Research Archives | Pavlis Honors College Blog

Winners Announced: 2024 Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Symposium

Published March 25, 2024

This year marked the 10th annual Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Symposium

This past Friday, March 22, students from across the university came together to share their innovative research at the Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Symposium (URSS). Students from various disciplines united to present their cutting-edge projects, painting a vibrant display of research exploration across departments. Attendees seized the chance to engage directly with these passionate researchers, delving into the intricacies of their work and gaining valuable insights into the world of undergraduate research and scholarship.

The day was brimming with informative events, including a thought-provoking panel discussion on the transformative power of undergraduate research in forging new pathways to success and two dynamic poster sessions provided platforms for students to share their findings with participants and judges.

A heartfelt round of applause is in order for all our remarkable student participants. Their outstanding research endeavors made it a challenging day for our judges, showcasing the incredible depth and breadth of talent within our university community. Let’s extend a special congratulations to our deserving award winners for their exemplary contributions and dedication to advancing knowledge and discovery. Here’s to celebrating their achievements and inspiring future generations of researchers!

First Place (tie)-

Lance Waise – “Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Research Project”
Lindy Oujiri – “Immunofluorescent Labeling for Zinc and Platinum in Old Rats”

Third Place –

Haley Marchese – “Targeting Acid Sensing Ion Channel 3 (ASIC3) in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy“

Audience Choice –

Scott Severance – “Development of Optical Tweezers to Measure and Predict the Behavior of Collagen Networks”

Excellence in Presentation –

Lindy Oujiri – “Immunofluorescent Labeling for Zinc and Platinum in Old Rats”
Lance Waise – “Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Research Project”
Abraham Stone – “A Botanical and Ecological Profile of Isle Royale’s Invasive Hawkweed Complex”

Excellence in Research Content –

Lindy Oujiri – “Immunofluorescent Labeling for Zinc and Platinum in Old Rats”
Haley Marchese – “Targeting Acid Sensing Ion Channel 3 (ASIC3) in Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy“

Excellence in Design and Format –

Liza Korolkov – “Evaluation of aqueous two-phase systems for the purification of influenza B virus”
Lance Waise – “Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Research Project”
Mackenzie Russell – “Ameliorated mine waste rock for enhanced weathering and as a soil amendment for bioenergy production”

Thank you to all of our sponsors, student presenters, faculty mentors, judges, and panelists. We are proud to be able to highlight our amazing undergraduate students and celebrate all of their outstanding work.

Exploring the Significance of Undergraduate Research: Attend the 10th Annual Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Symposium

Published March 13, 2024

By Jessie Neece

Student researchers and attendees at the Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Symposium hosted in 2023

Have you contemplated engaging in research during your time at Michigan Tech? Are you curious about the various research endeavors undergraduate students are actively involved in? Would you like to understand the significance of participating in undergraduate research? Join us on March 22nd for the Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium (URSS) at the Rozsa Center Lobby. This symposium serves as a platform to showcase the exceptional undergraduate research conducted across diverse disciplines at Michigan Technological University.

Recognized widely as a valuable learning opportunity by esteemed educational institutions such as the Association of American Colleges and Universities, undergraduate research offers students a plethora of benefits. These include a heightened determination to excel, increased interest in pursuing further education such as graduate school, and the development of essential research skills like data analysis and effective communication. Moreover, engaging in research contributes significantly to both professional and personal growth.

“Participating in undergraduate research is not merely about acquiring knowledge; it’s about developing a mindset of inquiry, innovation, and exploration that prepares students for a lifetime of meaningful contributions to their chosen fields and society at large.”
Dr. Marika Seigel, Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education and Dean of the Pavlis Honors College

Regardless of the subject area, involvement in research serves as a valuable asset for undergraduate students. Research indicates that students who participate tend to achieve better grades, are more likely to graduate, and are better equipped for subsequent academic pursuits or careers.

Commencing research endeavors as an undergraduate provides students with essential hands-on experience, laying a strong foundation for future academic and professional endeavors. As Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate School, Will Cantrell, aptly states, “Research takes time. It takes more than that first try, it might even take more than that 5th try.”

Audience Choice winner, Katherine Rauscher, proudly displays her research poster at URSS 2023.

That’s where the Undergraduate Research and Scholarship Symposium comes in.

URSS is an opportunity for students to show off the exceptional research they are involved in and creates an opportunity for other students to see the research potential that exists right here at Michigan Tech. The day starts with the ﬁrst of two poster sessions (12:00-1:30 pm and 2:30-4:00 pm). The student participants will be on hand to share information about their research, allow attendees to ask questions about their projects, and display the diversity of undergraduate research being explored on campus.

