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
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
Engineer Special Trackwork, Amtrak
I grew up in Vulcan, MI next to a Soo Line mainline, terrified of the freight trains that rolled by. I never would have imagined that years later I’d be standing just a few feet away from a high speed passenger train zooming along at 150 MPH nor that I’d enjoy making a career in the railroad industry. The summer of 2009 changed everything. On a whim, I talked to the BNSF recruiter at the Career Fair. I interned in Vancouver, WA with the Division Engineer and witnessed projects such as crossover installations, multi-track grade crossing renewal, and rail renewal programs.
CSX Transportation
I graduated in 2014 with a BS in Civil Engineering and then accepted a management trainee position with CSX, working towards a Roadmaster position. I completed my training in September 2015, and was assigned to the Chicago Division as an Assistant Roadmaster. I recently applied for a Roadmaster position on the New Rock subdivision, and will be taking over that territory in February 2016.
AECOM
I graduated from Michigan Tech with an MS in Civil Engineering in Summer 2014. While at Michigan Tech I conducted my Master’s research under Dr. Pasi Lautala, focused on multimodal options in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I also participated in REAC and other rail related activities at MTU. After interning at Engineered Rail Solutions (ERS) in Illinois, I joined the transit team in AECOM’s Minneapolis Offices as a Track Design Engineer.
Transit Rail Group, HDR
I graduated in May of 2015 with a BS in Civil Engineering and began working for HDR in June with the Transit Rail group in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The group I am working with has led many different transit projects including light rail, street car, and bus rapid transit.
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.
EMD
Arthur Jones is a graduate of the Michigan Technological University ECE department. After working for two summers (2012 and 2013) as an intern for Electro-Motive Diesel (EMD), a major locomotive manufacturer based in La Grange, IL, he joined their electrical traction systems department full time in June, 2014. Arthur’s work focuses on the design and test of systems related to the electric drives on locomotives.
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.
Project Manager II - PTC wayside Signals, CSX Transportation
If I’m being honest, I hadn’t considered working in the rail industry until my senior year at Michigan Tech. Growing up in small town Wisconsin, there were railroad tracks that ran through the woods near my house, but that was the extent of my rail knowledge and interest.
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.
