Elements Isusue 1 2019

Elements MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY, MANKATO

College of Science, Engineering and Technology

Issue I 2019

Charging Forward

Xcel Energy awards $2.6 million grant for renewable energy research.

Read more on page 12

Growth in the Field Civil Engineering students train for rewarding careers amidst a booming industry.

Read more on page 6

Dr. Brian Martensen Dean Dr. Aaron Budge Associate Dean

Dean’s Welcome It is a pleasure to present to you the first issue of our college newsletter, Elements.

Departments Automotive and Manufacturing Engineering Technology Biological Sciences Chemistry & Geology Computer Information Science Construction Management Electrical & Computer Engineering and Technology Integrated Engineering Mathematics and Statistics Mechanical and Civil Engineering Physics and Astronomy

Elements 2019 Issue1 College of Science, Engineering and Technology Minnesota State University, Mankato 131 Trafton Science Center North Mankato, MN 56001 Phone: 507-389-6205 Managing Editor Emily Frederick

It is hard to believe that it has been 20 years since two science and technology colleges, at what was then Mankato State University, joined to became the College of Science, Engineering and Technology. Since then, we continue to proudly offer a variety of nationally recognized STEM programs, which allow us to provide a comprehensive interdisciplinary curriculum to our students.

It is indeed because of the generous suppor t from our industry partners, alumni and friends that we also continue to empower students through meaningful and authentic real-world experiences.

In this issue, we have highlighted how our distinguished faculty, alumni and students are positively impacting and advancing their local and global communities. The stories you will read are but a small sample of the exciting things happening throughout the college. Whether you are a friend of Minnesota State Mankato, an alum or someone who is interested in our programs, we welcome you to visit us to learn more about the many ways we are leading STEM education and workforce development.

Brian S. Martensen

Contributing Editors Sara Frederick Deborah Spreng Writers Grace Brandt Sarah Asp Olson Graphic Designer James Mackey Photographer Patrick Christman Print Coordinator Doug Fenske

A member of the Minnesota State system and an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity University. This document is available in alternative format to individuals with disabilities by calling the College of Science, Engineering and Technology at 507-389-6205 (V), 800-627-3529 or 711 (MRS/TTY). SETC193BK 01-19

Elements Table of Contents Charging Forward

04

12

Class Act

Electrical and Computer Engineering students make headway in renewable energy research.

Teacher-student pair benefits from same science scholarship.

06

Growth in the Field

14 A New Direction

The Civil Engineering program provides real-world training amidst an increase in industry demand.

08

Minnesota State Mankato students enter rewarding careers in agriculture.

Project Maverick

16

Computer Information Technology students find rewarding careers through Maverick Software Consulting.

10 RISE

Alumni Profile: Bob Qualset

Minnesota State Mankato Physics and Mathematics alum gives back to the department.

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RESEARCH IMMERSIVE SCHOLASTIC EXPERIENCE IN BIOLOGY

Thanks to an NSF grant, first-year students have an opportunity to participate in hands-on research.

18

Highlights

Celebrating the 2018-19 academic year.

19

Discover Our Programs

Browse through our list of program offerings!

CLASS ACT Teacher-student pair benefits from same science scholarship

By Grace Brandt

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innesota State Mankato alumna Rachel Busch appreciates how one scholarship can change a student’s life. She experienced it during her own university studies, and this year, she was able to guide one of her own students to that very same scholarship.

Busch grew up in Mason City, Iowa, and started classes at Minnesota State Mankato in 2006. She said she was initially drawn to the university after visiting it during her winter break and falling in love with the campus. What really cemented her decision, though, was when she received the prestigious Meredith Scholar Award. The $32,000 scholarship, which is awarded to top students in science, engineering, mathematics or technology, is presented to one student every year and spans their four years of study.

“I will be forever grateful to Dr. and Mrs. Meredith for that scholarship,” Busch said, adding that she still keeps in touch with Mrs. Meredith (Dr. Meredith has since passed away) through letters.

Busch said because of the Meredith Award, she was able to concentrate on her studies instead of worrying about earning enough to pay for her education. While she always planned to study chemistry, she ended up branching out and adding a second major, chemistry education, because she eventually decided she was more interested in sharing her love of chemistry in the classroom instead of in a lab. She graduated in 2011 with her 4

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Teacher Rachel Busch (left) with her student, Madelyn Backes.

