More than 900 students, alumni, families and friends returned to campus for Homecoming weekend in October. Homecoming participants enjoyed cheering on the Raiders at various sporting events, playing yard games at Oktoberfest,
listening to musical performances, and carving pumpkins. From
left, Lilo Emerson, Gray Mandia, Laura Melizza and Lexi Jackson, members of the MSOE women’s hockey team, tried their hands at carving a Raiders pumpkin!
Dear Alumni and Friends,
In today’s world, artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more and more prevalent in our everyday lives. We see it with our voice-activated smart home devices, in our cars with adaptive cruise, in the workplace with virtual meeting tools like real-time transcription, and more. At MSOE, it is our duty to prepare our students to harness the power of AI and empower them to be leaders in their fields after graduation. To achieve our goal of becoming a national leader in the education of applied AI, we developed the rAIder Initiative.
We launched the rAIder Initiative this academic year with a roadmap to address three strategic areas: Applied AI in Pedagogy, Applied AI in Curriculum, and Applied AI for Industry. MSOE’s history of hands-on applied teaching, supportive faculty and student relationships, and industry partnerships provides a solid foundation for extending AI education into engineering, technology, health care and business disciplines. Learn more at msoe.edu/ai-and-msoe
With our roadmap in place, we can ensure MSOE continues to offer a competitive advantage and is at the forefront of technological changes, and more. I am excited to see this initiative grow to further strengthen our students so they are prepared to hit the ground running after graduation.
The Fall 2024 Semester was full of excitement at MSOE. We celebrated five years of Diercks Hall with remarks from Dr. Dwight Diercks ’90, tours of the Diercks Hall Data Center and Rosie the supercomputer, and a variety of presentations with alumni from SysLogic, Scot Forge, Google and Northwestern
Mutual. It was wonderful to see our community of students, faculty, staff, alumni, industry partners and friends gather to celebrate this wonderful space. We are fortunate to have so many supporters of our AI initiatives.
Our students are making a difference across campus and in our community—and it doesn’t stop there. Ava Montoya ’24, a graduate student pursuing her Master of Science in Civil Engineering, traveled to Cotonou, Benin, Africa as part of her volunteerism with MSOE’s student chapter of FeelGood, the youth engagement program of The Hunger Project. While there, she participated in workshops about farming, food security, nutrition, women’s empowerment, health studies and more. On her trip she embodied the MSOE Mindset and demonstrated that she is a leader of character, responsible professional, passionate learner and value creator. Read more about her experience on page 18.
I wish you and your family a happy New Year and look forward to seeing the achievements of the MSOE community in the year ahead.
Sincerely,
JOHN Y. WALZ, Ph.D. President
“MSOE’s hands-on programs and opportunities prepared me to find success in my career, and with cutting-edge technology readily available for students, they too will graduate ready to find their own success.”
DR. DWIGHT DIERCKS ’90, MSOE REGENT AND NVIDIA SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF SOFTWARE ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENTS
6 The Strategic Investment Fund: Unlocking Potential Staff and faculty members are supporting MSOE’s strategic priorities, driving growth and academic excellence, fostering innovation and expanding the university’s global reach.
14 Guardians of the Grid MSOE is preparing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.
Ava Montoya ’24, civil engineering graduate student, reflects on her time in Cotonou, Benin, Africa as part of her volunteerism with MSOE’s student chapter of FeelGood.
ON THE COVER: Dr. Walter Schilling leads students through real-world cybersecurity experiments in the Caspian Cybersecurity Laboratory in Diercks Hall.
The flagship publication of Milwaukee School of Engineering. With stories inspired by our mission and vision, Dimensions shines a light on our students, faculty, alumni and campus events, all while highlighting the values that unite us.
Editor
JoEllen Burdue
Managing Editor
Annette Pirrung
Creative Director
Kristin Dunn
Graphic Designers
Peg Houghton, Marley Mendez
Production Manager
Leigh Ann Hass
Contributing Writers
Seth Corrigan, Jillian Kokott, Ava Montoya, Greg Off, Rachel Schmidt, Dr. John Walz
Images
Kylie Bridenhagen, Cierra Ann Media, Seth Corrigan, Front Room Photography, Ava Montoya, Bryan Pechacek
Use, reproduction or storage of the name, address or other information about any individual identified within this magazine is strictly prohibited and constitutes misappropriation of corporate property.
Address correspondence to Dimensions Magazine 1025 N. Broadway Milwaukee, WI 53202 marketing@msoe.edu or (414) 277-7117
FALL/WINTER 2024–25
Volume 39, No. 1
HEAD OF THE CLASS
Wall Street Journal, others, name MSOE among the best
MSOE is ranked the #12 “Best U.S. College for High Salaries” (the top 3%) according to the Wall Street Journal. This ranking evaluates schools in order of their impact on graduates’ salaries and how this relates to the cost of attending the college. This designation comes on the heels of the Wall Street Journal’s “Best Colleges in the U.S. for 2025” ranking of 500 schools. On this list, MSOE is #165 in the U.S. and third highest in Wisconsin.
U.S. News & World Report included MSOE in its annual rankings. For the first time ever, MSOE’s computer science program was eligible to be ranked.
• 10th Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs overall in the U.S.
• 7th Best Civil Engineering Program in the U.S.
• 7th Best Computer Engineering Program in the U.S.
• 11th Best Mechanical Engineering Program in the U.S.
• 13th Best Electrical Engineering Program in the U.S.
• 2nd Best University in the Midwest
• 2nd Best Value University in the Midwest
• 20th Best College for Veterans in the Midwest (tie)
• 6th Most Innovative University in the Midwest (tie)
• 193rd Best Undergraduate Computer Science Program in the U.S. (tie)
• 218th Best Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program in the U.S. (tie)
• 34th Top Performer in Social Mobility (tie) (a measure of how well schools graduate federal Pell Grant recipients)
Other notable rankings include America’s Top College, Forbes; Best Colleges in America, ranked by value, Money Magazine; Highest Return on Investment of any college or university in Wisconsin, PayScale Inc.; Top 20 University for Fostering Diversity and Inclusion, Minority Engineer, Woman Engineer and STEM Workforce Diversity Magazine. See a complete list at msoe.edu/rankings.
Accreditation announcements
In the Spring/Summer 2024 edition of Dimensions, President John Walz shared that a team of peer reviewers from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) visited campus in March as part of the university’s reaffirmation of accreditation. It was an opportunity for external reviewers to evaluate the quality of academic programs, support services and overall educational experience. Accreditation by the HLC is a mark of excellence and ensures that the university meets high standards of quality and accountability, and it is a process MSOE
goes through every 10 years. In June 2024, the HLC issued formal notification that MSOE’s accreditation was reaffirmed for another 10 years.
The Bachelor of Science in Computer Science became accredited by the Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET, https://www.abet.org, under the commission’s General Criteria and Program Criteria for Computer Science. Academic programs can begin the process to achieve accreditation after the first students graduate. The accreditation is retroactive to the first class of students.
MSOE celebrates five years with Diercks Hall
On Sept. 13, 2024, MSOE celebrated the five-year anniversary of Dwight and Dian Diercks Computational Science Hall. This state-of-the-art facility has become a cornerstone of the university’s commitment to advancing education in computer science and artificial intelligence (AI), offering the only undergraduate computer science program focused on AI in the state of Wisconsin. The celebration brought together a diverse group of attendees, including donors, corporate partners, industry leaders, alumni, faculty and students to commemorate the transformative impact the $34 million facility has had since its opening.
