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By Theresa Boespflug
When Mitch Braegelmann heard that he was named one of just five laureates in the nation by Tau Beta Pi, the national engineering honor society, he was shocked. "I was told I was nominated, so I filled out the forms, but I didn’t think I would win," he said.
Sarah Stroh, the vice president of Tau Beta Pi, nominated Braegelmann for his grades and involvement in extracurricular activities.
The laureates program recognizes engineering students who have excelled in areas beyond their technical majors. Braegelmann’s graduate research focuses on improving the bio jet fuel that is being developed in the chemical engineering department. His work includes separating impurities from the fuel, and developing byproducts from those impurities. This produces better, more economical fuel.
Braegelmann was inducted into Tau Beta Pi in the spring semester of 2006, maintained a 3.8 G.P.A. throughout his undergraduate studies and is now a master’s student. His grades have earned him the sophomore chemical engineer of the year award. He was a finalist freshman and junior years. As a member of Tau Beta Pi, Braegelmann tutors engineers in calculus and other math courses, along with helping with Engineering Week.
Not only is Braegelmann a member of Tau Beta Pi, he is a member of the University of North Dakota Fighting Sioux Football team. Last year he served as a captain of the team and is excited for this year’s move to Division I. "This is a smaller conference and a mix of teams we have not seen before, which makes it more challenging," he said.
Braegelmann was named to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America first team, made NCC academic first team twice as a member of the UND football team and has earned many other honors as a student athlete. He has set some personal goals for himself and the team, including being conference champions. "Without playoffs, rankings are more important this year and I would like to see us in the top 20," he said.
After graduation, Braegelmann hopes to head back toward the Minneapolis area to work for an engineering company as a design or project engineer. He and the other Laureates will be honored at the 103 annual convention in Sacramento, California, this fall.
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