“I tell my current students all the time about the classes [at Minnesota State Mankato],” she said. “I loved my experience at Minnesota State University, Mankato. I knew all of my professors by name, and they all knew me by name. I had so many opportunities to get help from them; it was always so great to have that one-on-one connection and feedback.

They really cared that I wanted to know what I was doing. They even asked me for my advice on what textbooks to order.”

One of the students Busch counseled was Madelyn Backes, who she first met during a ninth grade science class. Busch got to spend more time with Backes during the latter’s junior year, when Backes took a chemistry class Busch was teaching.

“I loved being Madelyn’s teacher,” Busch said. “Our personalities just clicked right away. Madelyn is a self-motivated learner, and she’s very enthusiastic. She builds good quality connections with her peers and her teachers. If she didn’t understand something at first, she’d persevere through the situation by asking, ‘How can I figure it out?’”

For Backes, chemistry was surprisingly interesting, since she gravitated towards music, art and theater as an underclassman. However, once she took Busch’s chemistry class, she discovered she “really, really” enjoyed science. Busch was also the one who encouraged her to consider Minnesota State Mankato after graduation. She even wrote Backes a letter of recommendation and helped coach her through the scholarship interview process.

Shortly after Backes applied to Minnesota State Mankato, she received an email informing her that she’d been selected for the Meredith Scholar Award.

“It didn’t click with me that that was the scholarship that [Busch] had received,” she said with a laugh. “So I called her, and for three or four minutes, she was just screaming, she was so excited.”

“It was one of the most joyous 10 minute conversations ever, getting to celebrate with her getting that scholarship,” Busch said.

Backes started classes in the fall of 2018 with a declared chemistry major, though she said she is interested in switching to biology since she likes the idea of going into the medical field. She said so far, classes are going well and she’s been able to form relationships with her professors.

“I can tell the professors really care and are passionate about the work, through the research programs and teaching styles I’ve run into,” she said. “They set the students up well.”

Backes added that being a Meredith Scholar has already helped her in numerous ways. She has met scholars from other classes and learned what they’ve done throughout their time at Minnesota State Mankato, which is inspiring to her as she plans out her own time at as a student.

“Hearing what they’ve done is super cool, and it’s cool knowing that I’ll get to do those things as well,” she said.

Of course, the financial aspect is also greatly appreciated as Backes focuses on her studies.

“It’s such a big help,” she said. “It was such a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I’m so grateful that [the Merediths] gave me this opportunity, because it made college so much more promising. It’s a very high honor, and very humbling. I’m so grateful for it.”

Rachel Busch demonstrates to her class the reaction produced when hydrogen mixes with oxygen.

Elements Issue 1, 2019  5

Class Act

two degrees and immediately secured a position teaching chemistry at Buffalo High School in Buffalo, Minnesota, where she has taught for the past seven years.

Growth in theField

By Sarah Asp Olson

Amid an enrollment boom, Civil Engineering ensures graduates are shovel ready through cutting-edge curriculum and hands-on field experience.

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here’s a surge happening in Civil Engineering at Minnesota State Mankato. The program, which has consistently attracted between 15 and 25 new students per year, is on track to more than double by the 2021-22 academic year.

“This year is 17, it’s the last of our small classes; then we start to increase rapidly,” says Dr. Steve Druschel, professor of engineering.

“Next year is aiming at 29, the year after 35, the year after that in the 40s.”

There are a number of factors contributing to the enrollment boom, including curriculum changes and the program’s recent marketing push. Druschel has also noticed a natural inclination from this generation of students toward fields—like civil engineering—in which they can make a tangible difference.

“Current students are wanting to change the world,” he says. “That’s why civil engineering seems to resonate for them. … They can be implementing solutions on a local and regional level and impact the world and climate change and just improve where we live. They all seem to be driven by that.”

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Boots on the Ground

Sujan Shrestha, 20, spent all of last summer with MNDOT inspecting water structures and learning to use state-of-the-art equipment and research methods.

Part of shovel readiness is becoming fluent in the Now, halfway through his sophomore year, he feels practices and methods that make equipped to handle most anything an students successful civil engineers. employer could throw at him.