“Diercks Hall has both elevated our academic programs to lead technology education in Wisconsin, and enhanced our ability to collaborate with industry leaders, helping position our students at the forefront of what’s next in technology,” noted Dr. John Walz, MSOE president. “In order for our students to remain competitive in today’s job market, they must become experts in in-demand fields, and there is no better way to do that than with hands-on experiences offered through our one-of-a-kind programs enabled by Diercks Hall.”
Diercks Hall was made possible through the visionary support of Dr. Dwight Diercks, MSOE Regent and senior vice president of software engineering at NVIDIA, and his wife, Dian. Dwight graduated from MSOE in 1990 and credits his applied educational experience as transformative in preparing him for success in his technology career.
Over the past five years, Diercks Hall has provided students with industrylevel resources and fostered an environment where innovative ideas can be directly and immediately applied. From advanced laboratories to the latest technology infrastructure, including an NVIDIA GPU-accelerated supercomputer named “Rosie,” the facility has positioned the university as a Midwest hub for hands-on learning, undergraduate research and a valuable partner for tech companies such as Google and NVIDIA.
“When Dian and I partnered with MSOE to make this building a reality, our priority was to put students at the helm of innovation and what was to come in technology,” said Dwight. “At NVIDIA, we are able to do our best work because we have the best tools and talent available to us, and the resources available for students in Diercks Hall are the best that the Midwest has to offer. MSOE’s hands-on programs and opportunities prepared me to find success in my career, and with cutting-edge technology readily available for students, they too will graduate ready to find their own success.”
Following remarks, the afternoon’s event highlighted MSOE’s trailblazing success in AI education, including information sessions on AI and tech topics led by industry leader alumni from SysLogic, Scot Forge, Google and Northwestern Mutual. Guests were also invited to tour Diercks Hall Data Center and “Rosie” to experience firsthand the cutting-edge technology and collaborative spaces that have been essential in fostering innovation and creativity among students and community members alike.
A bold step forward
MSOE’s work in artificial intelligence, machine learning and computer science has taken a bold step forward thanks to a transformative gift from Dr. Dwight ’90 and Dian Diercks in 2019. The university has celebrated many accomplishments thanks to the vision and foundational support of the Dierckses, including the establishment of the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and the opening of Dwight and Dian Diercks Computational Science Hall.
In just five short years, MSOE has celebrated many accomplishments. As of Spring 2024, 119 students have graduated from the B.S. in Computer Science program. They’ve gone on to work throughout the United States and beyond at companies like Amazon Robotics, NVIDIA, Google, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, SpaceX, Rockwell Automation, Direct Supply and Baird, to name a few.
Rosie the supercomputer has processed more than 150,000 jobs for students, faculty and corporate partners. Students formed the AI Club, which has quickly grown to be one of the largest student organizations on campus.
The PieperPower Endowed Chair in Artificial Intelligence was established, focused on advancing the interaction of AI with humans and its potential impacts on society. MSOE also hired more than 10 AI faculty, which is helping to support its newly added academic programs:
• M.S. in Machine Learning
• Graduate Certificate in Applied Machine Learning
• Graduate Certificate in Machine Learning Engineering
• Graduate Certificate in Advanced Business Strategy Using AI and Analytics
• AI for Emerging Applications Undergraduate certificate
• Minor in Data Science
• Minor in Cybersecurity
• Non-credit Professional Education
- Professional Certificate in AI Literacy
- Professional Certificate in AI and Machine Learning Applications: Connecting Concepts to Practices
- Professional Certificate in AI and Business Strategy: Developing Your Competitive Advantage
- Professional Certificate in Ethics of AI
While much has been accomplished, this is only the beginning. MSOE recently launched the rAIder Initiative, a three-year roadmap to guide our efforts in becoming the nationally recognized leader in the education of applied AI. Look to future issues of Dimensions and msoe.edu/ai-and-msoe for ongoing updates.
The Strategic Investment Fund: Unlocking Potential
Majors that are in high demand globally.
Extremely high graduate outcomes rates and starting salaries. National rankings. These are a few of the reasons students from around the world attend Milwaukee School of Engineering.
For decades MSOE has been attracting students from abroad but, like colleges throughout the U.S., it saw international enrollments decline during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Now a few years post-pandemic, Samantha Kammers, director of transfer and international admissions, recognized that MSOE was in a good position to increase its international enrollment.
“MSOE is a great choice and we have what international students are looking for,” she said.
Kammers and her team of international admissions counselors received support from MSOE’s Strategic Investment Fund to increase international recruitment efforts in key markets such as India, Southeast Asia and China.
The Strategic Investment Fund was launched at MSOE in 2023. Full-time staff and faculty members are encouraged to submit their ideas and proposals for new initiatives that support MSOE’s strategic priorities, drive growth and academic excellence, foster innovation, or expand the university’s global reach.
“With this funding we are making MSOE a more recognizable brand internationally,” said Kammers. “We are traveling abroad to meet with prospective students and developing strong relationships with education agents.”
These initiatives are bolstering other international recruitment efforts like participation in virtual student fairs, recruiting from U.S. high schools that host international students, and hosting on-campus events.
Through MSOE’s Strategic Investment Fund, staff and faculty members are encouraged to submit their ideas and proposals for new initiatives that support MSOE’s strategic priorities, drive growth and academic excellence, foster innovation or expand the university’s global reach. Samantha Kammers, MSOE director of transfer and international admissions (left), partnered with JV Murty (center) and Dr. Chirag Vaghela, both of Invicta Career Consultancy, to expand MSOE’s student recruitment efforts in India. To date, the partnership has resulted in 11 students enrolling at MSOE.
MSOE’s admissions team is also exploring new international markets, including Canada.
MSOE is already seeing an increase in applications from countries like India and China and can directly attribute two student enrollments from India in Fall 2023, and nine from India and four from China in Fall 2024, to these efforts.
First year focus
Dr. Derek Riley, professor and computer science program director, and Dr. Katie Panciera, assistant professor, developed a weekly 50-minute seminar for all first-year programming students during their fall semester, using a grant from the Strategic Investment Fund to kickstart the program.
“Through an exit survey of computer science majors, we discovered there were several
‘I wish I would have known that sooner’ topics,” said Riley. “Katie and I discussed these topics and decided to put together a weekly course to address the gaps—what we like to call the ‘hidden curriculum.’”
“These are also topics that are more commonly known among students who are not first-generation college students and those with more advanced high school options,” said Panciera. “Things like time management, who to talk to if you’re having problems in class, and how to study for a programming exam. Our goal is to help them understand the resources they have access to and how to best make use of them.”
As a result, the First Year Seminar was created for computer science, software engineering and computer engineering students. It is a voluntary program held during students’ free hour each week and covers a variety of topics focused on helping them be successful. On average, 35-40% of first year students attend. The goal is to increase first to second year retention of computing majors at MSOE.
“We had a notable number of students change majors in the first term last year,
many due to the discussions in the First Year Seminar,” said Riley. “Students are landing in the ‘right place’ at MSOE rather than transferring to a different school and we are excited to keep them enrolled here.”
