Author: Brittany Buschell

Addison Goecker Wins Poster Award at AIPG Meeting

Addison Goecker, an applied geophysics senior at GMES, presented her research at the AIPG Michigan Section end-of-year meeting in Ann Arbor on December 8, 2022. Addison’s poster “Tectonically Versus Magmatically Accommodated Extension at Different Mid-Ocean Ridges and Ridge Segment Offsets” won her $500.00 in the student poster contest. Addison worked on this research during her summer internship at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa (Honolulu) with Prof. Garrett Apuzen-Ito and Dr. Jana Schierjott. Congratulations, Addison!

Addison Goecker at her award-winning poster. 
Addison Goecker discusses her poster with Chuck Graff (MS Geology ‘91), a Senior Geologist with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.
Addison Goecker (right) with David Adler (Geology ‘82), the industry sponsor of the GMES AIPG Student Chapter, and Sienna Meekhof (Mining Engineering ‘21).

Congratulations Graduates!

Commencement at Michigan Tech–it’s coming up on December 17, 2023

The Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences would like to congratulate our Class of 2022 Summer and Fall graduates. We are proud of you and wish you the very best of luck in your next chapter. 

Summer 2022

  • Brock Howell – MS Geological Engineering, advised by Dr. John Gierke
Brock Howell
Brock Howell
  • Nelmary Rodriguez Sepulveda – MS Geology, advised by Dr. Simon Carn
Nel Rodriguez Sepulveda

Fall 2022

  • Poorva Kadrolli – MS Mining Engineering, advised by Dr. Snehamoy Chatterjee
Poorva Kadrolli
Poorva Kadrolli
  • Emily (Street) Voght – BS Mining Engineering
Emily (Street) Voght
Emily (Street) Voght
  • Fletcher McGuire – BS Applied Geophysics
Fletcher McGuire
  • Austin Riggs – BS Applied Geophysics
Austin Riggs

Beth Bartel Receives the NAGT Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award

Beth Bartel, a geology doctoral student at the Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences Department, receives the NAGT Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award. NAGT recognizes outstanding teaching assistants in geoscience education.

“Teaching at Tech has been a fantastic learning experience. GMES assigned me to courses I could contribute to from my particular academic and professional experience—and yet, I have learned how much more I still have to learn in these subjects, through the planning of courses, the lead instructors, grading, and the students,” Bartel says.

“Coming into my PhD, I was curious whether I would enjoy teaching a semester-long course after having only recently taught short courses and workshops,” she adds.

“I love it!

“I appreciate being able to support students, come up with creative ways to engage students, and take time to explore material together.”

Beth Bartel pictured at Fuego Volcano, Guatemala.

MTU Students Receive DeCleene Scholarships from the Copper Country Rock and Mineral Club

Pictured left to right: Elliz McClelland, Sam Johnson, and George Schriver, president, Copper Country Rock and Mineral Club.

Geology majors Elliz McClelland, a senior, and Sam Johnson, a junior, were awarded the DeCleene Memorial Scholarship by the Copper Country Rock and Mineral Club (CCRMC). This scholarship is for students in the Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences at Michigan Tech who have demonstrated academic achievement, and best exemplify the blending of mineralogy and mineral collecting as both a hobby and an educational pursuit.

This fund was established in memory of Nathan DeCleeene, a geological engineering student and an active member of the CCRMC.

Eight new members inducted to GMES Academy

The Michigan Tech Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences (GMES) inducted eight alumni into the GMES Academy on October 14, 2022. Held in the Great Lakes Research Center overlooking the fall foliage, sixty-two people were in attendance at the invite-only induction ceremony, including faculty, staff, current Academy members, and select students. The Academy honors alums who have made a significant impact in their professions and others who have made extraordinary contributions to the department’s advancement.

Celebrations continued on October 15 with a tour of the A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum led by curator Dr. John Jaszczak, followed by a pasty luncheon and apple pressing hosted by the Gierke Blueberry Farm.

