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Breaking Ground: Diercks Hall pg. 4 Showcasing Seniors pg. 14 Alumni Reunion pg. 27
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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE Dear Alumni and Friends, Happy new year! Happy new school year, that is. While most of you are out of the academic cycle yourselves, perhaps your children or grandchildren are starting a year of new adventures and discoveries at school. I’m excited to see what our students and faculty will accomplish. This fall, MSOE is welcoming 745 new students to campus. Of them, 52 will be part of our new computer science program. Half of our new full-time traditional students took at least one Project Lead The Way course during high school. We are expanding our reach, drawing larger numbers of students from out of state and from underrepresented groups. You may remember one of your first assignments upon returning to school in the fall was sharing highlights from your summer. Here are just a few of MSOE’s: Construction began in June on the university’s Dwight and Dian Diercks Computational Science Hall, our new cornerstone academic facility. Alumni are involved not only in funding the project but in its construction, which makes it even more special. We welcomed more than 500 people to our annual Summer in the City alumni reunion weekend in July. This was one of our largest reunions and an early sign of things to come as we work to engage our alumni. Also in July, our Board of Regents formally approved the strategic plan that we’ve been working on for more than a year. The theme of our plan is “Extraordinary Together” and it is organized around three critical commitments— Engaging our Community; Learning and Discovery; and Being Extraordinary. I’m excited about getting started with the next phase of the process—implementing the many great actions that were developed in the plan. It is an exciting time on our campus, as we work to achieve the vision statement articulated in our plan: MSOE will set the standard for preparing leaders to solve the diverse technical challenges of the 21st century. This is an inspiring and challenging vision, but I have no doubt that with the support of the great MSOE community, we can achieve it. MSOE is continually advancing. We are indeed extraordinary together. Sincerely,
John Y. Walz, Ph.D. President
SPOTLIGHT ON LEADERSHIP Dr. Jackie Herd-Barber In a classroom at Ralph H. Metcalfe School in Milwaukee, standing among students working at whiteboards, MSOE Corporation member Jackie Herd-Barber ’84 is completely in her element. “My passion is education and kids,” she said. It’s a passion that Herd-Barber has been able to fully embrace since retiring from Motorola in 2009 after a successful 25-year career in sales management. The electrical engineering alumna spends about 20 hours a week at Metcalfe through her involvement in the Milwaukee chapter of The Links, Incorporated. She also dedicates a considerable amount of time to Milwaukee Succeeds, a collaborative community effort, made up of over 300 cross-sector organizations, that aims to change the way adults work together to improve educational achievement from cradle to career. “I do everything from volunteering in the cafeteria to working with kids on their reading, math and letters; to coaching kids on how to get to high school,” she said. “I think I have brought some of my engineering tactics and techniques to the school as I have been working with the principal and teachers.” Even before she retired, volunteering was an important part of Herd-Barber’s life and at any given time she served on several boards. Along with a strong work ethic, community service is a value her parents instilled in her when she was very young. “They always said if you could do more you should do more.” Education was also of utmost importance—and something she and her husband, fellow MSOE alum Michael Barber ’82, passed on to their children: Dr. Lauren Barber, who is an orthopedic surgeon resident at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, and Justin Barber, who earned his master’s degree and works at GE as an operations management program trainee. “Education must remain an open door for all children to enter and to go as far as their ability takes them,” she said.
Jackie Herd-Barber and family. From left, son Justin, Jackie, daughter Lauren, and husband Michael.
"MSOE remains a special place to which I owe so much. My experiences at MSOE changed my life." MSOE awarded Herd-Barber an Honorary Doctor of Engineering during the 2018 Spring Commencement in recognition of her civic and community service, her commitment to education and her ongoing support of MSOE. She co-founded the university’s National Society of Black Engineers when she was a student and has served as Alumni Association president and a mentor in the Upward Bound program. “One of the reasons I appreciate MSOE so much is because of the servant-leadership opportunities,” she said. “When leaders shift their mindset and serve first they unlock purpose and ingenuity in those around them, resulting in higher performance and engaged, fulfilled employees. MSOE remains a special place to which I owe so much. My experiences at MSOE changed my life.”
Honors and Achievements • MSOE Wall of Fame • MSOE Distinguished Alumna of the Year • Milwaukee Urban League Unity Award Honoree • Milwaukee Business Journal Woman of Influence • Fellowship Open Community Volunteer Honoree • Milwaukee Public Schools Excellence in Education Award
Words to Live By “ Our careers and jobs serve our family and not the other way around.” “ Competition has its place, but teamwork brings everyone and every project across the finish line.” “ Remember: what you do gets you paid. What you learn gets you promoted.” “ It is the deep, close, relationships we have that give meaning and purpose to our lives.”
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IN THIS ISSUE
14–16
Senior Projects On the cover: Biomedical engineering senior Matt Hannula ’18 and his senior design team sought to improve medical oxygen devices for developing countries.
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NSBE Enjoys Banner Year
Upcoming Events
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Breaking Ground: Diercks Hall
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Leading From the Field
6-8
Highlights
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Tackling the Tough Issues
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Faculty Feature: Dr. Ruth Barratt
September 11 Graduate Programs Showcase 22 Open House 27–28 MSOE Career Fair 28–30 Parent and Family Weekend 29 Lost Arts Festival at the Grohmann Museum
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MSOE Means Business
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Rites of Passage
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Spring Commencement
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Different Roads to Success
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At the Grohmann
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A Raider Reveal
20–21
Raiders’ Wrap-Up
22–28
Alumni on the Move
29 Looking Back: MSOE's 115th Anniversary
Editor's Note:
In the Winter 2017–18 edition of Dimensions, we asked you to share your opinions about our alumni magazine. We asked you what you’d like to see more (and less) of, what you loved (and hated) and you told us! Thank you! Our goal is to create a magazine that informs, entertains and strengthens your connection to MSOE. After all, you’re only a student for a short time, but you’re an alumnus for life. In the coming months we
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October 19 Senior Visit Day 20 Open House 26 Senior Visit Day November Fall Commencement 17 December 7–9 Parent and Family Weekend WMSE Big Band Grandstand 9 For more information and events visit: msoe.edu/campus-life/calendar Athletic events: go-raiders.com Fluid power Professional Education Seminars: msoe.edu/seminars Professional Education courses: msoe.edu/professional-education
will be moving forward with a magazine redesign process informed by your feedback as well the strategic vision of the university. You may already notice some tweaks to this current edition. If you missed the survey, don’t panic. We would like to keep the lines of communication open. We welcome your feedback—as well as your article ideas! Email them to kubisiak@msoe.edu. Thank you for your readership.
Dimensions Milwaukee School of Engineering Magazine Editor: JoEllen Burdue Managing Editor: Kristen Kubisiak Creative Director: Kristin Dunn Graphic Designer: Peg Houghton Contributing Writers: JoEllen Burdue, Kevin Conway, Kristen Kubisiak, Loreen Pace, Dr. John Y. Walz Contributing Photography: Austin Calderone ’18, Dr. Eric Durant ’98, Mark Hines, Peg Houghton, Gary Porter, Erol Reyal, Kat Schleicher 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.
Summer 2018 Volume 32, No. 3
NSBE Enjoys Banner Year The National Society of Black Engineers chapter at MSOE is getting noticed. The 25-member student-organization was honored on the national stage with three awards at NSBE’s annual convention in Pittsburgh. Honors included Best Small Chapter of the Year, third place Rising Star Chapter (for increased student involvement) and 10th place in Region IV’s amazing race competition, which measures a chapter’s involvement in the regional and national goals of the organization. “This year’s accomplishments are a testament to our amazing executive board, general body and sponsors,” said incoming MSOE NSBE Chapter President Anne-Marie Warren, an architectural engineering major, who will be a sophomore in the fall. “The ‘Best Small Chapter’ designation is given to the best overall chapter based on community involvement, involvement in your respective school, as well as improvement,” she said. “Our hard work has paid off and though we are a small chapter, we can achieve great things.” “We have made great progress in a short span of time,” said outgoing MSOE NSBE Chapter President Kiean Gill, senior electrical engineering major. Further raising the group’s profile, MSOE chapter vice president Kevin B. Banks Jr. was elected as chair of NSBE Region IV—an area that encompasses Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio, as well as Central Canada and Central and East Africa. “To be honest it was a bit surreal to be elected,” said Banks, a biomedical engineering major. In his new role, he will put programs in place to serve the chapters
in his region and represent the region on the National Executive Board. The goal of NSBE is to increase the number of culturally responsible black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community. Academic success is supported by weekly study halls; professional development is accomplished through resume workshops, mock interviews, mentoring and leadership conferences; and the chapter positively impacts the community through volunteer opportunities and programs on campus. MSOE’s NSBE was formed in 1980 by Dr. Michael Barber ’82, Keith Crawford ’82, and Dr. Jackie Herd-Barber. The chapter had about 10 members. “Our early objectives were to increase the number of African Americans graduating from MSOE, provide a support system to help guide incoming students on course selection, study circles, leadership opportunities and community service opportunities,” said Herd-Barber. “It is wonderful to see the organization has had longevity and is having an impact.”
