Mechanical Engineering Student News & Profiles

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	Engineering Outreach I want to stand before inner-city students as proof that they do not have to be products of their environment. It is possible to rise above.— Kari Brown
	Global Engineering My experiences at Michigan Tech and my work with Engineers Without Borders have created in me a sense of global citizenship that is critical in an increasingly smaller world.— Patrick Miller
	Mark Griep is engrossed in small mat-ters in a big way.Griep, a PhD student in mechanical engineering, is on a team of students making a nano-sensor that detects bio-logical and chemical toxic agents.
	Success, according to senior Mechanical Engineering student and member of the Michigan Tech women’s basketball team, Catherine Rottier, is a simple matter of dedication, perseverance, and time management.
	As a student and senior member of the Michigan Tech men’s basketball team, Stephen Folson knows the importance of teamwork. Soft-spoken and determined, he says, “To succeed in both academics and athletics is challenging, and it is essential to have a strong support network of teammates, family, and faculty.”
	Juggling multiple roles as a PhD student, husband, new father, and political activist, Joseph Hernandez is undaunted—in fact, he plans to change the world. He sums up his inspiration simply: “I want to do work that creates change and has a positive effect on society.”
	Margot Hutchins is passionate about her vision to create social equity through industry practices and is finding her niche in the newly formed Sustainable Futures Institute (SFI) at Michigan Tech.Read the Margot Hutchins Profile Update: Margot Hutchins (ME-EM Ph.D. student) has been named head coach for Michigan Tech's track and field program and assistant coach for the Huskies' cross country and Nordic skiing teams. She recently completed her second year as an assistant coach for the Michigan Tech cross country and track and field squads after volunteering with both teams for two seasons. She competed for the Michigan Tech cross country and track and field teams as an undergraduate, where she lettered in both sports. Margo received her bachelor's and master's degrees from Michigan Tech in 2002 and 2007, respectively. She is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in mechanical engineering within the Sustainable Futures Institute.
	Diego Villegas-Bermudez (Ph.D. student - MEEM) received a 2007 Biotechnology Research Center Travel Grants toward his presentation "A Study of Collagen Orientation in the Bovine Anterior and Posterior Medial Meniscal Horn Attachments" at the 2007 Summer Bioengineering Conference held in Colorado, June 2007. Dr. Tammy Haut Donahue (Associate Professor - MEEM) is Diego's advisor.
	Ms. Xiaoxia Lai has received a Fall 2007 Finishing Fellowship in the amount of $2000 from the Graduate School. This fellowship is made possible through a generous donation by the Charles L. Lawton Endowed Fellowship.
	Karen Hauch (MS student, MEEM) is one of three MTU students selected to receive one of the Michigan Tech DeVlieg Fellowships. Funding is intended to contribute to the education and attainment of research goals by graduate students. Her advisor is Dr. Tammy Haut Donahue.
	Xiaoli Ye won the 2007 ASME/NSF Design Essay Competition. The award includes up to $1250 for travel expenses to the 2007 ASME Design Technical Conferences to be held in  Las Vegas, Nevada. Her advisor is Dr. John Gershenson.
	Casey Luskin (ME Sr.) and Elizabeth Vanheusden (ME Sr.) were two of the six ROTC students chosen by the Department of Defense to participate in the Army Science Board Summer Study. Casey Luskin, Sr. MEEM, was one of four Army ROTC cadets at Michigan Tech selected by the Department of the Army as Distinguished Military Graduates. He will be commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army upon graduation.
	Tara E. Swanson, Sr. MEEM, was an award recipient of the 2007 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) and participated in a poster session Saturday, Sept. 29. "Recovery of Meniscal Tissue following a Period of Spaceflight or Disuse", Advisor: Dr. Tammy Haut Donahue (MEEM) Karl Walzcak (MEEM PhD student) was selected to receive the Marshall Family Fellowship. His advisor is Dr. Craig R. Friedrich.
	The Graduate School has announced the recipients of the Finishing Awards for spring, summer and fall 2007 and the Recruiting Awards for fall 2007 and spring 2008. The following ME-EM Ph.D. students received $2,000 awards:  Brian Eggart ME-EM) and Kiran Khadke (ME-EM).
	Kristina Owen (Sr., ME-EM) turned in a time of 15:49.3 to capture the third-best time among Central Collegiate Ski Association (CCSA) participants in the women's 10k category.  The USSA National Championship competition was held at the MTU Nordic Training Center in Houghton on January 2-9, 2007. Owen finished 14th overall in the category, top for the MTU Nordic Team.  She also was the top MTU women skier in the 5k category finishing 7th overall.
