Michigan Tech alumnus Sean Kelly was recently selected as president of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Michigan (ACEC/M). the story, “ACEC Of Michigan Elects New President And Board Of Directors,” appeared on the Detroit Regional Chamber website.
Michelle Banonis was appointed Assistant Chief Deputy Director of DWR (California Department of Water Resources) on May 8. She brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) Mid-Pacific Region where she spent eight years working on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and Upper San Joaquin River.
We are shaping the future of California’s water environment.Michelle Banonis
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Banonis spent most of her early years in Michigan. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Engineering in 1999 from Michigan Technological University and in 2015 earned a Juris Doctor degree from Humphreys College, Laurence Drivon School of Law.
1992 alumnus Scott Conners, PE, will serve as the President of NSPE-MI, the National Society of Professional Engineers in Michigan.
Conners has a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering and holds many certifications related to municipal government. He has been the city engineer in Walker for the last 20 years, after having worked as a consultant for eight years with a variety of clients and projects across west Michigan. Scott previously served as Western Regional Vice President for MSPE and Western Chapter President, and currently serves as the chairman of the Professional Engineers in Government statewide committee.
Conners is a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Grand Valley Metro Council, the Grand Rapids Charter Township Planning Commission and Site Plan Review Committee, and many other organizations. In addition to the bachelor of science degree, he holds a master’s degree in organizational management from the University of Phoenix.
In 2017 Conners won the Michigan Engineer of the Year Award from NSPE-MI. Scott is described as a dedicated, hardworking engineer, outstanding in professional abilities and endless willingness to volunteer. He is well respected among his peers with esteemed reputation for leadership.
MSA is proud to announce that Raine Gardner, senior project engineer for the firm, has been awarded with a Young Professional of the Year Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC).
The award recognizes the accomplishments of young Professional Engineers (PEs) who have made significant contributions to the industry and to the greater society. Gardner was recommended by the ACEC Wisconsin chapter and is the first from the state to be recognized.
Raine holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Michigan Technological University and a master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Michigan Tech Alumna Sara Schooley was the subject of the feature article “Family biking profile: Sara Schooley is sure you’ll like e-bikes too,” in BikePortland.org. Schooley graduated 2003 with a BS in Environmental Engineering.
Family biking profile: Sara Schooley is sure you’ll like e-bikes too
Tell us a little about yourself and your family:
I’m mom in a family of four and we live in the Overlook Neighborhood. We have two kiddos – Tobin (2) and Holly (4). Jonathan (dad) works in Vancouver for the Forest Service. I work as a part-time bike and pedestrian planner for Toole Design Group downtown. Both of our kids are in daycare downtown near my work and are off with me on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Have you biked in other cities and how did it compare?
I started biking in college in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, at Michigan Tech. We were covered in snow for much of the year, but they sanded the roads, so we found that biking with zip-ties on our tires worked well. It was also a super-safe place theft-wise, so we could leave our bikes wherever all over the town without a lock. I routinely leaned mine against a random tree near campus (but a little bit off campus, so I didn’t have to bike up a hill on my way home). The only time it got moved was when my parents were visiting and thought that somebody stole it, so put it in the back of their car. Getting your bike stolen it just a horrible feeling (it’s happened to me a couple of times since), and I miss this sense of security so much!
The Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, in collaboration with the Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations, held an alumni event at Maloney’s Pub and Bar to watch the Red Wings battle the Tampa Bay Lightnings. The event brought together almost 30 alumni and rekindled that ol’ Michigan Tech feeling. Chuck Laurila (BSCE ’59), accompanied by his wife Phyllis, received a hearty round of applause as the most senior MTU graduate in attendance . Dennis Luoto (‘68 BSCE grad) and his wife Randi, traveling from The Villages, were recognized for traveling the furthest to attend the event. BSCE ‘82 graduate Bill Matkin (or Capt. William Matkin) reunited with two former Army ROTC cadets, Renee Mintz and Rhonda Mintz, both BSME ‘95. Bill, Renee and Rhonda had not seen each other in over 20 years. No matter how long it had been since they last stepped foot on campus, the Michigan Tech experience brought this new group of friends together. The night fostered good times and good laughs. If you are interested in hosting a Michigan Tech alumni event please contact alumni engagement at 906-487-2400 or go to the following alumni chapter website here Alumni Chapters.
While visiting Tech alumni in Florida, Audra Morse, Department Chair, and Marney Kloote, Director of Advancement for the School of Business and the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, met with Doug Geiger, P.E. (BSCE ‘83), Nick Everson, P.E. (BSCE ‘06), and Bill Downey, P.E. (BSCE ’96) of RS&H at the Wakiva Parkway SR 429 project. The new 6 mile stretch of elevated divided highway replacing SR 46 and CR 46A just north of Orlando, includes 3 CIP segmental bridge river crossings and 9 conventional bridge wildlife crossings. While easing traffic demands on the existing one lane county road, the project seeks to reduce the number of car accidents involving black bears, who call the Seminole State Forest home. The project also includes a multi-use trail along CR 46A, nearly 22,000 lineal feet of MSE wall, and a vegetative buffer along a portion of the roadway to reduce drainage, lighting and visibility.
The CEE Department is grateful to RS&H for their generous $10,000 gift for three years to support the instruction of the materials lab class. Many alumni know this class by the name of “smash lab”.
Ryan Rasmussen, MS, PE, is founder and CEO of Fieldstone Architecture & Engineering, headquartered in Auburn Hills, MI. His business has recently been named on Crain’s Top 100 Cool Places to Work in Detroit. Fieldstone A&E is a full-service architecture, engineering, and interior design solution for big builders.
Rasmussen has BS and MS degrees in Civil Engineering from Michigan Tech. He established Fieldstone A&E with the following office culture:
Having passion, Opening your mind, Mastering your craft, and Embracing family spirit – known to us as H.O.M.E.
According to Crain’s, this is why Fieldstone A&E is cool:
Semi-monthly game night
Monthly beer cart Fridays
Employees are awarded annually for fulfilling the company’s core values
Beginning this year, the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) is now in Michigan! Graduate students in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Michigan Technological University have founded the first SEI group in the state of Michigan: the SEI Graduate Student Chapter at MTU. SEI consists of local groups and graduate student chapters, and is now located in 33 out of the 50 states, as well as in Washington DC, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Israel. The mission of the new MTU chapter is to help educate young professionals in the field of Structural Engineering by providing a collaborative environment for technical innovation, while encouraging lifelong professional growth and development.
The SEI Graduate Student Chapter here at MTU is geared towards graduate students but open to undergraduates as well, and is looking for new student members to kick off its inaugural year. Student members will have opportunities to network with structural engineering professionals, have access to technical presentations and webinars, and collaborate with other structures-focus students and professionals. If you are a student and would like to join, click the “New Member” link on our website.
To further the goal of professional growth, the SEI Graduate Student Chapter is also open to MTU alumni as associate members. The SEI Graduate Student Chapter aims to connect the current student body with alumni in their field, which will enrich the education of students and provide an opportunity for alumni to give back to MTU. If you are an alum in structural engineering and would like to partner with the graduate student chapter, please contact our leadership board.
The current leadership of the SEI Graduate Student Chapter is Arman Tatar as Chair, Nabhajit Goswami as Vice-Chair, Julie Bouwens as Secretary, Alex Baker as Treasurer, and Dr. Daniel Dowden as Faculty Advisor. If you would like to learn more, visit our website at cee.mtu.edu/sei.
