Other Academic Resources

Library Resources

The Walter Schroeder Library is a popular service-oriented facility, featuring a collaborative learning environment, and committed to providing scholarly, educational, and other types of information resources and services to the MSOE community-including students, faculty and staff-in response to the educational, research, administrative and social concerns of the university. The collection consists of print books, e-books, print journals, e-journals, newspapers, master’s theses, e-dissertations and e-theses, microforms, selected senior design projects, electronic databases and media programs. The library houses a number of special collections, including the Fred Portz, Sr. Special Chemistry Collection and a popular movie DVD collection. The library’s catalog, Horizon, can be accessed via the Internet. The system features an Institutional Repository (IR). The library’s website is available at www.msoe.edu.

In addition to maintaining its collection of materials, the library offers a number of other services, including interlibrary loan, database training, library instruction, the ASTM standards delivery service, and extensive research and documentation help, which includes access to the Refworks bibliographic management service. The library provides access to several bibliographic and full-text databases, available both on campus and remotely. Electronic books and journals are also made available by the library via the campus network and the library website. Through its extensive database services, the library offers access to more than 150,000 electronic journals and more than 260,000 e-books. Important specialized database services in support of MSOE’s curricula include IEEE/IEL, Proquest ebrary academic e-books, Ebsco academic e-books, ScienceDirect, JSTOR, EI Compendex, McGraw-Hill AccessEngineering e-books, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses, ProQuest SciTech, and a wide variety of other databases from ProQuest, EbscoHost, and other information vendors. The Summon Discovery service facilitates simultaneous deep searching of multiple databases.

A popular paperback book lounge area, an elegant conference meeting room (the Schroeder Room), group study rooms, a digital photocopier/printer, Internet research laptop computers and free printing are available, as well as food and beverage vending machines and café seating. Study rooms and several study areas are networked and the library is wireless. Four large study rooms are designated collaboration rooms. They feature two large-screen digital monitors mounted to conference tables. Each monitor can display up to four laptop screens. The library features individual study pods, comfortable seating, and collaborative furniture. A math/physics drop-in tutoring lab, sponsored by the Learning Resource Center, is hosted by the library. The library also houses archives that document the history of the university. In cooperation with the Center for BioMolecular Modeling (CBM), the library additionally maintains a unique Model Lending Library that makes available on loan several of the physical biomolecular models produced by the CBM. The library regularly features unique exhibits.

Applied Research

Main Office: Allen-Bradley Hall of Science, S-149
Phone: (414) 277-7195
Fax: (414) 277-7470
Website: www.msoe.edu/atc

Applied Technology Center^TM (ATC)

MSOE’s philosophy of an applications-oriented education-a full theoretical base plus hands-on technological experience-is exemplified by its research arm, the Applied Technology Center™. The ATC is well known for its success in the transfer of technology from the laboratory to the marketplace so that new discoveries and inventions strengthen economic development, protect the environment and benefit human life. The ATC uses MSOE staff, faculty and student expertise to solve technological problems confronting business and industry. There are a number of opportunities for students to contribute to important cutting-edge developments while interacting with faculty, staff, industry and government. Students fulfill the roles of undergraduate research assistants as part-time or summer employees.

The Applied Technology Center undertakes hundreds of projects annually to support business, industry and governmental sectors with research, design, development and evaluation of products, processes and systems. Staff can construct and evaluate prototypes and assist in providing technology transfer, helping to fulfill the global objectives of applying engineering talents for the betterment of life for all people.

