MSOE Dimensions Magazine - Spring 2020

SPR I N G /SU M M E R

COVER STORY

Building Community ... at a Distance: MSOE responds to the COVID-19 pandemic New Dining Commons 4 Nursing Celebrates 25 Years of Growth 6 Coding in the Community 20

I

2020

CELEBRATING HERITAGE Biomedical engineering senior Tyler Webb receives a Kente stole from her pastor, Pastor Archie Ivy. The Bestowing of the Kente is a pre-commencement celebration to honor students of African descent. The ceremony acknowledges the sense of scholarly community among students, is a tribute to African and African American culture, and culminates with a Kente stole presentation.

FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear Alumni and Friends, The outbreak of the COVID-19 virus has impacted every corner of our university and the world. In the U.S., universities were among the first organizations to launch a response to the pandemic—quickly recognizing that the college atmosphere, student housing, and close quarters of classrooms and laboratories would give the virus too much opportunity to spread.

At MSOE, the decision to send students home and move our education to an online environment was made after very careful and thorough consideration of the impact it would have. I am extremely proud of the response and effort put forth by our faculty, staff and students to make the transition. They rose to the challenge. In less than two weeks, faculty and staff developed resources to launch online courses that maintain the quality that is a hallmark of an MSOE education, and worked around the clock to support students and their needs. That work did not slow down as the Spring Quarter progressed and we made the decision to remain online for its entirety. You’ll read more about our efforts in the coming pages. This creativity and ability to adapt truly showcases the problem-solving skills we so adamantly teach our students as we prepare them to be leaders in their fields.

As I write this letter, we’re beginning to settle into our new normal. Despite the disruption, we continue to make progress on our strategic plan. One of the major initiatives currently underway is for MSOE to transition from a quarter system to a semester system. This decision came after a university task force spent a year researching all aspects of several academic calendar models and soliciting input. Their recommendation was approved by the MSOE Leadership Team and is supported by the MSOE Board of Regents.

The semester-based model will be implemented at the start of the 2022–23 academic year. We are committed to working with each and every student to ensure the transition is as seamless as possible.

I want to point out that a semester-based calendar will not impact MSOE’s traditional academic expectations or our approach to teaching. Our students will continue to receive an application-oriented education and be prepared to hit the ground running. I invite you to read more about this initiative at msoe.edu/semester, and view our progress on the strategic plan at msoe.edu/strategicplan.

Sincerely,

JOHN Y. WALZ, Ph.D. President

1

2

IN THIS ISSUE OVERHEARD ...

“These are times that test who we are as an institution, but I could not be prouder of the way our community has come together.” — DR. JOHN WALZ FEATURES

DEPARTMENTS

6 Nursing Celebrates 25 Years The School of Nursing celebrates its 25th anniversary in a big way with new degree programs and a lab expansion.

1 3 8 18 22 24 29

14 Educating from a Distance When COVID-19 hit Wisconsin, MSOE’s Pandemic Response Team acted fast to ensure students, faculty and staff were safe as classes transitioned to an online format.

14

President’s Message At the Forefront Around Campus In the Community Raiders Wrap-Up Class Notes From the Archives

6

Dr. Kathleen Ruehlow ’72, MSOE Regent, is supporting an expansion of the Ruehlow Nursing Complex.

ON THE COVER: Dr. William Gonwa, civil engineering program director, prepares to conduct an experiment online with students.

As MSOE’s online presence came to life during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, classrooms and offices emptied.

CITY

AT THE FOREFRONT IT’S WORTH IT 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, Chase Patt

Contributing Writers Jillian Kokott, Colin Terrill, Dr. John Walz

Images Alexander Stafford Concert Photography, Front Room Photography, Garrett Gintoli, Mark Hines, Veronica Mangio, Marquette University, Erol Reyal, SB Photography and Design, Laura Segall, Dr. Charles Tritt, Uihlein/Wilson – Ramlow/Stein 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

Spring/Summer 2020 Volume 34, No. 2

New reports affirm value of MSOE degree According to MSOE’s Career Services Office, 96% of the university’s 2018–19 graduates are employed in their area of study or attending graduate school. Their average starting salary has increased to $65,428 from $61,490 last year.

I find myself being thankful that at such a young age I had the vision and the support of my parents to choose MSOE.” —LISA VANLERBERGHE ’02

In September a record-setting 338 employers attended the Fall Career Fair. More than 200 employers attended the Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management Career Night and Winter 2020 All Majors Career Fair in January.

Even with the economic uncertainty around the world in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, a college degree will pay off—especially a degree from MSOE. In a report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce entitled “A First Try

ALUMNI REUNION WEEKEND

SUMMER IN THE CITY July 9­–11, 2021 See You Next Year!

To safeguard you and the MSOE community against COVID-19, this year’s Summer in the City reunion weekend has been canceled. We look forward to a grand celebration in 2021!

If you have questions, please contact alumni@msoe.edu.

at ROI: Ranking 4,500 Colleges,” MSOE was at the top of the list, offering the highest ROI of all colleges and universities in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and Minnesota that offer bachelor’s degrees.

“MSOE’s students often stand out from other applicants and are considered high potential candidates. That, plus MSOE’s reputation as an academic powerhouse, places our graduates in the best light possible under these challenging economic circumstances,” said Julie Way, director of career services.

“While it’s inevitable there will be a disruption in recruiting and hiring, technical talent is still in demand and will be the first hired in the economic recovery. Career Services is here to help our students with all their career development needs and positioning themselves as the strongest candidates.”

“As I reflect on the decision I made 20 years ago on which college to attend, I find myself being thankful that at such a young age I had the vision and the support of my parents to choose MSOE,” said Lisa Vanlerberghe, a 2002 industrial engineering graduate who is now a senior director of plant operations for MillerCoors.

“At the time, I thought it was expensive but I knew the short-term and long-term benefits would pay off.”

3

AT THE FOREFRONT

4

REER SERVICES

SHAFT 399D MENS OFFICE 372

OFFICE 373

OFFICE 370B REF.

FRZ.

REF. WORKROOM 378

CLOSET CAREER 370A SERVICES 370 INTERV. 374B

INTERV. INTERV. 374D 374C CLOSET 374F CHAPEL 376

REF.

SHAFT 399E T

REF. INTERVIEW 374E

WOMENS

DRY STORAGE

INTERVIEW 374A

OFFICE KITCHEN / SERVICE

MECH.

IT 376 S

S

S

OFFICE 393C

STG.

S

SS

S

SS

T

BS STORAGE 393B

STUDY COMMONS 395

S

SSS

SSSS

S

S

OFFICE 393A

S SS

S

FRESH CHOICES

OFFICE DISHES

S

BOOK STORE 393

SERVERY SS

ADMISSIONS

T

New dining commons coming to MSOE Campus Center

T

DINING COMMONS 390

ELEVATOR LOBBY C304

ELEC. C310B

GFI GFI GFI GFI GFI GFI GFI GFI GFI GFI

SHUFFLEBOARD AREA

GAMING / DINING

WOMEN C300A

GFI GFI GFI GFI GFI GFI GFI GFI GFI GFI

STORAGE 309A

IT OFFICE 309

CUSTODIAL C300C

IT LOBBY C112

IT HELP DESK 391

SHAFT 399L

STUDENT LIFE LOBBY 345

STUDENT LIFE LOBBY 348 SL OFFICE OFFICE 352 52

SL SL OFFICE OFFICE 350 351

CONF. ROOM 349

SL OFFICE 346

SL OFFICE 347

OFFICE LOBBY 341

CONF. ROOM 344

OFFICE 343

OFFICE 342

HR LOBBY 337

CONF. ROOM 339

OFFICE 338

ELEVATOR LOBBY 300 OFFICE 336

DID YOU KNOW? The ground floor of Roy W. Johnson Hall housed the cafeteria for resident student dining.