The best way to do that, Druschel says, “CURRENT STUDENTS “I know I have the ability to teach is by leaving the classroom and getting ARE WANTING myself materials [and] to help solve out into the field.

TO CHANGE THE the problem no matter how complex “A student who only learns in a book WORLD.” it is,” Shrestha says. only knows anything in black and -DR. STEVE DRUSCHEL That, says Druschel, is the whole point white,” he says. “With civil engiof the MNDOT initiative—and the neering it all starts on the ground and philosophy of the civil engineering the site—real site constraints, the property line, the program as a whole. neighbors, the owners, the climate, the weather, the “Employers are so appreciative that our students don’t slopes, the soils—all of that is not in a textbook. What need a lot of training,” he says. “They understand not we try to do is get our students as much time on the just vocabulary but nuance and the depth of some of ground on real sites nearby as we can.” the problems, and have a familiarity with fieldwork Thanks to robust industry partnerships, including a and tools, so that the employer can put our people to 17-member advisory board, most civil engineering work quicker.” students are able to work professionally during the summers before their junior and senior years. But even first- and second-year students have plenty of opportunities to get their feet wet—and muddy—in order to gain valuable real-world experience.

“We call them shovel ready when they’re done here,” says Druschel.

One of the key ways for first-year students and sophomores to get involved is through a Minnesota Department of Transportation sponsored initiative that’s been a staple of the department for nearly 15

Elements Issue 1, 2019  7

Growth in the Field

One thing that won’t change, regardless of enrollment numbers, is the department’s commitment to graduating students who are fully equipped to enter the workforce.

years. Here’s how it works: MNDOT supplies a need statement, then faculty from each invited institution design proposals addressing that need. Students are paid for their labor, and MNDOT gets a dedicated army of field laborers and data wranglers.

Project Maverick

By Grace Brandt

F

or the past 12 years, Minnesota State Mankato has been offering students the opportunity to gain real-world experience through Project Maverick, a unique partnership between the university’s Department of Computer Information Science, Maverick Software Consulting and information giant Thomson Reuters.

This project gives students the chance to provide programming, software development and software testing to Thomson Reuters, with a 100 percent job placement rate after graduation. About 50 percent of those jobs are with Thomson Reuters, which frequently hires students right after graduation at higher starting salaries due to the extensive experience gained while working within the project.

“They really get a chance to get immersed and learn a lot more technologies,” he said. “They’re always doing real-world stuff. [Meanwhile], faculty get to see what is happening on a day-to-day basis with industry partners, so you can bring that to the classroom. I’ve done research with Thomson Reuters on other projects. There’s really no negative to this project.”

According to Wells, students involved in Project Maverick take on a variety of tasks, depending on what Thomson Reuters needs. In the past, students have done everything from testing new software to accumulating court data and putting it into applications that lawyers can access. Students are integrated into a team, working directly with the firm’s employees via remote meetings.

According to Dr. Mike Wells, professor within the CIS department and the director of Project Maverick, the program has consistently benefited the University, Maverick Software Consulting and Thomson Reuters.

“You really see the maturation of these students from when they’re hired until graduation,” Wells said. “Classes get easier; their vocabulary grows. When they graduate, their resume looks like a one- or two-year employee.”

“From the University point of view, we get an industry partner, and then of course we are providing students with tremendous experience,” Wells said.

Chuck Sherwood, vice president of Maverick Software Consulting and Minnesota State Mankato alum, said he currently manages 19 students at the Mankato campus.

He said there is always a lot of interest in the project’s open positions, since students appreciate the experience they can gain by working on authentic projects.

Wells said traditional internships are often only a few months and don’t always include “real” projects for students to work on. However, with Project Maverick, students work a minimum of one calendar year and consistently complete work that will be used by companies.

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“Everything we work on is real production software,” he said. “The stakes are high, and the work they do is the real thing. It’s not something that’s made up. That’s what the students want. They want to feel like they’re working

Sherwood explained that students make their own schedules, fitting in time between classes. Students are only allowed to work 20 hours per week during the school year with more hours available during breaks and summer, to ensure that they are not too busy to properly study.