Some of the areas include:

• Center for BioMolecular Modeling
• Center for Sustainability
• Clinical and Translational Science Institute¹
• Construction Science and Engineering Center
• Engineering Research Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power²
• Fluid Power Institute™
• Mid-West Energy Research Consortium³
• NanoEngineering Laboratory
• Photonics and Applied Optics Center
• Professional Education
• Rapid Prototyping Center
• Students Understanding eNergy (SUN) Projects
• Wisconsin Center for Commercialization Resources

¹_{With Medical College of Wisconsin, Marquette University, UW-Milwaukee, Froedtert Hospital, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee VA Medical Center and BloodCenter of Wisconsin.}

²_{With University of Minnesota, Purdue University, Georgia Tech, University of Illinois, Vanderbilt University, North Carolina A&T.}

³_{With Marquette University, UW-Milwaukee, UW-Madison and several industrial partners.}

The Center for BioMolecular Modeling creates unique physical models of molecular structures using rapid prototyping and animation technologies. The center works with research scientists to create custom models of the proteins whose structures they are investigating. The center also works closely with educators at both the secondary and post-secondary levels to create innovative products that make the molecular world real for students. The center is unique in the world, bringing together the disciplines of engineering, structural biology and computer visualization.

The Center for Sustainability works to sustain, improve and promote renewable energy projects on campus and throughout Milwaukee and Wisconsin. Its scope transcends departmental boundaries and involves integration among a broad array of research and educational activities and projects. The Center for Sustainability collaborates with other universities and industry leaders on green building studies and environmental projects such as minimizing waste and improving energy efficiency, among others.

Several new programs are under development dealing with alternative energy sources. A 30 kW solar electric photovoltaic array is installed on a main campus building. Its output is monitored and the information is used in several courses in mechanical, electrical, architectural engineering and physics. In addition, a solar thermal system is installed on the roof of the Margaret Loock Residence Hall. Undergraduate research assistants, working with faculty, may be involved in funded environmental engineering projects.

The Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), a regional biomedical collaboration of Medical College of Wisconsin, MSOE and others, involves clinical and translational science. The CTSI collaboration advocates, facilitates and fosters the continuum of research from bench to bedside to community practice. The effort capitalizes on the strong foundation of basic science and community outreach programs within the academic institutions and hospitals of southeastern Wisconsin. Its goal is to diminish the barriers between disciplines and institutions and to encourage novel approaches to solving complex medical problems that draw on our complementary engineering and biotechnology expertise.

The Construction Science and Engineering Center promotes innovation in the building design and construction industries by conducting applied research in structural materials and systems as well as construction methods. The center’s laboratory has approximately 2,100 square feet of floor space and a clear height of 36 feet. There is a large door for truck access and an overhead crane with two 5-ton trolleys. Specialized and adaptable structural testing systems, including a two-channel digitally controlled system, can produce loads from 50 to 500,000 pounds on specimens up to 24 feet tall. The lab has multiple computerized data acquisition capabilities and an extensive array of transducers for measuring force, displacement, and strain. Academic course activities in this laboratory ensure that MSOE graduates understand the physical realities of structural behavior and construction.

Engineering Research Center for Compact and Efficient Fluid Power (CCEFP) develops compact, next-generation, fluid powered devices - systems that use pressurized liquids or gasses to transmit power, with applications in aerospace, agriculture, construction, health care, manufacturing, mining and transportation. Researchers are developing a range of new technologies, such as hybrid vehicles with efficient fluid power components and wearable fluid-power assisted devices that run for extended periods without external energy sources - ideal mobility aids for people with disabilities or power sources for compact machines such as emergency rescue robots. MSOE is partnered with six other leading universities. The center involves a significant number of students at the partnering universities. There are numerous summer internship opportunities with the more than 50 companies who co-sponsor the center.

Fluid Power Institute™ (FPI), one of the first centers of its kind in the country, remains a pioneer in research, mechatronics and fluid power education. Through its state-of-the-art facilities it conducts a variety of performance, endurance and environmental evaluations of components and systems. FPI also performs component and system design, modeling and simulation, system integration and prototyping, and develops and delivers various educational programs. A $5 million endowment from the estate of Otto J. Maha provides the potential for continued advancement of fluid power research and education.

FPI uses an interdisciplinary workforce comprised of faculty and staff from various academic departments, and undergraduate and graduate students to conduct fluid power, motion control and related industry projects. FPI’s approach utilizes mechanical, electrical, computer and software engineering along with MSOE’s Rapid Prototyping Center. MSOE is a member of the National Fluid Power Association and supports the activities of the Fluid Power Society and the Fluid Power Educational Foundation.

