MTU Graduate Students Showcase Their Work At Research Colloquium

Graduate students at Michigan Tech aren’t just there to learn–they are finding ways to solve real-world problems.

The two-day Graduate Research Colloquium showcases the research projects of rou
ghly four dozen graduate students.

The students get two chances to present their work to the judges, at a poster session followed by an oral presentation.

Forest managers in the Great Lakes area may be interested in ways to increase tree diversity and bring back declining species, like Yellow Birch.

MTU Forest Science PhD Student Stephan Hupperts said, “So we are trying to incorporate more harvesting techniques to create environmental conditions ideal for these other tree species that have declined.”

Underwater researchers will be interested in a less costly, more maneuverable glider that can be used in Lake Superior.

MTU Mechanical Engineering PhD Student Donna Fard said, “They are shallow-water gliders, meaning that we can use them in the lake. What we have so far, they’re all ocean-going gliders.”

The students’ work is judged by a panel of 30 faculty members and postdoctoral fellows.