Engineering Mechanics Learning Center
Purpose
To help students develop the learning skills needed to succeed in the fundamental engineering mechanics courses. We will focus on in-person tutorimg this semester while still providing limited online tutoring. The EMLC is in ROB 317 and the online portion is hosted on the Microsoft Teams platform. Instructions to join the EMLC on Teams are given below.
Fall 2023 Hours
Each TA specializes in one or two courses. The schedule for each course is shown in the class drop-down section below. You can study in the EMLC whenever it is open; however, if your class TA is not the TA on staff your needs may not be adequately met.
Please use the EMLC. TAs are available to tutor and students are encouraged to use the space to work together.
ScheduleMonday: 10:00-1:00 & 2:00-4:00 * Recitation Section: Monday 4:10 - 6:00pm ROB 312 Tuesday: 9:00-5:00 Wednesday: 10:00-1:00 & 2:00-6:00 Thursday: 2:00-4:00 Friday: 2:00-4:00
Tutors ArashEGEN 201 Recitation Instructor
I am a Ph.D. student in Civil Engineering major. The gist of my research studies is on Natural Wastewater Treatment systems (Constructed Wetlands). In Iran, we were researching a Novel Aerated Constructed Wetland, which we called Racetrack Wetland. Now, we are working on a fascinating project about nitrogen removal from urban sewage by constructed wetlands in cold climates. Hanging out with my friends (Hoson, Mammad, Ehsan...) and watching Al Pacino’s movies are my main hobbies.  IsaacEGEN 201
Hello! I am Isaac Wilkie! I am a Junior pursuing Mechanical Engineering and Mechatronics.  WyattEGEN 201 & 203 Tutor
Hello, my name as Wyatt and I was born and raised in Eagle Colorado before I moved
to Montana. I am a graduate student working to earn a Masters of Science in Civil
Engineering. I earned my bachelors degree at Montana State University in Environmental
Engineering. Outside of school I love to spend my time outdoors. You can find me on
the weekend whitewater kayaking, biking, or skiing depending on the weather. I look
forward to meeting you all!
 RachaelEGEN 201 Tutor
Hello! My name is Rachael, and I am currently a junior in Mechanical Engineering. I grew up in Kalispell Montana
and spent a few years in Germany. Outside of school I love to play pickleball with
friends and enjoy the summer sun while it's still here. When the snow gets here you
might find me snowshoeing in the woods. I look forward to meeting you all and tackling
statics together.
 CalebEGEN 201 Tutor
Hi, all! I am Caleb. I am originally from Anaconda, MT. I am currently a junior in
Mechanical Engineering debating between a Mechatronics and Aerospace minor. Outside
of class, I enjoy getting up to all kinds of mayhem among friends after class and
on the weekends such as hiking Hyalite (pictured) or skiing Bridger. This past summer,
I had the incredible opportunity to work with an autonomous robotic welder! If you
have any questions about robots eventually taking over, mechanical engineering, or
student-life in general, feel free to stop by and ask about it! I'm looking forward
to the semester!
 AndrewEGEN 201and 208 Tutor
Hey folks, my name is Andrew. I’m from Rapid City, South Dakota. Last spring, I graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering from MSU. Now, I’m a first-year graduate student focusing on structures. I enjoy dirt-biking, boating, and shooting. I’ll look forward to seeing you all in the EMLC! |
Schedule
Tuesday: 1:00-5:00
Wednesday: 1:00-4:00
* Recitation Section: Wednesdays 4:10 - 6:00pm Barnard 108
Thursday: 10:00-5:00
Friday: 11:00-5:00
Tutors
Jamie
EGEN 202 Recitation Instructor & Tutor
I'm a 5th year PhD in Civil Engineering working in the Subzero Research Lab. I'm originally from Philadelphia, but I've been in Montana for almost a decade now. My research focuses on remote sensing of snow and water resources, to predict runoff or avalanche hazards, for example. In my free time I like to do all of the stereotypical Bozeman things: backpacking, mountain biking, climbing, skiing, etc., with my awesome little trail pup.
Bjorn
Axel
Hey everyone, my name is Axel...after recently completing my Bachelors in Civil Engineering here at MSU, I am now working towards earning my Masters with a structural focus. Growing up in Connecticut, I was drawn to Bozeman for the access to the mountains. I spend my summers mountain biking in new places, and am typically trying to find sweet new areas to backcountry ski (probably like each of you, too). Hoping we can have a good semester together in the EMLC!
Schedule
Monday: 10:00-1:00 & 2:00-4:00
Tuesday: 11:00-4:00
Wednesday: 10:00-1:00 & 2:00-6:00
Tutor
Wyatt
Schedule
Monday: 1:00-4:00
* Recitation Section: Monday 4:10 - 6:00pm Barnard 126
Tuesday: 10:00-1:00 & 3:00-5:00
Wednesday: 1:00-5:00
Tutors
Hunter
I am a second year Civil Engineering graduate student studying structures. Originally from Seattle, I came to Montana to enjoy the snow, scenery, and exciting opportunities. I spent a lot of time in the EMLC during my undergrad and look forward to working with you all!
Riffat
Schedule
Monday: 2:00-5:00
Tuesday: 11:00-1:00 & 2:00-5:00
Wednesday: 2:00-5:00
Thursday: 2:00-4:00
Friday: 2:00-4:00
Tutor
Andrew
Hey folks, my name is Andrew. I’m from Rapid City, South Dakota. Last spring, I graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering from MSU. Now, I’m a first-year graduate student focusing on structures. I enjoy dirt-biking, boating, and shooting. I’ll look forward to seeing you all in the EMLC!