Undergraduates, in various degree programs, may be hired beginning in their freshman or sophomore years and work 10-20 hours per week during the academic year and full time in the summer.

FPI research assistants acquire two to four years of hands-on experience combined with fluid power courses, giving them excellent problem-solving and interpersonal skills. They often receive job offers upon graduation, from equipment and component manufacturers, OEM’s, distributors and users.

The Mid-West Energy Research Consortium (M-WERC) combines the capabilities of leading engineering research universities and industry to provide cutting-edge consulting, research, workforce development and industry expansion. M-WERC is focused on the growth and economic competitiveness of the energy, power and control cluster across the Midwest region-Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Mississippi, Indiana and Ohio. In addition, M-WERC influences area engineering students to consider careers in the extremely important and interesting fields of sustainability and energy including generation, transmission, distribution, storage, automation, power conversion, combined heat/power and energy efficiency/conservation.

The NanoEngineering Laboratory lets one see at the nano-level with many implications for business. Observing nano particles can provide insight that otherwise may be unfathomable. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) allows the force between a small tip and a chosen sample surface to be measured with atomic-scale resolution. Lateral forces between the tip and the sample can also be measured to better understand the origins of friction at the molecular scale. Other types of AFM surface measurement models include: plastic deformations, electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity. All these capabilities make the AFM an indispensable tool for characterization and manipulation in all areas of the emerging field of nanotechnology. Leveraging the state-of-the-art AFM capabilities, research is conducted in the area of wear reduction and surface enhancement. Other areas include 3D printing of metal matrix composites and numerous projects for biological and industrial applications (e.g., MEMS)

Photonics and Applied Optics Center comprises the Applied Optics Laboratory and the Photonics and Sensors Laboratory. The center’s laboratories are in an extremely low-vibration site that allows performance of the most sensitive optical projects and experiments. The center includes six four-by-eight foot optical tables and a collection of optical instruments and apparatus that include picowatt optical power meters, computer-controlled monochromators, a broad array of light sources including lasers and light-emitting diodes and fiber optic components including an optical time-domain reflectometer.

The center’s support for industry has included consulting projects for small and large local corporations. Those projects have involved testing of the properties of light-emitting diodes, laser diodes, incandescent light sources, and the design of apparatus that use those light sources.

Professional Education seminars at MSOE, covering topics in fluid power and motion control, offer participants opportunities to explore technological developments and current applications and techniques. The programs are designed to keep practicing engineers abreast of new developments and applications, and also to provide a basic understanding of the technology to new entrants into the field. These hands-on, application-oriented seminars are based on applied research conducted by MSOE scholars using state-of-the-art laboratories with industrial-size equipment.

State-of-the-art fluid power and motion control training units have recently been developed. The units are universal, transportable, compact and are designed to be used for professional education programs at the customer’s site. It has been engineered to cover a variety of disciplines including hydraulics, electro-hydraulic, pneumatic, electro-pneumatic and electro-mechanical, and features state-of-the-art software, HMI loaded with MATLAB®/Simulink®, Automation Studio and customer-made software.

Rapid Prototyping Center (RPC) offers students opportunities to work with faculty, staff and a consortium of client-members (such as BRP and Johnson Controls) to reduce product development cycle time and develop products using additive manufacturing technology. Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a process that enables a 3D object to be created quickly and automatically from computer data layer by layer. MSOE is the only university in the world with the largest 3D Systems stereolithography machine, the SLA iPro^TM8000.

The center supports consortium companies within the entire product development cycle, from reverse engineering to castings in their material of choice. Recent projects involved the production of full-sized vehicles, finished castings for gear boxes, scaled models of industrial vertical slurry pumps, etc.

Undergraduate and graduate research assistants are given the opportunity to work 10-20 hours per week and full-time during the summer break with a two-year commitment. These students from various degree programs are trained to operate the additive manufacturing machines and interact with consortium members.