Additionally, URSS will include a panel discussion at 1:30 pm which will feature experienced professionals and provide a chance for discussion about how undergraduate research creates opportunities. They will share their experiences and discuss the value that they have found by participating in research as an undergraduate. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend this discussion.

Our esteemed panelists include Debra Switzer, a Michigan Technological University alumna with a B.S. in Metallurgical & Materials Engineering, boasting over 20 years of experience in the mining industry, particularly in mineral processing. Debra currently serves as the Global Product Manager for Hydrocyclones at Weir Minerals, overseeing the end-to-end life cycle of hydrocyclone products.

Another distinguished panelist, Erik Lilleskov, is a Research Ecologist and Project Leader at the USDA Forest Service – Northern Research Station. With a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Cornell University, Erik is committed to providing novel scientific insights and tools to address major environmental challenges. His diverse background underscores the importance of real-world experience and interaction with individuals from various walks of life.

Student researcher, Tessa Tormoen, describes their research project as SURF and URIP Coordinator, Rob Handler listens intently at URSS in 2023.

Finally, Dr. Ellie Asgari, the Charles C. and John G. Gates Professor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, brings a wealth of expertise as an Assistant Professor of Management and Entrepreneurship at the College of Business. Dr. Asgari’s research focuses on the intersection of innovation and entrepreneurship, shedding light on the roles of star performers in organizations.

The Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Symposium serves as an excellent platform to showcase the captivating research projects underway at Michigan Tech, emphasize the benefits of undergraduate research, and underscore the diversity of research topics being explored. Mark your calendars and join us in the Rozsa Lobby for this inspirational event!

For more information about the Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Symposium, please visit the URSS website. For more information about undergraduate research, please check out our research programs website. Questions? Please email honors@mtu.edu.

Winners Announced: 2023 Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Symposium

Published March 27, 2023

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This year marked the 10th annual Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Symposium

This past Friday, March 24, students from across the university and region came together to share their cutting-edge research at the Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Symposium (URSS). The student participants represented a wide array of scientific and engineering disciplines from across departments and highlight the diversity of research areas being explored. Attendees were able to speak with the students conducting the research, ask them questions about their projects, and learn more about undergraduate research and scholarship.

The day’s events included a panel discussion about how undergraduate research can create opportunities, two poster sessions, and a networking social. The Pavlis Honors College also collaborated with the Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) and the Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College (KBOCC) to include their student in this year’s symposium.

A big congratulations to all of our student participants, the extremely impressive research projects made for a difficult day for our judges. Special congratulations to all of our award winners:

First Place –

Leah Harazin and Nathan Ostlund: “Stability of Terephthalate Degrading Microbial Consortia for Plastic Upcycling”

Second Place –

Haley Marchese: “Sympathetic Activity to the Heart is Increased in a Mouse Model of Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy”

Third Place –

Grace Gonzalez – “The Gut Microbiome of Fish and Its Relevance to Antimicrobial Resistance”

Audience Choice –

Katherine Rauscher: “Learning from Aviation to Improve the Safety of Autonomous Vehicles”

Excellence in Presentation –

Matt Kouba: “Low-Cost CAN FD and Automotive Ethernet Development Boards”
Henry Summers: “Investigation of a novel zinc-based alloy for bioabsorbable vascular stent applications”

Excellence in Research Content –

Kristoffer Larsen: “A Grad-CAM interpretable deep learning multi-input transfer learning model integrating SPECT MPI polar maps with clinical and derived topological variables for Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Decision Support”
Kristin King: “Assessing Feasibility of Using Artificial Intelligence in Computational Hemodynamic Analysis for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms”

Excellence in Design and Format –

Katie Bershing: “Moth Community Distribution Across Varying Silvicultural Treatments Post 5 years harvesting”

Thank you to all of our sponsors, student presenters, faculty mentors, judges, and panelists. We are proud to be able to highlight our amazing undergraduate students and celebrate all of their outstanding work.

Learn More About Undergraduate Research – Attend This Year’s Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Symposium

Published March 7, 2023

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Are you interested in exploring what research undergraduate students have been participating in? Join us on March 24th for the 2023 Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Symposium held in the Rozsa Center Lobby. The Symposium will highlight the exceptional undergraduate research being conducted and represents a wide array of scientific and engineering disciplines from Michigan Technological University and the Keweenaw Bay Ojibwa Community College.

A 2019 Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Symposium participant describes their research to Dr. Koubek.