Exploring confidently
Students at MSOE have always been directly admitted to their major and begin classes for their major immediately. As technology continues to advance and engineering paths become increasingly cross-disciplinary, deciding which path to pursue isn’t always clear.
To address this, Dr. Sheila Ross, chair of the Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering Department, and Dr. Russ Meier, computer engineering program director, are leading an initiative to develop a Computing Explorers Pathway and an Engineering Explorers Pathway thanks to the Strategic Investment Fund. These new pathways will allow students to enter MSOE as undeclared computing or engineering majors.
The Computing Explorers Pathway introduces students to MSOE’s four
computing-related majors during their first year while the Engineering Explorers Pathway introduces students to all engineering programs, user experience, computer science, construction management and business.
“By allowing students to take authentic in-major classes for different disciplines, they will feel confident about choosing their major before their sophomore year,” said Ross. “In the past, students would leave MSOE to pursue a different major at another college because it was difficult to change majors at MSOE. We hope students will instead find their right fit at MSOE when they complete their explorer pathway.”
Both Explorers Pathways will begin in Fall 2025. In addition to course samplings in different disciplines, a variety of community-building activities are offered to students along with advising.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE STRATEGIC INVESTMENT FUND AND HOW IT IS SPURRING INNOVATION AND INVESTMENT IN MSOE’S FUTURE, VISIT MSOE.EDU/SIF
Dr. Katie Panciera helped first-year students navigate course registration during the First Year Seminar for computing majors. The seminar helps students understand the resources they have access to and sets them up for success during their freshman year.
SUPER CHALLENGE, SUPER WINNERS
Rosie Supercomputer Super Challenge
The third annual Rosie Supercomputer Super Challenge had the highest level of participation yet with 47 students competing for top prizes, including $10,000 in cash, 10 RTX 4090s and 10 NVIDIA Jetson Orin Nanos. The annual competition, held in spring, asks students to solve an interesting problem, answer a difficult question, go beyond their course work, or improve an existing process using Rosie, MSOE’s supercomputer. Five teams were chosen as finalists to present their projects in front of the judges and audience. The winners were:
First place ($5,000 + 5 RTX 4090s): Adapting Large Language Models (LLMs) To Domains Using Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG). Nathan Cernik ’24, Tyler Cernik ’24, Jennifer Madigan ’24, Kevin Paganini ’24 and Jackson Rolando ’24.
Second place ($3,000 + 2 RTX 4090s): Mind over (Gray) Matter: Homologous Point Transform Applications to Brain Histology and MR Domains. Abigail Draper ’24, Bart Gebka ’23, Sonia Grade, Caleb Gray, Alex Neher and Mikolaj Sordyl ’24.
Third place ($2,000 + 2 RTX 4090s): NourishNet: Proactive Severity State Forecasting of Food Commodity Prices for Global Warning Systems. Sydney Balboni, Ella Bruce, John Cisler, Caitlyn Grant, Grace Ivey, Ben Paulson, Tyge Plater and Brett Storoe.
The competition was judged by Dr. Dwight Diercks ’90, NVIDIA senior vice president of software engineering and MSOE Regent; Nick Haemel ’02, NVIDIA vice president of medical imaging and system software and MSOE Regent; and Dr. Derek Riley, MSOE professor and computer science program director.
Diercks was on campus in October to kick off the 2025 Rosie Supercomputer Super Challenge. Students are already working on Rosie projects that will wow the judges!
VISIT MSOE.EDU/DIMENSIONS TO WATCH A VIDEO ABOUT NOURISHNET.
Thousands fill the Kern Center for the Fall 2024 Career Fair
The Kern Center was bustling with meetings between students and employers at the Fall 2024 Career Fair. The Career Connections Center secured 390 companies that were supported by 1,313 company representatives. Over the course of the two-day fair, 2,437 students came through the doors to discuss internships, co-ops and full-time jobs, as well as graduate school opportunities.
WELCOME BACK
MSOE home
Where can you enjoy a carnival, ice skating, bingo, tie dye, a bonfire and more, all in one week? MSOE’s Welcome Week! MSOE welcomed new and returning students to campus with a plethora of events that introduced them to their academic programs at MSOE as well as a variety opportunities to meet new friends, get familiar with campus, explore Milwaukee, and make connections before classes started.
Faculty/staff achievements
Dr. Mitzi Dobersek, Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management, received the 2024 Regal Rexnord Educator of the Year Award.
Rick Hoadley, Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering, authored a patent from ABB titled “Systems and Methods for Controlling a Switching Device for an Electric Motor with Selective Flux Stator.” This is patent number 11,949,354.
Dr. Nathan Patterson, Mechanical Engineering, authored the article, “Learning Fluid Flow with AI-enabled Virtual Wind Tunnels,” which was published on the NVIDIA Technical Blog.
Dr. Usha Raut, Physics and Chemistry, published the paper, “A General Relativistic Approach for Non-Perturbative QCD,” in the Journal of High Energy Physics, Gravitation and Cosmology.
Dr. Ahmed Sayed, Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering, and two undergraduate biomedical engineering students published a conference paper, “A Deep Learning Model for Breast Tumor Classification on Magnetic Resonance Imaging” at the 2024 Florida Radiological Society Annual Meeting. This abstract paper was honored with the Women/ Diversity Research Poster Award at the conference.
Dr. Brian Slaboch, Mechanical Engineering, received the 2024 Karl O. Werwath Applied Research Award.
Dr. Wujie Zhang, Physics and Chemistry, was elected as the chair of the City of Milwaukee’s Board of Health.
First place wins at the Associated Schools of Construction
MSOE took home first place in the Preconstruction, Electrical and Heavy Civil divisions at this year’s Associated Schools of Construction (ASC) Region 3 Competition in Downers Grove, Illinois.
Each team was presented with a problem statement then developed a proposal to meet the project’s requirements. They were provided work time to collaborate with their team, followed by a presentation to the judges the following day.
“The team collectively went through just about every emotion when we heard MSOE called for first place,” said Aaron Zilkowski, architectural engineering and construction management student and team captain. “We worked extremely hard to prepare and present our solution. Receiving validation for this effort was extremely rewarding. This win reinvigorated my desire to compete, and the rest of the team shares the fiery passion to walk into the next competition in the winter ready to do it again on a larger stage.”
Zilkowski emphasized that although the competition was incredibly challenging, it also offered invaluable learning and teambuilding opportunities that empowered each individual to advance their skills and foster relationships with one another.
“The strict timeline and stressors involved push you to reach past limits and walk away from the competition way more competent than when you walked in,” said Zilkowski.
The MSOE teams were supported by corporate sponsors Power Construction, Aldridge Electric and F.H. Paschen.
HAMMER TIME
Hacksgiving 2024 supports Discovery World
MSOE hosted the second annual Hacksgiving: AI for Good Hackathon Nov. 21-24 in Diercks Hall. Hacksgiving is a problemsolving event that offers students an opportunity to use their skillsets to give back to the community by developing an AI-driven solution to support a local nonprofit organization.
This year’s nonprofit partner was Discovery World, a science and technology museum and aquarium located in Milwaukee. The problem statement challenged students to use AI to enhance visitor interactions with Discovery World exhibits.
Hacksgiving was developed and supported by Dr. Jeremy Kedziora, PieperPower Endowed Chair in Artificial Intelligence. Ben Paulson, computer science major and president of the AI Club, helped develop and organize the event.
