Category: News

High-Tech Classrooms Usher in a New Era of Teaching

Gordon Parker hoped the new classroom would improve the learning experience for one of his graduate classes. He didn’t expect to cover nearly a third more material.

“It’s crazy,” says the John and Cathi Drake Professor in Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Technological University. “I’ve never been able to get that far with this class. And it’s not like I just opened up the hose and talked faster.”

Senior Capstone Design Projects Fall 2012

The Senior Capstone Design Program in Mechanical Engineering builds on our lab-based, hands-on curriculum to provide students with “their first job,” a project supplied by companies and entrepreneurs. These clients benefit from having a student team address their dynamic goals and tight budgets, and provide a fresh perspective.

The Mechanical Engineering–Engineering Mechanics Department Senior Capstone Design Projects completed by the graduating class for Fall 2012 were presented to the faculty, sponsors, and campus on December 11, 2012. The projects are presented on the web with photos, participants at “Senior Design Projects Fall 2012”

Team Photos are also available on Flickr at ME-EM Teams Senior Capstone Design December 2012

A sample of Videos are viewable at Mechanical Engineering Senior Capstone Design Teams.

US News ranks Mechanical Engineering #6 best technology jobs

US News ranks Mechanical Engineering #6 among best technology jobs and #17 in the ranking of top 100 jobs. Note that Mechanical Engineering (#6) and Civil Engineering (#9) and are the only jobs in the top 9 that are not computer services jobs (which are highly outsourced and less so for ME). Also Mechanical Engineering (#17) is the only engineering profession in the top 17 plus best jobs.

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Michigan tech News article: “US News Top Tech Jobs Focus on Michigan Tech Strengths”

Energy Poster Session 2012

Dr. Jeffrey Allen teaches Advanced Thermodynamics (MEEM 5200) and Principles of Energy Conversion (MEEM 4200/5290). Principles of Energy Conversion introduces the basic background, terminology, and fundamentals of energy conversion. Students develop project posters for  current and emerging technologies for production of thermal, mechanical, and electrical energy. Topics include fossil and nuclear fuels, solar energy, wind turbines, fuel and solar cells.

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Mercury Marine Donates Equipment

by Jenn Donovan, public relations director

Mercury Marine, a longtime corporate partner of Michigan Tech, has donated a laser interferometer to Michigan Tech’s Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics. The piece of equipment, valued at approximately $125,000 when new, uses a laser to produce digital images of the amount of strain that parts undergo as they are stressed in various ways.