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.
Director, Space Systems Research Group
Brad King, the Richard and Elizabeth Henes Endowed Professor of Space Systems in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, joined the Michigan Tech faculty in 2000, when the Enterprise program was in its infancy. Not long after King’s arrival on campus, a group of students familiar with his space-related research approached him with an idea.
“They said there are a bunch of students at Michigan Tech who want to learn how to build satellites,” King remembers. “Not only did they want to build satellites, they had the idea to turn their projects into an Enterprise, and they asked me if I would advise them. I’ve been with the group since its founding, but the original idea was theirs. Aerospace Enterprise was truly started by students.”
King says his favorite part of working with the Enterprise team stems from the multiyear format of the program. “By far, the best part of advising is the prolonged three-year contact I have with the members of the team. We get to tackle much more ambitious projects than we would in a typical classroom environment. I get to know the students, they get to know me, and I can mentor them and see how they progress. When they start with Enterprise, they’re usually sophomores who can handle some of the team’s more entry-level functions, and that’s it. By the time they’re seniors, they’re basically running the program. They manage projects, handle budgets, and interact with sponsors. It’s fun to watch, and very rewarding.”
King says his years in Enterprise have gone by fast, but he has “quite a few” standout memories. “Just a couple years after the Aerospace Enterprise was formed, we were searching for projects and funding, and we won an award from the Air Force Research Lab for what became HuskySat (a spacecraft designed to perform passive L‐band radiometry to document soil moisture). We were competing with schools like MIT and the University of Michigan, which are known for their space programs. That’s when we really felt like we were on the map.”
Another prized memory for King came in January 2011 when the Aerospace Enterprise team took first place in the University Nanosat 6 competition, earning the rare privilege of having the Department of Defense launch the team’s custom-made satellite into orbit. The team received a two-year contract from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research to prepare the satellite for launch and construct a ground control station on campus. Repeated delays postponed the launch, but on June 25, 2019, the student-built Oculus-ASR nanosatellite rode the SpaceX Falcon Heavy from Cape Canaveral Pad 39A into orbit.
“Because the project had taken longer than the initial two-year contract, there were students involved who had since graduated,” King says. “But when everything culminated in the launch, alumni came out in full force for the event. We met at the Cape and watched the launch together. It was really the pinnacle of all the hard work the Aerospace Enterprise had done up to that point.”
“There are now more than 100 students in the Aerospace Enterprise. And because of the Enterprise, Michigan Tech has a long history of winning Air Force Research Lab and NASA competitions, and those same research labs are now populated by Michigan Tech alumni. These government agencies hire our students, and our students are now running the programs. It’s really come full circle, and it’s a large part of the reason why Michigan Tech’s aerospace program is nationally recognized.”
When King learned he had been recognized with the Enterprise Distinguished Service Award, he took a moment to reflect. “I’d actually lost track of how many years we’ve been running it,” he says with a laugh. “An award like this means you’ve been at it for a long time. It’s so rewarding — when the Aerospace Enterprise started, we didn’t know what we’d do or whether it would be successful. Now, there are University buses around the city with a big graphic on the side, and that graphic is a satellite. The University is now known for this — known for our space research — and we did that. The Aerospace Enterprise did that. And it all started two decades ago with an idea that came from the students.”
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.
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