The hackathon was judged by Robert Bardunias, adjunct assistant professor; Evan Jackson ’23, experience designer at Discovery World; Kedziora and Paulson.
Honoring our veterans
MSOE is proud to have 48 military veterans enrolled in classes this year. During a luncheon for Veterans Day in November, the university honored them for their years of service, their courage and their patriotism.
International Education Week
The MSOE community came together to celebrate International Education Week (IEW) in November with educational games; an art gallery featuring photos and artwork from students, faculty and staff; a session on study abroad; a guest speaker and more. At MSOE, international education is vibrant and expansive, reflecting the university’s commitment to providing students with diverse global experiences. IEW is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. It is a joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education and is part of their efforts to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn and exchange experiences.
Stephanie Schultz, Computer Science and Software Engineering Department, displayed her historically-influenced alternative fashion designs during MSOE’s International Education Week Art Gallery.
LEARNING AND INNOVATION
Faculty Forum
Faculty at MSOE are committed to continued professional growth, and achieve this through a combination of consulting, scholarship and research. Each year the university provides protracted leave awards and summer development awards to support these activities for faculty. Those who received awards in 2024 shared their scholarly projects with their colleagues and students during the annual Fall Forum. A few examples include the “Development of a Pneumatic Platform for Learning Fluid Power and Controls,” by Dr. Luis Rodriguez, Mechanical Engineering Department; “Developing Faculty Expertise in Tiny ML” by Dr. Sebastian Berisha, Computer Science and Software Engineering Department; “Neurodiversity at MSOE” by Dr. Jan L. Fertig, Humanities, Social Science and Communication Department; and “Rust: Application of Memory Safe Programming Languages to the Embedded Systems,” by Dr. Adam Livingston, Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering Department.
Dr.
IEEE Nexus attracts students from throughout Midwest
MSOE’s chapter of IEEE—The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers—hosted the 2024 Region Four Nexus Conference. The event brought together students from universities in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio and Wisconsin. At the Nexus, students gathered to hear from a variety of industry professionals and network with their peers.
Topics ranged from artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, electromagnetic compatibility and coding to post-grad subjects like resume refinement, mock interviews, how to find a job, and opportunities in graduate school or research.
MSOE’s IEEE chapter president Nathan Seefeld, a junior electrical engineering major, along with support from IEEE national members and the MSOE IEEE executive board, organized the three-day event on campus.
“Hosting the Nexus at MSOE was one of the coolest things I’ve done since coming to MSOE,” said Seefeld. “I’m happy that we were able to showcase all the fantastic opportunities we have as MSOE students and position our IEEE chapter as one of the leaders in the Midwest. Everyone loved seeing Rosie and we got many compliments on our supercomputer. It was such an awesome opportunity, and it was truly an unforgettable experience.”
Nathan Seefeld, MSOE IEEE chapter president, and
Biswaranjan Senapati, a Senior Member of IEEE, welcome attendees to the 2024 Region Four Nexus at Diercks Hall.
AT THE
On the Edge: The Labor and Environment of Dimensional Stone Quarries
Photographs by Michael Schultz
Jan. 17– April 27, 2025
Gallery Night | Jan. 17 | 5–9 p.m. | Featuring a Gallery Talk with the Artist at 7 p.m.
This exhibition of Michael Schultz’s photography represents a departure from the metallurgical industries to focus on yet another industry borne out of the earth—quarry work.
While the thematic focus has changed, what remains consistent through Schultz’s work is his treatment of space. Again, he demonstrates a gift for capturing the sheer size and scale of these monumental industrial operations. Over the course of this years-long project, he has visited quarries in Georgia, Illinois, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Vermont, Oklahoma, South Dakota and even Portugal.
Through his work, viewers are treated to awe-inspiring views of an entire industry, from breaking and drilling to the stone cutters at work in refinement and finishing. The superbly crafted images celebrate the light within while directing our attention to the labor and laborers of heavy industry.
COMING SOON!
Going to Work for the Community: A Visual History of the Beckum-Stapleton Little League
April 11–May 25, 2025
Gallery Night Opening: April 11, 5–9 p.m., featuring a Gallery Talk with the Curators at 7 p.m.
This exhibition will feature photographs and ephemera from Beckum-Stapleton Little League (BSLL) history and is curated by Dr. Michael Carriere, MSOE Humanities, Social Science and Communication professor, along with Ken Bartelt and Rodney Bourrage, Sr. of the Team Beckum Public History Project.
VISIT GROHMANNMUSEUM.ORG FOR A VIRTUAL TOUR OF THE MUSEUM AND DIGITAL EXHIBITIONS THROUGH GOOGLE’S CULTURAL INSTITUTE.
Michael Schultz’s Wire-Cutting Granite at Night - South Dakota Granite, South Dakota, 2022
Photo courtesy of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The Iron Dragon
A dragon has landed on campus. It was forged in Germany in the 19th century. Bob Wagner, CEO of R&B Wagner Inc. and MSOE Regent, generously gifted the iron dragon to the Grohmann Museum. It is proudly displayed on Direct Supply’s Innovation and Technology Center and is visible from the Grohmann Museum’s rooftop sculpture garden.
This ironwork dragon is a playful combination of a more modern medium—wrought iron—with an ancient fantastical subject. Gothic architecture emerged in Europe during the Middle Ages. Elaborately carved stone figures decorated lofty walls and roofs. Called grotesques, these figures were not intended to horrify, but to amuse onlookers. Some served an additional function by carrying rainwater away from the building and became known as gargoyles for the sound of water pouring out of them onto the ground below. The gargoyles and grotesques of Gothic cathedrals appeared on town halls and public buildings of modern cities.
This iron dragon likely adorned a doorway—maybe the entrance to an important building or perhaps above the door to a tavern. In the 1920s, J. G. Braun Company, an ornamental metalworking firm founded by a German immigrant, purchased the dragon and brought it over to the United States. When J. G. Braun was acquired by R&B Wagner Inc. decades later, the iron dragon made its way to Brown Deer, Wisconsin, where it was mounted in the entryway of the Wagner headquarters. Thank you to Wagner for this generous gift. View the new iron dragon grotesque during your next visit to the Grohmann Museum!
Special thanks to Holton Brothers Inc. for mounting and installation.
EYE
ON AI
Mayo Clinic researchers discuss AI in medical imaging
Mayo Clinic researchers Andrew P. Norgan, M.D., Ph.D. and Panagiotis Korfiatis, Ph.D. presented “Artificial Intelligence in Medical Imaging: Current State and Future Directions” at MSOE in the NVIDIA Auditorium in Diercks Hall.
This talk explored the evolving digitization of pathology and its pivotal role in advancing health care. They dove into current applications of artificial intelligence in radiology and digital pathology, highlighting how these technologies are enhancing diagnostic accuracy and efficiency. They also addressed potential pitfalls such as the over-reliance on AI, data privacy concerns, and the challenges of integrating these systems into clinical workflows. Additionally, the discussion covered emerging uses of foundation models and large language models in medical imaging, showcasing their potential to further revolutionize the field.
World Bioethics Day focuses on inclusion
World Bioethics Day returned to MSOE in November with the theme of “Inclusion Beyond Accommodation: Assistance Without Dependence.” Sessions explored ethical questions, cultural impacts, and practical approaches to providing access and assistance while fostering independence. Each session addressed accessibility and inclusion issues with a focus on ethics and technology. The event strived to provide diverse perspectives on disability and accessibility through expert presentations.
