Faculty at Iron Range Engineering's Bell Program are focused on building strong ties to our student body. One of our goals is to respond to students as well as give feedback within 24 hrs. We not only state that we are a student centered organization, but also showcase that we are student centered through our actions. Reach out to us anytime, we love what we do and are open to sharing ideas and helping students succeed in an exciting field.
Ron Ulseth, Ph.D, P.E. is the director of the Bell program. He teaches thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and heat transfer for Bell and Iron Range Engineering. Ulseth has been teaching engineering since 1989. He has a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of North Dakota, an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Central, and a Ph.D. in Project Based Learning from Aalborg University.
Email: ron.ulseth@ire.minnstate.edu Phone: 218-259-9782 |
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Dennis Rogalsky is excited to be part of the faculty for the IRE Bell program and share in this innovative approach to engineering education. Dr. Rogalsky’s degrees are in chemical engineering and he has twenty years of industry experience providing process control and automation solutions in petrochemical facilities. His career has blended educational and engineering experiences and he looks forward to teaching and research opportunities with the IRE Bell program and Minnesota State University, Mankato. Dennis is a licensed Professional Engineer in the state of Washington.
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Why Bell?
I have witnessed and lived the successes of the Iron Range Engineering model for several years in northern Minnesota. Now that Bell exists, we are capable of providing this brilliant opportunity and sharing this successful engineering model with student engineers from across the entire country. The supportive, collaborative, and inclusive culture at Bell is what drives me to contribute all that I can to this new and innovative program. I strongly believe that this is the future of engineering education, and I am excited to be a part of a team that works with this much greater purpose in mind. Experience My experience as a student engineer in education started at Itasca Community College which is located in a rural area in northern Minnesota. Upon completion of my first two years at a community college, I decided to transfer to Iron Range Engineering to finish my bachelors degree. This was the best decision I ever made as a student engineer as it opened my eyes to the world of engineering beyond my time as a student. Upon graduation, I worked as a chemical engineer for a local paper company. I then joined the education side of engineering by joining Bell in the early developing stages as a faculty member. In parallel to working at Bell, I completed my master's degree in chemical engineering through the University of Minnesota Duluth. Research At Bell, we realize that this model is not for everyone. However, this program is exactly what so many student engineers from across the country are looking for! The only problem is that so many people have never heard about this opportunity before, so they do not even know it exists. I am constantly working at developing new strategies and finding ways to reach more student engineers. Hobbies I really enjoy spending time outdoors and spending quality time with my family. I am an avid freshwater angler, multispecies hunter, and also enjoy officiating ice hockey. I am passionate about the small rural communities that I live and spend my time in and enjoy my time as a youth leader at my church. |
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Why Bell?
Being part of a community of very intelligent people doing big things drew me to Bell. Iron Range Engineering has become known for being an innovator in engineering education, and I am highly attracted to being part of new programs that have a mindset of continuous improvement and are effective at it. The team and the students who are part of Iron Range Engineering and the Bell Program aren’t just good at working but are also genuinely great people always willing to be there for each other which is why I am a part of this team. Experience Prior to attending college, I worked in the mining industry rebuilding heavy equipment parts and assemblies. I graduated from Iron Range Engineering in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Engineering. After college, I worked in a supervisory role at a remanufacturing plant while starting my own business which I still run today. My facilitating role with the college started in 2017 where I would guide one student project each semester. My full-time role with the college started in January of 2019. Research While I do not do any official research at this time, my personal research focus is in the realm of makerspaces. I own and operate a makerspace that allows members to access a variety of equipment and tools they can use to start businesses, enhance current businesses, complete personal projects, spend time with a creator community, or enhance their education. This space acts as a research lab for how spaces like this can create economic development and develop self-directed learners. Hobbies Taking time to hang out with my 2 pitbulls is my top activity during my free time. While I do not spend much time anymore on hobbies, I have always enjoyed carpentry and graphic design. Now and then, I also enjoy gaming on the PC that I built. The Elder Scrolls and Fallout series would be my favorite types of games. |
Why Bell?
I feel I was born to help people. At Bell, not only am I able to apply this innate appetite, but I have the ability to utilize and apply cutting-edge research in education to our state-of-the-art engineering program. I have lived something close to the Bell model by working as a student engineer while earning my Bachelor of Science in Engineering. I was nine months pregnant with my third child when I graduated with my degree. Because I know how difficult it is to raise a family, work, and go to school full time, I aim to assist others in this challenge. I feel Bell will help me to help others overcome their barriers to earning their degree and becoming the engineer they want to be. Experience I am an electrical engineer. I earned my pre-engineering courses from a community college and my BSE degree from Minnesota State University, Mankato (MSU) through the Iron Range Engineering program. I also have a diploma of Automotive Technology. During the summer of my sophomore year, I interned at a coal-fired power plant. I worked as a process control co-op at the largest taconite processing facility in the US for three semesters in my third and fourth year. Due to the experience gained as a student, I was hired and worked full-time as a development engineer for Detroit Reman, a division within Daimler, during my senior semester. Upon graduation, I continued in this position for 3 more years. I then decided to shift gears to work in engineering education. Research I participated in the Undergraduate Research Symposium as a sophomore at MSU. The topic was applying a systems engineering approach to designing a mobile aquaponic system. I am currently involved with and starting a few research topics in engineering education with the aim of continuing to push the boundaries of engineering education. Hobbies When I am not working with the Bell Program or students, I am spending time with my family. I also enjoy taking walks, volunteering, camping, traveling, and having coffee with friends. |
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Why Bell?
