Research News

Nine of the 21 Michigan State University students and alumni selected for the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program are from the College of Engineering.

Years of research. One slide. Three minutes.

That was the challenge on April 10 as doctoral student finalists took the stage at Michigan State University’s College of Engineering Three Minute Thesis competition, transforming complex engineering research into clear, compelling presentations for a broad audience.

Across North America, industrial activity and intensive agriculture have left a quiet but persistent mark on waterways. Selenium, released from mining, power generation, and irrigated farmland, enters rivers and streams daily. This element is difficult to remove, but can build up through the food chain, damaging aquatic ecosystems and threatening human health.

Research can take years to complete. Explaining it clearly to a broad audience in just three minutes is another challenge altogether. That challenge will take center stage Friday, April 10, when Michigan State University’s College of Engineering hosts its third annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition from 2 to 4 p.m. in Room 115 of the International Center. The event is open to the public.

Glaucoma is called the silent thief of sight because it damages the optic nerve before there’s any noticeable vision loss. It affects 80 million people globally and is the second-leading cause of blindness.

Clinicians treating cancer and blood clots must balance the risk of medical interventions with their life-saving benefits. Biopsies to collect tissue for testing, ablations to kill diseased cells, and surgery or catheters to remove blood clots are effective but they’re also invasive. New microrobots – smaller than the diameter of a human hair – could reduce the need for invasive procedures. 

A new U.S. – Ireland research partnership, led by electrical engineering professors at Michigan State University, will work to improve wireless communications through location-specific “communications pockets” for more private, secure and efficient wireless communications. The project has the potential to improve next-generation wireless systems, like 5G and 6G.

Michigan State University College of Engineering student entrepreneurs Madhav Aggarwal and Tanvi Gadamsetti, co-founders of BRCĒ, secured a $300,000 investment during their appearance on ABC’s “Shark Tank,” which aired on March 4, 2026, bringing their student-built venture from campus to one of the largest stages for entrepreneurship.

Microfluidic devices can reveal infections, track treatment response, and guide personalized therapies. They power many of today’s vital medical tests, but if the fluid hesitates or sticks to the surface, results can be skewed, take longer, and cost more to produce.

Nationally recognized research — from how street design influences driver speeds and safety to turbo roundabouts — put Michigan State University engineers in the spotlight during the 105th Transportation Research Board (TRB) annual meeting in January 2026 in Washington, D.C.