The 2022 GMES Academy members include:

David Adler ‘82 B.S. Geology
Daniel Farrell ‘60 B.S. Mining Engineering
Mary Herrmann-Foley ‘83 B.S. Geological Engineering
Terre Lane ‘82 B.S. Mining Engineering
Julie (Varichak) Marinucci ‘02 B.S. Mining Engineering
Richard Saccany ‘71 B.S. Mining Engineering
Brian Schwanitz ‘77 B.S. Applied Geophysics
Todd Stone ‘85 B.S. Geological Engineering

Congratulations on your well-deserved recognition to Dave, Dan, Mary, Terre, Julie, Rich, Brian, and Todd. You are all an inspiration to all of us!

GMES gives special thanks to those who made the event possible: MUB Catering, Great Lakes Research Center, Copper Island Engraving, Jim’s Foodmart, Audra Morse, Shelle Sandell, John Jaszczak, A.E. Seaman Mineral Museum, Protea Floral, Roy’s Bakery, Tony’s Kitchen, John & Lynn Gierke, and Dean Callahan’s support and high-level snapshot into the future of Michigan Tech.

Jacob Maxon Receives Lord Bagri Scholarship

Jake Maxon pictured at Adventure Mine

Jake Maxon, a fourth-year mining engineering student at the Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences, has received the prestigious Lord Bagri Scholarship from The Copper Club for the 2022-23 academic year. This $15,000 scholarship was endowed in honor of Lord Bagri, who was the longest-serving chairman in the history of the London Metal Exchange, and unfortunately passed away in 2017. Through this program, the copper industry identifies and recognizes exceptional individuals who have excelled in the study of mining and metallurgy.

The Copper Club, Inc, formed in 1944, is the leading organization for networking, educational grants, and events for those who support the copper industry. The Copper Club Scholarship Fund provides scholarships to students majoring in geoscience or other fields related to producing copper or copper products. A $15,000 award goes to one student who shows exceptional merit demonstrated by excellent grades, with a necessity for financial aid.

GMES Professors Ranked Among the Top Scientists in 2022

Numerical indices support what every volcanologist knows: Bill Rose ranks among the top scientists in 2022. Research.com compiles and analyzes publication data, including citations and h-index of scholars worldwide. In the Earth science field, over 6,400 scientists were evaluated, and professor emeritus Bill Rose is ranked 97th in the U.S. and 179th globally.

Bill came to Michigan Tech after obtaining his Ph.D. in geology at Dartmouth College. His graduate studies included field studies of active volcanoes across Pacific Latin America. The eruption of Mt. St. Helens in 1980 brought his expertise to the forefront in the US, and the geology graduate program grew in terms of number and reputation. His entire career, save for sabbaticals, has been at Michigan Tech, where he has supervised 23 Ph.D. and 57 M.S. students. He has authored and co-authored over 200 publications, which as of this ranking, were cited in more than 16,000 other publications, yielding an h-index of 81.

Bill served as chair of the GMES department from 1990 to 1998. After returning to faculty full-time, he led the development of two international programs that greatly impacted the international reputation of the department. Every volcano observatory in the US has Ph.D. scientists on staff who are former students of Bill. If you walk into a volcano observatory around the world wearing a Michigan Tech emblem, invariably, someone will ask if you “know Bill Rose.”


Professor Simon Carn in the field at Kilauea volcano (Hawaii) in 2018 (with lava in the background).

Also recognized for his contributions to Earth sciences is GMES professor, Simon Carn, who is ranked 849th in the U.S. and 1,929 globally. Simon’s work has 8,021 citations in the areas of volcanology, remote sensing, and volcanic degassing.

https://research.com/scientists-rankings/earth-science

GMES Student Travels with Women in Physics

Geophysics Ph.D. student Gabriel Ahrendt recently participated in an outreach activity at the Gwinn HS organized by Michigan Tech Women in Physics. On April 28th, he and the six other chapter members visited Daniel Kelpela’s junior and senior physics classes to give presentations on each member’s research and their particular concentrations in physics— including geophysics, atmospheric physics, applied physics, materials science, and astrophysics.