MSOE’s Rapid Prototyping (RP) Research activity continues to advance the state-of-the-art in additive manufacturing (3D printing) and hybrid fabrication in a range of areas including medical, aerospace, fluid power, metal fabrication, nanotech, biotech and biomolecular education. Product designs emerging from 3D printed research are in use around the world. Emerging RP structures and processes developed in the RP research laboratory are pushing the envelope of traditional manufacturing to new levels and solving complex problems. Projects are funded by NASA, NSF, NIH, USAF, NAVY, DOE and CCEFP, including MSOE’s industrial clients. Top MSOE undergraduate and graduate students have opportunities to become involved in research projects and, on occasion, invent something new and patentable and perhaps award winning. With the additive nature of 3D printing it is possible to create structures never thought possible since they are not constrained by conventional manufacturing processes, as demonstrated by students, staff and faculty involved.

The Students Understanding eNergy (SUN) Project has developed new physical and digital materials to help teachers and students understand how moving electrons power life. The materials include both rapid-prototyped manipulatives and digital resources such as the SUN chloroplast and mitochondrial ebooks. A series of abiotic and biotic analogous experiences (including use of a hydrogen fuel cell) help learners understand how energy is transferred in living things as electrons move from an ultimate donor to an ultimate acceptor. Our research, which is now focused on adapting these materials for use at the undergraduate level, has been funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Institute of Education Sciences by the National Science Foundation. In the future we would like to explore how these tools and ideas promote conceptual understanding.

With the combined strengths of five regional universities, the Wisconsin Center for Commercialization Resources (WCCR) will play a key role in building and supporting a regional economic ecosystem, primarily focusing on supporting commercialization efforts within the southeastern Wisconsin region. Each of the WCCR partners has individual capacities and assets that collectively will be leveraged to support and advance technology commercialization, having previously collaborated on regional initiatives including those to support the water and energy cluster industries. The primary aim is to facilitate the entire commercialization process, especially at critical stages, by providing a planned framework for moving a project through various stages from idea to proof of concept to launch.

Research with Human Participants

The Institutional Review Board (IRB) is an administrative body established to protect the rights and well being of human subjects recruited to participate in research activities. MSOE complies with requirements set forth in Title 45, Part 46 of the code of Federal Regulations (45 CFR 46), known as the “Common Rule,” as well as Wisconsin State laws and MSOE policies.

All students, staff and faculty at MSOE planning to conduct research involving human subjects must submit an IRB protocol application for review and obtain approval from the MSOE IRB. Review and approval must be completed before human subjects are recruited and research begins. The mission of the IRB is to ensure the adequacy of the research plan, to minimize risks and to maximize the benefits for human subjects’ who participate in research. If the investigator is a student, the research must be performed under the supervision of an MSOE faculty or staff member who by his or her signature assumes responsibility for the conduct of the research with respect to the proper safeguards of the rights of human subjects.

Research is defined (45 CFR 46.102(d)) as “a systematic investigation, including methodology, development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.” This definition includes formal investigations from which the results will be publicly disseminated, pilot projects, exploratory research, educational research and research undertaken by students for purposes of classroom work, independent study, senior design, nursing professional practice projects, surveys, master degree theses and includes research with human subjects conducted for non-academic purposes.

Human subjects are defined (45 CFR 46.102(f)) as “a living individual about whom an investigator conducting research obtains data through intervention or interaction with the individual or the collection of identifiable private information.” Intervention includes both physical procedures by which data is gathered (for example, blood pressure readings, exercising, equipment design, etc.) and manipulations of the subject or the subject’s environment (heat, light, temperature, etc.) Interaction includes communication or interpersonal contact between the investigator and subject (interviews, focus groups, surveys, etc). Private information includes information (academic, financial, medical records, etc.) about behavior that occurs in a context in which the subject can reasonably expect that no recording is taking place or information the subject has provided for a specific purpose can reasonably expect will not be made public.