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Breaking Ground: Diercks Hall
More than 500 members of the MSOE community, elected officials and business representatives gathered on April 23 to celebrate the groundbreaking for MSOE’s Dwight and Dian Diercks Computational Science Hall, a $34 million facility funded by MSOE Regent and alumnus Dr. Dwight Diercks ’90 and his wife, Dian. “ This new facility is not only an investment into MSOE, it is an investment in our state’s future.” —Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker “ MSOE is setting a pace that extremely few institutions are setting. It’s bringing an industry that doesn’t currently exist here.” —Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele “ The revival of this city and this campus tells you all of the excitement that’s going on right now in our community. MSOE is helping lead the charge.” —Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett “ This university has prepared great engineering minds, leaders and entrepreneurs who have delivered some of the best technological products and services to turbocharge and build companies.” —Dr. Dwight Diercks ’90, MSOE Regent
Meet Alex Ruchti ’22 Alex Ruchti was the first student to enroll in MSOE’s new computer science program— an honor that earned him the opportunity to participate in the groundbreaking for Diercks Hall. What was it like to participate in the Diercks Hall groundbreaking? Standing among so many well-known individuals was quite a surreal experience. It was a moment that I will remember for the rest of my life. Why did you decide to major in computer science at MSOE? After my second visit to MSOE, I knew it was the right fit for me. I met Dr. Derek Riley, the computer science program director, and was thrilled by his vision for MSOE’s CS program. I also love the compact campus and urban atmosphere.
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Alex Ruchti (left) and Dr. Dwight Diercks ’90, MSOE Regent
.msoe Find more photos, construction updates and a webcam at msoe.edu/diercks-hall
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What are you most excited about at MSOE? How could I not be excited about Diercks Hall! The completion of that phenomenal building is something that I truly look forward to. I am excited to build relationships with the MSOE professors and my fellow students. MSOE has a lot to offer.
Leading From the Field Alumni work their way back to campus Construction began June 14 on Dwight and Dian Diercks Computational Science Hall. From concept to completion, alumni will be the driving force behind the building. What began as an idea and conversation between Dr. Dwight Diercks ’90 and MSOE leadership, is quickly rising from the ground thanks to a team of alumni at Mortenson who are leading the project. “It is inspiring to be back on campus as a builder. MSOE provided me with an education that established the foundation of my career,” said Alice Westphal ’01, superintendent. “Building on my alma mater’s campus brings my education and experience full-circle as it provides me the opportunity to give back and provide a building that will create an educational foundation for other MSOE students.” Dr. Blake Wentz, chair of the Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management Department, is serving as MSOE’s owner’s representative for the project. Of working with his former students, he said, “It is a ton of fun but also a bit surreal. It makes me extremely proud to watch my alumni in action and to see what a tremendous job they are doing.” Current students will also have an opportunity to be involved in the project, Wentz said, touring the site and inspecting drawings as part of their classes. Mortenson is working in concert with Uihlein/Wilson—Ramlow/Stein Architects, who are serving as project developers, and a team of MSOE faculty and staff throughout the construction. The building is scheduled for completion in time for the 2019–20 academic year. Wentz added, “Coordinating this project along with the Direct Supply project at German-English Academy has proven to be complex, but both teams
have worked well together. It is also nice that the project manager for JP Cullen is an alumnus (Jeff Schwasinger ’09). Having two job sites separated by about 20-30 feet has been an adventure. A lot of planning and coordination has been taking place to make sure neither project is holding up the other one.”
“ It is inspiring to be back on campus as a builder. MSOE provided me with an education that established the foundation of my career.” —Alice Westphal ’01
From left: Brianne Harris, intern, MSOE senior; Thomas Winchell ’15, project engineer; Alice Westphal ’01, superintendent; Laura Rudolph ’09, MEP manager/data center specialist; James Ring ’18, field engineer; Danny O’Brien, project manager. Not pictured: Rob Myers ’98, construction executive; Jessie Schaefer ’14, CM estimator; Mark Schulz ’98, MEP design phase manager
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HIGHLIGHTS MSOE places first at AEI student competition MSOE students were among the winners in the Architectural Engineering Institute (AEI) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) 2018 Student Design Competition. The annual competition challenges universities throughout the U.S. to design a building that integrates and optimizes energy conservation, environment, safety, building security, structural and material durability, accessibility, cost-benefit, productivity, sustainability, functionality and operational considerations. Teams from MSOE, Kansas State, Lawrence Tech, Penn State and the University of Nebraska were invited to present at the finals. MSOE competed in the following events: Building Integration, Construction Management and Development, Electrical Systems Design, Mechanical Systems Design, and Structural Systems Design. They took first place in Electrical Systems Design. Dr. Christopher Raebel ’94, associate professor and architectural engineering program director, is the team’s advisor.
Supermileage team goes the distance MSOE’s Supermileage Vehicle team, “Team Carbonair,” took its electric and gasoline-powered vehicles on the road this spring and celebrated some major achievements. They ranked among the top five at the 39th annual Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Supermileage Vehicle competition. The team also set a new fuel economy record of 1,112 mpg for MSOE with its gasoline-powered vehicle and placed fourth out of 21 in the contest, which took place at the Eaton Vehicle Group Proving Grounds in Marshall, Michigan. The team is advised by Dr. Christopher Damm, professor and director of the mechanical engineering program.
NFPA Vehicle Challenge team takes third place The MSOE National Fluid Power Association Vehicle Challenge team was named third place overall and received a number of other honors at the NFPA Fluid Power Challenge in Ames, Iowa. Students were tasked with using hydraulics on a human powered-bicycle, instead of chains, to transfer the energy from pedaling into forward motion. Vehicles were judged for their design concept, reliability, safety, durability, craftsmanship and robustness. Students participated in a sprint race, an efficiency challenge and one-mile endurance challenge—in which MSOE took first. The team was voted best vehicle design and won the best presentation award. Team members are Juan Casiano, Chris Gloeckle, Nick Herche, Rob Lancaster, Paul Stran and Paul Weibel. Dr. Luis A. Rodriguez, an assistant professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department, serves as faculty advisor.
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Students bring home national business awards Thirteen MSOE students placed in the top three of their respective competitions at the 2018 Wisconsin Future Business Leaders of America/Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA/PBL) State Leadership Conference. They came home with 31 awards in 22 categories. The winning students, all members of MSOE’s PBL chapter, went on to compete at the PBL National Leadership Conference in Baltimore and came home with 10 awards. Competitive events included both written examinations and judged demonstrations in business and information technology subjects. Dr. Katrina Moskalik, the group’s leader, was awarded Outstanding Chapter Advisor for the state of Wisconsin for the second year in a row.
WMSE wins WAMI Best Radio Station Award WMSE 91.7FM won the People’s Choice Award from the Wisconsin Area Music Industry (WAMI) for Best Radio Station 2018 in Southeastern Wisconsin.
Seniors win at ASME competitions Two MSOE American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) teams were ranked among the top five in the 2018 ASME Student Design Competition, which challenged students to design and build prototypes of remotely controlled devices to play “soccer” in a modified four-way match. MSOE teams Cicero and Angry Snails earned second and fourth place, respectively, at the regional E-Fest East contest at Penn State. Students on team Cicero included Daniel Brandner, Caleb Klaty, Seth LiaBraaten and Rahul Maramreddy. Students on team Angry Snails were Amith Baskaran, Andrew Gray, Aaron Kieckbusch, John Sager and Kevin Sivak. Charlotte Kroc, mechanical engineering senior, participated in the ASME Old Guard Oral Presentation Competition and was awarded second place for her presentation entitled “Improved Assistive Lifting Device.” Dr. Mohammad Mahinfalah, a professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department, is ASME’s faculty advisor.