The sessions included Cochlear Implants: The Ethics of Choice, Technology and Identity presented by Dr. Charles Tritt, associate professor; Ramiro Martinez, nursing student; and Margaret Calteaux and Terri Matenaer, members of the Deaf community. The next session was The Challenges of Neurodiversity presented by Angela Moreau, assistant director of accessibility and advocacy; and Debra Nygren, UX student. The event closed with a panel discussion focused on Promoting Independence in an Inclusive Environment and featured Jessica Morgan, APNP, director of health services; Moreau; Rebecca Ploeckelman, director of human resources; and moderated by Tritt.
RECORDINGS OF THE SESSIONS ARE AVAILABLE AT MSOE.EDU/DIMENSIONS
Guardians of the Grid: Preparing the Next Generation of Cybersecurity Professionals
WWhile the rise of technological and computing advancements brings an abundance of incredible improvements into our daily lives, it also leads to an increase in cyberattacks and data breaches. According to Forbes, 2023 saw a 72% increase in data breaches since 2021, which held the previous all-time record. With data breaches becoming more common, the need for cybersecurity experts continues to climb. To meet this demand, MSOE offers a cybersecurity minor.
The cybersecurity minor provides students with exposure to the technical skills necessary to design and engineer modern, resilient, cybersecure products. Through a strong focus on laboratory experiences and experiential learning, students are exposed to the core foundational principles of cybersecurity as well as core technical concepts necessary to build modern systems.
In early classes of the cybersecurity minor, students learn the principles of cybersecurity and the tools needed to work in the cybersecurity field. In later courses, students are able to conduct real-world cybersecurity experiments in a controlled environment in the Caspian Cybersecurity Laboratory in Diercks Hall. This room is grounded with special shielding paint and an electromagnetic field to prevent viruses from spreading to the rest of campus through Wi-Fi.
“Lab exercises include students both defending their own network from other students who are directly attacking their network, while also trying to attack another network that classmates are operating,” explained Dr. Walt Schilling, professor in the Computer Science and
Software Engineering Department and coordinator of the cybersecurity minor. “Students will also simulate production deployments of small web applications in a secure fashion, simulating a system that would have potential financial records and other personal information stored on them.”
Being exposed to lab exercises like these in a safe and controlled environment provide students with real-world experiences to prepare them for careers in cybersecurity.
Eleanor Certalic, a computer science sophomore, interned as an information security analyst for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) over the summer. “I successfully developed and implemented a system security plan template to provide technical documentation of the section’s security controls to deliver to the Information Security Sector of DHS,” said Certalic. She also was involved in the security alignment, compliance, vulnerability management, electronic discovery and computer security incident response meetings.
Certalic loves the thorough planning involved in cybersecurity and the keen attention to detail required. “I am someone
What can you do to ensure your own cybersecurity?
• Use strong passwords. Strong passwords are long, random and unique. Use a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Use a different password for each account. Avoid personal information, like names, nicknames, initials, or names of your children, pets or street.
• Turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA). MFA provides an extra layer of security for your online accounts and data. This is especially helpful for accounts such as email, social media and financial accounts. Go to your account or app’s settings to turn on MFA.
• Recognize and report phishing. Keep an eye out for messages that use urgent or emotionally appealing language, requests to send personal and financial information, untrusted shortened URLS, and misspelled words, email address or links.
• Update your software. Make sure your software is up to date to ensure you have the latest security patches on your devices.
who thinks and plans ahead, so I very much enjoyed the opportunity to do that within a field I am passionate about.”
Certalic added she enjoyed deep diving and learning more about certain areas that piqued her interested at her internship, such as ethical hacking, incident response and other ways protect data.
“It’s extremely important for individuals to learn about cybersecurity because it genuinely does affect people on a daily basis,” said Certalic. She shared that without knowing how to protect your data or avoiding attempts of someone to steal, misuse or leverage it, every individual is susceptible to their data being taken and used in a negative way. Certalic encourages others to learn best practices on how to protect themselves from losing personal data.
“Especially with the rise of technology and AI, data exploitation is more common than ever. So just like with any other issue society might face, we have to educate ourselves and learn how to adjust accordingly to allow for new changes to help us and not hurt us.”
Schilling elaborated on the fact that tools, such as generative AI applications like
ChatGPT, have made it much easier for hackers to write malware (malicious software).
“We are seeing evidence that malicious actors with less skills are able to use AI to improve their effectiveness at writing attacks,” said Schilling. “Because of this, it is becoming more and more important that those who are engineering our products use the best cybersecurity practices to fight the adversaries.”
With these advancements comes a greater need for employees who are trained in cybersecurity across industries. The Bureau of Labor estimates there will likely be a 33% growth in the need for employees with a cybersecurity background by 2033.
Certalic hopes to fill the demand for cybersecurity professionals and use her skillsets to help keep information safe. Her dream job after graduation is to be a cybersecurity analyst for the Federal Bureau of Investigation or Homeland Security. “I want to use my passion for the field to ensure that others are safe in this new and upcoming generation of data exploitation.”
…it is becoming more and more important that those who are engineering our products use the best cybersecurity practices to fight the adversaries.”
DR. WALT SCHILLING “
Students in the Network Security Tools and Practices class collaborate during a cybersecurity lab. Lab exercises in this course focus on the application of tools in a live network environment to achieve best practices in network security.
SysLogic Inc. held its fifth annual Cybersecurity Summit at MSOE in October as part of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Tina Chang, SysLogic CEO, and experts from the Boldt Company, Children’s Wisconsin, Foley & Lardner, Froedtert Health, Landmark Credit Union, Michael Best, MSOE, NVIDIA and Summit Credit Union provided insight on proactive offensive and defensive cybersecurity measures, emerging trends, combating the cybersecurity talent gap, and more. The event highlighted the need for access to up-to-date cybersecurity for individuals and businesses as Artificial Intelligence (AI) continues to develop and fall into the hands of hackers and con artists.
Civil engineering student reflects on time in Africa
Ava Montoya ’24 is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Civil Engineering at MSOE. Over the summer, she traveled to Cotonou, Benin, Africa as part of her volunteerism with MSOE’s student chapter of FeelGood, the youth engagement program of The Hunger Project. Montoya reflected on her experience, and an abbreviated version of her story is shared here. Find her entire reflection at msoe.edu/ava
A Reflection by Ava Le Montoya
Have you ever had an out-of-body experience? Throughout my entire life, I never got the opportunity to see what the world was like outside of the country. Other than a screen, my eyes have only been able to see what the U.S. had to offer up until this expedition.
When I first arrived in Cotonou, Benin, Africa, I mentally couldn’t process that I was physically there, taking in a new country’s culture and customs. Even after I had come back, it took me a while to reflect on everything that impacted me during my time in Benin with The Hunger Project. I didn’t know what to expect, but there was something I had realized: the language. A fellow FeelGood student and I separated from the main group coming out of the airport, and started walking up to an attendant when we realized we couldn’t communicate effectively with anyone.
After settling into the mindset that I was physically in another country, I got to experience the communal spirit of Benin. One of the first days there, my 22nd birthday came around. When I announced it was my birthday, the room filled with cheer, and all together, the 30 of us sang their happy birthday song, then again with the American version. Communities are brought together, and interconnected, through tradition—the one I immediately saw being the happiness of a birthday.
