Alumni Resources

Vice Chairman, Board of Directors, Atlas-Copco Robbins, Inc.

Richard J. Robbins graduated from the Michigan College of Mining and Technology (MCM&T) in 1956 with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. Since 1958, Dick has been a major contributor and a prominent influence in the mining and tunneling industry.

In 1958, Dick joined The Robbins Company—established by his father, James S. Robbins, a 1933 MCM&T mining engineering graduate. The Robbins Company has prospered and employs over 330 workers worldwide. The Robbins Co. became part of the . . .

Technical Director
Applied Process, Inc.
AP Technologies Division
BS EMY 1986, MS EMY 1989, PhD EMY 1993

Graduated with BS, MS, & PhD in Metallurgical Engineering in 1986, 1989, and 1993, respectively. Presently Technical Director at Applied Process, Inc., in Livonia, Michigan. Applied Process has been a technology leader in the heat treating industry since 1978. AP and its affiliated companies use properly applied Austempering technologies to solve tough engineering problems.

Current member of department’s External Advisory Board and contributes to MY4130 Principles of Metal . . .

Dianne Marsh earned a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Michigan Tech in 1986 and a master’s degree in 1992.

Dianne started her career in 1987 as a Software Engineer for LECO Corporation in Michigan and then worked for AEG-Mictron and Candid Logic before returning to Michigan Tech to earn her master’s degree.  

From 1992 to 2000 she worked for several different companies as a Software Engineer, Independent Consultant and Technical Lead/Software Architect before realizing her dream of starting her own . . .

Octave Du Temple, a native of the Copper Country, received bachelor's and master's degrees in chemical engineering from Michigan Tech in 1948 and 1949. His studies were interrupted by military service during World War II, when he taught flying and navigation. He also studied at Northwestern University, where he earned a master's degree in business administration in 1955.

Du Temple worked at the Argonne National Laboratory for several years, and in 1958 he was appointed executive director of . . .

Randall E. Isaacson graduated from Michigan Technological University in 1986 with a BS in Biological Sciences and an MS in Rhetoric and Technical Communication in 1988. His master's thesis studied language patterns in small group communication during simulated scientific problem solving.

He began his career as a medical copywriter at Roche Pharmaceuticals in New Jersey, and later joined VICOM/FCB, a medical advertising agency in New York. After moving to Chicago in 1990, Randy worked as a copy . . .

After graduating in 1983 with a BS in Computer Science, Brenda Helminen began her career as a programmer with IBM Corporation in Rochester, MN.  She returned to the Copper Country later that year to work for the Department of Computer Science at Michigan Tech.  While working, she completed her Master’s degree in Computer Science in 1988.  She continued her career  with the University as a Senior Systems Programmer in the Center for Experimental Computation followed by a . . .

Al Johnson received an Associate Engineering Degree from Muskegon Community College before being drafted into the U.S. Army. While in the army, he became a Master rifleman and won two legs towards a Distinguished Riflemans Badge, the highest honor for a rifleman.

After his honorable discharge, he attended Michigan Tech and graduated with a B.S. in Geological Engineering in 1965, an M.S. in Geological Engineering in 1967, and a Ph.D. in Geology in 1971. Beginning part time as a . . .

“The beautiful UP area and welcoming atmosphere at Michigan Tech caused me to pursue graduate studies. I stayed on following my BS degree to get a master’s in 2003, then returned in 2008 to work toward my doctorate. Helpful faculty and great facilities made the chemical engineering department definitely the right choice for me.”

“The research that I did as part of my master’s was fun and exciting, and I was fortunate to spend a lot of time in the forests of Upper Michigan. I learned a lot from the faculty whom I worked with, and I continue to collaborate with several of them in my current job. While studying for my master’s, I also developed skills that I use every day as part of my job, including writing, presenting, and working with a variety of collaborators.”

“As a graduate student in the geology department at Michigan Tech, I received several grants and fellowships from organizations and the University. This allowed me to travel domestically and internationally for conferences and collaborations with other scientists. These experiences were amazing and significant, both personally and professionally.”

Kaitlyn is currently working towards a PhD at Michigan Tech. She is a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. Her research goals are to enhance the technology used to control variable speed wind turbines and power electronics interfaces. Kaitlyn is focusing on creating solutions to challenges so that the clean, efficient energy in the wind can be used to generate more of our electricity.

Jennifer L. Fuller is a native of Saginaw, Michigan where she graduated Salutatorian from Hemlock High School in 2007. Self-funded and the first generation in her family to attend college, Jennifer chose to attend an in-state public university with the aid of public and private scholarship. She enrolled at Michigan Technological University in Fall 2007. In her undergraduate career, Jennifer . . .