Taking Home the Trophy
MTU Environmental Engineering seniors Patricia Casaceli, Phil Szornyi, and Tamera Witer, and contest judges examine the results of their bench-scale process at a national environmental design contest held in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Students were demonstrating a method they developed to unplug an underground pipeline filled with hardened radioactive waste material.
Michigan Tech students went to Las Cruces, New Mexico, April 3-6, to compete in an environmental design contest. They came home with a second place trophy and $750 for developing and demonstrating a process to unplug a seven-mile underground pipe, which had constrictions from chemicals used in building nuclear weapons.
The 10th Annual Environmental Design Contest, sponsored by the Department of Energy, gave students real-world problems to solve. MTU's team of 13 undergraduate students competed against teams comprised of undergraduate and graduate students from close to thirty universities. The students had to construct a bench-scale treatment system/solution, write a written report that included a community relationship plan, and present an oral and poster presentation.
Tech's students tackled their real-world problems as part of CE402 (Senior Design Project) earning credits, hands-on experience, and opportunities to work in the new Dow Building labs and learn from researchers in other disciplines across campus. These included civil and environment engineering, metallurgical and materials engineering, geological engineering and geology, mining engineering, humanities, and chemical engineering. They also collaborated with Carol LaPointe (outreach/multi-ethnic programs) to develop a tribal outreach plan.
Congratulations to the Environmental Design Contest team members and their sponsors!
Michigan Tech Environmental Engineering senior Elizabeth Wiatr presents a poster that depicts a 3-stage treatment process developed by students to clean up acid mine water that contains high levels of metals such as copper, arsenic, chromium, and lead. This was the second challenge that MTU students presented during the 2000 Environmental Design Contest.
Note: Watch for the July 2000 Alumnus magazine article on the Environmental Design Contest. For more information on the magazine, contact Dean Woodbeck.
Environmental Design Contest
- Team Members
- Laura Arlt
- Andrea Beels
- Elly Bunzendahl
- Patricia Casaceli
- Wes Dickinson
- Gretchen Duever
- Aaron Hilshorst
- Laura Hivala
- Jessie Jirgl
- Mindy Manegold
- Laura Neumeier
- Phil Szornyi
- Elizabeth Wiatr
- Katie Winogrodzki
- Christal Winter
- Tammi Witer
- Sponsors
- Dr. Jim Mihelcic, C&EE
- Dr. Kurt Paterson, C&EE
Michigan Tech Environmental Engineering seniors, Laura Neumeier and Aaron Hilshorst, separate copper from acid mine drainage water, at a National Environmental Design Competition held in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The copper will eventually be reclaimed and resold; the remainder of pollutants are treated in a zero-valence iron filter followed by a constructed wetland.
- Team Members
- Laura Arlt
- Andrea Beels
- Elly Bunzendahl
- Patricia Casaceli
- Wes Dickinson
- Gretchen Duever
- Aaron Hilshorst
- Laura Hivala
- Jessie Jirgl
- Mindy Manegold
- Laura Neumeier
- Phil Szornyi
- Elizabeth Wiatr
- Katie Winogrodzki
- Christal Winter
- Tammi Witer
- Sponsors
- Dr. Jim Mihelcic, C&EE
- Dr. Kurt Paterson, C&EE
- Laura Arlt
Taking Home the Trophy |
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| MTU Environmental Engineering seniors Patricia Casaceli, Phil Szornyi, and Tamera Witer, and contest judges examine the results of their bench-scale process at a national environmental design contest held in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Students were demonstrating a method they developed to unplug an underground pipeline filled with hardened radioactive waste material.
Michigan Tech students went to Las Cruces, New Mexico, April 3-6, to compete in an environmental design contest. They came home with a second place trophy and $750 for developing and demonstrating a process to unplug a seven-mile underground pipe, which had constrictions from chemicals used in building nuclear weapons. The 10th Annual Environmental Design Contest, sponsored by the Department of Energy, gave students real-world problems to solve. MTU's team of 13 undergraduate students competed against teams comprised of undergraduate and graduate students from close to thirty universities. The students had to construct a bench-scale treatment system/solution, write a written report that included a community relationship plan, and present an oral and poster presentation. Tech's students tackled their real-world problems as part of CE402 (Senior Design Project) earning credits, hands-on experience, and opportunities to work in the new Dow Building labs and learn from researchers in other disciplines across campus. These included civil and environment engineering, metallurgical and materials engineering, geological engineering and geology, mining engineering, humanities, and chemical engineering. They also collaborated with Carol LaPointe (outreach/multi-ethnic programs) to develop a tribal outreach plan.
Michigan Tech Environmental Engineering senior Elizabeth Wiatr presents a poster that depicts a 3-stage treatment process developed by students to clean up acid mine water that contains high levels of metals such as copper, arsenic, chromium, and lead. This was the second challenge that MTU students presented during the 2000 Environmental Design Contest.
Note: Watch for the July 2000 Alumnus magazine article on the Environmental Design Contest. For more information on the magazine, contact Dean Woodbeck. |
Michigan Tech Environmental Engineering seniors, Laura Neumeier and Aaron Hilshorst, separate copper from acid mine drainage water, at a National Environmental Design Competition held in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The copper will eventually be reclaimed and resold; the remainder of pollutants are treated in a zero-valence iron filter followed by a constructed wetland. |