Communities can also be brought together through the focused accomplishment of a goal, including a business. We traveled to Zakpota to meet with a woman running a Kuli-Kuli snack company, which employs around 50 women. We learned how she’s moving her business forward, and how she’s able to provide quality wages.
One of her employees spoke about how before, when she was a trader, she had barely made enough to survive. At the Kuli-Kuli enterprise she noted the difference: now providing her children with schooling, food on the table and a general second income to the household. She also had money for herself. Hearing this shook me: I never had to consider that sacrifice before while living with my family, and it’s not something you actually realize is important to consider until you start to get older.
A major part of who I am today has come from The Hunger Project (THP) and their mission worldwide. On its own, THP is a not-forprofit organization, focused on the main goal of creating a world without hunger through the process of applying its three pillars: start with women, mobilize communities, and engage with the government to build up a strong foundation for people to grow and build upon.
When I came to MSOE, I searched for a club that aligned with my values of contributing to a greater cause. I found FeelGood, a college program of THP focused on creating enterprises to raise money to end world hunger while also allowing students the opportunity to expand their skill sets and outreach to others about THP. I became president and updated the club’s outreach to focus on implementing the inclusivity of local charity organizations for the benefit of the Milwaukee community.
BEAT THE CLOCK
Make48 challenges high schoolers to innovate
The We Energies STEM Center at MSOE hosted MSOE’s first Make48 competition in September. Welcoming eight teams of high school students and mentors from across the greater Milwaukee region, this 48-hour event challenged teams to innovate and develop a “looks-like, feels-like” product prototype to address a challenge around “scalable sustainability.” At the end of the 48 hours, teams produced a video to feature their product that would accompany a pitch to a panel of judges. Teams had to consider manufacturing costs and product pricing, scalability, and feasibility for implementing their product on a collegiate campus.
Team Golda Girls 2.0 (Golda Meir School, Milwaukee) took home the top prize which included $2,000 and an allexpenses paid trip to compete in the Make48 national competition in Kansas City, Missouri in November. The Cookie Cre8tors (Girls Scouts of Wisconsin Southeast) scored the “Best Pitch Award,” and C.O.A.H Crew (City on a Hill, Milwaukee) received the “Best Agilities Award” from The DeBruce Foundation.
See the teams in action, the challenge they set out to solve, and their prototypes on the two-episode premiere on the This Old House channel on Roku and Make48’s YouTube channel. Learn more about the competition, teams and sponsors at make48.com/2024-milwaukee-school-of-engineering.
CAN YOU DIG IT?
Feeding the community
The Nursing Living Learning Community (LLC) of freshmen and sophomores rolled up their sleeves and spent a morning volunteering at the Hunger Task Force Farm in Franklin, Wisconsin. Students and faculty harvested more than 4,000 pounds of corn and tomatoes that will be used to support food distribution in the area. The focus of the LLC for this year is mentorship and service, and this activity was a great way to build community and serve others!
BREAKING THE ICE
Women’s hockey team wins debut game
One of MSOE’s most anticipated programs made its long-awaited debut in November as the new women’s hockey team took the ice for the first time in a twogame series against the Marian University Sabres.
The Raiders did what most would deem unlikely: winning the first game in program history. Gray Mandia notched the first goal in the MSOE record books, propelling the Red and White to a 3-1 win over the Sabres in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin.
“The only word that can truly capture the emotions of winning that first game is magical,” said Head Coach Baylee Marabella. “The team has been through so much these past few years in fighting for this program to become a reality. Not only did they finally see this dream unfold in this game, but they realized they are capable of greatness. We have a really special group of people who truly believe in themselves and one another, and they made history together. As a coach, it was incredibly beautiful to witness such empowerment within my team.”
The Raiders returned to Milwaukee for the conclusion of the series, making their home debut in front of a Kern Center crowd that didn’t shy away from vocalizing their support all night. The Red and White ultimately came up just short as Marian got the
better of MSOE in a low-scoring, defensive-minded affair by a final score of 1-0.
Despite the loss, the Raiders impressed many in their opening weekend. MSOE finished at the bottom of the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (NCHA) preseason poll, but they’re proving that they are ready to be a contender.
“MSOE brings a great reputation to the NCHA. They have a solid coaching staff, and athletes who want to play and want to win. They’re going to bring an elevated level of play to our conference,” said Northern Collegiate Hockey Association Commissioner Jim Olson. “The quality of players and teams in our conference creates a great dynamic, and it’s great to see parity and the growth of women’s hockey. Just seeing what MSOE is doing here, starting a program in short order and getting off to a good start, not a lot of programs start that quickly and say they won their first game.”
MSOE Athletics continues to expand and provide new opportunities for its student-athletes. Following in the footsteps of women’s golf and women’s lacrosse before them, the MSOE women’s hockey team is poised to be a pillar of the Raider Athletics family and continues to establish MSOE as one of the premier destinations for both academic and athletic excellence in Division III.
Lilo Emerson eyes the puck during the women’s hockey home opener at the Kern Center against Marian University Sabres.
Men’s hockey goes international
The Raiders men’s hockey team had a unique opportunity this summer—especially for a Division III institution—when they traveled to Latvia for an international competition.
The Raiders competed in the Riga College Hockey Invitational in Riga, Latvia. MSOE joined two U-20 teams from Latvia: Tuto, which is the Austrian U-20 team and a part of the Finnish Mestis U-23 league. Vermont State University-Castleton, another Division III institution, also joined the competition.
This was the first year of the invitational. “It was exciting to be one of the first universities to participate and give our players and coaches a life experience that they will never forget,” said Graham Johnson, head men’s hockey coach.
The Raiders battled both the Latvia White team and Tuto to tough defeats, before defeating Castleton to finish in fifth place overall in the tournament.
“The level of play that we had to compete at was elite,” said Johnson. “To go against some of the best in the world was pretty incredible. They went out there on sheer passion and were able to play at an extremely high level.”
The Raiders had another incredible experience playing outside of the Midwest right after the new year. They headed down to Tampa, Florida and co-hosted the Tampa College Hockey Invitational alongside Tufts University.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYERS
Athletic Hall of Fame
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2025 INDUCTEES:
Jon Allen ’15 (rowing)
Jessica Axt ’13 (soccer)
Cortney (Femling) Gerbers ’06 (basketball)
Dan Hosko ’12 (soccer)
Jordan Werner ’13 (track and field and soccer)
Dane Zachman ’12 (golf)
The inductees will be celebrated at a ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 15. The Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 1997 to recognize the truly superior performance of athletes and outstanding dedication of coaches and other supporters of MSOE’s athletic program.
MSOE.EDU/MSOE-HOF
GRAHAM JOHNSON
Home Sweet Home
On Aug. 20, the Office of University Advancement held the dedication for Mellowes Hall. The residence hall, formerly known as Regents Hall, was renovated in August to include air conditioning, new furniture, a new lobby and other improvements. The upgrades were made possible thanks to a generous $2 million gift from Dr. John Mellowes, MSOE Regent, and Linda Mellowes. The celebration included a short program, ribbon cutting and tours of the newly renovated spaces.
