15 minute read
Around Campus
NOTABLE
Faculty/staff achievements
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The Rise of Urban Placemaking in Contemporary America by Dr. Michael Carriere, Humanities, Social Science and Communication Department, and David Schalliol has been published by the University of Chicago Press Books. The book builds off the work Carriere has been doing at MSOE for the past decade.
Dr. David Howell, Humanities, Social Science and Communication Department, recently wrote a book, The Serenity Experiment, published by Blue Ear Books. It is geared toward a general audience as well as students in Howell’s Ethics class.
Dr. Christopher Raebel, chair of the Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management Department, was elected president-elect of the American Society of Civil Engineer’s Architectural Engineering Institute.
Elizabeth Taylor, director of STEM, was named a Milwaukee Business Journal 40 Under 40 winner.
Dr. John Walz, president, was elected to a three-year term on the Board of Directors for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU). He will represent Region V (Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin).
Dr. Wujie Zhang, associate professor in the Physics and Chemistry Department, became an editorial board member for the Journal of Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering.
Race against the machine
Two MSOE teams took home second and eleventh place in the International Competitive Programming Regional Contest (ICPC). The teams raced against the clock, battling for the top score against more than 85 teams. The ICPC is the oldest, largest and most prestigious contest in the world and challenges teams of three to work together to solve real-world problems with creativity and innovation. Jim Lembke, instructor in the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science Department, served as the faculty advisor for the teams.
The Kotlinaughts took second place: Kiel Dowdel (CS), Nick Johnson (CS) and Jacob Huebner (SE).
CinCity took eleventh place: Mitchell Johnstone (CE/CS), Jonny Keane (CS) and Sam Keyser (CS).
Amazing accolades
MSOE was the recipient of two Excellence in STEM Awards, or “Stemmys,” from STEM Forward. In the education category, the university’s K–12 outreach programs to improve the STEM competency of students in SE Wisconsin and the creation of the We Energies STEM Center at MSOE were recognized. In the partnership category, MSOE and the Argosy Foundation were recognized for the FIRST Ambassadors Program. This initiative provides MSOE student mentors, materials, and expertise to enable 25 underserved K–12 schools in the city of Milwaukee to implement robotics education programs.
The American Sports Builders Association has recognized MSOE’s Raiders Stadium as a 2020 Facility Award Winner in the Single Field category.
HALL OF FAMER
VP Kevin Morin to retire from MSOE
Kevin Morin, vice president of operations, will wrap up a 43-year career at MSOE this summer when he retires from the university. He began his MSOE career in 1978 as an admissions counselor after earning his bachelor’s degree from Marquette University. In 1980, he became the evening college coordinator/assistant registrar, where he worked until he became director of the Human Resources Department in 1982.
“I feel a great sense of accomplishment when I complete a job that I know will have a positive impact on the MSOE community. In my HR days when we made changes in our employee benefit plans that provided better coverage and reduced employee premium costs, I took great pride in knowing we had a better plan which would positively impact every participating employee and their families,” said Morin. “I also have a great sense of accomplishment when I attend the graduation ceremonies and share in the pride and excitement of the graduates and hope that in a small way my work helped each student graduate and have a better life.”
In 2013 Morin was named vice president of operations, and he oversees the MSOE Bookstore, Custodial Services, Environmental Health and Safety, Facilities/ Maintenance and Grounds, Grohmann Tower Apartments, Human Resources, Kern Center and Public Safety departments. He is responsible for the strategic planning and day-to-day operations of these departments, which support the university’s mission through efficient, effective and sustainable practices.
Morin also served as the head wrestling coach for 20 years from 1994 through 2013. He credits his teams for being true student-athletes as evidenced by the six conference championships they won, the 10 teams that were recognized for their academic excellence including four teams (2002-05) that had the highest GPA in the nation among NCAA Division III wrestling programs, and the 28 wrestlers that received Academic All-American honors from the National Wrestling Coaches Association. He is most proud of the 100 percent graduation rate among active seniors who were on the team.
“It was an honor to build the program, which had four wrestlers my first year, to having teams with 20-plus wrestlers who were very accomplished and won conference championships and national awards for their wrestling and academic achievements.” “I will always remember and be grateful for the opportunities I was provided. When I applied for the director of human resources position I was interviewed by the vice president of finance, John Carroll. John became a great mentor and a person who taught me many life lessons, for which I will always be grateful,” said Morin. “I will also remember the privilege of working for three of the five MSOE presidents. Each one had their own successful style and they all have had remarkable passion for the university. And certainly I will remember the very talented and hard-working colleagues that I worked with and have become lifelong friends.”
Morin received the Johanna Seelhorst Werwath Distinguished Staff Award in 1986. He completed the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification in 1990 and maintains this professional certification. He is a member of the MSOE Athletic Hall of Fame (2008) and the Wisconsin Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame (2013). He and his wife Debbie have four children and six grandchildren whom they love spending time with. In the late 1990s, MSOE’s HR Department included (left to right): Rebecca Ploeckelman, Sara Hanson and Kevin Morin.