The day starts with the Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Panel at 11:00 am which will feature experienced current and former graduate students and provide a chance for discussion about how undergraduate research creates opportunities. They will share their experiences and discuss the value that they have found by participating in research as an undergraduate.

Our guest panelists include Brennan Vogl, a current Ph.D. student in the Biomedical Engineering department at MTU. Brennan graduated from MTU with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering and a minor in Electrical Engineering in 2020. During his time as an undergraduate, Brennan was heavily involved in undergraduate research where he worked on projects investigating cancer metastasis in response to fructose. Another of the panelists, Dr. Len Switzer, is currently the Associate Director of Industrial Relations for the Enterprise Program at Michigan Tech. Prior to joining the Enterprise staff, Len spent over 20 years working in various industrial roles. About half of this time involved applied research and development in high-temperature processing (e.g., glass melting, steel making, cement, heat treating, etc.) and with a startup company working on new types of oil exploration. The final panelist, Kath Higdon, received her undergraduate degree from Michigan Technological University in Applied Ecology. Upon graduation, she went directly into the Ph.D. program in Forest Science at MTU. She worked as a research assistant during her first year as an undergrad looking at experimental Nitrogen deposition in Northern Hardwood Forests.

Students and attendees at the Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Symposium in 2019.

The panel is followed by two poster sessions (12:30-2:00 pm & 2:30-4:00 pm). The participants have been working hard to model out their research on poster boards, and the Symposium will provide the students with a chance to demonstrate their knowledge and skills. Attendees will be given the opportunity to speak with the students conducting research, ask them questions about their projects, and learn more about undergraduate research and scholarship.

The Symposium wraps up with a networking event at 4:00 pm for the participants to speak further with the judges and mentors. During this networking session, outstanding posters will be announced and awarded for their proficiency based on multiple criteria.

The Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Symposium is a great way to share the exciting research projects going on in our region and highlight the diversity of research areas being explored. Be sure to mark your calendars and join us in the Rozsa Lobby for this incredible event!

Written by: Emily Bishop, Pavlis Honors College Marketing Intern

Meet Anderson Lind…

Published December 8, 2020

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By Dean Lahti

Michigan Tech is a community for students who are driven to learn and succeed. Anderson Lind came to Michigan Tech with ambitious goals and has contributed to the Michigan Tech community through the Pavlis Honors College.

Lind, a third-year management student, is currently a resident advisor in the Pavlis Living and Learning Community (LLC), located in Wadsworth Hall and dedicated to about seventy first-year students in the Pavlis Honors College’s early admission program. He said that the Pavlis community has persevered through the COVID-19 pandemic due to their camaraderie and willingness to take on more than what the university requires.

*Secret Santa night in the Pavlis Living and Learning Community*

He joined the Pavlis Honors College during his first year at Michigan Tech, on the recommendation of one of his friends. “I wouldn’t be here, at Tech or in Pavlis, if it wasn’t for Maddie Thompson,” said Lind.

An RA with Recognition

Lind is also a decorated student. He had recently been awarded a Golden MOWII pin from the Great Lakes Affiliate of College and University Residence Halls (GLACURH) region for his involvement in the 2020 Virtual Regional Leadership Conference. His hall previously won the Residential Community of the Month award for their participation in Michigan Tech’s K-Day event in Chassell, Michigan. Lind also won the annual Exceptional Enthusiasm as a Student Leader award through Michigan Tech.

“My favorite thing about the LLC is having a space where people can talk to each other, build each other up, and create a community that’s really their own.”

Students in matching jerseys hold broomball sticks in front of a food trailer — *Anderson Lind (second from left) is a third-year management student, resident assistant, and broomball pro*

Research and Honors Project

In addition to serving as an RA, Lind serves as a research intern with the College of Business, where he is currently researching how to improve college and community engagement with high school students, with support from local organizations such as the Portage Health Foundation and the Copper Country Intermediate School District. Lind said, “Our research team has been speaking with these organizations to see what resources in the community exist for college education and where there could be gaps.”

See Anderson’s honors project proposal

Why Pavlis?

When asked why students should join the Pavlis Honors College, he said, “Pavlis is hard work, actively seeking your dreams, and finding ways to give back to your community. If any of that appeals to you, then you know you’re on the right track.”

“We did a lot of reflecting on values in HON2150, and it made me realize that most of my values are around community and building other people up. [Pavlis] made me change my career goals. I came to Tech planning to be an engineer, to make money, and experience life after my 9 to 5 was over. Reflecting made me realize that life is short, and I want to make sure I’m making friends, helping people, and being someone that other people can turn to when they’re struggling. It’s shaped me fundamentally. I don’t mind where I end up, as long as I’ve done good things recklessly and spread joy that way.”

