Michigan Tech Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering

08/21/2026

🎉 New Research Funding!

Congratulations to Dr. Mo Sadeghi, who has received $100,000 in funding from the National Road Research Alliance (NRRA) for a new 18-month research project:

🔹 Overpredicted Resistances of Low-Displacement Piles in Sands Using Static Analysis Methods

The project will investigate the accuracy of commonly used static analysis methods for predicting the resistance of low-displacement piles in sandy soils—work that can help improve geotechnical design practices and support safer, more reliable transportation infrastructure.

08/19/2026

🌊 Faster beach water testing could mean safer Michigan beaches.

Michigan Tech’s Ishi Keenum, Assistant Professor of Civil, Environmental, and Geospatial Engineering, is leading a collaborative research project aimed at improving how quickly Michigan beaches can be tested for bacterial contamination.

Supported by a Research Universities for Michigan - RU4M Livable Futures Water Collaboration Grant, researchers from Michigan Technological University, Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, and Wayne State University are field-testing Bactiquick, a portable instrument that can provide on-site results in just 15 minutes. Traditional culture-based testing can take 18–24 hours.

Keenum and the research team are testing the technology across diverse Michigan water environments, with the long-term goal of making beach monitoring faster, more accessible, and potentially usable by citizen scientists and lifeguards.

💧 Read more about Keenum and this statewide research collaboration from the MSU Water Alliance:
https://water.msu.edu/feature/four-michigan-research-universities-partner-address-states-beach-water-testing

08/18/2026

🎉 New Publication Alert!

Congratulations to Civil Engineering PhD students Amir Tajik and Saeed Sohrabi, along with Professor Yousef Darestani, on the publication of their latest research in the ASCE Journal of Structural Engineering!

The research focuses on improving our understanding of the risks coastal storms pose to critical rail infrastructure. Amir conducted the rail track and bridge failure analysis, while Saeed Sohrabi and William Pringle performed storm simulations using ADCIRC+SWAN. The work contributes to ongoing efforts to better assess and strengthen the resilience of coastal rail systems.

The research was supported by the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and also included contributions from William Pringle, Pasi Lautala, and Pengfei Xue.

📖 Read the paper: https://ascelibrary.org/doi/10.1061/JSENDH.STENG-16103

08/13/2026

🎉 Audra Morse Joins ABET Leadership Chain

In July, Audra Morse joined the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of ABET officer chain as the Vice Chair of Operations. The EAC is the body that makes accreditation decisions for engineering programs domestically and globally. The EAC sets the quality standard for engineering education, which ensures graduates are ready to enter the workforce and pursue licensure.

Congratulations to Audra on this significant professional achievement and leadership role!

08/12/2026

Dillman 109 has been reimagined! 🛠️

The new Construction Management (CMG) Student Room/Senior Design Room gives students a fresh, welcoming space to collaborate, work on projects, and bring their ideas to life.

This transformation was made possible thanks to a generous gift from Tim Geiger, a Michigan Tech Civil Engineering alumnus. The space was reimagined with the help of Monte Consulting and through the efforts of Construction Management faculty Kerri Sleeman and Jen Miller, Senior Design faculty member Andrea Andres, and former Interim Department Chair Andrew Swartz.

A special shoutout to Kerri Sleeman for the extra time, energy, and care she put into making this project a reality!

We’re excited to see our students put this new space to good use. 💛🖤

08/06/2026

🏆 Recognizing excellence in Construction Management!

The Michigan Tech Construction Management Program celebrated its inaugural Construction Management Student Awards, recognizing students who have demonstrated outstanding achievement in academics, leadership, research, service, employment, and involvement in the construction industry.

Congratulations to our 2025–26 award recipients:

🔸 Construction Management Student of the Year: Hannah Baker
🔸 Construction Management Minor Students of the Year: Matthew Zimmerman, Evan Deimling
🔸 Construction Management Scholar: Jeremy Haughian
🔸 Construction Management Service Award: Jack Schall, Maddy Monkevich
🔸 Construction Management Student Employee of the Year: Keagan Turovich
🔸 HCDA Member of the Year: Austin Jordan
🔸 Construction Management Rising Star Award: Ethan Downs, Laura Cervantes

Special congratulations also go to Ryan Miller, named the College of Business Exceptional Student in Construction Management for 2025–26.

Thank you to faculty, students, and the Husky Construction & Design Association for helping launch what will become a lasting tradition of celebrating excellence within the Construction Management Program.

08/06/2026

07/28/2026

🌉 Design it. Build it. Manage it.

Register for CEE5390: Civil Asset Management this fall and gain the skills employers are looking for—plus earn an IAM Certificate in Asset Management with a grade of B or better.

🎥 Watch the course overview video and register today!

This video explains the interdisciplinary field of Civil Asset Mana...

07/26/2026

Today we celebrate the 36th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a landmark civil rights law that has helped expand access, remove barriers, and promote equal opportunity for people with disabilities since it was signed into law on July 26, 1990.

At Michigan Tech, Equal Opportunity Compliance supports the full inclusion of individuals with disabilities by helping create an accessible and welcoming campus for all.

For more information, visit the Access and Disability webpage, https://www.mtu.edu/eo-compliance/access-disability/, or email [email protected].

07/22/2026

Congratulations to Kiko on a gritty race!

Kiko finished this morning a little after 7:00am. Total elapsed time was 8 days, 40 minutes. He did it on a bmx bike. Yup. You read that right. He rode 530 miles of the worst stuff the U.P. has to offer 🤣

Congratulations, Kiko, his fellow P2P riders, and and riders of the Mass Start. The weather definitely enhanced your experience this year. The way the community came together and supported each other was incredible.

We'll see y'all in Copper Harbor again next year!