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MAGS Distinguished Thesis Award Nominee – Fall 2024 – Draper, Thomas R.

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Thomas Draper, M.S. in Engineering Mechanics, 2024

My journey at Michigan Technological University began in the fall of 2019 as an undergraduate in the Mechanical Engineering Department. From the start, I was captivated by mechanics and material behavior, eager to deepen my understanding beyond the standard curriculum. This curiosity ultimately led me to pursue a master’s thesis under the mentorship of the same remarkable faculty who had inspired my undergraduate studies.

In 2023, as I was completing my undergraduate degree, I was introduced to my research advisor, Dr. Susanta Ghosh, who welcomed me to his research team with open arms. Dr. Ghosh guided me into the world of research and helped me shape my research focus—a gift of mentorship for which I am endlessly grateful.

My research centered on understanding the fracture characteristics of 3D-printed lattice metamaterials. Advances in manufacturing techniques, material synthesis, and microstructure design have opened up boundless possibilities in material design. One of the critical properties that can be fine-tuned through these innovations is fracture toughness, essential for structural applications. My work sought to explore how variables such as relative density and build orientation affect the fracture toughness of octet lattice metamaterials through experimental fracture testing.

I extend my sincerest gratitude to the Graduate School and the Graduate Dean Awards Advisory Panel for nominating me for the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award. I would also like to thank the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Department for this honor. Special acknowledgment goes to my advisor, Dr. Susanta Ghosh, for his relentless support, passion for research, and invaluable mentorship. His guidance has been pivotal in shaping my thesis and deepening my understanding of the field. I am truly fortunate to have had the chance to learn from him. Additionally, I want to express my appreciation to my committee members, collaborators, and lab team, whose support has been integral to my academic journey.

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Nominee for MAGS Distinguished Thesis Award – Mitch Timm

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I arrived at Michigan Tech in 2017, after completing my bachelor’s in mechanical engineering at the University of Minnesota the previous year, deciding to pursue my graduate degree at Michigan Tech for its nationally ranked engineering program (and weather). I completed my masters at Michigan Tech in 2018 and am currently a Ph.D. student under my advisor Prof. Hassan Masoud.

My research consists of the study of complex fluids and transport phenomena; simply speaking I study the interactions of fluids with solid objects and how certain materials are transported within fluids by utilizing the combined tools of theoretical (mathematical), computational (computer simulation), and experimental analysis. Though to many people this may seem impractical or pointless, this research has numerous real-world applications. For example, for my master’s thesis, I researched the rate of evaporation of a liquid droplet when it rests on an inclined surface (sessile drop). Most people are familiar with sessile droplets from when it rains on your windshield or when you wash the dishes, however, most people don’t understand that it is these droplets that can lead to the stubborn stains on these surfaces. This is also known as the coffee ring effect. By understanding the way in which these droplets evaporate and deposit the suspended particles therein on these surfaces, we can develop ways to avoid this, or even utilize it to our advantage.

It is for this research and subsequent thesis that I have been nominated to represent the university for the MAGS/ProQuest Distinguished Thesis Award Competition.

I am extremely grateful and humbled to be nominated for this competition, and I especially want to thank my advisor Prof. Masoud, Dr. Predebon, and the graduate committee for this nomination and for recognizing my hard work. It is times like these that I am reminded of the fantastic community at Michigan Tech and am glad I decided to come here for my graduate education.

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MAGS / ProQuest Distinguished Masters Thesis Award – 2024 – Honorable Mention – Isaac Lennox

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Isaac Lennox, M.S. in Kinesiology, 2023

I am grateful to be recognized as an honorable mention for the MAGS Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award. The completion of my project: “Exercise Is Medicine® on Campus: A National Analysis and Assessment of Community Impact” would not have been able to happen if not for my advisor Dr. Steven Elmer, my committee members Dr. Kamm and Dr. Petushek, as well as support from my lab members and the KIP department. As I work towards my dream of earning a medical degree and becoming a rural physician, Michigan Tech and Houghton will forever have a place in my heart.

Dr. Elmer and his lab introduced me to the American College of Sports Medicine’s Exercise is Medicine® On Campus (EIM-OC) initiative, which calls upon colleges and universities to promote physical activity on their campuses as a vital sign of health. This immediately became the forefront of my master’s thesis, as I was able to perform a national analysis of the distribution and impact of this 15-year initiative, while concurrently promoting physical activity on Michigan Tech’s campus and the surrounding Houghton County. Collectively, the findings from my thesis may help direct EIM-OC efforts to combat physical inactivity and improve health on campuses and their surrounding communities.

