Purdue Northwest College of Technology

Two department chairs from the Purdue University Northwest (PNW) College of Technology have been elected to national leadership positions on the Conference for Industry and Education Collaboration (CIEC), Engineering Technology Division (ETD), organized by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE).

• Maged Mikhail, Ph.D., Department Chair of Engineering Technology, will serve as the Assistant Vice Chair for Annual Programs for the Engineering Technology Division.
• Afshin Zahraee, Ph.D., Department Chair of Construction Science and Organizational Leadership, will serve as the Assistant Program Chair for the Conference for Industry and Education Collaboration.

Their volunteer service in these important roles shows our commitment to the engineering technology education community. These appointments reinforce PNW's leadership in shaping national engineering technology curricula and fostering vital industry-academic partnerships.

Congratulations to PNW College of Technology doctoral student Sesha Raghavendra Srinivas Subnivis and master's student Lokesh Rao Gujja on their remarkable achievement at the IEOM Conference held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on June 10, 2026.

Their research excellence and dedication were recognized with First Place in the Graduate Student Paper Competition, sponsored by Eaton Corporation. This outstanding accomplishment reflects their commitment to innovation, scholarly excellence, and advancing knowledge in their field.

We are proud of their success and celebrate this well-deserved recognition. Please join us in congratulating them on this significant achievement!

The College of Technology at Purdue University Northwest (PNW) hosted its 17th annual Technology Day, marking a celebration of scholarly accomplishments for the college’s students. Many featured poster presentations of their capstone projects, Masters or Doctoral Thesis, or co-curricular achievements in the main concourse of the Student Union & Library Building.

The day also helped highlight the college’s impact on Northwest Indiana through its engagement and key partnerships with industry. Over 50 College of Technology advisory board members were among a total of over 110 participants attending a luncheon with College of Technology faculty and staff, other PNW administrators, and College of Technology doctoral students.

“The College of Technology is the engagement arm of Purdue University Northwest with Industry,” said Dr. Mohammad Zahraee, interim dean of the College of Technology. “Bridging classroom learning with real-world innovation is a key element of our programs. This empowers students through hands-on, industry-driven experiences.” Zahraee continued, “This semester 74 students participated in 38 industry-sponsored projects, which spanned industries in seven states.”

The luncheon’s keynote featured a panel of industry experts, from three states, discussing the “Economic Drivers Impacting Technology.”

PNW College of Technology organized a 3-Minute-Thesis (3MT) competition for Doctoral and MS Thesis students in April 2026. Five Doctoral and Three MS Thesis students participated in the competition. Six faculty members from the College of Technology Graduate Education Council carefully reviewed and rated submitted 3MT videos.

Doctor of Technology student, Ms. Karthisri Meghana Guntupalli's 3MT video titled "Democratizing Learning for LLM-Enabled UAVs" (Advisor: Dr. Ashok Raja) received the First-Place award of $500.

On Thursday, May 7, graduating Construction Management Engineering Technology students gathered with CMET faculty and staff at Byway Brewing Company to celebrate the completion of an incredible journey. It was a wonderful afternoon filled with laughter, memories, and recognition of the hard work and dedication that brought our students to this milestone.

We are incredibly proud of our graduates and look forward to seeing the impact they will make in the construction industry and beyond. Congratulations to the CMET Class of Spring 2026! 👏

This semester, Construction Management Engineering Technology juniors Kate Corcoran, Olivia Balog, and Ethan Osowski earned their Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Associate accreditation. The LEED program is a globally recognized framework for designing, constructing, and operating environmentally responsible and resource-efficient buildings.

To support their achievement, an independent study course led by Professor Donald Duncan was developed at the start of the spring semester, providing structured guidance and key resources throughout the process.

As LEED Green Associates, these students have demonstrated a strong understanding of how the LEED program is administered, as well as how to apply its rating system to real-world building and sustainability projects.

A group of Engineering Technology students came together as a multidisciplinary team to design and build a hydraulic-powered trike for the National Fluid Power Association (NFPA) Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge. This competition encourages innovation by combining two technologies that aren’t usually paired—human-powered vehicles and fluid power systems like hydraulics and pneumatics.

Team members Ciara Black, Nevin DeLong, CJ Guillaume, Malina Harris, and Edwin Ojeda incorporated several advanced features into their design, including an energy-storing accumulator, an electronic control system, and regenerative technology to improve efficiency.

The competition, held in Rockford, Illinois, brought together 13 teams from across the country. Despite facing a last-minute electrical circuit issue, the PNW team completed their trike and competed in the event. Their determination and perseverance earned them recognition, as they pushed through challenges to make it to the competition.

Shelby Noonan, Bachelor of Science degree in Construction Management Engineering Technology from the College of Technology is a featured Purdue University Northwest 2026 Graduate!

https://www.pnw.edu/laying-the-foundation-meet-2026-pnw-graduate-shelby-noonan/

Magesh Chandramouli, professor of Computer Graphics Technology, spent three weeks during December 2025 as a U.S. Fulbright Specialist at Politecnico di Torino (Polytechnic University of Turin) in Turin, Italy. Read more about his experience at:

https://www.pnw.edu/purdue-university-northwest-professor-returns-from-transformative-fulbright-specialist-appointment-in-italy/