The Team
Leadership Roles
Vivian Kim (Jr.)
Hull Design Lead
Vivian is a Junior double majoring in Civil and Environmental Engineering. She is excited to lead the Hull Design subteam this year. Outside of Concrete Canoe, Vivian enjoys knitting, jigsaw puzzles, and chess.
Erdem Ozdemir (Sr.)
Mix Design Lead
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Erdem is a senior in material science and engineering. He works as the mix design lead of the mix design sub-team. As for personal interests, he likes to play video games, listen to music, and buy clothes.
Ben Routhier (Jr.)
Mix Design Assistant
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Ben is a junior majoring in Materials Science and Engineering. This is his second year on the team and he is excited to get more involved with the mix design process. In his free time, Ben loves to work backstage for student theater groups and is pursuing a Stage Management minor.
Karina Otten (Sr.)
Technical Submissions Lead
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Karina is a junior in Civil Engineering. She is leading the Tech Submissions sub-team and is also involved in the paddling sub-team. Outside of the team, Karina is in Marching Band, and enjoys painting, reading, and camping.
Leah Riutta (Sr.)
Quality Control and Assurance Lead
Leah is a senior studying Civil Engineering with a focus in water resources. This is her second year on the team and is involved in the mix design and paddling subteams. She also enjoys camping, hiking, and rock climbing.
Gigi Nassir (Sr.)
Aesthetics Lead/ Public Relations
Gigi is a senior studying Civil Engineering and is the Aesthetics and PR lead. In her spare time, she loves to curl up with her cat and paint using watercolors.
Stacey Zeng (Jr.)
Treasurer
Stacey is a junior from Novi, Michigan. She is studying chemical engineering. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, reading mystery novels, and spending time with friends.
Jamie Blatnikoff (Sr.)
Finishing Lead
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Jamie is a senior studying mechanical engineering. They love music, rollercoasters, longboard, and camping! Jamie has spent multiple summers leading backcountry canoeing trips in the upper peninsula of Michigan and Canada. Jamie's background in canoeing along with their interests in engineering and creative design inspired them to join this wonderful team.
Kate Ceccacci (Jr.)
Paddling Lead
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Kate is a junior studying Chemical Engineering. As the paddling lead, she is responsible to teach and coach the team for the physical race at competition. In her free time, she enjoys playing volleyball, tailgating, and hanging out with friends.
Lily Gandhi (Jr.)
Webmaster
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Lily is a junior studying Art and Design with a focus on industrial and furniture design. She is also minoring in sustainability. Lily is a part of the aesthetics sub-team. In her free time, she likes to go camping, listen to music, and cook with friends!
Jenna Bonello (Jr.)
Secretary
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Jenna is a junior studying Civil Engineering. It is her second year on the team, and she is also involved with the mix design subteam and the aesthetics subteam. She is from Royal Oak, Michigan, and in her free time, she enjoys coffee, cooking, and spending time with friends.
Gillian James (Sr.)
Inventory Lead
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Gillian is a Senior studying Materials Science Engineering. She works predominantly on the mix design team, and loves making fun creations with our leftover concrete mix! In her free time, she likes to read, crochet, and paint.
Rita Halphen (Jr.)
Safety Officer
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Rita is a junior studying Civil Engineering from Midland, MI. In her free time likes to try new recipes, spend time with friends, and reading.
Amelia Francisco (Sr.)
Sustainability Lead
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Amelia is a senior in Environmental Engineering with a minor in Electrical Engineering. As Sustainability Lead, she conducts Life Cycle Analyses (LCAs) on the canoe's materials to analyze and determine the team's overall carbon footprint. In her free time, she likes to hike, play instruments, and lift weights.
Patrick White (Jr.)
Structural Lead
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Patrick is a junior in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering. As structural lead, he is responsible for the delivery of calculations verifying the structural integrity of the hull design. He also enjoys reading and spending time with friends.
GENERAL MEMBERS
Emily Barkes (Soph.)
Emily is a sophomore from Los Angeles, California planning to study Materials Science and Engineering. She is a first year member of MCCT and is looking forward to learning about mix design and construction. She is also on the University of Michigan Women's Club Soccer Team.
Abigail Knudsen (Sr.)
Abigail is a senior studying Chemical Engineering from Escanaba, Michigan. This is her first year on the concrete canoe team, but is very excited to get to paddle with this team! Outside of school, she enjoys reading, hanging out with friends, and hammocking.
Jade Redmond (Fr.)
Jade is a freshman in the College of Engineering with an intended major in computer engineering and an intended minor in history. Outside of school she loves to dance and has been doing so for 15 years!
Gauri Jere (Soph.)
Gauri is a sophomore studying Environmental Engineering from Bangalore, India. It is her first year on the team, and she is also involved with the aesthetics subteam. Outside of Concrete Canoes, she's involved with the Sustainable Living Experience and enjoys reading, writing, and being outdoors.
Kaitlyn Aprill (Fr.)
Kaitlyn is a freshman studying Civil Engineering from Berkley, Michigan. She is excited to be a part of the mix design subteam. She loves to ski and is on the UM Alpine Ski and Snowboard Team.
Carter Sandstorm (Jr.)
Carter is a junior studying civil engineering and is a member of the hull design subteam. In his free time, he likes to hike, ride his bike, and play video games.
Nicholas Said (Jr.)
Brian Rund (Jr.)
Brian is a junior studying Civil Engineering. This is his first year on the team, and he is involved in the mix subteam. In his free time, Brian likes to read and watch TV and movies.
Sarah Kuepers (Fr.)
Sarah is a freshman planning on studying Biomedical Engineering. She is a first-year member of the aesthetics and mix design sub-teams of MCCT. Outside of concrete canoe, she enjoys playing in band and listening to music.
Julia Pyle (Jr.)
Julia is a fourth-year student studying Civil Engineering with a minor in Computer Science. This is her first year on the team and she is excited to be a part of the mix design subteam. Outside of MCCT, Julia also enjoys cooking, welding, and watching movies.
Madie Czajka (Jr.)
Madie is a junior in Civil Engineering and is on the mix design team.
Dylan Gottheim (Jr.)
Dylan is a junior studying Civil Engineering with a minor in Entrepreneurship and is a member of the Hull Design team. Outside of school, you can find Dylan on the tennis court, watching football and hockey or playing video games with friends. He loves to travel and trying different foods from around the world.
Siddhant Krishnas
Cali Streeter
