Tina Schmiedel

Tina (Taylor) Schmiedel graduated from Michigan Tech in 1984, receiving BS degrees in both chemical engineering and business engineering administration.

Upon leaving Tech, she accepted a position as  a process engineer with Procter & Gamble (P&G) in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where she moved through assignments of increasing responsibility over the next 17 years of her career. She resigned from P&G in 2002 as the operations leader for North American Towel. In 2003, she received her MBA from UW-Oshkosh. A year later, she began to work for Oshkosh Corporation. She progressed through director level roles in marketing, investor relations, and strategic initiatives before retiring at 53 in 2015.

“Michigan Tech did an outstanding job preparing me for my entire career including technical roles, manufacturing leadership roles, business development, and strategy,” Schmiedel said. “While I definitely acquired engineering skills, I believe the development of problem-solving abilities and practical, hands-on engineering capability was just as critical in preparing me for my career.”

While at Michigan Tech, Schmiedel was a member of Alpha Sigma Tau sorority, to which she credits her organizational, teamwork, communication, and leadership skills.

As an alumna, Schmiedel has continued to support the University in a multitude of ways. Along with her husband, Gary, she returns to campus regularly. Both were active in recruiting MTU students for their respective employers. She was inducted into the Presidential Council of Alumnae in 2014.

The Schmiedels have financially supported multiple areas across campus, including the Department of Chemical Engineering, the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, the Unit Operations Lab, and several Enterprise teams. They are also funding renewable, full-tuition scholarships for 12 students over the next 15 years.

“Michigan Tech is so unique, given its location and the ‘we are all in this together’ vibe,” Schmiedel said. “It just feels like home—and philanthropy begins at home.”

In recognition of her outstanding contributions in her career and to Michigan Tech, Schmiedel will be presented with the Distinguished Alumni Award in August 2026.

Outside of Michigan Tech, Schmiedel has been an active volunteer in her community. She currently serves on the alumnae board of the Beta Xi chapter of the Alpha Sigma Tau sorority, serves as the President for the Beta Xi chapter Housing board and the board of the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Foundation. Additional past volunteer service includes participation in Big Brothers and Big Sisters, leadership positions in Kiwanis, on the Oshkosh Area United Way Board, and on the Christine Ann Domestic Abuse Services Board.

Schmiedel is mother to three children: Sarah (Tim) Gundert, Rebecca (Randy) West, and Jacob. She and Gary (a fellow Tech alum who graduated in 1983 with his BS in Mechanical Engineering) reside in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Updated June 2026