Recent civil engineering graduates Michael Prast and Taylor (Garbe) Rudlaff presented the work of the Senior Design groups who developed the original concept of a utility tunnel under the Mackinac Straits at the MITA 2020 Annual Conference meeting on January 21-24 in Mt. Pleasant, MI. Mike Nystrom, Executive Director of MITA, the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association, participated in the presentation by giving an update of the utility tunnel project and the current political climate impacting the project. Prast and Rudlaff spoke to a packed room of industry representatives who were impressed with the quality of the senior design experience provided by Michigan Tech. Audra Morse encouraged industry members to build partnerships with higher education and use real world projects, just like the utility tunnel under the Mackinac Straits, to bridge the gap between education and industry so that we recruit and retain the best and brightest in our profession.
Bruce Lowing, (80’) received the MITA Honorary Member Designation for his contribution to the construction industry and his service to MITA. To all of our alumni that attend MITA, it was good to see you and thanks for supporting Michigan Tech.
Members of the Michigan Tech
Transportation Institute (MTTI) were active at the 2020 Transportation Research
Board Annual Meeting held recently in Washington, DC.
Jake Hiller (CEE) attended
the International Society for Concrete Pavement’s (ISCP) Open Membership and
Board meeting as Vice-President and President-Elect on Sunday evening of
TRB.
Sangpil Ko (CEE)
gave a presentation on his research “Data-driven
Study on the Log Movements for the Upper Midwest: Impact of Rail Car Fleet
Size” at the lectern session that discussed on the current research in
Agriculture and Food Transportation. He also participated in several poster/lectern
sessions including the AR040 Freight Rail Transportation Committee meeting.
Pasi Lautala (CEE) chaired a meeting by the AR040 Freight
Rail Transportation Committee. He also participated in the meetings of the
Freight Transportation Group Executive Board and Rail Transportation Group
Executive Board and presided over two sessions by AR040.
Amlan Mukherjee (CEE)
presented on “Best Practices in
Life-cycle Assessment of Asphalt Mixtures”, at the International Society of
Asphalt Pavements meeting, participated in a collaboration meeting with
construction equipment manufacturers hosted by the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) on their ongoing research effort, co-chaired a workshop
titled “Evolution of Project Delivery Information Systems: Where We Were and
Where We Are Headed”. Mukherjee also
serves on standing committee on Construction Management (AFH10), and is a
secretary for the sub-committee on Information Systems in Construction
Management (AFH10(1)).
PhD student Chaitanya
G. Bhat presented two posters co-authored by AmlanMukherjee at the
session Life-Cycle Assessment and Climate Resilience of Pavements. The posters
were titled “Technical and Organizational
Challenges for the Use of Environmental Product Declarations in Public
Procurement” and “Technical and
Organizational Challenges to Developing Product Category Rules for Asphalt
Pavement Construction”.
Dave Nelson (RTP) attended the AR080, Standing Committee on Highway-Rail Grade Crossings meeting.
Dr. Zhanping You attended the TRB meeting, serving as a moderator of a lecture session on “The Science of Snowfighting” and a poster session on asphalt binders. He also moderated the ASCE Bituminous Materials Committee(BMC). He accepted a new role as the Vice President of the International Association of Chinese Infrastructure Professionals (IACIP) and co-presented a number of papers and posters such as “Measurement and Modeling of Skid Resistance of Asphalt Pavement: A Review”, “Development of a Tire-Pavement Dynamic Friction Analyzer for Investigation of the Dynamic Friction Coefficient Between Tire and Pavement” and “Fourier Transformation Infra-Red Spectroscopic Analyses of Modified Asphalt Binders”.
A
lectern lecture was given by Thomas
Oommen (GMES) on “Remote terrain
Strength for Mobility Characterization” at lectern Session 1384: Integration
of Remote Sensing Techniques and Classical Instrumentation.
CEE student Reihaneh
Samsami attended several technical committee meetings and technical
sessions.
Prof. Eric Seagren (CEE) participated as the session chair of the lectern session 1116 on “Bio-mediated Enhancement of Transportation Materials and Infrastructure,” which was sponsored by the Standing Committee on Geo-Environmental Processes (AFP40). Prof. Seagren also participated as a member of the AFP40 Committee at their meeting at which he gave a presentation entitled, “Laboratory Simulation of Cold-Weather Fugitive Dust Events at Mine Tailings Impoundments and Mitigation Methods,” co-authored by Drs. Bonnie Zwissler (CEE), Stanley Vitton (CEE), and Thomas Oommen (GMES).
Dr. Jennifer G. Becker, Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering, was elected Chair of the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors Foundation (AEESP Foundation). Becker was elected to the AEESP Foundation Board of Directors in 2019, and her three-year term as Chair of the Foundation began in January, 2020.
The Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) is an international organization with over 800 members, most of whom are environmental engineering and science professors. The AEESP Foundation supports and encourages excellence in environmental engineering and science education, outreach, and scientific research by sponsoring a distinguished lecturer series, awarding K-12 educational and outreach grants, and endowing and administering award programs for professors and students.
Becker has a distinguished record of service to the environmental engineering community. She served as a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Science Advisory Board’s Environmental Engineering Committee from 2016 until the committee was retired in 2018. She was elected by her environmental engineering and science academic peers to the AEESP Board of Directors in 2010. While on the AEESP Board of Directors, Becker was also elected to several AEESP officer positions, including President of AEESP (2013-2014).
Becker is one of several current and former Michigan Tech faculty members who have been recognized by the AEESP and the AEESP Foundation for their outstanding achievements in research, education, and/or professional service. The list of awards given to current and former Michigan Tech faculty by the AEESP/AEESP Foundation and/or Environmental Engineering Science (the official peer-reviewed journal of AEESP) include:
C. Robert Baillod (deceased) 2012 Perry L. McCarty AEESP Founder’s Award (received posthumously)
Jennifer G. Becker 1993 AEESP Master’s Thesis Award (First Place, Student with advisor David L. Freedman) 2006 AEESP Master’s Thesis Award (Second Place, Advisor with student Ilisa A. Tawney) 2010 AEESP Distinguished Service Award for Outstanding Service as Chair of the AEESP Awards Committee 2014 AEESP Distinguished Service Award for Outstanding Service as AEESP President and AEESP Board Member
John C. Crittenden (Now at Georgia Institute of Technology) 2000 AEESP Outstanding Publication Award (for Crittenden, J.C., Hand, D.W., Arora, H., and B.W. Lykins, Jr., “Design Considerations for GAC Treatment of Organic Chemicals,” J. Amer. Water Works Assn. 79 (1) 74-82, 1987.)
David W. Hand (Emeritus Professor) 2000 AEESP Outstanding Publication Award (for Crittenden, J.C., Hand, D.W., Arora, H., and B.W. Lykins, Jr., “Design Considerations for GAC Treatment of Organic Chemicals,” J. Amer. Water Works Assn. 79 (1) 74-82, 1987.) 2006 AEESP Award for Outstanding Teaching in Environmental Engineering & Science
James R. Mihelcic (now at the University of South Florida) 1988 Paul V. Roberts/AEESP Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award (Student with advisor Richard G. Luthy) 2002 AEESP Award for Outstanding Environmental Engineering & Science Education 2011 AEESP Master’s Thesis Award Advisor with student Cynthia Shafer) 2018 Charles R. O’Melia Distinguished Educator Award
Judith A. Perlinger (Professor) 2017 Environmental Engineering Science Editors’ Spotlight (for Blaney L., Kandiah R., Ducoste J.J., Perlinger J.A., Bartelt-Hunt S.L. “Trends in Population and Demographics of U.S. Environmental Engineering Students and Faculty from 2005 to 2013,” Environmental Engineering Science. 2016, 33(8): 578-590.)
