CSE Golden Medallion Society Reunion
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
Huntington Bank Stadium
2009 University Avenue SE, Minneapolis
U of M East Bank
Deadline to register: Friday, May 1, 2026
The Golden Medallion Society honors alumni who have reached the 50th anniversary of their graduation. Each May, as new members are inducted into the society, existing members are invited back to join the celebration.
Catch up with classmates, reconnect with faculty, and take a look ahead at new initiatives, innovative research, and the students of today as they become the leaders of tomorrow. You will receive a medallion if you are attending this event for the first time. Bring your medallion if you've previously been inducted.
The cost per person for the day is $30 (including meals, refreshments, and all activities) and pre-registration is required.
Please note: If you have registration questions or have a guest who will not attend all of the same events/sessions as you, please email [email protected] or call Kelly Latterrell at 612-624-0652.
Call for memorabilia
One of the best parts about celebrating a reunion is sharing memories with each other. We'd love to hear yours and to possibly put them on display at the event! See the list of requested materials.
Event Schedule and Session Descriptions
9:30 a.m. Check-in/Light refreshments
10:15 a.m. Welcome and Opening Keynote
"Voices of the Class of 2026: A Conversation with CSE’s Newest Alumni"
11:15 a.m. Department-Hosted Research Showcase Sessions
Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics — “Facilitating Undergraduate Research Through the AEM Summer Research Mentorship Program”
Ryan Caverly, Associate Professor, McKnight Land-Grant Professor
This session will overview the Department of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics Summer Research Mentorship Program (SRMP), which funds undergraduate students to perform summer research with a faculty member and receive mentorship from current graduate students. A selection of undergraduate research projects from last year's edition of SRMP will also be highlighted.
Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science — “Engineering Therapeutics for Muscular Dystrophy”
Ben Hackel, Professor, Executive Officer for Chemical Engineering
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a devastating disease that weakens muscles by hindering the structural integrity of cellular membranes. An interdisciplinary team has demonstrated the ability of polymers to provide membrane stability and therapeutically combat the disease. Hackel will discuss fundamental insights, preclinical results revealing high potency of a novel polymer design, and ongoing drug development efforts.
Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering — "When Structures Are Pushed to Their Limits: Advancing Structural Resilience"
Pedram Mortazavi, Assistant Professor
Structures experience a wide range of loading conditions over their lifetimes, from everyday demands to extreme events that push them to their limits. This presentation highlights the ongoing research on understanding structural behavior under these conditions and developing design strategies that improve performance, limit damage and enhance resilience. The talk will draw on experimental testing and simulations to show how research can lead to safer, more reliable and more resilient infrastructure.
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering — “Learning about AI and AI for Learning”*
Jarvis Haupt, Associate Professor, Associate Department Head
Artificial intelligence (AI) is seemingly everywhere these days, ushering in profound and potentially disruptive changes to how we live, learn, work, create and play. But with all the hype, it’s natural to take a step back and ask – just how do these tools actually work? This talk will provide a glimpse into the inner workings of Large Language Models (LLMs), like ChatGPT, that are becoming increasingly capable of providing answers to virtually any question one might pose. Haupt will also briefly discuss recent work on how modern AI tools can be utilized in engineering education.
* Please note: Due to a schedule change, the session above replaces "Cracking the Molecular Code of Memory" originally listed in printed invitations.
Department of Mechanical Engineering — “The Future Electric Motor: Bearingless and 3D-Printed”
Eric Severson, Associate Professor
While electric motors have long been the workhorses of industry, new research using metal 3D printing and advanced magnetic field control is challenging our long-held assumptions about how they look, behave and are manufactured. This presentation will show how these innovations allow us to create magnetic forces to levitate the motor's shaft, eliminating the need for traditional bearings and oil lubrication. This "bearingless" technology has the potential to unlock exciting new capabilities within manufacturing and sustainable systems, including electrification of off-highway vehicles, high-speed spindle tools, flywheel energy storage, and oil-free turbomachinery for HVAC and clean energy generation.
12:15 p.m. Lunch
During this time, we will present medallions to members of classes prior to 1976 who have not previously been inducted into the Golden Medallion Society, as well as members of the Class of 1976 unable to attend Thursday's brunch.
1:30 p.m. Breakout Sessions
“Thinking with Machines: Inside the University's New AI Course”
Dan Knights, Associate Professor; Department of Computer Science and Engineering
Major advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are completely changing the way we build software. People with no coding experience can now tell AI to build them a working app. But does the code actually work? Can it be done responsibly? Can it be done in an environmentally sustainable way?
This session is a preview of a new undergraduate course at UMN. You will get a hands-on look at what today's AI can actually do, how modern AI works under the hood (explained in plain English), and how we are teaching the next generation of students to responsibly amplify their talents with AI.
“No Strain, No Gain! Unlocking Access to Strained Molecules for Drug Development”
Courtney Roberts; 3M Alumni Professor; McKnight Land-Grant Professor; Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry
Simply put, organic molecules save lives every single day. But we also know that many diseases still need cures, so we need faster drug development. In order to make life-saving drugs, organic chemists must come up with a myriad of fast and reliable ways to put together complex drug molecule candidates. This talk will focus on a particular class of strained molecules that can be used as building blocks for new pharmaceuticals.
2:45 p.m. Closing Keynote
“The World of Tomorrow”
Jim Kakalios, Head and Professor, School of Physics and Astronomy
Here we are, in the 21st century, and yet we are still waiting for the jet packs and flying cars that were promised in 1950s science fiction movies and 1960s comic books. Those movies and comic books thought that we would have a revolution in energy (needed to have a flying car), while what we got instead was a revolution in information. This information revolution was made possible by advancements in science and engineering one hundred years ago that continue to shape our modern world. Kakalios will describe how CSE students today will continue to change our world tomorrow.
3:30-4:30 p.m. Dessert Reception
Mingle and reminisce over dessert and coffee.
