Dear friends and partners of Marquette Engineering,
I am excited to share another digest of inspirational stories from our Marquette engineering students, faculty, staff, alumni and collaborators.
It is a dynamic time to be a Marquette engineer. New programs to educate future leaders of the field are emerging on campus, like our interdisciplinary Applied Supply Chain, Engineering & Technology (ASCEnT) concentration and our horizon-expanding aerospace engineering concentration. Meanwhile, our research success continues as our university reports record-breaking research and development expenditures. Together, we are using our gifts to serve the world and live out our Catholic, Jesuit values.
As I look to this catalog of stories, I am struck by how uniquely Marquette they feel. Our students, faculty, staff and alumni seem to tackle problems and collaborate with a blue and gold spirit distinct to our Marquette community.
In one story, we spotlight a biomedical engineering research leader, Dr. Karen Kruger, and explore her work across institutions to serve clinicians, patients and families. Kruger leads at the intersection of Marquette, the Medical College of Wisconsin and Shriners Children’s, bringing together experts to discover new knowledge and advance the biomedical field. Her ability to make connections, leverage regional strengths and pull teams together is exactly what we wish to prepare all our students to do in their careers.
In another story, we explore our new Brewing Technology and Entrepreneurship course, featuring instructors from Marquette’s Water Quality Center and Milwaukee’s Broken Bat Brewery and Gathering Place Brewing Company. More than just a novel, engaging experience for students, this course is guided by Milwaukee’s historic and cutting-edge expertise in a global industry. It is only fitting that an industry-informed engineering college in Milwaukee would find a way to connect applied student learning with one of our most famous consumer products.
In our final story, we meet a young man that I am truly privileged to know: Dr. Efraín Torres, a 2019 Marquette biomedical engineering alumnus and rising entrepreneur. Torres is a true servant leader, committed to developing disruptive, accessible MRI technology for the world. In reading Torres’ story, you will see that his path represents some of the best of what we seek in servant leadership. His connections of innovation leadership, service and technical expertise embody what we mean when we tell our students to “go forth and set the world on fire.”
Please join me in celebrating these stories and supporting our Ignatian-inspired engineers committed to Be The Difference!
With gratitude,
Dr. Kristina Ropella
Opus Dean
Opus College of Engineering