The building is slated to undergo a significant renovation and transformation into the Hermann Viets Tower. The existing ground floor space will be repurposed to provide innovative spaces designed to support interdisciplinary education.

The third floor of the Campus Center is getting a major facelift. In September, it will be the primary dining space on campus for all students, faculty, staff and campus visitors. Features include new dining options and places to meet, study and socialize.

STUDY 300A

IT OFFICE 307

CLOSET 328B

IT WORKROOM 333

IT OFFICE 330

IT OFFICE 331

CORRIDOR 302A

IT OFFICE IT OFFICE C111 C113

CORRIDOR 305

OSET 305A

SL OFFICE OFFICE 51 353

IT OFFICE 329

MEN C300B

STG C300D

STORAGE 333A

CORRIDOR 328A

BREAK ROOM 310

CONFERENCE C115

CONFERENCE 332

SERVER ROOM 332A

CORRIDOR 302B IT OFFICE 308

IT OFFICE 311

IT OFFICE 312

IT OFFICE 313

The third floor of the MSOE Campus Center is undergoing a major transformation into a new student dining and study commons. Construction work began in March to transform the space OFFICES into what will become the primary dining area for resident and commuter students, faculty, staff and campus visitors. When the project is complete by September, it will be another campus hub, designed to encourage collaboration among the campus community.

PINNED CLOSED

The new dining commons in the Campus Center will be named for the late MSOE President Emeritus, Dr. Bob Spitzer. Spitzer was known for his love of community. He could be found dining in the residence hall, talking to students in the hallway, and often invited students, faculty and staff to his home. And one of his lasting legacies was the development of vigorous student life programming at MSOE. “Naming the dining commons in Bob’s honor is entirely appropriate,” said Dr. John Walz, president. “Bob loved interacting with students. Their health and wellbeing was always first and foremost for him.”

“Bob had absolute dedication to his God, his family, his country and his jobs,” said his wife, Delores Spitzer. “He was a humble and yet confident leader.

Encouraging others in their family and life endeavors with his positive words kept many a MSOE student, faculty member or staff person moving forward.

His favorite ‘hangouts’ were with the students and the janitors. He knew the importance of constant mingling and keeping one step ahead of problems.”

DIMENSIONS SPRING/SUMMER 2020

Rader School of Business launches new BBA specializations MSOE’s Rader School of Business will launch a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) focused on Technical Sales and a BBA in Accounting in Fall 2020. The BBA in Accounting is geared toward traditional undergraduate students. They’ll learn accounting and finance methods, paradigms and techniques to become a technical leader on projects integrating accounting into business solutions. Other BBA specializations include finance, international supply chain and logistics, management information systems (MIS), marketing and technical sales in construction management.

MSOE challenges students to maximize their potential, but that challenge requires healthy and nutritious dining options and collaborative spaces. The new dining commons will be an intentionally designed space to increase and enhance the capacity of food service to support additional students, faculty and staff, and build community with new dining options and places to meet, study and socialize.

Students’ expectations for healthy eating options will be met through sustainable practices and locally sourced ingredients.

The dining area will truly be seen as a campus-wide dining option, rather than a “dorm-only cafeteria.”

Fundraising for MSOE’s new $7.5 million dining commons was completed and approved in December 2019. The project is being made possible entirely due to private philanthropy from university alumni, friends and corporate partners.

WATCH A VIRTUAL FLY-THROUGH OF THE NEW SPACE AT MSOE.EDU/DINING-COMMONS.

The new specialization in technical sales is for graduates of the Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS). Those who have an associate degree in a technical field and qualify for admission to MSOE may transfer to MSOE with junior standing and pursue a BBA in Technical Sales. Students will learn key aspects of technical sales including networking, psychology of sales, prospecting, forecasting, supply chain, and key communication strategies.

“More than 8,000 of Wisconsin’s technical college graduates go on to continue their education and earn a bachelor’s degree,” said Dr. Ruth Barratt, chair of the MSOE Rader School of Business. “This new program provides a logical path for them to stay in our state to pursue their bachelor’s degree and contribute to Wisconsin’s economy.”

5

6

FEATURE STORY

1

1 A 2,200-square-foot expansion of the Ruehlow Nursing Complex will feature new laboratories, adaptable simulation space, and study areas.

2 Nursing student Fatimah Ahmed shared her excitement and appreciation for additional laboratory space and nursing degree offerings.

3 Left to right: Dr. Carol Sabel,

chair, School of Nursing; Dr. Kathleen Ruehlow ’72, MSOE Regent; and Dr. John Walz, president, unveil plans for the nursing laboratory expansion.

2

3

DIMENSIONS SPRING/SUMMER 2020

SCHOOL OF NURSING CELEBRATES 25 YEARS WITH NEW PROGRAMS AND LAB EXPANSION

T

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the School of Nursing, and MSOE is celebrating in a big way.

Enrollment in the nursing program is higher than ever, precipitating the need for additional degree offerings and physical space. On Feb. 24, 2020, MSOE unveiled plans for a 2,200-square-foot expansion of its Ruehlow Nursing Complex and announced the addition of new academic programs.

“Our laboratory expansion will include a new simulation space that will be adaptable to a variety of settings including board rooms, clinic, home care and community. There also will be dedicated areas for students to study, practice their skills and complete performance tests,” said Dr. Carol Sabel, RN, chair of the MSOE School of Nursing.

MSOE opened its School of Nursing in 1995 after a merger with the Milwaukee County General Hospital School of Nursing (MCGHSN). The first class had 40 nursing students and enrollment continued to grow, calling for a larger space and newer technology. In Fall 2013, the brand-new $3 million, 25,000-square-foot Ruehlow Nursing Complex opened.

“Dr. Kathleen Ruehlow ’72 has graciously agreed to step forward once again and support the MSOE School of Nursing in its time of growth,” said Dr. John Walz, MSOE president. “There is a documented shortage of nurses in the United States. By expanding our laboratories and adding degree programs, MSOE is working to help fill the gap.”

Along with an expanded space, the School of Nursing is growing its course offerings with new programs including certificates and master’s degree specializations.

The School of Nursing partnered with Rogers Behavioral Health to launch a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program (PMHNP) in a move to address the shortage of mental health care providers in the United States. The university also added a Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing and a PostMaster’s Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certificate. Classes will begin in Fall 2020 for these programs, while a new Gerontology Certificate launched this spring.

The unique partnership between Rogers Behavioral Health and MSOE gives students the opportunity to receive some of their required practicum hours at Rogers’ locations.

“Less than half of those with mental health and addiction challenges actually get the help they need, and one of the biggest barriers is the shortfall of qualified mental health professionals,” said Paul Mueller, CEO, Rogers Behavioral Health Hospital Division. “This program will ultimately help thousands of additional people get access to life-saving treatment.”