Eric A. Seagren (Professor) 1995 AEESP Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award (Student with advisor Bruce E. Rittmann)
Michelle Jarvie-Eggart, a Michigan Tech graduate and a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Engineering Fundamentals, along with environmental engineering students, Amanda Singer and Jason Mathews, discuss the transition for first year students and tools that can make the transition easier.
Jarvie-Eggart, M. E., & Singer, A. M., & Mathews, J. (2019, July), Advice from a First Year Paper presented at 2019 FYEE Conference , Penn State University , Pennsylvania. https://peer.asee.org/33674
Extract
Much attention is paid to the transition from high school to college. Students who have recently gone through this transition may have some of the best advice to offer in-coming first year students.
Themes which emerged in this study, which corroborate other research include: time management, utilizing resources, hard work, class attendance, social activates and persevering through lower grades.
Noted architect John C. Haro, a Copper Country native who attended Michigan Tech, died April 9 in Phoenix, Arizona. He was 91.
Raised in Pelkie, Haro came to Michigan Tech in 1945 studying in the Civil Engineering Department for two years. After he left the area, he earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture from the University of Michigan, served in the Navy during the Korean War and went on to earn a Master of Architecture from Harvard.
During his 38 years as an architect in the Detroit area, Haro oversaw the construction of several buildings for the University of Michigan, the National Bank of Detroit, Avon Headquarters, the Eli Lilly Engineering Technolgy Center and the Washington Post Headquarters.
Following his retirement in 1990, Haro and his wife Betty, who preceded him in death in May 2019, split their time between Arizona and Houghton. He continued his architectural work in the Copper Country designing homes, churches and schools.
Haro was inducted into Michigan Tech’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Academy in 2011.
Audra Morse, chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, along with Michigan Tech alumni Taylor Rudlaff and Michael Prast, presented at the MITA 2020 Annual Conference about the Line 5 Tunnel.
The conference took place January 21-24 in Mount Pleasant. The Michigan Tech and Line 5 Tunnel Design session demonstrated Michigan Tech’s critical involvement regarding the feasibility of the Line 5 tunnel. It also provided insight regarding the role of the U.P. Energy Task Force in the process.
MITA is the Michigan Infrastructure and Transportation Association, a statewide construction trade association consisting of over 500 Michigan companies representing construction disciplines.
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering would like to Congratulate our spring and summer graduates. Even though the current world events are keeping us from celebrating your accomplishments all together, we still want to raise you up for all to see. We are proud of you and want to wish you the best of luck in your next chapter.
Below is a listing of our spring and summer 2020 graduates:
Zachary Bohrer
Zachary is graduating with his BS in Civil Engineering. After graduating he will begin working for MDOT. Zachary will miss being in Houghton and is thankful for the family environment that Michigan Tech has provided. He would like to recognize Dr. Kris Mattila.
Kayla Brei
Kayla is graduating with a MS in Civil Engineering. After graduation she will be working as a Project Manager at Rice Engineering in Luxemburg. Kayla will miss the friends that she has made at Tech.
Raymond Brice
Raymond is graduating with his BS in Civil Engineering. After graduation he plans on joining professional hockey. Raymond will miss the Michigan Tech culture and is thankful for the hockey fans and community support.
Camille Carlson
Camille is graduating with a BS in Civil Engineering and will be starting a full-time job in June. She will miss her friends at Michigan Tech, being able to ski whenever she wants and all the outdoor activities she could dream of. She is thank to Michigan Tech for a truly worthwhile education. Camille would like to recognize her family, especially her mom, for all the support and encouragement over the years.
Mason Chapman
Mason is graduating with his BS in Construction Management. He will be a Project Manager at Rieth-Riley Construction after graduation. Mason will miss the area and is thankful for those who have led him in the right direction to get the best out of himself and his career.
Alex Christmas
Alex is graduating with a BS in Civil Engineering. After graduation he will be working for Pacific Railroad. Alex will miss hockey, the Pep Band and the weather. He is thankful to Michigan Tech for being an awesome place to go to school and would like to recognize Dr. Kris Mattila as being someone who has made a difference to him during his time here.
Brett Cianek
Brett is graduating with a BS in Environmental Engineering. He will move to Virginia to start his career after graduation. Brett will miss the faculty in the CEE Department and is thankful for how helpful they were when he had problems. He would like to recognize Dr. Kris Mattila as someone who made a difference to him while he was at Tech.
Alexandra Constanzo
Alexandra is graduating with a MS in Civil Engineering with a Geotechnical focus. She is moving to Lansing, MI to start her career at SME as a Senior Staff Engineer in the Geotechnical Group. Alexandra says: ” I will really miss the community up here! The Keweenaw has been my home for 5 years and I am going to miss the close knit community and the opportunities it gave me. I will also very much miss being a part of the Huskies Pep Band and the Memorial Union Board and creating or participating in the many events every year. I am beyond thankful to Michigan Tech for giving me some many opportunities to grow as a person, meet so many incredible people, and just being an amazing university. I have made life long friends up here and I will forever be grateful that they are now in my life. I would like to recognize a few individuals that made my experience at Michigan Tech that much better. First off, Dr. Thomas Oommen who is an excellent professor and really took the time to work with his students during the major changes this semester to make our classes a little bit less terrible. Second, Dr. Kris Mattila who I was lucky to take 4 different classes from. His classes not only teach important career skills, but life lessons as well. He has become not only a professor, but I would say a friend to me these last five years and someone I enjoy stopping by to enjoy a catch up/check in chat with. “
Kyle Danko
Kyle is graduating with his BS in Environmental Engineering. After graduation he will begin work for MSA Professional Services in Rhinelander, WI as a design engineer. Kyle says he is thankful to Michigan Tech for providing a bi-annual career fair that helped establish internships and foundations of a career. He would like to recognize Dr. Jennifer Becker for all the hard work, the smiles, and the motherly attitude.
Jake Dedering
Jake is graduating with a BS in Civil Engineering. After graduation he will be working at EMCS in Milwaukee, WI. Jake will miss the natural beauty of the area and is thankful for the education that Michigan Tech has provided him.
Rachel Duffy
Rachel is graduating with a BS in Civil Engineering. She says: ” I will miss the environment and community at Michigan Tech. I feel like its a really unique school that offers something special to students. Its a really close knit community where you can count on each other when you need to. I have met some really amazing people here and made life long friends, I’m going to miss being in the same town as all of them. I’m also going to miss being this close to Superior. I am thankful to Michigan Tech for providing me the atmosphere I needed to grow into the person I am today. I would, quite literally, be a completely different person if I had not come up to Tech for college. I feel like I found who I am supposed to be while here. Through perseverance, strength, and the help of my amazing professors and friends, I have become a stronger and more confident person who is ready for whatever challenges come next. “
Brooke Forseth
Brooke is graduating with a BS in Civil Engineering. After graduation she will be moving back to Green Bay, WI to work for Jacobs Engineering. She will miss being in the U.P., where the gorgeous views, hikes and adventures are just a short drive from campus. Brooke is thankful for the community that Michigan Tech creates and for some of the most down-to-earth people she has met and made memories with over the past four years.
Savannah Fowler
Savannah is graduating with a BS in Environmental Engineering. After graduation she will be working full-time with General Motors in Bay City, MI. She will miss the people at Michigan Tech: “Faculty really care about educating us and preparing us for the real world. I’ve made lifelong friendships at Tech that I wouldn’t have found elsewhere. I’ll also miss the Keweenaw and all the places to explore.” Savannah is thankful to Tech fro providing all the resources that were needed to have the best chance of success when leaving. She would like to recognize Mary Fraley and Gretchen Hein as they were instrumental in shaping her outlooks on life and who she wants to be.
