Enterprise Blog

Highlighting Your Enterprise Experience on Your Resume and to Recruiters

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Join E.B. Mayer and Heather DeJong on Monday, February 19th from 4-5:30pm in M&M 722 as they discuss their experiences mentoring Enterprise teams and recruiting technical talent at various universities. They will also focus on areas of student Enterprise experience that are of particular interest to industry.

E.B. Mayer is an accomplished Agile and DevOps Information Technology transformation strategist and thought leader with over 15 years of experience across multiple industries and fortune 500 companies. Heather is an energetic and experienced IT and Operational leader recognized for developing talent, building strong teams, and driving results across a broad spectrum of capabilities.

This event is open to everyone on campus. Students enrolled in the Enterprise Program or considering joining an Enterprise team are encouraged to attend.

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Spring 2018 Enterprise Scholarship Applications are now Open!

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The Enterprise Program has two scholarship opportunities available for students below.

  1. Carnahan Enterprise Scholarships: The Enterprise Program is now accepting Spring 2018 applications for the Carnahan Enterprise Scholarship. This scholarship is open to Business and Humanities majors who enroll in the Enterprise Program. Please review the scholarship description and application form for details. The deadline for applications is 5pm Friday March 2 (week 7).
  2. Enterprise ‘Above and Beyond’ Scholarships: The Enterprise Program is now accepting Spring 2018 applications for the ‘Above and Beyond’ Scholarship. Formerly the ‘Super Senior’ scholarship, this scholarship has been expanded and aims to recognize Enterprise students whose participation in their team goes above and beyond the norm. The description, eligibility, and application can be found here: EnterpriseScholarshipDoc2. Note the deadline for Spring 2018 is  Wednesday January 24 (Week 2).

Applications should be submitted to:

Rick Berkey

Director, Enterprise Program

722 Minerals and Materials Building

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ArcelorMittal Steel Warehouse Program

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AMLOGO“Steel Warehouse”

ArcelorMittal is the world’s largest steel producer and a sponsor of numerous enterprise and senior design project teams at Michigan Tech. To support a wider range of project teams, ArcelorMittal conceived the “Steel Warehouse” concept to supply steel to student teams throughout the Michigan Tech campus. This program is managed by the Enterprise Program Office in the Pavlis Honors College.

  •  Any enterprise or senior project team may request steel (and only steel) for their project.
  •  To enable support of many teams across campus, requests are limited to $500. Requests > $500 may be considered for approval, depending upon availability of funds and total number of requests received.

**NOTE: The approval and ordering processes have changed.**

Instructions for teams can be found here. A list of preferred steel vendors is provided here.

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AMS Enterprise featured in SAE Update

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Michigan Tech’s Advanced Motorsports Enterprise teams were featured in SAE International’s December issue of SAE Update. Tech students Eric Bauer, Eric Hupf, and Jake Rosio took first place in the Student Night presentation competition on November 2nd held on the University of Wisconsin – Madison campus. Tech’s AMS Enterprise students competed against other SAE collegiate chapters to win cash prizes anywhere from $1,263 to $2,532, as well as travel compensation.  To read more about the competition check out sae.org/update.

Tech's Formula SAE Enterprise car was on display during a portion of the event
Tech’s Formula SAE Enterprise car was on display during a portion of the event
Tech students Eric Bauer (left), Eric Hupf (middle), and Jake Rosio (right) take first place at Student Night
Tech students Eric Bauer (left), Eric Hupf (middle), and Jake Rosio (right) take first place at Student Night
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2nd Annual 3D Printed Aircraft Competition: Registration Deadline Jan. 31

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Graduate and undergraduate individuals and teams from all universities are invited to participate in the 2nd Annual 3D Printed Aircraft Competition hosted at the University of Texas at Arlington.  Dates and prize details are provided below and in the attached flyer.  Rules and online entry are available at www.uta.edu/mae/events.php

 Registration deadline: January 31

Submission deadline: May 313d aircraft comp

Aircraft check-in date: July 13 by 4:00 pm

Fly-off Date: Saturday, July 14

Location: UTA Maverick Stadium

 Fixed Wing Category

All lifting surfaces must remain fixed

  • Altair Most Innovative Design, $1000 (designs must be received by submission deadline)
  • Longest duration flight, first prize, $1000
  • Longest duration flight, second prize, $500

 Rotary Wing Category

A significant proportion of lift is generated by rotation of components or of the entire body

  • Altair Most Innovative Design, $1000 (designs must be received by submission deadline)
  • Longest duration flight, first prize, $1000
  • Longest duration flight, second prize, $500

 Each team must complete an entry form by the January 31, 2018 registration deadline.