ASME honors MSOE senior for leadership Joe Pechstein, mechanical engineering, will receive the second place Charles T. Main Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) in recognition of his leadership, service qualities and contributions to the programs and operations of MSOE’s student chapter and other related activities. The silver medal and cash prize will be awarded during the national ASME conference in Pittsburgh in November.
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HIGHLIGHTS MSOE 2018 Student Leadership Awards Congratulations to the nearly 100 students who were nominated for leadership awards this year, and the winners. Academic Awards Nursing Leadership Award: Hannah Schlagel Vincent Canino Outstanding Biomedical Engineering Senior: Matt Hannula
Outstanding Student Award Matthew Hughes was chosen as the 2018 recipient of the Fred F. Loock Outstanding Student Award. This award is presented annually to the MSOE senior student, who, in the opinion of the faculty, most notably combines an excellent academic record and has at the same time demonstrated leadership and professional bearing in extracurricular or community service activities. It is the most prestigious student testimonial that MSOE bestows.
High Honor Awards Student Employee of the Year: Andrew Makurat Female Senior Scholar Athlete: Jessica Bilskie, track & field Male Senior Scholar Athlete: Jimmy Carrington, baseball Female Senior Athlete of the Year: Carly Grant, tennis Male Senior Athlete of the Year: Braden Andryk, soccer Daniel E. Sahs Memorial Award for Service: KaytLynn Riel Thomas W. Davis Student Leadership: Matthew Hughes University Innovation Fellows Pinning Nicholas Hennigan, Tara Rahmani, Sabrina Stangler, Michaela Thiry Athletic Awards Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) for Team Academics (Male): Men’s Basketball Team Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) for Team Academics (Female): Women’s Volleyball Team Non-Academic Awards Greek of the Year: Hallie Flanders Resident Assistant Programming: David Koper Faculty and Staff Awards Greek Advocate of the Year: Robert Denzin (posthumously), shuttle driver, Public Safety Department Coaches Award of Appreciation: Davinci Wallace, assistant director of traditional admissions, Enrollment Management Department Student Advocate: De’Jorra Gilmore, laboratory technician, Physics and Chemistry Department Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC) Faculty Appreciation Award: Dr. Michael Payne, associate professor, Rader School of Business
Matthew Hughes ’18 with President Walz
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Emily Vogel and Dr. David Howell
Students and faculty make headlines • MSOE was listed among the 10 Best Colleges for Producing Engineers in Industry Week. • Five actuarial science students have passed the FM Exam, the second in a series of exams as part of the actuarial credentialing process. • Dr. Wujie Zhang, assistant professor in the Physics and Chemistry Department, was named to the American Society for Engineering Educators’ “20 Under 40” list of high-achieving researchers and educators with a demonstrated talent for instruction who conduct research with real-world implications. • Dr. David Howell, professor in the Humanities, Social Science and Communication Department, received MSOE’s Oscar Werwath Distinguished Teacher Award. • Emily Vogel, assistant to the chair in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department, received MSOE’s Johanna Seelhorst Werwath Distinguished Staff Award. • Saj Thachenkary, vice president of marketing and community engagement, was named one of the Milwaukee Business Journal’s Chief Marketing Officers of the Year.
Tackling the Tough Issues Josh Hummel gazes vacantly from a reclined hospital bed where he clutches a splinted left arm to his stomach. The senior mechanical engineering major is very still, and mostly silent except for an occasional groan. His left cheek and the skin around his eye appear bruised—smeared in hues of purple and red. But don’t worry, it washes off. An actor and MSOE Theatre Troupe president, Hummel goes all out for the role of Robert Mose, a 38-year-old ER patient. But unlike traditional performances, his stage is a simulation room and his audience a classroom of MSOE nursing students. “It’s the first formal simulation the nursing students experience in their curriculum,” said Dr. Sheila Adams-Leander, associate professor in the School of Nursing. “Seeing a real person in the bed can be startling for them.” Hummel is up to the challenge. In fact, this is the second time he’s been a “patient” in MSOE’s Ruehlow Nursing Complex. “It’s different because it’s a lot of improv,” he said. Instead of a script Hummel
works from a character sketch with cues. Instead of lines he has symptoms—pain in his left arm and wrist, a headache, and abdominal pain rating 8 out of 10. “Having a person in the bed forces you to take the situation more seriously and learn how to handle it professionally,” said sophomore Meaghan Ochandategui. The Robert Mose simulation is also an opportunity to educate students about domestic violence. “My character was pushed down the stairs by his significant other,” Hummel said.
“Domestic violence is often not reported to police, which is one reason why health care professionals should be aware of injuries possibly resulting
Simulations are a critical component of the nursing program, enabling students to communicate with patients, respond to patient needs, and witness the consequences of their decision-making. Both live actors and high-fidelity manikins are used in these simulations.
from domestic abuse,” AdamsLeander said. “Unfortunately, we as health care workers will run into this situation and need to be prepared,” Ochandategui said. “As students, (during the simulation) we became flustered and nervous and forgot to ask the patient vital questions because we are still learning how to handle this topic. Our growth as nurses depends on simulations like this one.” The collaboration between the School of Nursing and the MSOE Theatre Troupe started three years ago—and is one Adams-Leander would like to see continue. “We have used other nursing faculty to perform in the part of a parent of a sick or injured child, or grandparent, in the past,” she said. “We would love to have actors perform in those roles.” The School of Nursing also frequently partners with the Medical College of Wisconsin to give nursing and medical students experience working together.
.msoe Read more at
msoe.edu/dimensions.
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FACULTY FEATURE
Dr. Ruth Barratt In the lower level of Rosenberg Hall is a cluster of tables and a sofa, a small refrigerator and microwave, coffee and some snacks. A “hospitality area.” It’s a space where students enrolled in the MBA in Education Leadership program gather to study, have a little small talk, or just relax before class. Creating spaces like this is a simple way to improve the student experience at MSOE, which is a priority
Best band for shower-singing: Oasis Favorite movie: “Forest Gump” or “Elf” Last book she read: “The Paris Wife” Travel tips: Go to Maui for the beach, Florence for the food, and San Diego for anything else. In the summer you can find her: On the water canoeing and kayaking. Best part about education: When students have an “a-ha” moment. Something she’d like to do more often: Go horseback riding.
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for Dr. Ruth Barratt as she steps into her new role as chair of the Rader School of Business. She is the first woman to hold this post in the history of the MSOE business program. “I think we are ready for a change,” Barratt said. “It will be a process, but I think we are at a point where it’s time to take the next steps.” Since 2015 Barratt served as director for the MBA in Education Leadership—a program within the Rader School of Business that combines business and education course work to better prepare up-and-coming school leaders for the challenges of leading an academic system. Under Barratt’s leadership, the MBA in Education Leadership evolved from a fellowship- to tuition-based program. Enrollment has increased from 14 to 70 students since the program was launched and it’s now fully licensed as a college of education within the Rader School of Business. “We’ve really moved the goalposts,” Barratt said. Originally from England, Barratt came to Wisconsin by way of Arizona where she spent a little more than seven years as an assistant professor in the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University. She was a key player in
the development of ASU’s online MBA program, which achieved a number one ranking in the United States. Prior to coming to MSOE, Barratt held faculty positions at Cardinal Stritch University, Marquette University and Arizona State University. Her passion, and area of academic expertise, is in corporate responsibility and business ethics. Barratt holds bachelor’s degrees in finance from University of Greenwich, London, UK, and business, from De Montfort University, Milton Keynes, UK. She earned her Ph.D. in ethics, corporate governance and organizational behavior from the Cranfield School of Management, Cranfield University, UK, and completed a post-doctoral fellow at the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Arizona. Barratt began her new role as the chair of the Rader School of Business on July 1. In this capacity Barratt hopes to apply on a broader scale the values of character development, corporate responsibility and ethics that are the hallmark of the MBA in Education leadership. “I want students to feel that the Rader School of Business is a premium product.” Barratt lives in Cedarburg, Wisconsin with her husband and two daughters.