The PMHNP program is a specialization within MSOE’s Master of Science in Nursing degree. In addition, currently licensed nurse practitioners may take PMHNP courses at MSOE to achieve a post-master’s certificate in psychiatric mental health nursing.

This year we’ve witnessed how essential nurses are to our community more than ever. We are eternally grateful for the dedication and care they provide to keep our community safe and healthy.

MORE RENDERINGS AND A VIRTUAL FLY-THROUGH ARE AVAILABLE AT MSOE.EDU/NURSING-EXPANSION.

7

8

AROUND CAMPUS READY TO LAUNCH

High-altitude balloon soars overseas The MSOE Amateur Radio Club launched its first ever high-altitude mylar weather balloon into near-space, complete with a small radio transmitter board weighing only half an ounce. Through GPS, the solar powered transmitter board records the location, speed and altitude of the balloon.

The balloon successfully traveled across Lake Michigan, the entire east coast of the United States, across the Atlantic Ocean and landed in Turkey.

“There is no way to control where the balloon goes, but we can predict its path using meteorological data provided by the National Oceanic and Aerospace Administration,” said Ben Jacobs, president of MSOE Amateur Radio Club. “The balloon hovers in the jet stream at an altitude of around 30,000 feet and goes wherever the wind takes it.”

The most challenging aspect of the launch was perfecting the amount of helium in the balloon. They needed exactly three grams of free lift, meaning the balloon should just hang in the air when the payload and a three-gram weight are attached.

“We seemed to have gotten it exactly right, because our altitude remained relatively constant at 30,000 feet for days!”

MSOE Amateur Radio Club is 105 years old this year, making it MSOE’s oldest club.

After the great success, the club hopes to do a similar launch next year.

The Amateur Radio Club prepares its high-altitude balloon for a trip halfway around the world.

DIMENSIONS SPRING/SUMMER 2020

IN IT TO WIN IT

MSOE community invited to “Innovent” There is a new place (physically and virtually) on campus dedicated to interdisciplinary exploration and collaboration.

Located on the first floor of Rosenberg Hall, the Uihlein/ Spitzer Center for Innovation and Enterprise is a place to study, work, meet, experiment, brainstorm, collaborate and learn.

Dubbed “Innovent” by faculty in MSOE’s Rader School of Business, the space was designed to be inviting and fun. “Entrepreneurial inspiration, education and collaboration are at the heart of the Innovent Center,” said John Osmanski ’06, instructor. “We wanted to create a non-competitive space to provide entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial inspiration for anyone in the MSOE community interested in tinkering, starting a business, or exploring their ideas.”

MSOE team takes home hackathon victory A team of MSOE students won first place at Rockwell 24toCode, a Rockwell Automation hackathon. The hackathon challenged teams to use their expertise in emerging technologies to solve some of Rockwell Automation’s biggest and real challenges in just 24 hours.

The team was comprised of sophomores Nathan DuPont (CS), Trenton Bowser (CS), Andrew Kempen (EE) and Joey Carey (ME). The challenge they chose was centered around implementing a solution to improve the industrial pick-and-place machines for printed circuit boards (PCBs). Currently, the machines occasionally fail in their operations, which leads to one or more of the PCBs being produced to become defective. As these defective PCBs move further down the assembly process, it becomes exponentially more expensive to fix the error.

“Our solution’s goal was to help identify failures as they are happening by relaying them to a web interface accessible to authorized employees within the manufacturing location, as well as utilizing a Recurrent Neural Network to predict when failures may occur in the future, caused from machine fatigue or other factors,” said DuPont. “Additionally, we conducted research into alternative data acquisition and processing methods that would perform on a cloud services provider, offering scalability to the products in the future.”

After 24 hours of hard work and determination, the team took home the top $4,000 prize that they plan to put toward tuition and invest in personal projects they each are working on.

The center’s services include business concept refinement, ideation assistance, financial resource identification, market identification and feasibility, and business plan development.

MSOE students incorporated a recurrent neural network into their solution for Rockwell Automaton’s hackathon challenge.

9

10

AROUND CAMPUS

The School of Nursing Bridging Ceremony was held in December to recognize nursing students’ academic progression as they move into their clinical courses.

During the ceremony, the sophomores are welcomed into the clinical realm by junior and senior nursing students, who hand them their clinical badges.

HIGH ACHIEVERS

Faculty/staff achievements Dr. Victoria Carlson-Oehlers, School of Nursing; Dr. Patrick Jung, Humanities, Social Science and Communication Department; Dr. Bernard Cohen, MSOE Board of Regents; and Dr. Kathleen Miezio, School of Business, conducted collaborative research to write a paper and present it to a worldwide audience. Cohen presented the paper at Bioethicon in Chennai, India; Oehlers presented the paper in Paris; and Jung will present the paper in Porto, Portugal.

Dr. Mohammad Mahinfalah, Mechanical Engineering Department, was awarded the Outstanding Student Section Advisor Award from ASME. He is recognized for more than 25 years of dedicated service as an ASME Student Section advisor, providing growth opportunities and inspiring student members to become value creators and responsible leaders.

Paul Michael, Fluid Power InstituteTM, and MSOE’s fluid power team received the 2020 Edmond E. Bisson Award from the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers for their paper, “Temporary and Permanent Viscosity Loss Correlated to Hydraulic Systems Performance.” Team members included students Mercy Cheekolu, Pawan Panwar, Mark Devlin, Rob Davidson, Duval Johnson and Ashlie Martini.

Paul Michael also received the Best Paper award from the ASME/Bath Symposium for his paper, “Fluid Effects on Mechanical Efficiency of Hydraulic Pumps: Dynamometer Measurements and Molecular Simulations.” Co-authors included Pawan Panwar, Ninaad Gajghate and Ashlie Martini.

Dr. Brian Slaboch, Mechanical Engineering Department, received the 2019– 2020 Research Infrastructure Program faculty award from the Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium (WSGC) to support his project, “Reconfigurable Space Mechanisms for Mission Critical Applications.”

Drs. Robert Strangeway and Steve Holland, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department, published a new textbook “Electromagnetics and Transmission Lines—Essentials for Electrical Engineering, Preliminary Edition,” with Dr. James Richie of Marquette University. The rigorous text is a focused approach on electromagnetic fundamentals and provides the essentials for all electrical engineers, yet also provides a solid electromagnetics foundation for students who wish to continue studies in elective or graduate-level electromagnetics courses.

The book will be available from the MSOE Bookstore in Fall 2020.

The Diercks Hall Grand Opening Celebration campaign took home the Gold award in the Special Events category from the College Advertising Awards.

Diercks Hall was selected as a winner of the Milwaukee Business Journal’s 2020 Real Estate Awards, and was named one of The Daily Reporter’s Top Projects.

IT’S AN ART

Take a walk on the creative side Not many universities can say they have an art museum right on campus, and even fewer can claim a designated space within that museum where students can explore, collaborate and create their own masterpieces. That’s what makes the stART Lab so special.

MSOE’s stART Lab is located in the lower level of the Grohmann Museum and is a space designed for students to get messy and creative.

Veronica Mangio, president of Art and Design Club, helped get the idea up and running with the help of James Kieselburg and Russ Piant from the Grohmann Museum. “Previous students proposed the idea of creating an art space within the museum, so I took the initiative to get these ideas in motion with the support of both James and Russ,” said Mangio.