Besides managing the office, Sherwood oversees the recruiting, interviewing and hiring of students, as well as helping them prepare for graduation and beyond. In addition to his work with Project Maverick, Sherwood also takes the time to conduct technical interviews for any interested CIS students, which can be invaluable even if they don’t apply to work at Maverick Software Consulting.

Kristin Jackson is a 2012 graduate who started working for Maverick Software Consulting after Sherwood visited her class to talk about the project. Jackson was initially uncertain, since she had planned on pursuing the business side of technology rather than the programming side. Then her professors encouraged her to apply, so she did. She started working there in November 2011 and continued throughout her final year.

Jackson was part of the company’s operations team, which meant she worked with applications systems and support instead of writing code. She said the work provided her opportunities to learn about a whole different side of the technology industry.

“For me, it opened up a lot of doors for jobs that I’d never thought of,” she said.

Jackson received a job offer from Thomson Reuters as soon as she graduated in 2012, starting work at the Eagan office.

Besides the relief of simply finding a job after graduation, finding a job within Thomson Reuters was especially helpful because she already had a support group of people she knew and had worked with during her time at Minnesota State Mankato.

“There’s a comfort when you can start a new job and have a background of people you know that you can reach out to with questions,” she said. “Even today, [I’m] always meeting people who were part of the Project Maverick. I don’t know where I’d be today without them. They gave me such a great opportunity.”

Chuck Sherwood (standing) works with Maverick Software Consulting Students.

Elements Issue 1, 2019  9

Project Maverick

Project Maverick

on something important with impact, and they very much get that here.”

RISE io

RESEARCH IMMERSIVE SCHOLASTIC EXPERIENCE IN BIOLOGY

First Years Out Front

By Sarah Asp Olson

Ramsey Pankratz racks pipette tips in preparation for an experiment.

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aela Goodman first heard about a scholarship opportunity called Research Immersive Scholastic Experience in Biology (RISEbio) when she visited an open house prior to enrolling at Minnesota State University, Mankato.

it also gives a leg up in any other research programs I want to get involved in.”

“What initially intrigued me was the scholarship and the opportunity to be able to participate in research as a freshman,” says Goodman, 19, who is now in her second semester at Minnesota State Mankato, majoring in Clinical Laboratory Sciences.

The program, currently in its first year at Minnesota State Mankato, supports two research streams within the Biological Sciences department: Brain and Behavior, and Immunity and Cancer. Students take introductory biology courses during their first year but are allowed to exchange course-based labs with hands-on research-something both Goodman and Keohane are looking forward to.

RISEbio is a scholarship program specifically designed for first-year students. It has three objectives: to increase student social integration and support, to equip students with transferrable professional skills, and support immersive research programs for firstyear students.

“Through the first semester we are kind of doing ‘training’ in the lab and then second semester our Biology 106 lab will be nontraditional because we will be doing research,” says Keohane. “What is nice about this is we are going to be working on something relevant and toward a goal.”

“I think being able to work so closely with professors as a freshman, through the RISEbio program, will be very helpful in the coming years,” says Meaghan Keohane, 19, another RISEbio recipient. “Also, being able to work in a lab on research will be super beneficial for not only applying for a graduate program, but

The Future of RISEbio

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The impetus behind the RISEbio program, says Dr. David Sharlin, associate professor of Biological Sciences, was the desire to implement a Freshman Research Initiative (FRI) while providing talented

students who demonstrated financial need the funds to support their success in the biological sciences.

The program was made possible through a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant. The grant funds scholarships for 80 first-year students over the next five years. Once selected, RISEbio recipients are divided into four cohorts and receive a total of $7,500 each spread across their first three semesters in the department.

“The grant mechanism from NSF that is funding the RISEbio program is called a S-STEM; Scholarships in STEM. The S-STEM provides scholarship money to need-based students and funds supporting programs like RISEbio Freshman Research Initiative,” he says.

Sharlin hopes the program can continue beyond the life of the NSF grant, whether through a renewal of the grant or an independent funding source.

“The RISEbio program is on the cutting-edge of curricular change and maintaining the program will allow us to be at the forefront of curricular transformations,” he says. “It is important that students have opportunities as part of their education that are proven to enhance student learning.”

