At the Forefront

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

Dr. Todd Davis, Front Room Photography, Mark Hines, Bryan Pechacek, Gary Porter, Ramlow/Stein Architecture + Interiors, Kat Schleicher, Colin Terrill

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.

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Dimensions Magazine

1025 N. Broadway Milwaukee, WI 53202 marketing@msoe.edu or (414) 277-7117

FALL/WINTER 2021–22 Volume 36, No. 1

TAKING THE LEAD

Dr. Stephen Williams oversees campus infrastructure On the cutting edge

Dr. Stephen Williams, P.E.

Dr. Stephen Williams, P.E. has been named vice president of campus infrastructure at MSOE. Williams was promoted after serving as chair of the university’s Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department. In his new role, he oversees MSOE’s Information Technology Department as well as the Environmental Health and Safety, Facilities and Custodial Departments.

“Online and virtual tools will continue to become a larger component of how universities educate and operate. This change is a major focus of the strategic planning work we are doing at MSOE,” said Dr. John Walz, president. “There is a significant amount of synergy in having both our virtual and physical facilities managed by the same person, as our physical spaces should be designed to capture the power and flexibility offered by modern digital tools.”

Williams joined the faculty at MSOE in 2002 and served as the electrical engineering program director before being promoted to department chairperson. Williams is an ABET program evaluator and training mentor. He has been very involved with the American Society of Engineering Education and the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers, most recently focusing on academic leadership development and engineering accreditation activities. Williams earned his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from University of Missouri-Columbia. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Wisconsin. MSOE’s Rapid Prototyping Center (RPC) is celebrating its 30th anniversary. It was formed in 1991 in response to the product development needs of Harley-Davidson, Kohler Co. and other firms that needed access to rapid prototyping technology. Today it is known for keeping its corporate members on the cutting edge of the newest technologies related to product development and manufacturing.

On the cutting edge

MSOE offers engineering expertise and resources, and helps more than 40 consortium members develop prototypes of their designs. This helped to revolutionize their product design process. What once was 3D printing for prototype production has evolved to what’s known today as additive manufacturing.

“The additive manufacturing industry is transitioning from prototyping process to production process,” said Vince Anewenter ’11, director of the RPC. “This has the opportunity to yield significant competitive advantages for manufacturers. Our role is to help companies design for additive, manage the evolving rapid prototyping ecosystem, and look for viable internal applications.”

The RPC works closely with MSOE faculty to help educate students on the value of additive manufacturing. The center also employs several students, all of whom are in high demand upon graduation because of the expertise they gained in additive manufacturing.

LEARN MORE AT RPC.MSOE.EDU

WORK ZONE

New beat in the heart of campus

Just as Hermann Viets Tower renovations were completed, construction crews shifted gears and two new projects were underway. The addition of a new 1.13-acre campus green will add a new beat to the heart of campus, bounded by Viets Tower, Diercks Hall, North Broadway and North Milwaukee Street. It will serve as a valuable space for meaningful and significant student, faculty and staff interactions. Key features include extensive landscaping, a hammock grove, Wi-Fi, power stations, a student green with a wall for projecting movies or games, a student life plaza, and an MSOE archway near the vehicle driveway on North Broadway providing a visual ‘entrance’ to campus.

Across the street from the campus green, MSOE is transforming the previous Todd Wehr Conference Center into a new Welcome Center that will serve as “home base” for prospective students and their families when they arrive at MSOE to meet with the Office of Admissions and tour campus. The center will include a flexible meeting space; private meeting areas for families and their admissions counselor; MSOE’s bookstore and spirit wear shop; and common areas for students, faculty and staff to study, work and collaborate. Renderings of MSOE’s new campus green and Welcome Center.

Renderings of MSOE’s new campus green and Welcome Center.

Renderings of MSOE’s new campus green and Welcome Center.

TUNE IN

MSOE podcast is now streaming

MSOE Marketing Communications launched the university’s first-ever podcast this fall. In “Rethink What’s Possible,” host Tom Crawford, WMSE station manager, sits down with MSOE students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners to learn more about their inventions, research, industry trends, projects and experiences. Rethink What’s Possible is available on podcast streaming platforms including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.

Season One kicks off with four episodes: Life After Shark Tank, Erasing the Mental Health Stigma, Humanizing Machine Learning, and Rooted in STEM. Listen today and share with your friends!

MSOE.EDU/PODCAST

New Machine Learning Graduate Certificate

The addition of the Dwight and Dian Diercks Computational Science Hall in 2019 positioned MSOE at the forefront of artificial intelligence (AI) education, and the creation of the new Machine Learning Graduate Certificate further strengthens MSOE’s spot at the top.

“Industry leaders are looking for employees with knowledge in AI to strengthen their workforce. With the Machine Learning Graduate Certificate, students will learn how to leverage AI and machine learning domains to create innovative, data-driven solutions to problems they face in their workplaces,” said Dr. Derek Riley, professor and program director.

The certificate is designed for recent graduates and working professionals who have experience in computer science, software or computer engineering and are interested in developing new skills and boosting their careers. Industry-driven classes are taught by faculty in an application-oriented environment and held in the evening to accommodate working professions.

LET’S CELEBRATE

Grand openings

MSOE was fortunate to kick off the academic year with multiple grand opening celebrations across campus.

After serving up meals for a whole year, the Robert Spitzer Dining Commons was officially dedicated on Sept. 13. The event celebrated and honored Dr. Robert Spitzer, MSOE’s third president and namesake of the dining commons, and included faculty, staff, students and members of the Spitzer family (pictured below). Participants enjoyed taste testing food from American Dining Creations and viewing photos of Spitzer.

One week after the Dining Commons celebration, industry partners, donors, community members and elected officials joined students, faculty and staff to celebrate the grand opening of the We Energies STEM Center at MSOE, complete with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house featuring demonstrations of STEM activities and robotics. The new center is the premier STEM destination in Milwaukee for K-12 students and home to all of MSOE’s STEM outreach efforts.

Hermann Viets Tower also opened, welcoming about 500 residents. See page 14.

Pictured at right, MSOE Regent Stig Haagensen ’91, Northwestern Mutual technology chief operations officer; Sheldon Cuffie, American Family Insurance chief information security officer; Patricia Contreras, Rockwell Automation VP of global public a airs; Kevin Fletcher, WEC Energy Group president and CEO; Azul Hernandez, St. Augustine Prep student; Liz Taylor, MSOE director of STEM; and MSOE President John Walz celebrated the STEM Center grand opening.