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Meet this year’s MTU Engineers Without Borders t Meet this year’s MTU Engineers Without Borders team! 

The EWB-USA was established to partner with disadvantaged communities to improve their quality of life through the implementation of environmentally conscious, equitable, and economically sustainable engineering projects, while developing internationally responsible engineers and engineering students.

So far this year, the EWB team has met with the local NGO to discuss the project work and has also recruited a handful of new members! They have established the scope of work with Etta Projects and have laid out a timeline for when the project can be expected to be completed. 

The work done by this team has widespread and meaningful impacts!  Watch this page as well as the BWE website to keep up with this team’s progress throughout this year. 

#ewb #mtuewb #globalimpact #globalengineering #mtuengineering #mtuinnovation #mtuabroad
Meet this year’s MTU Steel Bridge Team! The MTU Meet this year’s MTU Steel Bridge Team!

The MTU Steel Bridge team designs, fabricates, and constructs a competitive steel bridge to meet a specific set of requirements and withstand a certain load. They then compete in the AISC Steel Bridge Competition at the end of the school year. So far this year, they have been successful in recruiting new members to the team and getting people involved in helping design the bridge! Steel Bridge is working towards the following goals: place 1st in the regional competition and place in the top 5 at the national competition. They also hope to intensively train people in design, modeling, and fabrication to build an even better team next year! 

#bwe #steelbridge #steeldesign #brigde #steel #teamwork #mtu #mtuinnovation
Join members of the BWE team tomorrow for Enterpri Join members of the BWE team tomorrow for Enterprise Day 2025! This is an opportunity to explore the ALL different enterprises MTU has to offer. 

It’s from 6:00-8:00 PM, with a plenty of time to go and ask different teams questions and learn about their current projects. It is open to all students, we hope to see you stop by! 
#mtu #mtuenterprise #mturoszacenter
Chase Jones is a 4th-year civil engineering major. Chase Jones is a 4th-year civil engineering major. 
He is a third-year returning member of Steel Bridge and BWE! During his previous years, he has had the opportunity to work on the bridges for the competitions. From this he has gained:

“A lot of exposure to CAD software as well as hands-on experience working with steel.”

Chase’s expertise is being put to good use while he serves as the new Steel Bridge Head of Fabrication! He is also on E-Board as the BWE ESAB Liaison. 

He says a school year at MTU is not complete without a few fires with some friends on one of the beaches around the Keweenaw.
Meet this year’s Timber Strong Team! This engin Meet this year’s Timber Strong Team!

This engineering competition challenges student teams to design and speed-build a 2-story wood light-framed building. The team has been using the fundamentals of the Design Thinking Process to analyze the new rules for the competition and ideate a unique design that not only meets this year’s parameters but goes above and beyond.

They are set up well with experienced leadership. Keep updated as they are projected to have another amazing year!

#mtuinnovation #timber #timberstong #mtu #buildingengineer
Interested in BWE? Join current members of the tea Interested in BWE? Join current members of the team for a fun event this upcoming Thursday! There will be pizza and an interactive scavenger hunt that will involve each BWE team. 
#bwe #enterprise #pizza #freefood #mtufoodandsocial
Austin Ford is in his 5th year for Civil Engineeri Austin Ford is in his 5th year for Civil Engineering and a 3rd time returning member of BWE. He has also been part of the MTU Timber Strong Team for the last three years. The team’s effective efforts have earned them 1st place at competition for the last two years!

“I like how hands on it is. It really gets you ready for the real world with all the different situations/tasks you’re put into.”

Austin plays a large role in this team: he was build lead last year and now is the new Team President. He is well equipped for this new position and is doing an amazing job!

He suggests trying the different pasties at Roys, and going on a no technology adventure in the Keweenaw anywhere.
Meet this year’s WERC team! This team strives to Meet this year’s WERC team! This team strives to design innovative solutions to waste management research. They will ultimately take their design to compete at the WERC Environmental Design Contest at New Mexico State University.