For her part, Goodman is already experiencing the positive effects of RISEbio—and anticipates many more to come.

“Just seeing the passion that the program’s faculty members and my cohorts in the program exude rubs off and makes me more passionate and invested in pursuing the sciences as well,” she says. “A major part of the RISEbio experience is the research you are able to jump in on as a freshman… I know this will certainly enable me to stand out in the future when applying for jobs.”

Kaela Goodman (left) and Meaghan Keohane (right) analyze data from testing results.

Elements Issue 1, 2019  11

Charging Forward

By Emily Frederick

Electrical Engineering graduate student Dianzhi Yu runs a test with Dr. Jianwu Zeng’s supervision.

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enewable energy continues to emerge as one of the nation’s top priorities, pushing forth an effort to move solely to these technologies in the not so distant future. Because of this demand, prominent power companies are looking to universities like Minnesota State Mankato to meet this goal. In October 2017, the College of Science, Engineering and Technology received a $2.6 million grant from Xcel energy to do just that. Amongst the three departments utilizing the award (Civil & Mechanical Engineering, Integrated Engineering, and Electrical and Computer Engineering Technology), the Computer and Electrical Engineering and Technology department (ECET) is focused on solar and wind generated power system efficiency.

According to Dr. Jianwu Zeng, one of two electrical engineering professors leading the project, the power industry is racing to find a cost-effective solution that will make renewable energy more accessible to the mainstream residential consumer. Currently, sustainable power grid systems are efficiently operating on a larger industrial scale, underlining the urgency to focus on a domestic scale “microgrid” system. “In such a microgrid system, electric power is capable of being stored in the microgrid and exchanged among different houses. We are trying to find an optimal way to design the power converter with a more compact structure while achieving higher efficiency,” Zeng explained.

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In addition to environmental factors, Zeng said that there are many scenarios where power loss can occur: “From the perspective of power delivery, power travels back and forth, and the distance could be long, which results in more loss.”

Amidst the challenges of the project, Zeng and his research team remain hopeful as they continue to navigate through testing.

One of the eight research team members, electrical engineering graduate student Dianzhi Yu has been working on the project since its inception. She welcomes the opportunity to get direct research experience and admits that although the work is complex, it is gratifying. “This project needs adequate knowledge about electrics and control systems. It’s very complicated, but I’m enjoying

learning and taking on the challenges. It makes me feel happy when I learn new things and overcome some difficulties,” Yu said.

She also values the impact her work will have on a larger scale. “Our research takes advantage of renewable energy to make our lives better.

It’s obvious that renewable energy is good for the environment, and the need for electricity is increasing in modern life. If we can make use of these, we can have enough power supply to satisfy people’s needs.”

Charging Forward

Because the renewable energy methods involved in the project depend so much on the geographic environment, i.e., sun and wind, it is also imperative the power that is being captured is maximized and stays contained, especially when the sun goes down. “When more solar energy is generated, it will be sent back to the main grid; and when it demands energy at night, it directly gets it from the grid. The net energy in one day or one year could be ‘zero,’” he said.

As of now, the findings have been presented at the IEEE Power and Energy Conference, amongst others, four papers have been published, with another four papers under review.

Zeng added that the grant has allowed a deeper connection to the real-world application and has afforded a unique opportunity for his students to gain experience in hardware and firmware, areas of high demand in the power industry.

Computer Engineering Technology undergraduate student, Daniel Barnett completes a circuit board design before delivering it to the testing area.

Elements Issue 1, 2019  13

A New Direction Minnesota State Mankato students enter rewarding careers in agriculture

By Grace Brandt

A

s the world of agriculture changes and expands, Minnesota State Mankato is working to offer students even more opportunities and resources in this field.

According to Dr. Christopher Ruhland, a professor in the department of biological sciences, the University is currently developing interdisciplinary programs in agriculture. The demand from students and industry has motivated the hiring of new faculty to support agronomy-related offerings such as soil management, plant production and livestock/animal science.

“We hope students will recognize the importance of agriculture and agronomy to the state and national economy,” Ruhland said. “There are a lot of opportunities available in these fields.

Agronomy is an incredibly important part of the local and state economy. It has a lot of implications for food security, not just for the United States but for the rest of the world. Having a strong foundation and a strong program in agriculture is something we should definitely be thinking of.”

