Creating the Future:
Exploration and Entrepreneurship
@ Michigan Tech --- 2003

Study and investigation are what is underway for this year’s annual Undergraduate Exposition. The theme is “Creating the Future: Exploration and Entrepreneurship @ Michigan Tech.” Students will present their Senior Design projects along with Undergraduate Research and Enterprise Team projects. A distinguished panel of judges made up of University faculty members and corporate representatives will critique the projects in three categories: abstracts, posters and presentations. Student participants from all engineering and science disciplines will compete for a wide range of cash prizes.

The goal of the Undergraduate Exposition is to provide an opportunity for students to present their research, design and independent study projects. Students will gain professional experience and build their resumes through direct exposure to real world problems and competitiveness. The Expo will not only serve as a means of showcasing the hard work of many of Michigan Tech's talented students, but also the quality of education that is afforded to Michigan Tech students because of the generous donations made by members of industry.

There have been several improvements made to this year’s competition. The Exposition has been expanded to include Senior Design and Enterprise Team projects. Projects will be judged within their respective classes - Undergraduate Research, Senior Design and Enterprise. Undergraduate Research participants will compete in three (3) categories - abstract, poster and presentation. The Enterprise teams will compete in the poster and presentation portion of the competition. Finally, Senior Design teams will compete amongst themselves for the best poster.

Many of the Enterprise Team projects to be displayed are sponsored by industry. Through sponsorship, industry is able to link up with the fresh, new engineering talent at Michigan Tech and contribute significantly to their education and the mission of the University. Members of industry and various academic department advisory boards will be on campus to view the various projects. The projects and posters will also be available for viewing by the campus and community throughout the day.

The Expo is a combined effort of the Department of Educational Opportunity and the College of Engineering. If you are curious as to how you can participate in next year’s Expo or would simply like more information surrounding the event, please contact Mary Raber at (906) 487-2005 or mraber@mtu.edu
You may also contact Mary Raber utilizing the preceding information if you are interested in Michigan Tech’s Enterprise program. Enjoy your day as you witness America’s premier engineering students create the future.

Click on the snapshot for a larger image.


Overview of Expo 2003 Participants




Mary Erva, Mary Raber, and Dean Sheryl Sorby of College of Engineering






1st Place Award Undergraduate Research Presentation

Effects of Valence and Theme Congruent Sound on Memory for Pictorial Stimuli

Abbigale Wilson
Advisors: Rosalie P. Kern, Education Department,
and Ronald K. Gratz, Biology
Michigan Technological University

2nd Place Award Undergraduate Research Presentation

Synthesis of 1, 2, 4, 5 - Tetracyanobenzene

Beth Conrad
Advisor: Eugenjius Urnezuis, Chemistry
Michigan Technological University

3rd Place Award Undergraduate Research Presentation

Analysis of Bone Histology, Composition , and Mechanical Properties of Black Bear Tibias in Relation to Disuse Osteoporosis

Kristin Harvey
Advisor: Seth Donohue, Biomedical Engineering
Michigan Technological University


  1st Place Award Senior Design Projects

Erin McCave, Brent Burns, Melissa Hasenbank and Karen Milborn

Design, Manufacturing and Testing of a Mucoadhesive Drug Delivery System Infused with Naproxen

Advisor: Seth Donohue, Biomedical Engineering
Michigan Technological University

2nd Place Award Senior Design Projects (Tie)

Justin Juen

Infrared Sensor Arrays
Advisor: David Stone, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Michigan Technological University

2nd Place Award Senior Design Projects (Tie)

Lindsay Godin, Lisa Markee, Rachel Haner, Chad Blake, and William Bussone

Hands-free Walker as Basketball Assist Device
Advisor: David Nelson, Biomedical Engineering
Michigan Technological University

Honorable Mention Award Senior Design Projects

Kristin Harvey, Katie Stream, Matthew Barron and Carolyn O'Keefe

Power Assist Sit-to-Stand Mechanism
Advisor: David Nelson, Biomedical Engineering

Honorable Mention Award Senior Design Projects

Rebecca Dugopolski, Ryan Kilgren and Ed Verhamme

Reduction of Fecal Bacteria Load in Produce Irrigation Water
Advisor: Kurt Paterson, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Honorable Mention Award Senior Design Projects

Jun Liu, Paul Weber, Jonathan Mott, Brandon Carlson

Fault Tolerant Vehicle Power System
Advisor: Roger Kieckhafer, Electrical and Computer Engineering

 
1st Place Award Enterprise Poster Presentation

Consumer Product Manufacturing
Imagine a program where the students run the class meetings, work directly with a corporate sponsor, define "success", and actually make a product. Before you say, "Impossible!" you should check out the Consumer Product Manufacturing (CPM) Engineering Enterprise at Michigan Tech. The team is in the process of fulfilling this vision in our inaugural year. The hope is that all of the students who participate in CPM will leave empowered with the entrepreneurial, technical, and professional skills to conceive, develop, and market successful products in a company setting. Skills learned in manufacturing disposable consumer products will be readily applicable to other types of products and commodities. In addition, all majors are welcome to contribute to the team and its goals. CPM actively promotes the expectation that some of the students will go on past graduation to start their own successful business ventures.