MSOE Means Business
Business school evolves to meet student needs On a late summer afternoon, Rader School of Business instructor Gene Wright ’79, ’87 is in his office in Rosenberg Hall preparing for an evening class. “Did you know—before MSOE owned this building—it was a school of mortuary science?” he tells a colleague who stops to chat. An alumnus and faculty member of 26 years, Wright has been known to keep a story or two in his back pocket. The story getting the most buzz, however, is the promotion of Dr. Ruth Barratt as business school chair. “I think she is going to do great,” said Wright, who served on the candidate interview panel. “She’s got a great background and brings a global perspective. She can do a lot to elevate the school.” The earliest manifestation of the business program was about 60 years ago as supervisory training classes. The first bachelor’s degree was granted in the 1960s. Today the school offers a Bachelor of Business Administration and 11 graduate degrees. “What makes us different is the context in which we offer these programs,” Wright said. “Students who have a technical, entrepreneurial mindset thrive here–and the industrial world loves our graduates.” MSOE received a $6 million donation from the Lynde and Harry Bradley
Foundation in 1999 to provide scholarship support to business students. Shortly thereafter, the Rader School of Business was established in honor of Dr. I. Andrew “Tiny”
“ Students who have a technical, entrepreneurial mindset thrive here—and the industrial world loves our graduates.” —Gene Wright ’79, ’87 Rader, former CEO of Allen-Bradley Co. and MSOE Regent Emeritus. A donation from Dr. Kenneth Rosenberg ’50 and his wife, Doris, enabled MSOE to purchase the threestory building on Milwaukee Street that is now home to the business school. The school’s evolution will continue with MSOE’s Dwight and Dian Diercks Computational Science Hall and the advanced technology it brings. “I’m excited to see where the artificial intelligence technology is going to take us and the ways we can tie the work we are doing into the competitive advantage we have in the engineering space,” Barratt said. Helping to raise the business school’s profile is MSOE’s collegiate chapter of Phi
Beta Lambda, a business organization that in recent years has sent several dozen students to the national competition. “In 2016-17 we had a large enrollment push through our student leadership and jumped to 20+ students. We earned first place in Atlanta and a handful of other trophies,” said Dr. Katrina Moskalik, twotime Outstanding Chapter Advisor for Wisconsin. “In the 2017-18 year we had strong leadership again and got even more non-business majors involved.” Engineers are the focus of many of the business school’s graduate level offerings. “We want to help people into the second level of their careers,” Barratt said. “After you’ve been in engineering for five or 10 years you’re going to be ready to move into the C-Suite.” Enhancing the undergraduate program is another goal of Barratt’s. According to Aleah Quast ’18 BBA, an operations specialist for iSEE Store Innovations, the program already has a strong foundation to build from thanks to its high-quality faculty. “The professors of the Rader School of Business were instrumental in preparing me for a happy and successful career in business,” she said.
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Rites of Passage Commencement is a momentous occasion for MSOE students. Along with this accomplishment comes the pride of taking an oath to serve their profession. For nursing students, receiving their pin is a rite of passage. Nursing pinning can be traced to London’s Nightingale School of Nursing at St. Thomas Hospital in the 1860s. After serving the injured and dying during the Crimean War, Florence Nightingale was awarded The Red Cross of St. George. She extended the honor to her outstanding nursing graduates by presenting them with medals of excellence. Bellevue Hospital School of Nursing in New York City initiated the award of a nursing pin to its graduates in 1880. By 1916, the practice of the pinning ceremony was widespread throughout the United Kingdom and North America.
The MSOE School of Nursing continues this time-honored tradition the evening prior to each Commencement when nursing graduates pledge to fulfill their duties with honor and care and receive their pin, which is affixed to their lapel by a loved one. A longstanding ritual for engineering graduates is the Order of the Engineer induction. The ceremony returned to MSOE this year after a hiatus, when nearly 100 faculty and engineering students accepted the Obligation of the Engineer. They pledged to uphold the standards and dignity of the engineering profession and to serve humanity by making the best use of Earth’s precious wealth. The Order of the Engineer fosters a spirit of pride and responsibility in the engineering profession, bridges the gap between training and
MSOE President John Walz, Ph.D. accepted the Obligation of the Engineer.
Soon-to-be nursing alumnae recite the Nursing Pledge.
George Ademi receives his nursing pin from his mother, Maria Ademi.
experience, and presents to the public a visible symbol identifying the engineer. The first ceremony was held in 1970 at Cleveland State University. Since then, similar ceremonies have been held across the United
Bailey Walsh, mechanical engineering
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MSOE School of Nursing Spring Class of 2018
States at which graduate and registered engineers are invited to accept the Obligation of the Engineer and wear a stainless steel ring on the fifth finger of their working hand.
Spring Commencement 2018 “ We are not leaving MSOE with just a degree. We are leaving with lifelong connections,” said Matt Hughes, the
class respondent at Spring Commencement in May, where nearly 500 students graduated from MSOE. He, along with Honorary Doctor of Engineering degree recipient Dr. Jackie Herd-Barber ’84, shared some words of wisdom and encouragement with the new alumni (see page 1). “I leave you with one last assignment: I challenge you to form a connection with a fellow human being. Stand up straight and start a conversation. But don’t stop there. Drive innovation,” said Hughes. “At MSOE, we didn’t take the easy path, we took the right one.”
Bradley Schonder
Drs. John Walz, Jackie Herd-Barber ’84, Michael Barber ’82
Adriana Garsow
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breathing EASY (Above) Melina Lynn traveled to Tanzania as a sophomore where she saw firsthand the challenges of maintaining medical oxygen concentrators in third world countries. (Opposite) Lynn (far right), Fatima AlFaraj (far left) and Matthew Hannula made improving the device the focus of their senior project.
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Senior project aims to improve medical oxygen device When biomedical engineering student Melina Lynn traveled to a Tanzanian hospital with Engineering World Health as a sophomore, she was greeted by a pile of wheelchairs, beds with missing wheels, broken blood pressure cuffs and other medical equipment in various states of disrepair. One piece of critical equipment in the heap was an oxygen concentrator. Access to a reliable oxygen supply can mean the difference between life and death in a medical crisis. In developing countries, hospitals rely on oxygen concentrators—portable electrically powered medical devices—to produce oxygen by absorbing nitrogen from the air. Although the technology is promising, there are challenges to proper use and maintenance in developing countries. Lynn and fellow biomedical engineering majors Matthew Hannula and Fatima AlFaraj wanted to tackle some of these challenges
in their senior project. Hannula, like Lynn, repaired medical equipment in developing countries when as a sophomore he traveled with Worldwide Biomedical Charitable Services (WBCS) to the Dominican Republic and Haiti. “The World Health Organization estimates that there are over 10,000 different types of devices in circulation, and you never know what you will find in a given facility,” Hannula said. “This depends on the country in which you are working and where they are sourcing their resources—this comes back to the fact that in many developing world facilities, as much as 80 percent of the medical equipment is donated.” Oxygen concentrators are designed for continuous operation and can produce oxygen 24 hours per day, seven days per week, for up to five years or more—in ideal conditions. When they are run in hot, humid environments, excess moisture shortens their life expectancy. A dependable power supply is also a challenge. Voltage fluctuations and outages resulting from an unreliable power grid, a common situation in developing countries, can ruin devices or render them inoperable. Another issue is the alert system on the device, which can confuse its operators. “Staff have thought the alarm was broken when in reality the device was not outputting a proper concentration of oxygen and was setting off a warning,” Lynn said. With these challenges in mind, the team focused on improving three subsystems of an existing oxygen concentrator. First, they wanted to protect the zeolite beds, which concentrate oxygen by removing humidity from incoming air, from moisture. Students employed a desiccant (Drierite) contained in a borosilicate glass housing to capture the water. They then wrapped the housing with 600W heat tape and insulation, allowing for the desiccant to be heated and water regenerated. To address the power supply concerns, students implemented an uninterruptable power supply (UPS), which provides battery backup during a power outage and adjusts voltage when it fluctuates. Finally, the team improved the user interface with language-neutral graphics informed by sensors through two microcontrollers. For example, a humidity sensor would feed data to the first microcontroller, while the second would display the data to the user via a coordinated graphic. “At the end, we have created all three systems and they work on a very basic level,” Lynn said. “With more resources and time, I think testing them more rigorously would be very useful to see if they are as durable as we hope they are.”