Brendan Gardner
Brendan is graduating with a BS in Civil Engineering. After graduation he will work for Sharpe Engineering in Oxford, MI. He will miss his fraternity brothers and all the memories shared over the past 5 years. He will also miss the professors who believed in him and always pushed him to be better. Brendan is thankful to Michigan Tech for an amazing college experience and a quality education. He will really miss going to the hockey games and skiing at Mt. Bohemia as well. Brendan wanted to recognize two professors of his- Joe Foster and Kris Mattila: “I feel they were the most influential to me during my time here and helped me grow as a student. I never felt out of place or uncomfortable in their classes. They’re just all around great men.”
Dongdong Ge
Dongdong Ge is graduating with a PhD in Civil Engineering. He will continue on at Michigan Tech as a postdoc after graduation. He will miss the kind guidance from professors, the help from staff, and his friends. Dongdong wants to say thanks to everyone who helped him at Michigan Tech and express his appreciation for his advisor, Dr. Zhanping You.
Reid Grunewald
Reid is graduating with a BS in Civil Engineering. After graduation he will begin an internship at Fire Tower Engineered Timber in Calumet. He will miss spring skiing at Mont Ripley and is thankful to Michigan Tech for giving him some grit.
Katy Gula
Katy is graduating with a BS in Environmental Engineering. She still has some classes to take over the summer, so over the next few months she will be looking for jobs primarily in the Midwest. Katy says one of the things she will miss the most is the people she has had the chance to meet and build amazing friendships from all different backgrounds through different extracurricular activities, including theatre and sailing. When asked what she is thankful for, she says: ” I am thankful for my involvement in the arts. I got the chance to sing solos in Chamber Choir, get leads in the plays, and help do technical work on a few of the shows here. At many larger universities, you have to be an upperclassman or in the major to be considered for many of these positions, so it was nice to be able explore my passions and grow in my abilities through the VPA department. “
Brittany Hubbard
Brittany is graduating with a MS in Civil Engineering – Water Resources. After graduating she will be seeking employment in Stream Restoration. Brittany will miss being challenged to learn higher level concepts everyday, being around a science research community and all the access to resources – programs, journals, professors, the lab, enterprise. Brittany says: ” Thanks for working with my non-traditional background to make this degree a reality. Thanks to the staff and faculty for taking a personal interest in my academic growth and success. Thanks to the Michigan Tech, the graduate school, and my civil and environmental department for their communication efforts to keep me informed, safe, and on track. Thanks to my professors for their high standards, I now feel confident I have the foundation I need to make informed decisions of water resource engineering projects.” She also wanted to recognize the following people:
Dr. Veronica Webster – Best advisor ever. Thank you for your expertise and guidance. Thank you for your recommendation to be a graduate teaching assistant. Thank you for challenging me, encouraging me, and letting me ask a million curiosity questions – and reigning me in to keep me on track!
Mike Hyslop – Thank you for always being available to help whether in one of your classes or for all of the following semesters. Mike on many occasions would take the extra time to clarify concepts I was stuck on or just interested in. He also has continued to help me with GIS program troubleshooting issues I encounter outside of his class.
Brian Barkdoll – Thank you for challenging me to teach myself. I feel confident in my success post Michigan Tech because your teaching style encouraged me to take extra accountability in my ability to learn.
Rob Fritz – Thank you for your expertise in all of the lab sessions!! Without you labs would have not been so smooth!
Angela Keranen – Thanks for ALL your efforts : keeping me informed , knowing all the answers, helping me with paperwork, navigating my degree, supplies, snacks!
Mahta Naziri Saeed – Thank you for climbing over the row of seats and becoming my friend.
Garion Johnson
Garion is graduating with a BS in Civil Engineering. He will join the Navy after graduation. Garion will miss the “wonderful” snow and weather and is thankful to Michigan Tech for the opportunities to learn new things. He would like to recognize Dr. Brian Barkdoll for someone who made a difference to him while studying at Tech.
Zebadiah Jones
Zebadiah is graduating with a BS in Environmental Engineering. After graduating he is getting married, moving downstate and hopefully finding a job. Zebadiah will miss kayaking, friends, broomball and daily life in the Keweenaw. He said he is thankful to Michigan Tech for: ” Giving me so much time in copper country. I’ve truly loved every moment. From the picturesque views, awesome adventure, friendships, and a quality education in the perfect package.”
Achille Kagabo
Achille is graduating with his MS in Civil Engineering – Geotechnical Engineering. After graduation he plans on working in the civil engineering industry. Achille will miss the quietness of the area. He is thankful to Michigan Tech for a quality education and would like to recognize Dr. Stan Vitton for making a difference to him during his time here.
Cole LaBarre
Cole is graduating with a BS in Civil Engineering. After graduation he will start his career with a great AE firm. He will miss the campus community, the campus itself, and the peaceful walking across campus in the summer and spring months. Cole is thankful for meeting his amazing friends he has made and would like to recognize Dr. Kris Mattila for being a great mentor and professor through his years at Michigan Tech.
Erin Lau
Erin is graduating with her MS in Civil Engineering. She will be moving to Rochester, MN to work at SEH after graduation. Erin will miss Houghton, being able to explore new places all of the time within the community. Stating the community may be the biggest loss of all. She says she is thankful for all the opportunities Michigan Tech provides for leadership and hands-on experiences.
Mary Kinney
Mary is graduating with a BS in Civil Engineering. After graduation she will be working for HNTB in East Lansing, MI. Mary will miss being a part of the student organizations (Concrete Canoe & ASCE) and, of course, broomball. She is thankful for 4 years in the Keweenaw Peninsula and Mt. Ripley and would like to recognize Dr. Audra Morse, Dr. Tess Ahlborn, Dr. Kuilin Zhang, Dr. Kris Mattila, and Julie Ross for making a difference to her while at Michigan Tech.
Julia Manzano
Julia is graduating with a BS in Environmental Engineering. She plans on attending graduate school at Michigan Tech following graduation. She is thankful to Michigan Tech for creating an atmosphere for encouragement and success. She wanted to recognize Dr. Melanie Kueber: ” Dr. Melanie Kueber has been a very influential professor to me. The introductory water resources course sparked my interest in the subject so I continued onto more related courses, one of which Dr. Kueber taught, and she provided us with challenging real-world problems. I was fortunate to later have her as my senior design advisor, where she continued with this same level of instruction. I feel more prepared and confident to work as an engineer after having her as a professor and mentor.”
Jack Martzke
Jack is graduating with a BS in Civil Engineering. Jack will be joining MSA Professional Services in Madison, WI as a bridge engineer after graduation. He will miss snow and friends and is thankful for the awesome professors and hands-on classes that made learning challenging but fun. Jack says: ” Thanks to professors, such as Dr Mattila, Dr Dowden, and Dr Ahlborn who care about students and make classes relevant and fun. Thanks to the rest of the CEE faculty for providing quality courses. Also, thanks to Rob and Kiko for making dirty work tolerable and their willingness to work around our schedule. ”
Christa Meingast
Christa is graduating with a PhD in Environmental Engineering. Her plans after graduation are to find a teaching position at a college or university. She will miss Mt. Ripley, the Tech Trails and the SDC. Christa is thankful to Michigan Tech for the great mentors and would like to recognize Dr. Caryn Heldt and Dr. Veronica Webster for making a difference to her while at Tech.