The lab isn’t just a home for the club, it’s also a space open for events, workshops, clubs, departments and classes. People can request the space and rent materials after receiving training.

With this new space, Art and Design Club hopes to create a community within MSOE that intertwines the application of art and design with the engaging minds of engineering and science. To see more of their artwork, follow them on Facebook and Instagram @art.and.design.msoe.

Keep up with the Art and Design Club’s creations on Facebook and Instagram: @art.and.design.msoe.

PAGE TITLE AROUND CAMPUS

AT T H E

12

LOCAL ART ON DISPLAY

artWORK by the League of Milwaukee Artists June 19 – Aug. 23, 2020* In collaboration with the League of Milwaukee Artists, artWORK features over 50 works by more than 30 local artists. League members were provided the opportunity to create new works—all with a working or industrial theme—specifically for this display. They readily accepted this challenge and have been busy creating paintings, sculptures, photos and prints for inclusion.

Susan Steinhafel, the league’s exhibit chair, helped to organize the exhibition. She noted, “We appreciate the opportunity to once again work with such a wonderful museum and look forward to sharing our versions of Human Industry. artWORK is sure to be a diverse and fascinating representation of the LMA artists and their manifold styles.”

Gallery Night Open House Friday, July 17, 5–9 p.m.*

Big Boy by Tom Smith

COMING SOON! Sept. 4 – Dec. 20, 2020*

Two Edmunds: Fitzgerald and Lewandowski, Their Mark on Milwaukee Grand Opening Event: Friday, Sept. 4, 6–8 p.m.*

Northwestern Line by Janet Roberts

Visit grohmannmuseum.org for a virtual tour and digital exhibitions through the Google Cultural Institute. *All dates subject to change

DIMENSIONS SPRING/SUMMER 2020

READY TO SET SAIL

MSOE Navy ROTC student ranked first nationally in Order of Merit MSOE Navy ROTC student and Midshipman First Class Steven Peterson was ranked first in Order of Merit among future Surface Warfare Officers. The national designation is based on Peterson’s grade point average, demonstrated leadership and physical performance in the Navy ROTC. By virtue of being the number one NROTC student in the United States, Peterson was the first of approximately 279 Reserve Officer Training Corps Midshipmen from around the country to make his selection for his ship. After taking in careful consideration of port location, ship culture and deployment schedule, Peterson chose the USS Sampson (DDG 102), which is based in Everett, Washington.

“I was happy that all the hard work I put into academics and the NROTC tests paid off. I was excited that I was able to choose any ship and anywhere to go in the entire world,” said Peterson.

Peterson is a senior majoring in mechanical engineering at MSOE. He always knew he wanted to serve his country, but he also knew he wanted to attend college and obtain a degree in engineering. That led him to join MSOE’s NROTC program.

Midshipman First Class Steven Peterson (left) is congratulated by Lieutenant Michael Balistreri, NROTC advisor.

“I chose the Navy because some of my role models growing up, such as my grandfather who was a World War II veteran who served in the Navy, and their stories really influenced me to choose the same branch,” said Peterson. “The Navy also gives me the ability to do very cool things that normal 23-year-olds don’t get to do, and I get to travel the world while doing it.”

“ROTC has taught me so many important life skills. I have been able to meet interesting people and do very cool things that I wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise. It definitely has its challenges, especially while balancing a rigorous course load like MSOE, but the rewards are very much worth it. I would do it again in a heartbeat.”

Being a part of the NROTC provided Peterson with valuable training and life experiences that prepared him for his future career in the Navy.

Find more great MSOE news at msoe.edu/newsroom.

13

14

FEATURE STORY CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

Building Community

MSOE

was not immune to the effects of the worldwide outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in March. When it became apparent that the virus was going to reach Milwaukee, MSOE’s Pandemic Response Team (PRT) jumped into action. The PRT began assessing what areas of campus would be impacted and what the most appropriate response was for the university.

News of the virus’ spread throughout the world and the United States changed on a near hourly basis.

University administration, faculty and staff worked at a feverish pace to respond to a rapidly evolving situation. Faculty began preparing for the possibility they’d have to move their classes to a completely online format—including all laboratory experiments and applied-learning opportunities. To support them, the CREATE Institute staff developed training modules and guides. The Information Technology Department readied the

DIMENSIONS SPRING/SUMMER 2020

at a Distance university’s technology tools and systems to handle the transition and greater remote access.

By Thursday of Week 1, it became clear that MSOE needed to suspend classes to protect the health of the entire MSOE community. In one of the most difficult situations of his career, President John Walz consulted with the university’s leadership team to make the final decision to cancel classes for one week, allowing faculty more time to prepare their lessons for online delivery for at least a few weeks.

For the first time in the history of MSOE, students living in the residence halls were asked to pack their essential belongings and return home in the midst of learning.

Parents arrived on campus, and helped students move swiftly. Within three days, occupancy in the residence halls went from nearly 900 to 33, and soon was reduced to zero. Many of the students living in the Grohmann Tower chose to return to their permanent homes. Twenty-three students who were studying abroad in Germany, the Czech Republic and New Zealand were brought home. Short term study abroad opportunities for the spring and summer were canceled. International travel for faculty and staff was suspended, and domestic travel needed prior approval.

“These are times that test who we are as an institution, but I could not be prouder of the way our community has come together,” said Walz in an all-campus message. “I’ve seen first-hand the proactive response of our custodial, environmental health and safety teams to clear, clean and disinfect our spaces to keep our campus safe.

Students responded with a smooth and orderly transition from the residence halls to their homes. Lastly, our faculty rallied to develop online and digital resources that will allow them to continue teaching our students while maintaining the quality that is a hallmark of an MSOE education.”

Moving Online The students weren’t on campus, but the frenzy didn’t calm down in that week without classes. Faculty could be found in their offices, classrooms and laboratories adapting their curriculum. Dr. William Gonwa, associate professor and civil engineering program director, with the assistance of Mike Schuck ’01, adjunct assistant professor, and Jeff MacDonald, lab technician, conducted experiments for two of his courses: Hydraulics and Intro Far left: Hands on nursing skills, such as how to correctly perform a physical exam, insert a foley catheter, change a CVAD dressing or set up an IV line can be tricky in an online course. To assist students, Dr. Carol Sabel and MSOE nursing faculty mailed more than 70 “skills kits” to students’ homes so they could perform the skills while the instructor demonstrated online, and in an online facilitated lab where instructors watched and provided feedback. Right: Dr. William Gonwa recorded an experiment for civil and architectural engineering students.

15

16

FEATURE STORY

to Fluid Mechanics. Faculty in all degree programs did the same, and recorded the experiments in a way that students could record the data themselves, just as they would in person.

Faculty across departments committed to maintaining an application-oriented curriculum and personal interaction with students. With support of the CREATE Institute and the Information Technology Department, they learned to use virtual tools such as Microsoft Teams, Blackboard, VidGrid and more to teach and interact with students.

Following health and government guidelines, on-campus events were canceled and the Grohmann Museum, Kern Center, and Walter Schroeder Library closed. And when Governor Tony Evers’ “Stay At Home” orders went into effect in late March, campus was completely closed.

All but essential-service faculty and staff were required to work from home. And university administration decided classes would remain in an online environment for the entire Spring Quarter.