 For questions and sponsorship inquiries, contact Robert Taylor (taylorrm@uta.edu) or Ashfaq Adnan (aadnan@uta.edu)

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Fifth Annual Rekhi Innovation Challenge Underway

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The fifth annual Rekhi Innovation Challenge kicked off on November 10th. Three Enterprise teams are competing for funding this year: Blue Marble Security, BoardSport Technologies, and Velovations. The Rekhi Challenge is a crowdfunding competition to help promote and support student innovation and entrepreneurship through Michigan Tech’s crowdfunding site, Superior Ideas. The team that raises the most money will receive a monetary match of up to $5,000. Monetary awards for total number of unique visitors, total number of unique funders, most social media engagement, most creative marketing plan, and the first team to raise $1,000 will also be presented to teams at the conclusion of the competition.

Superior Ideas was established in 2012 to help bring university research and public service projects to life. The site uses crowdfunding to raise money and awareness for university research and public service projects that may not qualify for grant funding. The Rekhi Innovation Challenge was developed in collaboration with the Enterprise Program Office and the Vice President for Research Office with support from Michigan Tech alumnus and longtime donor Kanwal Rekhi. Rekhi, a Silicon Valley-based entrepreneur, earned his master’s degree in electrical engineering from Michigan Tech in 1969.

Enterprise teams that have participated in past challenges include Innovative Global Solutions, Robotics Systems, Supermileage Systems, Aerospace, Blizzard Baja, GEAR and Open Source Hardware. Velovations took first place in the last competition with $2,550 in donations and a match of $2,550 from Rekhi, bringing the grand total to $5,100 in funding for their RENEW-U project. RENEW-U is an ergometer for wheelchair users to exercise upper-extremity muscles in order to improve strength and mobility. Over the last four years, the Rekhi Innovation Challenge has provided over $58,000 in support for 23 different student projects, attracting 267 unique donors.

For this year’s Rekhi Innovation Challenge, Blue Marble Security Enterprise is raising money to reach out to various community members and groups to increase interest in STEM fields among middle and high school students, particularly women. BoardSport Technologies wants to develop a SmartBoard that will track snowboarders via GPS and REECO location to ensure a speedy rescue if caught in an avalanche or lost. Velovations Enterprise is working with a local trails club to design and build a multi-purpose trail groomer with modular parts that can be swapped in the field to accommodate varying conditions.

Blue Marble Security team photo
Blue Marble Security team photo
BoardSport Technologies' SmartBoard
BoardSport Technologies’ SmartBoard
Velovations' Snow Trail Groomer
Velovations’ Snow Trail Groomer

If you’d like to learn more about any of these projects or donate, please visit Superior Ideas. The Rekhi Innovation Challenge will run through March 31, 2018. Help support student innovation and entrepreneurship at Michigan Tech by making a donation today.

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ITOxygen Enterprise Awarded Additional $10,000 Bonus Funding in Ford C3 Go Further Challenge

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From left: Russ Louks, Paul Torola, Zack Lewis, Sarah Blum and Brandon King accepting their check for $10,000 in grant funding
From left: Russ Louks, Brandon King, Zack Lewis, Sarah Blum and Paul Torola accepting a check for $10,000 in additional grant funding from Ford Motor Fund

Michigan Tech’s ITOxygen Enterprise was one of just ten teams nationwide named as winners of the Ford College Community Challenge, sponsored by the Ford Motor Company Fund. The team was chosen to receive $25,000 in grant money to implement a project working with a local non-profit organization. Following the initial selection process, ITOxygen (ITO) was invited to compete in the 10th Anniversary Go Further bonus round challenge. Representing the Enterprise team, Sarah Blum, Brandon King, Paul Torola, and Zack Lewis, traveled to the Ford world headquarters in Dearborn, MI to compete for a Ford vehicle and additional project funding. The team placed third overall and was awarded an additional $10,000 in grant funding for their project.