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THE SENIOR PROJECT TRADITION Throughout their senior year, students collaborate on a final project related to their degree program. The medical oxygen concentrator was just one of more than 90 projects that were displayed during MSOE’s annual Senior Project Showcase—a longstanding tradition. It’s a culmination. It’s a celebration. It’s an opportunity for friends and family, faculty and staff, and community partners and corporate sponsors, to bear witness to the bodies of work that define the graduating class. Find more photos and event coverage at msoe.edu/dimensions.
(Left top) Team Rockbottom designed a cost-effective and efficient custom battery emulator to test battery-operated devices and demonstrate how the device would work under different states of charge. Left to right: Laryn Brinkman, Nick Kandarapally, Jacob Hodel, Carley Mitus; (left bottom) Nursing student Heather Hansen explained her team’s senior project which focused on educating intensive care unit nurses on best practices regarding the presence of a patient’s family during resuscitation.
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(Right top) Kevin Sivak and his team of fellow mechanical engineering majors took their soccer-playing robots, the MSOE Angry Snails, to the ASME Student Design competition and placed fourth; (right bottom) A future MSOE Raider checks out the Automated Lithium-ion Battery Cell Test Fixture that a team of electrical engineering seniors designed for Milwaukee Tool.
Different Roads To Success
Students with different backgrounds keep their eyes on the prize
Jessica Bilskie
A 4.00 GPA. It’s a coveted accomplishment at MSOE. Few students have achieved this mark, and it’s a badge of honor that two seniors earned this spring when they graduated. Jessica Bilskie and Eric Follett, both electrical engineering majors, took very different paths to perfection. Bilskie is a decorated student-athlete who was heavily involved with the track team, Society of Women Engineers, a resident assistant, and other groups. She credits hard work and ice cream for her success. “Some of my friends would probably say ice cream is what makes me ‘tick.’ I’ve made the argument plenty of times that any track record I broke was because I ate what made me happy. I’ve always been competitive and somewhat stubborn, which helps me achieve goals that I set.” She interned at Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and helped develop tests for military radios. “Rockwell gave us the opportunity to hear from a U.S. soldier who
had used Rockwell radios during his service. It was such an impactful internship because my twin brother recently commissioned into the Army.” After graduation, Bilskie spent the summer interning at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory in Boston and will pursue a Ph.D. at Duke University. “I’m a true believer if something is important to you, you make time for it.” Follett’s path to a 4.00 GPA at MSOE wasn’t as direct as Bilskie’s. MSOE was not the first stop in his academic career. Follett holds a B.A. in Economics and a minor in biology from Lawrence University. He worked as a project manager at a local equipment rental company for a few years but had a desire to explore electrical engineering. “I began taking courses at Milwaukee Area Technical College. I graduated with an associate degree and continued to MSOE. I knew there would be struggles with work, life and school balance, but the end goal kept me motivated.”
Eric Follett
“One of my favorite experiences was in the Embedded Systems course where the final lab involved a race to see whose robot could complete the course the fastest. I tried to re-write the code and ended up ‘letting the smoke out’ (breaking) one of the motor drivers and couldn’t compete. But I learned why and how the components failed and how to avoid it next time.” Follett interned at Rockwell Automation in Milwaukee. “I was able to interact with engineers in all areas of the company. I was fortunate enough to have the internship extended to a part-time position during the school year.” Ultimately, Follett accepted an offer as a full-time associate engineer in the company’s firmware test group. “Every course at MSOE helped prepare me for this role. Returning to school and receiving a BSEE from MSOE was the best decision I’ve made in my life.”
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AT THE GROHMANN David Plowden’s Portraits of Work Sept. 7–Dec. 30, 2018 Gallery Night Friday, Oct. 19, 5 to 9 p.m. Gallery Talk with the artist at 7 p.m. David Plowden has spent his career capturing scenes of industry and amassing an unparalleled catalogue of images of work. Over the last 10 years, the Grohmann Museum has hosted exhibitions of his railroad, bridge architecture and steel photographs. His work is the subject of over two dozen books of industrial photography, from majestic lake boats to small town feed mills. However, no single book or exhibition has focused exclusively on his portraits of workers, until now. In close collaboration with the artist, the finest examples of these portraits have been selected for this special display of work. This exhibition features dozens of portraits of workers at their vocation. Included are subjects from a number of occupations, including farmers, mechanics, engineers, salespeople, shopkeepers and ship captains, to name a few. Visually appealing and psychologically engaging, patrons are sure to reflect on their own pursuits and those of their friends, family and neighbors while viewing David Plowden’s Portraits of Work.
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Agent, Baltimore & Ohio RR, Harper’s Ferry, WV 1961
Lost Arts: A Celebration of Our Working Past Saturday, Sept. 29, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Grohmann Museum hosts its ninth annual festival celebrating the activities and ways of work captured in the paintings and bronzes in the museum’s permanent collection. Blacksmiths, shoe carvers, spinners, lace makers, sculptors, master painters, a luthier and glass founder all share their expertise and demonstrate their techniques as the Grohmann Museum becomes a laboratory for the creation of lost arts. The museum’s docents will provide hands-on demonstrations and further insight into the collection.
A Raider Reveal
New logo reflects spirit of student-athletes The MSOE Athletics Department unveiled a new athletics logo this spring that features crossed swords behind a stylized “RAIDERS.” The aggressive design highlights the qualities of an MSOE studentathlete: fierce, competitive, disciplined, integrity. The swords represent the two areas that the Raiders display these qualities as a student in the classroom and as an athlete on the field. It also signifies a more unified look for the varsity athletic teams going forward. “Our teams and programs have come so far and we thought now was the time for a dedicated athletics logo to represent them,” said MSOE Director of Athletics Brian Miller. “We see this new direction as a product of the hard work and dedication of our former studentathletes and a commitment to continue moving forward for all current and future Raiders.” Roscoe Raider will remain as the university mascot and be used by Student Life and the emerging club sports programs. Be among the first fans to get updated Raider gear. Visit the MSOE Bookstore for new merchandise.
Let's Play Ball! MSOE is finalizing an agreement to construct a baseball stadium in Glendale, Wisconsin, at Maslowski Park, which is about eight
miles north of campus. The new stadium, funded by a gift from Dr. Kathy Ruehlow ’72, MSOE Regent, will be home to MSOE’s baseball team and the Nicolet High School boys baseball team. Dr. Alan Ruud ’69, MSOE Regent, and Catalyst Construction are also supporting this project. In addition, the partnership allows MSOE students access to the swimming pool and tennis courts at Nicolet. Construction will begin soon! Look for more information in future issues of Dimensions.
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RAIDERS' WRAP-UP
Jessica Bilskie
Three Raiders named academic all-Americans Seniors Jessica Bilskie of women’s track & field and baseball’s Jimmy Carrington were repeat selections to their respective Google Cloud CoSIDA Academic All-America Teams while Carly Grant yielded the women’s tennis program’s first selection. All three graduated in May. Bilskie was named to the cross country/ track & field first team after a third-team nod last season. She majored in electrical
engineering and earned a 4.00 GPA. She also had an outstanding season on the track, winning the 60m hurdles at the NACC Championships and breaking four school records during the year. Carrington was chosen for the second team this season as a senior and was a third team honoree as a junior. He was named all-region for the second time and earned a 3.97 GPA as a biomedical engineering major. Grant was chosen to the at-large third team, which honors student-athletes from tennis, hockey, rowing, swimming &
diving, and lacrosse among other sports. A biomolecular engineering major, she earned a 3.97 GPA while putting the finishing touches on an outstanding career. She was named all-conference for singles for the third time and doubles for the second. She also broke school records for career singles wins, doubles wins, and wins by a doubles pairing. MSOE finished the 2017-18 academic year with five Academic All-America honorees, including senior Braden Andryk of men’s soccer and junior Jason Palesse of men’s basketball.
Lacrosse posts banner season The lacrosse team had its first winning season in 2018 and crushed the school record for wins, going 12-4 on the year. They set nearly every program record on offense and defense. A program-best four players were named all-conference, led by senior Clay Gustafson (31 goals, 40 assists, 71 points) who set school records for
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assists and points in a season while breaking nearly every scoring mark. Gustafson was joined on the second team by repeat honoree Oliver Winsor and James Shipp, seniors; and sophomore Jacob Killian. Shipp and Killian anchored the defense, which broke the school record for goals against average by two full goals.