For more information about the Honors Pathway Program, visit www.mtu.edu/honors/pathway.

This piece is part of our student profile series by Dean Lahti, guest writer and current Michigan Tech student.

Finding an Undergraduate Research Mentor

Published September 10, 2020

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Are you an undergraduate interested in research, but unsure how to get started? Our video tutorial may be exactly what you need. This video addresses:

how to identify and contact a research mentor
what to expect when beginning research
opportunities for research internships and fellowships for Michigan Tech students

Watch the video on your own time, and if you have specific questions, feel free to email honors@mtu.edu, or make a 10-minute appointment for one-on-one research mentoring via Zoom on September 22, 24 or 28.

If you’re a current or prospective graduate student interested in finding a research mentor, please contact the Graduate School.

Interested in Undergraduate Research?

Pavlis Honors College can enhance your involvement in undergraduate research. Learn more about our Honors Pathway Program, meet an honors student who co-authored a field guide based on her research, and see other research options and exhibitions available to undergraduate students.

“Radar and Risk in the Straits of Mackinac” in Michigan Tech Research Magazine

Published August 11, 2020

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Research

As Great Lakes water levels rise to record highs, remotely monitoring currents and waves grows in importance. Lorelle Meadows, dean of the Pavlis Honors College, is co-conducting the first test of an onshore high-frequency radar system specifically tuned to map complex current patterns in the Great Lakes.

Read “Radar and Risk in the Straits of Mackinac” in the 2020 Michigan Tech Research Magazine.

Cameron Philo Wins Best Technology and $10,000 at CMU New Venture Competition

Published April 15, 2019

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Apurva Baruah pitching at CMU New Venture for Yooper Ag.

Five student teams from Michigan Technological University traveled to Central Michigan University (CMU) in Mount Pleasant, MI to compete in the ninth annual New Venture Competition held Friday, April 12. Student teams from Michigan Tech and CMU presented business plans and pitches to panels of experienced entrepreneurs. The Michigan Tech students that competed in the 2019 CMU New Venture Competition were:

Mayank Bagaria for Vakya
Apurva Baruah for Yooper Ag
Ahammad Basha Dudekula for AGTO Autonomous
Cameron Philo for Life Pro Jackets
Karuna Rana and Sid Premchandani for Reality Check

Cameron Philo pitching at CMU New Venture for Life Pro Jackets.

Michigan Tech students Cameron Philo and Mayank Bagaria advanced to the semifinals last Friday. Cameron Philo won Best Technology and was awarded $10,000. Philo participated in Michigan Tech’s I-Corps Site Program last Fall. I-Corps is a team-based program structure that was developed through a partnership between the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. The workshop provides an introduction to the Lean Start-up business development methodology, which focuses on getting out of the lab and using the tools of customer discovery and the business model canvas to evaluate the commercial potential of innovative technologies.

Mayank Bagaria pitching at CMU New Venture for Vakya.

This is the ninth year of the New Venture competition and the eighth year of Michigan Tech’s partnership with CMU. Last year, four out of Michigan Tech’s six participants took home cash and in-kind awards.

Cameron Philo wins Best Technology and $10,000.

Michigan Tech’s Innovation Center for Entrepreneurship (ICE), a collaboration between the Pavlis Honors College and the School of Business and Economics, continues to be an excellent resource for students looking to start their own business or bring new ideas and concepts to the next stage of development. Husky Innovate was introduced this academic year by ICE as a succession of workshops and events that build on each other leading up to the CMU New Venture Competition. The intention is to guide students through key phases of innovation or business development while emphasizing evidence based strategies for success. Many of the students that competed in this year’s New Venture Competition also participated in various Husky Innovate events and workshops throughout the academic year. Students interested in innovating, developing, and implementing their ideas and inventions are encouraged to visit the Pavlis Honors College (M&M 722) to learn more about ICE and the resources available to them.

Meet Tessa Steenwinkel…

Published February 18, 2019

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By Amy Karagiannakis

Within one year of undergraduate research at Michigan Tech, Tessa Steenwinkel went from assisting in Dr. Thomas Werner’s genetics lab to co-authoring his book. Tessa started at Michigan Tech in the fall of 2017. She is majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology-Biological Sciences with a minor in Pharmaceutical Chemistry. Originally from the Netherlands, Tessa has lived in the United States since she was 12 years old. Growing up with a brother who has Down Syndrome drew Tessa to science at a very young age. Her desire to explain to her peers why and how her brother was different led to a later interest in fertility and early development.