Sarah Blum presenting in Dearborn, MI
Sarah Blum presenting in Dearborn, MI

Building upon a Michigan Tech Alumnus’ support for Enterprise teams to engage with local community non-profits that benefit the elderly, ITOxygen’s project is focused on increasing the mobility of the elderly community in the Upper Peninsula. Specifically, the project intends to address issues related to inefficiencies in the medical transport services provided by Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly, in Hancock. ITO’s student team met with representatives from Little Brothers this week to discuss the implementation of their proposed medical transportation system and potential uses for the additional $10,000.

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ITOxygen students meet with Little Brothers Executive Director Cathy Kass-Aten and other representatives from the non-profit

Aiming at achieving the goal of Little Brothers of relieving isolation and loneliness among the elderly, along with the goals of the Ford C3, the team is developing a medical transportation management system. Currently, Little Brothers has limited flexibility to adapt to frequently changing schedules. This ITOxygen-developed system would allow for efficient utilization of Little Brothers’ volunteer network and resource pool. The management system will create a more flexible and adaptable service, ultimately allowing for the local elderly community to retain their independence and remain in their own homes and still have access to reliable transportation for medical care.

Russ Louks, a professor of practice in Tech’s School of Business and Economics is the advisor for Tech’s team. He explained how the project came about, “Being the advisor for the ITOxygen Enterprise has been an incredible opportunity for me to watch the students grow and mature into IT professionals that can deliver projects that add value to an organization. The Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly project, along with the Ford C3 grant and support from an alumnus, takes that a step further. It gives us the opportunity to deliver a project that will have a lasting impact on our community. As our population ages, it is so important that we provide ways for them to stay active in the community, and this project will provide Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly with the tools necessary to assist them for many years to come.”

Rick Berkey, Director of the Enterprise Program at Michigan Tech, highlighted the educational impact of this partnership. “The Ford Motor Company Fund serves as a catalyst for ‘making lives better’ by connecting unmet community needs with financial resources, with students serving as the vital link between the two. What a rewarding opportunity for students in the ITOxygen Enterprise to be able to harness their ideas, energy, and talents for the benefit of our local elderly community. The Ford C3 program’s hands-on approach to building sustainable communities aligns well with the Enterprise Program’s team-based, experiential learning model.” 

From left: Sarah Blum, Zack Lewis, Paul Torola, and Brandon King
From left: Sarah Blum, Zack Lewis, Brandon King, and Paul Torola

This was the tenth year of the Ford College Community Challenge (Ford C3). This year’s theme was “Making Lives Better.” Ford C3 is designed to empower college students to develop community-building projects that address local need. Ford C3 works with partners in higher education that are focused on the critical areas of science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM). Each year up to ten grants are awarded to proposals that identify an unmet community need tied to one of three areas: Driving Social Mobility, Changing the Way People Move through Smart Mobility and Building Sustainable Communities.

About Ford College Community Challenge

Through the Ford College Community Challenge, Ford Motor Company Fund aims to support colleges and universities as they work with students to design and develop tangible community projects that address critical local needs in new ways, with a focus on helping the community become a more sustainable place to work and live.

About Ford Motor Company Fund:

Ford Motor Company Fund is the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company. Ford Fund works with community and global partners to advance education, safe driving and community life. Ford Motor Company Fund has operated for more than 67 years with ongoing funding from Ford Motor Company. Ford Driving Skills for Life is free, interactive, hands-on safety training focused on skill development and driving techniques, while addressing inexperience, distractions and impaired driving. Innovation in education is encouraged through Ford Blue Oval Scholars, Ford Driving Dreams, Ford Next Generation Learning and other innovative programs that enhance high school learning and provide college scholarships and university grants. The Ford Volunteer Corps enlists more than 30,000 Ford employees and retirees each year to work on local projects that strengthen their communities and improve people’s lives in more than 40 countries around the world. For more information, visit https://www.fordblueovalnetwork.org/medical-transportation-management-system-michigan-technological-university.

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Enterprise Student Lands Position with Boston Scientific in Ireland

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By Amy Karagiannakis

The Enterprise Program at Michigan Tech has increasingly gained national recognition for its ability to provide students with the experiential training and real-world problem-solving that industry wants. Recruiters at the Career Fair recognize Enterprise as a program that prepares undergraduate students for careers in industry by focusing on collaboration, cross-functional teamwork, and leadership. That recognition has expanded to a global level, with the recent job offer to Enterprise student Mario Calabria from Boston Scientific’s facility in Galway, Ireland.