AT THE
OPEN FOR BUSINESS
Visit in person or online
As the pandemic eases in Wisconsin, the Grohmann Museum has returned to its regular hours of operation: Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday, 12 to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m. Health and safety precautions remain in place including social distancing, facial covering requirements, and capacity limits.
The museum continues to add to its virtual offerings. In honor of Women’s History in March, the museum added a new online exhibition to Google Arts & Culture called “A Woman’s Work.” The exhibition includes centuries of art celebrating women at work and dedicated to all the women who paved the way. View this, and all of the Grohmann Museum’s digital exhibitions at grohmannmuseum.org.
New to the collection
German artist H.D. Tylle, who captured the themes of the Grohmann Museum in the ceiling mural and mosaic floor of the atrium, has created a new painting entitled “Corona” to pay tribute to the health care workers on the frontlines of battling the COVID-19 pandemic.
OPENING SOON!
May 21 – Aug. 22, 2021*
artWORK by the League of Milwaukee Artists
Grand Opening Event: Meet the Artists Friday, May 21, 6-8 p.m.*
In collaboration with The League of Milwaukee Artists, this exhibition features over 50 works by more than 30 local artists. The artists were challenged to create new works— all with a working or industrial theme—specifically for this display which includes paintings, sculptures, photos, and prints. In organizing the exhibition, LMA President Judy Gahn Murphy notes: “The League of Milwaukee Artists are honored to be able to showcase our members’ talents at this incredible show at the Grohmann Museum. The theme of the show, artWORK, was embraced by our members to create an interesting and diverse exhibition. This is not one to miss.”
*All dates subject to change.
Hans Dieter Tylle German (b.1954) Corona, 2020 Oil on canvas 35 3/8 x 59 in.
LASTING RELATIONSHIPS
Seeds of mentorship planted at MSOE
“One of my dreams was to own a company and be part of the impact it can have on a community,” said Matt Tadisch ’06.
That dream has come true for him more than once. Only 11 years after graduating from MSOE with architectural engineering and construction management degrees, Tadisch bought the SelzerOrnst Construction Company. He subsequently bought ABCO Building Corp., then became one of the owners of Wisconsin Redevelopment when he took over a stake of the company from Bob Lemke, MSOE professor emeritus.
The latest acquisition wasn’t the result of luck, or being in the right place at the right time. Lemke has been Tadisch’s mentor for nearly 20 years—a relationship that began with MSOE’s DesignBuild team.
When Tadisch joined the team as an MSOE freshman, little did he know he’d be forging such a long-lasting relationship. Lemke was the new Design-Build team faculty coach. Coaching student competition teams was another opportunity for him to give students the opportunity to flex their education and develop professional skills. Through these student competitions, Lemke said, “I made lifelong friends with industry sponsors and they all ended up being an awesome avenue for students to be hired. The competitions give MSOE and its students unprecedented exposure to these employers.”
“We were set up for success because of Bob,” said Tadisch. “He challenged us to make sure we dotted our I’s, crossed our T’s, and were prepared to present. Bob does what he does for the benefit of students and the community. If you want to learn something, you want a professor like Bob.” Tadisch’s hard work and Lemke’s guidance paid off. After graduation, Tadisch launched a successful career in construction, holding various roles including project engineer, project manager, owner’s representative and project executive. At the young age of 24 Tadisch was named one of the Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Award recipients.
Lemke, now retired, left more than a few pairs of shoes to fill. The first was finding a suitable replacement to take his place at his company, Wisconsin Redevelopment. He found that in Tadisch, who is now co-owner. Wisconsin Redevelopment specializes in creating affordable housing in Milwaukee’s central city and historic building renovations.
Tadisch has assumed Lemke’s position with the Associates in Commercial Real Estate (ACRE) Program in Milwaukee. ACRE is an industry-supported initiative that recruits and retains people of color for careers in commercial real estate, spanning from development and property management to construction management.
Lemke’s tradition of mentoring has carried on with Tadisch now serving in that capacity, bringing his own career full-circle. Tadisch returned to MSOE, this time standing at the front of the classroom as a lecturer in the Civil and Architectural Engineering and Construction Management Department. The classes Tadisch teaches at MSOE and through ACRE, coupled with the mentoring he provides at ACRE and as a board member of AGC of Greater Milwaukee, connect him with rising talent in southeastern Wisconsin.
Matt Tadisch ’06
Matt Tadisch and Bob Lemke
Under Bob Lemke’s leadership (far right), Tadisch and his fellow teammates were the Design-Build National Champions at the Associated Schools of Construction (ASC)/Associated General Contractors (AGC) National Student Competition in Las Vegas in 2005.
Above: The Direct Supply Innovation and Technology Center offers many collaboration zones that lead to ongoing discovery and ideation. Far right: An MSOE classroom at the Innovation and Technology Center brings students and faculty into the heart of the action.
A Powerful Relationship
MSOE and Direct Supply are driven to succeed
One was baffled by the word “partner” spelled with a lot of Rs. Another wondered why a guy was asking him so many questions during their shifts at WMSE. Yet another simply followed a professor’s instructions.