Marjan Monfared
Marjan is graduating with her MS in Civil Engineering. She is currently working in a consulting company as an Associate Civil Engineer with a focus on Dam Breach Analysis and Mud/debris flow estimation. Marjan says she will miss everything – beautiful people, sincere environment, Tech Trails, lifetime friends, kind-hearted staff and faculty members, the gorgeous view from the Dow 8th floor, the Portage Canal and Lake Superior. She says she is thankful to Michigan Tech for: ” My MTU family, my family in civil engineering, all great loving bonds we made with each other. Dr. Mayer, Dr. Webster, Dr. Watkins, Dr Morse, my dear Angela and Shelle. Thank you all for everything. I love you. “
Matthew Nordlund
Matthew is graduating with a BS in Construction Management. After graduation he will be a Field Engineer for the Boldt Company. Matthew will miss the friends he has made at Tech and is thankful for the career opportunities and educational diversity he received.
Conner Reed
Conner is graduating with a BS in Civil Engineering. He will then begin his career working full-time with Ames Construction as a Project Engineer in their Midwest region. Conner will miss his friends, the Keweenaw, and the work-hard play-hard culture that he was able to experience with everyone he became friends with. He is thankful for the amazing staff in the Civil Engineering Department that helped him prepare for the workforce. Conner wanted to recognize Dr. Mattila “Dr. Mattila has been the most influential staff member that I’ve gotten to know over the last several years. He was always willing to lend an ear when I had questions or concerns.” about anything and everything from homework in his class to future job plans.
Stephen Rowley
Stephen is graduating with a BS in Civil Engineering. After graduating he will be moving to Ann Arbor to work as a transmission line engineer at POWER Engineers. Stephen will miss the scenery and Mont Ripley (along with the rest of the beautiful Keweenaw). He says he is thankful for the awesome friends he has made who made earning an engineering degree as fun as possible!
Devin Slavik
Devin is graduating with a BS in Environmental Engineering. After graduation he will be moving back to his family farm and starting work as an environmental engineer with General Motors.
Seneca Stairs
Seneca is graduating with a BS in Environmental Engineering. After graduating Seneca will begin a job at Westwood Professional Services in Madison, WI. She will miss the winters and the hockey as well as the connections she has made on campus. Seneca is thankful for the great education and the kind people as well as to Tech for pushing her to be her best self. She would like to recognize Dr. Becker for always going out of her way to help her out and being a fantastic professor.
Mike Summerfield
Mike is graduating with a BS in Construction Management. After graduation he is moving to Idaho Falls, ID to start a career with Granite Construction. He will miss the small town hospitality of Houghton. Mike is thankful to Michigan Tech for their push to make every student feel important and ready for the industry in their major and he would like to recognize Lynn Artman for making a difference to him during his time here.
Tristan Tarsa
Tristan is graduating with a BS in Civil Engineering. He will begin working at AECOM Traverse City after graduation. Tristan will miss playing hockey, watching hockey, and the cool hiking places just a short drive away. He is thankful to Michigan Tech for providing him with unique opportunities that broadened his perspectives. Tristan would like to recognize too many people to list; however, notably Dr. Audra Morse, Dr. Kris Mattila, Dr. Gretchen Hein, Julie Ross and Jay Meldrum.
Zoe Wahr
Zoe is graduating with a BS in Civil Engineering. Shortly after graduation she will begin working in Grand Rapids, MI as a Designer for Rowe Professional Services Company. Zoe will miss the friendships, while she knows they will stay in touch with her Tech friends, she realizes they will never have the closeness they have now. Zoe is thankful for the challenges that Tech has presented her with and the opportunities she has received through hard work and dedication. She says “There is a community beyond campus that creates an instant bond with people that have graduated even 40 years ago that is really special.” Zoe would like to recognize Dr. Gretchen Hein: “Dr. Gretchen Hein has been a mentor to me during my college career that changed my life for the better, in all respects. She challenged me to do things that I didn’t think I was capable of, but because of those things I have had amazing opportunity arise. She truly works FOR the student and never denies a person the chance to be better. Whether it was SWE (Society of Women Engineers), personal life, or professional life, I knew that Dr. Hein was in my corner and willing to do anything to help me reach my goals. I am forever grateful for the time she spent working with me to make me a better student, person, and engineer.”
Alex Waypa
Alex is graduating with a BS in Environmental Engineering. After graduation she will be moving back home to continue to look for a job. Alex will miss the community of Michigan Tech and all the outdoor activities of living in the Keweenaw. She is thankful for all the lifelong friends that she met here and wanted to recognize Dr. Eric Seagren and Dr. Jennifer Becker: ” Dr. Seagren and Dr. Becker, they’ve both connected with students on personal levels and made themselves available to help out the best they could. “
Noah Weichert
Noah is graduating with a BS in Civil Engineering. After graduation he plans on securing a full-time job and furthering his engineering licensing. Noah will miss the surrounding area as well as the friends he made and the helpful faculty. He says his is thankful for all the learning he was able to do and the opportunities he was able to have while being here. Noah would like to recognize his mom and dad for cheering him on and being just awesome parents.
Kendall Welling
Kendall is graduating with a BS in Civil Engineering. After graduation she will be moving to Texas and working as a civil engineer. She may also enroll in an online civil engineering Master’s program with a focus on structures.
Drake Wilson
Drake is graduating with a BS in Mining Engineering and Civil Engineering. He plans to have a full-time job after graduation. He will miss the Houghton location and is thankful to Michigan Tech for Winter Carnival. He would like to recognize Julie Ross for making a difference to him while at Michigan Tech.
Xiaodong Zhou
Xiaodong Zhou is graduating with his PhD in Civil Engineering. After graduation he plans to find a postdoc position. He will miss the kind people and will miss the friendly community at Michigan Tech. Xiaodong Zhou wanted to recognize Dr. Zhanping You, Sydney Wilmot, and Julia Barnes.
Allie Zimmerman
Allie is graduating with a BS in Environmental Engineering. After graduation she will be moving to Seattle, WA where she will start her full-time job as a Field Engineer for Mortenson Construction in June/July. She also plans on taking the FE Exam in hopes to be an Engineer in Training. She hopes to one day become a Project Manager for large, unique and sustainable projects. Katy will miss being in Houghton with her closest friends and impromptu adventures in the Keweenaw and the Long Islands at the Dog will always have a special place in her heart. She says: ” I am very thankful for all of the wonderful memories that I’ve made in Houghton. Being able to take part in long lasting traditions like cardboard boat racing, winter carnival statues, welcome week, and being crazy loud at hockey games, makes me feel apart of a greater family. I am also thankful for the wonderful faculty and staff that have helped guide me throughout my collegiate career. I would like to thank my parents, Mike and Melissa, for their unconditional love and support. They have driven 8 hours to see me for only a day or two, encouraged me on my first failed exam in Physics I, and always celebrated me in my successes throughout the years. I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for them. I would also like to recognize the sisters of Alpha Gamma Delta. They have given me so much over the years from helping me build my leadership and communication skills to giving me resources and support throughout my education; from community service projects to fun and relaxing sisterhoods – I will forever be thankful for the countless unforgettable memories.”
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering would like to Congratulate our fall graduates. Even though the current world events are keeping us from celebrating your accomplishments all together, we still want to raise you up for all to see. We are proud of you and want to wish you the best of luck in your next chapter.
Below is a listing of our fall 2020 graduates:
Stephen Anderson
Stephen is graduating with a BS in civil engineering. After graduation, he will be working for MSA Professional Services in St. Paul, Minnesota. Stephen will miss living in the Keweenaw and is thankful for the memories and friendships he mad over the last four and a half years.