IRB protocol packets are available from the IRB administrator. Contact the IRB administrator at (414) 277-2835 for more information or assistance in writing a protocol.

Disability Services

University Disability Services (UDS), an affiliate of the Learning Resource Center, is located on the third floor of the Cudahy Student Center in room CC-341. UDS is committed to making MSOE academically accessible to students with disabilities. We use a team approach that includes the student, disability coordinator, instructors, advisors, counselors, and outside resources, as needed. UDS assists faculty and staff with implementing accommodations and understanding Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. For questions and more information contact the coordinator of university disability services at (414) 277-2476 or visit www.msoe.edu/community/campus-life/student-resources/page/1554/university-disability-services.

Center for Entrepreneurship

MSOE established the Uihlein-Spitzer Center for Entrepreneurship to provide resources to a flourishing mindset of entrepreneurship among MSOE faculty and students. Entrepreneurial values are instilled in students, preparing them to join business and industry in leadership roles, improving profitability and productivity. Our students develop new products, design new processes and uncover new markets. Some even start their own businesses. When it comes to entrepreneurship, MSOE students take the helm.

The center’s efforts are directed by Dr. (Hon.) G. Woodrow Adkins, the Uihlein/Spitzer Chair of Entrepreneurship in the Rader School of Business. Professor Adkins draws upon MSOE faculty, experts in business and his experience as an entrepreneur and executive to provide a range of services available through the center, including:

• business concept refinement.
• ideation assistance.
• financial resource identification.
• market identification and feasibility.
• business plan development.

The center supports efforts to integrate entrepreneurial skills into engineering, technology and business education, such as involvement with the Kern Entrepreneurial Education Network (KEEN) grant and the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA).

Businesses need more than graduates who excel in their field; businesses need leaders - who think in innovative ways, plan and manage projects and use technology to bring projects to fruition. These entrepreneurial skills are key components for the future competitiveness of U.S. companies.

Entrepreneurs in the United States have generated between 60 and 80 percent of all new jobs in the last decade. Entrepreneurs in small businesses represent 97 percent of all exporters of goods and are a growing sector for women and other minorities. Entrepreneurship is a big deal, driving the U.S. economy and influencing global enterprise.

Information Technology Department

Information Technology Department
Help Desk: S301
Phone: (414) 277-7288

The Information Technology Department (IT) is responsible for providing, maintaining and supporting technology-based services to both the academic and administrative sides of the MSOE community. IT focuses on using technology to effectively support the educational mission of the university, enabling tools and technology used in enrollment processes, academic courses, career placement, alumni services and more. The Technology Support Desk has extensive hours available seven days per week to assist with many technical issues experienced, and loaner laptops are available when necessary. Additionally students have access to printing and copying services, cloud storage space and an MSOE email account.

Technology Package

MSOE is a leader in its commitment to technology; it was the first university in Wisconsin to require its students to have laptop computers. The visionary program, started in 1999, is continuously evolving to provide students immediate access to the technology that they require to better facilitate communication and collaboration between students, faculty and the public.

Upon acceptance of the MSOE computer usage agreement, students are provided with laptops containing standardized software tools based on degree program, online course management systems, user training and the support required to enable effective and efficient use of technology within the academic and student life experience. Students are provided access to the MyMSOE web portal and Hub, with personalized and in-depth academic and student information. This access allows students to utilize the wired and wireless network access across the campus and gives them the ability to connect to the MSOE network from a remote location.

Career Services

The Career Services Office staff provides assistance to undergraduate students, graduate students and alumni. Services include career counseling, job listings, reference library, Career Net website, career and job search resources, employer information and graduate school information. The Career Services Office also can assist in providing salary information, resume and cover letter assistance, developing a job search strategy and improving interview skills.

The Career Services Office staff coordinates the university’s internship and co-op programs, sponsors the Annual Career Fair and hosts employers who come to campus to conduct employment interviews. Part-time and summer job listings also are available. For more information, visit www.msoe.edu/career_services.