Clay Gustafson
Kotarak, rowing return to national championships Junior Jerica Kotarak made her sixthstraight trip to the NCAA Track & Field Championships and the rowing team sent a boat to the IRA Championships for the sixth time in seven seasons. Kotarak was competing at nationals for the sixth time in three years, spanning 10 events. She jumped in both the long and triple jump competitions, taking 12th in the former with a leap of 18-4 1/2 and 19th in the latter with 37-8 1/2. The Varsity 4 boat made its fourth appearance at the IRAs. The Raiders took fourth in each of their heats, qualifying for the 4th Final. The crew looked to be the prohibitive favorite in the final heat but inclement weather forced the cancelation of the majority of the finals.
Baseball has three all-region honorees
Jerica Kotarak
The baseball team won a school record 25 games and advanced to the NACC Tournament this season. Senior Ryan Newman (.350, 3 HR, 35 RBI) was named to the D3baseball.com All-Region First Team, freshman Julian Sonn (.339, 3, 42) was named to the ABCA All-Region Second Team, and senior Jimmy Carrington (.307, 5, 40) was named to the ABCA’s third team, his second-straight season with a regional selection. On the conference front, Caleb Willert (6-2, 2 SV, 2.34 ERA) gave the program its second-straight NACC Freshman of the Year and was named to the All-NACC First Team.
Jimmy Carrington
Softball qualifies for NACC Tournament
Longtime hockey coach Ostapina retires Head Coach Mark Ostapina retired in May after 17 seasons coaching the MSOE hockey team and 23 years as a collegiate head coach. Ostapina led the Raiders to a 250-192-23 (.592) record over his time at MSOE, becoming the university’s winningest coach of any sport. He led his teams to four conference titles (including three Harris Cup Championships), three 20-win seasons, and the 2012 NCAA Tournament. His teams have posted a combined 189-112-17 (.621) record in NCHA games over his career. Ostapina has coached four All-Americans, two CoSIDA Academic AllAmericans, five NCHA Players of the Year, and 29 All-NCHA players at MSOE.
The softball team had 25 wins this season and qualified for the NACC Tournament for the second-straight time. Junior Emily Snow (.458, 20-2B, 36 RBI) was named to the All-NACC First Team for the third-straight season and was an NFCA All-Region First-Team pick at catcher. Junior Rachel Ziemba (.410, 21 SB, 39 R), sophomore Amanda Manssen (.364, 13-2B, 32 RBI), and freshman Lorrin Pondo (12-11, 2 SV, 2.18 ERA) were each named to the All-NACC Second Team.
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ALUMNI ON THE MOVE
Wisconsin chapter alumni got a true behindthe-scenes tour of the inner workings of Lambeau Field, home of the Green Bay Packers. Arranged by Stephanie Zeiler ’91 and led by Lambeau Field HVAC Manager Justin Dantzman, they got an up-close look at the HVAC systems and learned about the different climate control features both on and off the field. The highlight of the tour was seeing the new field in its final phase of construction where a large stitching machine was sewing artificial turf into the entire real grass surface at an interval of every two millimeters. That is a lot of stitching!
New Assignments
1980s Scott Braun ’88 EE, director of engineering, Global Finishing Solutions, Osseo, Wis.
1990s Roger Lackore ’96 MSEM, director of product development—REV Fire Group, REV Group Inc., Milwaukee
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Benjamin Gover ’97 ME, ’02 MSEM, vice president of project management, Glenn Rieder Inc., Milwaukee Kimberly Underhill ’98 ME, group president, Kimberly-Clark North America, Atlanta
2000s Timothy Verheyen ’00 AE/CM, vice president—construction technical services, Hunzinger Construction, Milwaukee Michael McTavish ’04 AE, P.E. associate, Dewberry, Fairfax, Va.
2010s Adam Roder ’10 AE, structural engineer, MSI General Corporation, Oconomowoc, Wis. Brian Schumacher ’11 EE, senior embedded software engineer II, Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz. Kyle Pace ’12 ME, senior mechanical engineer, Leonardo/ DRS Technologies, Milwaukee Chelsea Becker ’15 NU, ’18 MSP, perfusionist, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee Bryce Barnard ’17 CM, field engineer, Mortenson Construction, Minneapolis Arkin Bhatnagar ’17 EE, manufacture technician II, GE Healthcare, Milwaukee Brandon Blanke ’17 MSEM, project engineer, Emerson, West Allis, Wis.
Jacob Frey ’17 AE/MSST, project engineer, Symbiont, Milwaukee Marisa Gerstbrein ’17 NU, registered nurse, Aurora Health Care, Milwaukee TreJon House ’17 SE, software engineer, IFS North America, Itasca, Ill. Lauren Itzin ’17 CV/MSCV, design engineer, Ambrose Engineering Inc., Cedarburg, Wis. Silas Kuchta ’17 EE, commissioning engineer, Dynamic Ratings Inc., Sussex, Wis. Austin Lengvenis ’17 EE, application engineer, Yaskawa America Inc., Waukegan, Ill. Michael LeRoy ’17 MIS, business analyst, Cleo, Rockford, Ill.
Gregory Borsari ’17 AS, SQL data analyst, Delta Defense LLC, West Bend, Wis.
Casey Mickschl ’17 EE, alternator engineer, Generac Power Systems, Waukesha, Wis.
Roselyn Carrion ’17 ME, engineering professional development program, Abbott Labs, Lake Bluff, Ill.
Hali Peterson ’17 NU, registered nurse, Milwaukee Center for Independence, Milwaukee
Brett Casper ’17 AE, process engineer, Presidio Systems Inc., Livermore, Calif.
Matthew Sutter ’17 EE, cyber hardware engineer, Battelle, Columbus, Ohio
Jiaping Chen ’17 NU, registered nurse, Aurora Health Care, Milwaukee
Kathryn Tice ’17 NU, registered nurse, Aurora Health Care, Milwaukee
Arthur Chlad ’17 EE, electrical engineer, Magnetek, Menomonee Falls, Wis.
Daniel Tomcheck ’17 EE, hardware engineer, Accutech Healthcare Security Solutions, Franklin, Wis. Alwin Abraham ’18 CE, software engineer, Alight Solutions, Lincolnshire, Ill. George Ademi ’18 NU, registered nurse– ICU, Aurora Health Care, Milwaukee Allison Ahern ’18 EE, controls engineer, Johnson Controls Inc., Milwaukee Pamela Antar ’18 CE, software engineer, Rockwell Collins, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Ian Arndt ’18 BIOE, biological process engineer, Aquarius Technologies LLC, Saukville, Wis. Joseph Bartlett ’18 SE, software engineer, Quad/Graphics, Milwaukee Amith Baskaran ’18 ME, design engineer, Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp., Brookfield, Wis. Nicole Bauman ’18 EE, sales engineer, Generac Power Systems, Waukesha, Wis. Martina Bilandzija ’18 IE, operations management trainee, Palermo’s, Milwaukee Jacob Binash ’18 ME, assistant project manager, Total Mechanical, Pewaukee, Wis. Abigail Born ’18 ME, mechanical engineer I, Provisur Technologies, Whitewater, Wis.
Three mechanical engineering alumni from the class of 1970 and their wives had a mini-reunion on June 7 with a campus tour and dinner in Milwaukee. From to left to right, Paul and Char Goebel, Alan and Chris Schneider, and John and Sandy Anspach.
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ALUMNI ON THE MOVE Nicholas Bouska ’18 CE, software engineer, Esterline Corp., Platteville, Wis.
Brittany Campbell ’18 ME, test engineer, Cummins Inc., Columbus, Ind.
Drew Brawner ’18 BE, technical services, Epic Systems, Verona, Wis.
Jacob Carney ’18 EE, system engineer, Northrup Grumman, Rolling Meadows, Ill.
Laryn Brinkman ’18 EE, commissioning engineer, Dynamic Ratings Inc., Sussex, Wis.
James Carrington ’18 BE, technical problem solver, Epic Systems Corp., Verona, Wis.
Jason Burant ’18 ME, advanced manufacturing engineer, HUSCO International, Waukesha, Wis.