She met Dr. Werner as a high school student visiting Tech during Preview Day weekend. He opened up his genetics lab for tours, and Tessa knew then that she wanted to be a part of his research team. She followed up the campus visit with an email to Dr. Werner requesting a copy of his book and inquired as to if there was possibly an opening on his research team for the 2017-18 academic year. Tessa has been part of Dr. Werner’s research team since her first day on campus as a husky.

She started in the fall of 2017 washing lab equipment, quickly transitioned to a research assistant, and then laboratory manager. Biologists use fruit flies to study wing spots, metabolism, and aging. This is important because the same genes and major metabolic pathways in fruit flies affect cancer and other diseases in humans. Dr. Werner’s book, Drosophilids of the Midwest and Northeast, is a field guide to the drosophilid species of fruit flies in the region that provides some insight into their biology and importance. His intention was to introduce researchers, teachers, and young students to these amazing flies and the diversity of their potential use in research. That’s where Tessa’s contribution to the book comes in.

From left to right: Thomas Werner, Tessa Steenwinkel, and John Jaenike

The second version of Werner’s book was published in 2018 with an interesting new chapter. Tessa wrote a children’s bedtime story about fruit flies that is now included at the end of the book. Now, rather than just being a scientific field guide, Drosophilids of the Midwest and Northeast includes a significant outreach component that hopefully speaks to young children and gets them excited about science and nature. The book and a beautiful poster can be downloaded for free here.

Tessa became the first recipient of the Soyring Foundation Scholarship last Spring. John Soyring, Tech alumnus and Pavlis Honors College External Advisory Board member, established the new scholarship through a generous gift that awards one deserving student $1000 each year. The scholarship is available exclusively to Pavlis Honors students expressing interest in research and innovation related to water quality management, renewable energy, or solutions to prevent and cure cancer. Tessa was awarded the scholarship this past fall semester for her research in Dr. Werner’s lab.

Tessa is a Pavlis Honors student in the Research Scholars pathway. Last summer, Tessa completed her immersion experience here at Tech on a research project that focused on the evolution of color patterns in animals. Researchers study this because the genes that control the pigmentation are also some of the key players in cancer growth. The focus of Tessa’s research this past summer was to perform transgenics, where they inserted pieces of foreign DNA into fruit fly embryos in order to control those genes. This would give them real causative evidence that these genes play a role in pigmentation in fruit flies.

This past fall, Tessa became the first undergrad in Dr. Werner’s lab to start her own research. She was given the autonomy to develop and set up the project for this academic year herself. Over the last few decades, we have seen a dramatic increase in diseases such as obesity and diabetes, which have long been linked to misregulation of what is known as the metabolic mTOR pathway. Currently, Tessa is looking at four diverse fruit fly species all with their own feeding patterns and preferences and the effect of different types of nutrition on their fecundity (number of offspring) and life expectancy.

When Tessa is not hard at work in Dr. Werner’s genetics lab, you can probably find her at Mont Ripley teaching local elementary school kids to ski, or in her dorm with a book or a knitting project and some tea. Tessa also enjoys playing tennis with the Michigan Tech Tennis Club and going on walks along the Portage.

Husky Innovate Speaker Series Begins March 1

Published February 18, 2019

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The Innovation Center for Entrepreneurship will be hosting the first of the Husky Innovate Speaker Series on Friday, March 1 at 12pm in the Pavlis Honors College Collaboration Space (M&M 722). Faculty, students, and staff are invited to join us for a talk given by Michigan Tech’s Andrew Barnard. Barnard is an assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics and faculty advisor for SENSE Enterprise.

Barnard is using lean business model development and customer discovery to start his own business, NanoSound. NanoSound focuses on the elimination of noise from pipe and duct systems, like automotive exhausts and heating and ventilation pipes. Barnard will provide an example of an early business pitch and provide insights into the customer discovery process and business model development that has led to significant pivots in the start-up’s trajectory.

If you are an innovator or entrepreneur working on an idea with the goal of launching your own business, you are highly encouraged to attend. Registration is required, and attendance will be capped at 30. Lunch will be provided to the first 30 people to register. Please register no later than Monday, February 26. If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Casper (lcasper@mtu.edu).

The Husky Innovate Speaker Series is hosted by the Innovation Center for Entrepreneurship which is a collaboration between the Pavlis Honors College and the School of Business and Economics.

Category: Research

An RA with Recognition

Research and Honors Project

Why Pavlis?

Interested in Undergraduate Research?