Gabriel presented his research on using rock magnetism for mineral exploration, structural mapping, and tectonic studies using paleomagnetism, as well as the timing of the Earth’s early inner core formation.

Gabriel Ahrendt presenting to high school students.

The 70 high schoolers received a basic rundown of the researchers’ projects, including a basic synopsis of the topic, methodology, and raison d’etre. Here, the students received some insight into applied and theoretical physics research such as magnetic geodynamo,  simulations of ice nucleation and cloud seeding, phone battery design and production of synthetic magnets, studies on the effect of airborne particulates on climate, and the search for dark energy. 

During the demonstrations, the students were able to ask more personal questions of the researchers and share their interests after finishing high school. A few showed interest in attending Michigan Tech for geology and geophysics!

After the presentations, the students walked around to 10 different demonstrations of basic physical principles ranging from concepts like static friction — where two students tried to rip apart two phonebooks connected by having their pages intercalated,  to concepts like resonance, where they made water vibrate through the audible properties of a brass bowl. Other demos included showing optical principles of diffraction through laser pointers diffracting off of CDs and DVDs, and conservation of momentum while spinning. Gabriel presented principles of rock magnetism by differentiating magnetic minerals by measuring their susceptibility and physical properties. 

Gabriel’s Ph.D. research is supported by the USA National Science Foundation and the US Geological Survey. He is advised by Dr. Aleksey Smirnov.  

Pictured left to right, back to front:
Tong Gao, Elise Rosky, Oindabi Mukherjee, Sushree Dash, Rita Wilson, James Turkovich, Shreya Joshi, Gabriel Ahrendt, Miraj Kayastha

Congratulations Spring 2022 Graduates

We are pleased to announce our Spring graduates. We are proud of you and wish you the best of luck in your next chapter.


Rachel Heatherington

Rachel Hetherington, Ph.D. Geology, advised by Chad Deering

Currently working as a coordinator in Michigan Tech’s Great Lakes Research Center, Rachel plans to enjoy no longer being a student and see what opportunities arise along the way. When asked what part of attending MTU has been the most memorable, Rachel says it’s been the people and connections she’s made. Plus, she met her husband here!


Emily Gochis

Emily Gochis, Ph.D. Geology, advised by John Gierke

Emily serves as the Western UP MiSTEM Network Director and the Program Director for the Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative- serving the five-county region of the WUP (Houghton, Baraga, Ontonagon). For the time being, she’s continuing with that work. Emily had this to share when asked what’s been the most memorable part of her time here, “GMES is a great family. I appreciate the opportunities to interact with the students and faculty both in and out of school. I also enjoyed how connected the different departments and colleges are on campus.” 


Abi Raetz

Abi Raetz, M.S. Geological Engineering, advised by John Gierke

After graduation, Abi will be working as a design engineer for Sustainable Streams, LLC, designing treatments for rivers, wetlands, and stormwater systems. Being a member of the Mont. Ripley Ski Patrol has been a consistent highlight of her time at MTU.


Jordan Ewing

Jordan Ewing earns a Master’s in Data Science on the way toward his Ph.D. in Computational Science and Engineering under the advising of Dr. Thomas Oommen.

His research work is in machine learning and remote sensing of soils for mobility, autonomy, and terramechanics applications. He has also received the SMART Scholarship and will continue on with his sponsoring facility after completing his PhD in Computational Science and Engineering.


Breeanne Heusdens pictured with a calcite vein in the Keweenaw

Breeanne Heusdens, M.S. Geological Engineering, advised by Radwin Askari

The second degree Breeanne has earned from the GMES department; her master’s comes after a bachelor’s in applied geophysics she earned in the spring of ’21. Breeannee leaves us to join the workforce in a geologist position with BLN.


Josh Breggar

Josh Breggar, M.S. Geology, advised by Luke Bowman

After graduation, Josh will be working as the Minerals and Geology Assistant and Caribou-Targhee National Forest. The most memorable part of attending MTU for Josh has been all of the explorations that he’s been able to do as there are so many great beaches for rock hunting and trails for hiking up here.