Mario Calabria is a member of the Innovative Global Solutions (IGS) Enterprise and a Mechanical Engineering student at Michigan Tech. IGS focuses on designing affordable products for developing countries through research, reverse engineering, and testing. Members of IGS will take an idea from initial concept to final product through interdisciplinary teamwork and human-centered design thinking. By working with other organizations and programs on campus such as the Pavlis Honors College Global Leadership Pathway, Peace Corps, and International Senior Design, IGS team members are able to personally deliver and implement their products in country.

IGS team photo. Mario Calabria is pictured at the far right.
IGS team photo. Mario Calabria is pictured at the far right.

Calabria collaborated on an IGS project to redesign a low cost ventilator for deployment in third world countries. A typical ventilator costs tens of thousands of dollars and is not a feasible option in economically poorer regions of the world. Calabria, along with his IGS teammates, have been developing a ventilator that performs the same basic life-saving functions, but at a much more affordable price of under $2000. The current IGS team continues to improve on and enhance the ventilator through collaboration with a Ghanaian University and hospital.

IGS at Tech's annual Design Expo. Calabria is first from the left.
IGS at Tech’s annual Design Expo. Calabria is first from the left.

Calabria highlighted his Enterprise experience while he was seeking to secure an internship with Boston Scientific, “I learned a lot about myself, how to motivate people, how to set group goals, and how to move everybody in the same direction at the same pace.” The leadership role that Calabria took on through the IGS project work was of particular interest to the recruiters at Boston Scientific. Calabria accepted the internship last summer, which allowed him to get to know Boston Scientific employees and expand his professional network beyond the Michigan Tech campus.

Calabria’s mother was born and raised in Galway, Ireland, and following the internship with Boston Scientific, Calabria and his family were getting ready to travel to Galway for a family reunion. Calabria reached out to some of his contacts at Boston Scientific and was offered the opportunity to interview and tour the facility in Galway, Ireland. Following the interview, Boston Scientific offered Calabria a full time position in Ireland serving the cardiovascular group that manufactures drug-eluting and biliary stents. Calabria recalls speaking about his Enterprise experience during the interview process, “I do think it played a significant role in my being offered a position.”

Calabria is also a lieutenant on the Michigan Tech Emergency Medical Services (EMS) team. Calabria’s EMS training was put to the test last Thanksgiving when his father suffered a heart attack while mountain biking the Tech trails. Calabria’s quick thinking and the responsiveness of the Tech EMS team saved Mark Calabria’s life. Mario Calabria is expected to graduate this December and is looking forward to his future career with Boston Scientific in Galway, Ireland.

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Michigan Tech’s ITOxygen Enterprise receives grant from Ford Motor Company Fund

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An Enterprise team from Michigan Tech is one of just ten teams nationwide named as winners of the Ford College Community Challenge, sponsored by the Ford Motor Company Fund. Tech’s ITOxygen Enterprise was chosen to receive $25,000 in grant money to implement a project working with a local non-profit organization.

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This is the tenth year of the Ford College Community Challenge (Ford C3). This year’s theme is “Making Lives Better.” Ford C3 is designed to empower college students to develop community-building projects that address local need. Ford C3 works with partners in higher education that are focused on the critical areas of science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM). Each year up to ten grants are awarded to proposals that identify an unmet community need tied to one of three areas: Driving Social Mobility, Changing the Way People Move through Smart Mobility and Building Sustainable Communities.

Building upon a Michigan Tech Alumnus’ support for Enterprise teams to engage with local community non-profits that benefit the elderly, ITOxygen’s project is focused on increasing the mobility of the elderly community in the Upper Peninsula. Specifically, the project intends to address issues related to inefficiencies in the medical transport services provided by Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly, in Hancock.

Aiming at achieving the goal of Little Brothers of relieving isolation and loneliness among the elderly, along with the goals of the Ford C3, the team is seeking to develop a medical transportation management system. Currently, Little Brothers has limited flexibility to adapt to frequently changing schedules. This ITOxygen-developed system would allow for efficient utilization of Little Brothers’ volunteer network and resource pool. The management system will create a more flexible and adaptable service, ultimately allowing for the local elderly community to retain their independence and remain in their own homes and still have access to reliable transportation for medical care.

Russ Louks, a professor of practice in Tech’s School of Business and Economics is the advisor for Tech’s team. He explained how the project came about, “Being the advisor for the ITOxygen Enterprise has been an incredible opportunity for me to watch the students grow and mature into IT professionals that can deliver projects that add value to an organization. The Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly project, along with the Ford C3 grant and support from an alumnus, takes that a step further. It gives us the opportunity to deliver a project that will have a lasting impact on our community. As our population ages, it is so important that we provide ways for them to stay active in the community, and this project will provide Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly with the tools necessary to assist them for many years to come.”