Parent Leadership Circle
The Office of University Advancement launched the Parent Leadership Circle (PLC) in 2024 with the goal of creating a giving society that offers a community for MSOE families to connect, share insights about their parent experiences, and enhance the student experience at MSOE. Parents who give $1,000 or more annually to any area at MSOE are recognized as members of the PLC and making a meaningful contribution to the success of all students. To learn more about the PLC, please visit msoe.edu/parent-family or contact Genevieve Cerasoli, associate director of annual giving, at cerasoli@msoe.edu.
Giving Back and Giving Thanks
The MSOE community united to support Giving Tuesday, making an impact on campus and the Milwaukee community. With the help of the Student Alumni Association Board, a new student organization developed to support University Advancement and build leadership skills, and the Fraternity and Sorority Council, both spread the importance of gratitude and giving back across campus.
Together, 171 thank-you cards were written for MSOE professors and staff, 235 food items were donated to Nourish MKE, and 566 professional clothing items were donated to MSOE’s Career Closet. Additionally, we raised over $7,145 to support the Fund for MSOE, annual scholarships, and STEM Center programming. It was a collective effort showcasing the power of generosity within the MSOE community.
Raiders Stadium Celebrates 5 Years
MSOE celebrated the five-year anniversary of Raiders Stadium on Sept. 7. Located in Maslowski Park in Glendale, Wisconsin, the field is the home to MSOE’s baseball team. The festivities included a program, an alumni game, ballpark food and family-friendly activities. The stadium was funded primarily by a gift from Dr. Kathleen Ruehlow ’72. Dr. Alan Ruud ’69, Gene Sheedy ’94 and Catalyst Construction also supported the project.
Dr. Kathleen Ruehlow ’72 (center) enjoys the event with her family.
The Lengyel family are just one of many donors taking advantage of MSOE’s Growing Extraordinary scholarship matching program. To date, the program has committed one-to-one matches for pledges and gifts totaling $1,183,144—increasing current and future scholarship awards by a total of $2,366,288.
Planting the Seeds for Success
“We want this gift to encourage young people to break out of their comfort zone and move somewhere totally new, because forming a new perspective is worth as much, if not more, than just an education,” said Jason Lengyel ’13.
Jason and his wife Rebecca Lengyel share a passion for continuing education and have set up a new endowed scholarship at MSOE in hopes that it will encourage students from small towns to get exposure to new experiences and environments.
Growing up in a small town in northwestern Wisconsin, Jason says his decision to move to Milwaukee to study engineering wasn’t easy, but worth it. He graduated from MSOE in 2013 with a B.S. in Computer Engineering and a minor in mathematics. Milwaukee is also where he met his wife, Rebecca. She graduated from Marquette University in 2016 with an M.S. in Biomechanical Engineering.
“We bonded over our love of food and beer, which we found plenty of in Milwaukee,” he said.
Today the young couple and their three children live in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Jason works as a principal software engineer for Raytheon, and Rebecca is a senior project manager for Avalign, an orthopedic device manufacturing company.
The couple says establishing an endowment at MSOE also allows them to show their children the importance of giving back.
“If you’re doing well, you should do good,” said Jason. “We wanted to provide a contribution that gives back perpetually, and establishing an endowment helps plant a seed that we may continue to grow and encourages our children to do the same.”
Oktoberfest 2024! Alumni mingled with current students and families during Homecoming weekend, which also featured an Oktoberfest celebration.
1970s
Joe Rencis 78 ABCET, 80 ABCET, associate dean and professor in the School of Engineering, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Fla.
1990s
Douglas Swalec 92 EE, director of operations, Summit IG, Sterling, Va.
Eric Barczak 96 IE earned his MBA with a marketing concentration from St. Bonaventure University, May 2024.
Eric Lehmann 23 EE, service engineer, Titan, Sturtevant, Wis.
Honoring Excellence
Alumni Wall of Distinction
MSOE bestowed its most prestigious honor on three alumni whose distinguished careers have contributed to, or reflect credit on, the various academic programs of the university during the annual Alumni Wall of Distinction ceremony in November. To become eligible for this honor, individuals must be an MSOE graduate of at least 10 years and satisfy all the following criteria:
• Have established an outstanding professional record.
• Have demonstrated distinguished service to their profession.
• Have established a personal reputation at either the local, state, national or international level for outstanding character and community service for a period of sufficient length that reflects honor upon MSOE.
• Be able to present themselves as outstanding role models for current MSOE students.
Congratulations to the 2024 class of inductees!
MSOE.EDU/WALL-OF-DISTINCTION
James Stocki Jr. ’90
John “Tripp” Ahern III ’86 is chairman and chief executive officer of J. F. Ahern, a mechanical contracting business, representing the fifth generation of family leadership at the company. Ahern began his engineering career in New York as an estimator and project manager for mechanical contractors. He returned to Wisconsin and started his tenure at J. F. Ahern as a project manager. In 1994 he succeeded his father as the president and then became CEO in 1997. Throughout his career at J. F. Ahern, Ahern has led the company of 1,800 employees through an era of exponential growth and success. Outside of his duties at J. F. Ahern, Ahern is also very active in his community of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Through the years, he has been affiliated with several local business and civic affiliations. Currently, he serves on the board of directors for the Fond du Lac Area Foundation and has been a member of the Rotary Club since 1989. Ahern earned both his A.A.S. in HVAC in 1985 and his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 1986 from MSOE.
Rebecca Seidel ’93 is the senior vice president and the president of the Cardiac Ablation Solutions Operating Unit at Medtronic in Minneapolis. Prior to this role, she served as the vice president and general manager of the Infection Control business, expanding and integrating it into global markets. Seidel’s roles at Medtronic have included commercialization, strategy, product support and marketing, core team leadership and field service. In her 20 years with the company, she has led her team through monumental progress in the world of medical technology. An example of this is the treatment of atrial arrhythmias using cryoballon technology for more than one million patients worldwide. As a business leader with an engineering background, she has a keen eye for the acquisition of companies that show promise in the medical technology they present, and she helps them grow within the organization. She also served as a board member of the American Heart Association and was chair of its Go Red for Women initiative. Seidel graduated from MSOE with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering in 1993 and earned her master’s in IT from Capella University in 2005.
James “Jay” Stocki Jr. ’90 is a partner at Red Rocket Ventures, a consulting firm that helps B2C and B2B companies with growth strategy, execution team and financing needs. He is also the founder and CEO of Talmont, an advertising consultancy focused on programmatic advertising in connected television (CTV) and gaming. With more than 25 years of experience in strategy development and process execution in the technology industry, Stocki has led marketing, revenue generation, product and operations in emerging technology startups as well as Fortune 500 companies in Silicon Valley and Chicago. Stocki’s early career included early cultivation for NVIDIA, running sales and operations at Yahoo!, being the chief marketing officer and head of strategy for Experian’s marketing services unit and many others. Stocki graduated from MSOE with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering in 1990 and earned his MBA from the University of Michigan in 1995.
John Ahern III ’86
Rebecca Seidel ’93
Class of ’24 Graduates
Deepansh Agarwal 24 AE, field engineer, Kiewitt Corporation, Lenexa, Kan.
Kaden Young 24 SE, data and analytics engineer 1, Baird, Milwaukee
Taylor Heideman 19 AE/MSST married Justus Aragon on Sept. 14, 2024 at the Boen Ranch in Brighton, Colorado. MSOE alumni and staff in attendance included, from left: Sarabeth Gandara 18 AE/MSST, holding her son Miles, Cypress Borgialli 21 AE/MSST, Kathy Griesmaier (MSOE Raider Shop), Heideman, Trevor Cwiok 16 EE, Brittany (Campos) Cwiok 13 AE, Willie Siewert and Elliott Rashed 16 ME.