Chaitanya Ganesh Bhat
Chait will graduate with a Ph.D. in civil engineering. After graduation, he will be working as a Research Civil Engineer at the Turner Fairbanks Highway Research Centre. Chait will miss the warmth extended by faculty and staff at Michigan Tech and the Houghton community. He is thankful to Michigan Tech for proving an opportunity to advance both professionally and personally through peer interactions and various cultural activities. He would like to acknowledge all the faculty, staff, and peers at the Civil and Environmental Engineering department without whom the experience would have been incomplete. Chait congratulates all the peers who will graduate with him in the fall 2020 and wishes all the best to current students at Michigan Tech.
LeAnn Brinker
LeAnn will graduate with her BS in civil engineering. She will be working for UP Engineers & Architects in Marinette, WI after graduation. LeAnn says she will miss all of the friendly faces and the opportunities to get outside and try new things.
Carly Bulleit
Carly will graduate with her BS in civil engineering. After graduation, she will be moving to St. Louis, MO to work as a Construction Coordinator for Burns & McDonnell.
Clint Campbell
Clint will graduate with a BS in environmental engineering with a minor in law and society. After graduation Clint plans to: 1) PADI Open Water Scuba Training in Kralendijk, Bonaire, 2) Environmental consulting in San Diego, CA, and 3) Have fun, enjoy life and make a difference in the world :). He will miss exploring the UP and is thankful to Michigan Tech for meeting new friends while receiving a quality education. Clint wants to recognize Dr. Jennifer Becker for demonstrating the importance of hard work, professionalism, and communication.
Maria Carpita
Maria is graduating with her BS in civil engineering. She will be working as a full-time Civil Engineer 1 for Wightman & Associates in Kalamazoo, MI. When asked what she will miss about Michigan Tech, Maria says ” Something I will miss about Michigan Tech is living in the Keweenaw Peninsula. Before coming to Michigan Tech, I had never been to the UP. I am so happy that I decided to go on a campus tour of Michigan Tech in high school because ever since then, I knew that Michigan Tech was the school for me. I have loved spending time outdoors by hiking, snowshoeing, and exploring all of the nearby waterfalls. I even picked up a new hobby of photography. I would have never experienced these things had I stayed in my hometown. I will definitely be making trips back to the Keweenaw in the future. ” She says she is thankful to Michigan Tech for providing her with an amazing education, and for helping her grow professionally and personally. She says, ” In my time here, I have met many faculty who I know I could reach out to in my future if I ever needed advice. I would not be the person I am today without attending Michigan Tech. Thank you! ” Maria would like to thank her mom, dad, fiance and the rest of her immediate family for their continuous love and support over the last four and a half years.
Adam Cerney
Adam is graduating with a BS in civil engineering with a transportation focus. After graduation, he will return to Minnesota to work towards his PE. Adam will miss jamming away with the Pep Band at Hockey games and is thankful to Michigan Tech for accepting him for the student he was and also for the friends he made along the way. He would like to recognize Dr. Tess Ahlborn and Dr. Jake Hiller for making a difference to him while at Michigan Tech.
Maya Chappell
Maya will graduate with a BS in environmental Engineering. She will be working in EHS at Amazon or 3M after graduation and also plans on obtaining her EIT certification in January. Maya says she will miss the sense of community and is thankful to Michigan Tech for all the support she has received and all the opportunities she has been given.
Caroline Cotter
Caroline will graduate with her BS in civil engineering with a water resources focus. She will be commissioned into the MN National Guard as a 2nd Lieutenant and hopes to accept a job working for a civil company that works in water body restoration or floodplain hydraulics. Caroline says she will miss all of the outdoor activities Tech has to offer. The biking trails, hiking the Porcupine Mountains, swimming in Lake Superior, the fall colors, and so much more. She is thankful to Michigan Tech for all of the friends she has made in both her classes and ROTC, saying ” They are my forever family.” Caroline would like to recognize and thank Ms. Christy Oslund in the Academic Office for being both a mentor and friend to her for several years and being there for her when she needed her most.
Kagen Griffith
Kagen is graduating with his BS in civil engineering. He plans on job hunting after graduation. Kagen says he will miss the opportunity Michigan Tech provided to live in the “best place on earth while advancing my life”. He is thankful to Michigan Tech for four years to mature and grow confidence in professionalism and knowledge.
Travis Havercamp
Travis will graduate with a BS in civil engineering. He will begin working as a Design Engineer at Spicer Group Inc. after graduation. Travis says he will miss the community at Michigan Tech, in particular the St. Albert the Great University Parish. He is thankful for the quality of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering faculty and recognizes Dr. Kris Mattila as someone who has mad a difference to him while at Michigan Tech.
Mary Jarvis
Mary is graduating with her BS in environmental engineering. She says the thing she will miss most about Michigan Tech is the community, saying ” I’ve met so many incredible people here, including classmates, professors, teammates and friends. It’s a sad thought to be leaving, though I know this community exists beyond Tech’s campus”. Mary says she is thankful for the CEE Department’s faculty and staff and their dedication to giving students the best education possible. She says that she has had many great professors in the past four years who are passionate about what thy teach and truly care about their student’s success, in school and beyond.
Richard Juntunen
Richard will graduate with a BS in construction management. He has a job lined up with Bacco Construction after he graduates. Richard says he will miss broomball and is thankful to Michigan Tech for being so active with companies that are recruiting, such as the career fair – saying that “Networking is very important”. He would like to recognize the CMG professors who, he says, were amazing and helpful in more ways than just teaching in the classroom – Lynn Artman, Ron Mauno, John Daavettila, and Mike Drewyor.
Austin Kerby
Austin will graduate with a BS in civil engineering. After graduation, he will work as a Construction Engineer at Spicer Group. Austin will miss the small-town atmosphere and friendly people at Michigan Tech and is thankful that the University encouraged getting out there and trying new things.
Cyle Kugelard
Cyle is graduating with a BS in civil engineering. He will start a full-time job in the Kalamazoo area after graduation. Cyle will miss the Keweenaw and is thankful to Michigan Tech for the opportunities he has received because of attending Tech specifically. He would like to recognize Gretchen Hein for the help she provided him in Thermo, saying “she is easily my favorite professor here.” Cyle says that “this place is really hard, but it’s what makes us special.”
Danielle Lautenbach
Danielle will graduate with her BS in civil engineering. She will miss all of the friends that she has made, going to hockey games and the scenery at Michigan Tech.
Tyler LeMahieu
Tyler is graduating with a BS in environmental engineering. After graduation, he plans to work for the US Forest Service temporarily before beginning a Masters program in hydrology. When asked what he will miss about Michigan Tech, he says ” I’ll miss the people the most when I leave obviously! Of course, I’ll also miss the skiing, broomball, camping, fishing, hunting, hiking, biking, winter, summer, fall, spring, & non-exam seasons. I won’t miss the workload but will miss the learning and professors. I guess that’s what grad school is for!” Tyler is thankful to Michigan Tech for embracing student’s passions.
Sergio Miguel Lopez Ramirez
Sergio is graduating with his Ph.D. in civil engineering. He hopes to bein working in the industry or doing a postdoc after graduation. Sergio says he will miss his friends that he has made at Michigan Tech, saying “MTU creates a sense of community, where we all know each other.” He is thankful for the continuous support and flexibility and recognizes his advisor, Dr. Alex Mayer. Sergio says “I am happy and honored to be a Husky.”
Veronica Lynch
Ronnie will graduate with an MS in civil engineering. After graduation, she will be moving to Fredericksburg, VA to start her career with RS&H. Ronnie said she will miss the snow and would like to recognize all the professors she had during her undergrad and grad studies, saying ” Each one went above and beyond to make sure I excelled in my courses- from Dr. van Susante sitting in a room with me for two days straight so that I could ace the Statics final to Dr. Hein offering extra Thermo help sessions to those of us who asked.”