Student Support The voice of the student was paramount during this transition. After the first week of online classes, Vice President of Academics Eric Baumgartner, Ph.D. and his team solicited student feedback. Through a survey, one student commented: “Thank you to faculty for transitioning so quickly to online learning and for trying so hard to maintain the quality of instruction MSOE students are used to. Obviously, the situation is not ideal because we would all rather be in face-to-face classes, but everyone is doing their best.”

The students also offered suggestions on ways faculty could improve.

“We learned students appreciated having the video lectures recorded, so those in different time zones could watch on their own schedule, or for those who missed the live lecture to review,” said Baumgartner.

“Some of the video lectures produced so far have been extremely valuable,” said a student. “When the school goes back to in-class learning next year, faculty should consider using the videos they’re already producing for this quarter as supplemental learning for future students.”

Survey feedback and continuous improvement opportunities were shared during weekly virtual Academic Town Halls for faculty and staff.

There’s no question the coronavirus (COVID-19) disrupted and impacted campuses across the nation. At the same time, the campus closure and decision to remain online for the duration of the quarter created unplanned financial strain on MSOE, parents and students alike.

“I did not believe it was fair to ask a family to pay for room and dining charges when their son or daughter was asked to move home. As such, we calculated reimbursements for these charges, and waived parking fees for the quarter,” said Walz.

Additionally, MSOE’s Office of Development and Alumni Affairs established a fund to support students who were struggling financially.

Left: Dr. Charles Tritt, associate professor of biomedical engineering, created “Pandemic Bug Out Kits” for students in his Intro to Sensors and Actuators class to complete laboratory assignments at home.

DIMENSIONS SPRING/SUMMER 2020 17

“In some instances, students lost a parttime job that supported their education. We also learned of student needs that included funds for travel to return home to their loved ones, having enough money to buy food, housing insecurity, transportation and medical issues,” said Walz. “We invited our supporters to come together and help care for those students who were impacted.”

Staying Engaged Despite the campus closure, MSOE remained open for business. The Wellness Center, Raider Center for Academic Success, Walter Schroeder Library, MSOE Bookstore and more shifted their efforts to the online environment, offering virtual counseling, tutoring, reference services and more.

“Connection Calls” were initiated by the Academics Office to check in with all students. “President Walz, along with his leadership team, department chairs, CREATE staff and other academic staff, stepped up to assist with this amazing effort to reach 2,500 students,” said Baumgartner. “We are committed to helping students succeed through this term and beyond!”

Seandra Mitchell, dean of admissions, held a Facebook Live event to engage with prospective students and their families.

The admissions team amped up their efforts on digital channels to engage with prospective students. They, along with faculty and current students, hosted Facebook Live events for prospective students to hear firsthand what life at MSOE is all about and ask questions. A virtual campus tour was launched on MSOE’s website.

Extraordinary Together

The Office of Student Life focused on keeping students engaged with the university and one another beyond academics. Through live Facebook sessions and Instagram, students were invited to participate in virtual programming.

Many student organizations and clubs continued to meet virtually.

As much as they were supporting students, faculty supported the medical community.

MSOE’s School of Nursing coordinated the efforts of nursing schools throughout Wisconsin to “Adopt a Hospital” and donate personal protective equipment (PPE) to help quell the shortage and ensure supplies were distributed to hospitals throughout the state. In addition to contributions from MSOE’s biomedical engineering and construction management programs, and the Physics and Chemistry Department, the School of Nursing donated 270 N95 masks, 250 N95 masks with face shields, 450 surgical masks, over 100 isolation gowns and 75 boxes of gloves to Aurora St. Luke’s Medical Center and Rogers Behavioral Health.

Terrence Clarke, custodian, and MSOE’s Custodial Services cleaned and disinfected campus.

Throughout this strange and everchanging time, MSOE’s core values were repeatedly demonstrated: collaboration, excellence, inclusion, innovation, integrity and stewardship. The university community rallied as one and truly demonstrated that we are extraordinary together and continually rethink what’s possible.

Take a virtual tour of campus and watch all of our Facebook Live events at msoe.edu/virtual.

18

IN THE COMMUNITY ON THE AIR

MSOE students hear their projects come to life User experience students were able to hear their projects come to life with an interactive assignment in collaboration with MSOE’s radio station WMSE.

Senior Bailey Wikoff records a public service announcement to be aired on 91.7FM WMSE.

Humanities, Social Science and Communication (HSC) Department faculty members Drs. Tammy Rice-Bailey and Candela Marini challenged students to choose a local non-profit and write a public service announcement (PSA) highlighting the organizations. Students then teamed up with WMSE to record their PSAs and broadcast them on the air. The partnership with WMSE emerged from a brainstorming session that the CREATE Institute ran with the goal to integrate the MSOE Mindset into the classroom.

“It’s great to have students in the studio, hear their voices on the recordings and get them involved in the station,” said Tom Crawford, WMSE station manager.

While the students had previous experience creating ad campaigns comprised of billboards, print ads or TV commercial storyboards, PSAs were a new ball game.

“It was challenging to do an audio-based project. It was difficult not being able to fall back on visuals, so I focused more on choosing the right music and right tone to read it in,” said Bailey Wikoff, a senior majoring in technical communication.

“It was exciting to hear it on the radio,” said Wikoff. “I think it’s really cool that I have something that was broadcast on an actual radio station. It’s also something I can add to my portfolio that will really stand out.”

Rice-Bailey was proud of her students’ hard work and impressed with how they turned out. “The PSAs were amazing! Tom and his crew did a fantastic job producing them with my students.”

Milwaukee’s Hour of Code In December, NEWaukee and the Milwaukee Tech Hub Coalition joined forces to promote tech skills among youth during Milwaukee’s “Hour of Code.” A total of 10,300 hours of code were taught to Milwaukee-area students.

MSOE’s STEM Department partnered with Northwestern Mutual to offer Girls + AI for 60 middle school girls from Notre Dame School and daughters of Northwestern Mutual employees. The girls spent the day engaging in multiple handson AI activities, touring the MSOE campus, and networking with tech professors and MSOE students.

DIMENSIONS SPRING/SUMMER 2020

Honoring the community

Designing for COVID-19 research Laura Halverson ’95 is using her MSOE education to design mechanical systems protecting researchers who could be directly exposed to the virus causing COVID-19 as they work to find a vaccine. In her current role as a principal at Affiliated Engineers Inc. Halverson’s work focuses on laboratory design and projects that support research for infectious diseases, cancer and many other health and social issues.

Students in the University Scholars Honors Program jump into servant-leadership projects freshman year to help multiple Milwaukee communities while learning about different social issues and engaging in projects that are often outside of their comfort zones.

Dr. Candela Marini, assistant professor in the Humanities, Social Science and Communication Department, shared many students work with community partners that are invested in solving a problem the students know very little about in a community they are unfamiliar with, which is where the most rewarding results occur.

“The students discover they can connect and collaborate with causes they thought they had nothing to do with. When they have good chemistry with their community partners, students won’t want to let them down,” said Marini.

Marini explained that by students building meaningful cross-cultural collaborations, they are able to expand on their intercultural communication skills while developing an enhanced social responsibility and learning to appreciate different perspectives.

This year’s students collaborated with organizations including Common Ground, United Community Center, ZIP MKE, WMSE, Underground Railroad and Read Across MKE. Their work can be viewed at msoehonorsseminar.com.