Being a non-traditional student, I was working full-time and going to school full-time as well. I started out my engineering education in a Distance Engineering Program at a University with an articulation agreement with my local community college, so I was also able to take some physical courses at my locally in addition to the online learning component. I was not working as an engineer, and the demands of this path were not allowing me to have a good work-life balance. I did not feel like I was getting the most out of the online learning component of my education, which is why I was attracted to the project-based element of Iron Range Engineering. When I decided to come to IRE, it chose to quit my main source of income to devote my full attention to my junior and senior years. This required me to use financial aid to support my family. If I had been able to get the project-based learning that was so valuable to my development as an engineer, at the same time I was earning a full-time salary and completing my degree, it would have been a much better overall experience for myself and my family. The Bell Program will change the way people think about education, and we will not be delivering education in the same limited methods that I experienced with online learning and that are a major source of concern with potential Bell students...think Innovative, Supportive, Engaging, and Fun. Experience A large part of my engineering experience was in creating and operating equipment to collect ballast water from Great Lakes shipping vessels. The project was purposed with determining the extent of which lakers were contributing to the spread of aquatic invasive species in the Great Lakes. I also designed equipment for collecting soil samples, modifying existing equipment to support diving construction operations, and developing methods of remediating homes from Methamphetamine contamination. Research Most of the research that I have performed was primarily in best practices for ships without ballast water management systems (BWMS) to limit the uptake and survival of aquatic invasive species. I am looking forward to shifting the focus of future research to Engineering Education and how Engineering Education and Project Based Learning can benefit more people around the world. Hobbies I enjoy antiquing with my wife and exploring the Minnesota State Parks and Trails with my family. I also enjoy building custom bicycles in my spare time. My love of bicycles and design actually sparked my interest in going back to school for engineering. |
I believe that anyone who wishes to pursue an engineering degree is capable of success. My degree is in geological engineering, and I have 10 years of experience in environmental consulting. I am a licensed Professional Engineer in Minnesota, and also a licensed Professional Geologist in Minnesota. I love spending time with family, and my hobbies include photography, reading, and checking out waterfalls.
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Dr. Emilie Siverling is an Assistant Professor of Integrated Engineering at Minnesota State University, Mankato, and she is also a Professor in Iron Range Engineering’s Bell Program. She facilitates core technical competencies of materials science, statistics, and mechanics of materials. Emilie recently completed a Ph.D. in Engineering Education and an M.S.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction - Science Education at Purdue University. During her graduate studies, she focused on K-12 engineering design-based STEM integration, primarily using engineering design to support secondary science curricula and instruction. Prior to her graduate studies, Emilie was a high school chemistry and physics teacher at Todd County High School on the Rosebud Reservation from 2009-2013. She maintains a South Dakota Teaching Certificate for secondary chemistry, physics, and mathematics. Before teaching, she received a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2009. During her undergraduate studies, she completed an eight-month internship in 2008 as a co-op engineer in the Department of Biomaterials at Biomet, Inc. In her free time, Emilie enjoys yoga, hiking, reading, and spending time with family and friends.
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Kaitlyn is a biomedical engineer who serves as a facilitator in the Bell Program. She previously worked as the assistant director for Iron Range Engineering where she co-coordinated events including STEM Showcase and the IRE Career Fair, along with facilitating many student design projects. She obtained her bachelor’s degree through the Iron Range Engineering program in 2017. Kaitlyn strives to support and guide students throughout their education so they can be highly successful in their professional careers.
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Why Bell?
I have devoted much of my energy to improving engineering education. In learning about what Iron Range Engineering has done to innovate how we educate the next generation of engineers, and what the Bell Program is doing to continue to make systematic and widespread change, I decided I needed to be a part of that innovation. I left the warmer climates of South Carolina to move to the Iron Range of Minnesota, and have loved the community in this region and in Bell Program. Experience I have my BS in Electrical Engineering and PhD in Engineering and Science Education in Clemson University. I completed a masters equivalency in Electrical Engineering as part of my PhD program. I have experience with autonomous vehicles and robotics through an internship with the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Panama City and through research projects designing engineering outreach tools at Clemson University. I dove in to communication systems in my master’s coursework connected to my experiences as a licensed amateur radio operator. I have shared my knowledge and experience in Electrical Engineering and Engineering Education through teaching at innovative programs at Colorado State University and Iron Range Engineering before coming to Bell. Research My research has focused on engineering education, particularly around career goals and motivations. I find my research has many direct and practical applications to the Bell Program’s science-based framework. I have looked at open-ended problem-solving strategies and metacognition, or thinking about thinking—an important aspect of engineering and the Bell Program. I am continuing my work in career goals and motivations to include a focus of well-being and mental health in engineering education. Hobbies I love to spend time recharging in nature with my husband and our adventure pup. We go hiking, backpacking, kayaking, rock climbing, and some attempts on my part at mountain biking. The Iron Range of Minnesota has been a great place for all of these, and a chance for me to gain more comfort with winter activities of skiing/snowboarding. |
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I became an engineer because I wanted to make a difference, big or small, by helping those around me. The Bell Program gives me the opportunity every day as a facilitator to support students to “become the engineers they want to be,” and that is exceeding my goal as an engineer. I grew up in Virginia, MN, and graduated from Iron Range Engineering as a mechanical engineer in May of 2020. Most of my free time is spent outdoors with my husband, hunting, snowmobiling, fishing, hiking, or exploring new places. I also enjoy relaxing with my two cats and a good movie.
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