Lucus Marion
Lucus is graduating with a BS in civil engineering. He will begin working as a civil engineer at Hubbell, Roth & Clark in Grand Rapids after graduating.
Katelyn Palmcook
Katie is graduating with a BS in civil engineering. After graduation, she will be working for the Norfolk Southern Railroad as a track supervisor trainee. She will be in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania for 6 months of training and will then relocate elsewhere. Katie says she will miss the community at Michigan Tech and the traditions, saying ” I have so many good memories here and its mainly due to all the people I’ve met and the friends I made while here. Also, our traditions are a part of what sets us apart from other universities and I’m going to miss taking part in them”. When asked what she is thankful for, Katie says ” I am thankful to Michigan Tech for helping me to be more realistic with myself. When I came in I was all about perfection, but after being here I’ve realized that not everything you do is going to be perfect and that’s ok. As long as you do you’re best that is something you can be proud of”.
Taylor Pelton
Taylor will graduate with a BS in construction management. After graduation, he will start his career with Granger Construction. Taylor says he will miss being around all his friends and is thankful to Michigan Tech for the opportunity he was given to further his education and continue to play football.
Tye Pennala
Tye is graduating with a BS in civil engineering. After graduation, he will get a full-time job in a civil engineering firm somewhere in Michigan. Tye will miss all the activities that Michigan Tech has to offer – the golf course, Tech Trails, Ripley, etc. He is thankful for all the memories and activites and recognizes advisor Julie Ros as a great counselor who listens and helps determine the best path.
Derrick Sullivan
Derrick is graduating with his BS in civil engineering. He will work at Surveying Solutions, Inc. in Standish, MI after graduation.
Yifan Zhang
Yifan will graduate with his BS in environmental engineering. After graduating he will stay at Michigan Tech to obtain his graduate degree. Yifan would like to thank everyone who helped him in his years at Michigan Tech.
It’s that time of year…. No, not for Santa, but to kick off the 11th year of the Sustainable Film Series! The 2021 Sustainability Film Series (formerly Green Film Series) will allow you to participate, no matter where you hang your hat!! There are a few silver linings to the pandemic—you can pretend you’re back on campus with your friends! Once you pre-register on Eventbrite to view a particular month’s film (over the span of a week), you’ll receive a Zoom link to the discussion that will take place on the 3rd Thursday of each month from January to May 2021, led by a discussion facilitator or panel, knowledgeable about the film topic. You will participate in engaging dialogue from 7-8 pm. See the film line-up below and save these dates in your calendar.
Date & Time: 7:00-8:00 pm, 3rd Thursdays
of each month, Jan-May, 2021
Cost: FREE,
donations appreciated (Michigan Tech Fund 1368 EO)
Location: Online (register on Eventbrite and zoom link will be sent
via email)
Jan. 21 – True Cost (92 min.)
This
is a story about the clothes we wear, the people who make them, and the impact
the industry is having on our world. The price of clothing has been decreasing
for decades, while the human and environmental costs have grown dramatically.
This documentary film pulls back the curtain on the untold story and asks us to
consider, who really pays the price for our clothing? (2015)
Feb.
18– Minimalism
(78 min.)
How might your life be better with less? The film
examines the many flavors of minimalism by taking the audience inside the lives
of minimalists from all walks of life — families, entrepreneurs, architects, artists,
journalists, scientists, and even a former Wall Street broker — all of whom
are striving to live a meaningful life with less. (2016)
From
reuse to energy generation, new innovations across five continents are explored
in this documentary about building a future for sustainable water. (2020)
April 15 – Plastic Ocean (102 min.)
In the center of the Pacific Ocean gyre, researchers found
more plastic than plankton. Plastic Ocean documents
the newest science, how plastics, once they enter the oceans, break up into
small particulates that enter the food chain where thy attract toxins like a
magnet. These toxins are stored in seafood’s fatty tissues, and eventually
consumed by us. What can we do?
May 20 – 2040 (92
min.)
What would the world look like in
2040 if we actually implement the solutions for
climate change that already exist in 2019? It’s a story that’s less often told
than that of future catastrophe, and it’s the premise of a new
documentary from Australian filmmaker Damon Gameau, who tells the story by
introducing us to his 4-year-old daughter, then visualizing in detail how
technology could change by the time she’s 25. “I’m calling it an exercise in
fact-based dreaming,” he says in the film.
The
films are selected by our cosponsors listed below, along with Jessica
Daignault, a PhD student in Civil & Environmental Engineering, and Ande
Myers, a PhD student in the College of Forest Resources & Environmental
Science.
Cosponsors
Lake
Superior Stewardship Initiative, Michigan Tech Great Lakes Research Center,
Keweenaw Land Trust,
Keweenaw
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, MTU Sustainable Futures Institute, and MTU
Dept. of Social Sciences,
Coordinated
by the Michigan Tech Center for Science & Environmental Outreach
The Sustainability Film Series and facilitated discussion will begin its 11th year with the showing of True Cost, a film about the clothes we wear, the people who make them, and the impact the industry is having on our world. The price of clothing has been decreasing for decades, while the human and environmental costs have grown dramatically. This 2015 documentary film investigates who really pays the price for our clothing? The discussion facilitator will be Dr. Soonkwan Hong, Associate Professor of Marketing, MTU College of Business.
“This seemed like an appropriate film for January, after the consumption spree of the holidays!” explained Joan Chadde, film series coordinator, and Director of the Michigan Tech Center for Science & Environmental Outreach. “Dr. Hong is the perfect discussion facilitator for this film, given his interests in marketing ethics, sustainable lifestyles, and consumer behavior.”
With the pandemic restrictions and not being able to show films on campus, participants need to register HERE and information will be emailed regarding viewing each month’s film, and a zoom link for the facilitated discussion.
Participation is free, but a $5 suggested donation per film is appreciated. Make donation online and put Sustainability Film Series in the comment box.
“Purchasing public film screening rights can cost $100 to $300 for just one film, so donations are welcomed,” adds Joan Chadde.
Films are selected by a committee comprised of representatives from the sponsoring organizations: Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative, Michigan Tech Great Lakes Research Center, Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Keweenaw Land Trust, MTU Departments of Social Sciences and Civil & Environmental Engineering, MTU College of Forest Resources & Environmental Sciences, and the MTU Sustainable Futures Institute.
The list of films can be viewed here and on the MTU events calendar. All are invited to attend– MTU faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community members.
“We set out as the Michigan Mining School in 1885 to train mining engineers on the Keweenaw Peninsula to better operate copper mines,” says Audra Morse, chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. “Today, our students and curriculum embrace the spirit of hard work and fortitude our founders once had.”
Every January, students are busy upholding one of Michigan Tech’s fondest traditions: Winter Carnival. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan, referred to around here as the UP and home of Michigan Tech, receives a seasonal thick blanket of snow. It’s a lake-effect from nearby Lake Superior and serves as the inspiration for the annual Winter Carnival. What started in 1922 has grown into one of the biggest annual winter celebrations in the nation. “Not even COVID can cancel this event,” says Morse. “The students at Michigan Tech work around challenges so that our tremendous ‘ode to snow’ can go on.”
The special highlight of Winter Carnival: larger-than-life snow statues —spectacular, elaborate displays of snow and ice. This year, the Winter Carnival theme is “Our Favorite Cartoons for Snow Afternoons.” Student organizations all across campus will hear the call to design and construct a snowy sculpture, with the winner receiving bragging rights for a year.