In addition to thorough classwork, Ruhland said students have been able to find internships that put them in real-world situations while working with some of the biggest names in agronomy, such as Bayer Crop Sciences and Corteva AgriScience (formerly DuPont Pioneer). Some of these students have even received full-time job offers after completing their internships.

“I could go on and on about the success our students have had,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of success in placing students in agronomic positions, and a lot of them have gone on to make careers of it.

The demand’s out there.”

Marianne Anderson is one Minnesota State Mankato student who has benefited greatly from the internship she found through the University. Anderson is working to achieve a master’s degree in Environmental Science at Minnesota State Mankato after earning her undergraduate degree in biology here.

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Biology undergraduate students Fatenmatta Nije (left) and Dalton Modjeski replant antarctic plants in the greenhouse.

“There are lots of great courses students who are interested in careers in agriculture can take,” she said.

“Programs like biology with an emphasis in plant science and the Environmental Science program are great places to learn valuable and useful skills. A lot of the courses offer a nice mixture of foundational knowledge and applied skills that will help you land a job after graduating.”

For Minnesota State Mankato alum Tammy Bremer, who grew up on a farm in southwest Minnesota, what to study in college wasn’t immediately clear. Bremer said she had always enjoyed working with plants and helping on the farm, but she had never even heard of plant pathology until she transferred to Minnesota State University, Mankato her junior year and began working with professors in the biology department.

from the University of Minnesota. She found work in several different positions before coming to work as a technical development representative at Bayer.

“I’ve gotten to do a lot of different things with careers, and having that broad background from Minnesota State Mankato has really helped me adapt to the different roles that I’ve had,” Bremer said. “I’ve been to different schools and had different experiences, but Minnesota State Mankato was just really awesome.”

A New Direction

Anderson explained that Ruhland helped connect her to an internship with Bayer Crop Sciences last year. Besides practical experience such as running field trials for corn and soybean crops, she also had the chance to use two acres of Bayer’s land and the equipment needed for her graduate research project.

Ruhland said now the focus is simply opening students’ eyes up to the opportunities these studies can give them, no matter their background or what part of the industry interests them most.

“There’s a thought that you have to be raised on a farm [to go into agriculture],” he said. “But that’s not true.

We’re seeing those numbers come down drastically.

There are all kinds of opportunities available. You just need to know where to look. We train students in basic agriculture and agronomy and push them in the right direction.”

“I was the first person in my family to go into science,” she said. “I didn’t know what exactly I could do with it. [It was so helpful] having those professors say, ‘Hey, have you thought about graduate school? Have you thought about putting those two degrees together?’

They introduced me to a plant pathologist from the University of Minnesota, and that’s how I got started.

By having those connections, it really helped me find my career.”

Bremer ended up double-majoring in biology with an emphases on plant science and microbiology, along with a minor in chemistry. She said she gained extensive hands-on experience while studying, including working with professors on special custom projects such as studying microbial succession in Antarctic soils.

After graduating from Minnesota State Mankato in 2007, Bremer earned an MS in Plant Pathology

Environmental Science graduate student Marianne Anderson weighs crop seeds.

15 Elements Issue 1, 2019  15

Alumni Profile

Bob Qualset

Minnesota State Mankato physics alum shares expertise with current students

By Grace Brandt

M

any college graduates recognize the value of the education they’ve received and want to pay it forward to future scholars. A lot of the time, this is done through donations to the school’s foundation, which can be invaluable to students.

For Minnesota State Mankato alum Bob Qualset, though, the giving goes a bit further than normal.

Qualset graduated from Minnesota State Mankato in 1969, with degrees in physics and math. He planned to go on to graduate school so he could become an engineer, but he was drafted and instead spent three years as a commissioned officer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Afterward, he returned to Minnesota to teach high school physics and math. He also went back to school at Minnesota State University, Mankato, studied accounting, and eventually worked as an accountant for over 30 years.

When Qualset retired in 2009, he wanted to do something meaningful with his time, and he reached out to Minnesota State Mankato’s Physics Department about potentially tutoring physics students.