In late February when the outbreak of COVID-19 was starting to spread in the U.S., Halverson started working with a client on a laboratory concept for high pathogen influenza as part of a grant for the National Institutes of Health. As the landscape of the pandemic quickly grew, her team turned the focus of that project to COVID-19 and the system designs required to prevent Laboratory Acquired Infections.

Halverson says the HVAC systems being designed for the laboratory will provide 100% exhaust for the lab space. It will also include an effluent decontamination system that will collect and treat all liquid waste from the lab. The mechanical design will also provide a barrier that is designed to support the safety of the researchers working in the lab.

Rockabilly Chili rocks the Kern Center More than 3,000 very hungry chili lovers crowded the MSOE Kern Center in March for WMSE’s 18th annual Rockabilly Chili Fundraiser. The station raised $67,000 to support its operations, and collected nonperishable food donations for the Hunger Task Force.

Congratulations to this year’s winners!

Best Meat: Kettle Range Meat Co. Best Veggie: Strange Town and Good Harvest Market (tie) Best Heat: Lakefront Brewery Most Unique: DanDan Best Display: Lakefront Brewery

Students in the University Scholars Honors Program complete several servantleadership projects.

19

20

IN THE COMMUNITY

RPC helps The Ducks take flight A team of middle school students from St. Paul’s Lutheran School in Muskego competed in the FIRST LEGO League State Tournament and received a little help from MSOE’s Rapid Prototyping Center (RPC) to make their project stand out from the rest.

The team, named “The Ducks” and coached by husband and wife duo Eric Schlevensky ’95 and Karin Wagner, created “The Duck Guard” to prevent ducklings from falling into storm drains for FIRST LEGO League’s City Shapers competition.

The students designed The Duck Guard themselves, complete with 1.5-inch openings that are large enough for water to flow through and small enough to prevent ducklings from falling into storm drains. After successfully advancing from regionals to sectionals, the team wanted to upgrade their cardboard prototype for the state tournament. They reached out to Vince Anewenter ’11, director of the RPC, for help. Anewenter graciously agreed and provided the team with a tour.

“The tour of the RPC was a great experience,” said Schlevensky. “The kids thought it was really cool to see and were very excited. It gave them exposure to alternate methods of making a prototype and to complex parts that may be more easily prototyped via additive manufacturing in order to prove out a design.”

Code the Hoan The Hoan Bridge is one of Milwaukee’s most recognizable landmarks, and a grassroots effort is underway to illuminate the bridge in celebration of the city and its people with a symbol of unity and civic pride. Students in Amii LaPointe’s design thinking course got involved in the project thanks to MSOE’s CREATE Institute. The class worked with Michael Hostad, co-founder of Light the Hoan, and executive director at The Commons, to develop ways young students can “Code the Hoan.” Through community partners, K-12 students will learn how to write code to program the lights on the bridge. MSOE students completed design sprints to examine ways to develop user interfaces and programming, launch those interfaces, explore the creation of a Discovery World exhibit, and coordinate the lighting schedule on the bridge.

Michael Hostad (left), co-founder of Light the Hoan, discussed ideas with MSOE students for ways young students can write code to program light displays on the Hoan Bridge.

The Ducks toured the RPC and got a front row seat for the making of The Duck Guard prototype. Pictured left to right, back row: Sam Kneser, Amanda Esmeier, Kierstin Schlevensky; front row: Isaiah Somers, Jack Quartuccio, Hailey Foley; not pictured: Erica Veley and Aaron Kwiatkowski.

DIMENSIONS SPRING/SUMMER 2020

HELPING HABITAT

Equipment donation helps build strength A donation of equipment from the Skylight Café in the Campus Center will support Habitat for Humanity’s efforts to help families build and improve places to call home. As part of the renovation work to transform the third floor of the CC building into a dining commons (see page 4), MSOE donated several large pieces of kitchen and food service equipment, including a refrigerator, grill, griddle, salad bar, soupserving counter, corner cabinet and fast oven.

Habitat will sell the equipment through its ReStore home improvement stores.

Plans for the dining commons project call for the existing kitchen to be moved into the area where the Registrar’s Office was located. Several offices on the third floor have moved to different locations (still on the third floor) as part of the project. When work is complete this fall, the third floor will be a one-stop shop for many of the students’ needs beyond the classroom.

21

22

RAIDERS WRAP-UP TEAM USA

Capturing the gold

There is no higher honor in sports than being able to play for your country. To wear the colors of red, white and blue while you put everything on the line is something that most people can only dream of. Not MSOE Raiders hockey student-athlete Garrett Gintoli, though. Gintoli, a junior mechanical engineering major, has been able to don a USA sweater for the past four international events for the deaf community. This includes the past two Winter Deaflympics, a competition organized in 1924 by the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf and sanctioned by the International Olympic Committee.

Gintoli was born with a syndrome called Melnick-Fraser syndrome. One of the effects is progressive hearing loss which forced him to start wearing hearing aids around the age of three. But that hasn’t stopped him from excelling in the sport that he loves, even if there have been some challenges.

“Growing up with hearing loss on the ice definitely caused some issues. Sometimes a coach would be saying something from all the way across the rink, whether it be from the bench during a game or during a practice, and those instructions were tough to hear,” said Gintoli. However, he is thankful for those who helped make the game easier for him. “I have been very fortunate to have had great teammates throughout my playing career who always fill me in on things I missed.”

Having already won two medals in other competitions, Gintoli was ready to take home another one when he traveled to Valtellina Valchiavenna, Italy for the 2019 Winter Deaflympics in December. He was named an alternate captain and played side by side with his brother Peter who was the team’s leader. As for the actual competition? They won the gold medal by beating Canada 7-3.

Gintoli scored one goal and had three assists in the championship game and ruminated about winning the top honor for his country. “I think it truly hit me when I saw them raise the flag and play the anthem. Not a lot of people get the chance to represent their country, so I was proud that we were able win a gold medal with our opportunity. It’s a feeling I’ll cherish forever.”

His season wasn’t over just yet. He came back to Milwaukee to help finish off the 2019-20 season with the Raiders and Gintoli had a wealth of experience to carry over into the games played within the confines of the Kern Center and beyond. “The tournament gave me a big confidence boost when I returned to the ice. After that, it was back to business as usual.” There was one thing that wasn’t business as usual for Gintoli. “When the anthem would play before our games, I’d think back to singing the anthem with my teammates in Italy, and that always brought a smile to my face.”

DIMENSIONS SPRING/SUMMER 2020

Seasons cut short but spirits remain high As COVID-19 swept across the nation, the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) Council of Chief Executive Officers came to the difficult decision to cancel athletic competition for the 2019-2020 academic year on March 13. Just like that, cleats were unlaced, jerseys were hung up, and mitts, rackets and sticks were abruptly stowed away for the rest of the season. MSOE Athletic Director Brian Miller shared how athletes and coaches are staying active and connected.

Q: How did you feel when you learned spring sports were canceled?

A: As a lifelong coach and now athletic director, all I could think of is how we always preach to play for today because tomorrow isn’t guaranteed. Usually we mean something like an injury could halt someone’s career. In this case, something outside of our control took our opportunity away. I felt especially bad for players in their last season and those defending a title. But every athlete has trained and worked for their moment and now it is gone. Coaches are doing a great job of trying to shed a layer of positivity on this situation and keep them moving forward.