Campus ID Card

The MSOE ID card is the official identification card for all university students, staff and faculty. Your MSOE photo ID card also is used for your MSOE Raider Plan, Meal Plan, Meal Dollars, Book Slip, door access and Kern Membership. Your card/account is activated after you register for classes, and then accepted at all locations where the MSOE ID card is accepted, even some off-campus merchants. Every time you make a purchase the card reader or your receipt shows your balance. For more information, visit https://www.msoe.edu/campus-experience/student-support-services/information-technology/raider-card-information.

Grohmann Museum

The Grohmann Museum is home to the world’s most comprehensive art collection dedicated to the evolution of human work. It serves as home to the General Studies Department where students take their courses in state-of-the-art classrooms and study the artwork and sculptures, which range from 1580 to today, as part of their course work. The museum also features a research library for use by students and patrons.

The museum welcomes the public to three floors of galleries where a core collection is displayed as well as special themed exhibitions, so there is always something new to see. The museum also has a spectacular rooftop sculpture garden and amenities such as a vending café and store.

The Grohmann Museum collection comprises more than 1,000 paintings and sculptures that reflect a variety of artistic styles and subjects that document the evolution of organized work, from farming and mining to trades like glassblowing and seaweed gathering. Later, it is machines and men embodying the paradoxes of industrialism - dark factory interiors with glowing molten metal juxtaposed with workers.

The museum is named in honor of Dr. Eckhart Grohmann, an MSOE Regent, Milwaukee businessman and avid art collector, who donated the Man at Work collection to MSOE in 2001 and subsequently the funds to purchase, renovate and operate the museum that bears his name. Dr. Grohmann and his wife, Ischi, are longtime supporters of MSOE. Learn more at www.msoe.edu/museum.

Project Lead The Way (PLTW)

MSOE proudly serves as the National Affiliate University for PLTW in the state of Wisconsin and has been involved in the program since 2004, with a major proponent, the Kern Family Foundation. PLTW is a national program forming partnerships among K-12 schools, higher education institutions, private sector firms, and government agencies to increase the quality and quantity of graduates in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. PLTW offers elementary school, middle school and high school curricular programs that, when combined with college preparatory mathematics and science courses, provide an engaging introduction to the scope, rigor, and discipline that engineering and biomedical sciences programs require. The Wisconsin program has grown rapidly with 382 schools participating in the 2014-2015 school year. Nationally, all 50 states and District of Columbia now participate in PLTW and it has improved the math, science and reading skills of participants as compared to students in traditional four-year, pre-college programs. Students who participate may be eligible for undergraduate college credit, and at MSOE and other institutions PLTW alumni are eligible for special scholarships. The Project Lead The Way office is located in the Student Life and Campus Center, room CC431. Learn more at www.msoe.edu/pltw.

Milwaukee U.S. Export Assistance Center

MSOE’s Rader School of Business sustains a strategic partnership with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Commercial Service’s Milwaukee Export Assistance Center. The U.S. Commercial Service has offices in more than 100 American cities and 80 countries throughout the world and assists businesses throughout America in realizing their export potential. The Milwaukee Export Assistance Center is located on MSOE’s campus in Rosenberg Hall.

Our partnership provides students, alumni and members of MSOE’s Business Excellence Consortium (BEC) with a gateway to the Milwaukee Export Assistance Center’s International Trade Specialist. Staff members of the Milwaukee Export Assistance Center have many years of experience in international markets in a wide variety of industrial sectors. They are available to provide export counseling to interested Wisconsin companies.

Goethe House

The Goethe House of Wisconsin is a non-profit German-American Cultural Institute serving Wisconsin since 1958. It is located on the MSOE campus in the Alumni Partnership Center. They serve as a statewide resource for information about the past and present culture of all German-speaking people. Through cultural and educational programs the Goethe House seeks to provide greater awareness of evolving German Society and, in so doing, promote strong relations, friendship and understanding between Germany and the United States. All MSOE students, and particularly those who study abroad in Germany, have ready access to this unique resource.