I would like to thank Dr. Elmer and the KIP Department for supporting me as a graduate student and providing me with opportunity to travel across the country to disseminate my work at regional and national conferences, as well as on campus and within the local community. Furthermore, I would like to thank the Houghton community for allowing me to contribute to local youth initiatives by teaching junior golf at Portage Lake Golf Course, and volunteer assistant coaching for the Houghton Gremlins JV hockey team. These are memories that I will never forget and I will be forever grateful for.

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Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) Thesis Award

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Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) annually solicits for nominations for the MAGS Distinguished Master’s Thesis Awards to recognize and reward distinguished scholarship and research at the master’s level.

Fall 2015 Nominee for the MAGS/ProQuest Distinguished Masters Thesis Awards

Biological Sciences
Photograph of Miles Corcoran

Miles Corcoran

 

 

 

Fall 2016 Nominee for the MAGS/ProQuest Distinguished Masters Thesis Awards

Environmental and Energy Policy
Amanda Kreuze

Biomedical Engineering
Ameya Narkar

 

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How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Dissertation

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This article from Inside Higher Ed’s blog will show you how to love your dissertation (or thesis). Writing can be an overwhelming task, and everyone can use tips on how to manage the writing process and motivate yourself to do just a little bit every day. These tips also apply to any large-scale project, like writing a proposal or journal article.

One of the pieces of advice that we often give students is that the best dissertation is a finished dissertation. Focus on completing your degree and starting the next stage in your career rather than seeking perfection.

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DOE’s SCGSR program is now accepting applications!

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The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science is pleased to announce that the Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program is now accepting applications for the 2015 solicitation.  Applications are due 5:00pm ET on Tuesday April 14, 2015.

The SCGSR program is open to U.S. citizens who are current Ph.D. candidates in qualified graduate programs at accredited U.S. academic institutions, who are conducting their graduate thesis research in targeted areas of importance to the DOE Office of Science.

Detailed information about the program, including eligibility requirements and access to the online application system, can be found at: http://science.energy.gov/wdts/scgsr/.

The SCGSR program supports supplemental awards (stipend + transportation costs to/from host laboratory) to outstanding U.S. graduate students to conduct part of their graduate thesis research at a DOE national laboratory in collaboration with a DOE laboratory scientist for a period of 3 to 12 consecutive months—with the goal of preparing graduate students for scientific and technical careers critically important to the DOE Office of Science mission.

The Office of Science expects to make approximately 100 awards in 2015, for project periods beginning anytime between October 2015 and September 2016.

 

 

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Additional poster design and copyright library workshops!

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Poster Design

 Due to demand the library is offering an additional session of Poster Design on Thursday, February 4 at 2:00pm in Library 242.

Making a research poster for a conference or other event? This session will cover some basic tips and tricks for presenting your research and information in a visual format. We’ll also cover resources and tools available at the library to help you design and print your poster! Register at http://mtu.libcal.com/event/2344442

Copyright and Your Thesis or Dissertation

Due to demand the library is offering an additional session of Copyright and Your Thesis or Dissertation on Wednesday, February 10 at 12:00pm in Library 242.

Can you use a figure from a journal article in your thesis? Do you need permission to use your own article as a chapter in your dissertation? What’s an embargo, restricted access, or global access? Why does your work go onto Digital Commons @ Michigan Tech?

Attend this informative workshop to learn how U.S. Copyright law affects your thesis or dissertation. Also, learn about the publishing agreements you’ll sign and your options for sharing your thesis or dissertation with the larger research and professional communities. Register at http://mtu.libcal.com/event/2347237

 

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Seminar on Dissertation, Thesis, or Report submission

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Students planning on finishing a dissertation, thesis, or report in summer or fall 2016 are invited a seminar designed to help students understand the submission process and answer questions about it. Faculty and staff who assist students with submissions are also welcome to attend. Changes were made to the submission process in fall 2015, so we encourage everyone to attend who will be planning to submit.

If you are unable to join us, this seminar will be taped and available online after the event.

Information on submitting, formatting, and more can be found online for dissertations and theses or reports.

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