In celebration of its 25 years at Michigan Technological University, the Enterprise Program has awarded eight inaugural Enterprise Distinguished Service Awards to recognize the dedication and exceptional contributions of advisors and champions who have played pivotal roles in shaping the program’s success. The recipients of the Enterprise Distinguished Service Award are Brett Hamlin, Glen Archer, Rick Berkey, Jason Blough, Brad King, Robert Pastel, Tony Rogers, and Christopher “Kit” Cischke.
Each of the award winners has more than 15 years of service within Enterprise, dedicating their time and expertise to guide teams, ensure student success, and advance the program’s discovery-based learning mission. The eight advisors have also fostered industry collaborations and strengthened the bridge between academia and industry.
This eight-part series highlights the contributions of each award recipient.
Glen Archer, a teaching professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, first came to Michigan Tech as a major in the United States Air Force to work with the University’s AFROTC program. After retiring from military service, Archer stayed on at the University to earn his PhD and eventually joined the faculty. He has served as faculty advisor for the Blue Marble Security Enterprise (BMSE) since 2006.
“The original advisor for BMSE was [former Michigan Tech professor] David Stone,” says Archer. “After 9/11, he thought there would be interest in creating an Enterprise with a homeland security focus, so he basically spun BMSE off of the Wireless Communications Enterprise, which he had helped found and was advising.”
A few years later, when Stone retired from teaching, he asked Archer to step in as BMSE advisor. “He knew I was interested in it,” Archer says. “I have homeland security in my DNA.”
Not only has Archer served as BMSE advisor for nearly 20 years, he’s also stepped up to guide and mentor two other Enterprise groups when they did not have advisors.
“I was the Robotic Systems Enterprise (RSE) advisor from roughly 2015 to 2017 while they looked for a permanent advisor. After a permanent RSE advisor was found, another Enterprise — IT Oxygen — found itself without a faculty advisor. I came in as a joint advisor and advised the group for probably two years.”
Archer has taught circuits and instrumentation for years at Michigan Tech, “but the thing I really enjoy,” he says, “the thing that keeps me coming back, is Enterprise in general and BMSE in particular. I love working with the students, and I enjoy being able to guide their growth and watch them mature from sophomore to junior to senior, and then watch them graduate out into the world. It’s tremendously gratifying.”
During his years advising BMSE, Archer has had some unique experiences.
“There was a project that was a joint undertaking between BMSE and Consumer Products Manufacturing, which is led by Tony Rogers. The project sponsor was Caterpillar, and they wanted us to put together a design for a system that would tell the driver of a wheeled tractor scraper what was going inside the bowl that collected the scraped-off soil. We put together a team, came up with a design, competed in a national competition, and won.”
For Archer, the best part of the experience was watching the students organize. “The crew on that project were some of the finest students I’ve seen,” he says. “One that really stands out is Derek Chopp – he was one of the best hardware guys I’ve ever run across, and he was the financial manager on the project. Ester Buehl, the project manager, was a super organizer. Sandra Cvetanovic and Alexis Dani did a lot of the design work, marshaled resources and got people where they needed to be. It was a tremendous experience, watching them bring home the gold. We were competing against some really, really big schools and we came out on top.”
When he found out he would receive the Enterprise Distinguished Service Award, Archer says he felt grateful for the recognition. “I’m proud of the work that I’ve done with BMSE. This is humbling in a sense because it’s given me an opportunity to reflect back on all the things the students have done over the years — all the work, all the projects — and I’m grateful for all of it. I feel proud to receive the recognition.”
Archer offers up a tip of his hat to the program’s founders: “People like Dave Stone and [Professor Emerita] Sheryl Sorby, they were truly visionaries, and the thing that they created, this Enterprise program, is unique. I’ve seen a lot of programs at a lot of other schools and I’ve never seen anything like our Enterprise program.”
“The Enterprise program is an expression of Michigan Tech’s hands-on focus, and it is one of the very best reasons to come here. You know, every person who comes to Michigan Tech has to drive past a half dozen perfectly fine engineering schools to get here. The Enterprise program and the hands-on focus that is central to a Michigan Tech education are two of the best reasons to drive past those other universities and come up here.”
About the Enterprise Program
Michigan Tech’s Enterprise Program offers students a unique, hands-on learning experience that goes beyond the classroom. With more than 25+ Enterprise teams spanning disciplines such as engineering, business, computing, and science, students collaborate on real-world projects sponsored by industry and government partners. Enterprise students develop technical expertise, leadership skills, and teamwork experience—preparing them for success in their careers. Many teams work on cutting-edge innovations, from automotive and aerospace to sustainability and emerging technologies.
Explore the Enterprise Program experience and see how you can get involved! Follow Michigan Tech Enterprise on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn for the latest updates.