	Michigan Tech Wins Theatre Tech Olympics A two-member team from Michigan Tech won a lighting instrument worth several hundred dollars at the Theatre Tech Olympics held during this year’s Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival for Region III in Milwaukee. Colin Brandt (mechanical engineering and technical theater) and Dan Gossens (network and system administration with a minor in technical theater) defeated teams from the five-state region, including Purdue, University of Michigan, University of Illinois-Urbana, and University of Evansville
	ME Students Place First in ASME Strategic Diversity Competition By Diana Wadke, Tech Today editorial assistant Michigan Tech American Society Of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Student Section representatives Daniel Vanderhoof, Daniel Michalski and Nick Dumler took first place at the ASME's Strategic Diversity Workshop for their entry, "Envisioning the Future of Engineering." The competition asked ASME Student Sections to illustrate their vision of what engineering in the future will be like. "Envisioning the Future of Engineering" discusses the advantages and disadvantages of a future in which computers are the main producers and humans are chiefly consumers. As first place winners, the three received $750 and presented their paper at ASME's International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition in Chicago on Nov. 7. The three students made the nine-hour drive to Chicago to present the paper and attend a workshop. "It was an honor and a challenge to present the first place paper," said Vanderhoof, the section vice president and a junior. "Everyone was so welcoming once we made the journey down to Chicago," section president and senior Dumler agreed. He added that the timing for the conference was awkward because they had to work around their school schedules. "It was a busy week for homework and exams," Michalski, a sophomore, said. But all three agree that the experience was a rewarding one. "Seeing a lot of mechanical engineers all together for a convention like that was something special," said Michalski. Travel expenses for the trip were paid by ASME. To see the winning paper, visit http://www.asme.org/Communities/Diversity/Envisioning_Future.cfm (be sure to scroll down to the "Envisioning the Future of Engineering" heading).
	Heath Nunnemacher and Chris Coughlin, two mechanical engineering students at Michigan Tech, were the first-ever all-MTU student team competing in the 2006 Lake Superior Performance Rally held Oct. 20-21 2006.
	Nearly 50 posters were presented by graduate and undergraduate students at the 2006 Fall Student Research Poster Session at MTU. Thirteen awards were presented including Visual--first place, Shreehari Elangovan and Presentation--first place, Vishesh Kumar . The Student Research Poster Session is a forum for students, faculty and administrators to learn about the exciting research happening within different disciplines at Michigan Tech. The research presented often stimulates discussion and the generation of new ideas.
	Pavan Valavala, Ph.D. graduate student in MEEM received three awards. 1) NSF Fellowship - $2000 towards registration fee to attend NSF Summer, Institute on Nano-mechanics and Materials held at Northwestern University from July 31 - August 4, 2006. 2) 2006 AIAA Graduate Award - Open Topic category ($5000) - Award administered by American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Foundation and 3) ASCS 2006 - Travel Grant (approx. $ 1500) - Towards registration, travel, accommodation etc. to attend the CRYSTAL workshop held in Spokane, WA from September 17 - 22, 2006. He has also published an article in the International Journal of Solids and Structures. Pavan's advisor is Dr. Gregory M. Odegard
	Akshay Patil has been awarded The (TMS) Minerals, Metals & Materials Society/MS&T' 06 MPMD (Materials Processing and Manufacturing Division) Travel Grant to attend the MS&T 06 Materials Science & Technology Conference and Exhibition, Cincinnati, OH, Oct. 15-19, 2006. His advisor is Dr. Ibrahim Miskioglu
	MEEM Students Particpate in Sustainable Futures Poster Session Sustainability Research Projects Poster Session and Dinner at the Rozsa Center Lobby September 2006
	Graduate students Mark Griep (ME-EM), Nancy-Jeanne Bachmann, Valerie Fuchs and Erin Satchell (Civil and Environmental Engineering) each received $40,500 for the first year of a potential three-year, $121,500 project from the National Science Foundation for the Graduate Research Fellowship Program.
	Abigail Clarke, Xiaoxia Lai, and Xiaoli Ye each earned a 2006 NSF Design, Service, and Manufacturing Grantees and Research Conference Student Travel Grant. These funds are used for travel to the conference where all NSF grantees in the areas of design, service, and manufacturing present their research and they too will present their research. These students are part of the Life-Cycle Engineering Lab in Product and Process Modularity and Product Family Design. Their advisor is Dr. John K. Gershenson.
	Julio Rivera, a native of Puerto Rico and a graduate from the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, is making a difference wherever he goes. A PhD student and member of the Sustainable Futures Institute, Rivera takes sustainability to heart, making certain to give back as much as he has received. See Julio Rivera Profile
	Grace Eaton is interested in boat engines and a concern for the pollution issues facing the Hudson River directed her passage into Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Tech. She discloses her future goals: “I want to be a part of changing how we view energy, how the world uses energy, and how we take care of the environment with the technology we have.” Grace Eaton Profile
	M.E. Student is 2003 Homecoming Queen for Michigan Tech Ms. Tenasia Hatch earned a scholarship from the Automotive Women's Alliance and chose Michigan Tech to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering. Read her student profile here.