“I know in the United States, we are short of scientists and engineers, and Minnesota State Mankato has excellent programs for engineers and physicists,” Qualset explained. “I thought, ‘Well, I had a degree in this a long time ago, and I was pretty good at it, so I’m going to give it a shot.’”

There was only one catch—after almost 40 years he was a bit rusty. So he asked if he could sit in on some classes, eventually working his way through both the department’s algebra-based and calculus-based class sequence. He attended all the classes, did all the coursework and worked alongside students in class, even as he spent time tutoring at the center.

“I started out tutoring for one class level, then two, then three, then four,” he said. “I tell people this all the time—this is the best job I’ve ever had. I really enjoy the students. I enjoy especially when the lightbulb turns on… That is just so neat.”

Bob Qualset, freshman year photo, 1965

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Dr. Tom Brown, chair of the Minnesota State Mankato Physics Department, said Qualset spends between 15 and 20 hours a week working with students at the department’s tutoring center. In fact, Brown said Qualset puts in three times the work a typical tutor does, offering help about a quarter of the time the center is open.

“He really values education,” Brown said. “He’s at his best when he’s talking to students about what a valuable opportunity they have and how it’s really important that they do this hard work now because it’s going to change the rest of their lives.”

Bob Qualset, pictured third from left at NOAA Officer Commissioning - 1970

Brown added that Qualset is the only physics alum who volunteers his time at the tutoring center, which is usually run by faculty and upper-level students.

The time that Bob dedicates to mentor students is exceptional,” he said. “Everybody knows who Bob is. I can’t say enough how much we value him as a part of our department. He is a gift.”

In addition to his time at the tutoring center, Qualset and his wife, Marsha, also fund physics and engineering scholarships. Minnesota State Mankato alum, Micah Chetrit, was one of the students who received a scholarship from the Qualsets two years in a row while he studied electrical engineering. Chetrit started his studies in 2013 and graduated four years later, and found a job at IBM after graduation.

Qualset has stayed in touch with several of the students he has tutored over the years.

“I’ve gotten to know a lot of students through this, and I keep in touch with a lot of them,” he said. “There are many kids out there who are in successful careers. They’re what keep me going.”

Chetrit said he’s grateful for the Qualsets and the scholarships they offer students.

“My scholarship allowed me to spend more time on school since I didn’t have to work as many hours at a job,” he said. “I think everyone should apply for these scholarships. It’s a pity that some people assume they’re not going to get a scholarship and don’t even try.”

2016-17 Qualset Scholarship recipients left to right: Micah Chetrit, Juliet Vrundny, Marsha Qualset, Bob Qualset, Evan Privet and Adam Blomgren

Elements Issue 1, 2019  17

2018-2019 Highlights

Engineers’ Week 2019 Alumni Hockey Event

The advising center staff celebrate Minnesota State Mankato’s sesquicentennial.

Mechanical Engineering students delivered food donations to the Backpack Food Program.

The Integrated Engineering Department received recognition at the 2018 Minnesota High Tech Association’s Tekne Awards.

Dr. Bruce Jones, Automotive and Manufacturing Engineering chair at the 2018 Recharge Mankato Event.

Civil Engineering students showcase their research at the 2018 Recharge Mankato Event.

Members of the DREAM Club recruit fellow students at the 2019 CSET Involvement Fair.

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2019 Order of the Engineer Ceremony

Discover Our Programs • Astronomy

• Environmental Science

• Astronomy Minor

• Automotive Engineering Technology, Bachelor of Science (BS) • Automotive Engineering Technology, Minor • Automotive Engineering Technology, Master of Science (MS)

• Environmental Science, Bachelor of Science (BS) • Environmental Studies, Minor • Environmental Science, Master of Science (MS)

• Food Science Technology, Bachelor of Science (BS)

• Biology, Bachelor of Science (BS) • Biology, Master of Science (MS) • Biology Education, Master of Science (MS) • Biology Minor

• Geology (BS) • Geology Minor • Environmental Geology Certificate

• Biochemistry, Bachelor of Arts (BA) • Biochemistry, Bachelor of Science (BS)

• Global Solutions in Engineering and Technology Minor • Global Solutions in Engineering and Technology, Graduate Certificate

• Biotechnology, Bachelor of Science (BS)