Q: What are athletes doing to stay in shape?

A: We use Athlete Performance for strength coaching and training. Coaches have helped get the athletes on an app called Train Heroic, which has workouts along with instruction.

Q: Are any of the teams staying connected virtually?

A: They’re connecting through lots of group chats, FaceTime and some have used Zoom or other things to stay engaged. Many are doing virtual challenges with workouts.

Q: Do you have any advice for athletes?

A: Use this time wisely. Those who shut down will have a long way to come back. Train your attitude as much as anything. Do not allow a victim-type mentality to set in.

Q: What are your hopes/goals for the future athletics at MSOE? A: Nothing has changed here. Our programs continue to be on the rise.

I expect us to become a constant top-tier competitor for the all sports awards in our league.

MSOE hockey player Garrett Gintoli (right) was an alternate captain of the U.S. Men’s National Deaf Ice Hockey Team at the 2019 Winter Deaflympics. He is pictured here with his brother Peter, captain of the team.

Q: Anything else you would like to add?

A: I was very happy to see the NCAA allow spring sport athletes to have this “season of competition” back and to allow student athletes to not have eligibility compromised. Our main conference (NACC) is enacting legislation regarding this spring’s academics and eligibility, too. They all appear to have the student athletes’ best interest at heart. We still plan on awarding our annual Male and Female Senior Athlete of the Year Awards and Senior Scholar Athlete of the Year Award. For those who couldn’t participate, we will look at the entire scope of their career and do what we can to project what other accomplishments they may have been able to achieve so they can be considered for these awards as well. We also are going to review our methodology for the Raider Hall of Fame process for those who will end up being nominated someday. We want to be able to recognize those who deserve to be in the Hall of Fame.

GO-RAIDERS.COM

23

24

CLASS NOTES

1970s Bruce Low 74 ME, owner and inspector of Bottom Line Home Inspection in Luxemburg, Wis., has earned lifetime membership in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

1980s Todd Ciske 82 EPET, 01 BMS is president and founder of Kettle-Moraine Community Radio Inc., and GM/DJ on WFAQ-LP FM, 101.3 FM, Mukwonago, Wis.

1990s Dr. Michael Erwin 94 BMS was named senior operating partner at Taureau Group LLC, Milwaukee

2000s Jerome Vogedes ’97, ’04, his wife Rachel and their daughter Jillian hit the ice at the Alumni Family Skate Event on Feb. 8, 2020. Alumni families enjoyed a chili buffet, face painting, skating and watching the Raiders’ hockey match against Trine University at the Kern Center.

Dana Guthrie 10 CE

was named to the Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 list. She is a product manager for Johnson Controls International plc and managing director and founder of Alchemy Angel Investors.

Kevin Hansen 03 CM, senior project manager, Greenfire Management Services LLC, Milwaukee Ryan Sawall 05 AE was recognized by ENR Midwest as a 2020 Top Young Professional.

He is vice president and business unit leader at McCarthy Building Construction.

Brad Borchers 07 ME, general manager, Trident Engineered Solutions, Milwaukee Jarek Barney 08 NU was promoted to W11 patient care manager at Children’s Wisconsin.

2010s Dr. Timothy Hansen 11 CE received the 2019 IEEE-HKN C. Holmes MacDonald Outstanding Teaching Award. He is currently an assistant professor at South Dakota State University.

Josh Szmergalski 15 AE/MSST received the Architectural Engineering Institute’s 2019 AEI Outstanding Committee Chair Award for his service and outstanding leadership to the AEI Young Professional Council.

Eric Ebert 17 MBAEL, principal, Homestead High School, Mequon, Wis.

DIMENSIONS SPRING/SUMMER 2020

25

Chad Sova 17 MBAEL, principal, Oriole Lane Elementary School, Mequon, Wis. Gage Christianson 18 CE, project engineer, Greenfire Management Services LLC, Milwaukee Steven Brandt 19 EE, automation engineer, Tricore Inc., Racine, Wis. Jack Cerasoli 19 CM, project engineer, Power Design Inc., St. Petersburg, Fla. Jose Diaz 19 IE, industrial engineer, Global Power Components, Milwaukee Dennis Droese 19 CE, associate software engineer, Cognex Corporation, Natick, Mass.

This cute puppy, named Vietz, is the newest addition to the Spitza family.

Danielle (Seefurth) ’08 NU and Josh ’09 ME were students at MSOE while Dr. Hermann Viets was president. According to Danielle, “We wanted his name to be meaningful.

Since my husband and I met at MSOE, we thought it was fitting to name him after the greatest MSOE president!”

Frank J. Bourbeau ’57, Ronald K. Cotton ’59, Honorable Dr. James I. Finley ’68, Dr. Joseph J. Rencis ’78, ’80 and Richard L. Sanquini ’59 were inducted to the MSOE Alumni Wall of Distinction. The MSOE Alumni Wall of Distinction recognizes the professional contributions and dedicated service of MSOE alumni to their profession. In addition, their distinguished careers have contributed to, or reflect credit on, the various academic programs in the university. Nominations for the class of 2020 are due June 1 and can be made online at msoe.edu/alumni.

Share your stories

___________________________________________________________________________

We love hearing from our alumni! Send your class notes to alumni@msoe.edu.

26

CLASS NOTES

Grill masters Frank Weiler ’69 and Preston McMurry ’93 dish out brats and burgers to alumni and friends at a good old-fashioned Wisconsin tailgate in Phoenix before a Milwaukee Brewers spring training game.

Franco Melendez 19 NU,

Tony Wooldridge 19 EE, electrical engineer, Leonardo DRS Naval Power Systems, Milwaukee

registered oncology nurse, Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, Milwaukee

Dawn Burzawa 20 EE, project manager intern, Payne Crest, Olivette, Mo.

2020s Mackenzy DeLoy 20 IE, manufacturing engineer, Scherer Inc., Tea, S.D. Paul Graeven 20 BBA, business development associate, LM Consultants LLC, Grayslake, Ill. Elizabeth Hearn 20 ME, management associate, Gerdau, West Allis, Wis.

Kayla Miller 19 NU, registered nurse, Ascension, Milwaukee

Evan Kearns 20 BBA, investment banking analyst, Baird, Milwaukee

Jacob Paiser 19 AE, structural engineer, Excel Engineering, Fond du Lac, Wis.

Fran O’Malley 20 IE, sales coordinator, Sterling Engineering, Brookfield, Wis.

Jason Palesse 19 ME, 19 AS, actuarial intern, Milliman, Seattle

Meg Opay 20 NU, registered nurse, Children’s Wisconsin, Wauwatosa, Wis.

Sean Riordan 19 EE, test engineer, Teradyne, Boston

Thomas Porter 20 ME, design engineer II, Server Products, Richfield, Wis.

Jake Schilling 19 ME, product engineer, Andis Company, Sturtevant, Wis.