	Emily Fossum chose Michigan Tech because she was interested in studying engineering and continuing her volleyball career. “Michigan Tech has a strong athletic department and also a strong science and math program,” said Fossum. “It was the perfect match.” Emily Fossum Profile article
	Jorge Aguila has traveled a long way from home to study at Michigan Tech. Originally from Cuba, Aguila immigrated to the United States of America with his family at the age of 18 when his mother was granted a visa. He is looking forward to a career in the automotive industry Student Profile on Jorge Aguila
	Dan Adler, a senior at Michigan Tech, is leading his classmates into the future. Adler decided to come to this university because of his interest in science and mathematics, but has found many more reasons to stay. Adler said, “Although the course work is demanding, there are a lot of opportunities to explore interests outside the classroom.” Dan Adler Student Profile
	ME Student Appears on Junkyard Mega-Wars Michigan Tech ME student Osanan L. (Sam) Barros Neto participated on The Learning Channel (TLC)’s Junkyard Mega-Wars and Discovery (Canada) TV shows. See the ME Student Profile and also a Michigan Tech news story. Recently adding to the above, Barros, was mentioned in a Fortune magazine article, "Lightening Bugs."
	ME Student is Named All-American Joseph Berger of the Michigan Tech football team has been named to the 2003 Daktronics All-America Second Team. He has a 3.73 cumulative grade point average in mechanical engineering.  See the Michigan Tech Athletics story here.
	Godwin Iduma Wins Mr. MTU ME student Godwin Iduma won Mr. MTU Pageant, 2004. He performed in 'yooperwear,' followed by series of interviews and a talent show where Iduma and his partner displayed different dancing steps that held the audience spellbound. Iduma said, "I will treasure this title given to me not because of myself but because of those who supported me." Godwin is Vice president of the African Students Association. Of the six finalists, four were from ME-EM. Michigan Tech Lode Story
	ME Student Chris Conner wins hockey honors Chris Conner is a mechanical engineering sophomore student and is on the MTU Hockey Team. Chris Conner has been named to the All-Western Collegiate Hockey Association Second Team. He was nominated for the Hobey Baker Award.
	Jaime Krull has selected to receive a Fulbright Award. Krull will defend her MS thesis this spring and will begin doctoral studies this fall as a Fulbright scholar at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, Norway. More details
	Matt Holbrook, a senior in Mechanical Engineering has published the article 'Return of The Heavyweights -- The Mechanics of Current in the Underwater World' in the JULY-AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2005 (Vol. 16 No. 5) of Walleye Insider. His advisor is Dr. Jeff Allen. Kristen Karnowski, Andrew Richards, Anthony Schwenn, Yuta Shokinji, Senior Design students, represented MTU and MEEM at 2005 Korean Capstone Design Fair. Their advisor is Dr. John Gershenson. Osanan L. (Sam) Barros Neto, a Michigan Tech ME student, who appeared in Junkyard Megawars and Discovery Canada (which nicknamed him Plasmaboy), was mentioned in Fortune magazine recently. Barros is among a handful of electricity enthusiasts profiled in the Oct. 14 edition of Fortune magazine article, 'Lightening Bugs' by Ivan Amato, which chronicles the exploits of 'high-voltage hobbyists'. Julio Rivera, a Michigan Tech Ph.D. student in the Mechanical Engineering department along with four others traveled to his native Puerto Rico visiting several universities, targeting recent engineering graduates who could go on to gain a master’s or Ph.D. at Tech. Dr. John Sutherland is his advisor.
	Kiran Khadhe and Xiaoxia Lai, MEEM PhD students and Nikhil Sanyal and Drew Vettel, MSME students won the 2005 NSF/ASME Design Essay competition, which earns them a paid trip to the top conference in the design field. Faculty advisor: Dr. John K. Gershenson. Jason Dreyer and Ashish Jangale earned the Second Place Award at the SAE Noise and Vibration Conference in Traverse City, MI, in May 2005 for their paper titled 'Analysis and Design of a Hemi-Anechoic Chamber Facility at Michigan Tech University. Faculty Advisor: Dr. Mohan D. Rao. Undergraduate ME student, Laura A. Koning, has earned the 2005 SAE Long Term Member Sponsored Scholarship. Undergraduate ME student, Kelly L. Willet, earned the 2005 Department Scholar Award. Undergraduate ME student, Brian Sikkema, was awarded a $9,000 grant through NASA's Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) to investigate revolutionary ideas for space exploration in the next 10 to 40 years. He was one of five undergraduates in the United States to receive the award. Faculty advisor: Dr. L. Brad King. Undergraduate ME student, Kelly Willett, and ME-EM PhD graduate student Melissa A. Marszalek were named Presidential Council of Alumnae (PCA) Women of Promise from the MEEM Department. Undergraduate ME student, Sam Barros, was featured on NBC's Fear Factor, Monday, Jan. 31, 2005.
	Jason Gillespie was one of the recipients of the 2005 Michigan Tech Fund Merit Award announced for Spring 2005
	ME-EM students Andrew Barnard and Jason LaLonde won two of the three prizes awarded at the Noise-Con 2004 Conference held in Baltimore in July; More details here
	The SEM Student Paper Competitions were originated to encourage excellence in technical communication in the experimental mechanics field. A regional paper competition was initiated in 1984 in a joint effort by SEM's Milwaukee Local Section and SEM's Student Chapter of Michigan Technological University. Since that time, students from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Michigan Technological University have participated in the regional competition held each spring in Milwaukee at one of the regular local section meetings. 2002: 1st Place Angus M. Morison Michigan Technological University 2000: 2nd Place Scott A. Miers Michigan Technological University

March 21, 2008