After graduating in April ’17, I accepted a job with the consulting firm I interned with the previous summer, Remprex LLC in their Engineering services department working with a few other MTU alumi. When I started Full time with them in June I have been doing a lot of construction management on various projects by myself and with other coworkers. Some of these included pavement replacement, and automated gate system installation. Part of the construction management entails monitoring contractor safety, quantity tracking, quality insurance and coordination via various channels.
Alumni
Michigan Tech has decades long tradition of placing graduates to rail industry careers. Since Rail Transportation Program was established more than 100 Michigan Tech graduates have started their employment in the industry.RTP alumni work for various industry companies, including Class I and smaller freight railroads, passenger railroads, engineering consultants and rail contractors, manufacturers, and DOTS. Our alumni often participate by supporting our programming. Examples for how Alumni can continue to be involved in RTP programming: organizing on-site field trip visits, providing student research project ideas and involvement, providing scholarship support, giving presentations.
We welcome our alumni to keep in touch! Let us know what you are doing. Please fill the Alumni Feedback Form or send an email to rtp@mtu.edu. We can share your news!
RTP Alumni in Rail Industry
Sharma & Associates
Hamed worked on “Capacity Improvement Along the U.S. Shared-Use Corridors by Applying Timetable and Operational Management Techniques “ , funded by NURail. He was also a co-PI for another project, Evaluating the Use of Operational Management Techniques for Capacity Improvements on Shared-Use Rail Corridors. The project started in September, 2014, and was funded by the Center for Freight and Intermodal Research and Education (CFIRE). His Ph.D. thesis was closely aligned with project work and evaluated different U.S.
Staff Engineer, Engineered Rail Solutions, LLC
After working as an intern for HR Green, Inc. in the summer of 2012, Chad Kohlhoff graduated in December 2012 with a BS in Civil Engineering. He was hired by HR Green upon graduation and since August, 2013, Chad has been working for Engineered Rail Solutions, LLC (ERS) as a Staff Engineer. “My interest in railroad engineering was sparked by getting involved in the RTP and REAC at Michigan Tech. Student trips and hands-on activities on campus provided valuable learning experiences about the railroad industry outside of the classroom, including networking opportunities that led to my internship and full time job.
Engineer Associate - Track, Union Pacific
I recently started working with Union Pacific Railroad as an Engineer Associate in the track department. As a new engineering employee I am going through their Operations Management Trainee (OMT) Program which will last 12 months.
Design Engineer, Hanson Professional Services - MS Graduate (2009), Civil Engineering
Shane Ferrell became the first graduate of the Rail Transportation Program (RTP) at Michigan Technological University (Michigan Tech). He received his BS in Civil Engineering from Michigan Tech in 2008 and was awarded a MS in Civil Engineering with the completion of his thesis “Maintaining Stability Beneath Cold Climate Transportation Infrastructure with Special Emphasis on Railroads” in August 2009.
Director, MDOT Office of Rail
Tim Hoeffner is the Director of Michigan Department of Transportation's (MDOT) Office of Rail, which focuses on passenger and freight rail issues and developments for the State of Michigan.
Design Engineer, HDR, Inc. - MS Graduate (2009), Civil Engineering
Justin Hicks graduated from the Michigan Tech Rail Transportation Program (RTP) in December 2009 with a MS degree in Civil Engineering. In Justin’s words “he got hooked on rail” after attending one informational meeting for the Summer in Finland Program during his freshman year.
Development Engineer, MDOT Office of Rail
Growing up in Suttons Bay, MI my exposure to the railroad industry was extremely limited and I had no idea of the vast reach of the industry. It was not until I participated in Dr.
Staff Engineer, Engineered Rail Solutions, LLC - MS Graduate (2014), Civil Engineering
Irfan Rasul was an International student from Bangladesh, where he finished his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). Irfan completed his MS in Civil Engineering at Michigan Tech, with an emphasis in transportation. His course work included rail, modeling and GIS related courses.
General Director Line Maintenance, California Div, BNSF Railway
Growing up in a suburb of Milwaukee I always knew I wanted to find a job with an outdoor element. Summer jobs farming, landscaping and surveying reinforced that feeling. After graduating from high school I applied to and was accepted by Michigan Tech in the Civil Engineering program. While at Tech I was involved with Filmboard and Concrete Canoe. I hadn’t considered railroading as an option until I took the transportation, public transit, and construction classes required for my degree … but those sparked my interest. Having my friend Chad Scherwinski take a position with BNSF four mon
