Engineering at Michigan Tech in 2013.

We combine our passion for skiing and craftsmanship so you can make the most out of every day on the snow; whether you’re ripping down perfect corduroy, chasing morning powder, or slashing in the trees.”

Jeffrey Thompson ’12, Shaggy’s Copper Country Skis
Shaggy Skis are known for their fine craftsmanship

Joining Thompson during the Husky Bites session will be fellow MTU alumnus Iver Anderson ’75, a lifelong skier with a keen interest in the making of skis from a materials standpoint. Anderson grew up in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, in a city located just across the Portage Canal from Michigan Tech, Hancock.

Anderson appreciates all the craftsmanship that goes into Shaggy’s Skis. “My father was observant and very particular, for instance, about making furniture and cabinetry. He taught me how to look for quality, the mark of a craftsman, how to sense a thousandth of an inch. I carry that with me today.”

Anderson is a Michigan Tech alum and senior metallurgical engineer at Ames Lab, a US Department of Energy National Lab. A few years ago, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame, for inventing a successful lead-free solder alloy, a revolutionary alternative to traditional tin/lead solder used for joining less fusible metals such as electric wires or other metal parts, and in circuit boards. As a result, nearly 20,000 tons of lead are no longer released into the environment worldwide.

Jeff Thompson (R) and his brother Jonathan Thompson (L)

Jeff, what do you like to in your spare time?

I obviously love to ski! Stephanie and I are currently teaching our two year old daughter to ski (on her own custom skis).

I also love to build things. I just finished building our house with my dad this past summer, from pouring the footings, to setting trusses, and finishing. We did it all.

Iver Anderson skiing up on Mammoth Mountain, California.

Dr. Anderson, when did you first get into engineering? What sparked your interest?

I grew up in Hancock, Michigan, in the Upper Peninsula. Right out my back door was a 40 acre wood that all the kids played in. The world is a beautiful place, especially nature. That was the kind of impression I grew up with. 

Iver enjoys quality time with his grandson in Columbus, Ohio

I earned a Bachelor of Science in Metallurgical Engineering in 1975 from Michigan Tech. It laid the foundation of my network of classmates and professors, which I have continued to expand.

I went on to earn my MS and PhD in Metallurgical Engineering from University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the joined the Metallurgy Branch of the US Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC.

One of my goals was to return to the Midwest, so later I took a position at Ames Lab in 1987. I’ve spent the balance of my research career there, and at Iowa State, ever since.

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Engineering Ambassadors and SWE Host Engineering Day on MLK Day 2023

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MLK Day of Service graphic.

On Martin Luther King Jr. Day, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and Engineering Ambassadors (EA) hosted an Engineering Day at Barkell Elementary in Hancock, Michigan. Students from SWE, EA, Tau Beta Pi and Circle K “made it a day on, not a day off” through introducing kindergarten through fifth grade students to engineering.

Kindergarten and first grade students learned about buoyancy and stability through designing a constructing a foil boat to hold a load. Second and third grade students learned about potential and kinetic energy as they designed and constructed roller coasters for marbles. The fourth and fifth graders were introduced to series circuits as they constructed a BouncyBot.

We thank the Tech students for volunteering and the Barkell Elementary students for their enthusiasm and willingness to learn.

By Jaclyn Johnson, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics and Gretchen Hein, Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology.

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Dean’s Teaching Showcase: Tony Pinar

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Tony Pinar
Tony Pinar

College of Engineering Dean Janet Callahan has selected Associate Teaching Professor Anthony (Tony) Pinar as the first member of this spring’s Deans’ Teaching Showcase.

Pinar will be recognized at an end-of-term luncheon with other spring showcase members, and is a candidate for the next CTL Instructional Award Series.

Capstone design in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), the second-largest department in the College of Engineering, is a complex ecology formed of students, the Enterprise Program office, industry partners, faculty subject matter experts and other departments’ capstone programs. It takes someone very special to be able to balance the interests of all those constituents and maintain a robust educational experience for every possible combination of project, team and sponsor. Pinar manages it with grace and a resolute commitment to excellence. “Almost everything about the class was amazing,” one student commented. “Honestly, I believe this may be the best formatted, run and taught class I’ve taken so far at Tech.” That’s high praise from a tough audience.

The strategy Pinar takes with the ECE Senior Design applies a common framework of tasks and deliverables across all Senior Design teams and allows for relatively autonomous advisor roles. This means that all teams have overall similar capstone experiences, but faculty advisors are able to coordinate, manage and assess their teams using their own individual styles. The framework stresses the importance of objective decision-making, following appropriate engineering standards and communicating engineering problems to other engineers. The common framework also helps ensure that the program meets external assessment criteria (e.g., ABET) and also provides a mechanism for the department to assess a large number of ECE students for program improvement. Jin Choi, ECE department chair, said: “We are proud of the improvements Tony has made to make this a more effective program. The students have really benefited.”

Projects in Senior Design generally challenge the students’ technical skills. Pinar coordinates the ongoing relationships with our industry sponsors and manages expectations when necessary. He has a wealth of industry experience that provides context for the students and informs his individual coaching for students as they navigate the transition between communicating with peers and communicating in a professional environment as engineers. Teams are required to present several times throughout the yearlong project. Pinar has crafted a common rubric that allows faculty, staff and industry sponsors to evaluate the students’ technical approach as well as individual presentation skills. This provides an opportunity for meaningful feedback from a variety of perspectives. This increases the quality of our students’ technical presentation skills, and their communication skills when discussing technical topics with fellow engineers. This quality increase has been noted by our own internal faculty advisors and by members on our External Advisory Committee.

Callahan, in closing, stated: “Dr. Pinar’s hard work and expertise prepares our students for excellence. Through his efforts our graduates are well prepared not only to technically excel, but also to communicate within and beyond their team beginning from the first position they hold.”

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