Sean Casey ’18 CV/MSCV/MBA, structural design engineer, Kiewit Power Constructors, Denver
Owen Burnikel ’18 AE, electrical engineer, Faith Technologies, Pewaukee, Wis.
Darrin Cernohous ’18 BM, business systems analyst, FIS, Milwaukee
Rachel Fleisner ’18 BIOE, microbiologist specialist, Masterson Company, Milwaukee
Brandon Byal ’18 ME, associate test engineer, Continental Automotive, Auburn Hills, Mich.
Dylen Challe ’18 CV/MSCV, structural engineer, McMahon Associates Inc., Neenah, Wis.
Eric Follett ’18 EE, associate engineer—firmware testing, Rockwell Automation, Milwaukee
Spencer Bylsma ’18 BM, project manager, J.F. Ahern, Milwaukee
Vikrant Choudhary ’18 IE, business development manager, Ideal Package Inc., Ambala, India
Shannon Fox ’18 BE, manufacturing engineer, Brunk Industries Inc., Lake Geneva, Wis.
Claire Ciszewski ’18 NU, registered nurse, Aurora Health Care, Milwaukee
Megan Fugitt ’18 AE, plumbing engineer, Berg Engineering Consultants Ltd., Schaumberg, Ill.
Austin Calderone ’18 ME, process engineer, Northrup Grumman, Rolling Meadows, Ill.
Benjamin Clarke ’18 EE, field service engineer, Enercon Industries, Menomonee Falls, Wis. Allison Clemens ’18 SE, sales force developer, Penrod Software LLC, Milwaukee Kristina Cordes ’18 MSP, cardiovascular perfusionist, Haemokinetics, Chino Hills, Calif. Michael Cordes ’18 ME, associate powertrain engineer, Polaris Industries, Wyoming, Minn. Tyler Dehn ’18 ME, systems engineer, Siemens Corp., Mount Prospect, Ill. Holly Denfeld ’18 AE/CM, project manager, Miron Construction, Wausau, Wis. MSOE Corporation member Dick Ruth ’81, ’85, P.E. and his wife Anne brought their grandson Jack to Summerfest, all sporting their MSOE spirit wear in honor of “Show Your College Pride Day” at the festival on Milwaukee’s lakefront.
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Guinevere Dickinson ’18 IE, quality assurance, Epic Systems Corp., Verona, Wis. Mark Dunston ’18 BIOE, membrane specialist, Hydrite Chemical Co., Brookfield, Wis.
Austin Edwards ’18 ME, HVAC inside sales, The Glacier Group LLC, Madison, Wis. Catherine Faulkner ’18 CM, program development intern, Walt Disney Co., Orlando Matthew Fiddes ’18 ME, mechanical engineer, Metal Forms Corp., Milwaukee Jessica Flack ’18 IE, quality engineer, Briggs & Stratton, Milwaukee
Christina Gabriel ’18 ME, application engineer, Thermal Care, Niles, Ill. Daniel Gardner ’18 ME, mechanical engineer, Dematic Corp., New Berlin, Wis. Nicholas Gaydeski ’18 EE, embedded developer, J.W. Speaker Corp., Germantown, Wis. Kiean Gill ’18 EE, systems engineer, Rockwell Collins, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Katelyn Goss ’18 NU, registered nurse, Froedtert Health, Menomonee Falls, Wis. Andrew Gray ’18 ME, mechanical/ automation engineer, Midwest Engineered Systems, Pewaukee, Wis. Daniel Grosskreuz ’18 ME, mechanical engineer, Elwood Corp., Oak Creek, Wis. Kelsey Hailey ’18 AE, HVAC engineer, Ring & DuChateau, Brookfield, Wis. Lina Hamilton ’18 ME, hoist engineer, Siemag Tecberg, Milwaukee
2018 President’s Golf Outing Thank you to all of our alumni and friends who supported MSOE student scholarships by participating in the 36th annual President’s Golf Outing. More than $120,000 was raised at the event, which was held at the Oconomowoc Golf Club June 11, 2018.
Left to right: Cindy Crawford, Dr. John Walz, Keith Crawford ’82, Valerie Jaske
Susan Jaske ’86, ’97, MSOE Corporation member
Matthew Hannula ’18 BE, engineering project leader, GE Healthcare, Waukesha, Wis. Heather Hansen ’18 NU, registered nurse, Aurora Health Care, Milwaukee James Harrold ’18 CE, support engineer, JDA Software, Waukesha, Wis. Anthony Henderson ’18 SE, software developer, Coinigy, Milwaukee Brandon Herman ’18 SE, software engineer, Avant Inc., Chicago Mitchell Hickmann ’18 AE, engineer, Affiliated Engineers Inc., Madison, Wis.
Left to right: Craig Hanson ’11, Leah Hendricks ’17, Ben Patterson ’10, Zac Rockendorf ’07, all from J.F. Ahern
Tylor Hine ’18 NU, registered nurse, Aurora Health Care, Milwaukee Christopher Hinrichs ’18 ME, patent engineer, Michael Best & Friedrich LLP, Milwaukee Jacob Hodel ’18 EE, commissioning engineer, Dynamic Ratings Inc., Sussex, Wis.
Clayton Howell ’18 IE, project engineer, Power Design Inc., St. Petersburg Beach, Fla. Benjamin Jensen ’18 ME, mechanical design engineer, Zenar Corp., Oak Creek, Wis. Brandon Joel ’18 EE, technical problem solver, Epic Systems Corp., Verona, Wis.
Bryant Holland ’18 SE, application development engineer, CBRE ESI, Brookfield, Wis.
Spenser Kamke ’18 AE, project engineer, Grand Kahn Electric, Hoffman Estates, Ill.
Tripp Horbinski ’18 SE, associate engineer, Northwestern Mutual, Milwaukee
Chad Kelsey ’18 NU, staff nurse—ICU, Watertown Regional Medical Center, Watertown, Wis. DIMENSIONS x SUMMER 2018
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ALUMNI ON THE MOVE
Alumnus is no light-weight Spitza designs military cranes
Aaron Kieckbusch ’18 ME, field service engineer, BW-Papersystems, Phillips, Wis. John Kinas ’18 CM, project engineer, JP Cullen, Milwaukee Kendall King ’18 NU, registered nurse, Allina Health, Minneapolis Gary Klas ’18 BIOE, process improvement engineer, Genus PLC, Windsor, Wis. Caleb Klaty ’18 ME, software engineer, Rockwell Collins, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Josh Spitza ’09 knows a thing or two about heavy-lifting. The mechanical engineering alumnus has spent the past two years working on a 900-ton capacity rubber tire gantry crane for the U.S. Military. “It’s diesel-hydraulic and one of the top five largest capacity rubber gantry cranes in the world,” Spitza said. As senior mechanical lead project engineer for Konecranes Nuclear Equipment and Services LLC, based in New Berlin, Wisconsin, Spitza was involved in a variety of projects from small to very large overhead bridge travelling electric cranes, wood yard and shipyard portal cranes, gantry and jib cranes. “My division specialized in critical applications in the nuclear energy industry and other energy industries and Department of Defense contracts,” Spitza said. One of the unique projects Spitza has worked on was a vertical cask transporter. “I’ve also designed cranes for backup generator systems,” he said. “Overhead electric cranes are critical for the diesel engines that are used to power backup pumps and cooling systems. The generator room crane was 25 metric tons.” His most recent project for the U.S. Military has come to an end, with the gantry crane heading to New Mexico. Although building a 900-ton crane might sound like a challenging project, Spitza noted it’s not the only obstacle engineers face. “It’s easy to slip into a pure work mentality—especially if you enjoy what you do. Finding a balance is key to all aspects of health and well-being.” To establish his own work-life balance, Spitza makes it a point to leave work at work and spend ample time with his wife, Danielle (Seefurth) ’08 NU, and their three daughters: Ryann, 9; Cameron, 6, and Avery, 4. “It’s important to leave the stresses of your profession behind when the work day is done,” he said. “I also spend time with family whenever I can, take vacations when it’s nice outside, and maximize time off by using vacation days to make long weekends. Lastly, you can’t forget about having fun at work and at home. You can’t take life too seriously.”