Ice sculptures and a Michigan Tech education have a lot more in common than meets the eye. Constructing snow sculptures is both a civil engineering and artistic feat. Snow is thought of as a building material, just as civil engineers think of concrete, wood, asphalt and steel as building materials. “Constructing the sculptures requires developing retaining walls to hold the show in place until the shape and size of the sculpture is maintained,” Morse explains. “While some artists shape clay, engineers at Michigan Tech shape snow — into buildings, Earth, superheroes, airplanes and so much more — depending on that year’s Winter Carnival theme.”
Only at Michigan Tech can the love of snow be demonstrated through civil engineering and construction management disciplines — creating unique learning experiences that prepare students for the vagaries of their future workplaces. To take the love of Winter Carnival a step even further, Michigan Tech geospatial engineering students in the Douglass Houghton Student Chapter (DHSC) of the National Society of Professional Surveyors use LIDAR to scan Winter Carnival snow statues, with help from Michigan Tech’s Great Lakes Research Center.
LIDAR measures distances of a target using a laser and measures the reflection with a sensor. The time required for the laser to return, together wavelength data are used to make a 3-D representation of the target.
“Geospatial students work with Michigan Tech snow statue builders, using LIDAR to scan and observe a point cloud of their snow statue, recording it far better than a simple photograph could,” says Joe Foster, a professor of practice in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. “LIDAR data collected from this endeavor, literally millions of points, enables us to 3D-print an entire snow creation as a trophy, given to each of the prize-winning snow sculpture teams.”
Foster issues an invitation to all: “If you happen to find yourself in the Copper Country during Winter Carnival, come check out all the Michigan Tech geospatial engineering students hard at work using our FARO LIDAR scanner. It’s their goal to capture these amazing snow sculptures to enjoy long after the snow melts.”
At Michigan Tech we have a tradition of working hard and playing hard,” adds Morse. “It’s our nature to keep pace with the changing needs of technology.” Dr. Melanie Kueber Watkins, an instructor for a civil and environmental engineering course on river and floodplain hydraulics, uses remote sensing and LIDAR to digitally collect river bathymetry and satellite data. Bathymetry is the measurement of depth of water in oceans, seas, or lakes. “These new methods have changed how I think about civil and environmental engineering because of the unlimited data and possibilities they provide,” she says. Kueber Watkins gives her students a cutting-edge experience with big data, just as the industry is emerging. “The endless collection of ground elevation data we can collect via LIDAR using a drone or remote sensing, and bathymetry we can accomplish with an autonomous underwater vehicle, give us much more data than we ever hoped for in engineering.”
At Michigan Tech, students in her capstone senior design class use surface models with LIDAR to design roads and bridges. In other senior design projects focused on river and floodplain hydraulics, students model rivers for new bridges and floodway inundation mapping. Kueber Watkins is excited about a new elective course she teaches, “Water Resources Modelling and Design,” where she and the students use LIDAR. This class evolved from one of her research projects funded by the National Academies of Science, “Highway Hydraulic Engineering State of Practice.” For that project, Kueber Watkins partnered with a hydraulic engineer at the Federal Highway Association. “They helped by demonstrating hydraulic modelling using LIDAR, enabling me to bring modelling and big data use into the classroom,” she says. “So far, the response has been excellent, and students have been enthusiastic about using LIDAR for models and design.”
Last fall, Julia Manzano was a student in the River and Floodplain Hydraulics course. “Dr. Watkins introduced students in the class to the kind of modeling software commonly used in industry,” she says. “The models we created in class were relatively complex and utilized various tools and programs.” As Manzano began interviewing for a job just prior to graduation from Michigan Tech, she found employers were very happy to hear she’d already learned new software programs and methods, some even more technical than those they were currently using. “As an entry-level engineer, it’s very valuable to be able to bring new skills to the engineering team you’ll be working with,” she says.
Manzano had a summer internship with a consulting firm in their Hydraulics & Hydrology group, where she applied the modelling skills and theories she learned at Michigan Tech, making a sizable contribution to the hydraulic modelling project. “I knew I wanted a full-time job in water resources engineering after graduation,” says Manzano. “Having this internship on my resume, along with all of the experience from it, made me a much stronger candidate. I was able to get the job I wanted.”
Manzano, now a recent graduate of the Environmental Engineering program, is pursuing a Master of Science in Civil Engineering at Michigan Tech to continue to advance her hydrology and hydraulics knowledge. “Traditions and new advances in technology help Michigan Tech’s civil, environmental, and geospatial engineering graduates prepare for work in the 4th Industrial Revolution,” says Morse. “But it’s more than knowing how to model and use the latest software. The key is understanding the problem you are solving and how it affects those around you.”
Distinguished Professor Dave Watkins teaches an international design class for students who have a strong desire to apply their engineering skills to benefit society. Students travel to different parts of the world, to work with underserved communities on their basic infrastructure, often a highly pressing need. “It’s very rewarding for students to gain an appreciation of other cultures and awareness of different standards of living, he says. “They are highly motivated to complete their project as a service to the community. And although there are often parts of any trip that do not go as planned, it’s always an adventure!”
In addition to applying technical design skills, students in international senior design develop teamwork, communication, and project management skills. “Open-ended design projects require students to ‘plan the work and work the plan’—and that gives them a sense of industry expectations,” says Watkins.
Many projects also require taking government and regulatory perspectives into account, and for international community projects, students often engage with non-profit organizations as well. “Of course, community-based projects also require ethical considerations, such as finding a balance between the merits of a design, and a community’s technical and financial capacity—vital in order to ensure project benefits will be sustained over time,” he notes. “Last but not least, we emphasize the importance of lifelong learning, because students must learn new skills and apply new tools to address a problem they haven’t seen before, both during the projects and throughout their future careers.”
Traditions and civil and environmental engineering projects at Michigan Tech are deeply influenced by the area surrounding where we live in. Professor Stan Vitton, a geotechnical engineer and faculty member in the CEE department proudly shares the accomplishments of his most notable senior design class. In that class, students focused on the Redridge Dam, located in Stanton Township, Michigan. “The township board was considering removing both the Redridge timber crib dam, constructed in 1894, and the steel dam, constructed in 1900. The main issue was the timber crib dam. It had been deemed unstable by a previous professional engineering inspection. But during the students’ first field trip to the site, they found that the original engineering inspection missed an important underwater element of the dam.”
The Michigan Tech students determined that a large, stable rock fill in front of the timber crib dam served as the main support element of the dam. Later, stability analysis conducted by the students showed the dam actually had a very large factor of safety. The students presented their findings to the township board. Based on the students’ work the board decided to keep the dam — and gave each student a certificate of appreciation.
“In hindsight, there were two very positive results of this particular senior design project,” Vitton shares. “First, a study by the US Fish & Wildlife Service found that the Redridge Dam was a barrier to an invasive species, sea lamprey, making the Salmon Trout River the only river system on the Great Lakes without sea lampreySecond, the Redridge Steel dam provided significant flood retention capacity during a major flood that occurred on June 18, 2018 Father’s Day. The dam prevented the loss of Freda Road just downstream of the steel dam. In 2019, a Michigan Tech senior design team determined that the dam held back about three-quarters of a billion gallons of water that would have overtopped the Freda Road if the dam had been removed,” adds Vitton.
“Our traditions prepare us for the future — for opportunities such as Industry 4.0 and also the inevitable social, environmental, and economic constraints,” concludes Morse. “Traditions are customs passed on from one generation to the next, and in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Michigan Tech, traditions ground the education we provide.”