• Chemistry, Bachelor of Arts (BA) • Chemistry, Bachelor of Science (BS) • Chemistry Teaching, Bachelor of Science (BS) • Chemistry, Minor

• Information Technology, Master of Science (MS) • Information Security and Risk Management, Professional Science Master’s (PSM) • Database Technology, Graduate Certificate

• Civil Engineering, Bachelor of Science Civil Engineering, (BSCE)

• Integrated Engineering, Bachelor of Science, Engineering (BSE) • Technical Integration & Design, Minor • Project-based Engineering, Certificate • Technical Integration & Design, Certificate

• Computer Application Development, Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS)

• Management Information Systems, Bachelor of Science (BS)

• Manufacturing Engineering Technology, Bachelor of Science (BS) • Manufacturing Engineering Technology, Minor • Manufacturing Engineering Technology, Master of Science (MS) • Engineering Management, Professional Science Master’s (PSM) • Project Management, Graduate Certificate • Quality Management Systems, Graduate Certificate

• Mathematics, Bachelor of Arts (BA) • Mathematics, Bachelor of Science (BS) • Actuarial Science, Minor • Mathematics, Minor

• Applied Statistics, Master of Science (MS) • Mathematics, Master of Arts (MA) • Mathematics Education, Master of Science (MS) • Mathematics and Statistics, Master of Science (MS)

• Mathematics Teaching, Bachelor of Science (BS)

• Mechanical Engineering, Bachelor of Science Mechanical Engineering (BSME) • Engineering, Master of Science (MS)

• Medical Laboratory Science, Bachelor of Science (BS)

• Physics, Bachelor of Science (BS) • Physics Teaching, Bachelor of Science (BS) • Physics, Minor • Physics, Master of Science (MS) • Physics Education, Master of Science (MS)

• Chemistry Teaching, Bachelor of Science (BS) • Earth Science Teaching, Bachelor of Science (BS) • Life Science Teaching, Bachelor of Science (BS) • Physics Teaching, Bachelor of Science (BS)

• Statistics, Bachelor of Science (BS) • Statistics, Minor

• Automotive Engineering Technology

• Biology

• Biochemistry

• Biotechnology • Chemistry

• Civil Engineering

• Computer Application Development • Computer Engineering

• Computer Engineering, Bachelor of Science Computer Engineering (BSCE) • Internet of Things, Certificate

• Computer Engineering Technology, Bachelor of Science (BS) • Internet of Things, Certificate

• Computer Information Technology, Bachelor of Science (BS) • Computer Information Science, Minor • Computer Technology, Minor • Database Technologies, Minor • International Technology, Minor • Networking & Information Security, Minor • Software Development, Minor • Database Technologies, Certificate • Information Security, Certificate • Networking Technologies, Certificate • Software Development, Certificate

• Computer Science, Minor

• Construction Management, Bachelor of Science (BS)

• Earth Science, Bachelor of Arts (BA) • Earth Science, Bachelor of Science (BS) • Geomorphology and Earth Surface Processes, Certificate • Earth Science, Minor

• Electrical Engineering, Bachelor of Science Electrical Engineering (BSEE) • Electrical Engineering, Master of Science (MS) • Engineering, Master of Science (MS)

• Electronic Engineering Technology, Bachelor of Science (BS) • Electronic Engineering Technology, Minor • Renewable Energy, Certificate

• Computer Engineering Technology • Computer Information Technology

• Computer Science

• Construction Management • Earth Science

• Electrical Engineering

• Electrical Engineering Technology

• Food Science Technology • Geology

• Global Solutions in Engineering Technology • Information Technology

• Integrated Engineering

• Management Information Systems

• Manufacturing Engineering Technology

• Mathematics

• Mathematics & Statistics

• Mathematics Teaching

• Mechanical Engineering

• Medical Laboratory Science • Physics

• Science Teaching Programs

• Statistics

Elements Issue 1, 2019  19

131 Trafton Science Center North Mankato, MN 56001

Make an Impact

Join others and partner with the College of Science, Engineering and Technology. Together we can make an impact locally, regionally and globally. For more information or to make a gift, contact Ashley Eimer, Director of Development, at: ashley.eimer@mnsu.edu or 507-389-6742.