Category: Awards and Honors

Rising Scientist Shares Interdisciplinary Inspiration In Award-Winning Essay

Nyasha stands outside on a sunny patio at Ashesi University in Ghana.
Nyasha Milanzi has pursued an interdisciplinary academic path and encourages others to do the same. (All photos courtesy of Nyasha Milanzi)

Nyasha Milanzi wasn’t entirely surprised to win the Rising Black Scientists Award. She had a feeling. And she’d worked hard on her application.

“This is probably coincidental, but I actually wrote in my diary that I was going to win the prize after I submitted it,” said the graduate research assistant, who is slated to receive her master’s degree in sustainable communities this year. “I felt my essay was well written and thought I was going to win the prize, so I wrote it down.”

Visual and Performing Arts Student wins Audio Engineering Society Recording Competition

Thirteen students stand with assistant professor Jeff Sherwood in front of a large hanging AES Show banner at the student recording competition.
Michigan Tech VPA students attended the 2024 Audio Engineering Society International Student Recording Competition in New York City in October. (Images courtesy Michigan Tech Visual and Performing Arts)

Sound design student Nate Lyons ’25 brought home a Bronze Award in the Audio Engineering Society (AES) International Student Recording Competition. Lyons won the award in the Sound for Visual Media category for his sound design audio replacement of a video game. 

“I got the idea from one of my other classes where I was learning how to program sounds for video games. I wanted to use this as an opportunity to practice that skill with the programs that we use for video game sound design,” said Lyons.

Students have an opportunity to attend and present at the international AES convention in New York City as part of VPA career development and professional presentation travel and study away courses. This is the second year in a row sound design and audio production and technology students from Michigan Tech’s VPA have received awards in the prestigious international competition.