This year’s WERC team has picked the task category. Task 2. Power Plant in the Desert: Recovering Water from Cooling Towers!They have also picked the power plant they are going to base the model on and location: the Palo Verde Nuclear Power Station in Tonopah AZ. This design will aim to accomplish the effective recovery of water vapor in the plant’s cooling towers.

Stay updated to hear about the team’s progress as the 2026 WERC Environmental Design Competition approaches! 
#mtu #mtuinnovation #werc #sustainability #sustanableenergy
Nathan Metevia is a 4th-year civil engineering maj Nathan Metevia is a 4th-year civil engineering major! Now, during his second year of BWE, he is serving as Vice President. This is an important role, and he is doing a great job! As part of the steel bridge team, Nathan was able to design a bridge structure last year. He is returning to the team this year because he enjoys:

“The ability to work in teams to create a solution and then take our ideas and compete against other schools.”

During his free time, Nathan can be found outside hunting and fishing. Having spent time exploring the copper country, he recommends that all MTU students do the same!
This week’s summer update: Concrete Canoe! 🛶 This week’s summer update: Concrete Canoe! 🛶 

The MTU Concrete Canoe team competed at the national competition this July in California. They had an outstanding race, design, and presentation from their hard work throughout the last school year. Their canoe had exceptional turn speed, and their theme was based on the mining operations in copper country. This hard work earned them 9th place overall, an impressive feat for their first attendance at finals in several years. 

The MTU Concrete Canoe team demonstrated innovation and skill, upholding the MTU standards. Wish this team a late congratulations on this amazing accomplishment! Keep an eye out for the updates about them on this page and the BWE website; you won’t regret it! 

Special thanks to @michigantechcege for the images!
#mtu #concretecanoe #concretecanoecompetition #mtuinnovation #concrete
Kris Crawford is a fourth-year Environmental Engin Kris Crawford is a fourth-year Environmental Engineering major. He is the new BWE President, and as many can attest, he is and will continue to do a fantastic job! Kris returned to BWE for his second year for the collaborative and professional environment: 

“ I appreciate the inclusion of professionality and ability to practice presentations for a project that typically wouldn’t require more than a report.”

Kris also stays very busy with Engineers Without Borders, where he is the Project Lead for the Bolivia Team. This past year, the team designed, traveled, and implemented various erosion control/road improvement measures, including gabion walls, cobble-lined ditches, and road grading in the village of Santa Barbara, Bolivia. They plan on working with the same community on this upcoming year’s project. 

It is no surprise that he is a big traveler in his free time, not just for humanitarian work. He is especially well-traveled within the United States, having been to 45 of the 50 states in the US with his family over the past 13 years.
Joe Dobat is a senior environmental engineering st Joe Dobat is a senior environmental engineering student. Last year, he and the EPA Campus Rainworks Challenge team designed stormwater, shoreline, and aesthetic improvements to a portion of Tech’s waterfront. 

“I enjoy how enterprise projects are collaborative in a way that incorporates people with different interests and of all kinds of expertise. I think it makes the experience gained through working on projects more valuable, insightful, and results in higher quality work.”

This year, he is the new BWE Public Outreach Chair, as well as working on a senior design project. It focused on improving the quality of the stormwater that is collected by the Huron Creek in Houghton’s commercial area by Razorback Dr and Ridge Rd. 

“I think that everyone should try and get as many different experiences as possible before they graduate, but if I had to pick just one I think the Jibba Jabba snowboarding competition is the coolest must-see winter event here. Everyone should also check out Bread Loafers next to Pat’s in Hancock, I think it’s the best local bakery around.”
On the next episode of BWE students being awesome On the next episode of BWE students being awesome over the summer: The Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Team!

Last school year, the EWB team developed a design to continue an ongoing road improvement project located in Santa Barbara, Bolivia. With the help of a professional engineering mentor, they planned to fortify a stretch of washout-prone road. So this April, the EWB Team traveled to the site to install 80 meters of rock gabions. This project is set to improve the dependability of this road for the residents who use it. 