That’s how three people describe their early encounters with Direct Supply Inc. Sabrina Stangler ’20 SE, MSOE actuarial science senior John Williams, and Tom Hill ’01 CE each had different introductions to the company. All are beneficiaries of a corporate-university partnership
A Powerful Relationship
that began with Direct Supply Founder, President and CEO Bob Hillis, who is also an MSOE Regent, and has grown deeper and broader over more than three decades.
Direct Supply, a technology, distribution and consulting company serving the senior care industry, has established itself as a constant presence at MSOE. It invites students to interact with its professionals, shares space for classes, supports student activities, hires faculty during the summer, and is a constant presence at career fairs and recruitment activities. It offers multiple internships—currently 22 are filled by MSOE students—and many of those lead to full-time jobs. More than 80 MSOE alumni now work for Direct Supply.
“It’s a powerful relationship,” said MSOE President John Walz, who doesn’t know of another one quite like it among engineering schools. “It’s good for faculty, it’s good for students, and I think it’s very good for Direct Supply.” That relationship entered an exciting new phase with the 2019 renovation of Direct Supply’s Innovation and Technology Center (ITC) in MSOE’s German-English Academy building. The ITC now occupies all five floors of the historic Neo-Romanesque structure.
Future Partners
It was freshman orientation, and Sabrina Stangler had questions. Why is that company’s logo on the orientation T-shirts? And what’s with the word “parrrtners” spelled with extra Rs? Eventually, she put two and two together. The logo belonged to Direct Supply, which is employee-owned
John Williams (above); Sabrina Stangler ’20 (right); Tom Hill ’01 (far right)
DR. JOHN WALZ, PRESIDENT OF MSOE
and takes pride in calling its employees “partners.” And the MSOE Raiders’ mascot is a pirate who, as the initiated know, talks with a lots of RRRs.
Stangler laughs about it now, but tells the story to illustrate how Direct Supply seemed to be everywhere when she arrived on campus.
She got to know some Direct Supply employees—or rather, partners—through career fairs, and her work as president of the Society of Software Engineers (SSE). People like Wade Krogwold, campus and community recruiting manager, and Mark Baylor, software engineering manager, were big SSE supporters, helping with resume critiques and programming competitions. Stangler had opportunities to visit the ITC, too. She vividly recalls observing a Direct Supply “Sprint Review,” in which teams
of engineers reported on projects and received feedback. To her surprise, they looked like they were actually having fun. “It was cool because we could see employees just being employees.”
In her senior year she bumped into Krogwold at the MSOE Career Fair. He asked, “OK, Sabrina, when are you going to apply?”
Today, Stangler is an entry-level software engineer at Direct Supply. “I feel happy that I landed where I am, and lucky to be here.”
Impromptu Interview
John Williams’ mother, MaKisha Williams ’15, earned the first degree in actuarial science awarded by MSOE. “From a young age I was told I was going to MSOE,” he said. And he did, studying actuarial science like his mom.
Williams’ encounter with Direct Supply came during work shifts at WMSE, the campus radio station. Some Direct Supply partners volunteer there, and one of them happened to be Senior Vice President Bob Klein. “We talked a lot,” said Williams, who politely responded to Klein’s queries, thinking it was a little odd that someone showed so much interest in his life’s story. “But he was actually giving me an impromptu interview,” said Williams, chuckling at the memory.
That led in his sophomore year to a supply chain analytics internship that would continue through graduation and turn into a full-time job offer; in May, he’ll become a rotational development associate. The internship had him toggling between classrooms, the ITC and Direct Supply’s north Milwaukee headquarters. He’d often learn something in class one week that he could apply to his internship the next.
Williams values the MSOE-Direct Supply relationship as a window into the professional world, giving MSOE students a powerful leg-up when starting their careers. Without it, he said, “I don’t think I’d have gotten a foot in the door.”
Shared Values
Tom Hill has taken on a growing set of responsibilities in his 22 years at Direct Supply, including a nine-year stretch living in China to establish the company’s presence there. He’s now group vice president of Direct Supply brands. But back when he was an MSOE computer engineering student, “I had no idea who Direct Supply was.” He learned about the company through one of his professors, who told him: You’re interviewing there. He didn’t argue.
Hill views the campus-corporate relationship as a deliberate extension of Direct Supply’s mission to improve the aging community’s quality of life through technology. “And we’ve done it by hiring a lot of MSOE engineers.”
The ITC is home to Direct Supply software engineers and special-project teams. It’s also where staff, students, faculty and community can convene. “It’s a place where both our teams and startup partners are building the future of senior health together. That spans everything from A.I. to software development to entirely new business development. It’s a fun Silicon Valley-like environment.” And a place designed, Hill said, to create “collisions.” Classrooms are placed near engineers’ workspaces, and there are plenty of common areas. “You can bump into worldclass talent while you’re walking to your classroom.”
Hill has done a lot of hiring in his time at Direct Supply, and he knows all about the competitive market for talented engineers. The recruitment pipeline is helpful, but so is a sense of shared values. “We always want to hire incredibly talented, driven people with the right brains, character and drive, and that makes this connection with MSOE so, so powerful,” he said.