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Aaron Koepke ’18 ME, rotational engineer, Oshkosh Defense, Oshkosh, Wis. Elizabeth Kolanczyk ’18 BE, process engineer, Haskell, Beloit, Wis. David Kupsky ’18 NU, supervisor, Waukesha County, Waukesha, Wis. Seth LiaBraaten ’18 CE, controls engineer, Engineering Unlimited, Minneapolis Pamela Lieberman ’18 ME, engineer, Martin Petersen Co., Kenosha, Wis. Gregory Lisowski ’18 AE/CM, project engineer, C.D. Smith Construction, Milwaukee Josephine LoCurto ’18 CE, software engineer, Rockwell Collins, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Rachel Lynde ’18 AE/MSAE, staff engineer I, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger, Boston John Maniscalco ’18 ME, mechanical design engineer, Snap-on Inc., Kenosha, Wis. Robert Martin ’18 EE, electrical engineer, CNH Industrial, Burr Ridge, Ill. Mary McFee ’18 CM, project engineer, McGough Construction, Minneapolis Fanmon Mei ’18 MIS, associate VoIP engineer, Northwestern Medicine, Chicago Dylan Meyer ’18 ME, project/process engineer, Wisconsin Precision Casting, Lake Geneva, Wis.
Madeline Molnor ’18 CV/MSCV, project manager, Walbec Group, Waukesha, Wis. Alexandria Muench ’18 SE, patent agent, Foley & Lardner, Milwaukee Casey O’Connor ’18 ME, engineer—new technologies, AptarGroup, Cary, Ill. Adam Oehlers ’18 BM, account manager, Impact, Mequon, Wis. Nicholas Paul ’18 ME, mechanical engineer, STS Technical Services, Milwaukee Joseph Pechstein ’18 ME, mechanical design engineer, Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp., Brookfield, Wis. Alexander Phillips ’18 AE, electrical engineer, kW Mission Critical Engineering, Milwaukee Cody Pumala ’18 ME, control engineer, Rockwell Automation, Cleveland Aleah Quast ’18 BM, operations specialist, iSEE Store Innovations LLC, St. Louis Thomas Reid ’18 BE, technical leadership development program, Konecranes, Milwaukee Kaytlynn Riel ’18 IE, operations leadership development, Parker Hannifin Corp., Manitowoc, Wis. Melinda Rodriguez-Salus ’18 NU, labor and delivery nurse, Aurora Sinai Medical Center, Milwaukee Christopher Ruelle ’18 EE, electrical engineer, Rockwell Collins, Cedar Rapids, Iowa Derek Runner ’18 ME, patent agent, Foley & Lardner LLP, Milwaukee Crystal Ruppert ’18 NU, registered nurse, Aurora Health Care, West Allis, Wis. Andrew Samson ’18 BIOE, lab scientist, Exact Sciences, Madison, Wis. Benjamin Sands ’18 EE, electrical engineer, Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp., Brookfield, Wis.
(Top left) Janet Bitzan ’71 shared a yearbook from the Milwaukee County General Hospital School of Nursing; (right) Krista (Bavinka) Raver ’12 attended the reunion with her grandfather, Ralph Heilemann ’50; (middle left) Nurses’ Scholarship Luncheon; (bottom) Left to right: Dr. John Walz, president; Clover Barnes ’01, RN, 2018 Distinguished Alumna of the Year; Brett Laureys ’95, Randy Kirk ’93 and Reg Zeller ’02, Alumni Achievement Award winners. Visit msoe.edu/reunion for more photos. DIMENSIONS x SUMMER 2018
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ALUMNI ON THE MOVE Katelyn Sasse ’18 NU, registered nurse, Aurora Health Care, Oconomowoc, Wis. Jonathan Schmitz ’18 ME, design engineer, Milwaukee Electric Tool Corp., Brookfield, Wis.
Births
In Memory
To Catherine and Troy Giljohann ’10 MIS, a son, Liam John, born on March 12, 2018.
Gaylord Stuve ’42 WELD
Kevin Sivak ’18 ME, continuous improvement specialist, Xylem Inc., Morton Grove, Ill.
Norbert Schreiber ’47 RHACT Helen (Vinz) Arend ’48 NU Carl Kuehn ’48 PE Henry Larkin ’48 PE
Lawrence Skuse ’18 CE, software developer, WH Trading LLC, Chicago
John Zimmerman ’49 RHACT
Jerad Tafoya ’18 MIS, associate sales engineer, Verizon, Cary, N.C.
Frank Wallner ’50 ACT John Hoelzhammer ’51 EEE
Joseph Terry ’18 NU, registered nurse, Rogers Memorial Hospital, West Allis, Wis.
Frank Simo ’52 EEE James Bain ’54 RATT
Chili Trejo ’18 EE, electrical engineering intern, Rexnord Industries LLC, Milwaukee
Leroy Vandre ’54 EEE
Jill Vande Boom ’18 CV/MSCV, engineer in training, Stantec, Mequon, Wis.
Robert Barfknecht ’56 EE James Dimick ’57 REF
Kelan Vandenlangenberg ’18 EE, electrical engineer, Kohler Power Systems, Kohler, Wis.
Achievements
Hans Waldoch ’18 ME, mechanical design engineer, Infinity Machine & Engineering, De Pere, Wis.
MSOE Regent Edward Raether ’68 AIM, was the 2018 Distinguished Alumni Award winner for the Watertown (Wis.) Unified School District.
Gerald Mollen ’58 EEE
MSOE Regent Dr. Michael Barber ’82 EE was named 2018 Rotary Person of the Year by the Rotary Club of Milwaukee.
Roger Musbach ’60 MT
Justin Waldoch ’18 ME, applications engineer, Dematic Corp., New Berlin, Wis. Lyndsay Wilde ’18 NU, registered nurse, St. Joseph Hospital, Milwaukee Brina Whittier ’18 IB, scrum master I/ project manager I, FIS Global, Milwaukee Garrett Williams ’18 CM, project engineer, McCarthy Building Companies, Ardmore, Ala. Richard Williams ’18 EE, electrical engineer, Applied Technologies, Brookfield, Wis. Katelynn Witten ’18 NU, registered nurse, Rogers Memorial Hospital, Oconomowoc, Wis. Devyn Yates ’18 BIOE, research technician, Elemental Enzymes, St. Louis
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Thomas Moullette ’57 MF Stanley Russell ’57 EEE
Amy Salmela ’00 EE, received a 2018 Women in Business Award from the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. Ryan Birney ’10 CM, received an MBA from MSOE, May 2018. Amy Alexander ’11 BE, received a Master of Science in Engineering Management from MSOE, February 2018. Chi-Che Chan ’16 ME, received a Master of Science in Engineering Management from MSOE, May 2018.
Gerald Garrigan ’59 ECT Roger Budnik ’60 ECT
Robert Thackray ’61 EE Kenneth Stout ’62 CT Charles Carlson ’63 ME Mirbat Khan ’64 ACET John Becker ’75 ECET Burton Charron ’84 AE Douglas Hall ’84 AE Michael Anderson ’03 IE Matthew Hansen ’04 CE Alexander Jonic ’17 EET
115 years of education, partnerships and preparing students for career readiness. In honor of MSOE’s 115th anniversary, see if you can identify any of the people or places captured in these images. View more images and share any information you might know about these images or MSOE’s past at msoe.edu/115
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Beyond STEM Milwaukee middle school students learned about the impact engineering has on daily life thanks to “Beyond STEM,” a program organized by the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Milwaukee Area Professionals Chapter and MSOE’s collegiate chapter. More than 30 students gathered for six weeks with NSBE mentors at MSOE. Tanzania Sewell ’12, biomedical engineering alumna and adjunct assistant professor, coordinated the program. “You don’t see a lot of people who look like me in my industry, and I felt like I could have an impact in providing access to programs like this for middle school students.” Beyond STEM featured hands-on projects in four different engineering disciplines. For Imani (top left), a sixth grader at Golda Meir School who wants to be a software designer, the weeks focusing on software engineering were the best. “I’ve been programming for fun at school,” she said. “At MSOE I learned how to develop an app. That was my favorite part.” “In Milwaukee, there’s a large population of AfricanAmerican students who don’t matriculate into engineering programs,” said Sewell. “The volunteers were tremendous. Without them, the program wouldn’t have been possible. I am so proud of our NSBE chapter at MSOE and how the leadership team has grown.”