The visit also included inspections for future projects. Depending on how the rainy season goes this year, they plan to work on an armored crossing and/or roof improvements for one of the village’s school buildings. 
#mtu #ewb #globalengineering #cege #engineerswithoutborders #mtuabroad #mtuimpact
Want to learn more about Timber Strong 🌲—ASCE Want to learn more about Timber Strong 🌲—ASCE’s Timber Design Build Competition? Come to our info meeting in Dillman 214, Monday, Sept. 8, 5:30–6:30 PM! 
#ASCE #TimberStrong
Connor Noppert is a 3rd year civil engineering stu Connor Noppert is a 3rd year civil engineering student and the new captain of the Steel Bridge team. This year, Conner has also stepped up to be the new BWE Secretary. Last year, Connor and the steel bridge competed at Iowa State University in the national competition, where they placed 15th overall. 

“What I like most about being a part of the Steel Bridge team is working in the shop with my teammates while fabricating the bridge and traveling to competitions.” 

He likes to camp, hunt, fish, shoot archery, and spend time as much time as he can in the outdoors. He suggests that all Tech students explore the vast wilderness of the Keweenaw and camp on the shores of Lake Superior.
More examples of the teams and members in BWE bein More examples of the teams and members in BWE being awesome over the summer!

In early June, the Michigan Tech Steel Bridge participated in the 2025 Student Steel Bridge Competition National Finals. 

They first earned 1st in the Lightness and Efficiency categories at the regional event in April. Then they were invited to compete against other winning teams from around the country at Iowa State University. 

Michigan Tech had outstanding results again in the Efficiency and Lightness category. They finished 15th overall, an impressive victory on the national scale.

Congratulations to them on their triumphant summer! Keep updated as the team this year will continue to innovate and excel!

Thank you @michigantechcege for the pictures!

#michigantech #huskynation #civilengineering #enviromentalengineering #mtu #structuralinnovation
This upcoming Friday is the annual K-Day fair. Any This upcoming Friday is the annual K-Day fair. Anyone attending can look forward to events and gifts from student organizations! Visit the BWE team at the Steel Bridge booth. We will be there to chat and answer any questions.

Find more information and resources, like an event map at: https://www.mtu.edu/student-leadership/traditions/k-day/ 

#mtukday #mtuinvolvement #michigantech
Over the summer, there were many accomplishments a Over the summer, there were many accomplishments achieved by our BWE teams. 

The MTU Timber Strong Team set the curve this year at the 2025 ASCE Great Lakes East Symposium. This engineering competition challenges student teams to design and speed-build a 2-story wood light-framed building. 

The team’s design period and 21 practice builds paid off. They delivered a light and sturdy structure in 20 minutes, earning them first at the regional event!

This demonstration also earned them a spot in the national competition in Luis Obispo, California.

This team deserves congratulations for this victory! They have paved the way for future collaboration with the national-level Timber Strong competition.

Thank you @michigantechcege for the pictures!
Welcome to Member of Week: Where you can get to kn Welcome to Member of Week: Where you can get to know this year’s members! 

Week 1: Jocey Baughman

I am a senior civil engineering student here at MTU. This is my second year in BWE, and I am the new Digital Relations position on E-Board. I will post weekly updates on this account to keep everyone informed about this year’s events! 

Last year, I competed with my team in the EPA Campus Rainworks Challenge. I found this challenge to be right up my alley. It was a great experience to carry into my career, where I hope to work on the local community and green space improvements.

Having spent a good few years in Houghton, I would recommend that every student explore the unique historic infrastructure that still exists in the area. The Quincy Mine Tour, for example, showcases record-breaking mining equipment. 

I love to camp, swim, and be outside as much as possible. Featured in this picture is my perfect dog, Tricie! Other than her phobia of bikes and trash cans, she lives quite a carefree life.
Congratulations to all of our teams on another gre Congratulations to all of our teams on another great year in BWE! 

Here are some of the highlights from the year. Good luck to our teams still completing their projects or those who will be competing at the national level!
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The Michigan Technological University Built World Enterprise is an enterprise program comprised of different majors. The main goal of the team is to address challenges typically solved students who have an interest in designing and building infrastructure and waste management solutions.

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