Ashlyn Shircel 20 ME, automotive technician, Bridgestone, Milwaukee

Laura Thompson-Mason 19 IE, process improvement intern, 3D Molecular Designs, Milwaukee

Marriages

Savannah Evans 19 SE, associate software developer, Advicent, Milwaukee Paul Farrell 19 EE, electrical engineer, TAPCO, Milwaukee Ricky Garcia 19 EE, product engineer, MTE Corporation, Menomonee Falls, Wis. Ryan Hammer 19 EE, embedded firmware engineer, Foxconn, Milwaukee Moataz Khalil 19 MIS, account manager, Briggs & Stratton, Wauwatosa, Wis. Gary Kniess 19 CE, product engineer, Serigraph Inc., West Bend, Wis.

Eric Pfiffner ’13 ME and Kailey Leitzke ’15 AE were married Nov. 9, 2019.

M

DIMENSIONS SPRING/SUMMER 2020

Tuning In to a Passionate Outlet of Support Marc Kellom ’91

M

Marc Kellom ’91 started listening to 91.7FM WMSE as a kid at John Muir Middle School in Milwaukee.

“I still have on-air recordings of WMSE dating back to 1981,” he said. “There were so many great songs back then.”

When Kellom, now 50, enrolled at MSOE as an electrical engineering major, the first thing he did was fill out an application to become a DJ at the radio station. “I chose MSOE because WMSE existed.”

Kellom’s first on-air opportunity was Tuesdays from 3 to 6 a.m. After his shift, he would attend classes until early afternoon before heading home to study. Back then he knew how lucky he was to have found a university that fueled his passion for learning about the audio industry both in the classroom and outside of it.

“I still vividly remember learning the math and science behind FM broadcasting. Seeing the theoretical basis for my daily passion was such a strong motivator for me.” That same fondness continued every time he stepped into the studio.

“I learned so much while working at WMSE. Technical stuff, of course, but also how to lead a team, tell a good story, and most importantly make an impact on the local community and campus.”

Kellom has always been a longtime supporter of the station but with the COVID-19 crisis causing a ripple of financial hardships across the university’s campus, Kellom saw now as the perfect opportunity to go the extra mile for his favorite station. Kellom is matching any donation to WMSE up to $2,500 as part of their Spring Drive.

“I support WMSE not only because of the opportunity it provided me, but because it continues to provide that rare commodity of a passionate, motivated DJ who can share the gift of musical connection with an audience.”

“Marc is truly one of our biggest supporters and a great source of inspiration for us,” said Tom Crawford, WMSE station manager. “From his time as a very creative student-DJ aka ‘DJ Magic Marker,’ to becoming the leader of the station’s broadcast engineering department and eventually spearheading the relocation of WMSE to the current Krueger Hall location, he helped turn WMSE into a world class radio station.”

Today, Kellom leads a global engineering team at Harman Professionals in Richardson, Texas. He may be miles away from his hometown of Milwaukee, but his office is filled with memories of the good old days. We’re willing to bet he has WMSE streaming online as well.

27

28

CLASS NOTES Corporation and joined the MSOE Board of Regents in 1981. He was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Engineering from MSOE in 1987. In 1942, Whitney enlisted in the U.S. Navy serving as a Hospital Corpsman. After leaving the service, he earned a degree in electrical engineering in 1950 and worked at several Milwaukee area companies including Square D Company and Allen Bradley, where he spent 19 years as the CEO and Chairman of the Board.

He also served on the UW College of Engineering Business Liaison Council.

Karly Kasten ’17 ME, ’18 MBA married Caleb Schober ’18 EE on Sept. 14, 2019.

In Memory James F. Delpire 50 ET Charles Wicke 50 EE Roger Olson 54 RTT Philip Harrison 58 IET Roy Meidenbauer 58 RTT Donald Mellinger 58 INDT, 61 ME Donald Richwalski 58 ECET Charles Perko 59 INDT James Perreault 60 CET Richard Schrage 60 ME, 72 MSEM Charles Vesel 61 EE James Fritsch 68 EE Robert Traister 69 EE Jerome Lindsay 70 EE Dennis Hoffman 73 EE Gary Mella 81 AE Steven Skotzke 81 EE Harold Solomon 60 ACET, 66 AIM, 73 BIM Gary Johnson 94 MIS Michael Murawski 97 TC Ronnie Merriman 98 MSEM

Dr. Mary Louise Brown, professor and founding chair of the MSOE School of Nursing, recently passed away. Brown retired from MSOE in 2004 after nine years of service. Her vast teaching, curriculum development, advising and counseling experience brought a new dimension to the field of nursing education. She also was involved with the implementation of total quality management and was an advocate for both faculty and students. Before joining MSOE, she served as dean of academic affairs and a professor at St. Joseph College of Nursing in Joliet, Ill. Dr. Willie Davis, MSOE Regent Emeritus, passed away April 15, 2020. Davis was a member of the MSOE Corporation for one year, and a Regent for 12 years. In 2003, MSOE awarded him an Honorary Doctor of Business and Economics. He was president and owner of All Pro Broadcasting Inc. Among his many accomplishments, Davis was inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame in 1981, having played in the NFL for 12 years (10 with the Green Bay Packers and two with the Cleveland Browns) and was the first recipient of the Vince Lombardi Varsity Scout Award in 1982. He was NAACP Man of the Year in 1978 and NFL Man of the Year in 1987.

Claude “Bud” Whitney Jr., MSOE Regent Emeritus, passed away Feb. 18, 2020.

Whitney was a member of the MSOE

MSOE’s founding family welcomed a new member: Olivia Swart.

Olivia was born Oct. 31, 2019 and is the great, great granddaughter of MSOE’s founding president, Oscar Werwath. Her parents, Sara and Keith, had the pleasure of meeting some of MSOE’s nursing students when she was born at Aurora Hospital in Oconomowoc, Wis.

FROM THE ARCHIVES BON APPÉTIT

The cafeteria in Roy W. Johnson Hall has been the main on-campus dining location for resident students since the building opened in 1968.

Here it is pictured in the early 2000s.

The current RWJ cafeteria will be transformed into innovative space to support interdisciplinary education when the building is renovated to become Hermann Viets Tower, a living-learning community.

Ping pong has been a mainstay in the MSOE game room, pictured here in 1950. Now located in the Campus Center, it too will get a facelift as part of the dining commons project.

29

DIMENSI [ ] NS

SPRING/SUMMER 2020

Milwaukee School of Engineering 1025 N. Broadway Milwaukee, WI 53202-3109 Change Service Requested

Get MSOE news delivered to your inbox!

Sign up to receive the monthly Alumni E-news newsletter at msoe.edu/alumni.

Over the past few months, the MSOE community has come together to face incredible challenges presented by the COVID-19 outbreak crisis. With little warning, students were asked to move out of the residence halls in a matter of days. And with virtually no time for preparation, the faculty and staff came together to put the entire curriculum online so that MSOE students could continue their studies in a manner which prioritizes the health and safety of all students as well as the entire MSOE community.

This crisis has put an enormous financial burden on many of our current and prospective students and their families. In some instances, students lost a part-time job that supported their education. Other student needs include funds for travel to return home to their loved ones, having enough money to buy food, housing insecurity, transportation and medical issues.

Additionally, some students are facing the unexpected challenge of paying their tuition which impacts their ability to complete the academic year. To respond to the needs of our students, MSOE has established the Student Persistence Fund. If you are wondering how you can help in these turbulent times, we invite you to make a gift in support of our incredibly hardworking students. On behalf of our students, faculty and staff, thank you for your consideration.

Make a gift online at together.msoe.edu.

COME TOGETHER