Rick Berkey, Director of the Enterprise Program at Michigan Tech, highlighted the educational impact of this partnership. “The Ford Motor Company Fund serves as a catalyst for ‘making lives better’ by connecting unmet community needs with financial resources, with students serving as the vital link between the two. What a rewarding opportunity for students in the ITOxygen Enterprise to be able to harness their ideas, energy, and talents for the benefit of our local elderly community. The Ford C3 program’s hands-on approach to building sustainable communities aligns well with the Enterprise Program’s team-based, experiential learning model.” 

About Ford College Community Challenge

Through the Ford College Community Challenge, Ford Motor Company Fund aims to support colleges and universities as they work with students to design and develop tangible community projects that address critical local needs in new ways, with a focus on helping the community become a more sustainable place to work and live.

About Ford Motor Company Fund:

Ford Motor Company Fund is the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company. Ford Fund works with community and global partners to advance education, safe driving and community life. Ford Motor Company Fund has operated for more than 67 years with ongoing funding from Ford Motor Company. Ford Driving Skills for Life is free, interactive, hands-on safety training focused on skill development and driving techniques, while addressing inexperience, distractions and impaired driving. Innovation in education is encouraged through Ford Blue Oval Scholars, Ford Driving Dreams, Ford Next Generation Learning and other innovative programs that enhance high school learning and provide college scholarships and university grants. The Ford Volunteer Corps enlists more than 30,000 Ford employees and retirees each year to work on local projects that strengthen their communities and improve people’s lives in more than 40 countries around the world. For more information, visit https://www.fordblueovalnetwork.org/medical-transportation-management-system-michigan-technological-university.

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Aerospace Enterprise goes to Small Sat

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By Amy Karagiannakis

Student representatives from Michigan Tech’s Aerospace Enterprise recently traveled to Utah to attend the 31st annual Small Satellite Conference. Michigan Tech Aerospace is a collection of research, development, and educational laboratories dedicated to advancing spacecraft technology. The AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites or Small Sat, as it is commonly referred to, is held annually at the Utah State University campus in Logan, Utah. The conference was established in 1987 to provide a forum for people from the military, science, and academic fields to discuss small satellites and advancements in small spacecraft technology. Although there is no standard for what satellite is considered ‘small’, it is generally accepted to include any satellites weighing up to 250 kg or approximately 550 lbs.

IMG-1IMG-5Helayna Barrett, Richard Bennet, Jared Burbey, Joe Chen, Trevor Cretney, Mitch Dzikowicz, Marcello Guadagno, Michael Patrick, Davis Russcher, and Sarah Wade were among the Aerospace Enterprise students that attended the conference August 5th-10th. This group of students borrowed a Tech van to drive across the country 26 hours to Small Sat. They were able to make pit stops at Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks along the way.IMG-4

Small Sat is internationally recognized and attracts 800 organizations, 190 commercial exhibits, and students from 24 different universities. While at the conference, Burbey and Guadagno presented to a crowd of approximately 200 students and reviewers from the aerospace industry on one the team’s current missions, Auris Microsatellite. Auris, which is latin for “the ear”, listens to radio frequency emissions from spacecraft in a high orbit and spatially maps the power radiated from these satellites to analyze how it will impact ground receivers. Funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory’s University Nanosatellite Program, Auris is a small, low-cost technology demonstrator that is designed to monitor and attribute telecommunications signals that may interfere with a congested space environment.

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Small Sat provided an excellent environment for Aerospace students to network with potential vendors and stakeholders from across the industry, as well as some Tech and Enterprise alumni. This year’s keynote speaker was Robert Cardillo, Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). Conference attendees were also given the opportunity to tune into talks from U.S. astronauts via a live International Space Station stream. Social events during and after conference hours provided students with numerous opportunities to network with industry professionals and scholars. “It was a reverse career fair for us. Companies at times reached out to us, asking our team members to apply,” shared Marcello Guadagno.

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Overall, students really enjoyed the conference, found it to be a rewarding experience, and worth the long road trip. Dr. Brad King, Aerospace Enterprise Faculty Advisor, plans to send students back to Small Sat next year to reconnect and explore potential new projects for the team.

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