With these expectations in mind, the ambitious CPM mission is to provide participating students with hands-on experience at solving real-world engineering problems by developing and applying technical, personal, and professional skills.

2rd Place Award Enterprise Poster Presentation

Michigan Tech Clean Snowmobile Team
Team Mission: To engineer a snowmobile that has emissions and noise output levels equal to or below that of an average automobile traveling through Yellowstone National Park. This snowmobile must also maintain characteristics that appeal to the average snowmobile enthusiast.

The MTU Clean Snowmobile Team participates in an annual SAE collegiate design competition, the Clean Snowmobile Challenge. This competition was created to give college students an opportunity to apply their classroom knowledge to a real product. It was also designed to address the environmental issues currently surrounding the snowmobile industry.


3nd Place Award Enterprise Poster Presentation

Wireless Communication Enterprise
Team Mission: To develop a self-sustaining, student-led Enterprise that makes a significant positive impact in the world of wireless communication. Members of the Wireless Communication Enterprise gain rich experience in
  • Engineering design - learning wireless technology and design as part of a team, even before doing coursework
  • Product development - creating the ideas, winning the contracts, receiving royalties from the patents
  • Teamwork -organizing and leading the teams, setting policy; and
Company building - learning the skills in demand by industry BEFORE finishing school!

Prizes:

Undergraduate Research
Sponsored by the Department of Educational Opportunity
Based on Abstract, Poster and Presentation

  • 1st $100.00
  • 2nd $75.00
  • 3rd $50.00

Senior Design Project
Sponsored by the College of Engineering
Based on Poster

  • 1st $150.00
  • 2nd $100.00
  • 3rd $75.00
  • Honorable Mention $50.00
  • Honorable Mention $50.00
  • Honorable Mention $50.00

Enterprise
Sponsored by the College of Engineering
Based on Poster and Presentation

  • 1st $300.00
  • 2nd $150.00
  • 3rd $100.00

Judges
Undergraduate Research Abstracts
Dr. Jeffrey Burl - Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Dr. John Jobst - Associate Professor/Associate Chair, Humanities
Dr. Janice Glime - Professor, Biological Sciences

Undergraduate Research Posters
Dr. Komar Kawatra - Professor, Chemical Engineering
Dr. David Hand – Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Dr. Patrick Martin - Associate Professor, Social Sciences

Undergraduate Research Presentations
Dr. Ronald Gratz - Associate Professor, Biological Sciences
Dr. Neil Hutzler - College of Engineering
Dr. Bernard Alkire - Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Enterprise Posters
Dr. Dana Johnson - Assistant Professor, School of Business and Economics
Mr. Roger Cass – Manager, Systems Simulation and Advanced Eng, Robert Bosch Corp.
Mr. Ed Schultz – Technical Platform Manager, Robert Bosch Corp.
Dr. Sean Clancey – Lecturer, Chemical Engineering


Enterprise Presentations
Mr. Hal Seppala - Consultant
Mr. Dan Davis - President, DavisMade Industries
Mr. Jay Meldrum – Director, Keweenaw Research Center


Senior Design Posters
Dr. Terry Monson - Professor, School of Business and Economics
Dr. Jim Frendewey - Associate Dean, School of Business and Economic
Mr. Chris Worzalla - Senior Research Scientist, Kimberly-Clark Corporation
Dr. Thomas Flicker - Senior Research Scientist, Kimberly-Clark Corporation
Mr. David Cheyne - CEO, VIA Systems


Participating Departments

Department of Educational Opportunity

College of Engineering

Center for Biomedical Engineering

Chemical Engineering

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Electrical and Computer Engineering

Geological Engineering and Sciences

Materials Science and Engineering





Special Thanks
The Department of Educational Opportunity

would like to thank the King-Chavez-Parks Initiative
for funding part of this event
as well as many of the Undergraduate Research projects.

The College of Engineering would like to thank
all of the private and corporate sponsors
of each of the Enterprise Teams.


Special thanks to the poster, presentation, and abstract judges.

Special thanks also goes out to
each of the faculty advisors to the
Undergraduate Research students,
Senior Design Project and Enterprise Teams.

View Previous Expo Results


Copyright © 2003
College of Engineering at Michigan Tech