Schedule
Wednesday: 2:00-5:00
Thursday: 1:00-5:0
Friday: 2:00-5:00
Tutor
Cindy
My name is Cindy Ufelle. I am currently pursuing a master’s degree in Civil Engineering with a focus on Ecohydraulics. For my research, I am applying the knowledge of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in simulating a Rock-ramp fishway to investigate the flow characteristics. I enjoy a variety of activities including hiking and traveling.
Schedule
Monday: 1:00-300
Tuesday: 12:00-3:00
Wednesday: 12:00-3:00 & 4:00-5:00
Tutor
Tor
Tor is from Kingston, Washington and graduated from MSU with a B.S. in Civil Engineering (2023). Tor is advancing his education to get a master’s degree in civil engineering with a focus in Eco-hydraulics. He will be a teaching assistant in the Engineering Mechanics Learning Center (EMLC). In his free time Torlikes to ski, climb, and mountain bike.
*Your course TA and professor will keep you updated on any schedule changes. Please let [email protected] know if you have suggestions/comments on individual class schedules.
**The EMLC is closed when the University has no classes
Using Teams
We are reducing our use of Teams. It will be used for evening hours and we will use it to help accomodate students who cannot be on campus due to illness or those who need to quarentine. If you cannot be on campus you can reach out to your TA using Microsoft Teams. All students have a Microsoft Teams account. You just need to sign into the EMLC team by following the instructions below. The TAs will monitor Teams when they are scheduled in the EMLC; however, the in-person students will be the priority.
Step 1:
Go to www.montana.edu and click 'Students' at the top left corner
Step 2:
Click the envelope icon.
Step 3:
Login with a username formatted as follows and Net ID Password: [email protected].
Step 4:
Click the '9-dot grid' menu button at the top left corner of the page, left of 'Outlook'.
Step 5:
Click on 'Teams'.
Step 6:
Click 'Join or Create Team' at the top right corner of the page.
Step 7:
Enter the following access code: o9g52mb
Function
Once you’ve joined the team, navigate to the channel for your course on the left-hand side of the screen. You may have to “unhide channels” to see your course listed. Once you are in your course, in the conversation box, type a message and a tutor will reply.
“Hi, I’m Elizabeth. I’m working on an EGEN 201 HW assignment about shear and moment diagrams and I need some help.”
Tutors are monitoring the course channels and someone who is available will reply and likely ask you some follow-up questions. First, they will inquire whether you want to have a text conversation or if you would prefer a video call. We recognize people learn in different ways and have different preferences so you can expect the tutors to try to find out what works best for you.
Other Tips:
Video Calls
If you choose to be in a video call with a tutor, they will write the topic you will be working on as the subject of the call. The reason for this is that other students, who might be working on the same thing, can pop into the video call just as they might sit at the same table as you in the physical EMLC. This enables us to help similar students with similar topics at one time. It also promotes students to engage with each other on the material. If you see an ongoing video call in the course, please don’t hesitate to join in! You can expect that tutors will need to engage with many students so they might say something like “You’re doing great! Keep working on the next one as I need to help someone else now and I’ll check back!”
If you are experiencing bandwidth issues, consider turning your video stream off if necessary. Sometimes, if you have connectivity issues, this might help.
Notifying a Person
You can use the @ symbol to notify someone. So, if you were being helped by someone specific and they left you for a minute to work on something while they engaged with someone else, you can @person to notify an individual to send a conversation directly to them. So for example @Murray,Flynn I finished that question, can you check back on me?
Notifications
A channel’s name turns bold with new activity. Customize notifications by clicking on your icon (upper right) -> Settings -> Notifications on left hand menu
What are Recitation Sections?
Recitation sections occur once a week for EGEN 201, 202, and 205. The typical format will be approximately one hour of interactive example problems along with additional alternative instruction (demonstrations, videos, etc.). The remaining time will be for students to ask questions about homewoork or difficult concepts. The time and location of the recitation section for each class is in the drop-down menu for that class above. We hope you come and use this great opportunity.
One-on-one Tutoring
We currently do not offer one-on-one tutoring. If this is something you are interested, please email Flynn Murray [email protected].
- Go to the Appointment Scheduler
- Click "I am a Student" and login
- Type in the name of your TA
- Click "Make an Appointment" and the calendar of the TA's availability will be displayed
Expectations of the students using the EMLC
Please come prepared to invest your time and energy in fostering new and improved study skills relevant for your success. You can expect a tutor to ask you what you have already attempted. They might inquire where the material is in your notes. They might ask what your thoughts are on an initial direction for the problem. If you don’t have any initial thoughts about a problem, that is totally okay! Honestly, a lot of us don't know how to start these problems immediately. We must all read the problem a couple of times and think about what we've learned and how to address the problem in front of us. It's okay to not know exactly where to start. Your job is to think of some ideas about what could be a place to start. It's okay if ultimately, we need to go in a different direction. The tutor's job is to understand where you are so they can help guide you through the learning process by developing your critical thinking skills.
Learning can be a frustrating process. Our tutors are trained in helping you develop responsibility for your own learning so you can approach many engineering problems in the future--not just the one immediately in front of you. The purpose of the Engineering Mechanics Learning Center is to engage you in learning how to learn. There is a lot more to this process than providing single answers. For this reason, the tutors are will not “just check your answers”. If you want your assignment checked, it’d be best to talk to your instructor about that during office hours.
Please remember that whether you are in Roberts 317 or the virtual “EMLC Room,” all behavior and conduct should align with the MSU student code of conduct.
Please contact [email protected] for questions or to give feedback about the Engineering Mechanics Learning Center. We want this to be a valuable resource for you so please let us know if you can think of ways we could provide better help for you. You can also give anonymous feedback by filling out this Google Form.