| NuRail Project ID | NURail2012-MTU-E03 |
| Project Title | Undergraduate Student Projects |
| University | MTU |
| Principal Investigator | Lautala |
| PI Contact Information | Phone: (906) 487-3547 Email: ptlautal@mtu.edu |
| Funding Source(s) and Amounts Provided (by each agency or organization) | $30,000 from MDOT and Industry partners; $38,500 USDOT RITA |
| Total Project Cost | $68,500 |
| Agency ID or Contract Number | DTRT12-G-UTC18 |
| Start Date | 8/1/2012 |
| End Date | 1/31/2014 |
| Brief Description of Research Project | The objective is to introduce rail transportation / engineering to undergraduate students by sponsoring several hands-on undergraduate team projects in various engineering disciplines. The projects may be completed by senior design teams, Enterprise groups or by the Railroad Engineering and Activities Club (REAC) in most cases for credit. During the projects students work as part of a team to solve a ‘real world’ engineering problem that has been defined in collaboration with industry or developed internally at Michigan Tech. Each project has at least one faculty advisor, which will allow also the faculty to get familiar with rail industry problems. Industry sponsors, and in some cases industry mentors, are also involved in project. Most Senior Design projects are conducted over two semesters (6 credits) within a student’s major department in their final undergraduate year. Student enterprises, on the other hand, are multi-disciplinary entities that function as industry companies to work on externally funded projects. The enterprise student won’t complete senior design, but rather fulfill their design requirements through Enterprise projects. Railroad Engineering and Activities Club is a volunteer organization, so student work related to club is not for credit. However, REAC has developed close working relationship with a local railroad museum and has helped them in maintenance and development related activities. |
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