Kassidy O’Connor, MS Geophysics, advised by Thomas Oommen

After graduation, Kassidy will be moving to New Jersey to work as a geologist for Arcadis. Winter Carnival goes down as one of her most memorable experiences while here.

Kassidy O’Connor

Jacob Bonessi, MS Geology, advised by Chad Deering


Olivia Salvaggio stands on top of Mont Ripley

Olivia Salvaggio, B.S. Applied Geophysics

Olivia hopes to become a field geophysicist and is currently looking at options to complete her goal. Whether graduate school or a job, she knows she is well equipped for any opportunity that comes her way. The Michigan Tech community has been the most memorable part of her experience while studying here.

Cade Johnson

Cade Johnson, B.S. Mining Engineering

After graduation, Cade will be working for US Steel at Keetac in Northern Minnesota as a mining engineer in their development program. He enjoyed the events that the Society of Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration allowed him to attend. These include the Salt Lake City MineExchange, the Northern Minnesota Mining Conference and mine tours in the UP.


Ryan Schwiderson

Ryan Schwiderson, B.S. Geology

After graduation, Ryan plans to move to Novi, Michigan where he will work for a leading international consulting and engineering firm, Wood PLC. “The most memorable part of attending MTU has been any and everything that has taken me into the Keweenaw’s great outdoors. Between field classes, athletics, winter carnival, or just adventuring with friends. People always tell you how beautiful nature is up here but you don’t truly believe or understand them until you see it for yourself.” – Ryan


Justin Ketola, B.S. Geological Engineering


Matt Kummeth, B.S. Geology


Cooper Osgood, B.S. Geology


Lila Carden, B.S. Geological Engineering


Cole Anderson, B.S. Mining Engineering


Olivia Salvaggio leads the way followed by Lila Carden, Justin Ketola, Hayden Risko, Cooper Osgood, and Ryan Schwiderson.

2021-2022 GMES Department Faculty Promotions

Congratulations to the Department of Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences (GMES) faculty members promoted in the 2021-22 academic year!

Dr. Radwin Askari, Associate Professor with Tenure

Dr. Roohollah (Radwin) Askari was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor with Tenure. Dr. Askari is a nationally and internationally recognized expert in the field of geophysics. At Michigan Tech, he has developed a diverse research program in the areas of fracture dynamics and its induced seismicity, characterization of heat and fluid transport in porous media, and near-surface geophysics. The Rock Physics Laboratory, led by Dr. Askari, hosts a unique combination of state-of-the-art equipment that allows him and his students to conduct fundamental research on fluid transports in geological settings and their geophysical manifestations. Dr. Askari has established an extensive collaboration network that includes Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, University of Southern California, University of Calgary, and the China University of Petroleum. He has advised many graduate students and currently supervises two undergraduate researchers. Dr. Askari has published many peer-reviewed articles in highly ranked peer-reviewed journals.

Pictured left to right: Breeanne Heusdens, Fletcher McGuire, Olivia Salvaggio, Sananda Ray, Nontawat Srisapan, Radwin Askari

Dr. Nathan Manser, Professor of Practice

Dr. Nathan Manser was promoted to the rank of Professor of Practice. Dr. Manser has played a keystone role in the success and sustainability of our newly reinstated program in mining engineering. He has extensive experience in the mining industry that he shares with our students majoring in mining and geological engineering. In addition to excellent teaching, his roles have also included student recruitment, academic advising, career coaching, ABET accreditation, and alumni relations, among other contributions. Dr. Manser is a dedicated and effective instructor and adviser as well as an impactful and trusted mentor. He serves as the academic advisor for Mining Engineering and the Chair of the Mining Engineering Curriculum Committee as well as faculty advisor for several student organizations, including the GMES Chapter of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME). Earlier this year, Dr. Manser received the Robert W. Piekarz award for his exceptional service to the Industrial Minerals and Aggregates Division of the annual Society of Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration.