Dear Colleagues and Friends,

Each April I have the honor of celebrating our graduates as they take the next steps in their journey and begin their professional careers. It's a joy for all of us in the Padnos College to see them move on to bigger and better things.

Engagement from our alumni is critical to the success of the college. PCEC alumni provide projects, job opportunities, mentoring, financial support, expertise, and more to our current students. So, PCEC graduates, my sincere congratulations and wishes for a lifetime of success! We hope to see much more of you in the future as you continue to engage with the college and support the next generation of STEM professionals. Visit the PCEC Alumni Connections website for information on how to stay involved.

GVSU is participating in the National Alumni Career Mobility Survey, and we want to hear from you. If you graduated with your bachelor’s degree in 2013 or 2018, we want to hear about your career journey – your successes and challenges and how well Grand Valley prepared you. You can learn more and take the survey below.

As always, I enjoy hearing from you. If you have questions or comments, follow this link to Connect with the Dean.

GVSU is participating in the National Alumni Career Mobility Survey and we want to hear from you. If you graduated with your bachelor’s degree in 2013 or 2018, we want to hear about your career journey – your successes and challenges and how well Grand Valley prepared you. Your feedback will help us prepare the next generation of Lakers for future success.

The survey takes about 10 minutes. Take the survey now to be entered to win one of several $100 Amazon gift cards! Take the survey at gvsu.edu/alumni/survey

Congratulations to Alex Plotkowski, '07 and ’12, for receiving global recognition- twice- for his research at the forefront of additive manufacturing, studying the intricate facets of metals and their properties, and developing new alloys for the future of manufacturing. 

Plotkowski earned his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and a master’s degree in product design and manufacturing at GVSU. He now works as a staff scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), funded by the U.S. Department of Energy.

Plotkowski and others at ORNL earned R&D 100 awards in 2022 and 2023 for, respectively, creating a new aluminum alloy and developing a platform for neutron diffraction measurements. 

Read more here.

Over 8,000 middle and high school students packed the DeVos Convention center for the MiCareerQuest 2024. Students were able to immerse themselves in hands-on activities in five different high-demand industries prevalent in West Michigan. As an Educational Exhibitor, Grand Valley brought over twenty faculty, staff, students, and alumni to engage with students from dozens of schools.   

Read the full story here.

The GV student chapter of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is completing a challenge from NASA and will travel to Texas soon for testing.The Micro-g NExT challenge includes designing a flag, flagpole and anchoring system that can be deployed on the surface of the moon with ease by a fully suited astronaut. 

Read the full story here.

Grand Valley State University, AMDI, and 3DXTech invites all interested stakeholders in manufacturing for an informative event on additive manufacturing methods, technology and education on the 9th of May, 2024 at the Shape Corp. Innovation Design Center. 

This is an exclusive opportunity to become a part of the conversation that will shape the future of workforce education around additive manufacturing, and a chance to meet face to face with a leading 3D printing hardware and material manufacturer in the state.

Stay informed!

Keep current with the latest Computing, Engineering, Occupational Safety & Health Management, and Professional Science Master's Programs news and events! 

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