Marriages
Taylor King 20 NU married Jonathan Mielke on June 7, 2024 with other MSOE alumni in attendance.
Nicholas Tomaso 22 AE married Ashley Lindert on Oct. 5, 2024 at Gordon Lodge in Door County, Wisconsin.
Birth/Adoptions
Elizabeth (Watry) Mikulski 12 NU and Brandon Mikulski 14 BE welcomed baby girl Melody Mae on Oct. 24, 2023, joining big sister Marlena Belle.
Mike 18 ME and Hallie (Flanders) Cordes 18 BBA welcomed their first child Lincoln Jett Cordes on Feb. 24, 2024.
Ashley Siqueiros 23 MBAEL and her husband welcomed Esther Grace Siqueiros to their family on Feb. 9, 2024.
Matthew Waech 14 IE and Colleen Waech welcomed Paul Michael Waech on March 28, 2024. He joins big sister Mary Grace (4) and big brothers John (4) and Joseph (2).
2025 Alumni Events Save the Date!
Alumni Family Skate | Feb. 8
Alumni Arizona Tailgate | March 8
Bucks Game Alumni Outing | March 9
Giving Day | April 17
President’s Golf Outing | June 9
Summer in the City | July 11–13
In Memory
Louise Brokaw 47 NU
Joseph Nicolo 50 NRTT
Harold Lubeck 51 ACT
Stanley Pekol 51 EET
Caroline Duerson 53 NU
Virgina Murphy 53 NU
Lawrence Nass 53 NRTT
Mary Jane Johnson 54 NU
Edgar Hansgen 55 NRTT
Norman Ruddock 55 ACET, 58 ME
Margaret Miller 55 NU
Paul Muranaka 55 ACT, 60 ME
Gerald Tift 55 NRTT
Joseph Bell, P.E. 56 EE
Ivan Buffington 56 EET
John Lake 56 EE
Marlene Luetachwager 56 NU
Donald Mueller 56 NRTT
Albert Ondrish 56 EE
Raymond Bilodeau 57 EE
Janet Murray 57 NU
Sandra Sarbacker 58 NU
Harold Schmidt 58 EE
Joyce B. (Cieslak) Cottier 59 NU
Theodore Otto 59 INDT, 61 ME
Robert Peplinski 59 ECT
Roger Stepp 59 EET
Raleigh Bloch 60 ME
Anton Dreher 60 CET
Sandra Fredrickson 60 NU
James Krug 60 EE
Ronald O’Dell 60 EE
Donald Williams 60 INDT
Robert Fischer 61 ACET
Joseph Gahwiler 61 EE
Richard Lee 61 MET
Ronald Saylor 61 ACT
Wesley Schwartz 61 ECET
Douglas Byal 62 EE
Alice Gregorski 62 NU
Arnold Gross 62 MET, 62 ME
Neal Schrader 62 EE
Richard Wien 62 ECT
Frederick Hovey 63 EE
Gerald Neisen 63 ME
Gary Singley 63 CM
Robert Borchardt 65 EE
Francine Parker 65 NU
Gerald Thomae 65 ECET
Judith Herold 66 NU
James Stanislawski 66 ECET
George Fergades 67 ECET, 70 EE
Robert Roe 68 ACT, 68 ME
Kenneth White II 68 IET, 72 MET
Carolyn Davidson 69 NU
Rudolph Masek 69 ME
Charles Noblitt 69 IM
James Brasch 70 EE
Dan Kelley 70 MET
Thomas Stott 70 CM
Theodore Williams 70 EE
Catherine Halsne 71 NU
Frank Pennell 72 ABCET
Douglas Benker 73 EE
John Schmidt 77 IET, 77 IM
Charles Smittkamp 77 IM, 83 IM, 83 MSE
Leon Milbeck 78 IM
Edward Ryan Jr. 78 CM, 78 EET
Mark Steinert 81 EE
Andrew Lang 84 CET, 86 EET
Terrence Matthews 84 IM, 97 MSEM
Robert Prom 84 MIS
Robert Wisinski 84 MET
Mark Neuwirth 86 EE
Dustin Tenz 00 EE
Matthew Melotik 24 CE
Paul Borens passed away July 13, 2024. Borens served as dean of admissions from 2020 until his passing. His prior roles at the university included as director of enrollment management, affiliate director of PLTW, director of STEM and as an announcer at MSOE athletic games.
Daniel Bantin was a member of the staff from 1999 to 2007, serving as softball coach, equipment manager and van driver. He passed away June 9, 2024.
James Eckl taught in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department 1990–2001. Eckl passed away Sept. 5, 2024.
James Green passed away Aug. 15, 2024. He was MSOE’s Registrar from 1984 to 1995.
Ron Jorgenson passed away Sept. 21, 2024. He was an associate professor in the Mathematics Department 2001–2018.
Dudley Outcalt was an associate professor in the Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management Department 2002–2013. He passed away May 29, 2024.
Jacob Prater was vice president of development from 1994 to 1996 and passed away May 26, 2024.
David Tietyen passed away Sept. 26, 2024. He was a faculty member in the Rader School of Business 1990–2020 and director of MSOE’s Business Excellence Consortium 2007–2011.
Werwath family heirloom finds new home
A silver Werwath family heirloom is now proudly on display in MSOE’s Walter Schroeder Library.
The elegant compote was a wedding gift from the students of the “School of Engineering” to founder and first president Oscar Werwath and his wife Johanna Seelhorst Werwath. A compote is a bowl-shaped dessert dish with a stem.
After establishing the School of Engineering in 1903 (later named Milwaukee School of Engineering), Oscar visited his homeland of Germany in 1906 and became reacquainted with Johanna, whose sister was the wife of his cousin, Erich Werwath. Two years later, Oscar married Johanna and they returned to Milwaukee where his new school was thriving.
According to their granddaughter Dr. Greta Toni Swart, the compote sat in a place of honor in the Werwath living room for 58 years. The silver-plated cranberry bowl features the engraving, “From the Student Body Classes 1908.”
Swart donated the piece to MSOE. She and other members of the Werwath family gathered at MSOE in June to see the compote on display, share memories of the university, and meet Dr. John Walz, president.
“MSOE was a family operation and there was no hierarchy in social greetings when I visited campus as a child. My grandma (Johanna) was the treasurer until my uncle Heinz took over,” said Swart. “They would balance the books on Saturday mornings.
Grandma would do all of the business entertaining from their house.”
Today, the Werwath family heirloom is displayed in the library with a few of the many instructional books that Oscar authored and were employed as textbooks in the earliest years of
John Walz, MSOE president, met with Oscar Werwath’s grandchildren and great-grandson. From left: Walz, Hannah Swart Nickolai, Greta Toni Swart, Ph.D., M.D., FRCPC, Paul Swart, wax figure of Oscar Werwath, Chip Swart and his wife, Carolyn, and Werwath’s greatgrandson Ben Swart ’00 MET.
The Werwath family compote, which is silver and 19 inches tall, was donated to MSOE by Oscar Werwath’s granddaughter, Dr. Greta Toni Swart,
Dr.
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